April 2006
New TVA division will focus on high-growth companies
TVA Economic Development has formed a new division, Valley Business Ventures, to increase job creation and capital investment in the Tennessee Valley’s high-growth sectors of woman- and minority-owned businesses.
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| Keith Ridley |
Heading up the new division is Keith Ridley, who will work with economic development professionals, TVA distributor customers, financial institutions, local and federal procurement officers, and high-growth company owners to increase business opportunities for these sectors. Ridley, a Nashville native who recently joined TVA, will develop TVA’s program and a comprehensive strategy for recruiting and growing companies.
The impetus for Valley Business Ventures came from insights gained from business customers interviewed by TVA in 2005 using the
“We feel that the program is unique among utility companies,” Ridley said, “in that it targets high-growth procurement opportunities, business development services, energy credits, and options in accessing capital to achieve sustainable revenue growth.”
TVA Economic Development will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the needs of all companies are met through a streamlined referral network. For more information on the new division and its services, contact Ridley at 615-232-6169, or wkridley@tva.com.
Google Earth Pro: A 3-D interface to the planet (and beyond…)
The latest high-tech addition to TVA’s site selection toolbox is Google Earth Pro. It’s a more sophisticated version of Google Earth, which is available to the public as a free download. The Pro version comes with extra features that make it particularly useful for economic development professionals.
Google Earth Pro allows the user to make movies showing the geographic relationship between states or cities. For international clients who might not be familiar with a specific region, this can be especially helpful.
The movie feature can be used to navigate between points and take photographs along the route. An overlay of a potential industrial plant can also be made to appear as the user moves closer to the site. Still frames can be spliced into the movie to highlight specific features or information about the area.
If you have questions about this technology, call us at 615-232-6225. Also check out TVAsites.com, our business reporting database of more than 1,900 sites and properties, as well as demographic reports.
And for those interested in interplanetary site selection possibilities—check out Google’s latest release, Google Mars!
Web site outlines sustainable development
A new section of the TVA Economic Development web site offers comprehensive information on environmentally responsible practices for the development of buildings and sites, roads, and parking lots.
Industrial site development involves thousands of acres each year in the TVA power service region, and TVA lends assistance to much of that development through technical or financial help. TVA encourages developers and consulting engineers to consider the principles outlined on the site for projects and is pleased to make this resource available.
The sustainable development guide includes information on best practices and case studies that demonstrate how these approaches have been applied to industrial sites in the region. Check it out at www.tvaed.com/sustainable.
TVA’s Jeff Taylor targets plastics
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| Jeff Taylor |
Experience and know-how in a wide range of economic development activities make Jeff Taylor an exceptional resource for TVA clients. In 23 years at TVA, Taylor has devoted 13 to economic development, working in minority business development and marketing and more recently in industrial recruitment, primarily in plastics.
As TVA’s market specialist for plastics, Taylor recruits firms that manufacture plastics, rubber, and chemicals. “As a professional, I want to provide the services and programs that best fit the needs of my customers,” Taylor says. “This may mean finding the building and community that has the best resources for an operation, and it may mean helping them locate the appropriate financing as well.”
Taylor’s devotion to professionalism is evident in the fact that he earned certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council in 2004. He has served on the board of directors of Business Retention and Expansion International and is currently serving on the Labor Relations Committee for the State of Kentucky.
Taylor is proud to recruit high-quality companies that provide important economic benefits to Valley residents. He recently helped recruit U.S. Farathane to Jackson, Tennessee, for example, and shortly afterward the company was named Processor of the Year by the industry publication Plastics News. You can contact Taylor at 270-887-8463 or jrtaylor@tva.com.
TVA marks sixth year of exceptional reliability
TVA’s power system continued its record levels of reliability in 2005 when it marked the sixth year in a row of 99.999 percent reliability. Overall the system achieved its best performance ever, meeting an all-time peak demand of 31,924 megawatts on July 26 and setting monthly peak demand records for four consecutive months.
In addition to ensuring its own reliability, TVA acts as the reliability coordinator for a large section of the bulk-power system in the southeastern United States. It is one of 17 reliability coordinators in North America, providing services for Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI), Big Rivers Electric Cooperative, East Kentucky Power Cooperative, and Electric Energy Inc. TVA’s coverage was recently expanded into Oklahoma when AECI extended the boundaries of its coordinator area into the northeast section of the state.
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