Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that California-headquartered electronics repair company iFixit will establish an East Coast hub in Chattanooga, Tennessee, The Associated Press reported July 20.
iFixit, headquartered in San Luis Obispo, is expected to invest $24.2 million and create more than 200 jobs in Tennessee over the next five years. The Chattanooga location “will house its distribution and back-office operations,” the AP reported.
In other California competitiveness news:
Food Producer Shuts California Center, Keeps Three Open in Other States. Amy’s Kitchen, an organic and healthy frozen food producer, announced this week that it is closing its San Jose production center, resulting in a loss of 300 jobs.
The San Jose production center was opened one year ago.
“The company cites rising inflation, skyrocketing materials costs, labor shortages, and disruptions in the worldwide supply chain as factors for the closure,” the San Jose Mercury News reported July 18.
“It’s very sad to have to do this, it’s brutal,” acting Chief Operating Officer Fred Scarpulla said. “This is very emotional. I was very invested in the San Jose plant and I really wanted it to succeed.”
Scarpulla said the San Jose center was losing $1 million a month, a cost that could not be offset by its other food processing locations in Oregon, Idaho, and New York. The three additional locations will remain open.