KHS America, the provider and distributor of Jupiter wind instruments, Mapex drums, Majestic concert percussion and Atlus flutes, announced plans on Tuesday, Feb. 23 to relocate their corporate headquarters from Austin, Texas to Mt. Juliet. With 61 total positions, the company will initially relocate 15 to 20 families and will create 54 new jobs at the headquarters facility.

"We are excited to begin construction on the new facility," KHS America President Tabor Stamper said in a press release about the relocation. "We currently have several warehouse locations, making it more difficult to respond rapidly to our growing demand. The new facility will enable us to better process and distribute large instruments like the popular Jupiter low brass as well as our high-volume school rental instruments and growing professional lines. Jupiter Quantum marching brass, Mapex Quantum marching percussion and Majestic mallet instruments will all be shipped to our customers from one location. Along with our warehouse in Corona, Calif., the new, larger facility will also allow for more efficient distribution of Mapex drums."

KHS America has signed a 10-year lease with an option to buy a 100,000-square-foot building at the new Beckwith Farms development at Interstate 40 and Beckwith Road in Mt. Juliet. KHS is the first tenant to move into the new development, which was completed in 2009. Beckwith Farms is a Class A industrial development owned by Panattoni Development Company.

Dave McGahren, Sr., vice president with Colliers Turley Martin Tucker in cooperation with Lee Ellison and Dan Meyer of Commercial Texas in Austin, Texas represented KHS, and Doug Howard of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker represented the landlord, Panattoni Development Company.

"We are pleased to welcome KHS America as our first tenant in Beckwith Farms, and are especially delighted that it's a corporate headquarters relocation," said Hayne Hamilton, senior development manager at Panattoni Development Company. "Beckwith Farms is well situated for a company with KHS's distribution needs."

The new custom-designed building will house all corporate functions, warehouse and shipping facilities and new instrument testing, quality assurance and visitor center areas.

Whitfield Hamilton, regional manager of Panattoni Development Company, said, "This tenant is good for us as well as the City of Mt. Juliet and Wilson County. KHS America will both bring new personal income into the community and create new jobs, and we're thrilled that Beckwith Farms was the development that best fit their needs."

Due to the continued growth of each brand, the new facility will fulfill the need for a single warehouse point in closer proximity to the majority of customers. Enhanced climate control capabilities will be an important feature for more sensitive instruments such as Atlus professional level flutes.

"The Nashville area is centrally located to many more of our customers," said Stamper. "Its live music activity works well for our Mapex drum set business and the active music education efforts in the area provide a wonderful base from which we can continue to grow."

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce's Partnership 2010 team, along with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the Joint Economic & Community Development Board (JECDB) of Wilson County and TVA economic development representatives met with KHS executives to encourage the company to relocate its headquarters to the Nashville region.

"We are so pleased to welcome KHS and its employees to the wonderful city of Mt. Juliet," Mt. Juliet Mayor Linda Elam said. "To have KHS, which employs top-notch craftsmen of musical instruments, join our community is quite a coup, and we're extremely happy that they have chosen Mt. Juliet as their new home."

Mayor Elam credits G.C. Hixson, executive director of with Wilson County JECDB and Kenny Martin, Mt. Juliet's economic development director, with many hours of hard work for making this relocation to Mt. Juliet a reality.

"The Joint Economic & Community Development Board welcomes KHS America to Mt. Juliet and Wilson County," said Hixson. "We are pleased they have chosen Beckwith Farms for their U.S. headquarters and distribution operations. Our office is pleased to have been involved in bringing this company to Wilson County, and we look forward to working with them in the future."

"I am pleased to welcome KHS America to Wilson County," said Matt Kisber, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. "Under Governor Phil Bredesen's leadership, almost 50 corporate headquarters have chosen to locate in Tennessee. It is a testament to our state's strong business climate, excellent access to markets, and the productivity and availability of our workforce. We look forward to working with KHS as the company charts its course for long-term growth and success."

"KHS's decision to relocate their corporate headquarters to the Nashville area is a testament to the economic strength and geographic advantage of this region," said Janet Miller, chief economic development and marketing officer at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. "As our Music City brand continues to grow, we are proud to add KHS to the growing list of music-based companies choosing to locate their headquarters operations in Middle Tennessee."

"TVA is glad to be on the economic development team with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, State of Tennessee and the (JECDB) of Wilson County to support KHS America as they expand and create additional jobs in Wilson County," said John Bradley, TVA's Senior Vice President of Economic Development.

The new building is slated for completion in the early summer, with all facilities fully functional by mid-year.