Kingsport Livability by visitkingsport

PROGRAMS BUILD TECH-FORWARD SKILL SETS FOR STEM-SAVVY HIRES

KINGSPORT

LIVABILITY.COM /tn/kingsport

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2019-20

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New Inventor Center nurtures creators of all kinds

StriKe

A PERFECT BALANCE

LIVE THE HIGH LIFE AT A LOWER COST

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www.downtownkingsport.org

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www.kingsportchamber.org

Welcome Our Home. to

We are an active and safe community of progress, emerging with vibrant art and world class, student-focused education programs.

www.visitkingsport.com

Mountain Region Family Medicine, P.C.

Welcomes

Dr. Brent Baker and Dr. Zach Sumpter to our Press Building location: 444 Clinchfield St. • 2nd Floor • Kingsport, TN Accepting New Patients • Same-Day Appointments Most All Insurances Accepted

BRENT BAKER M.D.

ZACH SUMPTER D.O.

Suite 2800 423-230-2801 www.mrfm.net

Suite 2700 423-230-2700 www.mrfm.net

Mountain Region Family Medicine, P.C., is an independent, physician-owned medical practice. Health is our business. Quality is our focus. Compassion is our way.

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT RENTAL RELOCATION

Locations: 321 Broad St. Kingsport, TN 37660 423-247-4181 4610 Ft. Henry Dr. Kingsport, TN 37663 423-239-0100 Broad

Fort Henry

KINGSPORT 2019-20 EDITION • VOLUME 3

DISCOVER ALL THERE IS ABOUT Kingsport, TN

TENNESSEE

Livability Kingsport, TN is published annually by Livability Media, a division of Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Kingsport Area COC and Visit Kingsport. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at 615-771-0080 or by email at info@jnlcom.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Kingsport Area COC and Visit Kingsport 400 Clinchfield St., Suite 100 Kingsport, TN 37660 423-392-8804 • movetokingsport.com VISIT Livability Kingsport, TN ONLINE AT livability.com/tn/kingsport

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©Copyright 2019 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, 615-771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. Please recycle this magazine.

contEnts 2019-20 EDITION • VOLUME 3

10 14 14

QUALITY OF LIFE

Strike a Perfect Balance

Whether you are moving up from the quiet country or taking a step back from the big city, Kingsport provides the ideal middle ground by combining a high quality of life with a low cost of living. INFRASTRUCTURE

How To: Do Downtown Kingsport

Downtown Kingsport is alive and growing, with the district attracting people of all ages.

OUTDOOR RECREATION

5 Good Reasons to Get Outdoors

From stargazing to zip lining, experience how some of our best assets just come naturally.

7 The 4-1-1

8 Discover

BUSINESS CLIMATE

HEALTH CARE

Made in Kingsport Largest employers Eastman & Domtar create products we use every day.

24 ON THE COVER Friends enjoy dining al fresco with their pup, Cash, on the patio at Stir Fry Cafe in downtown Kingsport. Photo by Michael D. Tedesco

31 Community Profile

Living Well Comes Easily Expanding health care options enhance quality of life.

TALENT

INNOVATION

Programs building tech-forward skill sets for STEM-savvy hires.

Kingsport’s new Inventor Center nurtures creators of all kinds.

Future Talent Under Make a Big Deal Out of It, Why Don’t You? Construction

livability.com/tn/Kingsport

See what's happening @

livability.com/tn/kingsport

QUALITY OF LIFE

INNOVATION

Whether it’s digging into the area’s best dishes or diving into its lively cultural scene, locals are living their best lives. Explore how Kingsport plays during the day and night.

Explore the area’s cutting-edge business technologies, forwardthinking community planning strategies and much more.

TALENT STAY INFORMED Moving to Kingsport might make sense for your bottom line. See how the numbers add up.

Discover how educational institutions and local businesses are providing an attractive package for prospective employees from around the world.

READ THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE

TWICE THE VIEWS

Each article can be read as a stand-alone feature on livability.com/tn/kingsport or within the digital magazine.

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programs

build tech -forw

ard skill sets for s tem-savv

KINGSPORT LIVA BILIT Y.CO

M /tn/ kings port

y hires

T ENN E S S EE

2019-20

How To: Do downtown Kingsport

New Inventor Center nurtu res creators of all kinds

Strike

A PERFECT BALANCE

LIVE THE HIGH

LIFE AT A LOWE R COST

Kingsport 81

Bristol

11W

Blountville

26 36

Exceptional Public Education Kingsport City Schools are highly regarded nationwide and offer many advanced programs without tuition charges. More than 4,000 students participate in higher education opportunities in downtown Kingsport’s Academic Village.

meet the metS

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Kingsport is located in Sullivan & Hawkins Counties, Tennessee. Logistics companies have long known that Kingsport is accessible to 70% of the U.S. population thanks largely to easy access to Interstates 26 and 81. But it’s also a homebase of travel and tourism: Great Smoky Mountains (1.5 hours), Nashville (4 hours), the Carolina Coast (5.5 hours) and our nation’s capital (6 hours). For air travelers, Tri-Cities Airport has direct flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando and Tampa Bay.

