Super Bowl show causes injury
I just love it when I get letters to the editor, especially about Business Pulse. It’s proof someone besides my mother actually reads this stuff.
For this week’s column I’m going to hold back on too much talk about Carrier because I’m tired of thinking about it and tired of getting depressed. The county’s largest employer deciding to leave town is nothing short of horrendous news.
At least one thing that’s remotely promising is Tennessee state government officials have pledged their full support. The state wants to do everything it can to offer full unemployment benefits, educational opportunities, and other training for Carrier employees.
I’m confident Tennessee will do a better job than the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, which is trying its best to help people in that state who have lost jobs because their work was sent overseas, or to Mexico (yes, this is happening everywhere).
To help, Indiana state officials awarded a generous $15.2 million computer services contract to Tata American International so 65 programmers could work on the state’s information software. What sounded like a great contract offer was canceled two weeks later when Indiana officials realized Tata is a subsidiary of an India company and the 65 programmers were being sent in from India. Sounds like they better head back to the drawing board in Indiana.
And the story everyone has been talking about since the Super Bowl has finally resulted in a lawsuit. Why am I not surprised?
A Tennessee woman is to blame for this one. Knoxville resident Terri Carlin says watching the Super Bowl halftime show where Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s breast has caused her to suffer “outrage, anger, embarrassment and serious injury.”
The part that gets me is the “serious injury.” We were talking about this at the office yesterday and determined “serious injury” is something like a broken neck, maybe even a broken leg. “Serious injury” is not normally something that happens while watching TV, unless an elephant should happen to crash through your window and trample the sofa.
I like what Jay Leno had to say about the lawsuit during his monologue. He made fun of the fact Super Bowl viewers had to endure what seemed like 2,000 Viagra commercials, then when something finally happened that might be considered stimulating, there was outcry.
I’m certainly not going to defend Jackson and Timberlake. There’s too much filth on TV anyway and they’re just adding to it. However, a lawsuit for “serious injury” is simply ridiculous.
What could have been done to keep Carrier?
I do want to make one comment concerning Carrier and that’s on the widespread talk that several of our officials, most notably County Executive Kenneth Rogers, knew Carrier was thinking of closing and didn’t do anything to stop it. Let me take this from two angles.
First, of course Kenneth and our county officials knew Carrier was thinking of leaving. The company announced around two years ago it was evaluating all its manufacturing facilities worldwide with the idea some of them would be shut down to maximize efficiency.
The Standard even published a front-page story nine months ago that said our local plant was one of those under scrutiny. So most everyone should have been aware Carrier was thinking of leaving.
The second part of the complaint is no one did anything to stop Carrier’s decision to leave and I think that statement is largely inaccurate. I know representatives from all over this state – the governor included – tried to persuade Carrier to stay. Carrier officials were told we would do whatever it takes to get them to stay, and this came from the state and from Warren County.
In the end, they decided to close the plant anyway and I haven’t the slightest reason why. I’ve heard some folks say the decision was made because of corporate greed. Others claim it was because of the union. Others have said the plant here had a high rate of workman’s compensation claims.
I don’t know the truth of any of those claims, but I do firmly believe everyone in this county, and this state, did what they could to keep Carrier here.
GraphNautics opens in Plaza Shopping Center
Most of us are probably aware of the powers of the Internet and what the World Wide Web is capable of doing for businesses. It’s with that in mind local computer guru Gregg Pennington has opened a store which will allow you to capture the buying power of Internet users.
Called GraphNautics, the business is centered around designing Web sites for businesses and individuals.
“If you want to set up an e-commerce package, we can do that,” said Gregg. “If you want to make it so your business can accept credit cards over the Internet, we can do that too. We can set up a complete Web site and that includes coming out and taking pictures of products and putting them on the ‘Net. Whatever the customer wants.”
Gregg emphasized his prices are affordable and said since GraphNautics has its own Web server there are no outside hosting fees. Gregg also says he can set up Web sites for anyone who might want one. And this is where he began to get my interest.
I’ve always thought about having my very own Web site called www.businesspulse.com. The site would be fun, yet informative, and hopefully a joy to read. But I never acted on that impulse mainly because I don’t know all the technical stuff necessary to maintain a Web site.
That’s where Gregg comes in. He knows all the particulars and can even set it up so you can have administrative access to your Web site by using certain passwords. That way you can change it around from the comfort of your own home.
Gregg is also promoting a Web site of his own he would like you to visit: www.tncitysearch.com. Like the name sounds, it has information on cities throughout Tennessee.
I should also mention Gregg is the computer guru here at the Standard so I can tell you first hand that he knows his stuff. He makes sure all our computers operate correctly and we have a bunch of them here with some pretty sophisticated programs.
It would be an oversight if I didn’t mention the homemade candles, soaps, bath oils, gift baskets and art work that’s also available at GraphNautics. Gregg’s wife, Teresa, makes all the candles herself and really has a neat shop set up.
GraphNautics is located next to The Pet Shop and has been open just over a week. The phone number is 474-HOST.
Myers Computers is moving next to Lowe’s
When you think of Myers Computers what’s one of the first things that comes to mind? It’s the big, yellow house.
Well the big, yellow house on Chancery Street is officially up for sale as Myers Computers will be moving next to Lowe’s around the end of March or first of April.
“It all comes down to location, location, location,” said owner Bill Myers. “And I’m real excited about this. We never dreamed it would all come together this smoothly but it did.”
Bill said he got the idea to call about leasing space in Cumberland Plaza from his store manager, Shannon Adcock. Shannon had read in Business Pulse about the former Food Lion building getting remodeled for seven businesses. She thought it would be a good fit for Myers Computers to locate there.
“It became obvious to us we needed a new location ever since American Cellular moved to its new store,” said Shannon. “We noticed our sales started to decrease and some of our customers even said they went there thinking it was us. That’s when we knew we needed to do something.”
Cell phones and cell phone service is the emphasis for Myers Computers, which is a Verizon Wireless provider. Bill said one great service they offer is they provide loaner phones to people to use while their phone is away getting repaired. “This keeps people from being without their phone for several days,” said Bill.
Like the name sounds, Myers Computers also offers a great deal of computer services from setting up networks to performing actual repairs. Bill said he thinks the move will be a real boost for business and I think so too.
Enterprise is coming to town
I had mentioned that Enterprise is coming to town in a previous column, but now that construction is taking place on N. Chancery Street next to O’Reilly Auto Parts people are starting to ask me what’s going there.
The answer is Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the business is expected to be open in March. That building is actually being constructed to accommodate three businesses. Enterprise is one of them. A discount tobacco place is the other. The last time I checked, a lease for the third spot had not been finalized, but I’ll keep you posted.
I couldn’t squeeze a picture of the Enterprise building on this page, but I did drive out and take one. If you flip all the way back to page 12-C, you will find that photo along with other business news such as Bruce William’s always-popular “Smart Money” column.
That’s all folks
I’ve been fortunate to have a steady stream of business news over the last month and for that I’m thankful. Remember to keep the business tips coming by calling 473-2191. Or, you can send me an e-mail at standard@blomand.net.
If you call and I don’t get right back to you, it’s because I’m still suffering from the “serious injuries” I suffered while watching the Super Bowl halftime show.