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Brink's Home Security Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CFL) today announced that it is changing the name of its home and business security offering to Broadview Security. To celebrate the new brand name, President and CEO Bob Allen and select employees will ring the opening bell tomorrow at the New York Stock Exchange. The company noted that its NYSE ticker symbol, "CFL," which represents its mission to create "Customers For Life," will remain the same. Broadview Security operates an alarm monitoring and customer care facility in a 50,000 square foot building on a 9.6 acre parcel in the Pellissippi Corporate Center on Hardin Valley Road. The company employs more than 300 on a 24 hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week schedule. "Our new name, Broadview Security, reflects the wide range of security services we offer and the active protection we provide to families and businesses," said Allen. "It represents our long-standing commitment to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Broadview Security provides a strong platform to continue our growth through the expansion of our security offerings." Spin-Off Brink's Home Security Holdings, Inc. spun off as a separate publicly traded entity from its former parent on October 31, 2008. As a condition of the spin-off, the company is required to change its brand name and corporate name within three years. Today's announcement marks the introduction of the new brand, Broadview Security. Securing Our Future The development of the new brand will be supported by a major marketing investment of an estimated incremental $70-$120 million over the next two to three years. The majority of the investment will focus on direct response television advertising. The new advertising campaign will break on July 6 on over 40 cable television stations, introducing Broadview Security and carrying the tag line "the next generation of Brink's Home Security." "Our customers can expect the same high-quality, award-winning service from our dedicated employees that has kept our company at the forefront of the security industry for the past 25 years," said Allen. "We are very excited about our new brand name, Broadview Security. We believe we are exceptionally well-positioned for continued growth in our customer base, revenues, and profits." About Broadview Security Brink's Home Security Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CFL), doing business as Broadview Security, headquartered in Irving, Texas, is one of the premier providers of security system monitoring services for residential and commercial properties in North America. The company operates in more than 250 metropolitan areas and services more than 1.3 million customers across the United States and Canada. The Knoxville Chamber's first annual Peelin' Eatin' & Politickin' Shrimp Boil was June 18th. Presented by AT&T and held at The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm, the event featured good food and conversation. Local elected officials and other political candidates were also in attendance. The event will return in 2010 and will build on the success of this year's event. See photos from the event by clicking here. On March 26, 2009, the U.S. Chamber recognized 260 Members of Congress with the coveted Spirit of Enterprise award for their pro-business voting records during the second session of the 110th Congress at a special event in Washington, DC. Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Bob Corker, and Congressman John Duncan were among the honorees. "In the face of unprecedented economic challenges and in the midst of an election cycle, the 110th Congress made some historic and courageous decisions that impacted the lives of every American," said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. "The Spirit of Enterprise Award identifies those lawmakers that truly stepped up to the plate and demonstrated real leadership in making this country a place where businesses can continue to grow and create jobs." Eligibility for the award is based on how Members of Congress vote on key business issues, which the U.S. Chamber outlines in its yearly publication How They Voted. These designated "key votes" are recorded floor votes on issues established as priorities on which the Chamber communicates its position prior to the vote. Those members of Congress who support the Chamber's position on at least 70% of those votes receive the Spirit of Enterprise Award. The U.S. Chamber monitored 8 Senate and 18 House votes in 2008, including the Ledbetter Act to eliminate the statute of limitations for pay discrimination lawsuits, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, a nuclear cooperation agreement with India, a bill ensuring the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, and the College Opportunity & Affordability Act to lower tuition costs and streamline the financial aid process. Today the Knoxville Chamber announced the finalists for the 2009 Pinnacle Business Awards presented by BB&T. The Awards recognize companies and individuals that have excelled in business. The