GLOBAL POWER: Alabama engine operations fill key role for automakers
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Alabama is not only one of the top producers of vehicles in the U.S., it’s also a major source of the power under their hoods. Last year, state manufacturers combined to turn out more than 1.75 million engines, and those assembly lines continue to achieve new milestones this year. Leading the pack…
HISTORY: Alabama auto production races past 10 million mark
There’s no question 2016 was a banner year for Alabama’s auto industry, in more ways than one. For one thing, workers at the Alabama facilities of Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai combined to build more than 1 million vehicles for the second consecutive year and reached a new record high output. But another major milestone was…
20 years ago, Alabama’s auto industry started rolling with first M-Class
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Twenty years ago today, the first customer-ready M-Class SUVs began rolling off the Mercedes-Benz auto assembly line in Tuscaloosa County, launching new eras for both the automaker and the state of Alabama. For Mercedes, the M-Class was the first mass market SUV, and its success helped spin off a full range of…
Accelerate Alabama 2.0 updates state’s strategic growth plan
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Accelerate Alabama, the strategic economic development growth plan that has driven the creation of more than 75,000 jobs since its adoption, is being updated with refined targets and tactics. Accelerate Alabama 2.0, as it’s called, aims to amplify the success of the original strategic plan, which went into effect in 2012, said…
Chambers County 2016 scorecard: 119 new jobs, $171M investment
LANETT, Alabama – Building on a solid period of rejuvenation, Alabama’s Chambers County attracted more than $171.3 million in new capital investment last year, spurring the creation of 119 new and future jobs, economic development officials said. In addition, the Chambers County Development Authority (CCDA) reported that it has developed an active pipeline for 2017.…
Honda’s redesigned Alabama-made Odyssey takes center stage at Detroit auto show
DETROIT, Michigan — Honda today introduced the world to the latest version of its Odyssey minivan, a top-selling model that is produced at the company’s Alabama factory. The redesigned 2018 Odyssey, unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, raises the stakes for family-friendly packaging, performance and technology in the minivan segment, said…
Alabama-built Honda Ridgeline wins 2017 ‘Truck of the Year’ award
DETROIT, Michigan — The Alabama-built Honda Ridgeline pickup has been named the 2017 North American Truck of the Year. The award was announced this morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Ridgeline bested two other finalists: the Ford F-series Super Duty and the Nissan Titan. In accepting the award, John Mendel, executive vice president of…
RECORD YEAR: Alabama auto production accelerates to all-time high in 2016
Alabama’s auto production climbed to a new record high in 2016, as workers at the state’s three auto assembly plants kept up a brisk pace of building SUVs, pickups and sedans for markets around the world. The Alabama factories of Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz combined to produce at least 1,048,597 vehicles, according to year-end figures…
Alabama auto industry drives into new era with brainpower jobs, deeper skills
As Alabama’s auto industry has grown over the past two decades, so have the jobs and the sophisticated skill sets required to keep production humming. The majority of the positions at the state’s three auto assembly plants are in production, but the automakers have also built up their ranks of other highly-skilled professionals. At Honda…
Honda Alabama hosts students for National Manufacturing Day
LINCOLN, Alabama — Alabama high school students got a behind-the-scenes look at Honda’s Talladega County auto assembly plant this week, part of an event designed to spark young people’s interest in highly-skilled manufacturing jobs. More than 200 students from 20 area schools spent Thursday and today at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama for National Manufacturing Day. “This…
