Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Veteran business owners, community leaders and military personnel gathered Thursday morning for the Blount Partnership‘s “Veterans in Business” program, a recurring networking forum designed to help service members navigate the transition from military careers to entrepreneurship.

Blount Partnership’s Vice President Tammi Ford opened the morning’s session by explaining that the program launched about two years ago after they noticed a steady influx of military members who had started businesses or were preparing to retire from the military and wanted to explore business life. But, they didn’t know where to turn for local support.

In communities like Blount County that’s home to the 134th Air Refueling Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard, connecting that entrepreneurial pipeline to local community organizations keeps both businesses and military families anchored in the region.

Ford noted that this is why such programming is important, and even encouraged civilians to attend these meetings to create cross-partnerships.

Featured speaker

Thursday’s featured speaker was Bill Connor, military family readiness manager for the 134th wing. Connor, a 26-year Air Force veteran, oversees roughly nine programs supporting airmen and their families through deployments, career transitions, employment conflicts with civilian employers and financial challenges.

Connor told attendees that resiliency “is no longer a soft science” in the military, and that seemingly small problems like a missed bill or a job loss at home can quickly compound into financial, marital and even security clearance concerns for service members. Rather than waiting for crises, his office works upstream so guardsmen know where to turn before problems escalate.

He credited the group’s chamber connections as central to that mission. Because military regulations bar him from soliciting support, community relationships built through the partnership allow help to flow the other way.

For example, during the wing’s current deployment cycle, a community member independently collected more than 100 gift cards from local businesses so families of deployed airmen could share a meal out for Mother’s Day.

A glimpse into trends on base

The program ended with an active duty member at the 134th sharing his boots-on-the-ground insights:

• A $130 million investment is coming to Blount County. The wing won the KC-46 refueling tanker, arriving in 2031 — major construction and a long-term federal mission anchoring regional jobs and spending.
• The base is a 1,200-person employer with a steady hiring engine. It recruits about 100 members a year — among the nation’s highest rates — but readiness can take 24 months, making early touchpoint programs like Alcoa High School’s pilot training and MTSU’s aerospace pathway critical.
• The region’s hottest industries are competing for the same talent. A cybersecurity grad can start at the base around $80,000, but other employers can outbid that. Retaining skilled military workers will take creativity and likely adjusted pay scales.
• Innovative partnerships are happening. With parts for aging aircraft out of production, the 134th is exploring 3D printing them with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Though it’s just a science experiment for now, and there’s still questions about who would certify a 3D printed part for flight, it’s a real possibility in the future.
• Deployments touch local payrolls. About 100 local members are deployed with no set return date. His advice: employers, take a chance on veterans and flex with their schedules; veterans, be upfront about the reason behind your leave; civilians, understand that a business’service may be slow because they could be short-handed due to deployments.
• Veteran entrepreneurs have resources. The Strive cohort at Pellissippi State is open to veterans, active duty members within a year of discharge and military spouses building a business.

The next meeting will take place at 10 a.m. Aug. 6.

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