Download Full .PDF - Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce

6
Business Digest
Business Trend Magazine
BUSINESS DIGEST
Existing Industry is
Focus for New Chamber
Employee
LJT Announces Multi-Million Dollar Expansion
Lock Joint Tube/Steel Warehouse of Tennessee (LJT), a subsidiary of Lerman
Enterprises, recently announced its Chattanooga plant will undergo a $2 million
expansion that will bring new jobs to the area, increase the company’s customer base and
allow it to better meet the demands of the market it currently serves. The company plans
to purchase 1.7 acres in Hamilton County’s Centre South Riverport Industrial Park to
accommodate the addition of 50,000 square feet of manufacturing space. This expansion
is expected to create six new jobs at the plant. The Chattanooga facility, which opened in
2002 with six employees and 110,000 square feet of manufacturing space, now employs
more than 200 and has increased the size of its building to 325,000 square feet.
Chattanooga MSA * - Employment by Sector
Sector Preliminary Oct 2011 % change 1-Yr.
Mining, Logging & Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,900 . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00%
Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,700 . . . . . . . . . . . -2.12%
Wholesale Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,400 . . . . . . . . . . . .1.20%
Retail Trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,700 . . . . . . . . . . . -2.47%
Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,200 . . . . . . . . . . . .1.18%
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,600 . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00%
Financial Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,300 . . . . . . . . . . . -1.14%
Professional & Business Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,200 . . . . . . . . . . . -4.07%
Educational & Health Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,100 . . . . . . . . . . . .1.58%
Leisure & Hospitality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,900 . . . . . . . . . . . .5.06%
Other Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,900 . . . . . . . . . . . -1.80%
Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,200 . . . . . . . . . . . .1.92%
The Chattanooga Chamber has
added a new position dedicated to
expanding support to local companies.
Effective Dec. 5, Lakmini (Lucky)
Rouse joined the Chamber team as the
organization’s first Business Development
Specialist dedicated primarily to existing
industry. In her new role, Rouse will
provide support in the areas of existing
business retention and expansion, existing
business visitation, survey program
management, volunteer coordination,
B2B matchmaking, international business
matchmaking and business recruitment.
“The most recent CAN DO
campaign calls for a strengthened
commitment to existing business
services,” says Steve Hiatt, director of
existing business development for the
Chamber. “Hiring Lucky Rouse as the
Chamber’s new business development
specialist is a demonstration of our
commitment to growing local companies.”
A graduate of Southern Adventist
University, Rouse has a bachelor’s degree
in Business Administration and has
spent the last year-and-a-half working as a
marketing analyst for a consumer product
goods company in Atlanta.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics
(*Metropolitan Statistical Area)