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The
South's Best Automotive Supplier Locations
By Mike Randle,
Editor and Publisher of Southern Business & Development
ALABAMA
Cullman County,
Alabama
Cullman County
is ideally located in north central Alabama within 600 miles
of half the population of the U.S. The county's excellent
transportation network is demonstrated by the fact that six
companies have chosen Cullman for their distribution centers,
including Wal-Mart, Badcock and Lee Jeans. Ease of product
delivery is one of the automotive supplier industry's greatest
concerns. Cullman provides suppliers an easy entry to assembly
plants. In fact, Cullman is now surrounded by most of the
South's auto assembly facilities including Mercedes and Honda
in Alabama, Nissan in Mississippi and Tennessee, Ford and
GM in Georgia and Saturn in Tennessee. And don't forget about
the easy drive right up Interstate 65 to Kentucky's large
assembly plants. All in all, Cullman is located within 200
miles of 10 major Southern OEMs and 16 within 400 miles.
Cullman has been
one of the fastest growing non-MSA counties in Alabama in
the past 10 years for new and expanding industry. In addition,
Site Selection Magazine recently recognized Cullman with a
ranking of 38th out of the top 100 cities in America for new
and expanding industry during the past decade. Not bad recognition
for a market that hasn't grown to MSA status as of yet. By
the way, there are nearly 300 MSAs in the U.S. I wonder how
many Cullman beat out in that Site Selection survey? Let's
just say it was most of them.
Already, Cullman
has attracted 10 automotive suppliers, led by REHAU, Webb
Wheel Products, DCP-Lohja and Fleet Air. The county's prospective
11th supplier has the opportunity to move into an excellent
100,000-square-foot spec building that's available right now
in Cullman. The building, completed in 2000, features a high
ceiling, with 24' eaves. All utilities are in place and the
city and county own the building, a situation that makes the
facility much more affordable to suppliers.
In a state that
has seen its annual transportation exports nearly quadruple
in just one year (and that's not counting Honda's exports
when the plant comes on line), Cullman stands out as an outstanding
automotive supplier location in the American South.
For more information
on why Cullman County is one of the South's best automotive
supplier locations, contact Peggy Smith at 256-739-1891 (e-mail:
peggys@cullmaneda.org)
or go to www.cullmaneda.org
Decatur/Morgan
County, Alabama
Decatur/Morgan
County, Alabama is located in the heart of the automotive
industry in the South. Newly announced facilities such as
the Nissan plant north of Jackson, Mississippi, the Honda
facility in Lincoln, Alabama, Toyota in Huntsville, Alabama
as well as established facilities like Mercedes in Vance,
Alabama, Saturn is Spring Hill, Tennessee and Nissan in Smyrna,
Tennessee, are all located within a 300-mile radius of Morgan
County. All of these facilities can be traveled to in 3-6
hours. There is also a Delphi Automotive Steering Gear facility
employing about 2,700, just outside Morgan County.
Morgan County
is an ideal location for suppliers to these facilities because
of the close proximity and because of the industrial sites
that they have to offer. There are sites ranging from just
a few acres up to several hundred acres. One of county's most
successful industrial parks, Mallard-Fox Creek, has approximately
350 acres remaining -- 269 acres being contiguous, with all
utilities available at the site or within a short distance.
There are numerous other privately owned sites, which are
available as well.
Morgan County
has a population of 107,869, according to 2000 Census figures.
There are approximately 16,000 people in the Decatur MSA who
are employed in the manufacturing sector. With many different
training programs established, a two-year college, which is
heavily involved in industrial training, and a top-of-the-line
state training program, Alabama Industrial Development Training,
Morgan County features a quality, well-prepared work force
pool. Morgan County is ready to assist automotive suppliers
and manufacturers in choosing the area for their next site
location.
For more information
on why Decatur/Morgan County is one of the South's best automotive
supplier locations, contact John Hatfield at 256-353-1213
or go to www.mceda.org
Talladega County,
Alabama
Name a place anywhere
that can call home one of the world's newest automotive assembly
plants, some of world's largest automotive suppliers and the
world's fastest speedway. That's what you will find in Talladega
County, Alabama. Located east of Birmingham and just over
100 miles west of Atlanta, Talladega County has quickly become
one of the South's fastest growing and most attractive automotive
supplier locations. In just the last couple of years, Honda
announced its newest North American assembly plant here (to
build the Odyssey minivan and over 120,000 engines each year)
and one of the world's largest automotive suppliers -- Teksid
-- has already built one plant and begun another. The new
Honda plant began operations in July. The first Odyssey to
rollout of the plant is expected by the end of the year.
While the automotive
industry is relatively new to Talladega County, racing is
not. In 33 years the Talladega Superspeedway, the biggest,
fastest, most competitive motorsports facility in the world,
has brought millions of NASCAR fans to Talladega County. And
now, Honda is helping bring numerous suppliers to Talladega.
The aforementioned
Teksid, a division of Italian automaker Fiat, built an $80
million, 400-employee, aluminum engine castings plant in Talladega
County. Prior to its completion, company officials announced
they were building another facility in the county. Teksid
is the world's largest manufacturer of aluminum cylinder heads.
