Job activity brisk, IDB officials say

The Industrial Development Board reports the county is seeing significant economic activity from manufacturing prospects interested in Warren County.

Since competition for new industry is fierce, and many companies prefer to keep their expansion plans confidential until they are finalized, the IDB feels obliged to refer to its current new industry recruiting efforts by code names in public reports. As a result, none of the following company names represent actual corporations.

IDB member Mark Brown also emphasized none of these projects are to the point where the IDB is ready to announce they are locating in Warren County.

?These are just projects we?re working on,? Brown said. ?We?re in competition with a number of different communities vying for these same projects.?

? Project Lightning

?This is a company we?re working with that?s a manufacturer of electronics,? said new director of economic development Jeff McCormick.

? Project A-T

?This is one that has been looking at us,? McCormick said, ?but they haven?t been here yet. We?re working with a consultant. They were looking at six communities in Tennessee and trying to narrow it down.?

McCormick says it looks as if Warren County has made the final cut.

?As far as I know, we?re the only community that has talked to the consultant,? McCormick said, ?so we?re working on that.?

This company is looking at existing buildings with future expansion capabilities, according to McCormick.

? Project Ice

?Project Ice is a manufacturer of tubing products,? McCormick said. ?They?re out of Detroit. I visited with them when I went to Detroit to the automotive show.?

? Project C

According to McCormick this is a company looking for a large ?green field? site.

?They?re interested in the Carrier facility, the industrial park, and they looked at some private property,? McCormick said.

? Project Mustang

This is a light manufacturing prospect interested in existing buildings.

?They?ve looked at the WastAway building,? McCormick said. ?We haven?t heard back from them yet.?

? Project Sunshine

?They?ve been in town this week for another visit,? McCormick said. ?They?re a manufacturer of exhaust systems.?

IDB officials said once these projects are closer to reality they will release projected employment figures.

As for other projects, McCormick says Morrison Tool & Fab is essentially finished with its expansion in the industrial park, which began with the locally owned company?s purchase of the county?s spec building in 2003. The IDB, in cooperation with the Upper Cumberland Development District, worked with owner Ron Wilson to obtain financing for a business expansion from a number of sources.

The loans funded a $3.5 million construction project to increase the size of the original building by 102,000 square feet. The expansion is slated to provide some 100 new jobs. Morrison Tool & Fab produces specially designed shipping containers for automotive parts.