Southeast Resource: 2008

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SOUTHEAST RESOURCE seresource.com

NORTH GEORGIA SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA

Generating Excitement TVA, partners spark economic growth

How Sweet It Is From M&M’s to MoonPies, food remains big business here

Not Just a Football Term ‘Half-backs’ purchase homes throughout region

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contents

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OVERVIEW

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BUSINESS ALMANAC

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BUSINESS CLIMATE

Generating Excitement

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TVA and electricity distributors provide infrastructure to spark economic growth. INTE RNATIONAL INDUSTRY

Where Global Meets Local

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There’s a distinctive international avor around the 22-county Southeast Industrial Development Association region.

World Comes to Main Street, USA

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TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH

Engineering the Future

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SimCenter at UT-Chattanooga solves real-world problems with cutting-edge technology. FOOD INDUSTRY

How Sweet It Is

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Some of the best-loved sweets in the nation are made in Chattanooga and vicinity.

Agritourism and Healthy Eating

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On the Cover PHOTO BY WES ALDRIDGE TVA’s Parksville Lake in Tennessee READ MORE ONLINE

SERESOURCE . com LINKS Click on links to local Web sites and learn more about the business click climate, demographics, service providers and other aspects of life here. WEATHER Find current conditions, immediate and long-range forecasts, and historical averages.

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ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE

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Southeast Resource magazine is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the Southeast Industrial Development Association. In print and online, Southeast Resource magazine gives readers a taste of what makes the region tick – from transportation and technology to health care and quality of life.

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“Find the good – and praise it.� – Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

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contents TR ANSPORTATION

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The Accessibility Advantage 22 Thanks to investment in airports, river ports, highways and rail lines, the tri-state region gets an “A” for accessibility.

Color These Vehicles Green

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WORKFORCE DEVE LOPME NT

Boon to Economic Development

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Training programs ensure that area employers have an ample supply of skilled workers.

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HEALTH CARE

Meeting Needs of an Aging Population

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Caregivers in southeast Tennessee, north Georgia and southwest North Carolina gear up for an influx of retirees. E NTRE PRE NEURSHIP

On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow

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Several organizations help entrepreneurs realize their dreams.

Future in Sight

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LIVABILITY

Not Just a Football Term

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The region is popular with “half-backs” – Northerners who retire to Florida and later move halfway back.

Downtown Bound

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Let Nature Run Its Course

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National, State Parks in Region

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GALLERY

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PORTFOLIO

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

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ECONOMIC PROFILE

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overview

NEW DIGS, SAME VISION Knoxville

Nashville

SEIDA expands economic development efforts from new headquarters

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville

TENNESSEE

GEORGIA

As the Southeast’s status as an attractive location for companies around the world continues to grow, the Southeast Industrial Development Association is committed more than ever to the twin goals of job retention and recruitment. From a new headquarters at 1000 Riverfront Parkway in Chattanooga, SEIDA provides multiple economic-development services to its 22-county area that spans southeast Tennessee, north Georgia and southwest North Carolina. In an increasingly global economy, the organization is working to ensure the region’s continued prominence in a broad range of industries, says Beth Jones, executive director.

Those projects include a proposed new east-west highway that would open up the area to Atlantic seaports, and a planned high-speed rail line between Atlanta, Chattanooga and Nashville. While those major initiatives are still on the drawing board, much is already being done to burnish the area’s image for business leaders. “We are focusing our efforts on our target industries and are continuing to fine-tune what I consider to be a collaboration process,� Jones says. “We realize that a company locating in one part of the 75 region benefits all.� – Joe Morris 40 40 9\]fdWZZS

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• Heidi Smith Tennessee Valley Authority

Georgia • Joe Satterfield, Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp., Young Harris

• Ron Hutchins (vice chairman), North Georgia Electric Membership Corp., Dalton • David Falls Tri-State Electric Membership Corp., McCaysville

North Carolina • Larry Kernea (chairman) and John Carringer Murphy Power Board

Tennessee • Dennis Daniel Cleveland Utilities • Frank Welch (secretary/treasurer), Dayton Electric Department

• Brian Solsbee Etowah Utilities Board

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Regional

• Harold DePriest Electric Power Board of Chattanooga

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SEIDA Board of Directors

• John Culpepper Chickamauga Utilities

“We’re working on a number of significant expansions for companies throughout the region that will not only secure their location within our area but also bring additional business into the region,� Jones says. “We’re also working on several major transportation projects that will continue to enhance overall access to and through the region.�

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• Bob Matheny, Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, South Pittsburg • Eric Newberry Athens Utility Board

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Southeast Industrial Development Association

SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of Southeast Resource at seresource.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers. 20

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1000 Riverfront Parkway Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: (423) 266-5781 Fax: (423) 267-7705 www.seida.info

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ROAD WITH A WOW FACTOR What a road!

PHOTO COURTESY OF TSPS

The 36-mile Cherohala Skyway was completed in fall 1996 after being under construction for 34 years. Built at a cost of $100 million, it stretches from Robbinsville, N.C., to Tellico Plains, Tenn. The road passes through the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests, hence the name Cherohala. It is known in motorcycle and sports car circles for its long, sweeping corners and scenic views. Be sure to have enough gasoline to make the trek; there are no filling stations along the way.

STANDING OVATION Take note: The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2008. The first official season of the Chattanooga Symphony took place in 1933, and the symphony and Chattanooga Opera merged in 1985, becoming the first combined symphonic and opera organization in the United States. Today, it is one of just two such companies.

NINE NIGHTS IN CHATTANOOGA

In 1992, maestro Robert Bernhardt was assigned the artistic leadership role of the Chattanooga group, and he remains the music director and conductor.

Applause is a common sound at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga each June. Riverbend began in 1981 under the name Five Nights in Chattanooga, and the event has grown to nine nights with six stages and more than 100 performing artists. The festival draws in excess of 650,000 people, with attendance some days topping 80,000. The 2007 show featured entertainers such as Daughtry, the Steve Miller Band, Vince Gill, Randy Owen of Alabama, Ricky Skaggs, and Earth, Wind & Fire.

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business almanac

ALL’S FAIR ON LAKE CHATUGE Dust off your clogging shoes and head to Lake Chatuge in May for the annual Georgia Mountain Fair. The event occurs for 12 days near Hiawassee in Towns County, which is nicknamed the Showplace of the Mountains. Activities include country music shows, clogging, carnival rides, arts and crafts, exhibits, a parade, and a beauty pageant. Dating from 1950, the fair features demonstrations of moonshine making, quilting, blacksmithing and soap making. A Pioneer Village offers a look at an old-time mountain town, complete with a one-room schoolhouse, log house and smokehouse. The fair attracts nearly 100,000 people each year.

TRACKING THE TRAIL OF TEARS It was a historic event that still has many unanswered questions today. The Trail of Tears in 1838 involved more than 15,000 members of the Cherokee, Creek and other tribes, all forced from their homes and removed to camps to make way for white settlement. From there they were escorted to Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga (pictured) and two other departure points to begin a long westward journey to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma. An estimated 4,000 tribal members died in the camps or en route. U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga was the primary sponsor of a bill approved by Congress in 2006 to study the routes taken when the U.S. government forced the tribes from their land. The law also calls for an education and research center to inform the public about that chapter in history.

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TWO SPELLINGS, SAME RIVER The Tennessee Valley Authority built and operates 29 hydroelectric dams in the seven states it serves. On the Hiwassee River, there are dams in three locations. The Apalachia Dam, Chatuge Dam and Hiwassee Dam were all built in the 1940s, with the Hiwassee Dam (pictured) being the tallest of TVA’s dams at 307 feet high. By the way, the Hiwassee River is spelled Hiawassee in north Georgia at its headwaters in Towns County. It flows northward into North Carolina where is assumes its more common moniker of Hiwassee.

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business almanac

88 KEYS TO SUCCESS You have to hand it to pianist Ning An. Currently the artist in residence at the Lee University School of Music in Cleveland, Tenn., Ning is considered one of the top pianists in the country. He made his concerto debut at age 16 with the Cleveland Orchestra in Ohio, and since then he has performed with symphonies in Brussels, London, Moscow, Stuttgart, Taipei and Warsaw. In 2007, he made his debut at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall in an all-Chopin program that drew rave reviews. Locally, Ning performed at the 2007 Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga.

LAKE EFFECT An amusement park in Georgia is all wet, and that’s a good thing. Lake Winnepesaukah, named for an American Indian word that means “beautiful water,” opened in 1925 in Lakeview. The popular warm-weather attraction just south of Chattanooga is nicknamed Lake Winnie. The first ride at the amusement center was the Boat Chute, constructed in 1927. Now the oldest mill chute water ride in the country, it remains one of the park’s most popular attractions.

