Nov. 2016
Newsletter
Obion County Chamber of Commerce




October Spotlight 
The City of Hornbeak

Hornbeak is a quaint little town located in the mountains of Obion County.   This little town furnishes all you need to live a retired life as well as raise a family.

The city park has playground equipment for the little folks, walking track for those that like to walk.  The tract meanders around the city park with security lighting for night participation.  Baseball fields are available for the sport.  Basketball goals furnish a workout for many youth that enjoy playing a game of B-Ball.  All driving areas are paved as well as a pavilion for family gatherings and activities.

Hornbeak has three beauty shops, one Andy Griffith type barber shop, three restaurants, a grocery store with gas station and fresh meat, vegetables and canned goods. The store has most everything that you need. We have two garages one used car lot, two variety stores, custom interior restoration for autos, County Music and Country Dancing  on Thursday night.  Hornbeak Auction on Saturday night.  Reelfoot Bank serves the financial business needs of the area and the U. S Post Office is open for mailings of all types.  Delivery trucks bringing in supplies daily as well as the packages you have ordered.

The store has a bench out front for setting, telling stories, gossiping, running the government, policing the town and country.  Politics, gripping, fussing and Monday morning quarterbacking.  All the above don't settle any problems but sure cause some at times.  But for the most part it sets a tone that you cannot find anymore except a small neighbor town.  Oh yes, some of the biggest farming stories always with large production.  Hunting and fishing with the biggest and best always getting away.

Religion is very important as there are five churches within close radius. The churches and community maintain high moral expectations of fair dealing and clean living.  Our young people know how to act in a behaved manner.

Black Oak school is our pride and joy with wonderful teachers and fully equipped facility with a beautiful Gymnasium.  Black Oak school has produced award winning sports teams and well educated students.

Our Volunteer Fire Department and 1st Responders are (we think) the best.  They respond very quickly to emergencies and medical issues.  Hornbeak Police Dept. listen, watch and protect the citizens. Don't do the crime if you don't want to do the time. Your crime will come back to your front door.  You might even find your crime on video.

Recently we have constructed a new helipad which speeds up the logistics for emergencies.  In the very near future a new Emergency Operations and Training Center will be constructed in the middle of town.

After writing this I am proud to live in Hornbeak.
 
Dennis W. Dozier
Mayor

*Don't forget to attend Business Matters the 3rd Tuesday of each month 
for a chance to have your small business/town featured in our newsletter!*



Taylor Ford Lincoln 
Business After Hours and Ribbon Cutting



Congratulations to Taylor Ford Lincoln on their Grand Re-Opening! The have an incredible new facility and we are proud to have them in our community for over 20 years! 

Taylor Ford Lincoln
2022 West Reelfoot Ave. 
Union City, Tennessee 38261
 We are ecstatic to have this FUN new store in Obion County! Go visit them for great quality gifts, goods, and custom woodworking pieces! 

Hammered Nail Designs
119 S. 1st Street
Union City, Tennessee 38261

Reelfoot Metal Building Supply Ribbon Cutting

Congratulations to Reelfoot Metal Building Supply on their new location! Make sure to stop by and see them for all your building needs!

Reelfoot Metal Building Supply 
702 C.C. Gurien Dr
Troy, TN 38260





Any Chamber member interested in receiving the hospital's cafeteria menu weekly may contact Emily Medley, food and nutrition services director, at emily.medley@bmhcc.org.  
In This Issue
Archived Obion County Chamber of Commerce Newsletters



Thank you to the following businesses for renewing your
membership for the 2016-2017 year!

Alexander Thompson Arnold (ATA)
All Kraft Erectors, Inc.
ATMOS Energy
Baptist Memorial Hospital
Carpenter Real Estate
Century 21 Golden Service Realty
City of Troy
Dar Pro Solutions
Dixie Gun Works
Dr. Jere W. Crenshaw
Farm Credit Services
First Citizens National Bank
Fuller Partners Real Estate, INC
G & H Tool & Die Inc.
Heritage Bank
Herman Jenkins Motors
Jiffy Steamer Company
MVP Brands
Obion County Farm Bureau Insurance-Hadley Malone
Republic Services
Revell Construction Company, Inc.
Rotary Club of Union City
Simmons Bank
Southern Machinery Repair, Inc.
Sullivan Family Dentistry
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Union City Daily Messenger
Union City Electric System
Union City Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Inc.
Union City Insurance Agency, Inc.
Vaughn Electric Company
Wauford & Company Consulting Engineers
West Kentucky Rural Telephone Co-Op Corp Inc
Williams Sausage Company

Leaders Credit Union Introduces New 
Union City Branch Community President

JACKSON, Tenn. (Nov 1, 2016) - Leaders Credit Union , member-owned financial cooperative based in Jackson, Tenn., is pleased to introduce Jacob Crowe as Community President for its Union City branch location effective January 1, 2017.  Crowe will be working to promote the Leaders brand as a passionate, premiere banking partner among its members and the community. Crowe will be responsible for branch office management, business volume, deposits, loan portfolios and banking relationships.  
 
