New Commercial Heat Treater located in Tennessee

Vulcan Thermal has officially opened a new commercial heat treating operation in Surgoinsville, Tennessee, expanding capacity and shortening turnaround times for manufacturers across Northeast Tennessee and the surrounding region. The facility is located at 390 Phipps Bend Road in the Phipps Bend Industrial Park, positioning Vulcan Thermal close to a growing concentration of metalworking and manufacturing activity. 

Announced in March 2024 with state and regional leaders, the project represents a $5 million investment and is expected to create approximately 30 new jobs in Hawkins County. The site totals 15,000 square feet, and supports Vulcan Thermal’s strategy of providing responsive commercial processing and value-added services for customers who need consistent results and dependability. 

Built to serve regional manufacturers with faster lead times

Vulcan Thermal is a subsidiary of EHT, Inc., founded in 1984 and headquartered in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. In Tennessee and Pennsylvania, the organization provides heat treatment and related services to major suppliers in industrial segments including automotive and agricultural manufacturing, with the combined organization expected to employ nearly 100 people across both states. 

Vulcan Thermal’s website emphasizes a “more than one operation under the same roof” approach—helping customers reduce lead times and transportation costs by consolidating steps that often require multiple vendors.

Equipment and capacity: installed today, room to grow tomorrow

The Tennessee operation is built with both immediate production capability and planned expansion in mind:

• Two batch furnaces are currently installed.
• The site is planned to add a third batch furnace.
• The facility is also planned to add a 48-inch continuous mesh belt line, currently located on-site.
• Importantly, the foundations for the planned installations have already been built, enabling a straightforward expansion path as customer demand grows.

This combination of current capacity plus “ready-to-install” expansion is designed to help regional manufacturers secure processing slots with confidence—especially when production schedules tighten.

Quality systems and metallurgical support

To support demanding manufacturing requirements, the Tennessee facility includes a full metallurgical lab and is continuously monitored for process control and traceability. The operation is fully CQI-9 compliant and ISO 9001 certified, aligning with the expectations of quality-driven customers in automotive and other critical supply chains.

Services designed to reduce handoffs and simplify finishing

Vulcan Thermal markets itself as a full-service operation supporting manufacturing customers, with core services including heat treating, steam treating, tumbling (mass finishing), and inspection. 

The company also highlights additional support services—such as packaging and assembly—to help customers streamline outbound logistics and reduce vendor lead times. 

In steam treating specifically, Vulcan Thermal positions itself as a long-time leader in the process, stating that with over 35 years of experience it remains the largest commercial steam treater in the United States. 

Why Surgoinsville

In announcing the project, Vulcan Thermal cited the strong cooperation from state and local officials and the advantages of locating in Phipps Bend Industrial Park as key factors in the decision. 

For customers, the benefits are practical: closer proximity to processing capacity can reduce freight cost, improve responsiveness, and create a more reliable path from production to shipment-ready parts.

Request a quote / contact

Vulcan Thermal is actively seeking new business relationships across Tennessee and neighboring states. For quoting, capability discussions, or to schedule a tour, visit. 

• Tennessee: 390 Phipps Bend Road, Surgoinsville, TN 37873 
• Pennsylvania: 316 Battery Street, Saint Marys, PA 15857 
• Phone: (814) 834-0056  
• Email: [email protected] 

Updated photo captions (for your two images)

1. Interior heat treat area:
   “Inside Vulcan Thermal’s Surgoinsville, Tennessee facility—commercial heat treat capacity supported by on-site metallurgical resources, continuous monitoring, and an expansion-ready layout.”

Exterior building at dusk:
“Vulcan Thermal’s 15,000-square-foot Surgoinsville, Tennessee operation, located in the Phipps Bend Industrial Park and built to expand with additional furnace and mesh belt capacity.”