P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F L A K E W I N N E P E S A U K A H A M U S E M E N T PA R K

In 2001, Lake Winnie added its third roller coaster (Wild Lightnin’), and it installed a freefall ride called Oh Zone (pictured) in 2006. The park also features an open-air theater that is used as a free concert music venue.

LAND SALE OF THE CENTURY The Bowater paper company (now part of AbitibiBowater Inc.) has put about 250,000 acres of woodlands up for sale on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. Businesses have been buying many of the parcels for secondhome and retirement developments, but portions of the acreage will become parkland. In fact, in November 2007, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen approved the purchase of 127,000 acres that will be conserved on the northern Cumberland Plateau. That $135 million purchase ensures the protection of forestlands measuring about 200 square miles.

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Generating Excitement TVA, electricity distributors provide infrastructure to spark economic growth

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business climate

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f you think infrastructure means just roads, think again. The Tennessee Valley Authority and power distributors throughout the 22 counties of the Southeast Industrial Development Association have embraced infrastructure’s broadest definition in offering commercial and residential customers an array of services. “Our customers want choices, and we’re here to provide them,” says Colman Keane, corporate technical consultant with the Chattanooga Electric Power Board. Established in 1935 to provide electricity across the greater Chattanooga area, the EPB serves more than 160,000 customers in about 700 square miles. In 2000, the municipal utility entered the fiber-optics field, providing business customers with high-speed Internet access and digital telephone service. Now, with its new Fiber to the Home initiative, the EPB plans to start providing those same broadband services, including video entertainment, to homes as early as fall 2008. “We are looking to cover 80 percent of our footprint within three years – and then the remaining 20 percent in the rural areas within two years after that,” Keane says. He adds that income generated by the Internet-based services will fund construction of the fiber infrastructure. According to EPB studies, fiber’s economic impact will be nearly $1 billion over 10 years.

and Sequoya nuclear plants. The TVA board of directors has approved the $2.4 billion, five-year construction of Watts Bar Unit 2 near Spring City, Tenn. SERVING RURAL AREAS Besides electricity, natural gas can be an integral part of economic development, but the reality is that natural gas pipelines are not universally available. That’s where propane gas comes into play. For example, many rural customers – both commercial and residential – in the eight counties served by the Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative need propane for their heating systems. Accordingly, in 2000, the cooperative decided to “diversify our business portfolio” and purchase a local propane supplier, Vice President Mike Partin says. “Part of our thought process is to be a total energy partner for our membership,” Partin says. “If there’s a need out there, cooperatives try to fill it.” Erik Brinke, economic development director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp., agrees with that sentiment. Serving 48,000 member-customers in five Georgia and North Carolina counties, BRMEMC entered the broadband business in 2002, first for commercial entities. “It’s economic development at its finest. It’s the highway of the future, and that’s where we’re going,” Brinke says. The utility is expanding the broadband service to residential customers, and in 2008 it will roll out its Triple Play product, offering voice, video and data for one price. “We’ll be bringing services to people in the region who have never before had it, just like it was in the late 1930s and early 1940s when we brought power into the communities that never before had it,” Brinke says. “It’s very much like our original mission.” – Sharon H. Fitzgerald

With the installation of fiber-optic cable, some power distributors are planning to offer cable television, telephone and Internet service to residential customers. Left: TVA boasts 99.999 percent reliability for its power distribution.

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STAFF PHOTO

LEVERAGING CAPITAL INVESTMENTS When it comes to economic development, TVA partners with its power distributors, regional organizations such as SEIDA, and local governments and leaders to promote the Tennessee Valley as a prime business and industry locale. “Our commitment continues as TVA works together with our many partners to create quality jobs, retain and grow existing companies, and leverage additional capital investments in the region,” says John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of economic development. The nation’s largest public power company, TVA itself is an economic development draw, thanks to the reliable and affordable power it generates. Terry Boston, TVA executive vice president of power system operations, says summer 2007 was the region’s hottest since record keeping began in 1952, yet industrial customers suffered no power disruptions. The utility boasts 99.999 percent reliability. “That’s five 9s for eight years,” he says. Boston calls the SEIDA region “a rich area [for] capacity in the TVA system.” In the SEIDA region are the Watts Bar, Chickamauga and Nickajack dams and hydroelectric generation plants on the Tennessee River, the Hiwassee River’s three hydroelectric dams in North Carolina, the Ocoee River’s three hydroelectric dams in Tennessee, and the Watts Bar

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international industry

Where

Global

Meets Local

Companies turn the tri-state region into an international marketplace

PHOTOS BY WES ALDRIDGE

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With a new facility in Rock Spring, Nissin Brake Georgia is in an expansion mode.

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drive around the Southeast Industrial Development Association region is a bit like a quick world tour. Whether it’s U.S.-based companies preparing products for overseas distribution or foreign concerns operating an American facility, there’s a definite international flavor. The list of such companies in the region is lengthy. More importantly, the variety of goods and services they produce bodes well as SEIDA and its partners look to play larger roles on the world stage. “We are going to be more and more challenged to take our existing industries and keep them competitive in the global economy,” says Beth Jones, SEIDA executive director. “At the same time, we have to help enhance their business functions so they can expand and grow.” In the tri-state area, there’s plenty of evidence that those efforts are proving to be successful. In Etowah, Tenn., ThyssenKrupp Waupaca has broken ground on a $162 million expansion project. The German company, which opened its Tennessee plant in 2001, produces gray and ductile iron castings for automobiles. Starplex Scientific Inc., a Canada-

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based maker of containers used in the health-care industry, has built a plant in Cleveland, Tenn. – on a 12-acre site designed for expansion. The decision to expand to Tennessee was a result of Starplex Scientific President Fred Panini’s spotting a “Chattanooga Can Do” billboard while driving from Canada to Florida and then contacting local economic development authorities. JAPANESE INFLUENCE In Rock Spring, Ga., Nissin Brake Georgia’s recently completed 48,000square-foot, $15 million expansion is visible proof of the company’s success. Since the beginning of 2007, Nissin has more than doubled its workforce to 160, with more to come as two new products begin to be manufactured, says Jim Owen, plant manager. “The plan had always been to expand here, based on the business we obtain from some of the Southern automobile manufacturers,” Owen says. “They’ve been doing quite well, so we’ve had to expand our capacity to keep up with them. We’re now adding casting to our manufacturing capability, so we’ll be gaining quite a bit in production.” Growth also is the order of the day at another Japanese-owned company, FujiFilm Hunt Chemicals USA Inc. in Dayton, Tenn. The company, which manufactures photographic chemicals for FujiFilm factories worldwide, has 86 employees and will be adding more in the coming months, according to John Sidenstick, manufacturing manager. “We’re definitely part of the global organization,” Sidenstick says. “In addition to FujiFilm, we also do custom manufacturing for a wide range of companies.” These successes and many more are all well and good, but an awareness of a 24/7 global manufacturing economy will be vital for any business in the region going forward, SEIDA’s Jones notes. “The world really is flat,” she says. “People are being productive somewhere while we sleep, and we’re seeing that across all areas of business. It’s incumbent upon us to continue to change our thinking about how we compete for business locations and expansions.” – Joe Morris

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This Georgia city is now known for much more than carpet manufacturing.

World Comes to Main Street, USA DALTON, GA., IS A TEXTBOOK CASE OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AT WORK Long known as a hub of the flooring industry, Dalton now is luring a variety of manufacturers from around the world to north Georgia. From expansion of existing companies to large-scale new developments, the city’s economic development officials have a long list of successes to tout, and more are on the way. In 2006, Marktech Optoelectronics, a Korean company, opened its first U.S. facility in the Dalton area. The manufacturer of countertop resins and glues started out with 25 employees locally and has a very aggressive growth plan, says Melanie Suggs, director of economic development for the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce. “We also have brought in PrimeTex Technology, which has opened in the historic Crown Mills Building,” Suggs says. “They were very impressed with the area and what they were able to get done here in a short period of time.” PrimeTex is the North American affiliate of a Swiss company, SwissTex Filament Yard Technologies. Other new industrial residents include Power-Heat-Set of America, a German company that manufactures heat-setting equipment for the carpet industry. On the expansion side, Shiroki North America, which makes door frames for Toyota, Nissan and other auto companies, has invested $26 million in its facility, retaining 500 jobs and creating 100 new ones. Innovative partnerships also are a big part of Dalton’s success. International powerhouse Dow Chemical and the local waste management authority have brokered a deal that will allow Dow to receive methane gas from the local landfill, resulting in a greenfriendly power source that won’t tax local providers, says George Woodward, president and chief executive officer of the chamber. “Our economy is still skewed to the floor-covering industry,” he says, “but now we’re starting to take advantage of our technological infrasructure to bring in new companies.” – Joe Morris

