Mercedes Benz US International (MBUSI) is expanding in Alabama, bringing with it a new facility at its Vance campus, as well as new jobs to aid in the production of electric cars.

MBUSI is partnering with Birmingham development company Graham & Company for the $53.6 million project.

"Graham & Company was selected as the project's developer after MBUSI conducted a competitive bid process," explained Henry Graham, vice president of the commercial development firm. "[Our] development and brokerage team worked together to secure the most ideal site to serve the growing needs of MBUSI. That, and our experience developing buildings for MBUSI and its suppliers, gave MBUSI the comfort needed to award the job to our team."

The new center will be built in the Tuscaloosa County portion of Vance, just off Will Walker Road.

MBUSI has been headquartered in Vance since 1997 and currently makes several lines of Mercedes Benz vehicles on almost 1,000 acres. The plant size is more than six million square feet.

The MBUSI facility will serve as a distribution and sequencing center for electric vehicle parts and components needed for MBUSI's assembly line.

According to Graham, the newest Mercedes Benz location in Alabama will be a cross-docked Class A industrial building of concrete tilt-wall construction. It also will be fully air-conditioned and have parking for more than 250 tractor trailers.

Located on 53 acres of land, the facility will encompass 530,000 sq. ft.

Looking at the project from an employment standpoint, the new center will create 373 new jobs in the area, according to figures supplied by MBUSI to the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority (TCIDA).

The Mercedes Benz expansion also will directly serve the forthcoming production of electric vehicles at the Vance Plant.

"The introduction of electric vehicles to the assembly line should be a catalyst to the already tight industrial real estate market in and around the greater Tuscaloosa and Birmingham markets," Graham explained.

He also said the new facility has a construction completion date of November 2021 and will be fully online in 2022.

"We're excited for this fresh development and are looking forward to seeing all MBUSI has to offer in Alabama."

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