McKee Foods in CollegedaleSunbelt Bakery has donated $50,000 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc.
The company, a subsidiary of McKee Foods Corp. in Collegedale, said Tuesday the donation was made after Sunbelt surpassed its goal of securing a combined 50,000 new Facebook "Likes" and Twitter followers for its social media campaign to recognize National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Chattanooga-based company has now raised more than $200,000 to help support NBCF and its mission to save women's lives through education about breast cancer and by providing free mammograms for those in need.
"Breast cancer has become a leading health crisis for women in the United States, and it's an issue that is near and dear to the heart of our consumers, employees, distributors and their families," said Jeff Badger, brand director for Sunbelt Bakery.
T.J. Kaikobad is the owner of the Dalton DepotKaikobad wins Chamber honor
T.J. Kaikobad, owner of the Dalton Depot and Trackside Tavern, was recognized Tuesday as the 2014 Small Business Person of the Year by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority.
Kaikobad is an active member of the Chamber board, serves as chairman of the Downtown Dalton Development Authority and is on the boards for the Northwest Georgia Trade & Convention Center, the Dalton Hospitality Association and the Dalton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. He is also a past board member of the Whitfield-Dalton Day Care.
"His leadership, support of other local businesses and philanthropic efforts make him a worthy recipient of the 2014 Small Business Person of the Year Award," said Robert Smalley, chairman of the Dalton Chamber board.
Tuesday marked the third year that the Dalton Chamber has named a community member the "Small Business Person of the Year." The award recognizes a business leader who owns and operates a for-profit company that employs 50 or fewer full-time employees.
The Dalton Depot and Trackside Tavern currently has around 25 full-time employees and has been in business for 24 years.
Shoe maker adds more jobs
Original Footwear, which recently acquired Tactical Holdings and Operations Inc., in Morristown, Tenn, plans to spend $10 million to develop a distribution complex in the Morristown Airport Industrial District.
The new facility will make tactical footwear for law enforcement, military and emergency medical technicians and will employ 182 workers in Hamblen County in East Tennessee.
Original Footwear has facilities overseas, but as a result of this project, a portion of the company's production will be brought back to the United States and housed in Morristown. Original Footwear was founded in 1999 and focuses on creating tactical footwear that combines a high level of performance and comfort for police and military personnel.
"We are very excited about this opportunity to continue to grow our business as we work to become the leading supplier to our nation's law enforcement, military and service professionals," Original Footwear CEO Kevin Cole said.
The company plans to capitalize on Tactical Holdings' existing 110,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility and add an additional 65,000 square feet which will result in a fully functional shipping and warehousing arm of the operation.
To apply for available positions, contact Original Footwear Human Resources Manager Rebecca Edwards at redwards@originalfootwear.com.
Kentucky gets cleanup grant
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $3.6 million grant to Kentucky's Energy And Environmental Cabinet for environmental oversight of cleanup activities at the shuttered Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
The uranium processing plant, once TVA's biggest single power customer, produced enriched uranium from 1952 to 2013. The plant is now operated by United States Enrichment Corp., a subsidiary of USEC Inc.
The one-year grant could be extended with four one-year options and is designed to help the agency provide "an independent, impartial and qualified assessment" of environmental impacts for the present and future operations at the site.