Grammy-nominated vocalist Angie Stone tours Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia
Posted on April 3rd, 2012 by Patrick Sands
WEST POINT, Ga., April 3, 2012 – After touring Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) on Friday, March 30, Grammy-nominated vocalist Angie Stone says she is Kia’s new number one fan.
“I am totally blown away,” Stone said after her tour. “I felt like a kid at Christmas. The care, time and accuracy, put into building the Kia vehicles are extremely impressive.”
Stone, an R&B soul-singer, song-writer, record producer and actress, has been nominated for three Grammy awards and has won countless other awards. She has sold more than 1.4 million albums in the U.S. and more than five million albums worldwide. She requested a tour of KMMG after a friend showed her his Sorento.
“I feel like out of all the cars I’ve driven, that I’ve been missing out,” Stone said. “What a wonderful experience this has been.”
In addition to touring KMMG’s stamping, weld and general assembly shops, Stone toured the test track and was very impressed with the quality tests administered during the 2.2 mile drive.
“I felt so safe,” she said. “After watching the cars being built and seeing all of the quality aspects – especially on the test track – and the team members so focused on their tasks, I would put Kia up against elite or luxurious cars. I’ve become Kia’s number one fan.”
K.S. Kim, executive vice president and COO for KMMG, said he appreciated the vote of confidence from Stone.
“We are glad Ms. Stone appreciates the hard work and quality our team members put into the vehicles,” Kim said. “It was an honor to have her tour our facility.”
About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2012 Sorento CUV and the 2012 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.
