NOTE: This release was sent by representatives for Asset Planning Corporation, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

Asset Planning Corporation, a wealth management company, has been listed in two prestigious national publications Wealth Manager Magazine’s “2008 Top Dogs” list and Financial Advisors magazine’s Registered Investment Advisors (RIA) best list. Both include top advisory firms across the U.S.

Wealth Manager Magazine’s 8th annual “Top Dog” rankings, printed in the July/August issue, recognized Asset Planning Corporation (one of 478 national firms) for the sixth year in a row. To be eligible for the Top Wealth Manager ranking, companies must be registered investment advisors, report more than $50 million in assets under advisement, have predominantly individual clients and offer financial‐planning services. Wealth Manager ranks each firm by the size of their average client relationship, not by the firm’s size or billings. Survey respondents did not include banks, broker/dealers or trust companies.

Additionally, Financial Advisors’ July issue listed Asset Planning Corporation in its Third Annual rankings. Surveying 384 firms, Financial Advisors ranked financial advisor firms according to “top‐quality people, a client‐centric culture, professionalism, a strong brand and an attractive market. Increasingly, there’s another factor that needs to go at or near the top of that list: an effective growth strategy.” Eligibility for Financial Advisors survey included firms with $75 million in assets or more and rated firms based on firm characteristics, client assets and relationships, revenue sources, investment vehicles, strategic initiatives and service menus.

Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Asset Planning Corporation has been providing financial planning and total wealth management in the areas of personal finance or more than three decades. Its president, Paul K. Fain, III, CFP®, is a weekly financial commentator for NBC television’s Knoxville’s affiliate, WBIR. He also contributes a monthly column in the business section of the Knoxville News‐Sentinel. Paul frequently conducts corporate workshops on the fundamentals of cash management, planning for retirement, and investment strategies. He is also a popular keynote speaker for local and national conferences and corporate retreats.

NOTE: This release was sent from Personal Computer Systems, Inc., a Knoxville Chamber member business.

Personal Computer Systems, Inc. (PCS) announced today that they have invested in a new division dedicated to providing Apple Authorized Repair Services.

“A great many customers have approached us looking for warranty and non-warranty repair services on their Apple products,” stated Trace Thompson, Repair Supervisor for PCS. “We have partnered with several Tier I manufacturers to provide these services, and Apple was a logical addition to address our customers’ needs. This definitely fills a void in the East Tennessee market”

PCS provides repair services on many IT related products, including Apple, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, Lexmark, Okidata, Toshiba, and many others. As well, the company offers several other types of service including network planning and troubleshooting services, telephone support, and many others.
Customers who wish to schedule service with PCS may email service@pcsknox.com, visit the company’s web site at www.pcsknox.com, or call 865-273-1960.

Founded in 1996, Personal Computer Systems, Inc. is one of the largest technology providers and computer systems builders in the Southeast, providing products to a wide array of corporations, educational and governmental agencies, and resellers. PCS was recognized in 2007 by Computer Reseller News as the 20th-largest computer systems builder in the United States, and is a Microsoft Platinum OEM Partner and a Premier Member of the Intel Channel Partner Program. PCS is committed to operating in a highly ethical manner and providing superior quality and service to its customers while maintaining competitiveness and creating a secure, satisfying environment for each of its employees. For more information, call 865.273.1960 or visit www.pcsknox.com.

NOTE: The following is from AESSEAL, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

AESSEAL Inc. is moving from its current West Knoxville location to a larger facility in Rockford, TN. AESSEAL Inc. is the North American Headquarters for the AESSEAL plc. group of companies.

Based in Northern England, AESSEAL is one of the leading global specialists in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals, support systems and bearing seals. With operations on six continents, AESSEAL is the world’s 4th largest supplier of mechanical seals. Mechanical seals are used in pumps and rotating equipment to prevent liquids and gases from escaping into the environment.

