Tennessee approves two $1M incentives; Lee on UK economic development trip

(The Center Square) – Tennessee’s State Funding Board approved a nearly $1 million FastTrack Job Training Grant each for Wal-Mart Associates e-commerce fulfillment center in Lebanon and Hyla Mobile in Mount Juliet at its Monday meeting.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development grant approval came the same day as Gov. Bill Lee and TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter were in the United Kingdom on what Lee’s staff called a “strategic economic development trip” that was the third international trip Lee has taken with the economic development department.

The pair were at an announcement that Howmet Aerospace would expand its Morristown location at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK on Monday. The company said it would invest $27.9 million in the facility and add 50 employees.

The TNECD did not divulge how much in economic incentives were promised to Howmet.

TNECD typically announces new projects without divulging incentives, instead posting them to a database within 30 days of the announcement.

Last year, Lee and McWhorter traveled to Paris and Bologna, Italy, reportedly spending more than $117,000 of taxpayer funds over a six-day economic development trip.

Lee's group stayed at a five-star hotel next to the Eiffel Tower while scheduling two days of free time in Paris, according to the Tennessean, as Lee was one of 10 governors at the Paris Air Show.

Wal-Mart Associates will receive $940,800 while Hyla Mobile gets $975,000 from the newly approved FastTrack grants.

Wal-Mart promised to add 294 net new jobs with an average salary of $27.42 at its fulfillment center and the grant will be used to train those new employees in Wilson County. Wal-Mart committed to spend $75 million over four years on the fulfillment over the next five years.

Hyla Mobile is a subsidiary of Assurant, which provides risk management for auto, household and lifestyle protection. The company is expanding its Mount Juliet technology center and promised to spend $12.5 million over the next five years while adding 650 net new jobs with an average hourly wage of $22.19.