Georgia Drives Closer to English-only License Testing

Georgia is moving towards becoming the first state in the country to mandate English-only tests for driver's licenses. And members of the business community are worried that the proposal could cost the state money in commerce.

The plan would require English only tests for permanent driver's licenses. Right now, the state offers individual driver's license tests in 12 languages other than English. But Republican Senator Jack Murphy is concerned that people who can't read the signs written in English are driving in harm's way. He says that's all Senate Bill 67 aims to fix.

"It is purely a safety issue. It has not a anti-immigrant bill and I take exception to the people that're saying that."

One of the people criticizing the bill is Peter Isbister, who's with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He says the bill could have a chilling effect on economic development in Georgia, tempting businesses to look elsewhere for expansion. Issbisster points to the city of Nashville, Tennessee, where a similar proposal was rejected.

"When we see foreign investors comparing and evaluating where they want to where to go, where they want to invest, I think the message that Nashville is sending is a much more attractive one than Georgia will be sending with this bill."

That's why Issbister and other opponents of the bill wore stickers that read "SB67 equals Kia, Go Home."

Korean auto-maker Kia Motors plans to open a 2,200-acre manufacturing plant in West Point later this year.

Helen Kim is with the Korean American Coalition in Atlanta. She says the bill is sending the wrong message to:

"...hard-working families and individuals that live here - Korean and other immigrant citizens and residents, but especially to these international companies like Kia and Sandy Corporation that have been courted actively by the state to come here, bring jobs, invest money." 

Right now, about 5,000 people per month request testing in a language other than English, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. If the bill does become law, temporary driving permits could still be given in another language.

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PSC Approves Pipeline To Feed Kia Plant

State approval has been given for a natural gas pipeline to fuel the Kia Motors plant under construction in west Georgia. The 12.5 mile line will connect to an existing line already feeding LaGrange.

Under terms of Publis Service Commission approval, the city of LaGrange must provide construction and economic data within 30 days. An operations safety plan is also required for Coweta County.

The KIA plant in West Point is scheduled to open at the end of this year--capable of building 300,000 vehicles at full capacity.

In a statement, PSC Chairman Doug Everett says the new pipeline will promote west Georgia’s economic development.

Kia Supplier, Quick Start Ink Jobs Deal

A major Kia Motors supplier has signed a deal with Georgia’s Quick Start training program to prepare hundreds of production workers.

Korea's Sewon, state and local officials attended the agreement ceremony which will train upwards of 600 workers for their Lagrange plant.

Sean McMillan, director of Quick Start's western operations says the signing is a positive step in a gloomy jobs market:

"In the times that we're living in now, with the economy being front and center, and a lot of negativity that's being heard by the public, [it's] a great, great ray of hope for many people in this community to have an opportunity to go back to work."

The firm plans to open the 420,000 square-foot factory in April. The plant will make chassis and body parts for the Kia car plant, in nearby West Point.

Trainees will learn the necessary production line skills at West Georgia Technical College.

The Kia plant is slated to begin production this fall.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the Kia operation.

KIA cuts sales forecast

Kia and Hyundai Motors have released a revised joint sales forecast for 2008 that cuts projections by 12.5 percent. In addition, the South Korean automakers will freeze pay for managers given slumping vehicle demand.

Georgia has a keen eye on Kia, given the automaker is building a new plant in west Georgia. The $1.2 billion facility is expected to employ 2,500 workers.

The plant under construction in West Point is scheduled to open in November 2009. Company officials have consistently said the plant will open on-time, despite weakening economic conditions in the United States. This is to be Kia’s first plant in the U.S. Hyundai has a plant in neighboring Alabama. Kia is a Hyundai affiliate.

Kia assembly plant interchange opens

Kia Motors assembly plant and new access road, along I-85 between West Point and LaGrange, Ga., December, 2008. (Dave Bender)

The interchange and connecting roads allow direct access to the Kia Motors assembly plant, between West Point and LaGrange in Troup Co.

GDOT Commissioner Gena Evans said at a ceremony held Wednesday at the site that the $80.7 million project was completed over a month ahead of its 18-month schedule:

“This effort proves that design-build can be successful when applied to the right projects,” Evans said. “Georgia DOT is proud to have played a role in helping to bring new jobs and improved mobility to the area. It is a great day for West Point, Troup County and the entire State of Georgia.”

