Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, and WACKER officials recently announced the company’s intention to expand its presence in Southeast Tennessee with the addition of new silicone production facilities in Charleston.

A feasibility study is currently underway for the first step of WACKER’s plans to expand production within its existing campus in Charleston. The expansion would involve a phased investment of more than $200 million over several years and create more than 200 new jobs in Bradley County, adding to WACKER-Charleston’s existing workforce of 700.

This is the second major expansion the global chemical R&D and manufacturing company will make in the region since locating in Charleston eight years ago. The decision aligns with announcements WACKER made earlier this year about further expanding capacity in the regions where its customers operate.

In 2015, WACKER-Charleston began production of hyper-pure polysilicon used in semiconductor and high-efficiency solar cells. In 2019, WACKER added production of pyrogenic silica. With the newly-announced expansion of these specialty silicones, the company will have invested nearly $3 billion in Southeast Tennessee in less than a decade.

The first phase of the proposed expansion will add plants to manufacture high-consistency silicone rubber and silicone sealants.

“Companies choose to invest in Tennessee because of our skilled workforce, strong business climate and quality of life. I commend WACKER for its continued investment and job creation in Bradley County,” said Lee.

“Germany is one of Tennessee’s top countries for foreign direct investment, so we appreciate this additional investment from WACKER, a company that could have chosen anywhere in the world to expand its global footprint. TNECD continues to support the growth and opportunities that will result from WACKER’s expansion in Bradley County, and I thank the company for its continued partnership,” stated McWhorter.

“WACKER continues its specialty strategy providing U.S. domestic production to markets such as construction, consumer care, automotive, and health care,” said WACKER’s U.S. entity President David Wilhoit.

“We are pleased to explore the expansion of our production capability in Charleston and add jobs in a market that continues to grow. This additional manufacturing capability allows us to continue to expand our global portfolio for downstream products while accelerating our growth and adding high-quality, well-paying jobs in Tennessee,” said WACKER-Charleston’s Senior Director and Site Leader Ken Collins.

“This proposed expansion by WACKER will be a substantial investment in Bradley County that will create even more job opportunities for our community. I appreciate all of our local and state economic development leaders who helped make this announcement possible,” stated Rep. Dan Howell (R-Cleveland).

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