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Engineering

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technology research

the Future SimCenter solves real-world problems using cutting-edge technology

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stablished in 2002, the SimCenter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga quickly made a name for itself. Using computational modeling and computer simulation, researchers addressed real-world problems in complex fields such as aerodynamics, heat transfer, hydrodynamics and propulsion. Then, in November 2007, the world-class facility secured its reputation with the creation of the SimCenter: National Center for Computational Engineering. “We have been very pleased with the success of the SimCenter since its inception here at UTC,” says UTC Chancellor Roger Brown. “The SimCenter has exceeded all of its benchmarks, and taking this next step to become a National Center for Computational Engineering will allow the program to grow, to serve more students and to be more competitive for research projects.” TAKING THE TEAM APPROACH As a professor of computational engineering and research coordinator for the SimCenter: National Center, Dr. Roger Briley agrees. He says it “will utilize integrated multidisciplinary research and education programs to establish next-generation technologies, and educate a new breed of engineer for computational solutions of a broad range of real-world engineering problems.” Briley cited “critical technology areas affecting sustainable energy, environment, health care and defense.” More than 20 full-time research faculty and staff are employed at the SimCenter, studying everything from submarine navigation to the distribution patterns of airborne contaminants. The center also has been involved in a highly publicized project testing hydrogen fuel-cell designs that could lead to cleaner and more affordable energy. “We are pretty unique in what we do – and even more so in

how we go about doing it,” Briley says. “We use a multidisciplinary team approach to work on multiple projects. This means our students are exposed to real-world problem solving, working in a team environment.” ATTRACTING NEW INDUSTRIES Along with boosting UTC’s reputation, the SimCenter: National Center is expected to enhance Chattanooga’s already significant role in the emerging Tennessee Valley Tech Corridor. “Obviously, our mission is focused on research and education,” Briley says. “But we also want to be supportive of the region’s economic development efforts. After all, our graduates are in great demand across the country – and we would like to keep them here. We’re here to be a resource in attracting industry and developing innovative ideas for high-tech businesses.” Radiance Technologies offers a case in point. The Huntsville, Ala.-based company, which specializes in emerging technologies, is opening a new project office in Chattanooga that will focus on electromagnetics – specifically, on large and small antenna design. “There is no question that the SimCenter is what brought us here,” says Mike Pearson, director of business development for Radiance Technologies. “Their ability to simulate the end product is just incredible. They’re able to speed everything up to take us further than we could ever go on our own.” Pearson says the company frequently partners with major research universities such as Auburn and Georgia Tech. “We find these partnerships to be valuable because we have access to a wealth of knowledge as well as potential employees. We are particularly pleased with our partnership with the SimCenter – it’s just a first-class facility.” – Amy Stumpfl

The SimCenter at UTC has been designated a National Center for Computational Engineering.

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PHOTO BY WES ALDRIDGE

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food industry

How

Sweet It Is Food processing is big business in the region

S

ome of the best-loved sweets in the nation are made in Chattanooga and vicinity, including MoonPies, M&M’s and Twix chocolate, Little Debbie snack cakes, and Mayfield ice cream. Founded in Athens, Tenn., in 1912, Mayfield Dairy Farms now serves nine states and employs nearly 2,000 employees. The Athens plant continues

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to churn out milk and ice cream as it did in the beginning, and the company operates a second milk plant in Braselton, Ga., and a second ice cream plant in Birmingham, Ala. “Believe it or not, our best-selling ice cream flavor is vanilla, although Moose Tracks has come close to beating it,” says Bridgett Raper, public relations manager and a

Mayfield Dairy Farms employee for 33 years. “In milk, 2 percent is our best-seller. We’re known for our yellow jugs that protect the milk from light, which affects its flavor and deteriorates nutrients.” Mayfield introduced four new ice cream flavors in 2007: Coconut Cake, Peanut Butteriffic, Chocolate Cream Pie and Olde Savannah Caramel. “We try to add new f lavors every year, and people can go online (www.mayfielddairy.com) and vote for their favorites,” Raper says. “In 2006, we launched Blueberry Cream Pie ice cream, and it’s now in our top 10 flavors.” A Mayfield milk product also made its debut in 2007. “We took our former NuTrish milk and renamed it Nurture,” Raper says. “We worked with labs to increase its levels of probiotics, which help boost the immune system.” Visitors can tour the Athens and Braselton plants, both of which also

IER

M&M’s are among the chocolate treats produced in Cleveland, Tenn.

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The 105-year-old Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City, Tenn. is famous for its pies and salt-rise bread.

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STAFF PHOTO

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food industry offer ice cream parlors and gift shops. “It’s fun to promote a product that’s healthy on the milk end. We always say, ‘There’s milk, and then there’s Mayfield,’ ” she says. LUNCH PAIL SNACKS Like Mayfield products, MoonPies have a long history. Created in 1917 at Chattanooga Bakery, the MoonPie is a chocolate-covered graham cracker and marshmallow sandwich that was invented for coal miners to carry in their lunch pails. Nine decades later, the family-owned, fourth-generation Chattanooga Bakery produces about one million MoonPies every day in six f lavors: the original chocolate, banana, vanilla, strawberry, orange and lemon. “We’re the owner of the MoonPie brand and the world’s only producer of the iconic treat,” says Tory Johnston, vice president of marketing for Chattanooga

Bakery. “There are some small imitations, but we make the real one, all here in Chattanooga.” The company has 155 employees locally. Mars Snackfood manufactures other sweet indulgences in Cleveland, Tenn. The company has had a presence in Cleveland since 1977, and its plant employs 650 people. Manufactured there are all

varieties of M&M’s and Twix candy. Other food products originating in the region include Little Debbie snack cakes, made by Collegedale, Tenn.-based McKee Foods Corp. since 1934, and fruitcakes, pies and salt-rise bread produced at the 105-year-old Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City, Tenn. – Jessica Mozo

MoonPies and Little Debbie snacks originate in the Chattanooga area.

CONSUMERS PONDER: WHY BUY FRUIT FROM SOUTH AMERICA? You’re standing at the supermarket with a bag of apples from Peru in your hand, having just dropped Chilean asparagus in your basket. You’re not feeling, well, comfortable. Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew the farmer who grows your food? Thanks to agritourism, you can find fruit, vegetables, baked goods, wine and other food items produced within a short drive of home. “More and more people are not in touch with where their food comes from,” says Tim Mercier, whose family farm has been growing and selling produce in the North Georgia mountains near Blue Ridge since 1943. “People like to come to the farm and see where their food is grown. They feel comfortable with us.” Like many others, the Merciers’ farm was once primarily wholesale. But the demands of keeping a family farm afloat dictated diversification. Today, Mercier Orchards grows 200 acres of fruit, and it also operates a farm market, a bakery, a juice operation

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that sells all over Georgia, a deli and a seasonal pick-your-own produce service. In Tennessee, the state Department of Tourist Development has made it easier for people to buy locally produced foods by publishing an informational brochure titled “Out to the Farm: A Farm Trail Tour of Southeast Tennessee.” For wine lovers, a regional road trip can include tastings at wineries including Georgia Winery near Ringgold; Crane Creek Vineyards near Young Harris, Ga.; and Tennessee’s Monteagle Winery, Ocoee Winery near Cleveland and Savannah Oaks Winery near Delano. – Laura Hill

WES ALDRIDGE

Agritourism and Healthy Eating

Fuji apples are among the pickings at Mercier Orchards.

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transportation

The

Accessibility Advantage

By air, water or land, moving people and goods through this region is a breeze

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SMALLER AIRPORTS LURE CORPORATE JETS Elsewhere in the region, numerous general aviation airports make travel easy for corporate executives and others. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue’s AirGeorgia (Airport Initiative in Rural Georgia) program is upgrading many of rural Georgia’s aviation gateways. Perdue’s goal is for every Georgian to live

STAFF PHOTO

hanks to investment in airports, river ports, highways and rail lines, the tri-state region gets an “A” for accessibility. “The region has multimodal access – rail, roads, aviation and ports,” says Kim Harpe, Rural Planning Organization coordinator for the Chattanooga-based Southeast Tennessee Development District. “It all works together. That’s why a regional approach to planning is so important,” she says. Air access is crucial for the region’s continued economic development. In 2007, about a half-million passengers used Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, which offers amenities including free wireless Internet access. “The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport has seen strong growth over the past three years, adding three new airlines and seven new nonstop destinations,” says Michael Landguth, the airport authority’s president and chief executive officer. In December 2007, discount carriers Skybus and Allegiant Air inaugurated flights from Chattanooga to Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., respectively, bringing to 12 the number of cities served with nonstop service. One-stop connecting service is available to hundreds of other locations.

