Client Profile: Alliance Mechanical Solutions

It was a sink-or-swim moment for Alliance Mechanical Solutions (AMS) – a massive contract to construct new ships ended abruptly in early 2017 and with it jobs for most of AMS’ 200 employees. “We had concentrated our business heavily with one client and quadrupled our staff for the project. While we survived, it became clear

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Success Story: TLC Foundation Station

Day care owner plans to expand child care centers in Maryville, Tennessee Daycare owner, Kristy Pittman, has worked in child care services since 2015, controlling and operating the initial TLC Foundation Station facility out of her personal residence in Maryville, Tennessee. With dreams of being an elementary school teacher and even dedicating her studies toward

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Success Story: Ha.Le’ Mind and Body

Entrepreneur changes clients’ lives one movement at a time at integrative healthcare practice Janice Cathey immigrated to America from Vietnam at young age. Growing up, her mom was always offering soups and broths and tinctures and all sorts of salves to cure coughs and ward off illness. “I didn’t see it as medicine at the

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Success Story: Quinn Appliance

Mother and son duo cook up small business success at East Tennessee appliance store John Burcham spent five years as a sales rep for a high end kitchen appliance brand. But he dreamed of going into business for himself. “I’ve always been a free-spirit entrepreneur,” says John. “All the time I’d be driving around town

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Success Story: First Cumberland Properties

Developers partner with Pathway Lending to retain and renovate affordable multifamily housing in Tennessee Nearly 30 years ago, Phil Owen and Robert Trent founded First Cumberland Properties “to provide working families with extraordinary housing.” Now affordable housing industry leaders, Owen and Trent have utilized Pathway Lending’s Tennessee Affordable Multifamily Housing Fund on three projects to

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Success Story: Aenon Auto Recycling & Parts

Business owners prove success runs in the family at Cookeville salvage yard For Leonardo Vazquez, owning an automotive repair company was always the dream. From the age of 12, he’d learned the ropes of automotive body work, and became a master by 15. Working from a home-based garage in Mexico, Leonardo learned that as an

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Success Story: The Catering Companies & Bell Mill Mansion

Solar farm at event hall marries lower energy bills and environmental stewardship Tara Plumlee grew up in the food industry – helping at her father’s barbecue restaurant from the age of 13. After trying her hand at owning and operating a restaurant, she started The Catering Companies in Chattanooga to give her a more flexible schedule

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SUCCESS STORY: X-Cel Business Products

Former State employee launches office and medical supply business For more than 20 years, Memphis-based business owner Lonzell “Lonnie” Yates has operated X-Cel Business Products LLC to provide customers with “quality products and services that enhance customers’ productivity and profitability.” But he wasn’t always an entrepreneur. After a long career working in minority business development

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Success Story: Intrinsic Balance Chiropractic & Health Services

Alabama woman makes adjustment from franchise manager to chiropractic practice owner Dr. Morgan Fountain first named her business “Intrinsic Balance” as part of a project during her final year of chiropractic school. “Opening your own practice and being an entrepreneur is the end goal for most chiropractic students, but for me it was this amorphous

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Success Story: Collins & Co. Barber Shop

Experienced stylists make the cut as first-time business owners Longtime stylist Tabitha Parsley and master barber Robert Collins worked for years at the original location of Red’s Class Barbershop in Indianapolis. After relocating to Nashville to help run the second location, these young entrepreneurs dreamed of owning their own shop. “One day we looked at

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