September 15, 2020
KaTom Restaurant Supply: Inc. 5000 List Profile
Meet the most inspiring companies in 2020. If entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of an economy, consider Inc.’s ranking of 5,000 companies America’s circulatory system. The Inc. 5000 annual report looks at these fast-growing innovators and what they are doing that sets them apart. This year, fourteen Knoxville-area companies made the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. The Knoxville Chamber has worked to build a profile for each of the businesses that have been nominated, learn more below.
- A description of your company – how did you get started, what inspired your business.
KaTom Restaurant Supply got its start in a residential garage when our founders had restaurant equipment needs existing dealers could not meet. From those humble beginnings, we’ve grown into one of the 10 largest companies in our industry in America.
2. What factors do you attribute to your growth last year?
Our success has always been built on having a vision and then executing on it. We set lofty goals and persevere through any adversity with determination to meet them.
3. How do you see your company evolving and/or what are your plans to sustain that growth in the future?
We’ve grown at an average rate of 25 percent for the last eight years by constantly re-inventing and adapting as necessary. We are a large player in our industry, but we remain very nimble, which means we can move with the market and will continue to do so. We are also in the middle of a warehouse expansion that will enable us to offer even more products for same-day pickup for our neighbors here in East Tennessee and same-day shipping for those around the world.
4. Are there any aspects of operating in the Knoxville region that has been instrumental in your growth?
Absolutely. The supply chain positioning of the Knoxville area has been instrumental in the growth of our business. Because we are near three main interstates and several feeder highways from surrounding areas and states, our carrier partners can get products here and out to our customers efficiently. Redundancy in our infrastructure has been huge because of our location.