BY 2029 WE WILL:

CREATE MORE HIGH-QUALITY JOBS

GROW STRONGER BUSINESSES

DEVELOP SKILLS FOR THE NEW ECONOMY

INCREASE REGIONAL PROSPERITY FOR ALL

JOIN THE REGION’S MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES IN ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF CHATTANOOGA CLIMBS Higher

Become Future Ready by developing skills for the new economy
Deliver economic Mobility for All, so that every resident is thriving
Leverage the GIG City to allow entrepreneurs to lead the way
Foster an Inclusive Economy through Collaborative Leadership

DOWNLOAD OUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SPREAD THE WORD

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Goal: Chattanooga is a premier location for businesses at all stages of growth
and provides an array of sustainable career opportunities for all residents.

OBJECTIVES

Enhance business recruitment efforts for target industries
Strengthen business retention and expansion activities, including support for small businesses and minority and women-owned businesses
Encourage diversified industrial site, office and infrastructure development to meet the needs of businesses in a variety of industries
Encourage and invest in efforts to expand air service at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
Support efforts to expand housing, improve transportation networks, expand parks and enhance quality of life

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Goal: Chattanooga is a welcoming and supportive community that educates,
attracts, and retains a diverse and skilled workforce.

OBJECTIVES

Facilitate greater alignment between employers and educational institutions
Enhance collaborative efforts to reduce hiring barriers and expand work-based learning opportunities
Expand talent attraction and retention efforts to fill skills gaps and grow the local workforce
Establish a remote worker program to welcome, convene and integrate this population into the community
Support Hamilton County Schools’ Opportunity 2030 plan and its connection to the business community

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

Goal: Chattanooga is a global center of technology-based innovation, entrepreneurship and partnerships.

OBJECTIVES

Reinvest in entrepreneurial assets, facilities and programming
Amplify Chattanooga’s “Gig City” profile on the national and international level and support Smart City policies and programs
Foster collaborative partnerships between innovative legacy companies and high-tech entrepreneurial firms
Increase access to capital in collaboration with local, regional and national funding partners
Explore opportunities to increase research and development activities in Chattanooga

STRONGLY ANCHORED CLIMBING HIGHER

In 2019, our region launched a five-year economic development strategy to move Chattanooga and Hamilton County forward. Building on the success of this strategy, Chattanooga Climbs Higher continues the momentum toward achieving our Velocity2040 vision of a thriving economic future.

Through an online survey that reached more than 1,000 people, residents and business leaders took stock of where we are and where we want to go. We listened and launched this next phase in our strategy based on local input and in-depth research facilitated by Ernst & Young.

This five-year action plan is possible through collaboration between the Chattanooga Chamber Board, Chattanooga Climbs Higher Steering Committee, Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and other community stakeholders.

Join regional business partners in making Chattanooga Climbs a success. Chattanooga Climbs Campaign Council Members

Tony Boals, PE
Wright Brothers Construction
Company, Inc.

Eric Fuller
U.S. Xpress, Enterprises

Scott Hibberts
Reagan Outdoor Advertising

Paul Leath
Chattanooga Gas Company

Rick McKenney
Unum Group Mike

Jason Provonsha
Steam Logistics

Brad Cobb
Village VW Audi Chatt.,
Kia of Chatt., & ABRA

Tom Glenn
Elder’s Ace Hardware

Brent Hinson
Volkswagen Chattanooga

Mary Stewart
Lewis McGriff
Insurance Services

Vincent Phipps
Communication VIP
Training and Coaching

Mike St. Charles
Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, PC

Royce Cornelison
P & C Construction, Inc.

Rusty Gray
Baker Donelson

Sharon Law
Thompson Engineering, Inc.

