In the most recent slide at the turn of the century, beginning with the dot-com bust and fueled by the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the economy in middle Tennessee withstood economic pressures, not falling as far as other areas of the nation and emerging from the cycle more quickly.

This is largely due to the fact that middle Tennessee boasts an extremely diverse economy that includes healthcare, education, government, and transportation: the top four industry sectors are insulated in times of economic downturn.

The great fact is that 94% of all Tennesseans are still employed. Sales in Middle Tennessee grew by more than 20 percent over 2010.  It was the 6th consecutive month that home sales topped their year-ago levels. That is certainly an important building block for our immediate economic future.