Automotive Suppliers
In recent years, several automotive suppliers have invested, reinvested and expanded their operations and created more jobs in this region. They include Donghee America Inc., Seohan Auto/NTN Driveshaft USA Corp., SCA Inc., Shinhwa Auto USA Corp., Pyongsan America Inc., Daewon America Inc. and Arkal Automotive USA Inc.
This year, Daewon America Inc. announced it would invest $46.2 million in Opelika to expand its facility in the Northeast Industrial Park and add new manufacturing equipment. The move is expected to be complete in 2027 and generate 100 new jobs.
Last year, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that the South Korean company Shinhwa Auto USA Corp. would invest $114 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Auburn Technology Park West by constructing a new 170,000-square-foot production building and adding 50 new jobs.
That same year, Ivey announced that another automotive and industrial parts manufacturer, ILJIN, would spend nearly $100 million for a new facility in Auburn.
In Macon County, Samkwang, which supplies automotive companies Kia and Hyundai, recently revealed a plan to open a new 168,000-square-foot facility at the 700-acre Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park, located 10 miles from downtown Auburn, making it the park’s first tenant.
“This new industrial access on Interstate 85 at Exit 42 is becoming one of East Central Alabama’s premier properties with 700 acres and the potential to host 6 million square feet of new projects in the next five to seven years,” Joe Turnham, executive director of the Macon County Economic Development Authority, says.
And last year, Samkee Corp., opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Tuskegee Commerce Park, having invested $128 million.
Agriculture/ Manufacturing/Food/Pharmaceuticals
Besides automotive supplies, manufacturers in Lee, Macon and Russell counties are producing a range of goods such as lawn and agricultural products, paper and even bottled water.
Briggs & Stratton, in Auburn, makes and distributes lawn mower engines and lawn and garden turf care products, while Beck’s Turf Farms, in Macon and Lee counties, produces sod; and Golden State Foods operates a meat processing plant in Opelika.
In Lee County, the California-based Niagara Bottling LLC is preparing to invest $35 million in its Opelika plant to boost its operation. The company says the investment will create 18 new jobs.
The city of Opelika recently announced that the nutrition and dietary supplement producer Pharmavite would invest more than $13 million to grow its current plant in the city.
Meanwhile, AlaTrade Foods, in Russell County, is planning to invest $2.8 million in its Phenix City facility to build the processes for entering the growing international market for chicken feet.
Higher Education
Lee, Macon and Russell counties are home to several institutes of higher learning that together are infusing billions of dollars into the local economy, creating new direct and indirect jobs and forging partnerships with industry.
The Auburn University system and the university’s alumni together contributed $6.34 billion to the state’s economy in fiscal year 2022, according to a 2023 Auburn University economic impact report.
The same study found that Auburn created 30,296 jobs in addition to its own direct employment. Graduates who remained in the state had an estimated earning power of more than $3.81 billion.
“It’s no question that Auburn University is a strong driver of the economy here in East Alabama, with nationally ranked programs such as engineering and business,” says Cynthia Williford Bean, communications manager for the city of Auburn.
“For decades now, our economic development team has leveraged the university’s influence and the excellent quality of life people enjoy in Auburn to recruit small- to mid-sized, high-tech, value-added companies that make up a strong industrial base,” she says.
In Macon County, the HBCU Tuskegee University has an economic impact of $237.1 million and 2,064 jobs, according to a 2024 United Negro College Fund economic impact report. In addition, the report states that the total lifetime earnings of its 2021 graduates are estimated at $2 billion.
Now, for the first time in nearly 80 years, Tuskegee University is offering flight training at Moton Field, the place where Black pilots, the famous Tuskegee Airmen, trained during World War II.
To revive its flight training program, Tuskegee University teamed with Republic Airways’ Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy, and, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce, LIFT will create 35 high-paying, full-time jobs in Tuskegee over three years, with an average salary of almost $75,000.
At Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, meanwhile, an economic impact study reports that the college in fiscal year 2023-2024 contributed $89.7 million to the local economy and supported 1,309 jobs. The college’s alumni income was estimated at $69.4 million.
