When Toyota debuted the Corolla Cross in June, it was a source of pride for employees of Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) and the suppliers who built the vehicle. It is the very first vehicle to roll off the Apollo production line at the new MTM plant in Huntsville.
By Claire Aiello
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Soon, many more will be produced and sold at dealerships later this year. A Mazda vehicle will also be unveiled in the near future and will be produced on the Discovery line. Those lines are a tribute by the company to Huntsville’s space heritage, by the way.
The $2.3 billion manufacturing plant is the first joint venture by Mazda and Toyota, and it is a massive undertaking to bring online. To build the vehicles, MTM and its 15 onsite and near-site supplier partners must hire 4,000 more employees. They are tackling this challenge together as Team ONE, with production starting later this year. The team name is representative of the collaborative effort of this partnership with ONE serving to represent MTM along with on-site (O), near-site (N) and everyone (E) that is needed to bring a vehicle from production to market. “Each of us that make up Team ONE appreciates our community’s support, and we will work hard to make you proud of the work we’re doing at MTM so our entire community can be part of Team ONE,” said Hiro Kagohashi, executive vice president of MTM.
MTM positions are posted at mazdatoyota.com. In this feature, we are sharing in-depth information about each of the suppliers. Learn what they make, what types of jobs they’re hiring for, and how to apply.
Aldez manages large-scale 3PL operation for MTM in an offsite warehouse, and provides complete inventory management for General Stores and Oil Stores. General Stores operation consists of indirect material, spare parts, and repair parts necessary to maintain production equipment. Oil stores operation consists of storage, inventory management, and shipping of all fluids contained in each vehicle. Aldez delivers items twice per day to each individual shop within the plant, and also provides lineside delivery services to assembly lines.
Aldez is looking for people with prior experience in general warehouse operations such as forklift, inventory management software, and pick, pack, ship. The company will soon begin seating its 2nd shift team and is hiring about 10 additional people. Apply at aldez.com or call 812-615-0256.
Carter Express performs supply chain logistics and OTR (over the road), and manages the dock operations at MTM. The company is seeking forklift operators and kitting team members. “No prior experience is needed – we will train the right candidate,” the HR manager said. “We are also looking for Team Leaders and they will need at least six months to a year of leadership experience.”
Carter Express is hiring about 160 more people. Email your resumes here: [email protected].
DaikyoNishikawa US, Inc. (DNUS) will create the front and rear bumper for the Toyota vehicle. For the Mazda vehicle, DNUS will produce the front and rear bumper, instrument panel and console and some side and rear garnish.
It will hire up to 400 employees with Mold, Paint and Assembly skills. Apply here: jobs.aidt.edu.
Green Metals handles recycling for MTM, including metal scrap recycling, non-hazardous waste recycling, and hazardous waste storing and handling.
It is hiring about 23 people for the metallic and non-metallic departments, including candidates with the follow-
ing skills: mobile crane, track mobile, forklift, tugger, hazardous waste handling, and CDL driver. Individuals may apply here.
Madison Metal Processing’s core competencies are warehousing and blanking flat rolled steel products for the automotive industry. Inputs consist of large steel coils that are acquired through various American steel mills. “We are the precursor to a stamping line producing formed parts for assembly of a vehicle. Our business
was established to build a company that provided excellent products where doing business was a pleasure for both our employees and our customers. We work hard every day to uphold our values of Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Continuous Improvement,” said Joe Lewis, Business Development Manager.
The company is working to hire about 12 team members by January 2022. Apply at madisonmetalprocessing.com/careers.
Magnolia Automotive Service, LLC is a Tier 1 supplier of Tile and Wheel assembly. This company is seeking up to 50 people with experience in manufacturing. To apply, visit Indeed.com and search for listings by Magnolia.
Nippon Express is a Global Logistics Company providing a one-stop business solution as a logistics consultant that connects people and companies across national and regional boundaries. The company’s role is to handle distribution center operations for Mazda model parts manufactured by MTM and become a primary logistics partner.
Nippon Express is seeking candidates who have experience with forklifts, tuggers, pallet jacks and experience working in a warehouse/distribution or automotive environment, but will also train. The company’s goal is to hire 55 warehouse workers by November. Jobs will be posted on Indeed.com in September.
Penstone USA, Inc. does glass assembly and outside rear view mirror work for Mazda. They are currently hiring team members through a partnership with Vuteq.
