Report: Hyundai mulls second manufacturing plant in U.S.

With Alabama site running at capacity, automaker looks to capitalize on its market growth.

January 17, 2011

Automotive News is reporting that Hyundai is facing a supply-and-demand problem – too much demand, and not enough supply.

That may drive the Korean automaker to build a second manufacturing facility in the U.S. to meet the growing demand for Sonatas and Elantras in the U.S. market. Hyundai already has a manufacturing facility in Alabama that has grown up in the new Rust Bely of the mid-South, and company officials told Automotive News that a second plant may be needed to keep up with blossoming orders. "Our biggest problem for the next year is that we’re not sure we’re going to have enough product to meet demand,"  Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai’s U.S. sales boss, told the Website. The site reports that the Montgomery, AL plant produced 300,500 vehicles in 2010, and already is at full capacity. It’s running two 10-hour shifts five days a week and occasional weekend shifts.