News
June 30, 2016
Stages West, located in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., “returned home” with the grand reopening of its beloved store on Thursday, June 30th at 10 a.m. In August of 2015, fire heavily damaged the store’s infrastructure, causing it to close its doors for nearly a […]
June 28, 2016
A Celebration of Life Service honoring the life of Pat Summitt will be open to the public and held on Thursday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. This will take place in Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus. More details will be provided at […]
June 27, 2016
KNOXVILLE, TENN. – Nearly one mile below the surface near Linden, Tenn., some of the purest, premium drinking water in the world was recently discovered, sealed in a previously unknown freshwater aquifer. Knoxville-based Planet H2O, LLC discovered the aquifer in 2012, believed to be the […]
June 16, 2016
Knoxville, Tenn. – Four (4) nationally recognized digital media personalities and lifestyle content creators featured on outlets such as HGTV and YouTube, among others, have been selected to develop new lifestyle startups as part of a $100,000 accelerator backed by Scripps Networks Interactive and the […]
June 7, 2016
Knoxville, Tenn. – Startups have a path for quick growth in Knoxville. Four (4) entrepreneurs have been selected as part of CodeWorks, a 12-week program led by the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC) that is designed to provide strategic counsel through a formal accelerator. The CodeWorks […]
June 1, 2016
Axle Logistics today announced the company has formed a relationship with Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, a non-profit organization that since 1970 has been providing children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that transform their lives for the better. […]
May 25, 2016
Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Here’s a little read on the value of reaching out and touching people as one of the most “tried and true” marketing strategies. From Ackermann PR CEO, Cathy Ackermann’s column, in Sunday’s Knoxville News-Sentinel: In our business, […]
May 16, 2016
On Thursday, May 12, Cathy Ackermann, president and CEO of Ackermann PR, received the Gary McCormick Lifetime Achievement Award from the Volunteer Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America during its annual VAwards ceremony. The first award of its kind since being named in […]
May 13, 2016
Axle Logistics, a third-party logistics company co-founded by University of Tennessee graduates Jon Clay and Drew Johnson, today announced that it will soon begin the expansion of its headquarters on the 10th floor of the Langley Building in downtown Knoxville on Summit Hill Drive. Formerly […]
May 12, 2016
Axle Logistics recently announced that Shawn McLeod has been named Branch Manager of the company’s downtown Knoxville office. McLeod brings to Axle more than a decade of experience in third-party logistics and the transportation industry. In his role as Branch Manager, McLeod will be responsible […]
May 11, 2016
Knoxville’s largest annual chicken wing festival – the Big Kahuna Wing Festival presented by US Foods – will take place on Saturday, June 11th from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at World’s Fair Park in downtown Knoxville, as more than 40 teams will compete to […]
May 10, 2016
Sevierville, Tenn. – The People’s Choice Contest, presented by Dolly Parton’s Lumberjack Adventure, will take place on Saturday, May 21 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the 12th annual Bloomin’ Barbeque and Bluegrass Festival. The contest will be held at the Downtown Sevierville Commons […]
May 3, 2016
Sevierville, Tenn. – Back again for its twelfth year, Sevierville’s Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass festival (May 20 & 21, 2016) has released its entertainment lineup, including a headline performance from Mountain Faith Band, 2015 finalist from NBC’s America’s Got Talent. “This year’s roster of performers […]
April 27, 2016
In case you haven’t heard…! Knoxville Entrepreneur Center and Scripps Networks Interactive are teaming up to launch The Works, a startup accelerator for coders and lifestyle content developers. The program will bring national attention to Knoxville’s role as the hub of digital media and content […]
April 5, 2016
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Believe it or not, we’re nearly a month away from the 142nd running of America’s greatest race, The Kentucky Derby, which can only mean one thing… it’s time to start preparing for the Rotary Club of Knoxville’s annual Jockeys & Juleps Derby […]
March 29, 2016
