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The Knox County Commission approved an amended version of the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan on Monday, Nov 21. The plan includes an amendment offered by Commissioner Richard Briggs that clarifies the plan is advisory and allows Commission to deviate from it when reviewing rezoning or development plans. While the Knoxville Chamber has always been in favor of protecting the community's scenic viewscapes, it opposed the original plan because it was too broad. The Chamber supported the Briggs' amendment and was pleased to see the amended plan pass. "There are some very good things in the Hillside & Ridgetop Protection Plan and with the amendment it is clear that those things are advisory," said Mike Edwards. "The Chamber has been involved in this process because land use decisions are so important to economic development. Businesses and individuals are attracted to this region because of its amazing scenery, but we must be able to affordably provide the housing and commercial services they need." Voting for the amended plan were Commissioners Briggs, Anders, Hammond, Brown, Smith, and Ownby. Commissioner Wright abstained making the final vote 7-3-1. The plan will now be sent to the Metropolitan Planning Commission board so it may review and provide comment. It can vote to recommend the plan, recommend against it, or return it to Commission with no recommendation. Commission will then have to approve the plan to make it operable. The Knoxville City Council has scheduled the Hillside & Ridgetop Plan for consideration on Tuesday, Nov. 29. The Knoxville Chamber will be asking Council Members to amend the plan so the slope guidelines in the city and county match. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey is on a mission to identify and eliminate red tape that Tennessee businesses deal with every day. From permitting delays to inconsistent enforcement, Ramsey is soliciting stories from Tennesseans and will turn those problems into legislative solutions. Ramsey and his staff are already drafting legislation to address workers' compensation and unemployment issues. He spoke to a group of nearly 100 businesspeople in Knoxville on Nov. 21 about the effort and heard several stories about their problems. Businesspeople are also encouraged to visit www.tnredtape.com and share their issues. Mike Edwards, president & CEO of the Knoxville Chamber spoke to a group of newly elected state legislators at a meeting of the Council of State Governments in Atlanta on November 15. His presentation focused on the importance of education and workforce development to business development and growth, economic prosperity, and personal economic wellbeing. You can download the presentation here. Access to low cost energy in the Tennessee Valley helps drive economic development. U.S. Senator Bob Corker recently led a roundtable discussion about the impact of electricity rates on jobs in our region. Panelists included representatives from the utility, manufacturing, and energy industries. Tennessee is well positioned for economic growth, but we need to make sure electricity rates are low so companies in our state remain competitive globally. It is clear from the discussion that the tremendous burden of regulatory compliance increases the price of power and the cost of doing business in the Tennessee Valley. Sen. Corker's efforts to reduce overregulation by the federal government are the direct result of feedback received from companies represented at the roundtable and across the state. A broadcast of the event is available here. Today the Knoxville Chamber sent Knox County Commissioners and Knoxville City Council Members a revised, compromise version of the hillside protection plan. It incorporates the changes recommended by MPC, elected officials, and others. To put the plan and proposed revisions in a format that could be approved by Council and Commission, the Chamber revised and updated MPC's December 2010 draft of the plan (1) to describe the progress which has occurred over the last ten months, (2) to incorporate the revisions proposed by MPC and Commissioner Norman, including incorporation of Councilman Della Volpe's appendix, and (3) to incorporate the additional revisions proposed by the Chamber and others. The revised, comprehensive version of the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan, which puts those updates and revisions in context and highlights the changes from the original MPC plan, is available online. "We appreciate the continuing efforts of City Council and County Commission to reach consensus on a revised Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan that the entire community can support," said Mike Edwards, Chamber president and CEO. "We also appreciate MPC's suggestion that the plan be revised in ways that make it clear that the plan is advisory only and not binding on future land planning decisions." Commission and Council have scheduled a joint meeting for 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 10. The purpose of the meeting is to identify a final version of the Hillside and Ridgetop Plan that both bodies can adopt.