The Morristown area in eastern Tennessee has steadily grown its global reputation as a leading manufacturing center since the arrival of German-owned conglomerate BASF more than seven decades ago. Then, to diversify its economic base, Morristown began attracting automotive and advanced manufacturing companies in the 1980s.
Now home to more than 100 manufacturers, the area hosts several Japanese manufacturers, among them Tuff Torq (a division of Yanmar), OTICS, Kawasaki, San-Ei Seiko and JTEKT.
“We are partnering with the state of Tennessee in order to address our workforce challenges created by our recent growth. The Labor Education Alignment Program is one such tool that we use to make sure that manufacturers, especially our Japanese investors, are set up for success,” Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marshall Ramsey explained.
“The program aligns industry’s needs with the curriculum taught in our education system. Our Japanese companies have been expanding throughout the years here in our area thanks to the quality workforce that make it possible to assemble high-quality goods,”
Aside from its well-established status as a manufacturing hub, Morristown also offers an advantageous location and infrastructure. Its industrial sites are connected by rail and several vital interstate highways, which means that goods are only a day’s drive to more than two-thirds of the U.S. population.
The area is also serviced by the Norfolk Southern Railway’s main line and is within one hour and 15 minutes of two regional airports.