Other suppliers have followed Teksid's lead. In May, Precision
Strip of Minster, Ohio, selected a 67-acre site north of the
city of Talladega and is building an 110,000-square-foot facility.
Precision Strip processes steel and aluminum coils for the
automotive industry among other sectors. And New South Express
is building a 200,000-square-foot consolidation center on
58 acres in Talladega County.
Residents and officials of Talladega County have done an excellent
job of preparing themselves for the big-time entry they have
made into the automotive assembly and supplier business. For
one, many residents of the county have been trained for work
in automotive-related fields and the county has prepared sites
in anticipation of a supplier onslaught. Honda supplier or
not, Talladega County is ready for the next expansion of your
automotive supplier business.
For more information
on why Talladega County is one of the South's best automotive
supplier locations, contact Calvin Miller at 256-245-8332
or go to www.tceda.com
GEORGIA
LaGrange, Georgia
LaGrange is located
less than an hour from Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport,
the busiest airport in the U.S. Two interstates connect in
LaGrange, I-85 and I-185, plus U.S. 27 and 29 give excellent
transportation access to the automotive center of the South.
Furthermore, LaGrange is but a stone's throw from Opelika,
Ala., which was the bridesmaid in the Nissan site search that
eventually ended in Canton, Miss.
Sixty-plus industries
are located in LaGrange and Troup County. Of these there are
nine automotive related businesses employing 2,200. Auto suppliers
from Germany, Japan and the U.S. have chosen LaGrange as a
place to conduct business. They make airbags, metal trim,
plastic trim, floor mats, pistons, brakes, batteries, powertrain
systems and molded rubber products.
Other reasons
suppliers should consider LaGrange center around the fact
that this, like most markets in the South, is a non-union
location. Incentives are very attractive and product for industry
can't be beat. Reasonably priced land in two industrial parks,
with utilities already in place as well as available buildings
make LaGrange a place that you can move into and set up shop
in a hurry. In addition, the World Teleport Association selected
LaGrange as the "Intelligent City of the Year."
For more information
on why LaGrange/Troup County is one of the South's best automotive
supplier locations, contact Jane Fryer at 706-884-8671 (e-mail:
jfryer@lagrangechamber.com)
or go to www.lagrangechamber.com
LOUISIANA
Shreveport,
Louisiana
Some of the residents
of Shreveport may seem a little anxious these days, but they
have good reason to be. They're eagerly awaiting the completion
of a new $750 million, 1.8 million-square-foot General Motors
plant that Site Selection rated as one of the five largest
construction projects in the U.S. for the year 2000.
Announced in December
of 1999, the plant is being built on land adjacent to an existing
GM facility that totals 2.1 million square feet. The new plant
will house a body shop and general assembly area and include
two of the automotive industry's latest innovations: an on-site
stamping facility and a just-in-time delivery system. The
delivery system frees GM from having to store significant
amounts of inventory because suppliers deliver parts on an
as-needed basis. This requires suppliers to be located within
at least an hour of the plant, which is good news for Shreveport
and Louisiana's economy. It also makes Shreveport an easy
choice as one of the South's best automotive supplier locations.
Already, eight
tier-one suppliers have made verbal commitments to locate
in the area, with more expected to follow. In fact, the Greater
Shreveport Chamber is betting suppliers will continue to locate
in the area as long as the GM plant is in production.
Shreveport is
strategically located to attract suppliers that have contracts
in Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee and other Southern states.
David Berzina, the Shreveport Chamber's senior vice-president
for economic development, said he strongly believes GM and
Shreveport are positioned in a strategic location in what
is called "automotive alley." The state has increased
its tax credit for automakers to $5,000 per-job-created in
hope of attracting employers. In addition, a 10-year 100 percent
tax abatement also adds to the appeal of a Shreveport location.
Annual reports
within the last few years reveal GM's efforts to streamline
the production process and replace aging structures by building
new assembly plants capable of operating around the clock
and flexible enough to be used for producing more than one
type of vehicle. The new, expanded Shreveport plant will be
just such a site.
The new GM plant
in Shreveport will manufacture the Chevy Colorado. The new
mid-size truck will serve as the replacement for the Chevy
S-10 and GMC Sonoma, which have been built at the existing
Shreveport plant. Not a lot is known about the Colorado except
that it will offer more room and horsepower on a larger platform.
GM doesn't want to reveal too much about the Colorado too
soon. However, GM plant manager Tom Dennig said an early version
of the Colorado might be unveiled at auto shows next year.
Training in Shreveport
for skilled trade workers started in January and will continue
through the first quarter of 2003. By then, the plant will
be up and running. Construction is scheduled to be completed
about this time next year. Right now, the concrete floor is
being put down at a thickness of four feet so that it will
be able to bear the weight of the plant's machinery. It's
that machinery that will soon be brought to life, and with
it will rest the hopes and dreams of all those employees who
will depend upon it for their livelihoods. So, you'll forgive
them if they seem a little anxious. They have reason to be.
