Local officials recently welcomed Tool Ventures International to Huntsville at the company's recent ribbon cutting ceremony in Chase Industrial Park. Speakers, from left, included: TVI Vice President Bryan Bovia; Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie; TVI President Don Mekkes; Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer and Chamber Chair Evans Quinlivan (speaking).

From left: TVI Vice President Bryan Bovia and TVI President Don Mekkes receive congratulations from Chamber Board Chair Evans Quinlivan on the opening of TVI's new facility in Chase Industrial Park.

Tool Ventures International officially opened its Huntsville office July 18 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new location in Chase Industrial Park. Special invited guests included Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer and Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie.

TVI is a Michigan-based automotive supply and tool manufacturer that brings more than 30 years experience in building progressive dies, line dies and transfer dies for the automotive, appliance and furniture industries. The Chase Industrial Park location is TCI’s first facility outside of Michigan. The facility is 12,000 square-feet and is currently serving as a service center or “die hospital,” until the 36,000 square-foot building is complete. TVI will then move into the production of dies. TVI considered more than 100 locations before settling on Huntsville.

Evans Quinlivan, Chair of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, opened the ceremony by welcoming TVI to the Huntsville Community. “As we all see, large automotive manufacturers continue to migrate into Alabama and to neighboring states and TVI has selected Huntsville to be closer to its clients and closer to its potential clients,” Quinlivan said.

County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie was the first guest speaker of the event. He assured TVI that they picked a great location and that he will continue to support them. “I will continue to pledge support to TVI and I want you to consider us [Huntsville] to be part of your TVI team,” Gillespie said.

Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer continued the warm welcome to TVI. “You personify what we say we are as a community. We worked hard to get you, but don’t think that we are going to leave you alone now that you are here. We want you to think of Huntsville as home,” she said.

Don Mekkes, President of TVI, then welcomed everyone to the new facility and thanked those who helped make the move into Huntsville possible. “We plan for this move to lead to future growth and success.” Mekkes said that he looks forward to growing with the community. He added that when the new building is operational they hope to bring 50 jobs to the Huntsville area.

Mekkes chose the new location because of the proximity to TVI’s customer base. He feels that the location will provide greater efficiency for his company and will improve customer service.

Prior to owning TVI, Mekkes served as president of another western Michigan tool and die company for several years. He has been a member of the National Tooling and Machining Association of West Michigan since 1996 and served as the association’s President in 2004.

Bryan Bovia, vice president of TVI and Mekkes' son-in-law, told the audience that they were thrilled by the open-arms attitude of the Huntsville community. “This sort of thing doesn’t happen to us in Michigan. We are overwhelmed by this.”