Randy Porter, Mayor, Putnam County

In an interview with Invest:, Mayor Randy Porter of Putnam County discussed growth, strong partnerships with Tennessee Tech, and what makes the region stand out for residents and investors. “We value our community, and we work hard to keep it strong and welcoming for everyone.”

What are some of the most significant factors shaping Putnam County today?

People are moving here from all over, and it’s not just Putnam County; it’s happening across Tennessee. It feels like the secret is out. We’re a medium-sized county that still has that small-town feel.

Being a university town fuels growth. Retail development has been strong, and most major retailers are either here or on the way. New companies keep coming in, creating jobs and drawing more people.

Many folks come from places like California and New York, looking for a quieter community. It’s been a good year, but keeping up with growth remains our biggest challenge. Putnam County stays business-friendly and welcoming, which has helped us succeed over the last decade.

What makes Putnam County stand out from other counties in the region?
In our four-county region, we have really become the hub. Years ago, a sign on South Jefferson called us the “Hub of the Upper Cumberland,” and that still rings true.

People come here to shop, eat, and get medical care at our Regional Medical Center, which some surrounding counties don’t have. Many live nearby but work and handle their business here because they can find what they need.

Most counties around us are small and lack these amenities, so this combination is a big draw for people looking for more options in one place.

How is the county working with Tennessee Tech to strengthen the local workforce and support business growth?
Workforce has been a challenge, especially since COVID. Many people retired, and we’ve faced worker shortages for years, though it is improving. Our partnership with Tennessee Tech has been a huge help.

For example, a large defense contractor wanted to come here but needed the university to adjust its computer science curriculum and offer training. Tennessee Tech agreed without hesitation, and that flexibility made the project possible.

Not every university works so closely with local government and businesses. Tennessee Tech’s strong engineering program also helps keep talented graduates here instead of losing them to other areas.

How is the county addressing infrastructure challenges to keep up with growth?
Infrastructure is one of our top concerns. In Tennessee, counties are only responsible for roads outside city limits that aren’t state or federal highways. Most of our major routes, like Highway 70 and South Jefferson, are state roads, so we depend on TDOT for improvements.

In 2017, I created a transportation committee that included all the city mayors in Putnam County, Tennessee Tech, the chamber, and our planning teams — everyone with a stake in transportation. We did a deep dive into our needs for the next 10 to 15 years and developed a master list of infrastructure priorities. We identified our top 10 projects and then presented them to TDOT.

Several projects from that list are now underway or already completed. It showed us how effective it is to work with the state and bring partners together. Now that some projects are checked off, we’re meeting again to assess the next decade’s needs and update our top 10 list to keep progress moving.

The cities do a good job maintaining their streets, and the county does the same for county roads. A few years ago, our road supervisor started an in-house paving crew because there weren’t enough contractors available. That’s made a huge difference, and today it’s hard to find a county road in poor condition. We just have to keep working closely with the state since most of our major thoroughfares fall under their control.

How is the county addressing housing needs to support its growing residential base?

Affordable housing is just as important as transportation. In 2020, a tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and made an existing housing shortage worse. COVID hit right after, and even more people started moving here to get away from crowded cities. Inventory dropped so low that homes sold sight unseen within hours, often above asking price.

After the 2008 financial crisis, many contractors left the business. Now, builders mostly focus on higher-priced homes because that’s what new arrivals want. People selling houses in California for millions see that they can get much more for less money here. That has made affordable housing harder to produce.

Things are starting to shift. This past fiscal year set a record for building permits, and more homes in the $200,000 to $250,000 range are being built instead of just the higher-end ones. The housing authority is also working on projects to add affordable options. Getting builders on board remains a challenge, but we’re determined to keep tackling it.

What sets Putnam County apart for businesses and investors right now?
One of our biggest strengths is that we’re business-friendly and work hard to create an environment where businesses feel supported.

When I came into office in 2014, our community was hungry for new jobs. Since then, we’ve brought in major projects like Academy Sports’ largest distribution center in the Southeast and Portobello’s biggest tile manufacturing facility, which was a $200 million investment. We’ve seen plenty of other big wins, too.

Now that the workforce is tighter, we can be more selective with incentives. We welcome any business looking to come here and encourage growth, but we’re careful with what we offer because labor is limited. Tennessee Tech is another big draw for companies that want an educated workforce and training partnerships.

One thing people may not see right away is how well local governments, the university, and the chamber work together. There’s no infighting or jealousy, just real collaboration. I’ve lived here most of my life, and it hasn’t always been this way. Now, if the city has an idea, the county backs it up, and vice versa. Businesses notice that.

I always tell people how much we value the strong relationships we have between the county, the cities, Tennessee Tech, the chamber, and everyone else. We don’t take the spirit of cooperation for granted. All it takes is an election or a leadership change for that to disappear, so we nurture it every day.

I remember one time we were competing with another community for a project. We loaded up a van with our partners from Tennessee Tech, the chamber, and local leadership to show a united front. The other group sent only two people because their city and county leaders wouldn’t even ride in the same vehicle together.

That’s not how we do things here. We value our community, and we work hard to keep it strong and welcoming for everyone. I truly believe that a sense of teamwork is what sets Putnam County apart and helps us continue to attract great companies.

What are some of your top priorities to ensure sustainable growth?
Tourism is one of our biggest opportunities. Our tourism department has recently focused on our waterfalls, which bring people from all over. Growing up, we had one on our farm, so I didn’t think much of it, but visitors love them. We have more than 200 waterfalls within about 30 minutes in Putnam and neighboring counties.

We just opened a new convention center on a 195-acre site the county purchased along Tennessee Avenue near the new fifth interchange. It opened in February and is already booking years ahead. We’re about to break ground on a 65,000-square-foot expo center next door, and people are trying to book it before construction even starts.

A lot of groups don’t want the traffic and high hotel costs in places like Nashville or Knoxville, so they’re coming here instead. They can get off the interstate and be right at our new facilities.

Tourism dollars help keep our property taxes low. Visitors stay, shop, eat, and then go home. Revenue from hotel-motels and sales taxes is a big part of our budget, while property taxes make up less than 30%.

Alongside that, we’re focused on keeping up with the growth. That means managing infrastructure, housing, and everything that comes with more people moving in. It’s not easy, but we have a strong team making sure we grow in a way that works for everyone.