High Quality, Low Cost

Our very own rookie affiliate baseball team of the New York Mets plays in 2,500-seat Hunter Wright Stadium. The Kingsport Mets play a 68-game season, and 34 of those are home games from June until August. Kingsport won Appalachian League championships in 1988 and 1995, and former players include Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, David Wright and Jose Reyes.

THE

4-1-1 VITAL INFO ON KINGSPORT

There is no state income tax, inheritance tax or personal property tax.

REAL PROPERTY IS TAXED AT

¼ of appraised value. But low taxes don’t compromise the area’s quality of life. There is a vibrant arts community, symphony, theater, ballet, parks and exceptional public schools.

Kingsport is one of only 18 accredited Safe Communities in the U.S. and boasts internationally accredited police and ﬁre/medical services.

PHOTO: ALLEN GREEN

FoUr SeaSoNS Summers in Kingsport are like Chicago, winters are like Atlanta, springs are like Washington, D.C., and autumns are like New England. Sound enticing? The year-round average temperature is 66 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rooting for the Mets

o U t d o o r r e C r e at i o N Look to the horizon in any direction, and you’ll see Bays Mountain, which houses a 3,550-acre park, nature preserve, planetarium and native wildlife habitats. There are hundreds of miles of trails for biking, hiking and walking. The Holston River is a great place for kayaking, and Warriors’ Path State Park is 10 minutes from downtown.

In 1937, Kingsport’s founder coined the phrase “The Kingsport Spirit” to describe the enthusiasm and dedication of its residents, and that mantra still holds true today.

livability.com/tn/Kingsport

DISCOVER KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE Kingsport Originals Visit Kingsport is the tourism arm of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, and the initiative has established a Kingsport Originals campaign to market the many reasons why the city is so unique. Examples of Kingsport’s oneof-a-kinds include Bellafina Chocolates, the Racks by the Tracks barbecue, wine, beer and music festival, Fun Fest, The Santa Train and more, including the following five Originals:

Fun Fest

During the 1920s Prohibition years, Kingsport resident Charles Bishop created the original Long Island Iced Tea recipe, and Bishop’s son, Ransom, upgraded the recipe in the 1940s. Today, a tall glass of Kingsport’s Long Island Iced Tea is made with 4 ounces of cola, 1 ounce of whiskey, 1 ounce of vodka, a half ounce of tequila, a half ounce of gin, a half ounce of rum and a half ounce of maple syrup. Also, squeeze in half a lemon and half a lime.

8 Kingsport, TN

PHOTO: HOT AIR BALLOON TEAM

The Recipe

Love Your Selfie

What a Pal Serving good food and known for fast drive-thrus, Pal’s Sudden Service is billed as one of America’s leading quick-service restaurant chains, and it was the first restaurant chain in the U.S. to earn the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Pal’s has six locations in Kingsport and features iconic buildings that are outfitted with huge individual sculptures of a hot dog, hamburger, fries and drink.

Officials with Visit Kingsport encourage residents to find green markers along the city’s Kingsport Selfie Trail, then take a selfie and share it using

#CaptureKingsport. The 13 trail destinations are: • Allandale Mansion • Bays Mountain Fire Tower

FROM SOUTHERN-STYLE BARBECUE TO BAGELS AND SEAFOOD, KINGSPORT’S WIDE SELECTION OF CUISINE IS SURE TO LEAVE NO ONE HUNGRY.

• Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium • Centennial Park • Exchange Place • Greenbelt • Kingsport Carousel • Kingsport Public Library

Take It Outside With a 44-acre lake and beautiful hiking trails, Bays Mountain Park is one of the most visited attractions in East Tennessee. A Nature Center has animal habitats showcasing bobcats, raptors, reptiles and wolves, and wolf-howling sessions are held regularly, with people encouraged to howl along. Other park activities include mountain biking, camping and fishing, and there is an adventure course with zip lines. In addition, the park has a planetarium situated atop Bays Mountain.

BAYS MOUNTAIN

is the largest city park in Tennessee

Ride the Carousel What can you get for $1 these days? A ride on the famous Kingsport Carousel costs $1, with children and their parents or guardians enjoying the longtime attraction located inside Pal’s Roundhouse on Clinchfield Street. Open all year, the carousel features wood-carved animals created by local people. Rides are available Wednesday through Sunday, with times available by calling 423-343-9834. Tours of an onsite Carousel Carving Studio are also available.

