Tuscaloosa County's Mercedes-Benz auto plant, 3M's Guin operations and GATR Technologies Inc. in Huntsville today have been named Alabama's 2013 Manufacturers of the Year.The Business Council of Alabama and the Alabama Technology Network presented the annual awards today at a luncheon in Montgomery, where Gov. Robert Bentley was the keynote speaker.The awards, given in size categories, are chosen based on the companies' leadership, performance, profitability and work force relations. The winners were selected from 17 finalists.

Mercedes-Benz won the large manufacturer award. The German automaker's 3,000-worker plant in Vance, which produces luxury SUVs and crossovers, is in the midst of several expansion projects.The C-Class sedan will join the plant's assembly lines next year, followed by another SUV in 2015. The projects will add about 1,400 new jobs at the factory, which also is expanding its capacity.

3M Guin and its 303 employees make reflective sheeting used in commercial and traffic signs, as well as glass bubbles used in hundreds of applications. The company, which won the medium manufacturer award, has focused on eliminating waste to help save money.The small manufacturer award went to GATR Technologies, which has grown into a multi-million dollar operation that employs 40 people. The company makes compact, portable and inflatable satellite antennas that are used by the military, public safety agencies and the intelligence community.lso during the luncheon, the Decatur-Austin Robotics Coalition was recognized for its high achievement in a national robotics competition in Texas. The program is aimed at inspiring students to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology.