Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty were in Union City Monday morning to announce that 9to5 Seating is moving its manufacturing operation there, investing $39.5 million and creating 510 jobs over the next five years.
“I want to congratulate 9to5 Seating on this announcement, and I thank the company for its investment and commitment to Union City and Tennessee,” Haslam said. “Projects like these highlight all the great things happening in our state and reinforce our goal of making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”
“9to5 Seating chose Union City as the home for our project because of its close proximity to our major markets, availability of talented workforce, and the generous help and assistance that the state of Tennessee, Obion County and Union City have made available to us,” 9to5 Seating CEO Darius Mir said. “We are determined to not only bring back manufacturing to the United States, but to reverse a 30-year trend by exporting our high quality USA made products competitively to Asia and other countries around the world.”
9to5 Seating will move its China-based manufacturing facility to the U.S. and plans to occupy a spec building at 3919 Greenfield Drive in the Northwest Regional Industrial Center. Production will begin in early 2014, as the company introduces a new retail product line - Made in America (MIA) Seating.
The jobs announcement is great news for Union City, which lost 1,800 jobs after the 43-year-old Goodyear tire plant closed in July 2011, and fireplace manufacturer Hearth Products will close next year, costing the city 250 more jobs.
“We have worked since the spring with 9to5 Seating. They are a good company with good jobs that the people of our community will embrace,” Union City Mayor Terry Hailey said. “This comes at a time when there is a critical need for new jobs in Union City and Obion County. I think 9to5 Seating will be happy they have chosen to locate here and we are so happy they did.”
“With the season of Thanksgiving fast approaching in Obion County, we count our blessings once again,” Obion County Mayor Benny McGuire said. “A great family-owned industry, 9to5 Seating, has chosen Obion County as their new home. We are extremely excited and welcome them to the great state of Tennessee and also to the great county of Obion.”
Founded in 1982, 9to5 Seating specializes in the design and production of ergonomic office seating. For more information, please visit www.9to5seating.com/.
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