The automotive sector is the largest industry in Butler County, employing more than 1,100 workers. The county is home to three companies in the supply chain for Hyundai and Kia — Hwashin America Corp., Hyundai Steel and DL/A.
Hwashin America, a Tier 1 automotive chassis and body parts supplier, has undergone several expansions at its Greenville facility in recent years, adding jobs and investing millions of dollars. In November 2025, the company announced it will create 40 more jobs. The expansion is slated to open in October 2027.
WOOD PRODUCTS
Timberland covers much of Butler County, and the forests provide the backbone of the county’s second-largest industry. Wood products companies such as Boise Cascade and Structural Wood Systems employ more than 500 people in Butler County.
MACHINED METAL PARTS
Connector Manufacturing Co., a Hubbell brand, is a manufacturer of machined metal parts in Greenville. After a recent expansion, Hubbell Corp. is now the third largest employer in Butler County, with approximately 280 employees, says David Hutchison, executive director of the Butler County Commission for Economic Development. Over the past two years, the company has invested more than $25 million in the Greenville community.
TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS
Butler County benefits from its location along Interstate 65 and the CSX rail line, making it attractive for industrial and logistics businesses, says Tracy Salter, executive director of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Freight and trucking businesses benefit from major transportation routes,” she says.
As an example, in April 2025, Four Star Freightliner opened a new location in Georgiana, marking the company’s eighth dealership. The new facility, strategically located off I-65, provides drivers and fleet owners with a convenient, full-service location for repairs, maintenance and parts. To open the location, Four Star Freightliner invested $200,000 in the community and added 10 new jobs.
Covington County
TEXTILES
In Covington County, the manufacturing industry employs 14% of the workforce (2,136 people), and the largest companies manufacture textiles.
For example, Shaw Industries, a carpet yarn manufacturer and Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, is the largest manufacturer in the county, employing 1,050 people. The company recently completed a $300 million upgrade and renovation project. Shaw was recently named to Newsweek’s 2026 list of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging & Community, an honor that celebrates organizations delivering exceptional workplace culture, fostering belonging and building strong communities.
Another major textile employer in the area is American Apparel, which makes military uniforms and employs 200.
MEAT PROCESSING
In September 2025, longtime Alabama company Conecuh Sausage opened its new $58 million facility in Andalusia, adding 110 new jobs and bringing a new industry to Covington County. Just 26 miles away from the company’s original location in Evergreen, the new facility features modern, updated technology and a 76-acre campus to process and ship Alabama-made sausages to 49 states and U.S. military bases around the world.
AVIATION
The South Alabama Regional Airport in Andalusia provides maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities. It’s also home to a branch of the Alabama Aviation College, a program provided in partnership with Enterprise State Community College.
The airport has a heliport that offers hot and cold refueling to military and civilian helicopters. A major Australian helicopter firm, McDermott Aviation, and its longtime U.S.-based business partner, Isolair Inc., recently opened operations at the airport and have hired approximately 30 people.
HEALTH CARE
About 20% of the Covington County workforce, or 1,950 people, work in the health care and social assistance industry, says Jacob Morgan, president and CEO of the Covington County Economic Development Commission. Many of these workers are employed in local hospitals, rehab centers and clinics.
EDUCATION
Lurleen B. Wallace Community College is one of the area’s key employers, with 216 employees. The college also supports 716 additional jobs through operations, construction projects and student spending. According to an independent economic impact study, students and alumni of LBW contribute a total of $60.8 million to the local economy, an amount equal to one out of every 64 jobs.
Crenshaw County
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS
The two largest manufacturers in Crenshaw County, both in Luverne, are ITAC Alabama, which makes automotive frames for Hyundai vehicles, and Dongwon Autopart Technology Alabama, which makes automotive door parts, inner assemblies and more.
In late 2025, ITAC Alabama, formerly known as SMART, announced a 37,000-square-foot expansion at its current facility. When complete, the expansion is expected to create 100 jobs.
