Hanjung America Breaks Ground in Huntington, 440 Jobs Pointed at the Kokomo EV Corridor

South Korean energy storage company Hanjung America, a subsidiary of Hanjung NCS, officially broke ground on its first U.S. manufacturing facility this week at the River Fork West Industrial Park in Huntington County. The 133-acre site at 2018 Progress Drive is purpose-built to manufacture advanced energy storage systems. Governor Braun was at the groundbreaking alongside Huntington Mayor Richard Strick and Hanjung America leadership. Operations are expected to begin in June 2027, with more than 440 jobs projected.

Here is why this matters beyond the job count: Hanjung America's ESS products will feed directly into the StarPlus Energy EV battery gigafactory in Kokomo, the Stellantis and Samsung SDI joint venture. What you're watching is a Northeast Indiana to North Central Indiana supply chain corridor taking physical shape. Huntington is feeding Kokomo. Kokomo is feeding the broader EV production ecosystem. June 2027 is about a year out, which means supplier qualification and hiring activity ramps through the back half of 2026 and into early 2027. If your facility already has a relationship in the Kokomo EV supply chain through Stellantis or Samsung SDI, that is a potential entry point into Huntington. If you don't, now is the time to map where your products or capabilities could fit before qualification windows close.