KaTom on List of Fastest Growing Private Companies for 10th Year

KaTom Restaurant Supply, a family-owned business run by Patricia Bible and based in Kodak, earned a place on Inc. 5000’s list of fastest growing private companies in America for the 10th consecutive year.

In the 13 years the list has been compiled, fewer than 150 companies earned the honor 10 years in a row. That means fewer than 150 of 65,000 firms named to the list have managed that accomplishment. And among those few, KaTom is the only restaurant supply firm.

“Essentially we have made significant growth a part of our culture,” Bible says. “The demands that go with that are also significant. To manage such growth, it means we are not just always pushing to get more customers, but that every part of our operation must constantly grow, says Bible. “We will always need more warehouse space, more seats in our call center, more space for our finance department, more office supplies. Every single aspect of our operation must be constantly managing the daily demands, and planning for even more,” she concluded.

A look inside the KaTom Restaurant Supply Distribution Center in Kodak, Tenn.

Bible started the company with her husband Tim. When he died in 2001, the company was still small, with $4.5 million in sales and 18 employees. Last year, sales exceeded $127 million spurred by a team of 161 employees. Tim was among the first to realize that online business would be significant, so the firm was an early adopter of online transactions, which now account for more than 40 percent of all sales.

KaTom is named for the couple’s son and daughter, who were children when the firm was founded, but now help Patricia run the business day to day. KaTom, is drawn from Kathryne and from Thomas, the middle names of children Paula and Charley. Today Paula Bible Chesworth is the Vice President of eCommerce and Charley Bible is the Vice President of Operations.

“They have great vision for the future,” Bible says. “Between the two of them, they have the best of both Tim and me, and I believe they will keep KaTom growing for many years.”