Just four months after the announcement of a $25 Million expansion at it’s Opelika facility, Mando America has announced the layoff of half the Opelika workforce. The company serves General Motors as well as Hyundai. GM recently announced a longer than normal plant closing for the holidays. As the Big Automaker returns to production, Opelika employees should be recalled back to the plant. Opelika’s Mayor was optomistic in a recent quote in the OA News, “Fuller said he was optimistic about the company’s stability and future, citing an expansion under construction at the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park plant.” According to Alabama Live, “The company has said the expansion will create 77 jobs. The project would increase its investment in Opelika to $86 million and total employment to more than 500 in the next three years” With the announcement of Toyota’s first loss in 70 years and plans to stop construction on a Mississippi plant, it’s obvious that this isn’t just a problem in the north. I suspect the big question in lots of minds in this area is will any of this affect the KIA Construction in West Point? The plant which is expected to open in November 2009 will employ 2,100 workers from the area. Cost of the construction project is $1.2 Billion. Read an August update of the plant from the AJC here! (Photo Credit: www.mediabistro.com)
From the Archives — originally published on the Opelika Daily News on December 22, 2008. View the original page.
