The Business Journal Q&A: Stewart Taylor By Scott Robertson In all the sound and fury created by the dueling retail developments in Bristol, it’s been easy to forget the development that made them both possible. The original tax incentive plan that was used by Bristol, Tenn., and inspired the plan used by Bristol, Va., was written to help develop what was then called Heritage Point in Kingsport. Develop ...

In the last issue of The Business Journal, we reported on the circulation of at least two different sets of plans for the Cabela’s retail location at The Falls development in Bristol, Va. You may recall that we shared our editorial deadline for that issue with Bristol city leaders but they declined to meet with us on four separate occasions. The questions we wished to ask were germane to the issue of whethe ...

Story and photos by Jeff Keeling Things haven't slowed down at NN Inc. since the global manufacturing company's early July announcement it would stay in Johnson City as it expanded its headquarters to match an aggressive growth plan. As the year draws to a close, local management is preparing to move into the former SunTrust building, and key executives are putting the pieces in place from four acquisitions ...

Accountants had to wait more than 11 months before Washington could agree on its filing rules for 2014 By Scott Robertson As of Dec. 31, 2013, some 55 tax breaks that had been part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 had expired. As of Dec. 1, 2014, Congress had yet to act on whether to retroactively reinstate any or all of them. That news was disappointing, but not necessarily surprising for those ...

 KINGSPORT – Meaningful work by Wellmont Health System’s board of directors is enabling the group to fully explore the best path forward for the organization. Roger Leonard, the board’s chairman, said the panel continues its examination of Wellmont’s options, a process that will likely extend into the new year. With the holiday season in full swing and the need for the board to further review information it ...

By Scott Robertson Where there is no vision, the people perish… - Proverbs 29:18 A little over a year ago, while some were still bemoaning the death of American manufacturing, Gerald O’Connor, founder of Impact Plastics in Unicoi County, Tenn., announced plans to expand his local operations to the tune of $1.3 million. That expansion, O’Connor said at the time, would result in the creation of 83 new jobs an ...

In introducing a new department this month, we decided to hone in on some data that is certain to be in the sights of at least three other entities – the finalists for alignment in Wellmont Health System’s strategic options process. Wellmont leaders have said recently they hope to announce a decision about an alignment by sometime late this year. The system provides quarterly and annual financial informatio ...

Agriculture's role in economy bigger than many realize Story and photos by Jeff Keeling I love to watch stuff grow. When things are going good, there's just nothing like it. I couldn't see myself doing anything else other than what I'm doing.           Wesley Squibb I love what I do. I love working the land. Nothing makes me happier than to climb on a tractor for 12 or 14 hours a day.          Jeff Aiken As ...

City provides letter after breaking several scheduled interviews By Scott Robertson and Tammy Childress Note: Shortly after this story went to press, Bristol ,Va. officials sent the Business Journal a letter from Cabela's Steven Krajewski, Cabela's real estate director, dated Nov. 10. The letter states that Cabela's plans to build an 82,003-square-foot store in Bristol. That is smaller than the size repeate ...

Growing array of outside voices weighs in By Jeff Keeling “We’re talking about things in this region that we never thought possible. We’re having these conversations because there was the disruption of Wellmont saying, ‘we really need to ask difficult questions.’ I applaud Wellmont’s board for the conversation that has begun because they had the wherewithal to say ‘we have to do something differently.’”     ...