Barges on the Tennessee River reach the Gulf of Mexico via the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Left: Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport offers nonstop flights to 12 cities, with connecting service to hundreds more. PHOTO BY WES ALDRIDGE

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within 30 minutes of an airport capable of accommodating nearly all of the corporate jets flying today. Dan Ellis, manager of Andrews-Murphy Airport in Cherokee County, N.C., says a modern airport is a powerful economic development tool. “We can use the airport to attract employers. Their executives can fly in and out without having a threehour drive from a larger city,” he says. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen has approved grants for upgrades at airports in Marion, Polk, Rhea and McMinn counties, and he has announced that a new airport will be built in Bradley County. BY WATER AND LAND One of the region’s most significant infrastructure projects is the $320 million expansion of the Chickamauga Lock on the Tennessee River seven miles upstream from Chattanooga. Scheduled to open in 2013, the 110-by-600-foot lock will replace a 60-by-360-foot lock that was completed in 1940. “This is the choke point on the Tennessee River. When I was elected, I said we’re going to do something about that,” says U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp. Wamp, who represents Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District, played a crucial role in securing the funding to get the project flowing. Annual appropriations are needed to keep construction

going, so Wamp remains vigilant. “If this closed, 180,000 tractor-trailer rigs a year would be added to the highways of our region,” he says. Terah Huckabee, vice president of terminal services for Parker Towing Inc., says barges are an efficient way to move freight. The company is a leading carrier on the inland water system and operates Nickajack Port in New Hope, Tenn., and Centre South Riverport in Chattanooga. “Each barge will keep 60 trucks off the road and 15 train cars off the rails,” he says. The region’s well-developed highway and rail systems also move freight efficiently. Served by interstates 75, 24 and 59, Chattanooga is home to two of the nation’s largest truck lines, Covenant Transport and U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc. Two major railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, serve the region, as do short lines including the Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway Co. and the Sequatchie Valley Railroad. The rail system in Georgia’s Walker and Chattooga counties is getting improvements valued at more than $3 million. Meanwhile, Georgia’s Department of Transportation is studying a high-speed rail link between Chattanooga and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. “Our regional approach works,” planning coordinator Harpe says. “Being collaborative and cooperative allows us to put our best foot forward.” – Bill Lewis

Color These Vehicles Green ELECTRIC AND HYBRID BUSES FIND EAGER MARKET, EVEN IN MICHIGAN For EV America, providing a solution for soaring fuel prices, dependence on foreign oil and carbon emissions that contribute to global warming is good business. Business is so good, in fact, that the Chattanooga-based maker of electric and hybridelectric medium- to heavy-duty vehicles recently purchased two buildings in nearby Ringgold, Ga., that give the company more than 28,400 square feet of manufacturing space. The company has several contracts, including an order from Traverse City, Mich., for six 30-foot hybrid-electric buses, with an option for 10 more. “Using our technology, a tank of diesel fuel will go more than 70 percent further than it would otherwise,” says Albert Curtis III, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The savings are significant,” John Powell Jr., vice president of operations, says the time is right for EV America’s technology. The company’s buses use a battery to power the vehicle as it proceeds along its route picking up passengers. A small internal combustion engine recharges the battery as the bus is driven. “Our vehicles run 25 percent of the time in zero

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emissions. It gets very good fuel efficiency, so that we are able to dramatically decrease our carbon footprint,” Powell says. “In some respects, we’re ahead of the curve. We are confident we are in a great position.” – Bill Lewis

EV America produces environmentally friendly buses.

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workforce development

Boon to

Economic Development Programs ensure that employers have an ample base of skilled workers

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COLLEGES RAMP UP TRAINING A workforce that is proven to be viable on the front end is a strong recruitment tool as well, adds Paul Worley, director of business outreach services at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, N.C. “We receive training funding from the state and also the community-college system,” Worley says. “We sponsor training here and also contract with outside sources if need be. It gives our economic development people a lot of flexibility, so when a company comes in, we can have their workforce ready before they move here. It’s a major incentive to be able to offer.” With more than 110 programs available on its campus in Rock Spring, Ga., Northwestern Technical College has long been a go-to source for employers in need of everything from computer programmers and machinists to paramedics and welders. NTC, too, has ramped up its training efforts on behalf of the entire region, says Al Hutchison, vice president of economic development programs. “A significant number of people in our four-county service area work in Chattanooga,” Hutchison says, “so we don’t see state lines, and we don’t see county lines. I think that’s the key.” – Joe Morris

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tate and local programs across the 22-county region served by the Southeast Industrial Development Association ensure that current and potential employers have access to a steady supply of work-ready individuals. Population numbers alone show plenty of people to fill jobs, but in a competitive economy, that’s not enough. Pre-testing programs such as the Career Readiness Certificate allow economic development officials to show employers that the skill sets are in place. And with community colleges and other entities standing ready to build customized training programs, there’s even more incentive to locate in the region, says Kathy Johnson, economic development director for SEIDA. “Qualified employees with specific educational backgrounds and skills are invaluable to a community in relation to recruiting a new business or assisting an existing-industry expansion in job readiness and placement,” Johnson says. She points to several different programs in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, plus the Tri-State Regional Workforce Alliance, a consortium of workforce, economic development and training organizations that brings together people and resources from Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama into a cohesive partnership to address regional economic and workforce matters. “Companies must rely on regional technical training, as well as the education and training at technical colleges, to continue to aid in their training needs,” Johnson says. The Georgia Work Ready Initiative is one such program. Begun in 2006, it assesses worker skills and highlights areas where job training would be of benefit. Along with similar programs in Tennessee, North Carolina and Alabama, the Georgia Work Ready Initiative uses the Career Readiness Certificate, a WorkKeys assessment-based credential program that provides concrete evidence of skills workers have. All four states are seeing strong interest in the certificate program from employers and employees alike. “The state program concentrates on developing and certifying each community as work-ready, which is done through a local team working with the state team,” says Erik Brinke, economic development director for the Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp. in Young Harris, Ga. “Our counties have jumped on it, and companies are starting to understand that they need to test their employees and give them an assessment. It’s a real positive for us because it helps us match people with existing industries and help them stay solvent and competitive.”

Tri-County and other community colleges offer customized training. Left: Welders are always in demand.

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health care

Meeting Needs of an

Aging

Population

Hospitals and senior-care facilities gear up for the influx of retirees

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Fellowship in partnership with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. Also in Chattanooga, Memorial Hospital has $320 million worth of construction projects on the drawing board. “Like many other 50-year-old health-care institutions across the nation, we realized the need to reinvest in our facilities and technology to prepare Memorial to serve future generations and the growing aging population,” says Deb Moore, chief operating officer of Memorial Health Care System.

SHARING INFORMATION Governmental efforts to meet the growing needs of senior citizens also are intensifying. Steve Witt, director of the Southeast Tennessee Development District Area Agency on Aging and Disability, says it shares information and refers people to counterpart organizations in Georgia and North Carolina. In September 2008, the agency will partner with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for an informational conference called the Prism of Aging. – Anne Gillem

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ith natural beauty, a good location, an affordable cost of living and a moderate climate, southeast Tennessee, north Georgia and southwest North Carolina are becoming popular destinations for retirees and baby boomers headed for retirement. The anticipated influx has prompted preparation and planning on the part of hospitals, medical caregivers and state officials, as well as developers of seniorcare facilities ranging from independent living to nursing homes. As one example, Alexian Village of Tennessee east of downtown Chattanooga offers a full slate of activities and programs in a campus setting, plus assisted living and health-care services. Alexian Grove’s independent residential apartments are on 85 acres of what was once a farm. On the north side of the city, Erlanger Health System’s North Campus offers a number of programs for older patients, says Jan Hamilton Powell, director of Erlanger public and community relations. The Seniors’ Program is an inpatient unit focusing on evaluating, diagnosing and treating mental health issues related to aging. The outpatient Behavioral Healthcare practice focuses on services associated with memory loss. Powell adds that Erlanger recently established a Geriatrics Medicine

Alexian Village offers a variety of housing and services for senior citizens.

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entrepreneurship

On Your Mark,

Get Set,

GROW Entrepreneurs find a wealth of resources that can help achieve business success

PHOTOS BY WES ALDRIDGE

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Southeast Women’s Business Center is open to all, says Ramona Daugherty.

