Hoover lies at the crossroads of the growing automotive industry in Alabama and the Southeast.  In 1997, the first M-Class rolled off the Mercedes-Benz production line in nearby Tuscaloosa, launching the beginning of the automotive industry in Alabama. Today, Alabama has become a key player in automotive manufacturing in the U.S. vehicle assembly plants for Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai, an engine assembly plant for Toyota, and the Toyota-Mazda assembly plant. Each of these facilities are within a 1.5 hour drive of Hoover.  Hoover is also in close proximity to a growing automotive supplier network serving OEMs in Alabama and neighboring states.

As manufacturing operations continue to grow, so do their needs for research and development. The Hoover region offers the talent, central location and competitive business costs for advanced manufacturing research and development.