For more information
on why Shreveport is one of the South's best automotive supplier
locations, contact David Berzina at 318-677-2536 or go to
www.shreveportchamber.org
MISSISSIPPI
Brookhaven,
Mississippi
Why is Brookhaven
and Lincoln County, Mississippi just right for automotive
suppliers? It's Brookhaven's just in time location. The area
is JIT to three different major automotive plants in the South:
Nissan in Canton, Miss.; Mercedes in Vance, Ala.; and, GMC
in Shreveport, La.
If your company
is a prospective Nissan supplier, Brookhaven is a perfect
location. It's south of Jackson, yet right on Interstate 55.
Brookhaven is also located just 40 miles from I-20, 70 miles
to I-10 and 80 miles from I-59.
The existing and
affordable work force that is familiar with the automotive
industry, is highly skilled in manufacturing operations. The
available work force is supported by excellent public education
and training. The Copiah-Lincoln Community College provides
training to your employees free of charge. Brookhaven's K-12
consistently performs better than the state and national averages.
Brookhaven is also home to the Mississippi School of the Arts.
Brookhaven has
available sites now for automotive suppliers. The county runs
an excellent industrial park and infrastructure is in place.
Local incentives are also available for suppliers. If quality
of life and location are important to you, check out Brookhaven
as a site for your next expansion.
For more information
on why Brookhaven is one of the South's best automotive supplier
locations, contact Chandler Russ at 601-833-1411 or by email
at cruss@brookhavenchamber.com.
You can visit their Web site at www.brookhavenchamber.com/auto
Vicksburg/Warren
County, Mississippi
I was much younger
and still hell-bent to know and see every single county in
the South when I pulled into a Vicksburg motel one early evening
in September of 1994. The budget, yet clean and well-maintained
motel had a panoramic view of the Mississippi River and the
majestic bridge in Vicksburg that crossed it. During the evening
I spent there, I sat on the bluffs overlooking the unbelievably
powerful current of the Mississippi River and wondered what
all had passed by that bridge. It was a sight that I remember
vividly to this day.
I have visited
over 1,000 markets in the South and Vicksburg will always
go down as one of my 25 or 30 favorites. Apparently, Vicksburg
has become a favorite among automotive suppliers as well.
Jimmy Heidel, the former director of Mississippi's economic
development efforts has stepped in to lead Vicksburg's economic
development. That's certainly a good thing because Heidel,
along with former Gov. Kirk Fordice, can be credited in part
at changing Mississippi's economy forever. For example, 10
years ago, Mississippi could not have competed for a plant
the size of Nissan's that is being built now just north of
Jackson. Obviously today they can.
Vicksburg/Warren
County is located right on I-20, only 45 minutes from the
new Nissan site in Canton, Miss., and a short drive to the
expanding General Motors' pickup truck plant in Shreveport.
Location isn't all Vicksburg has to offer. It has product
for industry that is envied by its peers. The only railroad
crossing of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and
Memphis is in Vicksburg. There's a major port facility with
Port of Entry and Foreign Trade Zone status.
But, for you suppliers
out there, Vicksburg has product and it's big time product.
The Ceres Research and Industrial Interplex features 1,000
acres of industrial sites and it's located right on Interstate
20. Currently, several suppliers to the automotive industry
are looking at the Ceres Research and Industrial Interplex.
I suggest you take a similar look. Like me, I think you will
fall in love with Vicksburg.
For more information
on why Vicksburg is one of the South's best automotive supplier
locations, contact Jimmy Heidel at 601-636-1012 or go to www.vicksburgliving.com
Metro Jackson
Metro Jackson,
in central Mississippi, offers an exceptional opportunity
as a location for the automotive industry. Metro Jackson is
advantageously located within a 700-mile region where a network
of parts and components suppliers and automotive plants such
as the Saturn plant, the Toyota plant, the BMW plant, the
Mercedes plant and the Honda plant have been sited.
A $930 million
Mississippi Nissan manufacturing plant is under construction
in Metro Jackson and will be completed in 2003. The plant,
which is located on a 1,445-acre site, will initially encompass
2,500,000 square feet, and will have the capacity of producing
250,000 vehicles a year, including a full-size pickup truck,
a full-size sports utility vehicle, and the next generation
Nissan minivan. As of November 2001, seven tier one Nissan
suppliers have announced that they will be locating in Metro
Jackson and numerous other tier one, two and three suppliers
are in various stages of locating.
Metro Jackson
is particularly able to provide the special mix of attributes
needed by automotive companies and their suppliers and can
serve as an especially effective and economic location for
new facilities. The metro area's assets include availability
of large parcels of land with substantial energy and utility
infrastructure, good access to suppliers and markets, excellent
rail and road service, an available, well trained labor market,
one of the lowest cost industrial environments in the U.S.
and a high quality of life. Additionally, a location in Metro
Jackson offers the automotive industry cutting-edge technology;
a pro-business climate conducive to the needs of business;
and the flexibility and innovation to face new challenges
and respond to constantly changing opportunities.
Metro Jackson
maintains a policy of continuously improving its readiness
for the right development and energetically working to encourage
new business locations and expansions in the area. The location
of Nissan to Metro Jackson is an excellent example of the
metro area's success at providing the ingredients needed for
the automotive industry. Make the move to Jackson, Miss.
