Quick answer: The largest Korean companies in Tennessee are LG Electronics, LG Chem, Hankook Tire, and Korea Zinc in the Clarksville area, SK On Tennessee in Stanton, Hyosung HICO in Memphis, and Ultium Cells in Spring Hill (a GM and LG Energy Solution joint venture). In Kentucky, the former BlueOval SK battery plants now belong to Ford, so Korean employers there are mostly mid-size suppliers such as Lotte Aluminium Materials USA and DAE-IL. Hiring is strongest for plant engineers, maintenance techs, quality, EHS, and bilingual coordinators.
If you live anywhere between Nashville and Louisville, you have probably driven past a plant with a Korean name on the sign. Korean companies in Tennessee now make washing machines, tires, battery cells, cathode materials, power transformers, and soon refined metals, and Kentucky has its own smaller cluster of Korean suppliers.
But 2026 reshuffled the map. A big joint venture split up, some plants changed owners, and several battery sites pivoted from EVs to energy storage. This guide sorts out who is actually Korean-owned today, where the jobs are, and how to get hired.
Key takeaways
- Clarksville is the closest thing the region has to a Korean industrial town: LG, Hankook, and Korea Zinc are all there.
- BlueOval SK no longer exists. SK On owns the Stanton, Tennessee plant; Ford owns the Kentucky plants.
- Battery jobs are shifting from EV cells toward energy storage, so read job posts for the product line.
- Maintenance, quality, and EHS roles are the steadiest openings at Korean companies in Tennessee.
- Most plant roles do not require Korean, but Korean skills help in coordinator and expat-support jobs.
What changed in the Battery Belt in 2026
The phrase “Battery Belt” usually means the stretch of Tennessee, Kentucky, and neighboring states where automakers and Korean battery makers announced huge EV plants after 2021. Some of those plans changed in 2025 and 2026 as U.S. EV demand slowed.
The biggest change: Ford and SK On dissolved their BlueOval SK joint venture. According to the Tennessee Lookout, SK On Tennessee took full ownership of the battery plant at BlueOval City in Stanton in May 2026, while a Ford subsidiary took the two Kentucky plants in Glendale. The Stanton plant is expected to start producing automotive and energy storage batteries in 2028, and SK On Tennessee began with a core team of about 100 people.
In Kentucky, Ford is retooling one Glendale plant to build energy storage batteries, a move reported to involve roughly 1,500 layoffs. Those plants are no longer Korean-owned, which matters if you are specifically targeting a Korean employer.
Meanwhile, Ultium Cells in Spring Hill added a line for LG Energy Solution’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells for energy storage systems, alongside its existing EV cell production. The company announced in July 2026 that the conversion was complete.
The major Korean companies in Tennessee
Here is a quick map of the best-known names, based on public announcements. Always confirm current openings on each company’s careers page.
| Company | Location | What they make | Ownership today |
|---|---|---|---|
| LG Electronics USA | Clarksville | Washers and dryers | Korean (LG) |
| LG Chem | Clarksville | Cathode materials for EV batteries | Korean (LG) |
| Hankook Tire | Clarksville | Passenger and truck tires | Korean |
| Korea Zinc (Crucible project) | Clarksville and Middle and East Tennessee | Zinc smelting, mining, critical minerals | Korean-led |
| SK On Tennessee | Stanton (BlueOval City) | Battery cells (planned for 2028) | Korean (SK On) |
| Ultium Cells | Spring Hill | EV and energy storage battery cells | 50/50 GM and LG Energy Solution JV |
| Hyosung HICO | Memphis | Large power transformers | Korean (Hyosung) |
| ALUKO | Jackson and Halls | Aluminum extrusions | Korean |
| Sungwoo Hitech | Telford | Stamped auto body parts | Korean |
Clarksville: the Korean cluster
LG Electronics opened its Clarksville washing machine factory in 2018 and is adding a large warehouse expansion that local reporting expects to finish in 2026, bringing headcount to around 820. LG Chem is preparing a large cathode plant nearby, though the company has said its start-up timing will flex with automaker demand.
Hankook Tire’s Clarksville plant is in the middle of a major expansion that the company planned to finish around the end of 2026. Then there is Korea Zinc, which completed its purchase of Nyrstar’s U.S. assets, including the Clarksville smelter and two Tennessee mining complexes, in April 2026. Its new smelter project is planned to come online in stages from 2029.
Put together, this makes Clarksville one of the most important places for Korean companies in Tennessee, and a realistic target if you live near Fort Campbell or Nashville.
Middle and West Tennessee
Outside Clarksville, Korean companies in Tennessee are spread across the middle and west of the state. Spring Hill (Ultium Cells) and Stanton (SK On Tennessee) are the two battery sites. In Memphis, Hyosung HICO builds large power transformers for the electric grid and announced another expansion in 2025, according to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. ALUKO, a Korean aluminum maker, has sites in Jackson and Halls.
