Kia Motors America Announces its First U.S. Manufacturing Plant In West Point, Georgia
Posted on March 13th, 2006 by Patrick Sands
(Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) March 13, 2006 — Kia Motors Corporation (KMC) today announced plans to construct a $1 billion automotive assembly and manufacturing plant in West Point, Ga., at a ceremony attended by KMC President and CEO Euisun Chung and Gov. Sonny Perdue in Seoul. The facility will be Kia’s first manufacturing plant in the U.S. and will begin production in 2009.
The manufacturing facility is expected to produce 300,000 vehicles per year at maximum capacity and will be built on 2,200 acres. Approximately 2,500 jobs will be created in Troup County and the surrounding areas.”The decision by KMC to build a manufacturing plant in the United States demonstrates their confidence in our ability to further grow sales in the North American market,” said J.H. Lee, president and CEO, Kia Motors America. “The plant is an important development to support our sales goals over the next decade.
Construction is currently underway on a dedicated Kia corporate campus in Irvine, Calif. that is expected to open in December 2006, and will include a 65,000 square-foot design center. In total, Kia Motors has invested more than $300 million in the United States over the last four years, including a state-of-the-art research and development center in Ann Arbor, Mich. and a custom-built vehicle proving grounds in Mojave, Calif.
Since coming to market in the United States, Kia has expanded to a full product line of vehicles and enjoyed 12 years of consecutive sales records, including 275,871 vehicles in 2005. Most recently, KMA posted record sales for the month of February 2006, and is 3.2-percent ahead of its record setting 2005 sales pace. Kia Motors America — the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea — offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 630 dealers throughout the United States. For more information visit www.kiamedia.com.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com) — one of the fastest growing automakers in the world — was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands. Kia’s 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in seven countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia today has over 32,500 employees and annual revenues of over $15 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA — the governing body of the FIFA World Cup. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan — “The Power to Surprise” — represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.
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 is scheduled to begin production in the last quarter of 2009. At full capacity, the plant will have the ability to produce 300,000 vehicles annually and employ approximately 2,500 team members.
