2013_Benchmarks-Business&Industry

Section A

Business & Industry Huf North America Announces $20M Expansion. 2 DTR Launches $12M Expansion Project. 5 New Food City Opens Off U.S. 11E. 6 Consumer Credit Union Headquarters Nearly Complete. 7

The Greeneville Sun March 16, 2013

2013 Benchmarks

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

Huf North America Announces Expansion, 100 New Jobs

BY KRISTEN BUCKLES STAFF WRITER

meaningful to the community,” Hagerty said.

Huf North America announced in February the coming addition of 100 new jobs at its Greeneville location as part of a $20 million expansion.

The plant, at 395 T. Elmer Cox Drive, will nearly double in production space with a 52,000-square-foot addition that will allow for plastic injection-molding and painting of exterior automotive door handles.

The expansion is expected to be completed later this year.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, President & CEO Michael Supe credited employees, local officials and state government with the growth.

“I can tell you that, when I look to the really high level of attention in regards to the project, not [just from] the city of Greeneville, but we also had Greene County and the State of Tennessee — Huf takes this as a clear sign of support.

“So far, so good,” Supe said.

MUCH WORK Tom Ferguson, president and CEO of the Greene County Partnership (GCP), explained in a separate interview that the GCP has been involved in the Huf expansion process for about two years, hosting at least a half-dozen meetings involving the company’s management, the state government, and representatives of Tennessee Valley Authority.

Locally, elected officials and the Industrial Development Board were also involved, he said.

A little over a year ago, the board approved a payment in lieu of taxes for what was then an anonymous company, he said.

“Because of [Huf’s] investments and because of the number of jobs they are adding, they will receive tax breaks on the new machinery, new equipment they purchase, for a period of eight years,” he said.

DECISION REVERSED The announcement followed a decision just two years ago to close the Greeneville location.

Supe said Huf reversed that decision when employees rallied to do all they could to keep their jobs, a move that inspired the company to seek out additional contracts and re-achieve financial viability for the Greeneville plant.

The decision to close Greeneville’s plant came at a time when Huf was under “huge pressure” to reduce prices, Supe said.

This pressure led to the decision to take a part of the company to Mexico for the lower labor costs, Supe explained.

The company expected to lose a number of employees with the local plant’s closure.

“Instead, we could identify that, here in Greeneville, we could count on our employees, like a big family,” Supe said.

“They did not hesitate to give us a clear sign that they would not hesitate and that they would stick together — not only in good times, but in bad times as well.”

NEW CONTRACTS This prompted the company to reflect on its “worldwide” strengths, Supe said, and to “force” Huf’s Detroit department to increase sales in outer-door handles.

SUN PHOTO BY BRIAN CUTSHALL

Employees of the Huf-Tennessee plant were credited in February by the company’s North American president & CEO as the inspiration to the company for keeping the plant open and growing, despite difficult economics.

“The major decision to keep [the] plant [in] Tennessee open [...] was in the awarding of $2.5 million in painted door [handle] sales for Ford, fully established now in our plant here in Tennessee,” he said.

With this confidence to move forward, Supe noted that the company continued to acquire additional accounts for these outer-door handles, including a contract to supply every BMW plant worldwide.

“It makes no sense to capitalize $20 million and to be prepared for just two to three years,” he added of the company’s commitment to Greeneville.

With these contracts now in place, Greeneville Plant Manager Michael Lehman said that the 100 new employees the company hopes to add constitute a minimum number.

There are already requests for five million orders a year in place, and another five million are being sought to fulfill the new equipment’s capacity, MICHAEL SUPE he explained.

HUF NORTH AMERICA PRESIDENT/CEO

‘TEAM EFFORT HERE’ Commissioner Bill Hagerty, of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TECD), spoke briefly at the groundbreaking ceremony about the benefits of locating industry in Tennessee, as well as the work the state did to support Huf’s

expansion in Greene County.

“I think the reason why we’re all here today, is to thank Huf,” he said. “I think it really is a symbol for Tennessee that our strategy is working.

“In the South, Tennessee ranks number one in the automotive sector, and we see the

growth coming every day,” he added.

“We’re very excited that Huf has made the decision to double-down in the State of Tennessee — not only to add new capital, but to add new jobs in this area. That’s very important to us and very

BACKGROUND OF HUF Greeneville’s Huf-Tennessee facility currently includes 54,000 square-feet of production space and 17,000 squarefeet for offices.

Huf designs, develops and manufactures mechanical and electronic key systems, lock sets, steering locks and remote control systems for the automotive industry.

Huf-Tennessee’s justannounced $20 million expansion here will provide for the production of painted outerdoor handles for automotive customers.

The Huf Group employs more than 4,800 individuals worldwide, with operations in 16 countries, according to a news release about the local $20 million expansion project.

The company’s major customers include Ford, Chrysler and BMW, but range across most major automotive brands, according to Lehman.

There are currently 143 employees at the Huf-Tennessee location.

The company first came to Greeneville in 1995.

The original investment for the Mt. Pleasant Industrial Park plant was reportedly about $6.5 million.

Huf North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Velbert, Germany.

On The Cover FROM TOP OF PAGE TO BOTTOM:

DTR TENNESSEE LAUNCHES $12 MILLION EXPANSION

DTR Tennessee, Inc. began a $12 million expansion project in January at its Midway plant that will increase rubber-processing capabilities for the county’s largest private-sector employer. DTR will add 27,000 square-feet to the existing facility, HUF NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES EXPANSION Officials broke ground in February on a $20 million expansion at Huf-Tennessee, which is currently 432,000 square-feet. The project will add 20 jobs. Manufacturat 395 T. Elmer Cox Drive. The expansion is expected to bring 100 new jobs to ing at the expanded facility is scheduled to start in January 2014. Sun photo by the plant. Performing the ceremonial shovel work are, from left: Bill Forrester, O.J. Early. economic development manager, First Tennessee Development District; Tommy Gregg, vice mayor, Town of Mosheim; Scott Niswonger, Greeneville businessman and philanthropist; Commissioner Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Department of CONSUMER CREDIT UNION HEADQUARTERS NEARLY COMPLETE Economic and Community Development; Bill Carroll, Greene County Partnership Consumer Credit Union broke ground in August for its new headquarters building, chairman; Michael Lehman, plant manager, Huf-Tennessee; Michael Supe, presi- which will be located on East Andrew Johnson Highway across from the Walmart dent and CEO, Huf North America; W.T. Daniels, Greeneville mayor; Alan Broyles, SuperCenter. Shown at the groundbreaking ceremony in the first row are, left to Greene County mayor; Tommy Olterman, project manager, Tennessee Valley right: Charles Dawson, CCU director; Marcia Whaley, CCU director; Royce Graham, Authority; Jim Street, president, J.A. Street & Associates; and Sen. Steve Souther- CCU board chairman; Jack Creed, CCU director; Larry Coughlin, CCU director; land, R-1st, of Morristown. Sun photo by Brian Cutshall.

Greeneville Mayor W.T. Daniels; John Broyles, Supervisory Committee; George Harris, Supervisory Committee; Sam Miller, CCU president; Dr. David Green, pastor, First Baptist Church; Andrew Renner, CCU director; Harold Andrew, CCU director; Greene County Mayor Alan Broyles; Greene County Partnership President and CEO FOOD CITY OPENS AT SITE OF VACANT, FORMER WALMART A new Food City store officially opened to the public Feb. 27 at 2755 E. Andrew Tom Ferguson; and John Abe Teague, assistant to U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-1st, of Johnson Hwy., the former Walmart location. Sun photo by Kristen Buckles.

Johnson City. Sun photo by O.J. Early.

Advertisers Index Summers Taylor .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 American Greetings......................................................................................................................................................... 5 US Nitrogen .................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Greene County Partnership ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Greeneville Iron & Metals................................................................................................................................................ 7 High Road Digital ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 Angus-Palm, A Worthington Industries Company ........................................................................................................... 10 Financial Guide ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 East Tennessee Manufacturing Services, Inc. ................................................................................................................ 12 Legal Guide .................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Transport Technologies, LLC .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Food City Video ............................................................................................................................................................ 15 Specialty Gift Guide ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 Jarden Zinc Products..................................................................................................................................................... 16

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

Construction Work In Full Swing At US Nitrogen Plant At 490 Acres, Site Is Largest Tract Owned By Any Industry In County

fundamentals, process overview, and how to operate the facility.

“It’s a full range of things we look for,” he added.

BY RICH JONES ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

MIDWAY — Construction is moving at an accelerated pace at the new US Nitrogen plant in Midway after more than two years of planning, approvals and engineering work on a grand scale.

Massive pieces of equipment destined to form the core of the plant that will manufacture liquid ammonium nitrate have arrived from Texas and Louisiana. More equipment is on the way.

Activities have also focused on design work being done by Weatherly Inc., an engineering company in Atlanta.

“They [Weatherly] are working through the full gamut of the process,” said Jim Boldt, vice president and chief financial officer of Austin Powder Company, the parent company of US Nitrogen.

The plant is on track to open in the first quarter of 2014, he said.

Various pieces of equipment, along with key personnel of US Nitrogen, started coming together in January at the 490acre tract off Pottertown Road, the largest piece of property owned by any single industry in Greene County.

Project manager Justin Freeark, a chemical engineer, is now at the site after having spent the previous year in Houston and Atlanta supervising work on equipment for the plant.

“Each piece in the puzzle is different,” Freeark said in late January.

“Right now we’re putting together foundations for the absorption tower.”

TALLEST STRUCTURE The absorption tower, as it turns out, has a fascinating story.

When fully assembled, it will be the tallest structure in Greene County at 140-feet, or 14 stories high.

The structure will weigh 450,000 pounds (225 tons) and be 14 feet in diameter.

Freeark said the tower, which was refurbished in Lake Charles, La., is now in Knoxville.

The structure is due to arrive from Knoxville and be in place at the Midway plant by late this month or early April.

How the structure got from Lake Charles, in southwest Louisiana, to Knoxville takes some explaining.

From Lake Charles, the tower had to be floated by barge into the Gulf of Mexico, east to the Mississippi River Delta, and northward up the Mississippi River to Cairo, Ill. At Cairo, the barge carrying the massive tower navigated onto the Ohio River, moving east to Paducah, Ky., where it accessed the Tennessee River.

Once on the Tennessee, the barge made its way through northern Alabama and northward to the nearest point to Greene County it could navigate — Knoxville.

TDOT INVOLVED The final leg of the tower’s journey to Greene County must be by Interstates 40 and 81, and U.S. 11E. Approval of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is required — and has been requested

by US Nitrogen.

Freeark said a lane of Interstate 40 and Interstate 81 from Knoxville to the tower’s final destination in Midway will need to be closed “at a couple of points” in order to get the special vehicle carrying the tower over and around various bridges.

Power lines will need to be raised in some locations, he added.

Once the tower arrives at the US Nitrogen site

SUN PHOTO BY KRISTEN BUCKLES

The two absorption columns at left have been reconditioned by US Nitrogen to meet American Society of Mechanical Engineers requirements. The structure at right is a steam condenser. Excess steam will be condensed and the water recovered in this “giant radiator.”

SUN PHOTO BY BRIAN CUTSHALL

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, at left, and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., share a light moment while on a tour of the US Nitrogen construction site in November.

SUN PHOTO BY KRISTEN BUCKLES

Marty Moon, US Nitrogen Director of Operations, is the company’s local point person for hiring and staff training.

