Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 2:24 pm

Bob Spivey

The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce has named former Smyrna Mayor Bob Spivey as the 2009 Business Legend of the Year. Spivey, will be honored at the Chamber’s “Business at Its Best – 2010 Celebration” Friday, Feb. 5 at the Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel and Conference Center.

Spivey served as Mayor for the Town of Smyrna from 2001 until 2009.

“Mayor Spivey is extremely deserving of this honor,” said Chamber president Paul Latture. “His leadership has been instrumental regarding the growth of Smyrna.”
Spivey, a native of Ozark, Ala., founded Imperial Foods, located in Smyrna, in 1971. It was the first business to open in the new Industrial Park on the site of the former Sewart Air Force Base,

During 28 years of ownership, he was honored as a member of the Top 100 Greater Nashville’s Largest Private Firms more than a dozen times. In 1998, Imperial Foods was sold allowing Spivey to concentrate on commercial and residential development, mini-warehousing, multifamily housing and other entrepreneurial ventures. Spivey is owner of Smyrna Automotive Group, developer and owner of shopping centers in Manchester, Smyrna and White House, Tenn. In addition, he is owner of two self-storage facilities in Smyrna.

In 2001, Spivey was elected Mayor of the Town of Smyrna. In November 2005, he ran unopposed and was re-elected to a second term. During his tenure as Mayor, Smyrna has seen tremendous growth in residential and retail development. The population has increased but property taxes were lowered twice during his first administration. During that time, the town has maintained and continues to improve services to Smyrna’s citizens. Illness prompted Spivey to resign as Mayor in late July 2009.

Spivey’s involvement in his community goes well beyond his business and governmental work. He was largely responsible for raising seed money for the Motlow College Smyrna campus, and has served on the Motlow Foundation since 2002. He served as a major fundraiser for the new YMCA development in Smyrna. He has taken a leadership role in efforts by the Smyrna Housing Authority to construct housing for elderly.

Since 1988, he has developed and managed more than 380 units of elderly and underprivileged housing. Spivey served on the Executive Board of Destination Rutherford through the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. In the early days of Nissan development, he served on the Board of Industrial Development. He is a former member of the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority and Smyrna Board of Appeals. He is active in his church and has been a member of Smyrna Rotary Club more than 30 years, serving as president in 1979.

Spivey developed major tracts of land around the intersection of I-24 and Sam Ridley Parkway to include the I-24 EXPO Center, O’Charleys, Hilton Garden Suites, Fairfield Inn, Cracker Barrel, Sleep Inn, Ruby Tuesdays, Holiday Inn and Suites, Hampton Inn and Suites, Starbucks, Chili’s, Logan’s, Sonic, Malco Roxy Theater and others. He is the owner of Hickory Trace Apartments, co-owner of Imperial Gardens Apartments. Spivey owns and leases a variety of commercial and residential properties throughout the community.

Other developments include the Tennessee EXPO Center on Hazelwood Drive and several subdivisions including Rosemont, (250 lots), Hickory Trace (300 lots), Hartwood (38 lots), Glenrose Meadows (35 lots), all in Smyrna. In October, 2009 the Veteran’s Administration announced plans for a call center at the Hazelwood Drive Expo Center Building, and with this project, the promise of several hundred new jobs to the area.

Spivey and his wife, Nancy, have four children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Reservations for the Chamber’s Business at Its Best celebration are $60 members and $80 non-members. To reserve your seat, contact the Chamber of Commerce at (615) 893-6565.
Atmos Energy is the presenting sponsor. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Keynote speaker Bryan Townsend will speak on “Stand on It! A Challenge to Take Off the Cruise Control.”

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