Japanese electronics company builds factory in Alabama and hires 80 workers

Japanese electronics manufacturer JST will build a 300,000-square-foot factory in Guntersville and initially hire 80 employees.

Called a manufacturing and design center, the facility will be located in the Conners Island Business Park near Lake Guntersville and the Guntersville Municipal Airport.

JST currently has a manufacturing facility in the city employing around 30 full-time employees, which opened back in 2003. With the project, JST aims to expand its presence in the state’s automotive industry.

Phillip Mosley, division manager at JST, said the factory will be “a showcase for the company and the state, combining our AI-driven automation with Alabama’s natural beauty in a unique facility.”

The company plans to build a factory designed by Osaka-based Ryuichi Ashizawa, known for combining design, landscaping and natural resource conservation. In a statement, JST said the 250-acre site was “ideal for the company’s tradition of providing unique architectural accents with its global facilities.”

Guntersville Mayor Leigh Dollar said the project shows the value of patience in economic development.

“We took great care to select the right tenants for the Conners Island Business Park,” Dollar said. “It is a real honor for a global leader like JST to confirm our long-standing relationship with such a world-class facility.”

JST is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan and works with companies such as Whirlpool, Electrolux, Ford, Tesla, Lucid Motors, Stellanis, General Motors and Bose. The company manufactures components for cable assemblies, airbag pyrotechnics, refrigerators, electric and gas stoves, commercial washers and dryers, LCD monitors and televisions, and DSLR cameras.

JST also has factories in Illinois, Michigan, California and Pennsylvania.