gala, which will be May 1 at the Knoxville Convention Center, is an opportunity to celebrate business in general and the achievement of the selected winners. Awards will be presented in eight categories. Finalists are announced in seven of those categories; the winner of the James A. Haslam, II Chairman's Leadership Award is announced at the awards ceremony. Finalists are: Impact Award: Caremark; Food City; Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center Innovator Award: Blaine Construction: EnerNex: UT-Battelle Minority Business Excellence: Information International Associates; StaffMe.net; Terraine, Inc. Small Business Excellence: A.C. Entertainment; American X-Ray Corporation; Lean Manufacturing Solutions Partnership Business Excellence (Mid-Size Company): Gallaher & Associates, Inc.; Medic Regional Blood Center; Prestige Cleaners Business Excellence (Large Company): Bandit Lites; LBMC; Stowers Machinery Corporation Young Entrepreneur Award: Sara Hedstrom, Hedstrom Design; Chris Kittrell, Rather & Kittrell; Sean Christman, Slamdot, Inc. The fifth annual Pinnacle Business Awards Gala, presented by BB&T, will be May 1, 2009 at the Knoxville Convention Center. The reception and silent auction will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards at 8:00 p.m. The gala has become the Knoxville business community's premier social gathering. Over 700 businesspeople attended last year's gala and a larger crowd is expected this year. On Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. there will be an event on exporting at the Sara Simpson Professional Development Technology Center, 801 Tipton Ave, Knoxville. Register is available online at www.formdesk.com/kosbe/export. For more information call Toll Free: 1-888-936-1221 Although the event is free, pre-registration is required! AGENDA 8:00-8:30am Registration & Continental Breakfast(sponsored by SunTrust Bank) 8:35-8:45am Opening remarks and introduction of hosts 8:45-8:50am Testimonial from Steve Heiner of NucSafe, Inc., Oak Ridge TN 8:55-9:20am "Business Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" "Foreign Bank & Financial Accounts " Joel Abbott, IRS 9:20-9:45am "The US Commercial Service and Developing Global Markets" Rob Leach, Department of Commerce 9:45-10:15am "How Does SBA Finance Exporting" Dan Holt, SBA Export Office 10:15-10:30am BREAK 10:30-10:55am "How Does One Get Paid" Matt Pickle, SunTrust Bank 11:00-11:25am "How to Win the Sale" John Johnson, Export Import Bank of the U.S. 11:30-11:55am "How to Finance Overseas Investments" Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) 12:00-12:30pm Panel Discussion "Ask the Experts" event Presenters and local Exporters will address questions from the audience. 1:00-3:00pm Ongoing "one-on-one" appointments held in break-out rooms Knoxville, TN - The Knoxville Chamber concluded its inaugural Fittest Exec Challenge by announcing the winners in each of four age/gender categories at a recognition event this morning held at Rothchild Catering and Conference Center. The Fittest Exec Challenge, sponsored by 180 Sports & Fitness, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and UT Medical Center, was designed to recognize executives who are setting a standard of health and fitness for their employees to follow. The 2009 winners include: Female 49 and Under - Sara Hedstrom, Hedstrom Design Female 50 and Over - Kay Wright, Covenant Health Male 49 and Under - Jonathan Johnson, A&W Office Supply Male 50 and Over - Steve McGrew, Cornerstone of Recovery Each winner received a plaque recognizing them as the 2009 Fittest Exec. Finalists were also recognized at the event and were awarded certificates. The finalist included Amber Young (First Tennessee), Sharon Pryse (The Trust Company), Carol Smith (Michael Brady Inc.), Andy Brantley (CUPA-HR), Jim Rooney (3 Minute Magic Car Wash), Aaron Sherrill (Claris Networks), Michael Leventhal (Tennessee Men's Health Network), Mike Fleenor (Fleenor Security Systems), Mike Akers (Power Systems), Larry Elmore (Pugh & Company), and Jim Decker (Medic Regional Blood Center). The Fittest Exec Challenge ran from January 5 to March 6 and consisted of a fitness evaluation done by PTI fitness professionals at 180 Sports and Fitness. The evaluation included six different fitness tests to determine flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, upper body strength, core strength and body composition. Participants received points based on how their scores for each test ranked against their peer competitors. The 2010 Fittest Exec Challenge will begin in January 2010 and is open to any executive-level businessperson in East Tennessee. The Fittest Company Challenge is open to all area employers and is designed to encourage participation in Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon events by employees of all fitness levels. The 2009 marathon will be held Sunday, March 29. For the competition, speed does not matter. Winners are determined by the total combined miles completed by a company's employees. The Challenge awards 3.1 points for completing the 5k, 6.55 points for each person in the 4-person relay, 13.1 points for the half marathon