KMMG Receives ISO/TS 16949:2009 Certification
Posted on May 27th, 2011 by Patrick Sands
Certification puts KMMG at the top of the rankings for world OEMs
West Point, Ga. May 27, 2011 – On Thursday,Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) was formally presented with ISO/TS 16949:2009 certification from AQA International of Columbia, S.C., a historic milestone for the plant. The official certification date was May 10. ISO/TS 16949:2009, a set of Quality Management System requirements specific to the automotive industry, is the highest operating standard for the automotive industry worldwide.
“Receiving this certification demonstrates KMMG’s commitment to building the best vehicles in the world,” said Stuart Countess, KMMG’s director of the Quality Subdivision. “ISO/TS 16949:2009 sets a high standard at KMMG and will continue to bring greater quality, efficiency, productivity and long term cost savings. Today’s achievement is a testament to the hard work of our team members, who strive to build world class vehicles every day.”
The process audit was conducted April 18-21 by three auditors from AQA International. KMMG will be audited annually against the ISO/TS 16949:2009 standard to ensure an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement within the company’s Quality Management System. Every three years, KMMG will participate in a full-scale recertification audit that will be similar to the process audit completed this past April.
Countess noted that KMMG’s ongoing dedication to quality is evident through the numerous accolades received by the plant’s products, including the 2011 Sorento being named a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a “Top Pick” in the Family SUV category by Consumer Reports.
“KMMG will continue to be successful when it comes to quality because of our one system, one team approach,” he said.
In addition to ISO/TS 16949:2009, KMMG has recently received ISO 14001 Environmental Certification. ISO 14001 is an international standard which provides guidelines for the development of an environmental management system.
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 of the 2011 Kia Sorento on Nov. 16, 2009. At full capacity, the plant will have the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.
About ISO/TS 16949:2009
ISO/TS 16949:2009 is an automotive technical specification aimed toward the development of a quality management system which provides for continual improvement, emphasizing defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste throughout the supply chain. ISO/TS 16949:2009 is the International Automotive Task Force’s (IATF) most rigid quality management standard to date.
