MURRAY — Ever since the announcement in December that the Murray West Industrial Park was welcoming its first project since the construction of a spec building on that property, many people in the community have asked the same question: “What is happening with the project now?”
While it is not very visible to the general public – being hidden by a large hill on the west side of U.S. 641 South – action is happening. Starting last week, in fact, heavy equipment began moving dirt on the land that will eventually be home to a $50 million plant for the South Korean automotive parts company DAE-IL Corp. that will provide 120 jobs.
“Sometimes it takes a while to bake a cake, and we had a few things to take care of before the project could move forward,” Murray-Calloway County Economic Development Corporation President Mark Manning said Monday. “Now those ends have been tied up and we’re thrilled to see the project now underway at the park. They are moving quite aggressively with this now, and this also comes from great cooperation from the (City of Murray government) when it comes to granting permits with the project.
“People have been asking questions (since the announcement was made in December 2017) and we are glad to be able to tell them now that things are starting to happen out there, and we anticipate an official ground breaking to happen very soon.”
The plant is a history maker for DAE-IL, which specializes in the manufacturing of power train parts for automobiles. This will be the company’s first facility to be established in the United States. Manning said Murray emerged the winner from a very stiff competition among other locations in Kentucky, as well as elsewhere.
“This will be a wonderful addition to our park,” said EDC Board President Ken Winters, who said he was excited to see that the project is moving forward. He also said the spec building was a big reason for making the DAE-IL project possible.
“In fact, that, to me, was the single biggest factor,” Winters said. “Most of the activity that led to this is because of that spec building and how it made people realize what the site can become. The message that building sends as far as its prominence in that park is very strong. And to think, the plant that is being built now will be five times the size of the spec building.
“Those two buildings will eventually be the front door to that park in hopes of more development coming in the future.”
Founded in 1976, DAE-IL is headquartered in Ulsan, South Korea and manufactures power train parts for automotive, heavy equipment and motorcycles, according to a news release in December from the office of Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin. Its products include gears, car transmission and engine parts, heavy equipment products, such as trans axels, drive axels and transmission and engine parts and excavator products. The company’s primary export markets are the U.S., China, Europe and Japan.
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