Updated: 10/16/2009 8:19:27 PM
What was just a mound of dirt in Dandridge one year ago will soon be a paycheck to more than 100 East Tennesseans.
A year ago, Kenny Shaver was making military vests for BAE Systems in Jefferson City.
"I was a machine operator, cutter. Computerized cutter to to cut the metal," he said.
While he liked it the job, it didn't last. The company laid off the father of two in February.
"For all the heartache and sitting at home all the time--it's been rough," the Jefferson County resident said.
Friday, Swedish and American business leaders came together to cut the ribbon and get Kenny Shaver off the couch. He's one of a thankful group of 150 promised jobs in the Dandridge area.
"It's turned cold, it's winter. With the rain starting to come down, it's not going to dampen our spirits one bit," Jefferson County Mayor Alan Palmieri said. "We're so thankful to BJS."
BJS is a Swedish company that already operates 3 furniture plants in Europe. The former mound of dirt-turned-bedroom furniture factory is their fourth. It's somewhere between a $6-million and $8-million dollar investment.
The building itself is a "paint and pack" facility. They take medium density fiberboard, paint it, and put it in boxes ready to be sold to the customer. The expansion to Dandridge also includes a milling operation in a separate building.
The finished product will be sold at IKEA stores in Canada and the United States.
"It's time again for furniture made in the USA. Here it is!" Pars Lidaker, one of BJS's Principals said.
Creative shipping may have made it all possible.
Right next door to BJS's new factory, the company Klote International makes Tullsta chairs for Ikea. They sell for about $100. Friday, the company unveiled the one-millionth chair manufactured in Jefferson County to a representative from IKEA.
Now, the two companies will ship their products to IKEA stores across the continent, cutting costs for both.
"When we're doing our packing, we put the heavy BJS product on the bottom and the Klote product on top of the truck, and since they're going directly to IKEA, then it makes sense," Dale Dennis, Executive Vice President of Klote and BJS said.
It's a Swedish solution that's being welcomed with open arms here in East Tennessee. Before BJS's announcement to open the new factory, there was a very real chance Klote could relocate to wherever BJS decided to build.
Workers like Shaver are thankful Jefferson County was their pick.
"It means a lot. For everybody that's out of work, that means a lot," Shaver said.
