INSIDE: Innov865 Week Recap pg. 56 + Monthly Economic Indicators pg. 54
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS NEW MEMBERS & NEW PREMIER PARTNERS THE KNOXVILLE CHAMBER’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Castleton Planning & Design Studio (865) 376-9040 www.castletonfarms.com Event Planning, Catering, & Venues
Spectra Tech (865) 483-7210 www.spectratechinc.com Environmental Services & Equipment The Lilly Company (865) 546-4126 www.lillyforklifts.com Industrial Supplies & Services United Community Bank (865) 986-1300 www.ucbi.com Financial Services: Banks Block Advisors (865) 693-1454 www.blockadvisors.com Financial Services Castleton Farms (865) 376-9040 www.castletonfarms.com Event Planning, Catering, & Venues Concrete Craft of Knoxville (865) 240-2929 www.concretecraft.com/knoxville Construction & Contractors Dickey’s Barbeque Pit (865) 675-8227 www.dickeys.com Restaurants Done Right Services (865) 246-8127 www.donerightservicestn.com Building Materials: Air Conditioning, Heating, and Climate Control Dover Development Inc. (865) 924-0791 www.doverdevelopment.net Construction & Contractors Egwani Farms Golf Course (865) 970-7132 www.egwanifarmsgolf.com Sports & Recreation: Golf Fox Moving and Storage (865) 437-5555 www.foxmovingknoxville.com Residential Services: Moving/Relocation G Way Solutions (865) 240-0848 www.gwaysolutions.com Business & Professional Services: Promotional Products Guaranteed Services, LLC (865) 386-3418 www.floorexperts.guru Building & Grounds Maintenance: Cleaning Services & Supplies
Infinity Construction, LLC (865) 256-7070 www.infinityconstructiontn.com Construction & Contractors: General Contractors K12 Inc. (571) 346-1540 www.k12.com Business & Professional Services
Top Achievers are recognized for their countless volunteer hours and dedication to the Ambassador Program’s mission of serving as an active volunteer extension of the Knoxville Chamber to cultivate, promote, and maintain positive relationships between the Knoxville Chamber, its members, and the community.
1ST PLACE
BRONZE PREMIER PARTNERS
HIS Security, LLC (865) 474-9495 www.hissecurity.net Business & Professional Services: Security Services
TOP ACHIEVERS
CHRISTA EARLY STAFFINGSOLUTIONS/ EMPLOYBRIDGE COMPANIES
Knight Management, Inc (865) 809-3435 www.knightmanagementllc.com Business & Professional Services Knoxville Graphic House (865) 971-1007 www.knoxvillegraphichouse.com Shopping: Specialty
Navitat Canopy Adventures (865) 577-4717 www.navitat.com Sports & Recreation RDI Technologies Inc. (865) 405-9920 www.rdi-technologies.com Computer & IT Services: Hardware/Software Developers Ski-Scuba Center, Inc. (865) 523-9177 www.skiscuba.com Sports & Recreation: Watersports
ASSISTANT EDITOR JESSICA KARSTEN DESIGN LADDY FIELDS CONTACT THE KNOXVILLE CHAMBER (865) 637-4550 www.knoxvillechamber.com PRESIDENT & CEO MICHAEL EDWARDS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RHONDA RICE
FINANCE & OPERATIONS LARRY JOHNSON
Liberty National Ketron Agency (865) 673-3335 www.libertynational-ketron.com Insurance: Employee Benefits Maple Hall (865) 415-7320 www.maplehallknox.com Restaurants
EDITOR LORI FULLER
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOUG LAWYER
KARM Stores (865) 240-2972 www.karmstores.com Retail Stores
2ND PLACE
Sea Ray (865) 582-2190 www.searay.com Manufacturing: Boat Sports & Recreation: Motorcycles, ATV, & Watercraft Sports & Recreation: Equipment Sports & Recreation: Watersports Manufacturing
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken (865) 200-5468 www.gusfriedchicken.com Restaurants
DANIEL MONDAY SLAMDOT, INC.
MEMBERSHIP MARK FIELD PUBLIC POLICY AMY NOLAN CENTRAL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (865) 246-2654 mhummel@downtownknoxville.org THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (865) 546-5887
3RD PLACE
GOLD PREMIER PARTNER
LORENA HUBBARD LAWHORN CPA GROUP, INC.