“It’s a tedious lift, but it’s spectacular,” he added.

JUSTIN FREEARK

ALREADY ONSITE Equipment and material for the facility continue to arrive and thousands of yards of concrete have been poured.

Two carbon dioxide absorption columns for the site’s ammonia plant have arrived, Boldt said.

Each weighs 125 tons.

Both reciprocating compressors for the ammonia plant arrived just before Christmas in 19 semi-truck loads from Houston, Freeark said.

PROJECT MANAGER

in Midway in late March or early April, a 500-tonplus crane will be used to right the structure.

The crane itself will take two days to get in place and be set up for the lift of the tower.

But once preparations have been made, the tower will be raised and in place in about an hour, Boldt said.

STILL TO COME The ammonia plants for the facility, which were made in Cincinnati, were acquired by US Nitrogen from another company operating in Peru, where the equipment had not been used.

US Nitrogen is 90 percent complete on a project to refurbish the ammonia plants in Houston to meet specific needs at

the Midway site, Freeark added.

The nitric acid plant is the next stage in the process, Freeark said.

That plant was purchased in Lake Charles, La., and is being refurbished in East Tennessee.

Components of the nitric acid plant could be shipped here by sometime this month, Freeark said.

Overall, the construction phase of the Midway plant is about 25 percent complete, Freeark and Boldt estimated.

THE HIRING PHASE US Nitrogen Director of Operations Marty Moon, who is in charge of hiring and training plant personnel, arrived in January from Apache Nitrogen Products in Benson, Ariz., where he had worked for 20 years in the nitrate industry.

“We’d like to kick off and get people on board

by June,” Boldt said,

emphasizing that the company is now engaged in a three- to four-month process of identifiying and hiring employees.

“We hope to hire from the immediate area,” Boldt said. “There’s a well developed industrial core between Knoxville and Kingsport with Greeneville right in the middle.”

The 80 or so US Nitrogen employees that will be hired will undergo 25 weeks of operator training.

“Marty [Moon] will be a very key player in developing our staffing plan and curriculum,” Boldt said.

Moon stated that the company wants to recruit from the Greene County area.

“We’re looking for mechanical aptitude, fairly decent and basic math skills, and a caring attitude,” Moon said in a recent interview with The Greeneville Sun. Employee training, Moon said, will include

KEY LOCAL CONTRACTORS A primary contractor on the project continues to be local company C&C Millwright Maintenance Co., Inc. Jerry Fortner is the president.

“C&C remains a primary contractor on the project. They built the administration building, and are doing all the foundations,” Boldt said.

“Jerry [Fortner] continues to be very supportive.”

Local engineer Lori Jones works for C&C as project scheduler. She is coordinating the civil (engineering) site work.

Summers Taylor is handling all of the work to get the ground at the plant to “dead level,” Boldt said. Most of that work was completed last spring and summer.

A contract still needs to be signed with the Greeneville Light & Power System to accommodate the heavy electrical needs of the plant, Boldt said.

The Town of Mosheim in August 2012 received a $1 million grant from the United States Economic Development Agency (EDA) to assist with upgrades to the Lick Creek Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant that are needed to service the requirements of the US Nitrogen plant.

U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-1st, of Johnson City, made the announcement.

ABOUT US NITROGEN US Nitrogen will produce liquid ammonium nitrate at the plant.

Ohio-based Austin Powder Company, the parent company of US Nitrogen, is a prominent domestic and international producer of explosives used in quarrying, mining, construction, and seismic projects.

The company’s motto is, “Used In 1833 & Ever Since.”

Company officials have said that US Nitrogen eventually plans to produce 420 tons of liquid ammonium nitrate per day at the plant.

Nitric acid and ammonia will also be made there for use in the production of the ammonium nitrate.

When the plant is fully operational, plans call for about 20 truckloads of the liquid ammonium nitrate to leave the facility each day for facilities in other states.

The ammonium nitrate solution that will be manufactured at the plant is known as ANSOL or ANS. It will be produced for use at other locations by Austin Powder Company as an ingredient in explosives.

Company officials have repeatedly stated publicly in response to some local concerns about safety, that, by itself, the liquid ammonium nitrate is neither flammable nor explosive.

After being manufactured here, they explain, the liquid product will be transported to other company plants elsewhere for combination with other ingredients under certain conditions to form material for use as explosives.

“While we are an explosives company, we aren’t going to be making exposives here. I think that’s an important thing to realize,” Boldt has stated.

BIG EMPLOYER, CUSTOMER The US Nitrogen plant is expected to have a full-time workforce of 80 employees with jobs paying an average of $50,000 a year, company officials have said.

The company will purchase massive amounts of electricity, water and natural gas: • an estimated $18 million annually in natural gas; • an estimated $5 million annually in electricity; and • an estimated $1 million annually in water.

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION

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DTR Tennessee Launches $12 Million Expansion Project

BY RICH JONES

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

DTR Tennessee, Inc. launched a $12 million expansion project in January at its Midway plant that will increase rubberprocessing capabilities for the county’s largest private-sector employer.

DTR, a subsidiary of Tokai Rubber Industries (TRI) of Komaki, Japan, will add 27,000 squarefeet to the existing facility, which is currently 432,000 square-feet.

The project will add 20 jobs, said Cal Doty, vice president of human resources at DTR. Manufacturing at the expanded facility is scheduled to start in January 2014, Doty said.

C&C Millwright Maintenance Co., Inc. is the contractor for the project.

The expansion will allow DTR to increase production of rubber products at its facilities in Midway and Tazewell, and supply other TRI facilities in the U.S. and abroad with mixed-rubber compounds.

The increased output will increase shipping from the Midway facility, Doty said. “Our shipping is contracted out, usually locally,” Doty noted.

The total $12 million investment includes manufacturing space and equipment.

DTR, at 199 Pottertown Road, began production in 1997.

The plant currently employs approximately 700 associates, Doty said.

The expansion project will be attached to the existing facility on the end nearest to Pottertown Road.

DTR manufactures rubber and plastic automotive anti-vibration products, rubber and plastic automotive hoses, and urethane noise-dampening products.

Processes include rub-

In addition to expansion, DTR Tennessee, Inc. received several awards in the last year.

Among them, the company received the Toyota Excellent Quality Award (left).

Shown, from left, are: Robert Young, vice president/purchasing of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America (TEMA); Kazuhiro Miyauchi, executive vice president, TEMA; Randy Rumbley, senior vice president/manufacturing, DTR Tennessee, Inc.; Tetsu Matsui, president & CEO, DTR Tennessee, Inc.; and Shigecki Terashi, president and COO, TEMA.

ber-mixing, injectionmolding of rubber and plastic, extrusion of rubber, metal-stamping, welding, aluminum diecasting and electrostatic painting.

Assistance from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development representative, Alicia Summers, as well as from Tom Ferguson, Greene County Partnership president

and CEO, was a benefit in the decision to expand, Doty said.

DTR is currently supplying products to Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Ford plants, both domestically and abroad.

Tetsu Matsui is president and CEO of DTR Tennessee, and Randy Rumbley is the senior vice president and executive officer.

1Job Site in the

#

Greeneville area

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US Nitrogen and Greene County:

A Winning Partnership

We are pleased to report that great progress has been made with construction of the largest corporate investment in county history, the building of the US Nitrogen plant. he foundations are close to being nished, and the months ahead will see structures and equipment rising from the ground.

While weather and some other factors have caused an occasional delay, we are hopeful that the plant will be operational by mid-2014. On any given day, about 50 workers are on our job site, including a large percentage who live in or near our county. That number will increase during the upcoming construction phases.

US Nitrogen and its parent company Austin Powder have let two core values guide this project – a dedication to valuing the community’s interests as much as our own, and a philosophy that doing the job right is more important than doing it in a hurry.

Thanks for making us such welcome mem ers of your ery ne community

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

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Gleaming Food City Opens At Site Of Vacant, Former Walmart

BY KRISTEN BUCKLES STAFF WRITER

Greeneville’s third Food City supermarket opened in February, bringing new jobs and the anticipation of millions of dollars in annual sales into the local market.

The store, at 2755 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., added more than 100 jobs, according to K-VA-T President and CEO Steve Smith. K-VA-T is the parent corporation of Food City stores.

Greene County Partnership Chairman and CEO Tom Ferguson said that the facility will bring an estimated $20 million in annual retail sales.

With more features and amenities than could feasibly be named, this newest facility gleamed like new construction and SUN PHOTO BY KRISTEN BUCKLES boasted immaculately Store Manager Bland Justis, at center in a dark suit, greets guests as they stream into the new Food City store — and fully — stocked during a special preview on Tuesday, Feb. 26. shelves. of adding a third store.

THE STORE In fact, what are today Inside the store, full- the Food City stores service seafood and meat trace their roots to a grodepartments are stocked cery store that opened with a wide variety of in Greeneville in 1918, pre-marinated, seasoned, according to the company oven-ready products and website. a selection of meats that “We developed a special are all-natural with no relationship [...] with the solutions added, includ- people in Greeneville,” he ing Certified Angus said during an interview Beef, according to a news after the ribbon-cutting release provided by the ceremony. company. “[There has been] In-house meat cutters so much support from offer hand-cut steaks and our customer-base in fresh meat to order, and Greeneville over the there is a deluxe salad years.” and pasta bar.

He went on to say that The store also features the company also wanted expanded grocery, frozen a presence on the frefood, produce, and health quently-traveled U.S. 11E & beauty care depart- Bypass, as well as on the ments. east side of the county.

At the front of the store, The new store meets both an express lane joins criteria. seven traditional checkout lanes and four self- A FAMILY COMPANY SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY checkout lanes.

The evening prior to K-VA-T President and CEO Steve Smith, left, congratulates Bland Justis on his new Lining the exterior the store’s grand opening, role as store manager during a special opening ceremony of the new Food City walls and all through the company executives, local store in February. Also shown, from left behind Smith, are District Manager Rick frozen foods section were officials, news media rep- Bishop, County Mayor Alan Broyles and Greene County Partnership President and large freezers boasting resentatives and hun- CEO Tom Ferguson. glass doors to keep prod- dreds of guests filled ucts normally found in the large parking lot of “Food City has a rich The reallocated addi- EXPLORING open coolers fresher. the remodeled former history here.” tional tax revenue for Guests spent more Jesse Lewis, senior vice Walmart building off Guests received a wel- those 15 years will go than an hour browsing president and chief opera- U.S. 11E for a preview come from longtime toward paying for the the 49,000-square-foot tions officer for K-VA-T, and ribbon-cutting cere- former K-VA-T execu- expense of the improve- store, and sampling variexplained that this is one mony held in connection tive Bob Southerland, of ments at the site. ous items in many of the feature of the store’s inno- with a Greene County Greeneville, now retired, The governments departments. vative energy-saving con- Partnership Business who introduced Fergu- planned this financing The deli/bakery became cepts.

