East Tennessee is known for its beauty, mountains, whiskey and bluegrass music. However, while there are several things East Tennessee is known for, there are also several little known facts about this area of the state that make it a strategic location for businesses looking to maximize their opportunities in 2015.
Oak Ridge is known as the Energy Capital of the World for its constant energy research.
On a clear day seven states are visible from Lookout Mountain.
The Walnut Street Bridge, in Chattanooga, spans a half-mile across the Tennessee River and is currently the world’s longest pedestrian bridge.
Bluegrass Music originated in Bristol, TN and is known as the birthplace of Country Music.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was named for the bluish haze that often envelops the mountains.
Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith, is the only known man in history of the world to develop an alphabet single handedly.
Coca-Cola was first bottled in a Chattanooga plant in 1899.
The Ocoee River is rated a top white water river in the nation and was used in the '96 Atlanta Olympics for the canoe/kayak competitions.
Over 34,000 businesses employ over 309,000 people and generate over $54 billion in annual sales.
Some of those businesses include Chattem, Inc., Roper Corporation, Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, Volkswagen Group of America, Wrigley Manufacturing Co., and Komatsu America Corporation.
The manufacturing sector has over 1,000 companies in 20 industry segments. MSA* manufacturing companies employ over 29,000 people and generate more than $7 billion in annual sales.
The finance, insurance and real estate (FIRE) sector has over 3,000 companies in seven industry segments. MSA* FIRE companies employ over 20,000 people and generate more than $3 billion in annual sales.
The services sector has more than 16,000 companies in 15 industry segments. MSA* service companies employ nearly 120,000 people and generate over $8 billion in annual sales.
The transportation, communication and public utilities (TCU) sector has over 1,600 companies in 10 industry segments. MSA* TCU companies employ more than 20,000 people and generate over $4 billion in annual sales.
The retail trade sector has over 6,000 companies in 8 industry segments; MSA* retail companies employ more than 66,000 people and generate over $11 billion in annual sales.
The wholesale sector has over 1,300 companies, over 1,000 in durable goods, and more than 300 in non-durable. MSA* wholesale trade companies employ more than 16,000 people and generate over $13 billion in annual sales.
The construction sector has over 3,000 companies in 3 industry segments. MSA* construction companies employ over 17,000 people and generate more than $4 billion in annual sales.
*MSA - Manufacturing Service Association
Cleveland has 13 Fortune 500 companies including Proctor & Gamble - Duracell, Whirlpool Corporation, Coca-Cola Refreshments, Merck Consumer Care, International Paper and Eaton Corporation.
Other businesses like Mars Chocolate North America, Mueller Company, Wacker Polysilicon North America LLC and Flowers Bakery of Cleveland LLC are also located in Cleveland.
Since February 2009, 2.4 billion dollars have been announced for growth in Cleveland/Bradley County. This is new business as well as companies expanding.
Employment: The 2011 workforce totals 55,400; the employed workforce is 50,200. Some 24% of Cleveland MSA, which also includes Polk County, nonagricultural employment is “goods producing” while 76% is “service providing.” The following is a breakdown of employment sectors:
It's debatable who is more famous: Peyton Manning, Kurt Vonnegut, or Dolly Parton? These three luminaries all have ties to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
We're going streaking! In 1974, Knoxville was named the "Streaking Capital of the World" by none other than Walter Cronkite himself.
Named after Appalachian moonshine, the popular lemon-lime soft drink "Mountain Dew" was born in Knoxville in 1948.
Created by F.D.R, the Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation's largest public power company, employing over 12,000 people with revenues in the billions.
As of April 2014, Knoxville's diversified workforce helps the city keep the unemployment rate at about 1% lower than the national average!
The Knoxville Zoological Gardens made history in 1978 by being the first zoo in the Western Hemisphere to successfully reproduce an African Elephant in captivity.
Knoxville's the largest city in Eastern Tennessee-beating Chattanooga by more than 10,000 people.
The tourists are coming! The population of Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, spikes during tourist season from 6,000 to 50,000 people on any given day.
The Knoxville MSA has 323,000 persons employed and a GDP of over $4.3 billion.
Over 325,000 people flock to Knoxville to attend Boomsday on Labor Day Weekend, arguably the largest Labor Day fireworks show in the US.
This infographic also proudly features chatype, the official typeface of Chattanooga, TN. To learn more about the chatype typeface and project visit http://chatype.com
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