Bob Gary - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Insurer Unum touts commitment to employee well-being as essential to its success

by Bob Gary ·September 5, 2023

* History: Union Mutual was launched in Maine in 1848 and established its headquarters in Boston. Thirty-three years later, in 1881, the company relocated to Portland, Maine. The Provident Life & Accident Insurance Co. was founded in Chattanooga in 1887. Union Mutual changed its name to Unum in 1986, then merged with Provident in 1999 to form UnumProvident Corp. In 2007, the company changed its name to the Unum Group.

Photography by Olivia Ross / A sample meal is displayed at Unum.

Nutrition World in its fourth decade of offering Chattanooga a healthy alternative

by Bob Gary ·September 5, 2023

* Location: 6201 Lee Highway, Chattanooga

Photography by Matt Hamilton / Nutrition World co-owners Cady Kuhlman and Ed Jones

From East Main to Eastgate: New start for Chattanooga’s Miss Griffins Foot Long Hot Dogs

by Bob Gary ·August 19, 2023

For Josh Hyde, the toughest part of relocating his Miss Griffins Foot Long Hot Dogs restaurant had nothing to do with moving cooking equipment or storing food.

Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Josh Hyde makes a chopped hot dog plate at Miss Griffins in the Eastgate Town Center on Tuesday.

Jordan Cornelison gets back to building with the family business after three years at the helm of Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga

by Bob Gary ·August 1, 2023

For the first time in more than three years, Jordan Cornelison's hands aren't on the wheel as the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga (HBAGC) preps for its Fall Tri-State Home Show.

How Matt Hoover crafted a successful roofing business in the Chattanooga area from the lessons of his troubled past

by Bob Gary ·August 1, 2023

When the global pandemic hit in early 2020, Matt Hoover was prepared to pause his business.

Photography by Olivia Ross / Matt Hoover of Matt Hoover Construction works at a job site in the Cloudland Station community in Chickamauga, Georgia.

Elevating his game: Tim Payne Painting uses drones to take company to new heights

by Bob Gary ·August 1, 2023

Tim Payne might be a second-generation painting contractor, but that doesn't mean the brush didn't fall some distance from the ladder.

Photography by Matt Hamilton / Tim Payne of Tim Payne Painting visits a student housing job site at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

How Katie Reinsmidt parlayed a Chattanooga weekend into two decades at CBL Properties

by Bob Gary ·August 1, 2023

When Katie Reinsmidt flew from St. Louis to Chattanooga in 2004 to interview with CBL Properties, she thought it would be an overnight trip, tops.

Photography by Olivia Ross / Katie Reinsmidt

Vintage cool and eclectic decor are in the house at Chattanooga’s Refindery on McCallie Avenue

by Bob Gary ·August 1, 2023

Carol Ellis, who owns the shop with her husband, Rick, says The Refindery covers 16,000 square feet and offers merchandise that's a mix of antique ("at least 100 years old"), vintage ("at least 40 years old") and handmade items from about 50 vendors, each of whom rents space.

Photography by Olivia Ross / The Refindery on McCallie is at 1300 McCallie Ave.

Downtown Chattanooga fixture for 50 years, Giorgio Men’s Warehouse now manufacturing, selling online

by Bob Gary ·July 29, 2023

Every day that he can, Milad Dabit goes to the Market Street store he and his family own.

Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton/ From left, Milad Dabit, Sana Dabit, Pierre Dabit and Rania Dabit-Atkins are seen at Giorgio Mens Warehouse on July 21.

Roper Corp.’s LaFayette plant plans future with more workers, robots

by Bob Gary ·July 19, 2023

Andy Arnold recalled Wednesday how the Northwest Georgia city where he grew up began to recover after its textile industry abandoned it in the early 1970s.