News

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters opens Knoxville facility

Nov. 14, 2008 — Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has selected Knoxville, Tennessee, as the location of its first manufacturing and distribution company outside its New England home, according to an article in the November 2008 issue of Site Selection magazine.

Green Mountain cited the assistance of TVA Economic Development Specialist Tim Tidwell in helping the company land an optimal location. Tidwell's specialty area is the food industry.

Knoxville's central location will allow the coffee specialty company to reduce its distribution costs and shorten delivery times as it expands its geographical reach. Jon Wettstein, vice president of supply chain operations for the company, also praised "the beauty of eastern Tennessee from a quality-of-life standpoint for employees — just outstanding."

Green Mountain purchased a 334,000-square-foot building on a 31-acre parcel in Knoxville's Forks of the River Industrial Park. Its investment in the project is about $56 million, and it expects to employ up to 260 people within five years. The company is taking advantage of customized training offered by an area community college and the state's statutory jobs tax credit.

Green Mountain began producing its first saleable product at the site in October. "As we've begun to hire, everything is coming true that our analysis suggested in terms of quality of available work force," Wettstein said.