DUNLAP, Tenn. — Sequatchie County officials said they are among four Tennessee counties being contacted by a broker representing a Chinese industrial manufacturing company looking for a site.
Sequatchie Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Winston Pickett said the county’s industrial board met Wednesday to get information about the company, which he said also is considering Hamilton, Bradley and Rhea counties.
But he and other Southeast Tennessee officials could provide little or no information about the firm.
“I don’t have the name of the company,” Mr. Pickett said.
County Executive Michael Hudson also declined to name the company.
Dunlap Mayor Dwain Land said the officials were told, though, that the Chinese company is taking 30 to 60 days to decide on a location for a plant.
In Rhea County, Raymond Walker, head of the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council, said he was not at liberty to discuss whether there have been contacts with the company. He said he was at a meeting with other area economic development officials on Friday in Dalton, Ga., and no one brought it up there.
Gary Farlow, president of the Cleveland-Bradley County Chamber of Commerce, said it’s not unusual for counties not to know the name of upcoming prospects.
“Most agents we talk with want to be kept confidential,” he said. “A lot of the time they have a code name (for the project).”
Rumors had floated around Bradley County for at least three years about the $1 billion Wacker Chemical polysilicon plant under the name “Project Bond.” The plan finally was announced in February 2009.
Mr. Farlow also couldn’t say whether Bradley County has met with agents from a Chinese company.
“It’s just a preliminary discussion at this point,” Mr. Pickett said. “You don’t want to scare the thing away before it happens.”