A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Co., a leading producer of water works, plumbing, pumps and natural gas products, broke ground Monday on an $8 million expansion that will double the size of its Elizabethton operation and create 36 new jobs.
The Dubuque, Iowa-based company began operating in Elizabethton 19 years ago and employs 144 full-time workers in a 99,000-square-foot facility. Company officials said the pending expansion, the third at the site, is necessary to accommodate growing production levels.
During the Groundbreaking Ceremony on Monday, Rob McDonald, President and CEO of A.Y. McDonald said, “We are extremely proud to be doubling our Tennessee operation. From our beginning here in 1999, this facility has been managed and operated by Tennessee people. Their efforts have allowed the company to continue to grow and has brought us to this exciting time. This expansion is a tribute to the hard work and ingenuity of our Tennessee co-workers.”
Several partners – local, regional and state – helped ensure A.Y. McDonald could complete its expansion effectively and affordably.
“TVA and Elizabethton Electric Department congratulate A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Company on its decision to expand operations in Carter County,” TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley said. “Helping to facilitate new jobs and investment is fundamental to TVA’s mission of service and we are proud to partner with the City of Elizabethton, Northeast Tennessee Regional Economic Partnership (NeTREP), and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission.”
NeTREP Chairman Chuck Perry said the expansion represents a collaborative approach to growing our regional economy.
“Helping existing companies grow and working with state and regional partners to get that done is one of NeTREP’s most rewarding activities,” Perry said. “A.Y. McDonald is one of those employers that’s steadily having a positive impact on our local communities. We’re grateful for their decision to expand here and excited about what this will mean for the many families who will benefit from the new jobs that are created.”
Elizabethton Director of Planning and Economic Development Jon Hartman said A.Y. McDonald is a great corporate partner.
“We are excited and happy to hear that A.Y. McDonald has chosen Elizabethton for the expansion. Their commitment to the future of Elizabethton and Carter County will ensure that we will continue to grow and thrive as an employment center in the region. We look forward to partnering and working with A.Y. McDonald into the future.”
Carter County Mayor, Leon Humphrey expressed his appreciation to A.Y. McDonald for their confidence in the region’s workforce “this is exciting news for Carter County with the addition of new jobs. It’s a testament that A.Y. McDonald is doing their expansion here and proof that Carter County has a great workforce that is ready and available.”
The expansion is scheduled for completion early next year.
