Pace Industries, LLC officials recently announced that the company will invest $2.8 million in Jackson to expand manufacturing operations at its Lower Brownsville Road facility.
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SK Food Group, Inc. Announces $205.2 Million Investment in Bradley County
Custom foods manufacturer SK Food Group, Inc. announced that it will invest $205.2 million to construct a production facility in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Read the full storyZLINE Kitchen and Bath Announces Multimillion-Dollar Expansion Project in Gibson County
On Wednesday, ZLINE Kitchen and Bath announced a multimillion-dollar expansion in its Northwest Tennessee distribution operations by locating a new facility in Milan.
Read the full storyNew Survey Shows Wisconsin Businesses See Recession Ahead
Battered by ongoing high inflation, a majority of Wisconsin businesses see a recession ahead, according to Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s latest Wisconsin Employer Survey.
WMC’s survey finds 60 percent of businesses believe the Badger State economy is headed for a recession this year. On the surface, the number appears to be an improvement from last summer’s survey when 71 percent of respondents worried a recession was looming. But Nick Novak, WMC’s vice president of communications and marketing, said more employers moved from being sure about a recession to uncertain about the economy.
Read the full storyNokian Tyres Announces $174.1 Million Expansion Project in Rhea County
Nokian Tyres officials recently announced that the company will invest $174.1 million to expand operations at its Dayton facility to “double its tire production capabilities.”
Read the full storyIn-N-Out Burger Announces Plan to Build Restaurants, Corporate Office in Tennessee by 2026
In-N-Out Burger, the popular west coast fast food chain, has announced expansion plans to build restaurants and a corporate office in Tennessee by 2026.
Read the full storyTennessee Touts 2022 Economic Developments: 16,000 Job Commitments, $8.6 Billion in Private Investments
Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) posted their picks for the top five new business investments in the state during 2022.
In all, about 100 projects were supported by TNECD statewide in 2022, resulting in more than 16,000 jobs and $8.6 billion in private investment, according to the department.
Read the full storySummertown Metals, LLC Announces $11 Million Expansion Project in Lewis County
Tennessee-based company Summertown Metals, LLC officials recently announced that it would invest $11 million to expand its manufacturing and distribution operations in Lewis County.
Read the full storyGeneral Machine and Tool Company Announces $3.7 Million Expansion Project in Carter County
General Machine and Tool Company, Inc. officials recently announced that the company will invest $3.7 million to expand manufacturing operations at its headquarters in Elizabethton.
Read the full storyFood Manufacturer Announces $2.2 Million Investment in Overton County
HealthVerve Food Manufacturing USA, Inc. officials announced Thursday that the company will invest $2.2 million to establish new manufacturing operations in Livingston. HealthVerve was founded in 2006 and is a high-value food manufacturer that specializes in canning processes and invests in research and development to bring wholesome and nutritional products to the public.
Read the full storyNew Third Quarter Business Filings in Tennessee Set Record
A new Quarterly Business and Economic Indicators report issued by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office revealed that new business filings in the third quarter of 2022 were the highest for a third quarter in the 24-year history of the data being collected.
Read the full storyUltium Cells Announces $275 Million Expansion Project in Spring Hill
Ultium Cells LLC officials recently announced that the company would invest $275 million to expand its in-progress battery cell manufacturing plant in Spring Hill. Ultium Cells is a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors that supplies battery cells for GM Ultium Platform-based electric vehicles.
Read the full storyUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga Soon to Begin Offering Degrees in Cybersecurity
The University of Tennessee (UT) Board of Trustees approved a plan that allows UT Chattanooga to begin offering degrees in cybersecurity beginning in the spring 2023 semester.
Read the full storyDepartment of Economic and Community Development Announces Two Major Projects Coming to Knoxville, Clarksville
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced two new economic investment projects are underway in the Volunteer State that are expected to create 175 new jobs in total.
Read the full storyAmericans for Prosperity Calls Out Oracle for Reported Layoffs While Receiving Taxpayer Money
Following a report that tech company Oracle has begun laying off workers from its Nashville location, the libertarian conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity is calling on state and local leaders to scrutinize the company especially after it received “nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money.”
