Sustaining Industrial Labor Needs During and After the Pandemic

In this Area Development article it explores the topic of sustaining industrial labor needs during and after the pandemic. Finding and retaining a skilled workforce continues to be a critical need, and those unemployed during the pandemic may need training and help with other issues to step into those open roles. Read more.

Read More

Many Tennessee cities advance in latest Milken Institute rankings

In an article written by Thomas B. Ballard and published on Teknovation.biz, a total of 10 Volunteer State communities made the list of 400 cities, categorized in two ways: (1) large or small; and (2) one of five tiers within each category. Six moved up, while four recorded a decline. Read more about the Best Performing Cities 2021.

Read More

TVA forecasts base electric rates stable for the next decade

Article from Chattanooga Times Free Press written by Dave Flessner Power sales to major industries in the Tennessee Valley rose 7.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020 as manufacturers continued to rebound from the pandemic. Despite an overall drop in power consumption last year, especially among many hard-hit commercial businesses, the Tennessee Valley Authority said…

Read More

ORNL and UT Name Bienvenue Director of Oak Ridge Institute

Joan Bienvenue has been selected as the first executive director of the Oak Ridge Institute at the University of Tennessee, established last year to align the expertise and infrastructure of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the university in support of world-leading research and talent development. As director, Bienvenue will also serve as a vice provost…

Read More

Tennessee DOL Issues Employer Guidance on Reporting Refusal to Work

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development released a document that outlines its response to the inquiries received from employers regarding work refusals for unemployment insurance. In the revised legislation, Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020, there is a requirement that claimants must not refuse suitable work. In order to fulfill the…

Read More

Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Network Coming to Tennessee

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced Wednesday they are partnering to develop a statewide electric vehicle fast charging network to power the growth of EVs across Tennessee and reduce barriers to transportation electrification. TDEC and TVA signed an agreement to collaborate and fund a network of fast…

Read More

Issues Facing the Workforce

Sharing this article from Site Selection magazine which outlines the challenges facing today’s workforce as the pandemic continues. Against this backdrop, we turned to several leaders in economic development and asked them to share their views on the top issues facing the workforce and workforce development. What they had to say was telling, but even…

Read More

Business Leaders Upbeat about Tennessee’s Economy

Business leaders across Tennessee continue to be more optimistic about the state’s economic outlook than the nation’s, according to the most recent survey conducted by the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The Tennessee Business Leaders Survey shows that respondents credit Tennessee’s positive outlook largely to stronger business investment and…

Read More

A Primer on the Amazon Deal

This Op-Ed written by Bryan Daniels, president and CEO of the Blount Partnership, appeared in the Feb. 7, 2021 edition of The Daily Times. Since 2015, the Blount Partnership has collaborated with the cities of Alcoa and Maryville and Blount County government to generate eight major economic development announcements that totaled 3,270 jobs and $1.8…

Read More

Amazon to Create 800 New Jobs in Alcoa

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AMAZON PROJECT QUICK FACTS Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Amazon officials announced today that Amazon will establish a new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Alcoa. The site, which is anticipated to launch in 2022, will create nearly 800 new, full-time jobs with benefits…

Read More