NEW HOPE, Tenn. — The worldwide company Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. is looking to the shores of the Tennessee River as a possible site for operations that could bring hundreds of high-tech jobs to Marion County.
Chicago Bridge and Iron, known as CB&I, could close a purchase on some riverfront property June 5, according to minutes of the April 17 Marion County Chamber of Commerce board meeting obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
The company was named during an economic update at the board meeting, records show.
ABOUT CB&I
* Chicago Bridge & Iron engineers, fabricates and maintains industrial storage and materials handling facilities and structures. It has more than 70 proprietary licensed technologies and 1,500 patents and patent applications.
* Founded: 1889
* Products: Large storage containers, vessels, pipelines, structures, plants and associated technologies used by petrochemical and nuclear industries
* Employees: 17,000
* Operations: 80
* Locations: 10 countries
* Headquarters: The Netherlands
Source: Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. Web site, www.cbi.com>
Officials in the Marion County property assessor’s office said there were no records of any transactions involving CB&I but an “option to purchase” wouldn’t be recorded until it was completed.
Calls to CB&I were not returned by press time.
When asked if CB&I has shown interest in a site in Marion County, County Mayor Howell Moss said, “I’ve been working with them several months now.”
“I would be thrilled and honored if we can be successful in recruiting this company,” Mr. Moss said. He would not elaborate.
Marion County has been drawing lots of recent attention.
Earlier this month, an unnamed, ethanol-related company also was said to be showing interest in the former Tennol Energy plant near Jasper and Interstate 24. Officials declined to identify the company or discuss details.
According to Chamber minutes, another prospect has made an offer on 35 acres near the Nickajack Port Authority, and a number of speculative visits were made recently to the old Mohawk Industries building and an old hospital building in South Pittsburg.
If CB&I and the other industries moved Marion County, they could bring “650 to 700 jobs” to the region, minutes state.
