Manufacturing staffing for Blount County.
Automotive parts, aluminum production, metal fabrication, food processing. Blount County’s manufacturing base is deep, and so is our bench. We send the people who keep plants running, same-day, from a family-owned company that loves the work.
Key takeaways
- Labor Exchange is a family-owned staffing agency at 4408 Chapman Highway in South Knoxville. We dispatch same-day manufacturing crews to Maryville and Alcoa, TN. Phone 865-247-4957.
- Every worker we send is a W-2 employee of Labor Exchange (never a 1099 contractor). We carry the payroll, payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and pre-employment screening.
- Roles we fill in Maryville and Alcoa manufacturing: assembly workers, machine operators, production line staff, packers, and material handlers.
- One all-in hourly rate covers worker pay, taxes, workers’ comp, and screening. One invoice. No minimums and no long-term contract.
Blount County has one of the strongest manufacturing bases in East Tennessee, with deep roots. Major automotive parts suppliers, aluminum processing that traces back to the county’s century-long industrial heritage, food and beverage production, and specialized fabrication shops all run here. When production demand spikes, a shift comes up short, or a seasonal order lands, the permanent headcount cannot always flex fast enough. That is the gap we fill, and we love keeping a plant running.
Labor Exchange is a family-owned company right down the road in South Knoxville. Bill Peterson started it around 2012, and his wife Kelly runs it today. We dispatch same-day from our pool of pre-screened local workers, and every one of them is a W-2 employee of ours. One rate covers their pay, payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and screening, so you get people on the floor and we carry the paperwork. We are in the people business, and Blount County is home turf.
Blount County wears its manufacturing on its sleeve, and a lot of that traces back to aluminum. The city of Alcoa is literally named for the company, and aluminum has been made on that ground for more than a century. That heritage still shows up today as sheet, plate, and extruded aluminum feeding aerospace, ground transportation, and packaging, the kind of continuous, high-heat work that does not pause for a short crew. Around it sits a strong automotive-supplier base, because there are dozens of vehicle assembly plants within a few hundred miles and parts for many of them are made right here in East Tennessee. Add food and beverage production and specialized fabrication shops, and manufacturing in this county is not a side industry, it is the identity.
Geography is a big reason it all landed here. McGhee Tyson Airport sits inside Alcoa’s own city limits, with the Pellissippi corridor and the main highways feeding it, so parts and people move in and out of the county easily. To be clear, none of those plants are our clients, and naming them that way would not be honest. We just know this ground. When a Blount County plant is short on a shift or ramping for a new run, we are a short drive away in South Knoxville, ready today.
Positions we fill
Assembly & production
Line assembly, sub-assembly, component installation, and production support for manufacturing operations.
Quality control
Visual inspection, measurement checks, sorting, and defect identification on the production line.
Material handlers
Raw material staging, work-in-process movement, and finished goods transport within the plant.
Machine operators
Press operators, CNC helpers, injection molding, and basic machine operation with training.
Welding helpers
Grinding, prepping, fixturing, and supporting certified welders on fabrication projects.
General plant labor
Cleanup, packaging, palletizing, and facility support across all manufacturing departments.
Blount County’s manufacturing strengths
Major automotive parts suppliers with thousands of employees and high-volume production lines.
Aluminum processing and metal fabrication rooted in the county’s century-long industrial heritage.
Food processing and packaging operations requiring seasonal and ongoing production workers.
Custom fabrication, machining, and precision manufacturing for regional and national clients.
What a deep supply chain means for your crew
A county built on aluminum and auto parts has a particular rhythm, and it shapes what plants need from us. Aluminum and metals work runs continuous and physical, so the pressure point is dependable shift coverage and people who can move heavy stock safely without slowing the line. Automotive suppliers live on their customers’ build schedules, so when a vehicle program ramps or a new contract lands, the order rate can jump faster than anyone can hire for permanently. That is exactly the swing we are built to absorb. We add hands for the surge and step back when it settles, so a supplier is not carrying permanent payroll for a peak that has already passed.
