Koo Ja-Kyun, chairman of LS Electric, directed employees to raise quality control and on-time delivery capabilities to target the North American big tech data center power equipment market. On the 22nd, Koo toured key manufacturing sites at the Cheongju plant in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province—including the switchgear production line, the smart factory, and the high-voltage circuit breaker production line—and emphasized, "The U.S.-led hyperscale data center market allows not even the slightest error in next-generation power grids such as direct-current (DC) distribution."
The Cheongju plant is LS Electric's key base for exports to North America. As demand for power infrastructure is rapidly growing with the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, LS Electric is accelerating the establishment of a production system that can deliver high-quality power distribution solutions on time.
Koo said, "Top-tier, high-end quality and flawless on-time delivery are essential," adding, "We must not stop at merely meeting customers' exacting standards. With our advanced smart manufacturing capabilities, we must thoroughly outclass global partners."
LS Electric has secured more than 800 billion won in orders this year in the North American hyperscale data center power infrastructure market.
Koo sees the growth of the power market as an opportunity for LS Electric to leap forward as a global corporations and emphasized securing technological prowess and preemptive investment. He said, "The global power market is now at a major inflection point. This is an opportunity we cannot miss," adding, "We must secure unrivaled technology that exceeds partners' expectations. If we settle for the status quo, we will fall behind. Bold innovation to break through limits is needed." He continued, "We will spare no preemptive investment to back this up. With overwhelming technological innovation, we will lead a new order in the global power ecosystem."
LS Electric is also expanding investment in the United States to meet North American data center power equipment demand. It will strengthen its local supply system with the Bastrop, Texas, campus and subsidiary MCM Engineering II in Utah as its two pillars. The Utah subsidiary, a core base for switchgear manufacturing, was acquired in 2022 for about $6.3 million (about 7.7 billion won), and the company plans to more than triple its production capacity in line with rising local demand. It also plans to establish new sales organizations in Dallas, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, to expand its sales network.
That day, Koo also met with labor union officials and on-site workers, calling for labor-management cooperation. He said, "No matter how excellent the technology and how bold the investment, without the dedication of those of you who safeguard the shop floor, we cannot achieve the dream of 'No. 1 globally,'" adding, "Labor and management must become an unwavering, solid 'one team' to ride this great wave of leap forward together."