Founded by local life sciences entrepreneurs and developed by Noblegene Development LLC, the Cool Springs Life Sciences Center (CSLSC) is a $74 million, a state-of-the-art bioscience business environment dedicated to research and development that opened last year. At full build-out, the three-building complex will encompass more than 140,000 square feet of space.

The first of three buildings at CSLSC is now operational. BioMimetic Therapeutics Inc., formerly known as BioMimetics Pharmaceuticals Inc., moved its offices into Building One in July as the anchor tenant.

BioMimetics is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative protein-based products for the treatment of musculoskeletal and orthopedic disorders.

Recently, BioMimetics received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its first product, GEM 21S, a drug-device combination to be used in grafting material for bone and periodontal regeneration.

When the company relocated from Long Island to the Nashville metro in 2000, it created a vision for a small biotechnology campus and found that Nashville was an ideal location to attract the life science community.

In February, BioMimetics filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell stock to the public, making it the first publicly traded biotechnology company located in Nashville.

CSLSC will also house the Vanderbilt Business Incubator, which will eventually develop a small contracting manufacturing operation in one of the buildings so it can conduct clinical drug testing operations for FDA.

Nashville has been actively pursuing the life sciences industry since 1997 in the hopes of developing a cluster. The opening of the CSLSC and the announcement that American Healthways will move its headquarters to the area are signs that headway is being made toward this goal.

American Healthways will relocate its headquarters to Cool Springs. The company has had a presence in Nashville since 1981. Plans are to break ground in April and have the 230,000 square foot building completed by September 2007. American Healthways will bring 600 employees into the new facility.

Kriste Goad, senior director of corporate communications for American Healthways, said several factors played into the company’s desire to move from Green Hills area of Nashville to Williamson County, including the area’s health care and biotech focus.

“Certainly, being in an atmosphere that includes other innovative health care companies is attractive,” she said. “For one thing, you never know who we might be collaborating with.”

Caremark Rx Inc., a leading pharmacy benefits manager, announced plans to open a state-of-the-art customer care center in Nashville to serve the growth of its business. The Nashville facility will begin operations in mid-July at Metro Center, and will complement other call centers the company operates in Arizona, California, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.

The Nashville call center will be capable of handling 350,000 calls per month by the end of the year and will employ about 600 employees when it reaches full capacity in two to three years.

It is Caremark’s second major expansion in the Nashville metro in recent years. The company relocated its corporate headquarters to the metro area from Birmingham, Ala., three years ago.

“We have an extremely successful call center in Knoxville and we are highly committed to the Nashville marketplace, firmly recognizing the area’s geographical convenience, superior infrastructure and talented work force,” said Mac Crawford, chairman, CEO and president of Caremark.

Denso Expands in Knoxville

Denso Manufacturing Tennessee Inc., a manufacturer of automotive components, will invest $185 million and add about 500 jobs at its electronic parts facility in Maryville in the Knoxville metro.

The Japan-based company has continuously grown its Knoxville area presence from 250 employees in 1990 to become the region’s largest manufacturer with a $1 billion investment and 2,500 employees.

The 16-county Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley is home to 15,000 direct jobs in the automotive supply industry. That represents 20 percent of the total manufacturing employment in the region. The ripple effect of the automotive industry is estimated to be another 12,000 jobs throughout all parts of the region’s economy.

Tennessee’s automobile industry employs about 125,000 people. The state now ranks fifth among all states in overall automotive production.

Research by Matt Murray, a professor at the University of Tennessee, showed that the Eastern Tennessee labor pool is able to supply the needed workers for the Denso.

He said the expansion will generate $32 million annually, a figure that includes new Denso salaries, expanded vendor activity, and local retail and service sector jobs. Murray anticipates the expansion will help create an additional 400 jobs outside of Denso.

Hiring related to the expansion is expected begin in late 2007. Denso will add about 220,000 square feet to the existing 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing space.

Also in the Knoxville metro, Johns Manville, a manufacturer of building and glass products, is investing $100 million in a new production line at its facility near Etowah. The investment is expected to create about 50 jobs.

The new line, which is expected to be operational early next year, will produce glass mats used in roofing, wallboard and flooring. The expansion will add 125,000 square feet to the current 300,000 square foot facility.

The Athens Utilities Board, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee’s Economic and Community Development and the Etowah Utilities Board were involved in the project. The state will build a new access road for the project.

Sysco, meanwhile, will build a facility in downtown Knoxville’s I-275 Business Park, a redeveloped brownfield property owned by the city’s industrial development board. Sysco also anticipates buying an adjacent 35 acres currently owned by Norfolk Southern.

The plant is expected to be operational by 2008.

The Sysco facility will serve customers in parts of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia and will include refrigerated, frozen and dry warehouse space, administrative offices and a truck maintenance facility.

SPX Grows in Clarksville

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board approved plans for a $22 million expansion by SPX Contech/Metal Forge at the company’s Clarksville facility during the next year.

In January, SPX officials discussed the possibility of a $16 million expansion at one of three existing locations — Clarksville, Michigan and Indiana. The company chose Clarksville for the project that will total $22 million in new equipment and improvements, as well as add 25 to 30 jobs.

“It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to grow our business in these economic times and to grow our presence in Clarksville,” said Gary Smith, controller for SPX.

The expansion at the Clarksville facility includes the addition of a product line for rack and pinion steering mechanisms, primarily for trucks.

Smith said that the decision to expand in Clarksville will allow the plant to retain existing jobs, as well as add jobs.

“As we finish this transformation, we have the opportunity to retain good employees, which is very important,” he pointed out. “The good work force that we have here helps us with the challenge of remaining competitive.”