Mercedes resumes production in Alabama with new safety measures
VANCE, Alabama – Mercedes-Benz is beginning to gradually ramp up production at its Alabama manufacturing plant after adopting robust safety measures to protect workers amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI), as its Alabama operation is known, said operations began Monday with one shift. In coming weeks, the plant will be staffed with additional…
Alabama EV infrastructure grant program could provide model for nation
The Rebuild Alabama Infrastructure Plan could provide a significant spark for efforts to expand the network of charging stations available to drivers of electric vehicles across the state. That’s because a little noticed provision in Rebuild Alabama, approved in March to provide additional funding to improve the state’s roadways, establishes a grant program aimed at…
Eissmann expands Pell City facility with $14.5 million investment
PELL CITY, Alabama — Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield joined St. Clair County and Pell City officials today to help Eissmann Group Automotive LLC celebrate the completion of a $14.5 million expansion project at the auto supplier’s Pell City campus. Eissmann announced plans in June 2016 to expand its Pell City facility with a new 130,000-square-foot…
Mercedes launches construction of Alabama battery plant for EVs
WOODSTOCK, Alabama – At a groundbreaking ceremony today, Mercedes-Benz officials formally marked the start of construction on a sprawling plant in Bibb County that will supply battery packs for the automaker’s Alabama-made electric vehicles. At the event, Mercedes officials also said their Tuscaloosa County assembly plant this morning produced the first customer-ready 2020 GLE, the…
Alabama wins Silver Shovel Award for economic development
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Area Development, a national publication, has selected Alabama for its Silver Shovel Award, a top honor recognizing the state’s economic development successes in 2017. In announcing the award, Area Development singled out several large-scale projects, including Mercedes-Benz’s plans to build a Global Logistics Center in Bibb County and Blue Origin’s project to…
Southern Automotive Conference brings industry leaders to Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Key auto industry decision makers from across the Southeastern U.S. and beyond will be in Alabama this week to learn about new innovations, share solid business practices and build stronger relationships with their colleagues. The Southern Automotive Conference, which kicks off Wednesday at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, features a lineup of industry…
World travelers: Alabama-made vehicles crisscross the globe as exports surge
From the deserts of the Middle East to urban centers across Asia and villages dotting the European countryside, vehicles made in Alabama are making a lasting impression. Exports of state-made automobiles continued to grow at an impressive rate in 2016, rising 13 percent to $7.9 billion. So far this year, the numbers are holding steady…
Alabama auto sector primed for growth with $1 billion in new investment
Alabama’s auto industry continues to thrive, racking up new jobs and investments in communities across the state. Last year, there were at least 68 auto projects, for an estimated total of 3,848 jobs and $907.1 million in new capital investment, according to an analysis of the 2016 New & Expanding Industry Report. New projects announced…
HISTORY: Alabama auto production races past 10 million mark
There’s no question 2016 was a banner year for Alabama’s auto industry, in more ways than one. For one thing, workers at the Alabama facilities of Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai combined to build more than 1 million vehicles for the second consecutive year and reached a new record high output. But another major milestone was…
RECORD YEAR: Alabama auto production accelerates to all-time high in 2016
Alabama’s auto production climbed to a new record high in 2016, as workers at the state’s three auto assembly plants kept up a brisk pace of building SUVs, pickups and sedans for markets around the world. The Alabama factories of Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz combined to produce at least 1,048,597 vehicles, according to year-end figures…
