Latest news with #Knoxville-based
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nationally-acclaimed Knoxville beer festival moving to Covenant Health Park
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Knoxville beer festival that has garnered national acclaim since its launch in 2022 is moving to a new, larger venue for 2025. The Knoxville-based Xul Beer Company said that this year's edition of their popular Kill The Lights Beer Fest will take place at Covenant Health Park, the $114-million multiuse stadium that opened in April. Brewery celebrates Knoxville's Negro League baseball history with new beer for new Smokies stadium Kill The Lights Beer Fest will take place on Saturday, October 25. Tickets will go on sale on June 7 at noon at An event announcement touted more vendors and lower prices than previous years. Prior editions of the festival took place at the Xul Beer Company taproom along E. 5th Avenue and featured over 70 different breweries. It was voted the country's third-best Best Beer Festival in the 2025 USA Today 10BEST Reader's Choice Awards. Take a peek behind the scenes of Covenant Health Park's kitchens The event will be among the first non-sporting events to take place at the Covenant Health Park, which hosts Knoxville Smokies baseball games and One Knoxville SC soccer matches. During the stadium's approval and development process, local leaders touted the venue's ability to host a variety events like festivals and concerts throughout the year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Epson Robots Invests in Blank Beauty to Bring Automation and Retailtainment to the Consumer Space
Strategic Investment Fuels New Retail and Service Experiences Through Robotics and On-Demand Manufacturing LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson Robots, the #1 SCARA robot manufacturer in the world, is redefining the role of automation by bringing manufacturing beyond the factory floor and directly into the hands of consumers. As part of its strategy to expand into retail and service industries, Epson has made a strategic investment in Blank Beauty Inc., a Knoxville-based tech platform that enables on-demand, customized manufacturing of consumer packaged goods. This partnership marks the beginning of a co-creation initiative aimed at delivering personalized products at scale using advanced robotics. Epson logo (PRNewsfoto/Epson America, Inc.) By integrating Epson advanced automation solutions – including the T3 All-in-One SCARA Robot, Epson RC+® software, Color Control Technology, and Spectroscopic Vision systems – with Blank Beauty's autonomous manufacturing platform, the two companies are pioneering a new model for retail engagement. This collaboration brings together Epson's precision robotics and Blank Beauty's agile, on-demand manufacturing with color matching technology to transform how automated systems produce single-quantity, custom products in real time. As part of the co-creation, Epson and Blank Beauty have developed an innovative in-store kiosk terminal capable of manufacturing and dispensing single- and small-quantity, custom-color nail polishes. Powered by Epson's compact and precise T3 robotic arms, the 2' x 2' kiosk delivers a seamless, space-efficient production experience – from real-time color selection to mixing and dispensing – within minutes. The live, visually dynamic process not only delivers a personalized product, but also serves as a retailtainment centerpiece, offering consumers a next-generation customization experience. The kiosk has already been piloted in select locations with a leading national retailer and is gaining strong traction. "This is a powerful example of how Epson technology is entering new frontiers – delivering scalable customization, reducing costs and enhancing customer engagement," said Rick Brookshire, Director of Robotics at Epson America, Inc. "Our investment in Blank Beauty through Epson X underscores the active role Epson Robots is taking to drive innovation in production, distribution and consumer experiences across industries." Beyond in-store experiences, the Epson and Blank Beauty collaboration extends to e-commerce, where Epson-powered equipment integrated with web applications to fully automate the process – from color formulation and mixing to packaging and shipment of online orders.
