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Barge Design Solutions, Inc., has been recertified as a great workplace for 2019-2020 by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work®. Barge earned this credential for the third year in a row.

According to the anonymous survey, 93% of employees believe that Barge is a great place to work, which is a 4% increase from the 2018-2019 results. Ninety-six percent of the firm’s employees participated in the survey this year. A summary of the firm’s review can be found at http://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/1328528.

Research shows that companies who achieve this ranking outperform others by up to three times. Barge has seen an increase in the participation of employees and in the percentage of employees who agree that the firm is a great place to work each of the four years they have completed this process. The firm’s financial performance has followed the same trend.

“We are able to continue to attract and retain great talent in a tight labor market, and our turnover rate is significantly below industry benchmarks,” shares Michele Herlein, Chief Human Resources Officer. Over the past two years Barge has experienced nearly 38% growth, hiring 186 new employees and opening two new offices. 

Barge Design Solutions is committed to asking for feedback from employees and continually improving their organization’s culture. Barge’s Executive Team uses the feedback from the survey to create and empower action teams comprised of employees at every level. These action teams are assigned to research a theme from the survey feedback and present recommendations for improvement to the firm’s leaders. This unique opportunity generates creative solutions developed by the people who are closest to the work and helps the Executive Team get more insight on the data. To date several recommendations have been implemented, such as adding a floating holiday, implementing a flex-time policy, ramping up company wide communication efforts, and increasing the 401K match.

Barge Design Solutions, Inc., combines skill and dedication to impact local communities for everyday life. The multidiscipline team includes engineers, architects, landscape architects, planners, biologists, geologists, scientists, and surveyors. Barge Design Solutions has offices in five states and is ranked No. 165 on Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) 2019 Top 500 Design Firms list. Learn more at bargedesign.com, and stay connected with them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Blount Partnership President/CEO Bryan Daniels announced today that Lauren Emert has been hired as the Director of Economic Development. She replaces Rachel Buchanan who left to start her own business, Ardour Enterprises, and begins on Aug. 27.

“We are happy to have Lauren join our team,” said Daniels. “Her experience in economic development and her keen business sense on how to court different sectors of the economy are especially useful as we develop a diverse economy in Blount County.”

Emert recently served as the community relations manager for RT Lodge where she oversaw external communications.

Prior to RT Lodge, Emert worked in economic development at One Acadiana in Louisiana on the business development team. She also served in the government relations field for three years in Nashville. Most notably, her clients included the Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance (TIA).  

“I am very excited and honored to be joining the team at the Blount Partnership,” said Emert. “I look forward to the opportunity to help bring new business into Blount County and continue its record of success.”

Active in the community through Leadership Blount – Class of 2019, Emert serves as a Board Trustee for the Blount County Library, sits on the Board of Directors for Family Promise of Blount County, and is on the Great Smoky Mountains Institute of Tremont Event Committee.

Nisus recently broke ground on a 30,000 square foot warehouse at its Rockford, TN headquarters. 

The new facility represents a 60% increase from their already 50,000 square foot facility, adding more warehouse space and accommodating new production processes for future products. Additional space allows Nisus to purchase materials in larger quantities, while at the same time creating room to accommodate new machinery for innovations in the pipeline.   

The $3 million project comes on the heels of a 2016 expansion that increased warehouse capacity and included a new tank farm.  Joseph Construction of Knoxville, TN, expects to complete the new facility before the end of 2019, with product, machinery and people moved in by year’s end.  Nisus estimates that this increase in space will result in 10 new positions. 

 “As our production rates increase and we work on new business opportunities, the timely logistics and delivery of quality products become even more critical to ensure our success,” says Kevin L. Kirkland, President / CEO of Nisus Corporation, “The recently completed tank farm and laboratory expansions accommodate the tremendous growth we’ve been experiencing, and this new piece is critical for advancing development.”

Nisus has experienced rapid growth since its beginning in 1990 and sells products both domestically and internationally.  With leadership that plans for the future and key personnel in place, Nisus is positioned as a leader in borate-based technology for sustainable wood preservative and pest control solutions. 

Pictured from left: Dr. Mark Manning, Business Development Manager; Tracy Malone, VP, Operations; Kevin L. Kirkland, CEO / President; and Dr. Jeff Lloyd, Sr VP Innovation and Sustainability

TICKETS TO CONCERT

Those interested in careers in manufacturing have a chance to learn more about local job opportunities and catch a free concert at Pellissippi State Community College next month. 