and 26.2 points for the marathon. (Points are determined based on the number of miles in each event.) First, second and third place awards are presented to companies in small (1-100 employees), medium (101-500 employees) and large (>500 employees) categories. Only employees who finish the races qualify for company points. The team challenge does not count spouses and other family members of employees. Last year's first place winners were the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus faculty and staff, 1,146.55 points (large company); Radio Systems Corp., 567.8 points (medium company), and LeBlanc Financial, 253.7 points (small company). LeBlanc Financial had the highest percentage of participation, with 90 percent of its 21 employees taking part in the marathon. Of the 4,674 participants in the 2008 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, 28 percent or 1,311 participants were employees representing their companies. Companies that participated in the Fittest Company Challenge in previous years are automatically enrolled for 2009. New companies that would like to participate can contact the marathon office at 865-684-4294 or by email at info@knoxvillemarathon.com to enroll. Participants then register individually for the challenge, and will be prompted to select their employer from a drop-down menu when registering for the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. "The first culture driver is teamwork," Mr. Weller said. "I learned that teams always, always, always outperformed individuals." Act would undermine long-standing democratic principles Knoxville, TN (March 11, 2009) - Today the Knoxville Chamber announced its opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act also known as the "Card Check Bill," which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. The Knoxville Chamber has also joined with the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Memphis Chamber, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in opposing the legislation. "Labor unions have a place in American society. That's not up for debate," says Mike Edwards, President & CEO of the Knoxville Chamber. "But this legislation would radically upset 60 years of carefully crafted labor laws that have served both unions and employers well." EFCA allows unions to collect signatures on a petition or "cards" to authorize unionization. This process would be done in the open where workers might feel intimidated by their colleges or union organizers. If organizers obtain fifty percent of employees' signatures than the union would be approved. There would be no secret ballot vote as is currently the practice. In addition, the Act would undermine the collective bargaining process through forced binding arbitration and impose substantial new penalties on employers. "Voting without intimidation is a central democratic principle," continues Edwards. "EFCA virtually eliminates secret ballot voting and its passage would increase the risk for employee exploitation and coercion." Tennessee's right to work tradition gives employers a strong incentive to provide substantial benefits to employees. The many failed organizing votes at some of the state's most prominent companies are evidence of the success of this tradition. The threat of card check jeopardizes the state's right to work status, which has helped attract many billions of dollars in new capital investment and several hundred thousand jobs to Tennessee in the past decade alone. Knoxville, Tenn. - (March 10, 2009) When Knoxville-based sign maker Image Point in Knoxville abruptly went out of business in January, 270 laid off workers took matters into their own hands. First, they created a Facebook account to share tips on navigating through the unemployment benefits system, fighting depression, and, of course, finding another job. Eventually the site morphed into a human resources tool viewed by potential employers. Working together - and communicating actively - paid dividends in other practical ways. For instance, several managers began sharing lists of contacts throughout the industry with local economic developers involved in the regional Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley economic and workforce development initiative. What emerged surprised regional economic developers. "We realized that the Innovation Valley had become the sign industry capital of the country," said Bryan Daniels of the Blount Partnership, which participates in the five-county Innovation Valley effort. "Jobs in, literally, dozens of supply companies in the area would be affected if we did nothing."
With the industry contacts in hand, Daniels and his colleague Kyle Touchstone of Knoxville Chamber started working the phone lines to get other sign companies to take tours, find office space, and recruit the talent they need. So far, five companies have come to the Innovation Valley, another five have committed, and about half of the former Image Point employees have found jobs locally. Some companies came on their own and responded only days after the Image Point announcement by establishing a new presence here. The others have been recruited.
