Annual Report 2022
Withpeoplemovingaboutmoreandmore,NortheastTennesseehasopened itsdoorstotheworld,and–asonemightexpect–theworldseemstobelikingwhatitse
By Bill Sumner, NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership Chairman
As governments, businesses, industry sectors, and citizens of the world determine their respective positions in this brave new post-COVID world (depending on who you ask), there certainly seems to be more movement these days. In last year ’ s Annual Report, I wrote about the difficulties in performing our work when travel was so restricted. Fortunately, as that has changed over the past year, our team has taken every opportunity to bring companies and site selection firms into Northeast Tennessee as well as get on the road and take our message to them. In other words, it has gotten easier to do what we do as an organization.
So, why does what we do matter? To answer that question, you need to define who “ we ” are. By “ we ” , I am referring not only to the NETWORKS Board and Staff but our partners as well. Our success is determined by each other’s success. For example, if we are successful in our work our cities will have an easier time pursuing retail projects. Likewise, by bringing in strong retail amenities such as The Pinnacle in Bristol or the Kingsport Pavilion and our specialty stores throughout our downtowns, our quality of life is more appealing to decision-making industrialists. Similarly, our education and workforce development partners – a major differentiating advantage to our recruitment efforts – get far more support when we are doing well, and the better they do, the more appealing we are to companies. You can easily connect the dots with other assets we have as well, such as Tri-Cities Airport and our many tourist attractions and events. That is our collective “ we ” and why it matters that we work well together.
Our collective “ we ” has a great deal to show off here as I am sure most of the readers of this report know. So, we did. We rebooted the region’s signature inbound marketing event, the Northeast Tennessee Red Carpet Tour, adding recently recruited company executives and final-stage prospects to our guest list along with site location consultants. We hosted our peers with the Tennessee Economic Development Council (TEDC) being held at Meadowview Conference Resort and Convention Center. Although Kingsport was the host city – which included an opening night reception at the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce complete with rides on the Kingsport Carousel and drinks courtesy of Bristol-based Tennessee Hills Distillery – nearly 200 ED professionals, elected officials, and partners from as far away as Memphis also spent time in Bristol, experiencing hot laps at Bristol Motor Speedway and learning about our deep roots in the state’s calling card sound at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
We were also on the road with the Tennessee Economic Partnership (TEP) and exhibiting with Tri-Cities Airport at the MRO Americas trade show, the premier event in the aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul industry
It is of note that our CEO, Clay Walker, sits on the Board of Directors for both TEDC and TEP as we continue to make being a meaningful member of Team Tennessee a big part of our strategies. We owe a great deal to Team Tennessee, particularly the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) We just completed excavation work on a 40-acre site with rail accessibility in Partnership Park II thanks in large part to a $1 million grant from TNECD.
Abby Mease, our Workforce Development and Special Projects Coordinator, secured a $50,000 grant through the state’s Three-Star Program to create NeTnConnects.com, a career pathways web portal. This site, a product of recognizing our symbiotic relationship, was launched in mid-December and is already getting a great deal of attention and kudos.
Of course, a constant point of emphasis is industry recruitment and expansion. While it is only one part of what we do at NETWORKS, it is the area that draws the most attention and by which many people gauge our effectiveness. TNECD is an integral partner here as well, whether being the lead provider, stepping up in the recruitment process, or bringing critical incentive solutions to the table (it’s usually and rather than or, by the way). This year was a great rebound from COVID in terms of jobs and investment, with new and expanding companies accounting for 832 jobs and $66 million in investment, highlighted by Tennessee Hills Distillery, Symmco, and Advanced Call Center Technologies (ACT).
In March, the Board and staff met for a strategic planning session, spending the day with Chad Chancellor of Next Move Group, LLC. It was an excellent opportunity to evaluate and adjust what we do, as well as why we do it. We discussed things like land development, workforce issues, solutions, recruitment, and expansion, and expanded into the impact of our work and the work of our partners. We reiterated the importance of regionalism and the need to get it right.
We also reiterated our commitment to professional development. We are proud of our staff and want to give them every opportunity to grow. Congratulations to our Director of Economic Development who passed IEDC’s Certified Economic Developer exam. Not everyone who works in economic development is even eligible to sit for the two-day exam and a small percentage of people who take it pass it, let alone on their first try. This was Michael’s first attempt and he nailed it, so we are very proud of him. It gives us something else in which to take pride. We have more than our share of those positive points and it feels good to be able to tell the world about them.
TheYearinReview
Near the end of 2021, project activity was tre COVID level which led to several investment and job announcements in 2022. Companies such as Advanced Call Cen T), Tri-City Extrusion, Tennessee Hills Distillery, and Symmco Inc., were in the news this year These companies will collectively add $66 million of investment and 832 jobs to the region
Not all projects that invested and created jobs are included in that total. A few projects chose not to publish a news release or hold an event (such as Design 1 Solar Group, which will bring more than 200 jobs to Bristol, and HSN, which has exceeded its forecast hires of its previous expansion, in Piney Flats, by some 150). Additionally, Tri-Cities Airport announced Final Forge will locate its military headgear company to Aerospace Park, creating about a dozen jobs.
Plenty of advancements were made in land and workforce development as well as marketing and our role within Team Tennessee. Here’s a look at how 2022 went…
Video recap
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
Clay Walker, CEcD - CEO
Michael Parker, CEcD - Economic Development Director Abby Mease - Workforce Development & Projects Coordinator Ronnie Price - Economic Development
Staff
VOTING MEMBERS: Bill Sumner, Bell – Chairman; David Wagner, Bank of Tennessee – Vice Chairman; CeeGee McCord, Eastman – Secretary/Treasurer; Pat Breeding – GRC Construction; Jerry Caldwell – Bristol Motor Speedway; Troy Wilson – Domtar; Erin Downs – BTES Board Chair; Mayor Mahlon Luttrell – Bristol; Lea Powers – Bristol; Mayor Pat Shull – Kingsport; Mark Vance – Sullivan County; Mayor Richard Venable –Sullivan County; Mayor Jeff Broyles – Bluff City EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS: Emily Ball – AEP; Clayton Dowell – BTES; Evelyn Rafalowski – Sullivan County Schools; Jeffrey Dykes – BrightRidge; Chris McCartt – City Manager, Kingsport; Dr. Chris Hampton– Kingsport City Schools; Dr. Sam Rowell – Northeast State Community College; Bill Sorah – City Manager, Bristol; Dr. Annette Tudor – Bristol City Schools; Clay Walker – NETWORKS CEO PO Box 747, Blountville, TN 37617 • networkstn.com • NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership Annual Report 2022
NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership is the economic development organization serving the Northeast Tennessee communities in Sullivan – including charter partners Bluff City, Bristol, and Kingsport – and Hawkins counties. Our team of professionals is ready and able to assist you and your company reach your fullest potential here something