Pellissippi State is one of four Tennessee community colleges on Country Music Television’s Empowering Education tour featuring rising star Courtney Cole, a Belmont University graduate who has been named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country.

 A manufacturing showcase will start at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, in the lobby of Pellissippi State’s Blount County Campus, followed by the free concert at 6 p.m. in the campus’ West Chevrolet Auditorium.

 Pellissippi State’s Blount County Campus is located at 2731 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Friendsville. While the concert is free, tickets are required, as seating is limited.

“We want folks to come out, maybe who have never set foot on our campus, to learn more about the manufacturing careers available right here in our community as well as the manufacturing programs we offer at Pellissippi State,” said Blount County Campus Dean Holly Burkett.

 The manufacturing showcase will highlight resources available to students to pursue the initial education and training required to break into a manufacturing career as well as resources available for those who wish to advance their careers with their existing employers, she noted.

 Representatives of local companies – including DENSO, Newell Rubbermaid, Cherokee Millwright, Massey Electric, ICC International and Arconic – will be on hand to answer questions, as will representatives from Pellissippi State and Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville, which will inhabit a portion of the new Blount County Workforce Development Center planned for Pellissippi State’s Blount County Campus.

 CMT Empowering Education’s goal is to connect Tennesseans with ways to further their education and develop their skills in order to achieve their dreams. It also supports the state’s “Drive to 55” mission to increase the number of Tennesseans with a post-high-school degree or certificate to 55 percent of the state’s population by 2025. Achieving that goal will require 800,000 more Tennesseans getting the training and skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

 To request accommodations for a disability for this event, call 865-539-7401 or email [email protected].  For more information about Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu or call 865-694-6400.

Cirrus Aircraft announced today that new customer aircraft deliveries for the company’s best-selling SR Series showed steady growth and reached 380 aircraft in 2018, an increase of seven percent over 2017. The company also announced acceleration of production and delivery of the Vision Jet^TM – the world’s first single-engine Personal Jet^TM – with 63 aircraft delivered, resulting in nearly 100 Vision Jets currently in service around the world.

“Our annual performance at Cirrus Aircraft demonstrates our long-term commitment to continued core growth, our disciplined approach to maturing our turbine product line, the expansion of Cirrus Services and another year that validates our customer-focused enterprise strategy,” said Todd Simmons, President, Customer Experience at Cirrus Aircraft.

These annual results mark the fifth consecutive year that Cirrus Aircraft has delivered more than 300 SR Series aircraft. Additionally, the current trajectory of Vision Jet deliveries is setting the pace to make the Collier Award winning single-engine Personal Jet one of the best-selling turbine aircraft under $6 million USD. Enterprise growth also propelled continued facilities expansion and employee growth across all Cirrus locations including Duluth, Minnesota, Grand Forks, North Dakota and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Simmons continued, “With this exceptional performance by the Cirrus Aircraft team, we are well positioned for continued success in both existing and emerging global aviation markets. On behalf of all Cirrus owners and operators around the world, these 2018 results again highlight our commitment to reimagining the future of personal aviation.”

The SR Series Continues to Soar

Cirrus Aircraft’s first high-performance SR Series airplane – the SR20 – was delivered in 1999 and transformed general aviation with intuitive avionics, game-changing performance and revolutionary safety systems, including the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS®). Today’s SR Series portfolio includes the SR20, SR22 and the turbocharged SR22T. Last year, the company celebrated the milestone of the delivery of its 7,000th SR Series aircraft and over 10.5 million flight hours in 60 countries around the world.

This year, the company will celebrate 20 years of the SR Series entering the high-performance single-engine piston market. Now in its sixth generation, the SR Series has been the best-selling general aviation piston aircraft in its class for seventeen consecutive years. The G6 SR Series launched in 2017 with the Cirrus Perspective+^TM by Garmin® flight deck, which includes expanded avionics and flight planning options, luxury automobile-inspired Cirrus Spectra^TM wingtip lighting, cockpit connectivity solutions and premium interior options.

Earlier this year, Cirrus Aircraft announced the addition of the Arrivée Special Edition SR Series inspired by “The Art of Arriving”. This unique aircraft expands on the luxury automobile inspired details that define a Cirrus aircraft interior with artisan handcrafted finishes and customization typically only available through the company’s unique Xi Design Studio.

