Support Services

The Economic Development Board supports its local businesses after they have chosen Blount County as their new home. We provide a wide variety of support services, they include:

• Compiling a list of vendors within the region, US, Europe and Japan that could supply the existing company.
• Exploring market opportunities within the Asian and European markets.
• Monitoring and alerting business to any legislative issues that may impact Blount businesses.
• Assisting companies in the search for qualified labor force.
• Assisting companies in acquiring State of Tennessee incentives to expand their business.

For more details, click the links below:

• Blount County Incentives
• State of Tennessee incentives
  
• State of Tennesee Job Training Programs
  

Blount County Incentives

PILOT (Payment in lieu of Tax) is a program utilized by companies to help ease large capital investments into the local tax structure. The guidelines for the program are:

1. A company must invest at least 50 million dollars in real and personal property.
2. The company must hire at least 80 new employees
3. The program will expire after a maximum of 5 years.

Blount County Training Grant

The program's purpose is to help aid in the training and infrastructure needs of companies who desire to hire the local labor force. The grants are evaluated and awarded on a case by case issue. The grant amount is determined by the amount of the company’s capital investment in real and personal, the average wage of the company, and the skill level and infrastructure needs.

Land Equity incentive

This incentive is available for companies who wish to purchase property within our Industrial and Technology parks. This incentive is determined on a case by case basis. Companies are evaluated by the amount of capital investment, average wage, and the amount of local employees hired. The Board will lower the cost of the property to the prospect respective of the company’s investment.

Site Development

This incentive is available for companies who wish to purchase property within our Industrial and Technology parks. This incentive is determined on a case by case basis. Companies are evaluated by the amount of capital investment, average wage, and the amount of local employees hired. The Board will excavate the site and prepare the drainage area.

Tennessee Tax Incentives

Excise Tax

Receive 1% excise tax credit for:

• the purchase, installation and/or repair of qualified industrial machinery.
• the purchase of qualified equipment associated with the required $500,000 capital investment by a distribution or warehouse facility.
• the purchase of computers, computer networks, software, computer systems, telephone systems and any peripheral devices purchased to reach the "required capital investment" to qualify for the jobs tax credit.
• Net operating loss may carry forward 15 years.
• All capital losses may be claimed the year incurred.

Franchise Tax

Tax credit of $2,000 (or $4,500 in special enhancement counties) per new full-time employee:

• in businesses that meet requirements of a minimum 25 new full-time jobs and additional capital investment of $500,000 and offer a minimal health care plan.
• for new jobs in the future resulting in a net increase in jobs.

No franchise tax on:

• finished goods inventory in excess of $30 million for fiscal year beginning on July 15, 1998.
• property under construction, not being utilized by the business.
• pollution control equipment.

Property rented from an industrial development board may be capitalized on the business books.

For companies that increase Tennessee investment while also doing business in other states, Tennessee offers double, weighted sales apportionment formula for franchise and excise taxes. (This means that property, payroll and sales are all taxed, but they are taxed in fourths, not thirds. Property and payroll have one fourth each and sales has two fourths.)

The jobs tax credit can be applied to both the franchise and excise tax. The percentage of franchise and excise tax liability offset allowed ranges from 33 1/3 percent to 100 percent for total employment in Tennessee, ranging from less than 1,000 to 5,000 or more.

Personal Income Tax

Consistently one of the lowest per capita taxed states in the nation.

Property Tax

No property tax on:

goods-in-process.

finished goods inventories in hands of manufacturers.

inventories of merchandise for sale.

goods-in-transit (free port).

pollution control equipment required for compliance with federal, state or local environmental protection laws.

Attractive depreciation schedules.

Sales and Use Tax

No sales tax on:

• purchases, installation and repairs of qualified industrial machinery.
• purchases of material handling and racking equipment associated with the required capital investment of $10 million by a distribution or warehouse facility.
• raw materials for processing.
• pollution control equipment of manufacturers.
• reduced sales tax for manufacturers' use of energy fuel and water. Tax-exempt if used directly in the manufacturing process and separately metered.
• any materials that become a component part of the finished product.
• containers, labels and packaging materials if they are sold with or accompany the product at no additional charge.

Reduced sales tax rates for manufacturer's use of energy fuel and water.

Credit of 5.5% for sales and use taxes paid on building materials, machinery and equipment used in new or expanded regional, national or international headquarters. Requires capital investment of $50 million.

Refund taxes paid on goods and services by motion picture production companies filming or producing in Tennessee. Requires expenditures of $500,000.

Other Tax Credits

The Day Care Incentive

• Credit against franchise and excise taxes for businesses that establish a day care center for employee's children.

State of Tennessee Job Training Programs

• Job Training Assistance Program
• BERO: Business Enterprise Resource Office

Job Training Assistance Program

Training assistance for new and existing business and industry is available as an incentive by the State of Tennessee when associated with new investment for facilities, equipment and new job hires.

FastTrack staff helps a company plan, develop and implement a customized training program that meets initial training needs with follow up to insure each phase of the training program is effective and flexible.

The FastTrack Job Training Assistance program is funded by the state's budgetary process and utilizes only state-appropriated funds for training. FastTrack is the primary source of financial support for new and expanding business and industry training. Blended with the company's staff and other vendors, FastTrack will coordinate directly with the company to develop and implement the necessary skills and knowledge training program.

Company technicians and instructors can provide classroom and On-the-Job Training (OJT). Reimbursement of development and instructor cost either by company personnel or selected vendors, including educational institutions are eligible for support. Travel-related cost, for the purpose of training, is considered a viable training expense. Training facilities and equipment are contingent upon the project and the need of the local area.

The Department of Labor and Workforce Development can provide assistance in the recruitment of qualified job applicants. Recruitment services can be provided and may include accepting and screening applications, testing, and referral of qualified applicants, based upon the company-prepared specifications. Workforce Development also administers the Workforce Investment Act program, which could provide training assistance for those eligible participants.

BERO: Business Enterprise Resource Office

The Business Enterprise Resource Office (BERO) provides technical, financial and management information assistance to small, minority and women owned businesses. BERO's main office is located in Nashville with regional offices in Memphis and Knoxville.

BERO focuses on four main areas of development to achieve its mission: providing technical assistance (business planning, licensing, certification, financial assistance, expansion assistance and other special needs), assisting with procurement opportunities, driving manufacturing initiatives and creating export opportunities. BERO also works in close partnership with the Governor's Office of Diversity Business Enterprise in its mission to expand procurement opportunities for small, minority and women owned businesses that wish to do business with the State of Tennessee.

BERO also has a designated director of small manufacturing initiatives whose goal is to identify and create partnering opportunities between small and large manufacturers by facilitating business to business matching; advocating and connecting small manufacturers with companies and government agencies; creating a manufacturers' resource directory which includes financial information; and coordinating with federal and local government agencies, trade associations and community organizations.

In addition, BERO, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the International Trade Centers, Tennessee Small Business Development Centers and other local agencies, assists small businesses throughout the state to export their goods and services through the Trade Roots program.