Welcome to Macon County!

Thanks, Nestlé Waters North America.
Macon County really appreciates you!!

"On behalf of Nestlé Waters North America, let me express my company’s continuing delight with having one of our water manufacturing plants located in Macon County. From the time we first arrived in this community back in 2001, and especially after we finished construction of our plant and began production a few years back, we have been impressed with the quality of the workforce and overall wonderful quality of life here. And, of course, the great natural beauty of this part of the country speaks for itself.

Macon County has been a great place for Nestlé Waters to be, and we especially value our employees here."

Mark Smidebush
Plant Manager
Nestlé Waters North America
July 2008

Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association
Community Data Sheet
for City of Lafayette
Please click here to open the file

Greetings from Macon County Mayor
Shelvy Linville

On behalf of the citizens of Macon County, I want to welcome you to our Web Site. Macon County is located just 60 miles northeast of Nashville, Tennessee, and is in a beautiful part of our great state.

If you are interested in locating an industry, I am certain that locating to Macon County would be good for you as well as for us. We are proud of our workforce; they are dependable and dedicated employees.

Macon County has, however, a large percentage of the labor force commuting out of the county in various directions to work. These people would love to work at home.

As you well know, employers can either profit or lose money on training of new employees. Macon County is fortunate to have the Tennessee Technology Center at Hartsville located just 12 miles from Lafayette, our county seat. The Center works with any industry to help train potential employees.

Roads are essential to the success of any industry.  Highway 52 is now a good, improved road and provides a straight shot to Interstate 65 from Lafayette, only 40 minutes away.  Macon County is working closely with the State on road improvement projects.  Funding has been approved to buy right-of-way for the link to Interstate 40 along Highway 10 south from Lafayette.  The Upper Cumberland Corridor has completed public hearings and will lead directly to Cookeville and I-40.

Nestlé Waters North America is our newest industry.  Located near Red Boiling Springs in their new 340,000 square-foot facility, Nestlé Waters is nestled on 473 beautiful, rolling acres.  Nestlé Waters began operation in 2004 at this location and presently employs 165 full-time employees.  They are a LEED-Certified facility.  Macon County is extremely proud of this new industry and its contribution to our community.

Macon County is a Certified Three-Star Community and has an Industrial Board that works with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to make sure needs are met for those wishing to locate with us.

Some advantages of locating in Macon County, Tennessee, are:

Macon County has an exceptionally good technology infrastructure.

Macon County has an excellent school system.

Macon County has a work force second to none.

Macon County has a low crime rate.

Tennessee is a right-to-work state.

Tennessee has no state sales tax on manufacturing equipment.

Tennessee is one of the lowest per capita taxed states in the nation.

Tennessee has no sales tax on pollution control equipment.

Tennessee has no sales tax on raw materials.

Tennessee has no state property tax and no payroll income tax.

Tennessee has no state property tax on work in progress or finished product inventories.

Tennessee offers an investment tax credit of 1 percent.

Tennessee offers a franchise tax jobs credit.

Tennessee offers accelerated depreciation on personal property.

Tennessee offers infrastructure and training grants up to US$750,000.

Tennessee offers reduced sales tax on energy, fuel and water for qualified manufacturers.

Tennessee offers "Double Weighting" of Tennessee sales for franchise and excise taxes.

If you plan to be in Tennessee in the near future, come take a look at Macon County. You will find that we are rural, friendly, country and hardworking people, and we will make your location here a success.

If you need further information on Macon County, please contact either the Chamber of Commerce at 615-666-5885 or the County Mayor’s Office at 615-666-2363.

Sincerely,

Shelvy Linville