by Lindsay Jackson

More
good economic news is coming out of Bradley County today as a major
brand announces an expansion and new jobs.  Proctor & Gambles
Duracell plant is adding 60 to 85 new jobs as part of a $36 million
expansion.

"Today we are pleased to announce that the P&G
Duracell brand will expand its battery manufacturing and packaging plant
in Cleveland, Tennessee," said plant manager Bill Barkley.

That
means the Bradley County facility will become to sole producer of C
& D Duracell batteries and they'll now ship world-wide.

It's
news Barkley was happy to announce. The Duracell facility there will be
the only ones to produce C & D batteries and currently package and
ship every battery made by Duracell's three US plants. It's good news
for Duracell and even better news for Bradley County.

"It wasn't
just about the jobs. It's an investment also and the combination
together makes a pretty good expansion," said Bradley County Mayor Gary
Davis.

Davis says this expansion has been in the works for almost
a year now and he hopes today's announcement encourages other companies
to take a look at his county.

"These kinds of announcements only
help for the future because other people hear about it and they say,
'You know, maybe Bradley County is the place to be.'. So having
announcements of new ones and current ones expanding is the best news in
the world," he said.

Duracell has been making batteries in
Bradley County for 50 years now and has managed to survive and even
thrive in up and down economies. Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Commissioner of
Economic and Community Development, says an expansion like this is not
only good news for the city and county, but for the entire state.

"The
local economy is already turning and it's going in a positive
direction. But I think when you see a major brand like P&G make a
significant new investment in our state, it goes a long way to send a
message across the nation, across the globe, that Tennessee is open for
business," he said.

Right now, there's no word on when they will begin hiring for these new jobs. To apply, go to pg.com. Duracell Adds Jobs in Bradley County