\ "We believe this revised plan reflects a fair compromise on the issues," continued Edwards. "Most of the plan is based upon the original recommendations of the Task Force and MPC, with modifications suggested by both MPC and community groups and individuals who participated in the efforts to build consensus over the past several months. We hope City Council and County Commission will move the process forward by initiating an amendment to the General Plan in the form of this plan and sending it to MPC for its review, consideration and vote." During the 2010-11 fiscal year the Knoxville Chamber launched new products and services, aggressively advocated for pro-business policies, pursued new businesses, and helped existing businesses grow. These accomplishments and others were discussed at the Chamber's annual meeting on Oct. 27. Mitch Steenrod, chairman of the board, delivered an address during which he discussed the Chamber's many awards - including Chamber of the Year, Four-Star Accreditation, Ashleigh Adkins' Gold Lifetime Achievement Award, and Doug Minter's U.S. Small Business Administration Tennessee Minority Small Business Champion of the Year award. He also talked about the organization's accomplishments. Highlights include the launch of Chamber member MD and Chamber Member Rx, introduction of iKnowKnoxville.com, and work on various education and workforce development programs. Steenrod also outlined some challenges facing the Knoxville area business community. These are the national economy, legal immigration, the continued funding of the Innovation Valley economic development program, threats to Tennessee's recent K-12 education reforms, and land use decisions. Download the Annual Report here. The Knoxville Chamber announced on Monday that it was encouraged by MPC's proposal that County Commission drop the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan originally proposed by MPC and consider a revised plan that addresses issues raised by the Chamber and other business groups. The Chamber consistently opposed the original MPC plan for going too far on hillside regulations and not far enough in protecting scenic ridges. MPC proposed that almost 40% of Knox County be designated as a protected area, but acknowledged that its plan related only to erosion and did not provide scenic protection for ridgetop areas. The MPC plan was rejected by County Commission and has been postponed by City Council. As an alternative to the MPC plan, the Chamber proposed Plan B, which focused on slopes greater than 30% and provided specific standards for consideration of development proposals. It also proposed adoption of specific ordinances and regulations governing development in steeply sloped areas, with the provisions of the plan to be considered advisory guidelines. That would leave final development decisions in the hands of City Council and County Commission. After the Chamber raised these issues, MPC acknowledged that its plan did not adequately address those concerns, and MPC proposed significant revisions to its own plan. The revisions include:
With these revisions, MPC is effectively incorporating many of the key Plan B concepts into the revised MPC plan. While the Chamber continues to believe that Plan B is better than the MPC plan, the proposed revision of the MPC plan addresses many of the critical issues. The Chamber looks forward to receiving the revised draft of the MPC plan and is hopeful that it will appropriately address these concerns. The effect of MPC's proposed revisions is that development will continue to be controlled by the codes and regulations, not by a vague plan, and the Chamber plans to work with MPC and the City and County Engineering Departments to ensure that the Plan B concepts are incorporated in those code and regulation amendments and used for consideration of future development proposals. The Knoxville Chamber presented the alternative Hillside & Ridgetop plan, known as Plan B, to a joint public meeting of City Council and County Commission on Thursday, September 29. The alternative plan calls for the adoption of a Ridgetop Zoning Overlay and special development requirements in areas containing three acres or more of slopes of 30 degrees or more on parcels that have slopes of 30 percent or more and are 3 acres or greater. Development in the Ridgetop Overlay districts would have strict requirements for reforestation, limits on height and density, and use of screening or architectural and design elements that would help blend buildings into the landscape. It also calls for Knox County to adopt a Tree Plan similar to the City of Knoxville's plan. The presentation can be downloaded here. The Knoxville Chamber has submitted an alternate hillside and ridgetop protection plan for consideration by Knox County Commission and Knoxville City Council. The two local legislative bodies have been meeting jointly for more than eight weeks in an effort to reach consensus on a plan that balances hillside and ridgetop protection with the rights of property owners and economic development needs. The plan can be downloaded here. "The Knoxville Chamber has long supported the protection of environmentally sensitive hillsides and ridgetops in Knox County," said Mike Edwards, president & CEO. "These unique geological features in Knoxville and Knox County should be protected from inappropriate developments that would adversely affect lower lying areas or negatively impact Knox County's scenic beauty. The plan we have submitted does just that. The Knoxville Chamber's plan calls for