Rutherford County Chamber Launches Destination Rutherford 5.0 Initiative

This week, business and community leaders joined the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce to announce the public launch of Destination Rutherford (DR) 5.0, the community’s fifth comprehensive economic and workforce development initiative aimed at supporting business growth and enhancing quality of life within Rutherford County.

With a fundraising goal of five-million-dollars, this ambitious five-year campaign will provide targeted resources to execute three important and interconnected goals:

• GOAL 1: ATTRACT, RETAIN AND ALIGN TALENT (TALENT)
• GOAL 2: STRENGTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND QUALITY OF PLACE (INFRASTRUCTURE)
• GOAL 3: GROW HIGH QUALITY JOBS AND INVESTMENT (JOBS)

“Rutherford County has really prospered over the years as a result of its business-friendly climate,” said Chris Jones, chair of Destination Rutherford and president/CEO of Middle Tennessee Electric. “But we cannot rest on our success – the competition is fierce when it comes to attracting and retaining jobs in growing communities like ours. DR 5.0 will continue to move Rutherford County forward by helping businesses prosper while connecting them with the talent and resources they need to grow and thrive.”

At a kick-off event held earlier this week at The View at Fountains, Jones unveiled the details of the initiative and introduced his co-chairs: Gordon Ferguson, Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital; Sheri Morgan, Tri Star Title & Escrow; and Yolanda Greene, First Horizon Bank. Together, they recognized the 30-plus companies who have pledged to be early investors in the campaign.

“Through the collaborative efforts of our business and community leaders, we are pleased to announce that Destination Rutherford 5.0 has already secured nearly $3.4 million in five-year pledges,” said Paul Latture, president of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. “The Chamber is grateful for their support as we continue to secure the necessary funding to execute the next campaign of Destination Rutherford.”

With the help of national capital campaign management firm POWER 10, the Chamber’s detailed road map for economic success would have lasting effects on Rutherford County. According to independent consulting firm Younger Associates, the initiative could result in a 1.5 billion-dollar economic impact.

Businesses interested in learning more about the initiative are encouraged to contact Destination Rutherford 5.0 Campaign Director Steve Stevens at sstevens@gopower10.com or 859.393.7014.