Why a Semiconductor Company Has a Bakery as Its Subsidiary

SK Hynix, Synergy Through Operation of Apparel Laundry and Baking Subsidiary 'Haengbokmoa'

There is a semiconductor company that operates subsidiaries in the clothing laundry and baking businesses, creating synergy with its core operations. SK Hynix runs a subsidiary called 'Haengbokmoa,' which manufactures and launders cleanroom suits and operates a baking business in Cheongju and Icheon, capturing both semiconductor business success and social value pursuit?achieving "two rabbits with one stone."

Haengbokmoa is an SK Hynix subsidiary established in 2016 as a standard workplace for people with disabilities, aiming for their economic independence. Most of the company's workforce consists of people with disabilities. After successfully stabilizing its cleanroom suit laundry business in Cheongju at the beginning, it expanded its business scope to baking at the Icheon site in 2021.

Through Haengbokmoa, SK Hynix reliably receives services for cleanroom suit manufacturing and cleaning, as well as distribution of consumables used in semiconductor cleanrooms. Semiconductor employees eat bread and ready meals made at Haengbokmoa’s bakery (Haengbokmanbbang) while working. SK Hynix thus supports its semiconductor business through subsidiaries engaged in clothing laundry and baking, while simultaneously pursuing the social value of employing people with disabilities.

Generally, due to the nature of the semiconductor industry, it is difficult to find suitable jobs for people with disabilities. This means semiconductor companies find it challenging to fulfill their social responsibility of increasing employment rates for people with disabilities. SK Hynix designed all Haengbokmoa workplaces to be easily accessible for socially vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women, earning the 'Barrier-Free' certification. As a result, Haengbokmoa has earned the title of a leading domestic model company for creating employment for over 400 people with disabilities. By obtaining family-friendly certification, it became the company with the lowest turnover rate among more than 120 subsidiary-type standard workplaces for people with disabilities nationwide this year, as well as the company with the most government certifications and external awards.

SK Hynix employees have a special affection for Haengbokmoa. On the 9th, 19 SK Hynix employees visited Haengbokmoa’s bakery located in Daewol-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, for volunteer work. At this site, where 196 people with disabilities work in various bread-making processes, 12,000 to 15,000 pieces of bread are produced daily for SK Hynix employees. When a first-come, first-served notice recruiting volunteers was posted on the SK Hynix internal bulletin board, it was filled within 10 minutes due to the enthusiastic response. The volunteer group was divided into three teams?quality, logistics, and materials?and contributed to bread production by assisting in the baking process.

Meanwhile, SK Hynix announced in its 2023 Sustainability Management Report that 3,256 employees participated in volunteer activities last year, a significant increase from 400 in 2021. The total volunteer hours also rose by about 70%, reaching 12,129 hours compared to 7,127 hours in 2021.

Kim Sang-hee, TL at SK Hynix’s DT Data Intelligence organization, said, "I usually enjoy Haengbokmanbbang bread, and when I became curious about how it was made, I saw the volunteer recruitment notice and immediately applied." He added, "Haengbokmanbbang is one of SK Hynix’s proud social value creation activities, and I am happy to contribute to such a meaningful cause."