[Image Caption: A virtual rendering of the modular hotel PLANM plans to build in the U.S. mainland. Courtesy of PLANM]

PLANM, a leading Korean modular specialist, is set to build a modular hotel in the United States in partnership with the American construction firm, Eastern Group. This marks the first instance of a Korean modular company directly exporting a hotel to the U.S. mainland.

On the 5th, PLANM announced that it recently signed a contract with Eastern Group to pursue a modular hotel project in the U.S. According to the agreement, a five-story hotel will be constructed using approximately 270 modules, featuring 228 guest rooms and amenities including a restaurant, banquet hall, and screen golf facility. The total project cost is estimated at 100 billion KRW, with a target completion date of 2027. Local permitting and design processes are currently underway, though the specific location has not been disclosed.

The modular method involves pre-manufacturing a building's primary structures in a factory before transporting and assembling them on-site. It is recognized as a smart, eco-friendly construction technology that significantly shortens construction periods and minimizes on-site noise, dust, waste, and safety accidents compared to traditional methods.

This project will utilize a steel modular system for all sections. Steel modular structures are rated to have superior seismic performance (earthquake resistance) compared to concrete-based methods.

Eastern Group and PLANM have been in discussions for this project since last year. A PLANM official stated, "Peter Kim, Chairman of Eastern Group, expressed great satisfaction with our scale and manufacturing processes after visiting our modular production site last October. We have agreed to collaborate as strategic business partners beyond this single project."

The decision by Eastern Group to partner with PLANM was driven by the judgment that PLANM’s products hold a competitive edge over American and European modular products in terms of technology and proven track records.

Eastern Group is a comprehensive construction conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with four construction subsidiaries, including ECC. "Eastern Group is ranked within the top 1% of U.S. construction firms by capacity, with a portfolio of over 2,000 projects across 28 states, including the construction of the Atlanta Braves' stadium," the PLANM official explained. "Recently, they have also managed U.S. construction projects for major Korean corporations such as Lotte, Samsung, Hyundai, and SK."