Chad Eichelberger

Access America doubles staff

Chattanooga-based logistics company Access America Transport is the 62nd ranked private business generating the most jobs over the past year and a half in the U.S., according to Inc. magazine.

The company created more than 211 jobs from Jan. 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013, the magazine said. That made the Chattanooga-based trucking company the second largest private job creator in Tennessee in the period with almost 100 percent employee growth. Access America ranked third in employee growth in the transportation industry nationally.

"Even through the worst of the economic downturn, AAT continued to thrive because we remained driven on setting a new standard for customer service," said Chad Eichelberger, the company's president.

In addition, Waupaca Foundry, which has a major plant in Etowah, Tenn., was ranked 29th on the Inc. list. The Wisconsin-based business generated 414 jobs companywide during the 18-month period.

Budget deficit lowest since 2008

For the first time in five years, the U.S. government has run a budget deficit below $1 trillion. The government says the deficit for the 2013 budget year totaled $680.3 billion, down from $1.09 trillion in 2012. That's the smallest imbalance since 2008, when the government ran a $458.6 billion deficit. Revenue jumped 13.3 percent to $2.77 trillion, reflecting a slightly better economy and higher tax rates.