SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Limestone business makes parts for appliances, other items you might own | Limestone County

Leah Stephens, co-operator and vice president of T&C Stamping in Athens, feels a sense of pleasure each individual time she walks into a retail outlet and sees a Sunbeam Oster brand blender, knowing her business assisted make it.

Stephens said the greatest way to explain a steel stamping is “if you purchase a Sunbeam Oster manufacturer blender at Walmart, most all of the blender blades, as well as most of the steel factors that are in the base aspect of the blender, are built in this article.”

T&C tends to make 10 unique parts for the blender and ships more than 120 million items for it every year. They make around 580 unique sections total and ship a total of 167 million pieces annually.

A household-owned business that has operated in Athens given that 1985, T&C was honored past month with the Larger Limestone County Chamber of Commerce’s Modest Company of the 12 months Award amid businesses with a lot more than 50 workers. 

Some of the metals T&C employs are metal, aluminum, brass and silver. T&C has buyers all in excess of the earth, Stephens stated.

“We have a seriously numerous consumer foundation,” Stephens explained. “We have automotive as effectively as smaller appliance company, as nicely as lawn and garden business … as well as the rail(street) business enterprise. Individuals are some of our key prospects.”

T&C tends to make sections for businesses these kinds of as Briggs & Stratton, Siemens Mobility and Linde Wiemann, amid other people. Stephens personally owns a generator whose Briggs & Stratton motor consists of parts manufactured by her business. 

Rita Kincaid, who lived in Athens most of her everyday living, has worked for T&C the total 37 years they have been in business enterprise. She begun out on a steel stamping press but became a high quality engineer around 1997.

Kincaid explained she has ongoing to perform for T&C for so long simply because “they’re laid back, everyone’s helpful, (and) it is just a great, family-owned firm.” Kincaid plans to remain at T&C until eventually she retires.

Stephens mentioned the business was commenced by Mike Coleman and John Turner in 1985. When Coleman died in 1997, the Coleman family acquired out Turner. Mark Coleman, Stephens’ brother, is at this time co-operator and president.

Stephens reported the enterprise now has 80 employees. “In the commencing it was begun with just a number of workers as a little metal stamping organization.” She reported most of their employees live in Limestone County.

Stephens reported T&C is an asset to Limestone County. She explained the firm has normally been an active member of the chamber and the Limestone County Financial Improvement Affiliation.

“We are often keen to be lively in the group by giving back again and volunteering and taking part in neighborhood functions,” Stephens claimed.

Stephens claimed T&C is concerned with the Athens-Limestone Clinic Basis, Relay for Life and fundraisers for the Athens Substantial University booster club, among other matters.

Range for the chamber award was dependent partly on local community involvement.

In 1985, the business begun in a small part of a now 96,000-square-foot facility. Stephens reported the small business has developed with Limestone County.

Brooke Pettus, systems and events supervisor for the chamber, explained T&C won the award “based on their leadership and neighborhood support, chamber involvement, business accomplishment and general deservedness.”