Compass, which touts itself as a real estate technology company, has announced its entrance into the Nashville market.

The company welcomes eight agents/teams, which collectively represent more than $135 million in collective sales volume. The agents come from Synergy, Village, Zeitlin Sotheby’s, Parks and Chateau Properties.

Compass’ business model involves redefining real estate “by harnessing the power of data and technology on one end-to-end platform, simplifying the experience of buying or selling a home.”

Agents joining Compass in Nashville are: Michelle Maldonado, Franklin and Lana Pargh, Greg Cooley, Robert Drimmer, Angela Wright, Jessi Sgarlata and the Southbound Group, Sara Michaels Evers and Moving Music City Team, David Koellein, and Chris Koch.

Compass was founded in 2012 and has grown to service more than 7,000 agents across 165 offices in 80+ cities nationwide. The company is valued at $4.4 billion and has raised $1.2 billion to date.

Truform plans expansion in Dickson

Truform Manufacturing officials have announced the automotive and appliance supplier will invest approximately $14 million to expand its operations in Dickson.

The company says it will create nearly 90 jobs over the next five years. Truform anticipates the new expansion will be open and operational in the third quarter of 2019.

A subsidiary of Sisler Manufacturing Group, Truform operates an ISO/IATF 16949 metal stamping and assembly facility in Dickson, producing components and modular assemblies for Tier-1 suppliers and OEMs in the automotive and appliance industries. The expansion is driven by growth in both appliance and automotive segments.

The company will add approximately 40,000 square feet to its Dickson operations, where the company currently employs approximately 160.

Metro Schools honored for architectural work

Metro Nashville Public Schools has been selected the winner of the Tennessee School Boards Association 2018 Excellence in Architectural Design in Elementary Schools award.

This award, granted annually by TSBA, recognizes architectural firms that meet specific criteria in four categories, which include construction of a new elementary school, middle school, high school or renovation project. MNPS’s design team met and exceeded all expectations with the newly constructed Eagle View Elementary School project in Antioch, which was designed for a capacity of 800 students and achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver accreditation.

School architects must receive support from their local school board members in order to be considered for this recognition.

The remodeling and renovation qualifications may include additional spaces, updating, recycling, restoration, new uses of space, rehabilitation, energy-saving measures or repairing previously used spaces. A significant portion of the project must consist of major remodeling or renovations.

Village moves into The Nations

Village has opened an office in The Nations, the sixth neighborhood office for the 22-year-old real estate brokerage and its second new office to open this year.

“The Nations office opening is part of our 22nd anniversary celebration as a company,” says Mark Deutschmann, founder and CEO of Village. “We continue to be a different kind of real estate brokerage, remaining passionate about impacting a positive social change and dedicated to investing in the growth and development of our REALTORS.’’

The new office is located at 4717 Centennial Blvd., Suite B. Village opened its fifth office in Wedgewood-Houston in June and relocated its Williamson County office to an historic building in downtown Franklin in September.

Village agents working out of the new 4,200-square-foot office, located two blocks east of Silo Bend, will serve the increasingly popular West Nashville, Bellevue, West Meade and Sylvan Park areas.

EO Nashville seeks student entrepreneur applications

The Nashville chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization has begun accepting applications to this year’s qualifying rounds of the Global Student Entrepreneurs Awards. The chapter will be hosting the local qualifying competition Nov. 30 at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.

GSEA is a premier awards program for students who own or operate a business while attending college or university. Student entrepreneurs compete against peers in a series of local and national qualifying rounds to make their way to the global finals that will be held in Toronto next year.

EO’s GSEA program provides students an opportunity to learn from fellow entrepreneurs and form lasting relationships with both students and prominent entrepreneur judges. Over the years, participating students have gone on to expand and build businesses, create thousands of jobs and generate millions in revenue.

