Auto Supplier IAC Closing Cottondale Plant, Cutting 83 Jobs
International Automotive Components Group North America will close its Cottondale plant and cut 83 jobs, according to a notice the auto supplier filed with the state Tuesday.
The layoffs begin December 31, six years after the company expanded the Cottondale operation with $34.3 million and a promise of 119 new jobs.
The closure was announced on the WARN list, a publication of the Alabama Department of Workforce where companies report closures and mass layoffs affecting large numbers of workers anywhere in the state.
IAC announced the Cottondale expansion in October 2020, alongside a separate $21.6 million upgrade at its Anniston facility. Gov. Kay Ivey’s office promoted both projects at the time.
Nick Skwiat, IAC’s executive vice president and president of its North American operations, said then that “Alabama was the logical choice due to its skilled workforce and proximity to the customer.”
The Cottondale plant sits minutes from the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Vance. IAC manufactures instrument panels, door panels and consoles.
Donny Jones, CEO of West AlabamaWorks, said movement among auto suppliers is a constant in the industry.
“The auto industry is very dynamic and there is continuous movement within suppliers as products are introduced, phased out, and new ones introduced,” Jones said. “The West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, West AlabamaWorks and other regional partners work closely with all of our businesses in the manufacturing industry as well as other industries to help manage employment changes.”
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