business briefs
• Mike Brown, president/CEO of M&M Productions USA, recently was selected to be a member of a chief executive advisory board in Knoxville by Vistage Worldwide Inc. Brown joins more than 300 senior executives, business owners and CEOs across Tennessee who are Vistage members. Brown has had a vision for his business since he created it as a teenager in 1988 — growing it from a D.J. service to a nationally recognized production company featured on the Inc. 5,000 list, which celebrates the fastest-growing private companies in America.
• Local EXIT Realty affiliated offices have announced the recent addition of new members to their teams: Darcel Booker and Chris Wrede with EXIT Realty Momentum, 900 S. Gay St., Knoxville; Ronda Reed, Gaby Mammana, Megan Collins, Heidi Baker, Tristan Upchurch, Roger Dykes and Natalie Wallace with EXIT Real Estate Professionals Network, 9821 Cogdill Road, Knoxville; Tim Krantz with EXIT TLC Realty, 149 Kelsey Lane, Lenoir City; and Sarah Goins and Deedra Blevins with EXIT Atomic Realty, 140 W. Tennessee Ave., Oak Ridge.
• PYA managing principal of Valuation Services Carol Carden recently was elected to the American Health Law Association board of directors. Carden is a longtime member of AHLA, most recently serving on the Women’s Leadership Council.
• Harry Y. “Hap” McSween Jr., chancellor’s professor emeritus of University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Arts and Sciences, recently was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He is one of 120 members from around the world newly named to the academy, which recognizes distinguished and continuing achievements in research.
• Master Services, along with sister companies Klaus Roofing Systems by Master Services and Junkluggers of East Tennessee, hosted their inaugural “Employee Fun & Wellness Day” Friday, April 16.
Event included a MEDIC Blood Drive, seminars from Jan Seiber, a nutritionist with University of Tennesse Medical Center; Elizabeth Hall with Food City and Erin Reed with Knox County Health Department. Vendors set up interactive booths.
• Fresh Kale Bath Company and Lily Pad Daycare, both in Knoxville, recently were awarded technology makeovers as part of the Comcast RISE program. RISE supports BIPOC-owned small businesses that include Hispanic and Asian-American owned businesses among others. The makeover includes a TV campaign with a TV commercial production or consulting services from Effectv; computer equipment, Internet, voice or cybersecurity from Comcast Business; or a monetary grant.
• Weigel’s stores, “born of East Tennessee’s oldest local dairy since 1931” according to a company press release, is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Kickoff campaign of “90 Years for Us, 90 Days for You” started Monday, May 3, and runs through Aug. 1. It will highlight daily prizes for Weigel’s guests and employees, with a special birthday celebration June 18.
• Knoxville now is the No. 1 city in the Southeast and one of the top cities in the nation for solar power investment, as a result of Knoxville Utilities Board and Tennessee Valley Authority, according to Chris Hansen, TVA vice president of Origination & Renewables.
TVA recently announced the selection of Origis Energy to develop a 200-megawatt solar farm in Clay County, Mississippi, to support Knoxville’s renewable energy needs. KUB’s investment in the project helped enable 50 megawatts of new battery storage technology that will increase power grid resiliency.
