On Sept. 4, Hyundai Motor Group held a ceremonial event marking the start of a new steel mill project at the RiverPlex MegaPark site in Ascension Parish, Louisiana — the latest chapter in a partnership with the United States that spans four decades.

The background: Since first investing in U.S. manufacturing in 1986, South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group had committed more than $20.5 billion by 2024.

• Hyundai and Kia's U.S. operations — spanning manufacturing, supply chains and dealer networks — support more than 570,000 jobs nationwide.

In March 2025, the Group announced an additional $21 billion investment through 2028 spanning automotive manufacturing, steel production and robotics.

What you need to know: Five months later, Hyundai Motor Group increased that new commitment to $26 billion — the largest it has ever made in a single market outside its home country.

• The investment is expected to create approximately 25,000 new jobs in the United States by 2028.

Some examples: That commitment is already taking shape on the ground in Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama.

Louisiana: Building the steel supply chain

Backed by a $5.8 billion investment, Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel will be the first Electric Arc Furnace-based integrated steel mill in the U.S.

• The joint venture between Hyundai Steel and POSCO will produce low-carbon, automotive-grade steel for Hyundai and Kia's American assembly plants and, eventually, other automakers across the U.S. market.

The project is expected to support approximately 5,400 jobs, including more than 1,300 direct positions, with commercial production targeted for 2029.

Looking ahead: Hyundai Steel is partnering with local Louisiana colleges and universities to help build the skilled workforce the mill will need, echoing workforce-training initiatives already underway at Hyundai Motor Group's other U.S. plants.

Georgia: Connecting steel, batteries and vehicles

In Bryan County, Hyundai Motor Group's $7.6 billion Metaplant America was itself once just a groundbreaking.

• Today, it is running, producing next-generation vehicles powered by battery cells made in its JVs with a workforce of more than 4,200 employees and capacity to build up to 500,000 vehicles a year.
• Hyundai Motor Group also set a target to raise U.S.-sourced vehicle parts to 80% by 2030, up from approximately 60% today — deepening its American supply chain as it builds out its U.S. manufacturing base.

Plus, plus, plus: In West Point, Kia Georgia has also continued to grow. Since mass production began in 2009 with an initial investment of roughly $1 billion, the plant has grown into a $3.2 billion facility employing more than 3,200 team members directly and supporting more than 14,000 jobs across West Georgia.

• In 2024, the facility began mass production of the all-electric EV9, the first electric vehicle assembled in Georgia.

The strategy: Together, these investments reflect Hyundai Motor Group's ambition to accelerate localization of its U.S. supply chain, from raw steel to battery to finished car.

Alabama: Two decades of American manufacturing

In Montgomery, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has built cars for American families for 20 years.

• Since breaking ground in 2002 and starting production in 2005, HMMA has grown from an initial $1.1 billion investment into a facility with more than $3 billion in cumulative capital investment.

Today, it employs approximately 4,200 team members directly and supports more than 40,000 jobs across Alabama. In 2025, HMMA marked its 20th anniversary of production, having built more than 6.2 million vehicles since opening.

Beyond the plants: investing in communities

The commitment extends beyond factories and steel mills. Hyundai Motor America and Kia America also fund philanthropic programs that reach communities nationwide.

Key numbers: Hyundai Hope On Wheels, funded by Hyundai Motor America and more than 855 dealers, marked 28 years this year — donating more than $303 million to pediatric cancer research since 1998 and helping raise the childhood cancer survival rate from 75% to 85%.

Kia America's "Accelerate the Good" program, now in its fifth year, raised more than $4.7 million in 2025 through nearly 800 dealers, supporting organizations including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and No Kid Hungry.

The takeaway: Hyundai's new journey in Louisiana is part of a commitment that has been unfolding for nearly 40 years.

Hyundai Motor Group is building on that commitment across Georgia, Alabama and now Louisiana, in cars, steel and jobs.

Explore how the company is shaping the future of mobility and manufacturing with America, in America.