The latest episode of “who wants Kia’s U.S. plant” contest: next month, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco will be
visiting Kia’s headquarter in South Korea to persuade the company to build its new plant in her state. This news comes
after Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour visited the firm last week at its Seoul HQ to lobby for building a Kia
plant in his state. Governor Barbour offered incentives to Kia equivalent to those given for Hyundai Motor’s Alabama
plant.
We believe Kia want to have a U.S. plant to build the Mojave concept (shown) from the 2004 Chicago
Auto Show, as the truck would be a meaningful addition to its U.S. lineup, but Hyundai’s plant in Alabama isn’t
set up to build trucks. Now that two southern states have put in bids, it’s time for Tennessee, Georgia, and
Florida to book a trip to Seoul and up the ante.