The project includes new frontage and access roads, two new bridges, improvements to connecting roadways and new traffic signals, according to a statement from the Governor’s Office, and is largest GDOT construction project so far.

Officials say the $1.2 billion plant will employ more than 2,500 employees. and is scheduled to open in November, 2009.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the Kia facility.

Major Kia parts en route to West Point

The first load of some 3,500 tons of heavy-duty car-making gear reached the Kia Motors plant under construction in West Point Tuesday.

Two giant metal-stamping presses and other equipment arrived at Savannah Port last week, and will be trucked cross-state to West Point. They’ll be installed at the Korean automaker’s first US plant, due to open in early 2009.

“This is a great example of how Georgia’s strengths enable our successes in economic development,” Gov. Sonny Perdue said is a statement released Monday.

“From our ports to our highways to QuickStart’s work force training, Georgia has all the advantages that global companies look for in a place to create new jobs and new investment,” Perdue said.

128 separate tractor-trailer loads will ferry the gear 300 miles cross-state to the factory site, officials said.

Kia’s $1.2 billion plant is expected to employ some 2,500 workers, and is considered an economic powerhouse for west Georgia.

“The arrival of these presses inside the state of Georgia is another huge step for Kia as we get closer to going into production in West Point,” said Randy Jackson, Kia’s director of human resources and administration.

Secondary and tertiary suppliers are gradually moving into the area, and are expected to boost overall employment figures to some 6,000 jobs for the assembly line and related industries.

“It takes quite an effort between Kia and various state agencies to coordinate the transport of such a large shipment, but Georgia’s ability to facilitate such an effort is one of the main reasons we’re here,” Jackson said in a statement.

Company officials tout that the assembly line will be able to produce 300,000 vehicles annually.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about the Kia plant.

Traffic delays possible as Kia brings in equipment

Georgia State Patrol will escort a machine weighing over six-hundred-thousand pounds and occupying two lanes of traffic to the new Kia plant in West Point tonight.

The machine, along with other equipment, arrived at the Port of Savannah last week.

The Georgia Department of Transportation expects delays late tonight and into the early morning as the one-hundred-twenty-eight loads head to the South Korean auto-maker’s plant.

(Macon Telegraph)

Another KIA suppliers announced for West Point

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Kia supplier

Powertech America plans to locate on the Kia site in West Point

The move bringls 350 job. That brings the expected job total for the car plant to 6,200 jobs.

Powertech America makes transmissions. It’s parent company in Hyandai Perowertech.

Hyundai Powertech is affiliated with Hyundai Motors,

Kia Motors Corp. and Hyundai Mobis.

First hires on the job at KIA plant

The first group of workers at the under-construction KIA plant in west Georgia are now on the job. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports that 28 employees began work this week at the site. The two-billion dollar KIA plant is being built along Interstate-85, about five miles from the Georgia-Alabama state line.

Kia: car plant construction still on track

Signs on the road to completing the Kia car plant. (Dave Bender)

Vehicles are set to roll off the Kia Motor assembly plant near West Point by November of 2009 according to Randy Jackson, Kia human resources director.

Jackson said an estimated 650 employees will be hired by the end of 2008, and that by the end of 2009, about half of the 2,500 team members expected at full capacity will have been hired.

Jackson said that output would depend on how quickly and how well the workforce training comes along. The company says it expects to reach the 2,500 employee benchmark in late 2010.

One hundred and sixteen professionals have been hired so far to work at the $1 billion facility, and have set up temporary offices in nearby LaGrange and at the plant site.

Companies supplying the plant have hired on over 5,000 employees, according to a Kia statement.

The plant will produce some 300,000 vehicles annually including the Sorrento SUV, and another, yet-to-be-named vehicle, when the facility reaches full capacity, Jackson said.

Kia officials in May quashed rumors of changes and uncertainty in their production plans, due to soaring gas prices. Senior Hyundai officials in Korea had been quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as saying that the plant would retool to produce a small car, instead of a planned SUV model.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the Kia plant, and its regional impact.