After-Hours event. son. to aid not only the Food a common gathering Other such features, he During the ceremony, “This project came City project but also a place for coffee, pastries, said, include parking lot Smith emphasized the together because of the promised retail site to fill hot-bar items and music lights, LED lighting and company’s owner-opera- partnership that we have, the remaining half of the by the band Nostalgia. motion sensors. tor stockholders, that it both with the city and the old Walmart building, as A large sign above the “Our customers will find is a family company, and county, and also because well as an intended res- area declares it “Café the same smiling faces, that it is a local com- of a guy who’s not here taurant to be constructed Greeneville.” top-quality products and pany. tonight, Steve Johnson, in the spacious parking A new floral boutique competitive pricing they Not only has the store the developer of this fine area. offering a florist on staff have come to expect from brought more than 100 project,” Ferguson said. seven days a week softFood City, housed in a new jobs, but he said MAYORS’ COMMENTS ened the scene nearby as more energy-efficient that it has also prompted FINANCING “This is a momen- business people gathered model,” Smith said. the transfer of about 35 The project represents tous occasion,” said in small groups throughThe store also offers a administrative positions the first time Greene Greeneville Mayor W.T. out the large produce secFood City Pharmacy, com- from other areas within County has entered into Daniels. tion. plete with a drive-thru, the company. an agreement using Tax He thanked Smith and a five-pump Food City “It is a beautiful store, Increment Financing, and Johnson for taking NEW OFFERINGS Gas ‘N’ Go station. and it has a lot of ameni- which Ferguson described “a piece of property and Food City also recently “I think they’ll like what ties in it. But no matter as a “nice tax incentive” making it come alive announced the launch they see,” Lewis said. how nice these amenities to do the project. again.” of several new consumer are, it’s the people that Through Tax IncreCounty Mayor Alan programs.

WHY ANOTHER FOOD CITY? make a store. ment Financing, the Broyles agreed, saying Among the newest feaLewis joked that “That’s what I’m so Greeneville and Greene he is proud of the accom- tures is e-ValuCard Savthe answer to the fre- proud of,” Smith said.

County governments will plishment. ers, which allows shopquently-asked question These sentiments were fund this portion of the “It makes me proud to pers to electronically — “Why a third store in echoed in the official development project by have a 21-member board download manufacturers’ Greeneville?” — is simply remarks prior to the rib- reallocating for 15 years of county commissioners coupons from the comthat Smith saw the empty bon-cutting. the increase in proper- who hold as their top pri- pany’s website to their building and wanted it.

“We’re awfully excited ty tax revenue that the ority business and indus- ValuCard.

“Greeneville was the to put a third store here governments will receive try,” Broyles said.

“We are certainly excitoriginal home of Food in Greeneville,” said Dis- because the formerly“We have brought this ed to be able to provide City many years ago,” trict Manager Rick Bish- vacant site has been building back to life.” our loyal customers with Smith said in explanation op. developed. added savings through

our new e-ValuCard Savers program. It’s fast, convenient and extremely easy to use,” Smith said in a news release.

To take advantage of the program, shoppers can go online to www. foodcity.com and create, or log into, their existing My Food City account.

By clicking on the word “Coupon” from the menu, a customer can peruse the available offers.

Selections will be electronically tied to the person’s ValuCard and will redeem automatically at the register, when the ValuCard is scanned and the corresponding items are purchased.

Customers can also view and track their coupon savings through their My Food City account, the news release said.

ONLINE ORDERS TAKEN Food City’s website also offers online ordering for selected departments throughout the store.

Customers can preview and order fresh floral arrangements (for delivery to businesses or pickup in-store), fruit baskets, party trays, holiday dinners, dessert cakes, character sheet cakes and custom sheet cakes.

Orders will be ready for pickup at the indicated Food City location on the specified date and time.

“This is the first phase of our online ordering program,” Smith said.

“We are working with our provider to develop additional features and capabilities to further enhance and improve upon our product, as well as add some complementing elements, such as mobile phone applications.”

Food City partnered with VIC, LLC, headquartered in Knoxville, to develop the online ordering solution.

Many of the components were completely customized for the retail grocery chain, from the screens viewed by customers when placing orders, to the kiosk software utilized by in-store associates to view them.

CEREMONY Department leaders joined the company executives for the Feb. 26 ribbon-cutting, which was performed by the new store manager, Bland Justis.

At the close of the ceremony, guests heard a special patriotic performance by the Greeneville High School Advanced Show Choir and together recited the Pledge of Allegiance as a large U.S. flag was raised by members of American Legion Post 64.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Va., K-VA-T Food Stores now operates 106 retail food outlets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.

Within these outlets, the company also owns 75 pharmacies and 56 fuel stations, according to their website.

Food City Expansion Moving Forward At Asheville Hwy. Site

BY RICH JONES ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

The Greeneville Regional Planning Commission approved final site plans in November for a major expansion of the Food City store on the Asheville Highway (Tenn. Rt. 70).

The Food City, at 515 Asheville Hwy., will be expanded by approximately 13,173 square-feet, and 77 parking spaces will be added.

The current square footage of the supermarket is 36,639, and with the addition, the Food City on Asheville Highway will be about the same size as the new Food City that opened just last month in the old Walmart building on U.S. 11E. (Please see related article above.)

FOOD CITY EXPANSION The Food City expansion at the Asheville Highway location will extend on the north side of the existing building and will greatly expand the retail floor space.

The 77 additional parking spaces will expand the parking lot forward toward Asheville Highway.

The Food City Gas-N-Go in the parking lot will also receive two additional dispensers.

“Existing shoppers will not be impaired during the improvements,” Tim Kuykendall, vice president of Appalachia Design

Services, told the Greeneville Regional Planning Commission in November.

Kuykendall said the expansion will not close the existing supermarket.

Appalachia Design Services prepared civil engineering and site development plans presented to the planning commission.

The Design Group architects are providing the final drawings based upon decisions made by K-VA-T Food Stores, which owns Food City, said Steve Banks, vice president of The Design Group.

The expansion is the size of approximately 50 percent of the current building’s sales floor and slightly more than onethird of the total current square-footage.

SAFETY CONCERN Commission member Lindy Riley did not agree.

“While we were sitting there observing the site, some vehicles came in on the outbound side, right by the bank and, obviously didn’t see the lightpole and the sign as a natural divider. He just ignored them,” Riley said.

“If someone had been trying to come out, there would have been a head-on [collision].”

“It’s private property; we can’t make them [remove the lightpole,]” said Jeff Woods, Greeneville building inspector.

“We can recommend to Food City and Brandon Hull whatever the planning commission would like to see done. We would like to see him do it, but we can’t make him TRICKY ENTRANCE do it.”

The approval of the final site plan came Hull is the owner of the West Greene with the recommendation that the site Shopping Center, which includes the Food plans include curbing and striping to clear- City store. ly mark the entrance and exit.

Alderman Keith Paxton expressed con- DISCUSSION ABOUT UTILITY POLE cern about the middle entrance and exit. It In an interview with The Greeneville is a rather wide entrance with a utility pole Sun in November, Woods clarified that the roughly in the middle and a sign farther Regional Planning Commission only has back also dividing the entrance. the right to demand such an expensive Kuykendall presented the site plan change if it is a major safety hazard, which before the commission. He said the sign has not been determined to be the case with and the utility pole act as natural dividers the current situation. for traffic.

However, Woods said there has been discussion with Greeneville Light & Power

System previously about removing the pole, as a safety measure.

“This might be a good time to go ahead and move that pole,” he said.

Kuykendall said he has passed along the recommendation of the planning commission, and he said he believes that removal of the pole will be added to the expansion plans along with curbing and striping.

“On the right-around, that is where our concern was — where the lightpole was and with the extension of the Gas-N-Go blocking the entrance coming in and diverting the traffic around,” Woods explained.

“There was really no laid-out direction for the traffic to flow. It was just come in Food City and go whichever way you want to,” Woods said.

SUGGESTION ON CURBING “What about actually curbing to differentiate what’s actually Asheville Highway and what’s actually parking lot?” Commission member Bob Biddle asked.

“There have been a lot of accidents in that area just because of that reason and particularly this right-hand turn lane.

This is an opportunity to clean that up,” Biddle added.

The final approval of the site plan included Biddle’s recommendation for installing curbing at the entrance to the parking lot to guide traffic there.

www.greenevillesun.com

Saturday, March 16, 2013

THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION

7

SUN PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE

Work on the new headquarters of Consumer Credit Union (CCU), at 3634 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., is nearing completion. The two-story building should be complete by mid-April and open for business in June, Sam Miller, CCU president and CEO, said in late February.

SAM MILLER CCU PRESIDENT

New Consumer Credit Union Headquarters Nears Completion

BY KEN LITTLE

Bank, off Harlan Street. “The primary thing it will do for [customers] is give them a safer ingress and The new headquarters of Consumer egress to do business with us,� Miller Credit Union (CCU) at 3634 E. Andrew said. “It’s by the red light and it’s a little Johnson Hwy. is nearing completion. safer getting out.�

The project is a show of confidence in the local economy and in Greene ‘A GREAT DAY’ County, said Sam Miller, CCU presiMiller is fond of saying that it’s “a great dent and CEO. day to be an American.� “It’s certainly a statement to the “You can count on our huge American people of Greeneville. We have faith in flag in front of our new home office wavGreene County and the surrounding ing in the wind in beautiful Greeneville area,� Miller said. and Greene County,� Miller said recentThe groundbreaking on CCU’s 17,788 ly. square-foot home office was held in Miller is grateful for “the outpouring of August 2012. support we have received from people in The two-story building should be our community over the years.� complete by mid-April and open for He said in February that no decision business in June, Miller said in Febru- had been made about a use for the ary. current Greeneville main office at 311 The building and property cost CCU Blvd., off U.S. 11E. more $3 million and “is designed to The credit union’s ATM machines leave a green footprint and feature all at the entrance to the CCU Boulevard the very latest in customer-friendly location will remain in place, he said. banking services,� according to CCU The credit union has about 65 fullofficials. and part-time employees.

The new headquarters is located CCU is the second-largest credit on high ground overlooking U.S. 11E union in Northeast Tennessee, with on about two acres next to the Dairy more than $280 million in assets, MillQueen and Heritage Community er said.

STAFF WRITER

SUSTAINABLE FEATURES Design Innovations Architects, Inc. (DIA), of Knoxville, designed the new headquarters building, which will feature a traditional exterior that includes a brick-and-stone veneer, and be highlighted by Doric columns at the entrances.

The general contractor of the CCU project is Denark Construction, of Knoxville.

The building design integrates sustainable features that include “highly efficient envelope and mechanical systems, resulting in reduced energy consumption,� CCU officials said.

The building will include ample parking for customers and employees.

It will function as a full-service banking facility. ‘TREMENDOUS’ GROWTH Local officials recognize the significance of the new CCU headquarters.

Tom Ferguson, president and CEO of the Greene County Partnership, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that in 1992, the total assets of CCU were $30 million. Today, he said, that number stands at $280 million. “This is a tremendous amount of

growth,� Ferguson said.

CCU’s new headquarters location “is going to be a great anchor to the east end of Greeneville,� Ferguson said.

Todd Smith, Greeneville town administrator, has a similar impression. “Any time a local business grows, that’s a key to your economic development,� he said.

MULTIPLE BRANCHES CCU was founded in 1953.

In addition to the office at 311 CCU Blvd., CCU has another Greeneville branch at 1115 Myers St., and one at 9175 W. Andrew Johnson Hwy. in Mosheim.

CCU also has branches in Johnson City, Morristown and Jefferson City.

CCU has nine ATMs in Greene County. CCU provides most services that are offered by banks, including commercial real estate lending, though no other commercial lending.

Miller said new customers are always welcome as CCU continues to grow. “We invite everyone to come with us if they like,� Miller said.

