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Hyundai-Kia Prep Facility Begins Operation in South Phila.

Many hundreds of Hyundais and Kias are starting to arrive at Philadelphia's new car-prepping facility right under the Walt Whitman Bridge.

KYW's Mike DeNardo reports that the first Kias and Hyundais were being driven off the boats now arriving at the new car finishing yard.  As many as 150,000 vehicles a year are expected to be unloaded at the facility in South Philadelphia.

The cars are washed, inspected, and final accessories such as floor mats are installed before the cars are trucked to dealerships throughout the mid-Atlantic area.

Why did Kia and Hyundai pick Philadelphia over Baltimore or North Jersey for this facility?  Bob Blackburn, the senior deputy executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, which owns the land, says Philadelphia had 85 acres to offer:

"The demand for space has become more crucial in competing ports.  And automobile processors have found themselves squeezed in these ports."

Blackburn says the facility is expected to create 276 fulltime jobs.

(Photo provided)

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