IDB awards $10,000 small‑business grant to Mountain Outfitters
May 05, 2026 | Chattanooga City, Hamilton County, Tennessee
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The Industrial Development Board authorized a $10,000 small‑business incentive grant to APHB Outfitters LLC, operating as Mountain Outfitters, to support the company’s new retail location in Chattanooga’s Foundry/South Side area.
Emily Porter, loan officer with the Southeast Tennessee Development District, presented the grant packet and introduced owners Hayes and Ann Burnett. Ann Burnett told the board the business employs about 30 people ‘‘and the vast majority of those are from Chattanooga,’’ and said the grant will help the owners expand local investment and their small‑business footprint.
The owners described restoring a historic building and reopening a 20,000‑square‑foot section of the structure; they said the store officially opened May 2. Board members asked whether the site falls inside the Stadium TIF district; the owners said they believed it is within about a quarter mile of the stadium and that it likely qualifies for TIF‑area considerations.
A motion and second were moved and the board approved the grant by voice vote. Sharita Allen, senior adviser for economic and workforce development for the City of Chattanooga, said the small‑business incentive program recognizes businesses that create jobs and that the grant is not discretionary but follows program eligibility and documentation procedures funded through city council and implemented by the IDB.
Board members expressed support for the project as part of broader South Side revitalization and asked staff to continue reporting on TIF and program paperwork as needed.
Emily Porter, loan officer with the Southeast Tennessee Development District, presented the grant packet and introduced owners Hayes and Ann Burnett. Ann Burnett told the board the business employs about 30 people ‘‘and the vast majority of those are from Chattanooga,’’ and said the grant will help the owners expand local investment and their small‑business footprint.
The owners described restoring a historic building and reopening a 20,000‑square‑foot section of the structure; they said the store officially opened May 2. Board members asked whether the site falls inside the Stadium TIF district; the owners said they believed it is within about a quarter mile of the stadium and that it likely qualifies for TIF‑area considerations.
A motion and second were moved and the board approved the grant by voice vote. Sharita Allen, senior adviser for economic and workforce development for the City of Chattanooga, said the small‑business incentive program recognizes businesses that create jobs and that the grant is not discretionary but follows program eligibility and documentation procedures funded through city council and implemented by the IDB.
Board members expressed support for the project as part of broader South Side revitalization and asked staff to continue reporting on TIF and program paperwork as needed.
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