A Publication of the Knoxville Chamber • May 2007

Premier Partner Profiles >> page 56

page 57

Sysco breaks ground

Mary Kwan:finding the right fit for goody’s

page 51

pinnacle awardsapril 27!

page 55

bob corker:life in d.c.

page 58

A Publication of the:

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Abstract Security, Inc.Security Systems (865) 966-2525 www.abstractsecurity.comAccounting Principals Employment Agencies (865) 690-0055 www.accountingprincipals.comAirport Honda Automobile Dealers - New Cars (865) 970-2300 Ext:2424www.airporthonda.comAlarm Speciality Company Security Systems (865) 970-2384 www.alarmspeciality.comAmeriprise Financial Brian R. Osgood Financial Services (865) 690-6169 www.ameripriseadvisors.com/brian.r.osgood/AMG Media Audio-Visual Production Services (865) 281-0117 www.amg-media.com

Answer Quick Telephone Message Services (865) 970-9908 www.answerquickonline.comCampbell’s Pool & Spa, Inc. Swimming Pools/Spas (865) 584-3607 www.campbellspools.comChef Dave’s Cut “N” Board Catering & Carryout (865) 769-0406 www.chefdaves.comChildren’s Museum Museums (865) 482-1074 www.childrensmuseumatoakridge.orgDPM Enterprises, Inc. Carpet & Rug Cleaners (865) 692-8337 www.dpmenterprises.netFontana Village Resort Hotels/Motels/Resorts (828) 498-2211 www.fontanavillage.com

G & K Services Uniforms/Linen Sales & Service (865) 966-9550 www.gkservices.comGreen Dolphin Systems Corporation Manufacturers/Distributors (888) 379-8693 www.greendolphinsystems.orgHardee’s Restaurants (865) 675-3792 www.hardees.comHardee’s Restaurants (865) 938-4888 www.hardees.comInformation International Associates, Inc. (IIA) Web Design (865) 298-1226 www.iiaweb.comInvestment Recovery Services Collection Agencies (800) 657-6238 www.recoverycollections.net

Knox Area Golf Charities Associations & Organizations - Athletic (865) 523-8687 www.knoxvilleopen.comKnoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum Botanical Gardens (865) 540-8690 www.knoxgarden.orgLa-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery Furniture (865) 690-1740 Odle & Young Architects, Inc. Architects(865) 523-8200 www.oyarchitects.comParking Solutions, Inc. Parking & Transportation (704) 377-1755 www.parkingsolutionsofnc.comPeerless Restaurant Restaurants (865) 691-4699 Qdoba Mexican Grill Restaurants (423) 677-5000 www.qdoba.com

Rebecca Claire Photography Photographers - Portraits (865) 805-6756 www.rebeccaclaire.comSlamdot, Inc. Web Design (865) 238-5600 www.slamdot.comStarbuck’s Coffee Retail - Specialty (865) 688-2891 studio 7 architects Architects (865) 934-0277 www.s7architects.comThe Devon Group Real Estate Development/Management(865) 637-3250 The Transition Team Outplacement Services (865) 693-3193 www.transitionteam.comUniversity of Phoenix Education (865) 288-0611 www.uopx.com/edu

UT Center for Executive Education Education (865) 974-5001 www.thecenter.utk.eduWinners Travel Service Travel Agencies (719) 232-8865 www.winnerstravelservice.comWomen’s Professional Golf Fellowship Associations & Organizations - Athletic (865) 525-6292 www.wpgf.netWood Appraisal Services Appraisers - Real Estate (865) 692-9254 www.woodappraisalservices.comWorkforce Chaplain Career Counseling (865) 599-3282

MembershipMatters

April20 LegislativeBriefingwith RepresentativeArmstrong Knoxville Chamber

27 2007PinnacleBusiness AwardsGala,Presented byRegionsBank Knoxville Convention Center

May10 a.m.Exchange Campbell’s Pool and Spa, Inc.

16 ChamberU EmployeeRetention Knoxville Chamber

17 NetworkingEffectivelyWorkshop Knoxville Chamber

June20 ChamberU ClosetheDeal Tusculum College West Knoxville Campus July18 ChamberU CreatingaMasterful MarketingPlan Knoxville Chamber

For more info, click on “Events” at www.knoxvillechamber.com or call 865.637.4550.

Events

New Members

Top Achievers

Jill Green, LBMCIf you are not sure of the answers to these

questions then the Chamber U Workshop on employee retention strategies is for you. Presented by Adam Weilbaecher, Ph.D. and Cynthia Hackney of Impact Associates, Inc., this informative and practical session will focus on the changing nature of work and how it affects employee retention strategies. You will learn key information on why employees leave and what they want out of their work environment.

Dr. Weilbaecher is Vice President of Operations and Quality for Impact Associates, Inc. He specializes in organizational assessment and evaluation, including organization culture assessment, customer and stakeholder feedback techniques, process improvement, training needs assessment, project management and employee selection.

Hackney is an industrial/organizational psychology con-sultant. She has 16 years of experience in customer service, training, and supervision in the hospitality industry.

