KnoxvilleChamber News

Food City Announces Return of Kern's Bread

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:32:24 GMT

Note: This is from a release by Food City.

Today, company officials announced that Food City customers will soon see the return of Kern's Bread, a regional favorite, to the shelves of their retail supermarkets.

"We pride ourselves on top quality products, competitive pricing and exceptional customer service," says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. "Like our company, Kern's was also a local family-owned operation and we're thrilled to bring back such a popular line of top quality products".

Kern's history dates back 144 years, when the first bakery was founded in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1864 by Peter Kern, former mayor of Knoxville (1890-91). The bakery operated from the present Hotel St. Oliver on Union Avenue in the late 1800's, until the new building was later constructed on Chapman Highway.

Area Food City locations will serve as the exclusive Kern's outlet. A complete line of white, whole wheat, honey wheat and lite wheat breads and buns will be available, featuring the original batter-whipped recipe. A line of fresh baked cakes will also follow, including single serve snack cakes, angel food and pound cakes.

The new Kern's line will continue to be produced in its hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, by Sara Lee Bakeries' Chapman Highway facility.

"We're very excited to see the return of this wonderful regional favorite," said Mike Wardell, plant manager. "We have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Food City throughout the years and we're proud to be part of the production of a top quality line of products with such a rich heritage."

Top High School Students Awarded Tennessee Scholar Designation

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:10:26 GMT

Nearly 400 Knoxville-area high school students were awarded this year's Tennessee Scholar designation for successfully completing rigorous high school requirements.

The benchmarks for attaining this award include completing specific advanced high school course work, maintaining a 2.5 GPA, pass Gateway Exams, completing 20 hours of community service, not having out-of-school suspension, and have 95 percent school attendance.

Grant Rosenberg, from the Knox County Mayor's office, was the emcee at the event, held May 1 at Pellissippi State Technical Community College.

Rosenberg said that the students who completed the program were on-track to become the type of "high-performance employee" that the Knoxville business community is searching for. Workforce development is a priority for the Knoxville Chamber.

Jayson Swain, a former University of Tennessee football player, was the keynote speaker at the award ceremony. He compared the students' journey to compete the Tennessee Scholars program to former NFL Giant George Martin's walk across America.

Martin walked across the United States for four months to earn $10 million to benefit sick 9/11 rescue and recovery workers.

Swain compared the students' journeys to Martin's journey in that they both took perseverance, battling the temptation to quit, changing associations to those that will benefit the journey, and maintaining focus.

He said that, like Martin, the students had to ensure that every step in their high school career was towards the destination of completing the program.

Swain "challenged all of the Scholars to keep walking and make sure every step is forward in their personal life." He said that relationships with their family, friends, community and religion would be key in their lives. Swain said that the students now had a responsibility to continue the hard work.

Door prizes for the event included three laptops, courtesy of Energy Solutions; Pilot gas cards; tickets to Regal Cinemas; iPod Shuffle, courtesy of Lincoln Memorial University; Rush Fitness Center memberships; Suntan City tanning passes; tickets to the Knoxville Ice Bears games; and $100 Best Buy gift certificate, courtesy of the National College of Business Technology.

Click here to view the complete list of 2008 Tennessee Scholars.

Pinnacle Business Awards Honor Best in Business

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:43:07 GMT

The 2008 Pinnacle Business Awards on Friday honored nine Knoxville businesses and individuals for excellence in their fields and in the community.

The winners are:

Innovator: Molecular Pathology Laboratory Network, Inc.
Small Business Excellence: Studio Four Design, Inc.
Impact: Goody's Family Clothing
Minority Business Excellence: (tied) ES&H, Inc. and Visionary Solutions, LLC
Business Excellence Awards:
- Mid-Sized Business Excellence: Merit Construction, Inc.
- Large Business Excellence: Pilot Travel Centers, LLC
Young Entrepreneur: Chris VanBeke, President and CEO, Tennetic Ventures, LLC
James A. Haslam, II Leadership: Pete DeBusk

Mike Hamilton, Chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors, said, "Tonight is an occasion to honor the nominees and winners in the eight award categories. The businesses and businesspeople that will receive awards tonight are outstanding representatives of the greater Knoxville business community. But, I hope you will remember that they are emblematic of all the fantastic businesses and hard working businesspeople in our region."

The event, held at the Knoxville Convention Center, was attended by more than 650 people. The presenting sponsor was Region's Bank. Other sponsors include the Greater Knoxville Business Journal, Bandit Lites, Wackenhut, Energy Solutions, the Knoxville News Sentinel, Citadel Broadcasting, GraceWorks Studio, and WBIR-TV.

Knoxville Coffee Table Book Now Available

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:59:47 GMT

The Knoxville -- Center of Innovation coffee table book is now available from the Knoxville Chamber. The 264-page color pictorial book captures the essence of the region and portrays what it is like to work, live and play in the Innovation Valley.

Photographers from across America were commissioned to shoot thousands of images for this book. The best of these photographs are included in the coffee table book.

Pre-orders and sponsor copies are currently being shipped.

There is still time to get the book if you have not yet made your order. The cost is $45 for members and $52 for non-members. There is a $10 shipping and handling fee. Please direct all inquiries to Barbara Teague at (865) 637-4550.

AT&T Tennessee President Looks to Future of Connectivity

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:31:14 GMT

Gregg Morton, President of AT&T Tennessee told a group of Chamber Premier Partner members about the changing landscape of the communications industry Thursday at the Knoxville Chamber office.

He said that his company is responding to the changing market by expanding existing services and by looking into new ways to connect customers to the information and entertainment that they want.

One example of this is a new option in video that would compete with cable television. He said that their program would be "cooler than cable" because of additional features such as interactivity and multiple-program DVR.

Here is the PowerPoint presentation that he gave to the Premier Partners.

ATTPresentation.ppt 4.53 MB

Chamber Releases Summit Report

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:06:24 GMT

Today, the Knoxville Chamber released the report detailing the ideas and strategies gathered during the Workforce Development and Education Summit, which was held on March 24th. The Summit was an opportunity for businesspeople, community leaders, elected officials, educators, students, parents, and the faith-based community to come together and discuss the important role that education and workforce development have on the future of our economy and society.

The ideas in the report were gathered during the breakout sessions held at the summit. With this feedback, the Chamber crafted a message of next steps in the report, which was a result of collaboration with many partners, including the Oak Ridge Economic Partnerships, Knox County and Great Schools Partnership. Topics included effective teaching, making learning relevant, developing a communications strategy, business and community engagement, bridging the gap between higher education and business, workforce training, engaging the under-utilized workforce, and attracting and retaining a quality workforce.

"The Summit was a genuine success," says Jennifer Evans, the chamber’s director of workforce development. "We gathered a tremendous amount of input for the attendees. The quality of the ideas was outstanding. Now we will begin the task of implementing these ideas."

Moving forward, the chamber staff will work with educators and others in the community to implement the strategies identified at the Summit.

Community input will be an ongoing process. Citizens may submit additional ideas by email jevans@knoxvillechamber.com.

Here are the reports from the Workforce Summit:
Final Summit Report
Appendix 1: Summit Notes
Appendix 2: What to Do For Schools List

Appendix3SummitEvaluations.xls 185.00 kB

Chamber Names Pinnacle Finalists

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:38:11 GMT

Today the Knoxville Chamber named finalists for the 2008 Pinnacle Business Awards presented by Regions Bank. The Awards gala is the business community’s marquee event and includes a celebration of business accomplishments and the honoring of the 2008 winners. The Pinnacle Business Awards event will be April 25th at the Knoxville Convention Center and will begin with a reception and silent auction at 6:30 p.m. The dinner and awards presentation will begin at 8:00 p.m.

More than 650 businesspeople are expected to attend the gala. Corporate tables and individual tickets are available and can be purchased online at www.knoxvillechamber.com or by contacting the Chamber at 865-637-4550.

Awards are presented in eight categories – six business and two individual categories. Finalists are named in four of those categories – Innovator Award, Small Business Excellence Award, Impact Award, and Minority Business Excellence Award. Winners will be announced in all categories at the Pinnacle Business Awards gala event.

Finalists and award categories are:

Innovator Award – presented by Image Matters, Inc.
This award is given to a business that has developed a new technology, innovative product or service or applied a business system or service in an innovative way.