In addition to being college- or university-level students, participants would also have to be primarily responsible for a business that has been in operation for no less than six consecutive months. Upon review of the applications, selected students will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present their business and entrepreneurial journey in front of a panel of entrepreneur judges.

The emerging champion from this round of the competition will proceed to the regional qualifiers with coverage of up to $500 in airfare and win a cash prize of $3,000, as well as donated business products and services, including web services, PR, consulting and more. Second place will win a cash prize of $1,500, and third place $500.

Student entrepreneurs interested in participating need to apply before Nov. 23. Information

Affinion rebrands as Franklin Madison

Affinion Insurance Solutions has changed its name to Franklin Madison Group LLC.

The company, headquartered in Franklin, says the new name reflects a new direction and is the final step in the transformation to becoming an independent company as a result of the acquisition by Mill Point Capital in August.

Franklin Madison is focused on continuing to deliver on its commitments to its bank and credit union clients and intends to invest in and expand its digital and direct mail footprint.

Kepro cited for marketing, communications

Kepro a Nashville-based medical management and cost containment solution provider for government and commercial payers in the health care sector, has been honored for creative marketing and communications.

The company received three MarCom Awards, including the highest honor for Strategic Communications Marketing with the Platinum MarCom Award for the company’s brand update.

MarCom also recognized Kepro’s internal employee newsletter with the Gold MarCom Award, as well as an honorable mention for the company’s intranet redesign.

Cumberland Pharm to buy Vibativ

Nashville-based Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vibativ from Theravance Biopharma.

Cumberland is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the delivery of high-quality prescription brands to improve patient care.

Vibativ (telavancin) is a patented, FDA approved anti-infective for the treatment of certain serious bacterial infections including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia and complicated skin & skin structure infections.

It addresses a range of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including those that are considered difficult-to-treat and multidrug-resistant.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cumberland will assume full responsibility for the product including its marketing, distribution, manufacturing and regulatory activities. Cumberland will support Vibativ in the United States through its established hospital sales organization.

The Company expects to selectively expand its sales force, medical science liaison and corporate teams to ensure the needed support of Vibativ as well as its oncology and acute care brands.

The financial terms include a $20 million payment to Theravance Biopharma upon closing, a $5 million additional payment in early 2019, and tiered royalties of up to 20% on future US net product sales. Cumberland expects that the addition of VIBATIV will be accretive to the Company’s earnings.

AIA network adds Something Inked

Nashville’s Something Inked, an independently owned branding, marketing, design, e-commerce, and merchandise company, is joining AIA Corporation and becoming part of its distributor network.

Something Inked is also celebrating its 8th year as a manufacturer of retail, sports, and concert merchandise.

AIA is one of the top five promotional product distributors in the U.S., with more than 300 independent franchise promotional product distributors nationwide and more than 3,000 suppliers.

Arcosa to invest, expand in Ashland City

Arcosa Marine officials have announced an expansion of operations in Ashland City. The inland barge manufacturer will invest more than $10 million and create 300 jobs during the next five years.

Trinity Marine Products, now doing business as Arcosa Marine, is a leading manufacturer of transport barges for inland waterways. The company produces multiple barge lines, barge covers, deck fittings and hardware. Arcosa Marine currently employs approximately 240 people at its Ashland City operations.

Change Healthcare announces collaboration

Change Healthcare, headquartered in Nashville, and Tibco Software are partnering to build the first smart contract system for healthcare.

The system will use the Change Healthcare Intelligent Healthcare Network blockchain technology and Tibco’s smart contract developer project, Project Dovetail.

The platform will aim to enable health plans and their financial partners to easily develop and deploy smart contract-based processes that automate events across the healthcare transaction processing lifecycle.

Smart contracts present a simpler, more efficient, and lower-cost solution because they enable self-executing business rules that payers embed on a blockchain and trigger automatically based on events that occur in a transaction. When any event in the healthcare transaction lifecycle is completed, the blockchain ledger is updated.