JOHN COFFELTEditor

VIAM Manufacturing, Inc., the leading manufacturer of automotive floor mats, celebrated its 25th anniversary in Manchester April 18 with a ceremony that included corporate leaders from across the globe.

Takuya Yakata- President and CEO Japan Vilene Company called the occasion a remarkable “journey of dedication, innovation and success.”

“Let us look to the future with optimism and determination,” Yakata said. “VIAM’s commitment to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction has not only earned us the trust of our clients, but has also made us a leader in the industry.”

Keith Hayes President and CEO of VIAM addressed the employees, “You are the people who have expanded VIAM across the global. Through your hard work and your commitment VIAM has expanded almost the world.”

Hayes memorialized the late Mayor Judd Matheny with an empty chair on the stage.

“Judd was an instrumental part of Coffee County,” Hayes said. “When he was elected Mayor, this was something he was looking forward to because this a part of his life too.”

Interim Mayor Dennis Hunt presented a proclamation written by the late mayor and placed it on Matheny’s empty chair.

Hunt recalled when in 1977, when Coffee County taxpayers purchased 795 acres for $360,000 to build an industrial park.

“This 30 acres we are now standing on represents at $13,000 investment for Coffee County taxpayers, and look what it has become,” Hunt said.

Sheriff Chad Partin said he was honored to speak at the event.

“I want to explain a little of what Judd would have presented today,” Partin said. “He would have spoken of the importance of the employee. Of you as citizens that keep this country going.”

“Judd is looking down on you today and he is saying thank you. Thank you being here, thank you for having a company that chose Coffee County, Thank you for providing all these jobs and Thank you for providing all this growth in 25 years,” Partin said.

Guido Wedell- worldwide General Manager of Car Floor Mats Carpet Division, VIAM is a subsidiary of Japan Vilene Company, a brand of Freudenberg, unveiled the new, re-envisioned VIAM global logo for the US, Mexico, Germany, Japan, China and Thailand markets.

He said the hard work of the employees help make that expansion possible.

“We have a great team here,” Wedell said, “a team that is always focusing on our customers doing everything to offer better product and services.”

Hayes said that VIAM started in Santa Fe Springs, California in 1983. The industry began making floor mats and

VIAM Corporate Attorney Mitch Michino noted the drastic changes that have occurred globally over the last three-fourths a century that still impact industry in Manchester.

“Two former enemies of the US, Germany and Japan, … “it’s not easy to overcome those cultural barriers,” he said.

Michino explained that following WWII, businesses we struggling in Japan for 20-30 years, until the late 60s and 70s, Japan’s industries began to strengthen and expand.

VIAM was started with no experience in making floor mats. In 1998, Hayes transferred from Bridgestone in the wake of the massive recall to start up the plant in Coffee County.

That operation started with one building, 20 employees and a 90,000 square-feet mostly-empty building. Twenty-five years later, the Industry owns over 30 acres, 800,000 square feet of building and over 500 employees.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.