Don’tmissthechanceto:•Distinguishbetweenretentionandturnover.•Learntherootcausesofturnover.•Identifythefivemostimportantthingsthatemployeesvalueintheworkplace.•Determinewhichretentionstrategiesyourcompanyismissing.

The workshop is part of the Chamber U continuing educa-tion series sponsored by SunTrust Bank and presented by the Knoxville Chamber and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. The workshop on employee retention will be held at the Chamber on May 16, 2007 from 11:30 AM- 1:00 PM. Cost of the session is $25 for members and $35 for non-members. To register visit the Chamber website at www.knoxvillechamber.com or call the events hotline at 865.246.2622.

Sign up now to get fresh ideas to improve your em-ployee retention strategies.

Monica Sheppard Viator, Kelly Services, Inc.

Ron Rochelle, Designsensory

Getting Employees to StayChamber U Session Focuses on Retention

Are you rewarding the right employee behaviors? Are you creating opportunities for professional growth and advancement? Does your company provide the right environ-ment to retain the right employees?

Morethan150businesspeopleattendedtherecentmorn-ingnetworkingeventatChampionWindowCompanyofKnoxville.Coffee provided by Starbuck’s Coffee.

Doorprizewinnerswere:

John Montuori, Fox 43 - $50 Calhoun’s Gift Card

Lynne Houser, Jameson Inn - $50 Bonefish Gift Card

GiftcardswerecourtesyofChampionWindowsCompanyofKnoxville

A.M. Exchange WinnersNetworking is a buzz word that everyone has heard, but few truly understand. Learn the right ap-proach, essential tactics and uncover opportunities to improve or establish your networking efforts at the Networking Effectively Seminar.

Held May 17th at the Chamber offices on Market Square, and sponsored by Bath Fitter, Networking Effectively is an interactive and fun workshop that will help you start building new, meaningful business relationships.

Thisseminarislimitedto30attendees,sosignupnowtosecureyourspot.Toregisterpleasevisittheeventscalendaratwww.knoxvillechamber.comorcall865.246.2622.

Make Networking Work for You

Sponsored by

Contact the Knoxville Chamber:(865) 637-4550 I www.knoxvillechamber.comPresident & CEO Michael EdwardsExecutive Vice President Rhonda Rice

Communicationseditorial@knoxvillechamber.comEditor Garrett WagleyDesigner Chris McAdooWriter Tatia HarrisDesign Intern Lindsey Day

Economic & Community Developmentdlawyer@knoxvillechamber.com

Finance & Operationsrvineyard@knoxvillechamber.com

Membershipmfield@knoxvillechamber.com

Central Business Improvement District (865) 246-2654 I mhummel@downtownknoxville.org

The Development Corporation (865) 546-5887

East Tennessee Television and Film Commission (865) 246-2633

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (865) 246-2628

Tennessee Small Business Development Center (865) 246-2663

U.S. Dept. of Commerce Export Assistance Center (865) 246-2666

International Trade Center (865) 246-2624

TN Minority Supplier Diversity Council (865) 246-6225

Professional Perspective

We celebrate national cham-pionships, we celebrate the arrival of the Honda Hoot, and we celebrate concerts on Market Square. Heck, in Knoxville we even celebrate the blooming of the dogwood trees.

And rightly so. These things make Knoxville a truly special place.

However, we also need to celebrate the growth, the triumph over obstacles and the success of business. Everyday businesses, a great financial risk, fight for market share and fight for sur-vival in the marketplace. When businesses are resourceful,

when they innovate, when they give back to the community and when they succeed… that deserves celebration too.

Businesses are interesting organizations. They become a reflection of their owners and are shaped by the people that work in them. If they carve out a place in the market and survive, then they leave a tremendous legacy.

That legacy should rightly be measured in the bottom line. But is can also be measured in the lives it has touched. The lives of its customers and clients. The lives of its vendors and suppliers. The lives of its employees and their families. And in the lives of the people in the community.

It is miraculous that businesses can have that kind of impact, and that’s why celebrating business is so important.

Three years ago the Knoxville Chamber started the Pinnacle Business Awards to fill that void and to celebrate business success. In those three years the Awards have grown

into the business community’s premier gathering. They have become exactly what the Chamber had hoped, and now receiving an award is a tremendous honor. But, something unforeseen has also happened.

While the Pinnacle Business Awards are a celebration of select businesses and busi-nesspeople, they have become much more. They have become a celebration of business in general and of all businesspeople. We have discovered that you cannot celebrate and honor one business without celebrating and honoring all businesses. And you cannot honor one businessperson without celebrating all businesspeople.

The struggles and successes of the honorees are the struggles and successes of us all. Businesspeople see themselves in others, and one person’s business experiences are re-flected in the stories of others.

This year two awards will be presented for the first time. The Business Excellence Award, honoring one large and one medium-sized business, will recognize two com-panies that have sustained their success to become a recognized leader in the region or across the nation. These companies have lived through the early struggles that all busi-nesses go through to become an example for businesses across the Knoxville area. There are lessons to learn in these companies, and despite their maturity and sustained growth, their stories are still the stories of all businesspeople. They continue to fight for market share and continue to face the toils of being in business.

