Back
Back in May, Nashville newspaper The Tennesseean chronicled the many major victories achieved by Tennessee businesses in recent years. Per the article, Tennessee has posted the following 2017 milestones:
- 8.7% gain in the number of new business filings in Q4 2016.
- 22 consecutive quarters of growth.
- 2.2% employment growth as of March 2016.
- Higher employment growth than the national average.
The good news comes as no surprise. Between Nashville's exploding business scene, Chattanooga's quiet emergence as a scenic technology hub, and the substantial gains being made by the cities of Knoxville and Chattanooga, there has never been a better time to be a B2B sales professional in Tennessee. Whether it's major enterprise players like Forrester moving to Nashville or Tennessee ranking #1 in all states for small business growth, 2017 has given Tennessee-based businesses a lot to be excited about.
The Top 50 Tennessee Sales Organizations To Watch
Amidst all the hoopla and as part of our efforts to lead the Tennessee Chapter of AA-ISP (the Global Inside Sales Organization), we've curated our 1st annual list of the Top 50 Tennessee Sales Organizations to Watch.
Listed in alphabetical order, the following 50 Tennessee-headquartered companies range in size (enterprise to mid-market to SMB), industry (healthcare to logistics to software-as-service) and age (century-plus to nascent startup). They all have one thing in common: they're prestigious sales organizations that are leading the charge for the rest of the state.
If you're a Tennessee sales professional looking to make your next move or learn from the best, follow in the footsteps of these 50 elite companies.
Top 50 Tennessee Sales Organizations to Watch: A to Z.
#1. Advance Financial
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Tina Hodges
Founded: 1996
Industry: Financial Services
Tagline: The easiest, most convenient way to get the cash you need - fast.
Headcount: 665 employees
Revenue: $101.3M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#2. Ambition
Headquarters: Chattanooga, Tennessee
CEO: Travis Truett
Founded: 2013
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: Drive Your Entire Sales Force.
Headcount: 18 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: #1 Sales Management Software.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#3. AtWork Group
Headquarters: Knoxville, Tennessee
CEO: Jason Leverant
Founded: 1992
Industry: Staffing
Tagline: Staffing and finding a job just got easier.
Headcount: 40,000 employees
Revenue: $257.4 M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#4. AutoZone
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: William C. Rhodes
Founded: 1979
Industry: Retail
Tagline: Get in the Zone.
Headcount: 13,386 employees
Revenue: $10.640B
Accolades: Forbes Global 2000. Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#5. Axe Wellness
Headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: Josh Axe
Founded: 2009
Industry: Health
Tagline: Food is Medicine.
Headcount: 67 employees
Revenue: $11.6M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies: 2016.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#6. Axle Logistics
Headquarters: Knoxville, Tennessee
CEO: Jon Clay
Founded: 2012
Industry: Logistics & Transportation
Tagline: Driven to Simplify Your World.
Headcount: 43 employees
Revenue: $17.3M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#7. Benchmark Realty
Headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: Phillip Cantrell
Founded: 2006
Industry: Real Estate
Tagline: Our Agents Set the Benchmark.
Headcount: 361 employees
Revenue: $42.7M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#8. Bridgestone Americas, Inc
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Gordon Knapp
Founded: 1900
Industry: Automobiles & Tires
Tagline: Tires Are Just the Beginning.
Headcount: 780 employees
Revenue: $93.6M.
Accolades: Top Private Companies in Nashville.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#9. Cirrus Insight
Headquarters: Maryville, Tennessee
CEO: Ryan Huff
Founded: 2011
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: Bring Salesforce to Your Inbox.
Headcount: 79 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#10. Clarion Security
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: Kim Heathcott
Founded: 2010
Industry: Security
Tagline: People. Technology. Security.
Headcount: 378 employees
Revenue: $7.2M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#11. Clayton Homes
Headquarters: Maryville, Tennessee
CEO: Kevin T. Clayton
Founded: 1956
Industry: Real Estate
Tagline: Have it made.
Headcount: 14,677 employees
Revenue: $4.23B
Accolades: America's Best Employers.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#12. Comdata
Headquarters: Brentwood, Tennessee
CEO: Ron Clarke
Founded: 1969
Industry: Financial Services & Technology.
Tagline: Payment Innovation.
Headcount: 1,252 employees
Revenue: $500M.
Accolades: Top Private Companies in Nashville.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#13. Community Health Systems
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Wayne T. Smith
Founded: 1985
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: The Nation's Leading Operatorof General Acute Hospitals.
Headcount: 120,000 employees
Revenue: $18.438B
Accolades: Forbes Global 2000. Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. LinkedIn.
#14. Concept Technology
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: James Fields
Founded: 2003
Industry: Technology
Tagline: Outsource Your IT Department.
