52 Team Members Receive Promotions at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

WEST POINT — Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG), which has produced more than 250,000 vehicles since November 2009, recently completed 52 team member promotions to recognize the contributions and dedication that have resulted in outstanding achievements in many areas of the plant’s operations. The Kia Sorento produced at KMMG has been the company’s best-selling vehicle for 16 consecutive months and the CUV also has earned an impressive list of awards and accolades, including being named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Included in the team member promotions was J. Randy Jackson being named vice president, human resources and administration from his previous position of director, and the elevation of Charlie Webb to the role of director of the newly created Legal Subdivision from his former position as senior manager. In addition, 7 managers were promoted to senior manager level and many more were promoted to manager and assistant manager.

“The success of the plant in West Point, Georgia and the high-quality Sorento built there is the result of the hard work and attention to detail exhibited by each of the 2,600 team members at KMMG and their commitment to the “Kia Way,” which emphasizes teamwork and communication,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG. “With U.S. sales up 42-percent through April, Kia is expanding rapidly in the U.S. and KMMG will continue to play a significant role in the brand’s growth and development. We are pleased to recognize and reward the accomplishments of our team members and look forward to achieving even more together as a team.”

Since production began in late 2009, KMMG has continued to generate thousands of new direct and supplier jobs. The plant is currently accepting applications at www.KiaJobsInGeorgia.com for a third wave of hiring that will raise the number of on-site jobs to approximately 3,000, and KMMG is nearing completion of a plant-wide production expansion project to support Kia’s recent announcement that the critically acclaimed Optima midsize sedan will be added to the production line in West Point. The 2012 model year Optima will begin production at KMMG in the third quarter of 2011.

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and is scheduled to begin production in the last quarter of 2009. At full capacity, the plant will have the ability to produce 300,000 vehicles annually and employ approximately 2,500 team members.