So International

From Wikislippy

So International is a Korean based manufacturing operation and is owned by Am-Kor Limited. So International was founded in 1951 by Kim So as a bicycle shop in Seoul, South Korea. In 1971, the name was changed to So Manufacturing.

Kim So passed away in August 1997. His company was passed onto his son. His son soon began looking for someone to buy the company. So Manufacturing was purchased in 1998 by Am-Kor Limited, a business owned by American Alex Michaels and Korean Han Lee. In 1998, Am-Kor was merged with So Manufacturing and the name was changed to So International.

So Motors

So Motors was created in 1980 as an experiment. It was a test to see if So Manufacturing could create a successful car. The car was the So Shi-Tei and was a minor success until 1987 when sales began to fall. Production of the Shi-Tei Stopped in January 1994.

The Shi-Tei was brought back into production in 2002.

Am-Kor Industrial Equipment Ltd.

Am-Kor Industrial Equipment Ltd. is So's division of heavy equipment. The company was founded in 1978 by Chan Yoon. The company was purchased in 1988 by Am-Kor. In 2001, Am-Kor Industrial began making the engine for the So Shi-Tei. Chan Yoon was CEO of the company until 2004 when he retired. In Korea, Am-Kor Industrial is known as So Industrial Equipment.

Foreign Markets

• Japan: So Manufacturing Japan
• Russia : So International Russia (closed and sold to a Russian company).
• United States: So America (known as Am-Kor North America)