Chattanooga, which originally developed in the 19th century as a railroad and river transportation hub, is becoming a trucking and logistics center in the 21st century as home to many of the nation’s fastest-growing logistics companies.
A new Inc. magazine list of the fastest growing businesses in America includes a record 15 companies in Chattanooga, most of which are trucking-related companies.
“The pandemic might be the best thing that ever happened to Chattanooga commerce,” said Cam Doody, co-founder of the moving company Bellhop, one of 11 logistics companies in Chattanooga on the Inc. 5000 list.
Doody, who is now helping other startups in the Brickyard incubator he helped launch last year, said in a telephone interview that the number of local logistics companies on the Inc. 5000 list underscores Chattanooga’s growth as a freight hub.
“The amount of talent and money overflowing into the city, feeding straight into our dense logistics hub and growing startup scene, is pretty exciting,” he said in email.