The newest tenant of one of the area’s largest proposed industrial plants could be announced soon.

Reports indicate that Indian automaker Mahindra could soon move into the former railcar plant in Barton, which was leased by Navistar International Corp., earlier this year.

Mahindra Planet, which bills itself as the unofficial U.S. Mahindra news source, cites unidentified sources who say engineers from India have regularly visited the facility over the past two years, and Navistar plans to assemble a pickup truck with a diesel engine from India there, according to the Birmingham News.
Navistar has not officially revealed its plans for the plant.

Local and state officials have cautiously stated that they hoped the plant could eventually employ as many as 2,000 workers.

In September, officials said Navistar would sign a minimum 10-year lease with the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which bankrolled the mile-long facility in Colbert County and now owns it.

RSA loaned about $625 million to Canadian owned National Steel Car, which originally built the facility to manufacture railcars.