Who determined that Nashville’s health care industry contributes nearly $30 billion and 210,000 jobs to the local economy and that 10,000 green jobs may be created in Tennessee between now and 2014?

Who reported that Williamson County—Tennessee’s richest—had program and funding gaps for issues such as affordable housing; transportation; alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental illness treatment; and access to available services for rural parts of the county?

Who analyzed the compensation structure for manufacturing employees in Coffee, Franklin, and Lincoln counties in an effort to help economic development officials understand their markets when assisting prospective businesses in their relocation to the region?

Who revealed that the Bonnaroo music festival is a cash cow for middle Tennessee, pumping about $14 million in revenue into Coffee County each year? And who conducted a study that led to federal funding for a $20 million northwest Tennessee slack water port?

The experts at the Business and Economic Research Center, housed in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business—that’s who. The center, led by director David A. Penn, is often cited in newspapers statewide for its astute analyses of Tennessee economic issues.