It’s a great place to live, work, and play. And we place a great premium on the quality of life for our residents.” Indeed, Greeneville has much to offer considering that it is still, essentially, both small and rural. It boasts two institutes of higher learning: Walters State Community College and Tusculum University; a postsecondary technical college, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology; one top hospital: Greeneville Community Hospital, two major performing arts venues: the Capitol Theatre and the Niswonger Performing Arts Center; vibrant, retail shopping; as well as museums, parks, historic homes and churches, quaint inns, public golf courses, restaurants, and, of course, the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site. A CHANGING ECONOMY For many years, tobacco was one of Greeneville’s main sources of jobs and revenue, but its decline as a major player in the local economy began in earnest in the early 2000s, when the federal government ended price support for its cultivation. From 1947 to 2005, Magnavox, an electronics manufacturer best known for its television sets, operated its three main facilities in Greeneville, employing some 5,000 workers.The company was bought by its competitor, Dutch-based Philips, in 1974, which then sold it to Five Rivers Electronic Innovations in 1997, which shut down operations permanently in 2005. “Tobacco was king here,” recounts Jeff Taylor, President of the Greene County Partnership, an umbrella organization formed in 1993 that houses the area Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, Tourism, Keep Greene Beautiful, and Education & Workforce Development programs. “Magnavox, Philips -- we lost 4,500 jobs. R.J. Reynolds disappeared too,” he adds.“That’s when we changed our strategy. Our sweet spot now is that 100-500 employers. Because if something goes bump there, you can rebound; 4,500 sends you to your knees and you might now get up. So, we like base hits and we keep scoring runs with them.” Over the past 15 years, the Partnership has helped locate 20 manufacturing and distribution firms in Greene County. And the hits have kept coming. “We just announced a $15 million capital investment with 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 10 GREENEVILLE, TN
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