QUICK SUMMARY
The short answer: McCalla is growing because the jobs came first. The $1.1 billion J.M. Smucker Uncrustables plant opened in McCalla in November 2024 and was reported as the largest capital investment by a company in Jefferson County. In January 2026 Smucker announced a $27 million expansion of that plant. In June 2026, ITU AbsorbTech broke ground on a $24.5 million plant in Jefferson Metropolitan Park, its first in Alabama. Add the Mercedes-Benz plant in nearby Vance and the I-20/59 corridor, and you get a steady stream of workers who need homes within 15 minutes. That is why McCalla subdivisions keep building and why resale homes there still sell.
McCalla is an unincorporated community in western Jefferson County, about 18 miles southwest of downtown Birmingham on Interstate 20/59, with part of the area spilling into Tuscaloosa County. Ten years ago most people knew it for Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park and the McAdory schools. Today it is one of the most active new-construction markets in the Birmingham metro. This post from The Williams Group at Keller Williams Realty explains what is driving that and what it means if you are buying or selling there. For the full picture of neighborhoods, schools and cost of living, see our Complete Guide to Living in McCalla. Last updated: September 2026.
Key Takeaways
1. Smucker’s 900,000-square-foot McCalla plant opened in November 2024 and is being expanded again with a $27 million investment announced in January 2026.
2. ITU AbsorbTech broke ground in June 2026 on a $24.5 million plant in Jefferson Metropolitan Park, its first Alabama location.
3. Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance is a short drive west on I-20/59, and its workforce has shaped McCalla housing for two decades.
4. Job growth supports demand, but it does not make every house a good buy. Resale homes compete with new construction on price and incentives.
5. McCalla straddles Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties, so taxes, schools and services depend on the exact parcel.
What is the Smucker plant in McCalla, and why does it matter for housing?
The J.M. Smucker Co. announced the McCalla plant in November 2021, started construction in late 2022, and held its ribbon cutting on November 7, 2024. The facility sits on 225 acres, covers about 900,000 square feet, and makes Uncrustables frozen sandwiches. Alabama officials called it the largest single-line bakery in North America, and it was reported as the largest capital investment by a company in Jefferson County. When the project was announced, the county projected roughly 750 jobs at full operation.
On January 29, 2026, Smucker announced a further $27 million expansion to add equipment and increase capacity at the plant. Follow-on investment like that matters more to a housing market than the original ribbon cutting. It signals the employer plans to stay, and it keeps construction crews, suppliers and new hires flowing into the area for another year or two.
For housing, a plant like this does two things. It creates direct jobs for people who want to live within a short drive. And it draws suppliers and service businesses that create more jobs. Both groups shop for homes in McCalla, Hueytown, Bessemer and, on the Tuscaloosa County side, Vance.
What is ITU AbsorbTech building in Jefferson Metropolitan Park?
ITU AbsorbTech is an industrial laundry and textile service company. In June 2026 it broke ground on a $24.5 million processing plant in Jefferson Metropolitan Park, the county’s industrial park in McCalla. It is the company’s first location in Alabama. The plant is not a headline-grabbing size, but it is exactly the kind of supplier-and-services growth that follows a major manufacturer. Industrial laundries serve factories, hospitals and food plants, so a new one in McCalla is a sign that the area’s industrial base has reached the point where support businesses want to be nearby.
Relocating for a job at Smucker, Mercedes or a supplier? We help transferring employees find the right McCalla-area home from out of state. Call or text 205-292-7142 or read our Complete Guide to Relocating to Alabama.
How does Mercedes-Benz fit in?
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance has been the anchor employer for this corridor since the 1990s. McCalla is one of the closest established communities on the Birmingham side of the plant, which is why Mercedes and supplier employees have driven McCalla’s subdivision growth for years. The commute runs west on I-20/59, against the heavier morning flow into Birmingham. Smucker and ITU AbsorbTech add a second cluster of employers on the McCalla side, so a household can now have one person working in Vance and another in Jefferson Metropolitan Park and both be home in 20 minutes.
What does this mean if you are buying in McCalla?