"Jacob and his family have deep ties to the Obion County community, and his business acumen and banking experience will be instrumental in growing and supporting the members of the credit union," said Todd Swims, President and CEO of Leaders Credit Union.
 
Born and raised in Martin, Tenn., Crowe began his career in the financial industry in 2009 as a credit specialist in Jackson, Tenn., where he was responsible for facilitating and servicing a lending portfolio.  In 2010, Crowe began work at First State Bank where he gained experience in consumer and commercial lending. Crowe moved to Trust Company Bank in 2011 where he held the positions of Assistant V.P., Branch Manager and Senior Loan Specialist.  Crowe joined Leaders Credit Union as an underwriter and credit analyst in 2015. Crowe graduated from University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and is an alumna of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Crowe, his wife Beth, their cat Binx and Australian Shepherd Griffey will reside in Martin.

"I feel like I am coming home," noted Crowe. "Being able to work with the local communities and support our members' financial needs has further energized my desire to make a difference in the lives around me."
 
For more information about Leaders Credit Union, visit their website at leaderscu.com .
 
About Leaders Credit Union
Leaders Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Jackson, Tenn. Leaders was established in 1957 by five Jackson educators and has grown to over 35,000 members and six branches across West Tenn. As one of the largest and most stable credit unions in the nation, Leaders exists to serve the needs of its members and lead the way on their behalf. Leaders was awarded the 2015 and 2016 Best Place to Bank by Jackson Sun's Readers' Choice and was placed in the top 1% of credit unions nationwide by depositaccounts.com.  Leaders is an Equal Housing Lender and is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.  For more information about Leaders Credit Union, visit their website

Friends of Reelfoot Lake State Park Host Event

It's almost time for the 2nd annual Friends of RLSP Membership Drive, Dinner, & Silent Auction,  scheduled for Saturday, November the 19th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. The event will be held in the Ellington Hall Auditorium at the Reelfoot Lake Visitor Center, (also known as R.C. Donaldson Memorial Museum and Nature Center). We would be honored to have you join us, so please come enjoy a great meal, fun fellowship, special music, and programs that are sure to help your family and friends take home some very special memories! Oh, and an opportunity to bid on some great items in our Silent Auction.
 
Reelfoot Lake State Park is such a beautiful and popular asset to our region and we hope to expound on our efforts to support it. You can help us do just that by becoming a Member and/or a sponsoring Donor to our Silent Auction. All funds generated help us to support and offer educational programs, preservation of the park's environmental assets, and the promotion of the park itself. By becoming a Sponsor or Donor, you secure your spot on the Event Agenda Sponsor page, as well as on our facebook page. What a great feeling to know your support reaches out to so many - families, sportsmen, outdoor enthusiasts, and yes - children - our next and future generations. Your auction donation is greatly appreciated!
 
The Membership Tiers and Dinner costs are as follows:
 Individuals: $20
 Family: $35 (plus $5/person over 4 members) ex: Family of 6 is $35 + $5 + $5 = $45
 Business: $50 (limit of 3 persons -$5/person above 3)
 Sponsor Tiers as follows:
      Rumble ~ $100.00
      Tremor ~ $250
      Shake ~ $500
      Quake ~ $1000
      Shake, Rattle, and Roll ~ over $1000
  Honorary and/or Memorial are also available as is a simple Gift.
  Non-members Dinner (does not include Membership) $8/person
 
To make a monetary donation or to pre-pay your Membership, mail in your check or U.S. Postal money order to: Friends of RLSP, P.O. Box 104, Hornbeak, TN 38232-0104. Please include any additional contact information for our publication and listing of your support, as well as the number of Dinner guests. To donate items for the Silent Auction, contact Sheila or Dianne at the respective numbers below, and we will arrange for pickup or delivery. Gift packages; maps, photos, or artwork; hunting, fishing, and/or picnic, cycling, or hiking related items; guided tours; lodging and accommodations; etc - all are valued donations.

For further information or answers to questions, feel free to call or reply to us via email or send us a pm on our Facebook Page  and be sure to "Like" us, too! We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you,

Friends of RLSP Board Members
Sheila Bell (731) 536-4449  
Dianne Kendall (731) 538-3555
Ed Mayberry
I-69 Project Revived

UNION CITY - Four years after Tennessee officials stopped work on an interstate project that would connect Memphis with Canada and Mexico, the clouds of dust swirling around heavy construction equipment here signal a stark change in state policy.

