FIRST CHOICE of World Class Companies

MEAHER INDUSTRIAL SITES Mobile River Industrial Corridor State of Alabama

…In March, 2007 Hyundai Motor Company announced plans for a $270 million expansion that will add a second engine production line at the plant. The expansion could potentially be followed by the production of a third vehicle at the plant. They announced April 2007 that they are considering adding a mid-sized vehicle.

In April 2007, Honda Motor Co. confirmed plans for a $65 million addition of a steel banking facility.

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest carmaker, chose Hope Hull, Alabama as the site of its $1.1 billion auto assembly plant. The plant was described as "the largest single automotive manufacturing investment ever undertaken by an international company in the United States," by Ron Starner of Site Selection magazine. Located just south of Montgomery, the plant employs 2,800 workers, and is operating at its full production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles a year.

• DaimlerChrysler announced on August 28, 2000, that it would expand its Mercedes-Benz M-Class production facility in Vance near Tuscaloosa by US$600 million, adding 2,000 new workers to the 1,900 already employed at the site. The expansion was completed in late 2005. The plant now produces both the M-Class and the Mercedes-Benz R-Class Grand Sports Tourer. "The success of our plant in Tuscaloosa and the vehicles that we are producing there shows it was the right decision to come to Alabama back in 1993. Without the great support from the State of Alabama, this success story would definitely not have been written." - Dr. Dieter Zetsche - Chairman of DaimlerChrysler AG and Head of the Mercedes Car Group
• Lured by the successful six-year run of Mercedes in Alabama, Japanese automaker Honda announced in April 2000 that it will build a $440 million Honda Odyssey minivan and engine plant in Lincoln, employing 4,500 workers in Talladega County. The plant began production in November 2001, and then added a second assembly line in 2004, which brought their total investment to more than $1.2 billion.
• Japanese automaker Toyota announced on Feb. 6, 2001, that it would build a $200 million, 350-job plant in Huntsville where workers will machine and assemble V8 engines for Toyota’s full-size Tundra pickup truck. Production began in May 2003, and just two months later, they announced that they would be investing an additional $20 million in an expansion that would allow it to produce 250,000 engines per year.
• A joint venture of several Japanese and American companies announced in the spring of 2001 that it would locate a $46 million facility for stamping and welding minivan frames for the Honda Odyssey in Leesburg. In February 2003, they announced that KTH Leesburg Products planned for a $60 million expansion of the auto part manufacturing plant. This investment roughly doubled the size of the plant, and added approximately 125 employees.
• On March 7, 2001, CRH North America announced a $21 million expansion of its Clanton manufacturing plant, creating 345 new jobs in Chilton County. The company supplies parts to Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi and BMW.Site Selection Magazine, May 2001.

Ipsco Steel (Alabama) Inc. successfully rolled the first plate March 26 on the Steckel rolling mill at its new 1.25 million-tons-per-year Mobile County steelworks. Metal Center News Magazine, May 2001.

IPSCO Steel has officially opened its $425 million mini-mill in the Mobile, Ala., metro area…The project’s construction cycle also ranked in the remarkable range – particularly for a facility with a 300-acre footprint. Despite its size, the mini-mill took less than 24 months to complete once ground was broken on the 700-acre site…IPSCO’s multi-model site [is] 20 miles north of Mobile located alongside the Mobile River…and is five miles from I-65, which provides north/south connections to Norfolk Southern rail lines…The facility has moved rapidly toward full capacity, said Charles Sanida, president of IPSCO Steel (Alabama)…”We are pleased with the high caliber of employees that we have been able to attract…” The Site Selection Online Insider, week of December 10, 2001.

…much like the auto industry, IPSCO’s major investment in Mobile has attracted suppliers to the area. For example, Praxair has begun construction on a $12 million air separation plant in Axis, just outside of Mobile, to supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon to the mini-mill. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

Austal, a manufacturer of aluminum ships and boats, has joined forces with Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co. of Mobile to build a wide range of high-speed ferries…the venture, called Austal USA… created 1,000 jobs in Mobile. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

In January, 2005, Austal USA announced that it would be adding 600 new jobs to build a new navy ship. The estimated cost of the expansion was $20 million. Site Selection Magazine, January 2005

McNeil Special Services, a division of Johnson & Johnson, will develop a $170 million artificial sweeteners plant, creating some 100 new jobs [in Mobile]. Site Selection Magazine, May 1999.