TENNESSEE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (865) 246-2663 LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE (865) 523-9137 U.S. DEPT. OF COMMERCE EXPORT ASSISTANCE CENTER (865) 545-4637
RIBBON CUTTING
Technical Solutions of East Tennessee (865) 389-8624 www.tnchurchaudio.com Audio-Visual Services Uncle Lem’s Merchantile and Outdoor (865) 357-8566 www.unclelems.com Shopping: Specialty Veloce Indoor Speedway (262) 232-6700 www.veloceknoxville.com Sports & Recreation Wine Shop At Home - Kim Kennedy (865) 809-9090 www.wineshopathome.com/kimkennedy Shopping: Liquor & Wine
AccuForce, a regional staffing company that has served the East Tennessee area since 1997, celebrated the grand opening of its new Knoxville location on Friday, September 30. The new office is located at 5816 Kingston Pike, Suite 4. Alex Davenport, Branch Manager, is pictured center and joined by fellow staff and Chamber Ambassadors.
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LE T T E R
F ROM
What a year! The following pages contain the Chamber’s stakeholders report infographic, which highlights the accomplishments from the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Three of these impressive numbers deserve to be highlighted and expanded upon: • 91 percent membership retention rate • 4,149 announced new jobs in Innovation Valley • $1.5+ billion in new capital investment in Innovation Valley As a membership organization, the Chamber’s retention rate is a key indicator of member satisfaction. To achieve a rate of 91 percent involves providing excellent customer service, impactful member communications, proactive goal setting, identifying and capitalizing on trends, and actively engaging our members. In short, it is a team effort from all divisions of the Chamber. Nationally, Chambers average around an 89 percent retention rate. Achieving a 91 percent retention rate marks the third time in four years that your Chamber has set a new organizational retention rate record, and places us in the top-tier of Chambers in the country. I am very proud of this accomplishment, and hope that you are, as well. As the contracted economic development agency for both the City of Knoxville and Knox County, the Chamber’s economic development team is responsible for recruiting new businesses to the area and helping existing businesses expand. The Chamber’s economic development staff also manages Innovation Valley, a regional economic development agency that crosses municipal and county lines, and promotes our entire region to attract global interest. Innovation Valley consists of eight partner agencies that collaborate on executing a strategic plan for long-term business success.
THE
CHAI R
Innovation Valley had its most productive year ever in 2015-2016, announcing 4,149 new jobs and more than $1.5 billion in capital investment. Direct investment in Knox County included new recruit Lifetime Products, two different expansions by TeamHealth, and the relocation and expansion of the Regal Entertainment headquarters to the former Baptist Hospital site on the South Waterfront. As with any successful organization, the Chamber will not rest on the prior year’s success, but will look to continue the positive momentum. The Chamber’s board and staff have identified several challenges that the Chamber should address on behalf of its members, including: 1. Exploring and identifying solutions to ensure our workforce is prepared for tomorrow’s jobs; 2. Playing the role of convener for the business community and elected officials to encourage productive dialogue and solutions around issues that impact business and community sustainability and growth; 3. Maintaining relevance with young professionals who will be tomorrow’s business leaders; and 4. Identifying and addressing issues associated with long-term regional growth, such as infrastructure needs and the divergent housing needs in our market. I look forward to working hand-in-hand with the board of directors, the Chamber’s staff, and individual Chamber members to help address some of these challenges over my final year as board chair. Thank you for being a member of the Chamber. Sincerely,
Robyn Askew Chair, Knoxville Chamber Board of Directors
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The Knoxville Chamber is in its final year of its most recent three-year strategic plan. The plan is focused on three objectives that will guide the organization through 2017: to ENGAGE the business community, to INFLUENCE the business climate, and to STRIVE for distinction. The metrics associated with each of these objectives provide a good barometer of the Chamber’s accomplishments over the past year.
