USA TODAY: …Kia invested $1 billion in the factory, which was welcomed by the area for the 3,000 jobs it provides. West Point once was a thriving textile town, but those jobs moved elsewhere.
The plant built its first vehicle in 2009, got an additional $100 million expansion in 2012 and now also builds the Optima midsize sedan. Optima, which shares hardware with Hyundai’s Sonata, is Kia’s best-seller.
The plant has a capacity of 360,000 vehicles a year. That’s hefty. The more-or-less standard size for a major auto factory in the U.S. is about 240,000… (more)