So please, come be a part of this special evening. Come and honor the award winners. Come and celebrate business. But most of all come see yourself in the stories of the honorees and celebrate your own business successes.

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Pinnacle Business AwardsA Celebration of Your Business

Mike EdwardsPresident & CEO,Knoxville Chamber

Correction:Last month we misspelled Denso in the feature article on past Pinnacle Award win-ners. The mistake appeared within the quote of the president of a past Minority Business Award winner. We apologize to Denso Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc. and Mr. Isom.

When businesses are resourceful, when they innovate, when they give back to the community and when they succeed…

...that deserves celebration.

April 27, 2007, 6:30 - midnight Knoxville Convention Center

To reserve your corporate table or individual ticket, please call 865-637-4550

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Contributing Sponsors�

Post PartyReception Toast

Media Sponsors

Entertainment

Award Presenters

Presenting Sponsor

In January 2007, Goody’s announced the hiring of Mary Kwan as its’ new president. Kwan oversees merchandising, licensing and planning, allocation, product development and

design, quality assurance, sourcing, marketing and e-commerce. Kwan boasts an impressive career in retail previously holding several key executive positions with major retailers.

MARY KWAN

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Goody’s Family Clothing, Inc., began in Athens, Tennessee before moving its headquarters to Knoxville in 1990.The company was founded by Mike Goodfriend as a small discount clothing store in 1953 has grown into a chain of 385 locations. The company’s mission is to be the customer’s first choice for moderately priced family apparel by offering the best selection, customer services, value and shop-ping experience.

Commerce discussed the current status of Goody’s Family Cloth-ing with Kwan, and gained some insight into the world of retail.

Q. What is your background?A. I have spent most of my career in retail. I started out at Mervyn’s on the west coast in California and was with them for 10 years. I started out as an Allocation Analyst and rose through the ranks to become Vice-President of the Children’s Wear division, which was an $830 million business.

Then I went to Sears, Roebuck and Co. and headed up their children’s wear division which was a billion dollar business. I moved to The Limited and headed the Lane Bryant division overseeing merchandising, planning and design.

From there I moved to wholesale and went to Levi Strauss & Company, launching the Levi Strauss Signature Brand of casual clothing. From there I went to Quiksilver Inc. and headed the Roxy division, where I was in charge of merchandising, design and branding. Now I am pleased to be with Goody’s.

Q. What made you decide to come to Goody’s?A. I found the Goody’s opportunity to be exciting. Goody’s operates 385 stores in 21 southern states. I see tremendous opportunity for growth.

Q. What made you become interested in retail?A. I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family. Both my mother and father owned their own businesses. When I entered college I discovered that business really interested me and it developed into the fact that retail is a good fit for me.

Q. For you, what is the most attractive aspect of retail?A. No two days are alike. In retail there are forever “good challenges” ahead of you. The landscape is changing and you always have to be evaluating the com-petition and coming up with innovative and creative ideas to stay on top. Being in retail is much like playing in competitive sports.

Q. What is your greatest strength?A. I have the ability to build teams to align great success in business. Having

great people and being able to bring them together to achieve a common goal is very important in the business world.

Q. Who would you consider your role model?A. There are two that come to mind in my immediate family and those are my parents. They taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, and having a “can-do” attitude. They were always optimistic and gave me the ability to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

Walter Rossi, CEO of Mervyn’s also mentored me. He was a quiet, intellectual type with an engaging style. I learned from him how to motivate people to per-form to the best of their ability.

Q. What would people be surprised to know about you?A. That I love the natural beauty of the country. Even though I grew up in the city with all of the hustle and bright lights, I love nature and the peacefulness of the area. I love to hike and horseback ride and appreciate the aspects of country life as well.

Q. You have been all over the country working for major retail companies, what is unique about Knoxville?A. I think the beauty of the area is what makes it so unique. I like the natural beauty, the mountains, the open land, and the fact that the area is less congest-ed here. The reasonable housing prices and low cost of living make Knoxville an attractive place to live.

Q. What do you find challenging about living in Knoxville?A. It’s hard to fly. I still travel quite a bit to the west coast and New York. Not very many major cities are connected to Knoxville, which makes traveling quite chal-lenging and sometimes difficult.

Q. How do you market clothing apparel in this area versus other markets you have worked in?A. The difference in marketing here is that people are more conservative and not as interested in setting styles. Consumers in Knoxville although interested in what’s new are more concerned with what is appropriate and what fits them rather than being the first to wear a new trend.

Q. You launched the Levi Strauss Signature Brand, will you be doing something similar at Goody’s?A. Yes. In men’s wear we brought back the Bass brand and are promoting it as outdoor wear similar to Timberland or Columbia. We’ve also brought back a men’s business wear line of clothing called Arrow. This fall we will launch a ce-lebrity brand in women’s wear.

Good taste and style do not have to be expensive.