Read the full storyHardcoat Technologies LLC Announces $6.6 Million Expansion in Knox County
On Friday, Hardcoat Technologies LLC officials announced that the company will invest $6.6 million to expand manufacturing operations at its Papermill Drive location in Knoxville.
Read the full storyNew Balance Announces New Distribution Center in Wilson County
Athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer New Balance Athletics announced that the company will invest $68.5 million to establish a new distribution center in Lebanon.
Read the full storyShelby County Jobless Rate at 5.6, More than Double Williamson County’s Rate
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development recently released county unemployment data for the month of August.
Read the full storyLithium-Based Company Announces $582 Million Investment in Southeast Tennessee
Piedmont Lithium officials announced Thursday that the company would invest $582 million to establish a lithium hydroxide processing, refining, and manufacturing facility in Etowah.
The new facility will be located at the North Etowah Industrial Park, creating 117 new jobs in McMinn County. According to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), the facility will be America’s largest “lithium hydroxide processing” facility.
Read the full storyHankook Tire Announces $612 Million Expansion in Montgomery County
Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd officials announced Monday that the company will invest $612 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Montgomery County.
Read the full storyThird Topgolf Location in Tennessee Opens in Knoxville
Topgolf Entertainment Group, a global sports and golf entertainment company, recently opened its 79th global venue in Knoxville. The new entertainment venue has brought roughly 300 jobs to the Knoxville area.
Read the full storyKnoxville Public Service Department to Host Job Fair on September 15
The city of Knoxville’s public service department announced that it will hold a job fair on September 15th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., located at the Public Works Service Center.
The Public Service Job Fair is geared toward job seekers “looking for steady, satisfying outdoor work that helps keep Knoxville clean and operating efficiently,” the department wrote in a press release.
Read the full storySurvey: 56 Percent of Companies Dropping COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates to Retain Talent, Grow Workforce
According to Price Waterhouse Coopers 2022 Pulse survey, business leaders are implementing a range of measures to retain talent and grow their workforce, including dropping COVID-19 vaccine mandates as a condition of in-person employment.
According to the survey, 56% of companies said they were dropping COVID-19 vaccine mandates for on-site work. The survey findings, published Aug. 18, came after vaccine mandates continue to be challenged and overturned in courts and after it remains questionable that the COVID-19 vaccines were effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Read the full storyVentcon, Inc. Announces $6.7 Million Investment in Madison County
Ventcon, Inc. officials announced on Tuesday that the company will invest $6.7 million in Madison County to establish its first manufacturing operations outside of the company’s headquarters in Allen Park, Michigan.
Read the full storyAlfresco Pasta Holds Grand Opening Ceremony for New Operations in Crockett County
Alfresco Pasta Brand, LLC held a grand opening ceremony Tuesday in Bells, Tennessee to celebrate the company’s expansion in Crockett County. The ceremony comes after the company announced in March its intention to invest $3.8 million to expand and relocate its operations from Nashville to Bells.
Read the full storyManufacturing Company Announces $95 Million Investment in Bedford County
Duksan Electera America, Inc. officials announced Wednesday that the company will invest $95 million to locate its first North American manufacturing facility in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Duksan Electera is a branch of the South Korean-based Duksan Group which is an advanced material manufacturer.
Read the full storyNew Company Invests $8.2 Million in Williamson County to Relocate Headquarters from Illinois
Highland Ventures Ltd. officials announced Monday that the company will invest $8.2 million to relocate its headquarters operations from Glenview, Illinois, to Brentwood, Tennessee. The company “is planning to take advantage of the unprecedented growth” within Brentwood to support its expansion strategies.
Read the full storyTechnologyAdvice, LLC Announces $2.7 Million Investment in Nashville to Expand Headquarters
TechnologyAdvice, LLC officials announced this week that the company would invest $2.7 million to expand its headquarters and other back-office functions in Nashville, Tennessee.
Read the full storyTennessee Hills Distillery Announces $21.3 Million Investment in Sullivan County
Tennessee Hills Distillery officials announced Monday that the company will invest $21.3 million to expand in Northeast Tennessee by adding a Bristol location to serve as the company’s new headquarters. The company’s newest investment joins its existing operations in Jonesborough and Johnson City.
Read the full storyiFixit to Invest $24.2 Million in Chattanooga, Creating 201 New Jobs
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).
