Chattanooga-based FreightWaves and Turvo, a California company, have developed a partnership bringing FreightWaves SONAR data to Turvo’s collaborative logistics platform.
FreightWaves SONAR is the most comprehensive freight data platform in the industry.
The new partnership between FreightWaves and Turvo provides actionable, accurate freight market data when shippers, 3PLs, brokers and carriers need it most.
FreightWaves SONAR aggregates freight data from more than 1,000 transportation and logistics sources ranging from IoT vendors, transportation management systems, telematics providers, on-truck sensors, payment providers, fuel vendors, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), shippers and carriers representing 85% of the electronic tenders in the market.
Most of the data in SONAR is based on what happened in the market within the past 24 hours. This perspective gives SONAR a near-time view of market conditions from data sets generated by executed TMS and telematics activity.
CUIP projects rate in global Top 50
For the third year in a row, innovative projects by the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are being recognized as among the Top 50 in the world.
The 2021 Smart 50 Awards, which select the best “Smart Cities” research projects around the globe, chose CUIP’s research on predicting and reducing vehicle crashes at various intersections in Chattanooga and its project to improve pedestrian safety citywide, using East Martin Luther King Boulevard as a starting point.
Smart City projects conduct research in such areas as energy, transportation, health care and education with the ultimate goals of, among others, improving quality of life, environmental sustainability and financial transparency in their city.
In the Crash Prediction project, CUIP is working with the Chattanooga Department of Transportation and Hamilton County. This is the third year in a row that the project has been chosen for the Smart 50 Awards.
The Pedestrian Analysis project is a collaboration with Korea-based Seoul Robotics, Ouster – a San Francisco manufacturer of the 3D-object detection technology known as LIDAR – and the Chattanooga Department of Transportation.
Together, the technology and MLK Smart Corridor sensors are being used to better understand how pedestrians and vehicles interact. This is the first year the Pedestrian Analysis project has won the Smart 50 award.
No monetary prize comes with selections, but CUIP will be recognized in October at the Smart Cities Connect conference in Washington, D.C.
The Smart 50 Awards are selected through a partnership of the Smart Cities Connect Foundation and U.S. Ignite, a National Science Foundation project that connects and helps find funding for public and private groups, including universities and cities, to encourage smart city initiatives.
Branch Tech creates 3D building project
Chattanooga-based Branch Technology has created another category defining project with Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union’s newest office building. This is the first 3D printed GFRC facade in the world; it also defines several other categories, the first commercial building with a 3D printed building envelope in the U.S., and the first freeform 3D printed composite project ever.
The design emulates the rippling Tennessee River and draws inspiration from the TVFCU logo. The walls visually move your eye to the entry and corner tower element of the project.
Branch Technology’s next-generation walls are made up of a freeform 3D-printed matrix filled with fire-rated insulation, providing an average value of R-49. The panels are then robotically milled down to the final surface articulation, finished with a thin layer of glass fiber reinforced concrete and then a water repellent, self-cleaning finish. TVFCU is an example of both beautiful and functional design that will save energy for the life of the building.
Unum’s McKenney confident of recovery
Unum Group President and CEO Rick McKenney expressed growing confidence in Unum’s future as the U.S. recovers from the pandemic and the economy strengthens.
The company is based in Chattanooga and recently held its annual shareholders meeting.
Unum’s board of directors authorized an increase of 5.3% in the quarterly dividend paid on its common stock. The new rate of 30 cents per common share, or $1.20 per share on an annual basis, will be effective with the dividend expected to be paid in the third quarter of 2021.
McKenney said at the meeting, “the decision by the board to increase our quarterly dividend demonstrates the confidence we feel in our capital position and performance outlook for the year. As the economic backdrop continues to improve, we expect to be in a position to gradually resume repurchasing shares in the second half of 2021.”
Based on preliminary voting results, Unum shareholders reelected 11 directors for terms expiring in 2022: Theodore Bunting, Jr., Susan Cross, Susan DeVore, Joseph Echevarria, Cynthia Egan, Kevin Kabat, Timothy Keaney, Gloria Larson, Rick McKenney, Ronald O’Hanley and Francis Shammo; approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation of Unum’s named executive officers; and ratified the appointment of the company’s auditors.
Erlanger Bledsoe construction begins
Erlanger Bledsoe Hospital recently broke ground on a new medical office building.
Over the past five years, several local officials, including CEO of Erlanger Bledsoe Hospital Stephanie Boynton and Bledsoe County Mayor Gregg Ridley, have envisioned what this medical office building would look like and how it would impact the community at large.
Local architect Vance Travis and the MBI Companies design team worked with Erlanger and Bledsoe officials to program, plan, and design a new, state-of-the-art medical office building adjacent to the hospital in Pikeville.
At 6,200 square feet and a cost of just over $1.56 million, the county-funded facility will house 14 exam rooms, two procedure areas, a lab and physician offices.
CPD tackles gun violence, ups staffing
The Chattanooga Police Department has announced it is reallocating five existing, budgeted positions to enhance its response to gun crime and better serve community members who are most directly affected by gun violence.
On July 2, the CPD Gun Team will see an increase of five sworn officers. These officers will be reallocated from the current CPD Gang Unit, bringing the Gun Team’s total staffing to nine investigators, two sergeants, and one civilian technician that is funded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The CPD Gun Team was created in June 2018. Its purpose is to focus on evidence gathered at scenes where gun violence occurred and use specialized ballistics technology to link crime guns to people and people to crimes, building stronger cases against those committing the most gun violence in our community. Since the creation of the Gun Team, each shots fired call in Chattanooga gets a police response.
If evidence is located, Gun Team investigators follow up. In cases that involve a person beings shot, the Gun Team also plays a vital role in the investigation and building a case against the perpetrator(s).
In addition to enhancing the CPD Gun Team, manpower that previously staffed the Gang Unit will be reallocated to fill other vacancies within the department. Other investigative and administrative responsibilities assigned to the CPD Gang Unit are in the process of being absorbed by CPD’s Intelligence Unit and Focused Deterrence Coordinator. These changes will also be effective July 2.