Viatek Expands to Technologically Savvy Chattanooga

Although Walker Cronkite once reported Chattanooga, TN as one of the "dirtiest" cities in America, Chattanooga has regained its reputation as not only an environmentally friendly city, but a technologically savvy city. In a recent report on CBS This Morning, Sheldon Grizzle, the Co-founder of Co.Lab, stated that more start-ups and entrepreneurs are calling Chattanooga their home for one specific reason: high speed internet. Believe it or not, Chattanooga is home to the highest speeds in the Western Hemisphere and is far more advanced than the rest of the country. In fact, in recent years, Chattanooga has developed the blueprint for the future.

So how does Chattanooga deliver such high internet speed? The secret is gig and EPB's fiber optic network. EPB's entire 600 square mile service provides businesses and home-regardless of income or geographic location-access to internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per seconds. Since the gig was launched, entrepreneurs from all over the world have traveled to Chattanooga to test how far it will go including Viatek Consumer Products Group, a company that sought to expand its offices in 2011.

With continued research, Viatek President Lou Lentine decided to open another office in Chattanooga, a city that has been named one of the top place to live for its rich culture, beautiful landscapes, and business opportunities. And those who have lived or visited Chattanooga couldn't agree more. "Chattanooga has a strong sense of community, handsome natural landscapes, civic pride, and the ability to solve problems that are often daunting to bigger cities." (NPR, Morning Edition)

 For the last two years, not only has Viatek expanded its business in Chattanooga, but has become the epicenter for design, development, and distribution. Viatek has hired over 20 employees and plans to hire 20-30 more throughout 2013. Among the available positions, Viatek is looking to fill administrative, warehouse, and assembly positions to aide in their continued growth. This year alone, Viatek President Lou Lentine is planning on opening a larger warehouse to not only develop innovative products but manufacture them here in Chattanooga.