SMI Auto USA, Inc., a supplier of small stamping parts for Kia Motors automobiles, will locate its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Auburn, Alabama. The company will invest $5.3 million to refurbish an existing facility, and will create approximately 50 new jobs at full production. "Auburn is an ideal location for our business due to its proximity to I-85 and the quality of life the community has to offer," says Young Dae Kwon, president of SMI. "The existing facility gives us immediate ramp-up and access to the market." The company plans to begin operations immediately.