Hisense Corporation USA — a division of China’s largest manufacturer and distributor of flat-panel screens, Hisense Company Ltd. — plans to expand its North American headquarters in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The $800,000 expansion will create 35–40 new high-wage R&D jobs.

Steven Cohen, Director of Hisense Corporation USA, said of this expansion, “Gwinnett County offers much in the way of international business growth. With a strong work force from which to recruit, a business friendly environment and close proximity to the world’s busiest airport, it was a perfect fit for Hisense and that’s why we chose to remain and expand in this progressive community.”

Hisense joins an emerging cluster of Chinese-based companies with a presence in Gwinnett County. Its expansion follows that of another Chinese business, PAX Technologies, who chose Gwinnett County and the city of Norcross for its North American headquarters location. PAX, a global leader in providing secure card electronic payment systems and point-of-sales (POS) software, is one of the fastest-growing POS manufacturers in China. The company’s 2008 relocation brought 20 new jobs to Georgia and Gwinnett County.