Lyft and Spin have announced a partnership to bring Spin scooters to the Lyft app in 60 U.S. markets, including Nashville.

More cities are launching over the coming months.

This integration further positions Lyft as the go-to transportation platform as riders have new, cost-effective and more sustainable ways to get from point A to point B. This exclusive partnership creates a seamless experience: riders can simply rent and pay for Spin scooters in the Lyft app without needing to download another app or add new payment information.

Riders in select cities will see Spin scooters as an option when they search their destination in the Lyft app. To see all available scooters, riders can tap the scooter icon at the bottom of the screen, and nearby scooters will be populated on the map. A Spin scooter can be unlocked via the Lyft app by scanning its QR code or entering the scooter ID number.

Sky Nashville begins 64-home Nations build

Ground was recently broken on Sky Nashville, a multimillion-dollar, 64-home downtown neighborhood project.

The community, located at 3303 Delaware Avenue off Charlotte Avenue, is one of the last downtown west Nashville parcels of land. The developer and builder is the Baird Graham Company. The final sale price of the land was $15.5 million.

The townhomes will range from 1,800 to 3,500 square feet and have two-car garages. Being created in five sections, they will range from three to four stories with the selections and price pre-determined and final.

With ground already being broken, the infrastructure will be accomplished in the next four months. The homes will be vertical in August and be released for pre-sales at that time with a waitlist already begun according to the Realtor of record for the project, Kellen Moore, with Helton Real Estate Group.

“This neighborhood is all about the incredible location and views. The demand for townhomes is evident with dozens of offers being placed on anything coming to market,” Moore says. “Finding new construction being offered by a top Nashville developer in this prime location makes Sky Nashville incredibly unique.”

Volunteers planting 10K trees in Tennessee

Plant a Tree for Tennessee, a statewide tree-planting initiative, has set a goal of planting 10,000 trees this year.

Participants may reserve trees to plant in their yard by April 17, then pick them up April 23. Volunteers will oversee pickup locations in Algood, Ashland City, Chattanooga, Franklin, Gallatin, Gatlinburg, Jackson, Knoxville, Madison, Memphis, Murfreesboro and Nashville.

“Planting a tree is one of the best things Tennesseans can do for the community. Trees provide benefits for our economy, health and quality of life,” says John McFadden, CEO of Green Interchange.

All tree species are native to Tennessee and include Redbud, Dogwood, Sumac, Oak and False Indigo. Tree seedlings are 1-3 feet tall, depending on the species. The seedlings are bare-root, which means the roots are not in a container. Trees must be reserved by April 17 online or by texting TREE22 to 615 307-9133.

Participants are asked to plant their trees April 23-24 and then share photos on social media tagging Green Interchange and using the hashtag #plantatreefortn. Tree planting instructions can be found on the Green Interchange website.

Silicon Ranch project underway

Nashville-based Silicon Ranch, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Meta and the Jackson Energy Authority recently broke ground on a new 70-megawatt solar facility in Madison County.

The McKellar Solar Farm will help support Meta’s regional operations with 100% renewable energy. Meta is formerly the Facebook company.

Silicon Ranch will fund, own, operate, and maintain the McKellar Solar Farm, a disciplined approach the company takes with every project it develops. Silicon Ranch expects to invest upward of $90 million to construct the facility, and the project will contribute millions of dollars more in property taxes, which benefit all Madison County residents by supporting local government services and the local school system.

Construction of the solar facility will create more than 350 construction jobs, with preference given to the local labor pool and the military veteran community. The solar farm will also provide additional employment for ongoing operations and maintenance, including ranchers and farmers to care for the land as part of Silicon Ranch’s Regenerative Energy holistic approach to land management.

Construction of the facility is expected to be completed before the end of 2022, with interconnection to the TVA grid facilitated by the JEA distribution system.

Red Letter adds Nashville office

Red Letter Communications, Inc., a full-service marketing communications agency based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has added an office in Nashville.

The company has also recently invested in Nashville-based social media agency JM Collective.

