COVINGTON, TN – New jobs are coming to Tipton County, Tennessee. Unilever is expanding it's plant in Covington, a move that will bring 275 jobs. People who live there said that's a lot of work, and a lot of hope, for a town that needs a bit of both.
"When you announce that you're going to have 275 new jobs, approximately, coming to Covington, it's just overwhelming,” Janie Cranford, an executive assistant with the town’s Chamber of Commerce.
Covington Mayor David Gordon said those new jobs mean a lot to people struggling to find work.
"We've had people who have been unemployed for several months,” Gordon said. “That’s hard on folks, it's hard on the community and when they get reemployed they're back almost to normal life."
He hopes other companies will follow Unilever's lead.
"Once you get on the industrial radar, it seems to help projects that you have coming along,” Gordon said.
Cranford hopes the expansion will also bring jobs for people who live in Brownsville and other communities nearby. She believes the ripple effects of Unilever's expansion extend beyond Tipton County.
“I think with them having the confidence in our workforce and staying in Covington, that means a lot for the state of Tennessee,” she said.
Unilever's plant in Covington already makes Slim-Fast products. This expansion will allow it to branch out to make ice cream and other frozen desserts.
