There’s a reason the windshield is large and the rearview mirror is small. We’re supposed to look ahead, not dwell on what’s behind.
Now allow me to completely ignore that advice and recap the top business stories of 2017.
If you own Boeing stock, it proved to be a lucrative year as your investment soared by about 90 percent.
If you were looking for a job, your chances were promising as Tennessee’s statewide unemployment plunged below 4 percent for much of the year. That includes a statewide rate of 3.1 percent in November, with 3.5 percent unemployment in Warren County.
If you didn’t have a job in 2017, you didn’t want a job.
Local car sales were crisp. New home construction intensified and retail development gained velocity. Folks in the nursery industry said they could sell every tree they could grow.
Here’s a look back on what I rate a highly successful business year. I’d give it 18 stars out of 20.
National chains
Some of the biggest Warren County stories of the year surrounded national chains. After walking a figurative tightrope for the early part of the year, it was announced March 17 our local JC Penney at Three Star Mall would remain open. Celebrations erupted.
JC Penney has been a fixture at the mall since it opened in 1981 and serves as perhaps the biggest clothing retailer in Warren County. Losing our JC Penney would have been an uppercut to the chin.
We were spared that misfortune, but 138 other communities were not so lucky. JC Penney said those store closings would eliminate some 5,000 jobs.
It was also a waiting game when Walgreens announced it was buying 1,932 Rite Aids and said hundreds of stores would be closed as a result. However, our Rite Aid will remain open and become a second Walgreens location in a move which became official Dec. 14.
Industries are alive
It was an active year for local industries, highlighted by the arrival of a new employer in Benchmark Tool & Machine Trailer. The business located in a vacant 48,000-square-foot building on Manchester Highway in Morrison and specializes in making pontoon boat trailers.
Production started over the summer and had gradually ramped up by the fall.
“When we started in July, we had zero customers. Now we’re up to 10 dealers so we’re happy about that,” said co-owner Robbie Dickerson in a September interview. “We’ll start to increase trailer production as we have more sales. Right now, we can build them faster than we can sell them.”
Benchmark operates a separate facility in Pelham which employs about 75 and has been in business for 12 years. The Morrison facility had eight employees in September. Robbie says he envisions being able to sell as many as 1,000 boat trailers a year.
Another new manufacturer is Union Corrugating which picked Warren County for the location of its 11th facility. The company specializes in producing metal roofing and is based in Fayetteville, N.C. I’ve yet to take a tour of the local facility, but I’ve been told that’s something that can happen in January.
Morrison Industries had a major expansion, but not in Warren County. The company opened a second facility in Michigan to be closer to the Big 3 automakers in a move that will ultimately benefit the local plant by increasing the amount of job work here.
Morrison Industries got its start in 1994 with less than 10 employees and has grown to become one of the top local employers.
Quality Mold flexed its muscle with a 9,600-square foot expansion that will allow the business to grow its plastic molding operation.
Boles Tool purchased the old Pine Hill Plastics building in March after outgrowing its previous facility. The move allows the business to upgrade from 7,500 square feet to 34,000.
Boles Tool was started by Terry and Cindy Boles in 2002 and has grown to employ 19. The business is well diversified and does work for the aerospace industry, a firearms manufacturer, and auto parts distributors.
2017 was really cookin’
Five new restaurants opened their ovens, and their doors, to welcome Warren County diners in 2017. That’s in addition to four new food trucks.
This list includes Smooth Rapids Grill, Cumberland Biscuit Company, Viola’s Pizza Company, Kimmi’s Tea Room, and Tate’s Burgers, which opened and closed.
Smooth Rapids Grill opened in May and offers a scenic view overlooking the Barren Fork River. The spacious deck provides a blanket of relaxation for folks who want to enjoy a lazy afternoon of watching kayakers float by, or enjoy conversation with friends.
The kitchen has gained fame from Irving College to Centertown for its chicken wings. Another menu item you won’t want to miss is the River Monster Burger, which is one that won’t get away if you have a big enough appetite to order it.