Not a factory: Nashville’s music connection
One surprise: Big Machine Label Group in Nashville is part of HYBE America, the U.S. arm of the Korean company behind BTS. It is a small number of jobs, but a good reminder that Korean companies in Tennessee are not only manufacturers.
Korean companies in Kentucky after the split
With the Glendale battery plants now under Ford, Kentucky’s Korean employers are mostly suppliers. Two public examples:
- Lotte Aluminium Materials USA announced a battery foil plant in Elizabethtown in 2022, part of Lotte Group.
- DAE-IL, a Korean auto parts maker, built its first U.S. plant in Murray in western Kentucky.
Kentucky also sits next to major Korean auto plants in neighboring states, so many suppliers in the region serve Hyundai, Kia, and their partners. If you are open to relocating, our guide to Korean companies hiring in Georgia covers the next big cluster to the south.
The hardest roles to fill aren’t on the production line. Right now the toughest searches I see at battery plants are bilingual Korean-English safety managers and utility engineers.
Many Korean safety professionals would rather take full-time roles at semiconductor fabs than project-based battery jobs, so project-based openings sit open. For utility engineers, the fastest route is often an E-2 transfer from Korea, because experienced U.S. utility engineers tend to be senior people already settled at top American companies.
No battery experience? There’s still a path. The candidates I’ve seen get hired without it had the right degree for the role or came from a Tier 1 supplier.
Jobs at Korean companies in Tennessee and Kentucky
Job titles vary, but most openings at Korean companies in Tennessee and Kentucky fall into a few groups.
Plant and engineering roles
- Maintenance technicians and engineers: PLC, robotics, electrical, and mechanical troubleshooting.
- Process and equipment engineers: battery cells, tire curing, extrusion, or appliance assembly lines.
- Quality engineers and technicians: inspection, root-cause analysis, supplier quality.
- EHS specialists: chemical handling and safety are a big focus at battery and metals sites.
Business and support roles
- Bilingual coordinators: supporting Korean expat managers, translation, meeting notes.
- HR, purchasing, and finance: often at plant level, sometimes with reporting lines to Korea.
- Logistics and supply chain: inbound materials, warehouse, and export paperwork.
For a wider view of how the big groups hire across the U.S., see our guide to hiring at Samsung, LG, Hyundai, SK, and Hanwha.
How to get hired at Korean companies in Tennessee
Most Korean companies in Tennessee hire through a mix of company careers pages, LinkedIn, local staffing agencies, and recruiters. A few practical tips:
- Read the product line in the job post. A battery role might be EV cells, energy storage cells, or a plant that is not producing yet. Ask which one in the first call.
- Show stability. Many Korean employers value people who plan to stay. Explain short job stints calmly.
- Highlight startup experience. If you have helped launch a new line or plant, put it at the top of your resume. New and converting plants need that.
- Prepare for a panel. Later rounds often include Korean managers. Our guide to the LG Energy Solution interview is useful for any battery role.
- Be ready to talk about safety. Battery and metals plants take EHS seriously, and a clean safety record is a real selling point.
Want the questions that come up most often? Get the free Korean Company Interview Playbook and practice before your first round.
Once you are in, expect some differences in how decisions are made and how teams communicate. Our Korean work culture guide explains what to expect in your first months.
What the shift to energy storage means for you
Several Battery Belt plants are moving capacity from EV cells to energy storage for the power grid and data centers. For job seekers, this is mostly good news. The skills overlap heavily: cell manufacturing, quality, automation, and safety all transfer. For Korean companies in Tennessee, energy storage is a way to keep lines and teams busy while EV demand is slower.
It also means plans can change. A plant might pause, retool, or delay a launch. Before you accept an offer from a newer site, ask how long the team has been in place, what the production timeline is, and what happens to your role if the schedule moves. A fair employer will answer those questions directly.
FAQ
Do I need to speak Korean to work at Korean companies in Tennessee?
Usually not. Most engineering, maintenance, and production roles are English-only. Korean helps for coordinator, interpreter, and some purchasing jobs, and it can make working with expat managers easier.
Is BlueOval SK still hiring?
BlueOval SK was dissolved in 2026. The Stanton, Tennessee plant is now SK On Tennessee, and the Kentucky plants belong to Ford. Look for openings under those names instead.
Which city has the most Korean employers in Tennessee?
Clarksville stands out, with LG Electronics, LG Chem, Hankook Tire, and Korea Zinc all in the area. Memphis, Spring Hill, and Stanton are the other key spots.
Is Ultium Cells a Korean company?
It is a 50/50 joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution. You will likely work with both American and Korean managers there.
The Battery Belt looks different than it did two years ago, but the Korean presence is still deep. Focus on Clarksville, the battery sites, and the steady supplier base, and you will find more Korean companies in Tennessee and Kentucky hiring than the headlines suggest.
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