Business Briefs: Nominations open for 2018 Spirit of Innovation Award

Chris Cummings, founder and CEO of Pass It Down, receives the Startup Award at the Spirit of Innovation Awards luncheon Friday at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Chris Cummings, founder and CEO of Pass It Down, receives the Startup Award at the Spirit of Innovation Awards luncheon Friday at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Nominations open for innovation award

Nominations are open for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's 2018 Spirit of Innovation Award that recognizes innovative businesses with more than $50,000 of revenue to date.

The award honors businesses that originated in the region and have potential to impact many people and inspire change either within one industry or across a broader spectrum.

Self-nominations are accepted. Go to www.chattanoogachamber.com.

The Spirit of Innovation Award luncheon will be Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the Convention Center. An Innovation Fair will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. for networking and brand exposure.

Hunt & Burrow antique shop closes

Two years after opening the antique and mercantile showroom known as Hunt & Burrow in East Brainerd, Britt & Deveuu Mishow closed the business over the weekend.

The 12,000-square-foot store at 7443 Commons Boulevard featured more than 40 dealer booths with antiques, re-purposed items, home goods, decor, signage, yard art, fine art and other collectible items.

Hunt & Burrow closed the business Saturday and store owners did not return telephone calls on Monday.

Tennessee governor calls VW "our brand"

On the 10th anniversary of Volkswagen's decision to build its only U.S. assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam Monday called the VW brand "our brand" after the German auto maker invested $2.3 billion and created more than 3,500 jobs in the Volunteer State over the past decade.

"Your brand has become our brand, and while you are making world-class vehicles in Chattanooga, you might not know it, but you are actually helping build Tennessee, as well," Haslam said in a message to Volkswagen employees in Chattanooga.

Volkswagen has assembled nearly 800,000 Passat and Atlas vehicles over the past decade at its Chattanooga plant, the first LEED Platinum certified automotive factory in the world.

"Volkswagen Chattanooga's success is important to the overall strategy of the Volkswagen Group," Antonio Pinto, president and CEO of Volkswagen Chattanooga, said in a statement.

State, local and federal governments invested more than $818 million in infrastructure, training and other assistance to lure VW to Chattanooga and promote its expansion. But Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppnger said "Volkswagen's impact on Hamilton County has been remarkable," noting the car company has paid nearly $4.6 million in payments in lieu of taxes to the Hamilton County Department of Education despite its exemption from most local property taxes.

FCC head questions Sinclair-Tribune deal

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is raising "serious concerns" about Sinclair's $3.9 billion deal for Tribune's television stations.

Sinclair wants to buy Tribune Media and its 42 TV stations, including KTLA in Los Angeles and WPIX in New York. To address potential antitrust concerns, Sinclair has said it would sell stations to several buyers.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says Sinclair might still be able to operate the stations "in practice, even if not in name." One potential buyer is the Cunningham Group, which has ties to Sinclair's founding family.

Pai is ordering a hearing on Sinclair's proposed acquisition of Tribune. Even ordering a hearing could stop a potential deal. The last deal an FCC hearing blocked was a 2002 merger of satellite TV companies DirecTV and Echostar.

Cummings to speak at Bunker Brews

Chris Cummings, founder and chief executive officer of the digital storytelling platform Pass It Down, will speak at the Bunker Brews Chattanooga meeting on Monday, July 23.

He will speak at the Brew Market & Beer Garden, 1510 Riverside Dr., at 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Bunker Brews is sponsored by Bunker Labs, a national non-profit that helps military veterans start and grow businesses.

Chris Calhoun, owner of the Brew Market and a retired U.S. Marine Corps sergeant major, will offer a special beer, Bombshell Bunker Blonde, brewed for the meeting.

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