ADAPTIVE METHODS
Actually, Adaptive Methods is a 35-year-old company whose leadership recognized the advantages of diversification. Until 2001, the company was devoted to sonar and signal processing, primarily for the U.S. Navy. In that year, the company began to look for opportunities to diversify through programs called SBIRs (Small Business Innovation Research), projects identified by U.S. government divisions aimed at providing solutions to a variety of challenges.
Concurrently, Adaptive Methods began looking for a location that would enhance opportunities to explore technology and would fit well with the company’s new diversification strategy. Congressman Wamp invited the owners to visit Chattanooga, where they met with civic leaders. Shortly thereafter, the Rapid Deployment Shelter System (RDSS) was identified as a viable project.
“They convinced us that Chattanooga would be a good place to start a business,” remembers Keith Buckner, vice president of manufacturing for Adaptive Methods. The RDSS was new and innovative, and we identified a market for it among first responders and disaster relief agencies.”
The RDSS is a compact, self-sufficient, transportable system that can be fully deployed by one person in less than two minutes. With the touch of a button, RDSS unfolds from a 20’ shipping container into a 400 foot by 400 foot rigid-wall shelter suitable for humanitarian assistance operations and disaster relief efforts around the world. The basic design is configurable for applications such as relief shelters, barracks, offices, classrooms, medical triage and decontamination units to name just a few.
One of the primary benefits to locating in Chattanooga, says Buckner, is an array of willing partners. “As a small business, the relationships you are able to build from the supplier and development sides are tremendous. The universities and laboratories provide support, and so do the Chattanooga Technology Council and the Enterprise Center. All of these resources help spur new contacts and business opportunities.”
DRS. THOMAS DEVLIN AND BLAISE BAXTER
Pioneering work in the treatment of strokes is taking place right here in Chattanooga, and Drs. Thomas Devlin and Blaise Baxter are leading the way.
Devlin, who came to Chattanooga in 1997, notes that our region has one of the highest rates of strokes in the nation. Therefore, it was an ideal location to build a world-class stroke center for research and clinical care. Baxter, an interventional radiologist, leads a team of physicians who implement complex stroke treatment procedures.
According to Dr. Devlin, the first treatment for stroke victims came with the clot busting drug t-PA in 1996. It was a breakthrough, but was successful only on about 12 percent of patients and could be used only up to three hours after the onset of a stroke.
“In 2004, the government approved an amazing new medical device called the Merci clot retriever,” comments Devlin. “This device allows us to go up through an artery in the body to deep in the brain, where we physically grab the clot causing the stroke and gently pull it out. The benefit of these new devices is that we can extract clots that would not typically dissolve with t-PA. We can extend the treatment window up to eight hours, allowing many more patients to be treated. Owing largely to the tremendous skills of Dr. Baxter and his team, we have become a major test center for new devices, like the Merci device, from around the world.”
Dr. Baxter adds, “The Merci device was the first that became available to us. Since then, we have also worked with the Penumbra, an aspiration device that is used to suck the clot out. We have been involved with both of these devices since they were first available, and we are one of the top three intervention centers in the country.”
The study and evaluation of stroke treatment devices and super clot busting drugs is ongoing at Erlanger. Being located in Chattanooga has offered several benefits to the physicians. Most notably is the commitment provided by Erlanger Health System to their research and the advancement of leading health care.
McCRIGHT & ASSOCIATES
Stan McCright started his own company in 1988. Since then, McCright & Associates has created a proprietary software system that enables government agencies to obtain information such as census data and public housing inspection results with handheld devices. The software system provides more accurate information in a shorter period of time while eliminating paper and lowering costs.
Today, McCright & Associates conducts more than 250,000 inspections of government properties nationwide. Its technology reduces costs incurred by traditional methods by 30 to 50 percent. “We have developed a whole process,” continues McCright, “and it has really taken the whole manual aspect and reduced the operation to the minimum number of man hours required to complete the task.”
According to McCright, the greatest asset to his company locally is the workforce itself. “I have found that one of the finest aspects of being here in Chattanooga is the quality of the people we attract and train,” he concludes. “People here have a willing spirit and will take ownership of something. We are also fortunate to have a great university system.”
AIRNET
The Airnet Group, a national leader in data and communications services which provides support in hosting, securing, transportation, and the manipulation of data, has developed the SmarTech or Smart Communication reporting system. This system allows companies to identify demographic profiles and potential buying habits for millions of individuals across the United States. The broader applications of the SmarTech system include gathering data in the political arena and other endeavors.
In fact, the SmarTech system has been used by the Republican Party during the Presidential campaign of Senator John McCain and the gubernatorial campaign of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The system is expected to eventually allow companies to more efficiently and effectively target marketing and advertising initiatives through demographic profiling. Its capabilities and new applications have the potential to address sales and marketing initiatives across a wide spectrum of businesses, services and industries, nationally and globally.
Airnet Group provides high performance technology and internet connectivity with the mission “to collectively empower others through technology, securely, reliably, productively, and cost effectively, creating excellence in the seamless intersection of people and technology.” The SmarTech system could well revolutionize the gathering of demographic data, by providing clients with valuable information needed to better target market segments, which in turn will drive a greater response to marketing initiatives, accelerating sales at lower costs.
TRICYCLE, INC.
Several reasons have influenced the location of Tricycle, Inc., here in Chattanooga. Company president Jonathan Bragdon cites geographic convenience to clients, access to travel, lower costs of doing business compared to larger cities, ever-emerging technological advantages, a growth atmosphere, a better network of stakeholders who recognize achievement, and a collaborative attitude among peer businesses.
Since the company was founded in 2002, Tricycle, Inc., has established itself as a leader in digital services for the floor covering industry.
“The flooring industry spends a great deal of money on a very physical and costly process of developing, presenting, selling, modifying and specifying product,” explains Bragdon. “Our technology and services provide an overall lower cost digital process to realistically view standard and custom products for product development, color work, design specification and sales that previously required physical sampling at every step.”
Considering the volume of such work, the savings in time and expensive raw materials becomes readily apparent. Tricycle products, to date, have prevented more than 418,000 pounds of carpet from going to landfills, saved 69,000 gallons of oil, and created a positive economic impact of over $68 million.
Tricycle, Inc., has been recognized locally and nationally. Its awards include the Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility, Green Good Design 2009 (the world’s leading sustainable green design), Business Week/IDSA Gold Award for Eco Design, and an award for “Top 10 Digital Products” from Architectural Record.
Through the efforts of both the public and private sectors, Chattanooga is increasingly becoming a destination for small and large companies, as well as individuals leading cutting-edge technology. The area’s commitment to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship will continue to produce technological advancements that drive economic growth and enhance the quality of lives around the world.