Post by Ben on Jun 13, 2011 15:23:22 GMT 8
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia begins expansion projects to support increased volume starting in 2
- Annual capacity to be raised from 300,000 to 360,000 vehicles starting in 2012
- Expansion projects represent additional $100 million investment and 1,000 new jobs
- Award winning Optima sedan to be built alongside Sorento CUV starting in September 2011
(SEOUL) June 2, 2011 -- Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG), Kia Motors Corp’s vehicle production facility in the U.S., has begun a series of expansion projects in each of the plant’s four main shops – stamping, welding, paint and general assembly – to raise annual capacity to 360,000 vehicles starting in 2012. The growth follows Kia Motors’ announcement at the 2011 New York International Auto Show that the award-winning Optima midsize sedan will be added to the plant’s production line.
Beginning in September 2011, the 2012 model year Optima will be built alongside the Kia Sorento CUV, which has been the brand’s best-selling vehicle each month since arriving in dealerships in January 2010. In addition to the physical expansion, KMMG has completed the hiring process for nearly 1,000 new team members in preparation for the addition of a third shift – which begins later this month – bringing the total number of jobs created at the plant to more than 3,000.
“The success of the West Point, Georgia plant is the result of the dedication of our team members and the world-class quality that goes into each vehicle we build, and the increased volume and addition of new team members is further evidence of our commitment to the U.S. and local economies,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG.
***more***
“Kia is experiencing unprecedented growth in the U.S., led by the best-selling Sorento, and with demand for the critically acclaimed Optima currently outpacing supply we are proud to add the popular sedan as the second Kia vehicle on the production line.”
Representing an additional $100 million investment by Kia Motors in the $1 billion West Point facility, the projects underway at the plant include:
• A second 5,400-ton transfer press is being installed in the stamping shop
• Additional robots are being added to the welding shop
• The size of the paint shop is being increased to accommodate the complexities involved with producing a third model
• The production line is being extended within the existing facilities and new equipment will be installed inside the general assembly shop
• The railroad spur is being expanded to efficiently handle the additional volume
• More than 500 additional parking spaces are being added in the team member parking area
Editors note:
Related video in broadcast-standard or streaming-quality (for Web use), print-quality stills and other press material are available at Kia Motors’ Multimedia Library (www.kiamotors.com), powered by Synaptic Digital’s distribution portal (www.thenewsmarket.com/kiamotors). Delivery options include digital FTP transfer and streaming download in a variety of file types including Flash, MPEG-2, QuickTime and Windows Media. Registration and content is free to the media.
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 Kia Motors Corp.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) -- a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart -- 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. Over 2.1 million vehicles a year are produced in 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. Kia today has over 44,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$20 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and 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.
- Extracted from Kia International Website
- Annual capacity to be raised from 300,000 to 360,000 vehicles starting in 2012
- Expansion projects represent additional $100 million investment and 1,000 new jobs
- Award winning Optima sedan to be built alongside Sorento CUV starting in September 2011
(SEOUL) June 2, 2011 -- Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG), Kia Motors Corp’s vehicle production facility in the U.S., has begun a series of expansion projects in each of the plant’s four main shops – stamping, welding, paint and general assembly – to raise annual capacity to 360,000 vehicles starting in 2012. The growth follows Kia Motors’ announcement at the 2011 New York International Auto Show that the award-winning Optima midsize sedan will be added to the plant’s production line.
Beginning in September 2011, the 2012 model year Optima will be built alongside the Kia Sorento CUV, which has been the brand’s best-selling vehicle each month since arriving in dealerships in January 2010. In addition to the physical expansion, KMMG has completed the hiring process for nearly 1,000 new team members in preparation for the addition of a third shift – which begins later this month – bringing the total number of jobs created at the plant to more than 3,000.
“The success of the West Point, Georgia plant is the result of the dedication of our team members and the world-class quality that goes into each vehicle we build, and the increased volume and addition of new team members is further evidence of our commitment to the U.S. and local economies,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG.
***more***
“Kia is experiencing unprecedented growth in the U.S., led by the best-selling Sorento, and with demand for the critically acclaimed Optima currently outpacing supply we are proud to add the popular sedan as the second Kia vehicle on the production line.”
Representing an additional $100 million investment by Kia Motors in the $1 billion West Point facility, the projects underway at the plant include:
• A second 5,400-ton transfer press is being installed in the stamping shop
• Additional robots are being added to the welding shop
• The size of the paint shop is being increased to accommodate the complexities involved with producing a third model
• The production line is being extended within the existing facilities and new equipment will be installed inside the general assembly shop
• The railroad spur is being expanded to efficiently handle the additional volume
• More than 500 additional parking spaces are being added in the team member parking area
Editors note:
Related video in broadcast-standard or streaming-quality (for Web use), print-quality stills and other press material are available at Kia Motors’ Multimedia Library (www.kiamotors.com), powered by Synaptic Digital’s distribution portal (www.thenewsmarket.com/kiamotors). Delivery options include digital FTP transfer and streaming download in a variety of file types including Flash, MPEG-2, QuickTime and Windows Media. Registration and content is free to the media.
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 Kia Motors Corp.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) -- a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart -- 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. Over 2.1 million vehicles a year are produced in 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. Kia today has over 44,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$20 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and 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.
- Extracted from Kia International Website