Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) articles from August 2001

Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) archives from August 2001

Chattanooga, Tenn., Chamber Leadership Changes.
August 1, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 1--For the second time in about three years, the top leadership at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is changing. Jim Kennedy, who has headed the business group and its economic development efforts since...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Chamber of Commerce Evaluates Community Role.
August 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 2--Despite the departure of its chief executive, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce expects to keep its economic development role, says the business group's chairman. But, some officials say it's time to...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Business Community Seeks Economic Development Leader.
August 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 2--The state's top industrial recruiter has talked to Chattanooga business leaders about the type of person needed to oversee the city's job growth efforts. Alex Fischer, who heads the state Department of...

Financial Executive Discusses Current State of U.S. Economy.
August 2, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 2--The economy's current slump reminds the chairman and CEO of Raymond James Financial of the bad old days of the mid-1970s. "Markets are cyclical," said Thomas A. James, due in Chattanooga today to speak at...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Hospital Changes Names, Keeps Focus.
August 2, 2001... Byline: Carolyne Park Aug. 2--Three months after its parent company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and changed its name, things are "business as usual" at Kindred Hospital Chattanooga. Employees at the hospital, formerly Vencor...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Auto Guru Buys Another Dealership.
August 3, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 3--It's now a half-dozen dealerships -- and counting -- for Joe Prebul. Mr. Prebul said Friday that his Prebul Auto Group has bought Chattanooga's Infiniti and Volvo dealerships from Charlotte, N.C.-based...

Steel Company Almost Finished with Expansion of Chattanooga, Tenn., Center.
August 5, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 5--O'Neal Steel has finished the largest expansion to its Chattanooga service center in three decades to meet existing business and position the plant when the sluggish economy fires back up. "I'm looking for the...

TVA Official Comments on Developer's Plan To Restart Nuclear Reactor.
August 7, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 7--The Tennessee Valley Authority official who heard Chattanooga developer Franklin Haney's plan to finance a restart of the long-dormant Unit 1 reactor at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant said Monday that it "has...

Home Depot Considers Chattanooga, Tenn., Site for Store.
August 8, 2001... Aug. 8--Home Depot is eyeing a site at Lee Highway and I-75 for a new store, but it's questionable whether the owner, Hamilton County government, will want to sell. The county has targeted its 40 acres on Jenkins Road near the U.S. Xpress...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Site Considered for Foreign Trade Zone Status.
August 8, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 8--The Volunteer Site is being eyed as a potential location for foreign trade zone status to enhance the economic appeal of the huge business park. "With 940 acres ready to be developed, we need to have every...

Cleveland, Tenn.-Based Multimedia Company Sells for $8.5 Million.
August 9, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 9--For Corporate Media Group, a setback in 1999 set the stage for success in 2001. The privately held Cleveland, Tenn.-based multimedia company has been purchased by Americana Publishing Co., a public company...

Cloud Hangs over Former Tennessee Valley Authority Chief, Developer Connection.
August 9, 2001... Aug. 9--Franklin L. Haney has leased offices, warehouses and parking garages to the Tennessee Valley Authority for nearly three decades. But when the Chattanooga developer was putting together his latest and biggest pitch to TVA -- a $1.3...

Hamilton County, Tenn.'s Economic Development Spending Is Among Tops Statewide.
August 10, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 10--Public spending on economic development in Hamilton County ranks near the top statewide, but new job creation in Chattanooga lags Tennessee's other metro areas, state figures showed. Only Memphis-Shelby...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Hotel to Reopen after Electrical Fire.
August 10, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 10--General managers of hotels don't normally do housekeeping, but it hasn't been a normal couple of weeks for Robyn Fuller. She runs Chattanooga's 200-room Clarion Hotel, which reopens today after having...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Retailers Hope for Boost from Back-to-School Shopping.
August 10, 2001... Byline: Edward B. Colby Aug. 10--It's Christmas in August for area retailers, who are busily restocking shelves as the back-to-school shopping season kicks into high gear. Tara Lewis, a Copy Center associate at the Hamilton Place...

Despite Earnings Warning, Cigna Continues to Grow in Chattanooga, Tenn.
August 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 11--Rising medical costs may be hurting the financial health of Cigna Corp., but the insurance giant continues to make healthy gains in Chattanooga. Cigna is moving 140 employees this weekend into Warehouse...

Chain Restaurant Ready to Bring Grilled Meats to Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Homes.
August 11, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Aug. 11--Scott Hooper is ready to take the steaks, pork chops and chicken and salmon filets off the grill and deliver them to area homes. Mr. Hooper is introducing a new chain restaurant, Off The Grill, to the...

Tax Rates in Hamilton County, Tenn., to Be Rolled Back.
August 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 11--Hamilton County tax rates will be rolled back an average 13 percent to offset the increase in property values over the past four years. But most taxpayers may still end up paying more in property taxes...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport Official Promises Effort to Increase Traffic.
August 14, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 14--Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport's new president focused on the issue of air service Monday, promising a concerted effort to increase flights. "We want to give more and more options," said Mark VanLoh, a...

