Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Launches Second Shift Production

/PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) celebrated the launch of a second shift of production at its new West Point facility. KMMG hired more than 600 new team members to prepare for the addition of the second shift – which begins production today – bringing the total number of jobs created at the plant to more than 2,000.

Kia Motors added the second shift in response to the successful sales of the 2011 Kia Sorento, which has been Kia's best-selling model in the U.S. every month since it debuted in January. The second shift will help meet the continuing demand for the Kia Sorento while adding capacity to build the Hyundai Santa Fe. KMMG began production of the Santa Fe on September 28.

"KMMG has produced 100,000 Sorentos to date and the quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into building the Sorento from the entire KMMG team has helped make it the best-selling Kia vehicle in the United States," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. "With the addition of our second shift we are building on that foundation to increase KMMG's volume and increase our commitment to the U.S. and local economy."

In addition to the more than 2,000 jobs created at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, suppliers have hired more than 5,200 people for jobs created to support production at the plant. More than 1,000 KMMG team members traveled to Korea for hands-on experience working with the parent company.

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Kia Announces Name for All-New CUV to be Built at U.S. Plant

/PRNewswire/ -- Introduced in 2002, the original Kia Sorento midsize SUV marked a huge step forward for Kia Motors, challenging established brands and beginning the process of changing perceptions of Kia Motors as solely a maker of small cars. That process will continue with the arrival of the all-new 2011 model year Sorento CUV, which is scheduled to begin rolling off the assembly line at Kia's first U.S. plant - Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) in West Point, Georgia - later this year, and offers improved fuel economy and more passenger room and seating capacity than the previous model.

As Kia Motors America (KMA) continues to make dramatic market share gains in the U.S., the new 2011 Sorento will continue the brand's design-led evolution, following the recent introduction of several dynamically styled vehicles including the Soul urban passenger vehicle, the Forte compact sedan, and Kia's first-ever two-door coupe, the Forte Koup.

"It will be a historic milestone when the first Sorento rolls off the assembly line at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia later this year," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing, KMA. "Our first domestically built vehicle, the all-new Sorento will be built by team members who have undergone rigorous training and who have great pride in their newly learned skills."

Styled by a global team headed by Kia Motors' Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, the longer and lower 2011 Sorento brings sleek styling and a futuristic touch to the world of the urban CUV. Following Kia Motors' core philosophies of providing value, safety, warranty and fun to the driving experience, Sorento will offer an all-new design inside and out, a host of standard safety features, two- and four-wheel drive options and a variety of upscale appointments to appeal to a wide range of consumers.

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Top-tier Kia Supplier to Locate New Facility in West Point

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that top-tier Kia supplier Glovis plans to locate a new facility in West Point, creating 600 jobs.

“With this latest announcement, total job creation by the Kia plant and supplier facilities in Georgia will near 6,000,” said Governor Perdue. “We welcome Glovis to the Georgia business community and look forward to the important role it will play in Kia’s success.”

Glovis Georgia LLC and Glovis America Inc., part of Seoul, Korea-based Glovis, will be a key logistics provider for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). The 558,131-square-foot plant will be located on 95 acres at the Kia site in West Point. Production is expected to begin in Dec. 2009.

Glovis will supply auto parts and provide inventory management to the KMMG vehicle assembly line. The company has been a top logistics provider for Kia and Hyundai since 2001.

“Our new facility in West Point will allow us to provide just-in-time inventory management for KMMG and deliver the high quality logistics services that Glovis is known for around the world,” said Seunyong Sung, CEO with Glovis Georgia. “We look forward to success in our new home in Georgia.”

“We are thrilled to have Glovis in the city of West Point,” said West Point Mayor Drew Ferguson. “They are a great addition to the network of suppliers located on the Kia site, and I know our city is looking forward to providing a great work environment for them.”

Mark Lytle, project manager with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, assisted Glovis in its location.

Glovis, based in Seoul, Korea, is an integrated logistics company that aims to maximize customer value and loyalty through customer-focused business. Glovis currently has 16 offices worldwide acting as a global base for logistics. The company is committed to building a Global Supply Chain Management system throughout its offices around the globe.