While Hamilton County officials work to land a 1 million-square-foot distribution center, Bradley County also is trying for a like-sized facility that combined could give this area two key business investments and possibly up to 3,000 jobs, state documents show.
Both prospects are code-named "Project Infinity" in permit applications filed by Hamilton County and the Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce. Officials won't name the company.
The Bradley site at Interstate 75 and Lauderdale Memorial Highway could create 1,000 jobs, according to state environmental documents. It would generate an estimated annual payroll of $25 million, state documents show.
PDF: Permit Application
The 80-acre Hamilton site is at Enterprise South industrial park, just minutes away, and would create 2,000 jobs, according to officials and documents.
"We're working well with Bradley County," said state Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, whose district includes Enterprise South. "I think whatever helps Bradley County helps us."
Hamilton officials have said Project Infinity involves an Internet-based business, but County Commission Chairman Fred Skillern reiterated Thursday that he knew nothing official.
DECISION SOON
A decision to build and staff the facilities could come as early as next week.
Earlier this month, Bradley County commissioners rezoned 115 acres owned by Chattanooga auto dealer Herb Adcox at the north county site from forestry/agriculture/residential to general industrial.
The Bradley County application states that at least one other state and another country are recruiting the prospect, but doesn't name them.
Cleveland/Bradley Chamber CEO and President Gary Farlow declined to talk about the project, citing a need for confidentiality.
"We don't talk about prospects," he said. Chattanooga Chamber officials also declined comment.
INCENTIVES
Mark Drury, an assistant commissioner at the state Department of Economic and Community Development, would not comment, but he said that typically on large-scale projects, company officials talk with state officials about incentives such as job training.
"Our [incentives] tool kit is on our website," Drury said.
McCormick said the state will be competitive with other states when it comes to incentives. But he didn't think the package could be as rich as was given Volkswagen, which is building a 2 million-square-foot plant at Enterprise South to employ 2,000 to 2,500 workers.
"I don't know the state can afford to do that," McCormick said. "Others can't afford to do that either."
Atlanta-based site consultant Jim Bruce said modern distribution centers are sophisticated work sites where a lot of high-end computer programming is done.
"They hire well-trained people and pay them well," said Bruce, the president of Bruce Facility Planning Consultants, who is familiar with Enterprise South.
ECONOMIC DIVERSITY
Local officials said using a large tract of land at Enterprise South for nonautomotive projects is a way to help diversify the economy.
Hamilton County Commissioners Warren Mackey and Joe Graham said they don't know anything about the project, but it's a sign of economic strength to recruit outside the automotive industry.
"Hamilton County has a healthy economy and it's becoming ever more diverse, and we're not putting all of our marbles in one basket," Mackey said.
Mayor Ron Littlefield said the city and county need to find as many jobs as possible, automotive or not. He said the best possible economy is diverse.
"We're in a fortunate position that we have an endless parade of people coming through Hamilton County," he said.
Littlefield stressed the city is working alongside the county on Project Infinity.
"We attend the same meetings, we talk to the same folks, we signed the same nondisclosure agreement," he said.
Bruce said that just like VW, the Project Infinity company would value access to the interstate, the area's work force and training opportunities.
McCormick said he wants Enterprise South filled up with good-paying jobs. He also cited spin-off benefits such as home sales, filling the commercial market with more retail stores and making for a better standard of living.
In Bradley, there's a similar facility, the GE-related Eastern Lighting Distribution Center, located nearby. The site is likewise not far from the future location of Wacker Chemical, which is to build a $1 billion plant that is expected to bring 600 jobs.
Staff writers Dan Whisenhunt and Cliff Hightower contributed to this story.