Five Facts: TUTCO highlighted during Industry Appreciation Month

CBJ Admin
Thursday, May 16, 2013
COOKEVILLE – Local industry leader TUTCO has been a member of the Upper Cumberland community for 40 years, manufacturing heating elements for clothes dryers, home heating systems and specialty heating applications such as medical devices and packaging equipment. But how much do you really know about this global leader that employs 270 people in the region?

For one thing, the company, which moved its corporate headquarters to Cookeville in 1972, holds 80 percent of the U.S. patents in open coil heating technology. See what else makes TUTCO stand out in the following “Five Facts.”

... click here to read more

Five Facts: ATC Automation: From two-man shop to prime industrial player

CBJ Admin
Thursday, May 16, 2013
COOKEVILLE – ATC Automation has been a staple industry in the Upper Cumberland for more than three decades, building the equipment that assembles parts and components used in everyday life, like what’s used to make headlamps for GM’s new Camaro, equipment that produces batteries for “smart grids,” and lifesaving surgical instruments and stents used in local surgery centers.

But what makes ATC tick? Find out more about the company in our “Five Facts” feature, part of Putnam County’s ongoing Industry Appreciation Month:... click here to read more

Clay lands green manufacturer

Liz Engel Clark
Thursday, May 16, 2013
CELINA – A long-standing speculative building in Celina has a new tenant, and it’s a business that will be looking to manufacture a variety of green-related products. Canadian businessman Alan Kirby recently signed a lease agreement for the 33,000-square-foot space with the Clay County Industrial Development Board. He will use the facility for his multi-national company Green Tech of Tennessee Inc. (GTTI). GTTI will manufacture water treatment systems, soil treatment systems, LED lighting, as well as process hydrocarbon waste and used tires.

“He wants to get ... click here to read more

UC takes sales tax hit in April

Liz Engel Clark
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
UPPER CUMBERLAND – Negative numbers were the norm in April for the Upper Cumberland as the region experienced a -4.3 percent drop in its state sales tax collections for the month.

Only one county saw a gain in year-to-year numbers – Overton was up 2.3 percent compared to April 2012 – and statewide, overall collections decreased -0.7 percent.

The average loss locally hovered around -7.1 percent, ranging from a mere -0.6 percent decrease in Cannon County to a -27.5 percent drop in Van Buren. In the middle of the pack were Clay (-5.8), DeKalb (-5.3), Fentress (-5.4) and Warren (-5.8). Putnam County, the region’s largest collector with $7.3 million in A... click here to read more

THE LINEUP: 'Jammin' at Hippie Jack's' scheduled for May 23-26

CBJ Admin
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
CRAWFORD - Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s, an Americana music festival, is scheduled for May 23-26 in Overton County. Below is the scheduled lineup. For more information, tickets and directions, visit http://jamminathippiejacks.com or call (931) 445-2072. Thursday

6-7 p.m.

Camper pot luck dinner... click here to read more

Oreck files for Chapter 11, Cookeville plant to stay?

Liz Engel Clark
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
UPDATE: In an email earlier this week, George Halford, president/CEO of the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, said they are “cautiously optimistic” that the bankruptcy process “will ultimately result in a favorable outcome” for Oreck and for Cookeville. While the chamber has not heard from Oreck directly, officials, he wrote, have repeatedly said their manufacturing operation in Cookeville is “strategically important.”

“Your chamber has been monitoring the situation for some time now, and our sources tell us that the company…will continue operations and that a buyer is being sought for the company, and in fact, th... click here to read more

Accelerator taking applications for ‘Young Entrepreneurs Academy’

CBJ Admin
Monday, May 6, 2013
Bootcamp open to enrolled college students in the UC region

COOKEVILLE – The Biz Foundry – the regional Launch Tennessee business accelerator – is now taking applications for its inaugural “Young Entrepreneurs Academy” this summer. The weeklong boot camp, “Think Big, Start Small” will take place June 24 – 28 at The Biz Foundry’s Cookeville location, 140 W. Seventh St. The mini-accelerator program is open to enrolled college students in the 14-county Upper Cumberland region.

Students will develop the skills necessary to launch their own business during the compressed... click here to read more

Updated: Crossville chamber names new president

Liz Engel Clark
Friday, May 3, 2013
CROSSVILLE – It’s official. The Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce has tapped its next president.

Brad Allamong, 57, of Ames, Iowa, has accepted the chamber's offer, according board chair Brad Fox. Allamong has many years of chamber and economic development experience and will start his new position by July 1.

