Crossville Experiencing Engineering Shortage With Projects Beginning

Crossville is stretching itself thin trying to take on a number of large projects during an engineering shortage.

City Manager Greg Wood said just this week he saw the demand firsthand when Whisper Aero reached out to Tennessee Tech.

“The Whisper Aero folks that just had their kickoff meeting here on Tuesday mentioned to Dr. Oldham when he was here, ‘you know we need seven or eight engineers for us too,” Wood said. “So it’s a good time to be an engineer I would think.”

Wood said the city wants to fill an identified need for a public works director with its city engineer, but has struggled to hire an engineer in training.

Wood said the position has been on the city website unfilled for over a year. He said the city is already starting utility work ahead of the new Buc-ee’s, with two widening projects and subdivision work on the horizon.

“We’ve had to redo some of the piping and some of the valving and move some lines in order to facilitate both the paving and how they’re (Buc-ee’s) gonna do their layout,” Wood said. “As far as their building and gas tanks and all the assorted things that go with a facility that size.”

Wood said he has contacted other municipalities about hiring engineers, and has heard the same struggles. He said because of the project boom in Crossville, if someone takes the position there is plenty of work to get them experience towards becoming a professional engineer.