SM Group Chairman Oh Woohyun Holds Management Meeting at Gumi Plant: "Overcoming Uncertainty Through Bold Changes"

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On March 17, SM Group announced that Chairman Oh Woohyun presided over a management meeting at the production plant located within the National Industrial Complex in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, the previous day. The meeting was attended by the CEOs of all manufacturing affiliates, including SM Bexel, Namseon Aluminum, and TK Chemical.

SM Group Chairman Oh Woohyun (third from the left) is observing the operational status while visiting the automotive parts production factory of Namseon Aluminum's automotive division in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, on the 16th, where robotic arms are used in the process. SM Group

The management meeting brought together around 30 executives, including the CEOs of manufacturing companies and group executives, to conduct on-site inspections at each affiliate and to discuss a broad range of topics such as automation through the introduction of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). In the manufacturing sector of SM Group, four affiliates—including SM Bexel (batteries), Namseon Aluminum (aluminum and automotive parts), and TK Chemical (synthetic resins)—operate factories within the Gumi Industrial Complex.

At the meeting, Chairman Oh called for the active adoption of robotics and AI to innovate production systems and secure future growth engines. His remarks were aimed at enhancing the technological competitiveness and quality of manufacturing in the face of rapidly changing domestic and international trade environments and industrial ecosystems, and at preparing for an uncertain future based on those capabilities.

He stated, "I came here with an urgent sense of responsibility to find answers for how our group should survive and continue to grow under circumstances where it is difficult to predict even the near future. Improving productivity and operational efficiency through automation systems may be the first step toward the future."

He added, "With the intensification of global power struggles, including the Middle East war, the AI market is rapidly expanding, and consumer patterns in the market are undergoing dramatic shifts. We must develop the strength to overcome uncertainty through bold changes and secure our survival and growth by identifying new future revenue sources."

He also emphasized the importance of research and development (R&D) for discovering future growth drivers and urged the group to consider integrating research institutes scattered across affiliates to create synergy effects.

Chairman Oh toured the site, meeting with employees to express his appreciation for their hard work. He also stressed the need for both headquarters and on-site staff to work together to achieve zero industrial accidents, so that the health and safety of field employees are never compromised.

Meanwhile, the meeting was also attended by the CEOs of construction affiliates such as Kyungnam Enterprises, Samhwan Corporation, Dong-Ah Construction Industrial, Woobang, and Samra. Chairman Oh discussed promoting collaboration and synergy between the construction and manufacturing sectors and particularly requested that the construction sector accelerate the adoption of modular housing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.