In Tennessee, the Gallatin Economic Development Agency (GEDA) and Twenty Three officials have announced that the global LED housing and framing producer will invest $3 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing operation in the Gallatin Industrial Center. The company has provided solutions for notable touring artists including Ed Sheeran and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Headquartered in Belgium, Twenty Three is a leader in designing, engineering, and manufacturing framing components for large-scale LED displays primarily used by the entertainment, live event, and touring industries. This project represents a capital investment of $3 million and will create 10 full-time jobs with projected growth of up to 30 new jobs.
“We are proud to add Twenty Three to the impressive list of high-tech manufacturing brands that call Gallatin home,” GEDA Executive Director James Fenton said. “Landing a competitive project such as this speaks volumes about the advantages of our community and further reinforces that when it comes to recruiting the right companies, ‘Gallatin Gets it.’”
The 31,000-square-foot facility located in the Gallatin Industrial Center is expected to be operational by September 2023 and will serve as Twenty Three’s U.S. production hub for engineering, design, and fabrication. The company will retain its customer service office in Monrovia, CA, but plans to onshore current manufacturing operations to Gallatin to better serve its customers.
“We considered several cities for our new location and ultimately selected Gallatin because of the strong concentration of workforce talent and entertainment companies that exist within the Nashville region,” Twenty Three CEO Kristof Soreyn said. “We couldn’t be more excited to put down roots in Tennessee.”
Twenty Three chose Greater Nashville because of its central location, access to skilled engineering talent from nearby universities, and proximity to existing customers within the live event industry.
“This is another great announcement for our city and one that complements our expanding technology hub,” Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown said. “We are proud to welcome this established Belgian company to our community and look forward to building a long-term partnership that will help both Gallatin and Twenty Three continue to thrive.”
Twenty Three joins a list of notable tech and manufacturing brands who have invested in the Gallatin Industrial Center since 2016 including Meta, Beretta, Axem, Mohawk Textiles, and Archer Data Centers.
Distribution In Tennessee Grows With Kroger
In southeastern Tennessee, The Kroger Company announced this week it will establish distribution operations in Cleveland, TN. The in-store and online grocery retailer will construct a new Central Fill facility there as its fifth U.S. location. Kroger will create 140 new jobs in Bradley County as a result of the project.
The Central Fill facility will increase pharmacy efficiencies and accuracy by utilizing automated technology to fulfill prescriptions. Once complete, the 50,000-square-foot plant will support Kroger’s pharmacies in the southeastern U.S. Founded in 1883, and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, The Kroger Company is an American retailer that operates supermarkets and multi-department stores across the U.S.
During the announcement, Kroger Economic Development Director, Lisa Daugherty, said, “We appreciate the site selection guidance and collaboration with the State, City of Cleveland, Bradley County and Tennessee Valley Authority on this exciting project. Tennessee offers an ideal combination of business assistance and a skilled labor market to support the growth of Kroger Health.”
Stuart C. McWhorter, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner, said, “We are proud to collaborate with Kroger again to announce new jobs and investment in Tennessee. Cleveland and Bradley County are geographically positioned to enhance Kroger’s distribution network across the Southeast, and we look forward to seeing the success of its newest Central Fill facility.”
As Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis and Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks noted, Kroger has operated a warehouse and distribution presence in the community since 1979, providing employment opportunities to several thousand residents.