In 2023, Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis spearheaded an effort to come up with an economic development plan for the county. Noting with its location and natural resources, Cocke County has enormous untapped potential and Mathis acknowledged the need for a strategic approach to maximize those prospects. On Monday, the Cocke County Partnership released the Cocke County Economic Development Plan.

In that plan, the Cocke County Mayor’s office and the Cocke County Partnership points out that Cocke County’s location brings in millions of visitors to the area each year. Most of them on their way to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The development plan points out that those visitors present a unique opportunity for the county to expand its tourism sector and capture many of those visitor dollars that end up going to Sevier County. The development plan also points out that Cocke County has I-40, a major east-west route, passing through the county, and another interstate, I-81 with its traffic from the northeast, a mere 10 miles away.

With the Cocke County Economic Development Plan, County officials hope to see the county attain its potential. The Cocke County Mayor’s office and Cocke County Partnership are looking for local businesses to check out the plan and provide their input.

https://files.constantcontact.com/1c9461f3101/a08d14d0-95b6-41ac-8e53-bba46245a3bb.pdf