"A Word From Our President"

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your new Chamber President for 2014 and 2015.  I would like to thank Todd Petty, our outgoing president, the board members and the Chamber staff, Lindsay Frilling and Katie Keathley who work tirelessly to make Obion County welcoming and interconnected.  We have assembled another great team and are looking forward to an exciting new year.

The Obion County Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to the success of the business community by promoting new companies establishing their presence in our County as well as those that have been doing business in Obion County for many years. We encourage our residents, company owners and employees to shop, dine and buy local and support the local businesses. They will return the support to Obion County through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures.

We have heard the theme "Shop local, Buy local", let's take it one step further, "Try a Chamber Member First!" Please save the membership directory and the next time you need a business service, go ahead, and call a Chamber Member first. You will receive quality service and your dollars will be spent locally.

Because of the dedication and hard work of all who served before us and chose to volunteer their time and talents we have a brighter future.  And we will feel a sense of pride, because we call these small business people our friends.

On behalf of the Obion County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Membership, and Staff, I would like to encourage you to consider becoming a member of the Obion County Chamber of Commerce and please make plans attend our Chamber Events:

*             Business Matters - the 3rd Tuesday of every month

*             Business After Hours - typically 2 to 3 times a year

*             Annual Banquet in the fall

*             Obion County Cruise-In September 13th, downtown First St.

*             "Breakfast with the President"-quarterly for new chamber members

*             Ribbon Cuttings

*             Annual Golf Tournament in spring

*             Look for various events throughout the year

Chamber events are fun and great networking tools and we look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Jo Ann Speer

Welcome New Chamber Members!

Service Master by Capital Restoration

168 W. University Parkway Suite C

Jackson, TN 38305

P: 731-214-1008 F: 901-381-1078

www.servicemasterbycapital.com

Business Representative: Micah Kyle

Johnson Heating & Air

100 S. First St.

Union City, TN 38261

P: 731-885-8325 F: 731-885-8326

www.airjohnson1.com

Business Representative: Donnie Johnson

Union City Nursing and Rehabilitation

1630 E. Reelfoot Ave.

Union City, TN 38261

P: 731-885-8095 F: 731-885-5042

www.tnhealthmanagement.com

Business Representative: David Keeling

King & Associates Insurance

413 Perkins St.

Union City, TN 38261

P: 731-884-3950 F: 882-722-6493

Tkinginsurance.com

Business Representative: Ben Kelly

Red River Waste Solutions

1601 N Hwy 51 South

Union City, TN 38261

731-884-2860

www.rrws.com

Business Representative: Bill Roden

July Small Business Spotlight

For 125 years, people in Dyersburg, Dyer County and across the state of Tennessee have depended on the strength and stability of First Citizens National Bank. Today, they are still the friendly faces that help guide you, your family and your business to a bright financial future. First Citizens offers a variety of services including: Checking Accounts, Commercial Loans, Mortgage Loans, Savings Accounts, Online and Mobile Banking, Investments, Retirement Accounts, plus much more.

First Citizens National Bank, headquartered in Dyersburg, TN with 21 locations throughout the state of Tennessee. They have financial centers in Union City, Troy, Ripley, Munford, Martin, Atoka, Millington, Bartlett, Arlington, Oakland, Collierville, Franklin, and Jackson, TN. First Citizens is a full service community bank with approximately $1.2 Billion in assets.

For more information about First Citizens National Bank please visit website: www.firstcnb.com.

MIA Seating Makes First Shipment from Union City

On Thursday, June 5, MIA Seating executive Darius Mir shared the following statement.  "Today was a momentous day for us at MIA Seating, as we were able to ship the first product from our new Union City factory. Although only a trial production run, it nevertheless enabled us to fill an urgent need of one of our customers, and made today a very exciting day for the talented workforce at MIA Seating who worked hard to reach this unforgettable milestone.

Since January this year we have been busy ordering many sophisticated and state of the art manufacturing equipment, some of which we have already received and placed into production; with many more that we plan to commission by 3rd quarter this year. We are looking forward to starting our full production by 4th quarter this year, by which time we will be able to invite many more of the talented Union City workforce to join our team.  

Manufacturing a high quality American made product in Union City, Tennessee will enable us to competitively replace much of the product currently being imported by major retailers in the United States. This initiative will be reversing a trend of the past 30 years, and will hopefully pave the way for other manufacturers to consider United States as the ideal working environment."

I am Donnie Walton, Assistant Director of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Newbern (TCAT-Newbern).  TCAT-Newbern has been training students in the Obion County and surrounding areas since the late 1960s, and has campuses in Newbern, Bells, and Union City.  It is an honor and privilege to provide our area citizens with the high skilled training needed to become successful citizens in Obion County.      

The benefits of our membership in the Obion County Chamber are numerous.  One of the main reasons I am pleased to be an active member is because we are at the forefront of most industry visits who seek Obion County as a place to conduct business.  We commonly answer questions regarding our training practices, the skilled workforce in Obion County, and what future training we can provide the industry if the choice is made to relocate to Obion County.  To play a part in the continued industrial development of Obion County is extremely rewarding.  And furthermore, it means the people of Obion County will have jobs available here instead of having to relocate to other areas. 

With Governor Haslam's initiative Tennessee Promise, all graduating high school seniors will be able to attend a TCAT institution or a community college free of tuition and fees.  With the Governor's initiative Tennessee Reconnect, adult students can attend a TCAT system for free and students who have previously received a Hope scholarship at another institution will now be eligible to receive the Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant while attending a TCAT.  These initiatives begin in 2015 and are worth mentioning because they will both positively impact the number of students who are receiving high skilled training, which in turn will positively affect Obion County's skilled workforce population.  A larger trained workforce will be essential to remain competitive when industries approach Obion County seeking relocation. 

We are truly thankful for the hard work and dedication by Mrs. Lindsay Frilling and Ms. Katie Keathley, and are eager to assistance the Obion County Chamber in any way we can.  The entire staff at TCAT-Newbern is committed to Obion County and looks forward to our continued work with the Obion County Chamber and for the citizens of Obion County.      

Donnie Walton

TCAT-Newbern, Assistant Director

Searching for good employees?

Let Goodwill Career Solutions help. We not only help employees go to work; we also help employers find qualified, ready to work job applicants. We are a free service for the community.

For employers, we can host a job fair for your company. We will handle all the work whether you use online or paper applications.

We can also keep your applications on file.  You can have all your job application traffic flow through our office.

We are available to help in a number of ways.  Please call to set up a time to meet with our Career Counselor, Sandy Hickey at 731-884-4324.

1430 S. First Street, Union City, TN 38261 731-884-4324

List Your Available Commercial Property With Us

Let us help you spread the word about your available commercial property by listing it at www.obioncounty.org. If you have commercial property you would like to list, please contact Lindsay Frilling, Economic Development Director.

lfrilling@obioncounty.org