Students at Allendale Elementary School could benefit from plans to build a new walking trail in Spring Hill.  Once completed, the pathway will connect the already established Peter Jenkins Walking Trail with the Allendale Elementary School sidewalk.

The Peter Jenkins Walking Trail is a paved multi-use trail located within 17 acres of community open space in Wyngate Estates off Duplex Road.  This project would complete a paved extension that will connect the existing trail to an existing five foot sidewalk located on the Allendale campus.

According to officials, the project will provide transportation and recreation alternatives to hundreds of children and adults in the Spring Hill community.  The trail would also provide bicycle and pedestrian access to Allendale Elementary School for the following subdivisions: Wyngate Estates, Crowne Point, Ridgeport and Campbell Station.

Organizers say they hope to begin construction in July of this year and have it completed by August, although they are currently in the process of raising funds for the project which is estimated to cost $50,000.

Opportunities to provide a donation or sponsor this project are available online at www.OutdoorEncounter.org\PeterJenkins.

SPRING HILL, Tenn. – General Motors will invest $61 million to bring its idled Spring Hill assembly plant back to life as one of the world’s most-flexible manufacturing facilities capable of building any GM car or crossover based on customer demand or manufacturing need.

The investment will create 594 hourly jobs and 91 salaried positions for the flexible operation scheduled to begin with the hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox in the second half of 2012. The additional production will supplement Equinox production in Canada, the main assembly sites of the midsize crossover vehicle and its sibling the GMC Terrain.

The Equinox has been so popular – U.S. sales were up 18 percent in October – that GM has increased production three times since it went into production in 2009.

GM also announced Monday a second investment of $183 million for future midsize vehicles to be built at Spring Hill, located about 40 miles south of Nashville. Timing was not announced, but that investment is expected to create an additional 1,090 hourly and 106 salaried positions.

“Spring Hill has a history as one of GM’s most innovative and flexible plants,” said Cathy Clegg, vice president of GM Labor Relations. “We’re pleased that, working together with the UAW, we were able to build on that history and develop a plan to resume production at Spring Hill.”

The potential for Spring Hill’s future role was discussed as a part of negotiations for a four-year national labor agreement ratified in October.

"Our number one priority in auto negotiations this year was jobs," said UAW President Bob King.  "We asked the company to bring jobs back to America , and that’s what this collective bargaining agreement represents.  Together, we are bringing 1,800 jobs to Tennessee, and a total of 6,400 new GM jobs, which translates to nearly 60,000 good, auto-related jobs in the United States."

Equinox production is only the start for Spring Hill Flex. Operators will be capable of building a variety of products on a range of platforms – covering for plants being retooled for new products and also allowing real-time reaction to sales spikes in a given car or crossover.

Spring Hill powertrain and stamping operations, part of the integrated complex that was the home to the former Saturn brand from 1990 to 2007 and the Chevrolet Traverse large crossover into 2009, are still operating. In fact, GM has invested $515 million in the engine operations in the last 14 months for current and next-generation Ecotec 4-cylinder engine production.

"The re-opening of Spring Hill is a testament to the value of collective bargaining," said UAW Vice President Joe Ashton, who directs the union's General Motors Department. "Collective bargaining works for companies, for workers and for America. Collective bargaining is what brought good jobs to Tennessee.  It is what built our middle class. It is how workers and communities have a voice in corporate decision-making. Bargaining is what gives the working class a seat at the table."

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.  GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

General Motors is scheduled to make a major announcement concerning opening the now closed Spring Hill manufacturing plant this morning at 10 a.m.

The announcement is expected to be major and will be attended by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

Williamson County Parks and Recreation will host it’s 4th Annual Kid’s Garage Sale at the Longview Recreation Center, 2909 Commonwealth Drive in Spring Hill.

The Kid’s Garage Sale takes place indoors Saturday, November 12 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., and admission is FREE to the public for shopping.

Kids and parents alike will enjoy spending the day shopping for gently used items such as children’s clothes, sporting goods, action figures, computer games, books, and toys of all kinds. Kids will learn the value of work and earning their own money, and parents will be sure to find a bargain.

