Kia Set to Break Ground on First US Plant

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WEST POINT, GA-It’s a done deal, says Gov. Sonny Perdue of Kia Motors Corp.’s plans to break ground Oct. 20 on its first assembly plant in the US. The $1.2-billion facility is tentatively scheduled to open in 2009, employing a work force of 2,893. Another 2,600 jobs are expected to be created at nearby parts suppliers.

Kia had planned ground-breaking ceremonies April 26 and again on May 10 in this Georgia town of 4,000 residents, about 75 miles southwest of Downtown Atlanta. But an alleged $108 million bribery scandal in South Korea involving Kia Motors’ parent, Hyundai Motor Group, caused the plant’s delay , as GlobeSt.com previously reported.