How Fort Campbell and a strong veteran community are fueling entrepreneurship, community and long-term investment in Clarksville-Montgomery County.<\/p>\n
For Jeff Robinson, opening a neighborhood pub wasn\u2019t just a business idea \u2013 it was the next mission. After serving in the Army at Fort Campbell, Robinson and his wife, Sherri, chose to remain in Clarksville. They loved their neighborhood, saw potential in the community, and noticed something was missing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted a place where people could have a beer, get a decent hamburger and feel comfortable,\u201d Robinson said.<\/p>\n
That vision became the Blackhorse Pub & Brewery<\/a>, one of Clarksville\u2019s longest-running locally owned restaurants.<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s success story is not unique. Across Clarksville-Montgomery County, veterans who arrived through military service are choosing to stay, start businesses and invest in the community long after their uniforms are retired.<\/p>\n Veterans\u2019 economic impact on Clarksville<\/p>\n The region is home to more than 34,000 veterans \u2013 the second-largest veteran population in Tennessee \u2013 who contribute a combined economic impact of nearly $889 million, according to the Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization. Much of that economic vitality traces back to Fort Campbell, which has anchored the regional economy since its founding in 1941.<\/p>\n Beyond its role as the area\u2019s largest employer, Fort Campbell serves as a workforce pipeline, producing a steady stream of veterans who decide to put down roots and build careers in the community. Today, approximately 1,000 veteran-owned businesses operate in Clarksville-Montgomery County, representing 7.7% of all businesses in the region \u2013 well above the national average of 5.5%.<\/p>\n In Clarksville, entrepreneurs benefit from a pro-growth environment designed to support them. Organizations such as the Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization<\/a> and the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce<\/a> help veterans start and grow businesses through initiatives that offer preferred access to capital, training and federal procurement contract opportunities. Educational institutions such as Austin Peay State University offer an array of career services and counseling for active-duty military personnel, veterans and their families.<\/p>\n The result is an ecosystem where military leadership skills translate into economic opportunity, creating jobs and strengthening the region\u2019s business community.<\/p>\n St. Patrick\u2019s Day surprise for Blackhorse<\/p>\n When the Blackhorse opened on St. Patrick\u2019s Day in 1992, Robinson expected a modest soft opening. Instead, a newspaper story announcing the new pub drew crowds far beyond what he and his team anticipated.<\/p>\n \u201cIt got real on the first day,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cWe were totally overwhelmed.\u201d More than three decades later, Robinson credits much of the business\u2019s longevity to the mindset he carried from the Army.<\/p>\n \u201cI compare a lot of things to a road march,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just put one foot in front of the other and keep going. There is no quitting.\u201d<\/p>\n That persistence has helped him navigate changing markets and Clarksville\u2019s rapid growth. He has also watched the city continue efforts to strengthen downtown. \u201cWe still fight a lot of the same fights we were fighting 35 years ago,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cBut I think recently the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council<\/a> and Aspire (Foundation)<\/a> have turned their focus not just to the industrial parks but also to downtown and quality of life. That has the potential to really help.\u201d<\/p>\n Veteran small-business success in Clarksville<\/p>\n Today, the Blackhorse is a downtown institution. \u201cWe\u2019re proud that we\u2019re still here,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of unique in our business.\u201d<\/p>\n For Robinson, success is measured by more than the longevity of the restaurant. One child now works alongside him at the Blackhorse; another owns a small business nearby and a third has built a career in Nashville while remaining close to home.<\/p>\n That legacy mirrors a larger story unfolding throughout Clarksville-Montgomery County. Veterans who once arrived at Fort Campbell for an assignment are opening storefronts, creating jobs and investing in the communities they call home.<\/p>\n For many, military service was never the end of the mission \u2013 it was the beginning of a new one. And as veteran entrepreneurs continue to shape the local economy, their impact can be seen not only in balance sheets and business licenses, but in the future that they are helping build for Clarksville.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How Fort Campbell and a strong veteran community are fueling entrepreneurship, community and long-term investment in Clarksville-Montgomery County.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":525385,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[114,293,85,46],"class_list":["post-525384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entrepreneurship","tag-business","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=525384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525384\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/525385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=525384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=525384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=525384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}