If ever you wanted proof of the globalization of the automotive industry, here it is.
Korean brand Kia has announced production of its Venga models for European customers will shift from its sister company Hyundai’s plant in the Czech Republic to Kia’s own manufacturing facility in Zilina, Slovakia. There the Venga will be made alongside other Kia vehicles the Sportage and cee’d.
Remember state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing plants don’t spring up overnight. Kia already employs 3,000 local workers in Slovakia and addition of Venga production will create a further 1,000 positions (an extra shift) and investment of €40 million.
While many mainstream European brands have been stagnate in their local economies for some years as they focus investments in growth markets like China and India, it has been the Koreans who have largely been creating expansion and jobs in Europe.
