Automotive Industry Suppliers

The Lake Martin area has the skilled workforce that Tier 1 suppliers need

STORY BY LONNA UPTON

The Lake Martin area has become a thriving center for the manufacturing of auto parts, making this community part of the fast-growing automotive supplier industry in Alabama. Vehicles are Alabama’s number one export, according to Made in Alabama, but 24,000 jobs are attributed to the auto parts manufacturing. Of the approximately 150 automotive parts companies in the state, three are located in Tallapoosa County and employ more than a thousand local residents.

Specifically because of the growth in the automotive industry in Alabama, C&J Tech Alabama, Inc., opened a 242,000-square-foot facility in Alexander City in 2011 and currently employs 231 people. C&J manufactures and sells plastic injection molding parts for Tier 1 automotive suppliers.

In 2007, KwangSung American Company opened in Alexander City. Employing 355 people, the company manufactures and sells more than 200 different types of auto parts for Kia, Hyundai and Mazda models. Manufactured parts include floor housing, molding, air ducts, trim, cover fenders and bridge consoles, among others.

SL-America established a plant in Dadeville in 2003 and produces all kinds of lamps for automotive use, including headlamps, rear lamps, fog lamps and CHMSLs. The company leads the market with highquality LED lamps and advanced automotive lighting systems. The company also produces auto/manual shifters, pedals and park brake levers for a variety of car models all around the world, as well as e-shifters using shifter-by-wire technology.

In addition, SL provides turn signal/power folding outside mirrors and inside mirrors that include special features, including camera display. The Around View Monitoring system uses four cameras installed at the front, rear and sides of the vehicle provide 360-degree imaging to help prevent accidents by eliminating blind spots.

Sejin America, Inc., located in Dadeville in 2008 to be accessible to customers and for the labor and education level of the population. The automotive supply manufacturer employs 380 people in two facilities covering 206,000 square feet and 148,000 square feet. The company manufactures plastic interior trim pieces, such as consoles and glove boxes, for Hyundai, Hyundai Mobis, Kia and Volkswagen.

To supply the workforce for the growing automotive-related industries in the area, Central Alabama Community College recently hired a Dean of Workforce and Economic Development. Michael Barnette acts as a liaison between existing and potential industries to ensure a properly trained workforce for automotive, marine and other industries.

Utility poles keep the country connected

STORY BY CLIFF WILLIAMS

Some 70 percent of Alabama’s 32.5 million acres are planted in timber, which makes Dadeville in East Central Alabama the perfect location for the Ziebach & Webb, Inc., Dadeville Pole Company. The telephone pole maker opened a plant in the William Thweatt Industrial Park last year. The company employs about 12 people with their initial $5 million investment, said General Manager Mark Byal, and more job opportunities are expected in the future.

“There will be foresters working here, more loggers and more truckers,” Byal said. “We anticipate another 40 jobs will be created in the surrounding area.”

Byal said the utility pole manufacturer seeks logs from areas up to 75 miles away. The plant will generate about 50,000 poles per year.

“It’s a good time to be in the business,” Byal said. “With storms and construction, there is a market for poles.”

Ziebach & Webb, the Tallapoosa County Commission and the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance finalized the deal with the local team of Byal of Tallapoosa County and Joey Holley of Elmore County to bring the idea to life.

“We are excited to add Dadeville Pole to our industrial base and look forward to a long-term partnership ensuring their success,” LMAEDA director Chad Odom said. “This announcement is not only a great opportunity for job expansion in our area, but also demonstrates that the Thweatt Industrial Park was a wise investment for the City of Dadeville and Tallapoosa County.”

Odom said the company is a great fit for the area.

“Alabama is No. 2 in the nation as far as forest products is concerned,” Odom said. “This fits in for the history and what will be the future of Alabama using our natural resources to create jobs, to create taxable equipment investments to move Alabama, Tallapoosa County and Dadeville forward.”

Byal said the company was very pleased with the help it received while finalizing plans for the new industry.

“We knew we wanted to locate our facility in or near Tallapoosa County,” Byal said. “After talking with the team at Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, as well as several of the county commissioners, we knew that Thweatt Park was the right fit for us. You can tell that the economic development office surrounds themselves with a great team; they were able to pull all the players to the table – the county engineer’s office, the commissioners, Alabama Power, the City of Dadeville. No matter what our questions were, the LMAEDA team was able to find an answer for us.”

Joey Holley is also involved with Dadeville Pole and hopes the company sees the same success Ziebach & Webb has seen elsewhere with similar operations.

“We are looking to putting some of these younger kids to work who are not going into technical jobs or going on to college,” Holley said. “We found out before it works out well. They acclimate very well to the work.”

Tallapoosa County Commission chair John McKelvey hopes the public understands the work it took to make the venture possible. McKelvey also sees an opportunity for Dadeville Pole to start to bring up the wage base in the area.

“A lot of people don’t know where y’all are coming from, but I appreciate the type of jobs you are bringing to the area,” McKelvey said. “It will give some people opportunities they might not otherwise have here with these salaries.”

The industrial park in Dadeville is named after longtime Tallapoosa County commissioner Bill Thweatt. His wife, Emma Jean Thweatt, is now county commissioner for the same district as her deceased husband and is proud to see another company locating at William Thweatt Industrial Park.

“The commission is extremely pleased that Dadeville Pole chose the Thweatt Park,” Thweatt said. “We welcome them to Tallapoosa County.”