Area Development
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plans to lease a new $53.6 million, 530,000-square-foot, parts facility near its plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The company is expected to create 373 jobs.

According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, situated on 53 acres, the plant will primarily serve as a storage and sequence facility for parts used in MBUSI’s electric vehicles. The automaker is in the midst of a $1 billion expansion keyed on electric vehicle production in Alabama, including a new plant in Bibb County that will make battery packs.

MBUSI will lease the facility and is scheduled to move in late 2021 or early 2022, state officials said. Graham & Co.’s development and brokerage team worked together to secure the most ideal site to serve the growing needs of MBUSI, said Henry Graham, the firm’s vice president of development.

“Our site and our past experience developing buildings for MBUSI and their suppliers gave MBUSI the comfort needed to award the job to our team,” he said.

Graham added the introduction of electric vehicles to the Mercedes assembly line is expected to fuel an already tight industrial real estate market in the region around Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.

“Mercedes laid the foundation for today’s auto industry in Alabama more than 20 years ago with its groundbreaking line of luxury SUVS, and the company continues to reimagine and reinvent vehicles that are in high demand in countries around the world,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“Soon, Alabama’s auto workers will be at the forefront of another industry transformation, as Mercedes brings new innovations and technologies to the electric vehicle market,” he added.

Danielle Winningham, executive director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority, said Mercedes’ continued investments are accelerating growth across the region and building on West Alabama’s reputation as an automotive powerhouse.

“We’re so grateful and excited for all of MBUSI’s investment into electric vehicle production for this area,” she added. “It will put us on the map in terms of cutting-edge technology in the automotive industry.”