Business Magazine May-June 2017

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Business MEET THE NEW CHAIRWOMAN Jenny Savelle CELEBRATE Small Business Week May 1-5 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

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ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

BUSI NE S S

06 Comments from the Chairwoman

Jenny Savelle discusses the role of small

PRESIDENT & CEO, EDITOR Bárbara Rivera Holmes

07 A Message from the Chamber President

Bárbara Rivera Holmes shares how the

CHAIR Jenny Savelle VICE CHAIR Tammy McCrary PRINTING US Business Products

AD SALES Mary Bickerstaff

U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation Date of Filing: 9/29/08

Chamber is strengthening the community and recognizing businesses.

10

Proven Leaders of Small Businesses in Albany

13

MARKETING AGENCY MADlab Marketing

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Business Magazine, 225 W. Broad Avenue, Albany, Georgia, 31701. For more information about this publication or advertising rates, call (229) 434-8700. This publication is produced by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without expressed written consent of the publisher is prohibited. All claims, materials, and photos furnished or used are, to the publisher’s knowledge, true and correct. Hence liability cannot be assumed by the publisher for errors or by the publisher for errors or omissions. Advertisements and editorial information published in this publication is subject to the unrestricted right to edit of, and by, our editor/publisher.

PHOTOGRAPHY Todd Stone

Business (U.S.P.S. 886-680) is published by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, 225 W. Broad Avenue, Albany, Georgia 31701. Subscription rate of $50 is included in membership investment. Periodicals postage paid at Albany, Georgia.

businesses in our community.

Springtime is always breathtaking in South Georgia, and despite the challenges we have faced with storm damage, this year was no exception. Neighborhoods are rebuilding, trees are growing and flowers are in bloom. Step outside and enjoy all Albany has to offer.

Even among the giants of industry, these small business owners are proving they’re still the backbone of Albany.

Small Business Week

Celebrate small businesses with a week of events and development opportunities.

16

Looking Back: Small Business of the Year Winners

Previous award winners reflect on how the award positively impacted their businesses.

18

Highlights

Recent Chamber events and activities.

22 Snickers Marathon

A recap of this year’s event and how it has grown since 2007

26 Meet the New Chairwoman

27

ON THE COVER: Jenny Savelle, 2017 Albany Area Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman.

Photo by Todd Stone.

AlbanyGA.com

Business owner Jenny Savelle takes on the role of 2017 Chamber Chair

2017 Chamber Board Members

Meet this year’s Executive Committee and Board Members

28 2016 Annual Report:

Chamber, Convention & Visitors Bureau and Strive2Thrive recap 2016

COMMENTS

MESSAGE

FROM THE 2017 CHAIRWOMAN

FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

Henry Ford said it best, “Coming together is the beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.”

All around the Albany Area, we see people, businesses and organizations committed to making this community better, stronger.

Ed Newsome, the 2016 chairman of the board, continued to build on the successes of the Chamber and hired Bárbara Rivera Holmes as our president and CEO. Despite a challenging start to the year due to the storms, I see businesses, governmental agencies, industries, schools and faith communities continuing to work together with a contagious energy that could only come from a collective desire for a better Albany. With this momentum all around us, I am excited and committed to bringing value, effectiveness and relevancy to the business community and working with our strategic partners to build a stronger region. I ask you, as a community stakeholder, for your engagement, participation and enthusiasm.

Not a day goes by that stories aren’t shared of people doing good things, of businesses committed to excellence, of governmental leaders finding strategic solutions to challenges, of agencies partnering to drive resources to employers and people.

Small business plays a vital role in this effort to build our community. The Chamber will take the lead in celebrating and appreciating our small businesses during Small Business Week in May by participating in a city-county proclamation; facilitating a roundtable for women business owners and executives; holding a Lunch and Learn and Webinar for small businesses to stay competitive; and hosting the Celebrate Small Business Reception, during which the Small Business of the Year will be announced. Come celebrate our small businesses and be a part of this exciting time for Albany.

-JENNY SAVELLE

All of these elements and more foster a climate that facilitates economic growth, and they are all in play in Albany-Dougherty County and the Albany Area.

Part of our responsibility as a business advocacy organization is to highlight the work that goes on, sometimes quietly, to strengthen our community. That can be achieved in a variety of ways and through a variety of mediums.