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Economic Development Team Attends Conferences to Attract New Business BY: KAYLA WITT
Throughout the months of September and October, the Knoxville Chamber economic development team traveled across the country attending conferences and building relationships with the nation’s top site selectors as part of its lead generation and marketing efforts. In September, team members attended the International Economic Development Council 2016 Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Tennessee Economic Development Council Conference in Cool Springs, Tenn. In October they traveled to Indianapolis, for Industrial Asset Management Council’s Professional Forum, in addition to the JEC Composites Forum which was hosted in Knoxville. The group ended the month with a trip to Philadelphia, for the 2016 CoreNet Global Summit. “Traveling to the conferences, gaining best practices amongst other industry leaders, and building relationships with site consultants are all critical when making sure Innovation Valley is not only top of mind when companies are looking to relocate, but also to ensure our economic development team has the proper knowledge and skill set to recruit first-class companies to our region,” said Doug Lawyer, vice president of economic development for the Knoxville Chamber. Each conference has its own purpose and specific audience allowing the eco-
nomic development team to build relationships with a diverse group of site selectors, while also meeting prospective companies and learning innovative economic development trends from other organizations. Conferences are selected based upon Innovation Valley’s target recruitment clusters and the prospective lead generation. “While it is important for our team to attend the conferences, we were also excited to welcome the JEC Composites Forum to Knoxville in October,” said Lawyer. “Innovation Valley is becoming a hub for carbon fiber and composites manufacturers and suppliers across the U.S., so it is a natural fit that the conference be hosted here. It was important that our team was there representing the region and its partners, because building relationships with composites companies helps us to recruit new business to the region.” Innovation Valley continues to make a name for itself in the carbon fiber and composites industry. With assets like Oak Ridge National Laboratory and industry suppliers such as Magnum Venus Products and TechmerPM, carbon fiber and composites companies are flocking to the region. Last month LeMond Composites announced it would locate its new manufacturing operations in Oak Ridge, investing $125 million and creating 242 new jobs for the region.
Where Are They Now: Innovate Manufacturing BY: KAYLA WITT
On Aug. 24, 2015, Innovate Manufacturing announced it would locate its first U.S. headquarters in Knox County, creating 50 new jobs and investing $4.7 million in a three-phase buildout. A little more than a year later, the China-based injection molding company is celebrating its first year of production in the United States. “Innovate Manufacturing is now three-quarters of the way through its threephase build out,” said Scott Huff, principal and design engineer for Innovate Manufacturing. “The company continues to expand in injection molding, extrusion blow molding, and injection stretch blow molding. It is also adding more capacity to the tool shop, where it will sell injection molds to and provide maintenance for other clients throughout the U.S.” Innovate Manufacturing has four plastics factories and an engineering office in China, but the company chose to move a portion of its operations to the U.S. due to lower shipping and energy costs, and proximity to its client base. Current manufacturing clients include hydration bottles for PepsiCo and food storage items for Pampered Chef. “Our facility is one truck drive from every customer east of the Mississippi River,” said Huff. “By Innovate Manufacturing being located so close to its customers, it is able to act fast, bring multiple shifts of work on the line, and catch up to the demand
of customer needs. Location means everything.” Innovate Manufacturing recently received a Knox County Manufacturing Skills Program grant from the Knox County Development Corporation. The grant will allow the company’s Knox County employees to receive accelerated apprenticeship training in China on the injection molding machines and their maintenance. “We value our resources in China, and we periodically bring people here to do maintenance on machines and targeted training for our Knox County operations, but this facility needs to be staffed locally for business reasons, this grant will accelerate that,” said Huff. Huff notes the learning curve is steep, and interested employees should have typical plastic forming manufacturing skills and lean manufacturing knowledge. Innovate Manufacturing manufactures and ships finished products to its clients, ready to go onto the store shelves. “We can manufacture certain offerings for clients in the U.S. that the operations in China cannot service,” said Huff. “For example, customization is something we offer our clients from our facility in Knox County. Many of our clients want their hydration bottles customized with a specific sports team or name, and we can do low quantity customization here, and do it quickly. We can support all stages of product development from initial idea into final production.”
