Kia Plant an Example of Jobs, Job Losses

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

As state unemployment rates soar to the highest in a quarter-century, west Georgia is seeing both business development -- and recession over the new Kia auto plant under construction at West Point.

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

The Latest Georgia Department of Labor statistics say almost 400,000 Georgians are looking for work.

Jobless numbers for December doubled to over eight percent since the same period the previous year.

In Columbus, a prospective Kia supplier is canceling a planned facility after changing owners. That plant would have brought 350 jobs to the city to make car parts.

Despite the gloomy figures, Mike Gaymon of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce says west Georgia will weather the recession better than much of Georgia:

"Within the next couple of quarters, you'll see the economy in our region start to come out quicker than the state; which will probably be followed sometime later on in 0-10. So, based upon all the primary jobs that will be coming into play, over the next several months, and within the next six months to a year, our economy we think is poised to be a bright spot in our state and in our region."

One signpost of that recovery is the announcement by another Kia supplier, who plans to open a seat-belt plant in West Point, that will employ 50 people.

Kia officials say the assembly line is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of '09.
Signs of the times in west Georgia. (Dave Bender)


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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.