Chattem Chemicals, Inc., a division of Sun Pharma, is finalizing plans to expand in Chattanooga. The active pharmaceutical ingredient company aims to invest at least $6 million and create about 25 new, fulltime jobs.
“Chattanooga is a strong pro-business community,” said Jason Paul Allen, vice president and general manager at Chattem Chemicals. “The quality of life here makes it favorable to recruit and retain employees.”
“Our large workforce of skilled and productive workers is an excellent resource for the Chattem Chemicals expansion,” said Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger. “And it’s great to see their interest in hiring local graduates qualified for these positions.”
Chattem Chemicals plans to expand again in the next few years, investing an additional $10 - $15 million and creating 25 more jobs.
“Chattem Chemical’s commitment to two expansions in Chattanooga will create good, middle-class jobs for our citizens and support overall economic development for our community,” said Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.
Many of the jobs created by Chattem Chemicals’s expansion are chemical operations and chemical engineering positions, and the company plans to recruit graduates of Chattanooga State and UTC.
Charles Wood, vice president of economic development at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, also praised Chattem Chemicals’s decision to expand in Chattanooga. "Chattanooga’s rich heritage as a primary manufacturing hub makes our city an ideal location for this expansion.”