WEST POINT — On Monday, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia team member Minor Morales will be honored for his exceptional contribution to manufacturing with a regional award at the Southern Automotive Conference in Nashville.

The conference is expected to attract about 1,000 attendees, as well as speakers from original equipment manufacturers, suppliers, think tanks and educational and research institutions from across the Southeast and the country. This is the first year that the conference will present the Stars of Southern Manufacturing Award.

Morales is one of three recipients who were chosen out of dozens of entries from Southern original equipment manufacturers. He worked as a team member in Quality Control for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. He is currently taking a break from work to manage some personal health challenges.

“Minor demonstrates commitment and dedication to KMMG’s core values –customer, challenge, collaboration, globality and people,” his supervisor wrote on the nomination form. “He really cares about doing the best job possible, which, in quality, makes the difference in the sale of our vehicles, and is one of the reasons KMMG is winning quality awards for vehicles built onsite.”

“The Kia Way puts people at the heart and soul of our company, it’s the culture here,” said Randy Jackson, senior vice president of human resources and administration for KMMG. “Kia is proud to participate in the conference and we are honored to see Minor being recognized because he represents all of our team members; and we believe they are truly the best of the best.”

Starting this summer, the Southern Automotive Conference solicited nominations from Southern OEMs.

In order to qualify for the award, the nominee could be of any age and have any non-C-Suite position, but must:

• Work on the factory floor of his or her company.

• Possess exemplary skills that enable the company to meet the demands of modern manufacturing.

• Enhance the work environment by bringing the best out of colleagues, encouraging collaboration and reflecting the most desirable values of the company culture.

“Successful automakers depend on excellent employees at every level of the company — from the managerial level to the factory floor,” said Rick Youngblood, president of the Tennessee Automotive Manufacturers Association, regarding the reason behind creating the award. “These employees possess skills and stellar personalities that keep automotive companies running. We believe that these fine Southern employees deserve recognition for the part they play combining valuable knowledge of traditional auto production and the skills needed for the future of manufacturing.”