Keith Greene

Catoosa County officials unwrapped one closely guarded secret Thursday — code named Project Brown — announcing that UPS will relocate its Chattanooga distribution center to Ringgold, Ga.

The world’s largest package delivery service, with its well-known advertising campaign about “Brown” and trucks and uniforms to match, hopes to grow in the new facility, Catoosa County Commissioner Jim Cutler said.

The site is off Interstate 75 at the Battlefield Parkway exit in the former Freightliner facility.

“They say they are starting with 67 jobs and hope to add to it,” Mr. Cutler said. “In this economy, news of employment is good news.”

The Catoosa County Development Authority worked to recruit UPS, Mr. Cutler said. The authority received an economic development grant from the state Department of Community Affairs to help the company relocate from its current location off Highway 153 in Chattanooga, he said.

During talks and grant negotiations, the company name was kept secret and the prospective industry was referred to as Project Brown.

UPS spokesman Ira Rosenfeld said the company wanted more space and also moved to avoid congestion around the Hamilton Place area.

“The availability of a 46-door facility in Ringgold, newer than our Chattanooga facility, has us better situated to serve the majority of our facilities customers who are located in northern Georgia,” Mr. Rosenfeld stated.

“And a larger property better suited for anticipated expansion made Ringgold the ideal situation,” he added.

The move should start this weekend, said county officials, adding they are glad the secret is out.

“We are excited that we can finally make the announcement,” Catoosa Commission Chairman Keith Greene said. “I hope we can continue this momentum. This is the beginning of the second quarter of the year and we are doing pretty well so far.”