Peoples Equity open in Dalton

The Chattanooga branch of Peoples Home Equity, a local mortgage company with branches in Fort Oglethorpe and Atlanta, has opened a new office in Dalton, Ga.

Bruce Dodd, the Chattanooga regional manager, said he decided to expand into Whitfield County because the area "has been growing so quickly" and "needed a local presence." Long-time Dalton mortgage consultants Wayne Crider and Gary Linn will work in the Dalton office.

Peoples Home Equity is a national mortgage company founded in 2001 and based in Brentwood, Tenn.

Lodge wins training grant

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has awarded $25,000 to Lodge Manufacturing in South Pittsburg to help train 23 employees in casting defect analysis, robot training, inventory management, and import/export purchasing. The state grant is part of $750,000 the state is giving to 37 expanding companies in the state to collectively train more than 1,300 workers.

"Incumbent worker grants provide critical training and education to employees across the state in the continued effort to have a workforce that meets current marketplace demands," Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement Wednesday.