The company has been in Knoxville since 1992. They needed a larger facility to house its growing US business and found a 36,000 square foot building in the Stock Creek Development in Blount County. AESSEAL’s $5 million total investment includes the construction of 10,000 square feet of additional office space and a state of the art training facility. The building’s size will double their current square footage and will allow the space to further expand the business.

AESSEAL partnered with Hodge Associates, a Knoxville-based design firm, and Richardson-Turner Construction to bring the project from vision to reality.

AESSEAL is scheduled to move in August 2008.

HOK Smith Forkner, Fairgrounds Planners and Architects based in Knoxville, Tennessee, recently began the master plan for the relocation and expansion of the Uinta County Fairgrounds Complex located in Evanston, Wyoming.

Shown left to right are Charlie Smith, Principal and Senior Architect with HOK Smith Forkner, Dell Atkinson, Uinta County Director of Economic Development, Wade Lowry, Fairgrounds Supervisor and David Forkner, Principal and Senior Architect of HOK Smith Forkner.

NOTE: This release was sent by New Horizons of Knoxville, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

Joanna McCormick has recently joined New Horizons of Knoxville as Instructor, responsible for delivering instructor-led Microsoft and Adobe classroom computer training.

McCormick brings with her more than 5 years of IT experience. Prior to joining New Horizons of Knoxville she was Project Coordinator and Executive Assistant for Healthcare 21 Business Coalition for 3 years, and proved to be a valuable asset. She was responsible for all IT logistics of the organization including hardware and software maintenance, networking, database and website development.

Joanna shares New Horizons of Knoxville's commitment to efficient learning through high technology and stellar customer service," said Glenn Frazier, Owner/GM of New Horizons of Knoxville. She is exactly the type of Instructor we are seeking as we continue to grow the company and increase our presence in the community.

To find out more about the training courses and certifications offered by New Horizons, contact your local New Horizons center or visit us at www.nhknoxville.com.

Since 1979 New Horizons Computer Learning Center has been part of the Knoxville Community helping thousands of people each year start, change to, or enhance their careers in Information Technology. In the past year we conducted over 80,000 training hours for over 4,700 students at New Horizons Knoxville. In addition to working with both traditional and non-traditional students, we serve a diverse roster of corporate and government clients including Sprint, ORNL, University of Tennessee, ORISE, HGTV, Pilot Corporation, Denso, Tennessee State Government, Goody's Family Clothing and Baptist Health System. We work closely with many different educational training programs including the GI Bill, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and Vocational Rehabilitation. New Horizons is a member of The Knox Area Chamber Partnership and the West Knox Chamber of Commerce.

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

Holly R. Gibson joined the accounting firm in an administrative assistant position with LBMC. Holly, previously office manager with Gibson Court Reporting, attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville. In her new role, Holly will be assisting with tax processing and various other tasks related to the administrative needs of the accounting firm. She is a volunteer for the Salvation Army, and enjoys reading, knitting and spending time with her family.

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.

LBMC Technologies, LLC, a member of the LBMC (Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC) Family of Companies, is pleased to announce that Stephanie Rathburn has been added to its Knoxville office.

Stephanie Rathburn will be a business systems consultant in the Knoxville office focusing primarily on Microsoft Dynamics GP. A resident of Oak Ridge, Stephanie previously served as purchasing manager for Direct IS. She is an honors graduate of Tusculum College with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management.

LBMC Technologies, LLC, is the Southeast’s leading technology firm, with offices in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. LBMC Technologies provides a variety of products and services including Network Engineering, Business Systems (Microsoft Dynamics GP and SL,) Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Software Development, Document Management, Business Intelligence, Project Management, Business Analysis Services, and Training. LBMC Technologies is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and has the only Microsoft Dynamics certified training center in Tennessee. For more information on LBMC Technologies, visit our Web site at www.lbmctech.com/ .

NOTE: The following release was sent from Wood Properties, Inc., a Knoxville Chamber member business.