A New Generation of the Vision Jet

In 2016, Cirrus Aircraft ushered in a new era in personal transportation with the FAA certification of the world’s first single-engine Personal Jet – the Vision Jet. The turbine aircraft defined a new category in aviation – the Personal Jet – with its spacious pilot and passenger-friendly cabin featuring panoramic windows, reclining seats, comfortable legroom for five adults and two children and the only turbine aircraft with a whole airframe parachute system as standard equipment. 2018 marked a new milestone in the journey of the Vision Jet, with the historic win of the Robert J. Collier Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association.

Last month, the company announced the launch of the next generation Vision Jet– “G2” – with enhanced performance, comfort and safety. Evolutionary features include increased cruise altitude, speed and range, along with a newly-upgraded Perspective Touch+^TM by Garmin® flight deck. Innovative technologies unique to G2 include a category-first Autothrottle, Flight Stream connectivity and more. Amenities were also added to the passenger experience, including new executive seats, thoughtfully-engineered noise reduction and a passenger productivity console.

As production of the Vision Jet continues to accelerate, the company will also see the expansion into significant new markets in 2019, with deliveries to customers in Brazil, South Africa and Australia.

Cirrus Services Established to Enhance Lifetime Aircraft Ownership

The launch of Cirrus Services in 2018 signified another milestone in Cirrus Aircraft’s ongoing plans to redefine the personal aviation ownership experience by providing world-class customer service for life. Cirrus Services recognizes the customer’s needs before, during and after initial aircraft delivery by combining Flight Training, Service and Support into a single, dedicated business unit. The newly formed group is focused on growing capabilities and offerings at the company’s expanding Vision Center Campus in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as through a network of authorized service and training partners across the globe.

Facilities and Economic Impact Expands Across All Three Locations

Cirrus Aircraft facilities and employment expanded again in 2018 at all three company locations, with growth at the company’s Vision Center Campus in Knoxville, Tennessee continuing ahead of schedule. As the company’s global customer experience center, the Vision Center Campus now includes a state-of-the-art Flight Training center which features world-class FAA-approved ‘part 142’ type rating training for the Vision Jet and a custom Level D full-motion simulator. The new building opened in July 2018 and Cirrus has currently issued nearly 200 Vision Jet type ratings.

The company also broke ground on a new Factory Service Center at its Vision Center Campus in 2018. The increased service center capacity adds an additional 17,500 square feet. The new Factory Service Center is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2019. 

Also highlighting continued growth over the last year was the addition of technical, manufacturing and service positions across all locations, as well as the expansion of the facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota by nearly 30,000 square feet.

Cirrus Approach^TM Continues Innovation and Leadership in Pilot Training

Recognized in 2016 as the first recipient of the Joseph T. Nall Safety Award from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Cirrus Aircraft continues to transform pilot training and safety with Cirrus Approach. As a comprehensive program, Cirrus Approach provides ongoing training to new and experienced pilots with their lifestyle in mind through award-winning in-person and online training courses. Over the last year, the company has continued to innovate in pilot training, with the launch of the redesigned cirrusapproach.com and the addition of Flight Fix – a unique monthly video podcast to further support its mission of “training as a lifestyle”. Nearly 16,000 pilots and owners have joined the program as of early 2019.

Cirrus Embark^TM – the company’s program designed for new owners of pre-owned Cirrus aircraft – also continues to expand, exceeding 700 training events since its launch in 2017. This revolutionary program provides Cirrus-specific, standardized differences and transition training for a licensed pilot who purchased a pre-owned Cirrus Aircraft. Included in the program is access to the Cirrus Approach Learning Portal, a copy of the Cirrus FOM and aircraft POH, access to the iFOM and one-on-one Cirrus Transition Training with an authorized Cirrus training provider.

Fleet and Special Mission Expands Around the Globe

Professional flight training organizations continue to grow their fleets with the technologically advanced, industry-leading SR Series aircraft as they prepare the next generation of airline pilots. This year, Japan Civil Aviation College added an additional 20 SR22 aircraft to their existing fleet. And just last month, Oklahoma State University announced the addition of SR20 to its Aviation Program fleet. Other world-renowned flight training academies using Cirrus aircraft include Emirates, Lufthansa, Southern Utah University and Vincennes University.

In addition, Cirrus Perception™ – the company’s sensor-capable special mission aircraft – continues to enhance law enforcement search and rescue efforts. Ideal for a broad range of missions, the Minnesota State Patrol uses the Cirrus Perception aircraft, including during the big game hosted in Minneapolis in 2018.