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n 1988, when Joe Ruf worked as an executive for a major telecommunications firm in Atlanta, he was among the first people in the country to carry a cell phone. Today, 13 years after retiring, Ruf still handles a multitude of cell calls, but now they come from entrepreneurs across Towns and Union counties in Georgia and Clay County in North Carolina. A resident of Hiawassee, Ga., Ruf is a volunteer for the Service Corps of Retired Executives. The program, popularly known as SCORE, provides small-business owners with consulting services and opportunities to learn more about running and growing their companies. “When you’re a small-business owner, there are a lot of stumbling blocks that can get in the way of taking your company to the next level. Our goal is to try to remove some of the stumbling blocks

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She’rri McClellan helps new and existing companies secure loans through the Small & Minority-Owned Business Assistance Program.

Future in Sight VISION QUEST MENTORS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

to help these companies become more successful,” says Ruf, who joined SCORE’s Atlanta chapter after retiring from his corporate position in 1995. In addition to providing free oneon-one business consulting for 18 local entrepreneurs, Ruf runs a series of business seminars that are sponsored by local chambers of commerce. “Some of these business owners just need someone to bounce ideas off of who has real-world business experience, and others need a personal coach who can continue encouraging them,” he says. TARGETING DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS As the number of small businesses opening in the region continues to increase, entrepreneurs are finding more resources like SCORE to help get – and keep – their companies going. For instance, the Chattanooga-based Southeast Women’s Business Center conducts training that focuses on skills development, business counseling and assistance with accessing U.S. Small Business Administration lending programs. With a territory that spans 22 counties in southeast Tennessee, north Georgia and southwest North Carolina, the center and its new program director, Ramona Daugherty, remain dedicated to offering services at little or no cost. “The Southeast Women’s Business Center is designed to serve primarily women entrepreneurs, but is open to any person who has an established business or would like to start a new business,”

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Daugherty says. “For the future, I would like to see an increase in entrepreneurship coming from the rural areas.” Another resource for entrepreneurs is the Small & Minority-Owned Business Assistance Program, known as SMOB, which the Southeast Tennessee Development District administers for all 95 counties in the state. According to She’rri McClellan, program director of SMOB and a former owner of three small businesses, the program helps new, expanding and existing businesses secure loans of up to $125,000. SMOB also offers workshops and training for entrepreneurs. “I wish this program had been in existence when I was opening my businesses,” McClellan says. “We can help provide the technical assistance and funding business owners need to open up and stay in business.” WARM RESPONSE TO INCUBATORS For emerging technology-oriented companies, the Hamilton County HighTech Incubator/Accelerator has been a valuable asset since 2006. The incubator, housed in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Engineering building, is a joint venture among the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton County and UTC. The space includes cubicles, audiovisual equipment and conference facilities. It also provides a location where entrepreneurs can go for business development counseling and support from UTC engineering and business faculty. Another business incubator, this one in Cleveland, Tenn., has led to creation of more than 300 jobs in its first five years of existence and now houses 27 fledgling businesses. The incubator has been so successful that organizers say a second one is in the works. – Valerie Pascoe

Envision this: high school juniors with an entrepreneurial inclination being mentored by business leaders who have “been there, done that.” Well, some Fannin County, Ga., visionaries saw the potential benefits of such an arrangement and decided to act on it. With a $10,000 Entrepreneur Friendly Implementation Grant, the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce and the Fannin County Development Authority partnered to launch Vision Quest, a program aimed at developing the county’s future business leaders. “Most of the businesses in our area are small, locally owned [establishments], and the owners were concerned about getting kids to come back here after college to start businesses of their own,” says Kristin Gunia, director of the Fannin County Development Authority. “So that’s how we came up with the idea. The program’s goal is to get kids to come back to Fannin. And, hopefully, they will develop leadership skills they can use anywhere.” At weekly meetings from September through November, participants engage in teambuilding activities, practice public speaking, learn about work ethics and business practices, and formulate their own ideas and plans for future businesses in Fannin County – all under the mentorship of local business owners. The program culminates with a competition in which teams of students present their business plans to community leaders. – Carol Cowan

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The planned development of Fieldstone Farms in Rock Spring, Ga., eventually will have 500 homes.

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PHOTO BY WES ALDRIDGE

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livability

Welcome

HOME

‘Half-backs’ and others relocating to the region find a wide variety of housing options

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hat is a “half-back”? Yes, it is a runner in football. But it is also a term for retired Northerners who moved to Florida and subsequently decided to migrate halfway back – in many instances to homes in the mountains of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. “In this part of the country, you get a little winter, a little spring, a little summer and a little fall – with none of them ever getting too extreme,” says Howell Moss, mayor of Marion County, Tenn. “Here in Marion County, we have 25,000 acres under residential development right now.” But it’s not just retirees who are opting for the tri-state region as a prime place to live. Younger people are arriving in great numbers, too, attracted by reasonable real estate prices and natural beauty. “The region offers plenty of fishing, hunting, boating, hiking – you name it,” Moss says. “We also have lower taxes than most of the country.” SECOND HOMES FOR CITY RESIDENTS With a wide variety of housing available, there is something to meet the needs of virtually every type of homebuyer. For instance, the area is ideal

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for second-home buyers because it is within a couple hours’ drive of Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., or Nashville. Such is the case at the exclusive Canyon Ridge Club, a luxury mountaintop development situated on 400 scenic acres in Dade County, Ga., just south of Chattanooga. The same holds true for the Rarity Club on Nickajack Lake in Marion County, where upscale homes and a Lee Trevino-designed golf course are under construction. When completed, the development will have about 1,000 homes. PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS Then there are projects such as Fieldstone Farms and Fieldstone Village in Rock Spring, Ga. Fieldstone Village is a commercial development that will serve Fieldstone Farms, a planned community that eventually will feature 500 homes and townhouses in the $130,000 to $350,000 range. “I got together with the Fieldstone Farms people to develop a 3-acre commercial center in front of their development that will blend in with the charm of the homes,” says Chris Carlton, owner/developer of Carlton Properties LLC that is managing the Fieldstone Village project. “The community is just south of the historic Chickamauga Battlefield, so we

wanted to have an old-time look to the commercial center.” Carlton says Fieldstone Village will feature retail stores, a restaurant, fitness center and office development in front of Fieldstone Farms, with each building having a vintage appearance. “For example, one building will look like an old-time gas station, one will look like an old bank, one like a horse barn and so forth,” he says. “The interiors will feature open wood beams and stained floors that provide a Craftsman look, and the outdoor concrete will be stamped to make it look like cobblestones from the old days. The charming buildings will look like they have been around for 50 years – but with all the modern amenities of 2008.” Back in Marion County, Mayor Moss says more new subdivisions, townhouses and condominiums will be needed to accommodate all of the people who want to relocate. Statistics show that Georgia has 24 of the nation’s fastest-growing counties, while Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee are all among the top 10 most popular states for retirement. “We’re doing things right here in this part of the country,” Moss says. “It’s just a nice place to live.” – Kevin Litwin

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livability

Downtown WES ALDRIDGE

BOUND

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Smaller cities like Chickamauga reinvent central business districts to attract residents and tourists

n the regional hub city of Chattanooga, the downtown renaissance has been well documented regionally, nationally and even internationally. Many people know about attractions such as the Tennessee Aquarium and the Hunter Museum of American Art. In 2007, the city revamped and reopened the Market Street Bridge, and an upscale riverfront complex called 417 Frazier Avenue is currently under development at a cost of $20 million. But smaller cities in the region also are revitalizing their downtown business districts, including Chickamauga and Dalton, Ga., Murphy, N.C., and Cleveland and Dayton, Tenn. Some communities – Dalton, Cleveland and Dayton among them – have obtained state designations as official Main Street communities to secure public-improvement grants aimed at spurring private investment. Local leaders say it is essential to give people good reasons to head downtown other than to pay taxes, renew auto license tags or go to court. “Getting people to come downtown – especially in a small town – can be a difficult thing to do,” says Chickamauga City Manager John Culpepper. “It often means reinventing yourself in order to have a robust downtown. And reinventing ourselves is exactly what Chickamauga is starting to do.” Culpepper says Chickamauga is mostly known for being the site where the Chickamauga Battlefield is located. The Battle of Chickamauga was a major Civil War encounter in September 1863 that involved more than 150,000 Union and Confederate soldiers. “In 1889, there was a reunion of soldiers from that battle who came back here, and they all helped dedicate Chickamauga

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and Chattanooga National Military Park,” he says. “The vision of those veteran soldiers in 1889 was to make Chickamauga a true Civil War tourism destination, which it has ultimately become to a small degree. But now we want to take things a step further.” Culpepper says Chickamauga was a textile mill town during much of the 1900s, then evolved into more of a bedroom community for Chattanooga as the textile industry dwindled. “And now, with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War coming up in 2011, we are jumping on that heritage tourism bandwagon by giving ourselves a new slogan,” he says. “Our branding will be ‘Chickamauga: The Gettysburg of the South.’ Civil War enthusiasts who will come to study the war in Georgia must start at Chickamauga Battlefield, and we are positioning our city to be a player for those heritage tourism dollars.” Besides the battlefield, Chickamauga has historic sites such as Lee and Gordon’s Mill along with the antebellum Gordon Lee Mansion with slave quarters still intact. In addition, all of the city’s north-south avenues are named for Union and Confederate generals. “A lot of the smaller downtowns in this region experience ebbs and flows of success, and now it’s time for Chickamauga to be successful once again,” Culpepper says. “We have undertaken a $1.5 million streetscape project, and our town has a beautiful look like it did 60 years ago. We feel good about where we are right now and are confident about where we are trying to go.” – Kevin Litwin Cleveland, Tenn., is one of the cities designated a Main Street community to attract more private investment.

