Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and officials from DENSO announced a major expansion for the global automotive supplier in Maryville on Friday. The expansion and $1 billion investment are expected to create 1,000 new jobs in the Maryville area to make advanced equipment for hybrid and electric vehicles. “Tennessee is No. 1 for growth in automotive employment in the Southeast since 2011, adding over 22,000 jobs, and it is because of companies like DENSO that the automotive sector continues to have momentum in our state,” Rolfe said. “I want to thank DENSO for choosing to expand in Maryville, creating over 1,000 new jobs and investing $1 billion. DENSO is a great partner to Tennessee and I look forward to seeing its continued success in our state.” DENSO said the investment would make its Blount County facility a primary manufacturing center in North American for electrification and safety systems. The company’s global headquarters is located in Japan. It currently has two locations in Tennessee in Maryville and Athens.