The announcement was made in a brief email to chamber members Friday afternoon. According to his LinkedIn profile, Allamong currently serves as program coordinator for strategic development initiatives for Iowa State University. In the past, he has served as president of the Morgantown (West Virginia) Area Chamber of Commerce, among other po... click here to read more

Wilson’s in Sparta to lay off 20; Roses in Livingston to close

Liz Engel Clark
Friday, May 3, 2013
LIVINGSTON – Two Upper Cumberland businesses will either shut down or lay off workers over the next several weeks, according to recent filings with the Tennessee Department of Labor.

Roses, a variety store located at 1678 Cookeville Highway in Livingston, will close, and Wilson’s Sporting Goods will terminate more than a dozen workers at its 4600 Roberts Matthews Highway location in Sparta.

The Livingston closure, according to the Department of Labor notice, began April 18 and will end May 18. Roses opened in 2010; the total number of affected workers is 12.

As for Wilson’s, the termination of 20 workers is effective June 28.

Employees at ... click here to read more

UC tourism looking up as ‘Travel Week’ kicks off

Richard Lawson
Thursday, May 2, 2013
UPPER CUMBERLAND - Tourism season is about to kick into high gear in the Upper Cumberland. Once again, the season will begin with the U.S. Travel Association’s National Travel & Tourism Week May 4-12. Upper Cumberland tourism officials are doing their part with the Tennessee effort at welcome centers across the state to build on the region’s growing tourism. The Buffalo Valley welcome center on Interstate 40 will play host to Upper Cumberland attractions during that week. “The people at the welcome centers are our frontline salespeople,&rd... click here to read more

TN workers’ comp system gets another overhaul

Richard Lawson
Thursday, May 2, 2013
UPPER CUMBERLAND - Workers’ compensation reform sailed through the legislature with the support of Tennessee’s business community and Republican Gov. Bill Haslam.Opposition came mostly from Democrats, lawyers and unions. But it wasn’t enough to stall the legislation or amend it. The changes will take effect July 1, 2014.For years, workers’ compensation has been an issue in Tennessee with the business community. Changes have been made over time to the workers’ compensation system to lower costs.But the business community, lead by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry... click here to read more

ETI Precision closing in Gordonsville

Liz Engel Clark
Thursday, May 2, 2013
SMITH COUNTY – A Gordonsville manufacturing facility is set to shutter its doors later this summer.Officials with ETI Precision Corp. reported the company’s impending closure to the Tennessee Department of Labor in an April 2 notice. According to that report, that process began March 24 and is set to end June 1. Thirty people are said to be affected; no reason was listed and a message left by the UCBJ was not returned by press time. According to the Department of Labor, employees at the facility are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement.Back in late 2010, ETI’s opening in Smith County was celebrated by Tennessee Department of Economic ... click here to read more

Sligo Bridge construction moves forward

Richard Lawson
Thursday, May 2, 2013
SMITHVILLE - Construction could begin soon on Sligo Bridge in DeKalb County after years of controversy.The Tennessee Department of Transportation opened the bids last month for replacing the bridge and the low bidder was Kansas City-based Massman Construction Co. Massman came in with a bid of $38.9 million, edging OCCI Inc., which is working on Hurricane Bridge, by about $400,000.State officials have been reviewing the bid and an actual contract award could come soon.Once the contract is awarded, the contractor will hold a preconstruct... click here to read more

One on One: Ruth Dyal, executive director, UC Tourism Association

Liz Engel Clark
Thursday, May 2, 2013
No one can accuse Ruth Dyal of being soft-spoken. As executive director of the Upper Cumberland Tourism Association, it’s her job to talk – and talk big – about the region in which we live – 14 counties and 5,000-plus square miles of territory in all, each community as diverse and unique as the next. And since 2008, she’s done just that, with a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact approach.Something must be working. Over the last five years, the UC has consistently increased its tourism expenditures – by a total of nearly 6 percent – raking in almost $340 million in 2011, the latest year in which data is available, a whopping $20 million more than... click here to read more

Granville adds attractions, festival to draw visitors

Richard Lawson
Thursday, May 2, 2013
GRANVILLE - Granville once had a saloon near the banks of the Cumberland River, back in the heyday of steamboats and long before the river was dammed up to create Cordell Hull Lake.Travelers would wet their whistle at a saloon on Clover Street, up from the steamboat landing. Steamboat traffic diminished with the automobile and saloons all around disappeared with Prohibition. But this month, travelers to Granville can get a flavor of what it was once like. Granville built a replica of the saloon on exact spot of the original.“We tried to build it back to the original scale,” said Randall Clemons, a Granville na... click here to read more

