Haslam visits Morristown for groundbreaking of Rockline Industries
Motorists headed west out of the East Tennessee Valley Industrial District in Morristown this morning may not have noticed the inconspicuous black sedan carrying Gov. Bill Haslam and key staff. The governor had just announced on the 45-acre site of the former Foamex International that hundreds of highly skilled jobs will be made available to the Lakeway Area over the next few years.
Rockline Industries, a consumer goods manufacturer and supplier, will form a new subsidiary, Iatric Manufacturing Solutions, and pump $40.3 million into the site it will lease from the Morristown Industrial Development Board, with an option to purchase. The board purchased the property several years ago in order to market it as a manufacturing shell site.
Iatric will work with Walters State Community College to train workers for the skilled positions, as well as send new hires to train in existing Rockline facilities, with plans to have its first manufacturing line operational in 2018.
“One of the big things that we sell for Tennessee now is that we will help train your workforce. We’ve worked hard in our Drive to 55 to have more people have access to school beyond high school. And so, whether it’s one of our technical colleges, or our community colleges like Walters State in this case, or a four-year school, we want to make certain we can train the workers they need and so we’ve worked really hard to form those partnerships with our TCATs and with our community colleges. I think Rockline Industries was really excited to see that potential for their company,” Haslam said after the press conference.
Rockline president Randy Rudolph introduced himself as “just a little guy from Wisconsin who makes wet wipes,” before referring to handwritten notes on a small piece of paper during the official part of the pre-groundbreaking ceremony.
Rudolph credited local and state officials for their persistence, including TNECD Project Manager Victoria Hirschberg.
“This decision was not easy; we could have gone anywhere, but their persistence and their ability to remove every obstacle was key in making this a project that has come to fruition … Our plan is to have 250 family-sustaining jobs here by the year 2020,” Rudolph said.
Haslam credited the location of the new company in helping achieve the state’s goals for new jobs.
“When a company like Rockline not only chooses to locate new operations here, but also to launch a new business, it showcases Tennessee’s strong business-friendly environment that promotes success and growth in our state,” Haslam said. “We want to thank Rockline for creating over 200 new jobs in Hamblen County and I look forward to forming a partnership with Rockline Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe that will lead us one step closer to our goal of making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”
Twenty-one days into his new job, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe chose Hamblen County as the destination for his first field trip.
“I appreciate Rockline for choosing Morristown as the location for its new facility and new venture, Iatric Manufacturing Solutions,” Rolfe said. “Manufacturing is one of Tennessee’s top industries, employing over 333,000 Tennesseans, and I am grateful that Rockline will expand this growing sector by creating 250 new jobs in Hamblen County.”
For more than 40 years, Rockline Industries has been a leader in the consumer goods industry, manufacturing and supplying the best retailers in the world with medical wipes, baby wipes, coffee filters and other consumer products. Rockline’s products are used in the consumer, health care, food service and hospitality industries.
“We are particularly pleased to make the announcement of Rockline to our industrial base,” R. Jack Fishman, chairman of the industrial board, said. “This diversification strengthens our industrial base and puts back in use a valuable piece of property in the East Tennessee Valley Industrial Development District, our first industrial district established in the early 1960s.
“I particularly would like to commend all of the businesses and attorneys for their dedication in putting this project together. It is really unique and will provide quality jobs.”
The decision by Rockline to locate in Morristown was a result of extensive negotiations by Chamber staff — “Marshall Ramsey and Jodi Barnard have done a wonderful job,” Fishman said.
Production is expected to gear up over a period of three years, after construction is complete.
Hale Construction of Morristown will begin the construction on the 225,000 square-foot existing building. Rockline will add 156,000-square-feet of manufacturing space and 16,500 feet of office space. Future expansion is expected to add 79,000-square-feet for a total of 480,000-square-feet. A new entrance will be created fronting Hamblen Avenue.
The decision by Rockline to create the new subsidiary, Iatric Manufacturing Solutions, was born out of the rapidly increasing demand for Rockline’s innovative wet wipes products.
“I am pleased that we are able to welcome Rockline Industries into our community,” State Rep. Tilman Goins said in a prepare statement. “Rockline saw in Morristown what many of us have been saying for years; a great geographic location from which to do business, plenty of great lifestyle and recreation opportunities for its employees, and a strong and eager workforce that will fulfil their company’s labor demands. As Rockline builds and expands in Morristown I want them to know that I will be their partner in Nashville, finding ways to make it even easier for them and other companies to do business in Tennessee.”
The two local mayors offered their appreciation to the Rudolph brothers as well. Rob Rudolph was instrumental in choosing the Morristown site.
“The decision by Rockline Industries to locate its facility in Morristown is a big win for all involved in the preparation work that preceded today’s announcement,” Morristown Mayor Gary D. Chesney said. “Rockline is a top-quality company bringing jobs and a unique product to our community. The City of Morristown is very pleased to welcome our newest corporate citizen. I’m certain the economic impact will be rewarding for both employer and employee.”
“It’s another exciting announcement for Morristown, Hamblen County and the entire Lakeway region,” Hamblen County Mayor Bill Brittain said. “I enjoyed watching our partners discover and meet the needs of Rockline Industries during the negotiation process. It was a total team effort that will bring another international company to the region to provide more high quality, good paying jobs for our citizens.”
“The announcement of Rockline Industries locating in Morristown provides not only a significant amount of jobs and investment, but the revitalization of a shuttered industrial complex,” Marshall Ramsey, president of the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce, said. “Rockline’s commitment to communities’ beautification and education was very evident after visiting their facilities, and we are excited to welcome them to Hamblen County as our newest industrial tenant.”
Rockline Industries was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of coffee filters and consumer, health care, industrial and institutional wet wipes. A family-owned company, Rockline has repeatedly created first-to-market product design solutions for the wet wipe consumer, and continues to provide innovative products to the nonwovens industry. Rockline employs approximately 2,500 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin, Arkansas, New Jersey, England and South China. For more information on Rockline Industries, visit www.RocklineInd.com.
Iatric Manufacturing Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rockline Industries and specializes in FDA-regulated wipes. The company designs and will manufacture hygienic wet wipes used in consumer, health care, food service and hospitality industries.
By Glenna Howington, Citizen Tribune