Hyundai Motors of South Korea is further expanding its investment in the US. An auto parts subsidiary of Hyundai broke ground last week on a new $35 million facility in the state of Georgia. Hyundai already operates a major car manufacturing facility in Alabama and its subsidiary, Kia, operates another one in Georgia. The two existing plants together employ more than 8,000 people, while the new plant will initially employ around 350 to produce seats and transmissions for the Kia cars being assembled nearby.
The location of the new plant was in question for some time, as both Alabama and Georgia sought the investment. Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia traveled to South Korea in August to meet with Hyundai officials and the visit appears to have clinched the plant for his state. Hyundai opened its first plant in Montgomery, Alabama in 2005, while the Kia plant in West Point, Georgia began production in 2008. The new facility is expected to open by the end of 2014, and is also located in West Point.