the adoption of a Ridgetop Zoning Overlay and special development requirements in areas containing three acres or more of slopes of 30 degrees or more on parcels that have slopes of 30 percent or more and are 3 acres or greater. Development in the Ridgetop Overlay districts would have strict requirements for reforestation, limits on height and density, and use of screening or architectural and design elements that would help blend buildings into the landscape. It also calls for Knox County to adopt a Tree Plan similar to the City of Knoxville's plan. "Residents and businesses alike come to and grow in Knoxville because of its fantastic quality of life. A big part of our unique character is the views of the Great Smoky Mountains and the ridgetops in our own backyard," continued Edwards. "The plan proposed by MPC provides no scenic protection, according to the MPC Executive Director, and the Chamber's plan would protect the unique character of our community by preserving our scenic viewscapes. Protection of the scenic beauty of our area is important, and I hope County Commission and City Council will adopt this plan right away." The Knoxville Chamber has entered into an agreement with GoGrabLunch.com to become the official "Lunch Networking Website" for the Chamber and its members. Similar to online matchmaking, but focused on business development, GoGrabLunch.com helps pair professionals for one-on-one lunches at restaurants throughout the region. The online resource allows users to create a profile, setting specific parameters for the types of professionals they want to meet and do business with. These parameters range from different industries to title. Once members create their profile and networking preferences, GoGrabLunch.com provides them a list of matching members who have scheduled lunches at specific restaurants. A member can choose a lunch from the list of pre-planned lunches or they can enter their own lunch schedule, pick the restaurant, and plan a lunch of their own. Chamber Senior Vice President Mark Field is excited about the new partnership and the opportunities it provides members with regards to developing their networks. "While social networking has gained in popularity and is proving to be a valuable business development tool, we need to continue to emphasize the importance of building relationships face-to-face, and there is no better time to do that than over lunch" Field commented. "Our members are always looking for new ways to meet people and make connections that will lead to future business and GoGrabLunch.com provides us with a turnkey solution," he continued. It is free for any businessperson to set-up a profile on GoGrabLunch.com, but the partnership with the Chamber will provide a valuable promotional tool for the website. "Obviously, the more professionals we have engaged in GoGrabLunch.com, the more relevant and useful the site becomes," commented Jonathan Patrick, creator of the website. "We've had a lot of success developing our database of users by utilizing social media and word-of-mouth to let people know about the website, but we are ready to take it to the next level and working with the Chamber makes a lot of sense for both of us." Workspace Interiors, Inc. and the Knoxville Chamber celebrated the grand opening of our ‘Collaboratory’ in July.
The Collaboratory is a meeting room located in the Chamber that provides technology, facilities, and an atmosphere for groups (open to Chamber members) to meet face-to-face or via video conference. Office furniture, flat screen TV's, docking station, video conferencing, and room makeover were provided by Workspace Interiors ($20,000 value). A special thanks to Workspace Interiors for this generous partnership. What's more, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. donated a Keurig Coffee machine and coffee. Thank you Green Mountain Coffee! Come by any time to check our new, innovative Collaboratory! LOS ANGELES, CA (August 4, 2011) – Knoxville Chamber Membership Development Manager Ashleigh Adkins has been recognized by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, the national association for Chambers of all sizes. She received the Gold Circle of Champions Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization for producing 1,000 memberships or over $500,000 during her eight years with the Knoxville Chamber. She received the honor at the ACCE National Convention in Los Angeles. “We are very proud of Ashleigh’s accomplishments and recognition,” said Mark Field, Chamber Senior Vice President of Membership. “She is a very integral part of the Chamber's mission that is designed to help drive regional economic prosperity." LOS ANGELES, CA (August 4, 2011) - At an evening award ceremony held at the American Chamber of Commerce Executives annual convention in Los Angeles, the Knoxville Chamber learned it has been awarded for the most prestigious national award presented to chambers of commerce - Chamber of the Year. The award recognizes the top chambers in the nation for organizational excellence including finances, member services, communications, engagement of volunteers, and by making an impact on key community priorities. "It is a great honor to win this prestigious award," said Mike Edwards, the Knoxville Chamber's president & CEO. "The Knoxville Chamber would not have received this recognition without the