Automotive Suppliers and Metalworking
Adient, a global leader in automotive seating, operates a 364,000-square-foot facility in Clanton, and with more than 1,000 employees, it is Chilton County’s largest employer. In March, Adient celebrated the addition of a competitive new program that supports the production of the Nissan P42. Kumi Manufacturing of Alabama, a full-service provider of plastic injection molding parts, is Chilton County’s third-largest employer.
The metalworking sector is another top employer in the county. Franklin Iron Works is a ductile iron foundry headquartered in Thorsby that manufactures iron castings for a range of industries, including water and wastewater management, heavy trucking and transportation, agriculture and construction. O-Flex Metal Finishing, in Clanton, specializes in metal finishing for aluminum products.
Ubique Technologies operates a 55,000-square-foot facility in Clanton where it manufactures prefabricated precision-cut composite kits for the marine, transportation and other industries.
Wood Products/Paper/Food
Boise Cascade Co., in Thorsby, manufactures engineered wood products (EWP) and plywood. A new BCI Joist line to expand the mill’s production capabilities, part of a $140 million investment in three Alabama and Louisiana facilities, became fully operational in early 2026.
West Fraser Lumber, one of the world’s largest producers of renewable wood building products, runs a sawmill in Maplesville.
South Carolina-based South Coast Paper, which specializes in paper converting, roll slitting, rewinding and sheeting services and manufactures a variety of paper products and corrugated packaging solutions, operates a production facility in Maplesville.
Freight company Taylor-Made Transportation Inc., which specializes in flatbed operation and forest products movement, is based in Maplesville.
Performance Foodservice, one of the nation’s largest food distributors and suppliers, operates a warehouse facility in Clanton that serves Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia. It is the county’s second-largest employer.
Healthcare
UAB St. Vincent’s Chilton is a 30-bed full-service hospital that provides 24/7 emergency care along with expert care in more than 20 specialties. It has 225 employees. In February, the hospital installed a new CT system that provides high-definition scans of entire organs in a single 0.23-second rotation, allowing faster, low-dose imaging for cardiac, brain, oncology, bone and pediatric care. Last fall, it became one of six UAB St. Vincent’s locations to launch a pilot teletrauma program and, in partnership with UAB eMedicine, launched a UAB Tele-Intensive Care Unit. In August 2025, the Chilton facility also celebrated the opening of a new wing on its campus that will house a Heart South cardiology office and an orthopedics office.
Higher Education
Birmingham-based Jefferson State Community College operates a campus in Chilton County where it offers a variety of university transfer programs, dual enrollment classes, career and technical education programs and fast-track short certificate programs. The Chilton-Clanton campus will open a new welding lab in January 2027, and a renovation to the college’s nursing wing will open in August. The college also is partnering with the Chilton County School System for a new technical education center scheduled to open in 2028.
Jefferson State and the city of Clanton operate the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, a multi-purpose event, trade show and performance venue adjacent to the Chilton-Clanton campus.
Business Briefs
- JUNE 2026: The new $32 million, 72,000-square-foot Chilton County Courthouse officially opens. The two-story building consolidates courtrooms, licensing and administrative offices to serve as a central hub for county operations.
- JUNE 2026: The city of Jemison opens a new 60-seat community center that is run by the Jemison Public Library and available to rent for $350 a day.
- MAY 2026: ALDOT begins a two-year, $22 million project to replace northbound and southbound I-65 bridges over Walnut Creek in Chilton County.
- MAY 2026: The YMCA of Chilton County hosts its third annual pro rodeo and raises roughly $35,000 for youth programs.
- APRIL 2026: The Chilton County Board of Education and the city of Clanton finalize a deal to build a new senior community center in downtown Clanton. The facility will also be used by the Board of Education.
- MARCH 2026: The Hampton Inn of Clanton officially opens just off Exit 205 on I-65. The new hotel is managed by Birmingham-based Mansa Hospitality.
- FEBRUARY 2026: Monumental Technologies, an audiovisual and IT infrastructure company, moves its operations from Thorsby to downtown Clanton. It also plans to expand services to include both residential and commercial projects.
- NOVEMBER 2025: The Chilton County Commission secures a two-year contract with Regional Paramedical Services that provides three dedicated 24/7 ambulances and an additional daytime “chase” unit to serve the county.
- OCTOBER 2025: The Chilton County Airport receives a $595,000 grant from ALDOT’s Alabama Airport Funding Program to support an airfield pavement and maintenance project.
- OCTOBER 2025: After years of renovations, the historic Peach Country Theater, formerly the Wadesonian Theater, welcomes patrons for the first time in decades with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house.
- AUGUST 2025: The city of Clanton announces plans to construct a new senior center near Goose Pond Park.