Southern Union State Community College’s economic impact study shows that in its service area that includes Lee and Macon counties, as well as Chambers, Clay, Randolph and Tallapoosa counties, the college brought $162.6 million in income to the overall service area’s economy and supported 2,819 jobs.
Tourism/Restaurants
Tourism is another economic engine in the region. In the Auburn-Opelika metro area alone, tourists spent more than $900 million in 2024, according to the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau.
And a robust tourism climate brings jobs. The 2024 Alabama Tourism Economic Report, published by the Alabama Tourism Department, states that the number of direct, travel-related jobs in Lee County in 2024 was 6,702, 165 in Macon County and 976 in Russell County.
The report also stated that the number of both direct and indirect travel-related jobs in Lee County in 2024 was 9,953, with 252 in Macon County and 1,450 in Russell County.
From college football, basketball and women’s gymnastics to men’s golf Division 1 regionals, sports tourism brings big dollars to the region. The 2024 Sports Alabama Annual Report states the Auburn-Opelika region alone held 91 sporting events that year, resulting in an economic impact of close to $36 million in the community.
While home games for Auburn football and basketball brings many visitors to the metro area, other sports attractions in the region include the East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, and the Robert Trent Jones Trail – Grand National in Opelika.
Besides those attractions, the restaurant scene in the region continues to evolve as new eateries open for business.
In the Auburn-Opelika metro area, some of the newest bars and restaurants include the wine bar and Italian restaurant Piedmont on Piedmont, One Forty Grill and Café de Fleur.
In Russell County, La Loma Mexican Grill recently opened its doors in Fort Mitchell, and the drive-thru coffee chain Dutch Bros announced it would open its first Phenix City shop in early 2026.
Business Briefs:
AUGUST 2025: The Slim Chickens franchise holds a grand opening of its new store in Phenix City. The Slims Southern Boys, a family-owned group, holds the event.
JULY 2025: American Airlines and Southwest Airlines add nonstop flights from the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport for several Auburn University and University of Alabama away games.
JULY 2025: Korea Fuel Tech America announces plans to invest $4 million to expand its manufacturing plant at Auburn Technology Park South. The expansion will create 17 jobs.
JUNE 2025: Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc. holds a grand opening for its new $18 million, 24,000-square-foot Auburn Coca-Cola sales center and warehouse. The facility serves as a regional distribution hub.
APRIL 2025: South Korean manufacturer Samkwang announces plans for a new plant at the Regional East Alabama Logistics Park in Macon County. The company supplies Samsung, Kia and Hyundai.
MARCH 2025: Southern Living Magazine names the boutique hotel Graduate by Hilton, located near the Auburn University campus, as one of the 10 Best New Hotels of 2025.
FEBRUARY 2025: Core Scientific Inc. announces it will expand into Auburn with a new high-performance computing facility. The company is planning an initial investment of $135 million for the project.
JANUARY 2025: The Opelika Chamber of Commerce holds a grand opening for its new building at 200 S. 6th St., featuring a state-of-the-art training center and more.
JANUARY 2025: The German grocery retailer Aldi opens its new store in Auburn in the Tiger Crossing Shopping Center in the space once occupied by Winn-Dixie.
NOVEMBER 2024: Tennibot in Auburn debuts The Partner, advertised as the world’s first AI ball machine that gives players the experience of playing against a real human.
OCTOBER 2024: Lumber company Sierra-Pacific Industries opens a new manufacturing plant in Phenix City. The new facility is a $25 million investment and is expected to create more than 200 jobs.
OCTOBER 2024: Both Niagara Bottling and vitamin maker Pharmavite announce plans to expand their operations in Opelika. Niagara commits to invest $35 million and Pharmavite commits $12 million in Opelika.
SEPTEMBER 2024: Automotive and industrial bearings and chassis manufacturer ILJIN announces an investment of $100 million for a new plant in Auburn to enter the aluminum forging market.
JUNE 2024: Samkee Corp., based in South Korea, opens its first U.S. auto parts production facility in the Tuskegee Commerce Park. The plant will employ more than 170.
JUNE 2024: Automotive supplier Daewon America Inc. announces a $46.2 million investment in Opelika for a building expansion and new equipment. The move will bring 100 new jobs.
This article appears in the December 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