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Epson Robots Invests in Blank Beauty to Bring Automation and Retailtainment to the Consumer Space
Strategic Investment Fuels New Retail and Service Experiences Through Robotics and On-Demand Manufacturing LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson Robots , the #1 SCARA robot manufacturer in the world, is redefining the role of automation by bringing manufacturing beyond the factory floor and directly into the hands of consumers. As part of its strategy to expand into retail and service industries, Epson has made a strategic investment in Blank Beauty Inc. , a Knoxville-based tech platform that enables on-demand, customized manufacturing of consumer packaged goods. This partnership marks the beginning of a co-creation initiative aimed at delivering personalized products at scale using advanced robotics. By integrating Epson advanced automation solutions – including the T3 All-in-One SCARA Robot, Epson RC+® software, Color Control Technology, and Spectroscopic Vision systems – with Blank Beauty's autonomous manufacturing platform, the two companies are pioneering a new model for retail engagement. This collaboration brings together Epson's precision robotics and Blank Beauty's agile, on-demand manufacturing with color matching technology to transform how automated systems produce single-quantity, custom products in real time. As part of the co-creation, Epson and Blank Beauty have developed an innovative in-store kiosk terminal capable of manufacturing and dispensing single- and small-quantity, custom-color nail polishes. Powered by Epson's compact and precise T3 robotic arms, the 2' x 2' kiosk delivers a seamless, space-efficient production experience – from real-time color selection to mixing and dispensing – within minutes. The live, visually dynamic process not only delivers a personalized product, but also serves as a retailtainment centerpiece, offering consumers a next-generation customization experience. The kiosk has already been piloted in select locations with a leading national retailer and is gaining strong traction. 'This is a powerful example of how Epson technology is entering new frontiers – delivering scalable customization, reducing costs and enhancing customer engagement,' said Rick Brookshire, Director of Robotics at Epson America, Inc. 'Our investment in Blank Beauty through Epson X underscores the active role Epson Robots is taking to drive innovation in production, distribution and consumer experiences across industries.' Beyond in-store experiences, the Epson and Blank Beauty collaboration extends to e-commerce, where Epson-powered equipment integrated with web applications to fully automate the process – from color formulation and mixing to packaging and shipment of online orders. 'We built Blank Beauty as a platform for customized manufacturing, and to do it right, we needed a partner with flexibility, stability and proven technology. APTUS DesignWorks, a longtime trusted design partner, introduced Epson as the ideal technology partner to achieve our vision,' said Charles Brandon, co-founder and CEO, Blank Beauty, Inc. 'Along with Kirker Enterprises as our supplier partner and Evolution VC Partners, an industry leading venture capital fund, Epson has been essential in helping us take our concept to final deployment in just six months. Epson automation solutions made it possible to take true innovation and transform it into retailtainment.' Looking ahead, Epson and Blank Beauty plan to expand their offering beyond nail polish to include other customizable cosmetics like gel nail products, liquid foundations and lip glosses. By leveraging Epson's advanced Color Control Technology, the collaboration aims to deliver precise, high-value personalization across a growing range of industries. Future applications may also extend to categories like custom paints, aromatherapy and fragrance products and skincare – broadening the impact of robotics in the consumer experience landscape. About Blank Beauty Blank Beauty is a technology platform enabling the on-demand manufacturing of customized consumer packaged goods. From precision color mixing and labeling to full automation, Blank Beauty offers an end-to-end solution that operates both online and in physical retail spaces. Customers across the U.S. can order personalized products through the company's e-commerce platform, while in-store experiences bring robotics out of the warehouse and directly into the hands of consumers. With tens of thousands of people interacting with its robotic systems each month, Blank Beauty is redefining personalization in beauty and beyond. For more information, visit . About Epson Robots Epson Robots is a global leader in PC-controlled precision factory automation, with well over 150,000 units sold worldwide1 and a product line of hundreds of models of easy-to-use SCARA and 6-Axis robots based on a common PC-based platform. Building on four decades of experience, Epson Robots delivers robots for precision assembly and material handling applications in the aerospace, appliance, automotive, biotechnology, consumer product, electronics, food processing, medical device, pharmaceutical, plastics, semiconductor, and telecommunication industries. For more information, visit . About Epson Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson's goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1 trillion. Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: . You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook ( ), Twitter ( ), YouTube ( ), and Instagram ( ). 1 Epson internal sales data through 2021. EPSON and Epson RC+ are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2025 Epson America, Inc. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Epson America, Inc.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Blackburn, Hagerty praise Trump's 'decisive' TVA firings and plan to confirm new board
Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty told Knox News the Trump administration's firings of two members of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors will provide space for the Senate to confirm new board members who will bolster Tennessee's effort to lead on nuclear energy. A spokesperson for Sen. Blackburn sent a joint statement from the two senators in an email to Knox News on April 2, one day after Trump directed the firing of TVA Board Chair Joe Ritch. 'We share the Trump administration's commitment to the long-term future of the Valley and will work together to ensure the TVA is fulfilling its potential. TVA requires bold and competent leadership to keep America at the cutting edge of energy innovation. The Trump administration's decisive actions to shake up the status quo at the TVA will allow us to confirm new board members who will champion the future of Tennessee's energy needs and ensure our state leads the way in nuclear energy. We can't let this moment pass us by," Blackburn and Hagerty said in the statement. The senators play a large role in recommending members for the Trump administration to nominate to the board, which governs the Knoxville-based federal utility. The U.S. Senate confirms new board members, but the process can take months or years as a low priority for elected officials outside the seven-state Tennessee Valley, where TVA sells electricity to 10 million people and manages the river system. Republicans control the Senate with 53 seats. There were six board members, all nominated by President Joe Biden, before Trump fired Michelle Moore of Virginia and Ritch of Alabama. The remaining four Biden appointees do not constitute a quorum to conduct business and cannot approve new policies or programs. The senators did not say when they would recommend new board members or when the board members could be confirmed. The Senate often waits until the end of the session of Congress, when board members whose five-year terms have expired must leave the board, though the current session does not end until January 2027. Trump has not commented publicly about the terminations from the TVA Board and his administration has not nominated new board members. He took the extraordinary measure of firing two TVA board members in his first term over the utility's decision to outsource IT jobs to companies with overseas workforces, and the utility later reversed the decision. Board members typically serve under multiple presidents, making the niche governing body traditionally insulated from turnover when a new administration takes office. Blackburn and Hagerty laid out a vision for a new board at TVA in an op-ed published March 20 in POWER Magazine, in which they argued the current board had "fallen victim to paralysis by analysis" on new nuclear technologies and was too focused on diversity of TVA executives. "The presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed, TVA Board of Directors lacks the talent, experience, and gravitas to meet a challenge that clearly requires visionary industrial leaders. The group looks more like a collection of political operatives than visionary industrial leaders," they wrote. Tennessee has become a hub of new nuclear development, thanks largely to TVA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, which form a powerful trifecta for nuclear research and operations. Gov. Bill Lee set aside millions for a state nuclear fund and formed a nuclear energy advisory council in 2023. The senators also called for an interim CEO trusted by Trump who could fast track development of small modular reactors at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge. Small modular reactors have potential to be built faster and more frugally than traditional large nuclear plants, and they can be located flexibly depending on power needs. TVA's design would produce about one-third the electricity of a large nuclear reactor. The technology, which has never been built in the U.S., must go through a lengthy licensing process with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. TVA secured the first early site permit for the technology in 2019 and the board has allocated $350 million for the project. The utility plans to submit a construction permit application for a 300-megawatt small modular reactor this year, but Blackburn and Hagerty called for the utility to "immediately file" the application. Before the Trump administration fired the two board members, the board selected TVA Chief Operating Officer Don Moul as the utility's next president and CEO. The current CEO, Jeff Lyash, announced in January his plan to retire this year as soon as the board selected a successor. TVA announced Moul's selection on March 31, and he starts the job April 9. As chief operating officer, Moul has overseen TVA's seven nuclear reactors at three plants in Tennessee and Alabama. Blackburn and Hagerty criticized the board for hiring what they called a "tiny headhunter firm" to quickly choose the next CEO from inside the organization. The senators did not answer a question Knox News asked about their reaction to the board's hiring of Moul. The board conducted an external and internal search to avoid the appearance of a predestined internal hire, Moul told Knox News in an interview, though he said he was brought on as chief operating officer in 2021 in part to "make a deeper bench of CEO succession candidates." Moul, who sits on Lee's nuclear council, has decades of experience in the nuclear industry and said the new technologies would be a focus of his tenure. "I know that nuclear is the vital part of our energy security, of our economic future," Moul said. "I grew up in the nuclear industry, so it's ingrained in me." Small modular reactors could be located by manufacturing plants or AI data centers to power technological innovation, but would also generate enough electricity each to power about 175,000 homes. TVA executives visited the Clinch River Nuclear Site with Hagerty and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in February. Are you a current or former federal employee with a story to tell? Contact Daniel Dassow, a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy, at or on Signal @danieldassow.24. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Blackburn, Hagerty plan to confirm new TVA board after Trump firings
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TVA board names operations chief Don Moul next CEO for 'seamless' transition
