At the referral of site selection consulting firm Global Location Strategies, Van Hool – one of world’s largest manufacturers of buses, coaches and industrial vehicles – has selected Morristown, Tennessee for the site of its first North American manufacturing plant. Van Hool officials announced the decision along with Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam at a press conference today in Morristown.
Van Hool, which is headquartered in Koningshooikt (Lier), Belgium, will invest more than $47 million in a new 500,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art manufacturing facility used predominantly for building public transportation buses. Initial production output is estimated at 400 buses annually. Construction will begin in mid-2018 with completion scheduled for 2020. Van Hool officials say they expect to hire approximately 600 workers. They will also work with Walters State Community College in Morristown to develop a custom training program to equip local residents with the skills and technology training necessary for employment at Van Hool.
Global Location Strategies (GLS) led the search process for Van Hool and also provided incentive negotiation services.
GLS Founding Principal Didi Caldwell said, “This is an outstanding example of the tremendous impact that foreign direct investment can have on a local community. More than 600 new jobs and some of the most advanced manufacturing innovations will soon be coming to Morristown through Van Hool’s first North American manufacturing plant. Global Location Strategies is pleased to have helped find the perfect site for Van Hool.”
“We appreciate the guidance provided by Global Location Strategies in siting our first North American plant,” said Filip Van Hool, company CEO. “Morristown has all the necessary elements for us to quickly set up production and tap into the growing North American market for public transportation buses. We could not be more pleased to call Morristown home.”
About Global Location Strategies
Established in 1974, Global Location Strategies (GLS) is one of the world’s most experienced and reputable site selection firms specializing in capital- and resource-intensive facilities. With services that span the globe, GLS has conducted site searches in more than 50 countries for companies with particular concentration in pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, chemical/petrochemicals, metals/polymers/composites, paper, and automotive. The company offers a full suite of site selection services, including location benchmarking, site selection, incentive negotiation, technical site due diligence, and alignment and training. Economic development services include industrial site audits, site competitiveness studies, strategic site identification and industrial asset optimization. GLS is headquartered in Greenville, S.C. For more information, visit www.GlobalLocationStrategies.com.
About Van Hool
Van Hool is an independent Belgian manufacturer of buses, coaches and industrial vehicles. The company, founded in 1947, is headquartered in Koningshooikt. The vast majority of its production goes to Europe and the United States. Van Hool has over 4,400 employees worldwide, of whom the largest share work at the production sites in Koningshooikt (Belgium) and Skopje (Macedonia). For more information, visit www.vanhool.be.