Gov. Bob Riley on Tuesday announced that Fleetwood Metal Industries plans to invest $9 million in a new plant that is expected to create 100 new jobs initially in Sylacauga and surrounding Talladega County.
Fleetwood, a Canadian-based company, is a metal parts supplier for American Honda Motor Co., which is producing the Odyssey minivan in nearby Lincoln.
Fleetwood purchased a 60,000 square-foot building in the Gene Stewart Industrial Park where interior construction and equipment installation are expected to be completed later this year.
We did an exhaustive search throughout the Southeast and Alabama, and Sylacauga kept coming to the top of our list, said a statement by John Clark, vice president and general manager of Fleetwood. Fleetwood is pleased to begin a new business venture in Alabama and serve as a key supplier to Hondas successful light truck program.
The Talladega County plant is Fleetwoods first facility in the U.S. It currently operates four plants in Canada that supply steel automotive parts to Honda manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Canada.
The Alabama Industrial Development Training Program will recruit and train employees for Fleetwoods metal stamping operation.
This project and the new jobs it brings with it are yet another sign that Alabamas economy is growing and on the right track, Riley said.
Last week, Riley announced that the states workforce training program ranked number one among similar programs in the U.S., according to a recent survey of industrial site selection consultants.
Since January 2003, more than 21,000 new jobs have been created in Alabama, helping to boost the states economy. During the same period, more than 500 companies reportedly have announced they are either locating operations in Alabama or expanding their existing operations in the state.
