Seven Chamber Investors Recognized on Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies List

The Knoxville Chamber would like to extend congratulations to the seven investor companies that made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America:

• Axle Logistics (#847) – A non-asset-based, 3PL company, Axle Logistics provides safe, reliable, and advanced logistics services to a wide variety of customers throughout North America. By providing specialized customer service, and a unique overall philosophy and approach to management, Axle is a leader in the logistics industry. This is their eighth consecutive year making the list, seeing an astounding 698% growth over the last three years.
• 58 Foundations & Waterproofing (#1,993) – Since 1958, 58 Foundations has specialized in basement waterproofing, crawlspace encapsulation, foundation repair, and mold removal. With locations in eight states, 58 Foundations is an award-winning home repair company. They experienced 280% growth over the last three years and, in addition, placed #85 on Inc.’s Regionals 2023: Southeast list.
• Ole Smoky Distillery (#3,215) – Ole Smoky is the leading distiller of premium moonshine in the world and the first federally-licensed distillery in the history of East Tennessee. Founded in 2010, Ole Smoky’s roots can be traced to the Smoky Mountains’ earliest settlers. Since 2019, they saw 160% growth. This is the fourth consecutive year they have ranked, moving higher on the list each time.
• Boldsquare (#3,586) – Founded in 2017, Boldsquare is a multi-disciplined strategy and communications practice providing executive leadership teams with senior counsel in high-pressure situations. Led by managing partner Dylan Jones, their team has experienced 137% growth since 2019. This is the second consecutive year that Boldsquare has ranked. They additionally placed #139 on Inc.’s Regionals 2023: Southeast list.
• Avèro (#3,690) – Avèro is on a mission to modernize the way public agencies operate internally and enable the public to make interactions with the government simpler. They experienced 131% growth over the past three years. This is the third consecutive year that Avèro has been recognized. President Abhijit (AV) Verekar serves on the Knoxville Chamber Board of Directors.
• Katom Restaurant Supply (#4,091) – Katom has been in operation since 1992 and offers commercial kitchen equipment and restaurant supplies at wholesale prices. Founder and CEO Patricia Bible serves on the Knoxville Chamber Board of Directors and has previously won Pinnacle Awards for Woman-Owned Business Excellence and Large Business Excellence. Deservedly, Katom has ranked on the Inc. 5000 list for fifteen consecutive years.
• Design Innovation Architects (#4,479) – Design Innovation Architects (DIA) creates innovative spaces that are artful, intelligent, sustainable, and value-conscious. Founded in 1989, their passion leads to the creation of spaces and environments that inspire people, enhance quality of life, are environmentally sensitive, and deliver value. They experienced 94% growth over the past three years. This is the third year that DIA has been recognized, having previously been listed in 2016 and 2018.

The Inc. 5000 list ranks companies based on percentage revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. Eleven Knoxville-area companies were represented. Recently, the Chamber released an issue brief titled Transitioning Knoxville’s Economy for the Imagination Age. The brief discusses the steps necessary to prepare our area for the next industrial revolution. Two of the most needed aspects – high-growth companies and high-quality talent – are epitomized by the companies on this list. We are thankful that they make the Knoxville area their home and look forward to seeing how they will continue to positively impact our community. View the full list of honorees at: https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2023 .