Finalists:
Advanced Polymer Recycling Inc.
Molecular Pathology Laboratory Network, Inc.
Sunlight Direct, LLC

Small Business Excellence Award – presented by Bank of America
This award is presented to a business with 50 or fewer employees that has consistently grown its workforce and revenue and overcome obstacles including access to capital, operational efficiency, control of expenses, customer loyalty and distribution.

Finalists
AC Entertainment
Junk Bee Gone
Professional Drivers Medical Depots
Studio Four Design

Impact Award – presented by Sperry Van Ness R.M. Moore
This award honors a business that displays a commitment to making East Tennessee a better place to live and work through the development and support of a community project or program.

Finalists
Goody’s Family Clothing, Inc.
Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center
Shoney’s of Knoxville, Inc.

Minority Business Excellence Award – presented by Covenant Health
This award is presented to a minority business that has produced outstanding business results and growth and overcome the obstacles of race or sex.

Finalists
ES&H, Inc.
GEM Technologies, Inc.
Visionary Solutions LLC

Business Excellence Awards – Mid-Sized Award presented by the Conference
Center at Water’s Edge
This award is given to a company headquartered in East Tennessee or a company with a significant presence in East Tennessee that has shown remarkable profitability, growth and stability and is recognized regionally, nationally and/or internationally in their its respective business sector. Both a mid-sized and a large business are selected in this category.

Young Entrepreneur Award – presented by Cariten Healthcare
Presented to a young professional under forty that lives and works in East Tennessee and has achieved success while overcoming obstacles, to become one of tomorrow’s top business leaders. The winner will have started or is at risk in ownership of his/her business.

James A. Haslam, II Leadership Award – presented by Lexus of Knoxville
This award is given to a longtime business leader that exhibits strength in character, resolve and a commitment to the community and exemplary success in the regional business community.

Exedy Celebrates Expansion of Aluminum Casting Plant

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:41:03 GMT

Exedy America Corporation celebrated another expansion of its industrial facility located in the EastBridge Business Park in eastern Knox County on Friday, April 4.

Exedy is a manufacturer of torque converters and supplies its products to automobile manufacturers and the after market. The company’s latest expansion consists of the construction of an aluminum casting plant. The new facility required a $13 million investment and will see the creation of 40 new jobs.

Exedy first located in EastBridge in 1995. Since that time, Exedy has expanded the original plant twice investing well over $150 million. The company currently employs 570 people.

SYSCO Holds Ribbon Cutting at New Knoxville Facility

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:57:42 GMT

SYSCO Corporation held a ribbon cutting Tuesday at its recently-completed foodservice distribution facility in Knoxville. The new company is Sysco Foodservices of Knoxville, LLC.

Service will begin at the new 353,000-square-foot location on Tennessee Ave. on May 12.

Tommy Dail, president and CEO of Sysco Foodservices of Knoxville, said, "This is a historic day for the city of Knoxville because it takes a piece of real estate that had been dormant and with the city's vision, foresight, investment and willingness to take a risk, it will soon be a productive contributor to our community."

The facility includes what the company refers to as 'next generation' amenities, such as robotic storage and retrieval systems, energy efficient lighting systems, and a culinary training and evaluation center.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam said, "Low and behold they build a bigger facility than they tell us they are going to, and hire more people than they promise they will, and build a building that is very environmentally friendly and looks terrific in the meantime. It doesn't always work out that way, but when it does, it's great."

Workforce and Education Summit Videos

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:16:35 GMT

These videos were taken at the Workforce and Education Summit on Mar. 24, 2008 at the Knoxville Convention Center.

If you have trouble viewing the videos, download the free quicktime player here.

Education Summit Calls for Changing Perceptions of Learning

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:34:40 GMT

Cick here to watch the complete general session at the Education Summit

One of the key themes throughout the Workforce and Education Summit today was that the East Tennessee community needs to embrace changing ideas towards learning and education and move steadfastly into the future.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam called the recently-formed Innovation Valley Inc. partnership's goal of having the best workforce in the nation within 10 years both bold and ambitious. But his sentiment, and that of other community and education leaders, was that the goal was attainable with cooperation and dedication to improving the education system in the area.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale said that, "To ensure the future economic prosperity of the region, we have got to have a great workforce. To have that, we need effective educational programs. The two go together."

Dr. Matt Murray, Associate Director of the Center for Business and Education Research at the University of Tennessee, gave an account of the current state of Tennessee's education system. For example, only 70 percent of high school students graduate. Only 17 percent of Tennessee high school freshmen will graduate from college within six years of entering college. Tennessee spends about three-quarters of the national average per pupil on education. Tennessee received failing grades in many key areas in national and local surveys about education.

The Summit, attended by many of the Innovation Valley's top educational, political, business, and community leaders, was held at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Presenting sponsors for the Summit were EdFinancial Services and South College. Contributing sponsors include the Knoxville Chamber, Knox County, City of Knoxville and the Great Schools Partnership.

Download the presentation given by Dr. Matt Murray.

2008 Pinnacle Business Awards Set To Honor Region’s Best

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:51:14 GMT

The fourth annual Knoxville Chamber Pinnacle Business Awards ceremony, presented by Regions Bank, will take place April 25th at the Knoxville Convention Center.

The Pinnacle Business Awards recognize Knoxville’s elite businesses and business leaders with honors going to recipients in six business categories and two individual categories.

As in years past, the 2008 Awards will honor some outstanding accomplishments. Award categories are Small Business Excellence, Minority Business Excellence, Innovator, Impact, Business Excellence, and Young Entrepreneur.

The Knoxville News Sentinel was awarded the 2007 Impact Award, sponsored by R.M. Moore Real Estate Company, for its service in the Knoxville community. News Sentinel staff helped generate $150,000 for the United Way in 2006. In addition, the paper’s Milk Fund and Mercy Fund provided dietary supplements and funds for emergency medical situations.

“Receiving the 2007 Impact Award was a direct reflection of our employees’ dedication to serve the East Tennessee community,” says Bruce Hartmann, publisher of the News Sentinel. “The News Sentinel recognizes the award’s significance in the business community but wouldn’t have been in consideration without our staff’s passion to give to those in need,” Hartmann says.

The Pinnacle Awards recognize excellence — not just among the area big business and excellence in area small business.

“It’s not just big companies, the Pinnacle Awards also highlight small companies that most people don’t know about,” says Chamber Manager of Events Lori Fuller. “There are some great things happening in Knoxville and the Pinnacle Awards event gives us the opportunity to showcase that,” adds Fuller.
Chuck Witkowski, president of Protein Discovery, was the recipient of last year’s Young Entrepreneur Award, sponsored by Cariten Healthcare.

Protein Discovery is a cutting-edge scientific company that develops advanced diagnostic tools that detect cancer before a tumor begins to grow, allowing for treatment at the earliest stages.

The Pinnacle Business Awards is one of Knoxville’s marquee annual events with over 650 businesspeople expected to attend the annual celebration. Attendees will be treated to an exciting evening that includes a reception and silent auction, followed by dinner, the awards presentation, and post party.

2008 Pinnacle Business Award Descriptions

Impact Award
This award will be presented to an East Tennessee business that displays a commitment to making East Tennessee a better place to live through the development and support of a community project or program. The Impact Award winner should be able to demonstrate the ability to improve community conditions that make a significant contribution or impact on our region. Such contributions might include improving education, improving healthcare, pursuing environmental excellence, performing community service, and influencing other organizations to partner for these purposes.

Innovator Award
This award will be given to an East Tennessee business that has developed a new technology, innovative product or service or applied a business system or service in an innovative way. The winner will be able to quantify its growth and provide a detailed explanation of the new product, service, or system.

Minority Business Excellence Award
This award will be presented to an East Tennessee independently-owned minority business that produced outstanding business results and growth while overcoming the obstacles of race or sex. The winner will be selected based on the demonstrated ability to compete in a non-diverse field.

Small Business Excellence Award
This award will be presented to an East Tennessee small business that has consistently grown its workforce and revenue. Nominees should be businesses started in the Knoxville region and have 50 employees or less company-wide. The winner will be able to demonstrate its ability to overcome obstacles including access to capital, operational efficiency, control of expenses, customer loyalty, and distribution of products or services.

