Media Room

Pellissippi State Community College has received a second round of funding to enhance its College to Career Collaboratives in Knox and Blount counties.  Gov. Bill Lee announced Nov. 18 the second round of the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) program, which prioritizes learning opportunities in rural counties and enhances career and technical education statewide.…

After more than a decade of planning and construction, Runway 5L-23R is now open for air traffic, making McGhee Tyson Airport a two-runway airport once again. “The opening of this new runway is a significant accomplishment for our airport system and allows us to build upon our $2.1 billion economic impact to the community as…

RED BANK, NJ — Virginia, Tennessee and Massachusetts have been named winners of the Business Facilities’ 2021 States of the Year awards, the first time BF has named three winners to this annual contest. Virginia was named the state (commonwealth) with the Overall Best Business Climate, Tennessee was named the state with the Best Dealmaking, and Massachusetts was named the state (commonwealth) with the…

Smith & Wesson officially broke ground on its new East Tennessee home located in Partnership Park North in Maryville. Joined by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and local elected officials, Smith & Wesson President/CEO Mark Smith announced that the 240-acre campus, located in the foothills of the…

The Nominating Committee of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has elected Bryan Daniels, CEcD, CCE, IOM, President & CEO of The Blount Partnership, to serve as Chair of the Planning and Business Development Committee of the IEDC Board of Directors. The process took place during the annual board meeting on Wednesday, October 6, 2021,…

After graduation, Matthew Swartz ’22 hopes to pursue a career as a financial analyst. For 10 weeks this summer, he had the opportunity to gain real-world experience in that field through an internship with Arconic in Alcoa, Tenn.             Arconic Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is a leading provider of aluminum sheet, plate and extrusions,…

Leading U.S.-based firearms manufacturer will invest more than $125 million to relocate from Springfield, Massachusetts to Maryville, TennesseeCompany will create 750 new jobs in Blount County Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. officials today announced the U.S.-based leader in firearms manufacturing and…

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation is a job-creation engine, accounting for more than $7 billion in economic benefits and supporting nearly 43,000 full-time jobs, according to a report released this morning by the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC). The report examines the impact of DOE’s investment in Tennessee in FY 2020 and shows…

In March of 2020, those business dealings were put on pause due to COVID-19, but now, 16 months later, state leaders say we may be in better shape than we were prior to the pandemic. Once the calendar hit January 1, 2021, Bob Rolfe, Commissioner of TNECD, says it was off to the races. READ…

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Arconic officials announced today that the aluminum manufacturer is expanding its operations in Blount County. Arconic is investing more than $100 million to support recently announced expanded capacity for manufacturing industrial and can sheet. The project brings 200 new jobs to…