CMA’s History

• CMA was founded in 1902 by Captain C.D. Mitchell, a Civil War veteran from Dunlap, Iowa. He returned to Chattanooga after the war, and was operating the Chattanooga Plow Company when he recognized the need for concerted action by manufacturers to obtain favorable freight rates on manufactured products shipped by rail to midwestern markets.

• CMA was the first local manufacturers association in the United States. Captain Mitchell was also instrumental in founding the Tennessee Manufacturers Association (now known as the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and the National Association of Manufacturers.

• CMA moves into its second century as the independent, assertive advocate for manufacturers in the Chattanooga Region.

CMA’s Current Activities

• CMA's interest in education, like its other activities, is principle-centered. Manufacturers are dependent upon an adequate number of employees and applicants possessing  knowledge, skills and abilities compatible with current and  future job requirements. In addition to strong interpersonal skills, the will to continue to learn and to readily accept ongoing change is necessary for success in manufacturing operations.
• CMA expects local education and political leadership to work cooperatively to creatively design, responsibly administer and adequately fund a high-performance school system that consistently produces graduates capable of success in higher education, as individual citizens, parents, and entrepreneurs or employees.
• CMA promotes the establishment of high environmental standards based on sound science, and opposes bureaucratic excesses that consume resources without delivering improvements in environmental quality or public health.
• CMA provides ongoing training and development opportunities to assist the membership in acquiring information and technology necessary for compliance with complex legal and regulatory requirements, and to assist in promoting emerging management styles and organizational structures.
• CMA assists other organizations in economic development activities, seeking to create a sustainable array of industries, suppliers and customers that collectively can compete on local, regional, national and global bases.
• CMA monitors and when necessary, participates in public utility rate setting processes to assure that adequate, reliable supplies of water, natural gas and electricity are available for industrial use at costs that permit competitive operation.
• CMA watches legislative and regulatory activities with potential impact on industrial interests, develops appropriate strategies and action plans in concert with other business and trade organizations, and engages law and policy makers to obtain results favorable to manufacturers.

Chattanooga Manufacturers Associations’ Board of Directors / Officers

Chairman of the Board: David Breckinridge (Alstom Power, Inc.)

Vice-Chairman of the Board: Dan Nuckolls (Koch Foods)

Secretary / Treasurer: Dr. Bill Minehan (Adtech Ceramics)

Staff:

C. Ray Childers – President / CEO
Celeste Longwith – Executive Asstistant to the President / CEO

Directors:

Phil Ball (W.R. Grace)
Tommy Elkins (Motor Wheel C.V.S.)
Stephen French (INVISTA)
George Garcia (Buzzi Unicem, USA)
Robert Holcombe (Mueller Company)
Walter Lancaster (Rock Tenn)
Roger Layne (East Tech)
Debbie McKee-Fowler (McKee Foods)
J.D. Purvis (BASF)
Sybella Wilder (Arcade Marketing)

Committee Chairs:

Environment – Brian Humphrey (Miller & Martin)
Government Affairs – Mike St. Charles (Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel)
Human Resources – Mike Love (Playcore)
Public Relations – Kent Keasler (Miller-Reid Inc.)
Tax – Carl Hartley (Baker Donelson)