Business Excellence Award
Awarded to a company headquartered in East Tennessee, or a company with a significant presence in East Tennessee, that has shown remarkable profitability, growth, and stability. Nominees must be recognized regionally, nationally, and/or internationally in their respective business sector, while demonstrating leadership in the sector as well. There will be two winners in this category, one for companies with 51-150 employees company-wide and another for companies with 151+ employees company-wide.

Young Entrepreneur Award
This award will be presented to a young professional, 40 years of age or younger as of April 25, 2008, who lives and works in East Tennessee and has achieved success while overcoming obstacles to become one of tomorrow’s top business leaders. The winner will have started or is at risk in ownership in their business. They will have used technology or new business practices to move a company from early growth to some maturity.

James A. Haslam, II Award
Awarded to a lontime business leader that exhibits strength in character, resolve, commitment to our community and exemplary success in business.

What has the Chamber Learned? An Update on Education and Workforce Development

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:44:33 GMT

What is 10% of 100?

The answer for some might fly off the tongue – for others it proves quite difficult.

On a recent trip to an Eastman Chemical factory, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen found that the question isn’t easily answered by some area workers. Bredesen mentioned his tour of the facility during a February speech hosted by the Knoxville Chamber. The above question, administered on Eastman’s pre-employment exam is often answered incorrectly, Bredesen said

Bredesen’s example highlights the alarming conditions that prompted the Knoxville Chamber to development its Workforce Development and Education Taskforce. Over the past 18 months, the Chamber and the taskforce has attacked the following core issues: 38 percent of employers find today’s high school graduates deficient in reading comprehension; written communication tops the list of applied skills found lacking in high school and college graduates; one in five workers reads at a skill level lower than his or her job requires; remedial writing courses cost large corporations $3.1 billion annually.

“We had a tremendous number of kids who were leaving high school not prepared to go on,” says Knoxville Chamber President and CEO Mike Edwards. “Whether they were to go to college or go to work, they were not prepared for life,” added Edwards.

Furthermore, with the increasing use of technology on the job, addressing the above issues while implementing new skill sets are vitally important to our national and regional economic future.

“If you look at companies 50 to 100 years ago - for example, U.S. Steel - they were businesses focused on things and objects,” says Jennifer Evans, Chamber director of workforce development and education. “It was how much you owned in assets. If you look at the top companies now - Google and Microsoft for example – it’s all about knowledge. It’s these intangible things that are really launching us into the next economy – the Knowledge Economy.”

Raising Standards For the Knowledge Economy

China, India, Korea, Ireland. They’re America’s competitors as we enter the Knowledge Economy. These countries have developed educational systems to produce the workers for the new economy.
So, how do we begin to close the gap to produce the high-skilled workers we need to compete globally? For the Chamber and Knoxville businesses, the answer lies in higher standards and better curriculum.
In the summer of 2007, Governor Bredesen and Chamber executives met for a round-table discussion on increasing the education performance of this region and the state of Tennessee. The state School Board subsequently raised school standards and placed a large emphasis on application-based learning.

“I love that,” says Evans. “A large focus of these raised standards is to help teachers and students understand why they’re in school in the first place – to be able to apply this more rigorous material they are learning.”

Edwards points out that high school education isn’t just about having a class full of students. “In some states, their standard is to teach an algebra class the whole book. In Tennessee, we teach only parts of the book. We cherry-pick the parts that we know are going to appear on the state’s standardized tests. So our students do not have a comprehensive knowledge of the subject – a knowledge and understanding that can be used later to solve problems. And we, along with Oklahoma, cherry-pick the most,” Edwards says.

The 2007 data for Knox County schools backs up Edwards’ concern. Of the 2,517 students who took the ACT last year, only 26 percent met national benchmarks in English, math, reading and science.
Even if students’ career aspirations aren’t above average, Evans says the increased standards will help them. “Not everyone is going to be a physicist or trigonometry expert, but they need to be able to have the skills to think through those problems.”

One of the Chamber’s main focus points has been on this endgame mind-set: determining where we need to be before we start trekking into the unknown.

Outcome Vs. Process

“The largest focus of the Knoxville Chamber is on how we can help through outcomes,” says CEO Edwards.

“We have to change from a process mentality within public education to an outcome mentality.”
The education industry has focused, for many years, on how teachers should teach, but now they’re starting to shift that focus to how kids learn. Edwards believes every resource available to support this approach should be utilized. “It’s about kids walking out of school ready to go. Whatever it takes to support that needs to be there or we’re not going to have a prosperous economy,” says Edwards.

In early 2007, the Workforce Development and Education Taskforce of the Knoxville Chamber and the local business community began meeting with Knox County School System (KCS) administrators to find ways to help the school system develop and meet higher standards. KCS has established four interrelated and dependent student achievement goals:

The most recent data shows only 33 percent of Knox County students earn a 21 or higher on the ACT.
Here’s another troubling fact. Currently, just 1.6 percent of KCS’s $350 million budget goes towards technology in a world that is driven by technology.

The Chamber recognizes the critical necessity of technology funding as the students of the present grow into our workforce of tomorrow. KCS realizes a need for increased funding as well. In fact, in 2007 it asked for and received $18 million for that purpose from the state of Tennessee – though pinpointing exactly how that money was used is at issue.

“If you look at KCS’s budget, you really can’t tell where everything is allocated,” notes Edwards. “The Chamber started having conversations with the school board and found out they have silos of information and data. They have budget information, fiscal-plan information, they have test-score information, and they have HR information, but none of it talks to each other.”

The Chamber wants to help merge all of KCS’s information. This can be accomplished by developing a data warehouse that would allow KCS to use its information to make knowledgeable decisions - including how to spend funds to meet its outcome-driven goals.

“We’re looking at helping them develop a data bank and then providing people who can train them in how to use that management tool,” says Edwards.

Edwards believes the public education community must adopt sound management principles in order to reach its goals. He recommends using the well-documented management and leadership practices employed by successful businesses. That will help KCS become a high-achieving organization.

A resolution drafted by the Chamber to help KCS work towards its goals has recently been adopted by the Knox County School Board.

On the Same Page

The Chamber believes the value of education is not to be taken lightly. If our economy is to continue to be the world leader it is today, each of us needs to understand the importance of a proper education for our children.

“This shouldn’t just apply to parents with kids in elementary school, high school, or college – it should apply to those who don’t have kids or have kids who are grown. They should care about this,” says Evans.

In an effort to spread the word, the Chamber will present a Workforce and Education Summit sponsored by EdFinancial and South College. The Summit will take place on March 24th at the Knoxville Convention Center and will include educators, businesspeople, parents, community leaders, representatives of faith-based institutions, and students throughout the Innovation Valley.

Furthermore, the Chamber believes the relevance of educational material to workforce development is vitally important.

“It makes sense for the business community to help the education community understand what it will require from its workforce,” says Evans. “It’s better for a business to offer input upfront than to have to remediate and train employees that aren’t cutting it.”

It also helps students because they will be ready to fill the available jobs of the future.

The Chamber also believes individualized focus and tracking is important for progression towards the Knowledge Economy. It feels students must be tracked as they progress through their education career to make sure they are ready for the workforce.

“If a student is struggling with material in their current grade level then we really need to stop them there, we don’t need to advance them on,” says Evans. “I think administrators and school systems realize this, but I think the community and businesses need to jump in there, because resources in the school system are limited.”

Evans says tutoring is an example of how the community might be able to step in and provide assistance to individual students.

There is optimism. Tennessee students are beginning to “cut-it” more frequently. “There are still many, many things to do, but [Tennessee schools are] moving up the rankings and doing better,” Governor Phil Bredesen told the Chamber-sponsored lunch crowd of about 600 business and community leaders in February.

Bredesen also mentioned that Tennessee placed 10th in the recent national ranking of state education systems, “Standards, Assessments and Accountability.”

“Because of the actions that our state School Board has [recently] taken to tighten those standards even further, I think we will continue to move up those rankings,” said Bredesen.

Tenth out of 50, a current ranking the Knoxville Chamber feels will rise with the continued focus on workforce development and education by the entire community – including the business community.

Knoxville Ranked 10th in Forbes List of Best Places for Business and Careers

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:00:01 GMT

The Knoxville business environment has again been recognized by Forbes magazine in its 10th annual Best Places for Business and Careers list.

