Miller & Martin Chairman Scott Parrish Quoted in CityScope Magazine's Regional Expansion Article
March 26, 2024
Miller & Martin's Chairman Scott Parrish was quoted among other Chattanooga-area business executives in CityScope Magazine's Annual Business Issue about what it takes to bring a successful brand into a new market when expanding regionally. In the article "Regional Reach," Parrish shares insights regarding the historic business expansion efforts of the 157-year-old law firm he leads, as well as his thoughts on the most challenging aspects of expanding into a new market and advice he'd offer to business owners considering a regional business expansion.
Excerpts from Parrish's responses in CityScope include:
Was expanding beyond Chattanooga always a part of your business plan?
Our firm started over 150 years ago, so I’m not sure what plans for expansion were considered back then. However, our first serious foray outside of Chattanooga dealt with the opening of an office in Atlanta, Georgia in 1998. As our practice and client base expanded over the years, we realized that there were considerable opportunities for us in Atlanta, an area that was (and still is) experiencing tremendous business growth. In the years that followed, we have periodically had Chattanooga attorneys transfer to Atlanta. This helped create a seamlessness between the two offices. Twenty-six years later, our Atlanta office is flourishing.
In your experience, what is the most challenging aspect of expanding into a new market?
One of the most challenging and important aspects is identifying partners in the new market who have similar values to those we have in Chattanooga. When we established our Atlanta office, we were fortunate to find partners who shared those values. These new attorneys were skilled practitioners who had their own business but put client interests above their own. This kind of sacrifice has been the cornerstone of Miller & Martin’s success over the years.
What advice would you give to business owners who would like to expand their company?
Be prepared in advance to address differences in the new markets, whether that is increased competition for clients, different compensation expectations or differences in expected communication styles. Anticipating how to manage those issues could be the difference in being successful or having an office languish.
Read the full article starting on page 54 of CityScope's Annual Business Issue.