One opportunity we take to bring focus to excellence is by recognizing businesses that are finding creative ways to give back, to deliver outstanding customer service, to drive innovation and excitement, to fill market needs. This year we’ll celebrate Small Business Week May 1-5 with a line-up of events and programs designed to encourage discussion and idea generation among our businesses; to empower women business owners who are leading the way; to recognize spectacular small businesses; and to refine how businesses present themselves to the world.

In Georgia, 78 percent of all businesses have fewer than 10 employees, and 95 percent of businesses have fewer than 50 employees. Join us in May as we celebrate the successful small businesses that support and contribute to Albany’s diversified economy.

Love Theater

Build a Robot

Make Lifelong Friends

Register at www.deerfieldwindsor.com 229.435.1301

The community has been swiftly rebuilding following the devastating storms of January. Just how far have we come, what are the priorities and where are we going? On June 7, we’ll bring you "After the Storms: Commerce and Community," during which our governmental partners will discuss the state of the community and during which storm-impacted businesses will share how they’re rethinking, retooling and reinvesting in ways that drive innovation, efficiency and a competitive edge.

If you look all around, you’ll see that good things are happening.

- BÁRBARA RIVERA HOLMES

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Small Business

PROV EN

The Modern Gas Co. that Holloway co-owns was started by his father in 1954, and while Glow’s Ivey’s Outdoor & Farm Supply business has been in his family for 20 years, that company got its start in 1952.

L EA D E RS

“When my dad moved up to Albany from Vero Beach, Fla., in 1954, he started Modern Gas,” Holloway said. “We were in downtown (Albany) for a long time, until we were about the last man standing, but we’ve been able to bring all of our products that we had scattered about into one location at our Lee County store (1335 U.S. Hwy. 82 West).

O F A L BA N Y B U S I N E SS

“There’s something to continuity in a business, something that creates a bond between customers and the business itself.

Even among the giants of industry, small business is still the backbone of Albany.

We’ve found that at Modern Gas as we’ve diversified our product line to keep up with the changing needs of our customers,” Holloway said. “Those old days of just space heaters is a thing of the past. We talked about possibly selling the business in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but this business - and this community - has been good to us. This is our home.”

D

epending on the frequency of change and the level of instability, a community with a particularly transient business community is a community always on the brink of peril.

With minimum stability among the agents of commerce, consumers’ spending habits become sporadic, unreliable, and the possibility of maintaining a well-trained work force is all but futile.

The largest employers in Albany and Southwest Georgia have, year after year and decade after decade, exhibited the kind of stability that not only drives the region’s economic engine, they provide the kind of security that keeps the region’s hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses that are the backbone of their communities entrenched as well.

Albany and Southwest Georgia justifiably celebrate the significant anniversaries of some of its major manufacturers and installations — 64 years at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, 52 years at Mars Chocolate North America, 37 years at MillerCoors, 44 years at Procter & Gamble — and gratefully acknowledge the positive impact their presence has on our economy. Certainly, Albany and all of Southwest Georgia owe much to these titans of industry.

But equally as vital to the region’s economic stability are the smaller business establishments, many of them of the mom-andpop variety, that have endured without the benefit of corporate support. These are the friends and neighbors who have, through their own hard work and resources, ridden out often crippling economic upheavals that have forced many of their contemporaries to close up shop. And they’ve devised business plans that have provided the necessities and filled wish lists that 10 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

Modern Gas

MARK HOLLOWAY, CO-OWNER Located at 1335 U.S. Hwy. 82 West, Modern Gas carries a diverse line of products from gas grills, to hot tubs, to outdoor furniture. have helped establish a quality of life that helps keep the work force of the major manufacturers entrenched and ensures that the wheels of commerce keep turning.

Albany Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Board Chairman Ed Newsome understands the importance of these smaller, often familyowned, businesses more so than perhaps anyone else. He has, after all, been owner/operator of one of the region’s longest continuously operating family-owned businesses, a father-to-son dynasty that got its start in 1949.

“In Albany, Georgia, the longevity and continuity of small, familyowned businesses is monumental,” said Newsome, the owner of Albany Air Conditioning & Heating Co. “Yes, we have some of the big boys here, but what we have in Albany runs on grits and taters.

