Resurrecting History, One Piece of the PIE at a Time

When Bradley County Schools Superintendent Linda Cash had a vision of combining education and business with an abandoned historical building, it would lead to some raised eyebrows. It would also lead to years of planning, fundraising and eventually, construction, with a desire to keep the industrial look intact and preserve some of the history, yet offer a fresh look and modern amenities.

The 271,000 square foot building has been newly named as the Bradley County Partnership in Industry and Education (PIE) Innovation Center. American Uniform, who manufactured and processed textiles for many years, once operated in this facility. This building recently made its debut as a planned regional educational facility that will address the growing need to better prepare students for postsecondary careers and workforce opportunities. This unprecedented innovative Center is the first of its kind in Tennessee and by having business, industry, secondary/postsecondary educational opportunities, and nonprofit services under one roof, students will be provided with the tools, education and life skills needed to succeed. 

Chattanooga Floor Care was invited to bid with TU Parks Construction and had the honor of collaborating on this one of a kind project, bringing an old concrete slab back to life and giving it a long lasting and maintainable surface, without stealing from the industrial charm, history and beauty that only time can give. This is something Chattanooga Floor Care takes great pride in. 

In CORE, Chattanooga Floor Care installed a 2,000 square foot logo, which was no easy task. The concept included nine different colors of dye in a complex pattern and took an attention to detail and patience that tested even our most seasoned installers. It involved days of laying out patterns, installing dyes and polishing the concrete slab, with an end result that is bar none. The PIE Center houses one of the largest polished concrete dye patterns in the state of Tennessee and provides the perfect amount of shock and awe, just like they had envisioned. 

From a premier industry leader, to an abandoned building and now assisting the next generation, the PIE Center is helping raise up the community of Bradley County, and Chattanooga Floor Care couldn’t be more proud to have had a “piece of the PIE” in resurrecting a part of history for a truly magnificent cause.

Stephanie Brumbaugh