As many of us know, a lot of time and effort goes into building a new building, let alone establishing a new campus. The Knoxville area, offering one-day proximity to customers, a talented workforce and enough land to support a multi-phased construction process, will soon be a home to several of our expanding business units and new team members. With all of the site planning underway, we are still over 18 months away from production.
So, what are we doing in the meantime? Establishing local community partnerships has been an ongoing focus since we announced Knoxville as our next campus location. One thing we know about our company is that it’s the people who make the difference. The connections team members bring to our communities we serve sets the foundation for our growth and for positive community impact. A great starting point for the community partnerships is through the local school systems. Just a few short miles from our future Knoxville campus site is one of Knox County School district’s high schools, Carter High.
“Many students drive past our site on their way to school,” said Carrie Strobel, chief HR officer. “A focus of ours is meeting with them early on to help them understand there will be a lot of great manufacturing opportunities right in their backyard.”
Over the past few months, we have already established a connection with the staff and students at Carter High School. Whether it be through visits to better understand Carter High School’s manufacturing-centric pathways, or by setting up a booth for a school-wide career fair, we’re finding ways to build our connection in the community.
“The connections have been genuine,” said Anna Brown, talent acquisition specialist. “The kids and teachers are really excited for our future campus and the career potential in something as impactful as manufacturing.”
