Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia is moving production of the 2011 Hyundai Sante Fe from its factory in Alabama to its West Point plant this fall, the company confirmed Tuesday, but it won't be adding more jobs for now.
The West Point facility has about 1,900 workers currently, up from about 1,200 when it opened last year. That will be enough to handle the second shift that is being added on Oct. 1 to accommodate Santa Fe production, a spokesman said.
Kia did say, though, that West Point, which makes the Sorento, has enough production capacity (300,000 vehicles annually) to eventually employ up to 2,500 workers. That would allow for the prospect of additional vehicles being built there some day, and for more employment.
Hyundai has built autos in Alabama where it also makes the Sonata sedan since 2005. Kia began production last October in West Point, about 80 miles from the Hyundai facility in Montgomery, just across the Georgia state line. Both Kia and Hyundai are owned by Kia Motors Corp. of South Korea.
Automotive industry consultants have speculated that Hyundai eventually would shift manufacturing of the Santa Fe to West Point because it is more efficient to produce sedans and SUVs separately.
Kia-Hyundai has experienced considerable growth in the U.S. market with sales of the popular Santa Fe and the Sorento increasing. Both models are marketed as crossover SUVs that combine a carlike ride with the utility of a truck-based sport utility vehicle.
In August, Kia Motors America announced record July sales of 35,419 units, a 20.7-percent increase from July 2009, with year-to-date sales up 16.3-percent. The 2011 Sorento was the brand's best-selling vehicle for the seventh consecutive month.
In a statement, Gov. Sonny Perdue said, “The seeds that were first planted on our initial trip to Korea in 2003 continue to bear new fruit today. Production of ... the Kia Sorento created thousands of jobs in West Georgia, and now the addition of the Hyundai Santa Fe will create additional jobs and investment."
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