Daniel Dassow

Daniel Dassow is a business reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He earned degrees in English and religious studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2023, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beacon. He previously worked as a tech and energy reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel. He is the youngest of six siblings. Contact him at 423-757-6318 or ddassow@timesfreepress.com.

Contact business reporter Daniel Dassow at ddassow@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

Perimeter Properties buys Motor Wheel site for part of foundries district

by Daniel Dassow ·November 20, 2025

Motor Wheel will move operations a mile away, retain jobs

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Lookouts President Rich Mozingo, left, and Andy Stone, partner at Perimeter Properties, talk during a tour of Erlanger Park on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. The blue Motor Wheel foundry building, which Perimeter Properties has purchased, can be seen behind the brick powerhouse.

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TVA pays extra $260M to 10,900 employees based on 2025 performance

by Daniel Dassow ·November 18, 2025

The Tennessee Valley Authority paid 10,900 current and former employees a total of $260 million in end-of-year payouts that reflect the federal utility's annual performance.

Staff File Photo / Robby Floyd, TVA general manager of the central hydro region, gives a tour of the Chickamauga Dam on Sept. 16, 2025. The Tennessee Valley Authority paid $260 million in performance-based payouts in 2025.

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Former scratch-and-sniff plant on Amnicola back on rental market

by Daniel Dassow ·November 17, 2025

A facility that once produced fragrance and cosmetics samples on Amnicola Highway before Arcade Beauty moved its operations out of Chattanooga is back on the rental market under its new owner, Urban Story Ventures.

Staff photo by Seth Carpenter / A property at 3800 Amincola Highway owned by Urban Story Ventures is available for rent. It was formerly an Arcade Beauty plant.

Tennessee-based app Laborup aims to get Chattanoogans high-paying factory jobs

by Daniel Dassow ·November 15, 2025

An app born and raised in Tennessee that says its users get high-paying jobs in manufacturing faster is pushing into the Chattanooga market after opening offices in Knoxville and Nashville.

Staff File Photo / Blade Smith uses a five-axis mill at the Master Machine production site in Chattanooga on July 30, 2025. Local manufacturers have gotten the attention of Tennessee-based app Laborup, which aims to improve hiring and retention for employers like machine and tool shops using AI.

Novonix prepares to take on China from custom-built Chattanooga factory

by Daniel Dassow ·November 14, 2025

Former Alstom plant gets new life with special furnaces for battery material

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Nonovix Director of Engineering Thomas Rosengren explains how the synthetic graphite will be cooled before packing. Novonix hosted a media tour of its "cutting-edge" Riverside facility, where proprietary furnaces will create synthetic graphite.

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TVA working with data centers to avoid ‘unduly burdening’ ratepayers, CEO says

by Daniel Dassow ·November 14, 2025

Trump stalled some actions with board terminations

The xAI data center is seen Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. The TVA board of directors agreed last November to supply Elon Musk's data center with 150 megawatts of power through Memphis Light, Gas & Water. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Chattanooga Lookouts announce major sponsors with named stadium venues

by Daniel Dassow ·November 14, 2025

The Chattanooga Lookouts unveiled five major sponsors for the team's new $115 million stadium under construction off South Broad Street, and each sponsor will have its name on a venue at the ballpark.

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Jason Freier, Managing Owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts, and Rick McKenney, CEO of Unum, have their photo taken. McKenney was presented a home plate plaque. The Chattanooga Lookouts held the first official event ever at Erlanger Park: the Founding Partners Event, which announced several new long-term partnerships between the Lookouts and local institutions and employers. The event took place on Nov. 14, 2025.

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What did TVA pay executives in 2025? Compensation reflects year of upheaval

by Daniel Dassow ·November 13, 2025

Annual report includes pay for four managers who departed

Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / TVA Chief Nuclear Officer Matt Rasmussen talks during a tour of the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant in Soddy-Daisy on Aug. 26, 2025. Rasmussen officially took on the title in October 2025.

Four Chattanooga area nursing homes included on US best list

by Daniel Dassow ·November 13, 2025

Four Chattanooga area nursing homes were named among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report, including three owned by Cleveland, Tennessee-based Life Care Centers of America.

Staff File Photo / The Life Care Center of Ooltewah was among four nursing homes to be named a best in the nation for 2026 by U.S. News and World Report.

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Nuclear agency recommends approval of TVA small modular reactor

by Daniel Dassow ·November 10, 2025

Staff at the U.S. agency charged with regulating nuclear reactors recommended approval of a construction permit for the Tennessee Valley Authority's first small modular reactor after reviewing its environmental impact.