For more information
on why Metro Jackson is one of the South's best automotive
supplier locations go to www.metroeda.com
or contact Jay Hambright at 601-948-3111 or by email at jhambright@metrochamber.com.
Tupelo, Mississippi
In the 1800's,
General Sherman fought a key battle with Confederate soldiers
at Tupelo National Battlefield. In the 1900's, Tupelo became
the birthplace of singing legend Elvis Presley. Now, as it
enters the 21st century, Tupelo is emerging as one of the
fastest growing regions in the Mid-South, particularly for
automotive suppliers and manufacturers. Situated in the state's
largest manufacturing county, Tupelo's advantage lies in its
unique mix of manufacturers that employ 19,000 residents.
This All-American
City is centrally located between five major automobile plants
- all within 250 miles. Companies like DynaGear, Metalloy
and Piper Impact give nearby automotive companies such as
Nissan, Mercedes, Saturn and Honda the speed and access they
need to depend on just-in-time requirements. In addition to
its prime location in the flourishing Southern Automotive
Corridor, Tupelo offers operating advantages such as productive
labor, low operating costs and an abundance of available industrial
sites.
Tupelo's strong
economy produces the highest median income among small Mississippi
cities and ranks ninth in retail sales among all small cities.
Offering 1,200 acres of land and three active industrial parks,
Tupelo stands ready to accommodate new businesses. The city,
which is 98 percent non-unionized, boasts one of the lowest
unionization rates in the country. In addition, Tupelo maintains
and offers a free directory of service providers that are
available for auto manufacturing outsourcing work within a
70-mile radius.
Transporting finished
products and receiving raw materials are also no problem in
conveniently located Tupelo. With easy access to four-lane
roadways and interstates, as well as access to the nearby
Tenn-Tom waterway, businesses are able to quickly and dependably
deliver products to their destinations. The Tenn-Tom waterway
is tied to the nation's inland waterway system and shortens
shipping distances for many inland ports by over 800 miles,
saving automotive companies time and money.
Ranked the #1
small town in Mississippi by The New Rating Guide to Life
in America's Small Cities, this thriving city offers the largest
supply of new houses in "micropolitan" Mississippi.
In addition, Tupelo residents benefit from cutting-edge regional
public power. The Tennessee Valley Authority, the primary
power provider for the area, ranks among the best in the country
in terms of reliability and affordability.
Another quality-of-life
benefit for locating auto manufacturers and suppliers, Tupelo's
public schools are top notch, many receiving National Blue
Ribbon awards for excellence. The school system's goal is
to "prepare all students for success in an information-based
society." For higher education, tradition-steeped universities
such Mississippi State and the University of Mississippi are
nearby.
When automotive
manufacturers and suppliers come to Tupelo, they can be confident
that the community will warmly welcome them and support them
with regional advantages that enable long-term profitability.
Renowned for its stunning azaleas and dogwoods, Tupelo offers
suppliers and manufacturers year-round mild temperatures to
speed production, quality-of-life factors such as abundant
housing and education, an extensive network of automotive
customers, a rich history, and most importantly, a vibrant
future.
For more information
on why Tupelo is one of the South's best automotive supplier
locations go to www.cdfms.org
or contact David Rumbarger at 662-842-4521 or by email at
info@cdfms.org.
Columbus/Lowndes
County
Columbus and greater
Lowndes County, Miss., feature an abundant, technically competent
labor force, excellent water, rail, air and highway transportation
facilities and reliable, reasonably priced utilities. Does
your supplier operation need more than that? How about fully
developed industrial sites, available industrial buildings
ready for immediate occupancy and a JIT location that's close
to Alabama's Mercedes-Benz plant and Mississippi's Nissan
plant?
All of this can
be found in Columbus, Miss. Add the area's business friendly
environment and excellent education facilities with K-PhD
and you may have a perfect location for prospective automotive
suppliers searching sites in the South.
In addition, the
Columbus/Lowndes County Economic Development Association has
an available, 57,600-square-foot speculative building that
is highly suitable for most tier two automotive suppliers.
The facility sits on six acres in the Golden Triangle Industrial
Park and features 24-foot ceiling heights at the eaves and
34-foot heights at the center.
This brand new
building is expandable and has two truck-dock doors, bay spacing
of 40' x 40' and is served by a 16" main water line.
All utilities are in place. If you are a supplier to any of
the South's major automakers, a site in Columbus/Lowndes County
will be an excellent choice.
For more information
on Columbus/Lowndes County contact Charleigh Ford, CED, executive
director of the Columbus/Lowndes EDA at 662-328-8369 (email:
cford@cleda.com) or go
on the Web to www.cleda.com
NORTH CAROLINA
Gastonia/Gaston
County, North Carolina
The Charlotte,
N.C. area is well known for its automotive supplier companies.
Gaston County, which is located less than 30 minutes from
downtown Charlotte and about 20 minutes from the Charlotte
Douglas International Airport, owns up to that reputation.
This market is a natural for automotive suppliers with excellent
access to markets in the South, Midwest and Northeast. Gastonia
also has excellent product availability, with several industrial
parks and outstanding buildings available to suppliers to
the many major automotive plants that are located in the American
South.