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Q. Do you feel that you have a certain personal style that is reflected in the lines of clothing you oversee?A. Yes. I believe that good taste and style do not have to be expensive. I love to create good looking clothes in all shapes and sizes which you will see in the new line of clothing coming out in the fall.

Q. Do you find Knoxvillian’s to be label conscious?A. Only to the degree that they are very smart and may have certain brand preferences that they like due to their own individual style, not just for the brand name.

Q. Past reports show that Goody’s own label accounts for one-third of all sales. What does that mean to Goody’s?A. The private labels are very strong and growing. Our customers are giving us good feedback on our private labels – Duck Head, Ivy Crew, and Mountain Lake. The new owners are very good at outsourcing overseas. When we get better pricing we pass that savings on to our customers.

Q. Will you focus more on your own label instead of selling and promoting other brands?A. I think it will be 50/50. We want to do the right things for our customers and they have indicated that they like several national brands like Skechers, Alfred Dunner, Levi’s and Dockers just to name a few.

Q. What do you think has been the biggest change in the retail industry over the past five years?A. The biggest change is the fact that there is a lot of consolidation going on with larger retailers buying up other companies.

Q. Why do you think that retailers are beginning to consolidate more?A. I think they are trying to assert financial leverage in an industry that is be-coming much more competitive. Look at Macy’s Department Store trying to become a national chain. It is much more difficult to be in retail now and in the end it will all come down to the survival of the fittest.

Q. Where do you see Goody’s in the next five years?A. Still growing, still creating a unique store environment that makes it a pleas-ant place for customers to shop. The fact that Goody’s is a smaller box store allows us to be more focused on the customers. We are usually in smaller markets in areas where people do not have to drive 30 miles or more to shop.

Q. What is Goody’s target market?A. Our target market is in cities with populations under 100,000. Goody’s is a small box store, our average store size is 20-25,000 square feet compared to Kohl’s which averages 80-85,000 square feet or J.C. Penney’s which averages 90-100,000.

Q. Who do you consider to be Goody’s main competitors?A. Right now, Kohl’s, Penney’s, Old Navy and Target. We hope to become an entity into ourselves in the near future.

Q. Does the Knoxville region provide an adequate workforce for your stores?A. It does, we do not experience high turnover rates. However, it is somewhat difficult to get people (from the fashion industry) from other areas to move to Knoxville.

Q. Why are some reluctant to come to Knoxville?A. Most merchandising and design people are used to being in large cities. As I indicated earlier, travel is somewhat difficult and although the area is beauti-ful it is lacking in diversity. As an Asian I can attest to the fact that it is difficult to find good Asian cuisine and Asian cultural activities.

Q. What makes Goody’s unique?A. The three P’s, product, people and presentation. We offer great products, the right style at the right price, and quality service. Because we are smaller we should be able to do better than larger retailers in catering to the customer. As we continue to drive our brands we should be able to create a specialty store environment within the box.

It is much more difficult to be in retail now... In the end it will all come down to the survival of the fittest.

Are you tired of your business running you? Twelve businesspeople recently completed a twenty-six week course aimed at teaching them how to run their business rather than the business running them.

The graduation ceremony was held March 27th at the Knoxville Chamber’s offices on Market Square. Jim Clayton, famed businessman, entrepreneur, author, banker and philanthropist was the keynote speaker. In addition, Clayton provided scholarships to select businesspeople to partici-pate in the program.

The course, known as the Strategic Management Learning System (SMLS), is offered by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center and the Knoxville Chamber and is sponsored by Clayton Bank & Trust.

“Throwing classes together is easy,” said Clayton during his remarks. “Putting one together that has lasting impact is a real miracle… and this class is miraculous.”

Clayton also shared some of the lessons he learned in business. His chief lesson was that trust is the most important thing to have a successful business.

“Everyone your business comes in contact with should have a pleasant experience,” he said. “From customers to suppliers, everyone must have trust in you and your business and you must have trust in them. Trust with your lenders. Trust with your venders. Trust with your staff. Trust with your customers. You even have to have total trust with your business partner.”

SMLS focused on cash flow, forecasting, manage-ment control, target marketing, time management, financing, human resources, inventory control, mar-keting and communications, credit and collections, strategic analysis and management knowledge systems. Not only was classroom instruction provided, but one-on-one sessions with experienced business consultants allowing students to immediately apply lessons to their businesses.

“Having Joe Andrews come to my business on a weekly basis and help apply what was learned in the class helped save us from ourselves several times,” said Doug Minter, owner of Brooke Insur-ance & Financial Services. “Having Joe was like having my own personal consultant.”

Minter bought his business from his uncle, Casey Jones, just months prior to Jones’ death. Suddenly Minter had to direct marketing and sales – his strength – and manage the day-to-day operations of the business. He had no experience with managing a business.

“This course…it changed my life,” said Minter at the graduation.

“In the African-American community there weren’t a lot of examples – someone I could ask how to do something (in the business),” continued Minter. “This (course) was the ultimate ex-ample. I had the marketing experience but not the financial or ‘business-running’ experience. Now I know how to do things, or where to go to ask.”

