Businesses in Oak Ridge, TN, Enjoy Stellar Support in Region

Jeff Adkins

New mom Kelley Rubish took a job at a strength-training gym 20 years ago. She liked it enough that, in the years following, she started her own business in Oak Ridge, TN, teaching others how to develop their strength and fitness. Now, she is helping hundreds in the Oak Ridge community stay in shape. 

“I started out working at a gym and just fell in love with it,” says Rubish, who now operates Koa Strength and Fitness with her husband, Pete Rubish. 

The fact that her husband is an accomplished power lifter may have helped spark her interest, but it also links back to the family Kelley Rubish grew up in. “My whole family has worked for themselves,” she says. “My great-grandparents owned mom-and-pop convenience stores, and I just kind of grew up in them.” 

She operates Koa Strength and Fitness at 697 Emory Valley Road, not far from Roane State Community College. Offerings include on-site classes, personal online training and full-body strength training. “Mostly we do group strength training and cardio-type training,” says Rubish, who also is a bodybuilder. 

Jeff Adkins

However, the lessons are not limited to the young. 

“In our gym, you will see 50- and 60-year-old women lifting side by side with 20-year-olds,” she says. “It’s inspiring to see them do things they didn’t think they would be able to do. Their lives change. Not because they’ve become power lifters, but because now they can carry more groceries or put their grandchildren on their shoulders.” 

She says she is motivated partly by the health crisis of Americans, who are growing increasingly overweight. Her community of exercisers support one another. “Among our group, if someone tries to fall off the wagon, we let them know we want them back,” she says. 

The community shows up for the business in other ways, too, like partnering with nearby Calamity’s Coffee, which Rubish says “is a really cool thing.” Now, there is a Koa-branded coffee served to customers in the Jackson Square coffee shop as well as to the fitness buffs at Koa. 

The Rubish family also has plans to expand their programs soon at a new site in Oliver Springs. 

Decades of Success in Oak Ridge 

A lot has changed in Oak Ridge since 1978, but a few things have remained constant. That includes the services of a well-known hometown jeweler named Terry Wheeler. 

Wheeler was still new to the job market, working in the electronics field, when he became interested in founding his own business. 

“I came to Oak Ridge in 1976 to start an electronics store for another investor,” he said. “It went well, so after I left that, I decided to start my own business.” 

Recognizing a market gap for high-end jewelry and fueled by his passion for design, he established TK Wheeler Jewelers. Wheeler says the store has remained successful throughout the decades because he is focused on providing both customer value and optimal service. 

“My goal has always been to provide high quality at a better price,” he says. “We even operate on smaller margins to lower costs and do more volume.” 

Established in the community for over four decades, TK Wheeler Jewelers has gained the trust of generations, helped families choose engagement rings and celebrated many special occasions. 

The region’s growing population and its site as headquarters for Oak Ridge National Laboratory have made it a popular relocation destination, and many residents – new and old – value jewelry for its beauty and investment, says Wheeler, who describes his customer base as “intellectual.” 

Wheeler and his staff also repair watches, restyle estate jewelry, design custom jewelry and conduct appraisals. And their products and services are backed by an unconditional guarantee. 

“People still want quality, and the people that can buy jewelry will buy it, at different levels,” he says. “We pretty much do it all. There seems to be plenty of business out here.” 

Shoppers can visit TK Wheeler Jewelers in Oak Ridge at 422 S. Illinois Ave.