It also means a plant here is often hiring against its neighbors. Manufacturing in Blount County competes with the same warehouses, construction sites, and hospitality jobs for local people, and when one big employer ramps up, the labor pool tightens for everyone. Honestly, that is when a local crew earns its keep. Because our people live in and around the county, we can usually find the extra hands when the obvious sources have already been picked over, and we can do it the same day instead of after a two-week search.
All shifts, all seasons
Manufacturing runs on schedules, not business hours, so we staff first, second, and third shift plus weekends. Second and third shift are the hardest to keep covered permanently, so we hold shift-experienced people in our pool specifically for plant work. When production ramps up for seasonal orders or a new line comes online, we scale your crew up without the lead time of traditional hiring, then scale it back down when the run finishes. No severance, no layoffs, no unemployment claims for you to manage.
The roles we fill on a Blount County line
An aluminum plant, an automotive-parts supplier, and a food-production line do not need the same hands, so we do not treat them the same. On the metals and fabrication side, we send material handlers who can move heavy stock safely, machine and press helpers, and welding helpers who grind, prep, and fixture for certified welders. On the automotive-supplier side it is line assembly, sub-assembly, machine operation, and quality control, people who understand that a part either holds tolerance or it does not. On food and beverage lines it leans toward production packing, palletizing, and sanitation-minded general labor. Tell us which of those floors you are running and we send people suited to it, rather than whoever was nearest the door. That is the difference between filling a seat and filling the job.
What to expect when you call us
Call 865-247-4957 and a real person on our team picks up. Tell us where your plant sits in Maryville, Alcoa, or elsewhere in Blount County, how many workers you need, which shift, and what roles, whether that is assembly and production, machine operators, material handlers, welding helpers, quality control, or general plant labor. If a role needs forklift certification, steel-toe boots, or safety vests, tell us and we match your site requirements.
From there we dispatch from our local pool of pre-screened workers. To start, a new worker brings two forms of ID for the I-9, and if your line requires drug testing or background checks, just ask and we arrange it. Every worker we send is a W-2 employee of ours, so one rate covers their pay, payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and screening. Because our people can be paid the same day they work, dependable folks keep coming back, which is exactly who you want on a production line.
Why a local crew matters on the line
A production line only holds its pace when people show up and stay steady, and that is hard for a staffing company far from here to promise. We can, because our crew lives in Blount County and East Tennessee, not on a list somewhere. We know who is reliable for a 6 a.m. start, who can handle repetitive standing work for a full shift, and who already has plant experience. When a big order lands and you need overtime coverage fast, local people are close enough to be there.
It matters for safety too. Plant work has real hazards, and a worker who already understands a production environment, who knows to wear their steel toes and stay clear of moving equipment, is safer for everyone on your floor. When you tell us the role, we send people suited to it rather than whoever happened to be available, and we arrange drug testing or background checks on request when your site requires them.
Family-owned since 2012, we have grown by keeping local plants staffed through ramp-ups and slow stretches alike, and our Google rating of 4.3 stars across 108 reviews reflects that steady work. We are in the people business, and when good people flourish where they are planted, your line keeps moving and your quality stays where it should be.
Frequently asked questions
What types of manufacturing do you staff?
Automotive parts, aluminum processing, metal fabrication, food production, and general manufacturing across Blount County.
Can you provide workers for all three shifts?
Yes. First, second, and third shift plus weekends. We match your production schedule.
Do you offer temp-to-hire for manufacturing?
Yes. Start with temporary workers, evaluate their performance on your line, and convert the best to permanent hires.
How fast can you reach a plant in Maryville or Alcoa?
From our South Knoxville office, Blount County is a short drive, so we can often backfill a short shift the same day, before the line slows down. General production, material handling, and packing roles move fastest. A role needing a specific certification may take an extra day to line up.
Are your workers on your payroll or ours?
Ours. Every worker is a W-2 employee of Labor Exchange, never a 1099 contractor, so the payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and screening are on us. You pay one all-in rate and skip the employment paperwork.
Do you handle heavy or hazardous plant work?
Yes. We send people who understand a production environment, who know to wear their steel toes and stay clear of moving equipment, and we arrange drug testing or background checks on request when your site requires them.