Minter decided to take the course upon the recommendation of Mark Field, Vice President of Membership at the Chamber. After reviewing the modules for the class, Minter felt that the class would definitely be beneficial to him.

“Unfortunately in business, one question that you have to ask yourself is ‘What is it that I don’t know, that I don’t know?’ You want to learn what you don’t know before something happens. Busi-ness owners must be able to make decisions and be informed financially. There is more to running a business then just servicing clients.”

Most beneficial to Minter were the lessons in cash flow analysis and financial reports. “The course helped me create a spreadsheet from which I can run my business. The course gives you the tools to open your eyes to some hard truths and accurately assess your strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, I now have the ability to teach my staff some skills and help them improve. In order to grow and succeed, you have to constantly educate yourself.”

Sam Adams of Cortese Tree Specialists took the course because he was looking for guidance in budgeting and financials projections in order to formu-late a growth plan for the company.

“The challenges in running a business are to stay fo-cused by managing the important aspects so that the business does not control you,” Adams commented. “I think the biggest benefit I received from the course is learning to manage the business so that it does not dictate how you live your life. We are business owners so that we can realize certain personal and professional

goals and have the satisfaction of doing a job we love.” While Adams feels that the strength of Cortese is its reputation as a customer driven company,

he acknowledged that there was room for improvement.“We have learned that we have to work constantly on every part of our company. I think we

lacked the knowledge of how to pull all the parts together and look at them critically. We’ve learned through the course that there are tools that help you to sim-plify business management and that by utilizing those tools you can maintain control of your business.

I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone who is in busi-ness. There are no aspects of business that can’t be improved on.”

Adams plans to use lessons learned from the course to achieve com-pany goals of becoming the first Accredited Tree Care Company in Tennessee. He also wants to increase residential sales by 20 percent an-nually, and to have a division specifically for commercial tree care for corporate offices, property management companies, golf courses and municipalities.

Minter plans to apply his newly found knowledge by initiating a strategic plan for Brooke Insurance & Financial Services. His goal is to strike a balance between taking care of existing clients and growing at a rate that makes sense for the company and allows it to meet all of its customers’ personal, financial and business needs.

Larry Rossini, Director of the Small Business Development Center is happy to provide a service for business owners once they have started their business. All participants were required to be owners or managers of businesses that were more than two years old.

“I noticed that there was a lot of material available for starting a busi-ness, but no standard training program that helps keep the business go-ing and growing to the next level,” Rossini explained.

“The TSBDC specializes in counseling and training for small businesses and businesspeople. As long as I have been doing this job I’ve always thought ‘There has got to be something out there to help people with how to run their business after it’s started’ This program more than fits the bill,” Rossini stated.

For more information on TSBDC classes or the Strategic Management Learning System,

contact the Chamber at 865.637.4550 or the TSBDC at 865.246-2663.

Program Changes Businesses...andLivesfortheBetter

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Top: Jim Clayton and Larry Rossini (with book) and the proud SMLS graduates Left: Jim Clayton speaking at the SMLS graduation ceremony

It Changed my life....Doug Minter, Owner of Brooke Insurance & Financial Services

There’s even a “No Risk” Guarantee. If you’re not satisfied,we’ll refund your investment.

To join the Knoxville Chamber, please visit www.knoxvillechamber.com or call 865.637.4550 for more info.Do you have a story to tell about how the Chamber has helped your business? We’d like to hear it. Please contact Garrett Wagley at 865-637-4450.

The Knoxville Chamber has given me access to other top-level business owners – that gives my company exposure. And because the Chamber has referred me to other companies... I’ve gotten new contracts directly from being a member of the Chamber....Mark Isom, Premiere Building Maintenance Corporation

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SyscoCorporationisbuildinganewprototypebuildingonlargereclaimedbrownfieldindowntownKnoxvillethat’safirstofitskindprojectforbothSyscoandKnoxville.Syscowillbeusingthenewbuildingdesignasatemplateforfuturedistributioncentersacrossthecounty.AndtheCityofKnoxvilleisalreadyworkingtoprepareotherinner-citybrownfieldsalongtheI-275cor-ridorforbusinessdevelopment.

The company, city officials and others cel-ebrated the groundbreaking for the new 350,000 square foot facility at a groundbreaking ceremony March 29th. The distribution center will employ 300 people and is expected to be operational by May 2008. The site in the I-275 Business Park will allow for the expansion of the facility in the future.

“This is the epitome of what we want to see in economic development,” said Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam of Sysco locating its new distribution center in what was once a railroad service center owned by Norfolk Southern. “For many years when you drove down I-275 and looked over you saw an abandoned railroad property where nothing was going on. Now in the future you will see a $40 mil-lion dollar investment made by Sysco on a cleaned up property right here in the central part of our city. Projects like this are exactly what we should

be doing,” Haslam continued enthusiastically.According to Tommy Dail, President and CEO

of Sysco Food Services of Knoxville, the Knoxville location will allow Sysco to provide more localized service to its customers both in this market and

in surrounding states. The Knoxville operation is the 17th ‘fold-out” involving construction of a new distribution center in an established market but being serviced by a distant Sysco company.

