The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development on Tuesday announced five new Select Tennessee Certified Sites.
The Select Tennessee program was launched in 2012 to help Tennessee communities prepare available industrial sites for investment and expansion. The program sets rigorous standards to give companies reliable information when making location choices during the site selection process. To date, 44 sites have been certified. The five newest sites and their local sponsoring agencies are:
· 231 North Business Park: Shelbyville, Bedford County Chamber of Commerce (210 Frank Martin Road)
· Adamsville-McNairy North Industrial Park: Adamsville/McNairy County Industrial Development Board (Copeland Drive at State Highway 22)
· Christos Industrial Site: City of Lewisburg (Industrial Drive and Bob Davis Road)
· Industrial Park South Site Five: Pulaski/Giles County Economic Development Commission (Elkton Pike)
· Pellissippi Corporate Center Lots 11 and 12: The Development Corporation of Knox County (Kemp Fain Lane)
“While we can pitch companies on the advantages of Tennessee’s ready workforce, business-friendly climate and strong fiscal health, many times the make-or-break during economic development searches is a simple question: Do you have a readily available site?” TNECD Commissioner Randy Boyd said. “The Select Tennessee Certified Sites program helps our communities get a tangible product to put before companies looking to expand or relocate. These sites are vigorously vetted so businesses know that their projects can proceed in a timely fashion with less risk. I congratulate the communities investing in their local assets and securing these newest certified sites.”
The Select Tennessee program has certified forty-four sites in 34 counties. Eight certified sites have landed projects, which have together combined for nearly $979 million in private sector investment and more than 3,600 jobs committed.
The program acknowledges that companies seeking to expand or relocate their operations often eliminate less-prepared sites. Select Tennessee certification addresses this issue by ensuring sites meet high-quality standards. Among the qualifications needed for certification, industrial sites must have at least 20 acres of developable land, proper zoning to allow for ease of development, existing utilities onsite or a formal plan to extend to the site and truck-quality road access.
The hallmark of the Select Tennessee program is ensuring that Tennessee sites are primed for development, whether through marketing those ready for a prospect or providing guidance for uncertified sites to achieve a higher level of preparedness.
“The Select Tennessee Certified Sites program gives our local communities, especially ones in rural Tennessee, an advantage when competing with other states for economic development projects,” TNECD Assistant Commissioner of Rural Development Amy New said. “The communities with certified sites have invested in themselves and will be ahead of the game in recruiting new businesses and jobs.”
“This certification isn’t a rubber stamp. Our communities go through a lengthy process to get certification,” TNECD Site Development Director Leanne Cox said. “Companies scouting a new location for their operations can feel confident that these new certified sites have been thoroughly vetted by economic development professionals and have the strong support of local community partners.”
TNECD has partnered with Austin Consulting to administer the program.
“The Select Tennessee Certification Program continues to forge ahead and certify premier properties located in quality communities since 2012,” Frank Spano, managing director of Austin Consulting, said. “The Program will enter its fifth year in 2017 and continues to showcase the strengths of a very diverse state and all it has to offer to the industrial sector for both domestic and international companies considering a new location.”
Communities interested in participating in the program must begin the formal application process by sending their letter of intent to Select.Tennessee@tn.gov. More information about the program can be found at http://www.tnecd.com/sites/certified-sites/apply-now/.