leadership and support of our board, staff, members, and community partners. It is a reflection of the tremendous assets of the Knoxville area and the passion of its business leaders." The Knoxville Chamber established a new vision for the organization and the community in 2009. To accomplish the goal of making Knoxville, TN America's Best Business Address®, the Chamber's board of directors developed a two-part approach and a new strategic plan. As a result, the Chamber has become a vocal advocate on issues important to the business community and the economic success of the region, and is much more aggressive in the delivery of services to member businesses. "This award validates the hard work the board of directors and the staff have done," said Edwards. "The new, measurable strategic plan sets the organization on a path to excellence. The staff has designed new products and services including Chamber Member MD and Chamber Member Rx, iKnowKnoxville.com, and has a renewed focus on public policy that are unique among all chambers of commerce." The Knoxville Chamber submitted an extensive application that detailed its operations, products, and services and provided judges with examples of electronic and printed communications, promotional brochures, the strategic plan, and other information. Applications were reviewed and graded by judges that included representatives of past chambers of the year. The Knoxville Chamber's application received 191.5 points of a possible 200. The final part of the award selection process was an interview conducted in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon. A panel of chamber executives asked Mike Edwards and Rhonda Rice, executive vice president of the Knoxville Chamber, questions about the organization's operations and vision. The Lincoln (NE) Chamber of Commerce was the other finalist for the award. "The fact that the Chamber of the Year award is judged and selected by chamber professionals from across the country adds to its prestige," said Edwards. "Industry peers have an understanding of the work the Knoxville Chamber does, and an appreciation for the innovative products and services that we have developed over the past few years." Chamber Member MD and Chamber Member Rx are an analysis tool and business prescription the Knoxville Chamber developed to help companies examine their operations and identify areas that can be strengthened. Much like a personal health risk assessment, Chamber Member MD poses a series of questions to allow businesspeople to identify a company's areas of concern. The accompanying recommendations, Chamber Member Rx, serve as a roadmap that a businessperson can use to make a company stronger. The Knoxville Chamber is the only chamber of commerce to develop tools like Chamber Member MD and Chamber Member Rx. Innovation Valley, Inc., the region's economic development program, is another example of the Knoxville Chamber's innovative approach. While many chambers of commerce have a regional economic development focus, the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley effort is one of the few that brings together economic development agencies from across the area to work collaboratively. ACCE annually presents the award to chambers in four categories based on annual revenues. The Knoxville Chamber is the winner in the largest category. ACCE is a national association serving individuals involved in the management of chambers of all sizes, and its mission is to support and develop chamber professionals to lead their communities. Knoxville is the nation's fastest growing area for green jobs according to a report, "Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment," released by the Brookings Institute. Knoxville saw green jobs grow by 14.6 percent annually between 2003 and 2010. During that period the region added 10,000 green jobs, and now clean economy jobs account for 4.9 percent of all jobs in the Innovation Valley. The measure of the concentration of green jobs ranks Knoxville 2nd in the nation. Read the report on the Knoxville metro here. "When we put together the regional economic development strategy for Innovation Valley we built on the assets unique to the Knoxville-Oak Ridge corridor," said Thomas Mason, chair of Innovation Valley and the director Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "Industries in the clean economy sector were an obvious area of concentration given what we have to offer with assets like the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. We have worked hard to recruit green businesses to the region and to help nurture clean economy entrepreneurs." The largest sectors for clean economy jobs in the Innovation Valley are professional energy services, remediation, professional environmental services, waste management and treatment, and recycling. The fastest growing segment, professional energy services, added more than 8,000 jobs from 2003-2010. The average median wage for green jobs in the region is $45,184, higher than the average annual wages for the region of $40,018 published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "It is gratifying to see that as a result of our focused efforts the Innovation Valley leads the nation in growth of clean economy jobs at a time when good news in economic growth has been all too scarce," continued Mason. "Sizing the Clean Economy" examines