It’s the perfect time to do some early Christmas shopping! For more information, contact Sarah Foster at (615)302-0971, ext. 14.

Some 1,700 jobs and two car lines will return to Spring Hill under a proposed agreement between General Motors and United Auto workers, various news sources are reporting today.

Two mid-sized vehicles would be produced at Spring Hill. Production has originally been planned for Mexico.

General Motors closed the Spring Hill plan in 2009 during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression despite huge modernization of the Maury County facility.

New site to stimulate the economy and create more than 300 skilled jobs

Spring Hill – TRG Customer Solutions, a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) provider of customer management solutions and technologies, celebrated the launch of its new contact center facility in Spring Hill Tuesday. TRG has operations in seven countries worldwide and this will be the company’s first site in the state of Tennessee.

“We are looking forward to playing our role in enriching the economy of the historical city of Spring Hill,” said Frank Kelly, CEO of TRG Customer Solutions. “The talent and professionalism of employees in the Spring Hill region is one of the reasons we chose to locate our newest call center here. At a time when other companies are laying off employees, we continue to invest and grow. I feel honored that we are making a difference in these difficult economic times,” said Mr. Kelly.

“I want to thank TRG Customer Solutions for its decision to locate a support center in Tennessee. The hundreds of new jobs it is creating will be a welcome addition to the Maury County economy,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said. “We appreciate TRG’s investment in Tennessee and in our state’s business-friendly climate.”

The new facility at Spring Hill will initially provide complex Tier 1 and Tier 2 technical support and provide services to multiple clients from this site. Located at the Workforce Development and Conference Center at Northfield on 100 Saturn Parkway, Spring Hill, TN 37174, the 50,000 square foot facility will house more than 300 customer care representatives.

“We are thrilled to welcome TRG Customer Solutions to Northfield,” said Jan McKeel, Executive Director of the South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, who will be sub-leasing space to TRG. “This announcement is indicative of the strong workforce in the area and its ability to meet the needs of a quality employer such as TRG,” McKeel added.

Julie Casteel, EVP Business Development, expressed her excitement at the new site launch. “We are making a sizeable investment in this new site and, as a fellow Tennessean, I couldn’t be happier with our choice to bring this center here to Spring Hill. The workforce here is perfect, and it has been a pleasure working with the city to get our operations up and running.” Globally, TRG has 17 contact centers in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, and employs over 5,000 people worldwide.

“I appreciate TRG Customer Solutions’ investment in our state and the Maury County workforce,” Commissioner Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development said. “We remain committed to helping new companies put down roots in Tennessee and seeing them succeed and grow in our state.”

“We’ve been working on this project for almost a year now,” Maury County Mayor Jim Bailey said. “It takes a lot of people to get a deal like this done; I’m proud of the way the State of Tennessee, South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance, TVA and the City of Spring Hill all worked together to get this project across the goal line.”

“TRG Customer Solutions’ decision of opening a new technical service center is great economic news for our area,” said Michael Dinwiddie, Mayor of the City of Spring Hill. “The City of Spring Hill is pleased to be on the economic development team with county leaders to assist companies as they locate and grow.”

TRG is currently conducting a large scale recruitment campaign in Spring Hill to meet the workforce needs of this new center. As part of this recruitment effort, the Company is advertising for a variety of open positions all of which offer attractive compensation packages and generous employee benefit plans including competitive wages, performance based incentives, comprehensive health benefits, retirement benefits, and company-paid training. To apply for a position at the Spring Hill site, please visit the following links today:

www.trgcs.com/springhilljobs.html
or
www.sctworkforce.org

931-490-3800

TRGCS is also organizing career fairs at the Tennessee Career Center, 100 Saturn Parkway, Spring Hill, TN 37174 this week. The schedule for the career fair is;

September 14: 4 PM to 7 PM
September 15: 10 AM to 3 PM
September 16: 10 AM to 3 PM

About TRG Customer Solutions
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, TRG Customer Solutions is a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) provider of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions and technologies. The company supports more than 175 global clients from 17 operations centers in 7 countries. The company maintains over 5,000 workstations that support multi-channel inbound and outbound communications via phone, Web, e-mail, direct mail, and fax.

