German auto supplier Gerhardi picks Alabama for first U.S. plant
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – At a groundbreaking ceremony today, German auto supplier Gerhardi Kuntstofftechnik announced plans to invest $37.9 million and create 235 jobs in Montgomery to create its first North American manufacturing facility. “This is a great opportunity for Gerhardi, and we are very excited,” Gerhardi Managing Director Reinhard Hoffman said. “Montgomery Industrial Park offers…
Airbus Alabama facility primes for production ramp-up
Now that the first Alabama-made airplanes are rolling off the assembly line at the Airbus manufacturing plant in Mobile and taking to the skies, the big question is: What’s next? Plenty. In fact, the global plane maker has only just begun to make its mark on Mobile and Alabama, according to business leaders and market…
New Alabama-built Santa Fe Sport SUVs roll off Hyundai line
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Hyundai’s Alabama auto plant successfully launched mass production of the Santa Fe Sport on Wednesday. Workers built about 50 of the SUVs on the first day, and they will ramp up to possibly 200 per day next week, said Robert Burns, spokesman for the automaker’s Montgomery operations. By the end of the year,…
Kronospan creating 160 jobs in Alabama with $362M expansion
OXFORD, Alabama — Austria-based Kronospan, a leading manufacturer of wood-based panel products, said today that it plans to invest $362 million to expand its operations in Calhoun County, adding 160 jobs to its Alabama workforce. Kronospan said the expansion consists of four separate projects: Two laminate flooring and decorative paper impregnation lines A particleboard and…
Toyota Alabama — ‘engine capital of the world’ — marks 15 years
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Long known for rocket engine production, Huntsville is on its way to earning the title of “engine capital of the world,” thanks to the presence of Toyota over the past 15 years. During that time, the Japanese automaker’s Alabama workers have built more than 4.5 million engines at its Huntsville factory, which…
Auto supplier voestalpine to invest $11 million in Alabama facility
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Austrian automotive supplier voestalpine Automotive Body Parts Inc. announced plans today to open an $11.1 million Birmingham facility that’s expected to create 42 jobs. Voestalpine will produce a variety of automotive components, including stamped and hot formed parts, at an existing facility located at 260-A Lyon Lane, in Birmingham’s Oxmoor Valley, according…
Hyundai Alabama to launch Santa Fe Sport SUV after $52M project
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Hyundai’s Alabama plant will start mass production of the Santa Fe Sport SUV this week, adding a third vehicle to the automaker’s busy Montgomery assembly lines. The launch is set for Wednesday, and the move will allow Hyundai to meet growing demand for the vehicle amid a strong U.S. market for trucks…
GE Aviation kicks off work on unique materials factories in Alabama
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – GE Aviation executives joined Governor Robert Bentley today to formal launch a $200 million project to build two factories in Alabama that are critical to the company’s plans to produce revolutionary ultra-lightweight parts for jet engines. Leading state and local officials also attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Huntsville for the project, which…
Eissmann Automotive to expand Alabama operation with 200 new jobs
PELL CITY, Alabama – German auto supplier Eissmann Automotive will invest $14.5 million to expand its St. Clair County facility with a 130,000-square-foot building and advanced manufacturing equipment for a new production line, officials said today. Eissmann, which has expanded its Pell City facility six times since opening a decade ago, will hire 200 additional…
Panasonic Avionics to join growing Mobile aerospace cluster
MOBILE, Alabama – The Mobile Airport Authority announced today that Panasonic Avionics Corp. will open an office at Mobile Aeroplex, adding another prominent industry player to the aerospace cluster growing around the Airbus final assembly plant. Panasonic Avionics is a leading supplier of inflight entertainment and communication systems in passenger aircraft. A unit of the…
