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OPELIKA, Ala. — AJIN USA and Wooshin USA hosted its annual community giving program during the noon hour on Wednesday inside the banquet room at the Saugahatchee Country Club. Local city government, law enforcement agencies, fire departments and emergency medical services, EAMC-Lanier Hospital, the Chambers County School District, Bradshaw-Chambers County Library, the Christian Service Center, the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project, Chattahoochee Hospice and the Valley United Fund were among this year’s recipients.

Hosting the event were Mr. Jung Ho Sea, CEO of AJIN and Wooshin; David Wilkerson, general manager of AJIN and Kirby Hadaway, general manager of Wooshin.

AJIN and Wooshin have had an annual community giving program since the Korean auto supplies went into production in the Chambers County Industrial Park in 2009. The giving back to the community has increased with every passing year. It was up some 50 percent this year. The $114,000 total is a $38,000 increase from the 2022 total of $76,000.

The donation to the Chambers County School District is to help programs at Inspire Academy. Superintendent Casey Chambley and Assistant Superintendent David Owen were there to receive the check. Mayor Leonard Riley was there to receive a check for the City of Valley. Police Chief Mike Reynolds and Captain Stacy Shirey were there for the Valley Police Department; Sheriff Jeff Nelson was there for the CCSO, Deputy Chief Andy Gray for the Huguley Water Authority and Fire Department, Kim Roberts for the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project, Diane Green for Valley Haven School, Greg Nichols for EAMC-Lanier Hospital; Adrian Holloway for Chattahoochee Hospice; Christy Eddy for the Christian Service Center and T.J. Wood for the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch.

Wilkerson thanked Mr. Sea for being at the event and for his long-time support of the community giving program. “It’s our way of showing each one of these entities our support for what they do for the people of Chambers County.” he said.

AJIN and Wooshin are two major production plants in the Chambers County Industrial Park. They produce parts that go into the Kias that are manufactured up I-85 in West Point and in the Hyundais that are assembled every work day down the Interstate in Montgomery. Other auto suppliers in the park include Leehan, Daedong Hi-Lex and Hantal. Great Lakes Metal Stamping was the first plant to locate in the park. It’s now known as Challenge Manufacturing. Together, the six plants account for more than 2,000 jobs in the Chambers County work force. This is a major factor in the county having a very low unemployment rate.