A Shark Tank-style pitch competition for entrepreneurs in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia will return this spring following a COVID-mandated one-year hiatus. The former Pitches and Pints competition is moving to Cardinal Park in Johnson City. Entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas from the pitcher’s mound at the park to a group of judges stationed at home plate during the rebranded Pitchers and Pit ...

Kirsten Hall has been involved in many forms of media, from television to radio to magazine sales. Now, Hall is bringing her expertise as an account executive to the Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia and the Johnson City News & Neighbor, where she is eager to help businesses accomplish their advertising goals. “I’m glad to be back in it,” said Hall, who worked most recently at VIP Seen M ...

It seems obvious in retrospect. With the NASCAR Cup Series running a dirt track race for the first time since 1970, a cleaning product would make a perfect sponsor. Proctor & Gamble jumped on the opportunity, announcing plans to sponsor the Petty Motorsports entry into the Bristol Dirt Race with the colors and logo of its Tide brand. Food City, one of the region’s leading sellers of Tide, will also have ...

Frontier Health, a mental health services provider in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, has been awarded a two-year, $4 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The annual grant is funded from the $4.5 billion allocated to SAMHSA from the COVID-19 relief package passed in December 2020. Frontier Health is one of 134 clinics across the country to re ...

Holston Medical Group (HMG) garnered headlines in the region in 2020 for taking part in the Pfizer COVID vaccine clinical trial. But behind the headlines, HMG was dealing with COVID in its own business model, working to implement a telehealth system in a “build the plane while we’re flying it” environment. At the same time, HMG managed to introduce new service lines and add 15 new providers and 128 new empl ...

As the March 1 deadline for applications to the FoundersForge entrepreneur bootcamp nears, the partners funding the program are eager to see the benefits it will provide. Under a memorandum of understanding signed by the city of Johnson City and SyncSpace, a Kingsport-based entrepreneurial support organization, both parties are putting $75,000 into Johnson City’s entrepreneurial programs. A third of SyncSpa ...

by Scott Roberston East Tennessee State University President Dr. Brian Noland announced on Jan. 25 the launch of the ETSU Research Corporation. “With all of the many opportunities in our region to establish partnerships, innovate, and help drive prosperity, I feel strongly that ETSU should play an even greater role in this effort,” Noland said.  “As such, today I am happy to announce that we are repurp ...

Above: Eastman Chairman and CEO Mark Costa and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Photo by Earl Neikirk $250 million investment in Kingsport plant will allow company to use waste materials for product feedstock Eastman Chemical Company Board Chair and CEO Mark Costa shared the stage Jan. 29 with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to announce the company’s plans to build one of the world’s largest plastic-to-plastic molec ...

The Kingsport Chamber and Downtown Kingsport Association (DKA) announced grants Tuesday for eleven Kingsport restaurants to help alleviate some of the financial challenges brought on by COVID-19. Funded by the Kingsport Economic Development Board (KEDB) and administered by the Kingsport Chamber, the Kingsport Outdoor Dining Enhancement Mini Grant Fund assists with expenses to restaurants looking to enhance ...

Heath Guinn (left) and David Nelson The City of Johnson City has formed a partnership with Sync Space Entrepreneur Center and FoundersForge to bring entrepreneurial encouragement and empowerment programming to Johnson City. The new partnership provides funding from Johnson City and matching funds from Sync Space to bring FoundersForge’s Startup Bootcamp and other resources to the entrepreneurial community. ...