NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) – This month, a Silicon Valley technology company announced its move to the middle state and now its CEO is predicting that he will not be alone.
Yoshi CEO Bryan Frist announced that next year he will begin the transition from his Silicon Valley company to Nashville. The Yoshi app allows users to have gas, car maintenance and car washes delivered to them, and moving the company will deliver 100 jobs to the mid-state.
“We are going to hire people from the field technicians, so people delivering the fuel, changing the oil or washing a car, even the software engineers, I think it is a unique thing that we are going to offer to the community,” said Frist, who is the son of former Tennessee senator, Bill Frist.
The announcement of Yoshi’s relocation comes at a time when the coronavirus slows down part of Nashville’s growth. According to figures from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, 24 companies moved to Nashville in 2020, compared with 38 in 2019. Frist said he expects this trend to reverse, partly because COVID-19 is pushing more companies to outside Silicon Valley.
“Because of COVID, it’s kind of at warp speed. We’re being pushed into this new generation where people are scattered and, for me, Nashville is much better positioned than even an Austin,” said Frist. “I think what it will look like in five or ten years is that all kinds of tech talent will come here.”