A new $14-million care center is providing consolidated on-site access to an array of health care services as well as a fitness center to more than 4,000 Hyundai workers in Alabama.
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama opened the facility in mid-February, according to a press release. The site provides medical, physical therapy and emergency services alongside a gym and work apparel store, all in one location.
The center replaces Hyundai’s previous medical clinic, emergency response station, fitness center and team wear store, which were all located in different locations on the Hyundai campus. The new center consolidates services and provides more convenient access, Scott Posey, a spokesman for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, said in an email to Automotive Dive.
The medical clinic provides medical exams and treatment for workers, while the physical therapy center offers therapeutic services for staff. The new fitness center boasts “upgraded facilities,” per the release. The care center will also house an emergency response team, which can respond to medical emergencies across the wider Hyundai campus.
Posey added that health and fitness centers are common at Hyundai locations around the world, but Hyundai Alabama’s original medical center was designed when the Montgomery plant had fewer than 2,000 workers. The facility’s workforce has since grown to roughly 4,200.
“Combining all of these services under one new roof will not only improve efficiencies but improve the overall customer service experience for our team,” he said.
The center “was specifically designed to support our community of diverse and dedicated Team Members who bring the best Hyundai and Genesis vehicles to life for the North American market,” Chris Susock, the Hyundai facility’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
The center’s opening follows a stalled effort by the United Auto Workers to unionize Hyundai’s Alabama facility. Workers claimed organizing campaigns at Hyundai and other nonunion automakers faltered after the automakers raised worker pay and gave employees bonuses, according to The Wall Street Journal.
