Star Manufacturing in Smithville plans to hire another 35-40 people to fill engineering, technical, and customer service jobs.
The announcement was made by Star officials Monday afternoon, August 14 followed by a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for the new office work stations built within the existing warehouse. Plans are to add an engineering lab for research purposes and a kitchen for potential customers to test cooking equipment manufactured here before making purchasing decisions.
In addition to company representatives, Chamber Director Suzanne Williams and Immediate Past President of the Chamber Kathy Hendrixson, the ribbon cutting was attended by County Mayor Tim Stribling and officials of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
“ We built inside the warehouse space that we already had which we weren’t utilizing to its fullest extent. It was the only feasible alternative we had to house this many people in an environment that would be conducive to talking to customers on the phone all the time,” said John Perruccio, Group President for Star Manufacturing in Smithville and South Bend Manufacturing in North Carolina.
“The new office space is 115’ x 50’ and another 115’ x 50’ will be immediately adjacent to it half of which will be allocated to an engineering lab for research and development and the other half for a test kitchen and training facility where customers will come in, visit with us, and test the equipment here before they actually purchase it for themselves out in the field. We have a very similar set up at Southbend where we bring in all different types of customers ranging from very large chain accounts to single unit operators who want to test our equipment prior to making purchasing decisions,” said Perruccio.
The addition of the new jobs will bring the number of employees at Star Manufacturing to 330 working two shifts.
“We will probably have about 35-40 new jobs when its all said and done. We did have about five or six people come down here from St. Louis, Missouri who actually transferred down to the area but all the other jobs are new. We have actually filled probably most of the customer service and technical service jobs but we are still looking for some more engineering team members who can do anything from varying levels of mechanical and electrical engineering,” said Perruccio.
“About 80% of our new jobs across the whole state of Tennessee come from existing industries so we’re very thankful to have a presence like Star Manufacturing here in DeKalb County. We appreciate them being able to expand and grow right here in really what we would call rural Tennessee. We’re very appreciative of the jobs they provide for the hundreds of families here in this operation,” said Cody Huddleston, Regional Director of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
“I want to say thank you to Star Manufacturing for the investment they made years ago in this county and for maintaining jobs and adding new jobs here today. This company has been here long enough that they have provided jobs for people in DeKalb County who have now retired. That means a lot that you have served the people of DeKalb County well and hopefully the people of DeKalb County have served Star well,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling.
Company Overview
With entry level to Heavy Duty gas and electric Griddle, Charbroiler and Hotplates categories, as well as their world¬class toasting, sandwich grill (Panini) and hot¬dog product solutions, Star is among the largest manufacturers of Heavy Duty and Medium Duty commercial cooking equipment in the world.
Star Manufacturing was founded in 1921 in St. Louis, Missouri and quickly became a leading supplier of a wide range of restaurant equipment – the name became synonymous with hot dogs (“red hots”) machines, fryers, popcorn makers and toasters. Over time Star outgrew its manufacturing plant in St. Louis, and opened its current factory in Smithville, Tennessee in 1982, eventually expanding it in 1990.
With the acquisition of Toastwell in 1997, Star added a range of new products to its catalog, including twosided grills (aka – panini’s), drawer warmers, popup toasters and waffle bakers. In 2000 Star acquired the Holman brand, adding conveyor ovens and conveyor toasters to its growing product line The Lang brand was acquired by Star in 2006, adding convection ovens, ranges and a robust Marine equipment line.
In December 2007, the Star Group was acquired by the Middleby Corporation, making them a proud part of the world’s largest family of food equipment manufacturers.
The Star Operation Center, Customer, Technical and Engineering services are still out of the office in St. Louis, Missouri. Still proudly Made in the U.S.A., the plant in Smithville, Tennessee is home to all the Star Group brands, including Star, Wells, Lang and Toastmaster.
(PICTURED ABOVE)
Front Row: Chamber Director Suzanne Williams, DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling, TN ECD Business Development Consultant Angela Regitko, Chamber Past President Kathy Hendrixson, Star Mfg. Director of Services Keisha Milken, Star Manufacturing President John Perruccio, Star Mfg. HR Director Kara Davis, Star Tenures employee Henretta Colwell, Manufacturing Engineering Manager Jason Norris
Back Row: TN ECD Upper Cumberland Regional Director Cody Huddleston, Director of IT Dean Parkinson, Manufacturing Engineer Daniel Hullett, VP of Engineering Todd Fenton, Plant Manager Anthony Brewer, Plant Controller Carrie Cantrell, Star Tenured employee Oscar Hendrix

The DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, for the ninth consecutive year, has been recognized as one of Tennessee’s elite fire departments for outstanding training achievement.
Of the 732 fire departments in Tennessee, both volunteer and paid, the DeKalb County Fire Department ranks # 17 for 2016-17 training achievement by the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy. Considering the ranking among departments that operate with 100% volunteer staff in the state, the DeKalb County Fire Department ranks # 2; only 13 hours short of the # 1 spot.
Last year, the department was the #4 volunteer fire department in Tennessee for training hours. This year, the department logged 2,908 training hours at the state fire academy and was recognized as a Gold Level fire department in Tennessee for 2016-17. The Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy presented the department with a Certificate of Training Achievement.
DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling commended the department’s members and leaders for continuing to make the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s training program a legacy of excellence. “Our county takes great pride in the level of commitment and service that we continue to see year after year from our volunteer firefighters who work hard and train hard to make sure our citizens have good fire protection here in DeKalb County.
Getting this kind of statewide recognition for the ninth consecutive year makes it very clear that we have an excellent group of committed men and women who sacrifice many hours to be prepared to respond to the emergency needs of our citizens,” says Mayor Stribling. Chief Donny Green says he wants to personally commend Captain Brian Williams, the department’s Training Officer, for his leadership in planning and coordinating the
department’s training activities in a manner that consistently spotlights our training program as one of top in the state; volunteer or career. In addition to the 2,908 hours at the Academy, Captain Williams coordinated over 3,000 man hours of in “in-house” training.
Chief Green says that without the support of County Mayor Tim Stribling, the County Commission, the families of our volunteer firefighters, and the citizens of DeKalb County, the department could not have achieved such prestigious recognition. “Properly trained firefighters are the best tools available to any fire department. Without proper training, the best and most expensive equipment is useless. However, good training coupled with good equipment is priceless,” says Chief Green. Training performance and documentation are core elements in the Insurance Services Office’s (ISO) property protection that determine how much property owner’s have to pay in homeowners insurance premiums. The DeKalb County Fire Department’s proven commitment to training and emergency response has resulted in a dramatic improvement to DeKalb County’s Public Protection Classification Rating of Class 6 for all areas of DeKalb County located within 5 road miles of one of the department’s 11 stations.
If you are interested in learning more about the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, or would like information on how to be a member of our team, you can visit the Department’s website at: www.dekalbfire.com, or call 615-464-7176. You can also visit the Department’s FaceBook group page.
Elite Club 2016-2017
Platinum
Johnson City Fire Department 11,062
Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue 10,126
Bartlett Fire Department 7,552
Franklin Fire Department 6,118
Cleveland Fire Department 5,110
Memphis Fire Department 4,172
Gallatin Fire Department 4,157
Dyersburg Fire Department 4,100
Gold
Hendersonville Fire Department 3,998
Lebanon Fire Department 3,788
Brentwood Fire & Rescue 3,719
Kingsport Fire Department 3,684
Smyrna Fire Department 3,526
Wilson County EMA 3,388
Clarksville Fire & Rescue 3,078
Seymour Volunteer Fire Department 2,921
DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department 2,908
Elizabethton Fire Department 2,864
Crossville Fire Department 2,860
Rural/Metro Fire Department 2,758
Hardin County Fire Department 2,694
Williamson County Fire & Rescue 2,690
McMinnville Fire Department 2,668
Maury County Fire Department 2,641
Pigeon Forge Fire Department 2,529
Williamson County Rescue Squad 2,509
Blount County Fire Department 2,488
Lawrenceburg Fire Department 2,455
Columbia Fire Department 2,414
Sevierville Fire Department 2,349
Jefferson City Fire Department 2,196
Germantown Fire Department 2,195
Knoxville Fire Department 2,126
Martin Fire Department 2,090
Silver
Tullahoma Fire Department 1,920
Rutherford County Fire & Rescue 1,878
Putnam County Fire Department 1,825
Manchester Fire Department 1,604
Fairview Fire Department 1,557
Cookeville Fire Department 1,544
Signal Mountain Fire Department 1,535
Fire Department of Mt. Juliet 1,520
Cumberland Gap Volunteer Fire Department 1,489
Goodlettsville Fire Department 1,477
Jackson Fire Department 1,412
Shelbyville Fire Department 1,403
Karns Volunteer Fire Department 1,401
Decatur County Fire Department 1,352
Gatlinburg Fire Department 1,317
Madison County Fire Department 1,304
Sevier County Volunteer Fire Department 1,283
Morristown Fire Department 1,274
White House Community Volunteer Fire Dept. 1,272
Rhea County Fire Department 1,265
LaVergne Fire Department 1,236
Bristol Fire Department 1,235
Cumberland County Fire Department 1,208
Loudon Fire Department 1,202
Henderson County Fire Department 1,199
Millington Fire Department 1,180
Oak Ridge Fire Department 1,171
Greeneville Fire Department 1,143
Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Department 1,139
Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department 1,064
Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Dept. 1,048
City of Athens Fire Department 1,039
Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department 1,020

A Smithville woman was transported by DeKalb EMS to St. Thomas DeKalb Hospital after a crash Monday morning at the intersection of South Mountain and Hayes Streets.
According to Smithville Police, 69 year old Imelda Venton was driving east on Hayes Street in a 2003 Buick LeSabre when she crossed the path of a 2007 Nissan Titan driven by 36 year old Daniel Lee Hullett of McMinnville. He was traveling north on South Mountain Street.
The truck hit the car in the passenger side.
Hullett was not injured.
The crash was investigated by Patrolman Andy Snow. Members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department were also on the scene.

