As shoppers prepare for an exciting weekend, Tennessee’s Small Business Advocate Richard Wilson is encouraging customers to join the “shop small” movement.
November 29 is Small Business Saturday. It is a time to show support for small independently owned businesses during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, a press release said. [Read more…]
HME Inc. Co-Founder Henry Perry, right, with Tony Spezia, Covenant Health president and CEO, when HME was awarded the Knoxville Chamber Partnership’s Minority Business Excellence Award in May 2011. (Submitted photo)
An Oak Ridge company has won a $15.9 million contract to provide facilities operations and support services to the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama.
The contract was awarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency, a press release said.
HME is a Small Business Administration-certified HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) Zone and economically disadvantaged woman-owned business headquartered in Oak Ridge. HME first received the contract to provide facilities operations and support services for the CDP facility in 2009.
The CDP is a national training facility that prepares state and local emergency response personnel to respond to terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction by providing advanced, hands-on training. This national training program was developed for firefighters, law enforcement personnel, emergency medical technicians, E-911 operators, and other emergency response personnel, their trainers, and supervisors.
During Fiscal Year 2013, the CDP trained a total of 49,500 students, including 14,000 resident students, 2,500 non-resident, 8,000 indirect, and 25,000 Academy students, the press release said. [Read more…]
Chuck Hope
To my fellow City Council members,
I am asking you to consider me as a possible candidate for mayor, when we meet next Monday night. It would be a honor to become the next mayor of the City of Oak Ridge, I believe I have shown my ability to lead and find common ground on issues over the last three-plus years I have been on City Council.
Why do I want to be considered for mayor of our city? Oak Ridge is my home. I have grown up here, went through the school system here, started and maintained my business here, married my high school sweetheart, and raised my family all right here in Oak Ridge. I love my home town and care about what happens here. I care about my neighbors and the neighborhoods. I have watched multiple generations of families live their lives here, and look forward to seeing many more to come.
I want to see our city prosper and grow, and for us do that, we have to have good leadership from our civic leaders. As our civic leaders have done before us, I want to help our city continue to move forward. Over the last 55 years, our city has seen some remarkable things and has contributed many great things to the world. I want us to continue to build on these things and look forward to what we do next. [Read more…]
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center will have a free workshop for small businesses on the basics of government contracting on Tuesday, December 2.
The workshop is being conducted in partnership with the University of Tennessee CIS-PTAC. It’s scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon December 2 at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.
To sign up, call (865) 483-2668, email Jutta Bangs at jbangs@tsbdc.org, or visit www.roanestate.edu/tsbdc.
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Roane State Community College advises and assists entrepreneurs and small business owners in the area at no cost to them.
To the Editor:
Our current political landscape is characterized by convoluted thinking, selfish decision-making, and turbulent, inconsistent values. We need a representative in Washington who is solid, stable, and unmovable in his or her standards. Chuck Fleischmann has already proven to be such a representative through his consistent voting record, standing up in defense of the life of the unborn, small business growth, Second Amendment rights, stronger national borders, and other issues key to our nation’s safety and quality of life.
I trust my life and the lives of my children in the hands of a principled leader like Chuck Fleischmann and believe he will best represent my voice and my vote. [Read more…]
Jason Mooney
A November 5 seminar at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will feature a seminar on small business and fraud.
The seminar by Jason Mooney of Regions Bank will be titled “Protect Your Small Business from Fraud.” It’s scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, November 5, at the Chamber office.
“Financial loss due to fraud is something that companies are experiencing more and more,” a press release said. “This seminar is geared to help business owners spot and mitigate the risk of potential financial loss due to fraudulent activity. This course will go over the different types of fraud that occur, as well as go over steps that can help prevent these different types of fraud from occurring. Actual fraud cases and the lessons learned will be reviewed during this informative seminar.” [Read more…]
To the Editor:
Although I have never written an endorsement for any political candidates, I feel sincerely compelled to at this time.
