A major automotive supplier is transforming a historic industrial site into its largest campus. New job listings offer an early look at the opportunities taking shape.
GADSDEN, Ala. — For more than two decades, the former Gulf States Steel property has stood as a reminder of an industrial era that ended, taking with it jobs and opportunities that once supported generations of local families. Now, a new chapter is beginning on those same grounds.
Minth Group, a global automotive supplier, is moving forward with a $430 million manufacturing project on approximately 400 acres of the former steel mill property. The company plans to establish its largest campus worldwide in Gadsden, with employment eventually expected to reach more than 1,300 positions.
The numbers alone make the project significant. But behind them is a story that reaches beyond a factory announcement: a long-idled industrial site, a city working to recruit new employers, and families who could see new employment opportunities closer to home. And for residents wondering what those opportunities might look like, the company's job postings are beginning to provide some answers.
A place with history gets another chance
The former Gulf States Steel and Republic Steel property is more than an industrial site.
For many longtime residents, it represents a part of Gadsden's working history. The loss of steelmaking operations around the turn of the century left a lasting mark on the community.
Redeveloping the property presents an opportunity to bring manufacturing activity back to land already closely associated with industrial employment.
Minth announced its plans in March 2026 and broke ground on August 3, marking a major milestone in a project that city and state economic development officials had worked to bring to Gadsden. Rather than constructing a small operation on undeveloped land, the company plans to renovate and expand the former steel mill into a manufacturing campus approaching 1 million square feet.
The facility is intended to produce plastic and aluminum automotive components, supplying manufacturers including Hyundai's Montgomery operations and Kia's assembly plant in West Point, Georgia.
For a city whose industrial identity has long been shaped by steel, tires and manufacturing, the new project represents a potential return of large-scale industrial employment — this time in a changing automotive economy.
Why a global company chose Gadsden
The Alabama Department of Commerce describes Minth as Taiwan-based, with 78 plants around the world. The company's products include automotive trim, structural components and systems used in conventional and electric vehicles. Its U.S. operations, including the Gadsden hiring, run through Minth North America Inc., based in Wixom, Michigan. The Gadsden campus is expected to become a flagship U.S. operation.
When the project was announced, William Chin, Minth's chief strategy officer and the son of its founder, thanked the mayor, local economic development partners and Gadsden State Community College for “seeing the diamond in the rough before we did.”
Mayor Craig Ford's administration, the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority and state economic development officials have been involved in advancing the project.
At the August groundbreaking, Ford characterized the investment as an important step for Gadsden's future, tying the manufacturing project to broader efforts to create jobs and improve the city's quality of life.
David Hooks, CEO of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority, said in the city's announcement that the company had already made substantial progress since acquiring the site in March. The involvement of local contractor Greer Building Contractors also creates a connection between the redevelopment and Gadsden's construction industry.
For the city, attracting the company is an economic development milestone. The next test will be translating the investment announcement into operating production lines, sustained employment and a long-term industrial presence.
What could the new jobs pay?
For people considering a career change, one of the most important questions is straightforward: What kind of work will be available, and what could it pay?
Alabama Department of Commerce records list Minth Big and Beautiful Alabama, LLC, with an estimated 1,325 new jobs and an estimated average hourly wage of $23.65.
That is an average projection across the planned employment base, not a guaranteed starting wage for every position. The company has also advertised several Gadsden-area positions with specific salary ranges.
Examples found in publicly available job listings include:
- Electrical maintenance technician: $22 to $32 per hour.
- Mechanical maintenance technician: $22 to $32 per hour.
- Production section leader: $55,000 to $80,000 annually.
- Environmental, health and safety manager: $90,000 to $120,000 annually.
- Program manager: $90,000 to $110,000 annually.
- Assembly and welding technician: $22 to $30 per hour.
These examples show the range of technical, supervisory and professional positions associated with the expanding operation. They do not represent all 1,325 projected jobs.
The ranges above are as advertised in October 2026. Positions, pay ranges and availability may change as recruitment progresses.
Looking for a job at Minth?
Minth posts its Gadsden openings under the name Minth North America on major job boards.
Search current openings: Minth North America jobs in Gadsden on Indeed and on ZipRecruiter.
Applicants should verify openings, qualifications, compensation and application instructions directly with the employer.
When will the factory open?
At the August groundbreaking, David Hooks said the company was advancing toward the beginning of production in 2027.
The project is expected to develop over time, with hundreds of jobs anticipated in its earlier stages and employment potentially growing to approximately 1,325 as operations expand.
That distinction matters: the full projected employment figure is not an immediate hiring count.
Construction, equipment installation, recruitment and manufacturing preparation will determine how quickly the campus reaches its planned capacity.
The company has not provided a verified schedule showing when every projected position will be filled.
What this could mean beyond the factory gates
Large manufacturing investments can influence communities in ways that extend beyond a single employer.
Workers spend money at local businesses. Manufacturing operations purchase goods and services. Contractors, suppliers and transportation companies may find additional opportunities.
A project of this scale could also create new demand for workforce training, especially in electrical maintenance, industrial machinery, quality control and advanced manufacturing.
Gadsden State Community College was among the local partners acknowledged by Minth leadership when the project was announced.
The potential benefits extend to people who may never work directly for Minth. However, increased economic activity is not automatic. Its eventual scale will depend on hiring, local purchasing, wages, business growth and the plant's long-term performance.
The public investment behind the private project
The Minth project has also received government economic development assistance. In March, the Gadsden City Council unanimously approved a tax-abatement agreement covering certain non-educational property taxes, construction-related transaction taxes, and mortgage and recording taxes for a 10-year period. The council is weighing a similar 10-year incentive package for a proposed $20 million downtown hotel.
Separately, Alabama Department of Commerce records list estimated state jobs and investment credits for the project.
Those incentives are intended to support investment and employment, but their final use and fiscal impact depend on the applicable agreements, eligibility requirements and actual project performance. The investment commitment, projected employment and public assistance all provide measurable benchmarks for future reporting.
A new chapter, with a lot still ahead
The former steel mill's redevelopment has already reached two milestones: the announcement of a major investment and the beginning of work to transform the property.
For Mayor Ford's administration and the local economic development organizations involved, the project is a prominent example of their efforts to recruit industry and restore employment opportunities at major former industrial sites. For residents, the most meaningful milestones are still ahead.
They will come when production begins, workers receive their first paychecks, and the company's planned investment translates into lasting activity on the property. Gadsden has seen major industries come and go. That history gives the Minth development particular significance. A property once associated with the loss of industrial jobs now has a new company preparing to manufacture products for a different generation of vehicles. Whether the full promise is realized will take time to establish.
But for one of Gadsden's most recognizable former industrial sites, the next chapter is no longer just a proposal. It has begun.
Want to follow the project? Etowah Wire will continue tracking Minth's construction progress, hiring announcements and the manufacturing campus's development as the company moves toward production. Find more coverage in Business.