From a media release:
Thrive 2055 released today that a total of $1.05 billion in new business investment plans were announced within the 16-county Chattanooga region in a single month.
The regional economic development announcements made in June 2015 included a diverse mix of existing and new industries, from a pulp and paper manufacturing expansion in McMinn County, Tenn., to an auto parts manufacturing expansion in Hamilton County, Tenn., to a new Internet data center in Jackson County, Ala. These new and existing business investments are projected to bring up to 700 new jobs to the residents of the 16-county region.
"When Thrive 2055 was first launched in 2012, the Chattanooga region had experienced $4 billion in new business investments over a four year period, between 2008 and 2012. That remarkable achievement also brought awareness to the growth our region was experiencing, particularly in light of the economic downturn the rest of the country was going through," said Thrive 2055 Project Manager Bridgett Massengill. "Now we've seen over $1 billion in one month alone."
Thrive 2055 is a citizen-led, public-private endeavor to engage people from across the 16-county, tri-state Chattanooga region of southeast Tennessee, northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama to make the most of economic opportunities while preserving what people love most about their home communities. The objective of Thrive 2055's work in the past three years has been to identify the values and goals that citizens think should take priority as the region grows.
"Putting the month of June in perspective, $1 billion in one month indicates an incredible growth trajectory that will bring both rewards and challenges," said Massengill. "This is all the more reason for our 16 counties to work together toward the future. A win for one is a win for all."
The volunteer working groups for Thrive 2055 will wrap up their three years of research and public engagement in September 2015. Then, Thrive 2055 will work to assist people throughout the tri-state region in reaching a strong vision for the future. To learn more about Thrive 2055's action phase, visit RegionalCompass.com.
About Thrive 2055
Thrive 2055 is a local, volunteer-driven project whose goal is to advance a regional vision of a future characterized by "Educated people with good jobs living in a great place." The project is focused on engaging people in the 16-county region to make the most of our economic opportunities while preserving what we love about our home communities.
The 16 counties of the tri-state Chattanooga region include Jackson and DeKalb in Alabama; Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Murray and Whitfield in Georgia; and Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie in Tennessee. For more information, please visit Thrive2055.com.