First Tennessee Bank has boosted its state-leading market share with a new deal to purchase 13 branches and four remote ATMs from Bank of America in Tennessee. The banks expect the purchase of the branches, including those in Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol and Greeneville to close later this year, pending regulatory approval. The Memphis-based bank will add approximately $660 million of deposits. First Te ...

Heritage Glass to begin production by July By Jeff Keeling State and local officials made the announcement April 29: Local investors are purchasing and restarting the Blue Ridge glass plant that AGC North America mothballed in late 2012. The move by the newly formed “Heritage Glass Co.” could create 120 jobs by mid-summer and nearly 250 within five years. Ten private investors, the majority of them former A ...

By Jeff Keeling Bill Haslam’s unveiling of the “Tennessee Promise” proposal during his Feb. 3 State of the State address drew broad attention for its boldness, but it wasn’t a shock to Northeast State Community College President Dr. Janice Gilliam. “I was excited that it was as far-reaching as it was,” Gilliam said of the proposal to make community college tuition-free for Tennesseans coming directly out of ...

By Jeff Keeling Judging from a wide-ranging interview on just his 86th day on the job, Alan Levine doesn’t appear to have wasted any time in his first 90 days as CEO of Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA). Then again, with hospital systems facing the twin challenges of declining admissions and reimbursement cuts as the full weight of healthcare reform bears down, Levine does not enjoy the luxury of a len ...

By Jeff Keeling It’s 8:30 on a crisp, late February morning. Under a brilliant blue sky, large fans hum gently, competing with the chirping of songbirds in the middle of a 250-acre tract of land in rural Stanley Valley, Hawkins County, Tennessee. In a four-acre section of land sit 40 greenhouses covering 4,320 square feet each. Inside the warm, humid houses, hanging from the ceilings and on platforms severa ...

In the span of a few hours, Terry McAuliffe received both support from healthcare executives for his Medicaid stance and a big legislative win for his Bristol retail legislation By Scott Robertson and Tammy Childress On March 4, which saw his first visit to Southwest Virginia since becoming governor, Terry McAuliffe had a very good day. It began with a roundtable discussion with Wise County Chamber of Comme ...