Southern Automaking: sponsored information - Brief Article

Automotive Industries,  July, 2002  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

A supportive business environment, motivated workers, aggressive job training programs and financial incentives have prompted automakers from around the world to establish factories south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The plants--which are operated by major domestic and international automakers -- produce more than one third of all U.S.-made cars and light trucks and employ one fifth of all workers in the industry.

According to a 2001 report prepared for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the South Atlantic and East South Central regions of the United States are second only to the East North Central region -- home of the Motor City-when it comes to auto-related employment and compensation. That includes the many suppliers -- and suppliers of suppliers -- who've migrated to the region, as well as other types of spin-off businesses.

Automotive Industries' Southern Automaking supplement is a salute to the South's growth as an auto-making region and to the states, manufacturers and suppliers who've spurred this economic development.

Plants and production

Alabama

Honda

Location: Lincoln, Ala.

Year built: 2001

Models produced: Odyssey minivan

Annual production: 150,000 vehicles

Square footage: 1.7 million

Number of employees: 2,300 at full production

Hyundai

Location: Hope Hull, Ala.

Year built: 2005

Models produced: Sport sedans, SUVs, Engines

Annual production: Projected at 800,000 vehicles

Square footage: Undetermined

Number of employees: Will employ 2,000

Mercedes

Location: Vance, Ala.

Year built: 1997

Models produced: M-class SUV

Annual production: 80,000+

Square footage: 1 million+

Number of employees: 1,942

Georgia

Ford

Location: Hapeville (Atlanta), Ga.

Year built: 1947

Models produced: Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable

Annual production: 215,100 in 2001

Square footage: 2.5 million

Number of employees: 2,328

General Motors

Location: Doraville, Ga.

Year built: 1947

Models produced: Chevrolet Venture, Pontiac Montana, Oldsmobile Silhouette

Annual production: 226,857 in 2001

Square footage: 3.5 million

Number of employees: 3,455

Kentucky

Ford

Location: Louisville, Ky.

Year built: 1955

Models produced: Ford Explorer and Sport Trac; Mercury Mountaineer

Annual production: 282,042 in 2001

Square footage: 3.2 million

Number of employees: 3,844

General Motors

Location: Bowling Green, Ky.

Year built: 1981

Models produced: Chevrolet Corvette

Annual production: 35,535 in 2001

Square footage: 1 million

Number of employees: 801

Toyota

Location: Georgetown, Ky.

Year built: 1988

Models produced: Camry sedan, Avalon sedan, Sienna minivan, Solara beginning in fall 2003

Annual production: 446,082 in 2001

Square footage: 7.5 million

Number of employees: 7,000

Louisiana

General Motors

Location: Shreveport, La.

Year built: 1978; additional facility 4th Qtr. 2002

Models produced: Chevrolet S10 pickup and GMC Sonoma, Chevy Colorado

Annual production: 154,048 in 2001

Square footage: 2.1 million; 1.5 million at new facility

Number of employees: 2,172

Mississippi

Nissan

Location: Canton, Miss.

Year built: Spring 2003

Models produced: Full-sized pickups and SUVs for Nissan and Infiniti lines, Nissan Quest and Nissan Altima in 2004

Annual production: 400,000

Square footage: 3.5 million

Number of employees: 1,300

South Carolina

BMW

Location: Spartanburg, S.C.

Year built: 1993

Models produced: Roadsters, coupes and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles

Annual production: 60,324 2002 YTD

Square footage: 2.3 million

Number of employees: 4,300+

Tennessee

Nissan

Location: Smyrna, Tenn.

Year built: 1983

Models produced: Altima, Xterra and Frontier

Annual production: 500,000

Square footage: 5.2 million

Number of employees: 5,800

Saturn

Location: Spring Hill, Tenn.

Year built: 1986

Models produced: S-Series sedans and coupes, Vue

Annual production: 175,193

Square footage: 4.6 million

Number of employees: 6,516

Texas

General Motors

Location: Arlington, Texas

Year Built: 1954

Models produced: Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade

Annual production: 203,153 in 2001

Square footage: 3 million

Number of employees: 2,645

Virginia

Ford

Location: Norfolk Va.

Year built: 1925

Models produced: Ford F-150 light pickup trucks

Annual production: 239,040 in 2000

Square footage: 2.2 million

Number of employees: 2,320 in 2000

Understanding ergonomics and anti-fatigue matting: A solution for standing workers

Long-term standing negatively affects workers' productivity and health. Standing eight hours every day for years takes its toll on the body, causing varicose-veins, low back pain, leg pain and fallen arches. To fully appreciate standing's impact on workers, we need to understand the laws of ergonomics -- specifically the importance of body mechanics to maintaining employee health.

The ultimate goal of ergonomic design is optimal performance, which can be realized when we create comfortable, healthy and safe work environments. Anti-fatigue matting is an important and necessary aspect of safe, comfortable, and healthy work environments. These ergonomic products can play a huge part in injury prevention and fatigue reduction.