Since he bought Master Machine Inc. eight years ago, nuclear engineer Warren Brandon has grown the machine shop business more than tenfold by focusing on customized fabrication and engineering services for the nuclear and aerospace industries.
Brandon said he has invested more than $4 million in new equipment, buildings and tooling to grow the Southside Chattanooga business from 11 to 60 employees, and he is looking for even more growth in the future. But the company owner said he has tried to stay true to the company's founding rule in 1993 that integrity is nonnegotiable.
"We were able to transition the business into highly specialized fabrication and machinery parts focusing on nuclear naval equipment, nuclear power generation and aerospace," Brandon told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Wednesday. "There's a good manufacturing base in Chattanooga with a lot of qualified welders, machinists and technical engineers that we can draw from, and we hope to continue to grow."
Master Machine Inc. was recognized Wednesday by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce as the top Small Business award winner for local employers with more than 50 employees.
"By partnering with local companies like TVA, Southern Nuclear and Tennessee Valley Robotics, MMI has established itself as a community partner that is set for continued growth," the judges said in their award for the Chattanooga machining company.
Master Machine was one of four small businesses and nonprofit groups to receive top honors Wednesday during the biggest luncheon event for the Chattanooga Chamber in the post-pandemic era.
The Chamber Awards program also recognized the business networking company BNI Southeast Tennessee as the Small Business winner for companies with 20 or fewer employees and awarded the local drive-through coffee chain Be Caffeinated as the top small business with 21-50 employees.
Elaine Zambos took over the local Business Network International franchise in 2017 and has grown its members by 38% over the past six years. Zambos estimates Business Network International's referral revenue generated by businesses promoting themselves to one another has contributed more than $33 million to the local economy.
"BNI is a global company, and we are the local footprint here in Southeast Tennessee to offer our vision that BNI can change the way the world does business," Zambos said.
The chamber also saluted the drive-through coffee business started by Chris Wood and Douglas Lee known as Be Caffeinated, which is preparing to add New York-style bagels later this year as the business continues to grow. The business roasts its own coffee with sister company New Wave Coffee to offer a variety of specialty beverages, and the owners regularly give back part of their sales to support a number of local charities, including the Be the Change Youth Initiative, the White Oak Bicycle Coop and the Chattanooga Zoo.
The zoo was also recognized by the Chamber as the top nonprofit during the awards luncheon. Founded in 1937 with just two rhesus monkeys, the Chattanooga Zoo has grown over the past 86 years, drawing more than 300,000 visits in 2022. The zoo gained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 1998 and recently underwent a $10 million expansion for its African wildlife exhibit. In 2021, the zoo opened the Hiwassee Hellbender Research and Education Facility to conserve the Eastern Hellbender.
Charles Wood, president of the Chattanooga chamber, said the small business awards help recognize the ways in which businesses are not only generating income for their owners and workers but also benefiting the entire Chattanooga community.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges from among more than 150 nominations.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.