Alabama’s third- largest city, 75 miles north of Birmingham, has long been known for its engineering prowess. The city is nicknamed the Rocket City for its role in U.S. space missions associated with the area’s U.S. Space & Rocket Center. In January, Toyota and Mazda announced plans to build together a $1.6 billion auto plant in the city of 193,000; it will eventually employ 4,000 people and assemble 300,000 vehicles a year.