The German auto parts manufacturer BOCAR will build a new plant in North Alabama and hire 300 high-tech workers to supply parts for regional automobile manufacturers, officials announced today. Work on the plant will start in spring 2018 on a site adjacent to I-65 near I-565 in the part of Huntsville located in Limestone County.

BOCAR will invest $115 million in a state-of-the art plant, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said, and it will pay "great wages." Battle added that "for every one of these jobs, two-and-a-half other jobs are created for people who will work in your drug stores, your grocery stores and maybe even building a house for someone working there."

BOCAR Chief Financial Officer Gerd Dressler said the company "started with more than 40 options in the U.S. and narrowed it down. And in the end, we were really convinced that Huntsville, Ala., is the place for us to be." Dressler cited the area's workforce, good infrastructure and universities as keys to the decision.

"Everybody was courting you. They wanted you because you're a great company, great environment, great jobs," said Limestone County Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough, a part of the regional recruiting team. "But once this day is over, then it's time to roll up sleeves and get to work. And we have no peer at that. Nobody can compete with Huntsville-Limestone County and this area in what we can do after this day is over."

"Make no mistake, the leader of the team Mayor Tommy Battle," Yarbrough added.

Battle also credited Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Commerce. "Alabama is a premier destination for the automotive and automotive supplier industries, and we are proud to welcome BOCAR to our state," Ivey said in a statement. "BOCAR choosing Alabama is another sign our state is moving in the right direction and doing all we can to attract good-paying jobs for all Alabamians."

BOCAR is considered a Tier 1 auto parts supplier and uses advanced manufacturing techniques to build parts such as intake manifolds, oil pans and oil pumps for a variety of automobile companies. People interested in jobs at the plant should monitor the state's jobs website.