Email: cwalker@networkstn.com
Website: linkedin.com/in/clay-walker-cecd-67bbb18
Location: P.O. Box 747 Blountville, TN 37617
Phone: 423-279-7681
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Twitter: @ClaytonRWalker

In a word... Thanks

We’re grateful to be so busy with exciting projects for our region.

It’s hard to decide how to begin a quarterly newsletter after a quarter that included:

• Visits by three sitting state commissioners (economic development, transportation, and labor and workforce development)
• Two announcements totaling 131 new jobs and about $35 million invested
• The return of the region’s signature inbound marketing event, the Northeast Tennessee Red Carpet Tour, after being sidelined for two years due to COVID
• The return of the E2E (Education to Employment) Summit
• The Governor’s Conference on Economic Development
• Northeast State Community College announcing Dr. Jeff McCord as its new president
• BTES’s selection of Clayton Dowell to be its next CEO
• TNECD selecting Sullivan County as one of six counties to participate in the Property Evaluation Program (PEP)
• Strides toward completion of the Partnership Park II rail site excavation and the Workforce Web Portal, both made possible through TNECD grants
• Reaching an agreement in principle to purchase and develop a 41-acre industrial site with KEDB
• The Bristol Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway along with another successful Bristol Rhythm and Roots music festival

So… where to begin? Good question. Here’s where I landed: Although we’re still almost two months away from Thanksgiving, the common thread to all of these things, in my mind, is an overwhelming feeling of thanks. We really shouldn’t need a holiday to express gratitude, anyway, especially considering the many ways in which we have been blessed. You can read about the details of each of these items in the content that follows, but as for this CEO report, I just want to say thanks.

Thanks to Department of Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley (and Mattern & Craig’s Calvin Clifton for arranging it), Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter (multiple times), and now former Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Dr. Jeff McCord for making their ways to Northeast Tennessee in recent weeks. All three gave local leadership detailed updates, but more importantly, listened to us and our concerns and priorities.

Thanks to Tennessee Hills Distillery and Symmco for their investments in Bristol and Hawkins County, respectively. For Tennessee Hills, the investment represents the coveted headquarters of a Northeast Tennessee brand that is becoming a juggernaut in its highly competitive industry. Both companies represent high-quality career opportunities for our citizens.

Thanks to our partners, our investors, our Board of Directors, and of course our guests as we dusted off the cobwebs and hosted another successful Northeast Tennessee Red Carpet Tour. Special thanks to Domtar, Northeast State Community College and the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing, Eastman, Silgan Closures, Royal Mouldings, and Seaman Corporation, the Tennessee Hills Brewstillery, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, and Bristol Motor Speedway; without each and every one of them, this event could not be the success it has become. And a special thank you to our own Michael Parker, who runs point on this event and does an absolutely remarkable job.

Thanks to all of our chamber and EDO partners for the work they do each year in organizing the E2E conference, especially Lottie Ryans and the First Tennessee Development District for leading the way. We also appreciate the industry that gives so much of its time and knowledge in making it all click.

Thanks to Governor Lee, TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, and the TNECD staff for hosting an outstanding Governor’s Conference on Economic Development in Nashville a few weeks ago. The content was meaningful, timely, and well-presented. The best aspect of the conference to me, though, was having such a large crowd of Team Tennessee colleagues and friends together again. (Meeting Jim Nantz was kinda cool too.)

Thanks to great leadership throughout our region. Northeast State and BTES went through exhaustive searches to find their new leaders, both finding the right person who already had deep Northeast Tennessee roots. With Dr. Jeff McCord coming home after nearly four years of serving our state as Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, I can’t wait to work with him on the local level again. And as Clayton Dowell takes over for Dr. Mike Browder who is leaving after a remarkable 50 years with BTES, I know that the tradition of innovating and leading in economic development will continue. Both of these gentlemen are intelligent, hard-working, honorable, and respected in their fields. They will be great partners.