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TDOT Commissioner Continues the Conversation on Transportation BY: JESSICA KARSTEN
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer recently met with Knoxville-area business leaders at the Hilton Knoxville to discuss challenges facing the state’s transportation infrastructure. Schroer spoke to nearly 150 attendees including local elected officials, business leaders, and members of the Knoxville Chamber’s Transportation and Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Government Relations committees. The discussion, titled “The Future of Transportation: Continuing the Conversation,” was a continuation of a multi-month bus tour of Tennessee intended to raise awareness of the state’s need for the long-term sustainable funding of its roads. The tour led by Gov. Bill Haslam and Commissioner Schroer kicked off more than a year ago. Schroer discussed how Tennessee’s integrated transportation network has shaped a growing economy, as well as the need to sustain and further enhance the system in order to remain competitive in the global economy. Industry commitments in 2015 were the highest on record for the state with 161 company commitments totaling $5.5 billion in investment capital. “Tennessee is the number one state in the country for top-quality job recruitment,” Schroer said. “Good roads help create jobs, which grows the economy.” Despite Tennessee’s successes, Schroer detailed a number of transportation infrastructure funding issues the state is currently facing. TDOT’s budget has been relatively flat since 2006, leading to approximately $11 billion in backlogged projects statewide. The state’s current gas tax rate of 21.4 cents per gallon was last set in 1989. This means the average Tennessean driving a vehicle 15,000 miles annually pays less than $300 per year in federal and state gas taxes combined. “It’s been 30 years since the state of Tennessee has had the will to address trans-
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer speaks to a crowd of 150 attendees at Hilton Knoxville on Oct. 6.
portation funding. It’s time,” Schroer said. “We need long-term sustainable funding.” Schroer encouraged attendees to support efforts to fund Tennessee’s roads and explained for every $1 spent on road, highway, and bridge improvements, you see an average benefit of $5.20.
NOVEMBER - MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Since 1869, the Knoxville Chamber has been the leading voice for business in the region. Each of these businesses are celebrating milestone anniversaries as Chamber members during the month of November. Thank you for your commitment to the Chamber and the community! 31+ YEARS
MEMBER SINCE
Wood Realtors 1956 Beverage Control, Inc. 1961 Stowers Machinery Corporation 1961 Gerdau 1963 Weigel’s Stores, Inc. 1964 Knoxville Area Transit 1967 Addicks CPA Firm, LLP 1971 Knoxville Academy of Medicine 1975 Stonemill Log & Timber Homes 1975 Allied Toyotalift 1976 Markmans Diamonds and Fine Jewelry 1976 R. H. Sinclair Construction Company, Inc. 1976 Southern Management and Development, LP 1976 Club LeConte 1978 Hilton Knoxville 1981 Ackermann PR 1982 Burkhart & Company, PC 1982 FMB Advertising 1986
25 – 30 YEARS
MEMBER SINCE
Duncan for Congress West Chevrolet, Inc. Wood Printing Company Kelso-Regen Associates, Inc.
20 – 24 YEARS
1987 1987 1989 1991
MEMBER SINCE
Randstad USA
Knoxville Habitat for Humanity Heritage Lake at Westland SERVPRO of North Knoxville Tennessee Brokerage Agency, Inc. Knox County Schools M & M Development Company, Inc. Technology for Energy Corporation
1992
10 – 14 YEARS 15-19 YEARS
2000 2000 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001
MEMBER SINCE
The Grove at Deane Hill BACO Realty Corporation Commercial Lighting Supply, Inc Fountainhead College of Technology Lawhorn CPA Group, Inc. Home Builders Association of Greater Knoxville Monterey Mushrooms
1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999 2000
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First Priority Title Company, Inc. Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinics Harmony Family Center Walker Springs Apartments Young Professionals of Knoxville
MEMBER SINCE 2002 2002 2003 2004 2006
MONTHLY ECONOMIC INDICATORS
(Sept. 2016)
NOTES – Knoxville MSA includes: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Grainger, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane & Union Counties.
WORKFORCE* Resident Labor Force Knox Co. Knoxville MSA Tennessee U.S.
