SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — Lodge Cast Iron is quietly cooking up a line of new cast-iron products to commemorate America’s 250th birthday, and a prototype was shown off during a visit by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on his second stop in the Sequatchie Valley this week as part of his America 250 campaign.
Lee was accompanied by his wife, Tennessee first lady Maria Lee.
“We are stopping in every county in Tennessee over this next year to celebrate 250 years of American independence and the birthday of America,” the governor said during the plant tour Thursday. “We decided, Maria and I, we would travel to every county and talk about the great, iconic companies, the great communities, the great events that happen in this state that contribute to the greatness of America.”
The Lees kicked off the governor’s yearlong America 250 campaign in July, and he crossed off Sequatchie County on Wednesday with a stop at the Cookie Jar restaurant up the road in Dunlap, Tennessee. The statewide America 250 celebration, according to a statement from the Governor’s Office, includes a commemorative poster titled “Tennessee: The Original Frontier,” which highlights the iconic people, places and events that define Tennessee’s contributions to America.
An iron-clad plan is in place at Lodge to mark the nation’s historical milestone, according to the South Pittsburg plant’s chief executive officer.