Eight individuals and businesses that gave their time and resources to make Blount County a special place to live, work, and thrive were honored at the Blount Partnership Best of Blount Awards held at the Airport Hilton Friday evening. Amazon, DENSO, GEAR Staffing, Joseph Construction, Massey Electric, Hilton, Above the Rest Balloon and Event Design, Brooke Nix Medical Aesthetics, CBBC Bank, Roane State Community College, AMR, Avero Advisors, and the Titanic Museum sponsored the event.
The awards program, which saw more than 600 attend, was hosted by Star 102.1 personalities Kim Hansard and Marc Anthony.
“This was a special night to honor those that give back so much to the Blount County community,” said Blount Partnership President/CEO Bryan Daniels. “These individuals and businesses work tirelessly to make sure that this community remains strong and vibrant.”
The program included a year in review video for the Blount Partnership and paid homage to Chuck Alexander, Teri Brahams and Joe Swann, who were named Blount County of Chamber Commerce lifetime members due to their outstanding dedication and work with the chamber and the community during their careers.
Tom Hatcher, was named the Philanthropist of the Year for his dedication to Alzheimer’s with the Tom Hatcher Charity.
Visual Voice took home the Small Business of the Year honor and First Horizon won for Large Business of the year.
Its work with many community issues, including being a resource for children, New Hope of Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center won the Community Impact Award.
The Tourism Award was given to Big Slate Media for its video work in promoting tourism in the county.
The Bright Future Award went to Balloons and Company TN and the Young Professional of the Year was Megan Seaton of Avero Advisors.
Townsend Fire Chief Don Stallions earned the First Responder Award for his leadership during the fire in Townsend last year. He was presented a $5,000 check from Cirrus Aircraft as part of the company’s initiative to recognize those who assist with emergencies.
Pictured: Big Slate Media owner Jonathan Halley is joined by staff members as they took home the Tourism Impact Award at the Blount Partnership’s Best of Blount Awards.
The American Pickers are excited to return to Tennessee! They plan to film episodes of The History Channel hit television series throughout our area in March 2024.
AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on The History Channel. The hit show follows skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find historically significant or rare items, in addition to unforgettable Characters and their collections.
As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, they want to meet characters with amazing stories and fun items. They hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way. The Pickers have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them.
The American Pickers TV Show is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a unique item, story to tell, and is ready to sell…we would love to hear from you! Please note, the Pickers DO NOT pick stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses, museums, or anything open to the public. If interested, please send us your name, phone number, location, and description of the collection with photos to: [email protected] or call (646) 493-2184 facebook: @GotAPick
With the Cornerstone VIP member of the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, in 2026 you receive:
Eight uses of the Chamber boardroom. Contact Kasey Ferguson to schedule.
Six tickets to Hops in the Hills and Grains and Grits Spirits Festival. Contact Kelly Sentell to redeem.
Four Best of Blount tickets. Contact Kelly Sentell to redeem.
Five email marketing campaigns. Contact Jeff Muir to schedule.
Your company receives two “Pay it forward membership” to a non-member for one year. Contact Tammi Ford for details.
Every effort will be made to accommodate your requests on a first-come, first-served basis. Should a sponsorship be unavailable, we’ll highlight your company via the chamber billboard, social media and newsletter.
Please select the event you would like to redeem your $2000 sponsorship voucher. It cannot be split up.
With a Champion VIP member of the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, in 2026 you receive:
Six uses of the Chamber boardroom. Contact Kasey Ferguson to schedule.
Six tickets to Taste of Blount, Hops in the Hills, Grains and Grits Spirits Festival. Contact Kelly Sentell to redeem.
Four email marketing campaigns. Contact Jeff Muir to schedule.
Your company receives one “Pay it forward membership” to a non-member for one year. Contact Tammi Ford for details.
Every effort will be made to accommodate your requests on a first-come, first-served basis. Should a sponsorship be unavailable, we’ll highlight your company via the chamber billboard, social media and newsletter.
Please select the event you would like to redeem your $1500 sponsorship voucher. It cannot be split up.
With a President’s Circle VIP member of the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, in 2026 you receive:
Six uses of the Chamber boardroom. Contact Kasey Ferguson to schedule.
Four tickets to Taste of Blount, Hops in the Hills, Grains and Grits Spirits Festival. Contact Kelly Sentell to redeem.
Three email marketing campaigns. Contact Jeff Muir to schedule.
Every effort will be made to accommodate your requests on a first-come, first-served basis. Should a sponsorship be unavailable, we’ll highlight your company via the chamber billboard, social media and newsletter.
Please select the event you would like to redeem your $1000 sponsorship voucher. It cannot be split up.
VIP President’s Circle
President’s Circle VIP members chose sponsorships.
LDA Engineering has hired Carlton Davis as executive vice president and chief operating officer, with duties spanning the LDA Engineering family of companies, including LDA Engineering, LDA Fiber and LDA Services.
“Carlton is a seasoned professional who is dedicated to nurturing a culture that is centered in teamwork, open communication, accountability, operational excellence and exceptional customer service, which aligns perfectly with the LDA ethos,” LDA CEO Jason Brooks said. “He will work closely with division leaders to review and improve processes while building systems for our growing company. We warmly welcome him to our team.”
Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in finance with a concentration in marketing from University of Tennessee. He previously served as chief operations officer for A&C Business Enterprises in Gallatin, Tennessee, overseeing retail and warehouse operations for the reverse logistics company that specializes in purchasing and liquidating returns and excess inventory from national retailers. He has served in leadership roles in various sectors such as design, marketing, publishing and software development.
He is an active member of executive coaching organization Vistage Worldwide and a certified Predictive Index Analyst. Davis has volunteered extensively with organizations supporting food insecurity, homelessness and children and as a crew lead and recruiter for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville.
“I’m so glad to join the LDA team and a company that is dedicated to its team members, clients and community in tangible ways,” Davis said. “I’m focused on learning the company and its operations and identifying areas of improvement to build an action plan for sustained success that is guided by our core values.”
Davis lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the father of two adult daughters. He enjoys running, hiking, playing guitar and being outside as much as possible.
Follow the firm on social media at @LDAEngineering or visit ldainc.com for more information.
