NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Pottery Direct International, Inc. officials announced today that the ceramic flowerpot manufacturer will invest $8 million to establish production operations in McKenzie.
Pottery Direct plans to create approximately 40 jobs in Carroll County during the next three years.
“I’m pleased to welcome yet another international ceramics company to the Volunteer State,” Rolfe said. “With our central location and raw materials, Tennessee is one of the nation’s leaders for ceramics industry growth. I look forward to a long partnership with Pottery Direct and the long-term benefits these jobs will have for the residents of McKenzie and Northwest Tennessee.”
Pottery Direct is an international company with offices in North America, Europe and China. The company develops, imports and produces ceramic flowerpots.
Pottery Direct will locate in a vacant industrial building at 1373 Airport Road. The ceramics company will invest in facility upgrades and plans to be operational in McKenzie in the fourth quarter of 2019.
“We chose Tennessee for a variety of reasons, first and foremost because 80 percent of the clay we used is mined nearby,” Company Directors Henk van Woerden and Marthijn van Woerden said. “Secondly, as we started the process we learned that the local natural gas provider has a unique competitive advantage as there are two major natural gas trunk lines passing through the community of McKenzie. Additionally, TVA is a very competitive provider of electrical power. It was impressive to learn about the customizable job training programs offered by TCAT in the local community. We are looking forward to adding long-term value and quality jobs to the local communities near our facility.”
McKenzie and Carroll County are represented by Sen. John Stevens (R – Huntingdon), Rep. Curtis Halford (R – Dyer) and Rep. Andy Holt (R – Dresden) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
Contact:
Monica Heath, McKenzie Industrial Board
(731) 352-2004
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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