Dail said that one of the considerations in selecting any new location for Sysco is an assess-ment of the available workforce and the company was pleased with what they discovered in the (Continued on page 58)

Sysco Breaks Ground ...on Groundbreaking Project

Pictured:Mayors Bill Haslam and Mike Ragsdale with Commissioner Matt Kisber, TDOT officials and Sysco Executives

To find out more about becoming a Premier Partner, please call Michelle Kiely at 865.637.4550 or e-mail mkiely@knoxvillechamber.com

Focused on Patient Care: Joseph Landsman, CEO of University Health Systems, Inc.

BB&T offers its customers a wide variety of financial ser-vices such as traditional banking, private banking, leasing, trust services, wealth man-agement, merchant services, payroll services and insurance. In fact, BB&T is the sixth larg-est insurance provider in the United States.

“BB&T started out in Wilson, North Carolina which was a small tobacco town,” explains John Pace, Sr. Vice President and Area Execu-tive of BB&T. “The bank was intended to be available for tobacco farmers to have a place to cash checks. From there we have grown to over 60 banks and thrift acquisitions and over 100 non-banking institutions such as finance companies, asset managements and capital markets.”

BB&T came to Knoxville in 2000 after buy-ing BankFirst.

In the competitive world of banking it’s important to stay on the cutting edge of ser-vice and technology. BB&T is one of only two banks that offer instant checking accounts online. Clients are given the capability to open multiple accounts, receive immediate approval decisions and transfer funds from both BB&T and other checking accounts immediately. The ability for businesses to make remote deposits from their place of business and have those instantly credited to their bank accounts is another new technology available to clients. Checks are converted into ACH (Automated Clearing House) drafts and instantly deposited into the business’s account.

“We are finding ways to help our custom-ers make more effective use of their time and more effectively do business with us,” says Martha “Missy” Wallen, Regional President of BB&T.

While technology certainly has an impact in generating new business, Wallen feels that quality employees are the key to success at BB&T. “The people of East Tennessee – with their great core values of honesty and integrity – are what enables us to be successful. I think it’s also what differentiates us from other cities. The East Tennessee Region recently won the President’s Award based on growth, profitability, client service and quality. The fact that the we won the award speaks well of the opportunities available in this area. I also believe that East Tennessee is known to give great quality service, that and the great values of the people enabled me – a hometown girl – to be given the chance to serve as a regional president.”

BB&T is a Premier Partner because it fulfills the banks mission of helping communities become a better place to live and work. “We want to help the Chamber in it’s mission to improve economic development and promote small businesses. Helping the community in a leadership role pays dividends for BB&T down the road,” says Pace.

“Membership in the Chamber gives BB&T avenues that we might not otherwise have had, and is critical to our success.”

Bank Wins on Technology and Customer Service

University Health Systems, Inc.

A Winning Team: BB&T’s Missy Wallen, Regional President and John Pace, Senior VP and Area Executive

Joseph Landsman, CEO of Uni-versity Health Systems, Inc., is proud of UT Medical Center and the unique role it plays in the community. It is the area’s only level-one trauma center, the only state designated regional perinatal center, a kidney and pancre-as transplant center, a hemophilia center and area’s only academic medical center. In addi-tion, UT Medical Center boasts six centers of excellence and offers pastoral care, a cancer institute, brain and spine institute, heart and lung vascular institute and center for women and children’s health.

“The medical center is focusing on a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. With doctors, nurses, radiologists and phar-macists working together in a joint effort to treat patients, the benefits are tremendously advantageous to those receiving care,” states Landsman.

Less invasive treatments in patient care are the new trend in the medical industry, even in the treatment of cancer and heart disease. “As the area’s only academic center for medi-cal and clinical staff, it’s important that UT Medical Center stays on top of all trends to

train our future physician staff. With a national focus on quality, and publicly reported data, I think we are seeing a positive evolution in care. Patients are better educated and the staff is better prepared to treat them,” Lands-man says.

Business is growing, and that growth is creating the need for UT Medical Center to expand. A new unit is currently opening that will offer more operating rooms and vascular suites. Several weeks ago the first and only neonatal intensive care unit with private rooms opened, and the Medical Center has been recently designated the region’s first certified primary stroke center. Also underway is the introduction of a College of Pharmacy through the Health Science Center at the Uni-versity of Tennessee.

“We serve a unique role that is important to the health and well being of the community. If you look across the country, traditionally any vibrant community has an academic medical center as an underpinning of the community. We will continue to grow and educate future healthcare providers,” comments Landsman.

Part of being a Premier Partner is becom-ing involved in the community. “As one of the top ten employers in the community we bear

Premi er Partner Profi les

a responsibility to give back. The Premier Partner program is one way to be a part of the community and support it. Having an academic medical center in town enhances the Chamber’s efforts to grow Knoxville’s economic base.” Landsman explains.