Mitsubishi Materials Corp. invested $150 million to build a plant in Mobile to produce polysilicon, a material used to produce microchips. Mitsubishi Materials plant will be located adjacent to Degussa so that Degussa can provide Mitsubishi with an ingredient used to manufacture the polysilicon. In return, Mitsubishi will supply Degussa with products used primarily in the formulation of rubber compounds. Site Selection Magazine, May 1999.

Honda announced in May 1999 plans to build a $400 million, 3,000-employee assembly and engine plant in Lincoln (AL)… Plants Sites and Parks Magazine, June/July 2001.

…in February 2001, Toyota announced plans to build a $220 million engine factory in Huntsville… Plants Sites and Parks Magazine, June/July 2001.

Teksid, a subsidiary of Fiat, was already building an $80 million aluminum engine-castings factory in Sylacauga…when it announced that it would build another $40 million plant nearby. Plants Sites and Parks Magazine, June/July 2001.

CRH North America…announced that it would build a seat frame and interior systems factory in Clanton that will be able to serve Mercedes and BMW in South Carolina. Plants Sites and Parks Magazine, June/July 2001.

Last year (2000) Bell [Microproducts] announced that it will locate a $180 million corporate technology center with more than 300 employees in downtown Montgomery. “They moved a great deal of their operation from San Jose, Calif., says [Troy] Wayman [of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce]. “They found that the cost of living is lower here. The cost of doing business is lower here. Labor costs are significantly lower.” The state Retirement System of Alabama (RSA) helped secure the deal by supplying $180 million in debt financing to Bell. “Our objective was to find a site central to our North American business,” says Donald Bell, president and CEO of Bell Microproducts. “Availability of a quality work force, proximity to local college and university resources, a competitive business climate and quality of life were all important factors in our decision process. Montgomery clearly outpaced other locations after evaluating its overall social and economic factors.” Site Selection Magazine, May 2001.

1999’s [Northern Alabama] mega-project was Navistar’s $250 million engine manufacturing plant in Huntsville. The plant, which will manufacture engines for Ford Motor Co. and other OEMs, will initially employ 600, growing to 1,000 employees at full production. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

…Skyhook Technologies, a Utah-based aviation-support company…selected Huntsville for its helicopter refurbishing facility, which will be located in the Redstone Arsenal…employ up to 500 workers in the next three years. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

Huntsville first major distribution center was announced last year by Target Stores. In a $60 million to $80 million investment, Target will build a 1.2 million sq.ft. warehouse and distribution center in west Huntsville, where it will employ up to 800 workers. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

Ferguson Enterprises, the nation’s largest wholesale distributor of plumbing products…in 1999…set up a $21 million, 483,000 sq.ft. center in Fort Payne, where it will employ 125 new workers. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

Other distribution firms looking to take advantage of central Alabama’s assets include OfficeMax, Wal-Mart and Saks. OfficeMax is investing $45 million to establish its 600,000 sq.ft. Southeast PowerMax regional distribution center in McCalla, while Wal-Mart is investing $34 million in an 880,000 sq.ft. facility in Opelika. Saks will build a $30 million, 180,000 sq.ft. center in Steele. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

In the telecommunications arena, Birmingham won a major announcement last year by TeleTech Holdings. The Denver-base firm will create 650 new jobs initially, increasing to more than 800 jobs within the next two years. TeleTech provides customer and product support services for UPS, AT&T, GTE and other Fortune 500 firms. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

Hertz built a new $10 million inbound reservation center last year [in Mobile County], which will serve as the company’s only other U.S. reservation center outside Oklahoma City. Initially, the center will hire 500 workers, growing to 1,000 in the next five years. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

Ace Hardware…is investing $35 million for a new distribution center in Loxley, Baldwin County. The 795,000 sq.ft. facility will employ 300 workers…[George] Harris [Ace Hardware corporate property and planning manager]… cited the local officials’ cooperation and the available work force as reasons for choosing the Loxley site. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

…McClane Co., the nation’s largest distributor to convenience stores…built a $26 million 300,000 plus sq.ft. distribution facility in the Houston County Distribution Park to serve Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The new center initially created 300 jobs, but it will grow to 400 within three years. McClane’s investment in Dothan over the next 10 years is estimated at $265 million. Site Selection Magazine, May 2000.

