SAS Automotive Systems Launches Manufacturing Operation in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
12/01/2017
“SAS is more than happy to contribute to the great success story of Alabama’s auto production that started right in the very plant where we will be supplying components for Mercedes-Benz’s next generation of SUVs,” SAS COO Francois Barthel said in an announcement today.
Mercedes, which launched vehicle production in Alabama 20 years ago, is completing a $1.3 billion expansion project announced two years ago to prepare its Tuscaloosa County plant for new SUVs. The automaker is currently setting up assembly line and storage facilities as part of that project.
According to state officials, SAS engineers are already on-site at the Mercedes facility to streamline processes prior to first assembly trials scheduled for beginning of 2018, with production to begin later next year, according to Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority. The supplier plans to employ around 170 employees, including 160 shop-floor workers. Hiring will begin soon.
“Alabama’s thriving auto manufacturing industry continues to attract world-class supplier businesses like SAS Automotive Systems, whose new Tuscaloosa County presence will join the company’s global operating network,” Governor Kay Ivey said.
“We’re committed to making our state the No. 1 destination for investment in the world, and we are grateful for the 170 jobs that SAS is creating with this venture,” she added.
“SAS Automotive Systems is a premier global automotive supplier and its locating here in Tuscaloosa County speaks well of a strong and capable workforce in a pro-business environment,” TCIDA Chairman Claude Edwards said.
SAS is launching operations in Alabama at a time of rapid growth for the auto sector. Last year, there were at least 68 auto projects in Alabama, for an estimated total of 3,850 jobs and $907 million in new capital investment, according to data from the Alabama Department of Commerce.
This year’s total has eclipsed that, led by a $1 billion expansion project announced in September by Mercedes that will see the automaker launch production of electric vehicles at its Alabama plant and open a global logistics center in nearby Bibb County.
“The success that major global automotive companies have found in Alabama has made the state a top destination for the industry,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“The repeated expansions of Mercedes-Benz and others have transmitted a strong signal across the industry that Alabama is a place where it can prosper and grow,” he added.
Project Announcements
ValorFlex Packaging Plans Bowling Green, Kentucky, Production Operations
06/30/2025
Neuro.io Plans Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, Operations
06/30/2025
Germany-Based MTU Maintenance Expands Fort Worth, Texas, MRO Operations
06/30/2025
Cascade Die Casting Group Expands High Point, North Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
06/30/2025
BuildOps Plans Raleigh, North Carolina, Operations
06/30/2025
Point Blank Enterprises Plans Wakulla County, Florida, Operations
06/30/2025
Most Read
-
20th Annual Area Development Gold and Silver Shovel Awards
Q2 2025
-
First Person: Joe Capes, CEO, LiquidStack
Q2 2025
-
The Legal Limits of DEI in Incentives Agreements, Hiring, and Contracting
Q2 2025
-
From Silicon to Server: Mapping the Data Center Supply Chain
Q2 2025
-
39th Annual Corporate & 21st Annual Consultants Surveys: What Business Leaders and Consultants Are Saying About Site Selection
Q1 2025
-
Rethinking Life Sciences Site Selection in a Resilient and Dynamic Market
Q2 2025
-
Top States for Doing Business in 2024: A Continued Legacy of Excellence
Q3 2024