Georgia Gov. Kemp announces new housing building US headquarters in Athens

ATHENS, Ga. — Gov. Brian Kemp announced South Korean construction material manufacturer Duckshin Housing will create its first facility in the U.S. in Athens-Clarke County.

According to the statement from the governor’s office, the company will create 100 jobs and invest more than $15 million in the county.

Duckshin has been based in Seoul, South Korea since it was established in 1980.

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The company produces architectural deck plates and frames using galvanized steel and rebars, made to be efficient, cost-effective, and focused on enhanced safety, according to the release.

The planned Athens facility will be on Olympic Drive at the Athena Industrial Park, with construction on the site to begin later in 2023.

When the facility opens, Duckshin is expected to begin hiring welders, machine operators, forklift drivers, and other operational positions. Job postings will be found on the company website once available.

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“Construction companies of all sizes need new types of well-designed and efficiently made deck-plates for workers to safely work from,” Myung Hwan Kim, Chairman of Duckshin Housing, said in a statement. “By coming to Athens, we can be closer to growing and new construction projects in Georgia and all states of the U.S. We are excited to join the Athens-Clarke community and look forward to this new opportunity.”

According to the governor’s office, state efforts have brought more than 3,400 jobs and $903 million in investments to Athens-Clarke County since 2019. Officials said the move by Duckshin was creating jobs and helping with business development in the area.

“Locating construction material companies like Duckshin in the state not only creates jobs for our communities but can reduce construction costs for future facilities,” GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson said. “Advanced manufacturing is one of Georgia’s leading industries, which announced more than 7,700 new jobs through economic development projects across the state in the last six months of 2022. The new facility in Athens-Clarke County will be able to support continued growth in this industry.”

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