Well known companies
in Gastonia/Gaston County that are automotive-related include
Freightliner, Bridgestone/Firestone and DANA/Wix. Wix is putting
the finishing touches on a new regional office in Gastonia.
Stabilus and CWW-Gerko are other automotive suppliers located
in Gastonia or Gaston County. Both are foreign owned. In fact,
DANA is the only American-owned automotive company located
in Gaston County. That supports a major trend linked to the
South's automotive industry; foreign-owned automotive manufacturers
and suppliers have fallen in love with the American South.
Gaston County
offers outstanding proximity to major assembly plants in the
South, particularly BMW in Greer, S.C. CWW-Gerko is an important
supplier to BMW's large assembly plant in Greer. But what
makes Gastonia one of the South's best automotive supplier
locations centers around the community itself. This is a community
built on manufacturing and its work force thrives in a manufacturing
environment.
For more information
on Gastonia and Gaston County's sites for automotive suppliers
to to www.gastonchamber.com
or contact Steve Stout, president, Greater Gaston Development
Corporation at 704-864-6646 or by email at steves@gastonchamber.com
OKLAHOMA
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Situated on I-35,
midway between Dallas and Oklahoma City, Ardmore is strategically
located for tier one automotive industry suppliers. The region
served from an Ardmore location easily reaches GM's plants
in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Shreveport. The Peterbilt plant
in Denton, Tex., and the AMTRAN bus plant in Tulsa are added
potential customers for truck and auto suppliers. The Ardmore
location has proven to be advantageous for National Seating,
a supplier to the Denton Peterbilt plant.
The Ardmore Development
Authority (ADA) has numerous sites ready to build in any of
four industrial parks that are located adjacent to or within
five minutes of I-35. Westport Industrial Park, for example,
fronts I-35 and provides interstate access from either end
of the 200-acre park. Michelin Tire Corporation's distribution
center is located in this new complex.
The ADA's ownership
of prime industrial sites and buildings is a prime cost saving
advantage for companies considering a new location. When coupled
with a unique build-to-suit and sale or lease program, industries
have experienced a fast, painless and cost-effective way to
enter a new market.
ADA owns buildings
ranging from a small office to a 750,000-square-foot distribution
facility. Their portfolio also includes a variety of industrial
buildings and, in an innovative approach to cost savings,
even some major industrial machinery which is leased, tax
free, to the tenant.
Perhaps the greatest
asset is the ongoing relationship between the ADA and local
industries. Ardmore has a decided non-union attitude and the
organization takes the lead and spends their time and money
to help companies remain union free. There have been only
two elections in the last 20 years and in each election the
ADA-led "vote no" effort prevailed with overwhelming
margins.
The organization
also teams with the Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence
to provide technical expertise, ISO 2000 assistance, engineering
analysis, marketing support and other services that help local
companies succeed.
Another innovative
program is called TASO (Training Alliance of Southern Oklahoma).
The members of TASO include local industries, the Manufacturer's
Alliance, ADA and the local Technology Center. Currently,
TASO is training technicians in an employer-led apprenticeship
type program. Extensive (college credit hour) training is
provided in electricity, electronics, mechanical, programmable
logic controller, pneumatics and hydraulics. The TASO program
provides local industries with a steady stream of qualified
and hard to find industrial technicians.
Ardmore is committed
to assisting automotive suppliers and has the training programs,
industrial sites and community infrastructure in place to
assure a profitable location.
For more information
on Ardmore, Oklahoma, contact Wes Stucky, president of the
Ardmore Chamber at 580-223-7765 (email: wstucky@ardmore.com)
or look them up on the Web at ardmore.org
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
Not too long ago,
J.D. Power and Associates named Oklahoma City's General Motors
facility as the No. 1 quality auto assembly plant in North
America. So what does GM do? It retools the plant for production
of a sports utility vehicle. While the plant expands and retools,
suppliers are biting at the bit. Textron recently located
a new instrument panel manufacturing facility in Oklahoma
City and Delphi has also chosen the area for an expansion.
If what you are
looking for in a supplier location is a major Southern market,
with low operating costs and a tremendous work force, this
is your place. For example, in the annual North American Cost
of Doing Business Review, Economy.com, Inc., found Oklahoma
City's overall cost of doing business to be one of the three
lowest of the 162 metro areas surveyed in the U.S. The city
was given an index of 81.8, compared to 94.2 for Dallas, 98.7
for Denver, 107.9 for Chicago and 100.7 for Seattle. Oklahoma
City's index was also one of the South's lowest indexes found
in the report.
As for labor,
this market is home to more than 100,000 college students,
so labor availability simply regenerates each and every year.
Besides, you can't place second in the major market category
(see SB&D 100 section in this edition) without having
highly skilled and available labor.
For more information
on Oklahoma City and the opportunities it provides automotive
suppliers, call the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce
at 1-800-616-1114 or 405-297-8900. You can look them up on
the Web at www.okcchamber.com
SOUTH CAROLINA
Aiken/Edgefield
Counties, South Carolina
This South Carolina
location, which sits directly on Interstate 20 near Augusta,
Ga., is within one day's drive to over 1,000 automotive assemblers
and suppliers. Aiken/Edgefield is well positioned for automotive
suppliers. In fact, suppliers for BMW, Honda, Daimler and
others are either currently operating in the area or are in
the process of choosing a site.
