Kia to begin making Optima sedan at Georgia plant [View All]

[The Northerner]

ATLANTA – Kia Motors plans to start manufacturing the Optima sedan later this year at its plant in Georgia, which is expected to add about 700 jobs.

The company announced on Thursday that production of the 2012 Optima is set to begin in the third quarter. The plant in West Point, near the Alabama state line, currently employs about 2,300 people but Kia expects that number to grow to nearly 3,000 workers by the end of the year.

Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia president Byung Mo Ahn says the company is experiencing tremendous growth in the U.S. and decided to move production from South Korea to Georgia for Optimas destined for North America.

Kia began mass production of its Sorento crossover utility vehicle at the plant in November 2009.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110421/ap_on_bi_ge/us_kia_georgia_1