Blewett Melton's Blog

IBC Day on the Hill Spotlights Economic Impact of International Business

Blewett Melton - International Business — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:19:49 GMT

Last week, we hosted our first International Business Council Day on the Hill. The purpose of the day was to educate and inform elected officials about the positive impact international companies bring to the region and state, and the effect immigration laws have on these businesses. It was also an ...

Strengthening Trade Relationships Between Japan and the Southeastern U.S.

Blewett Melton - International Business — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:41:23 GMT

Last week, I traveled to Tokyo for the 35th joint meeting of the Japan-U.S. Southeast Association and the Southeast U.S./Japan Association.

Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Economic Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty led the Tennessee delegation of 62 representatives, 41 of whom were from Middle Tennessee. The meeting was co-chaired by ...

Experts Deliver Tips for Global E-Commerce

Blewett Melton - International Business — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:00:00 GMT

The way consumers get information about brands, products and services is shifting online at a dramatic rate. By 2016, more consumers will be making purchasing decisions online than through more traditional means. At yesterday's International Business Council (IBC) breakfast, we heard from a panel of experts about using digital tools ...

Growing Export Activity in Tennessee

Blewett Melton - International Business — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:27:07 GMT

Export activity continues to show signs of strength throughout the U.S., and Middle Tennessee is no exception.

The Chamber’s International Business Council (IBC) is a network of international business leaders focused on expanding Middle Tennessee’s global footprint through recruiting foreign direct investments; becoming the information source for international business; and ...

The Emerging Middle Class: What Does it Mean For Your Business?

Blewett Melton - International Business — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:00:00 GMT

The global economy is changing rapidly, and one of the biggest indicators of this change is the growth of the middle class in emerging economies. At yesterday's International Business Council (IBC) breakfast, we heard from a panel of experts about their predictions for the future of the middle class, and ...

International Conference Creates Opportunities in Japan

Blewett Melton - International Business — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:45:23 GMT

Next month, Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Economic Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty will lead a delegation of Tennessee business leaders to Tokyo, Japan, for the 2012 joint meeting of the Southeast U.S./Japan and Japan-U.S. Southeast Associations.

The Southeast U.S./Japan and Japan-U.S. Southeast Associations began holding annual joint meetings upon their ...

Going for the Gold in International Business

Blewett Melton - International Business — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:30:16 GMT

Guest post by John Aron, president, the Pasta Shoppe

For the next two weeks, all eyes will be on London as the historic city plays host to the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Olympics are really so much more than the incredible variety of sports and the amazing athletes who have ...

Former Ambassador Reviews Economic Opportunities in Brazil

Blewett Melton - International Business — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Rubens Barbosa, who served as Brazilian ambassador to the U.S. from 1999 to 2004, provided an overview of Brazil's growing economy to a full crowd of representatives from Middle Tennessee's international business community yesterday.

Brazil has a population of nearly 200 million, a GDP of $2.5 trillion, and a stable ...

Chinese Officials Talk International Trade in Nashville

Blewett Melton - International Business — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:49:02 GMT

Did you know that over the past 10 years, 135 internationally owned companies have relocated and expanded in our area, bringing nearly 12,000 new jobs to the region? I've written before about the importance of international business to our regional economic prosperity. As the global economy continues to rise in ...

Middle Tennessee Businesses Expand Their Global Reach

Blewett Melton - International Business — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Many Middle Tennessee businesses have expanded into overseas markets as part of their growth strategies. This recent Nashville Business Journal article spotlights the growing importance and influence of our regional companies that are doing business internationally, such as Clarcor, Louisiana-Pacific and HealthStream.

As of the end of the third quarter ...

Nashville & Tennessee Continue to Welcome Foreign-Owned Companies

Blewett Melton - International Business — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Today, almost all companies, large or small, are affected by global events and competition. International business is one of the key components of our Partnership 2020 economic development strategy because we know it is crucial to our regional prosperity.

As communicated in the Chamber and Partnership 2020 Annual Report, the ...

Tennessee and Canada: Preserving Strong Economic Ties

Blewett Melton - International Business — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:00:00 GMT

In the economic development field, we're well aware that the rise of the global economy has "changed the game" permanently. In other words, the competition has risen from a regional or statewide level to a worldwide level, and we have to be prepared to keep pace. Because international business is ...

Japanese Economy Recovering in Aftermath of Disasters; Investment in Tennessee Continues

Blewett Melton - International Business — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Japan is the world's third-largest economy, and the country's industries play an indispensable role in the world's supply chain. Following the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan in March, many economists predicted a "ripple effect" that could continue for years to come.

Yesterday, the Chamber's International Business ...

Assessing the International Economic Impact of the Japanese Disasters

Blewett Melton - International Business — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:03:43 GMT

The unprecedented triple disaster that Japan experienced in March represented a major impact on the world's third-largest economy. With thousands of people dead or missing, and material damage estimated to be as high as 25 trillion yen (more than $320 billion), it is by far the world's costliest natural disaster. ...

Nashville Earns Accolades for Top Foreign Direct Investment Strategy

Blewett Melton - International Business — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT

In its 2011-2012 list of "American Cities of the Future," the Financial Times Limited's fDi Magazine ranked Nashville among the top 10 large cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada for foreign direct investment strategy. The magazine uses a mixture of hard data and expert opinion to rank cities with ...