UC Counties Looking For More Land To Advertise For Industrial Development

There is a need for more industrial sites in the Upper Cumberland.

UCDD Executive Director Mark Farley highlighted the issue when he encouraged local mayors to target land during a recent executive committee meeting. White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said there is a high demand for sites.

‘We have sold everything that we have,” Robinson said. “We’ve been real lucky with businesses coming in here to the community. So right now, we have no product. The product actually sold faster than we anticipated.”

Robinson said he has scoped out a possible land acquisition for a new industrial park. Robinson said he plans to bring the importance of industrial land to the new commission in the near future. Robinson said sometimes it can be a hard sale, but the purchase is worth it.

Pickett County is in the middle of a site evaluation program that would ultimately locate sites good for industrial development. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Robbins said the county is limited with the land it can market.

“Our little county is cut up by the lake on two different sides,” Robbins said. “When you go outside that middle section where the city and county are, a lot of it is rolling acreage. To get over to some flat areas, we are limited on utilities.”

Robbins said eight sites are being reviewed by the state. Robbins said the end goal will hopefully be a site that can be advertised for industrial use.

As for other counties, Overton County remains without available industrial land. Clay County will soon gain sites under a state program similar to the one Pickett County is participating in.