As manufacturing companies cut jobs nationwide, DESA plans to bring an additional 100 jobs to its Bowling Green facility on Industrial Drive.

The company, which manufactures and markets electric lawn and garden tools and heating products, plans to move its power tools division from Manchester, Tenn., to Bowling Green, bringing more employment opportunities to the area.

“The basic reason for the move was the opportunity to consolidate facilities and better use the facility we have in Bowling Green,” said Charlie Schaut, vice president of human resources for DESA. “It’s a growing line for us.”

The company plans to have the power tools division operating in Bowling Green – and the Tennessee plant closed – by December, and company officials should start hiring workers during the next month. The company will use employment agency Manpower to hire workers, who will start as temporary employees and after 60 days will be able to join the Sheet Metal Workers Local 433 and become full-time employees, Schaut said.

Some jobs will be entry-level, while others will require highly skilled employees. Wages range from $9 to $17 an hour.

The announcement comes about two months after DESA decided to move its heating operations division from China back to Bowling Green, bringing a reported 400 more jobs to the area. The heating division was outsourced to China about three years ago.

DESA is continuing to fill those jobs, which also were reported to be temporary for the first 60 days. Schaut said it was difficult to determine how many of those jobs are still open.

The Bowling Green DESA facility employs more than 300 workers. About 232 of those are full-time employees and 73 are temporary.

The number of temporary employees tends to fluctuate because many jobs are seasonal. For example, more temporary workers are hired around this time of year because the heating operation season begins around September and runs through February.

The power tools division – which has peak seasons in spring and fall – will make up for the lack of jobs during the heating operations off-season and keep employment at a higher level throughout the year, Schaut said.

“It will be good for employees,” he said.

As DESA continues to hire workers, the number of temporary employees will be higher than in previous years. As the two new divisions make themselves at home in Bowling Green, the company expects a heavier workload, Schaut said.

The power tools division makes Remington Power tools. According to a news release, the Bowling Green facility will produce the Remington Power Mower and other tools.

Along with the retail heating and power tools operation, Bowling Green is home to the company’s corporate office. DESA operates plants in Santa Ana, Calif., and Russellville, Ala. Both plants house professional heating divisions.

“We are of course thrilled to have those additional jobs in Bowling Green,” Mayor Elaine Walker said. “When we announced their expansion not too long ago, we knew they would be expanding jobs here. This reinforces their commitment to Bowling Green and to our work force.”