For decades now, Powell Valley EC, New Tazewell, TN, has been operating with too many people in a 20,000-square-foot space.
So while the cooperative will doubtless derive multiple benefits from its July move into a 95,000-square-foot space, General Manager Randell Meyers has one in mind that’s very specific.
“It’s been pretty crowded, so we’re going to try to get our employees separated enough to quit fighting,” Meyers said with a laugh.
July 11 is the target date for Powell Valley EC’s staff of nearly 60 to make the quarter-mile move from its longtime New Tazewell headquarters to a freshly overhauled building and 25-plus acres. Meyers said the new main building would house not only office space, but warehouse, garage and operations space as well.
“There’ll be some space unused,” he said, “but that’ll be room to grow in the future.”
Meyers said purchase and building renovation would come in at about $3 million.
“The building we’re going to isn’t new,” he said, “but it’ll look like a new building; everything’s been redone and is up to today’s specifications.”