Kruesi Award Hall of Fame
The Kruesi Award is America’s first community innovation award. The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce created the award in 2001 to recognize area businesses that exemplify an innovative spirit. The designation honors a Chattanooga family whose Swiss ancestor, John Kruesi, immigrated to America and worked with the inventor Thomas A. Edison. Kruesi made the first phonograph in 1877 and was the principal mechanic on countless other patented innovations, including the incandescent light bulb. His son Paul Kruesi settled in Chattanooga, founded the American Lava Company in 1902, and served as president of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to announcing the Kruesi Award, the Spirit of Innovation event serves to underscore the importance of innovations large and small, a message that has been underscored by keynote speeches by Roger Staubach of the Staubach Company and NFL football fame; Bill Ford, Jr., of Ford Motor Company; George Buckley, CEO of 3M; Jim Hackett, CEO of Steelcase; and other top leaders. Chattanooga Spirit of Innovation Event Video Portal>>
TR Automation has developed a revolutionary approach to robotic work cell manufacturing, called SuperCell, which allows for greater productivity because the robot or group of robots is working 95 percent or more of the time, 10 percent more than what is considered "very good productivity" for most cells. The innovation reduces floor space, improves quality and allows skilled labor to be used more efficiently.
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eSpin Technologies is the first company in the world to develop a process and fiber spinning machinery for the mass production of nanofibers (polymeric fibers 1,000 times finer than a single human hair). This quantum leap in the technology of synthetic fibers offers new-to-the-world products and delivers superior performance in a wide range of existing products including apparel, energy storage and medical applications.
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SharedHealth has improved access to digitized patient information by creating a database of patient medical records, which can be accessed by authorized medical practitioners over the web. The system has resulted in more accurate diagnoses, better healthcare outcomes and cost savings.
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AquaShield, Inc. manufactures a unique line of patented Stormwater Treatment Solutions from recycled HDPE -- a hydrodynamic separator, an inline stormwater filtration system and a catch basin insert --to effectively treat highly contaminated stormwater runoff and protect environmentally sensitive receiving waters. AquaShield’s stormwater filtration products offer three levels of treatment for impaired water resources, resulting in more effective protection of our waterways.
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American Mammographics developed the S.O.F. T. Paddle, a screening tool that is curved and slopes downward to conform to the natural contours of the breast. The tool improves imaging accuracy, increases breast cancer detection rates, lowers exposure to radiation and increases patient comfort at no additional cost to the patient.
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U.S. Xpress received the Kruesi Award for bringing the trucking industry into the electronic age. U.S. Xpress has used the aggressive adoption of technology as a key component of its competitive strategy, including the adoption of satellite-based e-mail connections with all trucks, electronic data interchange with customers and vendors, e-commerce tracking of trucks and goods shipped and anti-collision radar technology.
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Tandus developed the first and only full-scale closed loop reclamation and recycling system for floorcoverings. Through new technology and patented manufacturing processes, the company is able to recycle used carpet into new products and assure customers that no portion of their used carpet will ever go to a landfill.
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