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October 25, 2021 | Tom Ballard

Here are some “News & Notes” items from the past week

Leading our “News & Notes” from the past week are two recognitions for Bryan Daniels, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Blount Partnership. He is one of four new members appointed to the Board of Directors of the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Research Corporation. The others are: (1) Carol Anne Clayson, Associate Director for Research Strategies at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; (2) Denise Grant, Founder of Overlook Strategics; and (3) Scott Niswonger, Founder and Chair of the Niswonger Foundation. Daniels, who is an ETSU alumnus, was also elected Chair of the Planning and Business Development Committee of the International Economic Development Council. You can read more about the new ETSU Research Corporation board members here.

In other news:

  • Ryan Connor has been named President of Mollenhour Gross, the investment vehicle founded by Jordan Mollenhour and Dustin Gross. The two started collaborating in 2004 and remain Co-Chief Executive Officers of the firm. Connor joined the firm in 2018 and served as Associate General Counsel. In announcing his new role, the firm wrote in a social media post: “He is well-regarded among peers for his integrity, judgment, curiosity, discipline, and many other qualities that together, set an example to which we can all aspire. This new role is intended to organize and orient our holding company’s daily operations while preserving the strictly decentralized nature of our investments in subsidiaries.”
  • Jay Mullis, who has been Manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to serve as the Acting Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs effective November 1. He will step into the role held by Mark Gilbertson who is set to retire from federal service at the end of October following 40 years of public and private sector experience.
  • Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe, and officials of Steam Logistics announced that the company will expand its existing operations in Downtown Chattanooga, creating more than 400 new jobs. Founded in 2012, the Chattanooga-based logistics business will invest $6.8 million to expand its operations into the historic John Ross Building, which will adjoin Steam Logistics’ existing offices at the corner of Broad and Fourth Streets. As one of the fastest-growing third-party logistics companies in the U.S., Steam provides integrated logistics solutions across international, drayage and domestic transportation modes to more than 2,000 customers globally.
  • Also from the Gig City, Chattanooga-based Alderman Enterprises has announced the acquisition of its fifth portfolio company, Micro Metals Inc. Located in Jamestown, Tennessee, Micro Metals is a leading manufacturer of powder metal parts serving the automotive and general manufacturing industries. Founded in 1976, Micro Metals has grown to nearly 100 employees and has built a reputation for producing the highest quality powder metal parts, a unique and economical process for creating high-volume, lightweight, and durable components for broad applications.
  • GoCheck, a Nashville-based creator of a digital vision screening platform platform for children that serves pediatric teams in their quest to prevent vision impairment, has raised $10 million in funding. The round was co-led by Hatteras Venture Partners and Pisgah Fund (affiliated with HCA) with participation from new investors CU Healthcare Innovation Fund (affiliated with the University of Colorado) and WakeMed Hospitals Innovation Venture Fund, and existing investors Marc Benioff (Founder/CEO of Salesforce), Interwest Partners, FCA Venture Partners, Sovereign’s Capital, and Mucker Capital.

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