TRG Customer Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

www.trgcs.com

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. To find out more, go to www.tn.gov/ecd.

 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam joined state and local leaders today to announce the award of a $69,686 transportation enhancement grant to the city of Spring Hill for the Tanyard Springs Connection Walkway Project.

The Tanyard Springs Connection Walkway Project includes the construction of a ten foot wide, 230 linear feet long elevated walkway that will connect at the Spring Hill – Thompson’s Station boundary to a Safe Routes to School project being completed by the town of Thompson’s Station. New signs, trash receptacles, and landscaping will also be installed.

“The Tanyard Springs Connection Walkway will provide a much needed link between schools, residential areas and commercial developments,” Haslam said. “These improvements will help keep pedestrians safe and encourage more residents to walk to their destinations. I’m pleased we could make this investment in Spring Hill.”

The grant is made possible through a federally funded program administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

“Through Transportation Enhancement grants, TDOT has funded more than $259 million in non-traditional transportation projects,” TDOT Commissioner John Schroer said.  “Established by Congress in the early 1990’s, the program supports activities designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s transportation system.”

A variety of activities such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects are eligible for grant funds under the federal program.

The pool at the Indoor Sports Complex will be closed from August 1-28 for routine maintenance and repairs. During the pool closure, water aerobics participants, lap swimmers and other pool users may use the indoor pools at our Franklin or Spring Hill locations. For more information, contact Bryce Bradley at (615)370-3471 x. 12. For a list of pool locations and aquatic activities visit www.wcparksandrec.com/aquatics.

Additional need for Ecotec four-cylinder engines used in Chevrolet's fuel-efficient cars and crossovers, including the all-new 2013 Malibu, is driving $65 million in new investment at plants in New York and Tennessee that will create or retain 163 jobs.

"GM is committed to investing in manufacturing and jobs in the U.S.," said Cathy Clegg, vice president Labor Relations. "These investments in powertrain manufacturing technology will help us meet the growing needs of our customers for high quality, fuel efficient vehicles - both today and in the future."

In Spring Hill, Tenn., the engine plant is adding capacity for direct-injection four-cylinder engines to support the acceleration of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. GM Is investing $32 million that will create or retain 63 positions.

In Tonawanda, N.Y., additional capacity is being added for engines used in the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers that achieve 32 mpg on the highway and can travel up to 600 miles between fill-ups. GM is investing $33 million that will create or retain 100 jobs.

The next-generation Malibu is scheduled to start production in early 2012. It will be sold in about 100 countries on six continents. Chevrolet will begin sales in the United States with the Eco, the most fuel-efficient Malibu ever. It features GM's 2.4L Ecotec with eAssist technology.  Malibu will debut an all-new 2.5L Ecotec engine next summer. The new Malibu will be assembled at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan., and Detroit-Hamtramck plant in the United States, as well as other plants around the world.

"With gas prices becoming increasingly unstable, investment in new powertrains is vital if GM wants to be competitive," said Joe Ashton, UAW vice president-GM Department.  "Our customers want vehicles that get great gas mileage and our members have proven they can build innovative products that exceed our customers' expectations."

The Tonawanda and Spring Hill investments are part of $2 billion in U.S. manufacturing investment GM announced May 10 that will create or retain 4,000 jobs in 17 facilities in eight states. These investments are in addition to $3.4 million GM has invested in U.S. manufacturing facilities since July 2009, adding or retaining more than 9,000 jobs.

Additionally, GM announced Friday the Saginaw Metal Casting Operations will export aluminum castings for the lightweight Ecotec 2.4L engine that is used in fuel-efficient vehicles like the Opel Antara and Chevrolet Captiva in Asia. The Saginaw work will create or retain 53 jobs.

General Motors (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 202,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 30 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Italy.  GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

SOURCE General Motors

In Spring Hill, city officials are partly through an approval process to create the zoning for developers to build Festival Tennessee. In Spring Hill, city officials are partly through an approval process to create the zoning for developers to build Festival Tennessee.

“This area needs it,” said Webb, 48, a TV producer by trade. “I can’t tell you how many people have contacted me through the website, wanting this to happen so badly.”

Many think the plans are far fetched.

See the full artcle here.