Project Announcement: RadLife EV Electric Bike Manufacturer

An electric bicycle manufacturer is expected to bring 280 jobs to Algood.

Algood Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler announced at Algood City Hall on Friday that electric bicycle manufacturer Rad Life Mobility will operate out of a building on Burton Branch Road. The company is a subsidiary of Life Electric Vehicles Holdings.

"We want to welcome the newest member of our community," Chapman-Fowler said. "We are excited to have them." The company is estimating it will bring 280 jobs to Algood over the next five years with 60-75 jobs in place by the end of 2026. It will be located off Burton Branch Rd. Life EV CEO Robert Provost said the company was looking forward to being part of the community.

"When we were looking for a state where we could bind with, we were looking for the right county and town," Provost said. "One of our investors is from Putnam County. We were asking where the best workforce was." Provost said it is rare that electric bicycles are assembled in the United States. He said Life EV has been doing so since 2010. "Everybody has a bike, so we started an electric bike company in Florida, and we decided to assemble them ourselves and have a much higher quality product than what was being manufactured in Asia," Provost said. 

Provost said the company has sold products at big box retailers such as Best Buy and Sam's Club, along with standalone stores in the western United States. They have also collaborated with other companies, including Harley-Davidson, on a line of electric bicycles. "We realized we needed a big factory in the southeast to begin distribution, and that's why we're here today," Provost said. 

Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Amy New said the addition of Rad Life Mobility and Life EV will help continue a trend of bringing well-paying jobs to the region. "That is the flywheel that creates the community and quality of life we need," New said. "You are every bit of that, and more. You create that for this region."

"(Life EV) seemed like the perfect fit for our community," Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said. "We're always looking for companies that want to locate here that fit into our community."