By Shana Daley
From the September/October 2015 Issue
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd recently announced that DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee will expand its automotive components and systems manufacturing plant in Maryville making it one of the largest operating campuses in DENSO Corporation’s worldwide operations.
With a workforce of more than 3,100 employees, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee is Blount County’s largest employer. The company will create 500 new jobs and invest $400 million to expand its manufacturing capabilities and construct a new warehouse. Due to expanded production needs at two of the company’s manufacturing plants, the existing warehouse will be converted to manufacturing space and a new consolidated warehouse will be built on the company’s current campus.
“We want to congratulate DENSO on its latest expansion and the 500 new jobs they will create in Maryville and Blount County,” Gov. Haslam said. “Today’s announcement is another indication of the momentum Tennessee has in the automotive manufacturing sector. As the largest employer in Blount County, DENSO supports numerous families throughout East Tennessee, and we are grateful for the company’s commitment and continued investment in our state.”
“DENSO has been an outstanding corporate citizen in Tennessee, and we appreciate the significant investment the company has made in our state and the thousands of jobs it has created for our workforce over the years,” Boyd said. “It has been less than a year since I became commissioner, and this is the second expansion DENSO has made at one of its Tennessee facilities during that time. I thank the company for creating 500 additional jobs in Blount County and wish them much continued success in the future.”
“Thanks to our skilled associates and their dedication to manufacturing the highest quality automotive technology, DENSO remains committed to investing in this region and creating jobs,” said DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee President Jack Helmboldt, who is also a DENSO Corporation global executive director. “I would also like to thank Governor Haslam, Commissioner Boyd, other state and local leaders, the Blount Chamber Partnership and TVA for their support in making this expansion possible.”
A key supplier of advanced technology to the automotive industry, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee produces starters, alternators, instrument clusters and a wide range of electronic components and systems. The Maryville campus consists of four manufacturing plants on 194 acres and has undergone eight major expansions.
“Once again, the collaborative efforts of the Blount Partnership, the state of Tennessee, the cities of Alcoa and Maryville and many others have produced a win-win environment for our regional community,” Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell said. “This announcement speaks volumes in support of our efforts at local cooperative processes. We welcome the DENSO expansion and look forward to forging long lasting, mutually productive relationships.”
To celebrate its 25 years in Maryville, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee has chosen to give back to its community by donating a gift $50,000 to Blount Memorial Hospital and a separate gift of $50,000 to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
INSTITUTIONAL CASEWORK INC. GROWS IN UNION CITY
Institutional Casework Inc. (ICI) officials have announced the company will expand its current operations in Tennessee, opening a new manufacturing facility in Union City. ICI is expanding due to market demand and will invest $6.2 million in this new facility, creating 200 new jobs in Obion County.
“We want to thank Institutional Casework Inc. for choosing to expand in Tennessee and the new jobs in Union City and Obion County,” said Gov. Bill Haslam. “Our focus has been not only fostering a business climate that helps businesses be created here but also grow and succeed, and it’s exciting to see companies like ICI thriving and expanding their footprint here in Tennessee.”
“Our industry realized a dramatic change in just the last few months and, we needed a building where we could take immediate possession with little or no adaptations required,” ICI President and CEO Jim Arthurs said. “For several months, ICI investigated potential sites in Henry, Carroll and Obion counties. We were delighted to find a building of adequate size, with a skilled workforce in place and where local city and county governments were willing to work with us.”
The Obion County facility will be located at the Lennox Building at 503 E. Reelfoot Ave. in Union City. This expansion in Union City will house the manufacturing of ICI laboratory-grade painted steel casework and furniture, phenolic laboratory casework and work surfaces under the division name ICI Laboratory Products Division of Union City.
Established in 2006, ICI is a West Tennessee-based corporation. ICI builds laboratories and learning environments for K-12 schools, community colleges, universities and the pharmaceutical industry. ICI is known for flexible, functional and innovative products. The company offers design assistance and coordinates projects through casework, fixtures, custom fume hoods, work surfaces, safety showers, workstations and overhead service centers from start to finish.
All ICI products and brands are sold nationally and internationally through an extensive network of dealer/distributors for casework specific to educational K-12, college and university, health care, pharmaceutical, industrial, petro-chemical, municipal, library, athletic and OEM markets.
The company hopes to begin metal casework production in early 2016. ICI is working with the Tennessee Career Center in Union City to host a job fair later this year.
