HOW WILLIAMSON COUNTY HELPED LURE AMAZON TO NASHVILLE
November 26, 2018
November 26, 2018
"The historic century homes, tree-lined streets and shops of Franklin. Sprawling horse farms and the private estates of half of Nashville's music stars in Leiper's Fork ... The elegant suburban style of Brentwood, and the retail bustle of Cool Springs."
That's not an excerpt from a real estate magazine. It's from a 40-page book prepared by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce that was used to help convince Amazon to consider Music City as the destination for its highly anticipated second headquarters last year.
While Nashville won't be the next HQ2, Amazon's announcement last week that it will build a hub to oversee its eastern U.S. operations and bring 5,000 jobs was a sweet consolation prize for the region's economic development leaders.
The company announced those jobs will pay an average annual salary of $150,000.
It's too early to pinpoint where those employees will decide to live, but those six-figure salaries mean that homes in Williamson County, which boasts among the highest housing costs in Tennessee, will be within reach.
Williamson County is no stranger to rapid growth — it swelled by nearly 100,000 people between 2000 and 2017 — but it's already struggling with the ongoing influx of new residents who are drawn to its suburban quality of life and high-performing schools.
A blooming tech hub
The Nashville chamber's pitch also highlighted Williamson County Schools, along with Metro Nashville Public Schools and Montgomery County Schools, as hot spots for "technology education in K-12 public schools."
The pitch details "over 40 innovative technological pathways" in Williamson County Schools, its "computational thinking curriculum throughout all grade levels," and its robotics and coding classes offered as early as elementary school.
"A lot of people at Amazon with families will look to Williamson County for the school system," said Matt Largen, CEO of Williamson Inc., the county's chamber of commerce.
Largen, who has worked alongside the Nashville chamber to sell Middle Tennessee as a burgeoning hub for technology investment, said the new Amazon facility will help cement that reputation.
"A name like Amazon and the kind of jobs they're bringing in, I think is a result of that effort for sure, but it absolutely validates us as a great location for tech jobs," he said.
But those jobs also highlight the county's need to create long-term funding solutions for capital and operational school costs, roads and infrastructure, and public safety.
Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney was ecstatic to hear the company's announcement and said the district will "do everything we can to welcome new families" who move to the county.
We all start somewhere: our first day of school, our first job, and for some, the first day of starting our own company. Although we may not realize it at the time, we eventually discover that it was the initial step that led us down the road to where we are today and provided us with the experiences that have shaped us along the way. The story is no different for Mr. Kenneth Cooper. The early loss of 85% of his hearing and lack of accommodations in school could have been considered a road block in his life. However, time has proven that it was actually just a bump that would serve to redirect him to his real purpose: Cooper Steel. Mr. Cooper officially began business 60 years ago, moonlighting with two employees in an 1,800 square foot shop. His grandfather became the first office employee and his wife, Faye Cooper, joined in 1965 as the second. Cooper Steel’s foundation for success could undoubtedly be found in the Coopers’ faith first, followed by hard work and incredible resolve to see the business flourish. Small jobs taken to keep the business afloat gradually turned into consistent contracts on local buildings. As larger, more reliable projects were awarded, the Company and its workforce grew with the strength of family as its backbone. The Coopers’ second-born son, Gary, joined the business in 1979 and his brother Barry came on board in 1990. That same year, the Coopers developed the interlocking C’s logo still used today, representing the four Coopers. Relationships built and trust gained with general contractors over the years have provided opportunities to fabricate and erect substantial sized buildings and obtain state-of-the-art equipment. What began as a small operation with part-time employees and very limited resources has now grown to multi-million-dollar projects nationwide, with three office locations and highly skilled employees in every area. 2017 brought Barry Cooper’s retirement and Gary Cooper’s rise to CEO and Chairman of the Board. Gary, together with his children, Cory (Chief Operations Officer), Jordan (Chief Financial Officer) and Sydney (Assistant Marketing Director), all continue the family legacy today. When Mr. Cooper took his leap of faith in 1960, he could never have dreamed that his second job would grow to a business employing over 200 and a shop covering over 70,000 square feet. He could not have foreseen the number of lives the business would impact, the unique culture he and his family would create for their employees, the difference they would have the privilege of making in their community, or the work ethic and dedication they would pass along through the generations of their family, both Cooper and Cooper Steel. As the Company celebrates its 60th anniversary and all who have contributed to its success along the way, it remains committed to customer service, employees who are like family, and standing strong into the future.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cooper Steel, a national leader in steel management, fabrication and erection, welcomes Blair Mann as the Company’s new Human Resources Director. Mann joins Cooper Steel with 15 years of experience, and will oversee human resources operations at all of the Company’s locations. Mann previously served as Director of Human Resources Operations at LBMC Employment Partners, a leading human resources consulting firm. There, she worked with companies across multiple industries to provide leadership and support in all stages, from employee on-boarding to succession planning. “I am excited to bring my experiences and knowledge to a company that has such a strong focus on what’s important, the people! After consulting for more than 10 years, it is exciting for me to be able to focus my talents on one organization,” said Mann, as she commented on her employment with Cooper Steel. In her new role, Mann will direct all HR operations, including recruiting and staffing, organizational planning and development, promotion of organizational values, compensation and benefits administration, and employee relations, services and counseling. “The expertise and skills that Mann brings to Cooper Steel will help the Company continue to provide exceptional services for all employees and customers” said Jordan Cooper, Chief Financial Officer of Cooper Steel.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Steel management, fabrication and erection company, Cooper Steel, has hired Chris Cummings as their Chief Information Officer. Cummings will oversee all IT needs for the Company and will be the direct link to Cooper Steel’s IT support company. Cummings is a graduate of Tennessee Tech University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. In addition to serving as Chief Information Officer for a $500 million company with 40 global locations, he has held the position of Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Product Deployment and Operations and has provided Senior Consulting Services for many years. Cummings brings with him extensive experience in heading company-wide projects, identifying clear solutions and driving developmental initiatives. While serving in his previous role as Chief Information Officer, he successfully established a technology foundation that supported growth from $180M to over $500M in revenue over a 5-year span. His proficiency in strategic planning and problem solving has been proven to help companies in a multitude of areas. “With the growth and expansion of Cooper Steel, we are looking forward to the positive impact that Cummings will bring to the Company,” said Duff Zimmerman, President and Chief Operations Officer of Cooper Steel. Cooper Steel is an innovative company with over 60 current projects in 17 different States. Cummings’ insight and technical skills will directly impact each individual department, the development of corporate IT strategy and the future growth of the Company.
