Peter Underwood enjoyed a rare treat during a trip to Georgia Feb. 26.

When the director of the state's South Korea trade office attended the grand opening of Kia Motors' West Point automotive factory, he saw the harvest of a seed he helped plant.

Mr. Underwood, who calls his office the “big end of the funnel” for Georgia's Korean recruitment efforts, seldom sees the final fruits of projects he points to the state.

“It's not often we get to see the final results,” he told GlobalAtlanta. “It was very nice to be able to be here at the end.”

Mr. Underwood has been working for Georgia in Korea since 1985. Using personal relationships, investment seminars and news reports, he finds companies looking to expand in the U.S. He pitches Georgia and evaluates whether the company's needs mesh with the state's advantages. If it seems like a good fit, he passes the project along to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which has local personnel to see it through.

Kia's $1.2 billion plant was a once-in-a-lifetime win for Georgia that set off a domino effect of investment as auto parts suppliers announced plants nearby, many in west Georgia and some across the border in Alabama. All told, 12 Korean firms announced major Georgia investments in fiscal 2007, a single-year record.

Korean interest in the state has stayed high even through the economic doldrums of the last two years, Mr. Underwood said.

“We haven't seen much of a dip as a result of the financial crisis,” he said.

In fact, there has been an uptick in interest from medium-sized companies. Unlike the Kias of the world, these firms – in industries like manufacturing, software, metal working and distribution - don't grab headlines, but they nonetheless make a huge impact in Georgia, Mr. Underwood said.

Georgia's unemployment rate stood at 10.4 percent in February. An investment of $5 to $30 million creating 50-60 jobs would go a long way in a smaller community, and the cumulative impact of such investments across the state is considerable, he said.

“It's the large numbers of medium-sized companies that really drive economic growth,” Mr. Underwood said. He added that the state has some promising projects in the pipeline but that he must keep them confidential until the companies are ready for a formal announcement.

To prepare for Korean firms, small Georgia communities should learn a bit about Korean culture and ultimately use their natural inclination toward Southern hospitality.

“Korean companies have a little bit of anxiety about going into foreign cultures...” so welcoming them is essential, Mr. Underwood said. 

He praised the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce for hosting a representative of the Korea Small and Medum Business Corp., who is spending a two-year term in Gwinnett helping foster business ties on both sides of the ocean.

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