Ted Hopson Enterprises/ Unicoi Flea Market / H&H Autos

With a degree in math from ETSU and a Masters in systems management from the Florida Institute of Technology, Ted Hopson spent his first career in Florida in the world of aerospace technology. He served as Project Director of the US Navy’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluations Center, supervising 1100 people handling ship radar, telemetry, command and control for down range military sites. Retiring in 1993, Hopson returned home to Unicoi and found his next career as a private entrepreneur dealing in antiques and then automobile sales. Today Hopson Enterprises/Unicoi Flea Market/H&H Autos is a varied conglomerate of Hopson’s many business interests. His 8,000 square ft. facility off I-26 near Exit 32 houses Hopson’s vast array of regional antiques, while the surrounding parking lot is home to his wide variety of pre-owned late model automobiles - all for sale. The company provides its own financing. Hopson Enterprises also maintains a significant number of rental properties in Unicoi County. Sons Todd (a West Point graduate, pilot and electrical engineer) and Tim (with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida) have joined their father in the management of the family business.