BATON ROUGE — The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership released an analysis showing that Kia's 2006 investment in a Georgia community drove sustained gains in various sectors as an example of how Hyundai Steel may bring similar gains to the Donaldsonville area. 

The analysis used West Point, Georgia as a case study, examining 20 years of economic change following Kia's announcement of a $1.2 billion assembly plant, including sustained gains in employment, local government revenue, educational attainment and population across the town and neighboring communities. 

Hyundai Steel broke ground on a $5.8 billion facility on Sept. 4, expected to create 5,400 jobs. According to the analysis, Kia invested more than $1.9 billion in West Point, with the plant and its suppliers now supporting more than 14,000 jobs in the region. 

Following the initial investment, about 30 supplier projects followed the plant to Troup County, creating about a $950 million investment that supported 5,000 jobs. 

West Point's city budget also grew from about $12 million in 2007 to $29.8 million in 2025, representing a 60% increase in spending power, allowing the city to lower its property tax rate in 2020, according to the analysis. 

The county also saw a 39% increase in employed residents, with the number of adults with a high school diploma rising from 78.2% to 89%. 

Following the plant's announcement, poverty in the county fell from a peak of 21.9% to about 17%, with the median age dropping from 45 to 31. 

The analysis noted that Louisiana was on a similar path with infrastructure investments at the RiverPlex MegaPark, a $30 million RPCC training center opening in Donaldsonville in early 2028 and additional projects from CF Industries and Linde reportedly already announced at the site.