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National, State Parks in Region GEORGIA Chattahoochee National Forest

Let Nature Run Its Course O

utdoor adventures can range from mild to wild in southwest North Carolina, north Georgia and southeast Tennessee. The region has an abundance of lakes, streams, waterfalls, mountains and cliffs, which are ideal venues for hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, hunting and fishing. One of the most idyllic spots is Tennessee’s Ocoee River, which offers world-class whitewater rafting and canoeing. The Ocoee rapids are so demanding that the river served as the site of the canoeing and kayaking competitions at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Another desirable destination measures 300 miles long. The Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park is a footpath that eventually will stretch from Signal Mountain near Chattanooga through the Cumberland Mountains to Cumberland Gap, where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia converge. “We refer to this footpath as a 300mile emerald necklace with some pearls attached to it that are beyond price,”

says Mack Prichard, a Tennessee state naturalist. “It is still under construction, but large portions of the Cumberland Trail have been completed and are open to the public for hiking and backpacking.” Prichard says the idea of the 300mile trail has been on the drawing board for more than 10 years. “Severa l outdoor ent husiasts approached then-Gov. Don Sundquist in 1996 about the trail idea,” Prichard says. “They told the governor that the Appalachian Trail was too far away, and Tennessee and Kentucky have just as good terrain for an ideal hiking path. The governor was convinced, and work began soon afterward.” Other top adventure spots in this scenic part of the Southeast include the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia and the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. “This is a beautiful part of the world,” Prichard says. “Just take a look outdoors and you’ll see for yourself.” – Kevin Litwin

A day on one of the region’s many lakes can be positively sublime for anglers.

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Cloudland Canyon State Park Fort Mountain State Park James H. Floyd State Park Vogel State Park Zahnd Natural Area

NORTH CAROLINA Nantahala National Forest

TENNESSEE Cherokee National Forest Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park STAFF PHOTO

From whitewater rafting to long-distance hiking, recreational options abound

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Booker T. Washington State Park Fall Creek Falls State Park Harrison Bay State Park Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park Red Clay State Park South Cumberland State Park Bledsoe State Forest The Chimneys State Natural Area Falling Water Falls State Natural Area Franklin State Forest Grundy Forest State Natural Area Hicks Gap State Natural Area Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Natural Area Piney Falls State Natural Area Prentice Cooper State Forest Savage Gulf State Natural Area Sequatchie Cave State Natural Area Stinging Fork Falls Pocket Wilderness William L. Davenport Refuge

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gallery|WES ALDRIDGE

Cloudland Canyon State Park, Georgia

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Sunset in Georgia’s Murray County

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portfolio

Preserving and Promoting a Worthy Literary Legacy orn in the hills of north Georgia, Byron Herbert Reece grew up steeped in the rhythms of farm life. A talented writer, he had published poetry in national magazines by the time he entered college – and he eventually published four volumes of poetry, two novels and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Financial success eluded him, however, and much of his time was spent caring for his ill parents and trying to keep up their small farm. He fought mental and physical illness until 1958, when he committed suicide at age 40. Scholars of Reece compare him with Hemingway and Frost, and now the John Herbert Reece Society, launched in 2003, aims to preserve and promote his legacy. “We’re hoping through the society to make him better known as a person of stature in the world of American literature, and to exert some influence to get some of his work recognized in anthologies of American literature,” says the society’s chairman, John Kay, professor emeritus of religion and philosophy at Young Harris College. The society is working with area schools on lesson plans, and an oralhistory DVD featuring interviews with people who knew Reece is finished. Work is also well under way to turn the Reece family’s 9.4-acre farm in Union County into an interpretive center. Already finished is the renovation of the main barn. Its loft area will feature displays related to Reece’s life and literary works, and the stalls will contain

exhibits related to subsistence farming. Reece’s home will be turned into a welcome center that will display memorabilia and contain offices for the society. Architectural plans also are complete for an amphitheater, plaza and other

long-term projects that will be built as funding is secured. “If we can persevere and continue to get funding, this is going to be a wonderful site,” Kay says, “one of the best in Georgia that will honor a literary figure.”

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John Kay hopes restoration of Byron Herbert Reece’s farm will help bring Reece acclaim as a literary giant.

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Heavenly Drives in Tennessee

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religious heritage trail in southeast Tennessee allows visitors to trace the roots of faith in the area. The stops include the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, where the Scopes evolution trial took place; the Children’s Holocaust Memorial in Whitwell; and the Church of God International Office – with its prayer plaza, garden and perpetual flame – in Cleveland. But the real beauty of this trail, established in 2006, lies in its flexibility and diversity. Visitors can choose their own routes based on their particular interests. “We’re definitely in the Bible Belt, and we’re hoping to give people a better idea of what that means,” says Susan Goldblatt, director of the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association. “Different people

see the trail in different ways, depending on how they want to experience it. And that’s what we wanted.” The On the Glory Land Road trail includes approximately 90 sites, about 20 of which are related to the Pentecostal religion that was founded near Coker Creek. A brochure about the religious trail is available at various visitors’ centers and at www.southeasttennessee. com. The Web site also includes information about prominent religious personalities from the area. The driving tour can be organized by geographic location or by denomination and theme.

“We’ve just finished installing interpretive signs with photographs and text at 23 of the sites,” Goldblatt says. Tracking the number of visitors is difficult, she says, but at least one state visitors’ center reports that it goes through a case of On the Glory Land Road brochures each week. “We’ve had a huge response in general from people across the country and even internationally,” Goldblatt says. “It just shows you the interest there is in religion, particularly historical and heritage sites.” A separate brochure describing the denominationally specific Pentecostal Heritage Trail also is available.

Access the Southeast

THROUGH Northwest Georgia

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church has been a landmark building in downtown Cleveland, Tenn., since 1872.

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(706) 375-5793 (800) 966-8092 E-mail: info@nwgajda.com www.nwgajda.com SERESOURCE.COM

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portfolio

Brewery Restaurant Chain Hops to Global Locations G

ordon Biersch brewery restaurants are known for microbrew beer and made-from-scratch food, and soon this successful brand will be available overseas. In August 2007, the Chattanoogabased Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group signed a licensing agreement that will take Gordon Biersch to Taiwan in 2008, with further plans for mainland China and beyond. “While certain elements of the building will differ due to local requirements, the key design elements, kitchen and brewery equipment will all be consistent with Gordon Biersch brewery restaurants in the United States,” says Mike Curtis, vice president of marketing. In addition, Gordon Biersch’s plans

for domestic growth are on track; new locations are scheduled to open in the Dallas, Kansas City, Phoenix and Myrtle Beach, S.C., markets by spring 2008. Gordon Biersch got its start in 1988 when founders Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch – with a vision for a restaurant that served exceptional beer and delicious food – opened the first Gordon Biersch in Palo Alto, Calif. Big River Brewing Co. of Chattanoooga acquired the restaurants in 1999 and changed the name to Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group. Most of the privately held company’s 35 restaurants in 16 states brew beer on site, and those that don’t are close enough to other Gordon Biersch microbreweries to get fresh beer regularly, Curtis says.

The microbreweries primarily produce lagers, which take longer to brew because of the fermentation process – and they also brew their beers according to the German Reinheitsgebot beer purity law dating back nearly 500 years. It was the success of the first downtown Chattanooga location, Curtis says, that led to dramatic growth and acqui sition of the Gordon Biersch brewery restaurants. “The Chattanooga community provides a vibrant culture and business community that serves as home to three of our locations,” he says. The Gordon Biersch brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008.

Save Money. Smell the Flowers.