• Kingsport Sign • Netherland Inn • Spirit of Generosity Sculpture • Veterans Memorial • Warriors’ Path State Park

livability.com/tn/Kingsport

QUALIT Y OF LIFE

i k r t e S a

Perfect Balance LIVE THE HIGH LIFE AT A LOW COST By Cary Estes // Photos by Lynn Hardy

Twilight Alive outdoor concert in downtown Kingsport

10 Kingsport, TN

hether you are moving up from the quiet country or taking a step back from the big city, Kingsport provides the ideal middle ground by combining a high quality of life with a low cost of living. Emilie Park discovered the low-cost factor when she moved to Kingsport from New York City in 2007 with her husband and three children. In New York, they lived in a 900-square-foot apartment that cost $380,000. In Kingsport, they found a 5,000-square-foot home on a three-quarter acre piece of property for $575,000. “The affordability played a huge factor in us moving to Kingsport,” says Park, who is owner and managing partner of XCellerated Fitness. “We love the fact that our dollar goes so far here. All the money we’re saving helps us afford a lifestyle that would not have been feasible (in New York). We have extra

money to travel, and we’re able to save more for our children’s future.” In addition, Park says there is a welcoming, inclusive attitude among the people of Kingsport, with an emphasis on supporting both their neighbors as well as local businesses. “It’s such a friendly atmosphere. There is a genuine, authentic desire for people to look out for one another, which is really refreshing,” Park says. “And so much of the local economy is built into the community, with mom-and-pops doing just as well as the big national stores. People like to give back to their neighbors when it comes to how they shop and spend their money.”

“ EMILIE PARK

“There is a welcoming, inclusive attitude among the people of Kingsport.” Centennial Park

Abingdon Olive Oil Company livability.com/tn/Kingsport

“ TREYANA FIELDING

“The amount of effort and the care they have for the school system here is amazing.”

ven if money is not a factor, there are still aspects about Kingsport that pay off big for new residents. For example, Treyana Fielding and her husband moved to Kingsport in 2017 from Ashdown, Arkansas, where the cost of living is about the same. But Fielding says the amenities in Kingsport are much greater than what you find in a typical small town.

“We still get that country feel like we had, but it’s inside a bigger city,” says Fielding, who works with her husband at Domtar Paper Co. “So you can do those (city) things, but there are also the mountains all around. The climate is beautiful, the sunrises and sunsets are beautiful, and there are so many activities outside where you can meet other people.” Fielding says she is especially impressed with the Kingsport school system. So much

so, in fact, that she and her husband volunteer to help with numerous school activities even though they don’t have children. “The amount of effort and the care they have for the school system here is amazing,” Fielding says. “They have so much investment in the kids to help groom them to be better leaders. My husband and I really enjoy watching that and being a part of it. This is just such a wonderful, familyoriented community.”

SIGNATURE EVENTS Fun Fest funfest.net TGIF: Twilight Alive visitkingsport.com Sonic Bliss allandalemansion.com Tri-Cities Chinese Association New Year Festival facebook.com/TCCATN

Kingsport Wine & Brew Festival kingsportwineandbrew.com Halloween Bash halloweenbashkingsport.com Santa Train visitkingsport.com The Exchange Place events exchangeplace.com

Racks by the Tracks Festival

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PHOTO: VISIT KINGSPORT

Wing Fling & Racks by the Tracks racksbythetracks.com

The Luttrell Staffing team in Kingsport, TN provides workforce staffing solutions to employers in our area. As a dedicated partner to your success, we are committed to providing you with the staff you need so you can get back to what you do best – running your business. Luttrell Staffing Group’s customized, strategic staffing solutions can help you with:  Administrative staffing  Call Center staffing  Sales staffing  Legal staffing  Industrial staffing

 Machinist staffing  Professional staffing  Technical staffing  Financial staffing  Human resources

Our team of workforce experts has the skills and experience you need for customized, effective solutions specifically designed for your organization.

151 E. Main St., Ste. 3 • Kingsport, TN 37660

(423) 765-2628 • luttrellstaffing.com

livability.com/tn/Kingsport

INFR A STRUC TURE

How To:

DO DOWNTOWN

KINGSPORT

East Coast Wings & Grill

owntown Kingsport is alive and growing, with the district attracting people of all ages. “T hat includes many college students attending classes at the downtown Kingsport Academic Village, which houses branches of five colleges from our region,” says Allie Hinds-Adams, Downtown Kingsport Association interim executive director. “Millennials want to spend money on experiences, so there are many activities downtown, along with coffee shops, restaurants, breweries, live music, karaoke, a Selfie Trail and other happenings.”

