“GALLATIN GETS IT”

The naming of the new campaign is intended to let future prospects know that the city has the experience and commitment many companies are looking for to expand or relocate.

“Gallatin Gets It” sends a clear message to site consultants and prospects that Gallatin understands what it takes to make a company successful — the infrastructure, workforce pipeline and ease of developing here,” James Fenton, executive director of Gallatin EDA said.

The campaign features a new website and a brand video — both of which can be accessed by going to GallatinGetsIt.com. The website features essential economic and industry data for the city’s target industries and highlights comprehensive business and workforce development resources. Other interactive features include an interactive map of available sites.

The marketing campaign was filmed in Gallatin by Civitas Agency in Nashville, and features some of the city’s familiar big brand names including Meta, Beretta and Volunteer State Community College.

“By featuring dozens of real people and real places, business prospects are given an authentic representation of the diverse, vibrant, and thriving community that is only found in Gallatin,” Fenton said.

The expectation, he said, is that the new online tool will more effectively position the city as a prime location for corporate investment as more executives and site selectors do their initial research from mobile devices.

“Today’s competitive site selection process requires communities to be highly responsive to the needs of industry,” said Fenton. “This new campaign will allow us to tell Gallatin’s story to global business leaders in a more compelling and efficient way than ever before.”

Fenton said for 2023, the local agency is looking to attract specific types of businesses.

“Our strategic plan this year targets smaller corporate offices, research and development, and high-tech manufacturing with higher paying, but fewer jobs given our unemployment rate is consistently below 3%,” he said.

He added that one of the benefits to Gallatin and its residents to attract more industry, tech and corporate business breaks down to having a stable economy for the city in uncertain times.

“One of Gallatin’s economic strengths is its diversity of business ranging from traditional manufacturing to healthcare to high tech industry, which allows the city to weather economic uncertainties like the pandemic or a recession,” Fenton said. “Continuing that recruitment of diversity — especially higher paying jobs, provides economic stability.”

The new campaign falls on the heels of another banner year for the local agency’s economic development efforts.

“In 2022, Gallatin returned to pre-pandemic unemployment levels and the agency helped secure $1.9 billion in additional capital investment,” he said. “This past year also saw the community’s population surpass 50,0000 and the city experienced 10 straight months of sales tax collections of over $1 million.

“Open or under construction, are at least 12 new eateries, along with two new hotels, and one industrial expansion. All signs point to a healthy local economy in Gallatin that continues to gain unprecedented momentum.”

The Gallatin EDA has been in existence for more than two decades and is responsible for billions of dollars in capital investments in the city, as well as the addition of thousands of local jobs.

“The City Council established the agency in 1999,” Fenton said. “Since then, we have landed numerous new companies, helped several more expand, and added just over 5,000 primary jobs and more than 10,000 induced jobs in the past 10 years.

“The most notable in terms of name recognition are Gap Inc., Beretta USA, Meta, and the National Healthcare facility. Collectively, these companies alone have contributed more than $1 billion in capital expenditures in Gallatin.”