NFIB’s Small Business Champion award honors NFIB members who go the extra mile to help the association promote and protect the right of its members to own, operate and grow their businesses. “Brian Hunt continues to be an outstanding advocate for small, independent businesses in a variety of ways,” Brown said. “He served as chair of the NFIB Tennessee Leadership Council from 2021-22 and has been a voting member of the state Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council the last seven years. He is well regarded among the Hamilton County delegation as an expert on critical small business issues.” “Brian’s leadership and advocacy among the broader business community has led to outstanding results. Case in point, Tennessee’s workers’ comp system has dramatically improved the last 10 years, helping employers with a more predictable, less costly system, while helping injured workers receive their benefits sooner and return to work with more frequency.’ “I am tremendously honored to receive the NFIB Small Business Champion award,” Hunt said. “Southern Champion Tray continues to grow and invest here in Tennessee because our state leadership has made improvements that have benefited our company, enabling us to hire hundreds of new workers. I look forward to more service through NFIB to ensure our concerns are heard and addressed at the state and federal levels.” Founded in 1927, Southern Champion Tray makes a wide range of sustainable, fiber-based packaging for the food and retail industries. The company has been an NFIB member since 1965.