"All of them know there's a lot of talent and experience in this region," said Greg McMullen former project manager at Image Point. "The companies have hired a lot of managers and sales people."
"I give the former employees all the credit for sticking together as a community and for coming to us with valuable contacts," said Daniels.
"All of this allowed us to connect the demand for the products, services and talented people with the right companies," said Kyle Touchstone of the Knoxville Chamber. Innovation Valley officials are hopeful that the new sign companies eventually will hire even more former Image Point employees. For their part, sign companies officials say they appreciate the proactive, economic development effort.
"I commend you on your energy and enthusiasm in seeking to help the past employees of Image Point and the Knoxville community," said Kevin Stotmeister, president & CEO, Oceanside, California, based Federal Heath Sign Company.
Participating in Innovation Valley Inc. are the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, Knoxville Chamber, Loudon County Economic Development Agency, Oak Ridge Economic Partnership, The Roane Alliance, and Tellico Reservoir Development Agency. For more information, contact Garrett Wagley, 865 / 246-2661, gwagley@knoxvillechamber.com or visit www.innovationvalleyinc.com. WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today welcomed remarks by Education Secretary Arne Duncan regarding the use of stimulus funds to tackle such reform issues as teacher accountability, the expansion of school terms, innovation and evaluation, and tying student achievement to international benchmarks. "The Chamber has always emphasized that a first class education system is the only way for America to compete and succeed in the global economy," said Arthur Rothkopf, senior vice president at the Chamber. "We applaud Secretary Duncan for the willingness to meet our current education challenges head-on to ensure every child has the opportunity to achieve the American dream." Education reform continues to be one of the Chamber's top priorities. Nationwide, only about one-third of 4th and 8th graders-and less than 20% of low-income and minority children-are proficient in reading and math. The core ideas the Chamber believes are necessary to strengthen and reform the nation's education system remain: "We look forward to working with Secretary Duncan and the Obama Administration on addressing the looming education crisis and making sure education reform comes to fruition," Rothkopf said. The Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) promotes high educational standards and effective workforce training systems so that they are aligned with each other and with today's rigorous business demands. The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation, representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region. By Chuck Young, Kramer Rayson LLP If you believe your employer has unfairly set your compensation as a result of unlawful discrimination, congratulations: you've been granted time in a bottle. But if you're an employer, you need to figure out how to handle that bottle carefully, so it doesn't erupt like a shaken soda. On January 29, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. In a nutshell, the Ledbetter Act extends the time within which employees can bring claims for pay discrimination. Previously, an employee had to file such claims within 180 days of the making or adoption of the discriminatory decision. Thus, if an employee's pay had been affected as a result of discrimination, the employee had an incentive to discover that discrimination quickly and bring a claim while memories and evidence were still relatively fresh. Now, such claims can also be brought within 180 days of receiving any compensation affected by the decision. Therefore, a discriminatory decision that was adopted years ago and is still in effect can be challenged after the employee receives his or her most recent paycheck. The Ledbetter Act arose from a gender discrimination case in Alabama, where a female manager was paid less than her similarly situated male coworkers. Former law barred her pay discrimination claim because the decisions she challenged had been made years before she sued. Consequently, much attention has focused on gender-based pay discrimination - and that focus is too narrow. Some employers may be surprised to learn that the statutes of limitation have been extended for all pay discrimination claims, not just claims based on gender. In other words, the Ledbetter Act has also extended the time for employees to bring pay discrimination claims based on race, color, national origin, religion, disability and age. Employers doubtless now face more exposure to risk. But they also should view this legal development as an opportunity to strengthen their organizations. Here are some things employers should do to make the most of this challenge: 1. Conduct a privileged pay and job classification audit. This will help identify whether (a) pay disparities exist, (b) any jobs that may traditionally have been held by males and paid at higher rates are open to challenges that they are classified in a discriminatory way, and (c) alternative practices could eliminate any pay differentials. Some employers may balk at picking up payroll and employment records and hiring outside counsel. Doing so, however, may help employers avoid expensive wage claims and, where issues are identified, start the company on the way to full compliance. Along these lines, if you have no compensation policy, you should institute one with the help of legal counsel. Courts have held that lack of an "objective plan" along with evidence of slipshod practices can be evidence that the employer was not free from bias. That said, a policy which is not adhered to may be worse than having no policy at all, so if you choose to adopt one you need to make its ongoing management someone's responsibility. 