At its annual meeting in November 2025, the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association (AAMA) recognized several companies for their contributions to the state’s automotive industry. Supplier of the Year honors in the large manufacturer category went to International Motors LLC, formerly known as Navistar International.
International manufactures commercial trucks, buses, engines and transmissions, and employs 14,500 employees globally. The company has operated in North Alabama since 2008. Its Huntsville Powertrain Manufacturing Plant is a technologically advanced powertrain manufacturing facility that produces diesel engines and transmissions. The engines and transmissions manufactured in Huntsville are used to supply International’s vehicle assembly plants in Springfield, Ohio, and Escobedo, Mexico.
Building on Tradition
With almost two decades of Alabama operations experience, International has become an important part of the state’s automotive industry. The company employs more than 230 skilled workers in the Huntsville area and already has completed one major expansion of its Alabama facility.
In 2023, International completed a 110,000-square-foot expansion of the Huntsville Powertrain Plant, resulting in a 410,000-square-foot facility. The expansion allowed the plant to transition from a single assembly line to two lines, one for the T14 Transmission and one for the S13 Engine. The facility also incorporates three major machining lines.
The International S13 Integrated Powertrain, which is composed of the S13 Engine, T14 Transmission and Dual Stage Aftertreatment system, is the final combustion product platform the company will develop as it transitions toward zero emissions vehicles, according to a company statement.
The 13-liter engine achieves advanced fuel efficiency and performance through combustion efficiency and a reduction of friction and pumping losses. The dual-stage aftertreatment system saves fleets time and enhances fuel economy, the company says. By eliminating the exhaust gas recirculation, the engine achieves a more complete fuel burn and allows cleaner air to enter the combustion chamber on the intake cycle to mitigate the buildup of soot.
“We are confident to set a new efficiency benchmark in sustainable transportation,” said Brandon Tucker, director of operations at the Huntsville Powertrain Plant when the expansion opened. “The entire team is excited to build the remarkable S13 Integrated Powertrain that will redefine the industry and power our path towards a more sustainable future.”
Making an Impact
In addition to adding new assembly and machining lines, International’s Huntsville plant also made sustainability improvements with the expansion. Those improvements include LED lighting, a wastewater evaporator to minimize wastewater discharge, and new augers to separate recyclables from rubbish to significantly reduce the waste to landfill.
International Motors is committed to making a positive impact on the sustainability of the automotive industry, as well as on the communities in which it operates. Both of those commitments have made it an important part of Alabama’s auto industry.
Over the years, International has invested more than $200 million in the Huntsville plant and has become a vital employer and business in North Alabama. In a statement, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle described International as “one of those great companies that makes Huntsville go. We’re proud that the integrated powertrain is produced in Huntsville and that [International] has been a strong partner and one of our long-term corporate citizens.”
Nancy Mann Jackson is a Madison-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
This article appears in the March 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
