Hwacheon,
Local Machine Tools Pioneer
- 50-year history of Hwacheon means development of the local industry

Hwacheon has been synonymous with the domestic machine tools industry. Hwacheon has gone from strength to strength as Korea's machine tools leader since its inception more than 50 years ago.
Kwon Young-yual, chairman of Hwacheon, said his late father Kwon Seung-kwan launched a tiny ironworks factory in 1952 at the height of the Korean War (1950-53) with his expertise and his career at a Japanese-run molding company. Initially, Hwacheon Machine Tool supplied iron railings of bridges, undergoing repairs following the war, and expanded business arenas to iron gates of irrigation facilities and floodgates of ports.
Taking a look into the 50-year story of Hwacheon, it vividly demonstrates how the local machine tools industry has evolved into a promising export industry, making tremendous strides. An initial maker of motors and coal briquette-making devices, Hwacheon has now grown into a global player of a wide range of the highest-quality lathes, semi-NC lathes, milling machines, grinders and CNC grinders.
In the process, Hwacheon have hade many turns and twists. Kwon, concurrently chairman of the Korea Machine Tool Manufacturer's Association, recalls that his company had to make critical decisions on survival every time it faced with crises, as Korea underwent economic and industrial changes in the 60s and 70s. At that time, Chairman Kwon realized that his company cannot be viable in the local market unless it survived hardships in the global market.
"In the 1997, we had a dream of using machines with new technology from German we had never known."
The domestic machine tools industry posted all-time high $800 million exports last year, however, he said. The 2005 prospects for the machine tools export industry are also rosy with exports projected to jump to $1 billion, based on the currency exchange rate of 1,050 won per dollar.
The hegemony of the machine tools industry, which flourished in Europe during the Industrial Revolution, remained at the hands of the United States until 1970, and since then, Japan has grown into a globally player with development of mechatronics, a combination of mechanics, electronics and other disciplines, said Chairman Kwon, adding that Korea with good manufacturing capabilities has synergy effects with technological tie-up with German with excellent design and technological prowess.
Chairman Kwon expounds his company's greatest values - tenacity, integrity and sincerity - that he believes have constituted the driving force behind Hwacheon's success story. He said he also attach priority on raising the company's value as a listed company.
Kwon paints a rosy picture of his company in the mid- and long-term perspective. Hwacheon is now striving to build a new tradition with a world-class competition with a vision of offering the world's best products and services.
Hwacheon developed Korea's first NC lathe in June 1977, the nation's first CNC milling machine and copy milling machine in October 1983; and Korea's first NCTC in December 1988.
Hwacheon Machinery Works, Hwacheon Machine Tools, and Hwacheon Gear Works won the ISO 9001 Certificate in September 1994, in September 1995, and September 1998, respectively.
Hwacheon Machine Tools and Hwacheon Gear Works were awarded with EM Mark for Quality in September 1996 and December, the same year, respectively.
Machine tools specialist, Hwacheon Machinery Works' Changwon plant boasts as the nation's largest facility specializing in machine tool production as it has achieved vertically-integrated production capability in every area from cast-iron, a basic material in machine products, to finished items such as lathes and milling machines.
In addition, its highly organized system allows completely integrated processes and enable Hwacheon Machinery Works to provide excellent machine tools, each as perfect example of Hwacheon's know-how.
The plant produces the highest-quality lathes, semi-NC lathes, milling machines, grinders and CNC grinders.
Hwacheon products have firmly established reputation in the global market. In particular, they have been given a good reception in Europe and the United States, where they remain competitive with their counterparts of other leading machine tool manufacturers.
Expertise Hwacheon has accumulated for a long period of time is to offer better satisfaction to customers. Its sales staffers are putting all their energy into developing their skills. nw