NOTE: The following release was sent from PODS, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

Volunteers Portable Moving & Storage, LLC, the local franchise of PODS® (Portable on Demand Storage) in Knoxville, Tennessee, has announced an expansion into a new 41,000-square-foot building at 10155 Gallows Point Drive in Knoxville.

The Brelsford family developed the new building in the Westbridge Business Park, which is only one mile east of the intersection of Pellissippi Parkway and Hardin Valley Road. The Brelsford family owns the building and is leasing it to PODS. New capital investment for the project was approximately $2.2 million, including the value of the land.

"This is great news and is an example of how a well run company can grow here in the Knoxville region," said Mike Edwards, the Knoxville Chamber's President and CEO. "PODS has filled a need in the marketplace and has really worked hard to make the best of it. That's a good job well done."

The local PODS franchise serves 13-counties in the greater Knoxville area and the new Storage Center provides a central location for its customers to access their PODS® brand containers that are being stored in the new building. The new Storage Center is climate controlled with heating, air conditioning and humidity control, and also has sophisticated security and fire repression systems.

“We are pleased with the growth we have experienced in Knoxville since launching service here in 2005 and excited about our customers being able to store their possessions in such a safe and secure building” said Scott Rhodes, a managing partners of the PODS Knoxville franchise.

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC (LBMC), one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms, has added Amy R. Sharp in its Knoxville office.

Amy Sharp has joined the accounting firm in a staff position in the tax division. She is a recent graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA with a concentration in accounting. Amy is working toward her CPA and enjoys playing tennis and scrapbooking in her spare time.

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC, and The LBMC Family of Companies has more than 400 employees, with offices in Chattanooga, Nashville (Brentwood), and Knoxville, Tenn. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC has expanded its focus to meet a broad range of financial, human resources and technology needs for its diverse client base. Specific services offered by the LBMC “Family of Companies” include: accounting assurance services, business and personal tax consulting, investment advisory services, professional staffing, human resources outsourcing, payroll services, technology solutions, healthcare consulting, planning services, litigation support, business valuations, and mergers and acquisitions. For more information on LBMC, visit its Web site at www.lbmc.com.

NOTE The following was sent from the Knoxville American Heart Association.

Four area businesses have been recognized by the American Heart Association’s Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program for promoting physical activity and health in the workplace. These include ImagePoint, Inc, Radio Systems Corporation and Clayton Homes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, currently recognized as a Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company, was the first recognized in East Tennessee.

“These companies should be applauded,” said Joan Lawson, ORNL Wellness Program Manager. “They have made big strides in an area critical to their overall health. I know that these companies will soon begin seeing the positive outcome by having more healthy employees, which is a win-win.”

A special advertising section in the Oct. 27, 2008 issue of Forbes magazine will include a list of the 944 companies across the nation participating in Start!

Adult Americans spend the majority of their waking hours at work, many in sedentary careers — amplifying the risk for medical problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity alone costs American businesses $12.7 billion in medical expenses and $225.8 billion in health-related productivity losses per year.

“Time constraints and job responsibilities are employees’ biggest obstacles to exercising. That’s why the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies program encourages employers to allow employees to walk while at work,” said Joe Landsman, President and CEO of The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville and chairman of the Greater Knoxville Start! Heart Walk scheduled November 15 at Market Square.

“Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. Furthermore, studies suggest that implementing a worksite physical activity program and promoting this culture will help companies increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower turnover and reduce hard costs. Research shows that employers can save $16 for every $1 spent on health and wellness programs.”

Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program participants implement various options to encourage physical activity, nutrition and culture enhancements such as on-site walking routes, healthy food options in cafeterias and vending machines, annual employee health risk assessments and online tracking tools.

Companies interested in joining the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program should contact the Knoxville American Heart Association office at (212) 6500 or visit www.americanheart.org/start to download an application. Applications are due in January for review by a volunteer expert panel. The panel consists of seven physicians, all of whom are American Heart Association volunteers.

Start! is sponsored nationally by SUBWAY® restaurants, Healthy Choice® and AstraZeneca, For more information about the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program, visit heart.org/start.