Kia supplier to build west Georgia facility

Governor Sonny Perdue announced Tuesday that a main supplier to automaker Kia will locate a new facility in west Georgia. Milwaukee-based ‘Johnson Controls’ will establish a 130-thousand square foot facility in Harris County, and expects to create over 300 jobs. The company will make complete seat systems and door panels for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. Construction on the Kia-plant is expected to be complete by early 2009.

Kia Training Center Opens

Perdue, Kia and state officials inaugurate the training center at West Point. (Robin Trimarchi/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)

Governor Sonny Perdue, Kia Motors President Euisun Chung, and state and local officials gathered at a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for on Tuesday for the opening of Kia Motors' training center in West Point.

“This center is the linchpin in providing both an opportunity for Georgia’s citizens and a quality workforce for Kia that will guarantee the success of this project,” Perdue said.

“The state of Georgia and especially Georgia Quick Start have provided exceptional support for our project,” said President Chung.

The center, which houses robotics, welding and electronics labs, classrooms, and related equipment, will train teams for car making.

The Kia facility, its first in the U.S., will eventually produce 300,000 vehicles a year, and impact Georgia's economy to the tune of some $4 billion per year, according to a Georgia Tech study commissioned by the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

The plant is set to open in 2009.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the KIA plant, and its effect on the area.

Harris Co. gets business development grant

The OneGeorgia authority has announced that it has awarded a $1 million grant to the Northwest Harris County Business Park in western Georgia.

The funds are earmarked for improving water and sewage infrastructure for the 370-acre facility, located near the construction site of a Kia Motors assembly plant, according to a report.

Several companies supplying the Kia facility have already either opened shop, or are under development at the business park.

The Kia plant is due to open in 2009.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about the Kia plant and area development.

Kia swamped with online job applicants

Thurmond and Kia officials at a ceremony inaugurating the online hiring process, at West Georgia Technical College, Jan. 8, 2008. (Dave Bender)

In a just-concluded jobs program, over 43,000 applicants swamped Kia Motors' online hiring site for their SUV plant being built in west Georgia. The applicants were vying for 2,500 production and maintenance jobs at the West Point plant.

State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says this is the first totally online job application process for a major employer in Georgia:

“Any person who had access to a com puter could go to kiajobs.com – apply for a job. We also - for those who did not have Internet access – we allowed individuals to use our computers at our 53 career centers around the state of Georgia.”

Thurmond added that some 400 walk-in applicants came to a recruitment center set up at West Georgia Technical College in LaGrange. A similar number applied with Kia at a recent job fair held in Columbus. The online hiring program was inaugurated only a month ago.

Thurmond says that most of them are Georgians:

“We're very proud of the fact that between 70 and 75 percent of the people who applied online are Georgia residents.”

Kia's hiring and job training program at West Georgia Technical College set up this center, with several hundred computer stations, to aid the process. (Dave Bender)

But getting that job – and they're paying between 15 and 23 dollars an hour – is just the first step.

Ron Jackson, Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, set out the hiring path at the program's gala inauguration in early January:

“Once they are selected and employed by kia, they will go through a full training program that is generated by Quickstart, supported by our technical college system, at the training center that will be at the Kia site.”

The $1.2 billion dollar plant is due to open in Nov., 2009, will produce about 300,000 Sorrento SUVs annually.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of ongoing developments in the Kia operation.

KIA Opens Hiring Center, Website

KIA and state officials unveil Now Hiring! sign at ceremony at West Georgia Technical College, Jan. 8, 2008. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Kia Motors today opened it's doors to job-seekers for their auto plant being built near La Grange, in west Georgia.

Senior leaders from the Korean automaker, including the CEO and several hundred state and local officials made the announcement at West Georgia Technical College in La Grange. KIA needs production and maintenance workers for the plant, set to open next year. The factory plans to hire some 2,500 people, overall.

Ken Cochran, local Department of Labor project manager, says of the operation:

“It's probably the first time for a company this large in Georgia to do an application process exclusively over the Internet.”

The Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, The DOL and KIA opened a training center at the school for those without internet access.

Banks of computers at West Georgia Technical College awaiting job-seekers, and trainees for nearby KIA plant, Jan. 8, 2008. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Applicants can also apply at 53 career centers, statewide and have until February seventh to sign up for the first round of hiring.

