Mazda may face delays at its $1.6 billion Alabama plant it is jointly building with Toyota, senior managing executive officer Akira Koga said at an earnings briefing.
COVID-19 is creating struggles to bring in equipment and workers, hindering progress. Koga didn’t specify how long work may be delayed.
That mirrors what the auto plant leaders told state officials last month.
“On April 9, we informed state and local government officials in Alabama, along with our key suppliers, how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting our ability to maintain critical equipment delivery schedules, creating labor shortages and slowing construction,” Toni Eberhart, spokeswoman for Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, said. “As a result, we will delay the start of production of the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant to a time period later in 2021. We remain focused as a hometown company with a goal to provide up to 4,000 safe and sustainable jobs for North Alabama. We are eager to keep the project moving forward and appreciate the ongoing support of all key stakeholders.”
Mazda and Toyota announced in 2018 they would build the 3.7-million-square-foot joint plant near Huntsville with plans to begin production in spring 2021.
(Alabama NewsCenter contributed to this report. Contact the reporter at [email protected].)
