Savannah stamps support for Kia expansion

The first major machinery for Kia Motors’ West Point manufacturing plant expansion arrived in the US on Wednesday when the Chongming Voyage 90 coasted into the Port of Savannah carrying the automobile-making equipment.


The shipment left Pyeongtaek, Korea, on March 11, the Georgia Port Authority said in a statement.


Once the equipment is unloaded from the ship, it will be transported 300 miles from Savannah to Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG).


Some pieces of the stamping press weigh up to 170 tonnes and require special arrangements for their transportation across Georgia. A fleet of trucks that include dual-lane trailers and 19-axle trucks will be utilised for the largest pieces of the press.


Upon arrival, the equipment will be assembled by its manufacturer, Hyundai Rotem, into a 5,400 tonne transfer press that will stamp steel into 17 different types of vehicle body panels.


“The arrival of these presses marks another huge step for Kia as we continue to grow and expand our operations,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America (KMA) and KMMG.


Govenor Nathan Deal said Georgia was a committed to the growth of industry in the state.


The expansion at KMMG is necessary to deliver increased volume. Since the 2011 Sorento hit the market, it has led the way in Kia sales in the US.


Last month, KMA reported record March sales of more than 44,000 units – a 44.7 percent increase from March 2010. This historic result beat our previous record by 10 percent. Sorento led March sales with more than 11,000 units sold.


“Due to our success we will hire as many as 1,000 additional team members throughout 2011 to produce top quality vehicles,” said Randy Jackson, KMMG’s director of human resources and administration.


“We expect the number of jobs created by KMMG and suppliers will amount to more than 10,000,”


The Georgia Ports Authority’s capabilities for receiving and handling such large cargo, combined with the Georgia Department of Transportation’s engineering expertise for determining a secure route and monitoring safety requirements, enabled the equipment to make the final leg of its journey.


Quick Start, Georgia’s workforce training programme that is part of the Technical College System of Georgia, helped ensure Kia’s newest team members were prepared to operate and maintain the equipment.


“I want to congratulate KMMG on the historic milestone represented by the arrival of these new presses,” said. “We’ve been privileged to be able to support KMMG’s team over the past few years as they’ve achieved this unprecedented success.


Curtis Foltz, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, said in just three years, KMMG had grown to become one of the top 10 customers at the Port of Savannah, thanks to the quality and popularity of its vehicles made in Georgia.”
(Source:http://www.cargonewsasia.com)