Ryan May
Real Estate Partners
Chattanooga LLC

Roger Posacki
PlayCore

Roy Vaughn
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

Chamber leadership

Charles Wood, President & CEO
Chattanooga Chamber

Paul Leath, Immediate Past Chair
Chattanooga Gas

Jay Dale, Chair
First Horizon Bank

The Chattanooga Climbs Investors

Represents Annual Commitment Level – 5 Year Campaign

Tier 1

Hamilton County

City of Chattanooga

EPB

Unum

Astec

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Tier 2

Chattanooga Times

Chattanooga Gas

CHI Memorial

Erlanger

Parkridge Hospital

Sanofi/Opella

Tier 3

TVA

Barge Design

Croy Engineering

Fletcher Bright

HHM

Thompson Engineering

Chambliss

Miller Martin

Baker Donelson

Chattanooga Airport

First Horizon

Kenco

Pinnacle Bank

Regions

See Rock City

Truist

Tier 4

ESG

Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga

Bowers Automotive Group

Food City

Novonix

P&C Construction

Playcore

TVFCU

West Star Aviation

Wright Brothers Construction

Tier 5

Double Cola

Elders Hardware

Tennessee American Water

Cempa

FreightWaves

Husch Blackwell

iFixIt

Pointer Management Company

Seida

Steam Logistics

Vision Hospitality

Wacker

Tier 6

Southern Champion Tray

UTC Chattanooga

Bridge Public Affairs

CBL

Chattanooga Football Club

Chattanooga Lookouts

Coca-cola Bottling Company

Hand Family Companies

Journey Health Foundation

Kraft CPAs

Nippon Paint

Pointe Property Group

S&ME

SVN

Tennessee Aquarium

Tennessee Stillhouse (Chatt Whiskey)

Tranco Logistics

TU Parks

Urban Story Ventures

White Oak Enterprises

Tier 7

NAI Real Estate

Defoor Brothers

LBMC

EastSide Utility

First Bank

Integrity Automotive Group

Komatsu

Lync Logistics

Mellinium Bank

Rhea Economic and Tourism Council

Rise Partners

Rockpointe Bank

Southern Adventist University

Vincent Phipps

The Chattanooga Climbs Steering Committee

Charita Allen, City of Chattanooga

Steve Angle, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Valoria Armstrong, American Water

Rebecca Ashford, Chattanooga State Community College

Anthony Byrd, Chattanooga City Council

Mickey Cloud, The Sasha Group

Scott Cooper, Tennessee Valley Authority

Mayor Jim Coppinger, Hamilton County Government

Stephen Culp, Smart Furniture

Jeff DeLoach, Chattanooga Times Free Press

David DeVaney, NAI Charter Real Estate Corporation

Bo Drake, Chattanooga State Community College

Randy Fairbanks, Hamilton County Commission

Todd Fortner, Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union

Angela Garcia, La Paz

Abby Garrison, Causeway

Gregg Gentry, Erlanger Health System

Tom Glenn, Elder’s Ace Hardware

Rusty Gray, Baker Donelson

Terry Hart, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority

Ken Hays, Formerly Enterprise Center

Bryan Johnson, HCDE

Tim Kelly, Kelly Auto Group

Quentin Lawrence, Hope for the Inner City

Paul Leath, Chattanooga Gas Company

Ian Leavy, Volkswagen Chattanooga

Travis Lytle, SmartBank

Warren Mackey, Hamilton County Commission

Hodgen Mainda, EPB

Stefanie Mansueto, JP Morgan Chase

Rick McKenney, Unum Group

Russell Morehead, Croy Engineering

Sarah Morgan, The Benwood Foundation

Janelle Reilly, CHI Memorial

Erskine Oglesby, Chattanooga City Council

Mitch Patel, Vision Hospitality Group

Stacy Richardson, City of Chattanooga

Tiffanie Robinson, Lamp Post Properties

Mike Sarvis, Synovus

Marcus Shaw, Co.Lab

Sabrena Smedley, Hamilton County Commission

Ken Smith, Chattanooga City Council

Mark Smith, Miller & Martin

Mike St. Charles, Chambliss Bahner Stophel

David Steele, University of Tennessee of Chattanooga

Melissa Taylor, Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency

Jim Vaughn, SunTrust now Truist

Michael Walton, green | spaces

Barry White, Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Kim White, River City Company

Scott Williamson, Fletcher Bright

Scott N. Wilson, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

James Wingard, Wingard Quality Supply

Joe Wingate, Hamilton County School Board