Blount County’s economy has taken one hit after another recently, including layoffs at Rubbermaid, Alcoa, Clayton Homes and now furloughs at Denso. For the first time in over a decade, the unemployment level in Blount County is higher than the state’s, at 7.9 percent. “We are in challenging times right now,” says the executive vice [...]
February 22, 2009
Local unemployed struggle to get into tight job market
The tight job market is making paying the bills hard for thousands of East Tennesseans who recently lost their jobs. “I’ve been putting in applications daily, weekly. I’ve got three part-time jobs trying to make a full-time salary,” Butch Bauer says. Bauer spent Tuesday afternoon networking at the Jon News Job Fair, hoping to land [...]
February 22, 2009
Fiber manufacturer Toho Tenax cutting 69 jobs in Rockwood
Toho Tenax America Inc., a carbon fiber manufacturer, will cut 69 jobs at its headquarters in Rockwood. The state Department of Labor says the cuts began on January 15 and will continue through April 4. The Department of Labor’s rapid response team will hold a mass employee meeting on February 26 to inform people about [...]
February 22, 2009
Mountain businesses feel pinch as local spending slows, shifts
Economists might look at unemployment numbers or other detailed data to forecast the business climate, but for restaurateur Damien Cavicchi, iced tea told the story. In August 2007, Cavicchi and his wife, Lindsay, opened their dream restaurant, a downtown euro-Italian eatery called Sugo that specialized in homemade pastas, sausages and other delectables. The two had [...]
February 22, 2009
Job prospects weaken in WNC
Ray Denny, chief industrial recruiter for the Economic Development Commission for Asheville-Buncombe County, is making more friends than deals these days. Students at Western Carolina University have more of an incentive than usual to stay in school: With the number of employers doing job recruiting on campus down by about 30 percent, it’s probably easier [...]
February 22, 2009
Raw pet food business goes local
After dozens of dogs and cats died and thousands more became ill from tainted pet food a couple of years ago, many people started paying more attention to what they feed their pets. And that presented Kristi King with an opportunity. King makes and sells all-natural, raw pet foods containing seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. Green Earth [...]
