Not everyone can work from home, and the Times Free Press is recognizing the essential workers who are on the job every day. From grocery stores and fire stations to construction sites and hospitals, our friends and neighbors are making sure the work gets done.

This list of the Best Places to Work in Chattanooga was months in the making and came together during two distinct eras: BC-19 (before COVID-19) and AC-19 (after COVID-19). But while this list and these profiles of extraordinary employers were assembled under two distinct realities, the central theme still holds.

Reliance Partners, one of the nation's fastest-growing commercial insurance agencies focused on transportation and logistics, credits its "rock star team" for its ability to grow so quickly.

1. Physical therapist assistant - 155.8% growth by 2024; average pay is $56,870

Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported there were 145,568 job openings advertised online for 104,990 job seekers in December 2019. Hamilton County was among the top 10 counties in the state for the number of openings.

Over the course of the past decade, the local LearningRx team has overcome a number of obstacles, including educating people on what brain training is, exactly, and distinguishing this process from traditional forms of tutoring.

Over the course of more than four decades, local business Nutrition World has grown into a holistic wellness center that offers products from health foods, supplements, CBD products, information resources, and pet care to the services of 16 practitioners with distinct specialties like acupuncture, midwifery, thermography screenings, chiropractic care, and much more.

For the past two decades, Smart Furniture has made and burnished its name in both the residential and office categories - indeed, the Chattanooga-based company has clients from Austin, Texas, to New York City and points between.

Susan, Sarah and Mary Field literally grew up in the business they now run.

Andy Felker didn't know he was launching the career he would pursue throughout his life when he started mowing lawns at 15. In fact, he went off to college at the University of Tennessee thinking he'd come back an accountant.

BrightBridge Capital is a nonprofit lender with a focus on making startup and small business loans that many banks won't consider.

J.P. Evans saw his share of hardship as a child.

Fred Cobb, the chief information security officer for InfoSystems, hosts a weekly podcast, Cybersecurity Weekly, and works with clients around the country to identify and manage threats to the security of their digital data.

Since 2009, Kim White has been president and CEO of River City Company, a non-profit development organization with a 33-year history focusing on the economic growth and development of downtown Chattanooga.

The Village Market is owned and operated by Southern Adventist University.

Jackie Clay joins Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga as executive director. Clay brings more than 15 years of experience to Family Promise and a track record leading strategic planning and development for nonprofits and experience in health-care and government entities. Prior to joining Family Promise, Clay served as the executive director of the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. In this position, she successfully increased the clinic's grant funds, exceeded fundraising goals and led a brand transition. Her experience includes work as a field instructor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and working as a project manager for the Knoxville mayor's office from 2011 to 2016.

From recognition as one of seven Tennessee companies committed to LGBTQ inclusion to supporting two of Hamilton County's 28 Future Ready Institutes, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee consistently marries beneficial business practices with supporting people in our community.

With the help of Mayor Andy Berke's office, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce and The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, a group of UTC students keeps the legacies of Ed Johnson and Styles L. Hutchins alive. Known as the Styles L. Hutchins Fellows, they've crafted a plan to retain and attract diverse talent.