Manufacturing Plays a Key Role in Dickson County's Economy
A highly skilled workforce, proximity to the Nashville International Airport and a pro-business community with a great work ethic make Dickson County a thriving regional hub for manufacturing and industry. Residents from surrounding Cheatham, Hickman, Humphreys, Montgomery and Houston counties frequently make trips to Dickson County to shop and dine. An increasing number of out-of-towners are also coming for jobs and Dickson’s quality health-care facilities such as Horizon Medical Center.
Manufacturing Success
Among Dickson County’s largest employers are Tennsco Corp., Nemak Tennessee and Shiloh Industries Inc. Tennsco manufactures commercial grade shelving and cabinets for office and industry and has been operating since 1962. Nemak Tennessee produces aluminum components such as cylinder heads, engine blocks and transmission parts for the automotive industry and employs more than 420 people. Shiloh Industries is a leading supplier to the automotive industry, manufacturing engineered metal products. Shiloh’s Dickson manufacturing facility received the America’s Most Improved Supplier Award from Nissan in 2009.
Incredible Edibles
A variety of food and drink products are also manufactured in Dickson County. Odom’s Tennessee Pride Real Country Sausage has been a staple with Southern cooks since the family-owned company was founded in Nashville in 1943.
“The Odoms come from a long line of meatheads,” jokes company President Larry Odom. “We go back a number of generations of butchers. My grandfather, Douglas Odom Sr., was a meat cutter, and his brother and dad were meat cutters. He had a burning desire to make sausage, and he liked experimenting with different seasonings.”
When Douglas Odom Sr. concocted the perfect blend of flavors for his country sausage, he started the company to share it with the world. Today Odom’s is headquartered in Madison and runs a bustling manufacturing plant in Dickson.
Also located in Dickson is the Tennessee Bun Co., a high-tech bakery that manufactures more than 1,000 buns per minute for clients such as McDonald’s, Pepperidge Farm and KFC. Founded in 1996, the Tennessee Bun Co. produces round buns, hoagies, cluster buns and double-decker buns that can be packaged in pillow packs or bags, placed in bakers’ trays or boxes, and shipped fresh or frozen.
A Skilled Workforce
Employers value Dickson County in part for its skilled workforce, which is enhanced by the Tennessee Technology Center at Dickson. Tennessee Tech is part of an organized network of centers across the state that benefits the citizens, businesses and industries of the area. The school offers a variety of professional and vocational education programs with day and evening class schedules.
