Ford supplier Avancez coming to West Tennessee, will create more than 500 jobs

A Michigan-based automotive manufacturer is headed to West Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced Thursday that Avancez will invest $54 million to expand its operations at a new facility at BlueOval City's Supplier Park.

Avancez will add 501 new jobs at the Stanton site, in addition to Magna's previously announced commitment of 1,300 new jobs. In July 2023, Canada-based Magna announced a $790 million investment across three Tennessee locations including two new facilities at BlueOval City's Supplier Park.

“Tennessee’s longstanding history in the automotive industry has propelled our state forward as a powerhouse in the electric vehicle evolution," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in a statement. "I thank Avancez for creating hundreds of new jobs for the skilled workforce in Haywood County and look forward to the economic prosperity this project will bring to West Tennessee.”

The BlueOval facility will be the third Avancez location in the U.S. The company was founded in 2012 and specializes modular assembly, sequencing and automotive original equipment.

Thursday's announcement comes a few weeks after Ford double downed on its commitment to electric vehicle manufacturing and investment. On April 5, the auto manufacturer announced equipment installation for the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center in Stanton was underway, and it plans to deliver a new electric truck at the facility in 2026.

The $5.6 billion BlueOval City campus is located in Stanton and includes the BlueOval SK battery plant, which will supply the EV batteries for Ford and Lincoln electric vehicle models.

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Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X:@neilStrebig.