{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Love of Here | Life and Work in Northwest Georgia","title":"Hurry to Murray: From Local Gems to National Highlights with Barry Gentry","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2570,"description":"Ever wondered what it takes to put a small county on the map — not to mention get the attention of Hollywood, HGTV, and out-of-state investors in the process? On this episode of the Love of Here podcast, Lauren and Erika sit down with Barry Gentry, president of the Murray County Chamber of Commerce, to talk about how one \"wrong turn\" led to a mission of building up Murray County from the ground up.\nBarry shares the real story behind Murray's growth — from landing a Taylor Sheridan film production and HGTV star Chip Wade's tree house Airbnbs, to recruiting national retailers, building a new hospital, and creating a slogan (\"Hurry to Murray!\") that's stuck ever since. It's a candid, funny, and heartfelt conversation about grassroots economic development, believing in your community before the world does, and building something for the next generation — not just for today.\nHighlights\nBarry's journey from a chamber in Iowa to becoming president of the Murray County Chamber of CommerceHow Murray County landed a Taylor Sheridan production (Rescue) and became a hotspot for HGTV star Chip Wade's Airbnb developmentsThe behind-the-scenes story of investing in a retail recruiter to bring in brands like Dunkin', Waffle House, and Factory ConnectionMajor healthcare investment coming to Murray County from Hamilton and AdventHealthThe origin story of the \"Hurry to Murray\" sloganA look at downtown Chatsworth's revival, driven by local investors like Holly MyersNew restaurant openings, including a wood-fired concept from Brooklyn transplant Dominic NapolitanoThe growth of the Murray Arts Council and community-sponsored music eventsWhy Barry believes you have to \"build for the youth\" to sustain a community long-termUpcoming events: the Teardrop Marathon, Black Bear Festival, and Dancing with the Murray Stars fundraiserThe economics of shopping local and why it matters for community wealthMurray County's ambitious housing growth plans, including 1,000 new homes and affordable...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/32Msm-9Gwlojlmwh9dOdnofsbjwMDCFdOa9IIi5kxJw/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zOTc4/NWIzOWNkMjJjYThh/OGMxYTkzMTY3OWJk/OTg4ZC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}