Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Memphis Business Journal

Economic development magazine names Tennessee ‘state of the year’

Tennessee has been named 2009 State of the Year by Business Facilities magazine.

The economic development trade publication based the award on the state’s number of new jobs and capital investment made during 2009, the state Department of Economic & Community Development noted in a news release.

Tennessee won the honor “due to an aggressive and creative development effort” capped off by several multi-billion projects, according the release.

One included the landing of the $1.2 billion Hemlock Semiconductor project in Clarksville which is expected to create 500-900 new jobs. That project was also named the 2009 Silver Award winner for Economic Development Deal of the Year by Business Facilities.

DECD commissioner Matt Kisber said that in 2009 the state added 16,700 new jobs and had $3.1 billion in new capital investment.

The state has previously been recognized by Site Selection, Area Development and Southern Business & Development magazines for its accomplishments in economic development in 2009.