SEIDA Annual Report 2015

CONNECT • POWER • RELIABILITY SEIDA. . . . Connecting Economic Development Partners With Powerful Resources Creating Reliable Services

SOUTHEAST INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT ● 2015 Athens Utilities Board ∙ Blue Ridge Mountain EMC ∙ Chickamuga Electric System ∙ Cleveland Utilities ∙ Dayton Electric Department ∙ Electric Power Board ∙ Etowah Utilities ∙ Murphy Power Board ∙ North Georgia EMC ∙ Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative ∙ Tri-State EMC

The Southeast Industrial Development Association, comprised of eleven local power distributors and the Tennessee Valley Authority, works with strategic economic development partners across the three-state region to attract and retain jobs that generate capital investments to create vibrant economies. Over SEIDA’s 26 years of service in north Georgia, southwest North Carolina and southeast Tennessee, staff, power distributors and partners have collaborated to attract over 200 new and expand more than 300 existing companies.

The southeast region maintains its progress in obtaining significant capital investment into its communities and the creation of jobs for its citizens. Companies are locating within the SEIDA region because of opportunities available for training, access to a skilled workforce, great transportation networks and collaborative leadership with a vision.

Rural Development Fund Grant (October) Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd announced on October 13, 2015 the state will invest $8 million in a new Rural Development Fund Grant to build capacity for transformative economic development strategies in rural Tennessee.

SEIDA Annual Report

The Rural Development Fund Grant will provide an initial $6 million for Site Development Grants for communities to help move economic development sites to shovel-ready status as part of the state’s nationally recognized Select Tennessee Site Certification Program.

Photo courtesy of TNECD

The new initiative will also fund $1 million in grants for enhancement of tourism sites in rural communities as well as $600,000 for additional ThreeStar community grants including a Main Street Business Incubator program for downtown business districts. [Source: TNECD]

New Casino in Cherokee County, NC Brings Hundreds of Jobs to Area - Murphy, NC (September) Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino is a big development for a small town, just 90 minutes from Chattanooga. SEIDA was honored to host our economic partners across the region at Shoe Booties Café in Murphy, North Carolina, where attendees learned of the project and toured the facility just before the grand opening. The casino opened on September 28, 2015, bringing about 800 jobs and a 32 to 39 million dollar payroll to the area.

FY 2015 Highlights Athens Utilities Board offers Fiber-optic broadband Internet service to area businesses and industries EPB implements world’s first community-wide 10 Gigabit Internet service Community Assistance ED Grants - SR² Program (7 grant recipients totaling $31,200) Regional Project Activity: Company Announcements 28 Prospective Company Visits 18 Potential Capital Investment 815.6MM Potential Job Creation/ Retention 4469 RFI/RFPs Received 42 Existing Industry Contacts 107 SEIDA held a strategic planning session January 8-9 in Chattanooga. Board members shared opportunities, challenges and goals for the upcoming year Vanguard National Trailer Corporation comes to Dade County, GA; creating 400 jobs Congratulations to Cleveland Utilities for being one of six recipients to receive the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Awards for marketplace ethics.

The Better Business Bureau [BBB] in SE TN and NW GA awarded the business for “ethical, fair and honorable business practices.”

Southeast Industrial Development Association • 1000 Riverfront Parkway • Chattanooga, TN 37402 • www.seida.info

A REGION ON THE MOVE SEIDA Staff Attends SEUS in Canada (June) SEIDA staff, and McMinn County government officials along with Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee delegates attended the Southern United States Photo courtesy of TNECD Canadian Provinces Alliance [SEUS-CP] conference in Prince Edward Island, Canada. SEUS-CP is a strategic partnership between states in the southern United States and member provinces from Canada. Member states include Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Member provinces include Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec. The Alliance was established in November 2007 at the Montreal meeting. The Alliance works to promote trade and investment opportunities between and among its member states and provinces.

Building Entrepreneurs in Rural Communities (September) The Southeast Industrial Development Association in conjunction with Bledsoe, Rhea and Sequatchie Counties offered the opportunity for entrepreneurs and small businesses to learn about business resources by hosting a Small Business & Entrepreneur Resource Market on September 29 in Pikeville, TN.

Panel of Entrepreneurs

Participants heard from local entrepreneurs on their successes and challenges in regards to opening and operating a small business in a rural community. Local officials and leaders learned ways to improve business climate in their communities.

Attendees enjoyed networking opportunities among the products and services offered throughout the East TN region.

PROJECT FINANCING Valley Entertainment Center is Dunlap’s one and only skating rink & bowling facility. After being closed for several years, local residents, Theresa Hicks & Anthony Smith, decided to reopen it using considerable sweat equity and by partnering with Mountain Valley Bank and Southeast Tennessee Development District [SETDD]. With loan funds from SETDD and Mountain Valley Bank, Theresa and Anthony purchased the facility, gave it a facelift inside and out and have reopened it to the public. In addition to the day-to-day entertainment choices, they also book group parties for birthdays, athletic teams, youth groups, class rooms, and other groups. They have created six new jobs and hire additional help when needed. Since opening, the owners have grown the concessions area and have made additional repairs to the arcade and skating rink. Residents of Dunlap and the surrounding communities are excited to have the facility open again, providing safe and fun entertainment for the whole family.

MARKETING Program Highlights  Regional Advertising Opportunities  Update of SEIDA Marketing Video  New Community Profiles  Aerial Imagery  Georgia Northwestern Technical College [GNTC] Golf Tournament Sponsor  Cherokee County Fair (NC) Sponsor  NASCC Steel Conference (Nashville) - 35 business contacts  Pikeville Industrial Building - site information forwarded to 10 consultants

City of Pikeville Industrial Building

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT  YTD 28 Loans | 4.94MM Investment | 265 Jobs Created INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT  Regional Employment Wage & Benefit Survey PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT  SETDD Strategic Planning Session – Aug 2015  Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Economic & Community Development – Oct 2015

Walker County Industrial Park

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT A skilled and trainable workforce continues to be one of the region’s greatest assets in attracting new business and industry and in supporting the existing employer base. In an effort to assist with workforce needs in the region, SEIDA staff attended and participated in meetings of the State of Tennessee Economic and Community Development Workforce 360°, a systematic partnership among state agencies and the higher education system that delivers a highly skilled workforce for businesses. Staff also participated in an Asset Mapping Session to help identify community assets that could be leveraged to improve how services are delivered that help Tennesseans go to work. To further efforts at the local level, SEIDA worked with the SETDD Tennessee Career Center to host listening sessions with industries throughout the region regarding their workforce needs. Community leaders such as local elected officials, education providers and company officials participated in those roundtable discussions addressing challenges and opportunities related to labor availability.

Marion County Manufacturers SEIDA Leadership As the year 2015 came to a close, board member Frank Welch retired. The SEIDA board and staff wish to express sincere gratitude for his many years of valuable service to the region.

Pictured above L-R: Frank Welch, SEIDA Board Secretary-Treasurer; Beth Jones, SEIDA Exec. Director