In the Aiken area,
the largest supplier of major automotive manufacturers is
Bridgestone/Firestone. Even though the company has had its
difficulties, production at the Aiken plant is high and because
of the company's new equipment and a skilled work force, the
product from this plant is exceptional. Bridgestone supplies
both domestic and foreign automotive manufacturers from this
location.
The Bridgestone
Aiken plant, located in Sage Mill Industrial Park, has the
distinction of being the fastest startup of any major tire
producer in the world. That is indicative of the cooperation
of the local community, the state of South Carolina and the
regulatory agencies and their commitment to business.
Other automotive
suppliers in Aiken and Edgefield counties include SKF, USA,
Rieter Automotive, Carlisle Engineered Products and Newman
Technology, a Japanese company. SKF, a Swedish company that
is also located in the 1,700-acre Sage Mill Park, is a major
supplier to several automakers with wheel hub assemblies and
various parts.
Another attractive
item about Aiken and Edgefield is low unionization rates.
Edgefield County has no unionized manufacturing plants and
there are no unionized automotive suppliers in Aiken. The
exceptional productivity of the local workers in relation
to other areas of the U.S. has been attested to by new industries
and those who have been in the area for decades. A new resource
suppliers can use in the area is the manufacturing center
located at Aiken Technical College. The center was built to
service the needs of the manufacturing companies in the area
with modern facilities and equipment. This center is just
another reason why Aiken/Edgefield is one of the South's best
automotive supplier locations.
For more information
on Aiken and Edgefield Counties, contact Fred Humes at 803-648-3362
(email: edpsc@aol.com)
or look them up on the Web at www.edpsc.org
TENNESSEE
Northeast Tennessee
Valley
Northeast Tennessee,
which includes the Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol MSA, is
a proven location for suppliers to the South's automotive
and truck assembly plants. Northeast Tennessee is also one
of the South's hottest markets year-in-and-year out as evidenced
by it No. 2 ranking in the mid-market category in this year's
SB&D 100 (see section in this edition). This year marks
the third year in nine years that Northeast Tennessee has
been recognized as one of the of the top three mid-markets
in the South. It was named the top mid-market in the South
in 1996.
The Northeast
Tennessee region currently features 50 companies supplying
just in time parts to the South's automotive assembly plants.
That's a lot of automotive suppliers. Everything from Exide's
batteries, Mahle's pistons, TRW's steering systems to Superior
Industries' aluminum wheels are manufactured in Northeast
Tennessee.
Attractive automotive
supplier locations such as Northeast Tennessee many times
don't have available product for new industry simply because
new and expanding companies constantly gobble it up. That's
not the case in Northeast Tennessee. There are 28 excellent
buildings for sale or lease and ready for occupancy for prospective
automotive suppliers in Northeast Tennessee.
This region is
a strong manufacturing area, even though it has a diversity
that is unique to regions that depend so strongly on manufacturing.
You will find Northeast Tennessee a superb location for your
supplier operation.
For more information
on Northeast Tennessee's sites for automotive suppliers, contact
Jim Anderson, CED, director of the Northeast Tennessee Valley
Regional IDA at 423-323-1203 or by email at netvaly@preferred.com.
You can also look them up on the Web at www.netvaly.org
Shelbyville,
Tennessee
Located in central
Tennessee, Shelbyville/Bedford County is situated directly
in the middle of several of the South's newest and largest
automotive assembly plants. Calsonic, a manufacturer of climate
control exhaust and heat exchange systems for Nissan and other
automakers, took into account Shelbyville's excellent location
and recently built its North American manufacturing facilities
there.
And what a facility
it is. Robots and 1,000 employees work in tandem in one of
the most highly technical facilities of its type in the world.
High technology aside, Calsonic officials maintain its the
old fashioned work ethic of its 1,000 employees that drives
the company's growth. In addition to Calsonic, Century Mold
and Eaton Corporation employ well over 300 workers at their
injection molding and truck transmission plants.
Shelbyville has
195 acres available at its Airport Business Park, which is
located directly across from the Shelbyville Municipal Airport.
The site is located on U.S. 231, a four-lane divided highway
connecting to Interstate 24. Utilities are on site and a complete
site analysis, including soils, geology and hydrology is available.
For more information
on Shelbyville/Bedford County's sites for automotive suppliers,
contact Walter Wood, CED, executive director of the Shelbyville/Bedford
County Chamber at 931-684-3482 (email: bedfordchamber@cafes.net)
or go to www.shelbyvilletn.com
Carroll County,
Tennessee
The location of
this West Tennessee county is excellent for suppliers to the
South's automotive industry. Located halfway between Memphis
and Nashville, there are 13 auto and truck assembly plants
within a day's drive of Carroll County. Five automotive and
truck suppliers already call Carroll County home and there
are 300 acres set aside under the county's control that can
accompany five more. In addition, in the county there are
six buildings available ranging from 40,000 square feet to
450,000 square feet.
