BusinessTN

The BusinessTN Leadership Hall of Fame recognizes and remembers the Volunteer State's business elite, both past and present, who have contributed mightily to Tennessee's economic brand name and modern-day economic vitality through remarkable achievements in business.

This second class of inductees is once again largely bound together by their shared status as pioneers in business, not just for Tennessee but nationally and internationally. In most instances, the names found here are not merely good executives who ran pre-established businesses well and to the benefit of many. Rather, they are people who carved out new industries, forged new paths for business systems and in turn helped cultivate the quality of life enjoyed today. Be warned, however, some of the peripheral outcomes of the pioneering work praised here were unfortunate, even deadly. But, in the end, the risk-taking, enterprising ways exhibited by these business icons are the very reason for acknowledgment in this annual feature.

The 2007 class remains heavy on history and less robust on contemporary CEOs, a trend sure to reverse course in the coming years as the magazine catches up with Tennessee's rich business past and turns its focus increasingly to inducting more living business people with Hall of Fame credentials. It is also indicative of the feedback provided by BTN readers in nominating candidates for consideration for this annual list, feedback that remains largely rooted in a keen appreciation for history and a desire to acknowledge those business titans who set the stage for modern commerce in Tennessee.

As the only statewide business magazine in Tennessee, BusinessTN embraces its roles as both a modern-day chronicler of top business news and as a historian of bygone business days across Tennessee. It is a privilege to present what remains a first-of-its-kind hall of fame for business people in Tennessee.By recognizing such business stalwarts, we celebrate the role of free enterprise in shaping and benefiting everyday lives. And hope to perpetuate it.