March 27, 2008

Life Sciences Center Begins Work on Phase 2

Commissioner Matt Kisber joined other state and local officials, along with founders of the Bio TN Foundation for a groundbreaking ceremony at the Cool Springs Life Sciences Center.

Commissioner Matt Kisber joined leadership from the Cool Springs Life Sciences Center in Franklin Thursday to break ground on the second phase of their facility. The expansion will create 100 new jobs in the first two years, and 400 jobs over the next decade.

The life sciences business incubator is anchored by BioMimetics Therapeutics, Inc., an established biotech manufacturing firm.

"The businesses that will spring up because of this growing facility are at the leading edge of scientific change," Kisber said. "Tennessee is already well known as a center of excellence in health care, but now we're starting to see that spirit of innovation that we've come to expect in health care extend itself in the bio-sciences, as well."

Commissioner Matt Kisber offered brief remarks at Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony.

ECD is underwriting a portion of the new project by providing a FastTrack Infrastructure Grant that will make the necessary high-tech construction and design elements of the facility possible. Additional funding is being provided by the City of Franklin, Williamson County and private sources. The project is an example of the power of partnership among several entities for the good of the state's economy.

Kisber emphasized in his address that the jobs the Cool Springs Life Sciences Center will continue to generate are exactly the kinds of higher-skilled, better-paying jobs he and Governor Bredesen are working hard to recruit to the state.

The facility is the first in Middle Tennessee to be designated a GMP facility, which means it complies with very strict FDA and EU regulations for pharmaceutical production to ensure that every product produced there is safe and effective.

Construction on the $20 million facility is expected to take between two and three years.

ECD Hosts Community Development Field Summit

ECD Community Development Staff hosted representatives from development agencies across the state at Fall Creek Falls State Park this week for the Community Development Field Summit. Commissioner Matt Kisber's keynote address and breakout discussions emphasized cross-agency cooperation to attack development problems from a regional perspective.

Governor Bredesen has placed a great emphasis on rural economic development since rolling out his Rural Opportunity Initiative last September. ECD is working to encourage partnerships not only among development agencies across the state, but among neighboring communities.

McMinn County is home to the Textile Museum, which traces the history of the area's textile industry from 1850. The exhibits emphasize working-class women in the mills.

Source:
Tennessee Encyclopedia

 

March 27
Lexington
Commissioner Kisber will attend a Bird Supper at the National Guard Armory at 6:30 p.m.

March 31
Commissioner Kisber will participate in an Orange Carpet Tour Announcement.

April 1
Franklin
Commissioner Kisber will speak to the Williamson County Association of Realtors at 1 p.m.

To request ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber to speak or attend an event, please contact Jennifer Alward at (615) 253-1852 or jennifer.alward@state.tn.us

We invite your thoughts on the ECD Hot Sheet. Please click here to contact ECD Communications with any questions, concerns or suggestions you may have.

Business Development

BERO

 

Doing Business with the Government Workshops

Save the dates for the upcoming workshops in Clarksville, Cookeville and Chattanooga on how to do business with the government. Attendees will learn valuable tools and insights to enable them to more successfully work with federal, state and local governments and agencies.

WHAT: Doing Business with Federal, State and Local Governments
WHEN: April 22, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. with a Federal Procurement Session from 2-3 p.m.
WHERE: Clarksville, Tenn.; venue TBD
WHO: Small business, woman-owned, minority-owned and rural businesses interested in working with the government.
The workshop is free of charge, but reservations are required. Further registration and location information will be announced soon. Click here to check the calendar.

WHAT: Doing Business with Federal, State and Local Governments
WHEN: May 6, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
WHERE: Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, One West First Street, Cookeville, Tenn.
WHO: Small business, woman-owned, minority-owned and rural businesses interested in working with the government.
The workshop is free of charge, but reservations are required. To register contact the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce at 931-526-2211.

WHAT: Doing Business with Federal/State/Local Governments
WHEN:  May 22, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
WHERE: DRC (Development Resource Center) at 1250 Market Street, Chattanooga, Tenn.
WHO:  Small businesses, woman- owned, minority-owned and rural businesses interested in working with the government.

BERO To Co-Sponsor Knoxville Small Business Expo

BERO is partnering with the Knox County Purchasing Supplier Diversity Program to host the first Knoxville Small Business Expo April 22 in celebration of National Small Business Week. The event will give small business owners the opportunity to discuss financing needs one-on-one with lenders. Business owners will also be able to speak with resource partners, procurement agencies and staff from the Small Business Administration. Session topics will include working capital loans, rural loans, export working capital loans, government contracting and surety bond financing.

