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West Tennessee Is "Deal Ready"

Cotton was once king in western Tennessee, but new industries - including plastics, automotives, aviation, and food processing - are laying claim to the crown.

Area Development Online Research Desk (Location USA 2010)

The West Tennessee Industrial Association (WTIA) had its beginning in 1956 as a membership organization consisting of banks, electric and gas companies, and even interested individuals. Today the WTIA is funded by the electric-power distributors — 23 in West Tennessee and 158 in the Tennessee Valley area — that purchase power from the Tennessee Valley Authority. WTIA is a private, not-for-profit association, which works on a confidential basis to assist companies, site search consultants, and our communities with economic development projects.

WTIA’s primary purpose is to market, on a worldwide basis, the advantages of doing business in West Tennessee. The association’s number-one priority is to search for companies interested in relocating, expanding, or building a facility in the 21-county West Tennessee region. Much assistance is given to the communities of West Tennessee to ensure that they are prepared for economic development opportunities.

A Good Home for Industry
Originally West Tennessee’s economy was solely tied to agriculture. Cotton production was — and to some extent still is — “king” in the region. Consequently, the Port of Memphis has developed significantly, and the other modern transportation and logistic entities (air, rail, and interstates) have enhanced the economic viability of the region substantially.
Leveraging off of this infrastructure, industry has found a good home in the area. Coupled with the excellent market accessibility, the low cost of utilities, inexpensive industrial property, lower labor costs, and low unionization rates have been magnets to draw investors here.
Industrialization has continued to drive the region, and many diverse companies have come to call Tennessee home. Plastics, automotive, aviation, food processing, metal processing, and even biomedical research and various joint ventures are quickly becoming the current “kings” of our economy.

Michael M. Philpot CEcD, Executive Director
West Tennessee Industrial Association
26 Conrad Drive
Jackson, Tennessee 38305
Phone: 1-800-336-2036 or
731-668-4300
E-mail: mphilpot@wtia.org
www.wtia.org
www.DealReady.com

New companies and expanding ones alike are finding our centralized location, productive work force, and overall low cost of doing business working to their advantage. Even though traditionally international companies have located in New York, Chicago, or on the East Coast, many are finding out about the advantages we have in western Tennessee.

Fostering Opportunity
WTIA provides, on a regional basis, data about available buildings, industrial sites, aerial photographs, and retail/commercial locations, along with information about utilities, taxes, wages, labor, transportation, and comparisons of doing business in other states, as well as other studies and research for project consideration.
The association works closely with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority, elected officials, the regional Development Districts, colleges and universities, and local chambers of commerce. The overall mission is to foster any economic development opportunities for the region.
The West Tennessee Industrial Association’s region has over 24 pre-certified industrial sites that are “Deal Ready” (www.dealready.com). These industrial sites are a minimum of 20 acres and have been rigorously screened with over 100 development criteria by CH2M Hill Consulting and The Strategic Development Group. All certified sites are ready for development, correctly zoned, and have been environmentally cleared of any problems.

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