CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Florim USA officials announced today that the porcelain floor and wall tile manufacturer will expand operations at its facility in Clarksville, adding 30 new jobs.
Florim USA will invest roughly $35 million in the expansion, according to a news release from the state.
“International investment in Tennessee bolsters our state’s reputation as a global leader in business, trade and manufacturing. Florim USA has been a great partner to Tennessee, and I congratulate the company on the expansion of its Clarksville facility,” Gov. Bill Lee said in the release.
The expansion will include construction of a new administration building and showroom, and the addition of technologically advanced manufacturing machinery to increase not only production capabilities, but also the range of product offerings, which will allow for a 100 percent U.S.-manufactured product. Florim USA will also invest in additional tile crusher machinery to recycle fired scrap metal back into production, the release said.
“For over a decade, Florim USA has invested in state-of-the-art production processes, enabling technologies, workforce cleanliness and safety, and environmental responsibility,” Florim USA President Antonio Albanese said.
“We’ve seen the great success and tremendous opportunity that has been created from our continued partnership with the state of Tennessee. These new expansions are aligned with Florim USA’s philosophy of environmental sustainability by supporting efficiency in energy consumption and minimizing waste generation. We are not only thinking about our growth today but growth with an environmentally sustainable future inspired by our parent company, the first porcelain tile manufacturer to become a Benefit Corporation and to obtain the B Corp certification.”
Florim USA’s Clarksville facility consists of the following highly automated operations: body preparation, glaze preparation, pressing, glazing, kiln, rectification, polishing, selection and packaging. The process is considered “closed-loop” with 100 percent of the water and 95 percent of all production waste generated throughout the operations recycled back through the system.
The American subsidiary of Florim Group, based in Italy, Florim USA is one of the largest and most technologically advanced porcelain tile facilities in North America. Florim USA is one of over 40 Italian-owned establishments in Tennessee that employ more than 4,800 Tennesseans.
Over the last five years, TNECD has supported 11 economic development projects in Montgomery County, resulting in more than 3,100 job commitments and roughly $815 million in capital investment, the release said.