Officials from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt have announced a new virtual format for this year’s Nashville Christmas Parade, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5.

The virtual parade will replace the annual downtown parade, which has been canceled due to COVID-19. This year, viewers will experience a one-hour program featuring a lineup of virtual performances and celebrity appearances from across Nashville, plus historic highlights from previous parades.

In lieu of a grand marshal for the virtual parade, frontline healthcare workers will be spotlighted as the parade’s hometown heroes, and the virtual event will also include a special message from Santa Claus. Parade officials have already begun the process of securing performers and celebrity guests and will announce more information on the lineup in the coming months.

WKRN-TV will again air the program, and Timeless Syndication will make the parade available for TV stations and other outlets across the country in the weeks to follow. Information

Sitel at Home hiring in Nashville area

Sitel Group, a global customer experience management provider, is expanding its presence in Nashville.

The company is hiring hundreds of work-from-home associates in the Nashville area.

Open Sitel at Home positions in the Nashville market include customer service representatives and licensed insurance agents for a seasonal annual enrollment project with one of the largest insurance providers in the U.S. Employees will be provided paid training and coverage of Health and Life Insurance Licensing fees.

Sitel is offering those who are already licensed a $1,000 cash bonus ($500 in the first paycheck and $500 at the end of the assignment).

Sitel at Home associates will be able to access Sitel’s existing location in the Gulch section of downtown. Nashville will serve as a community hub where associates can access training and tech support.

Gallatin lands $800M Facebook data center

Facebook will invest $800 million to build a state-of-the-art data center in Gallatin.

The project is estimated to support approximately 100 jobs and will have more than 1,100 construction workers on-site at peak.

The data center will support a variety of positions and job types, from technical operations, electricians, logistics staff, security and more.

Construction has just begun on the 982,000-square-foot facility.

The Facebook Gallatin Data Center will be among the most advanced, energy- and water- efficient data center facilities in the world.

It will be supported by 100% renewable energy, will use 80% less water than the average, and, once completed, will be LEED Gold certified. Facebook has already partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority to bring 220 MW of new solar energy to the Tennessee Valley to support Facebook’s operations in the region.

Alabama bank adding office in Brentwood

Oakworth Capital Bank officials have announced the company is entering the Middle Tennessee market with an office in Brentwood.

Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Oakworth serves clients in 17 states from its offices in Birmingham and Mobile.

Greer Redden will lead the Oakworth team in the market. “Greer’s experience and reputation in Nashville will enhance our ability to deliver our unique value proposition to the Middle Tennessee market,” says Forest Whatley, managing director responsible for markets.

The new office will be located at 5511 Virginia Way, Brentwood. The office should be open during the fourth quarter of this year.

Stein Mart closing TN stores after Chapter 11

Stein Mart is closing 13 stores in Tennessee including locations in Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro and Nashville.

Stein Mart filed for Chapter 11 reorganization Aug. 12 and authorized going-out-of-business sales by a joint venture composed of Gordon Brothers, Hilco Merchant Resources, Tiger Capital Group, B. Riley Financial’s Great American Group and SB360 Capital Partners.

The sale process is underway at all 279 Stein Mart locations across the U.S.

Stein Mart gift cards and loyalty rewards will be accepted for a limited time.

Inova again makes list of fastest-growing in US

Nashville-based Inova Payroll has been named to the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year.

The company also announced the expansion of operations into Arizona and Florida to better meet the needs of their growing client base.

“The decision to expand our presence into Florida and Arizona supports our vision for strategic growth and our commitment to deliver exceptional service to employers,” says Farsheed Ferdowsi, Inova Payroll founder, president and CEO.

Inova’s also has offices in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

CFMT buys property for new headquarters

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has acquired 6 acres of land located at the corner of Woodmont and Belmont boulevards in Nashville.

The property, sold by the state in a sealed bidding process for approximately $6 million, will be the new home for CFMT. Building plans include a center for Middle Tennessee nonprofits to engage in trainings and special events.

For three decades, Middle Tennessee’s 40 counties have benefited from CFMT’s work serving as a catalyst and convener to support this community and people in need.

The organization has lacked physical resources to embrace many additional projects that would have helped benefit the community, however.

“We began in my garage 30 years ago, and we eventually moved our offices downtown, thanks to the generosity of Ted Lazenby, our first board chair,” says Ellen Lehman, president and founder of The Community Foundation.

“In 1995, we moved to Midtown with the help of Dr. Pat Maxwell and Frank Bumstead. Seven years later we relocated to Green Hills, thanks to the kindness of Robin Hurdle and Aubrey Harwell, and as a memorial to Dan and Margaret Maddox.”

The Foundation’s new property will be available as a resource to bring people and groups together to review and address community issues, with the hopes of forging new partnerships and strengthening those that already exist.

The building’s two floors will house operations, with a reception area, conference rooms, and a mix of open and private offices and meeting rooms. A proposed secondary building will be used to hold donor and grantee meetings and events.

Thompson Machinery to open new location

Thompson Machinery, a local Caterpillar dealer, is investing $15 million in Thompson’s Station with a new location opening in the coming weeks.

The store is located just south of Franklin and north of Spring Hill, near Interstate 840 on Columbia Pike, providing easy access for customers south of Williamson and Maury counties.

“Customer demand for new, used, and rental machines continues to amaze us all,” says Chet Kelley, Manager at Thompson. “It’s a testament to the strength of our community and the attractiveness of living in Tennessee.”

The new facility is roughly 10,000 square feet and is specifically designed for Thompson’s Cat Rental Store operations and retail sales of small construction equipment, such as compact track loaders and mini excavators, an industry opportunity segment that is up 25% over the prior year in Thompson’s territory.