Kia plant on way to Georgia?

If you turn on the Gabbettville Road off of the West point highway, the proceed across the railroad tracks, the plant will be located in the large pasture on your right, if it comes. The pasture is on the south side of the Gabbettvile Rd. There is additional property that would be purchased for the plant as well.
Everyone should keep in mind that the land deals that have been negotiated are substantial. People are not being forcibly moved or relocated, but are being paid well above market price for their land, so much so that they can easily replace the homes and farms they have in the near area and have plenty left over to invest.
While I moved in that vicinity for quality of life, I am keeping my eyes and ears open to see how I may be involved in this exciting opportunity.
Thankfully, the Hyundai plant in Montgomery is not an extreme eyesore, is environmentally friendly, does not smokestacks, etc. I'm sure the Kia plant will similar to that one.
We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in such a venture. Anyone living within 3-5 miles of the plant will surely see a significant increase in property values. The people of West Point and LaGrange will see their communites prosper as a result of the new jobs.
At the end of the day, it will be the locals who will control how the plant will impact the community, for the most part.

West Point Local wrote:

Awfully quiet around here lately - any news?

How about this article dated February 15, 2006!! Uh oh!

In the battle to get the billion dollar Kia Automotive Plant that is planned to be built in the Southeast United States, Lowndes County in Mississippi is preparing to offer KIA a 23 million dollar incentive package. West Point, Georgia is the leading candidate for having the KIA plant built, but it is obvious that such a large investment of jobs and infrastructure is attracting a good deal of competition.

Lowndes County, Mississippi, supervisors say they will discuss a proposal to pledge 23 million dollars to an effort to entice an automaker to its region.The proposal is on the board of supervisors agenda today.Last spring, supervisors agreed to issue up to 22 million dollars in general obligation bonds to buy the first megasite for SeverCorr and to help Baldor Electric and Aurora Flight Sciences with construction needs.The SeverCorr mill will produce high-grade steel for the automotive industry.But only 12 of the 22 million dollars was used.

The supervisors will consider adding 13 million to the remaining ten (m) million for a total of 23 million dollars.The money would be repaid through the eventual lease of the property. It would buy the one-thousand-958-acre Crossroads site west of Golden Triangle Regional Airport and make initial site preparations and infrastructure improvements.
via the AP Wire

Yea but this article makes me lean more toward us (west point) getting it... The area in Missippi doesn't have enough people to supply a workforce of 2500+....
this article was taken from http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...

Kia Motors Corp. is considering Chattanooga as the site of its first U.S. assembly plant, but it's probably a long shot at best.

The South Korean automaker plans to build a $1.2 billion plant that will employ more than 2,000 people. The company also has looked at sites in Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and Georgia, according to the head of Alabama's economic development agency.




"We know they are looking at the Southeast," said Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office, that state's chief economic development agency. "We know they are looking at adjacent states."

Sites in Meridian, Miss., and West Point, Ga., appear to have the upper hand in the company's quest. Both are close to Montgomery, Ala., where more than three dozen South Korean auto suppliers provide parts to Hyundai, a South Korean automaker that holds a major stake in Kia.

Meridian was considered a front-runner for more than a year before it fell out of favor over concerns that the company wouldn't be able to recruit enough workers for the plant.

Well, even though I don't live in the area yet, it will be good to know there will be a place to apply for a job at if and when I get down there.

Scott Brown wrote:

Yea but this article makes me lean more toward us (west point) getting it... The area in Missippi doesn't have enough people to supply a workforce of 2500+....
this article was taken from http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...

Kia Motors Corp. is considering Chattanooga as the site of its first U.S. assembly plant, but it's probably a long shot at best.

The South Korean automaker plans to build a $1.2 billion plant that will employ more than 2,000 people. The company also has looked at sites in Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and Georgia, according to the head of Alabama's economic development agency.




"We know they are looking at the Southeast," said Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office, that state's chief economic development agency. "We know they are looking at adjacent states."

Sites in Meridian, Miss., and West Point, Ga., appear to have the upper hand in the company's quest. Both are close to Montgomery, Ala., where more than three dozen South Korean auto suppliers provide parts to Hyundai, a South Korean automaker that holds a major stake in Kia.

Meridian was considered a front-runner for more than a year before it fell out of favor over concerns that the company wouldn't be able to recruit enough workers for the plant.

