Birmingham, AL – One industry expert says Alabama's Tennessee Valley is a likely focus as Volkswagen searches for a U.S. assembly site.
One obvious contender is a Tennessee Valley Authority-certified site in Limestone County near Athens. The city of Huntsville also has generated talk by annexing large areas of land in the same area.
State officials earlier identified sites in north Alabama along Interstate 65 that could handle an automotive assembly plant.
Michael Randle is editor and publisher of Birmingham-based Southern Business and Development magazine. He says Volkswagen might find the region attractive because of the number of high-tech companies in Huntsville and a highly skilled work force.
Randle also notes that Toyota has done well with its engine assembly plant in Huntsville, which employs about 1,000 people.
Volkswagen said last week it has narrowed its search for a U.S. factory to Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan.
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Information from: The Birmingham News
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