CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Large new-industry recruitment is booming in Clarksville, though some projects had their timelines stretched back because of the pandemic.
Montgomery County is preparing to welcome a new FedEx distribution center, with about 250 jobs, and electric vehicle battery manufacturer Microvast, with about 300 jobs. In addition, Amazon recently shared an update on their new Amazon order fulfillment center.
FedEx hiring under way
Montgomery County officials shared details with Clarksville Now about the new FedEx distribution center, located at the southern end of International Boulevard, across the street from the Red Knight Distribution Center.
The new FedEx facility is bringing in around 250 new jobs and will also work with other businesses for package pickup and delivery.
Michelle Hueffmeier, spokesperson for the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council, said leadership roles have now been filled.
The new distribution center will have a large push for hiring to support the holiday season and temporary facilities will be set up to support the effort, she said.
“The leadership did share that they anticipate having very little issues hiring, as nearly half of the Nashville FedEx staff reside in Clarksville, and they foresee many dropping their commute to work at the new Clarksville location,” Hueffmeier said.
Construction of the facility is still underway.
Microvast moves into brake plant
Microvast is an American-owned global company that specializes in manufacturing rapid-charging lithium ion batteries for commercial electric vehicles. They have been in business since 2006 and are a fully integrated company, handling everything from the chemistry, electrodes and modules to the creation of full battery packs.
The company purchased a braking systems factory from Bosch Braking Systems Corp. in 2021, with plans to transform the facility into a battery manufacturing plant. Since the initial purchase, the building, at 780 International Boulevard has begun to undergo changes to accommodate the new battery plant.
Over the last several months, the Microvast team has been working on a cleanup of the existing factory, according to William Muir, Microvast senior director of operations.
“So there been a tremendous amount of reworking cleanup to the existing facility. Just simply, brake manufacturing is pretty dirty, and battery manufacturing is extremely clean. So we have gone through a really detailed and extensive cleanup of the existing factory and now we are in the rebuild and new build phase.”
Getting things done right
Muir noted that the team has spent a lot of time on designs and on hiring the right people, citing the need to mitigate environmental concerns. He told Clarksville Now that Microvast has a strong relationship with Montgomery County, the state of Tennessee and regulatory authorities.
“So to make sure that all of that (environmental concerns) is in fact more than just mitigated, but meets and exceeds all of the code requirements, we have a lot of expertise that we’ve either hired or who have worked for Microvast.”
Between hiring the right contractors and engineers, the design phase has been anything but quick. However, with all that in the rearview, construction has finally begun. Over the last six weeks, contractors have swarmed the site and begun work on the structure.
“We have been in a really detailed design phase, so all of that, of course, needs to be done and worked through our architect and our general contractor so we can get permits to start construction, which has now been started,” Muir said. “At this point right now, we are still continuing on our schedule to be in production by the fourth quarter of 2023.”
Upgrading the facility
Construction will see a 50,000- to 60,000-square-foot expansion of the original building, giving the plant a good chunk of extra manufacturing room. The space will be used for the beginning of the battery manufacturing process, which includes mixing the slurry that starts the electrode process, Muir said.
“They’re getting ready to pour the foundation, and steel will start in October, and that’s right on our schedule,” he said.
In addition to the new structure, the company is upgrading utilities and expanding the central utility building, which houses chilled water and mechanical equipment.
“There is a fair amount of work that you can also see going around our utilities. We have a central utility building and we are doubling the size of that,” Muir said. “In terms of visible things, you see, it’s really the erection of the additional building as well as the expansion of our utilities.”
While the project is on schedule, it has not been immune to supply chain issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Muir said the electronic components needed for the building’s redesign have been on significant lead time. He said they spent a lot of time making sure the electrical design was locked down and that parts were ordered well in advance.
“What’s happened is a lot of creativity, a lot of strong partnerships with our equipment suppliers as well as with our general contractor, and frankly, some changes that we could make from one widget to another widget that shorten lead times. So, we’ve gone through our design in intricate detail, questioning everything and the lead-times on the things we have to buy. And that continues, but at this point, everything remains on target.”
Clarksville recruitment begins
Microvast has begun to escalate their hiring process and is now seeking candidates for peak leadership positions. Within the next four to five months, the company is expected to begin hiring for all positions, from shift operators, quality control, administrative personnel, and other key leadership roles.
“We are definitely hiring. Our webpage is where jobs are posted right now. We have added staff recently to include an HR manager, so our hiring process is becoming more aggressive.”
The company still expects to hire around 300 employees for the plant and says Clarksville is the right place to do that.
“One of the main reasons we are in Clarksville is that we feel like the employee base here in Clarksville and in Montgomery County, as well as coming out of Fort Campbell, is exactly what we want to tap into,” Muir said.
Once up and running, the batteries manufactured at the facility will be shipped to several companies and buyers across the globe.
Correction: The location of the FedEx facility was incorrect. It has been updated.