Read the full story2022 McMinn Regional Job Fair Set for July 21st at Athens Regional Park
The McMinn County Economic Development Authority is hosting the 2022 McMinn Regional Job Fair at Athens Regional Park on July 21. The job fair will be held from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (EST) and will host over 20 regional employers with current job openings ready to hire.
Read the full storyNashville Mayor John Cooper Announces Formation of the Youth Career Exploration and Alignment Opportunities Task Force
On Wednesday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced the formation of the Youth Career Exploration and Alignment Opportunities Task Force, according to a press release from Cooper’s office.
Read the full storyKroger Expected to Bring 180 Jobs to Nashville with New ‘Spoke’ Facility
Kroger Fulfillment Network, LLC officials announced Thursday that Kroger Co. will offer more Americans product delivery through the addition of a “spoke” facility in Nashville. The project is expected to bring 180 new jobs to Davidson County.
Read the full storyMichigan Gov. Whitmer Touts $77 Billion 2023 Budget, Despite No Tax Relief
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is touting the $77 billion 2023 fiscal year budget that she says will improve Michigan’s economy and workforce.
Whitmer bragged that the budget negotiated with Republicans doesn’t raise taxes. However, it also keeps $7 billion of taxpayer money locked in state coffers while spending another $7 billion more than the prior budget.
Read the full storyOnly Two Tennessee Counties Saw Unemployment Rates Above Five Percent in May
New data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) on Thursday showed unemployment rates increased slightly during May in each of the state’s 95 counties. However, even with the minimal increases, 93 of Tennessee’s 95 counties maintained rates lower than 5% for the month.
Read the full storyStudents from Across the Nation Are Competing at SkillsUSA’s National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta This Week
This week, from June 20th-24th, students from across the United States are gathering at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for SkillsUSA’s 58th annual National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC).
Read the full storyTennessee Unemployment Rate Increases Slightly from Previous Month’s Historic Low
Preliminary data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) indicated Tennessee’s unemployment rate for May 2022 increased slightly from March and April’s record-breaking rate of 3.2%.
Read the full storyOnly One Tennessee County Had Unemployment Rate Higher than Five Percent in April
Only one Tennessee county had an unemployment rate above 5% during the month of April, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Perry County was the only county with a rate above 5%, coming in at 5.1%. Although coming in with the highest rate for April, Perry County was down 0.1 of a percentage point from its March rate of 5.2%
Read the full storyFebruary Unemployment Rate Drops in Every Tennessee County Following National Trend
Unemployment rates dropped in every Tennessee county in February, according to new data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). The department made the announcement in a press release Thursday.
Read the full storyNew York City Fires over 1,400 Workers Who Failed to Meet Deadline for COVID-19 Vaccine
New York City recently fired nearly 1,500 municipal workers who failed to comply with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, officials said Monday.
City officials said 1,430 workers were fired Friday and that the number represents less than 1% of the city’s 370,000-person workforce. The number was also far smaller than what they had predicted.
Read the full storyWisconsin Union Membership Hits All-Time Low in 2021
Union membership in Wisconsin is about half of what it was a little over a decade ago.
The latest numbers from the Department of Labor show a steep drop in union membership in Wisconsin since 2009.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Unemployment Reaches Lowest Level Since January 2020
Unemployment in Tennessee reached a two-year low in December, according to new data that the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) released late last week. The state ended 2021 with an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, which was 0.2 of a percentage point lower than the rate it recorded in November. Over the past year, Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 1.8 percentage points from 5.6 percent to 3.8 percent.
Read the full storyMinnesota Gov. Walz Wants to Give $700M Back to Taxpayers
Gov. Tim Walz says he plans to send 2.7 million Minnesotans “Walz Checks” up to $350 as part of his 2022 Local Jobs and Projects Plan.
“To continue growing Minnesota’s economy, we must invest in the people who made it strong in the first place,” Walz said in a statement. “By investing in workforce development, cutting taxes for the middle class and working families, lowering costs, and expanding access to resources like technical education and high-speed broadband, we will improve economic prosperity across the state and grow the workforce we need to compete.”
The proposal aims to deliver $700 million in direct payments to Minnesotans funded by Minnesota’s tax surplus.