A 23-year old Bowling Green, Kentucky man charged with killing a woman there on Saturday was in DeKalb County on Friday.
Sheriff Patrick Ray told WJLE that Justin A. Denihan was arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, August 18 at 12:27 p.m. for theft of property under $1,000. He was released at 8:57 p.m. Friday night after posting a $3,500 bond. His court date is August 31.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 8/14/2017 Thru: 8/21/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_35.pdf (2.44 MB)
According to Sheriff Ray, a deputy was dispatched to Edgar Evins Marina on Friday due to a complaint of a suspicious man there. The officer found the man, Denihan, and transported him back to his truck which was parked on Dale Ridge Road. A Jimenez Arms Inc. 22 caliber handgun was found on the front seat of his truck. A computer check revealed the handgun had been stolen in Davidson County.
On Saturday, August 19 Denihan was arrested in Bowling Green, Kentucky after he claimed to have murdered a woman and stuffed her body in a tote. The woman’s body was found taped inside a tote at a residence on Pleasant Place Way in Bowling Green, Kentucky at around 12 noon Saturday. The deceased is thought to have been a resident of that home and Warren County, Kentucky authorities said there were signs of trauma on the body. Kentucky authorities said Denihan was at the home and told them that he killed the woman and put her body in the tote. Denihan is in the Warren County, Kentucky Regional Jail charged with murder.
In other cases locally, the girlfriend of a man charged in recent burglaries and thefts is now facing charges of her own for knowing about certain crimes he allegedly committed and not reporting them to authorities.
32 year old Jessica Denise Dyal of Floyd Drive, Smithville is charged with aggravated burglary and two counts of theft under $1,000. Her bond totals $10,000 and her court date is August 31.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said Dyal, the girlfriend of 28 year old Corey Alan Bradford, stood to benefit from the July 19 theft of a 50 inch Samsung television (valued at $550) from a home on Blackberry Hill Road and a gold single diamond necklace and a cluster ring made into a necklace, valued at $675 taken in another theft.
41 year Gregory Michael Patton of Oak Place Drive, Smithville is charged with forgery, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession or casual exchange, criminal impersonation, and resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest, or search. His bond totals $18, 500 and his court date is August 31.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, August 3 a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Highway 70 west. A passenger in the vehicle identified himself as James Patton. He was found to have in his possession a hypodermic needle and a single glass pipe containing residue believed to be from marijuana. The deputy also found a container that held small crystals (under 0.5 grams) which field tested positive for methamphetamine.
He was issued a citation at that time under the name James Patton for possession of drug paraphernalia and simple possession or casual exchange. Patton signed the citation as James Patton and he was then released.
Officers later learned that Patton had lied to them about his name and date of birth and that his actual name is Gregory Patton. Warrants were taken against him for forgery, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession or casual exchange, and criminal impersonation.
Another deputy ran into Patton on Thursday, August 17 at a residence on Laverne Street in Alexandria while serving an arrest warrant on another person. The officer informed Patton that he was wanted on active warrants against him. Patton turned and fled through the house and escaped through a bathroom window. Patton was found and arrested later that day and served with the warrants along with a charge of resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest, or search
23 year old Robert Allen Hutchins of Smithville Highway, McMinnville is charged with domestic assault and violation of an order of protection. His bond is $7,000 and his court date is August 31.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, August 17 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Snow Hill Road for a physical domestic. Upon arrival the officer spoke with a woman who said that her husband, Hutchins had assaulted her and then left the scene. The woman said Hutchins had been drinking and began arguing with her before shoving her down causing redness and scrapes to her left elbow. The victim also alleged that while she was calling 911, Hutchins threatened to slit her throat if she didn’t hang up the phone. After a further investigation including statements from witnesses, Hutchins was determined to have been at the scene in violation of an order of protection against him. He is not to have any contact with the woman (victim) in this case. He was placed under arrest.
34 year old Jamie Clinton Lynn of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $5,000. Sheriff Ray said that on August 17 a deputy was dispatched to the sheriff’s office in reference to a possible physical domestic. Upon arrival the officer met with a woman who reported that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Lynn at a residence on Short Mountain Highway. The officer learned that Lynn had allegedly head butted the woman causing a red mark above her right eye. He also allegedly struck her on the face causing a busted lip and had thrown an object leaving a scratch on her side.
28 year old Dontavius Quartez Warren of McMinnville was arrested for driving under the influence, possession of a handgun while under the influence, and evading arrest. He was also cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of the implied consent law for refusing to submit to a blood test. His bond totals $10,000 and his court date is September 14.
Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, August 19 a deputy was dispatched to the area of Nashville Highway due to a reckless driver in a maroon Ford Escape. The vehicle had run the complainant off the road on Highway 53. The officer spotted the automobile traveling at a high rate of speed near Dry Creek Road and tried to make a traffic stop. The officer activated his blue lights but the driver continued to evade for another two miles before finally pulling over. While speaking with the driver, Warren, the officer detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from his person. Warren’s eyes were also red, glossy, and bloodshot. Warren submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He was placed under arrest. During an inventory search of Warren’s vehicle, the deputy found in the center console a Taurus 380 caliber pistol and a glass marijuana pipe.