Looking for ways to save money on gas and help the environment? The EPA wants to share some smart driving tips that could give you more miles per gallon of gas and reduce air pollution. Tips like making sure your tires are properly inflated and replacing your air filter regularly. And where possible, accelerate and brake slowly. Be aware of your speed ... did you know that for every 5 miles you go over 65 mph, you’re spending about 20 cents more per gallon of gas? If you’re shopping for a new car, choose the cleanest, most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. If we each adopt just one of these tips, we’d get more miles for our money and it would be a little easier to smell the flowers. For more tips and to compare cleaner, more efficient vehicles, visit

www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.

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At Gordon Biersch brewery restaurants, a pint of lager can help tame a serving of garlic french fries.

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Powerful Outreach Programs

T

Kyle Ludy meets NGEMC line crew leader Mike Long at Naomi Elementary School’s Career Day.

he power distributors in the Southeast Industrial Development Association provide electricity, of course, but they also sponsor outreach programs in their communities. For example, the North Georgia Electric Membership Corp., which provides power to about 98,000 customers, reaches out to schools, libraries and other not-for-profit organizations. One new program is Operation Round Up, launched in 2007. It allows customers to have their bills rounded up to the nearest dollar, and the change goes into a fund – overseen by a group of community leaders – that funds various charitable projects. “Concern for the community is one of the cooperative principles that govern NGEMC,” says Amy Maples, communication and community outreach coordinator. North Georgia EMC also donates

money annually to 42 schools in the region, and a representative regularly puts on electric-safety demonstrations for schools, civic organizations, churches, home-school groups and others. Career Day is another popular outreach program. A lineman or representative from the meter department travels to schools to show equipment and talk with students about NGEMC jobs. “It definitely raises an awareness that there are careers in the utility industry,” Maples says. The cooperative also has a treeplanting initiative that beautified an elementary school playground in 2007 and will benefit a high school campus in 2008. “Whether it’s a tree planting at a local playground or an electric-safety demonstration for an elderly group, we take pride in being able to provide this unique service to our customers,” she says. – Stories by Rebecca Denton

The Land of Rivers, Lakes, Mountains and Valleys A Good Place to Live, Work, Shop and Play Located on the Tennessee River Connected to Three Major Interstates (I-24, I-40 and I-75) by a Four-lane Highway (Hwy. 27) Major Railroad Through County Award-winning Tennessee Airport of the Year, Featuring 5,000’ x 100’ Runway, with Low Lead Jet Fuel Available Land Available in Dayton and Spring City Industrial Parks Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, Inc. (423) 775-6171 107 Main Street • Dayton, TN 37321 www.rheacountyetc.com

Cities of Dayton, Spring City and Graysville

Rhea County A Certified Three-Star Community

Home of: Historic Rhea County Courthouse and Scopes Trial Museum Bryan College, a Major Liberal Arts College Historic Downtown Shopping District Dayton is a Tennessee Main Street Community

DAYTON ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT OFFICE: 399 1st Avenue P.O. Box 226 Dayton, TN 37321 P HONE: (423) 775-1818

Ad Sponsored by: Dayton Electric Department

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FAX: (423) 775-8404

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business briefs

just on wine, which we’ve been doing for three years, but also open up the whole world of cuisine and how wines complement foods of that region,” Friedheim says. An executive chef and his wife, a pastry chef, both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, have been hired for the new venture. A REAL STRETCH Employees of La-Z-Boy Inc. in Dayton, Tenn., make chairs, couches and ottomans that provide a comfortable means of watching television at home. “We’re a manufacturing facility; we manufacture upholstered furniture,” says Janet Earnhardt, human resources director at the Dayton facility. The plant has expanded numerous times since 1972 and now has 1.2 million square feet of space. “We’re on one campus in two separate buildings,” Earnhardt says. With nearly 2,100 workers, the plant – one of six La-Z-Boy manufacturing facilities in the United States – is the largest employer in Rhea County. “It’s a good place to work,” she says.

Planet of the Grapes is an upscale wine bar and shop in historic downtown Dalton, Ga. Besides a vast selection of wines, the business offers tastings and classes.

Fine Wine Will Meet Fine Food in Dalton GOURMET RESTAURANT TO OPEN DOWNTOWN At Planet of the Grapes, Thomas Friedheim and his wife, Gwynne Shippy, share their passion for and knowledge of wines from around the world. In November 2004, the couple opened their upscale wine bar and shop in historic downtown Dalton, Ga., where they offer tastings and classes. Friedheim,

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an architect, and Shippy, an accountant, are putting the finishing touches on plans for a gourmet restaurant across the courtyard from Planet of the Grapes. The restaurant, scheduled to open in summer 2008, will feature eclectic international cuisine, he says. “The idea is to educate people not

FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL March Madness, when the NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments are played, could well be John Prater’s favorite time of year. Praters Inc., which Prater founded in 1990, provides hardwood flooring for homes, schools and businesses, and it specializes in making, installing and refurbishing portable wood floors for basketball and other sports. In mid-2007, the Chattanooga company moved its portable floor division to 65,000 square feet of the former Peerless Woolen Mills in Rossville, Ga., Prater’s home town. The move greatly expanded the firm’s production capability, Prater says. “Since moving into the Peerless building in July, we’ve been able to produce 12 basketball floors. By the end of 2007, we had done 18,” he says. “We’re going to do six (2008) NCAA tournament floors, mainly in the east and south. … The nice thing about the NCAA tournament floors is it gives us a consistent flow of business in the wintertime.”

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WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE Spring-fed waters bottled by companies in the tri-state area provide pure drinking water for thirsty customers. Indian Hills Spring Water LLC outside Murphy, N.C., has been in business for nine years. It distributes its product to retail establishments, food-service customers and schools within a 150to 200-mile radius, says Christy Ringenberg, office manager. The spring and the Indian Hills Spring Water facility are on a 23-acre site. Other spring-water businesses in the region include Cott Beverage, which opened in Union County, Ga., in 2005 and bottles water under the Sam’s Choice label; Melwood Springs water in Fannin County, Ga.; Abundant Life water in Hamilton County, Tenn.; and Crystal Geyser water in Polk County, Tenn. PAINTING THE TOWN Everything from a zipper and a plate holder to a hot rod and a tanning bed is a candidate for a paint job at D&B Custom Powder Coating LLC. At the Trenton, Ga., company, started by Dewayne and Brenda Gass in 2006, the couple and one other employee stay busy powder coating anything made of metal or aluminum. “My husband powder coated for a company in Chattanooga,” Brenda Gass says. “Some of the hot-rod customers said we needed to get into the business. We decided that’s what we wanted to do and took the plunge.” There are 400 to 450 paint colors that can be ordered for a paint job, Gass says. (Matte and gloss black paint and white are in stock.) Powdered paint goes a lot further than liquid paint, she adds. “Once the powder is baked onto a surface, it’s like a rock,” she says. “It’s really, really durable.” D&B does jobs for individuals and companies. – Anne Gillem

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WES ALDRIDGE

Sam’s Choice is one brand of water processed and bottled in the region.

At St. Jude Children·s Research Hospital, we can·t. That·s why we are working every day to find cures for lifethreatening diseases that strike children everywhere. Diseases like cancer, pediatric AIDS, and sickle cell. And we won·t stop until every child is cured and every disease is defeated.

Because we can·t imagine a world without children … can you? Call 1-800-996-4100 or log onto www.stjude.org to learn how you can help.

Finding cures. Saving children.

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ECONOMIC PROFILE BUSINESS CLIMATE

GEORGIA CATOOSA COUNTY Population Catoosa County, 60,813 Ringgold, 2,743 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Hutcheson Medical Center, 1,400 Catoosa County Schools, 1,125 Shaw Industries, 1,112 Wal-Mart SuperCenter, 450 Candlewick Yarn, 370

CHATTOOGA COUNTY Population Chattooga County, 26,570 Summerville, 4,754 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Mount Vernon Mills, 1,227 Mohawk Industries-Lyerly, 808 Hays State Prison, 435 Mohawk Industries-Summerville 430 Best Manufacturing, 350

DADE COUNTY Population Dade County, 16,040 Trenton, 2,131 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Shaw Industries, 390 Dade County Schools, 350 Gill Manufacturing, 157 Accellent, 140 Phelps-Dodge, 95

FANNIN COUNTY Population Fannin County, 21,887 Blue Ridge, 1,118 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Fannin County Schools, 455 Fannin County Government, 240 Fannin Regional Hospital, 233 Ingles, 115 Blue Ridge Health Care, 109

GORDON COUNTY Population Gordon County, 50,279 Calhoun, 13,103

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The SEIDA region surrounds the metropolitan city of Chattanooga and provides an abundance of human, natural and industrial resources. Sitting at the southern end of the Appalachians, the region encompasses north Georgia, southeast Tennessee and southwest North Carolina. The 22 counties have a combined population of just over 1 million, led by Hamilton County, Tenn., at 312,905 – with Chattanooga accounting for half of that total. Other SEIDA counties over 50,000 population are Bradley and McMinn in Tennessee, and Whitfield, Walker and Catoosa in Georgia.

Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Mohawk Industries, 4,000 Shaw Industries, 2,000 Gordon County Hospital, 600 Mannington Carpets, 592

MURRAY COUNTY Population Murray County, 40,812 Chatsworth, 3,887 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Mohawk Industries, 3,000 Beaulieu Carpets, 1,028 Shaw Industries, 1,673 Better Backers, 136

TOWNS COUNTY Population Towns County, 10,315 Hiawassee, 950 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Towns County Government and Schools, 412 Chatuge Regional Hospital and Nursing Home, 256 Brasstown Valley Resort, 240 Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, 158 Young Harris College, 120 Bank of Hiawassee, 105

UNION COUNTY Population Union County, 21,300 Blairsville, 725 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Union General Hospital and Nursing Home, 508 United Community Bank, 413 Union County Schools, 300 Union County Government, 200 Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, 145 Home Depot, 127

WALKER COUNTY Population Walker County, 63,890 LaFayette, 6,801 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Roper Corp., 1,800 Hutcheson Medical Center, 1,400 Walker County Schools, 1,334 Shaw/SI, Chickamauga, 1,250 Shaw Industries, Lafayette, 494 Blue Bird of North Georgia, 400

WHITFIELD COUNTY Population Whitfield County, 90,889 Dalton, 31,478 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Shaw Industries, 10,493 Mohawk Industries, 6,015 Beaulieu Group, 2,606 Whitfield County Schools, 1,500 Hamilton Healthcare Systems 1,075

NORTH CAROLINA CHEROKEE COUNTY Population Cherokee County, 24,298 Murphy, 1,568 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Murphy Medical Center, 737 Cherokee County Schools, 545 Wal-Mart, 433 Moog Components Group, 423 Cherokee County, 386

CLAY COUNTY Population Clay County, 9,499 Hayesville, 297 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Clay County Schools, 219

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P.O. Box 68 McCaysville, GA 30555 (706) 492-3251 www.tsemc.net

P OW ERING T HE T RI -S TAT E A RE A SINCE 194 8 46

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economic profile Clay County Government, 142 Clay County Care Center, 109 Coleman Cable, 72 Advanced Digital Cable, 56 Ingles Market, 48

TENNESSEE BLEDSOE COUNTY Population Bledsoe County, 13,070 Pikeville, 1,878 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees State of Tennessee Correctional Facility, 324 Taft Correctional Facility, 300 Eclipse Manufacturing, 62 Hubbard Farms, 45 Advanced Automatic Machine, 21

BRADLEY COUNTY Population Bradley County, 93,538 Cleveland, 38,627 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Whirlpool Corp. Cleveland Division, 2,000 Peyton’s Southeastern, 1,200 Mars Snackfood, 800 Duracell, 525 Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, 500

GRUNDY COUNTY Population Grundy County, 14,499 Altamont, 1,155 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Toyo Seat USA, 150 Bashams, 100 Keneric, 60 Tullahoma Industries, 54 Fire Team Sprinklers, 52 Tag Plastics, 51

HAMILTON COUNTY Population Hamilton County, 312,905 Chattanooga, 155,190 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, 4,502

VISIT OUR ADVERTISERS Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation www.brmemc.com

Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority www.nwgajda.com

Carlton Properties Management, LLC www.carltonpropertiesllc.com

Rarity Communities, Inc. www.raritycommunities.com

Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce www.clevelandchamber.com Crye-Leike of Hampton on the Lake www.hamptononthelake.com

Rhea Economic & Tourism Council www.rheacountyetc.com Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative www.svalleyec.com

EPB of Chattanooga www.epb.net

Southeast Industrial Development Association www.seida.info

Erlanger www.erlanger.org

Tennessee Career Centers www.secareercenter.org

Keller Williams Realty www.jillshomesonline.com

Tri-State Electric Membership Corporation www.tsemc.net

Meigs County www.meigscountytnchamber.org North Georgia Electric Membership Corporation www.ngemc.com

Hamilton County Schools, 4,360

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economic profile

2008 EDITION, VOLUME 3

MANAGING EDITOR MAURICE FLIESS COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, KIM MADLOM, BILL McMEEKIN, ANITA WADHWANI ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN, JESSICA MOZO DIRECTORIES EDITORS AMANDA KING, KRISTY WISE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SHARON H. FITZGERALD, ANNE GILLEM, LAURA HILL, BILL LEWIS, JOE MORRIS, VALERIE PASCOE, AMY STUMPFL ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER TODD POTTER INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER ELIZABETH WEST ONLINE SALES MANAGER MATT SLUTZ SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN

Erlanger Health System, 3,400 McKee Foods Corp., 3,200 UnumProvident Corp., 2,800 Memorial Health Care System, 2,152

MARION COUNTY Population Marion County, 27,942 Jasper, 3,101 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Marion County Schools, 672 Grandview Medical Center, 347 Wal-Mart Super Center, 269 Sequatchie Concrete, 250 Variform, 220 Rock-Tenn, 200 Lodge Manufacturing, 200

McMINN COUNTY Population McMinn County, 51,327 Athens, 13,878 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees DENSO Manufacturing, 1,100 Bowater Newsprint, 910 Johnson Controls, 650 Waupaca Foundry, 570 Mayfield Dairy Farms, 550

MEIGS COUNTY Population Meigs County, 11,698 Decatur, 1,459 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Shaw Industries, 482 Polyform Inc., 70 Array Manufacturing, 50 Storm Copper Components, 40 Added Value Services, 36

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POLK COUNTY Population Polk County, 15,939 Benton, 1,087 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees Copper Basin Medical Center, 117 Crystal Geyser, 101 Conasauga Wood Preservers, 57

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, WES ALDRIDGE, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN M C CORD CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH PRODUCTION PROJECT MGRS. MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER JANINE MARYLAND GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, CANDICE HULSEY, ALISON HUNTER, LINDA MOREIRAS, AMY NELSON, CARL RATLIFF WEB PROJECT MANAGER ANDY HARTLEY

RHEA COUNTY Population Rhea County, 30,347 Dayton, 6,661 Major Employers Employer, No. of Employees La-Z-Boy, Tennessee, 2,100 Suburban Manufacturing Co., 500 International Automotive Components, 465 Robinson Manufacturing Co. 460 Goodman Global Holdings Inc. 412 Kayser Roth Corp., 241

WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ WEB PRODUCTION JILL TOWNSEND COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC MEGHANN CAREY, SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART V.P/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, RICHIE FITZPATRICK, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA MCFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH MARKETING DIRECTOR KATHLEEN ERVIN MARKETING COORDINATOR AMY AKIN

SEQUATCHIE COUNTY

IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE

Population Sequatchie County, 13,002 Dunlap, 4,797

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE

Major Employers Company, No. of Employees Tecumseh Products, 652 Seymour Tubing, 130 Dunlap Industries Inc., 100 C&D Technologies, 75 High Country Archery, 65 Dunlap Stone, 16 Precision Aerodynamics Inc., 15

SOURCES: www.seida.info Note: Population figures are 2006 estimates.

IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY SALES SUPPORT MANAGER/ CUSTOM SALES SUPPORT PATTI CORNELIUS SALES COORDINATOR JENNIFER ALEXANDER OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM

Southeast Resource magazine is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Southeast Industrial Development Association. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Southeast Industrial Development Association 1000 Riverfront Parkway • Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: (423) 266-5781 • Fax: (423) 267-7705 www.seida.info VISIT SOUTHEAST RESOURCE ONLINE AT SERESOURCE.COM ©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. Member Member

Magazine Publishers of America Custom Publishing Council

Please recycle this magazine

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JOB SEEKERS

Dayton (423) 570-1107

Chattanooga (423) 894-5354

Dunlap (423) 949-6648

Cleveland (423) 478-0322

Kimball (423) 837-9103

www.secareercenter.org

Where people and jobs connect WE BRING CAREER RESOURCES TO

Athens (423) 745-2028

&

EMPLOYERS

• JOB LISTINGS

• POST JOB OPENINGS

• JOB SEARCH TOOLS

• EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT

• SKILLS UPGRADE ASSISTANCE • SKILLS CREDENTIALS

• HIRING INCENTIVES • JOB PROFILING/ ASSESSMENTS

Career Readiness Certificate For job seekers: The key to a better future For employers: Guaranteeing quality job applicants An afÀliate of This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. TDD/TTY TN Relay 711.

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