Two manufacturers, Lofty Vision and United Wheel Industries, will establish operations in Monroe County, Tenn., and hire a total of 45 new employees, county officials announced recently.

Lofty Vision anticipates hiring 15 employees at its new Madisonville, Tenn., facility to manufacture and distribute its home storage and retrieval systems.

"Monroe County officials were a great help in finding a location here so we didn't have to go elsewhere," said Gary Balser, president of Lofty Vision. "TVA has also been a tremendous help in serving as a sounding board as we grow."

United Wheel Industries inc., a manufacturer of steel wheels and auto components, will invest $2.7 million of its own funds and create 30 new jobs in the Niles Ferry Industrial Park.

A $310,406 Tennessee Fast Track Infrastructure Development Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) plus $54,777 in local funding will make site preparation, water, road and sewer improvements possible at United Wheel's new Vonore site.

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