Autocar Cuts Ribbon on Birmingham Manufacturing Plant

Autocar hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new manufacturing plant in Center Point, Alabama on April 19, 2018. Governor Kay Ivey, Jefferson County commissioner Joe Knight and Center Point mayor Tom Henderson were in attendance at the event, along with Autocar chairman Andrew Taitz and president Jim Johnston.

The plant is fully operational and follows an announcement of the facility last September. Autocar expects to invest $120 million to expand and open the plant in Jefferson County, where its severe-duty ACX cab-over-engine truck model is built. The plant is located in a one million-square-foot complex spanning both Center Point and Birmingham and is expected to create 746 jobs. In a short time, Autocar has exceeded one-third of that goal and is recruiting additional team members across production, engineering and management roles.

“Autocar already has a significant impact on Jefferson County, and will continue to do so with this new manufacturing plant,” said Governor Ivey. “By continuing to invest in Alabama, Autocar further proves that what we’re doing in our state is working. Autocar is a fantastic representation of our commitment to help businesses not just survive but thrive.”

Since its announcement in September, the team has built trucks for customers in 46 states and provinces, and in the near future expects to have built trucks for every state in the country. Helping build the trucks are the 54 local companies that Autocar has employed since the announcement.

“Nine months ago, we set out to bring the production of an American-owned, American-made truck to the great State of Alabama— and to do it not over the course of years, but months,” said Taitz during the ceremony. “So, thank you to all of you who have come to join us today—this is your day and a great day for Alabama.”

Autocar was founded in 1897 and is the oldest motor vehicle brand in the U.S. It built America’s first truck in 1899 and pioneered many technical innovations now common in all cars and trucks.