HOUSING MARKET % Change Sept. ’15Sept. ‘16
Sept. 2016
Aug. 2016
Sept. 2015
% Change Aug. ’16Sept. ‘16
238,500 422,230 3,175,000 159,636,000
235,850 417,610 3,160,800 159,800,000
228,590 405,890 3,037,500 156,607,000
1.1 1.1 0.4 -0.1
4.3 4.0 4.5 1.9
398,000 2,984,800
394,600 2,958,900
390,700 2,922,100
0.9 0.9
1.9 2.1
NA NA NA
NA NA NA
11,990 23,550 193,090
NA NA NA
NA NA NA
4.3 4.7 5.0 4.8
4.3 4.7 5.0 5.0
4.8 5.3 5.7 4.9
0.0 0.0 0.0 -0.2
-0.5 -0.6 -0.7 -0.1
Non-Ag Employment Knoxville MSA Tennessee
Residential Closings Residential Inventory Median Residential Price
Sept. 2016 1,643 8,387 $162,000
Unemployment Rates Knox Co. Knoxville MSA Tennessee U.S.
Sources: Tennessee Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development/U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
INFLATION RATES -
% Change Sept. ’14Sept. ‘16 1.9 1.5
Sept. ’15-‘16
Aug. ’15-‘16
Sept. ’14-‘15
1.3 1.5
0.8 1.1
-0.6 0.0
0.5 0.4
% Change Aug. ’15Aug. ‘16
*Southeast Region Avg. U.S. Avg. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Knoxville (City)
Total Single-Family Multi-Family
Aug. 2016* 31 31 0
Aug. 2015 12 12 0
% Change Aug. ’15Aug. ‘16 158.3 158.3 0.0
Knox Co.
Total Single-Family Multi-Family
129 129 0
104 104 0
24.0 24.0 0.0
Knoxville MSA
Total Single-Family Multi-Family
261 243 18
206 184 22
26.7 32.1 -18.2
Tennessee
Total Single-Family Multi-Family
2,439 1,808 631
2,528 1,616 912
-3.5 11.9 -30.8
Knox Co. Knoxville MSA Tennessee
Sept. 2016
Aug. 2016
Sept. 2015
% Change Aug. ’16Aug. ‘16
54,643,155 83,769,806 692,034,963
52,376,079 82,390,003 696,480,972
52,746,036 80,866,636 662,239,049
4.3 1.7 -0.6
3.6 3.6 4.5
14,857,338 23,412,660
14,172,061 22,995,741
14,317,119 22,421,796
4.8 1.8
3.8 4.4
% Change Sept. ’15Sept. ‘16 3.4 6.2 2.4 -3.1 2.2 7.5 3.5 -2.5 -1.5 5.8 6.7 2.9 10.7 -0.4
AIR SERVICE (MCGHEE-TYSON AIRPORT)
Passengers Freight
July 2016 173,682 7,149,477
June 2016 172,828 7,627,583
July 2015 172,131 6,938,790
% Change June ’16July ‘16 0.5 -6.3
% Change July ’15July ‘16 0.9 3.0
Source: Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority
Local Sales Tax Knox Co. Knoxville MSA
*All 2016 building permit data is preliminary and therefore subject to revision throughout the year. Sources: U.S. Housing & Urban Development – SOCDS – State of the Cities Data Systems; U.S. Census Bureau – Building Permits Survey
*South – City Size Class B/C
SALES TAX REVENUE - STATE & LOCAL ($) State Sales Tax
1,495 10,293 $155,000
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI) - ALL ITEMS % Change Aug. ’15Sept. ‘16
Sept. 2015
% Change Sept. ’15Sept. ‘16 9.9 -18.5 4.5
Source: Knoxville Area Association of Realtors
Available Labor Knox Co. Knoxville MSA Tennessee
Aug. 2016 1,681 8,561 $167,000
% Change Aug. ’16Sept. ‘16 -2.3 -2.0 -3.0
Source: Tennessee Dept. of Revenue
RETAIL SALES - NATIONAL (IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS) Category Total Retail Sales Building Materials Clothing Stores Electronics & Appliances Food & Beverage Stores Food Svcs & Drinking Places Furniture & Home Furnishings Gasoline Stations General Merchandise Stores Health & Personal Care Stores Miscellaneous Stores Motor Vehicle & Parts Sales Non-store Retailers Sporting Goods/Books/ Hobby/Music
Sept. 2016
Aug. 2016
445,444 29,062 19,542 8,152 57,351 54,376 9,153 34,673 50,818 27,574 10,663 92,707 44,111
471,379 30,239 22,112 8,377 59,032 55,373 9,368 36,005 54,890 28,663 11,017 102,192 45,752
430,917 27,377 19,080 8,413 56,109 50,597 8,847 35,574 51,588 26,072 9,991 90,115 39,862
