Opinion piece by Dr. Heath W. Padgett, February 15, 2025 In 1993, Alabama was not on anyone’s radar as a hub for automotive manufacturing. That changed when then-Governor Jim Folsom spearheaded negotiations that brought Mercedes-Benz’s first U.S. manufacturing plant to Alabama. The arrival of the German automaker proved to be one of the most transformative economic developments in the state’s history, laying the groundwork for a thriving automotive sector that now includes Ho