2022 Nissan Pathfinder

-- Photograph Provided By Nissan

The newly redesigned 2022 Nissan Pathfinder has begun rolling off the assembly line at the company’s Smyrna assembly plant.

“Start of production of the new Pathfinder marks another major milestone in our Nissan NEXT momentum story,” says Jeff Younginer, vice president, Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant. “The Smyrna plant team is thrilled to put the newest version of this iconic vehicle on the road for customers.”

The Pathfinder joins the Nissan Frontier as all-new models for 2022. Other new models that are part of the company’s new product introduction plan include the all-electric Ariya crossover and a production version of the Z Proto sports car.

Pathfinder has been assembled at Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant since 2004. The engine for the vehicle is assembled at Nissan Decherd Powertrain Plant in Decherd.

The new Pathfinder arrives in dealer showrooms throughout the U.S. and Canada this summer.

Belmont sells Watkins campus for $22.5M

Belmont University has closed on the sale of the former Watkins College of Art property to a joint venture of affiliates of Chartwell Residential LLC and EJF Capital LLC for $22.5 million.

Net funds from the sale of the Rosa Parks Boulevard campus will create an endowment to provide scholarships for visual arts students in Belmont’s Watkins College of Art, the school reports, adding the endowment will be used exclusively to provide need and merit-based scholarships for students studying the visual arts. The endowed fund is expected to produce more than $800,000 annually for arts scholarships upon maturation.

In the inaugural year of the new merger, Belmont’s Watkins College of Art consists of 143 majors, 5 MFA students and 17 full-time faculty and staff, along with another 94 students holding a minor within the Watkins College.

Though public exhibitions weren’t possible this year due to the pandemic, Watkins students have access to multiple galleries to display their work and be inspired by visiting artists, including the Leu Art Gallery, Gallery 121, Meaders Student Gallery and the Wedgewood-Houston Gallery at The Packing Plant.

Battle Of Franklin Trust to manage Rippavilla

The Battle of Franklin Trust has been selected by the city of Spring Hill to operate and manage Rippavilla, a pre-Civil War home with 98 adjoining acres. Rippavilla and Spring Hill are just minutes from historic Franklin, where the Trust also manages two historic sites, Carnton and Carter House.

The Battle of Franklin Trust will reopen Rippavilla to the public May 24 for guided tours and specialty tours. The site will be open seven days a week. Ticket prices will be $18 for a classic house tour and $25 for all specialty tours, which will include battlefield, slavery and extended tours.

In addition, the Trust is launching a joint ticket to Rippavilla, Carnton and Carter House for $40. Information: www.boft.org/visit.

Firearms manufacturer relocating to Clarksville

Troy Industries, Inc. officials have announced the firearms manufacturer will relocate its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Massachusetts to Clarksville.

The project represents an investment of $7.2 million and the creation of 75 jobs over the next five years.

Troy is one of America’s largest suppliers of original equipment manufacturer small arms accessories and weapon upgrades. The company supplies firearms to military, law enforcement and civilians. In addition to TROY Firearms, many other firearms manufacturers, such as Smith & Wesson, Colt, HK and Sturm, Ruger & Company incorporate TROY components into their products.

The company is currently seeking applicants for various positions at its Clarksville facility. Those interested in working at Troy can send a letter of interest along with resume to [email protected].

Millcraft acquires assets of Dennis Paper Co.

The Millcraft Paper Company has acquired the assets of Nashville’s Dennis Paper Company, which was founded by Morris Dennis in 1969.

The Nashville-based business will continue to operate under the Dennis Paper Company name, while Millcraft works to add in new core product lines such as retail and beverage packaging, wide format and graphics, as well as direct to garment. This will continue to benefit and expand opportunities for new and existing Dennis Paper customers.

The acquisition underscores the Cleveland-based distributor’s ongoing growth strategy and continued commitment to investing in its core customer base – today’s commercial printers, who are seeking to diversify beyond traditional paper and print to meet the changing demands of the marketplace.

HireRight partners with Fountain

Nashville’s HireRight, a provider of global background screening services, drug testing, education verification and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions, has announced a new integration partnership with applicant tracking service, Fountain, to support employers with high-volume hiring needs.

HireRight’s integration with Fountain offers employers streamlined workflows to efficiently move candidates through the hiring process, track the status of screening orders, and provide an enhanced seamless experience for applicants.

Parade poll: Pandemic changed US health

A new Parade Media/Cleveland Clinic/Ipsos poll finds that 48% of Americans surveyed experienced a change in their physical health, and 47% reported a shift in their mental/emotional health, as compared to before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic more than one year ago.

Parade Media is based in Nashville and New York.

The 2021 Healthy Now Practicing Prevention Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults revealed that women and adults ages 18-34 years old were the most likely to experience negative physical and mental health effects versus before the pandemic. The survey also noted that while 81% of respondents rated their overall health as good or excellent, a sizable proportion struggle with making healthy food choices, getting enough sleep and loneliness and isolation. Many Americans also lacked knowledge of key information about their personal health.

Rubicon, Meritage buy Capitol View Plaza

Rubicon Equities, a Nashville-based real estate investment firm, and Meritage Group LP, a private investment firm, have acquired Capitol View Plaza, a Class A Office building located at 1 Lifeway Plaza.

