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Truck & Wheel Group Prepares Wheel Assembly Factory in Vance, Alabama

07/21/2017
A Spanish auto supplier Truck & Wheel Group is moving forward with a 127,000 square foot, $30 million, wheel assembly factory in Vance, Alabama. The project will create more than 70 jobs in Tuscaloosa County.

The company plans to establish a highly automated facility that will assemble, sequence and balance wheels for delivery to automotive production lines. This is the first U.S. operation for the company, which wants to expand its market as a Tier 1 supplier. The facility is scheduled to open next year.

“Thank you for welcoming us into your community, and we look forward to starting business in 2018,” said Antonio Montoro, Truck & Wheel Group’s Plant Manager.

Carlos Llonis Irigoyen, CEO & General Manager of the company’s automotive division, said the commitment to Tuscaloosa “is based on the long-term relationship the company is willing to build.”

According to state officials, the factory will be highly robotic and automated, attaching tires to rims, inflating them and running quality assurance tests in a matter of seconds. The two firms previously teamed up to build a 500,000-square-foot parts warehouse for the automotive sector.

“Alabama’s auto industry continues to notch impressive manufacturing milestones, all while delivering quality vehicles that are in high demand in markets around the globe,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. Truck & Wheel began in Europe in the 1990s and now has 26 branches there. It is one of the major logistics operators in Spain, France, Germany and Portugal, and has recently opened centers in Mexico.

Dara Longgrear, Executive Director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority, said the company is joining a diverse lineup of auto suppliers in the region.

“Truck & Wheel Group is introducing advanced automation technology that is new to our region,” Longgrear said. “They will make a good addition to our automotive cluster and our international community.”

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