Construction on the new $1.6 billion Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A. plant hit a recent milestone with the installation of the first steel column.

A small celebration at the site, located in southern Limestone County just off the Greenbrier Parkway, was attended by team members, according to a press release. Despite a rainy season, construction is on schedule for the plant, the release also stated.

“Today marks an exciting milestone for the MTMUS team and the state of Alabama,” said Masashi

Aihara, president, MTMUS. “We are fully committed to this project and we can now see the beginning of our new campus taking shape. Soon, we will be proud to say ‘built in Alabama with pride.’”

The plant will manufacture an estimated 300,000 vehicles per year when it opens in 2021.

By the numbers

What will it take to bring the project to fruition? MTMUS officials providing the following snapshot:

• 3 million cubic yards of dirt was graded for site preparation, which is enough to fill the Empire State Building twice;

• 150,000 cubic yards of gravel was poured to create the plant foundation, which is equal to filling 46 Olympic-sized swimming pools; and

• 2,500 construction workers are projected to be on site by late summer 2019.

Now hiring

MTMUS is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs and is currently in the process of hiring professional staff and skilled maintenance positions. Additional job postings will be added throughout the summer, with production hiring starting later in 2019.

The hiring process for production workers is anticipated to begin in Fall 2019 and continue until the plant is at full capacity. Applications and training will be done on a rolling basis for the company.

Alabama Industrial Development Training is assisting with employment efforts for the project.

Rate of pay, ranging from $23.50 to $33 per hour, will be based on experience and skill level. When the project was first announced in January 2018, officials said the average salary per worker would be $50,000, excluding benefits.

Pre-employment training for MTMUS will take place at a temporary AIDT training center while the permanent center is being built on the MTMUS facility campus.

Interested candidates can learn more at www.mazdatoyota.com.