% Change Aug. ’16Sept. ‘16 -5.5 -3.9 -11.6 -2.7 -2.8 -1.8 -2.3 -3.7 -7.4 -3.8 -3.2 -9.3 -3.6
7,262
8,359
7,292
-13.1
Sept. 2015
EST. 1869 For more information on research, contact Joe Riley, jriley@knoxvillechamber.com
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Advance Monthly Retail Trade Report
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Second Class Selected for Knoxville’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy BY: JESSICA KARSTEN
The Knoxville Chamber is pleased to announce that it has accepted 20 talented students from the area to participate in the second class of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA). Ranging in age from 11 to 17, these students represent 13 different schools within the region. “We’re really excited to have such a great group of students for our 2016-2017 class,” said Megan Wright, YEA program manager. “In just 30 weeks each of the students will have transformed into real CEOs, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish throughout the course of this program.” On Oct. 4, the students embarked on a 30-week journey through the ins and outs of owning and operating their own businesses or social movement. Students attend one, three-hour class each week through April. During this time, the students brainstorm and form their enterprises, make pitches to a panel of local investors, obtain funding, file their DBAs, and launch their own business or social movement. “I’m thrilled to be instructing this year’s YEA class. We have a group of hard-working students, all super-passionate about learning entrepreneurship and business,” said Haseeb Qureshi, CEO and co-founder of AudioHand and this year’s YEA class instructor. “I’m excited to see what these bright and passionate 11 to 17-year-olds will create by the program’s end, and I’m incredibly thankful for the Knoxville Chamber and the YEA curriculum.” The class will also experience six exciting field trips throughout the program, which include visits to a food franchise, an ad agency, and the City-County Building. YEA is presented by Pilot Flying J and hosted by the University of Tennessee’s
The 2016-2017 class of YEA students had the unique opportunity to visit the Local Motors micro-factory for the first field trip of the program on Oct. 18.
Haslam College of Business. Thanks to a generous grant provided by the Alcoa Foundation, tuition for participating students has been reduced from $395 to $160. The YEA program is also supported by Clayton Bank and WATE-TV. Follow the class’ progress on the YEA Knoxville Chamber Facebook page.
2016-17 YEA CLASS • Connor Allen, Clayton Bradley Academy • Jalen Baylock, L&N Stem Academy • Ella Blair, Gresham Middle School • Aidan Cantu, Farragut Middle School • Rylan Cantu, Farragut Middle School • John D. Cobb, Clayton Bradley Academy • Charles Davis, South Doyle High School
• Sophia Foster, West High School • Callie Fulghum, CAK Homeschool • Tejes Gaertner, West High School • Courtney Lam, Bearden High School • Lezly Monterrosas, Eagleton Middle School • Graylin Nocus, Homeschool • Sydney Parsley, Farragut High School
• Sanam Patel, West Valley Middle School • Lillian Patty, Nature’s Way Montessori • Elena Reineri, Bearden High School • Joshua Walker, West High School • William Walker, Bearden Middle School • Alexander YarKhan, L&N Stem Academy
RIBBON CUTTING Viles Automotive Group celebrated the grand opening of its new Knoxville location at 905 Callahan Drive on Monday, Sept. 19. Gary Viles, president, is pictured center and joined by family members, staff members, and Chamber Ambassadors.
