MEDIA ADVISORY

14 AREA COMPANIES HONORED FOR INCUMBENT WORKER TRAINING

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development (TDLWD) Commissioner James Neeley will be at Natchez Trace State Park Thursday, April 26 to honor 14 West Tennessee companies who have received Incumbent Worker Training Grants totaling more than $330,000. The grants were awarded by Governor Phil Bredesen and Commissioner James Neeley in 2006-2007. The Southwest Human Resource Agency and the West Tennessee Workforce Investment Board were instrumental in awarding the grants to these companies.

Commissioner Neeley will speak at a luncheon given by the West Tennessee Workforce Investment Board at the Natchez Trace State Park Inn and present certificates to the companies for participation in the Incumbent Worker Training Program.

The Incumbent Worker Training Grants help Tennessee companies avoid downsizing and keep jobs in the state. Close to $6.2 million in Incumbent Worker Training Grants was awarded in the past four years benefiting approximately 25,000 Tennessee workers.

WHO:	Eastman Chemical Tennessee Occupational Safety & Health Administration Bob Henningsen, Deputy Commissioner of Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development
WHAT:	STAR Award for Workplace Safety and Health
WHEN:	Wednesday, October 25, 2006 11:00 a.m. (EDT)
WHERE:	Eastman Chemical 100 N. Eastman Road Kingsport, Tennessee 37662
WHO:	Commissioner James Neeley, TDLWD Southwest Human Resource Agency West Tennessee Workforce Investment Board Accellent Orthopedics-Memphis $36,454 ARJ Manufacturing-Jackson $6,047 Champion Homes-Paris $11,463 Dynametal Technologies-Brownsville $24,838 General Electric-Selmer $24,082 Gyrus ENT-Memphis $32,250 Manufacturers IndustrialGroup- Lexington $16,575 M.T.D-Dresden $12,925 Monogram Refrigeration-Selmer $20,000 Neo Products Corporation-Henderson $20,875 UGN-Jackson $30,118 Valspar-Jackson $22,901 Volvo Penta-Lexington $41,823 Whirlpool-Jackson $31,013

For more information regarding the Incumbent Worker Training Program go to www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/et_services_employers.html. For previous news releases featuring the companies above go to www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/news/news.htm.

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