James July-August 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 45
T
he spectacular view from the top of Lookout Mountain never gets old for
Duane Horton, something he refuses to take for granted. This majestic
vista serves as a persistent reminder of his journey to the summit and the
many challenges encountered along the way.
Horton is CEO of Scenic Land
Company, the developer that has
overseen the emergence of McLemore, a master-planned community atop Lookout Mountain in
northwest Georgia that has attracted attention worldwide for its
championship caliber golf courses
as well as a stunning resort hotel.
McLemore is located 35 miles
south of Chattanooga, an easy twoand-a-half-hour drive from Atlanta.
Situated 2,300 feet above sea level
and perched on the eastern brow
of Lookout Mountain, the development has drawn rave reviews as a
mecca of comfort, excellence, and
beauty. While Horton has served
as the ringmaster behind McLemore’s emergence, his journey to the
mountaintop has been a winding uphill odyssey, both literally
and figuratively.
Horton spent his youth
in the valley below in McLemore Cove, a community
in Walker County where
he was drawn with childlike amazement at the
grandeur of the mountain that loomed above
his family farm.
When riding the bus
to and from his elementary school, Horton
would always position
himself in the seats
nearest to the mountain, further fueling
his imagination of
what might someday
transpire along the
rocky terrain above.
From his earliest days, there
was an intrinsic connection to Lookout Mountain for Horton. It offered
equal parts, serenity and adventure
during his formative years, providing a canvas for future dreams that
penetrated deeply into his core.
Horton spent countless hours
immersing himself in all the activities Lookout Mountain had to
offer: swimming in creeks, exploring waterfalls, and rappelling
down boulders. He even worked at
nearby Rock City, the enchanting
tourist attraction formed by nature.
“It was always a majestic feeling
when I would ride up that mountain,” Horton said. “Once you get on
top, getting to experience that view
starts to become a part of you in
such a way that’s hard to explain.”
Horton attended Georgia
Tech, where he earned a degree
in construction management that
he hoped would lead to heights far
loftier than Lookout Mountain. “I
thought I would leave the area and
travel the world to build skyscrapers or bridges,” Horton said. “But
early in my career, I got a much
better appreciation for what we
have here. There is a uniqueness in
this area— not just from a physical
location, but from a cultural and
community standpoint as well.”
Returning to His Roots
As the early years of Horton’s
career carried him far away from
his childhood roots, he could
not ignore the gnawing tug that
continually beckoned him back to
McLemore Cove.
Horton worked for a construction business in nearby Chattanooga before eventually opening his
own development company and
partnering with others who shared
a vision of doing something unique.
One of those was Ryan Crimmins,
president of a successful electrical
contractor who is part of the leadership team at McLemore.
“I’ve known Duane since ’93,
and if you look at his background
of growing up in Walker County
and putting himself through Georgia Tech, that tells you a lot about
his focus and wanting to achieve
a goal,” Crimmins said. “Several of
us pooled some funds together for
Scenic Land to do projects around
Chattanooga to try to help grow
the economy of the area.”
Scenic Land was asked to partner in a struggling development
called Canyon Ridge that featured a
golf course on top of the mountain.
Little did Horton realize at the time
how that decision would shape
his future, involving unspeakable
challenges before finally evolving
into what is today the success story
known as McLemore.
“I really didn’t want to work
with another developer because I
had a close- knit community of people I trusted on my team,” Horton
said. “But this guy was relentless,
so I drove up and saw the natural
beauty of the property and the infrastructure that was already there.
We decided to try to work with him
and put a build together.”
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