Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Commerce announced that site work is now underway on the new Novelis aluminum mill at Bay Minette, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday.
The $2.5 billion aluminum mill is being built on the 3,000-acre Baldwin County Mega Site by Atlanta-based Novelis. This is the first facility of its kind constructed in this country in forty years. Construction crews are now engaged in earthwork, excavation, and piling. Over the next three months, Novelis will construct two new roadways on the site and expand the utility infrastructure necessary to begin building construction.
The start of the construction project was celebrated last Friday with a formal groundbreaking ceremony attended by Ivey, Congressman Jerry Carl, local dignitaries, and corporate leaders from Novelis, Alabama Power, and CSX railroad.
“I joined my friends down in Baldwin Co. to break ground on @Novelis $2.5B aluminum recycling and manufacturing plant!” Ivey announced on Twitter. “This project is expected to create 1,000 high-wage jobs and will support Alabama’s booming automotive industry.”
Tom Boney is the Executive Vice President and President of Novelis North America.
“Today marks an important milestone for our Novelis team as we ramp up construction and grow our team,” said Boney. “We seek to become an integral part of this community, contributing to the local economy and advancing residents’ quality of life every step of the way. We are grateful for the support we have received from the state, Baldwin County, Bay Minette, and other partners as we build our home here in Alabama.”
The company will recycle aluminum cans into new ones and produce aluminum sheets for use in the automobile industry.
Steve Fisher is the President and CEO of Novelis.
“Through this investment, we want to demonstrate the strength of our growing customer partnerships, the commitment we have to sustainably grow our business, and the innovative, forward-thinking approach we are taking to modern manufacturing,” Fisher stated. “We are especially proud to celebrate our groundbreaking of this state-of-the-art facility on National Manufacturing Day, which highlights the exciting career opportunities available in our industry.”
The company emphasized that the plant will be a low emitter of carbon.
Bay Minette Mayor Robert “Bob” Wills was on hand to welcome the massive new employer to his small Baldwin County town. Wills said that workers will be well compensated for their efforts.
“I believe the average salary to be paid by Novelis is about 65 thousand dollars, so that’s certainly a handsome salary, so I think a lot of people would be interested,” Wills told NBC Channel 15. “We have a small-town atmosphere. Our goal is to try to maintain that.”
Baldwin was already the fastest-growing county in Alabama and is also one of the fastest-growing counties in America. This new employer will only add to the county’s transformation.
Novelis expects to open the new plant sometime in 2025.
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