iFixit officials announced Monday that the company will establish its East Coast hub for distribution and innovation in Chattanooga. iFixit will invest $24.2 million and create 201 new jobs in Hamilton County over the next five years, according to a press release by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
iFixit was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California. The company is the hub of the global repair ecosystem by providing repair manuals, parts and precision tools for repairing everything from consumer electronics to power tools.
.@iFixit will create 200+ new jobs as the company establishes its East Coast distribution hub in Chattanooga.
In total, the California-based e-commerce company will invest $24M to locate its new facility in one of Tennessee's Qualified Opportunity Zones.https://t.co/S2FKnvDEx6 pic.twitter.com/DcOVfpgwZV
— TNECD (@TNECD) July 19, 2022
“Our business climate, skilled workforce and central location make Tennessee the ideal state for companies to thrive,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said in a statement. “I thank iFixit for investing in our state and creating new jobs for Tennesseans in the Chattanooga community.”
Around the world, more than eight million people a month, including 700,000 Tennesseans, rely on iFixit to learn how to repair their products. Since its founding nearly 20 years ago, the company has expanded its operations worldwide with facilities in California, Germany, and now, Tennessee, according to TNECD.
The company’s Chattanooga facility will house its distribution and back-office operations, further connecting the California company to its East Coast customer base, in Onion Bottom Station – one of Tennessee’s Qualified Opportunity Zones. Opportunity Zones, established by Congress in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, are designed to drive long-term capital to low-income communities. There are 176 census tracts in Tennessee that are qualified opportunity zones.
“iFixit is a mission driven company, and it was really important to us to find a community that matched our values,” iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens said in a statement. “Chattanooga’s story of environmental restoration mirrors iFixit’s: we refuse to take broken for an answer. iFixit is committed to extending the lifespan of all the products in the world.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “ifixit Future Facility” by TNECD.