Knoxville comes in 10th, a drop in ranking from previous years, but still in an elite group of cities with pro-business and pro-career communities.

Knoxville Chamber President and CEO Mike Edwards told the Knoxville News Sentinel, "Corporate America continues to look at indicators such as Forbes' rankings and they continue to see Knoxville listed. … These rankings drive interest in Knoxville and people give us a look that they may not have given us years ago."

Raleigh, NC; Boise, ID and Fort Collins, CO top the list. Nearby Atlanta, GA and Lexington, KY are also in the top 10. Nashville is ranked 15th.

Some of the indicators used to develop the rankings are number of colleges, cost of doing business, cost of living, crime rate, culture and leisure, educational attainment, income growth, job growth and net migration.

See the complete Forbes list of best cities to do business

Read the Knoxville News Sentinel story on the Forbes rankings..

Knoxville in Top Metros, Tenn. Third in Governor's Cup Lists by Site Selection Magazine

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:29:28 GMT

Knoxville has captured a top-10 ranking for its population in the annual Site Selection Magazine's top metros. The list ranks cities by the number of corporate facility projects during that year.

Tennessee was tied for second place in the list of states with most top metros.

For its population range (200,000 to 1 million), Knoxville was tied for tenth place with Lexington, Ky., with 22 corporate facility projects in 2007.

Nashville was among the top ten in the over-1-million population group. Morristown and Johnson City, Tenn. were both in the top 10 in the under-200,000 population group.

Read the article from Site Selection Magazine about the top metros.

In addition to Knoxville getting high marks for an individual cities' achievements, Site Selection Magazine has honored Tennessee and Governor Phil Bredesen in its Governor's Cup rankings.

Tennessee had the third highest total of new or expanded capital projects in the previous year in the United States.

Ohio had the most projects, 399, followed by Illinois with 362 and Tennessee with 293.

According to the state's website, Bredesen said, “This is good news for Tennessee, and confirms that our state continues to build on its reputation as one of the most business-friendly states in the country. Site Selection’s Governor’s Cup rankings reflect Tennessee’s commitment to driving economic growth and developing a world class workforce through education and training.”

Rhonda Rice, Executive Vice President of the Knoxville Chamber, told the Knoxville News Sentinel that, "Any time that you can show that your state and your region (are) doing well, it's a great message to sell to other potential companies that might be looking to relocate to the area or that might be considering expansion."

Read the story on the State of Tennessee's economic and community development website.

Read the story from Site Selection Magazine on the Governor's Cup rankings.

Read the Knoxville News Sentinel coverage of the awards.

SmartFix Begins May 1; Plan Keeps Traffic Flowing to Downtown Knoxville

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:51:58 GMT

Two decades in the making and the major construction hasn’t even begun, that all changes this May for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

“We had a bottle-neck downtown, five lanes into two – it’s something that needed to be addressed,” says TDOT spokesperson Travis Brickey.

That maybe an understatement for the 103,000 travelers that make their way through downtown Knoxville each day. “There has been a need to improve the section of I-40 in the area of downtown where James White Parkway comes in, it is very inefficient. It has had one of the worst safety records on I-40 in the state, probably in the country,” Brickey says.

SmartFIX40 officially began in 2005 with reconstruction set to continue this spring. A $190 million price-tag will accompany this next phase - TDOT’s most expensive to date. The project will include completion of six additional lanes between James White Parkway (Exit 388) and Hall of Fame Drive (Exit 389A), construction of nine bridges and the erection of three noise walls. Local traffic may continue to use James White Parkway and Hall of Fame Drive to access the downtown area and the University of Tennessee. Both east-bound and west-bound flow-through traffic will be re-routed to I-640.

If this sounds like years and years of work, it’s not. Surprisingly, the entire project (with its 3.5 million lbs. of steel and installation of 200 new signs) is scheduled for completion in just 14 months.

“It’s one of those where if you accelerate the project, you’re not having to maintain traffic – you can really get in and get out,” said Bricky.

TDOT has even included added incentives for the project contractor to insure completion by July 2009.
Increased safety and quick completion, accompanied by what Brickey says will make for a more visually pleasurable drive through the downtown Knoxville area. “We will have a signature bridge and we’ve really put a mindset to making it look good and function well.”

More information about TDOT’s continuing SmartFIX40 project can be found by visiting the following website: http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/default.asp

Here are TDOT maps of the road work and closures: general | detailed

For a full report on the project, cameras viewing the work sites, and updated maps and information, visit the SmartFIX40 website.

Public School Forum Launches Website

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:23:30 GMT

The Public School Forum, an organization concerned with ensuring Tennessee's schools are implementing best practices in education, has launched a new website at publicschoolforum.org.

The site features three public service commercials, two of which include Tennessee Lady Vol women's basketball coach Pat Summitt. The announcements concern raising educational standards and equipping students with the right knowledge and equipment to succeed in their studies.

The commercials are currently airing on seven East Tennessee television stations, and can be re-viewed on the site. The site is supported by the Knoxville Chamber and the Great School Partnership.

Visit the new Public School Forum website.

Making the Transition: Moving to Improved Member Benefits

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:05:57 GMT

Your business is running smoothly. It’s well respected in the marketplace. Things are good.

So, why would you make a significant change in the way you do business? Why would you adjust your price structure and change your revenue stream? The only reason you would do that is because it was important to your customers, it benefited them, and because it improved your long-term viability.

Click play above to hear from Vice President of Membership, Mark Field, about tiered benefits.

That is exactly what the Knoxville Chamber is doing.

After careful consideration by the board of directors, the organization is making a substantial shift in the way that members will invest. Businesses will no longer join based on the number of employees they have, but will instead choose the amounts and types of benefits they want and need, and invest accordingly.

“Chamber members will be able to shop for the benefits that make sense to them,” says Mark Field, the Chamber’s vice president of membership. “Members will no longer be ‘penalized’ for growing, expanding, or acquiring another business, since the number of employees no longer has an impact on the amount of investment. The staff and the board listened to the desires of the membership and the new dues structure reflects the desire for new benefits and choices.”

A national trend

The Knoxville Chamber isn’t the first to adopt a system that includes tiers of benefits. In fact, for the past decade chambers of commerce across the United States have looked for ways to deliver customizable packages of benefits to their members. But all along, this has been a member-driven phenomenon.

The first system of benefit levels developed when big national banks were consolidating, and their total deposits were dramatically increasing. Therefore, their required investment in various chambers of commerce was increasing too – because it was based on the number of employees or deposits.

But the amount and level of benefits offered to these banks were not increasing. The increased investment was not being matched by an increase in benefits. This system didn’t seem fair to businesses, and it wasn’t.

The solution was to develop levels of benefit that did match investment, and that provided an equitable return on investment.

That’s what tiered benefits systems are all about.

Careful consideration and a measured decision

“In the past, I’ve had some members approach me and share their frustrations with the employee-based dues structure,” says Field. “For example, a business with 1,000 employees that invested $5,000 annually in the Chamber did not understand why a member with three employees received the exact same benefits. I didn’t have a good answer for them.

“Here’s another story. A company that had been a Chamber member for 50 years recently approached me. The company’s market had shifted and while the business wanted to remain a Chamber member and asked to reduce its investment in the Chamber while it adjusted to new markets. Under the old system, and based on the number of employees at the company, that was impossible. I had to turn this long-standing member away from the Chamber and I had to turn down this company’s money. That’s how silly and inflexible the employee-based membership system can be.”

The Knoxville Chamber began considering making the change to a different membership structure in 2006. For nearly two years the staff and the board critically looked at the potential and studied the effects the change would have on the organization and the membership.

A national consultant was engaged to help the Chamber make the decision. Dawn Moliterno has helped dozens of chambers of commerce look at a tiered membership system. She is able to recognize some of the pitfalls of the conversion and identify the reasons a chamber should or should not make the change.

Part of Moliterno’s process included the facilitation of focus groups with a broad cross section of Chamber members. These meetings were designed to determine the amount of satisfaction with the current membership structure and to identify areas of need that the Chamber could, but was not, addressing. These areas could become new member benefits.