Cumberland Biscuit Company also opened in May and is taking breakfast to new heights on Main Street. The menu offers everything from a simplistic biscuit to an elegant omelet. Pancakes, muffins, waffles and even chocolate gravy are available.
Owners Matthew Sands and Josh Baker point out there are light menu items with as few as 300 calories and larger choices with over 3,000 calories for folks who come hungry enough to eat the table. The atmosphere includes window seating so you don’t miss any of the morning excitement on Main Street.
Viola’s Pizza Company opened in September to return a restaurant to Town Square in Viola. Owners Brian and Sarah Covert have crafted a unique pizza flavor that’s worth the short drive if you’re craving a saucy pie.
Kimmi’s Tea Room opened in late November on North Spring Street, bringing a taste of England to Tennessee. Coffee, tea, and sweet shop items are a staple, along with lunch sandwiches like tuna, egg and chicken salad. There’s also a daily lunch special. Kimmi Taylor and her husband Mark are the owners.
Tate’s Burgers opened on Sparta Street and made it nearly 10 months before closing Dec. 23. For fans of Tate’s, it was an awful Christmas gift.
The four new food trucks/ trailers to open by my count are Yaki Wiz, The Lunch Lady, Eggrolls 2 Go, and Critters BBQ. Food trucks are a little more difficult to maintain an accurate count since they come with wheels and can change location.
Critters BBQ merged with Depot Bottom Country Store. The other three appear to be vibrant.
Old hospital spot on the mend
After more than 15 years of gradually becoming one with the earth, the old River Park Hospital building on Sparta Street was leveled at the beginning of the year. Property owner Jewel Hale said he thought the property would be more marketable without the building.
It looks like he’s right. Industrial Development Board director Don Alexander said earlier this month a letter of intent has been signed by a Tennessee businessman who wants to bring a Hampton Inn to McMinnville.
Don believes, as I do, a new hotel will lead to more overnight visitors. I don’t think it’s any tightly guarded secret that many tourists opt to stay outside of Warren County because they aren’t exactly tickled to death by our hotel offerings.
The announcement of a possible Hampton Inn comes after Mike and Keval Sheth already said they would like to bring an upscale hotel, banquet hall and restaurant to North Chancery Street. They have already purchased the land across from Neil Helton State Farm for that project.
After years of pushing for one new hotel, 2018 might be the year construction starts on two new hotels in McMinnville.
Cave concerts won’t be buried
The Bluegrass Underground concert series helped to put Warren County on the map with its nationally televised series on PBS.
What appeared to be a mutually harmonious relationship hit an unexpected sour note in August when Bluegrass Underground creator Todd Mayo announced he was leaving Cumberland Caverns for a supposedly greener pasture, or in this case a greener cave, in adjacent Grundy County.
Leadership at Cumberland Caverns responded by forming a partnership with an Atlanta-based entertainment group that works with hundreds of musical artists. The result is a new concert series called Cumberland Caverns Live. An initial lineup has already been released.
There’s been commentary all over the board on this issue about who might emerge on top and it’s too early to say. Bluegrass Underground and Cumberland Caverns could both be winners if people are determined to see concerts in a cave.
On the flip side, Bluegrass Underground could suffer if its new home falls short of the relentless grandeur visitors experienced during concerts in the Volcano Room. Cumberland Caverns could suffer with PBS no longer serving as a constant promotional arm.
Perpetual optimist that I am, I think things will work out for everyone involved. For Warren County’s sake, and for continued tourism dollars, I hope people continue to come from all over the nation to see Cumberland Caverns.
Odds and ends
It was a year that saw Warren County lose its John Deere dealership in March, only to regain it in December when TriGreen Equipment opened on Sparta Highway.
It was a year that saw wine come to grocery stores, followed by the first legal sale of liquor in the city of McMinnville on Friday morning, July 28, at 8:03 a.m. It was a bottle of Jack Daniels.
It was a year that saw the old Captain D’s building sold for $375,000, only to be put back on the market by the new owner almost as soon as the deal was finalized.
What spectacular and amazing business news sits ready to pounce in 2018? Fasten your seatbelts and adjust your mirrors. The ride is about to begin.
