Hyundai to hire 877 at Montgomery, Ala., assembly plant
The Hyundai Sonata hybrid car on display February 2, 2012, at the 2012 Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
Hyundai said it will hire 877 people at its Montgomery, Ala., assembly plant so it can run a third shift to make more cars.
The extra staff will help the car company build more of its best sellers at the plant: Sonata midsize sedans and Elantra compact cars, reported the Associated Press. Dealers have complained they don't have enough of the cars, and Hyundai hasn't been able to produce them fast enough to keep up with the demand. The third shift will raise the plant's output by 20,000 vehicles in 2012.
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"The continued success of Hyundai's Sonata and Elantra in North America is a direct reflection of the dedication to quality and craftsmanship by every HMMA team member," Young Deuk Lim, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama president and chief executive officer, said to the Montgomery Advertiser. "This commitment is the key reason Hyundai Motor Company chose to continue to invest in the people of Alabama and increase vehicle production in Montgomery."
The addition of the third shift will begin in September 2012, according to the Advertiser. Job applications and pre-employment training will begin this summer. The increased production volume at the assembly plant will also create more jobs at nearby suppliers.
Last year, the Montgomery Hyundai plant produced more than 338,000 vehicles, a record for the facility, according to Alabama Live.