President and CEO of the Jackson Chamber

Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady. Photography by Kristina Only.

Kyle Spurgeon is president/CEO of the Jackson Chamber, Jackson, TN. The organization represents over 1000 business members in Jackson-Madison County and parts of West Tennessee.

Before joining the Chamber, Spurgeon was vice-president, corporate relations for Jackson Energy Authority. He has also served as marketing director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. He has helped facilitate project locations representing more than $2.5 billion in capital investment.

He holds a B.S. in public relations/marketing from Murray State University.

Kyle is married to Melissa, and together they have five children and one very happily spoiled dog. They enjoy running and traveling.

VIP: When did you become the President and CEO of the Jackson Chamber, and what was your previous job?

KYLE SPURGEON (KS): October 5, 2009. In my previous job, I was Vice President of Customer Service/Public Affairs at Jackson Energy Authority.

VIP: What are your chief duties as the President and CEO of the Jackson Chamber?

KS: I view my job as a football or baseball coach, and I have a great team here. Every day is different, whether working on an economic development project, mixed-use residential project, traveling domestically or internationally to meet with CEOs or speaking at local civic clubs. That’s what I love about my job. I’m proud that we are able to hire great people and keep them here. To me, that’s a huge compliment to your organization!

VIP: What are your favorite tasks at the Chamber?

KS: Chasing projects, whether an economic development project or another type. It’s developing the strategy to land the project or make the project successful and ensuring the right team is in place, the right people are at the table, and the folks who can make the decision are looking out and doing what is best for Jackson.

VIP: What are the challenges of Chamber executives in this post-pandemic period?

KS: The challenges now in Jackson are really not related to the pandemic. In many ways, the pandemic made us better. We are much more efficient in how we conduct meetings and use our time. Now a lot of opportunities are growth opportunities, and we want to take full advantage of the opportunities presented in front of us and will be coming our way.

VIP: What are the good things happening that area readers may not know about?

KS: Jackson has become a spot that is much more attractive for folks outside this market and inside this market to risk capital. Just over a year ago, we announced BlueOval City, and since then, we have had asset managers from major markets around the country looking at Jackson for new commercial and industrial projects. That project puts us on the map from a global perspective because that will be the most advanced automotive facility in the world when it opens.

Jackson has such a diverse economic base. Communities are not successful long term when their economy is dependent on one industry or one sector of the economy. But when you look at Jackson, we have, among others, the food processing sector, housing, and definitely automotive. Then you look at how big the medical community is and how important it is to our economy, retail and entertainment. We call Jackson the Hub City for a reason—because we are a hub of commerce, and it further diversifies our industrial base.

From a global perspective, we are a great place to do business. We were always that way, but Ford/BlueOval City reinforces that perspective.

The future of community development type projects is mixed-use. People and companies are attracted to and move to locations and cities where they can live, work and play. This is where we must do a better job in Jackson/West Tennessee in facilitating those types of communities.

We are taking thirty-three people to Greenville, SC, in October because Greenville is one of the most successful communities in the country both from an economic and community development perspective. We will learn from them and bring ideas back. We will have a team of folks who will form task forces to implement some of those ideas.

Why Greenville? When we talk to site consultants and real estate brokers, we ask what community has seen the most positive growth after a major automotive announcement. Hands-down it’s Greenville, S.C. BMW located there in the Greenville/Spartanburg area. Prior to that development, much was already in place. Once BMW located there, it spurred that growth.

“I think I have the best job in West Tennessee. I get to sell a great community to people who are looking to invest money and help make this an even better place!”

— Kyle Spurgeon, President and CEO of the Jackson Chamber

VIP: Update us on The Great Wolf Lodge and Middle Fork Bottoms.

KS: The Great Wolf Lodge project: why did they choose Jackson as their next site? It is our location. When you look at Jackson in close proximity to major projects—Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock—Great Wolf has a 5-hour customer capture area. They can pull people from those major cities. I-40, I-55 and I-65 make a huge difference, and our proximity begins in the middle of that capture area and thus makes us the perfect location. The Great Wolf Lodges are typically not in a major market but adjacent to those markets.

Middle Fork Bottoms is a huge asset for Jackson and West Tennessee. We will always recruit companies to Jackson—that’s what Chambers do. And to recruit people, you need to have assets like Middle Fork Bottoms, which recently opened. You can walk, run, ride your bike or kayak. Those assets are vitally important to our community. Projects like this will help us to recruit more people and thus more companies to Jackson.

VIP: Are there any new projects within the last 30 days or so that you are at liberty to discuss?

KS: None that I can discuss at this time. We are extremely busy. Our projects run the gamut from existing industries here, new companies looking at the area, major residential projects and mixed-use projects looking at Jackson. Our project funnel has become very diverse. Workforce development is the number one focus area for us to continue to improve. We share that with every successful community in the country. You must continue to grow the population base to make Jackson a better place to live, and recruiting more people to Jackson is a significant focus area for us. The projects that the Chamber is now involved in have diversified. Previously the projects were more manufacturing and distribution-oriented. Now we are helping to facilitate new residential and entertainment-related projects that make Jackson a better place than ever.

VIP: Let’s discuss the positive and negative effects, if any, of BlueOval City.

KS: …We must be very selective about the projects that end up in Madison County because we are seeing more people interested in Jackson because of the abundance of community assets. When you change a community, you’d better make sure it is positive. No one can understand and can predict what is about to happen. It’s going to change West Tennessee forever. We all have to keep our eye on the ball. Just because someone is knocking on the door doesn’t mean we have to let them in.

VIP: With BlueOval City, what do you anticipate will be the greatest change for our community?

KS: The amount of national and international attention on West Tennessee. That means folks from around the country and around the world will invest here. Jackson has been very successful over the last 30-40 years—billions of dollars of capital investment. Our attractiveness has gone out the roof, and people are willing to spend money and get a good return on their investment for a lot of projects. We will see the opportunity to close deals on projects and attract folks to this community, and without BlueOval City, that might have taken decades to get to this point. Yes, we are all excited about BlueOval City, but our number one job is to take care of existing businesses and industries here because we will not be successful without them. That is something we do every day.

VIP: If you could wave a magic wand, what would you like to see happen in Jackson, TN?

KS: As Jackson continues to grow, we grow in a way that is appealing to a diverse population while maintaining the feel of a small Southern city. We must continue to make it a place where people want to raise their families here, and others will want to move back here.

VIP: If you had 24 hours to spend in Jackson, TN, how would you spend your time?

KS: I would start the day at Middle Fork Bottoms with a run. The beauty of my job is I get to spend those 24 hours differently every day. We have so many assets here. Melissa and I love to run or go for a walk in different parts of the city, grab lunch, and have a beer at Hub City Brewing.

VIP: What are your hobbies?

KS: Running, spending time with friends and we love to travel. Melissa and I really enjoy finding smaller communities across the country where we can spend 2-3 days relaxing.