Team members picked up litter across the city of West Point and spread pine straw around city trees in the downtown area. The group was assisted by Thomas Scott of the City of West Point Public Works Department.

In all, the team members collected 35 bags of trash and worked hard to help maintain the good health of the trees in downtown.

“Our team members recognize how important it is to give back to the community which has been so good to us,” said K.S. Kim, KMMG’s Executive Vice President and COO and one of the 33 KMMG cleanup volunteers. “I am really proud of the effort our team members put forth this morning to help beautify the city of West Point. We hope to have more opportunities like this in the near future.”

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2012 Sorento CUV and the 2012 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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Pictured from left, executives from KMMG and on-site vendor Icebox: Stuart Countess, director of sub-quality; Randy Jackson, vice president of human resources and administration; John Wikle, vice president of sales for Icebox; and K.S. Kim, executive vice president and COO.

 About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2012 Sorento CUV and the 2012 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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Ahn thanked Deal for the prestigious award and noted the importance of the state of Georgia’s role in Kia’s success during his speech to the 1,200 attendees at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta.

“I want to thank you, Governor Deal, and also Quick Start and the Technical College System of Georgia for this great honor,” said Ahn. “We would not be in this position for achievement without the unyielding support of the State of Georgia, the Department of Economic Development, and in particular, Georgia Quick Start, which has been our partner in workforce training from the very beginning.”

Ahn also credited the outstanding team members who “work enthusiastically each and every day to build world-class, high quality vehicles.”

“We have developed the ‘Kia Way’ to define the workplace culture and establish a ‘one system/one team’ approach at our facility,” said Ahn. “The Kia Way is built on trust, mutual respect and open communication among all team members to ensure continuous improvement, and in our view, is a key element of the market success of Kia and KMMG.”

Deal congratulated KMMG for being the 2012 large manufacturer of the year and said the state looks forward to many more years working together as successful partners.

“Kia’s West Point, Ga., plant is a shining example of Georgia’s commitment to supporting new industries in our state and how that continued commitment allows companies like Kia to prosper and grow,” Deal said after the award presentation. “Kia has continued to invest in our state and has delivered a tremendously positive impact in this region. I am so proud to be presenting this outstanding company with the large manufacturer of the year award today.”

Deal was joined by Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Cummiskey and Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Ron Jackson at the luncheon, which marks the culmination of Manufacturing Appreciation Week. The event was co-hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2012 Sorento CUV and the 2012 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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“I am totally blown away,” Stone said after her tour. “I felt like a kid at Christmas. The care, time and accuracy, put into building the Kia vehicles are extremely impressive.”

Stone, an R&B soul-singer, song-writer, record producer and actress, has been nominated for three Grammy awards and has won countless other awards. She has sold more than 1.4 million albums in the U.S. and more than five million albums worldwide. She requested a tour of KMMG after a friend showed her his Sorento.

 “I feel like out of all the cars I’ve driven, that I’ve been missing out,” Stone said. “What a wonderful experience this has been.”

In addition to touring KMMG’s stamping, weld and general assembly shops, Stone toured the test track and was very impressed with the quality tests administered during the 2.2 mile drive.

“I felt so safe,” she said. “After watching the cars being built and seeing all of the quality aspects – especially on the test track – and the team members so focused on their tasks, I would put Kia up against elite or luxurious cars. I’ve become Kia’s number one fan.”

K.S. Kim, executive vice president and COO for KMMG, said he appreciated the vote of confidence from Stone.

“We are glad Ms. Stone appreciates the hard work and quality our team members put into the vehicles,” Kim said. “It was an honor to have her tour our facility.”

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2012 Sorento CUV and the 2012 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

Byung Mo Ahn, Group President and CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, said that KMMG’s quick resumption of full production after the fire was a testament to this region’s teamwork and also its commitment to Kia’s success. More than 250 team members, special experts from the Hyundai Motor Group and responders from KMMG suppliers voluntarily participated all together in the clean-up and recovery efforts.

“To have such a rapid and complete recovery would not have been possible without the strong support received from the State of Georgia, Troup County, Harris County, the City of West Point, the Hyundai Motor Group, suppliers and our team members,” said Ahn. “It is remarkable that our production is back online just one week later, and I want to say a heartfelt thank you for the continued and ongoing efforts.”

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2012 Sorento CUV and the 2012 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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Group leaders will directly contact any individual production or maintenance team members who will be needed to report to KMMG during those times.

All salaried team members should report to work at their regularly scheduled hours.

Production is currently scheduled to resume at 6:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 21.

Team members are asked to check the KMMG hotline at 706-902-7777 (option 3) and local radio stations and other local media outlets for updates.

