30 | www.ExpansionSolutionsMagazine.com

After finishing a study in

law in 1812, Sam Houston

opened a law office in

Lebanon, county seat

of Wilson County, Tennessee.

Houston, once an envoy

for President Jackson, found

Lebanon to have excel-

lent transportation routes,

a navigable river, and close

in proximity to the nation’s

eastern population.

Houston was not Alone in

His Findings.

Wilson County has been a

magnet for business and industry

dating back long before jet service,

a connecting freight rail line, or a much

celebrated integral highway system.

The history of this community, steeped

in homespun values, saw long ago the

likes of loggers transporting cuts down

the Cumberland River and traders rou-

tinely making their way east along one of

the country's most direct routes.

That was Then. This is Now.

Wilson County continues to thrive

boasting excellent transportation options;

one of the state’s highest ranking pub-

lic school systems; a private university,

Cumberland University, founded in 1842;

and remains situated within a day's drive

of three-quarters of the U.S. population.

There is no surprise that major compa-

nies have located here only minutes from

Nashville and therefore near an interna-

tional airport and the amenities of the

state's capital city including country

music, a renown symphony, art museums,

professional sports, and the resources

of an area known as the "Athens of the

South."

Wilson County has attracted some of

the country's most famous brands and

also hosts a bevy of national companies

that began here.

One of the most recognized names in

the restaurant business, Cracker Barrel

Old Country Store, Inc., got its start in

Lebanon when a few locals had the idea to

build family restaurants along the emerg-

ing U.S. interstate system.

Cracker Barrel opened its first restau-

rant in Lebanon in 1969, went public in

1981, and now operates more than

600 restaurants in 42 states.

Cracker Barrel is one local story

but there are others including:

LoJac, Inc., a regional highway

paving company and build-

ing materials supplier; Custom

Packaging, Inc., a lead-

er in the production of

point-of-purchase dis-

plays, graphics pack-

aging, and corrugated containers;

and Remar, Inc., an industry leading

fulfillment company servicing some of

the nation's largest companies and U.S.

government.

And There are Many More.

Wilson County has become an incubator

for good ideas and start-up businesses.

Some are now traded publicly, while

others remain closely held by private

ownership.

Nestled between rural and city land-

scapes, Wilson County has also been

discovered by the likes of Amazon,

Bridgestone, Permobil, Nissan, Manheim

Auto Auction, Starbucks and, for more

than 50 years, automotive gear manufac-

turer TRW.

"There's a thread that runs ever so true

through all of these," said G.C. Hixson,

executive director of Wilson County's Joint

What Sam Houston Saw in Wilson County, Tennessee Others See Today

fter finishing a study in

law in 1812, Sam Houston

opened a law office in

Lebanon, county seat

Houston, once an envoy

Wilson County has been a

magnet for business and industry

dating back long before jet service,

a connecting freight rail line, or a much

celebrated integral highway system.

build family restaurants along the emerg-

ing U.S. interstate system.

Cracker Barrel opened its first restau-

rant in Lebanon in 1969, went public in

1981, and now operates more than

600 restaurants in 42 states.

aging, and corrugated containers;

and Remar, Inc., an industry leading

fulfillment company servicing some of

the nation's largest companies and U.S.

government.

Logistics

Wilson County

www.ExpansionSolutionsMagazine.com | 31

Economic and Community Development

Board. "That thread is accessibility."

He explained that only a few communi-

ties in the Western Hemisphere “can pro-

vide the accessibility found here.”

Manufacturers, logistics operators and

others located in Wilson County can take

advantage of direct connections to three

major interstates (I-40, I-65 and I-24) and

also have access to a local airport that

accommodates small commercial jet avia-

tion and the nearby Nashville International

Airport. The county is also served by rail

and the Cumberland River.

Lebanon is the starting point for the

state’s first commuter rail system. The

Music City Star runs daily from Lebanon

to Nashville ferrying commuters to and

from workplaces and provides an alter-

native transportation option for special

events such as Titans’ football games,

Fourth of July fireworks, and the Wilson

County Fair.

Workforce

Wilson County, the state's second

wealthiest county, is a haven for a lifestyle

that embraces community.

"Folks here like high school football,

fishing on area lakes, going to church on

Sunday, and spending leisurely time with

family at nearby state parks or one of sev-

eral community parks,” Hixson said.

The lifestyle contributes significantly to

the spirit of the workforce which comes

from a network of some 10 to 12 area

counties.

While products and manufactured

goods are shipped on a series of high-

ly sophisticated transportation arteries,

these same routes are used to get workers

to and from their jobs with minimal com-

muter stress.

Several companies to locate in Wilson

County said they came because of the

strategic location of the county and its

connectivity assets, but others said they

came because of the workforce.

Bill Vallett, Lochinvar CEO, said when

his company, an internationally recognized

manufacturer of hot water heaters and

related products, decided to relocate its

headquarters, it chose Lebanon because

of several factors. But, high on that list

was the area’s workforce.

Vallett said his company completed its

decision to choose Lebanon when it found

it would have “access to employees with a

strong work ethic.”

Retail, Commercial Strength

Wilson County, one of Tennessee’s

fastest-growing counties, has seen

in recent years a steady influx of new

business and retail development.

“We’re bursting at the seams as the

saying goes,” Hixson said adding that the

county’s growth is what’s capturing the

attention of a number of big box retailers

and smaller businesses.

Stores with national branding like H.H.

Gregg, Dick’s Sporting Goods, JCPenney,

Academy Sports, Target, Brooks Brothers,

and others have come to Wilson County

recognizing the county’s growth and eco-

nomic stability.

He pointed out that residents in Wilson

County have access to excellent retail

shopping as well as a plethora of rec-

reational opportunities, area lakes, and

state-of-the-art health care provided by

some 260 physicians on staff at Lebanon’s

University Medical Center.

The Future

Wilson County’s future gleams with

prospects for continued growth and new

horizons.

When the new Watertown High School

is completed later this year, the oldest

high school in Wilson County will be only

12 years old. The county government con-

tinues to make public education a first

priority and is proving its commitment by

investing millions of dollars annually for

new schools and programs.

Cumberland University is expanding its

curriculum and making it more convenient

to earn a college degree through off cam-

pus studies conducted via the Internet.

Cumberland’s mission for the future is to

be a valuable resource for local business

and industry.

Soon two major highway projects, the

widening of I-40 between Mt. Juliet and

Lebanon and the construction of a new

bridge spanning the Cumberland River at

the Sumner/Wilson County border, will be

completed. Both projects serve to enhance

the county’s transportation assets.

Not too very long into the future Hwy.

109 will be widened to a five-lane highway

and will provide direct access to points

north including interstate highways to

northern states. This development will

serve as a finishing accolade to what has

become one of the region’s most flourish-

ing corridors for industrial, commercial

and logistical companies.

There are also plans for the Nashville

and Eastern Railroad to expand service

further east.

And finally there are plans to contin-

ue the focus on community lifestyle with

additional public parks, walking green-

ways, senior living communities, added

commuter stops for the Music City Star,

and more.

“Strong government leaders are com-

mitted to see that Wilson County and

their cities of Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and

Watertown continue their efforts to make

this community a great place to live, work

and raise a family," Hixson said. C

Logistics