By Kevin Litwin Photo by Michael D. Tedesco

14 Kingsport, TN

Let’s Eat Love to eat locally? You’ll find lots of variety in menus and atmospheres in Kingsport’s independent restaurants, many of which have pet-friendly patios. “We have pizza places, Mexican, local cafes and Asian food, and several restaurants offer happy hour and nighttime drink specials,” Hinds-Adams says. Some popular dining hot spots include Barberito’s Southwestern Grille, Chef’s Pizzeria, East Coast Wings & Grill, Main Street Pizza, Mustard Seed Café and Stir Fry Café. A popular breakfast choice is The Bagel Exchange.

Coffee + Cocktails

PHOTO: LYNN HARDY

Coffee shops in downtown Kingsport get customers off to a good start every day, including at Hibbert-Davis Urban Brews and Renewed Brew Coffee. For beer and cocktails, grab a microbrew at Bays Mountain Brewing Company and Model City Tap House. “In addition, Hook & Ladder Distillery produces unique moonshine concoctions as a tribute to our Appalachian region,” Hinds-Adams says. “Downtown also hosts a monthly First Thursday Sip & Stroll, where many businesses stay open late and offer drink and food deals.” Sleepy Owl Brewery

Celebrate The month of May kicks off the Kingsport events season with Racks by the Tracks barbecue, wine, beer and music festival, which features big-name bands. Another major annual downtown event is the city’s Fourth of July Celebration, while the Twilight Alive Concert Series occurs on Friday nights throughout the summer.

PHOTO: KINGSPORT CVB

“One of our biggest celebrations is Fun Fest, a nine-day community festival held in July that showcases the diversity of our region,” Hinds-Adams says. “Another big event is a Wine & Brew Festival that the Downtown Kingsport Association presents every October.” For the holidays, Santa’s Depot kicks off the season on Thanksgiving weekend, and a tree lighting and Christmas parade occur in early December. Fun Fest livability.com/tn/Kingsport

Shop Around “We have many interesting shops, including several women’s clothing boutiques and a nice men’s store for custom suits,” Hinds-Adams says. “As for one-of-a-kind gifts, you can always buy something great for everyone on your holiday list by shopping at downtown stores.”

PHOTO: LYNN HARDY

Hinds-Adams says the district has jewelry stores, florists and antique shops, along with businesses such as KPC Butcher Shop, Larry’s Cycle Shop, Milhorn Appliance, Morrell Music Shop and Sprouty Pea Children’s Clothing.

Mercantile on Broad, an open concept marketplace, houses over 50 vendors, from curators, artists, local makers and boutiques.

16 Kingsport, tn

Live It Up More and more residential opportunities are opening up in downtown Kingsport, including spaces above several shops and restaurants that have second-story lofts for people to rent or buy. “There are even a few lofts in the parking garage we have downtown,” Hinds-Adams says. “When you step inside one of those lofts, you would never believe you’re actually on top of a parking garage.” Hinds-Adams says downtown Kingsport has also added a new luxury apartment complex called Town Park Lofts. Those 200+ units have amenities like valet laundry, a pet spa, a dog park, a resort-style swimming pool, an outdoor entertainment kitchen and a refreshment bar.

Kingsport by the Numbers

$982

23.5K

median gross rent

number of households

136,000

21,306

median property value in Kingsport

number of employees

Source: Data USA

Find more about downtown activities by visiting livability.com/tn/kingsport.

O U T D O O R R EC R E AT I O N

5 Good

Reasons

TO GET OUTDOORS By Patsy B. Weiler // Photo by Michael D. Tedesco

18 Kingsport, TN

Ba ys

From stargazing to zip lining, experience how some of our best assets just come naturally.

etarium Plan n tai

Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium w h at to d o : Two of the stars here are the $1.3 million state-of-the-art planetarium with a 40-foot dome and surround sound and the challenging adventure course, which features high and low ropes plus the Flying Squirrel zip line. Explore 3,500 acres on 40 miles of mountain trails, a 44-acre lake and animal habitats, including wolves.

tip: Climb the fire tower at the top of Tower Loop Trail for a 360-degree view.

more: baysmountain.com/park

livability.com/tn/kingsport

Warriorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Path State Park

w h at to d o : Take in the scenery of these 950 acres at the Patrick Henry Reservoir on the Holston River. Children of all abilities can play at Darrellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream, a boundless playground. The park also includes The Lions Narnia Braille Trail, an accessible sandbox and more, including fishing, boating, hiking and mountain bike trails, and an Olympic-sized pool.

tip: The rare Cherokee Clubtail Dragonfly can be observed near Fall Creek Loop Trail.

more: tnstateparks.com/parks/warriors-path

City Parks

w h at to d o : So many options, including Brickyard Park, a 43-acre premier sports complex and community facility; more than 10 mini neighborhood parks; and 19-acre Boatyard Riverfront Park with fishing, boat ramps and a swinging bridge. The latest gem is the Carousel Park downtown, with an accessible playground and a music area next to the historic Kingsport Carousel.

tip: Carousel Park is Biba certified. Biba is a downloadable, interactive playground app.

