Wilson County, TN Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Sometimes simple quotes make the most lasting impression. Such is the case with “The keystone of successful business is cooperation. Friction retards progress.” The quote from James Cash Penney, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of J.C. Penney served as the foundation to his company. I believe that it also serves as the foundation to successful economic development agencies and their communities.

While many communities continue to struggle to determine their structure, participation and funding, it is reassuring to know that after twenty-two years this organization still works. The structure works because members of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, community volunteers and local governments work together.

Our office through its unique structure allows us to both observe and to be part of this cooperative effort. In 2011, we saw this through the re-election of Mayor Jennings as the Chairman of the Executive Committee, of the City of Lebanon and Wilson County working in cooperation to acquire and administer Amazon’s economic and transportation grants and the City of Mt Juliet and this office participating in joint efforts to recruit retail service establishments. These and others behind the scene activities allow us to be part of a long term successful team.

Longevity, structure and cooperation however do not guarantee success. Any organization or agency at the end of the day should be judged upon its administration and on its accomplishments. We hope that the 2011 Annual Report presented in its new format will provide further insights and details to our part in this community success.

In the report, one will notice our renewed emphasis of working with our existing employers through our retention and expansion program. Our work included obtaining state financial assistance, accumulating and providing accurate employee wage data and in expanding our local incentive program to existing industries. Our message will be that we will work equally with both new and existing partners to sustain and grow their operations.

Our employers will continue to be influenced by both national and international trends. Those will include: the need for talented and skilled workforce, improving their transportation efficiencies, the effects of on-line consumer purchasing, energy costs and the available land and/or facilities. These are the reasons that governments and our employers must continue its cooperation and partnerships.

Of the many other quotes attributed to Mr. Penney, I found the following also significant, “No company can afford not to move forward. It may be at the top of the heap today, but at the bottom of the heap tomorrow, if it doesn’t.” An economic partnership and team that keeps this as part of their operations will continue to be successful.

On behalf of the JECDB, I would like to thank those in this community who continue to guide and support our efforts and look forward to us being a part of the structure and partnerships that exist in our community.

G. C. Hixson, CEcDExecutive Director

Message from the Director

Dianne Fletcher’s retirement in 2011 brought forth some reorganizational changes to the JECDB office. Tammy Stokes was promoted to the position of Marketing & Communications Manager while Jennifer Rowland was hired as the Administrative Assistant.

G.C. HixsonExecutive [email protected] G.C. has been with the Joint Economic & Community Development Board of Wilson County since June 2005. His responsibilities include managing and implementing the organization’s economic development initiatives. He specializes in industrial recruitment and incentive packaging. Prior to joining the JECDB, he was Director of Business Development for the State of Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development and was responsible for the department’s domestic marketing programs and staff. Mr. Hixson served as an instructor at the Tennessee Institute for Economic Development and holds a B.S. Degree in Business Administration and Master of Public Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. He received his Certified Economic & Community Developer designation from the International Economic Development Council from the University of Oklahoma in 1996.

JEDCB Staff

Tammy has been with the JECDB since June 2000 and on October 1, 2011 moved into the Marketing & Communications Manager position. Her

responsibilities include assisting in planning, directing and implementation of the business marketing & recruitment programs and activities which include the ongoing program of business retention strategy and the existing industry visitation program. Additionally, she is responsible for analyzing and implementing marketing and advertising strategies. She currently represents Wilson County on the TN Technology Center-Hartsville Advisory Committee; the Wilson County GIS Committee and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Tammy grew up in Louisiana, Missouri and graduated from Louisiana High School. She obtained her Office Systems Technologies certification from Pike/Lincoln Technical Center. She has also obtained the Introduction to ArcGIS I, Introduction to ArcGIS II and the Fundamentals of ArcGIS Desktop certifications through ESRI. Tammy moved to Wilson County in 1999 when her husband accepted a position with an area contractor. She lives in Lebanon with her husband Mike, her son Michael and her daughter Brooke.

Tammy StokesMarketing & Communications [email protected]

Jennifer began her employment with the JECDB in November 2011. Her responsibilities include assisting

with providing technical support for economic development projects; as well as assisting with the necessary research regarding sites, buildings, parks, RFP responses and zoning related issues. Jennifer was born and raised in Wilson County. She attended Cumberland University and currently lives in Lebanon with her dog Lucky.