data from 2003 to 2010 to identify the size, growth, and geography of the green economy in the United States. While there has been much national discussion about the importance of clean energy jobs, the Brookings study is one of the first to define green jobs. "The clean economy has remained elusive in part because, in the absence of standard definitions and data, strikingly little is known about its nature, size, and growth at the critical regional level," according to Brookings. "Seeking to help address these problems, the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookingsworked with Battelle's Technology Partnership Practice to develop, analyze, and comment on a detailed database of establishment-level employment statistics pertaining to a sensibly defined assemblage of clean economy industries in the United States and its metropolitan areas." About Innovation Valley Innovation Valley Inc. is a regional economic development initiative centered on a 25-mile Technology Corridor with world-class resources in science, technology, and business. The partnership of six regional economic development agencies was created to implement a five-year economic development blueprint for business growth in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area of East Tennessee. The blueprint outlines 13 targeted industry sectors that are based on an analysis of the region's world-class resources. Six program areas provide the framework for the group's business relocation and industrial development efforts. A private, independent board of directors guides the management of this regional partnership and funding comes from regional business and government partners. Learn more about Innovation Valley by visiting www.knoxvilleoakridge.com The Knoxville Chamber will host a debate of the candidates for mayor of the City of Knoxville at 7:30 p.m. on July 28, 2011 at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. The debate will feature the four leading mayoral candidates based on fundraising totals - Ivan Harmon, Joe Hultquist, Mark Padgett, and Madeline Rogero. John Becker will emcee the debate and questions will come from a panel focusing on business issues, audience members, and via Twitter. The public can suggest questions prior to or during the debate by tweeting and including the hashtag #chamberdebate. Chamber members can offer questions prior to July 28th by emailing gwagley@knoxvillechamber.com. The debate will be broadcast live on WBIR and NewsTalk 98.7 from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. Underwriters of the debate are Aqua-Chem, the Knoxville News Sentinel, and Toyota/Lexus of Knoxville. WASHINGTON (July 7, 2011) – U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., today announced that 15 chambers of commerce from across Tennessee and the Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association have endorsed his legislation to cut spending and grow the economy. The CAP Act, S. 245, would, for the first time, set an across-the-board, binding cap on all federal spending. The fiscal straitjacket created by the CAP Act would result in $7.6 trillion less spending over a 10-year period. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced three members of the state Board of Education: Knoxville Chamber President and CEO Mike Edwards; former Executive Director of the Tennessee Board of Regents' Tech Prep Programs Carolyn Pearre; and TRH Health Plans CEO Lonnie Roberts. Edwards, Pearre and Roberts are each appointed to nine-year terms, and for Pearre, this is her second term on the board. Edwards and Roberts are replacing Richard Ray and Flavius Barker. The Tennessee Board of Education is the governing and policy making body for the state's public and secondary education systems, affecting accountability, evaluation, curriculum and teacher education, among other areas. "Improving the education we offer Tennesseans is the best long-term job growth strategy, and I'm confident Carolyn, Lonnie and Mike are up to the task of helping to guide the state's school as we seek to positively impact the classroom experience for every student in every school," Haslam said. Edwards has been president and CEO of the Knoxville Chamber since 2002, and he is also the president and CEO of The Development Corporation of Knox County. He serves on the Education Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of the Public School Forum of East Tennessee, the state Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee and the Board of Trustees for the Great Schools Partnership. Roberts has nearly 40 years of experience in the health care field and has been the CEO of TRH Health Plans since 1996. He is the immediate past chairman of the Columbia State Foundation Board and has served on the State Health Care Facilities Commission, the Board of Directors of the Rural Health Association of Tennessee and the Advisory Board of Maury Regional Hospital. From 1972-1999, Pearre worked for Knox County schools, beginning as a speech-language therapist and preschool teacher and finishing at The Center School as a program facilitator. She was on the Board of Trustees for the state's then-Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation; the Board of Trustees for the Lakeshore Mental Health Institute; and the Board of Directors for Leadership Knoxville. Pearre also won several awards as a teacher