Youngchang Robotech CEO Jong-dae Won: “LABOT, Built on 20 Years of Expertise, Sets Its Sights on North America”
Standardized LABOT Package, Launched in 2024, Marks Its Third Year with Global Expansion
Dual-Track Growth Strategy Combines a New U.S. Subsidiary with a New Pyeongtaek Plant
Jong-dae Won, CEO of Youngchang Robotech, with the company’s standardized LABOT SD machine tending solution. (Source: Youngchang Robotech)
On August 4, NewsTop interviewed Jong-dae Won, CEO of Youngchang Robotech, to discuss the company’s decision to establish a U.S. subsidiary, construct a new plant in Pyeongtaek, and pursue its next stage of growth toward a potential KOSDAQ listing.
Youngchang Robotech is now accelerating its expansion into North America, building on the proven field performance of LABOT, its standardized robotic automation package designed to overcome the limitations of conventional systems. The company has also secured an investment from Pectus Company, a Korean private equity firm, providing additional resources to support its next phase of growth.
Demand for robotic automation continues to grow, but frequent process changes and complex control systems remain significant barriers for small and medium-sized manufacturers, leaving many of them underserved by automation.
◆ Expanding into North America Through a Dual-Track Strategy
“We have reached the point where we must move beyond a domestic, custom system integration business and take the company to the next level by supplying LABOT—a standardized solution already proven in the field—to the North American market,” Won said.
In April, Youngchang Robotech established Youngchang Robotech America Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois. The new subsidiary was created to directly target the manufacturing belt of the U.S. Midwest, where labor shortages and rising labor costs are rapidly increasing demand for robotic automation.
The company is also quickly strengthening its local sales network. It has established a supply partnership with Hillary Machinery and is conducting a paid pilot project with Tri-States, a U.S. distributor of machine tools and automation equipment, as part of its efforts to expand local sales channels.
Beginning with its first U.S. sales in the third quarter, Youngchang Robotech aims to deliver eight systems, worth approximately KRW 1 billion, by the end of this year.
The company also plans to participate in IMTS 2026, North America’s largest manufacturing technology exhibition, and obtain UL certification in the United States next year. Its longer-term goal is to export 100 systems, valued at approximately KRW 13 billion, by 2028. There is also potential for the company to exceed this target if it successfully establishes a strong position in the U.S. market.
Youngchang Robotech is expanding its production capacity to meet growing demand in both domestic and international markets. The company is constructing a new 7,605-square-meter manufacturing facility in Pyeongtaek Brain City, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
Under its dual-track production strategy, the existing Gimhae headquarters will continue to focus on conventional automotive parts automation, while the new Pyeongtaek facility will be equipped with cleanroom capabilities and dedicated to precision manufacturing processes, including semiconductor applications.
The new plant represents more than an expansion of production capacity. It marks Youngchang Robotech’s full-scale entry into the precision process automation market for industries such as semiconductors.
Rendering of Youngchang Robotech’s new manufacturing facility in Pyeongtaek. (Source: Youngchang Robotech)
◆ KRW 15 Billion Investment from Pectus Company Drives LABOT’s Scale-Up
A plant manager preparing to introduce LABOT said, “Without the need to hire a dedicated robot programmer, a single on-site operator can manage three to four machines simultaneously. We expect this to generate substantial labor cost savings.”
Youngchang Robotech’s U.S. expansion and construction of its new Pyeongtaek plant are supported by a recent KRW 15 billion investment from Pectus Company.
Founded in 2003, Youngchang Robotech has built more than 20 years of experience and resilience in manufacturing environments, including the automotive parts and steel industries. The key factor behind the investment was LABOT, the company’s standardized robotic automation package officially launched in 2024.
LABOT generated approximately KRW 450 million in initial revenue through orders and deliveries of five systems last year.
Traditional custom-built automation projects require significant design and installation time for each individual project. They also have inherent scalability limitations, as revenue growth remains closely tied to the number of engineers assigned to each project.
Youngchang Robotech addressed these limitations by combining five standardized hardware models—SD, MT, SR, SQ, and MD—with robot systems, grippers, control panels, and its proprietary Smart-EZ control software. This approach transformed customized automation systems into standardized, ready-to-deploy products.
“As LABOT enters its third year, we have successfully transformed the robot system integration expertise accumulated over the past 23 years into a standardized product,” Won said. “This means we have evolved into a company capable of repeatedly delivering proven solutions to customers.”
LABOT allows manufacturers to easily adapt the robot to new systems even when their production processes change. Its intuitive touch-based interface also enables users to operate the equipment without complex coding, significantly lowering the barrier to automation adoption.
Youngchang Robotech’s standardized LABOT robotic automation product lineup. (Source: Youngchang Robotech)
Compared with custom-built automation systems, LABOT reduces engineering time by approximately 50% to 70%. On-site installation and commissioning, which previously required one to two months, can also be completed within one to two weeks.
A small machining company that implemented LABOT for machine tending established an unattended nighttime production system and increased equipment utilization by approximately 35%. The system also enabled the company to shorten its investment payback period to approximately 14 to 18 months.
Pectus Company also recognized LABOT’s potential to generate recurring revenue beyond hardware delivery through services such as remote diagnostics, software updates, and maintenance.
As customer inquiries continue to increase, Youngchang Robotech achieved last year’s total annual delivery volume within the first half of this year, demonstrating strong growth momentum.
Following its business model transformation and successful investment round, Youngchang Robotech’s next goal is an initial public offering.
The company recently appointed a chief financial officer to strengthen its internal management systems. Working with Eugene Investment & Securities, its appointed IPO underwriter, Youngchang Robotech plans to develop a detailed roadmap toward a potential listing on the KOSDAQ market.
“The investment from Pectus Company and the construction of our new Pyeongtaek plant represent a turning point where we are putting our confidence in the company’s next stage of growth into action,” Won said.
“We will not be a theme-driven company that merely relies on excitement surrounding robotics. We will prove ourselves through tangible results, supported by sustainable growth and a stable revenue structure, including our expansion into the United States.”
Production and assembly operations at Youngchang Robotech’s Gimhae headquarters. (Source: Youngchang Robotech)
Exterior view of Youngchang Robotech’s Gimhae headquarters and manufacturing facility. (Source: Youngchang Robotech)
※ This English version was translated from the original NewsTop article and published with the consent of the reporter.
Original Article : https://www.newstopkorea.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=46736
Source: NewsTop
Reporter: Hyo-yi Hwang
Published: August 4, 2026
