Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Auto Supplier Y-tec Keylex Toyotetsu Plans Huntsville, Alabama, Manufacturing Plant

05/24/2019
Auto supplier Y-tec Keylex Toyotetsu plans to invest $220 million to open a manufacturing facility that will create 650 jobs in Huntsville, Alabama.

The YKT Alabama facility will be located on the site of the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A. (MTMUS) auto assembly plant now under construction in the Limestone County portion of Huntsville. YKTA, a new joint venture formed between a trio of Mazda and Toyota suppliers, will produce structural body stampings and assemblies, as well as functional and chassis parts, for MTMUS.

Construction on YKTA’s new facility is set to begin this month. The company has already begun hiring its professional and technical staff, while the first production personnel will come on board in the fall of 2020.

“We are proud to call Alabama our home and celebrate our commitment to North Alabama as our community,” YKTA President Ryuji Fujimoto said.

“YKT Alabama is a significant addition to the growing automotive cluster centered around the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A. auto assembly plant in Huntsville,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “This venture will not only create 650 well-paying jobs but also solidify the foundation of the automotive supply chain that is emerging in North Alabama.”

The start of parts production at YKTA’s new facility will coincide with the launch of vehicle production at MTMUS in 2021. The Mazda-Toyota partnership is investing $1.6 billion to build and equip its Huntsville assembly plant, which will have up to 4,000 workers producing up to 300,000 vehicles annually. Construction began earlier this year.

YKTA is the second supplier to announce plans for a facility on the 2,500-acre MTMUS site, joining DaikyoNishikawa, which will produce large plastic parts such as bumpers and instrumental panels at a $110 million facility staffed with 380 workers.

“We’re very committed to facilitating the formation of the supply chain for Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A., and the YKT Alabama joint venture facility is an important piece in the supplier puzzle,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “I am confident that we can deliver a first-class workforce for YKT Alabama and look forward to helping ensure the company has a smooth path to production.”

Exclusive Research