COOKEVILLE – TTI Floor Care announced today that the company will invest in its Cookeville facility by adding additional manufacturing capacity to introduce new product lines and support existing product transfers. TTI Floor Care North America will create 211 new jobs in Putnam County, nearly doubling its workforce over the next five years.
The news marks the community’s second substantial economic development this month, following Academy Sports + Outdoors’ plans to build a 1.6 million distribution facility in town. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with TTI Floor Care North America officials made the announcement at the facility on Salem Road.
As TTI Floor Care’s operations expand and product lines are moved to Cookeville, the company plans to return portions of their production capacity from China and Mexico.
”We are extremely pleased to expand our operations in Cookeville, which will support our leading position within the North American floor care market,” Simon Lawson, president of TTI Floor Care North America, said. “The Cookeville facility provides us with a number of advantages including a skilled, tenured workforce and a central location for shipping to a majority of the U.S. quickly and efficiently. We want to express our appreciation to Cookeville, Putnam County and the state of Tennessee for supporting our expansion in the Cookeville area.”
TTI Floor Care North America is one of the largest floor care manufacturers in North America and home to Hoover, Dirt Devil and Oreck vacuum cleaners. The Cookeville facility supports the company’s manufacturing, assembly and distribution operations, and will receive extensive building upgrades and infrastructure improvements through the expansion. TTI also maintains a call center at the Cookeville location.
“This is a great day for TTI Floor Care, but also a great one for Cookeville and Putnam County,” Chuck Sparks, Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce board chairman said. “This is a company that we could have lost when Oreck was acquired in 2013, but has chosen not only to continue to invest in our region, but to grow and thrive.”
“We take a lot of pride when a company chooses to locate here in the Highlands region, but it is an honor and testament to our communities when a company chooses to expand and grow here,” added Randy Adams, the chamber’s Existing Industry Committee chairman. “The reshoring of quality manufacturing jobs helps to demonstrate the dedication of TTI Floor Care to our community and future workforce.”
Don Viar, vice chair of Economic Development for the chamber, said, “Nationally, 75 percent of new industrial jobs come from existing industries with that number being even higher here in Tennessee. It is the heartbeat of economic development, and when our existing industries grow and prosper it demonstrates the strength of our communities and the momentum our local economies can generate.”
TTI Floor Care North America develops and manufactures vacuum cleaning products and floor care appliances including upright vacuum cleaners, carpet washers, hard floor cleaners and hand-held vacs. The company sells its products through a network of retailers to customers in the United States.
