BusinessTN

"The recent passing of new law in Tennessee allowing Mixed Martial Arts fights in the Volunteer State is a surefire boon to Messer and co-owner Ed Clay. A five-year old distributor of fightwear and streetwear, the company is also affiliated with Nashville MMA, one of the largest MMA gyms in the country. Additional growth is sure to come through creating MMA events in Nashville and across Tennessee and the expansion of its product line into women's and sporting wear fashion markets. Expanding to the U.K. this year"

"Guy Brown Products markets office supplies, furniture, technology and print supplies and promotional items. The company got started in 1997 as a manufacturer of recycled toner and ink-jet cartridges by leasing excess capacity from toner cartridge maker Nukote International. In 2003, it co-established a company, Concerto Office Products, to distribute office supplies on a national basis. Guy Brown has now expanded product offerings into areas outside of office supplies, including medical equipment and supplies."

"Gregg White, founder of Nama Sushi Bar and La Costa on Market Square in Knoxville, also owns a Nama restaurant in Chattanooga. White opened his first restaurant in July 2004 and now owns and operates five, including a certified ""green"" restaurant. Also runs Eos Catering & Special Events with clients that include HGTV and Bush Brothers. At press time, GWE was entering into an agreement to open restaurants in the lobbies of Westin hotels in the Southeast."

"As today's consumer continually turns to the Internet to make purchasing decisions, HometownQuotes benefits. HometownQuotes helps consumers comparison shop for insurance by connecting individuals with local, hometown insurance agents offering quotes for auto, home, life, health and renter's insurance. The company, founded in 2003, has become the largest privately owned company in its industry—quite a feat, considering that the company's largest competitors have been in business 15 years longer."

"The ultimate disaster vehicle, the Gaither Hydratrek can effortlessly trek up and down steep inclines, through heavy sticky mud, swamps, woodlands, earthquake zones and floodwaters. Registered as both a boat and an ATV, it was originally designed by two outdoor enthusiasts. But when Hurricane Katrina hit, it opened their minds to the Hydratrek's potential use in disaster situations. Features include wheels that work independently and a wheelbase that can turn on a dime. Hydratrek recently did a demo for the U.S. Border Patrol and has garnered interest from Lockheed Martin, among others in the utility market."

"inBusiness Services, founded in 2001 and still managed by Kevin Anderson, Terry Bellenfant, and Chris Green, is the developer of 360 View CRM—relationship management software for financial institutions that helps them better track referrals, past customer touches, loan pipelines, marketing campaigns, customer attrition and profitability, among other items. It currently has 49 community bank/credit union customers in 22 states."

"For over 23 years, ISTS (formerly Scholarship Program Administrators) has provided scholarship and tuition program management for Fortune 500 companies, national membership organizations, family foundations and trusts, enabling organizations to offer ongoing educational opportunities for employees, their dependants and others. Several years ago, the company entered the tuition assistance/reimbursement market and also the grant market, both of which are in a growth trend."

"Four local businessmen started Jabezco as a mechanical and electrical industrial contracting business specializing in turnkey plant relocations. Since inception, four other operating divisions have been launched, including a properties company, a computer technology group, a promotional products company (which recently entered the Memphis market) and a safety-consulting firm, Pearson Safety Services (with satellite offices in Memphis and Nashville)."

"Producers of such hit television shows and specials as Oxygen's Snapped profiling female criminals and History Channel's Human Weapon, following martial artists training with master teachers around the world, Jupiter is part of a constellation of Knoxville-area companies forming a TV content Mecca in East Tennessee. (See cover story.) A&E, Court TV, and Animal Planet are among other clients. Jupiter recently relocated to a larger space and boosted staffing in accounting, legal, media management and administration."

"Kenco began with a single 100,000 square-foot facility in Chattanooga. Over 58 years later, Kenco is one of the nation's leading third-party logistics providers (3PL). That single warehouse has grown to over 90 facilities and more than 22 million square feet of warehouse space in 22 states and Canada. The Kenco family of companies includes five divisions. Kenco was recently awarded management of a 1.6 million-square-foot Whirlpool Distribution Center in Columbus, Ohio."

"America's aging population is growing at a faster rate than any other U.S. population group. As baby boomers become the geriatric generation, Let's Get Moving! stands to benefit. A transition service for seniors, Let's Get Moving! assists families through the process of planning and preparing for a move later in life. Services range from arranging for antique appraisals to coordinating and overseeing estate sales to setting up kitchens and hanging pictures at a new location."

"The company that started in 2003 as Malnofski Capital later formed Malcap Mortgage in 2004 with three partners (Malnofski, John Miller and John Miller Sr.). With access to over 200 wholesale lenders nationwide, Malcap draws from private, public, institutional and Wall Street funds to provide programs that many real estate professionals have never seen. Amid much uncertainty in the current mortgage industry, Malcap's track record—one foreclosure in thousands of loans over the past four years—is remarkable. The company was recently tabbed among the elite fast-growing companies on Inc. magazine's ""Inc. 500."""

"Founded to assist clients implementing performance management software solutions from Cognos, Market Street has since expanded to include training services, software reselling, and added this year an online community leveraging technologies such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and videos. Cognos was recently acquired by IBM, creating expanded partnership opportunities for Market Street, whose client list has included Harrah's Entertainment, Wright Medical and Chattem."

"Founded as Coptix with an emphasis on software development, the company expanded services to include Web site design, print design, and branding/identity design, allowing clients one-stop shopping for their creative & technical needs. The company recently doubled its office space. Clients include The Lyndhurst Foundation, Unum and Hardee's, with whom Medium partnered on the development of a campaign integrating Web, print and viral marketing for the fast food outlet's focus on its popularity in small towns. Expanding nationally."

"Amid reports that almost half a billion radiology procedures will be performed annually by 2008, industry-wide attention is being placed on the collective impact of waste, fraud and abuse on the overall cost of care (not to mention patient exposure to radiation). MedSolutions works in concert with health plans to reign in costs associated with high-tech imaging, providing radiology utilization management services covering over 20 million individuals nationwide"

" Founded in 2003 by former computer salesman Stewart, Mountain Jim's Ice Cream took flight after winning a local ice cream contest. Having first put pints in stores in 2005, at press time, Mountain Jim's could be found in 45 stores in five states and anticipated being in 11 states and 100 stores by year's end. The company maintains a strong partnership with Whole Foods (as well as Publix) as it grows regionally and plans to grow nationwide. Mountain Jim's falls below traditional Hot100 revenue threshold but has experienced significant growth and appears poised for more."

"Founded by Joe Freedman, Jeff Terry and Tim Dodd, party rental equipment company MCT acquired/merged with six-year-old T&M Event Rentals founded by McConnell and JT Terrell in 2007. The merged business, which services large, predominantly high-end events, from weddings to parties serving the country music industry, doubled in revenue in the first six months of 2008. Clients can rent amenities ranging from $20,000 tents to dance floors. The company is looking at additional markets in which to expand."