Finalists for the 2006 Small Business of the Year Awards have been announced by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council. Winners will be recognized during the Small Business Awards Luncheon on Feb. 8 at the Convention Center.
Finalists in the 1-20 employees category are Aladdin Printing & Copying, Inc., Derthick, Henley & Wilkerson Architects and Jacobs Wholesale Paper Company; 21-50 employees: GenTech Construction, Ben Parker Company, Inc. and Truck ‘N Trailers USA; 51-200 employees: Crusader Staffing Associates, LLC, Logan-Moore, LLC and Wilkins Research Services, Inc.
The Small Business of the Year Awards are presented to local businesses that best represent entrepreneurship in the Chattanooga area. Qualifications include Chamber membership, business success and community service.
In addition to Small Business of the Year awards, the Small Business Council will present an award to a local non-profit agency and a corporate small business advocate.
Finalists for the Non-Profit of the Year Award are Girls Preparatory School, Association for Visual Artists, and the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults. The Corporate Small Business Advocate award will be given to a corporation that has been an advocate for small businesses in the Chattanooga area.
The award finalists will be honored at a Chamber Business After Hours on Jan. 26 at the Fox and Hound Pub and Grille, 2040 Hamilton Place Blvd. The event will take place from 5-7 p.m.
“The members of the Small Business Council were extremely pleased this year with the overwhelming response of qualified applicants,” said Robert Bullington, Small Business Council vice president. “It was gratifying to see the number of businesses that not only met but exceeded the strict criteria for becoming a finalist. All the finalists are well-qualified to receive a 2006 Small Business of the Year Award.”
In 1996 Ginger Weeks bought Bee Line Printing and Copying from its retiring owner and established Aladdin Printing and Copying. Since that time, the square footage in the Chestnut Street store has tripled and the staff has doubled.
Over the years Aladdin has acquired state of the art equipment while consistently showing profitability. Late in 2005 Aladdin joined the elite ranks of printing shops using color digital copiers compatible with all computers and storage devices.
A retirement plan, health insurance, covered on-site parking, vacations and Christmas bonuses are among employee benefits Ms. Weeks has instituted.
Aladdin was nominated for its competitive prices, quality printing and the professionalism of its staff. In the area of civic involvement, the Chestnut Street business was cited for contributions to the Police Memorial Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chattanooga and other philanthropic projects.
Alan Derthick and Carroll Henley founded their architectural firm in 1960, starting in a small building on Signal Mountain before moving to offices in the Gateway Professional building.
The company has been recognized with numerous design awards, including two prestigious national awards—the American Institute of Architects Honor Award for the design of Miller Plaza and the CRSI National Award for the Hunter Museum of Art. The company was also honored for designing the First Tennessee Pavilion and for renovating the Ross Meehan Foundry and the Bicentennial Library.
Since its founding Derthick, Henley and Wilkerson has completed $1.5 billion in projects and continues to average over $100 million worth of projects active in the office at any one time. Award endorsements noted the firm’s innovative designs and its commitment to detail, budget and schedule.
DHW partners are active in civic projects, and the firm has established the Derthick, Henley & Wilkerson Scholarship for minority students at the University of Tennessee School of Architecture. DHW participates each year in the “CanStruction” event sponsored by the Chattanooga Food Bank.
Jacobs Wholesale Paper is a 71-year-old, third-generation family business. The industrial paper distributor’s products include towels, tissue, can liners, janitorial products, industrial packaging and food service disposables. Clients are primarily in the health care, educational, industrial, institutional, building maintenance and food service markets.
Through the years the company has adapted and evolved, meeting the challenges of competition from national office supply retailers.
In 1987 Jacobs affiliated with Network Services Company, a national association of independent paper merchants. In addition to purchasing leverage, the organization provides a national sales and marketing program in which Jacobs enjoys over $500,000 in annual sales.
Jacobs was also cited for its quality, consistency and excellent service. Employees were praised for their willingness to assist clients with staff training and product training.
“The Jacobs family lends not only its hands, heart and mind to the business but its very name,” a client says. “If you have a problem or a question, you will, in short order, be speaking to a family member who will not only work to preserve you as a customer but to preserve the name of Jacobs. . .. As a small business, Jacobs contributes quietly to the community through volunteer efforts and contributions that help keep Chattanooga’s social fabric strong.”
GenTech Construction was established in 2002 by R. Paul Vaughn, P.E., president, and Duane Horton, vice president. The company immediately began to position itself as an aggressive, quality and experienced general contractor and over the last three years has completed more than $25 million in projects.
Signature facilities include Siskin Hospital, Sports Barn North and Siskin Steel in Chattanooga; Mulberry Park, a Collegedale retirement community, and Longstreet’s Charge, a 100-year-old Chickamauga, GA building which GenTech converted into condominiums.
GenTech’s success is attributed to completing projects early and under budget, the talents of full-time craftsmen and the hands-on involvement of Vaughn and Horton. GenTech expects its 40 employees to increase to 50 by 2008 when construction contracts are projected to exceed $40 million.
GenTech provides financial support to the Chickamauga Lions Club, the Chattanooga State athletic program, and Siskin Hospital.
