ljt_expansion

Posted January 2005

LJT Tennessee LLC, a mechanical and structural grade steel tubing manufacturer, plans an expansion amounting to $7.38 million in investment and creating at least 42 new jobs within three years.

Utilizing hot-rolled, cold-rolled, aluminized and galvanized steel, LJT services fabricators as well as original equipment manufacturers with different-sized and -shaped steel tubing used in the automotive, office furniture, health care, exercise and other industries.

The project will expand LJT’s existing plant at Centre South Riverport by almost 50 percent, from 105,000 square feet to 158,000 square feet, according to LJT vice president and general manager Michael Donnelly. He said he expects the company’s personnel to increase from the current 52 employees to 100 over the next three years.

The expansion will include installing additional capacity in the mill and cutting departments, as well as the addition of a light-gauge blanking line, Donnelly said.

Chattanooga was in competition with Steel Warehouse, an LJT sister company in Memphis, for the expansion, according to Donnelly. "The support from the state and local governments tilted the scales in Chattanooga’s favor," he said.

"LJT Tennessee appreciates the support of the state, the city and county governments, and we are also indebted to the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce for coordinating our incentives’ program," Donnelly went on. "We look forward to continuing this mutually beneficial relationship."

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading business and economic development organization for the Chattanooga region. For over 100 years, the Chattanooga Chamber has provided community engagement and opportunities for businesses, large and small, including networking, business promotion, business discounts, and public policy advocacy, as well as leadership development and training opportunities.

In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber is a one-stop-shop for site selectors and business decision-makers considering investments and job creation projects in the Chattanooga region. The Chattanooga Chamber is also responsible for marketing Enterprise South Industrial Park, a top-tier industrial park that offers significant strategic business advantages. In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber administers the Chattanooga Hamilton County Business Development Center, the largest business incubator in the U.S. in terms of the number of start up companies it houses, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth, an innovative effort to nurture technology-based start-up companies.

As the first stop for people interested in moving to the Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Chamber provides a range of relocation information including demographics, informational videos, connections to Chattanooga Area jobs, and frequently asked questions.