The term return on investment might be a little overused these days. Sometimes though, the real ROI isnt exactly about the numbers on the ledger, but more about making a difference when the opportunity presents itself. Last year, young Carson Magee contacted us with an unusual request. While its pretty common for us to receive all sorts of donation requests, Carsons was pretty straight forward and it got our attention.
Carson has diabetes and is actively promoting research and funding for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to find a cure. He participates in 5Ks and such on his unicycle. His unique style and passion for the cause was immediately clear. Carson has a pretty good grasp of marketing already, and knew that his attention getting unicycle 5Ks would be a fun way to spice up his fundraising efforts. It just so happens that Coker Cycle Company builds two different models of Unicycles with huge 36
Among the incredible and explosive growth in technology and opportunity in Chattanooga, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center continues to nurture and stimulate new businesses and young entrepreneurs. Nowhere is their work on display more prominently than in the scenic city, as innovative and exciting new businesses appear on every corner, many of which have benefited from the efforts of TSBDC.
The "Talk of the Town!" CEO Speaker Series was created by TSBDC to encourage young entrepreneurs and local business through the stories of successful entrepreneurs who started small and have grown their businesses into major corporations. In the fifth installment of their CEO speaker Series, Corky Coker talks about some of the events and challenges that came along while growing from a local tire store in the late 1950s, into an international icon in the automotive restoration industry today.
We've had a presence on the West Coast for many years, as California has a huge classic car and hot rod following. Our original West Coast Distribution Center was located in Fresno, California, but it made perfect sense for us to move to So-Cal (City of Industry, more specifically), so we could be closer to our steel suppliers, as well as a huge customer base. The new Distribution Center is now fully functional, and the new facility also houses our wheel manufacturing. It's a big move for us, so we threw a Grand Opening party to celebrate!
When you have a building, (or in our case a series of buildings) packed full of cool stuff, people are gonna want to see it! That's why we've started providing tours for large groups, as well as daily tours at 10am and 2pm EST for smaller groups. People love this place, and most of our visitors would've never guessed that Coker Tire and its sister companies do so much for the collector car hobby. Thanks to our tours, and our awesome tour guide, Raime Brown, visitors learn a lot about the Coker companies and some of Corky's private collection of cars, trucks and motorcycles.
[caption id="attachment_2492" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Visiting from Longview Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina....thanks for joining us!!!"][/caption]
Debra Rodery is a member of "our family" at the Coker Group working daily in the accounting department in Chattanooga.
Debra and her Softball Team recently particpated in Womans Seniors Softball Tournament in St George, Utah. They competed against select teams from all over the Nation ultimately placing third. Debra pitches for and plays second base for her Chattanooga based team.
You Go Girl! We are proud of you!
