Gov. Kemp announces economic development mission to Scotland and Ireland

Gov. Brian P. Kemp announced that he and First Lady Marty Kemp are leading an international mission this week focused on economic relationships in Scotland and Ireland, according to the Office of the Governor of Georgia.

The governor’s office said the trip includes meetings with Executive Chair Euisun Chung and other Hyundai Motor Group leaders, as well as Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Prime Minister of Ireland.

Representatives from the Georgia Department of Economic Development are joining the governor and first lady for meetings with companies operating or under construction in Georgia. The Georgia delegation also plans to meet Hyundai Motor Group leadership at the Genesis Scottish Open.

The release said members of the delegation, including World Trade Center Savannah and the Savannah Economic Development Authority, will tour the Georgia Southern Wexford Campus and attend events tied to educational and subnational partnerships between Ireland and Georgia.

The governor’s office highlighted Hyundai Motor Group’s Georgia footprint, stating that Kia Georgia in West Point employs 3,200 people and that Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Ellabell has hired nearly 2,000 employees. The release said the metaplant is expected to ultimately employ 8,500 workers.

According to the release, Hyundai Motor Group’s commitments in Georgia span more than two decades and account for more than 12,000 current jobs, with thousands more committed in the future and billions of dollars in investment statewide.

The itinerary in the release also references other companies with Georgia operations, including CRH in Atlanta, Kerry Group in Rome and Calhoun, Kingspan Group in metro Atlanta, Mallaghan in Newnan and Smurfit Westrock in Sandy Springs.

The press release was published July 8, 2026.