List of Kia design and manufacturing facilities
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia is Kia's large vehicle assembly facility in West Point, Georgia, producing vehicles for North American and other markets.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), commonly called Kia Georgia, is Kia's vehicle manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia, near Interstate 85 and the Alabama state line. It is part of Kia Corporation's international manufacturing network and is operated within the Hyundai Motor Group structure. The facility was announced in 2006 as Kia's first production plant in the United States, with substantial support and incentives from the State of Georgia and local authorities. Construction and equipment investment were initially described at approximately $1 billion, while Kia Georgia materials describe the broader site and investment footprint as approximately $2.8 billion over time. The plant occupies more than 2,200 acres and contains approximately 2.2 million square feet of production space. Its main manufacturing functions include stamping, body welding, painting and final assembly. Supporting operations include a transmission shop, a module shop and an on-site test track of roughly two miles. The assembly operation uses long, height-adjustable conveyors and wood flooring in portions of the production area. The plant was designed as a highly integrated operation rather than a simple final-assembly site, allowing major vehicle systems and components to be coordinated within the same manufacturing complex. KMMG began production in 2010. Its original role was to expand Kia's North American production capacity and reduce the company's dependence on vehicles imported from Asia. The site subsequently became a major production base for Kia sport-utility vehicles and crossovers. Vehicles associated with the plant include the Sorento, Sportage and Telluride, as well as the battery-electric EV6 and EV9 in the facility's later production portfolio. Model assignments can change as Kia adjusts manufacturing capacity, product generations and market demand, so the facility should be understood as a production site rather than a permanent single-model brand. The Georgia plant has been an important part of Kia's regional industrial presence. It reached cumulative production of one million vehicles in 2013 and passed three million vehicles in September 2019. The plant operates around the clock and supports a broader supplier and logistics ecosystem in west Georgia and the surrounding southeastern United States. Its location provides access to interstate transportation and to the large U.S. automotive market. KMMG is not an independent consumer brand in the usual sense. It is a Kia manufacturing facility and an operating unit within Kia's global industrial network. The Kia name on vehicles produced there is the customer-facing brand, while KMMG identifies the manufacturing organization and site. The facility's public identity is therefore tied to production capability, employment, regional investment and vehicle programs rather than to separately marketed products. Leadership changed at the end of 2021, when President Jangsu Shin retired; Stuart Countess became chief executive effective January 2022.
History
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia was announced in 2006 as a strategic expansion of Kia's manufacturing presence in North America. The project was developed in West Point, Georgia, close to Interstate 85, giving the site access to regional suppliers, transportation infrastructure and the large southeastern U.S. vehicle market. Georgia provided substantial incentives intended to attract the investment and associated employment. The initial project cost was reported at approximately $1 billion, while later Kia descriptions identify a total investment of about $2.8 billion connected with the 2,200-acre operation and its development. The facility went online in 2010. It was built as an integrated vehicle plant with stamping, welding, paint and assembly operations, rather than as a narrowly defined final-assembly line. A transmission shop and module shop were included alongside a test track, allowing the operation to coordinate major manufacturing stages and conduct vehicle checks on site. The production complex covers approximately 2.2 million square feet and was designed for annual output of up to 350,000 vehicles. During its early years, the Georgia operation became an important source of Kia vehicles for North America. Its model programs have changed over time in response to product cycles and demand. The plant has been associated with Kia's Sorento, Sportage and Telluride sport-utility vehicles and, in later production descriptions, with the battery-electric EV6 and EV9. These assignments illustrate Kia's broader movement toward SUVs, crossovers and electrified vehicles, although the exact mix of models can vary as production is reallocated. The site reached one million cumulative vehicles in 2013 and passed three million in September 2019. Its scale and continuous-operation model made it one of the most significant elements of Kia's North American industrial footprint. The plant also helped anchor an automotive supplier and logistics network in west Georgia, creating economic links beyond the factory itself. A leadership change occurred at the end of 2021. President Jangsu Shin retired on December 31, and Stuart Countess assumed the chief executive role in January 2022. The change occurred as the facility's product portfolio increasingly included electric vehicles alongside conventional and hybrid-oriented Kia programs elsewhere in the company's network. KMMG remains a Kia operating facility rather than a separately marketed vehicle brand. Its importance lies in manufacturing capacity, regional production localization and its role in delivering Kia vehicles to North American and other markets.
- 2022
Stuart Countess assumes leadership
[1]Stuart Countess became chief executive of the Georgia operation in January.
- 2021
President retires
[1]Jangsu Shin retired as plant president on December 31.
- 2019
Three-millionth vehicle milestone
[1]The facility exceeded three million cumulative vehicles in September.
- 2013
One-millionth vehicle milestone
[1]Cumulative production reached one million vehicles.
- 2010
Production begins
[1]Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia began vehicle production and became Kia's first U.S. manufacturing plant.
- 2006
Georgia plant announced
[1]Kia announced plans for a major vehicle manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia, with substantial public incentives supporting the project.
Products and positioning
A high-capacity, integrated Kia manufacturing operation serving North American and selected global vehicle markets, with an emphasis on SUVs, crossovers and electric vehicles.
Three-row sport-utility vehicle
Kia Telluride
The Telluride is a large three-row Kia sport-utility vehicle associated with production at the Georgia plant. Its manufacture strengthened KMMG's role in Kia's North American SUV strategy and aligned the facility with a vehicle segment particularly important to the U.S. market.
Midsize sport-utility vehicle
Kia Sorento
The Sorento is a midsize SUV included in the Georgia plant's production portfolio. It represents one of the facility's principal crossover and utility-vehicle programs and has been produced there alongside other Kia SUVs.
Compact sport-utility vehicle
Kia Sportage
The Sportage is a compact SUV associated with Kia Georgia production. Its inclusion broadens the plant's output across multiple SUV sizes and supports Kia's North American product mix.
Battery-electric crossover
Kia EV6
The EV6 is a battery-electric Kia crossover included in descriptions of vehicles produced at the Georgia facility. Its presence reflects the plant's participation in Kia's transition toward locally manufactured electric vehicles.
Battery-electric sport-utility vehicle
Kia EV9
The EV9 is a large battery-electric SUV associated with Kia Georgia. It extends the site's production role from conventional SUVs into Kia's electric-vehicle range.
Brand decisions
2022
Change plant leadershipOtherBackground
Jangsu Shin retired from the Georgia operation at the end of 2021.
Action taken
Stuart Countess was appointed chief executive effective January 2022.
Aftermath
Countess took responsibility for the continuing operation and evolving vehicle portfolio.
2006
Establish a U.S. manufacturing baseStrategyBackground
Kia sought to expand North American production capacity and localize manufacturing in the United States.
Action taken
The company announced and developed an integrated vehicle plant in West Point, Georgia.
Aftermath
The facility began production in 2010 and became a major Kia manufacturing site in North America.
Initial project investment. Approximately US$1 billion (2006 announcement and initial development)
Sources2 sources
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