Above: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee at the Elizabethton TCAT. Photo by Scott Robertson Tennessee Governor Bill Lee made his first visit to the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Elizabethton Jan. 3 to announce a $1 million Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grant to fund “Northeast STEM to Work” training. The Northeast Tennessee STEM to Work initiative is designed to bring STEM- ...

By Scott Robertson Ballad Health announced Monday a sweeping set of discounts aimed at improving the ability of lower to middle income patients’ to afford healthcare costs, even if they are uninsured or have high insurance deductibles. Ballad issued a press release saying it will increase the discount for its services to uninsured patients from 77 percent to 85 percent. For those patients who are insured, b ...

By Dave Ongie and Scott Robertson Like most Americans, Rep. Phil Roe took some time out recently to gather with his family during the holiday season. With the end of his sixth term in the United States House of Representatives looming on the horizon, Roe said he had a conversation with his family that has become somewhat of a tradition during his six terms in Congress. This time around, Roe witnessed someth ...

On Jan. 1, 2020, Pal’s Business Excellence Institute will become McClaskey Excellence Institute. David McClaskey,president and founder of McClaskey Excellence Institute, stressed that mission, classes and consulting will remain the same. McClaskey, David Jones and Katie Wood will remain in place as the institute becomes an independent company with a new name and logo. McClaskey added that significant growth ...

Delegate Terry Kilgore, Big Stone Gap Town Manager Steve Lawson, InvestSWVa Project Lead Will Payne and Duane Miller, Executive Director of the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission show the plans for a co-working space in the basement of the former Mutual Pharmacy building. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission Thursday highlighted a Southwest Economic Development program grant award of $2 ...

Olan Jones Eastman Credit Union announced Sunday its board of directors has voted to return to members the largest extraordinary dividend in its history, $14 million. That brings the total extraordinary dividend returned since 1998 to more than $132 million, according to Olan Jones, CEO and president. “I appreciate the board of directors for their continued support of the Extraordinary Dividend. The fact th ...

It’s been a busy week at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. Not only did the center break ground on a $2.6 million expansion of its facility, it also announced it would host a new master’s degree program for Radford University. The expansion, funded by the Virginia General Assembly, will include expansion of the existing testing center, as well as new classrooms and meeting space, a ...

A crowd of around 300 members of the Tri-Cities business community gathered Oct. 4 to fete this year’s class of young professionals at the 27th Annual 40 Under Forty Gala at the Blackthorn Club in Jonesborough. “These remarkable young individuals have distinguished themselves not only with their business acumen, but also with their drive to lead, and their commitment to serve the communities in which they l ...

Perry Muse, Foam Products Corp., vice president of Manufacturing and general manager Georgia-based Foam Products Corp., cut the ribbon on an expansion to its Erwin, Tenn., manufacturing facility Dec. 6. The company purchased the building which it had been leasing at a price of $5 million, according to Perry Muse, vice president of Manufacturing and general manager. In addition, the company has invested more ...

Kelly Price Eastman Credit Union’s board of directors announced in September of 2019 that Kelly Price, current executive vice president, will succeed Olan Jones upon his retirement beginning January 1, 2020, as the next CEO & president of ECU. Fielding Rolston, who served as ECU’s board chairman for 22 years was very supportive of Price, as is current chairman, E. Wayne Kirk. “Kelly has proven herself a ...