While Korean companies tried to find Williamson County workers in Taylor to fill jobs at a job fair, county and city officials were heading to South Korea to strengthen the business ties that could fuel an economic boom for at least the next two decades.
Samsung Austin Semiconductor, a local subsidiary of South Korean based Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and 13 suppliers to the technology giant were among 21 companies looking for the qualified applicants in and around Taylor at the East Wilco Business Expo & Job Fair last weekend.
Representatives from at least 11 technology companies “who don’t even have a presence here yet” flew in from South Korea for the event to help fill jobs locally, said Tia Stone, president and CEO of the Greater Taylor Chamber of Commerce.
Those companies are suppliers to Samsung’s new advanced manufacturing semiconductor fabrication plant under construction in Taylor.
Soon after the job fair, a delegation of Williamson County civic leaders, including elected and city economic development officials touched down in Korea.
The Williamson County Economic Development Partnership delegation planned the trip after talks with the Korean Trade Investment Promotion Agency and U.S. Embassy staff in Seoul “about ways to encourage and facilitate greater investment in Williamson County,” wrote Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell.
Rydell, who is part of the delegation, said the week of meetings included Korean firms in a wide variety of industries that cities throughout the county want to attract. That included many Samsung suppliers such as the ones already recruiting in Taylor.
“The city of Taylor, Williamson County and the State of Texas are figuring ever more prominently on the global stage,” Rydell wrote in a Facebook post from Korea.
In a separate post on social media, Rydell said the group introduced the companies to everything the communities of the county had to offer. “In turn, our group is becoming more familiar with Korean culture in general and the specific needs of Korean businesses looking to establish a presence or to expand operations in Williamson County,” he wrote.
While there are no guarantees the Korean companies will create jobs in the county, suppliers to manufacturing firms benefit from being nearby.
“All suppliers are trying to figure out how to be close to their client,” said Michele Glaze, director of communications & community affairs for Samsung Austin Semiconductor. “Many of them are wanting to hire people locally,” she said.
For economic development purposes, it is estimated that every direct semiconductor foundry job, another six ancillary jobs are created by companies serving the manufacturer.
While there has been some criticism of local officials embracing the tech boom where cotton and corn were once king, others say they are grateful that their children will have a better chance staying in their communities for careers.
“Rural residents are embracing this. Parents have told me they are happy their children will have local opportunities,” Glaze said, while citing a Chamber statistic that 74% of people who grew up in Taylor left the area for their jobs.
Oksun Cho, office manager for Techest USA Corp., is trying to find three employees by December for installation of industrial electric chillers. The U.S. subsidiary was created a year ago in Texas by the Korean as the supplier to high tech companies including Samsung.
Cho, an engineer, said they are primarily hiring installation technicians and eventually will add repair operations in the area. While she saw the job fair as a good way to engage the community, using an online jobs service like Indeed is more likely to yield qualified candidates.
That’s one of the reasons tech companies are investing to create the workforce of tomorrow.
Samsung has made several moves this month to help develop that workforce, especially in areas that require specialized knowledge.
On Sept. 7, the company gave $1 million to Texas A&M University College of Engineering to “build the talent pipeline needed to support the growing semiconductor ecosystem in Central Texas,” according to a written statement from Samsung. The money will support undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and capstone projects for engineering degrees.
Less than a week later, Samsung Austin Semiconductor and its parent company made a combined $3.7 million gift for the same purpose to the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering. The money will fund 40 scholarships and boost internships at the two Austin chip plants and in Taylor.
The second class of paid internships for Taylor High School students at Samsung Austin Semiconductor started at the end of August as part of the company’s tax-break deal with Taylor ISD.
“ Rural residents are embracing this. Parents have told me they are happy their children will have local opportunities.”
-Michele Glaze, director of communications & community affairs for Samsung Austin Semiconductor