Rides are only

for the Kingsport Carousel Kingsport Carousel

20 Kingsport, TN

PHOTOS, FROM TOP: JEFF ADKINS; VISIT KINGSPORT

kingsportparksandrecreation.org

Greenbelt

w h at to d o : Walk, bike, skate and bring your pet (on a leash) while meandering along nine-plus paved miles that wind through a relaxing natural setting connecting residential neighborhoods, traditional parks, downtown, schools, and more than 20 historical points of interest. Covered picnic pavilions, water fountains, benches, public restrooms and multiple parking areas are available.

PHOTO BY DAVID CATE

tip: Enjoy the quarter-mile, accessible wooden boardwalk loop through the park’s wetlands. The entrance is near PetSmart.

kingsportparksandrecreation.org

Holston River

U IT

S ONL

LIVABILITY.COM

w h at to d o : Boaters of all types (kayakers, canoers, tubers and more) head to the easy-toreach river — a floater’s paradise. Anglers have trout and other fishing options. The Holston River snakes along the Kingsport Birding Trail, where many varieties of birds, even soaring eagles and nesting eaglets, have been spotted.

tip: The Greenbelt area offers easy river access with ramps in Domtar Park.

more: kingsportparksandrecreation.org

livability.com/tn/kingsport

B U S INE S S C L I M AT E

MADE IN

KINGSPORT Largest employers Eastman & Domtar create products we use every day By Mara Soloway

KINGSPORT’S LARGEST EMPLOYERS, EASTMAN AND DOMTAR, ARE ALSO AMONG ITS

Eastman’s Products Eastman is focused on innovative sustainability and sustainable material solutions. It is developing new molecules, products and applications that will make a material difference in everyday lives. Consumers are finding Tritan™ – a new generation, BPA-free copolyester – in a range of

22 Kingsport, tn

providing good-paying careers but with investments in the community, such as STEM education efforts and environmental and civic programs.

products thanks to its excellent properties of clarity, colorability, durability, and heat and chemical resistance. It is used in home products, from food storage to sippy cups, and in consumer electronics, appliances, medical devices and packaging. Sourced from sustainably managed forests, Trēva™ is a cellulose-based engineering bioplastic that offers the high performance impact important for portable and wearable electronics, sunglasses and sports equipment. Trēva™ has superior chemical resistance – standing up to skin oils, sunscreens and household cleaners – and it is naturally BPA-to-Z free.

Fashion designers are finding fabrics made from Naia™ are excellent choices for womenswear, intimate apparel and linings. The sustainably sourced and produced cellulosic yarn can be transformed into silky and easy-to-care-for fabrics with inherent softness, excellent wrinkle recovery, pilling resistance and home-launderability. Original equipment manufacturers can supply premium automotive coatings, potentially reduce their energy footprint, improve productivity and achieve a significant reduction in VOC and greenhouse gas emissions with Eastman’s Tetrashield™ protective resin systems.

PHOTOS: EASTMAN

most longstanding. Domtar celebrated 100 years in 2016, and Eastman has been here almost a century. Each has long been a good neighbor not only by

Due to its innovative weathering and chemical resistance and hardness properties, a single coat greatly improves the lifetime and appearance of a carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shine.

Domtarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Products

PHOTO: DOMTAR

Domtar is an international provider of sustainable wood fiber products, such as paper used in general communication, specialty and packaging papers, market pulp and absorbent hygiene products. Since the startup of its large paper machine here in 2003, Domtar has manufactured mostly copy paper grades, along with some engineering rolls and envelopegrade papers. Previously, three smaller machines made a number of different paper grades, including papers coated on one side and specialty lightweight papers used for packaging.

TA L EN T

Future TALENT

UNDER CONSTRUCTION Programs building tech-forward skill sets for STEM-savvy hires By Val Beerbower The Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing

ositioning itself to take advantage of a national trend growing interest in Science, Technology,

Engineering and Math (STEM)related career fields, Kingsport features many programs that harness children’s innate curiosity and stoke the fires with hands-on experiences they crave. Projects with real-world applications encourage critical thinking skills, and an emphasis on building soft skills ensures not only that

Kingsport students are ready to enter the workforce, but Kingsport businesses will find a talent pipeline flush with careerprepped applicants. Here are three examples of programs that build tech-forward skills for students and supply the local workforce with STEM-savvy hires.