“While the goal of the focus groups was to determine if members wanted a different system where benefits were aligned with investment levels, we learned a lot more,” says Melissa Spangler, director of member services. “We were able to identify areas where the Chamber could do more to meet members’ needs.”

In the end, Moliterno recommended that the Knoxville Chamber transition to a tiered benefits model. However, she didn’t make that recommendation lightly. She challenged the staff to identify new benefits at each and every level of membership.
“After all, the Knoxville Chamber is a membership organization,” says Field. “We only wanted to move to this tiered benefit structure if it met the needs and desires of the membership. And that required the staff to identify new and expanded benefits that matched what we heard in the focus groups.”

Among these new benefits are more visibility for members, improvements to the Chamber’s website, and the better delivery of information.

The tiered benefit structure that Moliterno and the Chamber staff developed begins with five levels and progresses all the way through the Premier Partner Program. As the tiers progress, the benefits increase.

The transition to tiered benefits

Adopting the tiered benefits system is a significant change for Chamber members. While the staff and the board of directors have examined the system for two years, the concept is new for members. So, the transition to the system will be paced and will allow plenty of time for adjustment.

Current Chamber members will be “slotted” into the tier that approximates their current investment in the Chamber.

However, no Chamber member will be asked to pay more in that first year. For example, if a member currently pays $319 in membership dues, the business will be assigned as an Associate I member, but will not be required to pay $350 in that first year. The member will receive all the benefits associated with their assigned level of benefits.

“The slow transition will allow Chamber members to become comfortable with the change,” says Field. “The staff also recognizes that there may be a need to add even more benefits to all the levels – benefits that we haven’t even considered. And we want to allow time to identify those and place them in the appropriate level.”

The staff is committed to continuing the process of regularly examining member benefits and adding new benefits. You are encouraged to take advantage of this new opportunity by reviewing the new tier benefit levels and maximizing your membership benefits. If you have any questions, please call Mark Field or Melissa Spangler at 865-637-4550.

Here is a list of member benefits at each tier.

Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Challenges Businesses to Get Fit

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:56:42 GMT

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is once again teaming up with the Knoxville Chamber to encourage local businesses to “get fit” by hosting the Fittest Company Challenge during the event set for March 30, 2008.

With more than 165 companies already entered, the marathon’s Fittest Company Challenge is gearing up for a spectacular contest and heated competition. Clayton Homes, Comcast, Pet Safe, ORNL, Jewelry Television, and LeBlanc Financial are among the Knox area companies with teams registered for the competition.

“The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon’s Fittest Company Challenge is a great program to motivate and encourage employees to pursue healthy lifestyles,” said Mark Field, Knoxville Chamber Vice President of Membership. “It’s a friendly competition and fun for the participants.”

The Fittest Company Challenge combines points of an organization's employees based on the race mileage each employee completes. The 5K equals 3.1 points, the half marathon earns an individual 13.1 points, and the full marathon is worth 26.2 points. Each participant in the 4-person relay earns 6.55 points. For the competition, the fastest times do not matter. Points are solely awarded on completion, regardless of time.

"This is our third year featuring the Fittest Company Challenge,” said Jason Altman, director of the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. “The original idea was to generate more fun and teamwork for businesses and their employees. It has far surpassed our expectations.”

Nearly 25 percent (917 participants) of the total marathon participants in 2007 were employees representing their employers. Together they completed 8,601 total miles with an average mile per participant of 9.38.

Altman said many companies invest in this event to reap the benefits of a healthy work force. Many studies have shown that corporate wellness programs can lead to increased productivity, improved morale and reduced health insurance and medical costs.

The Knoxville Chamber presents awards to the top three companies based on points earned in the small (1-100 employees), medium (101-500 employees) and large (>500 employees) categories. Only Knoxville area companies are eligible, and only employees who finish the races qualify for company points. The Fittest Company Challenge does not count spouses and other family members of employees.

Points are awarded to employees who volunteer. For each employee that volunteers on race weekend, one point will be added to the company’s cumulative total. Volunteers can register online via a volunteer registration module.

To participate in the Fittest Company Challenge, employees register online at www.knoxvillemarathon.com and simply select their employer from the drop-down list on the entry form. If a company name needs to be added, contact Jason Altman at (865) 805-2476.

Online registration for all running events is available until midnight on March 26.

Download a customizable poster for your group: PDF document | JPG image.

Knoxville Parkway a Tollway?

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:21:10 GMT

Ed Cole, Environmental Bureau Chief for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, recently suggested that the Knoxville Parkway could be the state’s first toll road. He also said that if the road were approved as a tollway it could be completed as much as a decade sooner than if the road was funded from Tennessee’s general fund.

The Knoxville Parkway – formerly known as the “Orange Route” – would connect I-40 near Watt Road with I-75 in northern Knox County. The Knoxville Chamber has been the project’s chief advocate.
Cole provided his update on the road during a presentation to the Knoxville Chamber. Organized by the organization’s Transportation Committee, the event was an opportunity to hear about the current status of the Knoxville Parkway project.
The General Assembly passed legislation authorizing toll roads during the 2007 legislative session. The law stipulates that the only one road and one bridge may be approved as a toll project per year, and that the Legislature would have to approve those projects. The projects must go through the stringent environmental and public approval process associated with highway construction. In addition, the toll project could not be a privately owned road.
The Knoxville Parkway is estimated to be a $600 million project and final approval for it is not expected until 2010. If it were financed traditionally, Cole did not expect completion until 2020 or 2022. If it were a toll road he said it might be finished by 2012 or 2014.
Cole said the need for this new highway construction financing mechanism is a result of lower levels of federal transportation funding and a softening of the state’s gas tax revenues.

Click here to download Cole's presentation.

Education Summit Looks to Future

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:56:49 GMT

REGISTER HERE

You’ve heard it again and again from the Knoxville Chamber… improving education and workforce development is critical to the economic future of the region. But what can you do about it?

You can attend the Workforce and Education Summit hosted by Innovation Valley Inc.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale recently challenged the Knoxville Chamber to plan the regional workforce development and education summit to identify strategies and tactics that will lead to the development of the workforce of the future. The summit, which will take place on March 24th at the Knoxville Convention Center, will include educators, businesspeople, parents, community leaders, faith-based institutions, and students throughout Innovation Valley. The education and workforce summit will begin at 8 AM.

The event is an opportunity to rollup your sleeves and dig into the work of improving the region’s educational systems, which ultimately determines the quality of the workforce.

“For the last couple of years, the Chamber has argued that education and workforce development must be improved,” says Mike Edwards, the Chamber’s president and CEO. “I think the organization has done a good job of convincing businesspeople that this is a critical concern. But, I don’t think I’ve done a good enough job of demonstrating how to get involved and how individuals can have an impact on the improvement of education, the increase of academic rigor, or the skills that students have when they leave high school."

The goals of the daylong summit are to outline what the region's future workforce looks like, to identify the barriers that may be standing in the way of achieving such a workforce, and for each attendee to leave with a plan of how he or she can individually contribute to the overall goal of developing a skilled and educated workforce.

The opening session will include a discussion of the future workforce and will lay out what the future workforce would look like. Following that general assembly will be a series of breakout sessions focused on K-12 education issues. Later sessions will focus on workforce development issues including bridging the gap between higher education and business, improving existing training programs, accessing the under utilized workforce, and attracting and retaining recent college graduates and other quality employees. Attendees will be challenged to be apart of breaking down all identified barriers.

Registration for the summit will be available online beginning February 22. Please visit the events page.

Summit agenda.
Summit registration form.
Summit breakout descriptions.

Bredesen Encourages Going "Back to Basics" in Education

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:22:13 GMT

Governor Phil Bredesen

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen spoke today at the Knoxville Chamber's
bi-annual Governor's Luncheon at the Knoxville Convention Center. He discussed issues facing the state - most notably education and workforce development.

"There are still many, many things to do, but [Tennessee schools are] moving up the rankings and doing better," Bredesen said to the crowd of about 600 business and community leaders.

Teachers are what Bredesen most acknowledges as the deciding factor between a positive and negative educational experience. He said that we need to hire great teachers and use innovative recruiting methods to make sure the best faculty teach the youth.

One of the methods that he discussed was recruiting people experiencing a career change - like ex-military or recent retirees - who have great life experience to become teachers. He said that through various programs these people can expedite the process of certification and undergo mentoring programs while teaching.

