Mark Lane serves as Tennalum’s general manager. A 1971 graduate of North Side High School, Lane earned a business administration degree at the University of Tennessee Martin.
He was hired as an administrative manager at Tennalum before being promoted to general manager on Jan. 1, 2001.
WNWS.COM visited with Mark at the Jackson facility for a question and answer session.
Question: Tennalum first opened in Jackson in 1989, in Madison West Industrial Park, at 309 Industrial Drive. Will you describe what Tennalum manufactures at the facility, the process and discuss those you supply?
Answer: Tennalum produces aluminum rod and bar screw machine stock primarily for aerospace, automotive, industrial, and ordnance applications. The plant produces up to approximately 4,000 different combinations of alloys, tempers, sizes, and shapes. Tennalum sells mostly through metals distributors across the United States.
Question: How many people are employed at Tennalum, today?
Answer: Tennalum has 172 full-time employees and 10 temporary operating assistants. The average age of our workforce is 49 and the average years of service at Tennalum is 15. Only 40 percent of our employees reside in Jackson.
Question: How many square feet does the facility occupy?
Answer: 310,000-square-feet on 25 acres. The original investment was approximately $35 million, with 20 percent or $7 million needed for four heat-treat furnaces that still work today.
Question: Has Tennalum expanded since it first began production in Jackson in 1989?
Answer: Yes, there have been two major expansions. The plant originally contained 265,000-square-feet.
Question: What is the name of the parent company of Tennalum, and where is the company headquartered?
Answer: Tennalum is owned by Kaiser Aluminum Fabricated Products LLC located in Foothill Ranch, California.
Question: How many facilities does Tennalum operate in the United States?
Answer: Kaiser Aluminum began in 1946 under the leadership of Henry J. Kaiser. Today, there are 12 manufacturing plants in North America.
NOTE: The Jackson facility received the 2016 Circle of Excellence Award by the Kaiser Aluminum Senior Management team in March for the fifth time since the award was introduced in 1997.
The Circle of Excellence Award is presented to plants that excel in safety, customer satisfaction and financial performance. The performance metrics are very difficult to attain.
“It’s a testimony to the people we have working here,” Mark Lane said. “They make it happen. Tennalum reinforces the influence of safety by shutting down the plant for 90 minutes four times a month and holds a plant meeting with all team members.”
Tennalum’s Health and Safety Manager covers safety results from the previous month with the entire workforce and Mark follows up with a State of the Business presentation.
(PHOTO: Mark Lane, Tennalum general manager at its Jackson facility)
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