Dometic is relocating its steering and helm manufacturing operations from Pennsylvania to Sparta as part of an expansion that will bring more than 90 new jobs to White County.
White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said the project involves enlarging the existing building footprint to accommodate the specialized production work.
“It’s a great win for the community,” Robinson said. “This was a kind of a competitive attempt at this expansion. They had other companies they and other locations they was looking at, so it speaks volumes about the management, the way the company’s run, and about the workforce, the local workforce here in White County.”
Robinson said the new positions will focus on specialized occupational skills including plastic, rotational, and injection molding. Robinson said these roles are expected to provide wages that are higher than the normal pay scale for the local area.
Dometic is a global leader in creating innovative and outstanding products for installation in land vehicles and boats, standalone products for the outdoor market and solutions for residential, and professional applications. According to the company website, they sell goods in more than 100 countries worldwide.
“It’s a great win, especially when you can get jobs that are paying above the normal pay scale for this area,” Robinson said. “It’s always a great win. It helps the community grow.”
Robinson said local officials and the state have been working with the company for approximately one year to secure the expansion. Robinson said the decision to move the Pennsylvania operations to Sparta serves as a significant endorsement of the current workforce.
“Oh yes, it makes a loud statement,” Robinson said. “Like I mentioned earlier, this was a competitive attempt to get them to expand here. They had other choices in other parts of the country and they chose here. So that, that speaks volumes for our workforce in Sparta, White County.”
Robinson said the physical expansion of the facility has already begun as the company works to increase its footprint. Robinson said the investment in workforce training in Sparta and the Upper Cumberland was a primary factor in winning the project.
“I just think it shows that our local investment in Sparta, White County, and in the Upper Cumberland in general, the investment in workforce and workforce training pays off,” Robinson said. “If you’ve got the workforce that knows how to do the job, then the businesses will come.”
Robinson said the addition of 90 incomes will have a secondary economic impact as that money circulates through the local community.
