West’s Death Leaves Lasting Impression
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
West’s Death Leaves Lasting Impression
By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]
With the passing of Larry West last week, Scott County lost one of its most recognizable and influential businesses leaders, whose vision and determination left a lasting imprint across the area. The Huntsville resident, 79, died peacefully at his home on March 8, 2026.
Born January 19, 1947, to Harold and Ida Bell Coffey West, West devoted much of his life to education, community service, and creating opportunities for others. After graduating from college, he began a career as a teacher in the Scott County School System and later at the Tennessee Technology Center, but his greatest legacy, for which he will be best remembered, would come through a bold idea rooted in his famed vision and the compassion he showed for others.
As the former manager of the Scott County Vocational Rehabilitation Board, West was quick to recognize a need for services and employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. In 1984, he founded Scott Appalachian Industries (SAI) with just two staff members and a modest budget of $42,000. At its start, the organization provided habilitation services to seven local citizens, but it became the roots for one of the county’s best-loved enterprises.
From those humble beginnings, the company grew to be one of the county’s largest employers and increasingly became a cornerstone among local businesses, providing jobs, on-going services, and human dignity to hundreds of individuals and families; a legacy that will long outlive him.
In 1997, he founded Housing Opportunities and People Enterprises (HOPE) and later helped develop an alternative fuel station using compressed natural gas. He was also deeply committed to youth development, helping start local Junior Pro leagues and coaching several AAU teams.
Recently named “Person of the Year” by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce, West’s lifelong ambition was simple but profound – make life better for the people around him. His work ensured that many in this community were not overlooked, but empowered. A full obituary will appear on page 5A.
