Cheatham County and state officials are breathing a sigh of relief after the county’s largest employer says it will keep its plant there open.

Water heater maker A.O. Smith employs 1,000 workers in Ashland City, and Governor Phil Bredesen says losing the company would have been a blow.

“It has been a company that has been a mainstay in that community. We are very pleased to hear they’re going to stay.”

The company’s board of directors was considering a move after the flooding in early May damaged the plant. It decided Tuesday to continue operations in Cheatham County.