James and Heiki Clark of Clark's Bakery in Dunlap receive the Rising Star Award from the TSBDC.

TSBDC Director Shayrn Moreland looks on as Dr. Melissa Gratias of MBG Organizing Solutions in Chattanooga accepts the TSBDC's Rising Star Award.

Chattanooga, TN --- The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) recently recognized two small businesses deemed to have "high potential" by awarding them the Rising Star Award. The winners were James and Heiki Clark of Clark’s Bakery in Dunlap, TN, and Dr. Melissa Gratias with MBG Organizing Solutions in Crossville, TN. The award is given to companies in their first five years of business who have demonstrated outstanding potential in growing their business, business management, and professional leadership. The TSBDC staff selects the winners.

According to James and Heiki Clark, their mission is to be a profitable business with a driving ministry that focuses on staying healthy and educating people on health. Through the years they began to make their own natural foods, grains and breads. Hence, Clark’s Bakery became a health food whole grain bakery with all natural products. The Clarks have always practiced healthy living. They have been passionate not only about staying healthy, but also about spreading the word and educating people on health.

Ten years ago, Mr. Clark was a software engineer in High Springs, FL. He left that career to focus on health and sharing the art of making whole grain bread with his community.  The Clarks started their business with 12 loaves of bread, selling from door to door. Soon after starting their business, they decided to move to Dunlap and establish roots in Tennessee. Clark’s Bakery has established itself as a distributor to local health food stores such as Green Life, the Village Market and Pruett’s Food Town. The bakery employs seven workers. They also train high school students and work with the handicapped and the elderly. The Clarks plan to expand their facility and purchase new equipment in the near future.

Dr. Melissa Gratias, the principal owner and consultant with MBG Organizing Solutions, has over 15 years of experience showing business people how to be more effective and organized. She has consulted one-on-one with hundreds of executives and company leaders on improving both their personal effectiveness and leadership skills.  Additionally, Gratias has led thousands more through training courses designed to bring practical time management and personal organization solutions to their complex business situations.

Dr. Gratias has a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.  She has been a human resources executive for two large financial service companies, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and a researcher at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC. Although her business is located in Chattanooga, Dr. Gratias was counseled entirely on-line by Jen DeAngelo, located in the TSBDC’s Crossville office.

The TSBDC also recognized a core group of volunteers who have supported the organization for the past year. TSBDC Director Shayrn Moreland presented these individuals with a small token of appreciation for their time and dedication. Among those recognized were Stephen Stark, an Intellectual Property attorney with Miller and Martin.  He has consulted with the TSBDC for several years in regards to patents and trademarks. He has the longest tenure among the volunteers.

Frank Anthony, who has volunteered with TSBDC for the past two years, conducts a new business orientation program each week.  According to Moreland, “He is very committed to helping our success and has helped boost our clients and counseling hours.”

Two Certified Public Accountants, Linda Tracy Gill with Hazlett, Lewis, and Beiter, and Joe Honey volunteer two hours a week to help clients get their businesses off the ground and manage their finances.

Chuck Fisher, an attorney with Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison, conducted “An Hour with my Attorney” counseling throughout the year, which resulted in many hours of free legal advice for TSBDC clients.

Finally, Lynn Talbott began volunteering this year by assisting in conducting QuickBooks classes as well as counseling clients with QuickBooks issues. Talbott is starting her own small business and plans to move into the Business Development Center in January. 

Others acknowledged for their contributions to the TSBDC included members of the 2012 Advisory Board; Jim Callihan of Lattimore, Black, Morgan and Cain; Alicia Brown Oliver, an IP attorney with Chambliss, Bahner and Stophel; Mike Sarvis with the Cohutta Banking Company; Travis Lytle and Charles Millirons with Cornerstone Community Bank; Mical Traynor with C-W-C; Jim Frierson, and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

To learn more about the services offered by the TSBDC to small businesses, visit www.tsbdc.org or call (423) 756-8668. The TSBDC located at 100 Cherokee Boulevard in Chattanooga, provides services for the following counties in Tennessee: Bledsoe, Grundy, Franklin, Hamilton, Marion, Rhea, Sequatchie, Van Buren, and Warren.

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