State continues to invest in Upper Cumberland’s state parks

Richard Lawson
Thursday, May 2, 2013
UPPER CUMBERLAND - Tennessee has been in the process of making improvements to the state’s parks to improve customer service and the offerings to attract more visitors.The park system is a big part of the state’s tourism business. A recent University of Tennessee-Knoxville study showed that the parks have about a $1.5 billion economic impact for the state, giving impetus to upgrades and improvements. Some upgrades, particularly those related to recreational vehicles, have focused on the busiest parks among the 54 the state has. Improvements include electrical upgrades... click here to read more

Job seekers to celebrate Goodwill Week with career fair

CBJ Admin
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
COOKEVILLE – Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee will celebrate Goodwill Week by hosting a job fair in Cookeville in May. The fair will take place at Goodwill’s Career Solutions Center, located at 565-C S. Jefferson Ave., Cookeville, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, May 9, for Pacesetters and Trustaff.

Pacesetters, a non-profit that provides services and support to individuals with disabilities, is looking for dozens of part-time and full-time suppo... click here to read more

May calendar of events

CBJ Admin
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A listing of events in the Upper Cumberland:Until May 17 – “The Miracle Worker” at the Cumberland County Playhouse “The Miracle Worker” by William Gibson is the amazing true story of young Helen Keller, and the gifted young teacher who brought light, words, and the world to a blind, deaf child. For more information, call (931) 484-5000 or visit www.ccplayhouse.com

Until May 3 – “Les Miserables” at the Cumberland County Playhouse

This epic tale of revolution, passion and the redemptive power... click here to read more

Crossville to play host for Creative Community Summit

CBJ Admin
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Registration now open for statewide series to focus on retiree recruitment NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced today that registration is open for the Spring Creative Community Summits “Turning Visitors into Neighbors” to be held Wednesday, May 29, at the Palace Theater in Crossville, and Thursday, May 30, at Bryan College in Dayton. The overall theme for communities attending the all-day summits will be retiree recruitment and will feature an assortment of experts discussing key factors in recruiting retirees such as housing, retail, downtown development and touris... click here to read more

Putnam celebrates ‘Industry Appreciation Month’

CBJ Admin
Friday, Apr 26, 2013
The Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, along with Putnam County and its cities, is celebrating Industry Appreciation during the entire month of May. These partners urge all citizens of Putnam County to join in saluting local businesses, industries, and their employees for their many contributions to the community and region. “With over 100 diverse industries in Putnam County generating over 5,300 jobs, the significance of our industries and their impact on our quality of life is incredible,” said Chamber Board Chairman Ottis Phillips. “In honoring these pillars of our community, we hope citizens throughout Putnam County will join us in recog... click here to read more

Cookeville chamber sets date for 6th annual membership golf tournament

CBJ Admin
Saturday, Apr 20, 2013
COOKEVILLE – The Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce’s 6th annual golf tournament will tee off Friday, May 24. The event will take place at the Cookeville Golf Club, 1500 Country Club Road. “In addition to serving as a fundraiser for the chamber to help with its many programs, this tournament offers chamber members the opportunity to build existing relationships as well as make new ones while in a fun, casual atmosphere,” said James Massengille, chamber golf tournament chairman. “It is always a great event to be involved in, and I am looking forward to serving as this year’s chairm... click here to read more

J. Cumby to remodel former Regional Health facility at TTU

CBJ Admin
Thursday, Apr 18, 2013
COOKEVILLE – Cookeville-based J. Cumby Construction has been chosen to help revitalize the former Upper Cumberland Regional Health facility located on the campus of Tennessee Tech University (TTU) at 200 W. 10th St. The building, which has been renamed Southwest Hall, will now house administrative offices as well as an on-campus daycare center. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are all being replaced, and the renovation also calls for new architectural finishes to the 25,000 square-foot facility.

“We're honored to provide construction services for Tennessee Tech,” said Justin Cumby, o... click here to read more

Committee ID’s two finalists Crossville chamber job

Liz Engel Clark
Wednesday, Apr 17, 2013
CROSSVILLE – Members of an executive committee tasked with hiring the next executive director of the Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce met this week to rank the top two candidates for the position.