Headcount: 57 employees
Revenue: $8.4M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#15. Cracker Barrel
Headquarters: Lebanon, Tennessee
CEO: Sandra B. Cochran
Founded: 1969
Industry: Retail
Tagline: Old Country Store.
Headcount: 73,000 employees
Revenue: $2.91B.
Accolades: Fortune 1000.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#16. Delek US Holdings
Headquarters: Brentwood, Tennessee
CEO: Ezra Uzi Yemin
Founded: 2001
Industry: Energy
Tagline: Unlocking Value. Expanding Opportunity.
Headcount: 1,326 employees
Revenue: $5.414B.
Accolades: Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. LinkedIn.
#17. Dollar General
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Todd Vasos
Founded: 1939
Industry: Retail
Tagline: America's Neighborhood General Store.
Headcount: 121,000 employees
Revenue: $20.369B
Accolades: Forbes Global 2000. Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#18. DSicovery
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Tom Turner
Founded: 1999
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: eDiscovery About People.
Headcount: 65 employees
Revenue: $18.2M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#19. Eastman Chemical
Headquarters: Kingsport, Tennessee
CEO: Mark J. Costa
Founded: 1920
Industry: Manufacturing
Tagline: Innovating with Purpose.
Headcount: 15,000 employees
Revenue: $9.65B
Accolades: Forbes Global 2000. Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#20. Edgenet
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Steve Proctor
Founded: 1990
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: Take control of your product content.
Headcount: 209 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: Comeback Company of the Year.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#21. Emma
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Clint Smith
Founded: 2003
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: Start Winning the Inbox.
Headcount: 230 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: Best Places to Work 2017: Nashville Business Journal.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#22. EnableComp
Headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: Jim Lackey
Founded: 2000
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: It's time to identify and capture every workers' comp dollar.
Headcount: 93 employees
Revenue: $9.8M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#23. Entrada
Headquarters: Brentwood, Tennessee
CEO: Bill Brown
Founded: 2005
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: Physicians, get your groove back.
Headcount: 65 employees
Revenue: $10.3M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#24. FedEx
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: Fred Smith
Founded: 1971
Industry: Logistics & Transportation
Tagline: The World on time.
Headcount: 40,000 employees
Revenue: $50.365B.
Accolades: Fortune 100. Forbes Global 2000.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#25. Foundations Recovery Network
Headquarters: Brentwood, Tennessee
CEO: Rob Waggener
Founded: 1995
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: Creating lifetime relationships for long-term recovery.
Headcount: 451 employees
Revenue: $9.7M.
Accolades: Top Private Companies in Nashville.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#26. Fred's Inc
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: Mike Bloom
Founded: 1947
Industry: Retail
Tagline: Affordable. Beneficial. Convenient.
Headcount: 9,119 employees
Revenue: $2.15B.
Accolades: Fortune 1000.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#27. Genesco
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Robert J. Dennis
Founded: 1924
Industry: Retail
Tagline: American-owned retailer and wholesaler of quality goods.
Headcount: 17,313 employees
Revenue: $2.868B
Accolades: Fortune 1000.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#28. HCA Healthcare
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: R. Milton Johnson
Founded: 1969
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: The Way Healthcare Was Intended.
Headcount: 204,000 employees
Revenue: $41.49B
Accolades: Forbes Global 2000. Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#29. HCTec Partners
Headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: William Bartholomew
Founded: 2010
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: Healthcare Workforce Solutions Delivered.
Headcount: 819 employees
Revenue: $114.5M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#30. INOVA Payroll
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Farsheed Ferdowsi
Founded: 2011
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: The Smart Way to Pay.
Headcount: 80 employees
Revenue: $8.1M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#31. International Paper
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: Mark Sutton
Founded: 1898
Industry: Pulp and Paper
Tagline: Creating Value for Generations to Come.
Headcount: 55,000 employees
Revenue: $23.617B
Accolades: Forbes Global 2000. Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#32. Latitude 36
Headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: Jason Pyle
Founded: 2000
Industry: Staffing
Tagline: IT Staffing That's Ready Before You Are.
Headcount: 162 employees
Revenue: $52M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#33. LifePoint Health
Headquarters: Brentwood, Tennessee
CEO: William F. Carpenter III
Founded: 1999
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: Making Communities Healthier.
Headcount: 46,000 employees
Revenue: $6B.
Accolades: Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#34. LogicForce
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Phillip Hampton
Founded: 1995
Industry: Technology
Tagline: Legal. Technology. Results.
Headcount: 34 employees
Revenue: $6.5M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#35. Metova
Headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: John Adams
Founded: 2006
Industry: Technology
Tagline: World Class Mobile Application Development.
Headcount: 199 employees
Revenue: $10.2M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#36. Peak Health Solutions
Headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee
CEO: John Morris
Founded: 2004
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: Affordable. Beneficial. Convenient.
