Automotive Suppliers
Automotive Suppliers Strength in Sullivan County
- The labor shed has 751 people employed in Motor Vehicle Sterring and Suspension Components Manufacturing.
- The labor shed has 666 people employed in Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing.
- The labor shed has 418 people employed in Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing.
- The labor shed has 103 people employed in Motor Vehicle Brake System Manufacturing.
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- Sullivan County's labor shed has seen the following grown in jobs in this sector from 2011-2016:
- 183% growth in Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing
- 102% growth in Motor Vehicle Brake Manufacturing
- 38% growth in Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components Manufacturing.
- 24% growth in Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing.
- Sullivan County's labor shed features more workers in the following industries than the average US labor shed:
- 14 times the US average of people employed in Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components Manufacturing.
- 7 times the US average of people employed in Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing.
- 5 times the US average of people employed in Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing.
- 3 times the US average of people employed in Motor Vehicle Brake Manufacturing.
- Business Facilities ranked Tennessee the #1 state in the nation for Automotive Manufacturing Strength in 5 of the last 7 years.
- Tennessee exported $5.9 billion in automotive equipment in 2016.
- Sullivan County is located in a Foreign Trade Zone.
Skilled Labor
- Less than 3.5% of employees in Sullivan County are members of a union.
- Tennessee is a right-to-work state.
- In Sullivan County's labor shed, over 3,500 people are employed in occupations relevant to the automotive industry.
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Breakdown of skilled labor: 2,476 Maintenance and Repair Workers
Engineering Talent in labor shed: 544 Industrial Engineers |
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Electric Power
- We are served by TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) and AEP (American Electric Power, an S&P 500 Company)
- The average industrial rate for electricity in Tennessee is one of the top-10 lowest rates in the United States
- TVA is one of the largest operators of electric transmission in the US with an approximately 16,000-mile (26,000 km) corridor of transmission (13,000 miles (21,000 km) of which is greater than 161kv).
- TVA's power mix as of 2012 is 11 coal-powered plants, 29 hydroelectric dams, three nuclear power plants (with six operating reactors), nine simple cycle natural gas plants, and five combined cycle gas plants. In 2012 coal generation was about 32% of total, nuclear 34%, hydro 9%, and (owned) gas 11%.
- AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile (63,000 km)-network that includes 765 kilovolt ultra-high voltage transmission lines, more than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.
Transportation
- Interstates 81 & 26 Intersect in Sullivan County
- Sullivan County is served by 2 Class I Railroads - CSX & Norfolk Southern
- Tri-Cities Regional Airport
- Served by Delta Airlines, US Airways, and Allegiant Air
- Nonstop Access to: Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, and St. Petersburg
- Primary Runway - 8,000' x 150'
- Upgraded Instrument Landing System
- More than 200,000 passenger boardings per year
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Construction Costs
- According to RSMeans Construction Cost Data, Sullivan County is less expensive than the following:
- $22/sq. ft. less expensive than the US average to build a manufacturing facility and $16/sq. ft. less to build a warehouse
- $9/sq. ft. less expensive to build a manufacturing facility than in Nashville and $6/sq. ft. less to build a warehouse than in Nashville
- $11/sq. ft. less expensive to build a manufacturing facility than in Atlanta and $8/sq. ft. less to build a warehouse than in Atlanta
- $13/sq. ft. less expensive to build a manufacturing facility than in Lexington, Kentucky and $10/sq. ft. less to build a warehouse than in Lexington, Kentucky
- $15/sq. ft. less expensive to build a manufacturing facility than in Cincinnati, Ohio, and $11/sq. ft. less to build a warehouse than in Cincinnati, Ohio
Workforce Training
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- The Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing (RCAM) in Sullivan County is a public-private workforce training center. The 26,000 sq. ft. facility is funded by Eastman, Domtar Corporation, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, City of Kingsport, State of Tennessee, and Northeast State Community College. The RCAM offers programs in the following fields pertinent to the automotive cluster:
- Electrical Technology
- Electromechanical Technology
- General Technology
- Machine Tool
- Welding/Metal Fabrication
Additionally RCAM offers Job Specific Pre-Employment and On-The-Job Training, testing and assessments, as well as space to setup mock industrial lines on which to train workers.
- The Regional Center for Automotive Programs in Sullivan County
- Prepares individuals for employment in the auto-body and painting industry
- Prepares individuals for employment in the auto-body and painting industry
Research and Development
- The University of Tennessee is part of the Automotive Research Alliance between these 7 universities: Auburn, Clemson, Mississippi State, Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Alabama at Birmingham, Kentucky, and Tennessee
- Additionally, the University of Tennessee has a Transportation Research Center
- Virginia Tech has a Transportation Institute which focuses on the following: Virginia Tech Center for Vehicle Systems & Safety, Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, Vehicle Terrain Performance Laboratory, Performance Engineering Research Laboratory, Intelligent Transportation Laboratory
Support Services
Low Natural Disaster Risk
- According to usa.com, Sullivan County has a 34.60 Tornado Index which is much lower than the US average of 136.45 and Tennessee’s average of 175.35
- According to usa.com, Sullivan County has a 0.16 Earthquake Index compared to a US average of 1.81.