by T.A. DeFeo
Kia plans to spend more than $200 million to accommodate the assembly of its new electric SUV at its west Georgia facility.
State officials said the project will create roughly 200 new jobs at Kia’s West Point plant, Kia Corporation’s first manufacturing site in North America. When assembly of the EV9 starts in the second quarter of 2024, it will be the fifth model to be assembled at Kia Georgia.
“The project is active, and Kia Georgia will continue to utilize the services of Georgia Quick Start, which operates the Kia Georgia Training Center,” a Georgia Department of Economic Development communications insider confirmed to The Center Square.
The “active” designation allows state officials to decline to release details about tax incentives the state offered to entice a company to locate or expand in Georgia. The Kia Georgia Training Center opened in 2008, the insider said in an email.
“Since Georgia recruited Kia in 2006 to create long-lasting opportunities for West Georgia, Kia has exceeded expectations as a partner by giving back to its adopted community,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said in an announcement.
According to a news release, the West Point plant manufactures more than 40% of Kia vehicles sold in the country. In the announcement, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said the project would “help propel the state toward our goal of becoming the e-mobility capital.”
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T.A. DeFeo is a contributor to The Center Square.Â
