Business

Brother Led the Way in Diversifying Bartlett's Economy

Brother Industries USA located in Bartlett in 1986, followed by Brother International Corporation in 1989.

There are probably few adults in the country who haven't used a product manufactured by Brother Industries Ltd.‚ the maker of a variety of office equipment including printers‚ fax machines‚ labelers and typewriters as well as sewing and embroidery equipment and garment printers.

Bartlett is home to Brother’s Jupiter facility‚ named for its impressive size of 1.6 million square feet. The Jupiter facility houses the Tennessee offices of both Brother International Corporation and Brother Industries USA‚ a separate subsidiary. Brother International Corporation‚ headquartered in New Jersey‚ handles marketing‚ sales and distribution for the parent company in Nagoya‚ Japan. The facility in Bartlett is primarily responsible for distribution. Most Brother products in North‚ Central and South America are shipped from the Jupiter facility. Brother Industries USA is a manufacturing unit that does light assembly‚ OEM work and contract manufacturing. Together‚ the two employ nearly 1‚000 people in Bartlett.

Brother Industries USA moved to Bartlett in 1986‚ followed by Brother International Corporation in 1989.

“Bartlett is an ideal location because it is midway between the East and West coasts and because of its proximity to Memphis‚ a distribution hub for both UPS and FedEx‚” Hank Newman‚ manager of safety and administration for Brother‚ says.

Brother’s business has changed considerably since it settled in Bartlett. “Fifteen years ago‚ word processors were a high-demand product. As the price of personal computers dropped drastically to become competitive to that of the word processor‚ we concentrated on developing new products‚ such as our Multi-Function Centers‚ which print‚ scan‚ copy and fax. As customer requirements change‚ we develop products to meet those needs‚” Newman says.

Besides meeting the needs of customers‚ Brother also strives to be “a first-class corporate citizen‚” Newman says. Brother has a March of Dimes team to support fundraising efforts by the organization. Brother also is involved in promoting education. The company participates in career days at Appling Middle School‚ and when the addition to the Jupiter facility was dedicated in 2004‚ the Bartlett High School band and Appling Middle choir performed at the dedication ceremony.

Jerry Dodds‚ vice president and general manager of national operations‚ is heavily involved in Brother’s commitment to education in the community. Dodds is chairman of the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation‚ which conducts a capital campaign to support Shelby County Schools. Dodds is a member of the board of trustees for Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Dodds also serves as a member of the board of the Japan-America Society of Tennessee Inc.‚ which promotes cultural events and the economic development of the state. Dodds traveled to Japan with Gov. Phil Bredesen’s staff to encourage Japanese-owned companies to locate in Tennessee. Additionally‚ Dodds serves as a member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Modest about his own efforts‚ Dodds says‚ “Brother International Corporation as a company is dedicated to charities and civic organizations. I’m just a representative of the company's commitment.”

Story by Denise Mitchell

Site Sponsors

Archives

Local Advertisers

Site Sponsors

Contact Us

Local Advertisers

Business

Additional Business Articles