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

Leah Stephens, co-proprietor and vice president of T&C Stamping in Athens, feels a sense of pride just about every time she walks into a store and sees a Sunbeam Oster brand blender, figuring out her enterprise aided make it.

Stephens claimed the greatest way to describe a metal stamping is “if you acquire a Sunbeam Oster model blender at Walmart, most all of the blender blades, as very well as most of the steel elements that are in the base section of the blender, are designed right here.”

T&C would make 10 distinct sections for the blender and ships more than 120 million items for it yearly. They make about 580 distinct pieces in general and ship a full of 167 million pieces per year.

A household-owned organization that has operated in Athens given that 1985, T&C was honored very last month with the Better Limestone County Chamber of Commerce’s Smaller Business of the Year Award among the firms with much more than 50 personnel. 

Some of the metals T&C takes advantage of are steel, aluminum, brass and silver. T&C has consumers all above the environment, Stephens claimed.

“We have a definitely diverse buyer foundation,” Stephens mentioned. “We have automotive as nicely as little equipment organization, as well as garden and back garden enterprise … as effectively as the rail(highway) organization. Individuals are some of our main shoppers.”

T&C helps make pieces for providers this sort of as Briggs & Stratton, Siemens Mobility and Linde Wiemann, amid some others. Stephens personally owns a generator whose Briggs & Stratton motor incorporates components designed by her firm. 

Rita Kincaid, who lived in Athens most of her lifestyle, has labored for T&C the total 37 years they have been in business enterprise. She begun out on a steel stamping push but turned a high quality engineer all over 1997.

Kincaid mentioned she has continued to perform for T&C for so prolonged simply because “they’re laid back, everyone’s pleasant, (and) it’s just a great, loved ones-owned corporation.” Kincaid programs to stay at T&C right until she retires.

Stephens reported the organization was began by Mike Coleman and John Turner in 1985. When Coleman died in 1997, the Coleman loved ones bought out Turner. Mark Coleman, Stephens’ brother, is at the moment co-operator and president.

Stephens stated the firm presently has 80 personnel. “In the beginning it was begun with just a number of personnel as a small metallic stamping enterprise.” She stated most of their personnel dwell in Limestone County.

Stephens said T&C is an asset to Limestone County. She said the enterprise has often been an active member of the chamber and the Limestone County Financial Improvement Affiliation.

“We are always eager to be active in the neighborhood by giving back and volunteering and collaborating in group events,” Stephens said.

Stephens mentioned T&C is associated with the Athens-Limestone Hospital Foundation, Relay for Daily life and fundraisers for the Athens High College booster club, among the other things.

Assortment for the chamber award was centered partly on local community involvement.

In 1985, the business started out in a little portion of a now 96,000-square-foot facility. Stephens claimed the business enterprise has grown with Limestone County.

Brooke Pettus, programs and functions supervisor for the chamber, mentioned T&C gained the award “based on their management and neighborhood aid, chamber involvement, enterprise achievements and total deservedness.”