Sweeping Corporation of America, a power sweeping company, has announced four additional acquisitions in 2020, including Total Asphalt Services, Clean Sweep, Buckeye Sweeping and US Sweeping.
Clean Sweep Inc. is based in Chattanooga and is Eastern Tennessee’s leading provider of commercial lot sweeping and street sweeping services. Founded in 1984 by James Phillips then purchased by his son Peter Phillips in 1999, Clean Sweep provides mechanical broom sweeping services across Eastern Tennessee as well as Northern Georgia and Northern Alabama.
The Sweeping Corporation of America acquisitions complement and strengthen a robust portfolio of street sweeping services, while broadening SCA’s customer base in key markets. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
With these transactions, SCA now has more than 1,000 employees in its 36 locations throughout the eastern half of the United States. Each unique acquisition represents expanded market presence and services offerings, including:
“Each of our acquisitions to-date represent best in class sweeping services companies that allow us to expand our market presence, core offerings and deepen our expertise. We welcome these new employees into SCA and look forward to continuing to provide their customers with the highest quality of service,” says Christopher Valerian, president & CEO, SCA.
The acquisitions follow a recent significant investment from Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm, allowing the company to accelerate its sales and marketing efforts and identify strategic relationships and acquisition opportunities. Since inception, SCA has acquired 17 companies, including eight in 2020.
St. Elmo Park to get BCBS ‘Healthy Place’
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation plans to create 10 new BlueCross Healthy Places across the state in 2021, including in East Tennessee.
In celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary, the foundation is investing $750,000 in each space, bringing the statewide total to $7.5 million.
The 2021 BlueCross Healthy Place sites and project packages include:
• Alamo: Crockett County High School – Community Hub
• Baxter: Baxter Seminary Park – Thrive and Play
• Chattanooga: St. Elmo Park – Fitness and Fun
• Farragut: Town Hall Park – Thrive and Play
• Johnson City: Kiwanis Park – Community Hub
BlueCross Healthy Places strengthen communities across Tennessee by providing neighbors with spaces for connection and healthy activity. Grant applicants were invited to choose from six project packages based on the needs of their communities.
Construction on the projects is scheduled to begin next year and will be completed by the foundation’s build partner, Chattanooga-based PlayCore. BlueCross Healthy Places are currently underway in Chattanooga, Nashville and Knoxville. Four are open in Memphis, Huntland, Kingsport and at Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill.
Truist Foundation gives $300K to tnAchieves
Officials with tnAchieves announce it has received a $300,000 grant from the Truist Foundation to continue providing crucial resources to the Class of 2021 TN Promise students – especially those who require additional support – as they transition from high school to college.
“We are so grateful for Truist Foundation’s support as we work to provide more opportunities for students to pursue an education after high school,” says tnAchieves Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro. “tnAchieves exists to provide an opportunity for every student in Tennessee to earn a college degree. The non-financial support tnAchieves offers students to ensure they are more prepared for college often outweigh the financial support regarding student success. This grant will allow our organization to better prepare students for college-level work.
“Many students need this type of support now more than ever.”
While TN Promise eliminates the financial barrier for students attending college via a last-dollar scholarship, tnAchieves offers a full range of non-financial support to ensure students are successful. tnAchieves operates a summer bridge program to prepare students to begin classes more college-ready and provides every student with a volunteer mentor to help ease the transition from high school to college.
The Bridge Program is available at all 13 of Tennessee’s community colleges free of charge to students who need additional academic support before beginning college. Full-time staff at tnAchieves also work to coach students throughout their college career. Information
UT Chattanooga high on engineering list
Great Business Schools, a free online guide that takes students from the decision to attend business school all the way to an application and acceptance, has released four 2021 rankings of the best engineering management undergraduate degree programs in the U.S.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is among the institutions listed along with Vanderbilt University from schools in Tennessee.
The Top 3 engineering management bachelor’s programs for 2021 are:
1. Stanford University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Princeton University
The Top 3 online engineering management bachelor’s programs for 2021 are:
1. Arizona State University
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
3. Kansas State University.
“Engineering management brings together two of the most challenging degree programs,” the editors of Great Business Schools says. “Each one is solid enough on its own to offer you the option to choose from either career field. Bringing the two together gives you the chance to set your sights on upper management positions from the very beginning.”
Wendy’s help raise funds for Camp Sunshine
Local Wendy’s franchisees and operators recently donated $275,000 to the Decatur, Georgia-based organization Camp Sunshine.
The donation was made possible through the local DMA’s annual Frosty Card Fundraiser. When a customer bought a $1 Frosty Card at any of the nearly 300 Wendy’s locations throughout Georgia and Chattanooga, they received a free Junior Frosty with any purchase through Dec. 31.
Along with the annual fundraiser, local Wendy’s franchisees and operators coordinated efforts to serve dinner and Frosty desserts to campers and staff during Camp Sunshine’s Youth and Teen Camps. With COVID-19 restrictions and the health of the children top of mind, the in-person Summer 2020 camp experience was canceled.
Camp Sunshine instead hosted Camp Sunshine 2.0, a virtual experience for their campers, and local Wendy’s team members surprised campers and their families with dinner and Frosty treats - just like normal.
Camp Sunshine has provided programs for children with cancer and their families for 37 years and local Wendy’s franchise organizations have partnered with the Camp since 2006. Since then, local Wendy’s restaurants have donated more than $2.4 million in support of this local organization.
Green Home Solutions grows in Chattanooga
Green Home Solutions, indoor air quality franchise, closed out a year of signification growth with expansions that included the Chattanooga area.
Over the past year, Green Home signed over 30 franchise agreements – many of them in new markets such as Raleigh-Durham, Chattanooga, Las Vegas, Tucson, Winston-Salem and Houston – and expanded into states like Mississippi, Rhode Island and Virginia.
This growth is expected to continue into the new year, as Green Home Solutions looks to sign 50 franchise agreements in 2021. This includes breaking into prime markets across the Atlantic coast from Long Island to Florida with an additional focus on the Midwest, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.
While the pandemic certainly posed many challenges, it also gave a newfound awareness to the importance of disinfecting and indoor air quality services that may have been an afterthought pre-pandemic.
“Looking back on 2020, it’s incredible to see all the advances and milestones our brand has reached, especially in a year with challenges and adversity,” says Glen Snyder, Green Home Solutions’ chief development officer.
“We could not have accomplished all that we have without our franchise partners, both new and existing, who have supported and trusted us during this uncertain time. This year has taught us a lot, both in business and the importance of clean air, and we are thrilled to continue to spread our message of making air better in many more markets across the U.S.”