JACKSON - U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. says Mississippi should set its sights on Kia Motor Corp. in a bid to attract another auto manufacturer to the state.
Lott said that Kia is "the next major international auto maker" that will be selecting a site for a new plant.
Kia is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co., which is building an assembly plant near Montgomery, Ala., and is considering Alabama for a research and design center.
Lott said it's worth the cost to lure another car manufacturer. Mississippi gave Nissan North America Inc. $363 million in direct incentives to build its $1.4 billion auto assembly plant that opened in May in Madison County near Canton.
"Can we afford another Nissan? If you're going to make progress here, you have to make the necessary commitment to succeed," Lott said after speaking at a Monday meeting of the Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce.
There's no doubt Mississippi could use more of these high-paying automotive industry jobs and more employers like Nissan, which will have 5,300 workers at its plant a year from now.
The state's June unemployment rate was 7 percent, a 15-month high and the fifth highest in the nation. A steady drain of manufacturing jobs the last two years - particularly from textile makers - has taken a heavy toll.
Mississippi has agreed to work with Alabama, which has lured a variety of auto makers and suppliers in recent years, to jointly market sites in neighboring counties.
But Lott said that Mississippi should never forget it's also in competition with other Southern states to lure large employers.
"We also should go out and beat Alabama. Friendly competition is good," said Lott, who met with Nissan officials several times during negotiations to win the plant.
Steve Hale, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, says there are a number of auto makers that are looking for sites for new plants.
He echoed Lott in saying that Mississippi would both work with and compete with Alabama for major employers.
"We feel like there are other projects out there, and the automotive industry is one of our targets," Hale said. "We recognize on both sides of the state line that there are times when we will be submitting sites as partners as well as serious competitors."
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