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Wlaf1450By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Tonya Robinson (above) owner of Robin’s Nest Market and Antiques guest spoke at Tuesday’s Campbell County Rotary Club Luncheon held at the LaFollette Methodist Church.
Robins’ Nest Antiques is the current Campbell County Chamber Veteran Owned Business of the Year and the Chamber’s Business of the Month for August, according to Chamber of Commerce Director Missy Tackett who introduced Robinson on Tuesday.
“They also focus on supporting the community and said they couldn’t have been put in a better place and love Campbell County,” Tackett said.
Robin’s Nest is a conglomerate of local vendors setting up shop in the market with “a vast array of many different goodies such as home decor, vintage, antiques, baked goods, and many lovely items.” Shopping at the Robins Nest supports local vendors and artisans!
The business is owned by Tonya and her husband Rob Robinson; both are U.S. Air Force Veterans and Tonya is a Gulf War Veteran. She runs the daily operations of the business.
They are also Christian ministry workers in the field of disaster relief which has kept them busy deploying to disaster sites the past couple of years serving during tornados and hurricane clean ups.
Robinson, who is from Alabama, served in the Persian Gulf. She retired from DHS in Pennsylvania in 2021 and she and her husband moved to Tennessee in 2022.
Robinson spoke about why small businesses are important in communities.
“I believe the greatest small businesses become much more than a place to shop; they become part of the heart of their community,” Robinson said.
She said she and her husband have used their “business up the valley to support the community and bring people together.”
One cause that is specifically close to her heart is supporting area veterans.
“Having served myself, I understand the sacrifices that military members and their families make. I know there are veterans who need encouragement and connection and sometimes simply the reassurance to know that they have not been forgotten,” Robinson said.
Her business also supports the Campbell County Animal Shelter by taking donations of items from people that are then sold and the funds donated to the shelter.
One of her favorite things she loves to do at the business is host community events such as outdoor markets and teas. On September 12, Robins Nest will have an outdoor vendor market.
“We are trying to gather nonprofits, businesses and individuals to come together…Something special happens when people come together… When local businesses support one another, communities become stronger,” Robinson said.
She encouraged others to support small businesses and local nonprofit organizations in the community.
“The best asset we have is the community. As business owners, we have a platform to reach people. We can choose to use that platform simply to make a living or we can use it to make a difference. Because when businesses invest in people, communities flourish and every one of us succeeds.”
Robins Nest is located at 5782 Gen. Carl W. Stiner Hwy, La Follette, near the Claiborne County line in the former John D. Suttles building. You can also check them out on Facebook. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/05/2026-6AM)