In just three months, 1 in 5 manufacturing workers in the Knoxville MSA—over 10,000 people—are now active on Laborup. Let that sink in.
As of Oct 2024, Knoxville MSA is home to 48,000 hardworking manufacturing professionals (Federal Reserve Economic Data). These are the people building the products that keep the world moving. They are shaping the future of American manufacturing.
They’ve honed their skills in engineering, machining, welding, fabrication, maintenance, quality control, mechatronics, and more. The resurgence of manufacturing in America depends on these people.
This is bigger than a milestone. It’s a signal.
A signal that America’s industrial base is coming back, and it’s being rebuilt by skilled, hardworking individuals who have been overlooked for far too long.
You can’t build a car with an Excel SpreadSheet. You can’t assemble an airplane, craft a circuit board, or hone precision tools with a PowerPoint.
The manufacturing worker—skilled, steady-handed, and resilient—is indispensable.
And now, with global supply chains cracking under pressure and companies bringing production back home, their value is skyrocketing.
Laborup exists because these workers deserve better. For far too long, their skills have gone under-appreciated, underutilized, and under-networked. The path to a better job, higher pay, or a new opportunity has been riddled with inefficiencies. Our mission is to fix that.
We’re building a platform that flips the script—giving manufacturing workers visibility, empowering them to showcase their skills, and connecting them directly to companies that are rebuilding America’s industrial base.
For us it’s more than just about the 10,000+ skilled manufacturing workers or the 1M+ skills they have. It’s about the personal lives we’re touching. We’re advancing economic mobility and the impact is clear—and personal. Here’s what workers are saying about how Laborup is changing their lives:
“Finding high-paying manufacturing jobs is hard. Laborup is making it easy and putting us workers first. People take us for granted, but our hands build all the physical things people use. It’s time someone modernizes how we get hired, and these folks might do just that.”
– Maintenance Machinist in Knoxville, TN
“There’s no doubting American manufacturing is back. You see it all over the news. But finding these opportunities is crazy hard. These guys are solving this. I made a profile and started matching with good jobs almost immediately.”
– Experienced Welder in Knoxville, TN
“I’ve been working 3rd shift over the past two years, and I recently created my Laborup profile. Within two weeks, I had multiple offers. I ended up getting a job that pays 20% more than what I was making and had a better shift. I’m glad something like this exists for us blue-collar folks.”
– Experienced Mechatronics Tech in Knoxville, TN
“I was a little skeptical at first, but damn was I wrong. The platform itself is easy to use, but also the people behind it are easy to reach and help you along the way. It’s awesome to see something built for us. It’s also nice to see that the folks that built this are from the South and worked in manufacturing. They get us!”
– Senior CNC Machinist in Oak Ridge, TN
Lessons Learned
Every profile created, job filled, and career advanced tells a story of resilience and opportunity. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot:
- Listening to workers is our top priority. Every worker has unique skills, goals, and challenges. From offering career tools to fine-tuning our platform for ease of use, we remain dedicated to supporting workers at every stage of their journey.
- Expanding partnerships brings both complexity and opportunity. As we’ve worked with an increasing number of companies, we’ve built systems that cater to diverse roles and skills, ensuring workers find the jobs best suited for them.
- Our platform evolves with the workforce. Whether it’s enabling more detailed skill-matching or simplifying the hiring process, we continually innovate to make Laborup a reliable resource for workers and employers alike.
Why Knoxville MSA?
Because Knoxville is more than just a city—it’s a manufacturing powerhouse. The Knoxville Chamber reports 48,000 manufacturing workers in the region, supported by ambitious companies bringing jobs back to American soil.
You see it in:
- The Energy and Aerospace corridor spanning Oak Ridge to Morristown.
- Automotive giants in Maryville, Vonore, Morristown, and Clinton.
- The thriving Marine industry in Vonore, Loudon, and Sweetwater.
- Countless machine shops and manufacturing facilities spread throughout the region.
Laborup connects these companies with top talent, making it seamless for workers to find jobs that value their skills and pay them what they’re worth.
What’s Next?
We’re just getting started. The 10,000 workers active on Laborup today are just the beginning of a movement. We believe the future of American manufacturing isn’t in faraway factories or distant supply chains. It’s right here— in Tennessee, and across the country.
From the shop floors to the large scale facilities, the workers inspire us to continue building a platform that champions their skills and aspirations.
Our goal is simple: make invisible talent visible.
Give every skilled worker a chance to find meaningful, well-paid work. And help rebuild the industrial backbone of America—one job, one worker, and one opportunity at a time. Three months in Knoxville MSA. 10,000+ active workers. And we’re just getting started.
American manufacturing is back, and we’re building the infrastructure to support it.
