June 4, 2008

New Chinese Minister Encourages Tennessee Companies

Newly appointed Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission Xie Feng this week encouraged Memphis business leaders to strongly consider expanding into the Chinese market and encouraged Tennessee companies to seek advice from others in the state who have successfully entered the booming Asian country. The Washington-based diplomat was visiting Memphis to take part in China Business 2008, a series of forums outside Washington, D.C. that pair U.S. business executives, legal experts, academics and government officials who have on-the-ground experience in China with local private sector representatives and community officials for discussions on business opportunities in China.

ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber also attended the forum and encouraged Tennessee companies to think globally as well.

"We've experienced amazing growth in Tennessee's exports to China over the past decade," Kisber said. "But that momentum will lag if we don't continue to encourage and assist Tennessee companies to look at the Chinese market."

From left: Commissioner Matt Kisber, Minister Xie Feng, FedEx International President Michael Ducker.

The goal of the initiative is to support closer U.S.-China commercial ties and highlight export and investment opportunities in China for U.S. companies. The forum in Memphis was hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Memphis Regional Chamber. Las Vegas Sands and FedEx sponsored the event.

Local business leaders participated in the forum, sharing their success stories of doing business with China, as well as providing hands-on information about topics including due diligence, finding suitable partners, licensing, sales and marketing, distribution and trading, customs clearance and regulatory issues.

Commissioner Kisber welcomed Xie Feng and his colleagues, and he celebrated the strengthening relationship between Tennessee and China.

Kisber and Governor Phil Bredesen traveled to China in October 2007 to open the first-ever Tennessee-China trade office in Beijing

JETRO Offers Assistance to TN Businesses

A pair of Tennessee companies are heading to Japan to seek new business opportunities at the encouragement of the Japanese government, which is covering a large portion of their costs.

The companies were praised by ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber as they make plans to visit Japan in September for the Japanese Analytical Instruments Manufacturers Association Show.

Telesensors in Knoxville and Phenotype Screening in Seymour are receiving sponsorship from the Tennessee office of the Japan External Trade Organization to exhibit their products at the annual trade show September 3-5 at Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan.

In an effort to promote direct investment in Japan by Tennessee companies, JETRO is providing roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations and booth registration for both companies. JETRO will assist Tennessee companies in exhibiting at several trade shows throughout 2008. Companies must apply to be considered

For more information on JETRO or the the above invitational programs below, contact Kazumi Iino at kazumi.iino@state.tn.us or visit www.tnecd.gov/jetro/main.htm.

2008 Japanese Trade Shows for which JETRO Is Offering Assistance to Companies:

Eco-Technology Exhibition 2008, also known as ECO-TECHNO 2008
Dates: Wednesday, Oct. 22 to Friday, Oct. 24, 2008.
Target Industries: Environment and energy.
Application Deadline: June 27, 2008.

Nagoya Eco Clean Car Fair 2008
Dates: Friday, Nov. 7 to Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008.
Target Industry: Automobiles.
Application Deadline: July 31, 2008.

Hokkaido Technical Information & Business Exchange Fair 2008
Dates: Thursday, Nov. 13 to Friday, Nov. 14, 2008.
Target Industries: Information technology, biotechnology, environmental engineering, electrical machinery.
Application Deadline: July 31, 2008.

SEMICON JAPAN 2008
Dates: Wednesday, Dec. 3 to Friday, Dec. 5, 2008.
Target Industry: ICT.
Application Deadline: July 18, 2008.

Sequatchie County is home to Coke Ovens Museum. The museum currently houses the largest collection of regional historic coal mining photographs in the state of Tennessee. Hundreds of donated mining artifacts are on display inside the museum.

Source:
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association

June 6
Chattanooga
Commissioner Kisber will attend an Energy Task Force Meeting 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

BERO Specialist Assists Valley Masonry

A 50-year old family owned business in upper East Tennessee may soon be growing, with a little help from their friends at ECD and other agencies.

John and Jess Anne Cole, owners of Valley Masonry of Clifton, Tenn. say the assistance they received from BERO specialist Ron Wade prompted them to look at their long-time small business in a new way.

Wade, along with Jutta Bangs of the Small Business Development Center and Steve Seifried of Southeast Community Capital, helped the family-owned business by creating a business plan, securing working capital, incorporating their business, setting up a bookkeeping system and establishing a formal business office.