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PARTNERSHIP

• Chamber of Commerce

• Tourism

• Economic Development

• Keep Greene Beautiful

• Education & Workforce Development The Greene County Partnership exists to provide community leadership, consensus-building and problem-solving through the cooperative efforts of business and government and to serve as a catalyst for positive improvement and change. We are committed to serving the needs of our members, industry, government, business and citizens by: • Providing a forum to identify common problems and develop solutions. • Expanding and diversifying the Greene County economy. • Providing and supporting initiatives that will enhance Greene County’s overall quality of life. • Serving as a common denominator for governmental and community programs. • Cooperating with regional programs of mutual interest.

115 Academy Street, Greeneville, TN 37745 Phone: 423-638-4111 • FAX (423) 638-5345 www.GreeneCountyPartnership.com

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

Bossard North America Celebrates $1.5M Expansion

BY RICH JONES

Industrial Road warehouse. The expansion immediately took that number to 16, Hansen said.

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

Bossard North America marked the opening, in August 2012, of a $1.5-million expansion of its facility on Industrial Road into an operation that will be the Swiss company’s second-largest hub in the U.S. Bossard provides some 25,000 different types of fasteners to industrial customers worldwide.

“We’re very excited to be here,” Steen Hansen, president and CEO of Bossard North America, told a crowd of local officials and dignitaries gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and barbecue.

“We are here to stay and to grow. We won’t let you down,” Hansen said.

Bossard has been in business in Greeneville since about 2002.

The celebration last summer, however, marked the completion of an expansion project at the company’s facility at 1550 Industrial Road.

The expansion turned a 48,000-square-foot building into a more modern 96,000square-foot warehouse, said Jeff Monson, a member of GCS Partnership, which owns the building.

Bossard has approximately 1,600 employees worldwide, engaged in the global procurement and sale of every type of fastening element.

The company also provides engineering and logistical services associated with its fasteners.

KEY HUB FOR COMPANY Hansen, during remarks prior to the ribbon-cutting, said that the Greeneville warehouse would be the second-largest distribution hub in the U.S. for Bossard, with only the one in Dallas being larger.

The company’s North American headquarters is in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with other satellite distribution centers in Columbus, Ohio, and Los Angeles, Hansen said.

From Bossard’s location in Greeneville, Hansen said, the company’s strategic platform is ideally situated to service customers throughout the Southeast, down to Florida, and up the Northeast corridor.

“We have lots of business in this region of the country,” Hansen told The Greeneville Sun. He noted that Bossard is a major supplier for such companies in the region as

MAYOR BROYLES’ COMMENT “We really appreciate you being here, for what you do to keep our folks working,” said Greene County Mayor Alan Broyles in remarks prior to the ribbon-cutting.

“We wish you many successful years here.”

Tom Ferguson, president and CEO of the Greene County Partnership, commented that, “It’s just delightful how this building turned out.”

SUN PHOTO BY KRISTEN BUCKLES

Assembled for the official ribbon-cutting at Bossard’s expanded facility on Industrial Road are, from left, on the front row: Tim Hawk, sales manager; Derek Casteel, warehouse; Bobby Glover, warehouse; Alan Broyles, Greene County mayor; Steen Hansen (holding scissors), president and CEO of Bossard North America; John Malley, vice president/operations of Bossard North America; Derrick Murdock, customer service representative (holding ribbon); Chuck Dyer, Lead Shipping; and Nicole Rader, Green Coat Ambassadors.

SUN PHOTO BY KRISTEN BUCKLES

Gathering for the ribbon-cutting of the Bossard North America plant expansion in 2012 were, from left, John Malley, vice president, operations, of Bossard North America; Daniel Tyler, warehouse manager; Steen Hansen, president and CEO of Bossard North America; Joe Kean, satellite warehouse manager; and Greene County Mayor Alan Broyles.

John Deere Power Products, Briggs & Stratton, and Siemens.

“Our focus is on service and being on time — being there for the customer,” Hansen said.

75 LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE Bossard has annual revenue of $500 million and operates in 75 locations worldwide, Hansen said last summer.

The company started

180 years ago in Switzerland, said Hansen, who himself is a native of Denmark.

“We buy from all over the world, and we sell all over the world,” he said.

“We sell solutions, while also offering logistics along with research and development,” Hansen added.

Bossard previously employed 10 people at the

SERVICES EXPANDING As Bossard has grown over the years, the number and scope of its services have continued to expand.

Bossard now offers customers three major, distinct services: • engineering and design, in which the company works with the client to find just the right part for the client’s need; • obtaining the product and delivering it to the client on a timely, reliable schedule, and • managing logistics for the customer, even in the customer’s own plant, either through regular in-person monitoring by Bossard of the customer’s inventory needs, or automatically.

ABOUT BOSSARD The company is an affiliate of Bossard Group, a global group of companies based in Zug, Switzerland, that traces its heritage to 1831.

The company was founded and owned by the Bossard family for many years.

Now, seven generations later, the family continues to be heavily involved in both the ownership and management of the company.

It is now publicly traded, and the stock of its holding company, Bossard Holding AG, is listed on the Swiss stock exchange.

The company is among the market leaders in its sector in each of the three global economic regions of Europe, America and the AsiaPacific area, the company states on its website.

Bossard is online at www.bossard.com

Restaurant Scene Includes Opening Of 7 New Establishments

BY KATHY KNIGHT ACCENT EDITOR

In reviewing the restaurant scene during the past 12 months, seven new restaurants have opened, and two restaurants have moved to bigger and better locations.

Seven restaurants have closed.

The newest restaurant to open in Greeneville is Gina’s Family Restaurant, at 1175 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., which opened on Feb. 18, 2013.

It is owned by Regina Delarosa, and is open six days a week, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Delarosa told The Greeneville Sun that “We spent two months remodeling the building and are proud of the results. We invite people to stop in and see for themselves.” The restaurant currently can seat 100 customers.

Gina’s Restaurant serves breakfast all day, and some of their lunch specialties include handmade ’burgers, butterflied breaded chicken, BBQ pulled pork and chicken.

Delarosa has lived in Greeneville for seven years and worked in many restaurants through the years, but has never owned one until now.

“We hope,” said Delarosa, “to see what the community might like to have in the way of food, and possibly expand to include dinner once we are established well and have a full staff.”

The phone number is 588-5979.

Opening in January 2013 was Casa Guerrero Mexican Cuisine, at 915 W. Main St., in the former location of Little Chicago Grill.

The menu features a variety of Mexican food.

Casa Guerrero is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Owners are Gerardo Mejia and Adan Zavaleta. The telephone number is 787-0670.

In September 2012 the Iron Skillet Cafe opened on Lonesome Pine Trail; it is owned by Kathy Shown.

Shown told the Sun, “I wanted to open up a restaurant where people could get good home-cooked — and it’s

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Ricardo’s Italian Village moved from its old location on Justis Drive to 1240 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy. really home-cooked — food for a good price. The way the economy is today, we wanted to help people.”

The Iron Skillet Cafe serves breakfast all day; for lunch, in addition to sandwiches, a full hot bar is set up that offers one meat entree, three vegetables, choice of bread, and two desserts.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon. The telephone number is 7871722.

Also in September, Ricardo’s Italian Village moved from its location on Justis Drive to a new, larger facility with a sizable kitchen and outside patio seating at 1240 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy. The owners are Rick and Rebekah McGill.

All of their dressings, doughs, desserts, and Italian sauces are made

onsite by their three cooks, one of whom, Tony Nikoceja, hails from Italy.

The telephone number is 636-1000.

Angeez Catering And Sweet Shop opened in its new location on Tusculum Boulevard on Oct. 1.

Current hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The business offers a hot bar only during the week from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sweets are their focal point — and change with the season. “But,” said owner Angie Lawson, “you will always find cookies, pies, cupcakes and cakes.”

The telephone number is 972-7354.

Also opening on Oct. 1 was Knotheads Smokehouse & Grill, located at 545 Greystone Road, just before the Camp Creek Fire Department.

Nathan and April Howard own the business and offer three meals a day Tuesday through Saturday.

A couple of the grill’s specialties include a smoked chicken sandwich with onions, mushrooms, monterey jack cheese, and special sauce on texas toast; and a marinated BBQ sandwich.

“We love this community,” said Nathan Howard, “and wanted to open up a business that will possibly be passed on to our children. We offer home-cooked, not pre-packaged, food for our customers.”

How did the couple come up with the name for their grill?

Nathan Howard explained that he had a good friend of the family, Bobby Norton, who also worked in his floorcovering business. Norton died unexpectedly.

“Bobby had been a friend to our family for years,” explained Howard, “and he used to always carry butterscotch or mint discs with him.

“He would come into the business or house and jokingly ask about the kids, ‘Where are the knotheads?’ He always had candy for them in his pocket.”

When they were deciding about the name for the business, the family was unanimous in deciding to name it “Knotheads” after their friend Bobby.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. The telephone number is 787-1025.

In the South Greene area, also on Oct. 1, Tink’s Diner opened at 7904 Asheville Hwy. The manager is Hollis Stinson.

Tink’s is open seven days a week, serving three meals daily on Saturday and Sunday, and lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 787-0707.

The diner is known for ribeye and strip steaks.

Fat Boyz, owned by Anthony and Christy Carter, is now in its fifth PLEASE SEE RESTAURANT | 13

www.greenevillesun.com

Saturday, March 16, 2013

THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION

9

3 Longtime Local Pharmacies Are Sold To Walgreens

BY RICH JONES ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

Three locally-owned pharmacies that have been on the Greeneville/ Greene County scene for decades — Susong Pharmacy, Howard’s Pharmacy and Mosheim Pharmacy — were sold to the Walgreens chain and closed in December.

The three stores shut their doors for the last time at the end of the day on Wednesday, Dec. 26.

On Dec. 27, all customer records and files had been transferred to the two local Walgreens stores, located at 1650 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy. (U.S. 11E Bypass) and at 104 Asheville Hwy. (Tenn.

Rt. 70).

Susong Pharmacy, at 2255 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., had been owned

by Wayne Susong since 1977.

He had also been a long-time part-owner, along with George Sydnor, of Howard’s Pharmacy, at 1305 Tusculum Blvd., and of Mosheim Pharmacy, in the Food Country Shopping Center in Mosheim.

THANKS EXPRESSED “George and I want to thank each and every customer for all their loyalty for all these years and allowing us to serve all their pharmacy needs,” Susong said in an interview with The Greeneville Sun a few days prior to the closings.

“We’re looking forward to them continuing [a] customer relationship with familiar faces as many of our employees will be moving to Walgreens,” he said in making announcement of the sale.

Of the six employees for whom Walgreens has maintained employment, two are at the Asheville Highway location, with the remainder are at the Bypass location, according to Walgreens Man-

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Howard’s Pharmacy, at 1305 Tusculum Blvd., closed on Dec. 26, 2012. It is one of three local pharmacies purchased by the Walgreens chain.

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Wayne Susong, his wife, Mary Jo, and George Sydnor stand with previous employees of locally-owned pharmacies who joined Walgreens after a buyout by Walreeens in December 2012. Shown, from left to right, are: Mary Jo and Wayne Susong, Patty Hartman, Stacy McDonald, George Sydnor, Tammy Perez, Tyler Laws and Lenton Parks. ager Tyler Skeens.

“We certainly welcome them,” he said of the transferred employees. “I look at it as, really, two families joining.