KMMG began mass production of the Kia Sorento CUV on Nov. 16, 2009, a vehicle that quickly became the brand’s best-selling product in the U.S. Then, on Sept. 2, 2011, KMMG began production of the Kia Optima mid-size sedan, a vehicle that led the brand’s U.S. sales in December 2011 and January.

Since opening, KMMG has added two additional shifts of production with more than 3,000 team members hired by the plant to date. In 2011, KMMG completed a $100 million expansion that pushed the plant’s total capacity to 360,000 units per year.

“Building 500,000 vehicles in just over two years is quite a milestone for our first U.S. manufacturing plant to accomplish,” said Byung Mo Ahn, Group President and CEO for Kia Motors America and KMMG. “The commitment from each one of our team members is a big reason we’ve been able to achieve 17 consecutive months of record sales. Their dedication to building world class, high quality vehicles is apparent in each vehicle we produce.”

Vehicle number 500,000 was a snow white pearl Optima SX and will now be allocated to one of KMA’s more than 755 dealerships nationwide.

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2012 Sorento CUV and the 2012 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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Randy Jackson, KMMG’s Vice President of Human Resources and Administration, said that the reports that came back from Korea are extremely positive and KMMG is encouraged that so many team members took advantage of this unique opportunity to learn from experts within Kia’s worldwide organization. To date, more than 1,400 KMMG team members have trained in Korea.

“Quality is always a top priority for KMMG and a matter of pride with all of our team members,” said Jackson. “This training has provided the team members with a chance for professional development as well as a, once-in-a-lifetime, cultural experience. Our team members will continue to strive to make outstanding progress in all aspects of the Kia Way.”

The Kia Way is a set of operating principles that define the KMMG workplace culture and establish a “one system/one team” approach. The Kia Way puts a great emphasis on trust, mutual respect and open two-way communication among all team members. This assures KMMG of continuous improvement in its quest to be the best and most innovative manufacturing plant in the world.

Kia Motors’ Namyang R&D Center is a cutting-edge facility that encompasses the complete vehicle design process, from pre-design studies and prototyping to full-scale aerodynamic testing and comprehensive crash testing.

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production of the 2011 Kia Sorento on Nov. 16, 2009. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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“Since arriving in Georgia we have enjoyed a very positive and productive relationship with the state, and we are proud to showcase our facilities to Governor Deal and thank him for his support and the leadership he provides for the state of Georgia,” said Ahn. “Georgia has been an invaluable partner for KMMG, from the Port of Savannah where millions of dollars in equipment for our facility first arrived to the state’s Georgia Quick Start program which trained our more than 3,000 Team Members, and we thank Governor Deal and the people of Georgia for welcoming Kia with open arms.”

During the visit, Ahn led Deal on a tour of Kia’s $1.1 billion Georgia facility and explained the plant’s commitment to delivering world-class vehicle quality. The tour included a look at KMMG’s recently completed $100 million expansion that will increase the plant’s capacity to 360,000 vehicles beginning this year. More than 1,000 new Team Members were hired in 2011 to support the increased volume, and together with local suppliers, KMMG is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 jobs.

“Kia’s manufacturing plant in West Point is a tremendous success story and a glowing example of Georgia’s commitment to supporting industry for growth,” said Deal. “Kia has continued to invest in Georgia and I have seen first-hand the positive impact KMMG has delivered to this region. In return, Georgia partners with global companies such as Kia to provide the resources that allow them to prosper and grow.”

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production of the 2011 Kia Sorento on Nov. 16, 2009. Beginning in 2012, the plant will have the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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“Our more than 3,000 team members continue to demonstrate outstanding dedication to building world-class, high-quality vehicles at our West Point manufacturing facility,” said Mr. Byung Mo Ahn, Group President and CEO for Kia Motors America (KMA) and KMMG. “The new jobs and increased volume at KMMG is continued evidence of our commitment to the U.S. and local economies. Kia experienced record-breaking growth again in 2011, led by the best-selling Sorento and the critically-acclaimed Optima, both of which are being built at KMMG.”

The new $100 million investment by Kia Motors is in addition to the $1 billion already invested into KMMG. The expansion includes:

• A second 5,400-ton transfer press in the stamping shop
• Additional robots in the welding shop related to the production of the Optima
• Expansion of the paint shop to accommodate additional capacity
• Expansion of the production line in the general assembly shop (within the existing facilities) and installation of new equipment
• Expansion of the railroad spur to efficiently handle additional volume
• More than 500 additional parking spaces added to the team member parking area
• Over 1,000 new team members were hired at KMMG during 2011 to bring the total number of hires at the plant to more than 3,000

About Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production of the 2011 Kia Sorento on Nov. 16, 2009. Beginning in 2012, the plant will have the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

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