092 MTSU PRESENTS MARK PIRTLE WITH CHAMPION OF FREE ENTERPRISE AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 28, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins or Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

(MURFREESBORO)—Area business owner Mark Pirtle will be the recipient of the ninth annual Champion of Free Enterprise award at a Sept. 29 ceremony held in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business on the MTSU campus.
The award is given annually to honor the late Jennings A. Jones, a former mayor of Murfreesboro and the namesake for MTSU’s business college, who “laid the groundwork for every real estate developer and businessman in Rutherford County,” Pirtle observed.
Dr. Jim Burton, MTSU business dean, said, “We always have several (award) candidates, but with his efforts as an entrepreneur and involvement in the community, Mark just rose to the top.”
A native of McMinnville and former president of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, Pirtle said he credits much of his success to having attended college at the General Motors Institute, now named Northwoods Institute, in Detroit, Mich.
Pirtle, who also attended MTSU, currently owns five auto dealerships, along with his brother, Jack Pirtle, and business partner John Howerton.
Although Pirtle spends half of his time working on real-estate development for Rutherford County, with large projects such as the Murfreesboro Gateway, he said he still finds time to be the top salesman on his lot.
Regarding his sustained success in the auto industry, Pirtle said, “I have founded my business on one-on-one relationships; 68 percent of my business is repeat.”
Having long-term success in his works in both business and the community, Pirtle continues to serve on the board of the MTSU Foundation as well as on the board of the Boys and Girls Club, the latter of which he had done for more than 10 years.
“What inspires me now is the work I have left to do in the Murfreesboro Gateway. It’s the most exciting real-estate project I’ve ever done,” Pirtle said.
The 1996 recipient of the Rutherford County Businessperson of the Year honor, Pirtle—in spite of his enthusiasm about current projects—said more work within the community remains to be done.
“Business leaders in the Executive-in-Residence program need to do a better job,” Pirtle said, regarding the MTSU program that annually brings business professionals to campus to mentor and speak to would-be business leaders.
“MTSU business students don’t want to hear about what to wear and what to say,” he added, “they want to know the nuts and bolts of business. We need to be more hands-on.”
Additionally, Pirtle said he hopes to help create an increased numbers of business internships at Nissan, State Farm Insurance and Pillsbury.

—30—

***ATTENTION, MEDIA: If your publication chooses to reprint this story, please provide byline credit to Christopher Barkley, who is an MTSU journalism student.