Our Purpose

We work to increase the prosperity of all Rutherford County, TN residents by developing strong community partnerships, engaging quality companies that champion high-value careers with competitive wages, and strengthening the talent pipeline.

Rutherford Works Leadership

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Paul Latture

Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce President

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Patrick Cammack

Economic Development Senior Vice President

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Chad Berringer

Economic Development Director

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Greg Jones

Education & Workforce Development Senior Vice President

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Kaitlin Salyer

Talent Development Director

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Essence Brisco

Rutherford Works Marketing Communications Director

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Kristina Troglen

Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce Communications and Marketing Senior Director

Workforce Development Executive Council

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Rhonda Allen

County Commissioner, Rutherford County Government

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Essence Brisco

Marketing Director, Rutherford Works

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Norman Brown

Vice Chair Construction Council - Roscoe Brown

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Terrin Courtney

Chair Manufacturing Council - HR Senior Manager Marelli

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Kevin Fehr

Chair Healthcare Council - President & Certified Senior Advisor Amada Senior Care

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Greg Jones

Rutherford Works Education & Workforce Development Senior Vice President

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Paul Lawson

Chair Construction Council - Manager Turner Construction Company

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Anthony Miner

Safety, Quality & Sustainability Manager, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions

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Gregg Peay

Distribution Center Manager, Columbus McKinnon Corporation

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Tyra Pilgrim

CTE Coordinator Rutherford County Schools

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Dr. Carol Puryear

Vice Chancellor for Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Board of Regents

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Marla Rye

President Workforce Essentials

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Dr. Rick Sluder

Vice Provost for Student Success, MTSU

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David Sneed

Chair Information Technology Council - Manager Systems Engineering Nissan

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Bill Spurlock

Director of Schools Rutherford County Schools

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Kaitlin Salyer

Talent Development Director

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Abbigail Stanley

Chair Healthcare Council - Lead Nurse Recruiter Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)

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Dr. Michael Torrence

President Motlow State Community College

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Chris West

Past Chair Healthcare Council - VP Human Resources National Healthcare Corporation

Economic Development Executive Council

Garth Bentley, Chair

Pinnacle Financial Partners

Joe S. Carr

Mayor Rutherford County

Shane McFarland

City of Murfreesboro

Mary Esther Reed

Town of Smyrna

Jason Cole

City of La Vergne

Chad Leeman

City of Eagleville

Craig Tindall

Murfreesboro City Manager

Brian Hercules

Smyrna Town Manager

Bruce Richardson

La Vergne City Manager

Hellyn Riggins

Eagleville City Manager

J. Eric Hennessee

Rutherford County Chief of Staff

Jordan Warren

MTE

Chris Jones

MTE

Philip Lim

MTE

Kevin Lee

MTE

Barbara Wolke

Senior VP Convention & Visitors Bureau

Tyra Pilgrim

CTE Coordinator, Rutherford County Schools

John Black

Executive Director Smyrna / Rutherford County Airport Authority

Rutherford Works Mission

Develop county-wide economic prosperity through strategic business growth and talent development.

Our
Vision for Rutherford

An environment cultivated to generate and support a thriving economy and educated workforce in Rutherford County, TN.

Our
History

1911

Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University, originally established as the Middle Tennessee State Normal School with a 2-year teacher training program, has grown into the region’s largest university with over 22,000 students and 900 faculty. The university offers 300+ academic programs (including Tennessee’s largest computer science program). One in 5 degree holders in the Nashville region are MTSU alumni, and 86% of MTSU graduates stay in the region.

1972

Bridgestone

Bridgestone’s first US tire was manufactured in La Vergne, TN. Bridgestone La Vergne’s over 1,000 employees and hundreds of robots can produce almost 7,000 tires daily at this 2.2M square foot facility on 132 acres.

1983

Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant

The opening of the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant in 1983 was a groundbreaking moment, bringing automotive production to Tennessee for the first time. To date, Nissan Smyrna accounts for over 7,000 full-time employees, $7.1B investment in real estate, equipment and technology, 6M indoor square footage, 884 acres, and an annual production capacity of 640,000 vehicles.

1990s

Gateway Business District

Plans were established for the Gateway Business District, a new I-24 exchange and entrance to Murfreesboro. In the early 2000s, the first major tenants in the Gateway District on Medical Center Parkway were MTMC (Now Ascension St. Thomas Hospital), The Avenue Lifestyle and Shopping Center, and the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.

