M&M production at the Mars Chocolate Factory in Cleveland, TN
Hot sauces from Chattanooga company Hoff and Pepper

Chattanooga Region
Top Advantages

Located at the cross section of three major interstates—I-75, I-59 and I-24—the Chattanooga region is considered a logistical sweet spot. Less than a two-hour drive from metro Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville and Huntsville, the area enjoys easy access to some of the Southeast’s most flourishing markets and more than 150 transportation carriers. And with excellent north/south and east/west connectivity, companies can take advantage of one-day shipping to one-third of U.S. consumer markets. It’s no wonder the region is consistently named one of the top 10 distribution locations in the U.S.

When it comes to site selection, the Chattanooga region boasts numerous low-cost utilities—including one of the country’s foremost smart grids—and an abundant water supply from the Tennessee River. And with the availability of electric power that meets the needs of any size manufacturer, selecting one of the region’s numerous sites is easier than ever.

Manufacturing companies that choose the Chattanooga region benefit from not only a wide selection of strategically located sites and a well-prepared labor force, but tremendous cost savings. Property taxes are not collected on goods-in-process, inventoried finished goods, inventoried for-sale merchandise, goods in transit or government-required pollution control equipment. As further incentive, tax abatements allow qualified businesses to substantially reduce their property tax burden. Foreign Trade Zone opportunities, state training and infrastructure grants are also available throughout the region.

Bottling Innovation
with Coca-Cola

In 1899, two Chattanooga-based lawyers approached the president of Coca-Cola with a bold idea: selling bottles of the popular beverage.

You could say it was the first in a long line of major industry disruptions out of Chattanooga; at the time, the industry focused on fountain sales, but these Chattanoogans obtained exclusive rights to bottle the beverage and began selling the bottling rights to entrepreneurs.

Only 10 years later, in 1909, nearly 400 different bottling plants were operating around the country. Coca-Cola Bottling Company continues to operate in the Chattanooga region, maintaining a more than 110-year-old presence.

Coca Cola
Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling

World-Class Workforce
and Training

Companies in the region benefit from a large pool of non-union workers with food manufacturing expertise. A boom to the continuous development of local talent, the region’s community colleges and 12 accredited higher education institutions offer customized technical training programs that have served more than 200 businesses and trained more than 12,000 workers in a variety of sectors.

In addition, the region’s proximity to universities such as Georgia Tech, Emory, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee Knoxville and the University of Alabama in Huntsville allows for an expansive approach to recruitment.

DEGREES OFFERED

Chattanooga State Community College

  • Food Science and Technology, Technical Certificate

Cleveland State Community College

  • Agriculture, Associate’s Degree

Northwest Alabama Community College

  • Agribusiness Economics, Associate’s Degree
  • Animal and Dairy Science, Associate’s Degree
  • Nutrition, Associate’s Degree
  • Poultry Science, Associate’s Degree

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

  • Food and Nutrition, Bachelor of Science

McKee Logo
McKee Foods Corp.
Employees

3,096

Product/Service

Cakes & cookies

Location

Collegedale,TN

Koch Foods
Koch Foods
Employees

1,631

Product/Service

Poultry processor

Location

Locations throughout the region

Pilgrims
Pilgrim's Pride
Employees

1,328

Product/Service

Poultry processor

Location

Chattanooga, TN

Coca Cola Logo
Coca-Cola Bottling
Employees

618

Product/Service

Soft drinks

Location

Chattanooga and Cleveland, TN

Mars
Mars Chocolate North America
Employees

575

Product/Service

Confections

Location

Cleveland, TN

Mars Wrigley Logo
Mars Wrigley Manufacturing
Employees

297

Product/Service

Confections

Location

Chattanooga, TN

Flowers Foods
Flowers Bakery
Employees

255

Product/Service

Baked goods

Location

Cleveland, TN

Newly Weds Logo
Newly Weds Foods
Employees

226

Product/Service

Batters & seasonings

Location

Cleveland, TN

Moon Pie Logo
Chattanooga Bakery
Employees

121

Product/Service

Cakes & Cookies

Location

Chattanooga, TN

Hubbard Logo
Hubbard ISA, LLC
Employees

72

Product/Service

Poultry hatchery

Location

Pikeville, TN