By Bobby Flash Melton
U.S. Representative Mark Green visited his constituents in Benton County last Friday, Oct. 7, and one of the places he visited was Arnold Fabricating and Machine (AFM) on Reynoldsburg Road in Camden. Joining Green was State Representative Jay Reedy, of Erin, who will represent Benton County in the Tennessee House after the Nov. 8 general election.
Welcoming Green and Reedy to AFM were company officials Kenny Arnold and Blake Arnold. The Arnolds noted that they were happy that elected representatives on the federal and state levels would take time to visit the AFM facilities in order to learn more about the services that the company and its employees provide.
“We are excited to have you on our property today to tour our operations. We are proud to serve as your hosts and thank you for coming. It’s not often that we have lawmakers who ask to visit us,” B. Arnold said. “To have representatives from Washington and Nashville at our location today is an honor. Let us tell you what we’re all about, and we appreciate this opportunity to show you around.”
After watching a video in the AFM conference room that detailed the company’s operations, Green and Reedy toured the facility, along with other officials such as Benton County Mayor Mark Ward, Benton County Economic Development Director Jennifer Wheatley, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lorie Matlock, and Green’s Field Representative Sam Nienow.
The visitors saw firsthand what AFM employees do to furnish products and services to the company’s customers and industrial clients. Following the tour Green noted that he is very impressed with the AFM facilities and personnel.
“This is fantastic! We want to recognize companies in our congressional district that create and sustain economic activity, and this is a wonderful example of that,” Green said. “AFM is a great company with strong leadership and a solid family heritage that provides lots of jobs. There is innovation throughout the company, and they do things right! Your employees are doing amazing work with metals such as steel, brass, and bronze. It was an honor to be here today.”
Reedy said the visit gave him the chance to learn more about Benton County and the opportunities available for future business and economic growth. He stressed that eventually some of that growth could be connected with Ford Motor Company’s huge “Blue Oval City” facility, which is under construction in Haywood County.
“I think it’s great that Congressman Green and Representative Reedy care about small businesses like this one and come around to let them know it,” said Benton County Mayor Mark Ward, who also completed the tour of AFM. “They are both working to see what role firms like AFM and others in this area might play as Blue Oval moves forward. At the same time, we are working to attract new companies to locate here and provide more jobs. I’m optimistic that Benton County will benefit from such growth in future years.”
“We do the same things here at AFM today that we did when the company started in 1968. Because of changes in technology, employees now do those things differently and more efficiently,” K. Arnold stated. “As our company continues to grow, we try to get better at what we do. The progress we make is all because of our employees. We have a great group at AFM that we rely heavily on and put a lot of faith in. They do an outstanding job for our company and our customers.”
As a token of appreciation for their visit, the Arnolds presented Green and Reedy with personalized office desk name plates made by AFM employees, thanking them again for taking the time to tour a business in Benton County.
Founded in 1968 Arnold Fabricating and Machine, Inc., is a family-owned and operated business that serves industrial, commercial, and manufacturing groups across the U.S. Its services include fabrication, machining, mechanical contracting, engineering, and design. For more information about AFM visit www.arnoldfab.com.