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Innov865 Week Celebrates Knoxville’s Entrepreneurs, Startups BY: JESSICA KARSTEN
Knoxville celebrated its thriving entrepreneurial community and budding maker culture during the inaugural Innov865 Week from Sept. 19 – 23. The week-long program consisted of pitch competitions, educational opportunities, and social events highlighting the region’s vibrant entrepreneurial landscape. Innov865 Week featured a total of 26 events with nearly 1,500 attendees. “I think the level of attendance really highlights the way our community has come together to support entrepreneurs,” said Jim Biggs, executive director for the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center. “Moreover, it’s a testament to the high quality of startups here, that people from outside the community are coming to see what’s happening here and learn from our success.” The week kicked off with the Kauffman Foundation Mayors Summit on Entrepreneurship, featuring City of Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, and the Knoxville Maker City Summit. About 400 creative-class entrepreneurs attended the first-ever makers event. During the summit, Knoxville was designated an official Etsy “Maker City,” the first city in the nation to receive the title. This demonstrates the city’s dedication to empowering micro-entrepreneurs and investing in local creative economies. Scripps Networks Interactive partnered with KEC to combine two accelerator programs, CodeWorks and MediaWorks, into one program for Innov865 Week. The Works: Demo Day 2016 on Sept. 21 showcased eight of the area’s newest media and software companies that took part in the 12-week program. Innov865 Week also featured nationally-recognized serial entrepreneur, speaker, and investor Paul Singh and his North American Tech Tour. He offered programming, met one-on-one with local startups, and served as keynote speaker for Startup Day 2016. The annual Startup Day event featured six power pitches to a panel of judges at the Bijou Theatre on Sept. 22. Graham Taylor with T&T Scientific delivered the winning pitch and took home the $5,000 grand prize, presented by Three Roots Capital and SouthEast Bank. T&T Scientific Corporation is a biotech startup company that has introduced the world’s first low-cost, single-use manufacturing devices that simplify the process of preparing new-age nanomedicines. The unique and novel technologies from T&T are shaping the emerging nanotherapeutic industry which is playing a key role in the battles against cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other major diseases. “We were thoroughly relieved when we heard our name announced as the winners of the pitch competition. We have been working very hard for over a year, and we spent hours preparing for Startup Day,” Taylor said. “We appreciate the big boost in local, regional, and national attention that has come from Startup Day 2016.” The event also featured the UT Federal Credit Union Traction Award, presented to a Startup Day alumnus that has made the most progress. Bob Bradley of NEWSBREAK took home the evening’s award. “Having Etsy in Knoxville, working with national leaders in entrepreneurship like the Kauffman Foundation to improve our regional ecosystem, launching the first lifestyle media accelerator with Scripps Networks Interactive, and having the entrepreneur-inresidence from the White House, Paul Singh, in Knoxville to meet, advise, and invest
in startups? Any one of these things would be a huge deal,” said Jonathan Sexton, entrepreneur in residence for KEC. “Pulling all of them off in one week was a massive achievement and a giant step forward for the ‘865’ area. I’m beyond thrilled about Innov865 Week and taking the momentum from this week into the future. The vision of KEC is starting to be realized and I’m lucky to be part of it.” Innov865 Week served as the signature event of the Innov865 Alliance, a group dedicated to showcasing Knoxville as a great place for entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses. Founding members of the alliance include the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UT’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Pershing Yoakley and Associates, Launch Tennessee, and KEC.
At the first-ever Knoxville Maker City Summit, the city was designated an official Etsy “Maker City” on Sept. 19.
Local biotech startup T&T Scientific took home the grand prize of $5,000 at Startup Day 2016 on Sept. 22 at the Bijou Theatre.
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Consumer iD Offers Targeted Consumer Lists for Chamber Members Knoxville Chamber members have the opportunity to grow their business with a tool called Consumer iD, powered by USADATA. This tool provides access to powerful “intelligent data” to connect businesses with more consumers. This fee-based service is offered to members at a fraction of the cost of non-affiliated data solutions. Consumer iD provides consumer-based businesses, like retail, restaurants, real estate, and automobile dealers, with two business development opportunities: • Look Alike Profiles – Consumer iD can help businesses identify the common traits of their existing loyal customers and find more people who have similar traits. • Targeted Mailing Lists – Businesses can then be provided mailing lists based on their Look Alike Profiles or lists based on data they identify: o New Home Owners o Household Income $100K+ o Number of Children o Customized Lists - Name the filters – USADATA can pull the list With the holidays right around the corner, now is the perfect time to utilize this tool for targeted data through USADATA. Below is a sample of some of the holiday-specific lists that can be pulled: • Cooking Enthusiasts • Department Store Moms • Gifts for Tweens • Active Family Gifts • Holiday Travel Enthusiasts • Home Decorations • Tablet/Mobile Media Shoppers Learn more by visiting www.knoxvillechamber.com/consumer-id or schedule an appointment with Michelle Kiely, vice president of business development, by calling (865) 246-2617. Pricing varies based on the data requested and the number of contacts within a given data set.