2. Check employment policies regarding how employees may discuss wages. One of the reasons Ms. Ledbetter allegedly waited to raise her pay disparity claim was because her employer had a policy that forbid employees from discussing wages. This policy violates federal law (e.g., NLRA § 158(a)(1)) and some states' laws. The better practice is to encourage employees to bring questions or concerns about their rate of pay to their department head or the company's Human Resources Manager. 3. Develop a system for responding to requests for information about pay. Employees will make more requests for information about their pay relative to their co-workers as news of the Ledbetter Act spreads. Employers must decide whether they are required to provide, or want to provide, such information if no lawsuit has been filed. If so, they must develop a mechanism for responding that respects other employees' privacy rights. For example, employers may wish to develop a generic summary of pay information for a particular position. The summary could identify differentials as being based on permissible criteria such as seniority, education, or training. 4. Check your record retention policies. That time in a bottle means employers may now be required to dig through old records. Accordingly, employers should revisit their record retention policies and investigate the best technological methods for retaining and managing this information. At a bare minimum, employers need a formal "litigation hold" procedure to preserve relevant records when a pay claim (or any other employment claim) is reasonably foreseeable. 5. Update your performance review practices to ensure pay decisions are properly documented. Since pay decisions are now more vulnerable to challenge, managers giving performance reviews and participating in annual salary decisions must understand the potential issues. Managers should develop a standard format for making these determinations and ensure proper documentation to strengthen the defense of any type of discrimination claim. 6. Alert and train your managers to watch for retaliation claims. As employees begin to request the information needed to support pay discrimination claims, there will be an increase in retaliation claims for seeking such information from co-workers, supervisors or human resource departments. Train your managers that retaliation based on such requests is unlawful, and train your HR personnel to be alert to the possibility that it may occur. 7. Be sensitive to possible increases in gender tensions. If one group's pay must be increased, as the equal pay statutes require to remedy pay disparities, then economic consequences will follow. In an already tense economic climate, this could increase friction between male and female employees -for example, a perception could arise that "women are to blame" for layoffs, furloughs, or other measures. Not only could such strain create potential for gender discrimination claims, it could also give rise to sexual harassment claims-which can be based on any harassing actions undertaken "because of sex," not just stereotypical bad behavior. 8. Be aware of increased activity by government agencies. Because the Ledbetter Act requires the EEOC and U.S. Department of Labor to obtain data from employers about employee pay information, employers can expect heightened scrutiny of their practices and data by these and other agencies. If you receive a notice or request from any agency for employment data, or seeking to visit your premises to review records, check with your counsel about how to respond. You must understand the rights of, and limitations on, these agencies in coming to your employment site. 9. Check the Department of Labor Web Site. Finally, under the Ledbetter Act, the U.S. Department of Labor must "make readily available" accurate information on compensation discrimination and assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. This assistance includes, among other things, "instructions for employers on compliance." While the site probably will not answer all your questions, it can add focus to any audit or investigation you conduct. If you decide the assistance of counsel is needed, the site might guide you and your attorneys in assessing and remedying issues in a more efficient way. The combination of difficult economic times and new employee-friendly legislation could be combustible. But employers can do their best to prevent explosions by acting now to identify potential issues and problems, remedy them, and train their managers accordingly. The result will be a stronger organization. If time in a bottle must be released, let's do it slowly, over the sink. Chuck Young is a partner at Kramer Rayson LLP who handles employment issues and other complex litigation. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law and a member of the Tennessee Bar Association's 2009 Leadership Law class. 
