Located in northeast Alabama, Jackson, Marshall, DeKalb and Cherokee counties benefit from their proximity to several major metropolitan areas — Cherokee County is equally distanced between Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga — as well as the thriving manufacturing environment of the Huntsville/Madison County area. Access to key transportation routes, including major interstates and highways, Tennessee River port, rail connections and airports also play an important role in supporting local industry.
“We are seeing increasing overlaps in our local economy with the two growing markets of Huntsville and Chattanooga,” says Dr. Brett Johnson, director of the DeKalb County Economic Development Authority. “Manufacturers, retailers and home builders are seeing the northeast Alabama corridor as a prime location for low-cost, high-quality living leading to higher returns on economic and workforce investment. From the mountains and valleys to the interstate and railways, our region continues to be the proven place for business.”
Strong secondary and post-secondary workforce development programs help fuel the workforce in the region.
DeKalb County will soon be home to a $40 million Career Technical Education Facility thanks in part to $18 million from the Alabama Career and Technical Education Facilities Grant Program. The 95,000-square-foot facility will offer programs in cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and business with multimedia marketing.
Northeast Alabama Community College celebrated the launch of a new Entrepreneurial Center in Rainsville earlier this year. The E-Center will boost economic development in DeKalb and Jackson counties and surrounding areas by providing office and collaborative workspaces as well as access to mentors, funding opportunities and workshops.
Last fall, Snead State Community College celebrated the opening of a Workforce and Career Institute located between Albertville and Guntersville. It offers skills training in industrial systems technology, HVAC/R, machine tool technology, welding and additive manufacturing as well as short-term non-credit workforce development opportunities.
Gadsden State Community College’s 2+2 Poultry Science Program prepares students to work in the state’s most profitable agricultural industry. Students enrolled in the partnership program complete their core curriculum as well as an introductory agriculture class at Gadsden State Cherokee before transferring to Auburn University to complete a bachelor’s degree.
The surrounding foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the Tennessee River offer an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities that are a major draw for tourism. Lake Guntersville in Marshall County is a world-renowned bass fishing destination and Lake Weiss in Cherokee County is known as the “Crappie Fishing Capital of the World.” Jackson County has more caves per square mile than any other county in the country, and DeKalb County is home to two state parks, DeSoto State Park and Buck’s Pocket State Park, and one national preserve, Little River Canyon.
Katherine MacGilvray is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
For more on Jackson, Marshall, DeKalb & Cherokee counties, see the links below:
This section appears in the November 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
