July 24, 2008 |
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Nissan Americas Holds Grand Opening CelebrationCompany announces zero-emissions vehicle partnership with Tennessee
Governor Phil Bredesen and ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber helped Nissan celebrate the dedication of Nissan Americas in Franklin on Tues. The new center serves as regional headquarters for the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Governor and Commissioner joined Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan Motor Co.; Hiroto Saikawa, executive vice president and chairman of the management committee - Americas for Nissan Motor Co.; Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, Administration and Finance, Nissan North America; U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander; and more than 1,500 Nissan employees and members of the community. Nissan Americas is designed to encourage and inspire cross-functional collaboration within the region. The 10-story, S-shaped facility, designed with numerous environmental features, provides 460,000 square feet of office space. "Nissan Americas is an investment in our future," Ghosn said. "We purposefully designed the building to inspire and enhance collaboration among our employees. The building also is a statement about our confidence in the continued growth of Nissan in the Americas and our unyielding commitment to environmental sustainability."
At the dedication, Ghosn announced that Nissan and the State of Tennessee are forming a partnership to promote zero-emission vehicles in Middle Tennessee with participation from the Tennessee Valley Authority and other partners. The company also announced three philanthropic donations to local organizations. Specifically, the company donated $50,000 each to the Boys and Girls Club of Williamson County, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, and the Harpeth River Watershed Association. To read more about the Nissan Americas opening, please visit www.nissannews.com.
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Governor Bredesen at last week's Task Force on Energy Policy meeting. |
Governor Phil Bredesen convened the third meeting of the Governor's Task Force on Energy Policy last week as a part of the ongoing process to develop a new state energy plan. The 17-member panel, which met in Kingsport, heard presentations on a variety of energy-related topics from several groups including Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, Eastman and Nu-Energie.
The task force's main objectives are to help Tennessee become a leader in energy efficiency and conservation, use of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources, and the development of clean-energy technology.
For more information or to watch a webcast of the Task Force on Energy Policy meetings, please visit www.tn.gov/energy.
Governor Phil Bredesen announced Wednesday a partnership between the University of Tennessee and DuPont to advance the state's clean energy technology initiatives.
| From left, Governor Bredesen, UT President John Petersen and DuPont Danisco Technology Leader Dr. John Pierce. |
The partnership will construct a pilot-scale biorefinery and state-of-the-art research and development facility for cellulosic ethanol in Vonore, Tenn. Bredesen proposed and the General Assembly provided $40 million in funding to build a pilot biomass ethanol plant in the FY 2007-2008 budget.
"This announcement signifies a major step forward in Tennessee's efforts to become a national leader in the development of clean energy technology," Bredesen said. "The partnership with DuPont will keep Tennessee at the forefront of biomass ethanol research and production and allow us to take advantage of the economic opportunities of the future."
The design of the biorefinery will incorporate the flexibility to operate on two different biomass feedstocks - corn stover, cobs and fiber; and switchgrass.
"During a time of skyrocketing energy and oil prices, this effort represents a smart energy strategy, a smart economic strategy and a smart environmental strategy," said Bredesen. "Most importantly, it helps create new markets and new opportunities for Tennessee farmers. The investment we make today in farm-based fuels and clean energy development will position Tennessee for the economy of the future and bring more good paying, high quality jobs to rural areas."
The Carroll County Courthouse in Huntingdon
is modeled after the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
Source:
see-tennessee.com
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There are new BERO events on the calendar! Upcoming educational opportunities include a Business Plan Workshop in Lexington, the East Tennessee Veterans Business Conference in Oak Ridge, Congressman Lincoln Davis' Federal Funding Seminar in Manchester and the Agritourism in Action Tour. Check out details here.
ECD's Business Enterprise Resource Office participated in the "Show Me the Money" workshop in Cannon County last Tuesday. Approximately 85 attendees from five counties heard presentations from ECD, UT, TVA and MMA Creative. |
Lincoln and Jefferson Counties have met the criteria to join the state's retiree recruitment program, Retire Tennessee, bringing the number of active programs to nine.
"Retiree recruitment is a crucial component of many communities' economic development strategies, and I am pleased to welcome these two counties to the Retire Tennessee Program," ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber said. "The success of this program is evidence of Tennessee's remarkable quality of life. Communities like these are crown jewels in attracting new residents to our state."
Communities participating in the Retire Tennessee Program must also be certified Three-Star Communities. These communities have established a Retiree Relocation Committee, conducted a community assessment, started marketing efforts to attract and relocate the retiree market and participate in trade shows geared toward attracting retirees.
The original Retire Tennessee programs are Cumberland, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Putnam and Sullivan Counties.
For more information on the Retire Tennessee program, Winchester at (731) 423-5771 or via e-mail at ramay.w.winchester@state.tn.us.
ECD's Dan Hawk and Stanley Harrison led continuing education training on the National Flood Insurance Program at the Middle Tennessee Code Officials meeting on July 17 at Henry Horton State Park.
Marshall County Mayor Joe Liggett welcomed the more than forty attendees present for the training. Don Nelson, Marshall County zoning administrator, remarked that this was one of the highest attended sessions in the past several years.
Linda Lichtenberger, codes enforcement program director for the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy, introduced the program topic and assisted with the two hour continuing education accreditation through the Academy.
The staff of the Local Planning Assistance Office annually schedules and offers NFIP training to local community officials or other professional organizations that regularly work with the program. For further information concerning training opportunities contact Stanley Harrison at 423-434-6476 or stanley.harrison@state.tn.us.
The Robertson County Board of Education recently received a Local Government Energy Efficiency Loan in the amount of $210,000 to be used for energy efficiency retrofits in three schools. The loan is administered by ECD's Grants and Loans Division in the Office of Program Management. This is a 0% interest loan due to Robertson County's certified Three-Star Community status. Energy savings of approximately $51,000 per year will be realized as a result of the loan and energy retrofits.
| Tennessean:
"VW is Committed to TN" by Stefan Jacoby, VW Group of America President and CEO
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Tennessean: "Company Pairs Well with Chattanooga" by Gov. Phil BredesenLast Tuesday, I had the privilege of joining Volkswagen of America President and CEO Stefan Jacoby when he announced the company would build its first U.S. assembly plant in more than two decades in Chattanooga. The enthusiastic welcome Chattanooga is offering Volkswagen has convinced me this is the perfect marriage of company and community. Volkswagen is the world's fourth-largest carmaker with a strong reputation for innovation, quality and a commitment to environmental sustainability. Chattanooga is a community that has revitalized itself from an old, industrial city to a vibrant, family-friendly, growing community with a focus on environmental stewardship. But when Volkswagen first approached Tennessee eight months ago about their search for a new place to manufacture vehicles, they made it clear that people are just as important as location. We were able to talk to company officials about the strides we've made in raising education standards in Tennessee and the fact that we've quadrupled the budget for training Tennessee workers over the past five years. |