Jay Mid-South, LLC, an automotive second-tier joint venture between a Gadsden firm and two Mansfield, Ohio companies, has begun operations in its new facility in the Gadsden Commerce Center.
Ultimately, this project will create 100 new jobs, and an additional 25 jobs in a related operation here. The capital investment is more than $10 million, according to Harold R. Weaver, chairman and CEO of Mid-South Industries, Inc., one of the three partners. Jay Industries and Taylor Metal Products, both of Mansfield, Ohio, are the other partners in the joint venture.
As a second-tier supplier, Jay Mid-South manufactures welded seat frames and components and, through first-tier companies, will supply these products to the Honda assembly plant in Lincoln and the Hyundai assembly plant in Montgomery.
“This is a highly sophisticated, robotic welding and automated assembly process demanding high skill levels,” Weaver said. “One of the many reasons we are locating here is the commitments for start-up and continuing training we have received from the Bevill Manufacturing Technology Center and AIDT (Alabama Industrial Development Training).”
“We undertook a very precise site selection search to determine what location would best serve our needs,” said Mid-South’s Weaver. As such, the three corporate partners hired Bradley Arant’s economic development group to research candidate sites, among them, Gadsden, and asked for written proposals showing locational advantages, training and incentives. Weaver said the Industrial Development Authority’s proposal arrived first and was, by far, the best.
Weaver said Gadsden Mayor Steve Means, members of the city council and other pertinent city officials worked fast to meet his needs. “I want to thank all of them for making this project a reality,” he said.