Consultants Forum   |   FacilityLocations    |   FastFacility    |   Advertise   |   Subscribe   |   Newsletter   |   RSS RSS
Inward Investment Guides
United States Inward Investing Guide

United States Inward Investing Guide

Location USA is a guide for international companies looking to invest or establish operations within the United States. Location USA provides practical advice and guidance about facilities deployment, labor force skills, taxes and incentives, and more. For specific information on all 50 states, utilize the State Resources links.


Chattanooga: The CAN DO Community
Area Development Online Research Desk (Location USA 2012)
 
Why have companies like Volkswagen, Alstom, Sanofi-Aventis, and Amazon.com invested more than $3 billion in Chattanooga during the worst economic downturn in recent memory?

Last year no one in Chattanooga's resident work force had ever built a car. Today more than 2,000 local workers are producing the 2012 "Motor Trend Car of the Year" - the all new, Volkswagen Passat.

Transforming a work force without automotive experience into one capable of winning the industry's most prestigious award with the very first cars they have ever made - that's a dramatic illustration of the cooperative partnership Chattanooga establishes with companies to ensure the success of those that invest here.

Chattanooga also supported Volkswagen in establishing the world's first LEED Platinumcertified auto assembly plant, while meeting an aggressive two-and-a-half-year construction schedule. We also helped them attract more than 20 suppliers to the immediate area.

Home to America's Fastest Internet and Smartest Smart Grid
Chattanooga is also grabbing national headlines for completing America's first and only communitywide, 100 percent fiberoptic network capable of delivering up to one gigabit per second Internet speeds to every home and business in a 600-square-mile area. The same infrastructure is also being used to deploy the nation's most advanced, automated, interactive, and self-healing Smart Grid.

Thanks to this highly advanced infrastructure, Chattanooga companies, which have always enjoyed highly reliable and costeffective power, also have the advantage of an additional 40 percent reduction in power outage minutes. At the same time, the Gigabit Passive Optical Network delivers such fast data speeds that companies that rely on the transfer of large amounts of data or highresolution images are experiencing significant productivity gains, while allowing their employees to work from home or distributing their work force without missing a beat.

Assets for Office, Energy, Food and Beverage, and More
Chattanooga is the headquarters of major insurance companies like Unum, major logistics companies like U.S. Xpress, and major food and beverage makers like McKee Foods (Little Debbie).

Major investments by energy-sector companies like Alstom ($300 million), Westinghouse ($20 million), Schaaf Industrie, and Wacker Chemie ($1.5 billion in neighboring Bradley County) have established the area as a major force for that industry. Being home to TVA's power control headquarters also gives Chattanooga-based energy companies added synergies.

Chattanooga's advanced telecommunications and data infrastructure has helped create nearly 1,000 new customer service and data center jobs in the last three years, including the 140- seat HomeServe Customer Care Center. In announcing its investment, HomeServe officials said that Chattanooga's data and technology solutions were the deciding factor.

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis has also recently invested in the area through the acquisition of Chattanooga-based Chattem for $2 billion. Chattem - which is a maker and marketer of over-the-counter health and beauty products like ACT mouthwash, Flexall, and Goldbond - served as Sanofi-Aventis' point of entry into the American market through the highly successful launch of Allegra as an over-the-counter medication this past year.

Your Information Source
The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce serves as the economic development organization for Chattanooga and Hamilton County. We offer full site selection services including RFI response, coordinating community visits, assistance with identifying potential sites, incentives negotiation, and project management. Contact us for more information.


Location Profile
Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce
Connect

Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce
Steve Hiatt, Economic Development
811 Broad St.
Chattanooga, TN 37402
423-763-4333
Fax: 423-763-4044

www See Location Profile on FacilityLocations.com See available property listings on FastFacility.com Facebook

 
X
Save/Share Article
Have questions, comments or concerns about this article? Submit to Ask Area Development here and the author or an expert from our network of site selection and facility planning professionals will answer:
News Items
 
Around The Web
 
Studies/Research
News Items
 
Around The Web
 
Studies/Research
State Resource map
Click on any state for links to current state news and data, contact directory, corporate taxes, financial and business incentives, credits, grants and available buildings and sites
State Resource Sponsor
United States Inward Investment Location Profiles
ARIZONA
Arizona - A Great Place For Business

Arizona is one of the fastest-growing, most dynamic economies in the United States. Both Fortune 500 and start-up technology companies call Arizona home, reaping the advantages of a competitive business climate and tax structure; a skilled, knowledge based work force; and world-class innovation, cultural, and scenic resources.

ARKANSAS
Your Success Story Starts In Arkansas

Arkansas's transportation network and central U.S. location define the state as a strategic distribution center. Midway between Mexico City and Montreal, Arkansas offers a valuable distribution advantage.

Little Rock, Arkansas: A Globally Recognized Brand

For two years in a row, the Little Rock region has been named "America's Fourth Strongest Economy" by the Brookings Institution's MetroMonitor. The Wall Street Journal calls it the nation's "Sixth Best Real Estate Market," while Forbes says it is America's "Seventh Best Place for Jobs."

KANSAS
Wichita, Kansas USA - Site of Choice for Advanced Manufacturing Enterprises

Wichita, better known as the Air Capital of the World, has also been ranked #1 U.S. metro for aviation manufacturing. Wichita has the highest concentration of aircraft and aircraft parts manufacturing employment (skills) in the United States.

KENTUCKY
Kentucky Is a Global Business Center

Kentucky remains a leader in attracting foreign direct investment, with nearly 35 percent of announced new investment in 2012 due to FDI activity. Today, about 420 foreign-owned firms from 30 nations employ nearly 80,000 people in the state.

NEW YORK
Think New York for Business Opportunity

When you hear "New York" you probably think of tall buildings and Wall Street — not cows, pastures, and a state whose leading industry is agriculture. In fact, we have both, and the world is taking notice of the abundant milk supply, sophisticated transportation system, and oneday access to almost 100,000,000 consumers.

OHIO
The Columbus Region Grows Increasingly Global Each Year

The Columbus Region is a thriving 11-county area located in Central Ohio. Home to 15 Fortune 1000 headquarters, with two million people and a population growth rate of 1.3 percent annually, the Columbus Region is one of the fastestgrowing major metropolitan areas in the Midwest, and is growing more and more global each year.

The New Ohio — A Leader in New Job Creation

Profitable. Diverse. Motivated. Strategic. Global. These are the words that describe the new Ohio and make us a leader in new job creation in the U.S.

OKLAHOMA
Tulsa - Where Business Grows

Home to more than 950,000, Tulsa, Oklahoma, perfectly balances convenience and affordability with the advantages of a highly skilled work force, a central location, a pro-business atmosphere, and an excellent quality of life. It is a dynamic, growing region that offers the fifth-lowest cost for doing business in the nation and is home to some of the nation's largest companies. These assets combine to make an ideal home for progressive companies competing in a global economy.

TENNESSEE
Select Tennessee for Your Next Investment

Tennessee's ideal location, strong transportation infrastructure, low costs of doing business, and high quality work force provide an attractive setting for investments from around the globe. With most major U.S. markets within a day's drive, Tennessee provides immediate access to eight interstate highways, an extensive network of railways and waterways, and the world's second-busiest freight airport in Memphis.

WEST VIRGINIA
Plastics - West Virginia's Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

Offering one of the highest concentrations of hightech, specialty, and engineering polymer production in the world; an abundance of necessary raw materials; a knowledgeable, highly trained and productive work force; and established transportation systems; it is no wonder West Virginia is home to a vibrant and growing plastics industry.