5 Reasons Greater Chattanooga is the Perfect Place to Build Your Career

Jeff Adkins

Seeking a fulfilling career with a balanced lifestyle? Look no further than the Greater Chattanooga region. With a diverse economy, affordable living and a supportive community, this 16-county area offers numerous career opportunities for professionals across various industries.

Here are five reasons why Greater Chattanooga could be the perfect place to build your career.

1. Startup Paradise: A Supportive Environment for Entrepreneurs

For those itching to launch a business, opportunity abounds in Greater Chattanooga. The region is home to many startup-friendly venues just waiting to be utilized. Examples include the INCubator, a three-year progressive development program available through the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce; Proof, which offers food/beverage entrepreneurs incubator space and a test kitchen; the Dalton Innovation Accelerator, which assists small businesses in every stage of development; the Cleveland Bradley Business Incubator, which offers startups space and business assistance; and Brickyard, which calls itself an “insulator,” rather than an “incubator,” for businesses.

2. Thriving Manufacturing & Logistics Hub

A growing economic sector in the region is manufacturing, which now employs over 90,000 people throughout Greater Chattanooga. Big-name manufacturers include La-Z-Boy, Mohawk, Shaw Industries, Volkswagen and Whirlpool. Another flourishing industry is logistics, with successful transportation-related companies such as Covenant, FreightWaves, Kenco and U.S. Xpress calling the region home. The logistics industry is chugging along so well that the city has earned a nickname as “The Silicon Valley of Freight.”

3. Lightning-Fast Internet: 25-Gig Connectivity

Residences and businesses in Chattanooga and Hamilton County benefit from 25-gig internet service through EPB, the municipal utility that first provided area customers with 1-gig internet service in 2010 and then 10-gig service in 2015. The launch of 25-gig provides Greater Chattanooga with the fastest broadband speed currently available in the world. Chattanooga companies and remote workers consider this to be a great advantage.

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

4. Apprenticeship Opportunities in High-Demand Fields

Greater Chattanooga companies need employees in technical fields, and apprenticeships are available for a variety of occupations.

The fields include carpenters, construction workers, electricians, glaziers, cybersecurity technicians, software development workers and many more. Software company BuildWithin has selected Greater Chattanooga as one of only five Apprenticeship Innovation Districts in the nation. BuildWithin gives area businesses advice on how to create and grow apprenticeship programs, and companies like Komatsu and Valmont Industries have taken advantage of that resource.

5. Affordability and Activities are a Priority

This region offers residents an affordable cost of living and an attractive way of life, with ample outdoor recreation opportunities and a vibrant art scene. The great outdoors includes several nearby state parks and fun arts-related experiences. The 1.5-block Bluff View Art District provides panoramic views of the beautiful Tennessee River.

Also, make it a point to attend the Cleveland City Ballet, the Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden in Dalton, Georgia, and the DeKalb Theatre in Fort Payne, Alabama.