DENSO’s Humble Beginnings, Collaborative Spirit in Athens, Tennessee
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John Seavey (pictured far right) stands outside a temporary office set up for the DENSO Athens operations in early 1996. In the center is Akira “Andy” Kataoka.
In 1996, an Oklahoma State University Cowboy with a mechanical engineering degree moved across the United States to launch DENSO Manufacturing Athens Tennessee’s (DMAT) facility from literally … nothing.
“DMAT’s campus didn’t exist. There was nothing here when I started,” said John Seavey, Director of Manufacturing at DMAT. At the age of 28, he joined four other DENSO associates in a temporary office consisting of a few desks, telephones, and a fax machine.
“That fax machine saw a lot of use,” he said. “We used it every day, almost all day, to send information back and forth to Japan. It was a busy time getting the plant up and running, but we worked hard and got out our first shipment a year later.”
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The first of two grand openings for DENSO in Athens, Tennessee occurred on November 14, 1997 for the Ceramic Products Division. Nearly a year later, on October 8, 1998, the Fuel Injector Division would officially open.
“Back then, a lot of us at the plant were in our early 20s. We all settled down here and practically grew up together, starting our families and getting involved in the community,” he chuckled. “My wife and I raised two boys here, and she teaches pre-kindergarten at an elementary school in town.”
Seavey said he could never have envisioned the massive expansion that took place over the decades, but that growth is partly what kept him here for 27 years.
“Business-wise and organizationally, I want to be a part of ‘what’s next’ in this environment. It’s been exciting and enjoyable to see DENSO’s evolution here. And the other primary reason for staying is the people I work with. We have a unique DMAT culture that evolved from that temporary office, and we’ve all had a hand in developing that,” he said.
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The new facility in Athens, Tennessee takes shape on July 6, 1996.
He said that while DMAT began as a branch of DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee (DMTN), “in spring 2003 we legally separated from Maryville to become our own entity. It was an amicable divorce. At first when we separated, we replicated all their functions, including HR, accounting, and safety. Every department that they had, we had here,” he explained.
Approximately five years later, DMAT reverted back to sharing resources with DMTN, and that helped avoid duplication of some key functions.
“It actually enabled us to better live the philosophy of One DENSO with its standardization of practices, structures and outcomes,” he said.
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DENSO in Athens continues to be a strong supporter of local high school students entering the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. DMAT associates annually host students during Manufacturing Month to learn more about the wide range of manufacturing careers. In 2023, Lead Maintenance Technician Wally Turner identifies which car parts DENSO makes during a tour.
“While we’re a part of the overarching DENSO culture, DMAT is specifically known for our collaboration with the other plants,” Seavey said. “We’re not as big as DMTN, but we have a strong collaborative attitude. We work really well across the organization. And we have a strong connection to the mother plant in Japan.”
Over the years, DENSO’s business presence in Athens also meant the plant readily “gives back” to nearby schools, sports organizations and local causes, including United Way, engraining it as a key player in the fabric of the community.
“DENSO even has its name on the high school basketball court and a banner at the football field,” he said.
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On October 3, 2023, DENSO officially kicked off the start of thermal manufacturing in Athens, Tennessee. John Seavey (right) and HVAC Vice President Takeshi Nagatomo partially fill in the left eye of a Daruma doll to signify the start of construction.
Seavey said bringing the community inside DENSO’s doors is also an important business and recruitment strategy. “We especially want the kids to see what it is we do, so we bring them in on school field trips. We show them how everything is well-lit, and so clean you could eat off the floors,” he explained.
“We’ll take them to the plant floor to see what kind of parts we’re manufacturing. And we’ll highlight the automated guide vehicles and other kinds of robot technology we use,” he said.
“We’ll even have the robots challenge the kids to games of chess, tic-tac-toe or foursquare, because we want them to visualize a new future. We’re showing them good-paying tech careers right here in Athens.”
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On October 30, 2013, DENSO in Athens celebrated the production of 100 million stick coils and 200 million spark plugs. John recalls that during the ceremony they said that if you put all 300 million products back-to-back, the line would circle the Earth. To prepare for the future thermal business, the final stick coil product ceremony was held on April 21, 2023.