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Business Pulse - Caney Fork Electric announces new building
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Pictured are architect renderings for Caney Fork Electric Cooperative's new building, planned to be completed by the end of 2024.
Seth Wright
Published: Apr 23, 2023, 4:03 AM

Writing Business Pulse is an interesting part of my job. Sometimes it requires some snooping around and bugging people with phone calls and texts. And then sometimes giant news comes right to me.


A powerful

announcement

That was the case recently when Caney Fork Electric Cooperative General Manager Ben Newman called and asked if I'd like a tidbit for Business Pulse. It was quite the tidbit. Caney Fork Electric is getting a new building.

That's right, for the first time since it moved from its downtown offices to its current home on Smithville Highway in 1963, CFEC will be getting a new building. What won't be changing is its location.

As Ben explained to me, "Over the last 60 years, the building has undergone numerous changes to accommodate the needs of the membership and employees. The time has finally come to completely upgrade the current location to better serve the future growth of the cooperative. The significant increase in membership, safety concerns, increasing maintenance costs, advances in technology and energy efficiency are some of the determining factors for deciding to move forward with a new building." 

During its relocation in 1963, CFEC had a membership of 10,369 in its four-county service area. Since then, the cooperative's membership has grown over three-fold to 34,604 residential, commercial and industrial members in its service area which covers portions of nine counties. The McMinnville office functions as the corporate headquarters for all of CFEC so an up-to-date building is of utmost importance to the entire cooperative.

Changes will begin happening at CFEC quickly. Ben told me the McMinnville office will close May 19 and will temporarily move its operations to the former Century and McMinnville Police Department building at 204 Red Rd. The plans are to be completely up and running in the short-term location by May 22.

The design process has been ongoing at CFEC for the last two years and construction is scheduled to start in July with the hopes of completing the project by the end of 2024.

"We have to do a few things with the current building like removing old gas and oil tanks from the ground and doing some environmental work. Then we're demolishing the building and rebuilding on the same property. We're leaving the warehouse and adding on some bays to enclose the trucks. We're adding a covered storage area to the Northeast part of our property. We're also doing a little bit of work inside the warehouse," Ben said.

While this move may pose some challenges for the company in the short-term, the added efficiency, safety and new technologies will serve both staff and customers better in the future. The current building's deterioration created major obstacles and a remodeling could have proven more expensive than a from-the-ground rebuild.

"The building's not really been touched since it was built in 1963 by my grandfather. Wiring is old, lighting is old, plumbing and HVAC are old and worn out. The water and waste lines have deteriorated over time. With these lines being located either within walls or concrete, it presents an expensive issue each time a repair is needed. The current electrical system is also in question. Repairing or replacing wiring is very difficult as the ceiling in most areas is too small or blocked off to run new cables. The current backup generator was originally installed to only cover a few lights and plugs and not all of the electronic equipment within the building. Battery backup and a smaller portable generator are currently used to keep some of our technological support operating during a power outage, but this is not sufficient should our service territory experience a major natural disaster requiring long-term restoration," Ben said.

While CFEC strives to help customers make their homes and businesses more energy efficient, the cooperative's own home had fallen woefully behind, necessitating this rebuild.

Ben added, "A newly constructed building will not only remedy the current hurdles the existing building faces but will also save operational costs and electricity moving into the future. A new facility will allow CFEC to update all operational systems and will help us live up to our mission statement of providing affordable, safe, and reliable electricity for our members for the next 60 years and beyond."

Ben thanks CFEC customers for their patience during this time as the company strives to provide them and the staff with a brighter future. "We hope that you will pardon our progress as we continue to move into the future with our new home office that will last for decades to come," Newman said.

Speaking of

renewals ...

Renewed Creations, located at 213 E. Main St., is under new ownership. Sisters Holly Cherry and Scytha Jean Loader have bought the business and are looking to put their own stamp on the popular downtown store. 

The sisters' involvement with the store began when Holly became a vendor at Renewed Creations in November, selling her Hometown Designs shirts.  The store offers clothing, home decor, antiques, accessories and more. 

"After being here as a vendor, the opportunity to buy it came up in January and, on March 13, we bought the store. I really liked that there is a nice mixture of antique and boutique items here. There's really something for everyone here," Holly said. 

The two sisters are looking to expand that variety even further by adding new product lines. "We now have Dixie Belle paints. It's a chalk paint that we have added since we've taken over. We've also added new vendors. We have two children's boutiques, Dainty Dani's, a plant vendor and a new antique vendor. We're also looking into offering classes in painting, woodworking and plants," Holly said. 

The sisters are Warren County natives and look to continue offering a healthy mix of antique and boutique items while constantly being on the lookout for new things to add to keep the store fresh and to keep customers coming back to see what's new. 

Another change the pair has bought to the business is expanded hours. The store had previously been closed on Mondays but Renewed Creations is now open Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and can be found on Facebook and (931) 743-0927.


