BULLS GAP — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Barrette Outdoor Living officials announced Thursday that the company will expand operations in Hawkins County.
Barrette Outdoor Living is a leading manufacturer of fencing, railing and exterior products. The company will invest $33 million and create 162 new jobs in Bulls Gap, where it has operated since 2001.
Barrette Outdoor Living, whose Bulls Gap plant is Hawkins County’s biggest industrial employer, was purchased last year by two Canadian investment firms that plan to keep the local plant operating as is.
With a workforce of more than 700 employees, Barrette Outdoor Living is one of Hawkins County’s largest employers. Barrette will add 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space, including four new extruders, co-extruders and cooling tanks as well as additional fabrication and packaging equipment.
“Barrette has been an outstanding corporate citizen in Hawkins County since purchasing the Erwin Industries facility in 2002 and they have continued to grow their operations since converting to vinyl fence production the very next year,” said Hawkins County Industrial Development Board Chairman Larry Elkins. “This large investment and additional 162 quality jobs announcement is just further proof of the pro-business environment in Northeast Tennessee that we and our partners at NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership tout as Where Tennessee Begins Its Business Day.”
Barrette was founded nearly 100 years ago in Canada and employs about 2,000 people today across North America.
As the leading North American supplier of exterior home products to the residential market, Barrette Outdoor Living manufactures and distributes vinyl, aluminum, steel and composite fencing and railing, composite decking and other outdoor products.
“The State of Tennessee along with Hawkins County, Bulls Gap and TVA have been excellent partners in our growth and we appreciate their continued support in the ongoing expansion of our business,” said Gary Williams, Barrette Outdoor Living’s vice president of operations.
Barrette Outdoor Living, whose Bulls Gap plant is Hawkins County’s biggest industrial employer, was purchased last year by two Canadian investment firms that plan to keep the local plant operating as is.
Over the last five years, TNECD has supported more than 40 economic development projects in Northeast Tennessee, resulting in 4,700 job commitments and $1 billion in capital investment.
TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe said that as one of the top five employers in Hawkins County, Barrette Outdoor Living has established itself as a valuable corporate partner in the Northeast Tennessee.
“These 160 new, family-wage jobs will make a tremendous impact on the area’s workforce, and we appreciate Barrette Outdoor Living for its continued investment and job creation in Tennessee,” Rolfe said.
Lee noted, “Job creation in rural Tennessee is crucial to our state’s economic success, and I thank Barrette Outdoor Living for its investment in Hawkins County. Northeast Tennessee continues to provide companies with the ideal, business-friendly environment to support growth and success.”
