Factory grows in T-town, means new jobs

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - Auto parts manufacturer ZF is launching a $14.6 million expansion of its plant in Tuscaloosa, which should see dozens of additional jobs as a result.

Gov. Robert Bentley attended the Friday announcement of what will be ZF's third expansion at the Alabama plant that opened in the 1990s.

The Tuscaloosa News reports the expansion will add 60,000 square feet to the factory - increasing its size by about 38 percent. It should also add about 85 new workers to the payroll, boosting ZF's total employment in Tuscaloosa to nearly 400.

The plant is expanding so that it can begin making axles for a new generation of Mercedes C-Class sedans in 2014. The site will produce up to 400,000 axles per year.