Until next time,

same biz time,

same biz page

It's been a good few weeks of business news and I've already got some interesting stuff lined up for next week. 

Keep those tips coming and thanks once again to Ben Lomand Connect for sponsoring the column.
Business Pulse- Nafe now sole owner of Champion
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Cody Weiss, pictured, is one of Champion Chevrolet GMC’s technicians working in the dealership’s service department.
Nikki Childers
Published: Apr 7, 2025, 1:55 AM

Since its arrival nearly seven years ago, Champion Chevrolet GMC has become a staple of Warren County, supporting local community efforts and providing buyers with reliable vehicles and competitive financing.

With decades of experience across every aspect of the car dealership, Alex Nafe has announced he is now the full owner of Champion Chevrolet as of January 1.

“I had a silent partner out of North Alabama who helped me buy the store when we came here, and I bought out his part. The dealership is 100% mine now,” Nafe explained. “This is a really big accomplishment and we’re very proud of that. My 30-year career in the car business has finally culminated into this and I’ve achieved my ultimate goal, which was to completely own a car dealership.”

While ownership has been shifted from the split, he assures prospective and current buyers this will change very little for their experience as he and his team always prioritize taking care of their customers.

“It doesn’t matter if I was running a store for someone else, I’ve always ran them like they were mine,” Nafe said. “Our success depends on Warren County and we will continue to take care of our customers. We’re here for McMinnville, Warren County and even the surrounding counties.”

Champion is the official Chevrolet dealer for Smithville and almost all the way to Dunlap. Its reach with GMC stretches to Sparta and beyond, making it the designated territory by General Motors. Nafe credited Champion’s success with his entire team, including his service department who takes care of customers even after the sale.

“After we sell a vehicle to someone, we don’t just move on to the next one. If there’s a problem, we want to know about it,” Nafe said. “My wife calls them up and asks them how things are going, and our service department has really grown over the last few years. It’s the hardest department to run and grow, but our team is great.”

Just around the corner, Nafe hopes to continue fulfilling the needs of customers and the changing landscape of the automobile world as Champion will soon become a source for electric vehicles.

“To take on the electric vehicles, we had to invest some money into infrastructure for a special lift, a charging station and undergo some training we’re almost done with,” Nafe said. “The EV products from GM are spectacular. The Chevy Silverado EV drives like a dream. They’ve got great technology and its very reminiscent of the Avalanche. They’re fun and responsive, the takeoff is explosive.”

The Silverado and Sierra EVs boast a 440 mile range, meaning a full charge will last for approximately 440 miles before needing a recharge. At the entry level, the Chevrolet Equinox EV will be around $30,000. Other models which will soon see their debut on the lot include GMC Sierra and Hummer.

“Electric vehicles become a lifestyle,” Nafe said. “Customers who own electric vehicles have the highest customer retention of any make or type of vehicle. Once you adopt the lifestyle, you typically don’t go back because there’s a lot of benefits. They’re fun to drive, have a lot of technology and you don’t have to go to the gas station because you install a charger at home. It’s just like your cell phone. The electric infrastructure is growing all the time.”

McMinnville currently has nine electric charging stations and Nafe reports they are becoming more common everywhere. McMinnville Electric System has two level three charging stations at Ascension Saint Thomas River Park Hospital and Champion has installed one next to its service department. Other charging stations reside at Best Western Tree City Inn, Reddick Brown Ford, Rock Island State Park and Isha.

“Google maps helps drivers plan a trip, too. If you set that you never want to go below 40% of your tank, it will tell you where and when to stop,” Nafe explained. “It takes into consideration all sorts of factors, such as going uphill and how that affects your battery use.”

While Nafe and his wife are not native to Warren County, it has quickly become their home they enjoy sharing with out-of-state friends and family when they visit. Since arriving, the Nafes have become members of the First Baptist Church and invested heavily into the community itself.

Family-owned and family-operated, Champion is around to stay. In addition to Alex and wife Amanda, the Nafes’ son, Austen Willard, works as the faculties manager.

“We want to serve our community and we’re really proud of being part of it,” Nafe said. “My wife and I have fallen in love with Warren County, it has a hometown feel and everyone has been so welcoming since we got here. It’s important to Amanda and I that we are involved in the community.”

For years, Champion has supported local sports, the Warren County A&L Fair, Tunnels to Towers and fundraising efforts such as the Great Bodies Car Show which generates resources for Families in Crisis and Paddlefest to benefit Kids of the Community — and many more.

“We sponsor a lot of things and we’re happy to do that because that’s what you do when you’re part of a community,” Nafe said. “The community has blessed us since we’ve gotten here and we want to be a blessing to the community, too.”

Champion Chevrolet has a variety of sales going on at any given time and the latest details can be found on its website, championchevy.com. Flexible financing is available and Nafe and his team are willing to find options for all credit scores. The dealership is located at 1600 Sparta Street and can be reached by phone at (931) 259-4081.