Cover
Hot Wheels Come
to Auburn
Auburn Targets Auto Industry Suppliers
Opelika's Super Site
Request Information
ALABAMA SPOTLIGHT
Automotive Suppliers Feel
Alabama's Gravitational Pull
Alabama's Gravitational Pull
| T |
he rivalry runs bone deep between the cities of Auburn and Tuscaloosa, Ala. While the competition obviously begins with the sports teams of Auburn University and the University of Alabama, it carries over to other aspects of life. Recently, these college towns on opposite ends of the state found themselves facing off over an industrial plum sprouting from the state's newfound status as fertile ground for automobile manufacturing.
The gravitational pull resulting from Alabama's rise as a car building center has had suppliers to the industry pinpointing locations around the state for the past decade with Mercedes, Honda, Toyota and, most recently, Hyundai building plants in the state (see May 2003 Cover Story). As a result, suppliers to the industry are sprinkling themselves across the state. These new companies are creating thousands of jobs. A 2002 study by the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association (AAMA) estimates the state's automotive industry employs 27,000, a figure that is rising rapidly.
Another barometer of the growth of the industry is the fact that the number of AAMA members has doubled since early 2002. With major expansions at the Mercedes plant in Vance and the Honda plant in Lincoln, plus the construction of the Hyundai assembly plant in Hope Hull, the number of suppliers will continue to grow, says Bernard Schroer, AAMA executive director.
Site Selection recently had the opportunity to visit two small, neighboring cities in eastern Alabama – Auburn and Opelika – that have landed these auxiliary manufacturers.
The twin cities, which comprise Alabama's fastest growing metropolitan statistical area, offer many of the attributes industry site seekers want, including proximity to a major Interstate highway, the presence of a major college of engineering at Auburn University, a location less than two hours from a major international airport (Atlanta Hartsfield) and – perhaps most importantly – a tranquil, small-town quality of life.
|
The gravitational pull resulting from Alabama's rise as a car building center has had suppliers to the industry pinpointing locations around the state for the past decade with Mercedes, Honda, Toyota and, most recently, Hyundai building plants in the state (see May 2003 Cover Story). As a result, suppliers to the industry are sprinkling themselves across the state. These new companies are creating thousands of jobs. A 2002 study by the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association (AAMA) estimates the state's automotive industry employs 27,000, a figure that is rising rapidly.
|
Alabama 2003:
Population: 4,496,369A Demographic Profile Population Growth (1990-2002): 11.28% Households: 1,759,090 Housing Units: 1,981,873 Median Household Size: 2.7 Home Ownership: 65.5% Median Monthly Rent: $362 Median Monthly Mortgage: $585 Per Capital Income: $22,921 Percent with College Degree: 14.7% Total Work Force: 2,023,815 Total Crime Index (US avg.=100): 112.0 Annual Avg. Temperature: 64.6° F Annual Spending Per Capita: $15,897 Consumer Price Index: 146.2 EASI Quality of Life Index: 104.0
Source: Development Alliance
(www.developmentalliance.com)
|
Another barometer of the growth of the industry is the fact that the number of AAMA members has doubled since early 2002. With major expansions at the Mercedes plant in Vance and the Honda plant in Lincoln, plus the construction of the Hyundai assembly plant in Hope Hull, the number of suppliers will continue to grow, says Bernard Schroer, AAMA executive director.
Site Selection recently had the opportunity to visit two small, neighboring cities in eastern Alabama – Auburn and Opelika – that have landed these auxiliary manufacturers.
The twin cities, which comprise Alabama's fastest growing metropolitan statistical area, offer many of the attributes industry site seekers want, including proximity to a major Interstate highway, the presence of a major college of engineering at Auburn University, a location less than two hours from a major international airport (Atlanta Hartsfield) and – perhaps most importantly – a tranquil, small-town quality of life.