Kia Launches Output at U.S. Plant

Kia Motors Mfg. Georgia kicks off Job One production at its new West Point, GA, plant Monday, with a white ʼ11 Sorento cross/utility vehicle the first to complete the trip down the assembly line.

The on-schedule launch comes some three years after start of construction on the $1 billion, 650-acre (263-ha) plant that sits on 2,200 acres (890 ha) some 65 miles (105 km) southwest of Atlanta.

“The start of production for our first manufacturing facility in the United States further demonstrates our commitment to growth in North America, and we are proud to be adding 2,500 jobs to the local economy,” Kia Motors America and KMMG CEO B.M. Ahn says at a ceremony marking the Job One launch.

The new plant has annual capacity for 300,000 vehicles, and the complex includes a stamping plant, paint shop, transmission assembly operation and a 2-mile (3.2-km) test track.