The Tennessee Valley Authority and Nashville Electric Service have cut a $350,000 check to Bridgestone Americas as a reward for the energy efficiency improvements the tire maker has made in recent years at its La Vergne plant. An improved lighting system installed in 2010 has cut power consumption by 3.8 million kilowatt-hours. The cash will go into the Bridgestone Americas Environmental and Energy Strategic Fund to be applied to other conservation projects.

LKQ Corp. is planning to break ground in the next 30 to 45 days on an approximately $3 million self-serve facility in Nashville.

Construction will require at least four months, according to a LKQ spokeswoman. The company, which is based in Chicago and has its main local operations in La Vergne, is in the process of selecting a general contractor for the project, the spokeswoman said.

LKQ provides aftermarket, recycled and refurbished collision replacement and mechanical replacement parts, including remanufactured engines, for vehicles. It has operations in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Central America, and operates more than 480 facilities, including 10 in Tennessee.

Relatedly, LKQ will hold a dedication ceremony for the Leonard “Lenny” A. Damron LKQ Leadership Institute on Thursday, May 9, at 11 a.m. at Shwab Elementary School, located at 1500 Dickerson Road. On Saturday, May 11, LKQ will participate with Shwab Elementary in a half-day Leadership Academy for the students.

There is little doubt that home sales are on the mend in Middle Tennessee. But the prices of many area houses have a long way to go before they can be called healthy. As evidence, Zillow has updated its negative-equity numbers, which paint an ugly picture for parts of the Nashville region.

In a good stretch of the Interstate 24 corridor, more than half of homeowners own more on their mortgage than their house is worth. Also worth noting is that many of the downtown ZIP codes home to newish condominium developments sport negative equity ratios of 40 percent and higher.

HT: Ritholtz

A 10-year-old company that runs a website distributing motorcycle parts and accessories has moved its fulfillment center to La Vergne from Livermore, Calif. Officials at Cruiser Customizing say the relocation will shorten the time needed to get customers their orders. The company has set up shop on J.P. Hennessy Drive of Interstate 24.

Hennessy Industries, a La Vergne-based maker of wheel weights, balancers and related parts, has contracted with a New Jersey export management company to help it build a book of business in East Asia and the Pacific Rim. Hockman-Lewis has a staff of about 10 traveling salespeople who represent more than 20 manufacturers from all over the world.