The expo will be from 12-7 p.m. at the Knox County Health Department, located at 140 Dameron Avenue in Knoxville. There is no charge for the event. For more information, call (865) 215-5754 or (615) 736-7427.

BERO To Co-Sponsor West Tennessee Veterans' Business Conference

BERO will co-sponsor the West Tennessee Veterans' and Small Business Conference March 31. The conference will provide important information on the status of veteran small business programs throughout the federal government; a forum regarding veteran's benefits and employment, financing options, information on doing business with federal, local and state governments, and seminars regarding marketing strategies and necessary certifications.  The overall purpose of the Veterans Business Conference is to increase business opportunities for service-disabled veterans and veteran-owned small businesses. The conference will also provide opportunities for government prime contractors to develop a database of qualified service-disabled veterans and veteran-owned small businesses.

The conference will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on March 31 at the NSA Mid-South Conference Center Pat Thompson Building, located at 5700 Attu Street in Millington, Tennessee. There is no charge for the conference, but seating is limited. To register, call toll free at (888)763-7439 or register online and see the agenda information here.  

For specific questions, contact Russell Toone at (731) 425-4777 or russell.toone@tennessee.edu or Debbie Barber at (615) 532-4916 or debbie.barber@tennessee.edu.

Community Development

Grants and Loans

Seminar Explores Energy Solutions

Clinton Berry of the Grants and Loans Division recently attended a seminar co-sponsored by ECD for small businesses and agriculture operations interested in using alternative energy and improving energy efficiency.

Increasing energy costs are hurting many entrepreneurs and farmers, and, in some cases, alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, or geothermal power or investing in energy efficient machinery are a viable solution. These kinds of improvements often carry heavy up-front costs, though, and the seminar addressed federal and state grants and other financing opportunities. The event also showcased vendors offering products appropriate for business and agriculture in this region.

For information about renewable energy and energy efficiency assistance offered by the state, call (615) 253-1943.

Wind Energy Workshop Coming to University of the South

The Tennessee Wind Working Group, a part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America initiative, will join Sewanee: The University of the South, Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy in a workshop to explore the current state of the wind energy industry and prospects for the future of what is today the fastest growing energy industry in the world.
           
The workshop will be held Tuesday, April 8, at Sewanee and will feature a morning session for representatives of the electric industry, a case study presented during an informal luncheon, and a variety of informative afternoon sessions for members of the University and Sewanee community.

The informal luncheon, provided by Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, will require advance reservations. Please contact Laurie Kianka at (931) 598-1922 prior to April 4 to attend. The morning workshop is scheduled to be held at Convocation Hall, located on Georgia and University Avenues beginning at 10:30 a.m. Afternoon activities, including the case study, will also be held at Convocation and commence at 12:30 p.m.

Topics include the U.S. wind energy industry, the environmental benefits of wind energy, green jobs, and the community benefits of wind energy. Representatives from SACE and the Tennessee and Georgia Wind Working Groups will be on hand to discuss issues and to share with students and the greater community ideas for projects and other initiatives to support wind energy.

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Tennessee Leadership Center

TBEDC Registration Now Available

The Tennessee Leadership Center is offering the second annual Tennessee Basic Economic Development Course May 12-16, 2008 for community leaders and local, state and federal economic development professionals. Topics for this year's course will include global trends, community development and process and practice of economic development.

The course is accredited by the International Economic Development Council and can be applied toward certification as a professional economic developer. Registration is required, and costs $525 through April 4 and $595 from April 5 through the deadline, May 2. Scholarships for tuition and hotel costs will be available. For more information about scholarships, contact Michelle Williams at Michelle.Williams@state.tn.us.

To view the pdf brochure and registration form, click here. Online registration is currently available. To register click here and click on "TBEDC register online" on the upper right of the page.

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Three-Star

ECD to Sponsor Rural Development Conference

ECD is a sponsor of the 13th Annual Rural Development Conference April 2 and 3 in Cookeville, Tenn. Commissioner Matt Kisber will deliver welcoming remarks and Three-Star Program Director Melinda Keifer will sit on a panel discussing the role housing plays in economic development.

The conference, which is the second largest on economic development in the state, is being hosted by USDA Rural Development, Tennessee Technological University College and the Tennessee Valley Authority. This year's conference theme is "Tools for Economic Success," and the keynotes and workshops will explore topics including industrial recruitment, community leadership development, nurturing entrepreneurs and attracting retirees to rural towns.

Click here for more information and to register for the conference.