From Vision To Victory | East Tennessee Small Business

With a vision to establish an engineering design and
manufacturing company focused on aerospace and
military parts to serve the Southeast, Jeff Bohanan
started Protomet Corporation in 1997.

Faced with the challenges of securing traditional startup
financing, Protomet, based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
turned to bootstrapping its operations.

In 2000, Protomet connected with Pathway Lending for
additional capital. The infusion of capital for new
equipment proved pivotal, enabling Protomet to prioritize
cutting-edge machinery over used alternatives, ensuring
operational efficiency and setting the stage for sustained
expansion, free from the constraints of maintaining
outdated equipment.

Over the span of 15 years, Protomet leveraged Pathway’s
support to acquire additional equipment and commercial
real estate, experiencing a twentyfold increase in growth.
Today, Protomet is more stable than ever, empowered to
make strategic decisions, and is equipped with mature
banking relationships for continued growth.
Protomet’s commitment to growth extends to
community impact too, notably recently fulfilling its
pledge to generate 200 new jobs over 5 years in Loudon,
Tennessee, after expanding into its second location in
2018.

In 2024, Protomet announced the creation of its fourth
engineering and manufacturing facility in East Tennessee,
which will create 250 new jobs.