“We’re definitely welcoming them as part of our Walgreens family.”

All of the employees will be working in the pharmacy section of the two stores, he added.

Susong emphasized that all customers of the three pharmacies would be able to have their prescriptions filled beginning Dec. 27 at the two local Walgreens stores.

Customers of the three closed pharmacies received written notices via mail from Walgreens advising them of the change-over.

About 25 employees of the closed pharmacies, including pharmacists, technicians and staff, had been informed of the sale on Dec. 12.

‘A GREAT PARTNERSHIP’ Susong, who is 65, said he planned to retire. “It’s something we’ve been contemplating for quite some time,” he said at the time of the closings.

Sydnor is continuing in the pharmacy field and is at the Walgreens on the 11E Bypass, Susong said.

“It’s been a great partnership,” Susong said of his relationship with Sydnor.

Susong and Sydnor had been owners of Howard’s Pharmacy, at 1305 Tusculum Blvd., since 1990, and owners of Mosheim Pharmacy, at the Food Country Shopping Center in Mosheim, since 1993.

Susong and Sydnor own the former pharmacy buildings on E. Andrew Johnson Highway and Tusculum Boulevard.

The owners expressed an intent to rent the buildings and space where their

pharmacies were formerly located.

OBAMACARE A FACTOR Asked whether the new health care mandates that will be going into place, commonly known as Obamacare, had any effect on the sale, Susong replied: “Absolutely.”

“I knew that the next four years with the current administration would not be favorable [to small businesses],” he said.

“We definitely had incentive to sell before the end of the year. That definitely had a big bearing on whether it [a sale] took place now, or four years from now.”

The telephone numbers for the two local Walgreens are: • Bypass location, 6384889; and • Asheville Highway location, 636-8335.

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Susong Pharmacy, at 2255 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., closed on Dec. 26, 2012. The pharmacy, and two other local pharmacies, were purchased by Walgreens.

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Mosheim Pharmacy, at the Food Country Shopping Center in Mosheim, closed on Dec. 26, 2012, after being sold to Walgreens.

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

Greene County Partnership Celebrates 20 Years Of Progress

BY RICH JONES

died in 1990), his name has become synonymous with sports in this community,” Ferguson said.

“For 41 years, Wayne Phillips has kept us informed, initially in the news department of The Greeneville Sun, and later in local and state sports arenas.

“I guess it’s hard to break old habits,” Ferguson told the crowd, “because, despite the fact that he claims he has retired, you can still find Wayne covering sports events or traveling to state meetings to keep Greene County ‘on the map’ in athletics.

“Cong ratulations, Wayne Phillips, on an outstanding career, and thank you so much for being a champion representative for this community,” Ferguson said.

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

The Greene County Partnership is celebrating its 20th anniversary during 2013, a milestone that is an appropriate time to pause and look back at past achievements and challenges met.

Reflecting on the past is not the easiest thing to do for a forward-looking membership and staff whose mission is the development of business, industry, tourism and workforce, to name just a few.

But doing so illustrates a long history of success over time that melds into current achievements in the past year, and others still in the formative stages.

FROM MANY, ONE The Greene County Partnership (GCP) was established in 1993 by combining various separate organizations: • the GreenevilleGreene County Area Chamber of Commerce, operating out of a small office with a budget of $142,000; • the Greene County Economic Development Board, using two small offices; • a Tourism Council, directed by a part-time volunteer; • and Keep Greene Clean, the local affiliated of Keep America Beautiful, operating with a full-time director and a budget of $27,000; A PARTNERSHIP EMERGES Today, 20 years later, the Partnership manages an annual budget of more than $1 million.

The GCP’s current membership directory explains the benefits of consolidating those various organizations some 20 years ago: “By eliminating duplication of human and financial resources, that visionary group of Greene Countians formed an all-inclusive, consensusbuilding organization that helped to rebuild the local economy by creating positive change that made Greeneville-Greene County a more attractive place for business and industry, as well as expand funding through public and private sources to assure that a professional staff, facilities and resources were maintained.”

Along the way, the Partnership joined forces with the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley Authority to recruit major industries to Greene County — including DTR, currently with 630 employees; Huf, currently with 200 employees; Walmart Distribution Center, currently with 916 employees; and Bundy (now TI Automotive), currently with 250 employees.

The GCP is still headed by a president and CEO, Tom Ferguson, who led the fledgling organization at the beginning, after having worked successfully at the highest levels of economic development elsewhere in the U.S. before taking the helm of the Partnership in 1993.

Ferguson headed the GCP for several highly productive years, resigned to work in economic development in other ways, then returned to the helm of the organization in September 2010 at the request of the GCP board.

BY THE NUMBERS In total, the Partnership over the past 20 years was at the forefront in the recruitment of more than 20 new industries to the local community, plus assisting approximately 40 existing industries with expansions that have resulted in more than $400 million in capital investment and more than 5,000 jobs.

Along the way, Greeneville has received national recognition as “Twelfth Best Small Town in the Nation for Corporate Facilities” by Site Selection magazine, and as 11th best micropolitan area in the U.S. for new and expanded

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Past chairmen of the Greene County Partnership attended an event that in February 2013 that celebrated the organization’s 20 years on the local scene. Shown from left to right are: Scott Niswonger, Bill Carroll, Sam Miller, Morris Turpin, Tony Nix, Al Giles, Drucilla Miller, Shane Hite, Randy Rumbley, Chuck Whitfield and Bob Grubbs. the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Golf National Championships at Link Hills Country club.

In September, the Partnership launched its new tourism website, VisitGreenevilleTN.com

The Greene County Partnership is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013.

Greene County government, our volunteers and GREENE COUNTY PARTNERSHIP members for joining us in PRESIDENT/CEO the partnership to make things happen ... industry by the same “Now ... we look to the publication. next 20 years.”

TOM FERGUSON

TOURISM’S RISE Tourism has also become a burgeoning area for the Partnership in more recent years.

This area of focus for the Partnership is headed by a full-time director, Tammy Kinser, and works with an annual budget of $150,000-plus.

As a result, tourismrelated efforts have drawn visitors to Greeneville and Greene County, particularly in sporting and athletic events, that have brought millions of dollars in revenues for the local economy, according to Partnership records.

SEEN AS ‘TREND-SETTER’ Bill Carroll, GCP board chairman for 2013, stated: “Twenty years of Partnership efforts have not only drawn national, state, and regional recognition, but our efforts have established us as a trend-setter in organizational management and design.

“Numerous communities have visited and continue to contact the Partnership for direction and advice as they seek to create similar organizations in their communities.”

SUMMARY OF 20 YEARS In a note to members in the current Partnership directory, the organization’s leadership stated: “It has been a tremendously active 20 years, and we raise our cup to salute the individuals and businesses who have volunteered their time, money and efforts.

“There have been untold benefits to the community from 20 years of effort on behalf of the Partnership, from participation in the drive to renovate a deteriorating downtown to what is now a showplace in the General Morgan Inn & Conference Center, to its drive to recruit more than 20 new industries ... bring visitors to our extraordinary community and improve the overall quality of life for all Greene Countians.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to those community leaders who ‘stepped out of the box’ 20 years ago to form an organization that only stood to strengthen each of its entities, and we thank the Town of Greeneville,

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2012 Ferguson gave a brief summary of the past year’s highlights at the Partnership’s annual meeting in February at the General Morgan Inn. Among the highlights he listed are: • aiding 13 companies in receiving tax incentives and training dollars that will help create nearly 500 jobs over the next three years; • working with the Industrial Development Board to establish a re-use plan for the old Walmart building on East Andrew Johnson Highway, where a new Food City supermarket opened to the public on Feb. 27 (please see related article on Page 6); • attending a reception in Atlanta with Gov. Bill Haslam to host 20 siteselection consultants and national real estate brokers; and • formalizing a Manufacturers’ Council under the leadership of Scott Crawford, American Greetings plant manager, which resulted in four meaningful meetings with more than 25 companies coming together to discuss and exchange ideas on Best Practices.

Other highlights cited

by Ferguson included assisting WJHL-TV 11 as the station’s personnel spent several weeks filming local attractions for a one-hour Daytime TriCities “Our Town” broadcast from the terrace of the General Morgan Inn. “We got a lot of mileage out of that,” Ferguson reported.

In June, the GCP played a prominent role in the filming of a Buick television commercial featuring NFL quarterback and former University of Tennessee star Peyton Manning.

A crew of more than 75 was involved in that project and spent a week in Greeneville during the filming.

TOURISM HIGHLIGHTS The Partnership in 2012 hosted the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championships, which resulted in a 65 percent increase in lodging tax revenue and a 9 percent increase in local sales tax revenue, according to the GCP’s annual report to members.

The GCP also hosted

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Ferguson reported that the GCP supported the Career Pathways Initiative being developed through the Workforce Education Committee by facilitating discussion with local manufacturing leaders and educators.

(Please see related article on Page 11.)

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR “Greene County is blessed with industries and businesses that step forward in support of community endeavors,” Ferguson said. “One such company exemplifies the meaning of ‘good corporate citizen.”’

In 2012, Ferguson said, this company alone donated more than 130

television sets to groups and businesses for fundraising efforts, donated more than $14,000 in pet food to area animal shelters, gave more than $19,000 in product to local non-profit organizations, and is a major contributor to Second Harvest, donating tons of food each year.

“We salute Walmart Logistics and all of its associates for their dedication and service,” Ferguson said.

Accepting the Business of the Year Award was Ted Rideout, general manager of Walmart Distribution Center.

CHAMPION OF THE YEAR In introducing the 2012 Champion of the Year award-winner, Ferguson said the person selected is a native Greene Countian who grew up in the shadow of the old St. James High School.

“Much like ‘Tiny’ Day (former sports editor of The Greeneville Sun, who

MEMBERSHIP AWARDS The Partnership’s staff this year also honored those members who have had the longest continuous membership with the Greene County Partnership and one of its precursor organizations, the Greeneville-Greene County Area Chamber of Commerce.

There were three honorees, and all of them started their membership in 1967.

Receiving awards were: • Greeneville Insurance/Andrew Johnson Insurance Services, represented by Brian Click; • Greene County Fair Association, represented

by Bobby Holt; and • Marsh Petroleum, represented by Sonny Marsh, chairman, and Chris Marsh, president.

PAST CHAIRMEN HONORED Also this year, the Partnership chose to honor its past chairmen.

Those present for the recognition were Bill Carroll, Al Giles, Bob Grubbs, Shane Hite, Drucilla Miller, Sam Miller, Scott Niswonger, Tony Nix, Randy Rumbley, Morris Turpin and Chuck Whitfield.

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION

11

Industry Leaders Join With Schools On ‘Pathways’ Project

BY KRISTEN BUCKLES

per student.

Depending on the availability of system finances, Ricker recommended that students take the assessment their sophomore year so it could be used as a guide for their class selection for the rest of their high school careers.

She also recommended the assessment program for senior students, however, because many area industries use the program to locate prospective employees.

Moreover, she said, the assessment also makes recommendations for improvement in interview skills.

STAFF WRITER

cent of Greene County’s students entered into a post-secondary technical program.

He estimated that this percentage should be closer to 25 to 30 percent.