Serving a Unique Role in the Community

East Tennessee Region of BB&T earns Presidents Award

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Pinnacle Business Awards Honor Businesses and Business Community

It’s time for the 2007 Pinnacle Business Awards, the event synonymous with celebrating business achievements at the highest level.

“Knoxville has made such great strides over the year that it is appropriate that we take the time to step back and celebrate our successes,” says Mark Field, the Chamber’s Vice-President of Membership. “Both collectively and individually it’s important to recognize businesses and businesspeople that have had great success.”

April 27, 2007 marks the third annual Pinnacle Business Awards presented by Regions Bank. Building on the tremendous success of the past two galas, this year’s awards cer-emony promises to be even more exciting. The event will see business leaders coming together to celebrate in an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere.

Attendees will be treated to an elegant evening at the Knoxville Convention center from 6:30 PM – midnight. The evening will be complete with a reception and silent auc-tion, followed by dinner, an awards presentation, emceed by news anchor Robin Wilhoit, and post party featuring the band Rhythm Nation. The post party is sponsored by Ro-defer Moss & Co., PLLC. And the entertainment sponsor is Wackenhut Services Oak Ridge Team. Additional sponsors are the Knoxville News Sentinel, Bandit Lites, Inc., NewsTalk 100 – The Big Talker, Virtual Interactive Center, and Knology of Knoxville.

The eight award categories are:

Impact Award sponsored by R.M. Moore Real Estate CompanyPresented to the business that displays a commitment to making East Tennessee a better place to live through the development and support of a community project or program.

Innovator Award sponsored by Image Matters, Inc. Given to a business that has developed a new technology, innovative product or service or applied a business system or service in an innovative way.

Minority Business Excellence Award sponsored by Covenant Health Presented to a minority business that has produced outstanding business results and growth and overcome the obstacles of race and sex.

Small Business Excellence Award sponsored by Bank of America, N.A. Honors a small business having 50 or fewer employees that has consistently grown its workforce and revenue.

Business Excellence Award Awarded to a company headquartered in East Tennessee or a company with significant presence in East Tennessee that has shown remarkable profitability, growth and stability. Nominees must be recognized regionally, nationally and or internationally in their respective business sector and should have made significant investments in facilities and employees. An award is presented to one company with 51-150 employees company wide and one company with 151+ employees.

Young Entreprenuer Award sponsored by Cariten Healthcare Given to a young professional that has started or is at risk in ownership in their business and has achieved success while overcoming obstacles to become one of tomorrow’s top business leaders.

James A. Haslam II Leadership Award presented by Lexus of Knoxville Honors a longtime business leader who exhibits strength in character, resolve, and commitment to our community and exemplary success in the regional business community. Nominees should be proven leaders and successful business men/women who have inspired others in their workplace and in their community for many years. The Nominee is a leader of tremendous commitment to family, business, and community. He/She makes contributions to the community and show superb leadership of community projects. The Nominee works to advance the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of the Knoxville area community.

Reserve your table now by contacting Michelle Kiely at 865.637.4550. For more information visit the Pinnacle Award’s website at pinnacle.knoxvillechamber.com.

Top: The opening remarks of Pinnacle 2006Right Pinnacle 2006 award winners on stage for the big toastFar Right : A day with Bruce Pearl and the Vols, one of the many valuable auction items available at the 2006 awards

Serving a Unique Role in the Community

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Everwonderedwhatit’slikeinWashington? Doourelectedofficialsreallycarewhatthevotersthink?Howdoourlegislatorsdecidewhichwaytovoteoncertainbillsandwhy?Newly elected Senator Bob Corker recently spoke about his Washington experiences to a packed house of business leaders at a Chamber hosted luncheon at Foundry at the World’s Fair. The event was sponsored the Outdoor Advertising Association of Tennessee and Lamar Outdoor Advertising.

Corker said that after winning a hard fought Senate race he is committed to making a difference.

Presently, Corker sits on the Foreign Relations, Energy and Small Business commit-tees. The Senator offered his views on three key issues, saying that he spends ninety percent of his time working on those – the war in Iraq, energy security and healthcare.

Corker recently visited Iraq personally and met with Tennessee soldiers stationed at Camp Victory before deciding to vote against the emergency supplemental bill. While cognizant of the fact that people are frustrated with lack of progress in Iraq, Corker feels that the next few months will show that the US Military and Iraqi government are on the right track and that Iraq will become self sufficient.

Energy security is crucial to both national and economic secu-rity in Corker’s opinion. Citing cutting-edge technology currently being developed and employed at TVA and in Oak Ridge, he said Knoxville is well positioned to play a role in that effort. The Senator also vowed to become the most knowledgeable member on energy

related matters so he could better serve the region and country.Serving on the Small Business Committee allows Corker the

opportunity to address the issue of healthcare. Corker said he is working passionately with other senators to reorganize how healthcare is financed, while still allowing individuals to control their own destiny. Corker spoke of an initiative to award each fam-ily $5,000 and each individual $2,000 toward purchasing health care insurance. “Too many workers feel trapped in jobs they don’t

like, but are afraid to leave because of losing healthcare benefits,” Corker said promising to change that.