Dealers Await Finalization of Chattanooga, Tenn., Harley-Davidson Sale.
August 14, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 14--Phil Steel may literally ride off into the sunset later this month when the sale of his Chattanooga Harley-Davidson dealership becomes final. "We can get back to riding," said Brooke Steel, sales manager...

Dominion Energy Muscles In with Planned Plants in TVA Territory.
August 14, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 14--TVA has lit up the Tennessee Valley with its own power plants for over 68 years. But in coming years, electricity in the Valley may flow from some new power sources. Dominion Energy, a Richmond,...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Chamber of Commerce to Move Ahead on Search for New Leader.
August 15, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 15--The search for a new head at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is expected to hit the front burner soon, and an official said that business-recruiting efforts will also quicken. "I want to pick up the...

Dalton, Ga.-Based Carpet Maker Converts Plant to Enter Laminate Market.
August 15, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 15--Long a force in the carpet industry, Shaw Industries is taking a harder look at a different kind of floor covering. The Dalton, Ga.-based company is moving into hard-surface flooring with the conversion of...

Energy Needs Generate Interest in TVA's Idle Nuclear Power Plants in Alabama.
August 15, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 15--For the past decade and a half, TVA's oldest and newest nuclear reactors have sat idle -- the costly victims of an overly ambitious nuclear program which left the federal utility deep in debt. But buoyed...

Owners of Historic Hotel in Chattanooga, Tenn., Consider Purchase Offers.
August 16, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 16--The owners of Chattanooga's Radisson Read House have a couple of offers on the table for the historic property, but they haven't settled on a buyer yet. "One is close to what we need. It's not over until...

Dry Storage of Nuclear Wastes Planned at Athens, Ala., Nuclear Plant.
August 16, 2001... Aug. 16--The mounting pile of radioactive leftovers will soon have a new home at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority are expected next week to approve a $19.5 million addition to a contract to develop...

First Woman to Retire from Pipe, Foundry Firm Is Honored in Chattanooga, Tenn.
August 16, 2001... Byline: Edward B. Colby Aug. 16--Pearlie Mae Wofford's work is done. After nearly 17 years at the U.S. Pipe & Foundry Co., Mrs. Wofford, 62, retired from her job as a cement finisher Aug. 1. Earlier this week, she was honored at a...

Atlanta Company Offers to Buy Textile Plant in Cleveland, Tenn.
August 16, 2001... Byline: Randall Higgins Aug. 16--CLEVELAND, Tenn.--An Atlanta company has offered to purchase a textile plant here, which would save about 160 jobs, officials said. United Knitting is asking local government to eliminate an obstacle...

Ceiling Fan Deal Brings 30 New Jobs to Chattanooga, Tenn.
August 17, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 17--About 30 new jobs will breeze into Chattanooga late this month, the result of a deal between Gemline and Memphis-based Hunter Fan Co. Gemline, which makes parts for the appliance repair market at its...

Tennessee Agency Reports Decrease in State's Manufacturing Jobs.
August 17, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 17--Some economists feel the worst of the nation's manufacturing slump may be over, but Dr. Matt Murray isn't so sure. The state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday that there...

Pollution-Reducing Equipment Maker to Expand Cleveland, Tenn., Plant.
August 17, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 17--Cormetech Inc., which designs and makes pollution-reducing equipment for electricity-producing plants powered by coal, oil and gas, is expanding its Cleveland, Tenn., facility. The $16 million expansion...

Ringgold, Ga., Carpet Manufacturer Is Looking for Investors.
August 18, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 18--For the second time in five years, a Ringgold, Ga., carpet machine manufacturer is trying to stitch together a new financing plan under the protection of the federal bankruptcy court. Tapistron...

Study Indicates Tennessee Wages Are Falling Behind National Wages.
August 18, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 18--After narrowing its historic pay gap with the rest of the nation during the 1970s and 1980s, Tennessee wages are again falling behind, a new government study indicates. But in neighboring Georgia, the...

Eugene, Ore., Car Wash Experiences A Bad Month.
August 20, 2001... Aug. 20--In July the East Ridge Car Wash experienced its worst month financially since Jim Grant opened the business in 1982. "We are off a good solid 20 percent," said Chuck Grant, Mr. Grant's son. "We were down $7,800 in July from a year...

Us Airways May Cease Use of Big Jets at Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport.
August 21, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 21--Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport officials said Monday the last of the big jets could be leaving the city. US Airways, with three roundtrips daily between Chattanooga and Charlotte on 97-seat jets, is...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Repair Business May Make List of Superfund Cleanup Sites.
August 22, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 22--A decade and a half after removing oil-contaminated soil from its site, a Chattanooga repair business is still struggling with how to remove toxic chemicals from its plant. State regulators plan to ask...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Mayor Proposes Property Tax Increase.
August 22, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 22--Whether or not Mayor Bob Corker pays a political price for raising city taxes, businessman Bob Corker will. As the owner of one of Chattanooga's biggest land companies and one of the city's largest...