Local industries, community leaders and educators worked together over the past year to develop a plan designed to halt a growing national trend CLASS SCHEDULING among high school gradClass schedules at the uates — lack of focus, GTC will be reworked to and confusion about the allow advanced students next step — and to help to come in the afternoons the graduates underinstead of the mornings so stand how to get hired that they can stay for the and stay hired. evening classes and begin A Workforce and Educaworking on their certification Committee was formed tions while they are still to develop the project,and in high school, Ayers said. these key individuals are “The devil is in the now seeking to match studetails. We’ve got a lot of dents with solid job opporwork to do,” he added. tunities in the local commuTECH CENTER UPDATE Kirk has noted that the nity, and properly prepare The committee also pro- need is present because them with the skill sets they posed implementation of there are currently no need to succeed in those night courses at the Greene post-secondary instituSUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY jobs.

Technology Center (GTC). tions in Greene County This process included the Greeneville Director of Schools Dr. Linda Stroud and Greene Technology Center By the end of 2013, the at which students can development of several ini- Principal Jerry Ayers confer about the development of five pathways for students center would serve as a satel- receive technical training tiatives, from changes to the during a meeting of the Workforce Education Committee. lite school for the Tennessee under federal scholarship current curriculum in local Technology Center in Morris- funds such as the Wilderschools and utilization of job taken a demonstration ver- town in order to alleviate the Naifeh Technical Skills assessment software to the sion of the workplace-readi- long wait list facing students Grant. addition of adult certificaness assessment. interested in post-secondary With a satellite TTC tion programs within the For these demonstra- certifications. operating at the Greene county. tion assessments, schools The Tennessee Board Technology Center, selected two students who of Regents will first have to however, that could all CAREER PATHWAYS were already college-bound approve this proposal, Ayers change, Kirk said.

The committee met in Feband two students who were has reported, a decision which “This is a very good ruary to grant final approvundecided about their future may not occur until April. thing because those proal of five “career pathways” pathway, she said.

If approval is given, the grams qualify for Wilderthat members have spent While almost all stu- satellite school would begin Naifeh and will qualify nearly a year-and-a-half dents received results from with four programs: weld- for [Federal Pell Grants]. developing. the assessments that the ing, machine tool, industrial “Students with [finanThese pathways are students agreed matched electricity, and industrial cial] need can attend at designed to provide a structheir interests and talents, maintenance. no cost to themselves tured way for a student to, she noted, at least one stuFor current students, this with these scholarships first, decide on a career dent received “eye-opener” would be a form of “dual — and they get certified,” direction, and, second, gain results. enrollment,” Ayers said, she also noted. the necessary education to That students’s results explaining that the students Kirk explained that, reach the specific job and included the indication that would be attending both the although the satellite earning level the student the student might be well Greene Technology Center arrangement with the desires. suited for a housekeeping and the satellite TTC. TTC in Morristown The Greene County Board job after high school.

“We’ve been talking about would not be a K-12 iniof Education approved the Ricker explained that this for two years,” noted tiative, it is still imporSUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY this finding upset the stu- Tom Ferguson, president tant to the local school five pathways as a new structure for high school electives Wayland Seaton, High School Supervisor for the dent, who is now showing and CEO of the Greene systems in that teachand high school and middle Greene County School System, played a key role in motivation to obtain more County Partnership. “This ers, administrators and the development of five “career pathways” for stu- advanced skills in order to is big.” school curriculum. counselors can begin In the Greeneville City dents. avoid post-high school work It is hoped that this pro- to prepare students for School System, the paththat often brings minimum- gram, partnered with the meeting the competenways will be a key tool for noted that the county intends College Assistant Dean of wage compensation. committee’s other recent cies necessary to comuse by guidance counselors to implement these ideas Community Education Anita work, will increase the plete their certifications. in scheduling classes and within the middle school cur- Ricker has been studying the COST OF ASSESSMENT number of students parThe committee has also guiding students, according riculum.

Jobfit program for the com- PROGRAM ticipating in technical expressed an interest in to Greene Technology Center In sixth grade, students mittee, and has reported Ricker estimated that the programs, Seaton said. working with local industry Principal Jerry Ayers. will begin to learn about how that four students at each of cost of the program would He pointed out that, to match this curriculum careers are “clustered.” the area high schools have be about $12 or less per test, last year, only 4 to 8 per- with the industries’ needs.

THE PATHWAYS In seventh grade, stuThere are a total of five dents will be introduced to pathways, which, together, the school system’s specific represent 95 percent of the pathways. jobs expected to exist within Finally, in eighth grade, the next five years in East counselors and teachers will Tennessee, according to encourage the students to Greene County Partnership narrow their focus to a spedata. cific pathway.

The five Pathways include: COUNTY DIRECTOR • health science, Director of Schools Dr. • manufacturing, Vicki Kirk released a state• transportation, ment related to the path• business/finance, and ways for the Greene County • education/professional Board of Education board services. meeting in which the pathThe pathways begin as ways were approved. soon as a student graduates In the statement, she from high school and can explained the beginnings of take the students straight the pathways and how they into a job, or to a certification, have developed over the past or to some level of degree, year. She wrote: depending on the area of “Greene County Schools’ study. work on career pathways A large copy of each of the began with the release five pathways, graphically of a report issued by the designed to appear as a road Harvard Graduate School or pinwheel, depending on of Education, ‘Pathways to 100 Nevada Ave., Greeneville, TN the career, will be located Prosperity,’ in February 114 West Church Street 423-636-5000 638-8151 in a hallway in every high 2011.

3626 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy 423-636-5030 1-800-218-1040 school, according to county “Tennessee’s governor at 1435 Highway 70 (the old truck route) 423-636-5050 High School Supervisor that time, Phil Bredesen, www.e-farmcredit.com Wayland Seaton. stated about this report, www.hcbonline.us Seaton has been instru- ‘This thoughtful paper makes mental in creating the path- a strong case for the developways and has served as ment of multiple pathways chairman of the Workforce leading from high school to Education Committee. post-secondary education or career training.

SOFT SKILLS “Those of us who support a He has also noted that the single-track system through pathways include various high school need to carefully recommendations for stu- consider the questions raised dents’ development of “soft in this proactive report.’”

132 W. Depot Street • Greeneville, Tennessee 37743 skills,” based on industry She explained further that Telephone (423) 636-1154 • Fax (423) 636-1285 • Cell (423) 416-3124 leaders’ recommendations. the challenge is the increaspaul@paulhcook.com Such skills include good ing dependence on post-secSecurities offered through J.P. Turner & Company, LLC (Member SIPC) communication, appropriate ondary education.

J.P. Turner & Company, LLC is not af liated with Key Financial Services dress, proper behavior at a Kirk included what she workplace, and work ethic. called a “startling fact” that “The soft skills are the highlights this change: most important to a com“Twenty-seven percent of pany,” he said. “If you have people with post-secondary that, you can build every- licenses or certificates — crething else on top of it.” dentials short of an associate’s Cal Doty, vice president degree — earn more than With an affordable loan of DTR Tennessee, Inc., the average bachelor’s degree human resources, agreed recipient. from Superior Financial with Seaton and emphasized “Combine these facts with Services, Inc., such skills as key among this one: so-called ‘blue colSuper Service Center you can realize your dream. what DTR looks for in its lar’ fields will provide nearly 311 CCU Blvd., Greeneville employees.

8 million job openings, 2.7 Myers Street Service Center Jack Earl, of John Deere million of which will require 1115 Myers St. Greeneville Apply today for loans Power Systems, also a post-secondary credential Mosheim Service Center approved of these measures. — and you have a compelling from $200 - $100,000 9175 W. A.J. Hwy., Mosheim He also expressed his call to action for educators.” general appreciation for the She added that the pathMorristown Locations • Auto • Home • Personal development of these path- ways will give the system an 4005 E. Morris Blvd.

4918 W. Andrew Johnson Hwy. ways, especially with regard ability to close the skills gap Application does not guarantee approval. to leading students to a tech- between local schools and Johnson City Service Center nical education. industries.

516 W. Oakland Avenue, Suite 106 In addition, Earl praised Johnson City, TN 37604 Superior 1190 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy. how the pathways are open JOBFIT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM Jefferson City to students who need to be In keeping with this pro1075 N. Chucky Pike Financial Greeneville, TN 37744 able to finish high school pre- gression, the school system is Call Our Central Number pared to start their vocation. also studying the benefits of Services, Judy Phillips, the coun- a workplace-readiness assessty’s elementary and middle ment tool known as JobFit. Inc. school supervisor, has also Walters State Community

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

Towne Crossing 8 Theatre Sold To Carmike Cinemas, Inc.

BY RICH JONES ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

Carmike Cinemas, Inc., of Columbus, Ga., purchased the Towne Crossing 8 theatre in Greeneville from Knoxvillebased Phoenix Big Cinemas Management LLC. The transaction was effective on Dec. 13, according to Terrell Mayton, director of marketing for Carmike.

Terms of the sale were not announced.

The Towne Crossing 8 building and property are owned

by Bewley Properties Inc., of Greeneville, and Carmike signed a long-term lease with Bewley Properties, said Kent Bewley, president and CEO. “We’re excited,” Bewley said at the time of the sale. “We think the Greeneville movie experience will get even better with Carmike, and we look forward to working with them.”

“These theaters are very well operated. They’ll make a nice addition to the Carmike circuit,” Mayton said.

“Carmike intends to be a long-term citizen of the community and very involved in Greeneville,” he added.

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

The Towne Crossing 8 multiplex theatre on West Andrew Johnson Highway (although not the real estate) was sold to Carmike Cinemas, Inc., of Columbus, Ga., effective on Dec. 13, 2012. Carmike signed a long-term lease with Bewley Properties Inc., owner of the building and land.

Carmike Cinemas is the fourth-largest motion picture exhibitor in the U.S. and bills itself as a U.S. leader in digital cinema and 3D cinema.

Carmike has nearly 250 theaters and 2,242 movie screens in 35 states, Mayton said.

The company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ exchange.

Phoenix Big Cinemas now operates 22 movie theaters in 13 states after selling theaters in Greeneville and Madisonville, Ky., to Carmike.

Carmike Cinemas’ business model places a focus on theater locations in small-to-mid-sized communities, according to the company’s website for investors.

The company bills itself as “America’s Hometown Theatre.”

Mayton said at the time of the sale that the current staff would be retained at Towne Crossing 8.

“They’ve done a great job,” Mayton said of the former owner’s management of Towne Crossing 8.

Carmike Cinemas is online at www.carmike.com

Placement Of New Signs Follows Sale Of GreenBank SUN PHOTO BY EMILY HAGENBURGER

Stacy Lee, owner of Advantage Sign Company, stands amid new Capital Bank signs in his manufacturing facility here in August 2012. Lee’s company had the contract to replace GreenBank signs in Greene County and much of the rest of East Tennessee with the new Capital Bank signs. The sign change followed the September 2011 purchase of 90 percent of the stock of Green Bankshares, the holding company for GreenBank, by North American Financial Holdings (NAFH), a private bank holding company. The purchase resulted in the immediate merger of GreenBank into Capital Bank, NA, the banking subsidiary of NAFH. By August the new building signs had been mounted on all of Capital Bank locations in Greene County except the main branch on North Main Street in Greeneville. That sign, which was somewhat different, was placed later in the year.

County’s Jobless Rate Improves, But 2012 Monthly Avg. Still 10.4%

BY RICH JONES ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

Greene County’s unemployment rate in 2012 continued to show a slow, yet positive, trend of improvement as the effects of a global economic downturn that began in 2008 continued to be felt locally.