“JM Collective is a new social media agency specializing in image-building platform expansions with brands, athletes and entertainers,” says CEO Bruce Robert. “The partnership was attractive to us because it adds another dimension of social engagement and expertise.”

JM Collective shares space and resources with Red Letter in the new Nashville office.

Red Letter Communications is a 41-year full-service marketing communications agency with a diverse team of 80 employees.

Cumberland launches drug in Middle East

Specialty pharmaceutical companies Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., based in Nashville, and Tabuk Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have announced the launch of Cumberland’s Vibativ (telavancin) injection in the Middle East.

Vibativ treats patients with multidrug-resistant infections.

Tabuk is a fully owned subsidiary of Astra Industrial Group and a leading pharmaceutical company in the Middle East.

The announcement follows an agreement between the companies providing Tabuk the exclusive rights to register and promote the product for patients in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and potentially other countries in the region.

Vibativ serves as a potentially life-saving treatment in patients with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia resulting from a range of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including those that are considered difficult-to-treat and are multidrug-resistant.

As a once-daily dosed antibiotic, Vibativ does not require therapeutic drug monitoring, decreasing health care professionals’ exposure to the patient.

LP announces new insulation product

Nashvillle’s LP Building Solutions, a manufacturer of high-performance building products, has unveiled LP NovaCore Thermal Insulated Sheathing, the latest innovation in the LP Structural Solutions portfolio.

These sheathing panels are dual-layered and designed to minimize thermal bridging and energy loss, helping to make structures more energy-saving and cost-efficient over time.

Designed to defend against heat and cold, LP NovaCore Thermal provides a continuous extruded polystyrene (XPS) layer between interior home spaces and the outside world. It will be one of the only insulated panel products on the market that combines XPS foam with an oriented strand board (OSB) substrate. The XPS foam provides continuous insulation with a higher R-value than standard sheathing and does not deteriorate over time, unlike some other foam insulation products. Despite the product’s add-ons for insulation, it still uses standard 2×4 spacing.

SVP buys Vietnamese sewing machine factory

LaVergne-based SVP Worldwide, a leader in household sewing machines, has acquired Jaguar International Corporation’s sewing machine manufacturing operations and product engineering organization.

The facility, based in Vietnam, is one of the largest factories of household sewing machines in the world.

The acquisition will strengthen SVP Worldwide’s supply chain and create the needed capacity to support growth for the company’s SINGER, HUSQVARNA VIKING and PFAFF brands. The demand for household sewing machines has grown over the past decade and further expanded during the pandemic. SVP Worldwide has outpaced the industry growth and steadily gained market share through systematic execution of its strategy including significant investments in the business which accelerated after Platinum Equity acquired SVP Worldwide in 2021. As a result, the company has actively been seeking to strengthen its manufacturing footprint.

Ultimate Linings moving facility to Lebanon

Ultimate Linings, LLC will relocate its chemical manufacturing facility from Bedford, Texas, to Lebanon.

The company will invest $31 million and create 50 new jobs in Wilson County over the next five years.

To meet new growth and expand global research, Ultimate Linings’ Lebanon facility will house both the company’s advanced automated chemical manufacturing and its research and development laboratory and innovation center.

Headquartered in Houston, Ultimate Linings has served the automotive industry’s need for high quality bedliner material and systems for nearly three decades. Today, the company has a global presence with applicators located in the U.S. and roughly 30 other countries around the world.

In the last five years, TNECD has supported nearly 20 economic development projects in Wilson County resulting in more than 5,500 job commitments and $1 billion in capital investment.

Permobil to expand its Wilson County HQ

Permobil, Inc. officials have announced the company expects to invest $15.5 million to expand its manufacturing operations at the company’s North American headquarters in Wilson County.

Permobil aims to create 70 new jobs over the next five years as the company constructs a 70,000-square-foot addition to its existing Lebanon operations.

The company’s expansion stems from its continued growth in the North American market and expansion of innovative new solutions for individuals.

Permobil is the global leader in trusted health care solutions for power and manual wheelchairs, seating and positioning products, and power assist. The company has 1,600 employees worldwide.