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 ...

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 ...

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. ...

An extensive survey of consumer attitudes on COVID vaccinations in the region was shared with members of the RegionAHEAD alliance this week. A survey of 768 consumers in the 22-county region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia will help the team craft a public service campaign to help those considering a vaccination to be informed and encouraged to be inoculated against the virus. The survey was c ...

Rambler Wood Products will establish a new wood products manufacturing facility in the former Bush Furniture Industries building in St. Paul, Va., creating 73 new jobs in the process. Rambler plans on making an initial private investment of $7.6 million. Within 12 months, Rambler plans to make a total private investment in the project of $21.8 million. In addition, a $2.5 million loan from the Virginia Coal ...

Above: Dale Fair, Grant Summers and Will Barrett Bank of Tennessee has announced the promotion of three top executives. In a release dated Jan. 17, BancTenn Chairman William B. Greene said Dale Fair, Grant Summers and Will Barrett will each be taking on new responsibilities in 2021. Fair, president and CEO, has been promoted to chairman of the board of Bank of Tennessee. He will retain his CEO duties until ...

Above: Dr. Natalie Kuldell (second from right), president of BioBuilder, meets with teachers at MIT. PHOTO COURTESY BIOBUILDER The Niswonger Foundation’s $8 million plan to revolutionize STEM education by Scott Robertson It started with word from the U.S. Department of Education that $185 million in grants would be awarded in December 2020 to school districts, higher education institutions and not-for-profi ...