The 2.2 million-square-foot plant was announced in 2006, and the first steel beam went up in December 2007. The plant’s first 2011 Sorento was assembled in July, and mass production started in November.
Production ceased from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday during the opening ceremonies so employees could watch the event on TV throughout the facility. A webcast was available to all the Kia dealerships in the United States and Canada, which employ nearly 20,000 people.
Columbus State University’s brass ensemble played the Korean and U.S. national anthems for 500 invited guests, about half of whom toured the plant afterward.
“This is the most advanced, state-of-the-art automotive plant in North America,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO for Kia Motors America, based in Irvine, Calif., and Kia Motors in West Point.
He said 250,000 people worked day and night from August 2007 through March 2009 to get the plant built on schedule.
“Kia is well under way to becoming the benchmark for automotive quality in North America,” Ahn said. “… We made the best possible choice in coming to Georgia.”
Chung, speaking in broken English, said Kia is now positioned to respond rapidly to changing market trends in America, Europe and China, and Kia “will continue to stimulate the local economy by creating more jobs. We want to be a company that’s cherished by the citizens of Georgia.”
“This is an incredible development for Georgia,” Perdue said, “and it will have an economic impact of about $4 billion per year.”
He said 2009 was a tough year for manufacturing, but Kia increased its market share in the U.S. for the 15th consecutive year.
Duk-Soo Han, Korea’s ambassador to the United States, said the plant is a testament to “free trade and investment flow.”
“Foreign investments will continue to grow and stimulate domestic employment,” he said.
The Sorento, which costs a little more than $30,000 with all the options, went on sale Jan. 4 at 700 dealerships throughout North America, and sales have ranked third in its class.
The West Point plant has 1,203 employees, and 1,000 to 1,200 more will be added about the first of May for a second shift. A second model, which hasn’t been determined, is scheduled to be added in the fall.
The facility currently operates eight hours a day, five days a week and makes about 450 cars per day. The shift may expand to nine hours in March. More than 800 employees have been to Korea for training ,and another 350 new hires will go.
Job applications can be submitted online at kiajobsingeorgia.com or at the state Department of Labor.
In the initial hiring surge, the company received 43,013 online applications in one month - January 2008 - and since a second hiring wave bagan in November, 30,000 responses have been received.
Suppliers also are hiring, mainly through the Labor Department and job fairs, said Randy Jackson, Kia’s director of human resources and administration.
Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235
Thank you Kia
Nicole Potter
employee: Kim Potter