Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, and Protomet Corporation officials announced today the company will expand its footprint in East Tennessee by establishing engineering and manufacturing operations in Rockwood.

Protomet will create 250 new jobs and invest $25 million as the company acquires and retrofits the former Albahealth building on North Gateway Avenue.

“Tennessee’s strong business climate is strengthened and shaped by companies like Protomet, and I am proud to take part in announcing this expansion. I thank Protomet for its commitment to the state’s skilled workforce and for creating greater opportunity across East Tennessee,” said Governor Lee.

“This is an incredible win for Roane County and the City of Rockwood. A little over a year ago, our community was shaken by the announcement of the closing of a long-time employer of 170 local citizens. Today, we are so proud to announce the location of Protomet in downtown Rockwood, a successful regional employer bringing 250 higher-paying jobs to Rockwood and investing millions of dollars into an aging facility. This project is an economic development dream, and I could not be happier to welcome Protomet to Roane County,” said Roane County Executive Wade Creswell.

The Roane County facility will be state-of-the-art, joining and supporting Protomet’s other manufacturing operations in Loudon and Anderson counties.

Protomet Corporation is a manufacturing, engineering, and technology corporation headquartered in Loudon, Tennessee. Protomet serves an array of customers, including automotive, boating, and homeland security. With the additional plant in Rockwood, Protomet will employ more than 500 Tennesseans.

Since 2020, TNECD has supported nearly 50 economic development projects in the East Tennessee region, resulting in approximately 9,000 job commitments and $2.6 billion in capital investment.