The Governor also said that the general softening of the United States economic has played a part in his annual budget, but that it was not necessarily a negative.

He said that some of his more positive business and political decisions have been made during tougher economic situations, where he had to be more creative and think about which programs and activities to prioritize.

"The business cycle won't go away. When I was a private-sector CEO, I managed my business better during the lean times," Bredesen said. He later noted that, "I think we're going to rise to the situation just fine."

During a question-and-answer section, Governor Bredesen also spoke highly of the biofuels initiatives evident across the state, of which local programs such as those at the University of Tennessee are playing a large part.

The Governor's Luncheon was co-sponsored by Alcoa, Inc. and Aqua-Chem, Inc.

Alcoa President Discusses Energy, Global Status

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:30:19 GMT

Kevin Anton, President of Materials Management for Alcoa, Inc., today described Alcoa's local mission and how it fits into the global market during a Premier Partner

event at the Knoxville Chamber.

Premier Partners are the area's leading businesses. These companies make a vital commitment to the economic development of the region through their enhanced investment in the Chamber. To learn more contact Michelle Kiely .

Read the News Sentinel story about Alcoa's recycling efforts.

Diversity and Networking

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:25:02 GMT

By Dan Rawls with Ivan Misner

When it comes to business networking, you never know who people know. Diversity is one of the important keys to being successful at building a powerful personal network.

I often speak to people who tell me they want to network exclusively with other business professionals who work with clients in a similar socio-economic target market – in other words, network with business professionals with similar clients. Although it is good to include these people in your personal network, any attempt to network with them exclusively would be a tremendous mistake.

It is human nature to congregate with people that are very much like us. People tend to cluster together based on education, age, race, professional status, etc. The bottom line is that we tend to hang out with people who have similar experiences or perspectives as ours. Most of our friends and associates are often friends and associates with each other as well. The problem with this is that when we surround ourselves with people who have similar contacts, it may be difficult to make connections with new people or companies.

A diverse personal network enables you to increase the possibility of including connectors or “linchpins” in your network. Linchpins are people who in some way cross over between two or more clusters or groups of individuals. In effect, they have overlapping interests or contacts that allow them to link groups of people together easily.

When it comes to networking, diversity is key because it allows us to locate these linchpins between clusters of people. Connectors are the gateways to other people. They create shortcuts across groups.

The best way to increase the number of linchpins in your network is to develop a diverse network, not a homogeneous one.

I have developed many chapters of Business Networking International, the world’s largest referral networking organization, which now has over 5,000 networking groups in 39 countries. Because of that experience, I can categorically state that the strongest networking groups I’ve seen are generally ones that are diverse in many, many ways. The more diverse the network, the more likely it will include overlapping connectors or linchpins that link people together in ways they would have never imagined.

I believe that one of the problems in understanding this concept is a somewhat built-in bias that people have about networking with individuals that are outside their normal frame of reference. Let me give you an example. A good friend of mine in Boston, Patti Salvucci, told me an amazing story.

She told me about one of the groups she was visiting recently that met in a private meeting room at Fenway Park. She said that she arrived a little early to the meeting and noticed an older gentleman setting up coffee mugs in preparation for the meeting. Well, anyone that knows Patti knows that she is a master networker and so she struck up a conversation with the man while waiting for members to arrive. In talking to him, she was really taken by the amazing tenor of his voice. She mentioned to him that he had an incredible voice and asked what he did before this. The gentleman informed her that he used to be a commentator for CNN! He went on to tell her that in his later years, he wanted to work in a less hectic job as well as live closer to his daughter. He decided to take on the job of managing the owner’s suite at Fenway Park in Boston because it gave him an opportunity to be close to his family.

Patti asked him about some of the people that he met during his time in broadcasting. He shared many great stories with her including an interview that he had done with John F. Kennedy a week before he was assassinated. He also talked about meeting Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela during his career. It was an interesting conversation that she genuinely enjoyed.

Later, when the meeting was in full swing, one of the regular members, Don, mentioned that he would really like to do a radio talk show someday and was looking for some contacts that could help him pursue this dream. After the meeting, Patti pointed to the ex-CNN commentator and asked Don, “Do you see that guy over there? Have you seen him before?” “Yeah,” said Don, “he’s the guy who sets up the coffee for our meeting.” Patti said to Don, “Did you know that he used to be a broadcaster for CNN?” Don said, “No way, I had no idea!” Patti suggested that Don introduce himself and learn a little about the man he’d seen every week for the last several months, because he might very well be able to make a connection for him in the broadcasting industry.

The irony in this story is that Don had seen the man on many occasions but had not struck up a conversation with him because he felt that they had little, if anything, in common. The truth is, when it comes to networking, not having a lot in common with someone may mean that they can be a connector for you to a whole world of people that you might not otherwise be able to meet.

Some of the strongest networking groups I’ve seen over the last two decades are ones that are diverse in many ways. They have a good mix of members based not only on race and gender, but also based on profession, age, education, and experience. The more diverse your network the more likely you are to make overlapping linkages between clusters of people. The more linkages you can make between clusters of people the stronger your network can be.

If you wish to build a powerful personal network, branch out. Build a diverse network of professional contacts that include people that don’t look like you, sound like you, speak like you, or have your background, education, or history. The only thing that they should have in common with you and the other people in your network is that they should be really good at what they do. Create a personal network like that, and you’ll have a network that can help you succeed at anything.

Dan Rawls is the Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling contributing author of Masters of Success. He is also the regional director of BNI (www.bnitn.com), the world’s largest referral organization with thousands of chapters in dozens of countries. As a professional speaker, he has trained thousands of people across North America and internationally. Dan is also a national marketing director of 19 years with NSA, Juice Plus. He resides in Knoxville with his wife and two children and can be reached at 865-539-1900 or juiceplus@bntni.com.

Premier Partner: Comcast - Enhancements Grow Customers and Company

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:22:01 GMT

Comcast provides digital cable television, high-speed internet and digital phone services. Enhancements to those products include high-definition television, ON DEMAND, digital video recorders, and a communications center that links voicemail and email.

“New things are constantly happening at Comcast and in the cable industry,” says Kirk Dale, General Manager of Comcast. “In the past five to ten years we have gone from being primarily a cable company to a multi-product provider of innovative broadband services.”

“There was a time when you had to race home to catch your favorite show at 8:00 PM on a Thursday night. Now with our digital video recorders, you can record all your favorite shows, even in high definition and watch them whenever you like. In addition, our ON DEMAND service offers thousands of hours of programming, including more than 100 hours of programming with the ability to stop, rewind or watch later.

Our high-speed internet product is now offered at speeds of six and eight megabits per second and we are constantly adding new features. As a result, the computer has become an integral part of our customers’ communications and entertainment. Our new phone service, Comcast Digital Voice, has finally brought competition to incumbent phone providers with 12 of the most popular calling features like voicemail, call-waiting, and free long distance anywhere in the United States or Canada,” continues Dale proudly.

Comcast recently introduced the Triple Play bundle, offering new customers digital video, internet and phone services for $99 per month. The success of the program has increased job growth with the need for new customer account executives and technicians. In Knoxville, 275 new jobs were created in 2006-2007 with expected job growth to continue throughout 2008. Currently, Comcast has over 800 employees in the Knoxville area.

“We listen to our customers and respond to their need for the latest broadband products and services. We have brought cutting edge services to Knoxville, to both residential and business customers. This enables us to help drive economic development here by helping the area promote services that people are looking for when they want to relocate industries or businesses,” explains Dale.

Instructors Prepare for Future Classes

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:29:07 GMT

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) will soon begin offering CORE FOUR instruction to its small business clients. The classes will help businesspeople design better business plans.

Bruce Hayes, a TSBDC senior business specialist, attended instructor training in early January. Hayes gained knowledge and was certified in CORE FOUR. CORE FOUR is a business planning course for small business owners that presents planning concepts using practical and real world applications.

Hayes’ designation as a certified instructor allows TSBDC to present  tools and strategies for business owners and entrepreneurs in four key  categories: success planning, market planning, cash flow planning, and operations planning.

In addition to the new CORE FOUR classes, TSBDC is preparing to make all courses available online. The new online format is in response to TSBDC’s past client requests and in recognition of the time demands placed on small businesspeople.

