Distribution & Logistics

The state of Tennessee has a strong distribution/logistics industry including more than 940 companies in the Knoxville area. Nine interstate exits, rail service, river barge access, and air service provide an accessible transportation network in Roane County.

• A number of major population centers are located within a six-hour drive or less of Roane County.
• The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's supply chain management and logistics programs have been ranked among the best by U.S. News and World Report, Business Week, and Supply Chain Management Review. 
• Within a 30-mile radius of the Roane County center, there is a workforce of more than 324,000.

WHY ROANE COUNTY?

Located within six hours of major population centers, Roane County has the transportation network to provide an ideal base for distribution/logistics companies, as well as offering strong education support, a skilled and qualified workforce, low cost of doing business, and affordable and reliable electricity provided by TVA. These are just a few of the reasons why Roane County is the perfect location for distribution/logistics companies.

 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Roane County is located on Interstate 40 and has nine exits off the interstate. The county is also within close proximity of Interstate 75. Roane County is served by Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Roane County has three navigable rivers including the Clinch River, the Emory River, and the Tennessee River, and there are also four river terminals or barge facilities in the count.

The closest commercial airport is Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport, less than 35 miles from Roane County. Chattanooga's Metropolitan Airport is less than 100 miles from Roane County.

MARKET PROXIMITY

Roane County is located within 30 minutes of Knoxville, 60 minutes of Chattanooga, and a little more than two hours from Nashville, all which are major hubs for distribution/logistics companies in Tennessee.

Other major population centers, including Atlanta, Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Cincinnati, Ohio; are located within a six-hour drive of Roane County

AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE BUILDINGS AND SITES

Roane County has a number of available sites which range in size from 3.82 acres to 1,080 acres, some which have rail access. The county also has a number of buildings available, which range in size from 2,265 square feet to nearly 1.5 million square feet, which also may have rail access.

SKILLED AND AVAILABLE WORKFORCE

Roane County has a total labor force of more than 26,000 workers. Within a 30-mile radius of the county center, there is a workforce of more than 324,000.

Roane County has four distribution/logistics companies, which employ more than 340 workers, showing there are skilled and trained workers in this sector.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

 UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT KNOXVILLE (UT-KNOXVILLE)

Roane County is located within 30 minutes of UT-Knoxville. UT-Knoxville’s 11 colleges have a faculty of more than 1,400 and offer more than 300 degree programs.

UT-Knoxville offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in supply chain management and logistics. Graduate degrees include an MBA and a logistics PhD program. UT-Knoxville's supply chain management and logistics programs are ranked among the best by Business Week and Supply Chain Management Review. 

U.S. News and World Report ranked UT-Knoxville's supply chain management and logistics programs ninth among all national universities for 2010.

ROANE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (RSCC)

RSCC, headquartered in Harriman, has an enrollment of more than 6,200 students. It is ranked #1 among community colleges in the state and 27th in nation.

RSCC offers Associates of Arts and Associates of Applied Science degree programs, as well as technical certificates. There are also Associates of Applied Science Degree programs in: business management technology (with options in accounting, business administration, business management, computer science, e-commerce, general business and office administration.

THE TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGY CENTER AT HARRIMAN

The Tennessee Technology Center at Harriman provides technical instruction and skill training in eight technology programs including automotive technology, diesel powered equipment technology, industrial maintenance technology, machine tool technology, and welding technology.

Tennessee Technology Center also provides customized industry training to meet the individual and job-specific training needs of business and industry.

LOW COST OF DOING BUSINESS

 Tennessee is ranked 21st on Forbes 2011 list of “The Best States for Business.” CNBC’s 2011 “Top States for Doing Business” report ranked Tennessee as the state with the 18th lowest cost of doing
business.

From a tax perspective, on the 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index, prepared by the Tax Foundation on how state tax systems compare, the state of Tennessee ranks 27th overall.

ADEQUATE ELECTRICAL CAPACITY AND RELIABILITY

 TVA is the largest public power provider in the United States. TVA provides reliable and competitively priced power to 56 directly served accounts and 155 power distributors that serve approximately nine million consumers in seven southeastern states. 

For the tenth year in a row, TVA’s transmission system delivered power to customers with 99.999% reliability. In 2009, TVA sold more than 164 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and supplies power through a network of 16,000
miles of transmission.