The committee, which got together Tuesday, has narrowed the paring down, first from an initial 16 applicants and more recently from seven finalists, but is not sharing the names of its top two candidates at this point to allow for the opportunity to contact those who applied. An announcement is expected, however, early next week, and the committee is targeting June 1 as the start date for the new president, committee chair Brad Fox wrote in a memo.

The searc... click here to read more

Highlands meeting highlights successes

CBJ Admin
Friday, Apr 12, 2013
HIGHLANDS – More than 100 community leaders and investors from Jackson, Overton, Putnam and White counties came together Tuesday, April 9, at the Leslie Town Centre to celebrate and highlight the progress of the second phase of the Highlands Initiative, a collaborative, public/private sector program designed to boost economic and community development in the four-county region. Highlands steering committee chairman Bob Bell kicked off the meeting by acknowledging regional growth in tourism, new industry recruitment, breakthroughs in education and success in local health care, all areas directly impacted by programs of the Highlands Initiative.

The agenda for the meeting was... click here to read more

WOW Festival this weekend at TTU

CBJ Admin
Friday, Apr 12, 2013
The fifteenth annual Window on the World (WOW) Festival will take place Saturday, April 13, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The WOW Festival is an international festival celebrating cultural diversity and global harmony. We now live in a world where instant communication is the norm. This connects us in ways we never imagined even just a few years ago. Because we now live in such a small world, tolerance between people and cultures is essential. The theme for this year is "Celebrations." The WOW Festival celebrates cultural differences such as food, dress, dance, music while celebrating similarities. We are all people with the same needs, wants and ambitions who have just grown up in d... click here to read more

Upper Cumberland Business Accelerator undergoes rebranding

CBJ Admin
Friday, Apr 12, 2013
UC Success Now and Roane State Community College were awarded funding last year through the Governor’s LaunchTN Business Accelerator Program. After initial success, Roane State has decided to turn the accelerator over to the newly formed Upper Cumberland Entrepreneurial Foundation. The foundation is a nonprofit group focused on building an entrepreneurial economy in the Upper Cumberland area of Tennessee. The board of directors and staff recently made the decision to rebrand both the foundation and the accelerator as part of a new marketing campaign to highlight the assets of the program. Formerly known as UC Success Now, the business accelerator will now be called The Biz... click here to read more

Staycation Expo returns for second year

CBJ Admin
Wednesday, Apr 10, 2013
CROSSVILLE – The term staycation may be nothing new, but a Cumberland County event scheduled for Saturday, April 20, may give attendees some fresh ideas for vacations in their own backyard.

The annual Staycation Expo, which will highlight “breathtaking destinations, unforgettable attractions and events on the Cumberland Plateau” – all within a day’s drive – will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Fairfield Glade Conference Center, 128 Stonehenge Drive, Fairfield Glade. This year’s theme is “relax, refresh, revitalize.”

... click here to read more

Despite snags, Highlands gains ground

Richard Lawson
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2013
The Highlands Business Park has had a hard year so far. Bad weather and other issues delayed the park’s completion. And in March, the Cookeville City Council had to approve a $1.2 million change order, which increased the park’s overall construction cost.

But those issues haven’t deterred marketing efforts on the park. Officials already regularly include the park in “requests for information” when those arrive.

In March, officials offered up the entire park or individual parcels in response to requests, according to Melinda Keifer, Cookeville’s director of economic and community deve... click here to read more

CRMC board names Korth to top position

CBJ Admin
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2013
COOKEVILLE - Cookeville Regional Medical Center’s board of trustees voted unanimously Feb. 28 to name Paul Korth, a 24-year veteran health care leader and administrator, the hospital’s chief executive officer. Korth came to CRMC almost 14 years ago as the chief financial officer. He has had many significant milestones in his career including successfully managing the financial aspects of operating the 247-bed Cookeville Regional while also having responsibility for a large number of hospital departments and services. For the past four months Korth has served as the medical center’s interim CEO in addition to continuing his responsibilities as CFO... click here to read more

TN beer tax rate distasteful to craft brewers

Richard Lawson
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2013
Tennessee has the highest tax on beer in the country, an inglorious distinction according to craft brewers and beer distributors across the state. Both groups say the high tax on beer harms the state’s competitiveness in the craft beer industry and hinders the ability of a burgeoning Tennessee industry to grow more.

During the state legislature’s current session, craft brewers, including Calfkiller Brewing Company in Sparta, and distributors have been trying to change that. They have been pushing legislation to reform the beer tax to help foster growth in the craft brewing business.

“Basically, we&rsq... click here to read more