The US South has been a magnet for
relocation of big corporate headquarters. I saw on 2011 a trip to Nashville, TN the home
of country music, that Nissan and Samsonite luggage moved their North
American headquarters to Murfreesboro, TN about 30 min from Nashville. On one
hand, what a strange place for a Japanese car company, but on the other the move resulted in the area
having one of the very top US population growth rates of 40% since the 2000s and
has a current job growth rate of 40%, quite a contrast from the overall US
economy.
When I was in Murfreesboro there was an amazing Old South/New South contrast between one side of the highway with old beat up pick up trucks and crumbling houses whereas on the other were huge brand new shopping centers with boutiques, day spas, Whole Foods, and giant corporate headquarters complex of Nissan with McMansions and condos nearby. Even the roads themselves were much more well maintained on the newer side. Also, another nearby country town had been converted to what NY Times columnist David Brooks would call a "latte towns," small walkable areas of boutiques, Starbucks, etc. for the new wealthier population.
When I was in Murfreesboro there was an amazing Old South/New South contrast between one side of the highway with old beat up pick up trucks and crumbling houses whereas on the other were huge brand new shopping centers with boutiques, day spas, Whole Foods, and giant corporate headquarters complex of Nissan with McMansions and condos nearby. Even the roads themselves were much more well maintained on the newer side. Also, another nearby country town had been converted to what NY Times columnist David Brooks would call a "latte towns," small walkable areas of boutiques, Starbucks, etc. for the new wealthier population.