Every business — P&G, MillerCoors, MCLB and Mars — is vital and it AlbanyGA.com

ivey's outdoor & farm supply LARRY GLOW, OWNER

Located at 108 N. Westover Blvd., Ivey’s sells everything from farm and garden supplies to distinct clothing lines. takes them all, but if you look at the statistics, about 90 percent of the businesses in Albany have less than 10 employees.

“If you look at the businesses like ours, the ones that have been around for years and years, you see one thing that’s common to all of them: They do what’s right,” he said. “They treat their customers right. Because if they screw up, they’ve got a problem. You can build a reputation over generations, and then screw the whole thing up in a matter of five minutes. Customer service is the bond of the small business, and that’s always there in the back of your mind.”

That quality of service that Newsome mentions is always on the mind of business owners such as Mark Holloway and Larry Glow.

May | June 2017

The uniqueness of Ivey’s - which sells everything from farm and garden supplies, livestock feed and some very distinct outdoor clothing lines as part of its inventory - has been vital to the retailers’ longevity, according to Glow.

“We have customers for pretty much all times during the year,” the businessman said. “Where the farming business might be seasonal, there’s always the feed business and the clothing lines.

That variety leaves us with something of a Catch-22. We have to stay up on a number of products, but that also keeps us from having a really down month. You also have to look at where we’re located. We sell to farmers, large landowners and plantations, and we’re located right here in the heart of all that.

“Of course, none of that would even matter if we didn’t take care of our customers. And I mean really go out of the way to do any and everything we can to make sure they’re satisfied. Of course, [the bigger retailers] say they’re ‘taking care of our customers’ just because they put someone at the door to say hello when folks come in. We have to do the things that all successful small businesses do: We have to show our customers that we are there to serve them.”

Glenn Singfield has owned Artesian Contracting Co. since 1999, and he said he’s built his successful business by not compromising and not settling.

“It is never enough to have someone base the quality of your continued on page 10

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Small Business ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

work on the color of your skin,” Singfield said. “When I finish a job, I don’t want to hear anyone say it was built by a ‘black contractor.’ I want them to say it was built by a ‘capable contractor.’

CELEBRATES

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

The builder said he’s found that level of satisfaction in Albany and has never considered seeking greener pastures.

APRIL 28 | City and Council Proclamation MAY 1 | Star Business of the Week MAY 2 | Small Business Celebration

A carnival-themed event at Chehaw Education Center from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. $35 per person, $325 Table of 10

MAY 3 | Women in Business Roundtable Luncheon

Albany Welcome Center from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.; $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers. Includes lunch. A panel of women who own and/or manage a local business share what makes their business successful. Panel includes:

Callie Walker Hughey & Neuman, Inc.

NOMINEES

229Yoga | Araamda Inn | Custom Interiors Country Financial | Troy University Albany Pool Brothers Cabinets + Lighting + Flooring Southern Point Staffing | Shutters Plus Gieryic’s Automotive Repair

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION ON MAY 2ND

PRINCE OF ALBANY

Judy Randle Central Monitoring

Katie Gatewood Hughey & Neuman, Inc.

Charlene Glover Trumpet of God Ministries and Training Center and Healthy Living Farms

LaKisha Bryant Bruce United Way

MAY 4 | Lunch and Learn: "Branding for Small Business"

Albany Area Chamber of Commerce from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Free to members and $10 for nonmembers. Includes lunch. Presenters:

MANPOWER 1648 Whittlesey Rd. Ste. 100 Columbus, GA | 229-883-2428 manpower.com CLIMATE CONTROL 178 Creekside Dr. | Leesburg, GA climatecontrolllc.biz | 229-435-1151

John Tomlinson Tomlinson Marketing Group

Members will recieve an email with a link to the webinar.

It will be available to view the entire day.

For more information on these events or to register, visit us online at AlbanyGa.com or call 434-8700.

AlbanyGA.com

RISK MITIGATION CONSULTING, INC. 3895 Sand Dune Ct. | Destin, FL riskmitigationconsulting.com 615-306-9610 JR’S LOVING CARE SERVICES, INC. 128 Dawson Rd. | Albany, GA 229-435-5129 SASSER FLEA MARKET, ANTIQUE MALL & RV PARK 8109 Albany Hwy | Sasser, GA 229-698-4578

ALBANY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, LLC 270 Peachtree St. NW Ste. 160 Atlanta, GA | 404-832-4855 albanydevelopmentpartners.com

MAY 5 | Webinar: "You're Social, Now What?"

