Grand Opening of THOR South Korea

THOR Group is proud to announce the commencement of business of its new THOR South Korea office and technical service laboratory, following an official opening ceremony last week.

On Tuesday 9 September 2025, THOR South Korea, based in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, became THOR’s 19^th premises worldwide, and was officially opened by David Hewitt, THOR Group CEO, and members of THOR’s leadership team.

Along with other premises across the Asia-Pacific region, including China, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, maintaining a base of operations in South Korea will enable THOR to better serve local customers quickly and efficiently, along with their consumers who are ever-expectant of high quality, innovative products.

The opening ceremony and subsequent celebrations were attended by THOR colleagues, as well as local partners, suppliers, and distributors, and customers from around the Asia-Pacific region. Guests were invited to witness the ribbon cutting ceremony, and taken on a tour of the facility, before transferring to a nearby hotel to continue the celebrations, which included traditional Korean dancing, live entertainment and photo-wall.

Arno Dalla Fontana, THOR South Korea MD, addressed the gathered guests: “South Korea is a leader in innovation, quality, and global industry. With this new office and laboratory, we are now even better positioned to serve our customers with speed, precision, and locally tailored solutions.”

Dr Qinglin Zheng, COO APAC, added: “South Korea is a major economic powerhouse and a critically important market for any global business. This new centre is a key investment and a clear signal of our intent to earn a larger share of this market by providing extraordinary service and innovative solutions.

“The Asia-Pacific region is a top priority for THOR Group, and we have very high expectations for our growth here. Our goal is to achieve annual sales growth of more than 10% across APAC between 2025 and 2030. South Korea is absolutely crucial to achieving this target. The success and growth we build here, together with our customers and partners, will be a cornerstone of our success across the entire Asia-Pacific region.”

David Hewitt, Group CEO, added some closing remarks, and acknowledged those that helped get THOR started in the Korean market: “THOR already has a long and proud history of working in Korea. In 1980, our founder Desmond Cowley appointed AICAN Corporation as the company’s distributor in South Korea. Without their contribution to THOR’s history, we would not be in a position to open THOR South Korea today. So, on behalf of THOR Group, I’d like to thank them for their long-lasting relationship, from one family-owned business to another.

“At THOR, we’ve always thought globally and acted locally. It is inherent in the people we employ, the services we provide, the problems we solve, and the solutions we innovate. But it’s also driven by the needs of our customers and the products we help bring to market.

"The opening of THOR South Korea is a direct result of our 2030 strategy process, in which we prioritise our presence in Asia. We are excited by the market opportunities and future growth potential in South Korea, and our new premises allow us to react faster, and better enable the extraordinary for our local customers and partners in this increasingly important part of the world."