On Thursday, LG Electronics broke ground on a new $250 million home appliance manufacturing facility in Clarksville.
LG plans to create at least 600 new full-time jobs to the area with the facility – expected to be the world’s most advanced washing machine factory. LG anticipates the facility to begin operations in early 2019.
TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe joined U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and other dignitaries to celebrate the ground breaking of LG’s first washing machine manufacturing operation in the United States.
“The fact that one of the world’s most innovative and successful home appliance companies is establishing its largest U.S. home appliance operation here in Tennessee is a testament to the strength of our country’s business climate, the promise of our long-term prosperity and our exceptional U.S. workforce,” Ross said.
LG’s new operation accelerates Tennessee’s position as the leading state in the Southeast for home appliance manufacturing. Nearly 10,000 Tennesseans are employed in the appliance production sector, which is the second most nationally. On top of that, the 600-plus-job facility is expected to provide a significant headwind for Clarksville and Montgomery County.
“This truly is a great day for [the Clarksville] community,” Corker said at Thursday’s event.
“Having been a mayor, there’s nothing more important to local officials, and nothing more important to any of us, than heads of households having good paying jobs,” Corker said. “And today, because of what this announcement means, 600 people in this community are going to have good paying jobs.”
TNECD caught up with LG Electronics North America President & CEO William Cho on what attracted the global manufacturer to Tennessee.
Why did LG choose Clarksville for its first washing machine operation in the United States?
WC: Over the course of our multi-year evaluation, we looked at eight different states as possible locations for our facility. In the end, several important considerations made Tennessee the clear choice and best place for LG to establish our first major washing machine operation in the United States.
Tennessee’s excellent business climate and skilled workforce were among the main reasons to establish this facility in Clarksville. LG was attracted to Tennessee because it puts us close to our customer base throughout the U.S. Being in Tennessee also gives us an advantage from a logistics standpoint that we couldn’t necessarily find elsewhere.
