Indigo dye processing and distribution company to create 50 jobs
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd along with Stony Creek Colors, Inc. officials announced today the company will locate a new facility in Springfield. The indigo plant processing and distribution company will expand to invest $7.2 million over the next five years and create 50 jobs in Robertson County.
“We welcome Stony Creek Colors to Springfield and we are fortunate that such a unique company has chosen to locate a new facility in Tennessee,” Boyd said. “More than 1,400 Tennesseans are employed in the synthetic dye and pigment manufacturing industry and it is great news that Stony Creek Colors will be adding these valuable jobs to the industry and Team Tennessee.”
Stony Creek Colors is an emerging U.S. manufacturer of bio-based dyes for the textile industry and is expanding production of their flagship product, natural indigo for denim and other clothing items. The company contracts with local farmers for its indigo supply in order to sustainably produce its natural indigo dye with full transparency and authenticity.
“Stony Creek Colors could not be more excited about our move to Springfield,” Stony Creek Colors Founder Sarah Bellos said. “Robertson County’s rich agricultural history made it the perfect place to bring experienced farmers into our producer network as we expand natural indigo production in the U.S. As more consumers seek to understand the sources behind the clothing they wear, it is critical we ensure that U.S. farmers have access to value-added crops that meet the growing demand for bio-based colors.
“This has truly been a successful statewide and community effort for us and we are proud to be working to make Robertson County the indigo capital of the world. Roger Blackwood and the Robertson County Economic Development Board along with Margot Fosnes at the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Howard Bradley were critical in making the move to Springfield work! Commissioner Boyd and his team at TNECD ensured the facility could be upgraded to suit our growing needs. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has helped us reach more farmers under contract for the 2016 growing season. Charlie Brock and his team at Launch Tennessee prepared us to attract the funding needed to grow from an idea into a scalable business,” added Bellos.
The new Springfield facility will be used to produce bio-based dyes to be sold to major denim and clothing manufacturers. With this location, Stony Creek will be closer to local farmers who will grow the indigo plants used in its dyes. The company, with the help of Robertson County Economic Development Board, will renovate an old tobacco processing plant for the new facility. The renovations include repairing loading docks, floors and stairwells and making sure the building is up to code. The new facility will be ready for operations in June 2016.
“We throughout the Robertson County community are very excited to see this expansion come to fruition,” Robertson County Mayor Howard Bradley said. “This is the culmination of two years of hard work by so many people in a number of ways. The opportunity for local farmers in Robertson and surrounding counties to sell their indigo for processing locally is a great step forward not only for us, but the entire region. We look forward to a long relationship. Welcome to Robertson County!”
“TVA and Springfield Department of Electricity congratulate Stony Creek Colors on its decision to locate in Springfield,” TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley said. “We are pleased to partner with the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce, Robertson County Economic Development Board, Robertson County, city of Springfield and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help facilitate new job creation in our region, a fundamental part of TVA’s mission of service to the Valley.”
The company will be expanding to more Robertson County farms in 2017 and encourages farmers to reach out to [email protected] and visit during its field day this summer. Job openings can be found on the company’s website at stonycreekcolors.com/pages/careers.
Springfield and Robertson County are represented Sen. Kerry Roberts (R – Springfield) Rep. Sabi “Doc” Kumar (R – Springfield) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Team Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Tennessee is the only three-time winner of “State of the Year” for economic development by Business Facilities magazine. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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