The Birmingham News- April 27, 2011
Johnson Controls in Cottondale is the first Alabama auto supplier to land a contract to provide component parts for the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, which will be made at the automaker's Vance factory.The company has produced a number of interior systems and components for both the M-Class SUV and the R-Class crossover, which are currently built in Vance. The C-Class will join the plant's lineup in time for a 2013 launch.
The additional work will add 185 jobs at Johnson Controls. Gov. Robert Bentley's office announced the contract earlier but withheld the name of the company until the 3 p.m. announcement.