The Interstate 69 project is on again - but it's not being built to Memphis. At least not for the foreseeable future.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation, which had halted the interstate work because of a lack of federal funding, has decided to complete an approximately 45-mile portion of I-69 running from the Kentucky line to Dyersburg. There it will connect with I-155, a spur that crosses the Mississippi River and extends to I-55 near Hayti, Missouri.

The remaining portions of the planned I-69 route through West Tennessee, including parts in Lauderdale, Tipton and Shelby counties, will "continue to be in a held status until there is dedicated federal funding," TDOT spokeswoman Nichole Lawrence said in an email.

Construction on the interstate resumed in the Union City area this summer after department officials determined "there would be value" in finishing just enough of I-69 to link it to I-55, a major north-south route that runs through Memphis, Lawrence said. "The long-term goal would be to establish interstate connectivity."

Often called the "NAFTA Superhighway" because it's intended to enhance the commerce with Canada and Mexico facilitated by the North American Free Trade Agreement, I-69 was laid out to follow a route from Port Huron, Michigan, on the Canadian border, to the Mexican border in Texas. Along the way, it would run through West Tennessee into Memphis, utilizing parts of I-40 and I-240 through Midtown and I-55 south of the loop, continuing through Northwest Mississippi, southeastern Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana.

Of the total length of the route, only scattered pieces have been built or posted as I-69.  They including the portion from Indianapolis northward and segments in Kentucky, in DeSoto and Tunica counties in Mississippi and pieces in Texas. Portions of I-269, a bypass route around Memphis, have been completed in Shelby and Fayette counties in Tennessee, with construction continuing in Marshall and DeSoto counties in Mississippi.

In 2012, after years of planning, right-of-way acquisition and some initial construction, TDOT officials said they were putting the I-69 project on hold until the federal government dedicated more money to it. Without dedicated federal funds, which generally cover 80-90 percent of the cost of building an interstate, the state would have to divert precious federal highway construction dollars from other projects across Tennessee to pay for I-69, they said.

However, Lawrence said the department recently decided it made sense to build the more limited I-69 route in Northwest Tennessee.

In Union City, located 115 miles northeast of Memphis, the $46.3 million segment now under construction covers 2.87 miles from Tenn. 5 around the west side of town to U.S. 51. Slated for completion in October 2019, it's one of five segments to be built in Obion County encompassing more than 20 miles and costing a total of $205.9 million.

Those segments will extend I-69 from the Kentucky line to south of the town of Troy, where the route will utilize a nearly 25-mile stretch of Highway 51 that needs only minimal upgrades to meet interstate standards.

TDOT's decision to resume work on I-69 in Northwest Tennessee was greatly welcomed in Union City, a town of 11,000 that was dealt a severe blow five years ago when Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. closed a plant that employed 1,900 workers. Leaders in the area point out that West Tennessee, unlike other parts of the state, currently has no north-south interstate.

"It means a lot for Union City," Mayor Terry Hailey said. "It really puts us on the interstate."

The highway could prove especially beneficial to Discovery Park of America, a 50-acre, $80 million attraction that opened in Union City three years ago. It's located just east of the I-69 route and in between two planned interchanges. Even without the interstate, the park has been averaging some 250,000 visitors a year.

"It's a game-changer for us," said park CEO Jim Rippy.
BMH-Union City Recognized for
 Safe, Efficient and Effective Care
(Second from right) Dr. Mark Swanson, vice president and chief medical officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, recently presented the Premier Quest Award to leaders at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City including (left to right) Terry Roberson, BMH-UC board of directors member; Teresa Vinson, director of quality, Skipper Bondurant, administrator and CEO; and Lori Brown, chief nursing officer.  Baptist Union City is one of fourteen hospitals nationwide and the only hospital in Tennessee to be recognized for achieving top performance for safe, efficient, and effective health care. 

Sears Hometown Store Ribbon Cutting


Congratulations to Sears on their ribbon cutting! They are under new ownership and we are excited to see their business grow! 

Sears Hometown Store
1421 S. 1st Street
Union City, TN 38261
2016 Tennessee Vacation Guide
 
The 2016 Tennessee Vacation Guide is out and looks great; you can view the official TN eGuide here . There is a vast reach in the 550,000 printed distribution and even more important, it is very specific to our Tennessee Visitors planning to travel! The TN Guide can be directly requested, or picked up at one of the State's 14 Welcome Centers. I hope you can take a minute to dive into the pages that showcase our story so well.

2016-2017 Tennessee Municipal Guide
 
Check out this years Municipal Guide  click here

List Your Available Commercial Property With Us

 

Let us help you spread the word about your available commercial property by listing it at www.obioncounty.org. If you have commercial property you would like to list, please contact Lindsay Frilling at lfrilling@obioncounty.org.