Thursday, July 24, 2008

Kia comes to Georgia


On I-85 in Georgia I stopped to take a picture of the new Kia Motor Plant under construction.
At the signing ceremony in Seoul, Governor Sonny Perdue and Kia President and CEO E.S. Chung announced that Kia Motors Corporation will build an automotive assembly plant in the city of West Point, Georgia, creating more than 2,800 jobs at the plant and making a $1.2 billion economic investment in the state. The business deal includes a commitment from five supplier companies to locate in Georgia, bringing an additional 2,600 jobs for Georgians.
The new assembly plant, scheduled to begin testing operations by May 2008 and reach full production by 2009, will build two vehicle lines and include an engine assembly line, paint shop, training center, welcome center and two adjacent supplier facilities. To bring the plant online as quickly as possible, the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education’s (DTAE) Quick Start program will build and staff an on-site training center to provide custom training and serve as a community trainingcenter. The new, two-million-square-foot assembly plant will be built on a portion of a 3,300-acre site at the intersection of I-85 and Webb Road in Troup County. About 2,200 acres will be dedicated to the plant and future expansions. The remaining property will be used for roadwork and other infrastructure improvements. The company, owned by Korea-based Hyundai Motor Company, anticipates the plant will produce 300,000 vehicles per year.

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