Twenty-five years ago, I moved my family to Oak Ridge. I was not born here, had no family members here, nor did I relocate due to a job transfer or employment contract. I moved my family to this beautiful city for I desired to live in this community. I voluntarily chose Oak Ridge.
I started a business almost 24 years ago and earlier this year sold that business and am presently thoroughly enjoying retirement. Oak Ridge has been good to me and my family and God favored me over this past quarter of a century. And having the advantage of being a local business person, I want to cast my ballot in this year’s City Council election for Rick Chinn. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, left, is pictured above earlier this month with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade at Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen. Beehan will not seek re-election to Oak Ridge City Council in November.
Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, who has served on the City Council since 2001, will not seek re-election in November.
Beehan said he has been considering whether to run “for some time,” and he announced his decision to not seek re-election on Wednesday. Before making the decision, Beehan said, he wanted to be sure that quality candidates with a vision for the city’s future were ready to run.
“It’s clear that there are candidates who have the vision and ability to serve the community on City Council,” Beehan said in a press release. “I have enjoyed serving Oak Ridge as mayor and as a City Council member, but I think it is time for new leadership to take a fresh look at moving Oak Ridge forward.”
Beehan said he has spent 20 years as an elected official in local government in Oak Ridge and in Covington, Kentucky—before his family moved to Oak Ridge.
“I consider this a retirement from public service as an elected official, but I plan to continue to be engaged in community activities,” Beehan said. [Read more…]
NASHVILLE—The National Federation of Independent Business, Tennessee’s leading small business association, has endorsed incumbent John Ragan of Oak Ridge in the race for the 33rd House District. The endorsement was made by NFIB/Tennessee SAFE (Save America’s Free Enterprise) Trust, which is comprised exclusively of NFIB members.
State primaries are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 7, with early voting beginning July 18 and ending Aug. 2. NFIB expects to announce general election endorsements later this summer. The general election will be held Nov. 4.
“NFIB supports candidates who support small businesses and who are dedicated to protecting our free enterprise system,” said Jim Brown, state director of NFIB/Tennessee. “John Ragan has consistently voted to reduce burdens on small businesses and stood with them time and again in the 108th Tennessee General Assembly.” [Read more…]
To the Editor:
Michael Marsh is a man of integrity who seeks to assist his community in developing new initiatives that will bring about opportunities for economic growth through encouraging small businesses and less taxes due to careful budgeting and spending of existing revenue. The results would mean more money for the citizens and community for their investment into creating more jobs, more affordable housing, and greater protection through service agencies. Michael and his wife, Wanda, have operated a successful and award-winning auto service business in the District 7 for over 25 years. Their positive service and customer satisfaction testify to their loyalty to this district as well as the entire Anderson County.
Michael and Wanda are involved citizens in the community and Oak Ridge Schools and have the largest Wildcat banner in the world over their business. [Read more…]
Chuck Fleischmann at the UCOR Small Business Awards breakfast. (Photo by Lynn Freeny/U.S. Department of Energy)
UCOR presented awards to eight small businesses at its second annual Small Business Awards ceremony at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge.
UCOR is a partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, and it is the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup contractor for the Oak Ridge Reservation. The company works with a variety of small businesses to perform cleanup work. During this fiscal year, 80 percent of subcontracted work, totaling $78.2 million, has gone to small businesses, a press release said.
“Small business has played an integral part in our success,” said Matt Marston, UCOR chief operating officer. “We’ve received excellent support from numerous small businesses. While it is difficult to select just a few to honor, we are pleased to recognize these particular companies who have excelled in their support of our work during the past year.”
The small business award categories and winners are: [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is pictured above.
A free Friday workshop will give small business owners and entrepreneurs a better understanding of how to start a new business.
The workshop is from 11:30 a.m.– 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 30, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The workshop is offered by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Roane State Community College.
Registration is required. To see more details, and to register, please visitwww.roanestate.edu/tsbdc. For questions, contact Jutta Bangs at (865) 483-2668 or jbangs@tsbdc.org.
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center advises and assists entrepreneurs and small business owners at no cost to them.
