Jewelry Television is one step closer to the construction of a new corporate campus and headquarters at Pellissippi Corporate Center.

Last month, the Knox County Commission granted preliminary approval of an incentive package for the multi-million dollar project. Final approval of the package must come from the Knox County Industrial Development Board in March. The Jewelry Television facility would include approximately 200,000 square feet of office, studio and service center space and an additional 100,000 square feet of warehouse space.

Mayor Mike Ragsdale led the effort to keep the company in Knox County, by working with the area's economic development professionals, including the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership and the Development Corporation of Knox County, to locate the company on the 50-acre site.

"I'm thrilled with this announcement," said Ragsdale. "Jewelry Television is a great homegrown company that has quietly become one of our corporate superstars. Their tremendous growth could have easily led them to move elsewhere, but we all worked together to keep them here. The kinds of jobs the company provides are also great for Knox County. They range from top management and skilled production technicians to customer service professionals."

The company's current and expected future growth necessitates the expansion. Jewelry TelevisionTM currently employs more than 1,500 people and the new facility would allow the company's estimated addition of more than 750 jobs by 2008 and anticipated growth to approximately 3,500 employees by 2013. Company revenues have grown from $5.2 million in 1997 to $300+ million in 2004. Based on current estimates, the company plans to triple revenue and double its number of employees by the end of the decade.