"This trio has given us back peace of mind and dreams of a bright future," the owners of Valley Masonry said. "Best of all, they are still with us. They want to see us succeed and they are willing to roll up their sleeves to help. We only wish every struggling business could know about the resources we have found."

New Upcoming BERO Events

Check out the BERO calendar here to read about new events, including a small business workshop and small business counseling.

Community Development

Local Planning

FIRMs to Become Effective Dec. 2

Community officials in McNairy County were notified this week by FEMA that their new preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM's) will become effective December 2.

This notification will allow each local community six months to adopt these new maps in order to remain in compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Failure to adopt these maps prior to December 2 will result in flood insurance no longer being available to local property owners.

Upon their adoption by a local community, the maps become effective for building purposes. On December 2, the maps will be effective for insurance and lending purposes.

For information related to the NFIP or the Map Modernization Program in Tennessee, contact Stanley Harrison at (423) 434-6476 or stanley.harrison@state.tn.us.

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Main Street

Main Street, BERO to Host Consultant

Business owners in Tennessee will have the opportunity to hear nationally-known business consultant Jon Schallert when he conducts a series of seminars in Kingsport, Fayetteville and Dyersburg in June. Sponsored jointly by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development's Business Enterprise Resource Office and Tennessee Main Street Program, Schallert will present his acclaimed business improvement session, "Increasing Sales and Profits by Becoming a Destination Business."

The seminars are free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Call 1-800-872-7201 to register and for more information about attending the upcoming seminars. Pre-registration is available and onsite check-in and registration will begin for each seminar at 7:30 a.m. with the presentation following immediately from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

During the final portion of each seminar, representatives from BERO will talk with business owners about resources available in the state to help implement Schallert's strategies. Seminars will be held on the following dates in the following Main Street Communities:

Middle Tennessee: Wednesday, June 11
Fayetteville/Lincoln County Museum
521 Main Ave. South
Fayetteville, Tenn.

East Tennessee: Friday, June 13
Restoration Church
140 Broad St.
Kingsport, Tenn.

West Tennessee: Wednesday, June 18
Lannom Center for Business Development
2000 Commerce Ave.
Dyersburg, Tenn.

Schallert's sessions teach independent business owners how to turn their businesses into consumer "Destinations" that attract customers from many miles away, past other competitive outlets.

"The challenge for any business today, regardless of its location and surrounding demographics, is to create such a compelling offering that it is repeatedly visited by consumers. For a business to be a true Destination, it must also be able to draw customers from other cities and towns, miles away, past other, larger, more dominant competitors," Schallert said.

To learn more about Schallert before his visit to Tennessee, log on to his Web site, www.JonSchallert.com. Business owners can subscribe to Schallert's free "Reinvent Your Business" newsletter at the site.

In addition to the conference, Tennessee Main Street Program Managers from across the state will meet in downtown Columbia for the Summer Managers' Quarterly Main Street Meeting prior to the TPT Conference on Thursday, June 5. For additional information contact Kimberly Nyberg, Program Manager at kimberly.nyberg@state.tn.us.

TN Preservation Conference Planned

ECD Assistant Commissioner Mark Drury speaks at the 2007 Main Street Summit.

The Tennessee Preservation Trust will present the Statewide Preservation Conference and Main Street Summit June 5-7, 2008, in Maury County. The Columbia and Spring Hill communities will offer historic venues for educational sessions and workshops. Topics include rural conservation/preservation initiatives; tax credits for historic rehabilitation; revolving funds, easements and preservation; comprehensive economic planning; preserving natural and cultural resources; preserving historic downtown theaters and other key preservation issues specific to Tennessee. For additional information, contact the Tennessee Preservation Trust at www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org.

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Grants and Loans

Loan Program Closed

ECD's Grants and Loans division recently closed the third Agricultural Feedstock Processing Demonstration Loan with Northington Industries in Morgan County. The company was awarded financial assistance to purchase equipment used in crushing soybeans for bio-diesel production.

The Feedstock Demonstration Loan Program is a joint effort with the Department of Agriculture in supplying the tools to establish a crushing process presence in the state under the Governor's Alternative Fuels Initiative.