“Howmet Aerospace’s Morristown operations play a critical role in enabling the next generation of quieter, cleaner, more efficient engines and power generation,” Merrick Murphy, president of engine products for Howmet Aerospace, said in a release. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue to grow in East Tennessee with the assistance of our tremendous state, local and regional partner.”

Lee and McWhorter are in France for the Paris Air Show, where they made the announcement.

“The state with the workforce will win the future, and I am proud to announce hundreds of new, high-quality jobs for Tennesseans across Hamblen County,” Lee said. “Our state is shaped by brands like Howmet Aerospace that have committed investing in our skilled workforce, and I look forward to opportunity this project brings in the years to come.”

Lee and McWhorter are having several meetings, according to a news release from Lee’s office. One of the meetings on this trip is with Orano USA, which announced plans in September to build a multi-billion dollar uranium enrichment facility in Oak Ridge, according to a release. The company’s headquarters is in France.

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“In the last two years, we have tracked commitments made in Tennessee as a direct result of meetings held during our international trips,” McWhorter said previously. “I am proud to share that 1,200 new jobs have been created and nearly $270 million has been invested by companies we have visited abroad like Schneider Electric, Landmark Ceramics and Howmet Aerospace.”

They traveled to the show in 2023 as part of a trip to Paris and Bologna, Italy. More than $117,000 of taxpayer funds was reportedly spent over a six-day economic development trip.