Enterprise South Industrial Park is still in the running for Megasite
certification, Chamber of Commerce officials said.

Area officials received notice from McCallum Sweeney Consulting (MSC) that Enterprise South has achieved contingent certification in the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Megasite initiative, it was stated.

MSC is an internationally known site consulting firm commissioned by TVA to identify the sites across the Tennessee Valley that have the strongest potential for development as automotive assembling facilities.

Mark Sweeney of MSC indicated Enterprise South's potential for automotive assembly rests on a number of strengths including access to distribution channels, proximity to a manufacturing-oriented workforce, and the construction of a dedicated interchange from I-75 directly into the park, Chamber officials said.

"Chattanooga's team presentation was one of the best we saw," Sweeney said. "It was clear to us that the whole community is behind this effort. That can make all the difference in competing for major industrial projects."

According to John Bradley, TVA's senior vice-president for economic
development, Enterprise South's potential as an auto assembly site suggests that it is already well-positioned for other industrial facilities such as automotive components manufacture, it was stated.

"Enterprise South's contingency status is an opportunity to continue the process," Mr. Bradley said.

"We've extended the megasite program for six months to give Enterprise South and a few other sites the opportunity to achieve full certification.

MSC's evaluation indicated that two issues prevented full certification.
The first is the acquisition of an additional 400 acres to "square off" the site and create a parcel that is just over a mile wide. The second is to develop a detailed plan to relocate Poe Branch Creek.

Trevor Hamilton, Chief Economic Development Officer for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, said that these contingencies had been anticipated and that efforts were underway even before area officials received notice of McCallum Sweeney's evaluation.

"We're in the process of pulling the creek relocation plan together," Mr. Hamilton said.

According to County Mayor Claude Ramsey, the Hamilton County Real Property Office working on behalf of the city and county began the process of acquiring the additional 400 acres last January.

"We recognized the importance of the additional acreage even before the certification program was announced, and we are well into the process," Mr. Ramsey said. "Because the acquisition must follow the complete process for land transfers from the federal government, the current timetable for taking possession of the acreage is April 2005, but we're working to expedite the process."

Mayor Bob Corker praised TVA for launching the Megasite program.

"This process confirms that Enterprise South is one of the top industrial sites in TVA's footprint and validates the great progress we have made in developing this important asset in a way that creates the largest number of high-paying jobs for our citizens," Mayor Corker said.

"Going forward, we will do everything possible, including additional land acquisition and site enhancements, to ensure we attain full Megasite status."

According to Trevor Hamilton, when Enteprise South was first acquired by the city and county the site did not quite meet of the requirements necessary for auto assembly operations.

"McCallum Sweeney's evaluation benchmarks the strong progress we've made in developing Enterprise South with strategic land acquisitions and the new interchange at I-75," he said.

"Qualifying for an auto assembly facility is more demanding than almost any other industrial project. This evaluation shows that Enterprise South is very competitive for auto components manufacturers and other kinds of industry."

Mr. Hamilton thanked TVA for the strong support its Megasite program provided in marketing Enterprise South. "Not only did we have an opportunity to present the site to a site selection firm that plays a major role in many industrial relocation projects, we received an independent assessment that we can provide to potential investors as a sales tool," Mr. Hamilton said. "A site assessment like this might have cost us tens of thousands of dollars if we had initiated the process. TVA gave us that kind of competitive edge at no cost to the community."