Patricia Ann Carter Bible has been solo at the helm of KaTom Restaurant Supply since 2001, and has led the company to becoming one of the fastest-growing in America and one of the largest in its industry. It was her dream that KaTom become what it is today, and it was her motivation and determination that got it there.

She and her husband, Tim, planted the roots of what would become KaTom in their home garage back in the early 1980s. The resulting business outgrew that garage and moved into a small warehouse in Russellville, Tenn., within three years. In the two decades following, the staff grew from two to more than 50, the number of products in stock grew from a couple dozen, and KaTom and sister company B&B Equipment & Supplies went from a mom-and-pop operation to one of the largest distributors in the industry.

Under Patricia’s leadership since Tim’s unexpected passing in 2001, KaTom has grown from $4 million in annual sales to many times that. Multiple appearances on Inc.’s list of America’s fastest-growing companies earned it a place on the business publication’s honor roll as it climbed Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine’s list of the top restaurant equipment.