Economic Development

Our Commitment to Economic Development

Because Gibson EMC is a local, non-profit business owned by our customers, we are very committed to our communities. We demonstrate this through our support of local Chambers of Commerce, and through an intense effort to retain existing industry and to attract new jobs to our area. This involvement is always important, but even more so in the current economy. We dedicate our resources to this work, because we realize that good jobs are fundamental to our customer-owners’ quality of life. It’s important to you, and therefore to us.

• In Fiscal Year 2009, Gibson EMC secured $1,840,000 in USDA Rural Economic Development Loans and Grants for workforce development and job creation in our service area. We were pleased to pass through to Crockett County Government a zero interest loan of $740,000 and a grant of $300,000 (along with a grant match of $60,000) to help construct a Higher Education Center near Bells. The repayment of a portion of these funds will launch Gibson EMC into our own relending program for funding of future economic development projects in our service area. Williams Sausage Company near Union City also received a $740,000 zero-interest pass-through loan. This loan will aid in the company’s 50,000square-foot expansion and result in the creation of 100 new jobs over a two-year period.
• Gibson EMC has been actively involved in business retention and expansion efforts including: e-Synchronist surveying of all industry in Crockett and Gibson Counties; a Key Accounts program including free Comprehensive Services; periodic meetings of commercial and industrial customers; participation in the Power Partners News commercials and industrial newsletter; sponsorship of the Customer Connection retail expansion and recruitment efforts in Crockett, Gibson and Obion counties; and sponsorship of the West Tennessee Retail Alliance. These efforts have been successful – Gibson EMC was awarded the 2007 Multi-Community/Regional Award from Business Expansion and Retention International for the Crockett and Gibson e-Synchronist programs and the 2006 international Communicator Print Media Award of Distinction for Power Partners News, and our key accounts benefit by using more than $50,300 in free technical and analytical services annually.

Our Commitment to Local Government and Schools

• Another way Gibson EMC has supported our communities has been through the availability of fiber optics for electronic communications. We have installed fiber optic cable along critical paths throughout our service area, making fiber connectivity available to local government offices and school systems as we have connected Gibson EMC’s 15 substations and four offices.