(April 24, 2011) NEW YORK (PRNewswire) — Kia Motors has announced plans to build the mid-sized Kia Optima sedan at its Georgia manufacturing plant beginning in the third quarter of 2011.

The plant at West Point, Ga., near the Alabama-Georgia state line and about an hour's drive southwest of Atlanta opened two years ago and is currently building the popular Sorento crossover vehicle.

The Kia plant is now accepting applications for a third wave of hiring to support the increased production. The total number of team members at the plant is expected to reach nearly 3,000 later this year.

"The success of the West Point, Georgia plant and the high-quality Sorento CUV built there underscores the attention to detail and commitment to quality and craftsmanship exhibited by each KMMG team member and is the primary reason for Kia Motors' decision to add Optima to the plant's production line," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO, Kia Motors America. 

"Kia is experiencing tremendous growth in the U.S., and the increased volume at KMMG will create more jobs at the plant as well as nearby and on-site suppliers and is the latest demonstration of our unwavering commitment to the U.S. and local economies."

Kia Georgia began producing the 2011 Sorento in November, 2009, and the CUV continually exceeded expectations and has been Kia's best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 15 consecutive months.  In 2010, the U.S.-built Sorento represented 30 percent of Kia's total sales. 

There are more than 2,300 team members currently at the plant, which produced more than 123,500 Sorento models in 2010.  With a production capacity of up to 300,000 vehicles per year, the plant is expected to generate more than 7,500 new on-site and local supplier jobs in addition to the 3,000 team members employed at the plant.

The Optima production announcement comes as Kia's U.S. sales and market share are rising as a result of the company's design-led transformation.