The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors selected Chief Operating Officer Don Moul as its next CEO, Knox News has learned. Moul joined TVA in 2021 after nearly four decades in the utility industry, including two stints as a chief nuclear officer and senior nuclear reactor operator. He will become TVA's fourth CEO on April 9 in what he described as a "seamless" transition in an interview with Knox News. The announcement came after Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee asserted the board was conducting an "inside job" to find the next CEO. The senators called for an interim CEO to ensure TVA's proposed small modular reactors would come online fast enough for President Donald Trump to be christened "America's Nuclear President." The TVA board selects new CEOs, not the president or the U.S. Senate. Trump fired a board member on March 27, after the board offered Moul the job, though Moul said he believes the termination and his hiring are "not directly tied whatsoever." Trump has not said publicly why his administration fired board member Michelle Moore of Virginia, and the White House has not responded to a request for comment. Jeff Lyash, who came to TVA as its chief executive in 2019, announced in January he would retire this year once the board selected a successor. 'TVA needs a steady hand right now,' Moul told Knox News. 'We're in a period of growth like we've not seen before, making one of the largest capital investments in our history, and we also have to make sure we have reliable, resilient power for the next generation of American jobs." Moul is the second TVA chief operating officer to lead the Knoxville-based utility after the board named Tom Kilgore its first CEO in 2006, the year after Congress reformed TVA and created the position. The board went outside the agency to hire TVA's second and third CEOs, Bill Johnson and Lyash. The TVA board conducted an internal and external search for a new CEO, Moul said. He underwent a series of interviews with board members and experts, in addition to psychological and leadership evaluations, before the board offered him the job March 25. As chief operating officer, Moul has overseen TVA's power plants and transmission grid, which supplies electricity to 10 million people across seven Southeast states. He was appointed to Gov. Bill Lee's Nuclear Energy Advisory Council in 2023. Congress created TVA in 1933 to bring electricity and jobs to the rural Tennessee Valley. It's now the nation's largest public power provider, though it is self-funded through electricity sales and does not receive taxpayer funding for its operations. The CEO position is emblematic of TVA's status as a quasi-public corporation. It is the highest paid federal job at $10.5 million in total compensation last year, but the salary is paid by ratepayers rather than taxpayers, and is lower than CEO compensation at similarly sized private utilities. 'It is an incredibly big job, and it took discussions with my family and making sure that I was truly prepared and ready to take on this incredible responsibility,' Moul said. 'I am humbled and honored to be given this opportunity.' Moul, 60, was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He lives in Knoxville with his wife and has two sons, one of whom works at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and one of whom lives in Chicago. He pronounces his last name like "mall." 'We are burying some deep roots into East Tennessee. We love living here. The place is so welcoming and we're thrilled to be here,' Moul said. Moul served in various management roles at Ohio-based electric utility FirstEnergy Corporation from 2004 to 2019, including as chief nuclear officer and head of fossil operations and environmental compliance, as well as president of Ohio Edison and Penn Power, two of the utility's operating companies. Before joining TVA, Moul was chief nuclear officer for NextEra Energy for two years, overseeing seven reactors at five plants in Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. He earned a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. Moul will lead TVA as it spends $16 billion on new power plants and transmission upgrades to meet rising demand from population growth and industrial expansion. The utility plans to submit a construction application this year for what could be the nation's first small modular reactors at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge. Small modular reactors have potential to be built faster and more frugally than traditional large nuclear plants, and they can be located flexibly depending on power needs. In an op-ed in POWER Magazine on March 20, Sens. Blackburn and Hagerty called for faster development of the new nuclear technology to secure President Trump's legacy as 'America's Nuclear President. They wrote that the TVA board "lacks the talent, experience and gravitas" to oversee development of the first small modular reactor and called for the Trump administration to help install an interim CEO. All five members of the board, down from six after last week's termination, were nominated by President Biden and confirmed to five-year terms by the U.S. Senate. The board voted last year to increase funding for the small modular reactor project from $200 million to $350 million. TVA has applied for $800 million for the project made available by the Biden administration. 'I was surprised, like many others,' Moul said about reading the op-ed. 'I would welcome any opportunity to sit down with any member of the (Tennessee Valley) delegation, and certainly Senators Hagerty and Blackburn, to dive a little deeper into what their concerns are and have a deeper conversation about it.' The offices of Blackburn and Hagerty have either not responded to or declined multiple requests from Knox News for comment by phone and email. TVA is pursuing an "all-of-the-above" approach to new electricity generation, supported mostly by large natural gas plants it is building and solar energy it plans to buy from other companies. It generated about half its energy in 2024 from carbon-free sources: three nuclear plants, 29 hydroelectric dams and purchased solar and wind power. The board set a goal for the utility to cut operational costs by $500 million, an effort now run through the "Enterprise Transformation Office." The program began under Moul's watch as chief operating officer and he told Knox News he will continue cutting costs as CEO. 'We are really trying to drive closer to a billion dollars of sustainable savings, and what this really does is starts to unlock our full potential to meet the needs for the future,' Moul said, describing the effort as similar to the budget-cutting efforts run by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Though TVA is exempt from many DOGE federal cuts, it offered its employees a voluntary buyout with five days of pay for every year worked. It is in the "final stages" of evaluating the voluntary buyouts, and it's too early to say if there will be other workforce reductions, Moul said. Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Email: Signal: @danieldassow.24. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: TVA board names operations chief Don Moul next CEO in internal hire