NOTE: The following was sent from the University of Tennessee, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

"Can Women Really Have It All?" is just one topic that will be explored during a conference at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on Oct. 2 for business women and students interested in starting careers.

"Women in Retailing and Hospitality Leadership Conference" will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the University Center. There will be 11 speakers, including women executives from several large corporations and a panel discussion during the day.

The UT Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management is planning the conference, but the topics have relevance to working women in all fields. Topics include leadership traits, career management and overcoming barriers. Men also are invited to attend.

"These are the same issues women face across all industries," said Wanda Costen, assistant professor in the hotel, restaurant and tourism program. "We hope this conference appeals to all women whether they are students, women just entering the workforce or mid-stage career women."

Conference speakers include:

• Nancy Rutherford, professor and department head in retail, hospitality and tourism management
• Susan Martin, UT provost and vice chancellor
• Bob Rider, dean and professor, UT College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
• Ann G. Bordelon, senior vice president, chief audit executive, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
• Celia M. Swanson, senior vice president, change management, Wal-Mart Stores, USA
• Anneli Adams, executive director, Center for Academic and Professional Excellence and International Development, College of Southern Nevada
• Stephanie Turner, Atlanta Division key retailing manager, Kroger
• Mitzi Short, vice president of multicultural marketing and strategic initiatives, Pepsi Cola North America
• Merilyn Mangum, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, Peabody Hotel Group
• Roxanne Flanagan, operations vice president, Walgreens
• Pam Inman, executive vice president and COO, American Hotel and Lodging Association

To see a complete schedule and to register, please visit http://web.utk.edu/HRL08 . For more information, call the RHTM office at (865) 974-2141.

The final deadline for registration is Friday, Sept. 26.

The cost of the conference is $50 for all day, including lunch. If you register before Friday, Sept. 26, the cost is only $40, including lunch. The cost to attend the morning sessions with no lunch is $30.

The conference is free for students with a $10 charge for an optional lunch.

NOTE: This release is from Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain (LBMC), a Knoxville Chamber member business.

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC (LBMC), one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms, has added Thomas Ingle to its information technology department in the Knoxville office.

Thomas Ingle was previously a data analyst with EMBARQ Corporation and an IS Analyst for XOS Technologies. In his new role, Thomas will assist employees in the Knoxville office in resolving user, machine and network issues. Ingle is a certified web designer and web programmer and holds numerous Microsoft certifications.

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC, and Affiliates has more than 400 employees, with offices in Nashville (Brentwood), Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tenn. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC has expanded its focus to meet a broad range of financial, human resources and technology needs for its diverse client base. Specific services offered by the LBMC “Family of Companies” include: accounting assurance services, business and personal tax consulting, investment advisory services, professional staffing, human resources outsourcing, payroll services, technology solutions, healthcare consulting, planning services, litigation support, business valuations, and mergers and acquisitions. For more information on LBMC, visit its Web site at www.lbmc.com.

The following release was sent from the Fort Loudoun Lake Association, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

Saturday, September 27th from 10am*—3pm
*Registration and shuttle services between 9:00—9:45am

Paddle from Ned McWherter Park to Sequoyah Hills Park

The Fort Loudoun Lake Association (FLLA) is hosting a Paddle for Clean Water aimed at raising awareness of our valuable resource, Fort Loudoun Lake. All non-motorized boats are welcome!

The cost is $30 per person for pre pre-registration and $35 the day of the event event. There are a limited number of boats available. If you require a boat, you must pre pre-register.

After-paddle activities will take place at Sequoyah Hills Park and will include bands, booths and displays of local groups promoting water quality in East Tennessee, snacks provided by Earth Fare, and more!

FLLA TO PROVIDE:
• Canoes & Kayaks
• Shuttle from Sequoyah Hills Park to boat ramp at Ned McWherter Park
• Snacks, Drinks & Goodie Bags
• Band & Water Quality Display booths to welcome paddlers to Sequoyah Hills Park
• Event T-shirts

PLEASE BRING:
• Boat(s) and life vest(s) if you have your own equipment
• Sunscreen or rain jackets, depending on the weather
• registration fee if you have not already pre-registered

TO PRE-REGISTER:
Send a check payable to the Fort Loudoun Lake Association with “Paddle” in the memo line to:
Fort Loudoun Lake Association
956 Volunteer Landing Lane
Knoxville, TN 37915
We will send you a confirmation receipt.