Jennifer RowlandAdministrative [email protected]

Recruitment OverviewInternational Economic Development Council (IEDC) Leadership Summit – San Diego, CA

Tennessee Economic Partnership (TEP) Jones Lang LaSalle 2011 JLL Academy – Phoenix, AZ

Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) Meet the Consultants – Atlanta, GA

International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECON – Las Vegas, NV

Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) Annual Conference – Asheville, NC

Project Tango (Amazon) Presentation – Seattle, WA

International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference – Charlotte, NC

Tennessee Economic Development Council (TEDC) Fall Conference – Memphis, TN

Tennessee Economic Partnership (TEP) Solar Power International – Dallas, TX

International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Southeast Conference – Atlanta, GA

Red Carpet Tour Inbound Trip (CMA’s) – Nashville, TN

48 Rfp’s Responded To In 2011 With 12 Prospect Visits To Wilson County

•••••

Logged Attendance At 276 Meetings And/Or Events

•••••

Made 51 Existing Industry Visits

•••••

Hosted 2 Existing Industry Forum Meetings

City of Mt. JulietSingle-Family Home Commercial

Month Homes Month Permits

January 11 January 1

February 26 February 1

March 37 March 2

April 29 April 0

May 24 May 0

June 34 June 2

July 51 July 2

August 31 August 4

September 14 September 1

October 22 October 0

November 14 November 2

December 54 December 1

Totals 347 16

City of LebanonSingle-Family Home Commercial


January 6 January 0


March 14 March 1

April 11 April 0

May 11 May 2

June 7 June 4

July 13 July 2

August 15 August 1





Totals 120 16

Wilson County (includes Watertown)

Single-Family Home Commercial


January 5 January 0


March 14 March 2

April 9 April 0

May 14 May 1

June 26 June 16

July 12 July 1

August 15 August 0





Totals 155 21

Residential Real EstateIn 2011, Wilson County as a whole produced 1,563 residential sales, an increase of 2 percent over 2010 and 8 percent over 2009. Also, median home prices rose in 2011 by 6 percent to $185,197.75. On average, 130.25 homes closed each month of 2011. Homes were on the market a median of 86 days. Source: Eastern Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors

Additional Housing growth in 2011 included: Peyton Manor, 34 unit senior living apartments located on Peyton Road near the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon; Maristone at Providence, 46 unit assisted living community with an additional 13 unit Alzheimer’s care community located in Mt. Juliet; Carrick Glen – consists of 40 one-story villas as well as a 34 unit assisted living facility located on Rutland Road in Mt. Juliet.

Major IndustryCracker Barrel Old Country StoreLifeway Christian ResourcesGENCORemar, Inc.TRW AutomotiveProspect, Inc.Performance Food GroupLeviton Manufacturing Company, Inc.LochinvarCEVA LogisticsEnvironmental Science CorporationPermobilAmazon Fulfillment ServicesBridgestone Americas Tire Operation, LLCGenescoOrchid InternationalL&W Engineering Co.Fortune PlasticsFamous FootwearCustom Packaging, Inc.Nutro Products, Inc.LEGACY Supply Chain ServicesPerma-Pipe, Inc.Rock-Tenn Company

TACLE Seating USA, LLCNissan Parts Redistribution Center & Export Center

Population EstimatesArea Growth 2000-2010 July 1, 2011 Estimates Census 2010 Census 2000

United States 9.7% 310,704,322 308,745,538 281,421,906

Tennessee 11.5% 6,401,643 6,346,105 5,689,283

Wilson County 28.4% 116,667 113,993 88,809

Lebanon 29.4% 26,662 26,190 20,235

Mt. Juliet 91.4% 24,532 23,671 12,366

Watertown 8.8% 1,522 1,477 1,358

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

2nd Highest MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

in the State

Wilson County Schools K-12• Elementary Schools – 12• Middle Schools – 2• High Schools – 4• Vocational – 1Total Enrollment – 15,116

Lebanon Special School District K-8• Elementary Schools – 4• Middle Schools – 2Total Enrollment – 3,719

Private Schools K-12 (3)Total Enrollment – 1,090

Higher Education (Four Year)• Cumberland University – Lebanon

Other Higher Education Institutions in Surrounding Area (1,000+) enrollment• Belmont University• Lipscomb University• Middle Tennessee State University• Tennessee State University• Tennessee Technological University• Trevecca Nazarene University• University of Phoenix• Vanderbilt University

Technology Centers and Community Colleges• Nashville State Technical Community College• TN Technology Center – Hartsville• TN Technology Center – Murfreesboro• TN Technology Center – Nashville• Volunteer State Community College - Gallatin

