NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — This month, a Silicon Valley tech company announced its move to the mid-state, and now its CEO is predicting he won't be alone.
Yoshi CEO Bryan Frist announced said next year, he'll begin his company's transition from Silicon Valley to Nashville. The Yoshi app allows users to have gas, auto maintenance and car washes delivered to them, and the company's move will deliver 100 jobs to the mid-state.
"We're going to be hiring people from the field techs, so the people out delivering the fuel or giving an oil change or washing a car, all the way up to software engineers, so I think that's a unique thing that we'll offer the community," said Frist, who is the son of former Tennessee Senator Bill Frist.
Yoshi's relocation announcement comes as the coronavirus has slowed some of Nashville's growth. According to numbers from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, 24 businesses relocated to Nashville in 2020, compared to 38 in 2019. Frist said he expects that trend to reverse, partly because COVID-19 is pushing more companies out of Silicon Valley.
"Because of COVID, it's kind of in warp speed. We're being pushed into this new generation where people are dispersed and, to me, Nashville is much better positioned even than an Austin," Frist said. "I think what it's going to look like in five or ten years is all sorts of tech talent is going to come here."
