Project Sunrise Revealed: Autocar to Invest $120 Million Manufacturing Facilities in Jefferson County

BIRMINGHAM, AL - While many people in the Birmingham business community had heard talk of an economic development project known only as Project Sunrise, few knew exactly what this supposedly "huge" project would involve. Now, it is official. Indiana-based heavy truck manufacturer Autocar announced it will invest $120 million to expand and open a manufacturing plant in Jefferson County. The company will build heavy-duty cab-over-engine trucks in an existing one million-square-foot complex located in both Center Point and Birmingham. The development is expected to create 746 jobs.

Autocar’s plant in Birmingham marks the state’s fourth major automotive OEM assembly plant and one that will bring a new dimension to Alabama’s strong automotive sector, which is already home to Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and numerous suppliers. This was one of the reasons Autocar executives said Birmingham as their choice for the facility. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)

“Autocar carefully considered locations across the country and selected Birmingham for many reasons. Among them are access to a great business environment, strong state and local governmental partners, a skilled workforce, and proximity to our customers and suppliers,” Autocar Chairman Andrew Taitz said.
“With this new million-square-foot plant in Birmingham and our new local employees, we’ll better meet the needs of our existing customers and be able to engineer new specialized products for different applications and markets,” Autocar President Jim Johnston said. “We’re excited that Autocar brings a dynamic and growing new employment opportunity to your community, offering new manufacturing jobs and training.”

“Alabama is a powerhouse in automotive manufacturing, and Autocar’s new heavy-duty truck assembly operation in Birmingham will add a new dimension to the state’s activities in this vital sector,” Alabama governor Ivey said. “The company is making a significant investment in its Alabama operation and creating the kind of well-paying jobs that are a priority of my administration as we declare that Alabama is open for business.”

Autocar, once fully operational, will generate $645.1 million annually in economic impact, which includes a nearly $229 million annual contribution to Alabama’s GDP and $130.1 million in earnings to Alabama households from 2,655 direct and indirect jobs, according to an impact study from the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce.
For the Birmingham metropolitan area, operations at the company will generate $600 million annually in economic impact, which includes $224 million contributed to the metro’s GDP, and $123.9 million in earnings to households from 2,538 direct and indirect jobs.

“After months of negotiations under the project name Sunrise, it is my distinct honor, on behalf of the entire commission, to formally welcome Autocar to Jefferson County,” Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington said. “These new, high-paying manufacturing jobs are a direct result of the tireless, cooperative efforts of the company, the state, the county and the cities of Center Point and Birmingham. We are confident that Autocar's suppliers will find a welcoming environment here as well.”

Birmingham Mayor William Bell said the impact of Autocar will be felt positively throughout Birmingham, as the region’s automotive sector strengthens. The property sits within the city limits of both Birmingham and Center Point.

Autocar is the oldest motor vehicle make in the United States and built America’s first truck, in 1899.