Sanoh America, Inc. is located on-site at MTM and produces fluid handling systems.
Sanoh is looking for team-oriented production associates. Qualified candidates must have good attendance and follow all safety and quality procedures while maintaining a clean, organized work area. Apply at sa-careers.com.
Systems Automotive Interiors Alabama (SAIA) is the Tier 1 seat supplier to MTM. SAIA will complete the final assembly and sequencing of the seats for all the Toyota Corolla Cross vehicles and the new Mazda SUV.
The company is looking for all skill levels. It needs team members who will assemble seats in Manufacturing, conduct inspections and lab measurements in Quality, and coordinate shipping and receiving in Production Control. SAIA will hire 175 employees for two shifts that operate on fixed schedules. Hiring is underway for first shift now, and second shift hiring will begin in December. Hourly team members may apply through Onin Staffing Agency, and management positions are posted on Indeed.com.
Toyota Boshoku AKI USA (TBAKI) is an automotive manufacturer building seats for Mazda and Toyota as a Near Site provider for MTM. It is located on Sanderfer Road in Athens.
TBAKI is looking for production workers for first and second shift with skills in welding & assembly, quality lab, production controls, and skilled maintenance techs. Office positions are also available in quality, IT, engineering, and accounting/finance. The company will hire approximately 200 more employees through June 2022. Apply at jobs.aidt.edu or careers-toyota-boshoku.icims.com/jobs.
Toyota Boshoku Mississippi produces the door trim for MTM product. The company is looking for full-time and part-time team members for the shipping department, including material handlers, fork lift drivers, and team leaders. Apply at toyota-boshoku.com/us/recruit.
Vuteq USA (Near Site) is a tier 1 supplier to MTM, located on Greenbrier Parkway. Vuteq’s main business is injection parts manufacturing, injection parts assembly and glass assembly staffing. Currently, Vuteq supplies 38 injected parts to Toyota, including dashboards, and one injected part to Mazda.
Vuteq is looking for team members with or without prior manufacturing experience. Maintenance positions will include general maintenance and mold maintenance along with various other positions.
Vuteq is looking to hire around 50 individuals, and fully staffed, it will have approximately 170 employees on staff. They have hosted a number of career fairs on recent Saturdays at Parkway Place, and positions are also posted on Indeed.
Vuteq is accepting candidate resumes at [email protected], at vutequsa.com, or on their Facebook page Vuteq Alabama.
Vuteq USA (On-Site) is located within MTM. This supplier provides over 70 production service processes to MTM to support vehicle assembly, and is looking for Assembly, Production, and Manufacturing employees. Right now, the company needs about 50 employees. Eventually, it will ramp up to over 300 production employees.
“Everyone has been working really hard to produce the Corolla Cross – they’re extremely proud of what they’ve accomplished,” said Jerry Parish, Vuteq’s Regional Vice President. He is getting his team ready for the ramp-up to full production later this year.
Sheila Cassady, Human Resources Manager, said she is looking for candidates with any type of assembly or production background, but they can also be new to the field. “This is a good place to start. Some of my best hires have come from food service,” Cassady added.
Vuteq is accepting applications at vutequsa.com. Vuteq is offering non-rotating shifts.
Y-tec Keylex Toyotetsu (YKTA) provides structural metal products for both Toyota and Mazda that enhance the safety of the vehicles. This includes both chassis and body components, and workers use metal stamping and welding processes.
“We are seeking production team members who are self-motivated, willing to learn new processes, and who understand our core values of respect and cooperation,” said Lorrie Collins, HR Manager. “In addition, we seek skilled maintenance team members with experience in robotic welding, stamping or die maintenance.” “We are connecting with the local colleges and high schools, really looking forward to when school starts back in the fall to spend some time with the career coaches to make sure students know YKTA is here,” Collins added. “Especially those who are not planning to immediately go into college – we definitely have opportunities, and then on top of that, we have a benefit for educational reimbursement so if later they go and take classes, then there’s that opportunity too.”
YKTA has a colorful map on its wall to keep track of where people have applied from, including the Shoals, Birmingham and Mississippi. “It helps us really see, if there’s an area we’re not reaching, we can put more effort in that direction,” Collins said.
Currently, the company has hired about 200 people and will be hiring 450 more team members. Apply here: YKTAL.com/careers.
This article appears in the August 2021 issue of Initiatives magazine, a publication of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.