Read the full storyMissouri Economic Leaders Give Glimpse of How $2.6 Billion in Federal Pandemic Funds Will be Spent
Missouri’s Department of Economic Development (DED) recently previewed how Gov. Mike Parson plans to allocate the state’s $2.6 billion portion of federal pandemic funds.
In late December, Maggie Kost, acting director of the DED, outlined major priorities for Missouri’s portion of the more than $195 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. A total of $350 billion will be delivered to the 50 states and the District of Columbia and local and Tribal governments throughout the nation to support the response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The total amount of ARPA funds, passed in March 2021, is $1.9 trillion.
“We want to give you an idea of what to expect as we get into the legislative and budget session here in January,” Kost said. “As you’re planning and setting priorities locally for communities, we want to make sure you have an idea of what’s to come so you can think about how to leverage state funds as you’re building out your local priorities.”
Read the full story$10 Million Grants Awarded for Semiconductor Manufacturing in Central Florida
With chip and semiconductor shortages expected to last through the year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida is continuing its investment in local technology initiatives to strengthen the economy and job growth and eventually offset future production delays.
Osceola County and Valencia College received nearly $10 million in funding through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to support semiconductor and other advanced technology manufacturing in the county.
The award includes $6 million to assist with developing infrastructure connecting the county’s emerging NeoCity technology district with its workforce, and $3.7 million to Valencia College to develop a new program that will train students in utilizing robotics technology for semiconductor manufacturing. The two awards are designed to help create manufacturing jobs and develop a talent pipeline to support industry growth.
Read the full storyMichigan’s $40 Million ‘Going Pro’ Fund Helps 30,000 Train and Get Jobs
A $40 million project is estimated to help 30,000 workers statewide secure employment through the state’s Going PRO Talent Fund.
The program aims to lure back Michigan’s workforce lost during COVID-19, encourage specialization, and help businesses fill jobs in a tight labor market. Between Feb. 2020 and April 2020, Michigan’s labor force plunged by 341,500 or 6.9%. Labor force levels in Michigan have rebounded modestly, increasing by 139,400 or 3% percent from April 2020 to August 2021.
Read the full storyBoeing Suspends Vaccine Mandate for Employees
Boeing Friday said it has suspended its requirement that U.S.-based employees be fully vaccinated or face losing their jobs.
The announcement comes as several attempts by President Joe Biden to require vaccinations for workers in various settings have been blocked by courts in recent weeks.
“Boeing is committed to maintaining a safe working environment for our customers, and advancing the health and safety of our global workforce,” a company spokesperson told KOMO News. “As such, we continue to encourage our employees to get vaccinated and get a booster if they have not done so. Meanwhile, after careful review, Boeing has suspended its vaccine requirement in line with a federal court’s decision prohibiting the enforcement of the federal contractor executive order and a number of state laws.”
Read the full storyResolute Forest Products in Calhoun Announces 350 Layoffs Just Days Before Christmas
Resolute Forest Products Inc. (formerly known as Bowater) announced the indefinite idling of pulp and paper operations at its Calhoun, Tennessee mill, according to a press release by the company. The company anticipates that the decision will directly affect 350 hourly and salaried positions.
Read the full storyChild Tax Credit Is Driving Americans Toward Entrepreneurship, Has Little Effect on Workforce
A new study suggests that the child tax credit (CTC) is not reducing overall employment nationwide but is driving some low and middle-income parents away from their private sector jobs and toward self-employment.
The study, led by researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis’ Social Policy Institute and Appalachian State University and provided exclusively to the Daily Caller News Foundation, found that the monthly payments had barely any impact on the job market whatsoever, contradicting concerns that the tax credits would worsen the labor shortage. It also found that adults were far less likely to list child care as a reason for unemployment, with the share of people saying so dropping from 26% to below 20% once they began receiving the payments.
Read the full storyBill Would Stop Income Taxes for Ohio College Grads for Three Years
A lawmaker wants Ohio college graduates to put their degrees to work in the state, and he wants to eliminate state income taxes for three years for those who take a full-time job in Ohio.
Rep. Jon Cross, R-Kenton, also wants more out-of-state students to choose higher education in Ohio by offering 100 merit-based scholarships to the top students in other states.
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