DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee President Mack Hattori recently announced an approximately $185 million expansion of the company’s East Tennessee manufacturing facilities in Maryville. The expansion will result in the construction of an approximately 220,000 square foot addition to the company’s 1.5 million square feet of existing manufacturing space and the potential hiring of up to 500 employees beginning in late 2007.

“This announcement is truly a tribute to the quality of DENSO’s work force in Tennessee,” said Hattori. “Our company is focused on customer satisfaction through a commitment to quality and global growth through the anticipation of change. Our Maryville, Tenn., operations help us maintain that focus on innovation and creativity.”

Tennessee’s FastTrack Job Training assistance program and the department’s FastTrack Infrastructure program will be used in the DENSO expansion.

DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee currently employs nearly 2,500 people and manufactures starters, alternators, instrument clusters and electronics for the automotive industry. Representing an investment of $850 million in the Blount County Industrial Park, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee is the largest manufacturer in Blount County.

Japan-based DENSO Corporation, a leading global supplier of advanced automotive technology, systems and components, employs 104,000 people in 31 countries, including Japan, with global sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005 totaling $26.2 billion. In the Americas, DENSO employs more than 15,000 people at 33 companies, including DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee in Maryville. North American sales for the above fiscal year totaled $5.4 billion.