New River Hardwoods, Inc. officials recently announced the lumber company will invest $3.8 million in its operations in Roan Mountain. New River plans to create around 25 manufacturing and production jobs in Carter County. The company will install new equipment and convert its Roan Mountain log yard into a lumber manufacturing facility.  “I’d like to thank New River Hardwoods for investing in Roan Mountain ...

Second in a two-part series By Don Fenley and Scott Robertson The only major age category that is seeing notable population growth in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is the 65+ category. As was pointed out in this space in the April 2018 issue, by 2028, it is projected that one in every four residents of this region will be over the age of 64. Those numbers do not merely reflect the graying of Am ...

Photo above: Jim McGlothlin and Tim Finchem Photos by Dave Ongie By Dave Ongie Fifty-four years ago, a young attorney showed up at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va., to help start a basketball team. Jim McGlothlin learned three things that day, and the third lesson has made a lasting impact on countless lives. “First of all, the Mountain Mission kids didn’t know anything about basketball,” McGlothlin s ...

Nine exceptional women who actively better the quality of life for thousands in the region were honored by YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Nominated by area organizations and chosen by an independent panel of judges, the nine award recipients exemplify those working to enrich the region and were honored in categories which reflect the impact of the YWCA in the region: Nurture, Empower, and ...

By Scott Robertson Back in late February and early March, publications like this one were spilling a lot of ink regarding two bills being considered in the Tennessee General Assembly. The first was a bill put forth in the Senate by District 3 State Senator Rusty Crowe. Senate Bill 2048 (and its House companion legislation, HB 2020) sought to keep the Ballad Health COPA monitor from releasing to the public i ...

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Photo above: Wynne Tyree, CEO Smarty Pants By Scott Robertson Most people know great branding from merely good branding. And in our media-savvy culture, even kids can tell good branding from bad. The tough part – especially for a business owner trying to brand a product, service or company – is knowing how to create a great brand. For most of us, great branding is analogous to the late U.S. Supreme Court Ju ...

First in a two-part series by Don Fenley and Scott Robertson This is not your father’s economy. Well, actually, if your father is a Baby Boomer, it is. It is the economy his generation is about to dominate. And few places in America is that more true than Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. In examining demographics and economics, it first must be stated that the population is growing worldwide. The ...

Photo above: Tim Stanley and Adam Newsome Photos by Gabriel Logan By Gabriel Logan Taking a look at Master Precision Machining (Master) today, it’s hard to recognize the 30-year-old tool and die operation that was slogging along in Kingsport’s Regional Park just a few months ago. “This place has been here since 1988” Tim Stanley, COO says. “We came in last year, bought it, closed in August and made a bunch ...

Photo above: Dr. Brian Ratliff speaks during the roundtable discussion at Food City corporate headquarters. By Scott Robertson Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni, a former civics teacher from Prince William County, made his first foray into Southwest Virginia in March, meeting with educators and business leaders. “We want to focus on literacy in general, but on financial literacy – a couple of years ag ...