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LA GRANGE, GA-Despite denials from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Kia Motors Corp., a division of Korea-based Hyundai Motor Co., has been considering a site near this Troup County city for a planned $1.2-billion assembly plant. The plant would employee 2,500 employees, according to industry sources who have followed the company's growth plans.

However, a Georgia Department of Economic Development representative tells GlobeSt.com talk of Kia selecting Georgia for a new manufacturing site is "pure speculation" and "wishful thinking." Still, industry sources confirm Kia has been scouting sites for the past year in Chattanooga, TN; Decatur, AL; Aiken, SC; Meridian, MS; and Hopkinsville, KY.

LaGrange, with an estimated population of 30,000, is about 66 miles southwest of Downtown Atlanta. Nearby West Point has also been mentioned in industry circles as a potential Kia manufacturing site.