Business Insider touts Chattanooga success
Former AOL Chairman Steve Case’s “Rise of the Rest” tour of Chattanooga and 37 other U.S. cities is bringing national acclaim to Chattanooga’s “Gig City” and its promotion of innovation and business startups.
Business Insider writer Richard Feloni, who accompanied Case in his spring tour of entrepreneurial cities, praised Chattanooga for “a promising startup scene that is intimately supported by the city government.” Feloni writes in the current magazine issue that Chattanooga “was reinvigorated by city-operated h High-speed internet and pro-entrepreneur policies.” Case is visiting 37 U.S. cities outside of where most venture capital investments are made in Silicon Valley, New York City and Boston.
“Chattanooga’s startup scene is still in its nascent stage, but so far it’s been an excellent example of what Case and his team envision,” Feloni said.
Phil BarnesBarnes named president of Community National
Phil Barnes, formerly director of wealth management and trust at CapitalMark Bank in Chattanooga, has been named president of Community National Bank in Dayton, Tenn.
Barnes, who has worked for the past four decades in banking in a variety of roles, will oversee all bank operations for Community National and its six offices.
The Rhea County-based bank was started in 1964 as First National County Bank in Spring City and moved its headquarters to Dayton in 1986 after changing its name to Rhea County National Bank. In 2003, the bank was renamed again to Community National Bank and now has more than $218 million in assets and operates offices Soddy Daisy, Dayton and Spring City, Tenn., and in Rossville, Ringgold and Flintstone, Ga.
Community National Bank was acquired in 1982 by George E. Calfee, who also acquired controlling interest in Rossville Bank. Calfee died in 1983 and his widow, Bernice (Calfee) Sale remains as chairman of both banks.
Barnes received a bachelor of Arts from Covenant College, as well as completing graduate school at the University of Virginia’s Colgate Darden School of Business and International Lending.
Dave Seera, CEO of Community National Bank, said Barnes “will excel in leading his team and will make a great addition” to the Dayton bank.
Mesa picked for work at Bellefonte nuke plant
The engineering and construction company of Mesa Associates, Inc. has been selected as the engineering team to help finish the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in Alabama, if developer Franklin L. Haney is able to secure financing and regulatory approval for the project.
SNC Lavalin, the Canadian company picked by Haney to finish the Unit 1 reactor at the Bellefonte plant in Hollywood, Ala., said it has selected Mesa Associations to participate on the engineering, procurement, and construction management of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant, Unit 1.
“To be a part of the world class team that SNC Lavalin has assembled is a great honor and tribute to our past success within the electric power industry,” said Mesa’s executive vice president, Tim Cutshaw.
In addition to on-site staffing, Mesa plans on utilizing personnel from their Madison, Ala. headquarters, as well as their Chattanooga and Knoxville offices to support the project.
Haney has offered to buy the idled Bellefonte nuclear plant for $111 million from the Tennessee Valley Authority and he has until November to finalize his purchase.
Trump courts motorcycle makers
President Donald Trump says the administration is courting motorcycle companies that want to move to the U.S. after Harley-Davidson said it’s moving some assembly overseas.
Harley-Davidson drew Trump’s wrath last week after the manufacturer announced it’s moving production of motorcycles sold in Europe to facilities outside the U.S. The company blamed the decision on tariffs imposed by the European Union to retaliate for tariffs Trump imposed on a host of EU products.
Trump says Tuesday on Twitter that Harley-Davidson customers aren’t happy with the Milwaukee-based company’s announcement. He also notes that sales were down 7 percent in 2017, but a sales drop last year cannot be attributed to Harley-Davidson’s announcement last week.
Trump didn’t name any motorcycle companies. The White House had no immediate comment.