Roy Exum: ‘Lots Of Green Shoots’

  • Thursday, January 22, 2015
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

I sat with Bill Kilbride, who recently became the president and CEO of Chattanooga’s Chamber of Commerce, for about an hour Wednesday morning and I can’t remember when I had more fun talking to a retired guy who has gone back to work for just the thrill of it.

Once a Wall Street financial whiz, his lifelong friend John Thornton lured him away from Manhattan in 1992 to join American Rug Craftsmen and that led him to Mohawk, where he worked until last year as president of the Homes Division.

He also served as the chief sustainability officer for Mohawk Industries. In short, he’s a marvelous success story and even has his captain’s license so he can sail on the high seas.

Now his entire focus is how to make Chattanooga better and better. “When people talk about Chattanooga they’ll mention Volkswagen, the area’s natural beauty, our world-class Gig structure, all the new businesses that are coming here, the revival of Main Street, and many other things but the biggest story of all never gets mentioned – there are more green shoots here than anyone can believe,” he said.

“There are lots and lots of green shoots, and when you combine all of them, I believe the future of our city is brighter than ever before.”

Gardeners know that when you spy green shoots peeping out of the spring soil, it is a sign of new growth but – no – what “green shoots” means is that there are visible signs of economic recovery and the data to prove it. The phrase is believed to have been coined by Ben Bernanke, who was the chairman of the Federal Reserve in 2009, during a 60 Minutes interview and is increasingly the nicest comment that can be made on Wall Street.

To hear it come from Kilbride, who helped Jeff Lorberbaum build Mohawk Industries into a global giant, is high praise indeed. Bill – who is being paid only a fraction of what he made at Mohawk – is suddenly in a position to bring his well-documented success story to the community. Those who know him are predicting the Chamber of Commerce will turn into the most successful of its kind in the country.

“Jeff is really bright about continuity and there was a set exit strategy at Mohawk. I wanted to leave the business when we were on top but I found out nobody thought I was serious. I wanted (wife) Mary and I to gets some flip-flops, rock-concert tee-shirts, and just goof off together. I wasn’t planning on a next career at all.

“The girls are grown and with one in Nashville, another in Charleston and the last one at Auburn, it is great fun to take a turn in the road and begin helping the city and the community we really love. We have a great crowd at the Chamber and trust me when I tell you there is a lot going on that people rarely see.”

What about the flip-flops? “This summer we had a blast. Sailed the Greek islands, picked grapes in Italy, spent time with friends at Martha’s Vineyard. I accepted the job effective January 1st but when the fall started I began to come down (to the chamber) and just listen to people. I didn’t even want to get paid but I have learned so much in the past three months. I am amazed at the number of unbelievably-talented people there are in Chattanooga. Right now many of those people are making my life a lot of fun.”

Is Chattanooga easy to sell? “Not long ago we had a high-profile crowd coming in to look at us and they arrived on the same Sunday that ‘The Head of the Hootch’ regatta was being held. It was a spectacular afternoon  for them to walk the riverfront and, when we met for dinner, we didn’t have to say a word. That’s how exciting this city is to those who have never seen it.”

On Monday the Chamber was closed in memory of Martin Luther King but Kilbride was part of a dazzling group that met privately at the Benwood Foundation for sandwiches and a lengthy discourse about a wide range of topics. “We talked about our schools – Jill Levine came down from Washington – and health care and mentoring students under the Governor’s new college program.

“Several high school principals were there but this is stuff that is happening that people never see or hear about. It was thrilling to give up an off-day and instead leave a meeting more challenged an excited than I could have ever dreamed.”

Kilbride calls Erlanger Hospital’s turn-around “absolutely fantastic” and said Tennesseans have a “moral obligation” to expand Medicaid. “The deadline is in two weeks so it is hard to say what will happen … if it passes I think it will affect about 200,000 people immediately and those people need it.”

The 63-year-old Kilbride cited the fact that last year the Chattanooga airport had over 350,000 departing passengers in a record-breaking feat that surpassed 2013 totals by 14 percent. “We have carriers calling to see if they can add more flights. The top destination for Chattanooga passengers is New York and there are some carriers who might open a non-stop flight to New York like we once had.

“These are the green shoots I am talking about. Within two years the Chattanooga airport can be completely powered by solar energy. Talk about green! That is cutting-edge stuff. But the thing I am trying to tell people is that we have that same dynamic going on all over the city and the county,” he said.

Kilbride is now meeting with as many city leaders as he can “to listen” and learn how they feel about where they live. He’ll take what he hears and use it to water his green shoots this spring. The blooms will most assuredly be incredible.

royexum@aol.com

Latest Headlines
Opinion
Send Your Opinions To Chattanoogan.com; Include Your Full Name, Address, Phone Number For Verification
  • 3/29/2024

We welcome your opinions at Chattanoogan.com. Email to news@chattanoogan.com . We require your real first and last name and contact information. This includes your home address and phone ... more

Capitol Report From State Rep. Greg Vital For March 28
  • 3/28/2024

Budget becomes central focus in final weeks of 113th General Assembly Members of the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee this week were briefed by Finance and Administration Commissioner ... more