After 25 years in the metal fabrication industry, Ben Parker decided to establish his own business, and in 1995 he leased space in the Business Development Center. As customers grew, he left the BDC and leased space at two locations, one of which was flooded in 2003. Parker rebuilt all the office counters, dividers and desks in the damaged facility.
Last year Ben Parker Company, Inc. experienced a dramatic increase in bids from existing and new customers, creating a demand for much more space. Another expansion is in progress, employees now number 25, a second shift has been added and a third shift could be utilized.
Customers totaling almost 200 are confident that their projects will be completed by skilled craftsmen and deadlines will be met. It is not unusual for Parker to work in the shop himself or make deliveries in and out of town if needed.
The company was cited for the professionalism, the nothing-is-impossible attitude of its staff and its outstanding work, even on small jobs.
Ben Parker Company officials have helped police combat crime in East Lake and serve on a committee to address flooding on Rossville Boulevard. The company contributes annually to the Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue Squad, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Special Olympics.
Truck ‘N Trailers USA, a truck accessory and trailer company, has been in operation in Chattanooga since 1992. The company also operates stores in Cleveland and Ft. Oglethorpe. A goal is to grow to a $10 million business by 2008 through outstanding customer service and additional locations.
The company is owned by Tom Moore, Rene Guionnaud and Carol Guionnaud. The three owners constituted the entire staff when the company was founded. The owners now employ a staff of 25 individuals, who enjoy competitive wages and benefits.
Customers praise Truck ‘N Trailers for its professional business practices, family-friendly atmosphere, and shop capacity which accommodates large work orders in a timely manner and offers a variety of products and services.
The company offers name brand products, rated best in their class across the U.S., including ARE fiberglass tops and lids, Featherlite trailers, DrawTite trailer hitches, Weatherguard commercial truck and van equipment and Yakima outdoor equipment.
Truck ‘N Trailers supports some 30 area schools, charities and other community organizations with donated trailers and other assistance.
Crusader Staffing Associates specializes in the loading and unloading of floor-loaded trailers. Although the company provides other services related to warehousing, the focus is loading or unloading freight quickly, efficiently and correctly.
Dell Hamilton founded CSA in 2002. The company now has accounts in six states with $5 million in sales and 200 employees. The company is growing at 35 percent a year and expects sales in excess of $7 million in 2006.
CSA provides customers with the highest quality service and provides its associates with industry competitive wages and benefits.
Hamilton is active in Highland Park Baptist Church and serves on the boards of Tennessee Temple University, Score International and Strategic Policies Institute. CSA has supported many people and projects associated with these agencies over the last three years.
Since 1958, Logan-Moore has been fulfilling the specialty finishing needs of companies and contractors. Areas of expertise include commercial acoustical ceilings, security ceilings, drywall/metal stud partitions, resilient floors, painting and wallcovering.
The company is built on honesty, integrity and getting the job completed on time and within budget.
Most of Logan-Morgan’s 60 employees have worked for the company more than 20 years and are committed to doing the job right the first time – one of the reasons the business is one of the area’s Armstrong Certified Inner Circle contractors. The company had projected 2005 year-end revenues of $3.8 million and expects revenues to grow by 25 percent in 2006.
Logan-Morgan, which was cited for its experience, professionalism and dependability, has worked on projects at the Memorial Auditorium, the Tivoli Theatre and the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Led by Eddie Davidson and Mark Feagans, Logan-Morgan has supported the American Red Cross, United Way, and the American Heart Association, as well as youth sporting events.
Wilkins Research Services, Inc., a marketing research company founded in 1971 by Madge Wilkins, is owned and operated today by the founder’s daughters, Lynn and Lisa Wilkins.
The company’s 150 full- and part-time employees offer quantitative and qualitative data collection services. Full-time employees receive benefits ranging from medical coverage to bonuses for special projects.
WRS, which conducts over 250,000 interviews nationwide annually, operates a 60-station phone bank fully equipped with Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing software and predictive dialers.
WRS conducts focus groups, store demonstrations, one-on-one interviews, product-testing, auditorium music tests, taste tests and mall intercepts.
In 1998 the company built a 7,000-square-foot facility at 1730 Gunbarrel Road and an expansion may be needed in the near future.
WRS has made donations to the Community Kitchen, Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home, local public schools and a host of other organizations.
Attention to detail, follow-up, on-time delivery and going the extra mile are all in a day’s work at WRC, according to one client. Others say WRC’s services represent a major factor in the growth of their companies. Technical expertise for planning projects, managing the logistics cheerfully and effectively and providing affordable help are WRC strengths that customers mention.
The Chamber’s Business Expo will also take place on Feb. 8 in the Convention Center. The Expo will feature products and services from more than 200 local businesses and non-profit agencies. Several free seminars will be conducted during the event, including a Selling to Major Companies program presented by Erlanger Medical Center, SunTrust, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, UTC, Hamilton County and the City of Chattanooga.
To reserve a booth at the Expo or a place at the Small Business Awards luncheon, call the Chamber at (423) 763-4366. Luncheon tickets are $35 for individual Chamber members, $375 for a table for eight Chamber members; and $40 and $400 for non-members. Admission is free to the Expo, which runs from 8-11:30 a.m. and from 1-5 p.m. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m.