2701 Ledo Road, Albany 229-432-6271 PrinceAutoAlbany.com

UNIVERSAL HOME & ROOFING SOLUTIONS 205 North Hibiscus Rd. | Albany, GA 229-364-3985 facebook.com/universalhomeandroofing

COMPLETE CARRIERS LOGISTICS 2334 Lake Park Dr. | Albany, GA 229-405-2422 | completecarriers.com

Deidra Langstaff MADlab Marketing

12 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

THE CASCON GROUP, LLC 230 Peachtree Street Ste. 1601 | Atlanta, GA cascongroup.com | 404-805-7012

THE ALDRIDGE AGENCY 108 Hwy 32 West, Ste. C | Leesburg, GA 229-759-9844 farmersagent.com/maldridge

“The only way to eat that elephant is a bite at a time, as you know,” he said, “but those bites go down a little easier when you know that there are others taking bites, too.”

20 17 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Prince new ad_Layout 1 1/6/14 5:21 PM Page 2

ALBANY STRIKERS 1200 West Broad Ave. | Albany, GA albanystrikers.com | 229-405-1712

THE LEVEE STUDIOS 2925 Ledo Rd. | Albany, GA theleveestudios.com | 229-255-4331

Pearly's Famous Country Cooking

“Look, everyone here knows we have problems in Albany. Every community has problems. We’ve got a great big elephant in a work force that needs more training. That’s why the Industrial Operations Technician training initiative with Albany Technical College and the Albany-Dougherty Industry Roundtable [a partnership between manufacturing employers, the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce] is so vital. We’ve all got to pitch in for those kinds of collaborations.

NEW MEMBERS CASK, LLC 9350 Waxie Way Suite 210 | San Diego, CA caskllc.com | 540-628-7396

Government Center at 10 a.m.

“Hey, No. 1, I love Albany,” Singfield said. “And, No. 2, I owe Albany. This community has been very good to me and my family, and not just with business. I have met and made some lasting friendships in this community. That’s why I think it’s so important that the Chamber and the EDC and other city officials work together to make our community everything it can be.

WELCOME

May | June 2017

LARRY PRICE 229-317-3900 | price2406@bellsouth.net LUTHERAN SERVICES OF GEORGIA, INC. 1508 Whispering Pines Rd. | Albany, GA 229-432-7664 | lsga.org PAXEN LEARNING SERVICES 235 Roosevelt Ave. Ste. 250 | Albany, GA paxen.com | 229-405-8209 NEOLIFE 198 Darian Dr. | Leesburg, GA neolifeclub.com/jgriffin | 229-894-9157

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 13

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AlbanyGA.com

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Small Business

LOOKING BACK

Inman, meanwhile, said he’s tried to follow in the footsteps of his father, John Inman Sr., as he’s sought to add medical treatments and services that offer his patients the most benefit.

“It goes back to 1987, when my daddy, Frank Middleton and Bill George added mammography to what they did as a way to better serve their patients,” Inman said. “But it wasn’t enough just to say you had certain services. The quality had to be there, too. I think they set the precedent that encourages me to seek the same kind of standards, the higher standards, that they provided.

S MALL BUS INE S S W INNERS TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF WINNING

E

ddie West doesn’t mince words when he weighs in on the value of his business, A. West Enterprise, claiming the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Small Business of the Year award.

A. West Enterprise, West notes, “had 30 employees and was generating around $5 million a year in sales” when the company, which was started in a horse barn in West’s mother-in-law’s backyard, was named the top small business by the Chamber.

“I’m a numbers guy,” West said on an early morning after returning from a meeting the previous day with NASA officials. “The first 3 1/2 years we were in business, it was a struggle. It was kind of like being a college kid. We had all kinds of promise - our staff had worked with other established businesses - but we had no resume, no history.

“The last two years, though, after winning the Chamber award, we’ve doubled our number of employees to 60 and have done around $17 million in business each year.

So, yes, winning the Chamber Small Business of the Year Award was huge for us. It’s like people started saying, ‘If folks in your hometown think that much of you, then, yeah, we’ll give you a shot,” says Eddie West.

As nominations came pouring in for 2017’s prestigious Albany Area Chamber Small Business of the Year award, West and the owners of two other previous winning businesses allowed that the honor had indeed paid large dividends.