Education

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011Building Materials $175,195,326 $122,141,863 $94,168,344 $121,924,874 $125,916,720

General Merchandise $204,241,935 $195,781,591 $186,918,596 $234,255,653 $243,200,876

Food Stores $315,571,007 $336,431,154 $276,559,832 $307,924,629 $367,208,134

Autos, Boats, Aircraft $164,765,033 $180,137,801 $156,126,036 $186,382,599 $222,220,531

Service Stations $55,668,766 $67,406,776 $61,842,327 $80,723,492 $102,898,977

Apparel & Accessories $56,557,399 $52,903,265 $49,750,049 $61,622,644 $67,413,384

Furniture & Home Décor $56,660,428 $61,276,921 $61,891,554 $62,659,313 $61,414,989

Eating & Drinking $129,649,083 $134,523,637 $136,599,657 $144,731,141 $151,137,494

Other Retail $172,216,065 $155,219,844 $177,623,507 $193,551,749 $206,534,220

Total $1,330,525,042 $1,305,822,852 $1,201,479,902 $1,393,776,094 $1,547,945,325

Sales History

County/City Name 2010 2011 % ChangeWilson County $2,973,765 $3,378,291 13.6%

Lebanon $15,031,725 $16,303,914 8.5%

Watertown $209,588 $226,492 8.1%

Mt. Juliet $12,151,936 $11,685,989 -3.8%

Local Option Sales Tax Revenue Collections

The 3rd Fastest Growing County

in the State

Tax RatesArea Special School

District (SSD)County

Tax RateCity

Tax RateSSD

Tax RateTotal

Wilson County $2.5004 $2.5004

Lebanon Lebanon SSD $2.5004 $0.3456 $0.3900 $3.2360

Watertown $2.5004 $0.9578 $3.4582

Mt. Juliet $2.5004 $0.2000 $2.7004

Assessment RateResidential 25% of Appraised Values

Commercial 40% of Appraised Values

Industrial 40% of Appraised Values

Personal Property 30% of Appraised Values

Tennessee Center for Policy Research Rankings Last year’s Most Business-Friendly City, Mt. Juliet, slipped to fourth overall in 2011. The city retained its positive Community Allure and above average Economic Vitality with positive job growth. Its fall from first to fourth primarily represents its enactment of a property tax, driving down its Business Tax Burden ranking. That said, it maintains a relatively low overall tax rate. Business Tax Burden Ranking: 80.7; Economic Vitality Ranking: 65.3; Community Allure Ranking: 75.7; Overall Ranking: 73.5 Coming in seventh this year is Lebanon, another Middle Tennessee city. The city had its strongest numbers in the Business Tax Burden category, but also has low individual property taxes and substantial job growth over the past year. Its weaknesses came in its low median income, and its average crime rate and ACT scores. Business Tax Burden Ranking: 77.5; Economic Vitality Ranking: 60.9; Community Allure Ranking: 67.3; Overall Ranking: 68.8

New Developments The year 2011 provided some positive industrial news as Amazon.com broke ground on their one million square foot facility located in Park 840 near the intersection of SR 840 and Central Pike. The new Lebanon, Tennessee fulfillment center is situated on approximately 80 acres. The facility has been identified by Amazon.com as a non-sort facility which will be responsible for their larger lines of products. The facility will be controlled through a 45,000 sq. ft. operation/nerve center contained within the facility. The total investment of the new facility has been estimated to be $50 million. When fully operational it is anticipated to employ 390 full time employees. Seasonal demands during the fall of the year could double the full time employment. Site preparation began in December 2011 for the new facility and is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2012. The JECDB staff coordinated Amazon’s application to secure $3.5 million in FastTrack Infrastructure Development Program funds as well as an additional $1.8 million State Industrial Access grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Lexon Insurance Company broke ground on their coporate headquarters on Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet. The 40,000 sf 3-story Class A office building will include Mt. Juliet’s first underground parking garage. Lexon will employ approximately 110 to 150 people. Additional industrial growth was seen with the additions of Legacy Supply Chain Services (formerly TMSi Logistics), Roadrunner Transportation Services, and Prime Source Building Products.

Existing Industry Support The JECDB is dedicated to ensuring the success of the companies that consider Wilson County home by providing access to local and state resources and opportunities to enhance their operations. In 2011, the JECDB assisted three existing companies in accessing available assistance through the State of Tennesse and local incentive programs. Both Mayekawa USA, Inc. and Permobil were awarded a combined total of approximately $107,000 in FastTrack Job Training Assistance Program funds. Georgia Pacific Corrugated LLC, a company specializing in next day delivery of corrugated sheets within a 250 mile radius to independent sheet plants and full line box plants, secured a five year personal property tax abatement with Wilson County. This agreement solidifies the company’s long term commitment to the community and for future growth.

