BTES Helps Our Community Grow

By April Eads, Business Development Manager

Earlier this week, as I was standing across from our Business Park on Highway 394, I couldn’t help but reflect on the growth in our community. It’s one of those moments that sneaks up on you – when a familiar view suddenly looks different because you realize just how far we’ve come.

In the past three years alone, our Community Team has helped land three major projects that are shaping the future of Bristol: Tri-City Extrusion’s expansion in Bristol Business Park, Seaman Corporation’s new 350,000-square-foot facility in Partnership Park II, and A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Company’s new plant, also in Bristol Business Park. Each of these wins didn’t just happen by chance – they had a common thread: large, pad-ready sites.

What’s a pad-ready site? It’s land that’s been cleared, graded, and has utilities already in place – basically, a site where a company can start construction on day one instead of waiting months to begin. It might not sound flashy, but it’s a game-changer. In economic development, being ready to help businesses open their doors as quickly as possible is extremely important. And here in Bristol, we’ve built a reputation for being ready.

But readiness isn’t just about the ground – it’s also about accessibility to fast and reliable Internet service.

Homes and businesses in our service area have access to symmetrical fiber Internet supported by BTES’ nationally recognized electric reliability. That means whether you're running an advanced manufacturing plant, a fulfillment center, a data-heavy business, or a remote office – you’ve got the speed and stability to do it without missing a beat.

Of course, infrastructure is only part of the equation. The people matter, too.

BTES continues to invest in the future workforce through partnerships with local schools. Whether it's Teacher Industry Day, student work-based learning programs, or career days, these connections help ensure our students are gaining the skills today that employers will need tomorrow.

So, as I stood there across from the Business Park, watching the early morning light catch on new construction, I realized it’s not just buildings going up. It’s opportunity. It’s momentum. And it’s a whole community moving forward, together.