DISTRIBUTION/MANUFACTURING
Distribution is another major sector for the county’s economy. Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls Inc., which makes and ships goods throughout the country, is the third-largest manufacturing employer. The fourth is Pepsi Bottling Company of Luverne, which recently opened a new, expanded distribution center, featuring 14 loading docks, 400 products, and increased capacity. The new distribution center, built with a grant from the state, spans 75,000 square feet and will allow the company to employ about 90 workers, an increase from the 79 employed at its former historic facility.
HEALTH CARE
Another leading economic engine is health care. Crenshaw Community Hospital employs 130 workers, and Luverne Health & Rehab, a local nursing and rehabilitation facility, employs 164.
Lowndes County
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS
Two automotive suppliers are among the largest manufacturing employers in Lowndes County. Daehan Solutions Alabama makes interior sound solutions components and employs almost 300 workers. Sejong Alabama LLC, located in Fort Deposit, makes mufflers and exhaust systems. Many of the products are headed for the Hyundai plant in Montgomery.
PLASTICS
The largest manufacturing employer in Lowndes County is Saudi Basic Industries Corp., located in Burkville. Saudi Basic makes engineered, high-performance plastics used in office equipment, electronics and computers, and employs more than 300 workers.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture also is a leading sector for the county, with employers like Priester Pecans, Koch Foods and Bates Turkey Farm among the largest employers. In Letohatchee, American Colloid Co. makes bentonite clay, which is used in animal feed supplements.
Business Briefs:
NOVEMBER 2025: ITAC Alabama, an automotive supplier located in Crenshaw County, announced a 37,000-square-foot expansion at its current facility. When complete, expansion is expected to create 100 new jobs.
NOVEMBER 2025: Hwashin America Corp., an automotive supplier currently operating in Butler County, announced that it will begin construction of a new manufacturing facility in the area that will involve an investment of more than $60 million. The expansion is expected to create 40 new jobs and is slated to open in October 2027.
NOVEMBER 2025: Aquatic Leisure Technologies Group, an Australian manufacturer of fiberglass swimming pools, announced plans to establish its first U.S. production facility in Covington County after a two-year site search across the United States. The company plans to construct a 56,000-square-foot facility on a 22-acre site in Opp, where it will manufacture its Aqua Technics Pools line. The project is expected to create 15 to 20 jobs initially.
SEPTEMBER 2025: Longtime Alabama company Conecuh Sausage opened its new $58 million facility in Andalusia, adding 110 new jobs. Just 26 miles away from the company’s original location in Evergreen, the new facility in Covington County features updated technology and a 76-acre campus to process and ship Alabama-made sausages to 49 states and U.S. military bases around the world.
AUGUST 2025: The Busy Ant Travel Center broke ground on an $8 million facility in Georgiana, just off Interstate 65. The facility will include a 12,000-square-foot truck stop featuring several stores including Subway, an electric vehicle charging station and fueling stations. The project is estimated to bring 30 new jobs to the community.
AUGUST 2025: The Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Luverne opened a new, expanded distribution center, featuring 14 loading docks, 400 products and increased capacity. The new distribution center, built with a grant from the state, spans 75,000 square feet and will allow the company to employ about 90 workers, an increase from the 79 employed at its former historic facility.
APRIL 2025: Four Star Freightliner opened a new location in Georgiana, marking the company’s eighth dealership. The new facility, just off I-65, provides drivers and fleet owners with a convenient, full-service location for repairs, maintenance and parts. Four Star Freightliner invested $200,000 in the community and added 10 new jobs.
FEBRUARY 2025: Sims Bark, a major supplier of mulch to big-box stores, announced the development of a new plant in Florala, in Covington County. The multi-million-dollar project is expected to open in early 2027 and bring 10 jobs initially, eventually growing to about 40 workers.
AUGUST 2024: Pigeon Creek Manufacturing, also known as Yellowhammer Ammunition Co., opened in Greenville. The facility produces 9-millimeter range and defensive hollow-point ammunition for commercial and government contracts, with a goal of international distribution. With a $4 million capital investment in Butler County, the company employs 76 people.
JULY 2024: Connector Manufacturing Co., a Hubbell brand, announced a significant expansion. Over the past two years, the company has invested more than $25 million in the Greenville community, adding an estimated 140 jobs. The expansion will make Hubbell the third-largest employer in Butler County with almost 270 total employees.
This article appears in the April 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
