BusinessTN

Haslam leads Tennessee’s second-largest privately held company—the nation’s largest operator of travel centers and largest seller of over-the-road diesel fuel, with annual revenues of over $10 billion. His company recently bought out gas giant Marathon’s 50% stake in the travel center business for $700 million. Simultaneously, sold a 47.5% interest in company to international private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. Political force in East Tennessee whose brother is now running for governor, Haslam recently joined the ownership group of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

A popular politician (receiving 77% of the vote in his 2006 reelection effort), Wharton represents the state’s largest county. Wharton launched his bid for the Memphis mayoral seat in 2010—and will likely get it. The former chief public defender of Shelby County has sponsored a joint city-county plan to sue national mortgage lending companies that allegedly target minority borrowers for high-cost loans. Wharton was recently invited by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to assist in a review of New York’s anti-poverty efforts. Also recently entered into a conservancy agreement with the Land Trust for Tennessee to spare Shelby Farms, the nation’s largest urban park, from development.

Founded truckload/cargo company Landair, and later, spinoff Forward Air. Both companies are now major players in supply chain management. The Niswonger Foundation he created pours money into Greeneville and Greene County, particularly in the education arena. Niswonger recently launched “learn, earn, return” initiative aimed at attracting natives back to Greeneville through a novel approach that encompasses everything from providing college scholarships to providing venture capital and increasing downtown revitalization.

Owns and runs the Knoxville-based wholesale food distribution business—a nearly 120-year-old operation that is one of the largest of its kind in the United States (and Tennessee’s third-largest private company), serving over 20,000 distribution centers, stocking over 25,000 products and covering over 20 states. This two-time chairman of the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority is also a former state commissioner and UT System board member. Sansom’s cross-state corporate board service includes Astec Industries, First Horizon and Mid-America Apartment Communities.

In Congress for roughly a quarter-century, Murfreesboro-based Gordon made a huge power leap last year when he became chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, which controls all federal nonmilitary research and development programs (including those at the Department of Energy’s ORNL). For a state so heavily involved in a science push, whether it be biofuels research, neutron science, supercomputing or health care R&D, Gordon holds keys that unlock doors to grants and other opportunities that come across his desk.

Practically a national household name for bestowing financial wisdom (especially now in turbulent economic times) on the debt-afflicted through radio, best-selling books, live events, Financial Peace University and more. The Dave Ramsey Show is the largest independently owned and operated syndicated radio show in the nation, with several million weekly listeners on hundreds of stations. Ramsey expanded his national television presence last year with his own show on the Fox Business Network.

Presides over one of the largest independent record labels in the world with an artist roster that includes Hank Williams Jr., Wynonna Judd, Tim McGraw and LeAnn Rimes. Curb is a philanthropist after whom multiple state institutions are named, including the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University, The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University and the Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College.

Legendary entrepreneur who founded manufactured housing company Clayton Homes and sold it to renowned investor Warren Buffet. Building statewide community banking empire with Clayton Bancorp (Clayton Bank & Trust). Generous philanthropist through the Clayton Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the South.

Former nursing home entrepreneur who founded Lexington-based FirstBank. Ayers is a noted philanthropist who, with his wife Janet, has given away tens of millions of dollars to support community organizations and other charities in Tennessee. As an example, Ayers’ $10 million, five-year gift launched the Jim Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Through the Ayers Foundation, he helps provide college scholarships and identify scholarship opportunities for students in an expanding number of Tennessee counties. Ayers is a member of the State Board of Education.

Knoxville-based founder of the state’s second largest private company, Pilot Corp. Philanthropist, Haslam and his wife Natalie recently gave UT-Knoxville $38.2 million, the largest gift the university had ever received from an individual. UT-Knoxville recently opened the new $46 million, six-floor, 174,000-square-foot James A. Haslam II Business Building on campus. Haslam recently retired from the UT System board of trustees after 27 years of service, but is still a power on campus and in the athletics department. Haslam is an East Tennessee political powerhouse and fundraiser whose son is running for Tennessee governor.

Arguably Tennessee’s most recognizable brand around the world, Parton is a leading spokesperson for state tourism efforts. Her Imagination Library, through which hundreds of thousands of kids receive free books monthly, covers all 95 Tennessee counties and is making significant headway in other states, Canada and Europe. Parton is the businesswoman behind Pigeon Forge’s Dollywood amusement park, Tennessee’s top tourist attraction. She recently released a new country album.

