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KMMG Expansion Underway in West Point
2012 Optima midsize sedan will be added to the plant's production line
 Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) has completed the hiring of 1,000 new employees and is starting a series of expansion projects in each of the plant's four main shops - stamping, welding, paint and general assembly - to raise annual capacity to 360,000 vehicles starting in 2012.
"The success of the West Point, Georgia plant is the result of the dedication of our team members and the world-class quality that goes into each vehicle we build, and the increased volume and addition of new team members is further evidence of our commitment to the U.S. and local economies," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG. "Kia is experiencing unprecedented growth in the U.S., led by the best-selling Sorento, and with demand for the critically acclaimed Optima currently outpacing supply we are proud to add the popular sedan as the second Kia vehicle on the production line."
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GeorgiaTrend: Anticipating Good Times
Columbus, Georgia Region counting on military expansion and tourism
For many reasons, there is an air of anticipation in Columbus these days, expectations of a continuing prosperity thanks in large part to the 2005 Pentagon decision to keep the community's Fort Benning army post not only open but with a larger mission.
An invasion of troops and civilian workers, their dependents, military contractors, vendors, retailers, school teachers, construction workers and developers will add about 30,000 residents to the region by this fall.
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New U.S. Industrial Revolution
Columbus, Georgia in the spotlight on CNBC
 NCR CEO Bill Nuti discusses the advantages of building products in the U.S.
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Benning Growth Driving Multi-family Housing
1,500 apartment units coming on-line over the next two years
Several apartment complexes are coming out of the ground or on the drawing boards in the Columbus and Phenix City area. It is likely they will be absorbed quickly as more soldiers descend on the area, the economy continues to pick up steam, and fewer people decide that owning a home is for them.
That's the assessment of a leading apartment developer in the city and others doing business in the rental sector that appears to have avoided the severe downturn over the last three years.
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Gov. Deal Names 5 Counties Camera Ready
Program launched to bolster Georgia's growing film and TV industry
 Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Muscogee and Taylor are among the 73 Georgia counties that have been named Camera Ready by Gov. Nathan Deal.
Camera Ready Community is a designation aimed at offering film and television production companies easier, faster and better access to local resources and information.
The economic impact of the entertainment industry in Georgia was $1.4 billion in 2010.
"We have experienced a significant increase in jobs, investment, infrastructure and film induced tourism, making Georgia's entertainment industries among the state's fastest growing sectors," said GDEcD commissioner Chris Cummiskey.
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Quick Takes
Snapshots of happenings from around The Valley Partnership
 | | In April, Randy Cardoza, Managing Dir. of Economic Development for AGL Resources, talked to the Leadership Columbus class during economic development day. |
 | | In May, board members of the Valley Partnership Joint Development Authority went on a guided tour of the expansion taking place on Fort Benning. |
 | | In May, McCauley Propeller Systems celebrated the delivery of the first composite propeller manufactured in Columbus, Georgia. Pictured (l to r) Becca Hardin, Peter Wilkinson, Juan Mora and Dayton Preston. |
 | | In May, The Valley Partnership was a presenting sponsor during the annual conference of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) in Columbus. |
 | | Workers are putting the finishing touches on the 84,000-square foot expansion at Johnson Controls in the Northwest Harris Business Park in West Point. Photo taken in May. |
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