We Love Living in Robertson County, Tennessee

New residents come to Robertson County looking for many different things – and they find them in abundance.

By Laura Hill on April 10, 2024

Nathan Lambrecht

Adam Heffner came to Robertson County in search of the right place to grow a unique business. Kathy Zacherl was looking for a rural community where she could settle near her son. Each discovered just what they came for – and so much more. 

Ask any of the 10,000 people who have moved here in the last 10 years why they are living in Robertson County, and you’ll likely get 10,000 answers. For some, it’s the slower pace of life. For others, it was an economic decision. Many might tell you it was the beauty of the rural landscape or the economic opportunity and energy of a burgeoning community that appealed to them. 

Mid-Career Move to Tennessee

Whatever inspired them, Robertson County is providing the quality of life residents are looking for. 

“I found the cost of living appealing, but really the beautiful landscape was the main thing for me, the hills and the rolling farmland,” says Zacherl, who moved here from Pennsylvania in December 2019. She visited her son, a Belmont University graduate, who himself had fallen in love with the area and stayed on after graduation. 

“Robertson County was on my heart even before I moved here,” Zacherl says. 

Zacherl says her son staged a “full-court press” to get her to relocate to Robertson County, but it was her Pennsylvania employer’s shutdown that finally prompted her to pack her things and head to Tennessee. She found a good job with Airtech, the international company that itself chose Robertson County’s prime location for a Southern regional headquarters. 

Zacherl’s relocation became more challenging when the pandemic broke out soon after she arrived. 

“Being able to connect with people was virtually impossible, of course. Nobody knew me, and I was from out of town,” she says. “I was living then with my son and his wife, so it was nice to spend time together. And once things calmed down, I got involved with the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce, which opened up the community.” 

Now, she says, she feels right at home living in Robertson County. She’s enjoying the 10-minute commute to work and the proximity of her son, daughter-in-law and 16-month-old grandson. 

“This is a close-knit, welcoming community, where when I go out, I always see someone I know,” she says. “I take a lot of comfort in that.” 

Jeff Adkins

Living in Robertson County: Friendly for Families 

Heffner also has found that sense of community after he relocated to Springfield from California.

A longtime union ironworker on huge projects like bridges and skyscrapers, he studied the Mid-South for a “Goldilocks zone” that offered great professional opportunities and a more attractive quality of life for his family. 

“I had spent a lot of time on the road over the years, and I wanted to spend more time with my kids,” Heffner says. “This move was a chance for our family to slow down a little and spend more time together.” 

The cost of living also allowed Heffner to have one job instead of the three he juggled in California. And that in turn made possible the launch of Maker Table, which fabricates industrial furniture and decorative and functional items for homes and businesses. 

Today, Maker Table has 25 employees and a growing local and national presence. Stefanie Heffner, his wife, is a “foundress” and works on design. Their family now includes two kids, ages 7 and 10. 

“One of the great things about Springfield is everything is so close,” Heffner says. “The shop is six minutes from the girls’ school, so I can have lunch with them, go on field trips and get to every soccer game.” 

Admittedly, there was a bit of culture shock as the family adjusted to living in Robertson County, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

“People here may complain about traffic, but if you grew up in California you just laugh,” Heffner says. “This is an awesome place to raise a family. I like to let my kids be outside more than inside, without worrying about them. It’s country living.”