24 Kingsport, TN

The Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing This facility, known as RCAM, is an off-campus training site affiliated with Northeast State Community College. Here, staff train a qualified workforce for the region’s manufacturing sector. RCAM courses may be used to fulfill requirements for associate degrees and/or technical certificate programs in chemical process operations, electromechanical technology, electrical technology, and welding/metal fabrication.

program includes completing an apprenticeship. RCAM student Craig Cox entered the apprenticeship program as an employee of Primester in Kingsport. “The apprenticeship gives you an actual career instead of just a job,” says Cox, a native of Jonesborough. “I was comfortable with everything at work and in training, so I never felt overloaded. I would definitely recommend pursuing the apprenticeship program.”

STREAMWORKS

“The 26,000-square-foot facility This nonprofit organization recently opened a 15,000-squarefoot expansion,” says Bob Carpenter, specializes in extracurricular STEM-activities. director of community relations for Northeast State. “The project “Our industries face a critical skills also allows for increased dual gap in high-tech jobs,” says Dennis enrollment opportunities for area Courtney, STREAMWORKS founding high school students.” director. “The program also focuses One important aspect of the training on the development of soft skills —

how to communicate with team members or work in tandem to accomplish common goals.” Courtney’s program offers opportunities for students to learn outside a traditional classroom environment, and the benefits of the two-year-old program are already paying off. “Our kids will get an interest in science and math and boost those academic skills. We want to show them it’s fun to dive into applied math and science.” Gavin Bentley, 17, says the practical applications and spirit of competition are reasons he signed up for a second year in Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE). Teams of students each take a role — robotics and businessoriented tasks — to create a submersible vehicle. “I think it’s awesome to work like a company,” Bentley says. “It builds real-world skills.” Similarly, 16-year-old Quintin Folkner loves the competitive rush he gets participating in Robot Drone League (RDL), where teams of students quickly create and program drones to compete in completing tasks. But he’s also rewarded by assisting other RDL students. “Teaching kids to code helps me strengthen my skills and experience while helping others,” Folkner says.

Kingsport City Schools Kingsport City Schools (KCS) Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Moorhouse says school curriculum has to adapt to meet the demands of the 21st-century workforce. “KCS has focused on integrating STEM opportunities for students. Our model for STEM implementation is STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts and Math),” Moorhouse says. “STEM education creates critical thinkers, problem solvers, and enables the next generation of innovators. Innovation leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy.” Integrating arts stimulates creativity, which leads to a more well-rounded education. KCS partners with STREAMWORKS to implement their programs, including MATE. Last year, students from the alternate high school, Dobyns-Bennett Excel (DBE), received an award offered at the international competition for innovation surrounding creative solutions. Bentley, who attends DBE, says he enjoys the collegepreparatory-style coursework and the flexibility DBE offers. “I enjoy the ability to merge the academic platform to cater to practical needs for collegiate success, such as dual enrollment, industry certifications, or even internship and shadowing opportunities with local professionals,” Bentley says.

“ GAVIN BENTLEY STUDENT

“I enjoy the ability to merge the academic platform to cater to practical needs for collegiate success, such as dual enrollment, industry certifications, or even internship and shadowing opportunities with local professionals.”

“

QUINTIN FOLKNER STUDENT

“Teaching kids to code helps me strengthen my skills and experience while helping others.”

