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State of Tennessee launches innovative web site

The State of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development has teamed up with TVA to unveil the most powerful, feature-rich GIS-based web site posted by any U.S. state.

TennesseeProspector.com simplifies the process of working with government when preparing for relocation and expansion decisions. Because of the research data available online, site selectors no longer have to leaf through reams of Census Bureau reports for demographic information or contact multiple state departments for basic data and documents.

“Our priority is to help attract and retain high-skill, good-paying jobs in the state of Tennessee,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “With TennesseeProspector.com, we continue building upon our state’s business-friendly reputation by providing potential industries with the tools they need when making decisions about where to locate or expand. This service is yet another reason why Tennessee is a great place to do business.”

At the heart of the site is the GIS (Geographic Information System) technology called ZoomProspector, developed by GIS Planning Inc., which makes this new Internet service more powerful than typical web sites. GIS is an integration of software and geographic data designed to efficiently display and analyze information. Viewers can rapidly tailor maps and reports to suit their needs and access data that would normally take weeks to collect and thousands of dollars to obtain from specialty data researchers.

TennesseeProspector.com gathers economic, planning, infrastructure, geographic, and demographic information sought by businesses looking to relocate or expand into a ‘one-stop shop’ business portal on the web. It answers the main questions that businesses have when they are involved in the site selection analysis process, including buildings and land available, market characteristics, business synergies and opportunities, and geographic characteristics and advantages. This information is provided to users in minutes.

“TennesseeProspector.com goes far beyond a simple database of available sites and buildings,” said ECD Commissioner Matthew Kisber. “It provides the needed site selection analysis information that businesses require to identify the unique geographic advantages and business opportunities in our state.”

“TVA is proud to partner with the State of Tennessee in a joint venture to offer the new TennesseeProspector.com web site,” said John Bradley, TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development. Comprehensive data, including GIS information and aerial photography, are being provided by TVA’s award-winning building and sites database, TVAsites.com, to enable the state to immediately utilize the features of this new economic development search technology.