As they moved into their new offices at the nearly-completed Kia plant in West Point last week, company officials proclaimed themselves “blown away” by the hospitality extended by their temporary hosts, West Georgia Technical College, and the city of LaGrange.

Too bad the auto manufacturer hasn’t consistently returned the favor.

Company officials have been generous to several local organizations, including West Georgia Tech, but concern is mounting that the Korean-based manufacturer is insensitive to - or downright dismissive of - the sacrifices Troup County taxpayers have made on their behalf.

Chief among the concerns: tardy and non-existent payments to some subcontractors on the massive construction site, speculation that a low percentage of Kia hires have come from Troup County and a claim that Kia is encouraging some new hires to live in Alabama.

We share those concerns. And we believe it’s time for Kia leaders to openly and fully answer the uncomfortable questions circulating in the community.

The last few weeks have had a roller coaster feeling: a plant closing one day, a job fair for automotive workers the next. Given the continued losses of manufacturing jobs, our community’s future would look bleak, indeed, without the thousands of jobs Kia and its suppliers are bringing to this area.

That’s the big picture, and no one should lose sight of it.

Kia is building its plant here - a $1 billion investment - because it hopes to continue the impressive record of growth it has had in recent years. We respect their right to make business decisions as they see fit.

But given that it’s the people of Troup County who have poured their time and money, blood, sweat and tears into helping Kia pursue its lofty goals, it’s reasonable to expect them and their suppliers to maximize opportunities here.

Consider all that Troup County has brought to the table: Multi-year property tax abatements from both the county and Troup County schools; Millions in water, gas and sewer line extensions and upgrades, fire protection and ultimately, police protection from the city of West Point. LaGrange has partnered on some of that and both the city and county have poured staff time and resources into meeting countless demands for this service and that favor. That doesn’t even touch on all of it - or on the state’s whopping contribution.

The expectation, of course, is that the benefits of the Kia-related jobs will far outweigh the costs. We continue to believe that, in the long run, that will be true.

But we are disappointed that Kia has not demonstrated the same level of responsiveness that has been extended to them.

Let’s be clear. Nobody expects every Kia-related job to go to a local resident. Nobody expects every Kia worker to buy a house in Troup County. We are a border county, Alabama is a fine place and this is a free country.

But we don’t think it’s asking too much for Kia to think local first. And we sure don’t think it’s out of line to suggest that Kia could do more to ensure that its subcontractors treat local businesses fairly.

There used to be a saying that “What’s good for General Motors is good for the country.”

We all know how that turned out.

But it’s not too late to build a happier partnership between Kia and its chosen home.

We believe the ball is in Kia’s court. We hope they choose to play.