STREAMWORKS

TA L EN T

Future

TALENT

UNDER

CONSTRU CTION Three places

building tech-fo rward skillsets for STEM-savvy hires

Regional Center for Advanced Manufac turing

by Val Beerbo

wer // Staff photo

ositioning itself to take advantage of a nationa The Region trend in l growing al Center interest Advanced for Science, in One importa Technology, Manufacturi Engineering nt aspect of the training and Math program ng This facility, includes related career (STEM)known as complet ing apprent iceship. fields, Kingspo RCAM, is off-campus an features an training RCAM student rt many program Cox entered site affiliate with Northea Craig harness s that the apprent d st children program ’s innate College. Here, State Community as an employe iceship and stoke curiosit staff train the fires in Kingspo e of Primest workforce a with hands-o y experien rt. er for the region’s qualified ces they manufac crave. Projects n “The apprent real-world turing sector. with applicat ions iceship gives RCAM courses may be used actual career critical thinking encourage you an to fulfill instead of requirem associate skills, and said Cox, emphasis just a job,” ents for degrees and/or an a native on building certificate of Jonesbo technica “I was comfort soft skills ensures l program rough. not only s in chemica able with process operatio that Kingspo at work and students everything l rt are ready ns, electrom in technolo to enter the echanica felt overload training, so I never workforce, gy, electrica l but Kingspo ed. I would l technolo welding/metal recomm will find rt business definitely gy, and end pursuin fabrication. a talent pipeline es g the program career-p “The apprent flush with 26,000-square.” repped ice three example applicants. Here foot facility recently are opened a 15,000-s build tech-for s of programs that foot expansi quareStreamworks ward skills on,” says Bob students for sirector Carpenter, and supply of commun This nonprof the local workforce ity relation Northea it organiz with STEM-s st State. speciali zes ation “The project s for avvy hires. allows for in extracu also increase rricular STEM-activities d dual enrollm opportu nities . ent for area student s.” high school “Our industri Kingspor es face a t, tn critical skills in high-tec gap h jobs,” says Courtney, Dennis STREAM WORKS founding

PHOTO: LYNN HARDY

Digital Magazine Read it online or download it to share it at livability.com/tn/kingsport. livability.com/tn/Kingsport

H E A LT H C A R E

Living Well Comes Easily Expanding health care options enhance quality of life By Cynthia Yeldell Anderson

Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital Committed to serving Kingsport and its surrounding region for more than 80 years, Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital provide a full

26 Kingsport, TN

range of specialty and subspecialty services and some of the most advanced diagnostic and surgical techniques available to patients today. Together, Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital offer 24/7 emergency departments, intensive care,

a nationally recognized cardiovascular program, an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, a regional cancer center, a sleep center and an accredited breast center. Additional services include bariatrics, joint replacement, neurosurgery, robotic surgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, urology, wound care and women’s health, including obstetric services.

Holston Medical Group Holston Medical Group (HMG) is the region’s largest independent multispecialty group, offering an expansive range of health care services across the region. With four locations and more than 20 offices in Kingsport, HMG offers primary care services, including

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iving healthy comes easily in Kingsport, where medical care options continue to expand to serve the health-conscious community. The announcement of a new $1.9 million surgery center further augments the health benefits of Kingsport, which offers a variety of special centers and firstclass health care. Residents also benefit from being only a short distance from programs such as East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine and College of Nursing.

family medicine, urgent care, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology as well as many specialties. In addition, HMG provides state-of-the-art services, including an outpatient diagnostic center at MeadowView, and a rehabilitation center and sleep center at Medical Plaza, offering the community cost-effective, quality alternatives to care. HMG is continuing to expand its health care options in Kingsport with plans to invest $1.9 million for capital improvements to build a new surgery center this year, which will be located at its MeadowView location. HMG’s health care providers are dedicated to providing quality care that exceeds patient expectations and have won Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare as well as five Times News Readers Choice Awards, including best urgent care and physical therapy. Kingsport locations include HMG Medical Plaza, HMG MeadowView, HMG Colonial Heights and the HMG Corporate Office.

Indian Path Community Hospital

Holston Medical Group

THE NEW $1.9 MILLION HMG SURGERY CENTER WILL CREATE

35 5,113

Holston Valley Medical Center

PHOTOS: BALLAD HEALTH

NEW JOBS, AND AN ESTIMATED

CASES WILL BE PERFORMED IN THE FIRST YEAR. THE CENTER WILL CONTRACT WITH OTHER PROVIDERS TO ALSO OFFER ANESTHESIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY, AMONG OTHER SERVICES.

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INN O VAT I O N

Make a Big Deal Out of it, WHY DON’T YOU? Kingsport’s new Inventor Center nurtures creators of all kinds By Laura Hill // Photos by Michael D. Tedesco

ot many young inventors and creators have access to a workshop full of top-of-the-line wrenches, hammers, saws and metalworking tools. Or a barn stocked with 3-D printers, electronics gear or the latest in computer-aided design software. Now, Kingsport’s creative community can find all the tools they need and room to use them at the Inventor Center.

