Oak Ridge Today

Metal powder manufacturing company investing $313 million in Oak Ridge, adding 620 jobs

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Michael Hargett and Kamran Khoza of CVMR USA

CVMR President Michael Hargett, left, and Kamran Khozan, chairman and chief executive officer, joined local, state, and federal officials on Friday to announce they’re moving company headquarters from Toronto to Oak Ridge, investing $313 million and adding 620 jobs.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12 a.m.

A company that manufactures high-purity metal powders and super alloys is moving its operations to Oak Ridge from Toronto, Canada, and investing $313 million here and creating 620 jobs, officials said Friday.

CVMR, which has operations in 18 countries, will use the former Theragenics building at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge for its headquarters and research and development. The company closed on that building, which is on 21 acres, on Friday, but executives declined to disclose the sale price.

The first employee was hired Thursday, said Kamran Khozan, chairman and chief executive officer of CVMR (USA) Incorporated.

The company could expand that 65,000-square-foot building; infrastructure that is already in place allows it to be doubled. The company could put 218 people to work right away in its new headquarters and add 402 high-paying manufacturing jobs later, a state official said.

“I can promise you that this is the start of a wave,” said Randy Boyd, the new commissioner of Tennessee Economic and Community Development. [Read more…]

Gov. Haslam, state to make ‘significant’ economic announcement in OR Friday

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Bill Haslam during Presidential Visit at Pellissippi State

Governor Bill Haslam is pictured above during a visit by President Barack Obama at Pellissippi State Community College on Friday, January 9. (File photo by Rob Welton)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and the state will make a significant economic development announcement in Oak Ridge on Friday afternoon, officials said.

The announcement—which will also include other federal, state, and local officials—is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the former Theragenics Building at Horizon Center.

Details of the announcement have not been released. [Read more…]

Volunteers needed to help clean up Norris Lake

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Submitted

The Norris Lake Project Team is looking for volunteers to help with the fifth biannual Five County Norris Lake Cleanup on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Since 2011, volunteers from the counties surrounding Norris Lake have picked up over 15 tons of trash,” said Stephanie Wells, director of the Anderson County Tourism Council. “We continue to conduct two cleanups each year because Norris Lake is not only a recreational destination for residents and visitors, it is an economic driver for all five counties and we need to protect its shorelines.”

There will be several launch points in each of the five counties and numerous locations that volunteers can help by picking up and properly disposing of in trash. [Read more…]

Support local, independent media: Subscribe to Oak Ridge Today

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Learn more about Main Street Oak Ridge during joint meeting Monday

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Main Street Oak Ridge Belk on March 2, 2015

The Belk store at the Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge, is pictured above.

 

There will be a presentation on Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, during a Monday evening meeting.

The joint meeting will include the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission and the Traffic Safety Advisory Board. It starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 16, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

The presentation will be given by Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has proposed the redevelopment, and Cannon and Cannon Engineering. [Read more…]

Zoning change approved by city officials helps Main Street Oak Ridge project

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Main Street Oak Ridge Belk on March 2, 2015

The Belk store at the Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge, is pictured above on March 2.

 

Leasing, financing, and pre-construction work on the Main Street Oak Ridge project is progressing as planned, a developer said in late February, and a change to the city’s zoning ordinance approved on Monday will help the redevelopment.

James Downs, Crosland Southeast partner, said his company hopes to start construction late in the second quarter of 2015. It’s part of a plan to have a grand opening in the fall of 2016.

Survey crews from Cannon and Cannon have completed a boundary survey of the 60-acre site, the former Oak Ridge Mall, and field work is under way, said Ray Evans, the city’s retail consultant. [Read more…]

Support local restaurants, ADFAC with ‘Dine and Donate’

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Nature's Marketplace Dine and Donate March 2015

Spring is in the air at Nature’s Marketplace, located on the east end of Oak Ridge. The restaurant features freshly made soups, sandwiches, side dishes, and baked goods as well as gourmet market items. Nature’s Marketplace is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (Submitted photo)

 

Our driveways are no longer covered in ice, and the first buds of the season are beginning to bloom—there are many reasons to celebrate the approach of spring! Why not observe the change of seasons by dining out to support the less fortunate?

On Monday, March 9, several local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

Restaurants participating on Monday are: [Read more…]

Former DOE deputy secretary named Centrus president, CEO

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Daniel B. Poneman

Daniel B. Poneman

Daniel B. Poneman, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, has been picked to be president and chief executive officer of Centrus Energy Corporation.

Centrus was formerly known as USEC Incorporated, and it has operations in Oak Ridge.

The selection of Poneman by the Centrus Board of Directors was announced Thursday. Poneman will join Centrus immediately and become the chief executive later this month. He will also be a member of the board. [Read more…]

Meredith appointed Chamber of Commerce president

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Rick Meredith

Rick Meredith

Rick Meredith will become president of the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce on April 1. He will replace the current president, Jackie Nichols, who is retiring effective May 1.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors announced the selection of Meredith, who is an Anderson County commissioner, on Monday.

“My compliments and appreciation to the search committee for their time commitment and to Chamber Board Chairman Stephen Harris for his leadership during the hiring process,” Nichols said. “Meredith was a highly qualified candidate, and I believe the perfect selection to continue the Chamber’s current momentum and growth.” [Read more…]

TVA sets all-time power demand record; stores sell out of heaters

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Downtown Hardware on Nov. 2013

The Downtown Hardware crew is pictured above in November 2013. Co-owners Ann Clary Bratton and Roger Clary are pictured second from right and at left. (File photo)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority set an all-time record for power demand in February on Thursday morning, and local stores have sold out of heaters.

TVA said the record set at 7 a.m. Thursday was 32,109 megawatts, with an average temperature of 7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Downtown Hardware in Oak Ridge reported that they were down to two electric heaters.

“We’re completely sold out of kerosene and propane,” said Ann Bratton, who co-owns the store with her brother Roger Clary. “That seems to be what people are asking for.” [Read more…]

AC Chamber luncheon to feature Techmer PM president

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Anderson County Chamber of Commerce

The annual Business Luncheon by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will feature Ryan Howley, president of Techmer PM, the company that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden visited in January.

The Business Luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. Friday, February 20, at The Hollingsworth Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (Junior Achievement BizTown). The center is located at 2135 North Charles Seivers Boulevard in Clinton.

Obama toured part of the Techmer PM facility in Clinton before making a major announcement about the creation of a $250 million manufacturing innovation hub aimed at strengthening U.S. leadership in next-generation composite materials.

[Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from Feb. 12-18

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Thursday, February 12, and continuing through February 18.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau:

[Read more…]