Home Instead names Gardenhire

BUSINESS DIGEST

Home Instead names Gardenhire

David Gardenhire has been promoted to vice president of operations for Home Instead Senior Care in Chattanooga.

The Omaha, Neb.-based Home Instead Senior Care is the world's largest non-medical company and provides companionship, light housekeeping and transportation for home-bound patients. Gardenhire, who joined the company two years ago, will oversee the daily operations of the company.

Top local lenders join Cornerstone

Greg DeMars and Bootsie Yates have joined Cornerstone Home Lending.

DeMars, who is a new mortgage loan officer for Cornerstone, has been Chattanooga's top-producing loan originator for more than 15 years and has received the Chattanooga Mortgage Bankers Association's Platinum Production Award every year since the honor's 2000 inception.

Yates joined Cornerstone Home Lending as a vice president and senior loan officer. She began her career in the mortgage industry in 1995. Yates was her previous company's top producer in 2009, and she also received the Top Producer award from the Mortgage Bankers Association of Chattanooga.

DeSha named CFO for Fillauer

Randy DeSha has been appointed chief financial officer of the Fillauer Cos. Inc. He succeeds Ed Connelly, who is retiring.

A senior executive with 35 years of experience in banking and business acquisitions, DeSha will oversee Fillauer's financial management process.

In previous positions, DeSha played a key role in implementing detailed comparative financial statements and a cost accounting system. He is a certified public accountant and holds an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

"Randy brings a strong combination of skills and experience to our company which will benefit us in future acquisitions and product development," said Dennis Williams, president of Fillauer Cos. Inc.

In its 97th year, the Chattanooga-based Fillauer Cos. provide orthotic and prosthetic products through 10 subsidiary companies.

Bridgman joins Volunteer Bank

Jeff A. Bridgman has joined First Volunteer Bank as vice president and commercial relationship manager for the Chattanooga market.

Bridgman has worked in banking for the past 14 years and most recently was a senior credit officer with another community bank.

"His experience is invaluable to business and commercial customers with credit needs," First Volunteer President Patti Steele said.

Bridgman earned both a bachelor's degree and a master of business administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and he has completed the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He presently serves as an elder at Brainerd Presbyterian Church and is on the Finance Advisory Board at UTC. He; his wife, Karen; and their children reside in East Brainerd.

First Volunteer Bank is a $684 million financial institution with 22 branch offices throughout Eastern and Middle Tennessee.

Local Land Rover dealer wins award

Land Rover Chattanooga recently won the Land Rover Pinnacle Club Retailer Excellence Award for 2011. The annual honor is given to the top 16 Land Rover retailers based upon customer and sales service. Land Rover has a network of 167 retailers in the United States.

"Land Rover Chattanooga is dedicated to providing an exceptional experience to our customers," said James Vandermerwe, general manager for the Land Rover dealership in Chattanooga. "Our entire team worked very hard to achieve the Pinnacle Club award and is honored to be recognized as a leader in customer service and sales satisfaction."

Clark's names dealer of the year

Material Handling Inc. has been selected as one of Clark Material Handling Co.'s "Dealers of the Year" for 2010.

The Dalton, Ga.-based company, which operates forklift sales, service, parts and rental locations in Chattanooga; Nashville; Gainesville, Ga.; and Bowling Green, Ky., was voted as among the top five dealers for Clark's trucks and parts.

"Material Handling Inc. showcases an excellent commitment and partnership with Clark," said Bo Maslanyk, Clark's vice president of sales and marketing.

Material Handling was founded in 1975 and is led by the management team of CEO Amar Sain, President Patrick Sain and Vice President Mike Sain.

Arizona Healthcare names Wells CEO

Henry E. Wells, a former health care consultant and Erlanger hospital executive in Chattanooga, has been appointed interim president and CEO of UA Healthcare in Tucson, Ariz. He replaces Kevin Burns, who recently resigned.

Wells previously served as interim deputy dean at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Through his 40-year career in health care, he has led numerous hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers and faculty practice plans. In Chattanooga, he served as a senior vice president and chief financial officer at Greenleaf Health Sytems and at Erlanger Medical Center and was founder and president of UniTrust Inc., a hospital consulting firm.

"Mr. Wells brings a great deal of expertise to our organization and we are delighted to have him join our team," said Granger Vinall, chairman of the UA Healthcare board of directors.

Bill Mish wins leadership award

The Tennessee Hospitality Association selected DoubleTree Hotel manager Bill Mish this year for the State Leadership Award from the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Mish, a 30-year hotel industry veteran, has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He previously had been named General Manager of the Year from the national group as well as the Tennessee Hotel and Lodging Association.

"Bill Mish has contributed greatly to the Tennessee Hospitality Association over the years by providing leadership and being an effective role model," Tennessee Hospitality Association CEO Greg Adkins said. "The Doubletree Hotel Chattanooga was one of the first in the state to have a charging station and to receive Tennessee Green Hospitality certification."

In 2004 and 2005, Mish served as president of the Chattanooga Hotel and Lodging Association's board of directors. He served as president of the Tennessee Hospitality Association's board of directors in 2010, representing lodging properties, restaurants and attractions across the state.

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