Chattanooga Business

The city’s economy is leveraging its longstanding strengths while embracing forward-looking, high-growth opportunities. Novonix, a global leader in synthetic graphite for battery technology, secured approval in 2025 to build a second manufacturing plant on a 182-acre Enterprise South Industrial Park site, adding up to 500 full-time jobs and boosting its local capacity to more than 50,000 metric tons by 2028.

Continuing this momentum, equipment manufacturer Master Machine is expanding with an $11.7 million project that will create 44 new jobs, while maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider West Star Aviation is growing its Chattanooga footprint through a nearly $32 million investment that will add 200 positions. 

To accommodate and further the area’s continued job growth, officials are increasing access to Chattanooga via the continuous addition of nonstop flights to Chattanooga Airport (CHA) as well as a $28 million terminal expansion completed in 2024.  With a total of four airlines, 14 cities, and eight major hubs available through direct flights, CHA makes it easier than ever for Chattanoogans to connect across the country. According to a study done by an aviation analytics firm in August 2025, CHA is the fastest-growing small hub airport in the U.S., with a 32% increase in last year’s Q3 seat capacity compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, efforts to support small businesses continue to expand, with city programs working to create more inclusive pathways for entrepreneurship. The Hamilton County INCubator (INC) is the largest business incubator in Tennessee and the third largest in the country, providing 127,000 square feet of office and manufacturing spaces for budding entrepreneurs. INC clients and graduates bring an estimated $70 million in economic impact to Hamilton County. In 2025, the company launched INC Connect, a new makerspace initiative created to support early-stage manufacturing and product-based entrepreneurs by offering affordable space, light production capacity, and hands-on mentorship. Organizations such as LAUNCH and CO.LAB offer many business development programs and training initiatives. Additionally, the City of Chattanooga has begun construction on its new Business Resource Center, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. With a budget of $1.8 million, the new center will serve as a resource for local entrepreneurs with a focus on those who have historically faced barriers trying to access business support and funding.

Another factor fueling business growth is Chattanooga’s unparalleled digital connectivity. EPB continues to provide blazing-fast service across the city, strengthening Chattanooga’s appeal for remote workers, tech companies, and data-driven enterprises. Its high-speed, low-latency network remains a cornerstone of the local economic strategy – supporting innovation and making the Scenic City a destination for digital talent. Building on that foundation, EPB recently announced a $22 million partnership with quantum hardware company IonQ to build a quantum innovation center in Chattanooga, making the city the first quantum computing and networking hub in the U.S. Under the deal, IonQ will install its high-performance Forte Enterprise quantum computer in a new facility alongside EPB’s existing quantum network, establish a Chattanooga office to support quantum development, and jointly train a quantum-ready workforce.

Among tech, logistics, and other sectors, several locally known names continue to garner national acclaim. Generating nearly $13 billion in revenue in 2024, Unum Group secured status as a 2025 Fortune 500 company. Additionally, 14 Chattanooga-area companies landed on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America,” including logistics companies Bullins, MOCA Logistics, Steam Logistics, LogistiX, KCH Transportation, and Kenco Group. Additionally, Tidalwave Holdings, a screen printing and e-commerce fulfillment group, and Firecrown, a media and commerce platform, took inaugural spots in the top 100. The 14 businesses collectively had a 323% three-year median revenue growth.

Tourism and hospitality also remain a major economic driver for the region. According to the 2024 Economic Impact on Travel Report,  the Scenic City welcomed more than 11 million visitors in 2024, supporting approximately 13,000 jobs and generating $1.8 billion in visitor spending. This activity also produced over $186 million in state and local tax revenue, saving the average Hamilton County household an estimated $1,232 annually.

With coordinated efforts across the public and private sectors, Chattanooga continues to position itself as a place where businesses of every industry and scale can thrive.