and principal. Honorees in nine categories were recognized at the 2011 Pinnacle Business Awards presented by BB&T where nearly 600 members of Knoxville’s business community helped celebrate. A silent-auction sponsored by WSI Oak Ridge preceded the awards ceremony, which was emceed by WBIR-TV’s Russell Biven. Additional event sponsors included Bandit Lites, Greater Knoxville Business Journal, EnergySolutions, Aqua-Chem, Covenant Health, Partners Development, LMBC, UT-Battelle, Knoxville News Sentinel, Prestige Cleaners, and WBIR-TV. Successful Knoxville businessman Jim Clayton received a standing ovation as he accepted the 2011 James A. Haslam II Leadership Award. The award is given annually to a business leader who exhibits strength of character, resolve, commitment to the community, and success in business. As founder of Clayton Homes, Clayton built the company into the largest producer and seller of manufactured housing in the U.S. He is now vice chairman and principal shareholder of Clayton BanCorp. Inc. Joining Clayton on stage for a celebratory toast sponsored by EnergySolutions were representatives of the night’s other winners: Covenant Health (Impact Award), TrakLok Corporation (Innovator Award), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Business Excellence Award, large company), Pershing Yoakley & Associates (Mid-Sized Business Excellence Award), HME, Inc. (Minority-Owned Business Excellence Award), Sword & Shield Enterprise Security, Inc. (Small Business Excellence Award), The Tomato Head (Woman-Owned Business Excellence), and Pyxl, Inc. (Young Entrepreneur Award). Following the gala, the Chamber held an in-depth roundtable discussion with winning-company representatives. Among the topics was this region’s current business climate, why each of the companies chooses to locate operations in the Innovation Valley, and overcoming obstacles. Chamber Senior Vice President of Membership Mark Field and Chamber Vice President of Policy and Public Relations Garrett Wagley moderated the discussion. Knoxville, TN (May 18, 2011) - Today the Knoxville Chamber learned that it is a finalist for national Chamber of the Year. Chambers are evaluated for the award based on organizational excellence including financial health, vision, and execution of a strategic plan; member services, membership growth and retention, and communications; advocacy efforts; and economic development programs. "Over the last few years the Knoxville Chamber has developed and pursued an ambitious strategic plan - a plan that has the Chamber working to make Knoxville, TN America's Best Business Address®," said Mike Edwards, the Knoxville Chamber's president & CEO. "This effort has dramatically improved the way the organization delivers services to members and resulted in the Chamber becoming a more vocal advocate on public policy issues. Being named a finalist for the Chamber of the Year award is a great honor, and validates the hard work of the Chamber staff, its board of directors, and the many volunteers and community supporters." The Chamber of the Year is a recognition bestowed by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, a national association uniquely serving individuals involved in the management of chambers of all sizes. ACCE provides opportunities for chamber employees to learn best practices and develop professionally so they may lead their business organizations and communities. Chamber of the Year awards honor chambers of commerce in four categories based on the size of the organizations. The Knoxville Chamber is a finalist in the largest category. The winner will be announced August 4, 2011 at the ACCE annual convention. About the Knoxville Chamber The Knoxville Chamber is the region's leading business organization with more than 2,000 members that employ more than 276,000 individuals. More than 80 percent of Chamber members are small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. It fulfills its mission of Driving Regional Economic Prosperity by recruiting new businesses and supporting existing companies, and serves as the lead economic development agency in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley. The organization has an active government advocacy program and supports pro-business policies. Members receive marketing, networking, professional development benefits, and many other cost-effective services. For more information visit www.knoxvillechamber.com.
“Growing support from Tennessee’s job creators for the CAP Act underscores the need for us to address out-of-control spending at the federal level in order to grow the economy,” Corker said. “It’s been nearly 800 days since the Senate even passed a budget, and on our current path, our debt will more than double in the next 10 years. This situation is totally unsustainable, creating tremendous uncertainty and causing companies not to invest because they are concerned about whether Congress is actually going to deal with our indebtedness in a way that makes progress. We can reverse this trend by putting enforceable limits on all future spending through the CAP Act, which will show the business community and the world community that we have the ability to have discipline and act responsibly. I believe getting our country back on a path to fiscal sanity would unleash tremendous amounts of investment in this country to help create jobs.”