Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia celebrated its progress with rail transportation Thursday with events at the West Point Plant.
Congressman Lynn Westmoreland, R-Grantville, and Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG, both were on hand to have a look at a $1.15 million expansion of the rail spur on the Kia site. The work added four new switches and 2.7 miles of track to the plant, along with two solar powered rail crossings on Webb Road. The project was complete in August 2011.
The railroad handles 25,000 rail cars a year from the Kia plant, full of Kia automobiles manufactured here.
“I’m happy to see that Kia is expanding and hiring more people,” Westmoreland said. “They’ve had their 23rd consecutive month of record sales.”
Dignitaries at the Kia plant were treated to a tour of the facility. Westmoreland said it was his sixth visit to the production lines and “every time, I see something different.”
He was able to chat with Ahn about the company’s progress during the visit.
“Meeting with Mr. Ahn is always good,” he said. “He has been a good partner for Georgia.”








