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Rutherford County Has Strong Business Climate

Learn why having a business address in Rutherford County places companies of all sizes at the intersection of opportunity and success.

By Bill Lewis on May 26, 2017

For employers of all sizes – from international companies like FedEx, Kasai and Schwan Cosmetics USA to locally founded, entrepreneurial enterprises like TwelveStone Health Partners – having a business address in Rutherford County places them squarely at the intersection of opportunity and success.
Those businesses are attracted to the fast-growing county by a powerful combination of advantages that include a world-class logistics network with immediate access to interstate highways, rail service, Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport and Nashville International Airport. Add to that a job-ready workforce, a business environment that encourages investment, no state tax on earned income and a quality of life that makes it easy to recruit and keep top talent.
With one of Tennessee’s fastest-growing economies, Rutherford County accounted for one in every 10 new job announcements statewide in 2016.
“The county recently claimed the No. 5 spot in the nation for job growth and added 2,045 new jobs in 2016, from five relocations and 11 existing company expansions,” says Bill Jones, chairman of Destination Rutherford, the countywide public-private partnership designed to promote high-paying jobs, advance opportunities for a skilled, educated and innovative workforce, and enhance the region’s tourism efforts.

Creating Opportunity


Companies expanding in or relocating to the county in 2016 include TwelveStone Health Partners. Previously known as Reeves-Sain Medical, the locally founded company announced a new headquarters in Murfreesboro, where it has grown since 1980.
The county continues to attract investment from major international companies. FedEx Ground plans a $189 million, 1 million-square-foot distribution facility in Murfreesboro. The company is creating an estimated 41 full-time jobs and 160 full-time-equivalent, part-time jobs. Online shoe retailer Ebuys is creating 160 jobs with a new distribution facility in La Vergne.
Other growing companies include Steel Technologies, which announced a new manufacturing facility in Smyrna. TrustPoint Hospital is adding 148 beds at its Murfreesboro facility and Empyrean Benefit Solutions has established a new customer service center in La Vergne.
“Rutherford County has established itself as a great place to do business,” says Brian Hercules, senior vice president of economic development for the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. “We have a can-do philosophy with our governmental partners, coupled with our geographic location, which offers connections to three major interstates.”
Workforce partnerships with the Rutherford County Schools, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Motlow State and Middle Tennessee State University continue to provide pathways to employment, Hercules says.
The automotive sector continues to see growth, which is not surprising since the county is home to Nissan, which has been recognized as the most productive vehicle assembly plant in the country. GM’s Spring Hill assembly plant is nearby, and Volkswagen is about a 90 minute drive down I-24, he says.
Those plants attract growth of component suppliers like Kasai, a Japanese company that moved its North American headquarters to Murfreesboro. The company announced the creation of 100 new headquarters jobs and the transfer of 100 employees from existing locations.
“We are pleased to call Rutherford County home to our North American Headquarters,” says President and CEO Masaki Sugisawa.
The company’s M-TEK subsidiary manufacturers a wide range of automotive parts for several North American assembly plants that include door panels, trunk trim, dash insulators and plastic injection trim.
Class A Office Space
With the development of the Fountains at Gateway, Rutherford County will be increasingly attractive for back office operations and regional and corporate headquarters locations.
“With the first phase of the Fountains of Gateway coming online this year, we have class A office space to show that is build-out ready,” says Hercules.
Fountains at Gateway is a walkable corporate office campus and retail district that will include 400,000 square feet of space in three buildings. Features include restaurants, shops and services. Workers can walk or bike on the greenway, take a break on the plaza or enjoy one of the pocket parks. Additional amenities include Wi-Fi coverage, secure bike storage, shower facilities with a changing area, a fitness center, an on-site hotel and an apartment community.
“Our success has been a combination of our community’s strong, pro-economic development attitude, having staff with the experience and drive to be aggressive recruiters of high-paying jobs, and dedicated resources, such as Destination Rutherford, to support our economic development priorities,” says Jones.

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