“The exposure alone was worth more than I could ever express,” CTSI owner Tammy McCrary said. “The fact that your peers, your fellow small business owners, would recognize you comes with a large amount of credibility. But it hasn’t just been about prestige for our business. We’ve seen a definite uptick since winning the award in 2015.

16 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

JOHN S. INMAN, III, M.D. OF THE VERANDA 2014 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Since winning the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award, West has worked with Chamber officials to complete applications for the national “Dream Big Award.” He admitted that the experience was an eye-opener.

A. WEST ENTERPRISE 2013 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR “We saw six percent growth in overall business the first year after winning the award and 12 percent growth last year. And, because of the exposure, our work with small businesses has tripled. We’d offered most of our IT services to larger manufacturers, but in telling our story after winning the Small Business of the Year award, so many small business owners have come to us and said, ‘We didn’t know you worked with businesses our size.’ It’s just been amazing.”

Dr. John Inman said winning the 2014 Chamber award could not have come at a better time for The Veranda, which was in the midst of a period of tough financial times when the award was announced.

“I’m very competitive,” the CEO said. “I worked with the Chamber to prepare my application for the Dream Big Award, and we got our butts spanked. The first thing I did after I found out was get in touch with them (the U.S. Chamber of Commerce) and ask what we did wrong, what we needed to do to be competitive.

“We worked on that, and the next year we were in the Top 10 among the best small businesses in the nation. We’ve been in the Top 100 twice, and in two months we’ll find out how we did this year. I noted how much winning our Chamber’s award impacted our business, and that gave me the courage and incentive to go after national recognition.”

That’s not all West is going after.

“When you look at the services and staff, we’ve added in the years since we won the Chamber award, there is definitely quantifiable evidence that winning helped us financially,” Inman said.

“When I worked at MetroPower, the owner of the company used to say a business is either growing or dying,” West said. “I agree.

There is no in-between. You look at Sears, which is pretty much gone now. The last time my wife and I shopped there, they were still doing business the way they did when I was a kid. There are amazing things being done today. You have to keep up or get left behind.

“But even before we turned things around after that financial blip, winning Small Business of the Year gave our staff such a boost morale-wise. While we had to ratchet things back a bit in the office, our staff took pride in the fact that their work allowed us to receive that honor.

“That’s why we have a contract - and are looking at doing more work - with NASA. I went there and did a dog-and-pony show for them, and while I’m not taking credit, they said afterward that they were looking for a place to meet with small business owners and wondered if Albany would work. I brought the lady’s phone number back, and the Albany Area Chamber just hosted an excellent Space and Military Business Development Forum (with NASA, its space centers and the U.S. Department of Defense) that put us on the map. That’s the kind of long-term thinking I do. I want at least 100 employees and to do $35 million a year in business. I have the courage to dream big.”

“Since that time, we’ve been able to expand our business and offer unique services - such as bringing 3-D mammography to Southwest Georgia years ahead of the curve - that have allowed us to overcome that tough little period and reach an even greater place in the health care community than we had before.”

AlbanyGA.com

May | June 2017

“Being a part of the Chamber - and being recognized by the Chamber - has brought a lot of civic pride to our business. Certainly we don’t look for the kind of honor that they gave us, but we were just proud to be considered. To win was amazing. The things we’re doing in this community have totally blessed me in two ways: I’ve gotten to see how my daddy’s life touched so many in the community, and I’ve gotten the opportunity in my small way to touch the community myself.”

McCrary noted that the confidence winning the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award instilled in her has helped as she’s not only increased business locally, but she’s also expanded in a big way into the medical field, buying one smaller company and partnering with another.

“I’d always been a member of the Chamber, always been an advocate,” McCrary said. “But my business - and my life - really changed when I became engaged. That made a world of difference.

Being engaged with the Chamber is not just about writing a check every year. It’s about realizing what all you have to give that can help others achieve their dreams. I really got engaged with the Chamber five or six years ago, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made ... businesswise and personally,” says Tammy McCrary.

CTSI 2015 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 17

H Highlights

BU S I N ES S

A FT ER H O U RS FE BR UAR Y 21 POOL BROTHERS AND FLINT COMMUNITY BANK

Attendees enjoyed cookware and appliance demonstrations as well as food prepared by chefs Laura Piovesana and Lara Lyn Carter, appetizers provided by Moe’s Southwestern Grill, wine and cheeses from Farmer’s Daughter Vineyards, and meat provided by White Oak Pastures.

