Category: Uncategorized

Winners Announced for 21st Annual Taste of Blount

Posted on September 14, 2023 by - Uncategorized

On a pleasant late summer’s eve, a sold-out crowd of 860 people gathered to enjoy some of the best food in Blount County as a record 31 area restaurants, food trucks and caterers participated in the 21st annual Taste of Blount hosted by the Blount Partnership at the Theater in the Park in Maryville, Tenn.

“Community events like this, along with the support of local sponsors, are essential to showing the vibrancy of this area,” said Blount Partnership President Bryan Daniels. “The friendly competition among the vendors is great and Taste of Blount shows off the wide variety of places we have to eat here.”

Attendees voted for winners in seven categories while culinary experts handed out the Culinary Excellence Awards.

Taking home top honors for best presentation and overall in the People’s Choice division was Pellissippi State Culinary Institute. Also winning double honors was The Italian Apron for best appetizer and main course.

Winning best sandwich for the fifth consecutive year was REO Cheesewagon. Sugar Mama’s Cotton Candy and Single Barrel Events won for best beverage. Best dessert went to Between the Slices.

The Culinary Excellence Awards were judged by five culinary experts – Kaysey Sanford, Sherri McCall, Ed Mitchell, and Mandee & Eric McNew – who put their professional taste buds to the test and anointed winners in five categories. Vendors were asked to submit one food item for the judges to determine which topped their chart.

Winning best appetizer for the second straight year as judged in the culinary division was Pellissippi State Culinary Institute. Taking home top honors for best sandwich was the Waterfront Bar & Grill. Sugar Mama’s Cotton Candy & Single Barrel Events won for best beverage. Top main course went to the Abbey, while Ham ‘N Goody’s won for best dessert.

The event was sponsored by Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union, Y-12 Federal Credit Union, Ebdontics, LDA Engineering, UT Federal Credit Union, ICC International, Simmons Bank, Senior Care Partners of East Tennessee, CBBC Bank, Johnson Architecture, Brackins Blues Club, Cherokee Distributing, and Coca-Cola.

2023 Taste of Blount People’s Choice Winners

Best Appetizer: The Italian Apron

Best Sandwich: REO Cheesewagon

Best Beverage: Sugar Mama’s Cotton Candy & Single Barrel Events

Best Main Course: The Italian Apron

Best Dessert: Between the Slices

Best Presentation: Pellissippi State Culinary Institute

Best Overall: Pellissippi State Culinary Institute

2023 Taste of Blount Culinary Excellence Award Winners

Best Appetizer: Pellissippi State Culinary Institute

Best Sandwich: Waterfront Bar & Grill

Best Beverage: Sugar Mama’s Cotton Candy & Single Barrel Events

Best Main Course: The Abbey

Best Dessert: Ham ‘N Goody’s

Blount County Tourism Experiences 14% Growth in Visitor Expenditures

Posted on September 14, 2023 by - Uncategorized

 As a gateway to the Smoky Mountains, Blount County ranked eighth among Tennessee’s 95 counties in 2022 visitor expenditures at $544 million, a 14-percent increase from $477 million in 2021, according to the Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee Counties report issued by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Gov. Bill Lee.

Visitor spending in Blount County generated $51.7 million in state and local tax revenue meaning that each household in the county saw a $987 annual tax savings. That is up from $700 the previous year.

Davidson County, which includes the city of Nashville, topped all county indices with $9.9 billion in tourism economic impact. Shelby County was second at $4.1 billion, Sevier third at $3.8 billion, Knox was fourth at $1.9 billion and Hamilton fifth at $1.6 billion. Williamson County entered at sixth with $1.2 billion and Rutherford County was seventh at $744.7 million. Montgomery and Wilson counties at $371.3 and $352.0 million, respectively, round out the top 10.

“It is great to see the tourism industry continue to grow all across this state and in particular here in Blount County where we saw the highest visitor expenditures in history,” said Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority Director Kim Mitchell. “With the leisure and hospitality industry being the third largest employer in the state, it’s vital that we continue to market our area which is robust with outdoor activities, numerous dining and lodging options.”

Tourism employment in the county was at an all-time high of 4,668 which also led to an all-time high payroll of $200.2 million.

State tax receipts for the county totaled $29.9 million, marking the seventh consecutive year of reaching $20 million.

Overall, Tennessee tourism generated $29 billion in domestic and international travel spending, up 19% from 2021, as 141 million visitors trekked across the state in 2022 according to recently released economic impact data from U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. It also marks the largest visitor spending nationally in Tennessee’s history. Travel and tourism is the third largest employer in the state.

All 95 counties saw an increase in visitor spending in 2022, and 63 outpaced inflation. Travelers in Tennessee spent an estimated $79 million per day.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell highlighted efforts to continue the industry’s strong growth.

“Tourism drives a strong economy, creates jobs and builds a better quality of life for all Tennesseans,” said Gov. Lee. “We continue to welcome visitors to see all Tennessee has to offer, from the Mississippi River to the Great Smoky Mountains.”

“Tennessee is thriving as tourism continues to soar, from our large cities to small towns,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “Our industry’s hard work is paying off with record levels of visitor spending and significantly outpacing inflation. It is our privilege to showcase these numbers and express our gratitude to our partners, attractions, elected leaders and visitors who made a record year for Tennessee.”

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The Dialogue with Liam Story

Posted on August 24, 2023 by - Uncategorized

This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So, here we go with our 200th installment visiting with Liam Story, owner of Tennessee Real Estate Media which is in business to help real estate agents achieve their goals with real estate photography and media.

Describe more about what you do. We are a full-service real estate media company. We are a one-stop shop for real estate agents. We offer photos, video, drone work, 3D, floor plans, agent marketing videos, and even our own lead generation/CRM system designed specifically for real estate agents.

How did you get started? I started working in real estate photography while in college as a way to make some extra grocery money. It quickly grew into a full-time business, and I found that I love working with real estate agents.

What is your background? I have a degree in marketing, which gives me a unique perspective when photographing a property for an agent, or creating marketing videos for real estate agents. I learned real estate photography from a mentor of mine that has over 20 years of experience in the field.

Who is your biggest supporter? And how? My biggest supporter has always been my wife. As many of our members know, entrepreneurship is a roller coaster with many highs and lows. She has always been patient through the good and bad.

Describe your customers. Real estate agents who want to be the top agents in their market are my target demographic. My clients have worked hard to build their real estate businesses, and have done so in a very competitive market. I love helping agents succeed, achieve their goals, and sell more listings.

What impacts the business environment you work in? As a real estate photographer, the real estate market certainly impacts my business; however, it is somewhat of an inverse relationship. Often, during a buyer’s market, when homes aren’t selling as well, is when my business picks up.

What do you enjoy about running or working at the business? The thing I love most about running my business are the success stories from agents I’ve worked with. When an agent lets me know that a listing I shot for him or her recently sold, or that he or she got some new clients from a marketing video I created, etc that’s what makes me know what I’m doing is actually making a difference in the lives of my clients.