When AAON, Inc. announced in 2024 that it was bringing a $238 million manufacturing facility, and more than 800 jobs, to Memphis, it was a sign of what’s possible when the right project meets the right partners at the right time.
For its role in helping bring AAON to Memphis, EDGE has been named a 2025 Corporate Investment & Community Impact (CiCi) Award winner for Community Impact by Trade & Industry Development magazine. The award recognizes projects that drive investment and truly transform communities.
Memphis is set to benefit significantly from AAON’s expansion, which includes a $238 million capital investment and the establishment of a 787,000-square-foot space on the former American Snuff site. This development is projected to create 830 new jobs over the next five years, marking it as one of the top three job-creating projects in Shelby County within the last decade.
AAON’s arrival revives a long-vacant industrial site, creates meaningful career pathways, and puts Memphis on the map as a key player in the clean tech and data infrastructure economy. The company’s Memphis location will manufacture high-efficiency thermal systems for facilities like AI data centers – linking our region directly to some of the most in-demand industries in the world.
This project came together because of strategic collaboration between local and state partners. EDGE helped coordinate a 15-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) incentive to support the project, alongside a FastTrack economic development grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TDECD). The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) also provided a performance-based training grant to help ensure Memphis workers are prepared for the new, high-quality jobs that are coming online.
The project is an excellent example of how public-private partnerships can power progress by reinvesting in people and place. The AAON facility will bring back a piece of Memphis history and set the stage for long-term neighborhood revitalization and job creation.
Each year, the CiCi Awards spotlight projects that make a real difference, particularly those that uplift underserved areas, foster domestic manufacturing, and align with future-focused industries like clean energy. This year’s honorees represent over $3.7 billion in investment and more than 17,700 jobs across the country.
For Memphis to be part of that story is a big deal, and it reflects the growing recognition that this city is poised for further growth.
The team at EDGE is proud to be part of this expansion and excited for what’s ahead. With hiring expected to ramp up later this year, AAON’s expansion is becoming an engine for progress.
In the years to come, EDGE will continue fueling opportunities for Memphians – proving that smart investments, strong partnerships, and a shared vision can change the economic future of an entire region.