BusinessTN

Premier BPO supplies outsourced business processes to businesses in various markets, including cable, telecom, software/hardware support and financial services, all over the world. By performing back office functions for its clients, Premier BPO allows them to focus on their core competencies. Though Premier BPO calls a relatively small town home, the company recently opened its second facility in China and has offices in Pakistan, India and the Philippines. With companies everywhere striving to reduce costs due to the current state of the economy, Premier BPO stands at the ready, promising to reduce expenditures related to back office functions by as much as 50%.

Established in 1906 in Bumpus Mills, Tenn., with assets of approximately $614,000, F&M now boasts assets of approximately $760 million, with 15 offices and four mortgage loan offices located throughout Middle Tennessee. In the past year, the locally owned community bank has opened two full-service offices and four mortgage loan offices. In Montgomery County, the bank's primary market, F&M boasts the #1 FDIC market share ranking for the past five years. Stuard, a leading Clarksville businessman and past chairman of the Tennessee Bankers Association, was named "Community Banker of the Year" by American Banker magazine in 2007.

Founded in 1949 by Raymond C. Hand, this family beer distributorship is now under third-generation ownership. Under the leadership of the elder Hand's grandson, Charles Hand Jr., what was once just Budweiser of Clarksville has made three acquisitions over the last three years. The most recent brought the former Beasley Distributing Co. of Soddy Daisy into the fold, bringing the distributor's beer sales total to a combined 10 million cases annually and its employee count to about 330 employees regionally.

Twenty-one-year health care veteran who joined Gateway Medical Center, now owned by Community Health Systems, in 2006. Oversaw construction of $200 million, 270-bed facility (replacing 54-year-old, 206-bed hospital) that opened June 2008 in the 17th fastest growing city in the United States. Added more than 40 new physicians over the past three years to Gateway's staff. Mullins is also a leader in another way--he holds the rank of Commander, Medical Services Corps, in the Navy Reserves, where he has served for 24 years. He was recalled to active duty in Iraq from June 2007 to March 2008.

"Established in 1906 in Bumpus Mills, Tenn., with assets of approximately $614,000, today the locally owned community bank boasts assets of approximately $650 million (as of 4/30/08), with 13 offices in the Middle Tennessee area and over 180 employees. The company was recently ranked #1 by FDIC marketshare in Clarksville-Montgomery County, which U.S. Census figures recently showed to be the nation's 10th fastest-growing metropolitan area. American Banker recently recognized Stuard as a Community Banker of the Year."