Applications for the plant are available here.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the Kia assembly plant and it's effects on the area.

Kia: Water Woes No Worry For Plant

Backhoe rips out foliage beneath Kia sign at plant site, to make an entrance road. (File photo/Dave Bender)

Kia construction project manager Mike Criddle says Kia's not considering any changes in construction, or planned production as a result of the current water crisis.

Criddle says that Kia has agreements in place with the nearby cities of LaGrange and West Point, who are to both provide water for the manufacturing facility's water-based paint system.

Criddle at work in his office at Lagrange City Hall. Artist's view of finished manufacturing facility is visible in background. (File photo/Dave Bender)

West Point City Manager Ed Moon says his city will spend an estimated 20 million dollars to expand their water and wastewater capacity in preparation for the town's and factory's expected demands.

Kia officials say the two-million sq.-ft. facility, set on a 650-acre site will employ nearly 3,000 workers and produce 300,000 vehicles annually.

Click here for more GPB reports on the manufacturing facility.

Jobs and investment on the way to Troup County

250 jobs and nearly 28-million investment dollars is on the way to Troup County. Sejong Georgia LLC is a leading and longtime Kia supplier, and will set-up a facility in LaGrange. The Korean company in this plant will make muffler and exhaust systems for Kia Motors. This announcement is another of several in recent months that supports Kia. Other plants and jobs are on the boards for West Point, Meriwether County, and other locations in west Georgia.

Ga- Ala. development plan aimed at Kia

Zoning map of area, including Kia plant.
Click on the image for a larger map. (Graphic: Dave Bender)

The Greater Valley Development Group and Crossman & Co. plan to build a mixed-use development along Interstate 85, at the Georgia-Alabama border.

The development, which the developers will call the Venue, will include 932 multi-family residences and 350,000 square feet of retail and hospitality space, according to Commercial Property News.

The area is in the vicinity of the Kia automotive plant, now under construction. The builders hope that "Kia and supplier executives and their thousands of team members,” will be among the markets for the properties, according to the report.

Kia officials say the plant, set to open in 2009, will employ nearly 3,000 workers and produce 300,000 vehicles annually. Several parts and services suppliers are currently also building in the vicinity, in order to support the Kia facility.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the Kia plant, and it's projected effects on the area.

Korean parts supplier joining Kia bandwagon

Korean automotive supplier Dongwon Autopart Technology will open a facility in Meriwether County to serve the Kia Motors plant under construction in West Point.

The company's planned $30 million facility in Meriwether Co. will create 300 jobs, according to a statement by Governor Perdue. Perdue and state officials are meeting with Kia suppliers as part of an economic development mission to Korea and Japan.

Speaking from Seoul, Perdue said:

"It's great economic news for Georgia that a quality Kia supplier such as Dongwon has chosen to locate in our state. As we work with Kia’s trusted suppliers, I'm confident that Georgia will continue to benefit from the wave of economic growth sparked by the Kia plant."

Dongwon, which has been a Kia supplier for three years, will manufacture door frames, side impact beams, roof molding, side absorbers and cross bars for the new Kia facility.

The new plant, to be located half a mile from I-85 on State Highway 54, will be approximately 120,000-150,000 square feet. Construction on the new facility in Meriwether Park is set to begin January 2008 and is expected to be completed in late July 2008. Dongwon operates another metal stamping facility in Lapine, Alabama.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of state economic development, in connection with the Kia facility.

Drought threatens West Point water supply

Columbus: stones and sand bars along the Chattahoochee, downstream from West Point. (Dave Bender)

The drought is affecting West Point's ability to pump water from the Chattahoochee River. City Manager Ed Moon says that two of the city's three raw water intakes are already drawing air, and that the third is threatened:

Moon: “The top of our lowest intake is at 1.8 feet; we need to maintain that 2.2 feet at 600 cfs (cubic feet per-second) to continue to have a viable raw water supply.”
Interviewer: “And if that does not happen, what steps will the city take to protect its water?”
Moon: “We have a contingency plan to use some auxiliary pumping, with a pump located further out in the river.”

West Point is spending close to 20 million dollars to improve infrastructure, including water supply for the massive Kia auto-plant being built nearby.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the ongoing water crisis.
Click here for more GPB coverage about the planned Kia factory.