December 22, 2025 – The need for rare earths to power the expansive needs of the tech world — and each of ours — has companies around the world investing in enterprises that can provide these essential minerals. Middle Tennessee is about to become home to one of those companies.
In the largest economic development deal in State of Tennessee history, global zinc and lead manufacturer Korea Zinc Company, Ltd (고려아연) is investing $6.6 billion in new smelting production facilities in Clarksville and Gordonsville — just to the northwest of downtown Nashville — to focus on these rare earths.
The plan is expected to create more than 700 jobs over the next five years. The investment came as a “direct result” — per state officials — of an Asian recruiting trip by Governor Bill Lee and Deputy Governor Stuart McWhorter, who also serves as the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
“I am proud to announce this historic investment and welcome Korea Zinc to the Volunteer State,” Gov. Lee said. “These hundreds of new jobs will drive economic prosperity across this region for generations to come, and I am confident Korea Zinc will find continued success in partnership with Tennessee’s highly skilled workforce.”
Powering mobile phones, electric cars, medical equipment and much more, rare earths have become one of the most in-demand parts of the manufacturing ecosystem around the world. Korea Zinc’s commitment to this endeavor can provide access to the minerals, delivering essential materials from here in Middle Tennessee.
The Clarksville component of Korea Zinc’s project will represent construction of a new facility — an operations site and the new home of Korea Zinc’s American headquarters — while the company will reopen a former mine in Gordonsville.
“Tennessee offers a compelling combination of a highly skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure and strong collaboration at both the state and local levels, making it an ideal location for this project,” Korea Zinc chairman Yun B. Choi added. “This is a transformational endeavor for Korea Zinc and our long-term commitment to the region – one that will create high-quality jobs, contribute to the local economy and uphold the highest standards of environmental stewardship and safety.
“Korea Zinc’s decision to invest in Tennessee, which marks the single largest investment in state history, reinforces the importance of our strategic global recruitment efforts,” Deputy Gov. McWhorter added. “The international relationships we’ve built over the years have been essential in securing projects like this one. We are grateful to Korea Zinc for investing in Tennessee and to our partners for helping demonstrate the strength of the Tennessee story and the Volunteer Spirit to companies around the world.”
Korea Zinc’s confidence in Middle Tennessee is one of the reasons why the company — in addition to many more — sees this as the place to be. And as Major League Baseball (MLB) continues to bring teams to Asia for regular-season games, they can follow Korea Zinc’s example and begin operations in Middle Tennessee.
–Written by Juan Jose Rodriguez