Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel plans to bring on between 230 and 300 employees by the end of 2027 before accelerating hiring in 2028. “The biggest hiring wave will be in 2028, when we’ll start adding production employees,” an HPLS spokesperson said in an email. “We plan to have about 1,000 employees on board by the end of that year.”
HPLS recently began recruiting for nearly 40 positions across engineering, construction, infrastructure, materials management and other fields. The company listed 37 positions through Louisiana Economic Development’s FastStart program when it announced the openings last week.
The company ultimately expects to employ roughly 1,400 workers at the facility, with the majority in production. About one-quarter of the workforce, or roughly 350 employees, is expected to work in engineering, supply chain, maintenance, logistics and administrative areas such as human resources, talent development and accounting.
HPLS is placing a particular emphasis on developing a local pipeline to fill those jobs. However, the company did not specify how many employees it expects to recruit from Ascension Parish or elsewhere in Louisiana.
The company is working with local schools, colleges and universities on workforce programs intended to prepare students and existing workers for the mill. Those efforts include dual enrollment programs that allow high school students to gain process technology experience, along with specialized millwright, electrical and instrumentation certifications and degree programs through River Parishes Community College. HPLS also plans on-site externships for high school and college students and internships for college students.
The RPCC-Hyundai Training Center now under construction will train residents of the west bank and all of Ascension Parish for careers at Hyundai Steel and other industries throughout the River Parishes. It is scheduled to open in spring 2028.
“The goal is that by 2029, we’ll have as much local talent as possible on our team,” the company says.
HPLS held a ceremonial groundbreaking on the steel mill near Donaldsonville in September, though construction cannot begin until the project receives an air permit. The facility is expected to produce automotive steel using electric arc furnace technology and supply Hyundai’s U.S. vehicle manufacturing operations.