Capitol View Plaza was built in 2017 with best-in-class building amenities, versatile and efficient floor plates, and an award-winning design. The former Lifeway Headquarters property is located within the 32-acre Capitol View master planned community, offering tenants a walkable live-work-play experience as well as immediate access to downtown Nashville.

This is the third investment for Rubicon and Meritage in downtown Nashville.

“Capitol View Plaza is exceptionally well designed and constructed, built to the highest standard as only an owner-occupant would. The asset is already drawing significant tenant interest, as it is one of the only true Class A move-in-ready options available in the dynamic Gulch neighborhood,’’ says Gabriel Coltea, Rubicon’s managing partner.

PixelFLEX adds new line of LED displays

Nashville-based LED manufacturer PixelFLEX is launching a new line of tour quality production LED displays in the EF Series product line.

The new EF Series Production line delivers flexibility in both design and budget and offers a feature-rich, yet economical solution for indoor LED solutions.

The new line as a whole is an exceptional solution for event spaces, churches and corporate facilities by offering flexibility in mounting options, pixel pitch options between 1.9 and 4.8, and brightness up to 1,200 Nit.

Pinnacle handles $930M in PPP lending funds

In the second round of Paycheck Protection Program lending, Nashville’s Pinnacle Financial Partners made more than 9,000 loans worth $930 million to local businesses in need across its footprint.

Combined with first round lending, the firm issued 23,778 PPP loans worth more than $3.2 billion. For context, Pinnacle’s loan growth in all of 2019 was $2.1 billion.

“I maintain that the Paycheck Protection Program is one of the most effective uses of government stimulus I have ever seen, despite the complications,” says Terry Turner, Pinnacle’s president and CEO. “Local businesses needed help, and this injection of funding helped millions of them survive. Our associates spent more than a year on this incredible effort, and they delivered in ways only Pinnacle can.

“Their preparation and willingness to tackle the complexities are a true demonstration of what makes Pinnacle different, but the real value is in the 23,000 businesses in our home communities that will make it to the other side of this crisis because of the funding we helped them get.”

The average size of a second round PPP loan from Pinnacle in 2021 was $102,441, down from $157,189 in the first round, and 94% were considered small-dollar loans with amounts below $350,000.

When combined with first round PPP loans in 2020, Pinnacle saw enormous success with small-dollar and mid-size loans, getting much needed funding to small businesses facing revenue shortfalls and added expenses, both related to the pandemic.

“We’re encouraged by the increased number of PPP loan payoffs we’ve seen recently from the SBA,” Turner says. “This process isn’t over when we fund the loan. We’ve been working with clients since October on the forgiveness process, and we’ve spent more than a year now advising businesses who are facing pandemic-related troubles. It started with PPP and our intensive deferral and credit review process, and now we’re moving into the home stretch with PPP forgiveness and the new SBA grant programs that launched this month. It’s been a difficult road, and our associates have worked hand in hand with their clients every step of the way.”

HCCP wins Christian Book Awards

Nashville-based HarperCollins Christian Publishing is celebrating its five 2021 Christian Book Award winners. These awards have been presented annually since 1978 by the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association.

The winning titles and categories from HCCP are:

• Audio – “Suffer Strong’’ written and narrated by Katherine and Jay Wolf produced by Gabe Wicks/HarperCollins Christian Publishing – (Zondervan)

• Bibles – NIV Study Bible Fully Revised Edition – (Zondervan)

• Bible Reference Works – “The New Testament in its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature and Theology of the First Christians’’ written by N.T. Wright and Michael Bird – (Zondervan Academic)

• Devotion and Gift – “How Great Is Our God: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science,’’ written by Louie Giglio – (Tommy Nelson)

• New Author – “Laughing Through the Ugly Cry…and Finding Unstoppable Joy’’ written by Dawn Barton – (Thomas Nelson)

In addition to the five award winners, HCCP had 10 additional titles that were finalists in nine out of 12 categories.

Chicago firm purchases Airpark Road property

Brennan Investment Group, a private real estate investment firm in Chicago, has acquired 11.86 acres at Airpark Road East in Nashville

The site is well located in the industrial submarket east of Nashville, due east of the Nashville International Airport.

Brennan’s strategy is to develop two modern Class A industrial facilities totaling approximately 135,000 rentable square feet. The planned design features first class amenities including 30’ clear heights, ESFR sprinkler system, and abundant automobile parking and loading positions.

The buildings will be designed to accommodate up to four tenants ranging in size from 10,000-67,500 square feet. This overall size flexibility fits well within the submarket.

Premium Schools taps Motlow State online

Premium Schools, a source of information for quality degree programs based in Nashville, has released its list of The Best Online Community College in Every State in the U.S.

To produce the list, Premium Schools looked at all of the community colleges offering online degrees across the country and made their comparison based on certain criteria.

Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma was selected as publication’s top pick in Tennessee.

Attending an in-state online community college is beneficial to students simply because it can certainly offer lower costs. As a matter of fact, many states in the U.S. are offering a 100% free college education to first time students within the state they reside.

The list is available at www.premiumschools.org