Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) has launched a second shift at its new West Point, Georgia, factory.
The automaker hired about 600 new workers for the additional shift bringing the total number of jobs created at the plant since opening to over 2,000.
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Kia said it added the second shift in response to strong demand for the 2011 Sorento SUV which has been its best-selling model in the US every month since launch last January. The second shift also adds capacity to build the Hyundai Santa Fe which shares the Sorento platform and mechanicals. Kia began US production of the Santa Fe on 28 September.
The Santa Fe has been transferred from parent Hyundai Motor’s plant in Alabama, freeing up capacity there to build the recently redesigned 2011 Sonata which is also in demand.
“KMMG has produced 100,000 Sorentos to date and the quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into building the Sorento from the entire KMMG team has helped make it the best-selling Kia vehicle in the United States,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. “With the addition of our second shift we are building on that foundation to increase KMMG’s volume and increase our commitment to the US and local economy.”
Suppliers have hired over 5,200 workers for jobs created to support production at the Georgia plant. Over 1,000 KMMG workers traveled to Korea for hands-on experience working with the parent company.
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By GlobalDataKMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began Sorento production on 16 November last year. The plant can assemble 300,000 vehicles annually using US and globally sourced parts.
