ICA, iPayment, Tractor Supply, Solar Institute interest, Stimulus, Tech competition, and Med-devices firms...

ICA Informatics Corporation of America, the Vanderbilt spin-out, announced a new client: Health Information Exchange of Montana, which includes about 20 facilities. The release will soon be posted here.

Tractor Supply, the $3 billion (sales) retailer based in Brentwood, announced this morning naming Greg Sandfort, previously EVP and chief merchandising officer, to the post of president; and, veteran farm retailer Stanley Ruta chief operating officer. Both men report to CEO Jim Wright.

Tech companies are big winners in the Stimulus bill to be voted on today, according to today's WSJ. Companies advancing health IT, electronic medical records, more broadband in underserved areas and other niches are likely to benefit bigtime.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and the Development Corp. of Knox County, as well as officials of Blount County business parks, are working-up a head of steam over Gov. Phil Bredesen's Solar Institute idea. They love it, the KNS reports.

Also out East, The Fairview Technology Center is sponsoring a business competition for early-stage companies, a contest that will provide free rent and cash to a pair of winners. The contest is for new ventures in seed, start-up or early-growth stages, with preference to entries that would license previously un-commercialized technology from universities or research labs.

In Memphis, Wright Medical Group and Smith & Nephew may shoulder their ways into niche market for extremities, including whole-shoulder replacement devices. The CA reports. A day earlier, Smith & Nephew said its profits rose 24 percent, thanks in part to sales through its Memphis ortho unit. Meanwhile, Medtronic awarded an interfaith group in Memphis $75K to help Memphians who've lost their jobs. Last year Medtronic says it donated $26MM, nationwide.

iPayment legal counsel and EVP Afshin Yazdian has been named to SinoHub board, which provides supply-chain services for electronics. Yazdian is a member of the eConcepcion diaspora. Although for less than a year, he managed M&A for the onetime Nashville incubator. During 1996-2000, Yazdian was an attorney here with Waller Lansden. ♦