Name: Thomas Wilson Group
Location: The group's main office is in Brentwood, Tenn., with a satellite office on Lee Parkway in Chattanooga.
Products/services: The group, led by President Todd Smith, offers transportation and trucking insurance.
Age: Mr. Smith, a former corporate risk manager for Covenant Transport, started the Thomas Wilson Group in August 2004 on his birthday.
Startup investment/annual sales: Using the proceeds from his first job, Mr. Smith grew the company from an initial investment of $25,000.
Target market: The Thomas Wilson Group focuses on trucking companies with 100 or fewer trucks.
Biggest reward: "Being able to save the customer some money and being able to help them when they need help is the biggest reward," Mr. Smith said.
Challenges in the future: Mr. Smith said that within the next 24 to 36 months, he doesn't expect much change in the insurance market. He believes tough economic times will weed out competitors who can't make it.
Lesson learned: Starting out, Mr. Smith wondered if service really mattered, but as time went by, the company learned that good service is enough to grow a business.
Five-year goal: His personal goal is to be a $10 million agency within five years, with about $1 million in annual revenue.