Automotive supplier Kobay South celebrated the groundbreaking for its plant expansion at the McIntosh Road Industrial Park with a special ceremony on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Kobay South produces stamped metal vehicle parts for the automotive industry, such as seat components. According to its website, more than 60 percent of its products are made for Honda, which has a car manufacturing facility in nearby Lincoln.
Kobay also operates a 137,000-square-foot plant in Toronto, Ontario.
The company first came to Oxford in 2016 to open its second plant when, with the assistance of the Calhoun County Economic Development Council, it began its lease on the EDC’s 60,000-square-foot speculative building under a 13-year agreement with the EDC and the city of Oxford. The company began hiring its initial slate of 75 employees in April of that year.
Part of the attraction to the building at the time was the ability to double the size of the facility if needed, and Thursday’s ceremony signaled that need had arrived.
The new $8 million expansion will add 54,000-square-feet to the current plant and will also expand the necessity for approximately 50 additional employees.
Council president Chris Spurlin represented the city of Oxford saying Kobay had outdone what the company said it would originally do a decade ago.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years, and it’s a great achievement to double what you have here,” Spurlin said. “We thank you for your investment in our community.”
Calhoun County EDC director Don Hopper said the council’s investment in buildings like Kobay’s “is what we have to continue to do.”
“When I drive by, I see 70 cars here and they don’t just represent an employee in the building,” Hopper said. “Those jobs represent families. The people here can provide better Christmases for their families because of the efforts we may have made and the investments Kobay has made.”
Angela Smith with the state Department of Commerce represented Gov. Kay Ivey at the ceremony.
“When a company like Kobay chooses to expand, it sends a strong signal this is a place where businesses can succeed, grow, and plan for the long term,” Smith said. “Kobay’s continued investment in Oxford reinforces the strength of this region’s industrial base and the role it plays in Alabama’s broader manufacturing economy.”
Kobay president Gavin Galansky recalled his first visit to the site.
“We had spent weeks looking across Tennessee and Alabama,” Galansky recalled. “We saw this building and it stood out. It was an opportunity and we knew we had the chance to build something. This is a very important day for Koby, not just because we’re breaking ground on this expansion, but because of what this represents – the creation of many automotive manufacturing jobs right here in this community. This is not speculation. This is not a bet. This is a result of years of work by the 90-plus associates here whose effort and commitment made this possible, the confidence our customers have placed in us, and the unwavering support of the Calhoun County Economic Development Council.”
“We came here because the community, Calhoun County, the city of Oxford, and the state of Alabama took a chance on us,” he continued. “We made a commitment to create jobs, build a team, and become part of the community, and this community met us halfway. That partnership is the reason this plant exists today. This plant is strong with a solid team of people, strong leadership, and a business that is performing. The building is not the story. The story is the people inside this plant because, at the end of the day, machines don’t build great companies, people do. What we have here in Oxford are people who show up every day, take ownership, solve problems, and get the job done. That’s why we are standing here today and proud to be a part of this community.”
This is the second major industrial expansion in Oxford announced in the past month as Associated MetalCast announced a $6.24 million upgrade to its two facilities and the addition of 50 jobs in March.