What exactly is a chief experience officer (CXO)? Cathy Ackermann shares the answer to this question and also how this C-suite position may impact a company or business, in her latest Knoxville News-Sentinel column from Sunday, March 27: From Sunday’s Knoxville News Sentinel: Looking for a […]
March 25, 2016
Sevierville, Tenn. – Vocalists from around the world will converge on Dolly Parton’s hometown of Sevierville, Tenn. this spring to compete in the annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition, honoring the songwriting of the country music legend. The event will feature contestants singing songs written by […]
March 25, 2016
Alliant Corporation President, Terry Douglas, named 2016 Tennessee Small Business Person of the Year
Knoxville, Tenn. – On March 10, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced its annual list of small business stars, and Knoxville-based Alliant Corporation is led by one of them. Terry Douglas, Alliant President, was named the 2016 Tennessee Small Business Person of the Year. Terry […]
March 10, 2016
NEWPORT, Tennessee. – Popcorn Sutton Distilling today announced the release of its first brown spirit – a limited edition, 92 proof, charred oak barrel finished liquid the company is aptly calling Popcorn Sutton Barrel Finished™. As mountain lore goes, legendary bootlegger, Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton, would […]
March 9, 2016
Former Lady Vol Michelle Brooke-Marciniak Giving Back Through Her Company Knoxville, Tenn. – The leadership of SHEEX, Inc., announced today the launch of a fundraising initiative to benefit The Pat Summitt Foundation. This new effort is aimed at generating additional income for the Foundation’s commitment […]
March 4, 2016
We sometimes think of competition as a bad thing, but here’s a different perspective on that from Cathy Ackermann’s column in the Knoxville News-Sentinel on February 28. Formidable competitors can challenge us, make us better, and sometimes even collaborate with us in interesting ways. Hope you […]
March 4, 2016
Sevierville, Tenn. – Vocalists from around the world will converge on Dolly Parton’s hometown of Sevierville, Tenn. this spring to compete in the annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition, honoring the songwriting of the country music legend. The event will feature contestants singing songs written by Dolly […]
February 4, 2016
When you hear the word “Millennial,” what comes to mind? Through our research at Ackermann PR, we’ve found opinions are varied. Some describe Millennials as “lazy, narcissistic, and coddled.” On the positive side, they were described as “open-minded, confident, and upbeat.” According to some studies, […]
January 26, 2016
Portion of Grand Opening Week Proceeds to Benefit Legacy Parks Foundation KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – January 26, 2016 – Balter Beerworks – the former BP service station turned microbrewery and restaurant at the corner of Broadway and Jackson Avenue in downtown Knoxville – announced today that it […]
December 23, 2015
Peanut Butter & Chocolate…known as one of the great American duos, right alongside Batman & Robin, Gehrig & Ruth, Sanford & Son, and Smokey and the Bandit. For as long as I can remember, the fine folks at Reese’s have supplied my life with the […]
December 22, 2015
Knoxville, Tenn. – As 2015 comes to a close, ChoiceSpine is ending the year with a significant addition to their spinal implant product portfolio. The Knoxville-based spinal implant company announced today that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for the TOMCAT™ stand-alone cervical device. This […]
December 10, 2015
Tomorrow is a big day for my family as my husband, Lee, will be graduating from The University of Tennessee with his MBA. (Insert big smile and the “Hallelujah” chorus!) Without question, the past 16 months of our lives have been the most challenging ever […]
December 7, 2015
Although tempting, this is not a political opinion piece. Rather, the 1% that I’m referring to is the number of companies who can successfully re-position their brand. That rare breed that is able to actually change their natural stripes. You see, most companies are successful […]
November 23, 2015
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – November 23, 2015 – Today, Balter Beerworks – the former BP service station turned brewery and restaurant at the corner of Broadway and Jackson Avenue, which is scheduled to open January 2016 – announced the hiring of three employees to key positions […]
November 16, 2015
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – November 16, 2015 – Just two weeks from the opening of its hiring center at Jackson Terminal on Tuesday, December 1st, Balter Beerworks – the former BP service station turned brewery and restaurant at the corner of Broadway and Jackson Avenue – […]