Novelis Inc. broke ground today on a $2.5 billion aluminum recycling and rolling plant on the Baldwin County Mega Site in Bay Minette. The plant is expected to employ 1,000 people and produce 600 kilotons of finished goods each year.
State and local economic development officials called it “one of the largest economic deals in Alabama history.”
The company plans to pay an average wage of $65,000, some 53% higher than the county’s current average wage.
Steve Fisher, president and CEO of Novelis, said, “Through this investment, we want to demonstrate the strength of our growing customer partnerships, the commitment we have to sustainably grow our business into the future, and the innovative, forward-thinking approach we are taking to modern manufacturing. 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.”
Lee Lawson, president and CEO of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, added, “Novelis’s economic impact will be felt in this community for many years to come and we are proud to partner with them for the betterment of Baldwin County and our residents. We are eager to drive our community forward and adding an emphasis on the importance of recycling and manufacturing to our area helps us do that. We are excited to see measurable results immediately and looking to the future.”
“Aluminum cans are an important form of packaging that, when recycled, play a vital role in our overall efforts to reduce waste,” said John Murphy, chief financial officer of the Coca-Cola Company, when the new plant was announced in May. “The announcement of this new, low-carbon recycling and rolling facility by our longtime partners at Novelis will benefit the Coca-Cola system, our customers and consumers, while reducing impact on the environment.”
Beyond aluminum beverage cans, the plant will produce aluminum for the automotive industry, which hopes to work toward sustainability goals in part through the use of the lighter weight metal. Novelis notes that its aluminum products are now found in 225 vehicle models around the world.
The plant is expected to open in 2025.
Novelis had net sales of $17.1 billion in fiscal year 2022. A subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, Novelis is called the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, which is based in Mumbai.