NOTE: The following release was sent from LMSPI, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

Lean Manufacturing Solutions Partnership, Inc. (LMSPI), a Lean Manufacturing Implementation Resource, has launched www.Lean-Results.com.

The new website is a complement to their corporate website and is focused on providing concise information about their experience implementing manufacturing improvement.

“In order to start a dialogue with manufacturing leaders seeking improvement, you have to prove you can produce results,” says Jason Manarchuck, LMSPI’s Director of New Business Development. “Failed Lean implementations are common, and the goal of this website is to suggest an alternative approach and support it with real case studies and with real results.”

The website provides access to publications on Lean, as well as a way to coordinate a plant visit from LMSPI. These visits are attended by a member of LMSPI’s leadership team for the purpose of discussing top business challenges, understanding the current condition through direct observation on the production floor and presenting recommendations for accelerating manufacturing improvements important to overall business success.

LMSPI is a Lean Enterprise Resource passionately focused on their mission to save manufacturing in North America. Established in 2005, LMSPI is headquartered in Knoxville, TN with a regional office in Greenville, SC. LMSPI is currently scheduling no-cost, on site introduction meetings with manufacturing executives in the Upstate for the second half of 2008. For an introduction or to contact LMSPI, please visit www.Lean-Results.com. For corporate information and team background, you are invited to visit www.LMSPI.com.

Note: This release was sent from McKibbon Hotels, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

McKibbon Hotel Management, Inc., based in Tampa, Florida, is pleased to announce that Melanie Cooper has joined the company’s Knoxville cluster sales team as a Sales and Service Coordinator, Special Events Segment at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Knoxville West at Turkey Creek; the Courtyard by Marriott Knoxville Cedar Bluff; the Residence Inn by Marriott Knoxville Cedar Bluff; the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Knoxville at Turkey Creek; and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Knoxville Cedar Bluff. In her new role, Melanie will handle special events, including weddings, family reunions, church groups and motorcoach tours.

Melanie studied Media Communications at Jimmy Swaggart Bible College, and was valedictorian of her high school graduating class. She previously worked as a financial assistant with Faith Promise Church in Knoxville.

NOTE: The following was sent from the State of Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue and the University of Tennessee - Knoxville will co-sponsor the annual 2008 Tennessee Business Tax Seminar on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UT Conference Center, located at 600 Henley Street, Suite 400, Knoxville, Tenn., 37902.

This seminar is designed to provide current, in-depth information on Tennessee tax issues. State tax specialists will present recent developments in legislation and discuss various tax types and exemptions including business, sales and use, gift and inheritance, individual income and tangible personal property. A breakout session allows attendees the choice to learn about unemployment tax and unclaimed property or franchise and excise taxes.

Individuals who attend the seminar will be provided with comprehensive materials covering these topics and will have the opportunity to ask questions. Continuing Professional Education (CPE), Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits may be obtained for these sessions through the sponsoring university. Each seminar has a registration fee. Please visit www.utconferences.com to register and confirm the cost of participating.

Seminars are also offered in Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Cookeville, Clarksville and Johnson City. For more information, please visit www.Tennessee.gov/revenue or call the Tennessee Department of Revenue at (615) 253-0600.

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws established by the legislature and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department of Revenue collects approximately 92 percent of total state tax revenue. During the 2006-2007 fiscal year, the department collected $11 billion in state taxes and fees. In addition to collecting state taxes, $1.9 billion of local sales tax was collected by the department for local governments during the 2006-2007 fiscal year. Besides collecting taxes, the department enforces the revenue laws fairly and impartially in an effort to encourage voluntary taxpayer compliance. The department also apportions revenue collections for distribution to the various state funds and local units of government. To learn more about the department, log on to www.Tennessee.gov/revenue.