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Kia to build first U.S. plant in Georgia

At a ceremony attended by Kia Motors Corp. President E.S. Chung and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue in Seoul today, Kia announced plans to construct a $1.2 billion automotive assembly and manufacturing plant in West Point, Ga. The facility will be the company's first manufacturing plant in the U.S. and will begin production in 2009.

The facility, to be built on 2,200 acres, is expected to produce 300,000 vehicles per year at maximum capacity. Approximately 2,500 jobs will be created in Troup County and the surrounding areas.

Construction currently is underway on a dedicated Kia corporate campus in Irvine, Calif., that is expected to open in December 2006, and will include a 65,000 square-foot design center. In total, Kia has invested more than $300 million in the U.S. over the last four years, including a research and development center in Ann Arbor, Mich. and a custom-built vehicle proving grounds in Mojave, Calif.