Frank Ricks Principal Looney Ricks Kiss Memphis Founded in 1983, this architecture powerhouse now employs 220 architects in nine offices across the country, including Memphis, Nashville, Florida and New Jersey. Projects include South End, the Stax Museum, FedExForum and AutoZone Park. Ricks is widely regarded as the state's pioneer of urban design and premiere "smart growth" expert. Earlier this year LRK received four Best in American Living awards.

Robert M. Rogers Principal RMR Investment Co. Memphis Has major holdings in Nashville (West End area), Memphis, Chattanooga, Jackson and Austin, Texas. For Rogers' many contributions to development in Jackson, Mayor Charles Farmer this year proclaimed March 7th the Robert M. Rogers Day. Active in the hotel business (recently sold Marriott Courtyard on Hilton Head Island for $14 million and obtained five new hotel franchises).

Mike Ross President Rarity Communities Vonore The Maryville native who was born into a furniture retail family is key purveyor of the retirement business in East Tennessee with his multitudinous Rarity Communities, formed in 1994. Now has nine Rarity projects, with all but one of them featuring mountain views. Many have golfing, water access, shopping and equestrian facilities.

Jim Sattler Chairman & CEO EMJ Corp. Chattanooga The largest contractor in Tennessee (and 59th largest in terms of annual revenue in the country, according to this year's ranking by Engineering News Record magazine). Started 39 years ago with shopping malls, entertainment and distribution buildings, the firm entered wind farm construction business in 2004 with its Signal Wind Energy subsidiary.

Karl Schledwitz Chairman Southland Capital Corp. Memphis In charge of real estate development and venture capital firm he co-founded with Terry Lynch, who is president, and wife Gail in 1987. Southland's redevelopment of the 40-acre plot in Memphis turned abandoned land into a slick urban development dubbed South End.

Floyd Shechter Principal SmartSpace Nashville The go-to company for developing office buildings and adaptive reuse projects near interstates. Recently added Kirklands, Cymetrix and Brandon Technologies at its Two Rivers Corporate Center. The firm also handles build-to-suit construction for banks. Currently working on building a 25-unit senior center and a conversion of former Heritage View apartments.

Michael D. Shmerling Chairman Choice Food of America Nashville Davidson County property holdings fast approaching $100 million for the former CPA and private prison entrepreneur who bought his first commercial property 14 years ago. This year he sold a two-acre parcel on West End for $15 million, and bought 15 acres in connection with the purchase of the former Heinz plant—now consolidated into The Choice Food Group. Also busy developing a 100,000-square-foot, mixed-use project in Midtown.

Barry Smith President Eakin Partners Brentwood The former executive vice president and principal of Grubb & Ellis|Centennial has been making deals in the Nashville market since the mid-1980s, focusing on office leasing and sales. Recently represented Mapco Express/Delek and Keystone Automotive in build-to-suit corporate headquarters. Other clients include LifePoint and Psychiatric Solutions.

Charles Smith Principal HOK/ Smith+Forkner Knoxville Left Bulluck Smith & Partners along with David Forkner to open the Knoxville office of HOK Sport Venue Event. HOK built the new Wembley Stadium, Heinz Field, and is known regionally by its work on the Nashville Arena, AutoZone Park and LP Field.

Jeff Sweeney President Bowden Homes Cordova Sweeney sold his Bowden Building Corp. in 2004 for $7.2 million in cash to publicly traded Levitt Corp. of Florida, but continues to expand on the brand he created in 1971. Actively builds in Hendersonville, Spring Hill, Gallatin, Murfreesboro and Hermitage.

Earl Swensson Chairman & Principal Earl Swensson Associates Nashville Architect of record for the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Firm designed the 1.3-million-square-foot Opryland Hotel Delta wing among its whopping 8,500 projects at home and abroad, which also include Centennial Medical Center, Caterpillar Financial Building, the Wildhorse Saloon and One Century Place. Licensed in all 50 states.

Bob Talbott President Holrob Investments Knoxville Surprised many this year when his Devon Group was the only one to submit—and win—the bid to buy the parcel at State and Church streets to build the 21-story Sentinel Tower. (There hasn't been a high-rise project in Knoxville since 1985.) Used to work at Horne Properties.

Gary Taylor Owner Gary A. Taylor Investment Co. Jackson One of the preeminent shopping developers who thrust onto the scene with West Town Commons mall. Recent projects include Sandstone Village and Park Place. Taylor's company does it all, from moving dirt to laying utilities to putting the last coat of paint on lampposts.

John "Thunder" Thornton Chairman Thunder Enterprises Chattanooga Real estate power-broker develops high-end homes and communities in Tennessee, Wyoming, Montana, North Carolina and Hawaii. Projects include Thunder Pointe, a residential project on Tellico Lake and the 1,450-acre Tennessee National golfing community in Loudon County, on which he partnered with renowned designer Greg Norman. Thornton's much-publicized land swap deal with TVA raised national awareness of his brand.

Henry Turley CEO Henry Turley Co. Memphis The legendary developer who took on Harbor Town in cooperation with Belz Enterprises is one of three national developers engaged with the Katrina-ravaged city of Gulfport, Miss., to lead its rebuilding effort. In Memphis, plans to redevelop the Mid-South Fairgrounds. Firm's motto is "All about downtown."

John L. Turley Managing Partner Turkey Creek Land Partners Knoxville Primary developer of Turkey Creek in Knoxville, a 2.5 million square-foot, mixed-use development which he calls his "10-year overnight success." Recently broke ground on Dumplin Creek, a 1.2 million square-foot retail project in Sevierville. Started his development career by building Applebee's restaurants.

Ron Watkins President & CEO Partners Development Knoxville Has built hundreds of facilities in commercial, education, health care and municipal niches. Also handles recreation and residential projects. Built Parkside Plaza in Knoxville, a 200,000-square-foot office building in the Turkey Creek area. Does work in Mexico, Poland and United Arab Emirates.

Stephen White Chairman Bullock Smith & Partners Knoxville The Neverland Park in Buenos Aires, which sits on 60,000 square feet and includes a roller coaster and IMAX theater, is a perfect example of the firm's unorthodox design approach. Recently retained to draw waterfront master plan for the city of Kingston.

David Wilson Executive VP of Mixed-Use Development Southern Land Co. Nashville Founded by Timothy Downey in 1986, the company has built 17 residential communities it values at $1.7 billion. Wilson joined Southern Land Co. three years ago to lead its entry into commercial real estate market. Among firm's latest projects is a $160 million development near Austin, Texas.

Bucky Wolford President & CEO Wolford Development Chattanooga Formed the company in 1999 after parting ways with CBL & Associates, where he was one of founding partners. In the past eight years developed 1.2 million square feet of retail projects in Tennessee and Alabama. Currently busy with projects in Arizona, Iowa and Montana.

Pat Wood CEO Lawler-Wood Group Knoxville Knoxville real estate legend. Lately has been buying and rehabbing Section 8 housing that Lawler-Wood had built in decades past, landing at the top of affordable-housing business ranking by a California trade magazine.