George W. Brown recently joined Wood Properties, Inc.’s commercial brokerage team as an affiliate broker. Mr. Brown, a Maryville native and University of Tennessee graduate, is returning to East Tennessee after spending 5 years in New York City.

In New York, Mr. Brown sold commercial real estate for Massey Knakal Realty Services, the city’s No. 1 building sales firm (by number of transactions). In less than two years with the firm, he closed several deals with an aggregate value exceeding $10 million. Properties sold included development sites, retail properties and warehouse/garage buildings.

Prior to joining Massey Knakal, Mr. Brown was a media relations manager for CB Richard Ellis. Before entering real estate, he was a public relations professional with Dye Van Mol & Lawrence in Nashville and later with Fleishman-Hillard International Communications in New York.

Mr. Brown obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from UT, where he majored in public relations, minored in political science and finished summa cum laude. While at UT, he worked several internships, including those at UT’s Daily Beacon, TVA, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson’s Knoxville and Washington D.C. offices, and The Ingram Group.

Mr. Brown lives in Farragut with his wife and son.

Since 1976, Wood Properties has been one of the area’s leading providers of commercial real estate services. Wood Properties provides brokerage services, acting as agent for sellers/landlords and buyers/tenants; management services, of both commercial and multi-family properties; and development services.

NOTE: This release was sent from the City of Knoxville.

Groundbreaking for the $29 million Knoxville Station Transit Center took place June 9th and the primary contractor for the transit center, Johnson & Galyon, is wasting no time in alerting interested contractors of bidding opportunities.

Johnson & Galyon and the City of Knoxville will host a networking breakfast at 7:30 a.m., Thursday July 31, at the Associated General Contractors Building at 3309 Ragsdale Avenue.

Johnson & Galyon is encouraging all interested parties to attend including those involved in women and minority-owned businesses.

The new 108,000-square-foot transit center will be located at the corner of Church Avenue and Hall of Fame Blvd. and will feature a bus platform extending across James White Parkway.

The building will be LEED-certified meaning it will use less energy and be constructed using sustainable building practices.

The Knoxville Area Transit System currently carries passengers on roughly 3.6 million trips a year and that number is expected to grow.

Please make plans to attend this event which will offer numerous opportunities to local businesses.

You may RSVP for the breakfast by emailing Joshalyn Hundley at jhundley@cityofknoxville.org or by telephone at 215-3867.

NOTE: This release was sent by Ivan Allen Workspace, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

As many of you may know, two of the primary furniture lines we represent, ALLSTEEL and HON, are located in Muscatine, Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi River. This is one of the regions that has been, and continues to be, greatly affected by the historic flooding that has occurred over the past month. This got us thinking, how can we help?

We have developed a promotion we feel is a Win-Win Situation for everyone. Starting July 1st through August 31st we are offering great discounts on Allsteel and HON Products. Purchase any Allsteel or HON products at 50% of list price, and Ivan Allen will make a donation to the American Red Cross in your name for 2% of the total list value.
As an example, if you purchase a HON 10500 series “U” Configuration Desk , the list price is $2,552.00, your price is $1,276.00 and a donation of $51.04 will be made to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund in your name.
How is this a Win-Win?

• You get new furnishings for your office, helping to better your working environment.
• The Economic Stimulus plan passed by congress will allow you to fully depreciate capital improvements made during 2008.
• Your purchase helps support and stimulates our local economy here in Knoxville.
• These items are made in Muscatine, IA helping to support there economy and the overall US economy by purchasing American made products.
• You’re making a direct impact by helping the American Red Cross provide aid where it is needed most.
• Additionally you get quality products and quality service at a great price that you can only get from Ivan Allen Workspace.

The pricing does not include applicable taxes, delivery or installation. Contract discounts are available for larger orders but are not included in this offer.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly at 865.982.3261 ext 7612 or contact your account representative for more information.