“Providing additional certified trainers and making classes available  online are more ways TSBDC is providing valuable resources and tools for business owners to improve their bottom line,” explains Larry Rossini, TSBDC director.

Online classes are expected to be available in March 2008. For additional information visit the center’s website at www.tsbdc.org.

TSBDC is a network of professional business consultants providing expert business advice, business solutions, and resources for small business owners. Some of the services the center provides include counseling in accounting, banking, employee relations, management, operations, and marketing. In addition, TSBDC maintains an International Trade Center and a Technology and Energy Services Center for those in need of specialized help.

Chamber Going to Capitol Hill to Voice Knoxville Business Priorities

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:23:53 GMT

State legislation has the potential to significantly affect our individual businesses and the Knoxville business community collectively, and that effect can be positive or negative. Having your voice heard on Capitol Hill is one of the major reasons for joining the Chamber, and it is one of the ways you can help lead the organization. There is an upcoming opportunity for you to get involved.

On February 25-26, the Chamber will be going to Nashville to present the Chamber’s 2008 Legislative Agenda to our legislative delegation. You are invited and encouraged to join the trip, meet with legislators and make your voice heard.

The trip will include presentations by legislative leaders and members of Governor Bredesen’s administration, small group meetings with each of the members of the Knox County legislative delegation, and a reception for all members of the General Assembly. The Chamber’s Government Relations Committee has worked over the past few months to develop a slate of issues that represent the interests of the Knoxville business community, and the primary purpose of the trip will be to discuss these issues with legislators.

Cost of the trip is $295 and includes hotel accommodations, lunch on the 25th sponsored by TVA, breakfast on the 26th, and the reception on the evening of the 25th. Space for the trip is limited, so please sign up immediately by visiting the “Events” page.

Q&A with Former State Senator Ben Atchley

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:41:51 GMT

Commerce recently sat down with former State Senator Ben Atchley to solicit his advice on the best ways for businesspeople to make their voices heard in the halls of the General Assembly. Atchley began his career in the Tennessee State House of Representatives in 1973. He later served in the State Senate for 28 years until his retirement in 2004. Atchley was the Senate Republican leader for 18 of those years. Among his numerous accomplishments, Atchley worked with the Josephson Institute of Ethics to improve the quality of government decision making. The new veteran’s home in Knox County that opened in 2006, was named in his honor.

Commerce: You were in the General Assembly for 32 years and Senate Republican leader for 18 years. What is the most important lesson that you learned over the span of your career?

Atchley: The most important lesson I learned is that you can make a difference. Even one person who is committed to a goal can make a huge difference in making the world a better place.

Commerce: What is the best way for a citizen to contact or approach their legislators with a request or idea or concern?

Atchley: A face-to-face meeting is always the best option. Building a relationship with your representative is important. Not only is it a great way to convey your concerns, but you can become a resource for your representative when he or she is considering a piece of legislation.
Everyone has a representative and everyone has a senator. It is critical to get to know them on a first-name basis and be able to say, “Can I call you when I have something on my mind?”

Commerce: In your opinion, how do legislators work to give their constituents the best possible representation?

Atchley: By trying to learn as much as they can about the issues and making the best possible decision based on the facts. You don’t know how many times I have faced tough decisions and voted based on the facts and what I felt was best for my constituents. My decisions did not always follow the popular opinion.

Commerce: The Chamber is an advocate for business and makes periodic visits to Nashville and Washington, D.C., to make its voice heard. The organization even employs a full-time lobbyist. Talk about the relationship between government and business and how it benefits citizens.

Atchley: It is important for businesses to make their voices heard in order for government to know exactly how their decisions affect and impact communities. The more business makes its positions known, the more information government will have when considering laws.
We [U.S. citizens] have the best government and system in the world. It’s not perfect, but when everyone is working together for the good of everyone, all citizens will benefit.

Commerce: What will be the biggest issue facing the General Assembly in the 2008 legislative session?

Atchley: I think that ethics and healthcare will always remain big issues that need to be addressed and constantly worked on. The matter of ethics always held special importance to me and I served on several councils and advisory boards to make certain that ethics and honor were always considered important.

We must always hold ourselves to the highest standard to make certain that the best system in the world runs smoothly and effectively.

Commerce: How do legislators feel about organizations and citizens approaching them with their opinions and ideas on legislation?

Atchley: Communication is so important. I think every representative likes to think he or she has an open door policy and is willing to hear what people have to say.

By talking to as many people and organizations as you can you are able to get a better feel for what issues are most important. The more knowledge you have, the better decisions you are able to make.

Commerce: Are legislators sometimes overwhelmed by the number of calls and requests they receive? What should constituents do to get their voices heard without simply contributing to the “noise?”

 Atchley: A lot of information is received in the form of calls and emails. Sometimes that can be very overwhelming. The more information you receive, the more time you have to spend researching the information and addressing it. My staff came up with an organized way to sort and categorize all of the information I received to make it easier to keep track of and respond to it. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to try and communicate and rise above the “noise.”

I’ll go back to my earlier advice. Building a relationship with your senator and representative is really important. That way, even when the volume of calls and emails gets turned up, your voice will always be heard.

Commerce: What made you decide to become a public servant?

Atchley: I worked on several campaigns for other people. Although I had never considered running for office myself, when I was approached I guess you could say my ego kicked in a little (laughing) and I decided to give it a try. I like to make a positive difference and becoming a public servant was the perfect way to accomplish that.

We need more good people to run for office.

Commerce: What accomplishment as a state senator are you most proud of?

Atchley: Being able to work together with others in a bipartisan manner to solve problems. The experience of being a senator was better than I could have ever imagined because of the wonderful people that I was able to meet and rub elbows with.

Governor is Coming to Knoxville

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:36:55 GMT

Tennessee government makes decisions, sets policy, and interacts with business everyday. Those actions can have a tremendous effect on the profitability, expenses, and regulatory hurdles faced by businesspeople. And the person that sets the tone for the government is Governor Phil Bredesen.

On February 1, just days after the State of the State Bredesen will be in Knoxville to speak at the Chamber’s biannual Governor’s Luncheon sponsored by Alcoa, Inc. and Aqua-Chem, Inc. Please make plans to attend. The event will begin at 11:30 at the Knoxville Convention Center. Seating is limited, so please register now by calling 865-246-2622 or by visiting the Chamber’s online events calendar. The cost is $40 for members and $50 for non-members. Tables of 10 are also available for $500 and incllude extra benefits. Call Michelle Kiely at 865-246-2617 for details.

The state’s 48th governor, Bredesen is a former businessman and understands what it takes to make a business successful. During his public service, he has focused on fixing TennCare, extending healthcare coverage to the employees and owners of small businesses, reforming the state’s workers’ compensation system, and recruiting new businesses and new jobs. Recently, Bredesen has turned in earnest to focus on his number-one priority — education.

The governor has committed to improving high school graduation rates and seeing more Tennesseeans complete college degrees. He recently joined the American Diploma Project initiative. The Tennessee Diploma Project will restructure the state’s education system so students have a more rigorous education and take standardized tests that more accurately and truly measure gains. The project also requires all Tennessee high school students to take a college entrance exam.

The Governor’s Luncheon on February 1 will be a key opportunity to hear firsthand about Bredesen’s positions for the upcoming session of the General Assembly. The governor will expand on his State of the State address and also answer questions submitted by Chamber members.

Governance vs. Politics - Insuring that Legislators Tackle the Issues that Matter

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:04:01 GMT

By Mike Edwards, President and CEO, Knoxville Chamber

“Statesman”.... the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines statesman as “one who exercises political leadership wisely and without narrow partisanship.”

I’d define statesman as someone that puts governance above politics. Someone that places the good of the people above the good of self or the good of their political party.

I suspect that a lot of East Tennesseans – maybe a lot of Tennesseans – think of Howard Baker as the consummate statesman. Certainly, there are others in the history of the state of Tennessee and the United States –others that you or I could name.

Unfortunately, Congress doesn’t seem to have very many leaders cut from that cloth anymore. Too many representatives, senators and even members of the administration are interested in politics more than they seem to be interested in good policy. The sides square off with dueling press conferences and rallies. They advance pieces of legislation simply to get the “other side” on the record. And they plan to use those “gotcha” votes against their rivals in the next election with designs of defeating them at the ballot box.