Considered by many politicos as the one to beat in the 2010 gubernatorial race, in part because of his family’s fundraising ability as well as his own personal wealth. Haslam is a Republican who was re-elected to a second term as Knoxville mayor with virtually no opposition—a testament to his success in keeping the city in sound financial shape while tackling big-ticket items such as waterfront development and downtown revitalization. Haslam is a former Pilot Corp. and Saks Direct executive.

The second-term Senator is the third-ranked Republican in the U.S. Senate and chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. In that role, Alexander convenes meetings of GOP Senators and leads efforts to communicate the Senate Republican message to the American people. Arguably Tennessee’s most popular politician, Alexander won reelection to the Senate by winning 94 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. A two-term governor in Tennessee, Alexander also served as president of the UT System and as U.S. Secretary of Education.

An early Obama supporter, Cooper will now exert significant influence on the nation’s biggest issues including the budget and health care. He is arguably Tennessee’s most powerful politician on the national stage. Cooper had been mentioned as a potential Obama Cabinet member (White House Office of Management and Budget), but he will instead be a key player in the Democrat-controlled Congress and the Blue Dog Coalition, a centrist group pushing for greater transparency in federal accounting. Cooper is the only Rhodes scholar in Congress.

Leader of Tennessee’s largest health insurer. BlueCross BlueShield has more than 2.3 million members (a staggering percentage of Tennesseans) and employs 4,300 in offices statewide. The state’s largest health benefit plan company, BCBS pays 65 million claims and more than $17 billion in benefits a year. Since Gregg took the helm about six years ago, annual revenues have climbed from about $2 billion to more than $3 billion. She added subsidiary Gordian Health Solutions and created Shared Health—a health information exchange system that allows doctors to access electronic health records. Gregg is overseeing a $299.1 million construction project for new Chattanooga headquarters that will open later this year.

Drops on this list due to several factors, including that, despite his strong efforts, Republicans took control of state politics in the November elections, proving he has no coattails. In addition to GOP control, the current budget crisis also saps his spending and program power. With his second term winding down (gubernatorial hopefuls are already stealing his spotlight), Bredesen’s legacy will include clamping down on TennCare, landing large economic development projects like Nissan, Volkswagen and Hemlock and launching universal Pre-K in Tennessee. Due to his recent appointments, Tennessee joins Wisconsin, New York and Washington, D.C., as the only states with a female majority on its highest court.

Arguably the most powerful politician in Tennessee now that his GOP party enjoys a majority in both the House and the Senate, where he is Speaker. Despite Rep. Kent Williams’ surprise rise to the House Speakership using 49 Democratic votes, Ramsey will still largely dictate state politics, determining the bills that get considered and those that don’t, assigning committee chairmanships (he selected all Republicans this year) and blocking Gov. Bredesen’s agenda where he sees fit. The ease with which the majority of Republicans elected new GOP constitutional officers puts the degree of power they now enjoy back into perspective. Ramsey is also still a potential candidate for governor in 2010.

Named in September by Forbes magazine as the 147th richest person in the U.S. with a net worth of $2.8 billion (making her the state’s wealthiest person). Ingram is the Chairman Emerita of Nashville-based Ingram Industries, one of the nation’s largest private companies. Ingram also serves on the board of Ingram Micro, a Fortune 500 company that is also the world’s largest technology markets distributor. Influential chairman of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust. Past boards include Weyerhaeuser and Regions Financial Corp. Ingram is a leader in business and civic organizations, as well as the arts in Nashville.

World-renowned businessman who created the first overnight express delivery system in Memphis, making the Bluff City the world’s distribution/logistics/shipping hub. A close friend and adviser to former presidential candidate John McCain, many news outlets speculated during the campaign that Smith could be on a short list for a Cabinet position. Smith has an increasingly large footprint in Hollywood movie-making industry via ownership of Alcon Entertainment. He is also co-owner of the Washington Redskins. As one source said colorfully in arguing for Smith’s power status, “without FedEx, Memphis is Shreveport.”

The unofficial mayor of Memphis. The Bluff City’s biggest booster, Hyde puts his money where his mouth is. He is as responsible for the city’s downtown revitalization, status as a burgeoning biotech hub, snagging of a pro sports team, and vigor as an educational and cultural arts scene as any other Memphian. Hyde is a force on Capitol Hill as relates to educational standards, improvement and experimentation statewide. His most recently planned efforts, still in planning at press time, could signal the most sweeping educational reform the state has ever seen. Hyde’s recent $20 million challenge grant is intended to transform Shelby Farms Park into America’s premier urban park.