The county’s unemployment rate dropped below double digits in three months of the past year, the first time that the local jobless rate had been below 10 percent since November 2008.

Still, the local unemployment rate averaged 10.4 percent during 2012.

Greene County’s total labor force numbers improved slightly over 2011, but remained tepid when compared with the pre-recession years prior to 2008.

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development each month lists the unemployment rate for the state’s 95 counties.

Those rates, along with deeper analysis of the numbers, are published monthly in The Greeneville Sun. Using this newspaper’s records of the state’s monthly published accounts, it is possible to compute yearly averages for Greene County that reveal slow, steady, progress.

Here are the average Greene County unemployment rates for the most recent four years: • 2012: 10.4 percent; • 2011: 12.2 percent; • 2010: 13.5 percent; and • 2009: 15.1 percent.

In contrast, here are Greene County average unemployment rates for the four years prior to the collapse of Lehman Broth-

ers investment bank in September 2008, the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history and widely considered to have been a major factor in the “Great Recession.”

• 2008: 9.1 percent; • 2007: 7.1 percent; • 2006: 7.8 percent; and • 2005: 8.6 percent.

(Although the recession technically ended in early 2009, the effects of a major global economic downturn continue.)

RECENT TREND POSITIVE The positive downward trend in joblessness is apparent from 2009 through 2012.

During the most recent four years of 2009-2012, the county’s unemployment rate peaked at 17.4 percent in July 2009, a time that now clearly appears to have been the depths of a national and global economic downturn of historic proportions.

By 2012, Greene County’s unemployment rate had improved to the point where it ranged from a high of 11.6 percent recorded in July, to a low of 8.7 percent in November.

WHERE COUNTY RANKS At the same time, however, Greene County’s unemployment rate during 2012 remained higher than nearly all of seven nearby counties watched closely each month by The Greeneville Sun. A typical month was December 2012.

Of seven nearby counties — Cocke, Hamblen, Hawkins, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington — only Cocke County, at 10.6 percent, recorded a higher unemployment rate than Greene County’s 10.4 percent in December 2012.

Of Tennessee’s 95 counties, 23 of them ended 2012

with a higher unemployment rate than Greene County; 71 counties had lower unemployment; and one county was the same as Greene County, at 10.4 percent.

Those unemployment numbers rank Greene County tied for 72nd lowest among the state’s 95 counties at the end of 2012.

All of the 23 counties with higher unemployment rates than Greene County also have smaller populations than Greene County, according to the latest official State of Tennessee map.

Put another way, Greene County ranks 16th out of 95 counties in the state in population, but is tied for 72nd place out of 95 when it comes to having low unemployment.

MONTHLY UNEMPLOYMENT According to the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Greene County’s monthly unemployment rates in 2012 were: • Jan.: 11.3 percent; • Feb.: 11.1 percent; • March: 10.7 percent; • April: 9.5 percent; • May: 9.6 percent; • June: 11.2 percent; • July: 11.6 percent; • Aug.: 11.0 percent; • Sept.: 10.0 percent; • Oct.: 10.4 percent; • Nov.: 8.7 percent; • Dec.: 10.4 percent.

The U.S. unemployment rate ended 2012 at 7.9 percent.

Tennessee’s jobless rate was 7.6 percent at year’s end.

WORKFORCE TRENDS Greene County in January 2012 was reported by the state to have 26,670 persons employed and 3,410 unemployed in a total labor force of 30,090.

At year’s end, in

December 2012, Greene County had 27,290 persons employed, and 3,180 unemployed, in a total labor force of 30,480 (numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 by the Department of Labor & Workforce Development).

Therefore, Greene County had 620 more persons employed and 230 fewer unemployed at the end of 2012 as compared with the beginning of the year.

Additionally, the county’s workforce ended 2012 with 390 more persons in the labor pool than at the start of the year.

Looking back at the six years previous to 2012, here are the total workforce numbers recorded at

the end of each year in • July: 8.4 percent; Greene County: • Aug.: 8.5 percent; • 2011: 29,560; • Sept.: 8.3 percent; • 2010: 29,120; • Oct.: 8.2 percent; • 2009: 30,780; • Nov.: 7.6 percent; • 2008: 30,370; • Dec.: 7.6 percent.

• 2007*: 31,220; • 2006*: 32,660.

NATIONAL JOBLESS RATES * Prior to global economMonthly unemployment ic downturn. rates for the nation in 2012 were: STATE JOBLESS RATES • Jan.: 8.3 percent; Tennessee had the fol• Feb.: 8.3 percent; lowing statewide monthly • March: 8.2 percent; unemployment rates in • April: 8.1 percent; 2012, according to the • May: 8.2 percent; Department of Labor & • June: 8.2 percent; Workforce Development: • July: 8.3 percent; • Jan.: 8.2 percent; • Aug.: 8.1 percent; • Feb.: 8.0 percent; • Sept.: 7.8 percent; • March: 7.9 percent; • Oct.: 7.9 percent; • April: 7.8 percent; • Nov.: 7.7 percent; • May: 7.9 percent; • Dec.: 7.9 percent.

• June: 8.1 percent;

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION

13

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Fat Boyz moved to its fifth location in 2012, in the former building of the HomeSUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY stead Restaurant on the Andrew Johnson Highway, due to an increase in business, Gina’s Family Restaurant, at 1175 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., which opened on Feb. owners Anthony and Christy Carter said.

18, 2013. It is owned by Regina Delarosa.

Restaurant Starts on Page 8 different location, in the former building of the Homestead Restaurant on the Andrew Johnson Highway.

Anthony Carter told the Sun that the familyowned restaurant has been in business about eight years, and moved into its current location

due to increased business.

“We have been very blessed to have such a good business, and we have very good customers. We are so thankful for them.”

Fat Boyz specializes in home-cooked food, with favorites including meatloaf and turkey-anddressing.

The restaurant can seat 225 people, and the telephone number is 787-

0504.

Hours are 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 6 to 11 a.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Express Deli & Cafe (known for a short time as Deli Express) opened Dec. 10, 2012 in the Zoomerz gas station, near Walmart, in the former location of Red

Rocks Pizza, at 3990 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy. Kim Humphreys is the owner, and she has been in the restaurant business for 28 years.

The restaurant offers sandwiches, subs, salads and soups, as well as breakfast items.

Humphreys told the Sun that her homemade chili is quite popular. Express Deli & Cafe offers a drive-thru and business delivery,

and they are open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The telephone number is 525-5743.

CLOSED DURING PAST YEAR Chocolate Cafe and Coffee Company at 101 North Main St., in downtown Greeneville, closed its doors at the end of February 2013.

Co-owner Jacque Weaver said the closing

was due to the economy and was a step that had been considered for some time.

Chocolate Cafe and Coffee Shop in Tusculum remains open.

Other restaurants that closed in the past year include SnoBiz, Homestead, Olde Towne Restaurant, Little Chicago Grill, Alamo Sandwich Shop, and Red Rocks Pizza.

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Casa Guerrero Mexican Cuisine, at 915 W. Main St., opened in January.

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Chocolate Cafe and Coffee Company, at 101 North Main St., closed its doors in February 2013.

Home Sales And Price Data Report Mixed Picture In Greeneville, County Greeneville home sales and prices were down at the start of 2013, but the housing market picture was brighter when the view was expanded countywide.

In January, both the number of sales and the average sales price increased in Greene County when compared with the same month a year ago.

IN GREENEVILLE According to information provided by Debbie Rodefer Wilson, principal broker of Parrish Properties, the Northeast Tennessee Association of Realtors recorded in their Trends Report that five previously-owned, singlefamily homes were sold in Greeneville in January 2013, one fewer than during the same month last year.

The average price of $99,100 was 35.7 percent lower than that time last year.

One reason for the lower average price this January was that 60 percent of all the city sales (those made within the Greeneville High School zone) were foreclosures.

Since foreclosures are generally sold at a discount from the regular market price, the high number of foreclosure sales pushed down the average sales price, the information noted.

COUNTY STATISTICS In January 2012, 21 homes sold in Greene County. In the final month of 2012, a total of 37 homes were sold.

In January 2013, there were 25 homes sold, a 19 percent increase over the prior year’s sales.

The $128,607 average sale price also represents a 14 percent increase over January 2012, when the average price was $112,791.

However, foreclosure sales also dampened the price commanded

by homes sales in the county. (County sales also include those in Greeneville because the town is a part of Greene County.)

Countywide, foreclosures accounted for 32 percent of all sales, compared with 26.1 percent in the 11 counties

of Northeast Tennessee, according to the Trends Report.

A year ago, in January 2012, foreclosures accounted for only 14.3 percent of the total number of homes sold in Greene County.

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

www.greenevillesun.com

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Proudly accepting the flag that signifies Volunteer STAR recognition for workplace safety are John Deere Power Products employees, from left: Darla Bowman, safety champion; Charles Morgan, environmental tech; B.J. Crum, ergonomics tech; Shannon Blake, ergonomics associate; and Lynn Bolton, environmental engineer.

Factory nurse Brenda Graham was absent for the photo. The flag will hang in front of the John Deere plant off Hal Henard Road for the next 3 to 5 years.

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

John Deere Power Products Factory Manager Jeff Hollett, at left, accepts a plaque representing the local plant’s re-certification in the Volunteer STAR safety program from TOSHA (Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Administrator Steven D. Hawkins.

Four Local Companies Receive Significant Awards John Deere Power Products, DTR Tennessee, LMR Plastics, Greeneville Sun Given Recognition In 2012 For Their Performance

BY O.J. EARLY STAFF WRITER

L oc a l c ompa n ies receiving major awards and recognition in 2012 included John Deere Power Products, DTR Tennessee, Inc., LMR Plastics and The Greeneville Sun.

factories across the U.S. Approximately 1,000 people came out for the day of festivities locally. “ Think about how many companies are 175 years old,” Jeff Hollett, local plant manager, said in June. “There are very, very few. It is a momentous occasion for us.”

Also in 2012, John Deere Power Products earned the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence for Workplace Safety and Health from Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis.

“John Deere Power Products has demonstrated strong commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace,” Davis said in August.

“The evaluation criteria for this award are challenging, and this company has worked extremely hard to meet and exceed the standards the award requires,” Davis added.

The award honors Ten nessee employers and employees who meet a required number of hours without workplace injuries serious enough to cause an employee to miss a day of work.

JOHN DEERE POWER PRODUCTS In late 2012, John Deere Power Products earned the coveted Volunteer STAR Re- Certif ication for safety. As a result, the Hal Henard Road plant is one of only 37 companies in Tennessee to be certified by the Tennessee Division of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, TOSHA. During a company celebration in November, John Deere was singled out for being 80 percent below the national average for recordable injuries.

“TOSHA has investigated 29 workplace fatalities this year in Tennessee,” said Steven D. Hawkins, administrator of TOSHA. He made the trip from Nashville to the Greeneville facility to present the award.

