Sisters in Business is celebrated its first anniversary and the creation of its new website at www.sistersinbusiness.net. The celebration took place February 15 at the Development Resource Center (DRC) at 1250 Market Street.

The celebration began at 11:30 a.m. with "Meet & Greet" networking and a mini-trade show. The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Walter Johnson and Lew Goss, owners of Aquarium Foods, are providing hors d’oeuvres for the festivities.

"Sisters In Business promotes women-owned, minority, and small businesses, and helps them succeed by offering affordable and easy online and live business solutions that help strengthen market position and provide a competitive edge," according to founder and president Tekelia Kelly.

"The official website name change from sisters-in-business.com to sistersinbusiness.net has resulted in greater internet marketing results and yielded high listings in most search engines," Kelly says. "This means greater visibility and searchability for network businesses."

Now having developed alliances with other women networking groups in the USA and the United Kingdom, the company is well on its way to bringing into fruition its vision of connecting women in business and their communities worldwide, according to Kelly.

"Chattanooga is a top-rated city known for its wonderful attractions and quality of life," she says. "Customer-wise, we want to be a virtual gateway to beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the USA. Business-wise we want to be a ‘connecting flight’ between the USA and other ‘women in business’ communities world-wide."

For more in information about the February 15 event or to advertise at the event, please call Kelly at 423.421.5646 or email sisters@sistersinbusiness.net.

Northwest Georgia Bank brings neighborhood banking to the Hixson neighborhood.

Northwest Georgia Bank and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a grand opening/ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Feb. 28 for the Bank’s new office at 1959 Northpoint Boulevard near Northgate Mall off Hixson Pike.

"Customers who live, work, eat, or shop in the Hixson area can look forward to this new facility to serve their banking and investment needs," said Scott Smith, President. "It’s a natural fit for us."

Opening with a staff of approximately 15, the 5,000-square-foot facility will boast the same amenities for customers, including full-service banking, investments by Raymond James Financial, mortgages, Internet access, free gourmet coffee, and LCD screens inside the contemporary lobby.

This is the second of several new branches planned for the Chattanooga area based on this design, Smith said. The Bank will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its Ooltewah office at 9206 Lee Highway (in the Wal-Mart parking lot) on April 17 at noon. Other branches are in the works for Highway 58, Rock Spring, and possibly downtown Chattanooga.

"The bank has stayed true to its mission to serve the community, helping people buy homes, finance businesses and farms, and educate their children for more than a century," Smith said. "As a result, our once little country bank has grown, becoming the Chattanooga area’s oldest and largest community bank. This is one more step to enhance our reputation for service, and we are confident our customers will be pleased with the results."

"What’s happened in the last 100 years is just the beginning of laying a foundation to where we’re going this century," Smith said. "We will continue to take measures to hold our communities community sacred, to the point where we never forget where we came from and why we’re open for business and who we serve."

Northwest (est. 1904) surpassed half a billion dollars in assets in 2005 through internal growth, not by merging with other banks. Northwest now ranks in the top 10 percent of banks in Georgia based on assets, while Chairman & CEO L. Wesley Smith serves on the American Bankers Association Board of Directors. He is one of only 23 representing 9,000 banks nationwide. With six branches in Northwest Georgia, one near Hamilton Place Mall, one in Hixson, and three more in the works, Northwest has earned the distinction of being one of the area’s most convenient community banks.