Autocar Truck Plant
The Autocar Truck Plant is a heavy-duty vehicle manufacturing facility at the former Meadowcraft factory at 4680 Pinson Valley Parkway, across from Jefferson State Community College. Autocar LLC, based in Hagerstown, Indiana, manufactures utility trucks. The truck division is headed by Eric Schwartz.
During the site selection process, the proposal was referred to as Project Sunrise. Jefferson County offered an incentives package valued at $1.5 million. The City of Birmingham also participated in recruitment efforts. The plant was expected to employ 746 workers at full production, but currently employs about a third of that number. The 50-acre plant site in both Birmingham and Center Point city limits, adjoins Birmingham's Echo Highlands and Sun Valley neighborhoods, as well as parts of western Center Point and southern Pinson.
The company characterized the new $120 million facility as an expansion rather than a relocation, expecting no workers to lose their positions. As many as 100 existing workers, however, were offered the opportunity to relocate to Alabama. The plant opened on April 19, 2018.
Products
When it opened, the Alabama plant manufactured refuse trucks built on the ACX "Xpediter" severe duty frame.
In 2019 it began producing Autocar's newly-designed DC-64 series refuse, concrete mixer and concrete pumper trucks.
In 2021 it introduced a DC-64D "Badass" dump truck equipped with a RS Godwin SCS dump body.
In 2022 Autocar delivered its first battery electric vehicle, a terminal tractor called the E-ACTT.
References
- Steere, Tim (June 23, 2016) "Mystery project would be a huge win." Birmingham Business Journal
- Godwin, Brent (September 13, 2017) "Birmingham lands huge economic development project." Birmingham Business Journal
- Staff (September 14, 2017) "Autocar chooses Birmingham for truck assembly plant." The Birmingham Times
- Rembman, Stephanie (May 9, 2019) "Autocar manufacturing new product for refuse industry." Birmingham Business Journal
- Thornton, William (June 1, 2021) "Birmingham’s Autocar rolling out ‘Badass’ new dump truck." The Birmingham News
External links
- Autocar Truck website