Photo by Aerial Innovations

Retail SnapshotThe County’s efforts to lure new retail developments have been fruitful during the aftermath of the economic downturn. Just a few of the new retail developments in 2011 include: Lebanon – Chick-fil-A, Dairy Queen LTD, Christopher & Banks, El Molino, Chen Asian House, Lebanon Furniture, Sole Unique Shoes; Mt. Juliet – Zaxby’s, Jonathan’s Grille, Price’s Auto Collision, Accurate Auto Body, Corner Pub, Tokyo Japanese Steak House, Wasabi Japanese Hibachi Steak House, Los Compadres, Firestone Complete Auto Care, El OK Corral Mexican Restaurant, Kay Jewelers, Mt. Fuji Steak & Sushi; Watertown – Blue Tomato Market & Café, Mom’s Place and Nona Lisa Pizzeria. Wilson County also had several larger developments announced in 2011 that included: Cumberland Center – Consists of 165 acres and will be a mixed use development with a proposed $40 million Community Events Center. Phase 1 Section 1 of Cumberland Center is already approved for a new hotel, restaurant, office and retail elements located on Interstate 40 at Highway 231 between exits 238 and 239. Site preparation has already begun on Phase 1 Section 1 of Cumberland Center. The first two tenants in Phase 1 will be Logan’s Roadhouse and RCC Western Store. Hamilton Springs – Mixed-use development planned for west Lebanon fronting Highway 70, will offer a unique “transit-oriented” community, featuring walkable access to work, home and shopping. Office buildings, retail shops and apartments will be developed around a new Music City Star commuter train station. The proposed development that encompasses 220 acres will be built adjacent to the commuter rail line and is the first in Middle Tennessee that will be planned, designed and constructed to emphasize use of transportation modes other than cars. Mt. Juliet Town Center – Ground was broken on the Town Center Medical Plaza project located on the former Mt. Juliet Elementary School site which will create a true center for the City of Mt. Juliet. The official groundbreaking launches a 41,000 sq. ft. medical facility, with the top floor dedicated to Children’s Clinic East. This will double the Children’s Clinic East services in Mt. Juliet.

Seth McDowell bought the 12 acres of land and plans are to create an urban mixed use development to include the medical component along with business and retail. The project as a whole is called the Mt. Juliet Town Center. Town Center Medical Plaza is projected to be complete and operational by early summer 2012.

Tourism SnapshotWith tourism rising in nearby Nashville, Wilson County has enjoyed a strong year for tourism. The Wilson County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau works to enhance the county’s image as a unique travel destination—and it shows. In 2010, travel-related expenditures in Wilson County topped $107 million, an increase of 8.5 percent from 2009, when expenditures were roughly $99 million. Hotel occupancy rates have also increased in the last year. Tourism supported 940 jobs in Wilson alone and contributed to $3.3 million in sales tax collected.

Wilson County Fair ranked among top 50 in North America –

2011 attendance was 545,945

Cedars of Lebanon State Park –

2010/2011 attendance was 904,091

Paul Abercrombie

Board of Directors

Rob Cesternino

Don Chambers

Philip Craighead*

William Glover

Ed Hagerty

Haywood Barry

Randall Hutto*

Mike Jennings*

Kenneth Martin*

Rob Porter

Nelson Remus

*Denotes Executive Committee Members

Nelson Steed*

Laleta Shipper

Danny Stewart

Clint Thomas

Robin Vance

Luke Winchester

Caleb Thorne

Nelson Steed, Chairman of Board of Directors

Don, Chambers, Vice-Chairman of Board of Directors

Mike Jennings, Chairman of the Executive Committee

Ex-Officio Members:Sue VanattaBo HussungMark HinesleyMike DavisScott BensonDr. Harvill EatonAaron MaynardTom BrashearMae BeaversLinda ElamMark PodyMae Perry

RobertRochelle*Attorney

Phil Smartt*Treasurer

Joint Economic& Community DevelopmentBoard of Wilson County115 N. Castle Heights Avenue, Suite 102Lebanon, Tennessee 37087Phone: 615.443.1210Fax: 615.443.0277Email: [email protected]: www.doingbiz.org

#JECDBofWilsonTN

Joint Economic & Community Development Board of Wilson County (Tennessee)

Wilson County, TN Annual Report

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