Image Credit: Google Earth
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
OP Mobility, a French-based company focused on “sustainable and low-carbon mobility” in electric vehicles, has announced they will be laying off 82 workers from their Spring Hill facility despite the company receiving over half a million dollars in Taxpayer-funded Tennessee state government grants for expansion.
The company has been operating in Tennessee since 2015 and has locations in Chattanooga, Smyrna, Spring Hill, and Hendersonville.
In 2024, they announced a $3 million expansion in Maury County for electric vehicle production lines which was projected by the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to create 186 new jobs in Maury County and 568 across the state.
According to the DECD database, the expansion was partially subsidized by a state government FastTrack grant in the amount of $558,000.
These FastTrack grants are “made to local communities for public infrastructure improvements. The funds must be used for specific infrastructure projects benefitting one or more companies committed to creating new jobs and/or making new capital investments. These funds require local matching funds based on a community’s ability to pay,” per the Tennessee Dept. of General Services.
Now, just one year later, OP Mobility is firing 82 of those 186 workers by November 21 and does not give a reason for the layoffs in their Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
“The employees at the facility are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement. The Southern Middle Local Workforce Development Area rapid response team, employed by the South Central Tennessee Developmental District, has been notified to coordinate services with the employer and affected employees,” the WARN letter states.
Companies who do not meet job creation projections are not obligated to repay the grants, which means taxpayer funds will not be recouped even as promised jobs are not delivered or rescinded.
Other prominent companies on the FastTrack Grant recipient list include Amazon, Oracle, General Motors, Tyson Foods, LG, In-N-Out Burgers, AutoZone, FedEx, Kroger, Black and Decker, Frito Lay, Mars Chocolate, and La-Z-Boy.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Well……….as a retired Quality Manager of an international company, basically a successful company must have a stable product for their given market. It must be of high enough quality to compete with other companies. And most importantly, a needed product. Otherwise, the company will fail. The French to my experience with all French suppliers I encountered and one that was part of our group they can make a quality product if taught how, otherwise…….no. Producing electric vehicles is not an easy product to produce. So, there you go….. give a company money to expand in a sketchy market at best considering the big three can’t make a go of it. What made whoever was responsible for giving them the grant think they would?