An auto parts plant in Cottondale is expected to close by Dec. 31, eliminating 83 jobs at a facility that received a multimillion-dollar expansion commitment just six years ago. The closure of the International Automotive Components Group North America plant marks a sharp reversal from the growth plans the company touted in 2020.
According to al.com, the Cottondale facility is expected to close by Dec. 31, and will impact 83 workers. The outlet also reports that IAC committed $34.3 million to the Cottondale facility back in 2020, a project that was expected to create 119 jobs at the time. As Plastics News notes in its coverage of the closure, the shutdown comes six years after that expansion was first announced.
The layoffs tied to the closure are scheduled to begin Dec. 31, according to tuscaloosathread.com. The plant was originally planned to produce door panels and overhead systems for original equipment manufacturers, per details reported in 2020 by madeinalabama.com.
A Bigger Expansion Push That Spanned Two Alabama Cities
The Cottondale project wasn’t IAC’s only Alabama bet in 2020. The same madeinalabama.com report detailed a separate $21.6 million investment planned for the company’s Anniston facility on Pappy Dunn Boulevard, in the former Fort McClellan, expected to create 63 jobs. Together, the two projects were part of a larger package: the station’s report at the time put the company’s combined Alabama investment at more than $55.9 million, expected to create 182 jobs across both sites, according to abc3340.com…