Speaking of partners, thanks to TNECD for their support each and every day. Locally, Lynn Tully and Nathan Wood are integral teammates. The team in Nashville has given us their talent and their dollars to make what will be some significant projects a reality. The rail site in Partnership Park II, our Workforce Development Web Portal (under the leadership of Abby Mease), and now the Property Evaluation Program (spearheaded by Michael and Matt Garland of the City of Bristol) will help change lives. None of these projects would be possible without the assistance of TNECD. Rest assured; we will be coming to them as we develop the newly acquired land near the airport. We cannot thank them enough.

And finally, thanks to everyone who makes Northeast Tennessee home. Those who appreciated these beautiful mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests and built great communities upon them. With Rhythm and Roots, BMS, we have the opportunity to show them off to the world.

Enjoy the details of all these items in this newsletter. I know it’s a lot. But it’s a really good thing that our economic development team is so busy. And for that, we are truly thankful.

Tennessee Hills Distillery plans to invest $21.3 million to add a Bristol location which will serve as the company's new headquarters.

This will be the third location, with the other two being in Jonesborough and Johnson City. The company plans to create 45 new jobs over the next 5 years as the company makes an automated distillery. This will be housed on the new headquarters on close to 9 acres off U.S. Highway 11W.

Click for more

TNECD press release

Check out the video recap of the groundbreaking ceremony

Officials with the state of Tennessee revealed that Symmco Inc. will invest $13.1 million to complete its first expansion outside of Pennsylvania and locate new manufacturing operations at the Phipps Bend Industrial Park.

The news was announced at a ceremony attended by Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter. Symmco, which was founded in 1952, specializes in the manufacturing of powdered metal for customer-engineered components and stock products. It serves various industries, including lawn and garden, medical, power transmission, and others.

Click for more

TNECD press release

Video recap of the event

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced today the counties selected to participate in the latest round of the Select Tennessee Property Evaluation Program (PEP).

The counties include Benton, Gibson, McNairy, Pickett, Sullivan, and Tipton.

PEP evaluates potential industrial properties, advising counties on industrial site improvements and where investments may be most beneficial.

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The NETWORKS team and community partners, along with our sponsoring partners NeTREP, NETVRIDA, Greene County Partnership, AEP, and TVA, hosted site consultants and prospective clients for a weekend full of fun, food, and music, all while taking in all our region has to offer.

Thank you to everyone who helped showcase Northeast TN and make this event a success.

Highlights of the event

The “doctor commissioner” is coming back home.

Tennessee Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development Jeff McCord officially has been named the full-time president of Northeast State Community College. He is a former vice president at the Blountville-based college with satellite campuses, including ones in Kingsport and Johnson City.

Click here to learn more

TN Board of Regents release

The BTES Board of Directors announced the appointment of Clayton Dowell, current BTES Vice President of Engineering, as the next Chief Executive Officer of the organization. The board retained outside consultant services to conduct a rigorous and comprehensive nationwide search. Extensive interviews were conducted before Dowell was selected. Dowell will take the role of Interim CEO on November 11, 2022, and will assume the role of CEO on January 1, 2023.

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Sponsored by the Bristol TN/VA Chamber of Commerce, Elizabethton Chamber of Commerce, Greene County Partnership, Johnson City Chamber, Kingsport Chamber, NeTREP, NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership, Northeast Tennessee Local Workforce Development Board, and the Unicoi County Industrial Development Board. E2E is a convening of employers, k-12 and post-secondary educators, and elected officials, designed to address workforce challenges and pursue opportunities.

Attendees discussed topics such as employee retention, hybrid work environments, work-based learning, and internships. Updates were provided from goals outlined at the 2021 event including progress with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion efforts, childcare, and Caring Workplaces.

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Lottie Ryans on the event

Email: mparker@networkstn.com
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Location: P.O. Box 747 Blountville, TN 37617
Phone: 423-279-7193
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Location: P.O. Box 747 Blountville, TN 37617
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Phone: 423-279-7681