1. Expect competition from new construction. Builders are active across McCalla, and they often offer rate buydowns or closing-cost help. Compare a builder incentive against a resale home’s price, lot size and location before you decide. Our Complete Guide to New Construction Homes explains how to evaluate both.
2. Check the county line. McCalla addresses can be in Jefferson County or Tuscaloosa County. That changes the property tax rate, the school district and who provides services. Confirm the parcel, not the mailing address.
3. Verify the school zone. Most of McCalla is served by Jefferson County Schools through the McAdory feeder pattern. Zones can change as the area grows, so verify the current zone for a specific address with the school system rather than relying on a listing.
4. Ask about sewer. Newer subdivisions are typically on sewer. Acreage and older homes in the area may be on septic. Our guide to buying a home with a septic tank or well in Alabama covers what to check.
5. Get pre-approved first. Well-priced McCalla homes still move. A pre-approval lets you act when the right one shows up.
What does this mean if you are selling in McCalla?
Job growth gives you a steady pool of buyers, many of them relocating on an employer’s timeline. That is good news. The challenge is that those buyers can also walk into a brand-new model home two miles away. To compete, a resale home needs to be priced against actual recent sales, not against the builder’s list price, and it should show well from the first day. Established lots, mature trees, and a finished yard are advantages new construction cannot match, so make sure the listing says so. Our post on pricing your home right in Alabama and our free home valuation are the place to start.
Local TWG Perspective: McCalla is a two-county market
The Williams Group at Keller Williams Realty works both sides of the McCalla area, the Jefferson County side from our Greater Birmingham team and the Tuscaloosa County side from our Tuscaloosa office. That matters here more than almost anywhere else we serve, because the McCalla market does not stop at the county line. Buyers who start in McCalla often end up comparing it with Vance, Brookwood or Cottondale on the Tuscaloosa side, and with Hueytown or Bessemer on the Birmingham side. Sellers in McCalla often get offers from Mercedes families moving east and from Birmingham families moving west.
The other thing we watch is the Tuscaloosa County side of the same corridor. Data center proposals in Brookwood are a few exits west of McCalla on I-20/59. If those projects move forward, they add another employer cluster within commuting range of McCalla and Vance. We cover that story in our Tuscaloosa County news posts and the monthly Greater Birmingham Housing Market Report.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Smucker plant in McCalla?
The plant sits on a 225-acre site in the McCalla area of western Jefferson County, near Interstate 20/59, and is served by the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority. It opened in November 2024 and produces Uncrustables frozen sandwiches.
Is McCalla in Jefferson County or Tuscaloosa County?
Both. Most of McCalla, including Jefferson Metropolitan Park and the McAdory school area, is in Jefferson County. The community extends into eastern Tuscaloosa County toward Vance. Always check the parcel’s county before comparing taxes or schools.
How far is McCalla from the Mercedes plant?
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance is a short drive west on I-20/59, generally 15 to 20 minutes from most McCalla subdivisions depending on the exit.
Is McCalla a good place to buy a home in 2026?
For buyers who work along the I-20/59 corridor or want more house for the money than the close-in Birmingham suburbs offer, McCalla is one of the strongest options in the metro. The trade-offs are a longer drive to downtown Birmingham and a market where resale homes compete with new construction.
How The Williams Group can help
Whether you are transferring in for a job at Smucker or Mercedes, moving up from a starter home in Hueytown, or selling a McCalla house to a relocating family, The Williams Group at Keller Williams Realty can walk you through both sides of the county line. Start with the Complete Guide to Living in McCalla or meet the team on our agents page.
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Sources
Business Alabama, $1.1 billion J.M. Smucker plant opens in McCalla (Nov. 7, 2024) and ITU AbsorbTech breaks ground in McCalla (June 15, 2026). Expansion Solutions, Smucker Expands Alabama Manufacturing Footprint with $27M Investment in McCalla Facility (Jan. 29, 2026). Jefferson County, Alabama, J.M. Smucker Co. to build new manufacturing facility in McCalla (2021 announcement, 750 projected jobs).