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Korean car maker Kia Motors in mid-December announced a leadership transition at the company’s Georgia manufacturing arm, Kia Georgia Inc.
Jangsoo (Jason) Shin led Kia Georgia starting in 2017, overseeing the introduction of two new models: the Telluride SUV — a massive hit with buyers — and the K5 sedan. The Georgia factory also began producing the latest generation of the Sorento, Kia’s mid-size SUV, under Mr. Shin’s watch.
Starting Jan. 1, he was replaced as CEO by Stuart Countess, the former chief operating officer who already played a more visible role in the state’s manufacturing community. Mr. Countess will also hold the role of president. He joined the company in 2008, after Kia had announced the factory in Georgia but before it had broken ground. After production began in 2009, Mr. Countess moved steadily up the ranks, working in manufacturing and quality and taking up the chief administrative officer position before becoming COO.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Kia Georgia’s world class team in my new capacity,” Mr. Countess said in a news release. “Kia is looking to the future with great confidence in our contribution to the automotive industry, and Kia Georgia intends to be an integral part of our North American strategy.”
In response to industry trends, Kia is looking to electrify more of its lineup, which officials hope will lead to more investment at the Georgia plant, though where Kia’s localized EV production will be placed is an open question. Kia Georgia announced recently that it would add a fourth model to its Georgia-made lineup: the Kia Sportage crossover.
Mr. Countess comes into the leadership position at a tough time for the auto sector, with wages and inflation rising and snarled supply chains forcing closures at many plants built on the just-in-time model of inventory management. Kia Georgia reportedly has weathered a few brief closures due to shortages of semiconductors.
Still, the investment that Kia pioneered as the state’s only vehicle assembly plant has continued to pay dividends through suppliers and more recently, other OEMs following Kia into the state. Georgia announced in December that Rivian, an electric truck maker, would put a $5 billion plant in Covington.