Carroll County
has been on a hot streak as of late, supporting the fact that
this is an outstanding supplier location. More companies have
selected Carroll County in the last three years for their
new plant than any other West Tennessee county with the exception
of Shelby County (Memphis). Carroll County is also home of
the single-largest manufacturing capital investment in the
history of West Tennessee, the $240 million expansion of Norandal
USA in Huntingdon.
From Carroll County,
a supplier would have easy access not only to major assembly
plants in Tennessee and Kentucky, but the new Nissan plant
in Mississippi, Mercedes and Honda in Alabama, as well as
domestic plants in Missouri.
For more information
on Carroll County, contact Brad Hurley at 901-986-4664 or
look them up on the World Wide Web at www.cchamber@iswt.com
Clarksville-Montgomery
County
If actions speak
louder than words, then the reinvestment of automotive suppliers
in Clarksville, Tennessee speaks volumes. Two of the world's
leading companies, Robert Bosch Corporation and Bridgestone
Metalpha USA, Inc. have selected this location once, and have
gone on to expand four times and two times respectively.
Bosch, the world's
third largest automotive supplier, selected Clarksville in
1989. Today, the facility is the lead plant worldwide for
wheel-end components, manufacturing hubs and corner modules.
It supplies parts for GM Blazers; Dodge Dakotas, Durangos
and pickups; Ford Rangers, F-150s and Sportracs; and will
begin supplying for Nissan in model year 2004.
Bosch leadership
and their automotive-industry neighbors concur: Clarksville-Montgomery
County provides a disciplined work force that is key to long-term
success. Many in the labor market are former Fort Campbell
troops who display a solid work ethic, teamwork and leadership
skills that are unsurpassed. The base annually infuses the
local work force with 4,200 qualified men and women who are
leaving military service.
Explaining this
competitive advantage, Bosch Plant Manager Dale Richter said,
"The work force is a tremendous differentiating factor.
More than 40 percent of our workers are former military employees-very
disciplined, with a very strong work ethic. We have a world-class
absentee rate. We have leaders throughout the plant; they
take initiative, are disciplined, and are focused on continuous
improvement. That just doesn't exist everywhere in the country."
The self-motivated
work force has also made Clarksville appealing to several
other auto suppliers. Bridgestone Metalpha USA, Inc., for
example, manufactures steel cord, which it supplies to Bridgestone/Firestone
facilities throughout North and South America. Since 1994,
it has invested $80 million in the community. Other automotive
companies with a Montgomery County presence include Smithfield
Manufacturing, Inc, maker of precision component parts; SPX
Corporation Contech/Metal Forge, which manufactures cold forging
for GM trucks and sport utility vehicles; and Hendrickson
Trailer Suspension Systems, which builds tractor trailer air-ride.
Along with a standout
work force, Clarksville offers superb accessibility to customers
and suppliers. The community is located directly on Interstate
24, 40 minutes northwest of Nashville, and also offers rail
and river access. In addition to being less than an hour from
Nashville's international airport, the location is within
a day's drive of 66 percent of the U.S. population.
Add to the central
location an exceptional quality of life, and it's clear why
so many automotive companies have chosen Clarksville for continued
growth. The community offers small-town living with big-city
amenities. A mild climate with four distinct seasons, a cost
of living seven percent below the national average, natural
beauty and a host of recreational activities further add to
the appeal.
All of these factors-a
superior work force, an easy-access location, and an enviable
quality of life-have been vital to Bosch's ongoing profitability,
explained the company's Human Resource Manager Jim Owen. "We're
centrally located with interstate access and near our supply
base. We have a diverse work force and a great quality of
life-the city really sells itself. It's an attractive place
to live and work and we've found it very easy to attract professionals."
While the parts
they supply are vastly different, automotive companies strongly
agree-there are many reasons to do business in Clarksville.
And the fact that these companies locate and succeed, invest
and reinvest echoes this sentiment loud and clear.
For more information
on Clarksville-Montgomery County, visit www.clarksville.tn.us
or contact Michelle Dickerson at 931-647-2331.
Maury County
Maury County,
located in the southern part of middle Tennessee, has been
an attractive address for automotive related business success
since 1986.
"That was
the year General Motors began building 'a different kind of
car company' in Spring Hill, then a sleepy little farming
community in the northern part of the county," said Frank
Tamberrino, president of the Maury Alliance, the area's economic
development agency (www.mauryalliance.com).
As the old saying
goes, the rest is now history-as far as Saturn's success is
concerned. Maury County, on the other hand, is a different
story according to Tamberrino.
"There's
a lot of history yet to be made in this area," he said,
"because the same things that prompted GM to choose us
out of the dozens of potential sites available across the
United States are still here."
Forty-five minutes
south of Nashville and one county north of the Alabama border,
Maury County is emerging as one of the hot growth markets
in the Nashville region, thanks to a first-class business
environment in a non-urban setting.
For example, convenient
access to I-65 from all of the industrial parks in Maury County
provides area businesses a quick north-south distribution
artery and the kind of easy entry to several east-west Interstates
that makes reaching the major US population centers and automotive
markets a snap.
Meanwhile, state
government's business-friendly attitude makes it just as easy
to reach elected officials and regulators.