I hope you are right. I live 3 miles from the possible construction site and I'm hoping and praying Kia will come. The article from the Tennessean was written on January 19th; the article I posted today had the date February 15th. I think they came from two different sources. The February article made it sound like Mississippi was making a new push toward attracting the plant. I hope we hear something soon!

LaGrange resident wrote:

<quoted text>

I hope you are right. I live 3 miles from the possible construction site and I'm hoping and praying Kia will come. The article from the Tennessean was written on January 19th; the article I posted today had the date February 15th. I think they came from two different sources. The February article made it sound like Mississippi was making a new push toward attracting the plant. I hope we hear something soon!

Yea, me too... Yea the article I posted was about a month old but maybe Kia will not accept the offer because no matter how much money or incentives they offer, if there is not enough people to work there it would not benefit them. thats what I hope anyway...

Good Night! I made my post Feb 16th. Hasn't there been ANY news? Or even RUMORS? Like to hear from somebody in Westpoint.

Well, Duh....I wasn't looking at all the posts. Quite a bit of info posted since I wrote on Feb 16.

Like all of you, I'm hoping for the best. Maybe we will get an announcement soon.

I have it from good sources that MS is making a new push with new incentives adding 200 to 300 million to the pot for KIA. Word is KIA flew over the site yesterday and the Chairman did not like what he saw. I hope what I am hearing is wrong.

Their has been A tent put up on Mr Webbs land where the kia plant is preposed.

I heard from a good source that MS is making another push at the project with up to $300 million in extra incentives. The site is not in Meridian it is in Columbus.
The guy that shared this with me seemed to be in the know.

He also said the Hyundai Chairman (Hyndai owns KIA) flew over the West Point Site and was not happy with what he saw. Word is the site has wetland issues and may not meet the company criteria for development costs and development timeline. I hope he is wrong. He also beleieves a decision will be made soon but that we will be on the losing end of the deal (again)!!

Taco wrote:

I heard from a good source that MS is making another push at the project with up to $300 million in extra incentives. The site is not in Meridian it is in Columbus.
The guy that shared this with me seemed to be in the know.

He also said the Hyundai Chairman (Hyndai owns KIA) flew over the West Point Site and was not happy with what he saw. Word is the site has wetland issues and may not meet the company criteria for development costs and development timeline. I hope he is wrong. He also beleieves a decision will be made soon but that we will be on the losing end of the deal (again)!!

Just wondering, how are you connected to the West Point area?

I too have been told their was more swamp land in the area than anticipated. Those of us who live here are all too familiar with the flooding problem on Long Cane Creek. Let us hope that this is an obstacle that their engineers can overcome.

If it was not good news I dont think they would but a tent with two portajohns up in the cow pature.

Lewis J West Point wrote:

If it was not good news I dont think they would but a tent with two portajohns up in the cow pature.

Word is around the plant that he left here yesterday and will be in West Point today to close the deal.

Kristie Hart wrote:

I live in the area that is being evaluated for this plant and cannot express my unhappiness that a rural area with many family homes will be destroyed for big business. With so many empty industrial parks in both West Point and LaGrange, why choose to destroy the quiet community and ruin the simple way of life many families who wanted to get away from the city and now find it coming and forcing its way into our lives.

In light of the closing of so many of our areas textile plants, the Kia plant would be an economic boom for the West Georgia/ East Alabama area that you could not imagine. The purposed site will affect many people including myself. But the trade off in new jobs and economic growth far outweigh any inconveniences it may cause. I would rather see the Kia plant built in West Point and employ thousands of local people, with the local municipalities receiving the monies from taxes, utilities etc., than having the cars produced overseas and shipped here and the U.S. only spending money to buy them. We need this plant more than you could possibly imagine, here in this "rural" area. It has to be built somewhere, so better if it is here.

Hank I am with you. We need this so much....I have also heard that the tents are up and deputies are standing guard at the fence. So maybe today is the day that we will all know the real answer....

Just drove by the site and saw the tent. Looks like one of those large tents folks use for weddings and such. also 2 porta-potties. Looks like a good sign

I just saw 3 large corporate helicopters circling the area and land near the site.looks like something is going on today. hopefully we will have news shortly!

I heard that the big man from Kia was here to view the site.