2003

HOPE Lottery Scholarship

HOPE Lottery Scholarship launches providing scholarships to incoming college freshmen attending 4-year institutions. Program objectives are to improve academic achievement in high school through scholarship incentives, provide financial assistance as a means of promoting access to higher education, retain the state’s “best and brightest” students in Tennessee colleges and universities, and enhance and promote economic and community development through workforce training.

2013

Oakland High School Mechatronics Engineering Program Launches

2015

Rutherford County recognized as a TN Pathways Community

2015

TN Promise Scholarship

Tennessee introduces the TN Promise Scholarship, a “free-college” initiative that pays for 2-years of community or technical college tuition. A critical component of Tennessee Promise is the individual guidance each participant will receive from a tnAchieves mentor who will assist students as they navigate the college admission process.

2015

Schwan Cosmetics

Schwan Cosmetics, a private label color cosmetics leader, opened its new HQ, R&D, and manufacturing location in south Murfreesboro. Like Schwan, many other companies have chosen to co-locate their HQ and industrial operations in Rutherford County.

2017

Nissan and TCAT Training Center

Nissan and The State of Tennessee open a $46M, 162,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art technical training campus. This public-private partnership trains both Nissan employees and TCAT students in several manufacturing and technology-related fields.

2017

Fountains at Gateway

Fountains at Gateway Mixed-use Development has become one of the region’s premier mixed-use corporate developments. The Fountains offers top-tier retail and recreational amenities for families and its HQ and tech clients in its 4-story office building and a large, state-of-the-art coworking space. Future phases include a hotel, residential condos, and more large office spaces.

2018

MTSU launches the Data Science Institute

MTSU launches the Data Science Institute focused on facilitating interdisciplinary research, industry and government partnerships, and community outreach while developing talent through projects, events and training.

2018

Tennessee STEM Designation at Overall Creek Elementary

Murfreesboro City Schools earns first of several TSIN STEM designations at Overall Creek Elementary. The Tennessee STEM Designation process recognizes schools that promote rigorous and experiential learning opportunities for all students.

2019

The ICEE Company

The ICEE Company announced its HQ relocation from Ontario, CA to La Vergne, TN. This quintessential American company has been bringing smiles to faces young and old worldwide, now starting from its new home in Rutherford County, TN.

2019

Motlow Community College

Motlow Community College campus expansion brings state-of-the-art technology, medical labs, and a one-stop student success center.

2020

MTSU Data Science Institute Opens

Destination Rutherford Initiative

In 2002, public and private sector leadership came together to invest in Rutherford County and formed Destination Rutherford. Through strategic investment, Destination Rutherford, Rutherford Works and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce have been able to provide significant economic growth by developing and nurturing business growth opportunities, increasing tourism and growing our labor pool of skilled talent.

Our community leaders believe in the importance of creating a center of commerce and innovation for Rutherford County that provides an unmatched quality of life. Working together under the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce's leadership, Rutherford Works creates and leads economic development initiatives that advance the job opportunities for a skilled, educated and innovative workforce in hopes that all citizens prosper as a result of the county leadership's creative strategic thinking and action.

What Our Community Leaders are Saying

We have a very loving and supportive community that I am proud to be a part. In my role I see community helpers. I see people investing in people. I witness social service at their best, and business professionals that care about their employees as much as the services and products they provide.

-Sheryl Chesnutt, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County

The Rutherford County Chamber succeeds in creating economic opportunities for its members on many levels. The Chamber assisted us in locating the best site, securing a PILOT program, and, on a very personal level, meeting with all employee families interested in relocating. Now that we are all moved in, we are utilizing the Chamber’s talents to develop Mechatronics Apprenticeship and Job Shadowing Programs.

-Holli Montgomery, Managing Director, Schwan Cosmetics

Working with the Chamber has really afforded me an opportunity and greater insight, into all that is going on in our city and ways that I can continue to support it professionally as well as personally.

-Abbigail Stanley, Nurse Residency Lead Recruiter, HCA TriStar

As a CEO, I have found Murfreesboro an “easy sell” for recruiting top talent from across the Southeast due to its low cost of living, array of amenities, and close proximity to Nashville. As a relative newcomer to Rutherford County, I have been exceptionally impressed by the warm hospitality of the people and the breathtaking natural beauty that Middle Tennessee offers.

-Jason Schmitt, CEO, Old Time Pottery