California tech company, iFixit, recently announced plans to establish a new distribution and innovation hub in Chattanooga, investing $24.1 million and creating approximately 200 new jobs over the next five years.
Headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, and founded in 2003, iFixit offers customers the ability to repair their personal phones, tablets and more, through online guides and expert instructional videos.
“iFixit’s corporate mission of helping people fix everything uniquely matches Chattanooga’s legacy of redevelopment. We’re honored that they chose Chattanooga for their long term growth plans,” Charles Wood, Vice President, Economic Development, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, says.
Getting a company like iFixit to Chattanooga is no small feat and was made possible through the Chamber’s Economic Development team, along with many Chamber members and community partners.
iFixit co-founders, Kyle Wiens and Luke Soules joined the team on a trip through Chattanooga’s cornerstone landmarks – starting with a scenic bike tour of the Scenic City’s many public trails from South Chickamauga Creek Greenway to the Riverwalk and Enterprise South Nature Park.
After experiencing Chattanooga’s outdoor amenities, they enjoyed an evening down the murals and restaurants of our downtown through Chatt Taste Food Tour.
The company experienced a southern-fried staple, Champy’s, and stopped by green︱spaces to learn about Chattanooga’s sustainability and conservation efforts.
Chattanooga Football Club also invited Weins and Soules to a front-row seat of the Chattahooligan experience.
“iFixit is a mission driven company, and it was really important to us to find a community that matched our values. Chattanooga’s story of environmental restoration mirrors iFixit’s: we refuse to take broken for an answer. iFixit is committed to extending the lifespan of all the products in the world,” Wiens says.
iFixit is now set to build its new hub in Chattanooga’s Onion Bottom District, a rising neighborhood connecting UTC’s campus to the thriving Martin Luther King and Southside districts.
These attraction efforts align with Chattanooga Chamber’s Velocity2040 and Chattanooga Climbs goals of creating more high-quality jobs and increasing regional prosperity for all. Through economic development, we ensure Chattanooga continues to be home to some of the best jobs in the nation and the best place to build a business.
