Asurion cuts hundreds of jobs; BNA lands new European nonstop; more

Asurion LLC laid off hundreds of employees on Sept. 25, the company confirmed in a statement to the Business Journal.

Asurion , which is Nashville's largest private company based on its $9 billion-plus of annual revenue, described the job cuts in percentage terms. The layoffs "represent less than 3% of our global workforce of 19,500 employees," the company said in its statement.

"Earlier this year, we shared with employees that, as an industry leader in a competitive market, we have a responsibility to continuously evolve our structure to align with our long-term goals and growth strategy," the statement reads. "Although our aim was to simplify our operations and focus on our most important initiatives, it became evident that we no longer needed the same number of people in certain areas of the business."

The Business Journal first reported the pending layoffs on Sept. 24, when some sources had said this round of cuts could rival those made in mid-2022.?

Read the full story from Adam Sichko.

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Longtime 12South restaurant to close

Another 12South staple is closing.?

Mafiaoza’s 12South, located at 2400 12th?Ave. S., will hold its last service on Oct. 6., according to a Facebook post from the restaurant.?

"It’s hard to say goodbye, especially after 21 years. For a restaurant, that feels like a lifetime. Like multiple lifetimes, actually,” the post reads. “The path to success that we needed to take after the pandemic looks so much clearer in hindsight. … We decided to hold onto the things that made us uniquely us. If that was our downfall, so be it. We did not compromise who we are.”? |? Read more

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BNA wins second nonstop Europe flight

Nashville International Airport has won its second nonstop European route.

Airport officials, joined by leaders of Metro and state government, revealed the new Icelandair flight at a press conference Thursday morning.

Icelandair flights will begin on May 16, 2025 between BNA and Reykjavik, Iceland. The route will give Nashville passengers access to Iceland's capital and a country that is a growing tourism destination — as well as a launchpad to reach about two dozen European airports.

European travel accounts for hundreds of daily outbound passengers from BNA, well beyond the 272 seats available on British Airways' lone flight. British Airways likely will face competition from Icelandair for those passengers, which could lead to lower ticket prices.? |? Read more

Plus, Southwest Airlines adds new Nashville flights; Amazon's not alone: CEOs aim to reset remote-work expectations; Mayor Freddie O'Connell names a new finance chief; and a Franklin homebuilder plans 200 homes.

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Icahn makes his move with East Bank site

Nashville’s longtime East Bank scrapyard site is heading for auction.

Icahn Enterprises (Nasdaq: IEP), chaired by famed activist investor and billionaire Carl Icahn, has enlisted the Nashville office of CBRE to sell the entire 45-acre site through an auction process, Byran Fort, senior vice president at CBRE, told the Business Journal.

An exact auction date has not been revealed, but it is set for mid-November, according to Fort, who is handling the auction process alongside colleagues Frank Thomasson and Ryan Coulter.

Icahn's 45 acres on the East Bank represent one of several major puzzle pieces in Metro's expansive vision for a revitalized area across the Cumberland River from downtown. Mayors and governors have tried for the last quarter-century to figure out a way to relocate the scrapyard and free that land for redevelopment. Icahn Enterprises had a framework deal in place when Mayor John Cooper took office in fall 2019, but the two sides hit a stalemate.? |? Read more

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Michelin 'keys' 4 Nashville hotels

Four Nashville area hotels received Michelin Keys in The MICHELIN Guide ’s second ever installment in the United States.

Michelin Guide ranks hotels by one, two and three keys, judged off of five categories: design, service, character, value and “a significant contribution to the guest experience.”

There are 16 three-key hotels, 70 two-key hotels and 207 one-key hotels in the 2024 Michelin Guide U.S. hotel selection.? |? Check out which Nashville hotels made the cut

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This Weekly Edition was compiled by?Alison Nash. Questions? Comments? Concerns??Reach out!?

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