Education company K12 to locate campus in Alcoa, TN

ALCOA, Tenn. - Education technology company K12 says it will locate its Family Support Campus in Alcoa, which will bring 300 jobs to the area.

The Daily Times reports the Virginia-based K12, which provides online virtual education, announced on Thursday that it would locate the facility the Tyson Centre Building.

Company President and COO Tim Murray said K12 will hire 300 employees at the new campus and within five years would make a capital investment of more than $2.4 million in Tennessee.

Murray said operations at the campus should begin in June. He said about 150 employees would be hired in 2014, and another 150 are expected to be hired next year.

"Blount County's skilled workforce and the way its citizens have put a premium on quality education at all levels are two key reasons why we chose to invest and locate here in Tennessee," Murray said. "Its one-stop-shop community development agency helped streamline the entire process enabling us to move forward quickly and efficiently. We are eager to begin hiring and training an excellent team who will help parents and children in Tennessee and across the country prepare for the 2014-2015 school year."

Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell said he was impressed with the company's plans.

"When they started talking about their mission, and what their goals were, and what they wanted to do, and what they planned to do, and what they were all about - just their core values - I felt like we're a great fit," Mitchell said. "That idea that you're here to serve and to make lives better, that's the way we all feel."

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