More Red Bull Air Race Championships on the Horizon for Cirrus-Sponsored Team 99

For the sixth consecutive year, Cirrus Aircraft will have an international presence in the Red Bull Air Race World Championships as a sponsor of Team 99 and U.S. Master Class Pilot, Mike Goulian. In 2018, Goulian set a record pace with an epic year of podium finishes, including 1^st place in Abu Dhabi and Indianapolis and a 3^rd place overall finish in 2018 world championship series. Goulian, a Cirrus Aircraft Ambassador, owner and pilot, joined Red Bull Air Race in 2006, claiming his first victory in Budapest in 2009. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship has become globally renowned as the fastest and most exhilarating motorsport on the planet, and Goulian and Team 99 are poised for another winning season following their podium finish at the 2019 season opener in Abu Dhabi.

Small, minority, woman-owned and veteran-owned businesses interested in working with local governments can meet with eight local governments in one location at the East Tennessee Purchasing Association’s (ETPA) Diversity Business Expo on Thursday, March 14, in Knoxville.

The event will be held at Overcoming Believers Church, 211 Harriett Tubman St., from 8 a.m.-noon. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with government representatives who often make purchasing decisions without going through formal bid processes, such as warehouse clerks, purchasing card (P-card) holders and those who prepare purchase requisitions.

“Many minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and small businesses are not considered when agencies make small-dollar-threshold purchases,” said Pamela Cotham, assistant purchasing agent in the City of Knoxville’s Small Business and Diversity Outreach Office. “This networking event looks to introduce and connect these businesses with those making purchases between $5 and $25,000, which can be significant for small businesses.”

Food trucks will be available on-site.

Registration is free for attendees. To register, visit https://bizexpo.questionpro.com.

About the East Tennessee Purchasing Association

The East Tennessee Purchasing Association seeks to establish relationships among its members for the development of efficient procurement methods and practices in public institutional procurement. For more information, visit http://www.etpanews.org.

Monica Gawet, Owner and President of Tennessee Marble Company, has been awarded the Women in Stone Pioneer Award for being an outstanding exemplar of the pioneer spirit, leading and paving the way for women in the natural stone industry. Monica received this recognition from leaders represented in the natural stone industry from around the world through the Natural Stone Institute.

Twenty-five years ago, Monica took a defunct Tennessee Marble quarry and turned it into the leading quarry of Tennessee Marble, supplying over a million square feet of dimensional stone products to some of our Nation’s most notable buildings, parks, and monuments. In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Monica has proven that women can be effective, successful leaders. She was called into the industry in 1993, following the footsteps of her father and grandfather in the stone fabrication industry, and stepping out into a new frontier in owning, activating, and operating a marble quarry.

Monica’s passion and commitment to the stone industry and producing the highest quality stone products in a safe and efficient environment is obvious to those who get to work with her. Monica is present at the Tennessee Marble Company headquarters in Friendsville, TN every day. She walks the floor and engages her team at every level. With her hard hat and rubber boots, she is out in the quarry, actively promoting safety, strategizing plans for best yield with the quarrymen, and pushing everyone for continuous professional development. There is a respect for her in the men and women that work for her that makes it obvious, she is not a figure head, she is the real deal. The quality in the products produced by her company is testament to her level of expectation, and the high-level of attention the craftsmen and women put into their work to meet those standards speaks volumes.

“I’m very grateful to be the individual recipient of this award, but this award is a symbol. It is a symbol for anyone, male or female, who are devoted to learning, and to making beautiful things. . . . I continue to be inspired by women I meet in the industry, and I hope we continue to learn and grow from each other,” said Gawet

Monica also expressed gratitude for her first role models: her Grandfather, who started his marble business as a small “mom-and-pop shop” and rose to greatness amidst other much larger competitive firms; her Father, who courageously carried the business to the next level; and to her husband Gus and their three sons, for which without, she would not be where she is today.

Pellissippi State Community College has announced today its largest expansion in 44 years.

Pellissippi State, the largest community college in Tennessee with 10,894 students, announced plans to build a science and math building on its Hardin Valley Campus in Knoxville and a workforce development center on its Blount County Campus in Friendsville.

“Today is a historic day at Pellissippi State,” said Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr. “Never before have we had two capital projects occurring simultaneously. Never before have we set a $10 million fundraising goal. And never before have we engaged so many volunteers in the process.”