Transit Systems Report Problems with Advanced Vehicle Systems Buses.
August 23, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 23--Some transit systems which bought Advanced Vehicle System buses in recent months are having problems in the vehicles, though an AVS official said it's standing behind its product. The Tampa, Fla., transit...

Ringgold, Ga., Carpet Machine Maker Acquired at Auction.
August 23, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 23--Tapistron International Inc., a Ringgold, Ga. carpet machine maker that filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in July, was acquired at auction Wednesday by CYP Technologies LLC. CYP, a new company formed...

Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman Wants to Boost Power Capacity, Cut Prices.
August 23, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 23--DECATUR, Ala.--TVA's new chairman said Wednesday he wants the government utility to improve its power capacity and environmental cleanup while paring its debt and price of power. In his first board...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based First Volunteer Bank to Enlarge Headquarters.
August 24, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 24--Chattanooga's biggest locally owned bank is getting bigger. First Volunteer Bank, which has expanded across Tennessee through a half dozen bank acquisitions over the past two decades, is also enlarging...

Volunteer Homebuilders Perform Community Service in Chattanooga, Tenn.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Aug. 25--The sound of her front porch being ripped up woke Velvo O'Neal early Friday morning. But the racket was music to her ears. "This is the first time somebody has come and taken over," said the...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Start-Up Uses Web to Hasten Insurance Quotes.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 25--Two Chattanooga men are launching a company using Web-based technology that they say will drastically cut the time it takes for independent insurance agencies to gain quotes for clients. Called Commercial...

Signal Mountain, Tenn., Residents Protest Low Utility Rates for Country Club.
August 27, 2001... Byline: Laure Chamberlain Martin Aug. 27--In the midst of rising property taxes and utility fees, some Signal Mountain residents are crying foul about the Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club's lease and low water rates. "At least...

Tennessee Lawmakers Investigate Rising Costs of State Health Program.
August 27, 2001... Byline: John Commins Aug. 27--NASHVILLE, Tenn.--A state House study committee wants to know what is prompting the growth in spending on TennCare, the state's health program for 1.4 million poor and disabled Tennesseans. Rep. Gary...

Tennessee Valley Authority Customers Help Support Renewable Energy Sources.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 28--Chattanooga's Finley Stadium hasn't always generated the energy that its supporters envisioned since it opened four years ago. But the Tennessee Valley Authority is changing that. TVA is using a...

Hiring by Chattanooga, Tenn., Employers Hits an All-Time Low.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 29--Chattanooga employers are approaching the traditionally busy holiday season with their lowest hiring plans for any fourth quarter in five years, according to a survey released Monday. Among local...

Owner of Chattanooga, Tenn., Hotel Pleased with July Financial Results.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 29--The Chattanoogan, the city-owned $43 million hotel and conference center, had a good July because it lost less money than projected, its general manager said Tuesday. Dave Lagarce, The Chattanoogan's...

Congressman Seeks Funds for Replacement of Tennessee's Chickamauga Lock.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 29--The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appears ready to recommend that the crumbling Chickamauga Lock be replaced with a new and bigger passageway within the next decade, officials said Tuesday. But the $300...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Tourism Officials Request Better Signs for Attractions.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 29--The first thing Chattanooga-area tourism officials will have to do to get new signs is deal with dollar signs. Karen Hundt, chairwoman of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's Tourism Cluster Signage...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Couple Collects, Sells Unique Furniture, Decorative Items.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Aug. 30--About 10 years ago, Marsha Bryant/Stanley bought her first bedroom suite from the Chase Collection on Brainerd Road. Today she's selling bedroom furniture and an eclectic collection of other items from the...

Charlotte, N.C., Officials Get Firsthand Look at Chattanooga, Tenn., Revamp.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Aug. 30--A 19-member delegation from Charlotte, N.C., visited Chattanooga on Wednesday to get ideas for creating a focal point for their city. "Charlotte has no signature space," said Tony Zeiss, president of...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Developer to Refurbish Downtown Building into Apartments.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Aug. 31--The last undeveloped building around the Tennessee Aquarium is set to harbor new apartments and add to the growing downtown housing mix. The three-story brick structure, which sits directly across Market...

Boston-Based Power Plant Developer Eyes Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Coal Potential.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Aug. 31--The last of the coal mines which once fueled the Sequatchie Valley economy closed nearly a decade ago. But a Boston-based power plant developer is looking at bringing coal back in a different yet bigger...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Drivers Get Relative Break on Gas Prices.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Aug. 31--Chattanoogans won't have to start their Labor Day weekend travels by being taken for a ride at the gas pumps. For most of the summer, American Automobile Association surveys have shown gas prices in...