STEELE, ALA. - August 15, 2012 - The St. Clair County Economic Development Council announced the recent expansions of the Rain Bird facility and Yachiyo Manufacturing of Alabama (YMA) facility both located in Steele, Alabama.

Rain Bird Corporation is a privately held company founded in 1933 in Southern California, and is currently the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services.  It located a manufacturing, assembly and distribution facility in Steele, Alabama in 2008 in the building previously occupied by Saks.  It opened with 25 employees and has announced their second expansion since coming to Steele, which will raise their employee headcount to over 70 employees.  The expansion includes a $2.4 Million capital investment in the facility's equipment.

"We are excited about the growth experienced in our Steele facility.  This will allow our company to increase its Southeastern footprint and distribute to our customers more effectively.  We appreciate the support of the local governments in our efforts." - Anthony Nix, Rain Bird

Yachiyo Manufacturing of Alabama (YMA) is an automotive supplier specializing in automotive frame parts for the Honda facility in Lincoln, Alabama. The company, headquartered near Tokyo, Japan, originated in 1951 as a component painter for Honda motorcycle parts.  It established its location in Steele, Alabama, in September of 2000, shortly before the opening of the Honda facility.  Since its opening, YMA has expanded three times and grown from 150 employees in 2001 to its current 220 employees.  Its most recent expansion came after Honda's announcement to add the Acura MDX luxury sport utility vehicle to its production lineup.  This has spurred a $13.5 Million capital investment for YMA, and will increase employment by 66 employees and payroll by $1.1 Million.