Eastern Tennessee economy (Knoxville, Chattanooga, Kingsport: construction, legal, transportation)

[SilverJD]

All I hear about is that Tennessee is booming and that Eastern Tennessee is a fast developing economy. I find it odd that according to this map most of Eastern Tennessee is still in transition. . I wonder how long it will take it if at all to get competitive.I wonder if it already is since this map is from 2010 Also whoa Eastern Kentucky sure is poor. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p7...KzKzxTWZZ7brGw

[jabogitlu]

1) Friendly tip, you might get further if you call it East Tennessee. This is a legal as well as commonly accepted term.

2) East Tennessee is not a fast developing economy. Where'd you hear that?

3) This is a map generated by (or at least using data from) the Appalachian Regional Commission. The story of Tennessee isn't poor Appalachia, it's poor rural areas. If you mapped the entire state of Tennessee, you'd see "under-attaining" counties in Middle and West Tennessee as well.

4) Many of the counties here have no desire to be competitive, in the terminology of the outside folks. Others (like some in Eastern Kentucky) are hamstrung by lack of transportation infrastructure (seriously, Hazard to Kingsport is ~2 hours) and a variety of other social and geographic topics.

5) I use the word poor, and I get where you're coming from, but there are historic reasons why this map looks the way it does. It's very interesting, and since you seem to be into it, I'd do a little googling. :-)

[Serious Conversation]

Tennessee isn't booming - Nashville is.

I've seen that map before and transitional means basically an adequate economy.

The distressed counties truly are distressed.

[funtraveler1]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Tennessee isn't booming - Nashville is.

I've seen that map before and transitional means basically an adequate economy.

The distressed counties truly are distressed.

^This. All the fastest growing counties in TN surround Nashville/are in the Nashville metropolitan area.

However, other cities in TN are growing too. Not near the level of Nashville, but growth is occurring.

[eastmemphisguy]

The Great Valley is doing ok. Chattanooga and Knoxville may not be booming, but they are stable and reasonably sized economies. Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC are also doing pretty well in comparison to the problems of Eastern KY and WV. Rural areas are having trouble in most of the country, and they are largely invisible to most Americans.

[SPLIT]

For those who keep writing Chattanooga is not booming. !!! Here is one of the many business articles.
VW is ramping up for another model build. They keep having job fairs for another 1100 workers.
Have been here about 5 yrs with Passat model.
VW workers say they designed Chattanooga-built SUV with U.S. market in mind | Times Free Press
. GASTAMP needs 510 workers to supply VW parts.!!
Gestamp gearing up Chattanooga area plants | Times Free Press

[keithps]

I would argue that Chattanooga is booming right now. Almost every retail/service business has help wanted signs out. Even construction companies are posting help wanted signs at intersections and stuff.

[812accucheck]

Th East TN economy is coming up

[Shakeesha]

Originally Posted by SilverJD

All I hear about is that Tennessee is booming and that Eastern Tennessee is a fast developing economy. I find it odd that according to this map most of Eastern Tennessee is still in transition. . I wonder how long it will take it if at all to get competitive.I wonder if it already is since this map is from 2010 Also whoa Eastern Kentucky sure is poor. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p7...KzKzxTWZZ7brGw

The only region that is booming is Middle Tennessee. The others are merely stable.

[funtraveler1]

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

The only region that is booming is Middle Tennessee. The others are merely stable.

true, there's lots of development in chatt tho. Knoxville and memphis aren't lacking either.