“The chances are infinitely low that [a fatality] is going to happen at this plant,” he said. DTR TENNESSEE “And that’s why this Last year, DTR Ten[celebration] is impor- nessee, Inc. received tant.” two distinguished customer awards for cal175TH ANNIVERSARY endar year 2011 — one In addition, Deere & from Honda and the Company, parent cor- other from Toyota. poration of John Deere The Honda Quality Power Products and one Award is presented to of the world’s largest the top suppliers for producers of agricultur- Honda America. al equipment, celebratRecipients of the ed 175 years of service award must be in the in 2012. top 15 percent of Honda The local plant cel- suppliers in quality ebrated the corporate performance and aboveanniversary in late average in delivery perJune, in conjunction formance. Honda Amerwith other John Deere ica has roughly 600 sup-

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GREENEVILLE SUN

In 2012, The Donaldson Company, Inc. again honored LMR Plastics, of Greeneville, as a “Top Performing Strategic Supplier” of Donaldson. LMR Plsstics has received the coveted honor for five straight years. Shown above with a plaque recognizing the award are, left to right: Mike Briggs, LMR general manager; Alvin Smelik, LMR customer service engineer; Todd Slawson, corporate purchasing manager, Donaldson; Karen Sams, Greeneville-based Donaldson buyer; Claire Bambenek, corporate plastics commodity manager, Donaldson; and Tiffany Armas, corporate director of purchasing, Donaldson. pliers.

The award was given for the DTR facilities in both Midway and Tazewell. Greeneville is the headquarters location for both plants.

The Toyota Excellent Quality Award was presented to the DTR facility in Tazewell. DTR Tazewell was one of only 13 suppliers that received this award.

GOVERNOR’S SAFETY AWARD In addition, DTR in July earned the Governor’s Award of Excellence for Workplace Safety and Health.

“DTR Tennessee has demonstrated strong commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy work place,” Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis said in a news release.

The award honors Ten nessee employers and employees who

meet a required number of hours without workplace injuries serious enough to cause an employee to miss a day of work or restrict normal job activities.

The year 2012 was the first year that DTR Tennessee received the award, marking four straight years that the company has been recognized in some capacity for its safety program by the state of Tennessee.

LMR PLASTICS In late 2012, The Donaldson Company, Inc. again gave its “Top Performing Strategic Supplier” award to LMR Plastics, of Greeneville.

Each year, Donaldon, a leading worldwide provider of filtration systems, evaluates its suppliers based on the company’s Donaldson Buys Value program.

This marked the fifth year that LMR Plastics

has received the award, a news release noted.

LMR Plastics manufactures and supplies custom plastic injection-molded products to various size companies in a variety of industries from its location in Greeneville.

A privately-owned company, LMR Plastics was founded in 1973 and has operated under the current family ownership of the Terry Leonard family since September 1996.

THE GREENEVILLE SUN The Greeneville Sun received a number of first-place awards in 2012 in both quality of news content and quality of advertising.

The Sun received 14 first-place awards in its circulation category in the Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors 2012 Contest awards and three firstplace awards in its circulation category in

the Tennessee Press Association 2012 State Press Contests.

The period judged was the calendar year 2011.

These were the Sun’s winning entries by category: Daily Deadline: the news staff; Features: A my Rose; Sports: Wayne Phillips; Business News: Rich Jones and Ken Little; Editorials: John M. Jones Jr.; Spot News Photography: Phil Gentry; Feature Photography: Phil G entr y; Spor ts Pho tography: Phil Gentry; Photojournalism: Phil G ent r y ; I nd iv idu a l Achievement / Body of Work in Photography: Phil Gentry; Website : the Sun’s news and online staff; O n l i ne S l ide s ho w : Steve Harbison; Video: Br ia n Cutshall; a nd Mu lt i me d i a : Br i a n Cut sha l l a nd Ji m K idd.

The Sun’s f irst-place awards in the Tennessee P ress A sso ciation Contests were for: News Repor ting: the news staff; Sports Wr iting: the spor ts staf f; and Best Personal Humor Column: “Small World” columnist Allison Adams.

The newspaper also received third place in the category of Public Service.

In the Tennessee Press Association Advertising & Circulation Ideas competition for 2012, the Sun’s Advertising staff received the coveted Jack Freeland Memorial Award for Best of Show for the 2011 Greene County Guidebook.

In addition, the newspaper ’s Adver tising staff received both first place and second place awards in the category of Best Special Section.

The first place was for the 2011 Greene County Guidebook, and the second place was for “A Perfect Finish”: the special section that focused on the Greeneville High School football team’s 2011 undefeated state championship season.

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

DTR Tennessee, Inc., received the Governor’s Award of Excellence for Workplace Safety and Health in July at the Tennessee Safety and Health Congress in Nashville. Pictured receiving the award are, from left: Randy Rumbley, Senior Vice President; Neil Gfellers, Safety Engineer; Eileene Reynolds, Plant Nurse; Tetsu Matsui, president and CEO of DTR Tennessee, Inc.; and Steve Hawkins, Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administrator.

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

DTR Tennessee, Inc., was presented the Honda Quality Award. Shown from left, are: Tom Shoup, president, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama; Tetsu Matsui, president and CEO, DTR Tennessee; Shannon Webb, production control specialist, DTR Industries; Akira Kikuta, president, DTR Industries; and Steve Unterbrink, vice president/manufacturing, DTR Industries.

www.greenevillesun.com

Saturday, March 16, 2013

THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION

15

Business, Industry Leaders In The News During Past Year

BY O.J. EARLY STAFF WRITER

A number of business and industry leaders with ties to Greene County made headlines in 2012.

Randy Rumbley was appointed an executive officer of Tokai Rubber Industries, LTD (TRI) last summer, making him the first overseas member of the Japanese company’s executive team.

Rumbley, senior vice president of DTR Tennessee, Inc., in Midway, will continue in his present position at DTR while making trips to Japan at least four times a year for corporate meetings.

Rumbley’s position as executive officer is equivalent to being named a member of the board of directors of an American corporation.

“I’m very much honored to be named as the first executive officer from overseas,” Rumbley said in July. “I feel this speaks very strongly about the quality of associates at DTR and the importance that TRI places on DTR in our global business.”

Tokai Rubber Industries, LTD (TRI) is the parent company of DTR Tennessee and is traded on the Nikkei Exchange.

The company manufactures automobile components including antivibration rubber and hoses, IT-related components including precision cleaning blades and precision rollers and a range of industrial materials.

Scott Niswonger was named president/chairman of the newly-formed Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Foundation.

The announcement was made in February 2013,

by Bill Gibbons, commissioner of the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Gibbons also announced the formation of the foundation.

The foundation’s charter states it will seek public and private funds to support the goals and objectives of the department, including law enforcement, safety education, motorist services, disaster preparedness and prevention, and marketing opportunities.

The foundation is governed by a board of 23 directors from across Tennessee.

Niswonger, the Greeneville businessman and philanthropist, is president, chairman and the founder of Landair Transport, Inc., in Greeneville.

Also on the board is Robert T. “Rab” Summers, former president of Summers Taylor Inc. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s mission “is to ensure that our state is a safe, secure place in which to live, work and travel; enforce the law with integrity; and provide customerfocused services professionally and efficiently.”

The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services.

Billy E. Chandler, longtime executive vicepresident at Summers Taylor Inc., was named president of the regional paving and construction company last May. The announcement came after Robert T. “Rab” Summers, who headed Summers Taylor for more than three decades, announced his decision to step down from his role as president.

In addition, Ted Lane Bryant, past vice president of Summers Taylor’s Greeneville and Morristown markets, was promoted to vice president of operations. Bryant succeeded Grant T. Summers, who was named executive vice president.

Summers Taylor, based in Elizabethton, is widely known throughout the region as a general contractor in the field of paving construction, especially highway construction, and has been recognized for professional excellence.

RANDY RUMBLEY NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER BY TOKAI RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD (TRI)

is in charge of nine Little Caesars locations, part of the 40 that the Restaurant Management Group owns SUN PHOTO BY STEVEN K. HARBISON throughout Tennessee, Artie Wehenkel, advertising director of The Greeneville Sun, is shown in his office with sales representatives Virginia, North Carolina, Sharon Hughes, at left, and, at center, Kelly Pickering. Wehenkel was honored by the Mid-Atlantic Newspaper Georgia and Florida.

Advertising and Marketing Executives association.

The award takes some of the following criteria the Supervisor of the Year into consideration: quality award by the franchise assurance, inspection scores operator’s Restaurant Man- and guest comments. agement Group.

Goode, of Greeneville,

1 Coupon per Customer Per Visit.

EXPIRES 5/31/13 SKU# ROGOF249

JOHN COMPTON

ROBERT T. ‘RAB’ SUMMERS BILLY E. CHANDLER

LEAVES PEPSICO FOR PILOT FLYING J

STEPS DOWN AS PRESIDENT OF SUMMERS TAYLOR, INC.

Jimmy Haslam, who had left PFJ to run the Cleveland Browns organization, decided he wanted to return to his former position.

In accepting the post with PFJ last year, Compton concluded a 30-year career with PepsiCo. A graduate of Greeneville High School and the University of Tennessee, Compton is well known in Greeneville and continues to visit friends here from time to time.

PFJ is the largest operator of travel centers and truck stops in North America.

“I am honored to have been extended the trust of the Haslam family,” Compton said at the time he joined Pilot Flying J. “I have watched Pilot Flying J succeed for many years and have seen first-hand their strategic acuity and operational excellence.”

Pilot Flying J and its recently acquired Maxum Energy Company employed more than 25,000 people and conducted business in 44 U.S. states, as well as six provinces in Canada.

Maxum Energy is the largest supplier of diesel fuel to drilling rigs and hydraulic fracturing units in the United States.

DEBBIE GOODE PRESENTED WITH SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

SUN PHOTO BY O.J. EARLY

Greeneville Federal Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Brandon Hull, right, stands with newlyappointed Chief Operating Officer Bill Adams in the bank lobby. Adams, formerly Integration and Operations Executive with Capital Bank, took on the new responsibility in September.

Last September, it was announced that former Greeneville resident John Compton was leaving the presidency of PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest publiclyheld corporations, to take a high-level executive position with Pilot Flying J (PFJ), one of the largest privately-held companies in the nation.

The company is owned and operated by the Haslam family, of Knoxville, and has its headquarters there.

Compton was originally named chief executive officer of Pilot Flying J, to suc-

NAMED PRESIDENT OF SUMMERS TAYLOR INC.

Artie Wehenkel, advertising director of The Greeneville Sun, was awarded an honorary life membership in April in the Mid-Atlantic Newspaper Advertising and Marketing Executives association.

The trade organization said in a news release, “His leadership and guidance set an example for all to follow. The gratitude of this association is respectfully shown by presenting this highest honor.”

Wehenkel started as an account executive at the Sun in 1989, and has served as advertising director since 2003.

Mid-Atlantic N.A.M.E. membership is open to executives at all paid-circulation newspapers in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

ceed CEO Jimmy Haslam.

In February of this year, however, Compton was moved to the post of strategic advistor to PFJ, the Cleveland Browns (owned by the Haslam family), and the Haslam family itself.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that the Debbie Goode, a district change came when for- manager for Little Caesars mer Pilot Flying J CEO Pizza, was presented with

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 16, 2013

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A Local Company Over 175 Jarden Zinc employees enjoy calling Greene County home.

Their attention to detail and quality has a worldwide impact and they respect their community in all that they do …

After all it is our home.

With a Worldwide Focus

Employees at the Greene County plant manufacture products that are used to improve the quality of life worldwide.

Locally produced zinc products: • Resist weather and corrosion on roofs • Protect concrete bridges from corrosion • Used by automakers in decorative trim packages • Function as anode in dry cell batteries • Protect power transmission towers from lightning • Shield electronic components • Supply coinage worldwide

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