SL Alabama to add 200 jobs

June 24, 2010

SL Alabama announced Wednesday it plans to add 200 jobs at its Alexander City facility.

JS Kim, president of SL Alabama, said the company will soon undergo a 75,000 square foot expansion will increase their building administration and production floor capacity by 35 percent. The automobile manufacturing plant currently has over 520 employees, and they expect to be able to add over half of the 200 new jobs before the end of 2010.

“I would like to thank Mayor Young and the Alexander City Council for their cooperation and support,” SL Alabama President JS Kim said during the announcement. “I would also like to thank Tallapoosa County, the state of Alabama and Don McClellan and Sandra Fuller with the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance. Without the support of all of these, the success of our company would certainly suffer.

Finally, the City of Alexander City, Tallapoosa County and the State of Alabama: be assured that our commitment to the people of this area is stronger today than ever.”

The expansion will cost almost $3 million for the building and over the next two years in excess of $20 million in machinery and equipment will also be added to the facility.

SL moved to its current location in 2003 and completed their first building of 145,000 square feet in April of that same year. Since then, an additional 60,000 square feet has been added and the next expansion will bring its total size to 280,000 square feet.

Alexander City Mayor Barbara Young said the new jobs will be a huge asset to the city.

“We’re going through a time when jobs are needed so badly and you’re going to provide those, so I just want to say to you welcome again, thank you so much for what you’ve done and we look forward to continuing this relationship for a long time,” she said.

Sen. Ted Little also thanked SL for their contribution to economic development.

“Two-hundred jobs, in addition to what you’ve already done, is very meaningful not only to East Alabama, but very meaningful to the state of Alabama,” Little said. “The key word politically these days is growing jobs. Alabamians – those of us in government trying to keep government operating with efficiency and not raise taxation – we have to do it by growing jobs and you’re doing a major part of that and we thank you.

For information regarding employment with SL Alabama, contact Allegiance Staffing in Alexander City or Temp Force in Sylacauga.

This article was reproduced from the June 24, 2010 edition of the Alex City Outlook and was written by Natalie Nettles.