Kia to Add Third Shift at Slovak Plant

VIENNA – Kia Motors Slovakia this week will begin recruiting workers for a third shift expected to launch in first-quarter 2012 at its car plant in Teplicka nad Vahom near Zilina, Slovakia.

The auto maker’s engine plant has been running on three shifts since September 2009.

Kia expects to add some 1,000 workers at Slovakia plant.

Kia Slovakia plans to add some 1,000 workers by the end of this year, bringing its total number of employees to about 4,000.

Several thousand new jobs also are to be created at suppliers, the company says.

The plant currently produces 3-, 5-door and wagon versions of the Kia cee'd compact car, as well as the Sportage cross/utility vehicle.

In mid-October, it will add the Kia Venga multipurpose vehicle, a model previously built at the Hyundai Motor Mfg. Czech plant in Nosovice, Czech Republic.

Serial production of the next-generation Kia cee’d will start in second-quarter 2012.

The facility manufactured more than 134,000 vehicles in first-half 2011, up 26% from like-2010.

While the original plan for entire-2011 called for output of 240,000 vehicles, actual production is expected to be higher.

This week, Kia Slovakia plans to inaugurate its second engine plant, with capacity for 150,000 units a year.

The new facility will increase its total annual capacity to 450,000 engines.