Small Business Specialist Presents Tools Designed to Help Companies During Tough Economic Times
Jane Applegate was the guest speaker at a recent workshop entitled Flourishing in Tough Times: Strategies for Thriving in a Recession, sponsored by Comcast and Bloomberg Television. Applegate, a best-selling author of books on small business management, presented the ABC’s of small business success during tough economic conditions, including a variety of practical strategies related to people, cost-cutting, marketing, and employee issues.
New UT Chancellor Meets Chamber Premier Partners
Newly appointed University of Tennessee-Knoxville Chancellor Dr. Jimmy Cheek was the featured speaker at a recent Premier Partner Event co-sponsored by BarberMcMurry architects and McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects & Interior Designers. Dr. Cheek updated Chamber Premier Partners about the challenges and opportunities facing UT and about how he feels the university and the business community can work together to increase economic prosperity throughout the region.
A Toast To Excellence!
Chamber Honors Businesses at 2009 Pinnacle Business Awards
Winners in eight categories were honored May 1 at the 2009 Pinnacle Business Awards presented by BB&T. Nearly 600 members of Knoxville’s business community helped recognize the winners. Dinner and a silent auction preceded the awards ceremony. A packed Knoxville Convention Center ballroom gave Regal Entertainment Group chairman Mike Campbell a standing ovation as he was presented the James A. Haslam II Leadership Award, which is given annually to a business leader who exhibits strength in character, resolve, and commitment to the community and success in business.
The Knoxville Chamber recently hosted the final edition of the Surviving the Economy Series, entitled Tools for Survival, which was designed for business owners. Panelists discussed ways to operate businesses more efficiently during the current economic downturn, focusing on two small businesses that have retooled operationally to become more profitable. Discussion also covered how to market your business effectively during these economic times. Panelists for the final edition of the series included Larry Rossini, Director, Tennessee Small Business Development Center, Rob Russell, Owner, Russell Coach Dayton Hylton, Owner, Dayton's Pest Control and David Tiller, Business Development Specialist, Small Business Administration.
Bush Brothers & Company Chairman and CEO Jim Ethier was the featured speaker at a recent Premier Partners Event held at the Knoxville Chamber. Ethier told a packed Market House Room the secrets that have enabled his family’s business to remain successful for more than 100 years.
“I like to think that the reason that we’re here 100 years later is because we have been willing to change what we do but not who we are,” Ethier said whose grandfather and uncles started the company in 1908.
Tennessee State Senator Tim Burchett spoke to Chamber members about the state’s current budget, how Governor Phil Bredesen can best use federal stimulus money, and reorganization of the state’s higher education system during March’s legislative briefing. The event, sponsored by AT&T, was the second legislative briefing in a series where Chamber members are updated on the ongoing Tennessee legislative session.
The Knoxville Chamber is pleased to announce the 2009 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Fittest Company Challenge.
The Knoxville Chamber’s execUTive Speaker Series continued March 6 at the Crowne Plaza. The event, sponsored by Bandit Lites, welcomed University of Tennessee graduate and admired business leader Joe Weller back to Knoxville. Weller retired as the Chairman and CEO of Nestle USA in January 2006. He was with the company for 37 years. He spoke to members of the Knoxville business community about Nestle's four culture drivers that have enabled the company to become extremely profitable.
Part two of the Chamber’s Surviving the Economy series was held on February 25th at the Chamber to address financing challenges. "Financing For Businesses...The Good, Bad and Ugly" featured a panel of experts that discussed today’s financing challenges and cash flow management. Panelists also made suggestions on how businesses of different sizes and maturity can weather the current economic storm. Panelists for part two of the series were Dwight Bateman, Executive Vice President and Credit Manager, Community South Bank, Tracey Larsen, Senior Assistant Fund Manager, Southeast Community Capital, Nicki Dawson, C.P.A., Burkhart & Company and Dr. Sherman Jones, Vice President, Knoxville Area Urban League. (Click 'More' to watch entire presentation.)