The new 82,000-square-foot science and math building will help Pellissippi State meet demands for classrooms and lab spaces that have increased due to Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, last-dollar scholarships offered to high school seniors and adults without college degrees, respectively.

“Pellissippi State’s general biology lab is in use for 12 hours a day, five days a week, with most labs at full capacity,” said Kane Barker, dean of Natural & Behavioral Sciences. “Many students need this course and other math and science classes in order to graduate on time. This new building will double the capacity for many of our core courses.”

Meanwhile, Blount County has experienced $2.8 billion in new capital investment and announced 5,500 new jobs since 2011, according to the Blount Partnership. Pellissippi State’s new 62,000-square-foot workforce development center will help fill the area’s need for highly skilled, college-educated employees.

“This new building will allow us to expand our Engineering Technology, Computer Information Technology and Culinary Arts associate degree programs and certificates,” said Teri Brahams, executive director for Economic and Workforce Development for Pellissippi State. “We would not be here today without DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee’s commitment to expansion and employment in Blount County and their advocacy on behalf of manufacturing in our state.”

Pellissippi State plans to break ground on the new science and math building this spring and open it in fall 2021. The college plans to break ground on the workforce development center in December 2019, and classes will start there in fall 2021.

The total project cost for the construction of the new science and math building is $27 million while the total project cost for the construction of the workforce development center is $16.5 million.

Pellissippi State is responsible for $2.7 million for the new science and math building, which is primarily funded by the state, and $5.5 million for the workforce development center, which also is being funded by the state and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville, which will occupy part of the building.

Other funding priorities announced Friday include $800,000 to expand Pellissippi State’s Media Technology program, specifically the Audio Production Engineering concentration, as well as $1 million to help support students through scholarships and emergency assistance and to help faculty through funding individual departments and programs, professional development opportunities and new equipment and technology updates.

Part of Friday’s announcement was that the Pellissippi State Foundation already has raised $8 million of its $10 million goal, thanks to significant contributions from donors such as the Haslam Family Foundation; Ruth and Steve West; Blount County, the City of Maryville and the City of Alcoa in partnership with the Industrial Development Board; Pilot Flying J; Arconic Foundation; Clayton Family Foundation; Clayton Homes Inc.; UT-Battelle; DENSO North America Foundation; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; UCOR, an AECOM-led partnership with Jacobs; William Ed Harmon; and the Thompson Charitable Foundation.

For more information about the Pellissippi State’s two new buildings and the campaign to build them, visit www.pstcc.edu/campaignforpellissippistate/. To view the video shown at today’s event, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1gYaZL8Oqg&feature=youtu.be.

For more information on Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu or call 865-694-6400.

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Hardin Valley Campus Science and Math Building

• 82,000 square feet
• Designed by BarberMcMurry Architects
• 18 classrooms
• Six computer labs
• Nine science labs to serve Anatomy and Physiology (two spaces, including room for cadavers), Botany/Zoology, Cellular Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Advanced Chemistry, Physical and Environmental Sciences, and Physics
• Advisory offices on the second floor, taking the place of six portable buildings
• Expected groundbreaking: Spring 2019
• Expected opening: Fall 2021
• Total project cost: $27 million
• Pellissippi State’s share: $2.7 million

Blount County Campus Workforce Development Center

• 62,000 square feet
• 36,000 square feet for Pellissippi State
• 26,000 square feet for Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville
• Designed by BarberMcMurry Architects
• Pellissippi State programming will include:
• Smart Factory MegaLab featuring Industry 4.0 curriculum
• Computer Information Technology program including concentrations in Networking, Cyber Defense, and Systems Administration and Management
• Corporate Training Center for training the employees of the College’s more than 30 workforce development training partners
• Culinary Arts concentration
• Electrical Engineering Technology program
• Industrial Maintenance concentration
• Mechanical Engineering Technology program
• Manufacturing concentration
• TCAT programming will include:
• Machine Tool Technology
• Pipe Fitting
• Industrial Electrical Maintenance and Welding
• LPN Practical Nursing, Patient Care Tech, Certified Nursing Assistant, EMT and Medical Surgery Lab
• Greater opportunities for dual credit and dual enrollment for local high school students
• Expected groundbreaking: December 2019
• Expected opening: Fall 2021
• Total project cost: $16.5 million
• Pellissippi State’s share: $5.5 million