Business Briefs: Cell tower set for downtown Chattanooga

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Cell tower set for downtown Chattanooga

Chattanooga's Wireless Properties is building a 180-foot cell tower at 600 E. 10th St. to prepare for an expected increase in demand on UTC's campus and along M.L. King Boulevard, Vice President Matt Bates said.

The tower will cater to multiple major wireless companies, Bates said, and will increase connection speeds and overall capacity for the neighborhood. Including the base and the tower, the structure will reach 199 feet, but will not require any extra lights or support wires.

A typical tower costs around $300,000 and can take anywhere from six to 12 months to build. The tower at 600 E. 10th St. is about four months into the process.


Coker Group opens California center

The Coker Group, the Chattanooga-based parent of Coker Tire and other antique automotive equipment supplies, has opened a new 100,000-square-foot West Coast distribution and wheel manufacturing center in City of Industry, Calif. The Coker Group's new West Coast facility will employ 40 workers.

"While so many companies in the automotive aftermarket seem to be leaving California, we at Coker Group intentionally chose California with its huge automobile culture, availability of skilled work force, not to mention year-round convertible weather," company President Corky Coker said.