1966

Our Roots

It all began in 1966 right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the creation of what is now known as Republic Parking System. Britton’s grandfather, Jim Berry, began with one employee and grew to the country’s largest, privately held parking company with over 2,800 employees and operations in more than 100 US cities.

He grew his company to include more than 740 parking locations and more than 290,000 parking spaces under management. Over 50 years spent in the parking and service industry gained his firm a reputation for serving clients honestly, eagerly and professionally.

Britton started working for Republic in 2004 and eventually worked his way up to becoming a regional vice president for the company.

Grandpa Jim & Britton

2021

Team image with Mike Plantholt, Britton Stansell, and Eric Summers.

Forming BrightBase

Britton founded BrightBase in 2021 with the purpose of serving Chattanooga and the surrounding region through parking management. Mike and Eric joined soon after to support the mission to serve their clients in a way that would bring value to the relationship, distinguish BrightBase from other firms, and create a positive impact on the community.

2024

Where We Are Now

Although BrightBase began as a parking management company, we have expanded to offer facilities management as well. BrightBase has experienced significant growth over the past few years in other areas as well. Initially, we expected to have between five to ten employees at this time. However, we have surpassed those expectations and currently have over 70 employees and we are rapidly approaching the 100 employee milestone.

Our operating experience has expanded through the last 35 years of the industry and our executive team has over 50 years of combined experience.

BrightBase truck parked on top of a parking garage overlooking the city.

Future

Where We Are Heading

While it's challenging to predict the future with certainty, we aim to top off at around 100 to 110 employees. As we expand, we want to maintain a strong focus on communication and coordination among different parts of the business to ensure smooth operations and client satisfaction. Ultimately, we want to be the trusted provider for all the services we offer in our region and possibly beyond. We want to grow and diversify in a way that's sustainable and beneficial for our customers, our team, and our community. The sky is the limit!