Business bubbling up in rural Tennessee

Perrier finds a home in Macon County

By Donald Hampton

They call it Red Boiling Springs. It was once a thriving resort for vacationers and people seeking a healthier lifestyle. The years between the World Wars were prosperous for this area, with thousands of visitors annually coming to experience the "healing waters" of the springs.

The water had a foul odor, but people were convinced it possessed curative powers. So they flocked to the springs. And the area prospered.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the town had nine hotels and more than a dozen boarding houses. Three of those historic hotels are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

But that popularity was short-lived. People stopped coming, and the area has languished ever since. That is, until the "healing waters" were rediscovered recently.

Perrier, the name most associated with bottled mineral water, announced in 2001 that they were purchasing the assets of Bennett Hill Spring, LLC and additional land surrounding the spring for watershed protection. Bennett Hill had been bottling water from the springs on a local level for years.

But the announcement of Perrier moving to the region brought national attention to this forgotten little community. And it has brought life back to the springs.

So many things that make it right

Perrier's announcement involved the planned construction of a 500,000 square-foot plant, which would employ 200 people. The company's investment could reach an estimated $100 million or more, which will be a tremendous boost to local suppliers and the labor force.

"We will be working together with state and local government officials and economic development leaders in the region, building on the fine relations already established by Bennett Hill Spring," said Rob Fisher, Perrier's director of operations.

Improvements that will result from the announcement include an access road to be built by the state.

"There are so many things that make this right for us," said Kim Jeffery, president and chief executive officer for The Perrier Group. "Bennett Hill Spring offers an abundant, high-quality source of water, meeting our company's high standards. Macon County gives us easy access to the south-central U.S. consumer markets, and there is a skilled, quality work force in the area."

Bouncing back

Macon County and Perrier are enamored with one another. The local workforce was a big draw for the company, and that work force is very excited about the potential for Perrier to change the landscape of their county-to literally keep the town going.

The county's 7% unemployment rate should be greatly reduced by the Perrier situation.

"The Perrier Group is offering several things to Macon County, primarily adding some stability to the employment and economic status of our county," said John Cook, project manager for the Perrier Group of Tennessee. "But there will also be spin-off jobs from the facility - truck drivers, fast-food places and convenience stores."

Bringing 200 jobs to a town of little more than 1,000 people is bound to make an impact.

Doyle Gaines, county executive, added, "And they'll be good-paying jobs."

Many workers in the area currently have to commute to larger towns like Lebanon and Cookeville due to the lack of local opportunity.

"Maybe we can keep some of these folks home now," said Gaines.

Cook added, "Joining with Perrier will bring great benefit to Macon County and Tennessee and to the employees and owners of Bennett Hill Spring, LLC."

A great source

For Perrier, the decision to locate in rural Tennessee involved more than just locating a source of water that met the company's standards. The facility, which will begin construction in spring 2003, had to be in a location that could include additional lands for watershed protection.

Red Boiling Springs offered a rural setting, and plenty of additional land for Perrier to purchase.

Former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist said, "… I am delighted we were able to recruit the Perrier Group to Tennessee. A growing, environmentally-sensitive company like Perrier, that brings clean operations, quality jobs and a solid, long-standing reputation is just the kind of business we welcome to our state."

Cook added that Perrier has a "record of environmental stewardship and community involvement."

The Perrier Group, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, is the bottler of 15 different brands of water. They manage 30 different spring sites across the United States, which are the primary sources for their water brands, which include Poland Spring, Deer Park, Ozarka and Arrowhead. The Perrier Group is a division of Nestle, which is headquartered in Switzerland.

The company has not announced which brand will be the label for the water it bottles from Red Boiling Spring. But, to the people of Macon County, that really doesn't matter. Perrier, the world famous sparkling mineral water, has begun to rejuvenate their community.