JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and First Lady Maria Lee have travelled to South Pittsburg’s Lodge Cast Iron facility as part of an ongoing, statewide tour to celebrate the businesses and communities which make the Volunteer State what it is today.
Alongside local leaders and Lodge faculty, Governor Lee and his wife were taken through a guided tour of the company’s main foundry where all of its cast iron products are made. All who participated in the tour were given an in-person glance to the men and women who work each day to ensure the company’s productivity, as well as learning how every pot and pan is developed and ready to be shipped to storefronts across the world. The tour additionally extended to the neighboring Lodge Factory Store, home to the Cast Iron Museum and world’s largest cast iron pan ever created.
Lodge Cast Iron has been in business for 129 years, one of Tennessee’s longest running and family owned companies, in addition to the longest running cast iron factory in the nation. Lodge serves as Marion County’s largest employer, the facility housing hundreds of employees working each week to contribute to the brand’s successful reputation.
Governor Lee’s tour of Tennessee is part of an initiative to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday in 2026. He explained the purpose of the greater tour is to visit every county across the state, speaking with government leaders and community members that help make the Volunteer State standout, and how each one contributes to the country’s core values. He expressed how for him, the tour throughout the foundry and museum was a great opportunity to experience in person the behind-the-scenes work that goes on into crafting an iconic brand of kitchenware, a brand deeply rooted within the state and is well beloved across the nation. The tour also showcased what makes the company standout from the crowd and how it economically contributes to not only Tennessee but also the nation as a whole.
“Companies like this, families like this, and communities like this are what makes Tennessee unique,” said Lee.