Kia has said that its Slovakian plant turned in a net profit of EUR155.5m in 2012. It also produced a record 292,050 vehicles last year, 15% up on 2011.
In addition, the plant also achieved a 29% year-on-year growth in engine production with 464,467 engines produced.
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Based on the production results the plant generated total revenues of EUR3.919bn. It exported some 99% of its manufactured vehicles and 51% of engines.
In January 2012 Kia launched a third work shift due to the preparation for series production of the new Kia cee’d and Sportswagon. In total, Kia currently employs around 3,900 people and is planning to produce the same output in Slovakia as last year.
“Thanks to our employees we have been able to produce the highest amount of vehicles in our history and successfully launched the effective three-shift operation in 2012. We aim to continue in the production of high quality products, mainly the new Kia cee’d comers such as the GT to be introduced in the near future,” said Eek-Hee Lee, President and CEO of Kia Motors Slovakia.
In 2012, the company Kia Motors Slovakia invested EUR120m in the Slovak Republic and has invested an overall EUR1.4bn since the plant’s inception in 2004. Kia says it also installed new technologies, completed a new logistics centre in the locality of the press shop, and extended a consolidation centre for a smooth flow of components.
Of the 292,050 cars manufactured in Slovakia in 2012, 120,600 units were the Kia cee’d model (41%), 136,514 units of the SUV Kia Sportage (47%), and 34,936 units of the Kia Venga MPV (12%). Kia Slovakia launched a volume production of the three-door Kia pro-cee’d model in February this year. Kia says that the factory is preparing for the production of the first high performance models, the three-door Kia pro-cee’d GT and the five-door Kia cee’d GT with 1.6-litre GDI. The production of the GT versions is scheduled for May 2013.
