Kingsport -- 10 years later

The year was 1999.

My son was 8 years old. My daughter was 4 years old.

Eastman Chemical was finding its feet as an independent company after spinning off from Kodak 6 years earlier. Several local manufacturers were facing downsizing, restructuring, or closure.

A new Board of Mayor and Aldermen had just been elected.

Mayor Jeanette Blazier called for an Economic Summit with 60 community leaders at MeadowView.

There was concern about the sustainability of Kingsport's economy.

There was concern about overdependency on the manufacturing sector and a need for diversification.

There was also the realization that the city's demographics were unbalanced -- specifically the lack of college-age residents.

So, where are we now?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Kingsport MSA:

2,521 more residents were employed in Nov 2008 than Nov 1998

While 10,500 manufacturing jobs were lost...

5,400 healthcare jobs were added

2,800 leisure/hospitality jobs were added

1,300 natural resources/mining/construction jobs were added

600 financial jobs were added

500 information jobs were added

Drilling down to the City of Kingsport proper....

2000: 17,638 employed city residents
2007: 19,159 employed city residents

by occupation...

Management, professional, and related occupations
2000: 6,002 or 34%
2007: 6,619 or 34.5%

Service occupations
2000: 2,685 or 15.2%
2007: 3,192 or 16.7%

Sales and office occupations
2000: 4,852 or 27.5%
2007: 5,105 or 26.6%

or by industry....

Construction
2000: 1,365 or 7.7%
2007: 1,411 or 7.4%

Manufacturing
2000: 3,651 or 20.7%
2007: 2,955 or 15.4%

Wholesale trade
2000: 658 or 3.7%
2007: 776 or 4.1%

Retail trade
2000: 2,389 or 13.5%
2007: 2,378 or 12.4%

Transportation and warehousing, and utilities
2000: 515 or 2.9%
2007: 790 or 4.1%

Information
2000: 341 or 1.9%
2007: 404 or 2.1%

Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing
2000: 981 or 5.6%
2007: 1,293 or 6.7%

Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
2000: 1,206 or 6.8%
2007: 1,227 or 6.4%

Educational services, and health care and social assistance
2000: 3,303 or 18.7%
2007: 4,473 or 23.3%

Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services
2000: 1,771 or 10.0%
2007: 2,110 or 11.0%

Other services, except public administration
2000: 907 or 5.1%
2007: 987 or 5.2%

Public administration
2000: 478 or 2.7%
2007: 308 or 1.6%

The median family income for city residents increased by 20% (from $40,351 to $48,351)

The median household income for city residents increased by 13% (from $30,524 to $34,391)

The number of college-age city residents increased 26% (2,554 in 2007 vs. 2,025 in 2000)

The % of city residents who are college-age increased from 4.5% to 5.6%

It is important to highlight these are *residents*, not just those who commute into Kingsport to take college classes.

2007 American Community Survey (City of Kingsport):
Median Age: 42.6
Median Household Income: $34,391
Median Family Income: $48,351
15-19 yrs old: 2,219 or 4.8%
20-24 yrs old: 2,554 or 5.6%

2000 Census (City of Kingsport):
Median Age: 41.9
Median Household Income: $30,524
Median Family Income: $40,351
15-19 yrs old: 2,513 or 5.6%
20-24 yrs old: 2,025 or 4.5%

So, ten years after the Economic Summit of 1999, Kingsport is well on it's way to realizing its vision for a diverse economy with balanced demographics.

On the cloing day of the 1999 Summit, my 4-year-old daughter joined the Mayor for a photo opportunity of Kingsport's future.

Today she's in her freshman year of high school and I feel much better about her future.

Kingsport's vision is indeed paying dividends.