Business View Magazine
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the city’s largest employers and the Summer Regional
Medical Center, which is the county’s largest employer.
One unique advantage that Gallatin offers both po-
tential and current businesses is that the city owns all
of its own utilities: gas, water, sewer, and even elec-
tric. “Recently, those departments have undertaken
some pretty massive expansions to accommodate our
growth,” says Bates. “And we have great rates. That’s
what helps us attract business and industry.”
Fenton elaborates: “It makes the conversation so
much easier when we have prospects coming to talk
to us. We’re able to sit everyone down in the room with
no concerns about fiefdoms that sometimes exist with
utility companies,” he says. “More importantly, with us
owning, we are able to look to the future and make
investments. We have utility infrastructure through
large swaths of land that are primed for development,
already. We don’t have to wait for it once somebody
decides to come and invest. Three years ago, we fin-
ished a $30 million wastewater treatment facility. It’s
very advanced and we have excess capacity. They’re
already working on increasing and upgrading our wa-
ter intake treatment so that we get to stay ahead of the
curve. The electric company is putting in new substa-
tions before they’re needed. They’re working with the
TVA provider to make sure that we have what compa-
nies need when they move into the area. And we have
the lowest residential electric rates in the Tennessee
Valley Authority area – and some of the lowest indus-
trial rates, also. That’s because we own it.”
As long as Gallatin continues investing in its infrastruc-
ture, and its own utilities, its future success as the em-