For companies
in search of experienced, skilled employees, the local labor
force is highly favorable for automobile and auto parts manufacturers,
suppliers and distributors. And, Tennessee's excellent industry
training programs are augmented locally with well- established
partnerships between Maury County's economic development community,
Columbia State Community College, two Technical Training Centers
in neighboring counties, and a new Alliance initiative-the
Maury Technical Academy, a corporate-needs driven training
center scheduled to open this year.
Decisions since
the mid-90s to locate new auto plants in Alabama and Mississippi
have placed south central Tennessee in the middle of the booming
Southern Automotive Corridor. As a result, Maury County-based
facilities can not only easily supply Saturn, but also two
Nissan plants, Mercedes, Honda and GM's Corvette operation
in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Tamberrino said.
That's one of
the reasons Maury County's economy remains so positive. According
to Carlyle Carroll, a development representative with the
Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Authority, "A
lot of industrial development is going on down there, with
no signs of slowing down anytime soon."
Since late 2000,
new companies entering the County to support Saturn and Nissan
include BV-Chassis, a Budd-Visteon joint venture; Delphi;
GT Enterprises; Preferred Sourcing, Inc.; Penske; Bax Global;
Bridgestone; and Intier (formerly Magna Interiors).
"When you
add these new firms to the existing automotive related businesses
in the area, companies that include AP Tenntech, Ryder Logistics,
EDS, R&D Tire Mold, and a host of machine shops, engineers
and consulting services, it becomes easier to understand why
Maury County has seen a continuous increase in economic activity
over the past two years despite a softening national economy,"
Tamberrino added.
And the future
looks even brighter. "With the completion of State Road
840, built to Interstate standards east from I-65 to I-24
and I-40, Maury County is now directly in the path of distribution
and logistics activity in a four-state area," said Tamberrino.
"Given that path's historical profitability for automotive
related businesses, we expect to continue to be an attractive
success address for a long time to come."
For more information
on Maury County, visit www.mauryalliance.com
or email Frank Tamberrino at frank@mauryalliance.com
or call him at 931-388-2155.
TEXAS
McAllen, Texas
The McAllen, Texas/Reynosa
Mexico metro area is an ideal location for automotive supplier
companies to set up operations. There are many factors that
have propelled McAllen/Reynosa into one of the premier automotive
supplier areas in the country. These are some of the same
factors that earned McAllen the "Top Middle Market"
in the South award in this year's SB&D 100 (see section
in this issue).
McAllen/Reynosa
is one of the most strategic locations to supply plants in
the U.S. and in Mexico while still providing price savings
for their automotive customers. According to news releases
from the U.S. automotive industry, 40% of their work force
will reach retirement age in the next three to five years.
In an already tight U.S. labor market, this will create a
real challenge for automotive suppliers. The present unemployment
rate in McAllen is 11.5% and there is an equally high unemployment
rate in Reynosa, Mexico.
McAllen/Reynosa
also provides automotive companies with a logistics advantage
for shipment of product going both North and South. Trucking
and direct air freight suppliers travel to Detroit and other
automotive centers in the Midwest as well as international
air freight connections going virtually anywhere in the world.
Many McAllen-based companies ship daily to automotive plants
worldwide.
McAllen/Reynosa
offers an excellent supplier base to support the automotive
industry including:
* Component manufacturing
* Tool shops
* Automation companies
* Plastic injection molding
* Metal stampings
You owe it to
yourself to check out why McAllen, Texas/Reynosa, Mexico could
be the answer you have been looking for.
For more information
call the McAllen Economic Development Corporation at (956)
682-2875. You may visit their website at: http://www.medc.org
or email them at nancyb@medc.org.
VIRGINIA
Roanoke Valley,
Virginia
Why are so many
transportation-related manufacturers located in the Roanoke
Valley? Its central mid-Atlantic location that's only a day's
shipping distance from most of the transportation manufacturing
centers in the U.S. is one primary reason. Access to Virginia's
Smart Road, the nation's most advanced test bed for Intelligent
Transportation Systems technology, and Virginia Tech's Transportation
Institute are two other reasons why transportation-related
companies land in Roanoke.
But the main reason
why this is an excellent automotive supplier location is because
its near many of the South's primary assembly operations and
like other markets in the South, business costs here are well
below the national average. Roanoke Valley's work force is
technologically skilled, with innovative, new work force training
initiatives supplementing a well-developed network of universities,
community colleges and public schools.
Altec Industries,
Koyo Steering Systems of USA, Dynax America, Virginia Forge,
Metalsa Roanoke, Vishay Vitramon, American Commercial Assembly,
Graham-White Manufacturing and Acadia Polymers are just some
of the transportation companies making up an impressive cluster
in the Roanoke Valley. Here, everything from power steering
systems to transmission parts to vehicle frames are manufactured
or assembled, or both.
This location
has become especially popular among companies in the transportation
industry because from Roanoke there is excellent access to
both Detroit and the growing Southern Automotive Corridor.
All in all, the Roanoke Valley is certainly one of the South's
best automotive supplier locations and it seems to get better
all the time.
For more information
on the Roanoke Valley's sites and opportunities for automotive
suppliers, contact Phillip F. Sparks, executive director of
the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership at 1-800-LOCATE2
or visit Roanoke Valley on the World Wide Web at www.roanoke.org
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