PREMIER PARTNER PROFILE:
Uneek Potential Uneek Potential is a startup in the social marketing world. They are a newly-emerged, fast-growing business that aims to exceed social marketing’s current and future needs by offering an innovative process that turns clicks into customers. Uneek Potential is on the cutting-edge when it comes to the social marketing space. It was founded by Will Morris after his discovery of how a marketer can target exactly who they want for their product and/or service. Morris said, “Think about what information someone has to give when they sign up with a social platform - when people post about their day, their animals, their car wreck, their new hair cut, their run that morning. This is all information that is stored and available to marketers with the right know-how.” He continued, “Everyone is familiar with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but not that many know how to really target new customers.” Uneek Potential is a company that specializes in using targeted Facebook and social media ads to find more customers for businesses. By utilizing some innovative tools on Facebook, it has the ability to show advertisements to virtually anyone. “It’s about the campaign optimizations,” Morris said. “As we are running a campaign for a client, we are collecting a ton of data about the people who are engaging with our client’s ad. After a short period of time we know how, where, and when to engage our client’s prospects to ensure conversions.” Ads can be targeted to consumers who… - Live “X” amount of miles away from a business. - Live within certain zip codes. - Make a certain amount of money. - Fall into a certain age bracket. - Are male or female. - Like _____ (term relevant to the campaign; ex: yoga) on Facebook. - Joined any type of ______ (term relevant to the campaign; ex: yoga) group. - Joined any type of ______ (term relevant to the campaign; ex: yoga) event. - Have a relationship on Facebook with a business’ competitor. Uneek Potential can specifically advertise based on any of the above conditions. It has the ability to show the right person the advertisement, not just people that like it, but people that can afford the product or service. After Uneek Potential finds the consumers that are most likely to purchase a business’ product or service, the advertisement shows up in the targeted consumer’s Facebook and social news feed. The only people who see the ad are the targeted consumers that Uneek Potential selects, and it’s truly powerful.
RIBBON CUTTING Trinity Medical Associates celebrated the grand opening of its Direct Primary Care office at 10437 Hardin Valley Road on Friday, Oct 21. The location will specialize in providing personalized primary care for the whole family at a low monthly membership regardless of insurance. Dr. Mark McColl, pictured center, is joined by his family and (pictured left to right) Comm. Brad Anders, Dr. Anthony Wise, president of Pellissippi State Community College, Rep. Jason Zachary, and Courtney Taboada, RN.
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Annual “Beat Florida” a.m. Exchange Draws Large Crowd BY: JESSICA KARSTEN
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER 15
More than 125 businesspeople joined the Knoxville Chamber for its annual footballthemed a.m. Exchange at Image Matters on Sept. 22. This was the tenth year Image Matters has hosted the morning networking event before the University of Tennessee vs. the University of Florida game. All Occasion Catering provided a breakfast buffet for guests as they mixed and mingled in the company’s impressive showroom. Image Matters provided four door prizes for the event. Christi Fightmaster of Pugh CPAs won a UT wall canvas and goodie basket; Lynn Parish of Fish Window Cleaning took home two tickets to Wine on the Water; Angi Cochran of SERVPRO of Rocky Hills/Sequoyah Hills/South Knoxville took home a Spa Visage gift card; and Cindy Holt of Dean-Smith Inc. won a Brother business laser printer.
Bright Ideas Seminar- “The Emotionally Intelligent Leader” Presented by: Susanne Dalton Dupes, Dalton Dupes Agency 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. • Knoxville Chamber, 17 Market Square, # 201 $25 Members; $35 non-members
PRESENTED BY
NOVEMBER 22 Premier Partner Event featuring Mike and Bo Connor, Connor Concepts 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.• Knoxville Chamber – 17 Market Square, #201 Exclusive to Premier Partners
Go to “Chamber Events” on www.knoxvillechamber.com to learn more or register for any of these events.
Guests enjoyed a morning of networking and delicious food provided by All Occasion Catering at the Knoxville Chamber’s a.m. Exchange at Image Matters on Sept. 22.
Rita French, Jenny Cowden, and Allison Roop of Image Matters pose together at the Knoxville Chamber’s annual “Beat Florida” a.m. Exchange.
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