Business News: Hardwick Clothes names new board

Hardwick Clothes names new board

America's oldest tailor-made clothing maker has a new leadership team -- and a renewed focus on the future.

Hardwick Clothing, Inc., the Cleveland, Tenn.-based company famous for its "Sewn in the South" slogan, announced Tuesday a new board of directors following the purhase of the company in June by Cleveland businessman Allan Jones, who is serving as Hardwick chairman.

Other directors for the company include former Hardwick CEO Thomas Hopper, who is vice chairman; CEO and President Bruce Bellusci, who joined Hardwick after 34 years with Hart Schaffner & Marx; John "Thunder" Thornton, chairman of Thunder Enterprises in Chattanooga; Kenneth Hoffman, former CEO of Hart Schaffner & Marx; and Lynn DeVault, president of Jones Management Services in Cleveland who previously held various management positions with SunTrust Banks, Inc., in Atlanta.

"Every person, from the operators on the sewing floor to the people in the shipping department have a part in creating each garment and the best way to produce top quality is for each of them to take pride in the fact that 'I made that,'"Beullusci said. "To meet our goals, we need the right technology for our people, and Allan Jones is committed to bringing that technology to Hardwick."

More than $1 million worth of new equipment is being installed at the factory, Bellusci said.

Mohawk is top rated on sustainable list

For the fourth consecutive year, Mohawk Industries has been honored as the most sustainable flooring manufacturer in the Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings' annual assessment of the sustainable practices of the region's largest businesses.

Mohawk, the world's largest flooring company, ranked second in sustainability among Georgia-based companies, behind only UPS. To compile the annual rankings, the Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings reviews the practices of publicly-traded companies from an eight-state region.

"All of us take great pride in the steps we are taking to lower our energy and water consumption, to up-cycle our waste stream and to expand the range of our products incorporating recycled content," said Jenny Cross, Mohawk's vice president of sustainability."

Fleischmann leads nuclear caucus

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., will lead the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus in Congress. He succeeds Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., as the leader of the group of lawmakers who have Department of Energy cleanup sites in their districts.

"It is an absolute necessity that we ensure the success of our nuclear cleanup missions, not only in East Tennessee, but at all cleanup sites throughout our nation," Fleischmann said in a statement Tuesday. "I am excited to lead this bipartisan group of legislators from across the country and look forward to the work ahead."

Mark Whitney, the acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management, praised Fleischmann's passion and understanding of nuclear waste cleanup.

"His deep understanding of the Office of Environmental Management's mission and challenges make him an effective advocate as he leads the Cleanup Caucus into the future," Whitney said.

Areva staff cuts spare Chattanooga

Areva Inc. is cutting 45 positions in its North American operations, but none of the job cuts are coming in the company's 11-person Chattanooga office, company officials said.

The cuts were announced to employees last week after the French-based nuclear fuel maker offered incentives to trim its staff in the wake of weak earnings in the first half of 2015.

"Like any company, Areva must adapt to the market in which it operates," company spokeswomanDenise Woernle said in s statement Tuesday. "This includes making adjustments to the workforce as needed to adjust to customer demands."

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