A premier facility that brings together inventors, entrepreneurs, artisans and craftspeople, the center, which opened in March 2019, grew from a publicprivate partnership led by the City of Kingsport, Engage Kingsport and Model City Makerspace. It is the latest addition to Kingsport’s emerging importance as a place for entrepreneurs bolstered by entities such as SyncSpace, the downtown coworking space, RCAM, Streamworks and D-B Excel. “The Tri-Cities region and Kingsport in particular are a good fit for a makerspace,”

28 Kingsport, TN

says Mars Reid, executive director of the Inventor Center. “First is the intellectual capital available — both retired people and those still working who have major skills in advanced manufacturing, design in researching, problem engineering, etc. Another thing is the vision and leadership on the part of both elected and staff officials with the city. Not every city has the sense of innovation to try something new like this. It says a lot about the people of Tennessee and Kingsport. They’re rooted

in the past but looking to the future.” Located in a lively, open facility on Shelby Street, the center gives members a place to sharpen their skills, hone new products, share ideas, and pursue their creative and entrepreneurial dreams. It also serves as a place for local employers to find employees or train current workers. “This has been in the works for some time now,” says Heath Guinn, a guiding light with Reid in launching the Inventor Center. “For a year we utilized SyncSpace before we began building community through weekly meet-ups, etc. People had a chance to buy into the concept; it made people feel part of something.”

Membership Tiers Within two months of opening, the center had already attracted more than

The Inventor Center provides makers with the tools they need, including a drill press, to create their unique projects.

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200 members with a variety of interests who came to use the center’s three distinct makerspaces — a woodworking shop, metalworking shop and technology corner — attend a variety of classes, and just hang out to share ideas and experiences with other makers and inventors.

Members of the Inventor Center have access to specialty tools, including a laser cutter, which can be used to cut glass, wood and other materials.

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30 Kingsport, tn

The center offers three tiers of membership: Maker, for $25 monthly; Artisan for $50 monthly; and Inventor for $120 monthly. Each membership tier offers hours of access to metal and wood shops, nonspecialized tools, art materials and specialized tools, such as laser cutters, CNC mills, 3-D printers and more. “Basically we’re just trying to get everybody together in an intermediary space,” Guinn says. “We can be a real catalyst for what our partners are doing. The center prompts unusual conversations, cross pollination of ideas. It’s not hard to see the similarities for technologies to coexist, and we hope we can create more conversations.”

Classes and Outreach Classes have been an important part of those conversations and the center’s cross-pollination of ideas and skills. Activities have ranged from using Blender software, to safety procedures in using sophisticated equipment, to photography and making beaded earrings. The group is very eager

to attract artistic makers as well as technology buffs. The center also focuses on outreach to the larger community, both in use of the facility and also as part of the economic development of the city and its businesses. Besides nurturing budding entrepreneurs, the Inventor Center offers employers a means to find new employees and train existing workers in new skills. “The investment by the city gave us a chance to be more than just one kind of space. It allowed us to plug into the ecosystem, working with education, with the businesses that economic development is trying to recruit, and with advanced manufacturing,” Guinn says. “We’re working on STEM education for different age groups, hands-on skills in metalworking, 3-D printing, CAD. Our goal is to have the Inventor Center overlap with what other efforts are happening in STEM, entrepreneurship and new technology.” Soon, the Inventor Center will increase its focus to include agricultural aspects, reaching out to this important segment of the local economy. “At first, we hope to offer basic needs like welding and computer use, then down the road agricultural technology and techniques,” Guinn says. “We have a large ag database, and we want to provide services for them as well. The partnership with the city is what allowed us to do this. Public funds support bringing in people in many different areas.”

commUnity proFilE DEMOGRAPHICS

TRANSPORTATION WALKABILITY Walkscore: 26

Extensive sidewalks & transit options

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Kingsport area transit service kingsporttransit.org

AGE Under 19 23% 20-44 28% 45-64 28% 65 and older 21%

ETHNICITY White 90.5% Black 3.3% Hispanic 2.8% Other 3.4%

19 Minutes Mean travel time to work

14 Miles

REAL ESTATE

$136,000 Median value of owner-occupied units

26,104 Total housing units

$1,066

Median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage

CLOSEST MAJOR AIRPORT:

tri-cities regional airport triflight.com

Owners

POPULATION: 54,076

Renters

There are 23,478 occupied housing units in Kingsport. Approximately 14,460 are owner-occupied and 9,018 are occupied by renters.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

Economic proFilE WORKFORCE

BUSINESSES

4,441

$1.3B

TAXES

$200M

Number of ﬁrms

2.75% Local sales tax 7% State sales tax

EDUCATION LEVEL

9.75% Total sales tax

High school only 34% Some college or associate degree 27%

LARGEST EMPLOYERS

Bachelor’s degree 16% Post graduate degree 10%

7,000+

Other 13%

RETAIL, TOURISM & DINING

23,403

500-6,999

4.1%

Eastman BAE Systems Domtar, Aeronautical Accessories Inc., Kingsport Publishing

Annual retail sales

Annual hotel and food sales

COST OF LIVING

12.8% Lower than the national average

150-499

Total number employed

Unemployment rate (1/2019)

TRANSPORTATION ASSETS Tri-Cities Regional Airport triﬂight.com Stat Source: U.S. Census Bureau

THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

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