An app born and raised in Tennessee that says its users get high-paying jobs in manufacturing faster is pushing into the Chattanooga market after opening offices in Knoxville and Nashville.

Laborup screens workers like machinists, technicians and welders to create free profiles that show off their skills. The process is designed to connect recruiters to blue-collar workers, rather than workers having to apply for dozens (or hundreds) of jobs.

Nearly 40,000 users in East Tennessee have been screened on the platform, said Simba Jonga, the app's founder and CEO and an alumnus of the University of Tennessee. Laborup reports an average 30% pay increase for its users.

While the platform is available to users around the U.S., it launched in 2024 with a focus on East Tennessee. It has since exp

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