My masterful plan to give a series of weekly hints about the new restaurant locating next to Bojangles on The Strip has been eaten by a big fish.
I’ve been politely asked to refrain from this behavior until the deal is finalized and an official announcement is prepared. Since I’m nothing if not agreeable, I’ve decided to honor this request and toss my remaining clues out to sea where I’m sure they’ll sink to the ocean floor and be surrounded by catfish.
From what I’m told, the closing date on the property next to Bojangles is March 10. Provided the deal doesn’t suffer a last-minute collapse, I’ll provide further details after the closing date. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.

Ben Lomand looks to connect with CEO

The Ben Lomand Connect board of directors has started the process of conducting an extensive search for its next permanent general manager/ CEO to lead the company into the future.
The move comes after the resignation of former CEO Ray Cantrell on Thursday.
"I want to wish Ben Lomand and its employees nothing but the best in the future," said Ray. "I have a lot of good memories there and the company is so important for everyone in the community, the people and the businesses it serves.  Being a leader in technology is a key economic development tool too so Ben Lomand really plays a big role for all its customers. I hope they have nothing but success."
Ben Lomand controller Lisa Cope is now functioning as general manager. She has served Ben Lomand for over 21 years in the accounting and customer service departments.
“We wish Ray much success in his future endeavors and thank him for his years of service to Ben Lomand Connect,” said Ben Lomand board president Don Hollingsworth. “Lisa is an ideal executive to lead the company during this transitional time due to her financial and operational expertise along with her deep understanding of Ben Lomand Connect, our employees and operational customers. We have great confidence in Lisa and look forward to continuing to advance the company forward.”
Ray, a Warren County native and youth baseball enthusiast, had been with Ben Lomand for 19 years, the final two of which were as CEO. He had previously served as chief technology officer before being promoted in January 2014 to lead the company of some 140 employees. The editors of Business Cheetah wish Ray the best of luck.

New Stewarts a possibility

Since Stewart Pharmacy closed last month, there’s been a void at Plaza Shopping Center and a void in our hearts. But alas, a new ship could be sailing into our land of beans and rice.
Word on the street is some employees from Stewart Pharmacy who did not join the staff at Rite Aid have been looking at available buildings in McMinnville with the plan to start a new hometown pharmacy. One of the buildings under consideration is the old dry cleaner spot by Waffle House. That offers about 2,500 square feet of space and has a drive-thru window, which could be desirable.
However, the former Stewart’s employee who I talked with said a drive-thru isn’t a necessity because Stewart Pharmacy never had one and people seemed to enjoy the atmosphere there. Kevin’s Pawn Shop, which currently has a For Sale sign in its front lawn, was also mentioned as a possibility.
If we’re talking about neat spots for a new pharmacy and possibly a luncheonette too, I think a great location would be the old Warren County Furniture building on the corner of Spring and Morford streets. It’s a building which has character and there’s a tremendous amount of movement in McMinnville -- and around the nation -- to restore downtown areas.
The old Warren County Furniture building has been one of the few downtown spots which has been immune to development. It’s just sat there in hibernation without a tenant for years and would be just the right medicine for an upstart pharmacy looking for a charming location.
I’ll keep my ears open to see what else I can hear about this new pharmacy and how much traction it gains. It seems like a sound business idea, especially with experienced pharmacy hands to run it.

Nursery show to return

It was a double dose of sadness when the Middle Tennessee Nursery Association pulled up its roots four years ago and took its trade show out of McMinnville.
Words were exchanged and fingers were pointed as MTNA said goodbye to McMinnville Civic Center and said hello to the supposedly greener pastures that awaited in Murfreesboro.
After a stint in Murfreesboro, MTNA continued to change its tune and took its trade show to Nashville.
Now, after what’s been a four-year absence, MTNA has decided to bring its beloved trade show back to the Civic Center in what will be an event co-sponsored by the Tennessee Nursery Landscape Association. The dates have been set for Oct. 6-7.
This might not seem like a big deal on the surface, but having the nursery trade show back in McMinnville is a big deal because it brings people to town and provides a chance to showcase our community. The show is expected to be at full capacity, which is 144 booth vendors inside, and several more large equipment dealers outside.
“That’s stacking them tight,” said MTNA representative Ann Halcomb.
The last year the show was in McMinnville, in 2011, it attracted over 1,300 wholesale customers, a large portion of which traveled from out of town.
The trade show involves nursery tours so customers can get a glimpse of a few of this area’s upstanding nursery operations. This year it will also include a trip to Cumberland Caverns complete with meal and musical entertainment. Now that’s a way to show guests a good time.
The best part of holding the trade show locally is it gives Warren County a chance to strut its stuff in an area where we have plenty of swagger – the nursery industry. This is where the MTNA show needs to be and this is where I hope it stays.

