Assistant Commissioner, Business and Workforce Development
Home to the world headquarters of shipping powerhouse FedEx, the Volunteer State is uniquely positioned to provide you with the most cost-effective way to reach suppliers and customers around the globe.
Tennessee’s geographic location is at the heart of the U.S., so you can count on easy access to markets around the world. Our central location also means your business can connect to customers and suppliers faster. We’re home to the busiest cargo airport in the world. Not to mention, we have immediate access to eight interstate highways—reaching 60 percent of the U.S. population within an 11-hour drive or less. We also offer six Class 1 railroads and more than 1,000 miles of navigable waterways.
Tennessee has more miles of I-40 within its boundaries than any other state, with 455 miles traveling through 20 counties, consistently recognized as the best maintained interstate section in the nation.
Plus, our high-quality workforce is composed of more than 231,000 Tennesseans employed in the transportation, logistics and distribution industry at over 13,800 establishments. Some of the state’s larger companies in this industry include Amazon, Under Armour, Covenant Transport, Technicolor Home Entertainment Services, Peyton’s, Cummins Inc., Gap Inc., Walmart, FedEx, Averitt Express, U.S. Xpress, Norfolk Southern, Old Dominion Freight Line, Ozburn Hessey Logistics, Nike and Macy’s.
The FedEx World Hub in Memphis, which covers over 880 acres, is the largest sorting facility in the world, handling between 1.3 million and 1.5 million packages every night over 42 miles of conveyor belts. It’s also the busiest cargo airport in the world.
Since 2017, $3.8billion in new capital investment and more than 15,000 new jobs have located in counties across the state. Among the companies bringing new jobs to the state are Amazon, Arrive Logistics, Chewy, Inc., DHL, FedEx Logistics, GAP, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), and Ryder Integrated Logistics.
Tennesseans employed by distribution & logistics establishments
Distribution & logistics establishments in Tennessee
To the Busiest Cargo Airport in the World
In U.S. for Employment Concentration in Distribution and Logistics Industry
Billion capital investment from distribution and logistics projects since 2017
Best State for Infrastructure – CNBC, 2021