Leaders think county may be shaking economic slump
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The group is made up of an eclectic mix of representatives from county and municipal governments, local businesses, and private citizens and is required to meet several times a year to discuss issues relevant to the economic growth of the county.
The September meeting of the board included County Executive Kenneth Rogers, McMinnville Mayor Royce Davenport, Rodney Boyd of McMinnville Electric Service and local farmer and dairyman Gary Martin.
The main subject, not surprisingly, was the current economic situation locally, and though all four men agreed recent plant closings have resulted in a significant reduction in manufacturing jobs, they felt other areas of employment were opening up for local workers. And with a local unemployment rate in single digits, hovering around five percent, they agreed the area economy is showing gradual, but meaningful, signs of improvement.
“We’ve got Goolsby’s coming in here,” Rogers said. “Lowe’s is building a store here. We’ve got a store opening up to fill in where Kmart left, and we’ve leased the spec building. WastAway is in the old AquaTech building and is talking about expanding, which has the potential of creating a lot of jobs, so I think things are starting to improve.”
Board members also discussed methods of promoting Warren County to prospective industries and businesses, with the county’s central location in relation to the state’s major cities being considered one of the most dynamic selling points, since the county would function well as distribution center.
“If you looked at Warren County on a map and drew a ring that takes in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga,” said Davenport, “we’re basically a two hour drive from all of those.”
“Three of the major cities,” agreed Rogers, “and we’re right in the center.”
Rogers noted that one manufacturing concern, based in nearby Franklin, is looking at setting up just such a distribution center in the area in the near future which would employ five to 10 workers.
Another factor that figures into the Warren County as distribution center scenario, according to Rogers, is the rail access available here.
“There are a lot of counties that don’t have that,” he said.
Though the board was formed as a requirement of 1101, the members seemed to feel it is one of the better ideas to come out of that legislation because it encourages communication between local governmental entities.
“I think the thing that’s going to help Warren County is that it’s going to bring the mayors and all of us together every other month to sit down and share our thoughts with each other,” said Rogers. “Whereas before, you’d meet each other in a meeting and speak and that was about it. But now, with this being created it gives us the opportunity of sitting down and working out things for Warren County.”
“It’s probably the most beneficial thing I’ve seen out of 1101,” Davenport agreed.
“We’re doing, I think, exactly what we’re supposed to be doing,” said Boyd. “The purpose of the board is to foster communication relative to economic and community development between Warren County governmental entities, industry and private citizens, and we’re sitting right here doing that.”