News file/Beverly Taylor
Hyundai's Montgomery plant will operate 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, when a new third shift starts today.
BIRMINGHAM -- The Hyundai plant in Montgomery is scheduled to kick off a third shift today, a first for the Korean automaker's Alabama operations that is aimed at meeting growing demand for its state-built cars.
The company announced the move last spring and has since hired more than 800 workers.
The move means the plant will operate around the clock, Monday through Friday. The new employees, as well as veteran ones, have been spread among all three shifts to ensure there are experienced workers at all times, said plant spokesman Robert Burns.
The groups of employees on each shift will rotate on a monthly basis, he said.
Workers have been on overtime schedules for more than two years to meet demand for the popular Sonata sedan and Elantra compact, which are assembled at the Montgomery plant.
In recent months, sales of the cars have slowed, with Hyundai officials citing tight inventory levels. That can affect sales if certain colors or features aren't available on dealer lots.
Today, automakers are expected to issue their U.S. sales reports for August.
However, Hyundai has already announced the month's total on its Twitter feed. The automaker sold 61,099 vehicles last month, a 4 percent increase from August 2011.