Let me explain what I mean by a “gotcha” vote. I’d define that as a vote on a bill that has no likelihood of passing or that includes a measure or amendment that polarizes the political parties and does not advance the overall legislation. Certainly, one side or the other may see this measure as meritorious, but the real purpose is to define the members of the other political party and to use that to defeat them in an upcoming election.

But, the real losers are the people.

I’m concerned that the symptoms that plague Congress may one day infect the Tennessee General Assembly. This is of particular concern during an election year, and 2008 is an election year.

I’m concerned about our state legislators being distracted by this “gotcha” kind of politics because I think there are more important things for them to deal with. To me, the most important of those issues is education. If the state of Tennessee does not significantly improve the rigor of our educational system we will be in economic peril. We must have a well-educated and well-skilled workforce to compete economically. And we must begin to reform education now.

Unfortunately, the changes that need to be made are not painless. They require politicians to put aside immediate notoriety for the long-term good. The long-term gains also require the state to shine a light on the lack of rigor in our education system and the low level of achievement when compared to national and international standards. It will require statesmen to make these changes.

If the General Assembly succumbs to “gotcha” politics we will be to blame for allowing it to happen.

We will have allowed politicians to define us. We will have allowed them to play to our fears. We will have allowed them to make headlines instead of good public policy. And we have allowed them to distract us from the important issues that will lead to real improvements in our way of life and standard of living. We will have allowed politicians to put politics before governance – just like we’ve allowed it to happen in Congress – and we should have the blame.

As a businessperson and a business leader you can help put an end to it. You can limit your political donations to only those candidates and officials that govern, that are statesmen, and that insist on an end to “gotcha” political maneuverings.

The Tennessee Legislature has had its share of statesmen. There are lots of current members of the General Assembly that continue to place the common good above politics. These leaders were willing to compromise, to find common ground and to truly govern. Let’s demand that all state legislators continue to follow their lead.

Legislature is Back -- Time to Get Vocal

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:57:03 GMT

By Garrett Wagley

You’ve heard a lot from the Chamber about education. The organization has held meetings, published articles and reports and generally shared the scary statistics about where the American education system stands in comparison to other countries. Mike Edwards has also repeatedly said that if we do not improve our education system and produce students with the advanced skills needed for a more technical workplace, then our economic future is in peril. That’s all true.

It is also true that ultimately making these changes in the educational system is a public policy issue. In order to transform the system, the business community must convince elected leaders to support and vote for the necessary changes. In short, businesses must make their collective voices heard.

A lot of the issues that affect businesses are discussed and decided in the public policy arena. Things like tax rates, transportation infrastructure, labor relations, insurance requirements, and many other issues are ultimately public policy issues. And that’s why every businessperson needs to be engaged and vocal. Now is the time to do just that, because the Tennessee General Assembly is back in session.

Please contact your legislators and ask them to support the Knoxville Chamber’s 2008 Legislative Agenda. Also ask them to look out for business and make it a priority to strengthen the state’s pro-business environment. This year that is doubly important.

The Legislature’s primary concern this year will be balancing the budget. Revenue projections for the FY 2007-2008 state budget turned out to be overly optimistic. As a result, state revenue collections are $150-200 million under budget, and that shortfall must be addressed in this legislative session. The lower revenue collections also have implications for the budget the Legislature is charged with approving for FY 2008-2009. There will be less to spend and priorities will have to be established. There may be efforts to identify new sources of revenue – which could mean identifying ways to extend business taxes. This is another area where business needs to have a voice.

The business community must advocate for its priorities and stress that economic growth can get the state through the revenue crunch. Policies that support job growth will support the growth of the Tennessee economy.

To contact your legislators please visit www.knoxvillechamber.com/legislators for a list of the members of the Knox County delegation of the Tennessee General Assembly. I also encourage you to join the Chamber as it travels to Nashville on February 25-26.

Garrett Wagley is the Chamber’s Director of Communications and Government Relations. He leads the Chamber’s advocacy efforts, staffs the Government Relations and Public Policy Committee and serves as the organization’s lobbyist.

Chamber Identifies Legislative Priorities

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:22:31 GMT

4,600.

That was the number of bills filed during the first year of the Tennessee General Assembly’s 105th session. The second year of the two-year session reconvened on January 8, and expectations are that an equal number of bills will be introduced.

That’s roughly 9,000 bills for the legislators to study and debate. Many will not be seriously considered by the body’s many committees, and others will be dispatched quickly.

The bills believed likely to receive the most attention include the budget, a statewide cable franchise proposal, Pre-K funding, legislation addressing illegal immigration, tort reform, and open government requirements.

On top of all those big issues, 2008 is an election year and that alone can create issues. Not only will legislators be interested in a short session – so the electioneering can begin – but both sides may be paying special attention to votes that can be used as election fodder.

The 9,000 bills the General Assembly is faced with represent the desires of interest groups, lobbyists, organizations, cities and counties, and regular citizens. The Knoxville Chamber is engaged in the legislative process, too. The organization represents the interests of the local business community and works to advance an agenda of pro-business and pro-growth policies.

Over the past several months the Chamber’s Government Relations and Public Policy Committee has carefully examined potential legislative items. In the end, it identified a specific and limited group of proposals that are most important to the Knoxville business community.

These items all have to do with economic development and improving the business community and business climate in some way. The legislative agenda is specific and limited so legislators can easily focus on the items most important to the Chamber. The agenda includes positions on education and workforce development, economic development incentives, and healthcare.

Now the real work begins.

The Committee will work to express its desires to the members of the General Assembly and it will continue to meet throughout the legislative session to consider other bills.

Knoxville Chamber 2008 State Legislative Agenda

After careful consideration by the Government Relations and Public Policy Committee the Chamber recommends the following issues as top legislative priorities.

Education

A skilled, well-prepared workforce is the key to our success in the global economy. Tennessee’s K-12 education system is not adequately preparing students for college or the workplace, and the state consistently ranks near the bottom of state comparisons of academic attainment and college graduates. While the state has addressed funding inadequacies in the BEP, those changes must not be rolled back. The Knoxville Chamber also:

a. Recommends immediate adoption of the Tennessee Diploma Project’s higher standards, which will strengthen the state’s academic rigor and more accurately reflect the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare students for college or work. These standards should ensure that all students score at the ACT benchmarks.

b. Urges the legislature to pass SB611/HB653 making adjustments to the HOPE Scholarship program and include Senate Amendment 2, which awards a scholarship supplement to Tennessee Scholars. The supplement awards students that complete the requirements of the Tennessee Scholars program – a more rigorous academic track.

c. Supports Governor Bredesen’s recognition of UT Knoxville as the state’s flagship research campus and encourages him to provide funding appropriate to sustaining the research, education, and economic development activities of the university. Also supports the continued support and growth of Pellissippi State.

High-Tech Economic Development Incentives

Tennessee’s current economic development incentives are aimed at manufacturing/distribution categories or other large-scale employers. This structure overlooks the fact that new-economy, research and development, and technology companies are important to the future of Tennessee and the Innovation Valley. Therefore, the Knoxville Chamber:

a. Recommends adjusting the required number of jobs created to qualify for the Jobs Tax Credit for high-tech (agricultural science, materials science, media technology, nano-technology, renewable energy, and research and development) businesses if the business invests $500,000 and hires five new employees at an average salary of 150 percent of the county’s average wage. In non-economically distressed counties like Knox, these companies would qualify for the $2,000 Job Tax Credit.

b. Urges the legislature to allow the Emerging Industry Tax Credit to be applied to federally designated empowerment zones in those counties the state defines as non-economically distressed.

c. Recommends redefining “qualified business enterprises” for economic development incentive purposes to include high-tech businesses that employ or align with the core competencies of the state’s research institutions.

Healthcare

The Knoxville Chamber supports the effort throughout the region to offer accessible, affordable, and adequately reimbursed healthcare services for citizens through a financially sustainable network of medical centers, clinics, and individual offices. The Chamber remains particularly concerned about the growing number of citizens without health insurance and supports efforts to identify creative approaches to addressing this threat to the well-being of both individual citizens and the business community. The Chamber supports CoverTN, its expansion, and opposes mandates that businesses provide healthcare.