Images not getting cut

We published a story in Friday’s edition about Terry Beard being named the city of McMinnville’s new athletic coordinator. Terry is now in charge of running the sports leagues at the Civic Center.
I hadn’t been in the office five minutes Friday morning when someone asked me about Images, the hair salon Terry owns and operates at Village. With Terry getting the job with the city, this person wanted to know if Images was going to close.
Absolutely not, says Terry, who will continue doing both jobs. Images is going to remain open with full-time employee Shawndee Taylor operating as salon manager.
“The way it was before, I worked full time here cutting hair and I was part time with the city,” said Terry. “What’s happened is that has flipped. I’m now working full time with the city and I’ll be working part time cutting hair in the evenings and on Saturdays.”
Terry has a long history at his Images location. He started working at that spot some 28 years ago when it was operated by Sandy Madewell and called Sandy’s Hair Designs. When Sandy decided to leave, Terry jumped at the chance to open a hair salon there. Thus, Images was born 19 years ago.
“She left on a Saturday and I opened on a Tuesday,” said Terry. “It’s been a lot of years I’ve worked in this same room.”
Terry has long been involved in church league softball so he knows what it takes to run a sports league, but his new job with the city offers other challenges.
“The outside work, I know how to do all of that,” said Terry. “It’s the inside work, all the paperwork that goes along with it, that I’m having to learn. I’m also getting used to punching a timeclock. After more than 30 years of being self-employed, that’s something I’m not used to doing.”
For all of Terry’s regular customers, don’t fret. Images will remain open. The salon even has an empty chair that’s available as a booth rental if anyone is interested.

Standard to begin cash giveaway

I frequently ask Standard readers what they’d like to see more of in their hometown newspaper and one of the more common answers is fairly predictable. They’d like to see more cash giveaways.
This request seems a tad bit unreasonable, but the Standard has decided to listen. Don’t accuse us of being the Warren County Commission. We care about people’s concerns.
That being said, I’d like to introduce a new weekly feature that will be appearing in your Southern Standard beginning this Friday. It’s called Cashword and it’s a chance for you to win at least $100 every week.
The contest is simple. There will be a puzzle appearing in the Standard every Friday for the next four months. Clues to the puzzle are scattered throughout ads which appear on the puzzle page. Use those clues to answer the puzzle for your chance at cash.
The prize starts at $100 the first week and increases by $50 every week there’s not a winner. As soon as there’s a winner, the prize drops back to $100.
The Standard is viewing this as our way to stimulate the economy and put cash in the pockets of local residents. We’ve always said it pays to read the newspaper. Now that’s more than a nifty catchphrase. Be sure to look for Cashword in this Friday’s edition and good luck.

United Diamond announces winners

At United Diamond Brokers, business owner Greg Yates has put the finishing touches on a promotion of his own and he’s announced five winners who were showered with fine jewelry.
For the contest, his regular customers were mailed puzzle pieces. Other puzzle pieces were available at the store for those who were not mailed one. If you had one of the lucky puzzle pieces that fit into five open spots, then you were a winner.
Greg said the promotion is a great way to visit with customers after the Christmas rush. Prizes included a ring, locket, earrings, and other gifts. In addition, United Diamond Brokers made donations to Castaway Kitties and Viola Valley Dogs to show support for animals in our community. Thank you for this caring gesture.
The prize winners were Lori Acker, Martha Hunter, Gail Woodlee, Angela Northcutt, and Louise Winkler.

Industrial excitement

Members of the Industrial Development Board gathered for their monthly meeting Thursday with visions of new jobs dancing in their heads.
IDB director Don Alexander told board members he’s been making his way through the community meeting with representatives of existing industries with more than 25 employees. This is an effort to see in what areas, if any, the IDB can help local industries which may be looking to expand.
I think this is noteworthy news because statistics show assisting your existing industries and helping them grow is every bit as important as recruiting a new company. We don’t have to look any further than DN Plastics to see how much time and money it takes to get a new company to locate here and then get off the ground.
If we can help a business that’s already in operation to add 10 jobs, that’s a boost. If we can help five businesses add 10 jobs, we’re starting to accelerate to highway speeds. Focusing on existing industries is an excellent emphasis.
Don also mentioned an upcoming visit from the state’s automotive marketing project manager, who will be coming to Warren County on March 9. This state representative will take a look at the sites we have available and keep them in mind for upcoming automotive projects. This visit can only be a benefit.

That’s all folks

Now that we’ve escaped the clutches of Valentine’s Day, we’re in the clear for a couple months. With no holidays lurking in the immediate future, we’re free to channel our energy toward business news and phone in tips at 473-2191.