Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd along with Advance Auto Parts, Inc. announced Wednesday plans to locate a new Advance Auto Parts distribution center in La Vergne to support the company's continued growth.

Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider, will invest $24.5 million and create more than 200 new jobs in Rutherford County. "We thank Advance Auto Parts for its continued investment and for creating more than 200 new jobs in La Vergne and Rutherford County," Haslam said. "We look forward to building a strong partnership with Advance in the years ahead as we strive to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs."

"With 80 of Tennessee's 95 counties having automotive operations, the automotive sector touches virtually every corner of the state making it a great fit for Advance Auto Parts' newest distribution center," Boyd said. "When companies locate here, they not only want a great place to do business, but also a great place to live. We are honored Advance chose Rutherford County, and we welcome them to Team Tennessee."

Advance's investment will be used on facility upgrades and equipment to create a world class parts distribution center. The 450,000 square foot center will provide parts and products distribution and logistics services to Advance's company-operated stores, commercial customers and independently owned Carquest stores in the company's Southeast area of operations. Construction will begin during the first quarter of 2016, and the facility is expected to be operational by mid-2017.

"Our goal is to provide the best service to all of our customers," Advance Auto Parts President and Interim Chief Executive Officer George Sherman said. "Having the right parts available in our stores at the right time is an important part of our service promise. The location of the new distribution center in Rutherford County will allow us to serve our stores and customers better than anyone else with improved supply chain capabilities. We thank the state of Tennessee, Rutherford County and the city of La Vergne for their partnership and look forward to a long-lasting relationship."

Local leaders praised Advance's decision to locate in La Vergne, citing the impact the new jobs will have on the area workforce. "We are excited and honored that Advance Auto Parts chose the city of La Vergne for its new location," La Vergne Mayor Dennis Waldron said. "We are thrilled that they are bringing more than 200 jobs to our area, and we cannot wait to welcome them to our community." "We congratulate Advance Auto Parts on its decision to select Rutherford County," Destination Rutherford Chairman Bill Jones said. "We continue to attract top companies and are thrilled that this project will add more than 200 jobs to our community."

"TVA and Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation congratulate and welcome Advance Auto Parts to Rutherford County, Tennessee," TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley said. "We are excited to partner with the state of Tennessee, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and the city of La Vergne to assist in new job creation in the community." Hiring is expected to begin in mid-2016. Those interested in applying for a position with Advance can visit AdvanceAutoParts.jobs starting in March 2016 for more information.

La Vergne and Rutherford County are represented by Sen. Bill Ketron (R - Murfreesboro), Sen. Jim Tracy (R - Shelbyville), Rep. Mike Sparks (R - Smyrna), Rep. Dawn White (R - Murfreesboro), Rep. Rick Womick (R - Rockvale) and Rep. Bryan Terry (R - Murfreesboro) in the Tennessee General Assembly.