Headcount: 525 employees
Revenue: $27.7M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#37. Pilot Flying J
Headquarters: Knoxville, Tennessee
CEO: Jimmy Haslam
Founded: 1983
Industry: Logistics & Transportation
Tagline: Fuel, Food and Friendly Service at Every Stop.
Headcount: 4,538 employees
Revenue: $22.9B
Accolades: Forbes Largest Private Companies.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#38. Regal Entertainment Group
Headquarters: Knoxville, Tennessee
CEO: Amy Miles
Founded: 1989
Industry: Entertainment
Tagline: Raising the Bar.
Headcount: 4,224 employees
Revenue: $3.197B
Accolades: Fortune 1000.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#39. Reliance Partners
Headquarters: Chattanooga, Tennessee
CEO: Chad Eichelberger
Founded: 2009
Industry: Insurance
Tagline: A New Generation of Insurance Professionals.
Headcount: 69 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: Top 50 Workplaces 2017. Top 10 Fastest-Growing Insurance Companies.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#40. Relode
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Matthew Tant
Founded: 2014
Industry: Staffing
Tagline: A referral community that connects the best healthcare professionals to the best jobs.
Headcount: 50 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: Top 15 HR & Recruiting Tools.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#41. Scripps Networks Interactive
Headquarters: Knoxville, Tennessee
CEO: Kenneth W. Lowe
Founded: 2008
Industry: Media
Tagline: The leading developer of engaging lifestyle content for home, food and travel.
Headcount: 3,600 employees
Revenue: $3.4B.
Accolades: Fortune 1000. Forbes Global 2000.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#42. ServiceMaster
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: Nik Varty
Founded: 1947
Industry: Service
Tagline: Delivering world-class residential and commercial services.
Headcount: 13,000 employees
Revenue: $2.15B.
Accolades: Fortune 1000. Fortune Most Admired Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#43. Skuid
Headquarters: Chattanooga, Tennessee
CEO: Ken McElrath
Founded: 2013
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: Accelerate Sales. By Design.
Headcount: 183 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: Best Company Culture 2017.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#44. T-Star Luxury Ground Transportation
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: Donell Todd
Founded: 2008
Industry: Logistics & Transportation
Tagline: Excellence in Service.
Headcount: 30 employees
Revenue: $2.1M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. LinkedIn.
#45. TargetRecruit
Headquarters: Brentwood, Tennessee
CEO: Reena Gupta
Founded: 2008
Industry: Software-as-a-Service
Tagline: Simplify Your Hiring.
Headcount: 87 employees
Revenue: $3M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#46. Team Health
Headquarters: Knoxville, Tennessee
CEO: Leif M. Murphy
Founded: 1979
Industry: Healthcare
Tagline: Practice Made Perfect.
Headcount: 20,000 employees
Revenue: $7.35B.
Accolades: Fortune 1000.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#47. TEVET
Headquarters: Greeneville, Tennessee
CEO: Tracy Solomon
Founded: 2004
Industry: AeroSpace.
Tagline: Your Veteran Source.
Headcount: 33 employees
Revenue: $137.4M.
Accolades: Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Company.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#48. Top RX
Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
CEO: Scott Franklin
Founded: 1987
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Tagline: The Leading Supplier of Generic Pharmaceuticals.
Headcount: 114 employees
Revenue: N/A
Accolades: Top Companies to Work For: Memphis Business Journal.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
#49. Tractor Supply
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
CEO: Gregory A. Sandfort
Founded: 1938
Industry: Retail
Tagline: The Stuff You Need Out Here.
Headcount: 26,000 employees
Revenue: $6.8B.
Accolades: Fortune 500. Forbes Global 2000.
Learn More: Website. LinkedIn.
#50. Unum
Headquarters: Chattanooga, Tennessee
CEO: Rick McKenney
Founded: 1999
Industry: Employee Benefits
Tagline: Financial Protection for What Matters Most.
Headcount: 9,400 employees
Revenue: $11.047B
Accolades: Forbes Global 2000. America's Best Employers. Fortune 500.
Learn More: Website. Twitter. LinkedIn.
Join the Tennessee Chapter of AA-ISP
If you're a B2B sales leader or professional who is looking to network and learn from Tennessee's best-and-brightest sales minds, join AA-ISP Tennessee or become part of our LinkedIn Group to find out about our ongoing meetups and networking events in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga. Email jeremy.boudinet@ambition.com to learn more about getting involved with the chapter.
Ambition: The Agile Sales Management Platform
Harvard Business Review and AA-ISP (the Global Inside Sales Organization). See why Tennessee companies like Clayton Homes, Reliance Partners, Service Source and more use Ambition to enhance sales KPI clarity and drive their teams using real-time scorecards, dashboards, alerts, contests, and TV leaderboards.
Contact us to schedule a demo of Ambition for your sales force today.
