MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Greenworks Commercial, the leading provider of lithium-ion battery-operated, zero-emission outdoor power equipment, expanded its global footprint by opening the doors to its 180,000-square-foot Commercial Center of Excellence for Manufacturing and Engineering in Morristown, TN, its first in North America.
“I’m extremely proud that Greenworks chose Morristown/Hamblen County for its newest manufacturing plant,” said Hamblen County Mayor, Bill Britain. “Greenworks brings new technology and job opportunities to our community. I wish the company well and am committed to its success.”
The facility’s initial $25 million investment will focus on the manufacture of commercial and residential lithium-ion battery ride-on mowers. This brilliant advancement in technology will bring more than 150 sustainable, high-tech careers to East Tennessee by the end of 2023 with up to 400 more promising career opportunities by 2025; creating a sustainable hub of innovation and technology for generations to come. This initial phase provides an annual production capacity of 30,000 ride-on mowers, gradually increasing to 80,000 by 2025.
“It’s hard to find the right words to express just how pleased I am to have Greenworks select Morristown as its location for growing their company’s goals,” said Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney. “Greenworks’ history of meeting today’s consumer needs while exploring how new equipment will meet trends of the future is a particularly unique fit for Morristown’s industrial base. I’m proud to say, ‘Welcome Greenworks.’”
The state-of-the-art facility currently houses:
- Two leading-edge automated guided vehicles (AGV) based assembly lines
- A fully robotic vehicle chassis welding center with five fully robotic welding stations
- High-precision tube and sheet metal laser cutting, stamping and CNC tube-bending equipment
- A shot-blasting metal preparation center and powder-coating line
- A state-of-the-art final inspection station including a light tunnel for visual inspection
- An exterior bumper and track test facility
Planned expansions for late 2023 and early 2024, include:
- Installation of an e-coating workshop and an injection molding center
- Automatic assembly lines for large commercial-grade battery modules for ride-on mowers and battery packs for commercial handheld and walk-behind product lines
- Manufacturing of commercial walk-behind mowers
- A parts and service warehouse
The Morristown facility is also home to the North American Center for Advanced Vehicle Engineering within the Greenworks corporate group, with over a dozen mechanical, electrical, and testing engineers calling Morristown home by the end of 2023. The U.S. engineering team collaborates with Greenworks’ main R&D campus in Changzhou, China, and its Autonomous and Robotics R&D Center in Jönköping, Sweden.
“It is always a pleasure to welcome an expanding new industry to our community, and Greenworks is no exception. We are fortunate to have a manufacturer replace a major company that provided jobs for our citizens for the last 50-plus years in the East Tennessee Valley Industrial District,” said Industrial Development Board Chairman R. Jack Fishman. “Greenworks technology not only brings another major diversification of industrial skills but also a production of products that will help our city and improve climate changes. The jobs they bring to the Lakeway Area are significant, and the dollars they will also bring to our tax base is important in continuing to make Morristown and Hamblen County a great place to live and make a living.”
This world-class facility is the embarkation of a groundbreaking journey for the city of Morristown. With a mission to facilitate the world’s transition to sustainable energy through its innovative products for people’s daily lives, a Life. Powered. By Greenworks™. is a great start.
“TVA and Morristown Utilities congratulate Greenworks on its decision to establish operations in Morristown,” said TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley. “Helping to attract jobs and investment to the region is fundamental to TVA’s mission of service. We are proud to partner with the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce to help further that mission and celebrate this announcement together.”
The Greenworks Commercial Center of Excellence is part of a 7,000+ global workforce, with 10 global manufacturing sites, four global R&D centers with more than 750 engineers, 130 finished goods production lines and a 1.5-million-unit manufacturing output per month.
Greenworks currently produces more than 20,000 batteries, 30,000 motors and 100,000 PCBAs per day using the most advanced manufacturing equipment. With more than 80% vertical integration, one of the highest in the industry, Greenworks brings innovative and industry-leading designs to market with short development times and cost-effective manufacturing.
The Greenworks Commercial Center of Excellence is home to the most technologically advanced commercial zero-turn mower in the industry: OptimusZ™. This compelling machine is the epitome of productivity, mowing more than 21 acres on a single charge. With up to eight hours of run time, the OptimusZ™ is the fastest, most powerful, and most capable commercial ride-on mower in its class, with a top cut speed of 16 MPH while maintaining a 19K constant blade tip speed cutting through any grass conditions.
With a lower total cost of ownership compared to conventional gas-powered zero-turn mowers, made possible through zero fuel cost and a 2,000-hour guaranteed maintenance-free design, it can save landscapers more than $13,200 over the first three years. A complete range of more than eight OptimusZ™ models was launched during the Equip Expo show in Louisville, KY, in October 2022.
By late 2023, Greenworks Commercial is set to begin manufacturing its fully autonomous, self-driving commercial ride-on mower, OptimusAI™, in Morristown. This innovative ride-on mower, based on the OptimusZ™ platform design, features sophisticated GPS-RTK navigation and vision-based live-object avoidance technology, allowing both self-driving and manned-driving modes. In its self-driving mode, the system operates with an accuracy of one inch.
Greenworks Commercial recently launched a revolutionary mobile charging trailer, OptimusMC™, set to transform the entire landscaping industry while clearing the way for rapid electrification and making highly polluting fossil fuel outdoor power equipment a relic of the past. The 20-foot OptimusMC™ trailer features a 26kWh built-in lithium-ion battery that keeps everything in the trailer charged all day. Greenworks Commercial ride-on mowers and batteries automatically charge while in the trailer overnight and in transit.
The trailer features three EV-style 6kW chargers capable of charging three Greenworks ride-on mowers, inside or outside, alongside 18 fully temperature-controlled battery ports, capable of charging handheld batteries at up to 10A each, along with four additional 20A 110V AC outlets for additional power needs. The entire trailer can be charged overnight through a single Level II EV charger or its roof-mounted 3kW solar panels. The trailer comes complete with sophisticated integrated tool storage solutions, 4G/GPS theft protection, trailer vitals monitoring system and IoT connectivity, putting the commercial landscaper fully in command.
Intelligent Power™ is embedded in nearly every Greenworks product. By combining the best-in-class battery and brushless motor technology; managed by intelligent control systems as well as onboard, cloud-based IoT interfaces; Greenworks can create superior power, extended run times and smarter equipment than any other battery-powered or gas-powered product in the industry while providing a better overall user and service experience, all with ZERO emissions. Intelligent Power™ provides Greenworks’ customers with an overall advantage in the landscaping industry. Greenworks refers to this as Productivity. Powered. By Greenworks Commercial™.
About Greenworks Commercial
Charging the industry since 2002 by focusing exclusively on producing products powered by lithium-ion battery technology, Greenworks has continues to push the boundaries of batteries for the greater good. Manufacturing sustainable products such as the OptimusZ™ product line and the mobile charging trailer, OptimusMC™; these lean, green, eco-friendly machines not only aid the environment but create profitability for end users creating a better LIFE. POWERED. BY GREENWORKS™.
For more information, visit https://commercial.greenworkstools.com/
