Hyundai eyes Pelahatchie for possible plant site

By Staff
from staff and wire reports
February 24, 2002
JACKSON Pelahatchie would be the site for Hyundai Motor Co.'s first U.S. auto plant if Mississippi is selected for the $1 billion project, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott said.
The site that has been selected I don't think it is any secret is the Pelahatchie area outside of Jackson,'' Lott said.
Hyundai announced last month that it was considering Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio for the plant. The Hyundai plant would be the second auto assembly factory in the Jackson area.
Nissan Motor Co. is building a $930 million plant in Madison County, just north of Jackson and south of Canton. The plant is expected to up and running by summer 2003.
Nissan officials have expressed concerns to state officials about Mississippi's ability to provide enough workers if another auto plant built in the region.
Nissan is expected to employ about 4,000 people, with spin-off businesses and industries creating thousands of additional jobs.
In December, days before Gov. Ronnie Musgrove traveled to South Korea to meet with Hyundai officials, Nissan executives urged him not to offer Hyundai a site within 80 miles of its Canton plant.
Pelahatchie is 25 miles east of Jackson in Rankin County and well within 80 miles of the Nissan Motor Co. plant in Madison County.
Musgrove would not talk about Lott's comments or the possibility of a Hyundai plant being built in Pelahatchie.
We are working very hard to bring jobs to Mississippi,'' Musgrove said. We are extremely excited to be one of four states under consideration for a project of this size. Beyond that, it is our policy not to discuss economic development projects.''
Lott said the South Korean automaker wanted it on the interstate, they wanted it on a railroad, they wanted it close to an international airport.''
Pelahatchie is on Interstate 20 and is only a few miles east of Jackson International Airport.
Hyundai is expected to announce the site in the coming months.