Two automotive supply companies are slated to locate in the Auburn area, creating more than 350 new jobs. Stahlschmidt & Maiworm plans to invest $28 million to build a new aluminum-wheel manufacturing plant that will employ 350 people. Hoerbiger Hydraulik will invest $2 million to build a new hydraulic manufacturing plant that will…expand its work force to 50. Area Development Magazine, February 2001.

CRH North America is undergoing a $21 million expansion that is expected to create 345 new jobs in Chilton County…The 500,000 sq.ft. plant in Clanton is expected to add a 125,000 sq.ft. expansion. Area Development Magazine, February 2001.

FiberCore, Inc., is a manufacturer and global supplier of optical fiber and preform for the telecommunications and data communications market, with plants in Germany and Brazil. It will build its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Auburn [with a] $30 million estimated project cost. Area Development Magazine, February 2001.

A joint venture of several Japanese and American companies announced last spring that it will locate a $46 million facility for stamping and welding minivan frames for the Honda Odyssey in Leesburg. The plant is expected to employ 150 workers by September 2002. Site Selection Magazine, May 2001.

DaimlerChrysler will be spending $600 million on an expansion of its manufacturing facility in Vance, Alabama. Site Selection Magazine, September 2003.

Austal USA is adding 600 workers at its shipbuilding operation in Mobile, Alabama. When the project is complete, Austal's Mobile operation will have almost quadrupled its shipbuilding capacity. Site Selection Magazine, January 2005.

North American Lighting, a division of Japan-based Kioto Manufacturing Co., is building a $21 million factory to produce tail lamps for automobiles. The 200,000-sq-ft. plant will begin operations in June 2007 and plans call for the production of 1.8 million tail lamps by 2010. Site Selection Magazine, May 2006.

GKN Aerospace is on schedule with construction of a 120,000-sq-ft. expansion to its 260,000-sq-ft. facility in Tallassee. GKN manufactures composite structures for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and also assembles aircraft engines. Site Selection Magazine, May 2006.

Northrop Grumman is building a new $80 million, five-building complex in Huntsville to accomodate rapid growth. The company employs about 1,200 in the Huntsville area in more than 20 facilities and will consolidate most in the new headquarters facility. Site Selection Magazine, May 2006.

Ai3, which sequences parts for the Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa, will build a $13 million, 400,000-sq-ft. logistics center in Tuscaloosa County's Legacy Industrial Campus. Site Selection Magazine, May 2005.

MOBIS Alabama, a Hyundai supplier, announced a $90 million expansion of its Montgomery operations, adding a plastic injection molding facility as well as a distribution center for service parts, creating 515 jobs. Site Selection Magazine, May 2005.

European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co.'s EADS North America division announced on June 22, 2005 that it would site its EADS KC-330 advanced tanker production facility at Brookley Industrial Complex in Mobile, AL. Site Selection Magazine, June 2005.

On March 9, 2007, Berg Steel Pipe Corp announced that they have selected Mobile, AL as the preferred site for their new spiral steel pipe manufacturing facility. The project is expected to invest approximately $75 million in capital and employ approximately 100 people. It is expected that the property will begin operations in mid-2008. Berg Steel Pipe Corp. website, www.bergpipe.com.

On May 11, 2007 ThyssenKrupp announced that they decided to put a 2,700-employee steel processing plant in Mobile County. The board of ThyssenKrupp, Germany's largest steelmaker, not only endorsed Alabama over Louisiana in the steel derby, it agreed to invest more than it had forecast earlier. Last year, the company said it would invest $2.9 billion to build a North American plant. Today, the company said it would spend $4.1 billion on the Mobile County Plant because it has decided to produce more steel there than it originally planned. The company said that once the plant is up and running, it could create as many as 38,000 new jobs related to the mill, from suppliers to transportation to dining and entertainment. The plant is scheduled to being operations in 2010.