Blount real estate professionals launch CREW chapter
BLOUNT COUNTY — Kerri Kor was sitting on a blue couch in the corner of her office, researching ways to “bring commercial real estate up a notch,” when she found a national women’s networking group with chapters in Nashville and Memphis — but none in East Tennessee. “I picked up the phone and called CREW […]
No single solution to Blount County’s housing squeeze
BLOUNT COUNTY — In September, newly elected Blount County Mayor Jared Anderson addressed the county planning commission. He thanked commissioners for their service, welcomed the newest members and then made his stance clear: He would veto any proposal to reduce the county’s minimum lot sizes. Just a few minutes later, Barack Saltzman, a representative of […]
Tides Enterprises establishing flagship Tennessee location in Blount County
MARYVILLE — Tides Enterprises, a Charleston, South Carolina-based supplier of industrial food ingredients, will open its flagship Tennessee facility at 3806 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway in Maryville, with move-in starting Nov. 1. The company is leasing buildings on the U.S. Highway 321 campus and expects to be fully operational by Jan. 1, 2027, said Greg […]
Siemens Healthineers to invest $43.6 million, add 90+ jobs at Rockford facility
ROCKFORD — Siemens Healthineers is expanding its molecular imaging operation in Rockford, investing more than $43.6 million and creating over 90 new jobs at the company’s Dunavant Drive facility over the next five years, Gov. Bill Lee and state economic development officials announced Sept. 9. The investment will fund a newly renovated research and development […]
A tale of two markets: Blount housing prices outrun incomes
BLOUNT COUNTY — Experts say that inventory has recovered, homes are taking longer to sell and buyers have more negotiating power. Yet Realtor.com data showed a median listing price of $499,000 in August 2026 — just 2.2% below the May 2023 peak. Comment end Inventory has recovered, homes take longer to sell and buyers have […]
Farm and haunted house find profit in partnership
GREENBACK — Austin Green built his first haunted house in a backyard in 2018, a five-minute setup for neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Eight years later, he manages a seasonal operation with 30 to 50 contract workers, multiple months of planning and strategy, a monthlong marketing push and a short Halloween season that runs on razor-thin margins. Green […]
Blount County governments bid for South Plant
Blount County, Alcoa and Maryville are prepared to spend about $20 million for control of the former Alcoa South Plant — and potentially more to determine what replaces it. The three governments have approved a cooperative agreement supporting a bid for the 162.5-acre industrial property. The agreement would also divide future development and operating costs […]
‘It’s hard to survive on 20%’: Maryville hemp shop closes under new law
Charlie Wear locked the door at Dreaming Tree Alternative Wellness Solutions for the last time July 3, ending a nine-year run and adding a Blount County name to the list of Tennessee hemp retailers pushed out of business by the state’s new cannabinoid law. At first Wear opened the shop in the Mill Plaza shopping […]
Which Way to Grow? How Two Highways Could Reshape Blount County’s Future
Local governments across Blount County are preparing to spend millions of dollars on a highway that may not open for another decade. Supporters say the investment is about more than building the Pellissippi Parkway Extension. Together with the ongoing Alcoa Highway relocation project, they argue the construction will shape where the county grows, improve access […]
The Growth Dilemma: What the Numbers Say About Blount County’s Population Future
The narrative has become as familiar as the gridlock on Alcoa Highway: those Californians are taking over Blount County. It plays well in political ads. It fills Facebook comment sections. It packs city council meetings with residents who describe their community as being overcrowded by outsiders. But a closer look at the data — drawn […]
Utilities Become Growth Gatekeepers as County Expands
At the South Blount Utility District Water Treatment Facility, a team of 12 employees monitors pumps and filters, responds to alerts and conducts tests every few hours. For most of them, their work takes place in a control room above the plant, where they keep an eye on the system and fill out paperwork. […]
Sports Tourism Quietly Reshapes Blount County’s Economy
When Mike Myers’ father and five friends leased a muddy limestone lot from a Blount County judge for $1 a year more than 60 years ago, the plan was simple: build their sons a ballpark. Maryville College provided the first bleachers. Willocks Brothers donated block for dugouts. South Central Bell contributed retired telephone poles for […]
Local Farms Aren’t Cheaper than Kroger — but the Gap is Shrinking
On May 7, Kroger on Foothills Plaza Drive charged anywhere from $7 to $12 per pound for ground beef — averaging $9.50 per pound. Jessica Waters at local farm C&C Beef charges $9 if you pay cash. And she can probably show you a picture of the cow. Rising grocery prices have not necessarily made […]
Gas Prices, Slow Growth Test Blount County Tourism Outlook
Blount County has maintained an annual 5-6% jump in visitor expenditures since the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, that growth may flatten. For Blount County, where visitors generated $610.9 million in direct spending in 2024, that kind of slowdown would typically raise concern. But on the ground, tourism operators are reading the shift differently. Local experts […]
Local Schools Beat Statewide Average Scores in Report
Blount County school districts outperformed the statewide average in the latest Tennessee Department of Education School Report Card, released in late January. But the scores are calculated using a formula that requires context to fully understand, said Maryville City Schools Director Mike Winstead. The results also carry economic implications for Blount County, said Jessica Belitz, […]
Five Giant Retail Stores, One Fast Growing County
If everything goes according to plan, Blount County will soon have a Costco Wholesale, three Walmart Supercenters and a BJ’s Wholesale Club — five big-box retailers, or a 66% increase from 2025. That growth has left many Blount County residents wondering why national retailers are showing such strong interest in the area. Blount County, along […]
It’s Tough to Be in the Coffee Business These Days
Local coffee entrepreneurs find ways to stay profitable in light of increased coffee prices Julia Sayles has learned a lot about coffee prices this year. Her company, called Kindred Coffee, opened in August. She offers a mix of drinks from the back of a specially designed trailer – a business location chosen because of the […]