PLANT CONSTRUCTION: MTM pledges commitment to diversity

Published 6:15 am Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing announced Tuesday it plans to achieve a 20% total diversity spend with respect to the ongoing construction of the $1.6-billion plant in Limestone County.

Certified minority- and women-owned enterprises will be utilized in the construction process, according to a press release issued by the company. For example, MTM has contracted with Aristeo Construction, a woman-owned general contractor, and Indiana Bridge, a minority-owned steel supplier.

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“Every aspect of MTMUS’s business must closely reflect our customers’ diverse backgrounds and experiences, including our team members, suppliers and business partners,” said Mark Brazeal, vice president of administration of MTMUS. “Together with our general contractors and structural steel supplier, we have set an ambitious target that will set the foundation for MTMUS’s future to compete as a world-class manufacturer of vehicles.”

Earlier this month, MTM announced it would shift its production plans away from building the Toyota Corolla and would instead build a new model of SUV. Officials cited a “growing consumer appetite” for SUVs and light trucks as a reason for the shift.

In her July 10 address to the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Kay Ivey said the company’s decision would mean the plant’s opening date would be pushed from January 2021 to April 2021. Company officials have said the plant will produce 300,000 vehicles annually.

Despite a change in plans, construction remains on schedule. When completed, the 3.1-million-square-feet manufacturing facility could accommodate 65 football fields.

The project will require 1,600 steel beams that, when stacked vertically, would stretch 80,000 feet, or 15 miles. That height is double the altitude of a commercial aircraft.

The plant will utilize 26,000 total tons of steel, which is the equivalent of 52 million pounds or 10.4 million average-sized bricks.

Up to 4,000 new jobs will be created by the project, and hiring is now underway. Later this summer, about 2,500 workers will be on-site at the plant during peak construction. The release said about 70% of those workers will be from Alabama.

Those interested in applying for jobs at the plant should visit MazdaToyota.com.