Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Honors Small Businesses and Non-Profit Groups

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Since purchasing Master Machine Inc. eight years ago, nuclear engineer Warren Brandon has grown his machine shop business tenfold by focusing on custom manufacturing and engineering services for the nuclear and aerospace industries.

Brandon said he has invested more than $4 million in new equipment, buildings and tools to grow the Southside Chattanooga business from 11 to 60 employees, and he expects even more growth in the future. But the company owner said he has tried to stick to the company’s founding rule in 1993 that integrity is non-negotiable.

“We were able to transition the business into highly specialized manufacturing and machine parts focused on nuclear ship equipment, nuclear power generation and aerospace,” Brandon told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Wednesday. “There is a good manufacturing base in Chattanooga with many skilled welders, machinists and technical engineers that we can draw on, and we look forward to continuing to grow.”

Master Machine Inc. was recognized Wednesday by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce as the top recipient of the Small Business Award for local employers with more than 50 employees.

“By partnering with local companies like TVA, Southern Nuclear and Tennessee Valley Robotics, MMI has established itself as a community partner that is poised for continued growth,” the judges said in their award to the Chattanooga machining company.

Master Machine was one of four small business and nonprofit groups recognized Wednesday during the Chattanooga Chamber’s largest luncheon in the post-pandemic era.

The Chamber Awards program also recognized Southeast Tennessee business networking company BNI as the Small Business winner for businesses with 20 or fewer employees and honored local drive-through coffee chain (Be) Caffeinated as Best small business with 21-50 employees.

Elaine Zambos took over the local franchise from Business Network International in 2017 and has grown membership by 38% in the last six years. Zambos estimates that Business Network International referral revenue generated by businesses promoting each other has contributed more than $33 million to the local economy.

“BNI is a global company, and we are the local footprint here in Southeast Tennessee to deliver our vision that BNI can change the way the world does business,” Zambos said.

The chamber also praised the self-serve coffee business started by Chris Wood and Douglas Lee known as (Be)Caffeinated, which grew in 2022 to surpass $1.5 million in sales and expects to improve even further this year as it prepares to add New York. – style bagels. The business roasts its own coffee with sister company New Wave Coffee to offer a variety of specialty drinks, and the owners regularly give back part of their sales to support a number of local charities, including Be the Change youth initiative, White Oak Bicycle Coop and the Chattanooga Zoo.

The zoo was also recognized by the Chamber as the best non-profit organization during the awards luncheon. Founded in 1937 with just two rhesus monkeys, the Chattanooga Zoo has grown over the past 86 years, attracting more than 300,000 visits by 2022. The zoo gained accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 1998 and recently underwent a $10 expansion. million for its African Wildlife Exhibit. In 2021, the zoo opened the Hiwassee Hellbender Research and Education Center to conserve the Eastern Hellbender.

Chattanooga Chamber President Charles Wood said the small business awards help recognize the ways that businesses not only generate income for their owners and workers, but also benefit the entire Chattanooga community.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges from more than 150 nominations.

Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com either 423-757-6340.