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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Autocar Plans Jefferson County, Alabama, Manufacturing Plant

09/13/2017
Autocar will invest $120 million to expand and open a manufacturing plant in Jefferson County to build its heavy-duty cab-over-engine trucks. The company is being established in an existing one million-square-foot complex located in both Center Point and Birmingham and is expected to create 746 jobs in Alabama.

Governor Kay Ivey said Autocar’s plant in Birmingham marks the state’s fourth major automotive OEM assembly plant and one that will bring a new dimension to Alabama’s strong automotive sector, which is already home to Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and numerous suppliers.

“Alabama is a powerhouse in automotive manufacturing, and Autocar’s new heavy-duty truck assembly operation in Birmingham will add a new dimension to the state’s activities in this vital sector,” Governor Ivey said. “The company is making a significant investment in its Alabama operation and creating the kind of well-paying jobs that are a priority of my administration as we declare that Alabama is open for business.”

Autocar’s Chairman, Andrew Taitz, said “Autocar carefully considered locations across the country and selected Birmingham for many reasons. Among them are access to a great business environment, strong state and local governmental partners, a skilled workforce, and proximity to our customers and suppliers.”

Jim Johnston, Autocar’s president added “With this new million-square-foot plant in Birmingham and our new local employees, we’ll better meet the needs of our existing customers and be able to engineer new specialized products for different applications and markets. We’re excited that Autocar brings a dynamic and growing new employment opportunity to your community, offering new manufacturing jobs and training.”

Autocar worked closely with the State of Alabama Department of Commerce, the Jefferson County Commission, the City of Center Point, the City of Birmingham, AIDT, the Birmingham Business Alliance and others on this major economic development project, code named Project Sunrise.

“After months of negotiations under the project name Sunrise, it is my distinct honor, on behalf of the entire commission, to formally welcome Autocar to Jefferson County,” said Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington. “These new, high-paying manufacturing jobs are a direct result of the tireless, cooperative efforts of the company, the state, the county and the cities of Center Point and Birmingham. We are confident that Autocar's suppliers will find a welcoming environment here as well.”

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