Miller Industries has invested $20 million into its Ooltewah tow-truck manufacturing plant that will help increase its wrecker production capability.
Included in the investment is a 30,000-square-foot paint facility with high-tech temperature and moisture controls and an environmentally friendly dual-side, down-draft air filtration and collection system, according to the company.
"Being the world leader in towing and recovery equipment is not an overnight accomplishment," said Todd Higdon, general manager at Miller's Ooltewah facility.
Miller Industries Co-CEO Will Miller said in May that the company is up to 600 employees in the city. The towing equipment maker has boosted its local staff by 20 percent over the past two years, he said.
Companywide, Miller said it has about 1,000 workers.
"Business is doing well," Miller said. "We had a great start to the year in the first quarter and look forward to a strong year."
Miller officials said last year that the company was expanding all of its American production facilities, two of which are in Tennessee. In addition to its Ooltewah headquarters, the company operates a plant in Greeneville, Tenn., and two more in Pennsylvania.
According to the company, it was adding more than 150,000 square feet of combined space to its U.S. plants. The Ooltewah facility is more than 350,000 square feet.
Co-CEO Miller said that among the driving factors for the company are low fuel costs and an increase in vehicle sales and miles driven both domestically and outside the U.S.
"That creates additional demand for our product," he said, adding that sales growth, market penetration and new segments are all helping grow the company.
Miller offers a variety of products from auto-load units with 8,000-pound capacities to rotators with 75-ton capacities. The products fall under the Miller Industries Century, Vulcan, Chevron, and Holmes brands.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.