Kia to begin making Optima sedan at Georgia plant

[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

[BOHICA12]

1. Waiting on a US made Soul

Then we're doing business.

[Codeine]

2. Hooray for scabs and union-busting.

Kia can suck my balls.

[BOHICA12]

4. Hooraay for American made cars ...

but not like these: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125229157

[FLAprogressive]

7. +1

[Mimosa]

3. GREAT!!! That's up the expressway from here. Lots of illegals live up there too.

But I bet KIA will hire legals. Obama's admin has been prosecuting more employers of illegals here in GA.

[Kolesar]

5. I don't want one

American and proud of it

[FLAprogressive]

6. Made by non-union scab workers. Buy domestic brand cars made in the U.S. and support the UAW.

[Travis_0004]

8. So everybody non union is a scab?

What about somebody who is unemployed, lives in Atlanta and wants a job? I see nothing wrong with them getting a job for Kia. I wish them the best.

[badtoworse]

10. They're American jobs and that is a good thing

So workers shouldn't have a choice whether they want to be union or not? They're scabs if they don't want to be part of the UAW? Sorry, union representation should be an option for the workers, not an entitlement for the unions.

BTW, I've owned quite a number of cars in my life. The crappiest ones were made by GM and Chrysler.

[Initech]

9. I rented a Sorrento over the weekend and really liked it.

I really like the Optima too.