Heavy Metal, Heavy Growth!
Auburn’s manufacturing sector is getting another sizable vote of confidence. Aluminum die casting company 2A USA is putting $32 million into its local plant, creating 50 jobs and expanding production for the heavy truck industry.
The expansion announced by Gov. Kay Ivey will increase 2A USA’s ability to cast and machine complex, large aluminum components for North American heavy truck customers. For Auburn, the investment adds another chapter to a manufacturing relationship that has already lasted more than a decade.
From Italy to Auburn
2A USA is the North American division of Turin-based 2A S.p.A., an Italian company specializing in advanced aluminum high-pressure die casting. The Auburn operation dates to 2014, when the company acquired an existing facility in Auburn Technology Park West and installed advanced die-casting and machining equipment.
Five years later, 2A invested another $15 million in the plant. Now comes the $32 million expansion, along with 50 additional jobs and more capacity to produce advanced aluminum components labeled “Made in the USA.”
That long timeline is what makes the latest investment more interesting than a single expansion announcement. International manufacturers do not simply arrive in Alabama. Some stay, reinvest and become part of the local industrial base.
Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair pointed to 2A’s continued growth as an example of the lasting role foreign investment can play in Alabama’s economy, while Ivey described the project as a sign of confidence in the state’s workforce and business environment.
Part of a Bigger Manufacturing Story
Auburn has quietly built a fairly diverse industrial footprint. According to the City of Auburn’s manufacturing overview, its four industrial and technology parks contain 43 small- to medium-sized, technology-based manufacturers employing nearly 4,400 people.
Those companies serve industries ranging from automotive and aerospace to medical, electronics, defense and energy, with businesses originating in the United States and several countries overseas.
2A fits neatly into that picture. Its newest investment is about heavy truck components, but the larger story is the manufacturing network Auburn has spent years assembling around skilled workers, technology parks and international companies willing to make repeat investments.
For 2A, Auburn has gone from a U.S. foothold to an important piece of its North American operations. For the city, another $32 million says the relationship still has room to grow.
For more companies helping power Alabama’s manufacturing economy, explore the directory at https://www.guidetoalabama.com/manufacturing.