Anderson County’s economy is strong and diverse. It includes high technology and entrepreneurial small businesses in connection with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a growing number of automotive industry plants at the new I-75 Industrial Park in Clinton and several dozen machining, distribution, technology and administrative facilities. Four industrial parks are found within six miles of Interstate 75, Anderson County’s gateway to the eastern half of the United States.

The parks are:
• I-75 Industrial Park, the newest park is within sight of the interstate and one-half mile west of exit 122.
• Eagle Bend Industrial Park, the city’s first industrial development. It is on Highway 61 approximately four miles from exit 122. It is in the large Eagle Bend of the Clinch River.
• Carden Farm Industrial Park is in South Clinton, just off of Highway 25W and along the Clinch River.
• David Jones Industrial Park is on Norris Freeway (Highway 441), 3.5 miles from exit 122.

In addition, Lake City’s Industrial Park is within the city limits of Lake City and is approximately three miles from two I-75 interchanges. Oak Ridge has three industrial parks plus a large federal installation being reborn as a brownfield site. The Oak Ridge parks are Bethel Valley Industrial Park, Commerce Park and Horizon Center. Anderson County is blessed with several attributes highly valued by businesses. The most valuable is location, location, location.

The county sits in the middle of the eastern half of the country, is within easy access to three-fourths of the major markets on the east coast and is served by rail, road, air and waterway:

RAIL:
More than 59 miles of rail track and numerous sidings and spurs serve business and industrial needs.

AIR:
In addition to I-75 and I-40, which joins I-75 in Knoxville, 20 minutes from Clinton, the county has easy access to the Pellissippi Parkway, a divided, interstate quality highway from Oak Ridge to Knoxville and Maryville. That provides a short 40-45 minute drive to McGhee-Tyson Airport in Maryville-Alcoa. More than 10 airlines schedule daily flights in and out of McGhee-Tyson.

TRUCKING:
More than 30 regular route common carrier truck lines have terminals in and around Anderson County.

WATERWAY:
The Clinch River is most visible and highly treasured as an important part of the heritage, flavor and culture of Anderson County, but it also provides 32.5 miles of navigable waterway and eventually connects the county with the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway reaching to the Gulf of Mexico.

INTERSTATE SYSTEM:
Interstate 75 runs directly through Anderson County, but I-40 and I-81 are part of the interstate system serving the whole region. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development 2001 statistics shows Anderson County’s workforce at approximately 25,460 with an unemployment rate of only 3.6.

Information about business and economic development in Anderson County is available through:

Anderson County Chamber of Commerce
245 N. Main Street - Suite 200
Clinton, TN 37716
(865) 457-2559, FAX (865) 463-7480

Anderson County Economic Development Association
245 N. Main Street - Suite 200
Clinton, TN 37716
(865) 457-1785, FAX (865) 457-8969

East Tennessee Economic Development Agency
P. O. Box 23770
Knoxville, TN 37933-1770
(865) 694-6772, FAX (865) 694-6429

Anderson County has location, good transportation, low taxes, quality workers and one of the finest places to live in the country. The quality of life in Anderson County starts with nature. The rural portions of the county offer scenic beauty that rival any you’ll find. The lakes are sources of beauty and recreation. The county has the heritage of two centuries of Appalachian life — a tradition of working hard, valuing the land and family. The towns of Clinton, Lake City and Oliver Springs are treasure of history.

But the two newest towns — Norris and Oak Ridge — have equally rich history developed in a short time span. Norris was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority when it built its first dam in the Tennessee River watershed — Norris Dam on the Clinch River. Oak Ridge leaped into world-fame with its work on the atomic bombs as part of the Manhattan Project. Anderson County was settled in the 1790’s. The region was a good place to be, a good place to put down roots and make history. It still is.

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Anderson County's Largest Employers