A 68 year old Hickman man suffered a leg injury in a motorcycle crash on Dale Ridge Road Sunday afternoon.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that James Bullington was traveling north on State Route 96 (Dale Ridge Road) on a 1998 Harley Davidson when the motorcycle ran off the right side of the roadway, laid over on its left side, and slid to rest. The accident occurred in a curve near the intersection of Davis Hollow Road and close to the Memorial Baptist Church.
Bullington, who was wearing a helmet, was taken by DeKalb EMS to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. He was cited for failing to maintain his lane of travel.
The crash was investigated by Trooper Danielle Neal of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Members of the Liberty Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

DeKalb Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (d/b/a DTC Communications) will host its annual meeting on Sept. 16, 2017, at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria.
Directors will be elected in the Milton, Norene, and Woodbury exchanges. The Nominating Committee has qualified the following candidates by nomination: Jim Vinson – Milton, Terry McPeak – Norene, and Jean Chumbley Ferrell – Woodbury. One candidate, Michael Alexander, qualified by petition in the Woodbury exchange.
Voting for directors will take place at the cooperative’s annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 16 and during early voting Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 11-13. The last day to make changes to your membership for the 2017 election is Thursday, Sept. 7.
Hours and locations for early voting include:
Early Voting Hours
*Mon., Sept. 11 …………… 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
* Tues., Sept. 12 ………….. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
* Wed., Sept. 13 …………. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Early Voting Held at DTC Store Locations
* 111 High Street – ALEXANDRIA
* 126 JMZ Drive – GORDONSVILLE
* 200 Walmart Drive – SMITHVILLE
* 106 West High Street – WOODBURY
On Saturday, Sept. 16, gates to the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria will open at 11:45 a.m., with voting from noon until 3 p.m. The business meeting will begin at 3 p.m. or once the last person in line at that time has voted.
Only DTC members may vote, and each member must present proper photo identification. For a single membership, only that individual may vote. Either member of a joint membership may vote, but not both. In the case of a business membership, a business affidavit is required.
For additional information about membership and voting, call DTC at 615-529-2955.

The bodies of a man and woman were found Sunday afternoon inside a mobile home on South Judkins Lane, Smithville in the Jefferson Community
Sheriff Patrick Ray told WJLE that Central Dispatch received the call at 2:16 p.m. and deputies arrived at 2:28 p.m. and found the two bodies inside the mobile home. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Department were summoned to the scene along with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the District Attorney General’s Office, and the County Medical Examiner Investigator.
The deceased have been identified as 51 year old Douglas Ray Ferrell and 45 year old Angel Dawn Ferrell. The bodies have been sent for an autopsy.
No other information was immediately released.

A Sunday evening fire has left a DeKalb County family homeless.
The residence of Nathan and Kim Hale at 5093 Lower Helton Road near Alexandria was destroyed by the blaze which was reported at 6:02 p.m. about an hour after the family had left to attend a church service in Carthage. The owner of the home is Garland Hale.
DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green told WJLE that a neighbor spotted the fire and reported it but the home was fully engulfed in flames and could not be saved. All the family’s belongings were lost in the blaze. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Members of the Liberty, Main Station, and Cookeville Highway stations of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the tanker truck. The Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department provided mutual aid backup with a fire truck and manpower.
Members of the Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene.
There were no injuries.

A man lost his life in a lawn mowing accident Sunday afternoon on Askin Lane in the Austin Bottom area of DeKalb County.
Central dispatch received the call at 4:08 p.m. and a deputy responded.
Sheriff Patrick Ray told WJLE that the man was on a standard size riding mower when the accident occurred as he was mowing his yard. The man was found dead about 40 feet down an embankment by his yard.
DeKalb EMS responded along with the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad and the County Fire Department. The man’s name has not been released.