While excited to be serving in the senate, Corker acknowledged that it was mark-edly different from serving as mayor of Chattanooga and holds special challenges. He said that the big-gest difference was the distance between he and his constituents.

“There will be some days where you will question what I have done, and some days when you will be fired up over choices I make. But rest assured that I worked hard to go to the senate and am committed to serve. On the big issues I will dig deep, and to the best of my ability, develop my own sense of what should happen. I will pursue that avenue in a way that makes this state and this country stronger.”

Corker Shares Washington Experience

Senator is Focused on Improving EducationWoodsonspeakstoK-12,highereducationandscholarshipsatLegislativeBriefing

K-12,highereducationandthelotteryschol-arshipwerethemajorareasofdiscussionattheChamber’srecentLegislativeBriefing.Sen. Jamie Woodson, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, was the special guest and discussed these topics during the event sponsored by AT&T and Lamar Outdoor Advertising.

The Senator is inter-ested in increasing the rigor of K-12 education in Tennessee. She is also focused on ad-dressing the current funding structure for K-12 education and increasing the state’s contribution to educa-tion. The current fund-ing structure places urban school systems at a disadvantage – and Knox County Schools

receives the lowest per pupil amount of state funding.“The Governor is becoming more engaged on the

BEP,” said Sen. Woodson. “He is a very smart man and once he dedicates himself to the problem I know he will come up with a solution.”

On higher education, Woodson discussed funding for the University of Tennessee and the need to keep fac-ulty salaries competitive. She also said she recognized the importance of funding capital improvements and research at the University. That research holds great potential for the economic development across the state said the Senator.

Sen. Woodson said there are a great number of pro-posals to change the lottery scholarship in the General Assembly this session. The Legislature was conserva-

tive when it established the scholarships, and that has led to a large and growing surplus of lottery dollars.

Woodson predicted that the amount of the scholar-ships would be increased this year and that the grade point average would be lowered

slightly for keeping the scholarship once in college. The Legislature hopes that by lowering the GPA, more Tennesseans will earn college degrees.

Another lottery enhancement the Senator mentioned was providing a supplemental award for high school students that are Tennessee Scholars. Tennessee Scholars is an education initiative sponsored by the Knoxville Chamber. The purpose of the program is to increase the percentage of students graduating from high school with a rigorous course of study that will better prepare them for higher education or the work-force. The goal of providing the supplemental lottery award is to encourage more students to take more rigorous courses in high school and to thereby be more likely to succeed in college.

“We have an excellent opportunity with lottery dollars to increase education standards by improving graduation rates, workforce readiness and keeping students interested and involved with secondary edu-cation,” Woodson remarked.

TN’s new US Senator speaks to business audience

Too many workers feel trapped in jobs they don’t like, but are afraid to leave because of losing healthcare benefits.

KenLowe,CEOofTheE.W.ScrippsCompanywasthefeaturedspeakeratarecentPremierPartnerBreakfastsponsoredbyMesserConstructionCompany. Speaking to a standing room only crowd, Lowe praised Knoxville’s recent successes and thriving environment for business and quality living. Locally, The E.W. Scripps Company has two business interests – the Knoxville News Sentinel and Scripps Networks.

Lowe attributed those strengths as reasons for the success of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Despite the competitive nature and national de-cline of the newspaper business, the Sentinel is thriving. Lowe cited the launching of the Greater Knoxville Business Journal, Skirt magazine and other publications for helping to continue the News Sentinel’s success.

In addition, Lowe noted that Scripps Networks is the 15th largest employer in Knoxville with over 800 employees. “Scripps is proud to

be a contributor to the Knoxville economy. Knoxville is thriving due in part to the Chamber and coop-eration between city and county government. This region and its unique style of living makes for an attractive place for style shows on our cable network as well as a great place to live and work.”

TofindoutaboutupcomingPremierPartnerevents,pleasecon-tact,MichelleKielyat865.637.4550

Media Giant and Knoxville

Sysco (continued )

We have an excellent opportunity with lottery dollars to increase education standards by improving graduation rates.

Knoxville area. Positions available will include office, administration, warehousing, transportation, mainte-nance, sales, marketing, merchandising, accounting and human resources. Dail also cited the attractive business climate in Knoxville as one of the primary reasons for choosing the I-275 site along with coopera-tion from local government, the Knoxville Chamber,

TDOT, Tennes-see Department of Economic and Community Development, KUB and TVA.

“Sysco is appreciative of the teamwork that brought us here,” said Dail. “This is a great day for Sysco that brings us in closer proximity to our clients.”

“I’m excited about the op-portunity to

create a strong physical presence in Knoxville,” said Dail. “Our growth in this region has been consistently strong, and with this new operation we expect to con-tinue that trend.”

Other dignitaries attending the ceremony were Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber, Ed Cole, Chief of Planning & Engineering for Tennes-see Department of Transportation and Nick Taras, Mike Downs, and David Reichel from Sysco.

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