small_pumpkins.jpg
Fall 2015 Commercial & Industrial Newsletter
Micro-businesses have found fertile fields for growth in Middle Tennessee. In this issue of the C&I newsletter, we feature two of these enterprises located in Bedford County, TN. Like their counterparts, these micro-businesses started with unique ideas for filling market niches. Lots of hard work and risk-taking were involved, but today Apples Gone Wild and the Cheese Barn are examples of what can happen when you start on a small scale with a big desire to succeed.
Shelbyville business offers all things cheesy
Are you looking for a place to buy some genuine Wisconsin cheese? Look no further than the Cheese Barn located in Shelbyville, TN. 

Established in November of 2014 by owner Ricky Reed, the Cheese Barn has already undergone a small expansion to meet product demand.  The tiny store is located next to Ricky's home on his fourth-generation farm.  Ricky started the business because he says that there was no other place to get good cheese in Middle Tennessee.
Apples Gone Wild: Gourmet treatment of tasty fruit
Are you looking for a unique gift for customers or employees this season?  Consider giving them a gourmet apple from Apples Gone Wild, a locally owned business in Unionville, TN.

In 2003, Rebecca Bee created her first caramel and chocolate-dipped gourmet apple.  Little did she know, but this was the beginning of something bigger than a home kitchen experiment.  She received amazing response from family and friends and was encouraged to start her own business.

Born and raised in Cherry Tree, PA, she felt a calling to the South.  In 2007, she moved to Unionville and took a leap of faith. She built a shop behind her house and officially started her business, Apples Gone Wild.
 
Improved power reliability shows
evolution of modern electric co-ops

By Michael Watson
President and CEO of Duck River EMC

Reliability of electric power supply is a given these days, but this was not always the case. There was a time in rural Tennessee when outage numbers and durations were alarmingly high. Not only was consumer aggravation extreme, but local communities suffered when the electricity powering their economies was interrupted due to distribution system failures.
Electric co-ops in Tennessee started setting poles and extending lines in the mid-1930s. The original system backbones were engineered and built to what were "modern" specifications 80 years ago. Who back in Great Depression could have foreseen the amount of load growth and demand for electricity that occurred over the next 50 years?


Learn more >

DREMC uses social media to interact with C & I members
 
By Teresa Sampson
DREMC Key Accounts Coordinator

Our members have busy lives, and DREMC understands how valuable their time is.  We realize many co-op members interact with social media to keep up with news and industry-specific information.  If our members are there, we should be too.

This is why DREMC now has a LinkedIn group specifically for our commercial-and-industrial business members.  We want to have an avenue for C&I members to interact with DREMC staff about energy efficiency, events, economic development activities and more.

Learn more >

financial-planner.jpg
Network of agencies, including DREMC, can help new and existing businesses get started and grow

For Duck River Electric Membership Cooperative, a member-owned and non-profit utility, the success and growth of local businesses is at the heart of our rural heritage.  DREMC partners with TVA, USDA, TNECD and other agencies to assist local businesses needing funds to start or grow in our local communities.

There are many funding options available to businesses of all sizes for startup and expansion.  Whether you are the only employee or you have thousands of workers, there are resources and funding opportunities available. 

Help make a difference this giving season
Project Help allows Duck River EMC members to contribute each month to those having financial difficulty paying their electric bills. Add a dollar or more to your monthly bill and help your neighbors in need. You may also contribute with a one-time donation.