Kia builds 300,000th vehicle in U.S.

Kia has rolled the 300,000th vehicle off its West Point, Georgia, production line. The company, which has been ratcheting up milestones of late, first started production of the Sorento at the plant in November of 2009. In addition to the production milestone, the automaker is also experiencing record U.S. sales this year. In response, it has added a third shift, will begin manufacturing the Optima sedan in September, and will boost yearly production capacity to 360,000 vehicles.

Group president and CEO of Kia Motors America Byung Mo Ahn said that the company had achieved the production accomplishment less than two years after it began production at the plant.

“Now, with three full shifts of production and the upcoming addition of the Optima, our production goals will continue to be very aggressive,” Ahn stated.

The $1.2 billion West Point plant launched with expectations that it would ultimately yield 300,000 vehicles annually. Five months after opening, the plant produced its 50,000th vehicle. By last September, it had reached the 100,000 milestone which was followed by the addition of a second shift. Last fall it added production of the Hyundai Santa Fe that has helped it accelerate to its current output levels.

At inception, Kia also predicted that it would ultimately add around 2,500 additional jobs to the local economy. It has now exceeded this mark. Over the past spring, a recruitment drive has the company now employing over 3,000 people at its plant alone. It is thought that the introduction of the plant has also led to the creation of over 7,000 jobs in the auto parts industry to support production at the plant.

The addition of the Kia Optima sedan to the production of the Kia Sorento and the Hyundai Santa Fe at the Georgia plant should help the company maintain its positive footing and move toward closer its target of 300,000 vehicles manufactured in the U.S. annually.