Driving Our Economy Forward: The Mueller Co. in Kimball

KIMBALL, Tenn. (WDEF) — Mueller is a manufacturing company that makes fire hydrants, water metering products, and many other water products.

It’s brought hundreds of jobs to Marion County since expanding there three years ago.

Let’s see how the Mueller Co. in Kimball is driving our economy forward.

“Mueller Co. was founded by a gentleman by the name of Hieronymus Mueller 166 years ago,” said Daniel McSpadden, manufacturing manager. “Back in 1857 the Mueller Co. was established in Decatur, Illinois, and it has ventured out all over the United States and internationally as well. This location here in Kimball, Tennessee was part of a $50 million dollar project for a consolidation effort that consolidated several locations into this one area here. And provide high paying jobs for the Marion County population and surrounding population areas here too.”

“Mueller is a primary infrastructure supplier of water valves, and, you know, supplying for homes and businesses across the industry,” said Aaron Burden, plant manager. “This plant specifically is very project oriented. We do a lot of what they call plant work for like infrastructure for water waste treatment plants and those kinds of businesses. We supply valves to make those, as well as large tunnels and other infrastructure.”

Burden says they have around 250 people at the Kimball location.

“Worldwide I think we’re close to 5,000 people. And in the Chattanooga, Tennessee Valley, we’re right around a thousand people,” he said.

“I really liked it from the moment I walked in here because it had a good environment,” said machinist Rebecca Wilson. “I really like that I had the opportunity to grow here. I started out at basically nothing, and I’ve learned so much here. And I just love being able to learn everything that I can.”

Burden say Mueller is even a leading employer in Marion County.

“We offer a fair living wage to individuals who don’t have degrees in various different skill sets,” he said. “We have assembly positions, welding positions, machinist positions. In addition to this we do have skilled labor in the salary ranks as well with Engineering Supply Chain and finance degrees.”

“The future right now with the skill set through the days, it’s hard to find the skill we’re looking for,” said Scotty Reed, production superintendent. “So we’re ready to, we’re willing to build the future, to build our own. We’re excited about bringing in people to learn very skilled jobs and good paying jobs.”