Biden hails SK Siltron’s investment in Michigan as 'game changer'

BAY CITY, Michigan – For the first time since taking office, United States President Joe Biden toured a US subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate SK Group on Tuesday afternoon near Bay City, Michigan. 

While speaking at the SK Siltron CSS, LLC plant, Biden hailed the Korean company’s investment in the Midwestern state as a “game changer.” 

“I want to thank the leaders of SK Siltron CSS and I met with some of their folks in Korea,” Biden said. “They are a first-rate operation and they are going to create a lot of good-paying jobs here.”

The POTUS added that the world sees resilience in the American economy.

Biden’s visit to the semiconductor chip manufacturer follows the country’s announcement last year that it will invest more than $400 million in a new site in Bay County’s Monitor Township to manufacture materials for chips used in electric vehicles (EV). 

The company plans to quadruple its production at the Michigan plant in the coming years.

The 80-year-old said that he had spoken with the SK management about how Americans are “the most qualified workers in the world.” 

SK Siltron CSS manufactures SiC wafers, a semiconductor material ideal for wide-ranging applications due to its high thermal resistance and high level of hardness. 

Industry insiders say the SK Siltron CSS plants near Bay City and Auburn in Michigan are symbolic of cooperation between Korea and the States in the chipmaking sector, which has suffered a supply bottleneck in recent years. 

Biden was greeted by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a fellow Democrat who just won reelection, as well as Congressman Dan Kildee, Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SK Siltron CSS Jianwei Dong led the tour.

Under the slogan “Building a Better America,” hundreds of public servants and SK Siltron employees gathered at the event. 

The co-CEO of SK On Chey Jae-won, the younger brother of the SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, was also in attendance.

Write to In-Seol Jeong at surisuri@hankyung.com
Jee Abbey Lee edited this article.