M ARC H 1 6

In continued support of disaster relief from the January storms, guests were asked to bring a nonperishable food item to be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

N ASA SMALL BUSINESS FORUM FE BRU AR Y 2 8

SAYING G O O D BY E R A CH E L L E B I T T ER M AN RE T I RE S A F T E R 1 5 Y E AR S O F S ER V I C E

T

he Chamber celebrated Rachelle Bitterman and her 15 years of service to the Chamber. As director of communications, Rachelle spearheaded our award-winning Business magazines, thousands of events, graphic design work and photography. It has been a joy working alongside her, and we wish her a happy retirement.

18 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

T

he Chamber hosted a Military and Small Business Forum in partnership with NASA, its space centers and the U.S. Department of Defense at the Flint RiverQuarium Imagination Theater. Sponsored by A. West Enterprise, this event served as an opportunity for NASA to showcase how it sources products and services from businesses that are small, disadvantaged, minority-owned, women-owned, disabled Veteran and Veteran-owned businesses and those located in historically underutilized business zones.

Topics discussed at the forum included NASA’s acquisition process, upcoming business opportunities, best practices to win a direct contract or subcontract and helpful marketing advice. Following the presentation, the 95 attendees had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with NASA representatives. The Chamber hosted a reception for the NASA representatives and the attendees immediately following.

MAR CH 23 FLINT RIVER HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOME

During this event, the Chamber planted the first of 20 live oaks the agency donated to Flint River Habitat for Humanity as part of the Chamber's continued support of the Grow Albany initiative.

Attendees enjoyed a front yard barbecue at the Habitat home with music, food, sponsor booths and tours of the home renovation. The event was sponsored by Merts, CTSI, Tomlinson Marketing Group and Southern Point Staffing.

T H E R I G H T C H O I C E F O R A N YO N E .

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H Highlights

S N I C K E RS M A R AT H O N Fo u n d e d b y D r . J o s e To n g o l a n d t h e l ate D r. Sa ra U n de rdo wn , th e f irst e v e nt o f wh a t is now t he Sn i c k e r s M a r a t h o n a n d H a l f M a r a t h o n wa s in M a rc h 2 007 a nd ha d 492 ru n ne rs. The e v ent has s i n c e g r o wn t o m o r e t h a n 1 , 0 0 0 r u n n ers a n d is a To p 10 qu a l if ie r f o r th e B o sto n M a ra thon. The m a r a th o n i s o rg a n i zed by t h e A l ba n y Co n v e n tio n & Visito rs B u re a u a n d Al ba ny M a ra thon Inc.

The No. 1 comment from runners is “the people here are so nice, and the community support is outstanding.”

Other comments include rave reviews of Albany Police Department’s encouragement and support of the runners, the community cheering stations, Rawson Circle's neighborhood cheering section, and our flat beautiful course.

The citizens of Albany have always been an important part of the marathon's success. We would like to thank you for always supporting this community event, which brings in visitors from all over the world for a great weekend.

22 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

27. 2

%

of marathoners qualified for Boston, putting Albany at No. 1

2017 registration closed at

1,388 with 1,157 finishers

Top draw states outside of Georgia are

F L, t n , a l & t h e ca r o l i n as International runners include

Ca n a da , U K, G er m a n y, N et h er la n d s & K en ya

1,700

This year there were community volunteers ranging from road marshals to water stations Proceeds benefiting the Willson Hospice House total

$21 5, 0 0 0

The economic impact of the marathon is more than

$646,000 AlbanyGA.com

May | June 2017

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 23

STATE OF THE COMMUNITY EVENT:

AFTER THE STORMS

CO M M E R C E A N D CO M M U N I T Y

“After the Storms: Commerce and Community� presents the state of the community and how storm-impacted businesses are rethinking, retooling and reinvesting in ways that drive innovation, efficiency and a competitive edge.

JUNE 7 AT ASU WEST Registration at 11 a.m. $25 Members | $35 General Public

Register online at albanyga.com or contact Yvonne Jones at 434-8700

For 99 years our goal has been to build relationships through commitment, quality and dedication to our clients and our community!

Our hearts go out to our community during this devastating time of recovery. We are here to help, not just now, but in the future as well.

Pictured above are some of our M&J crew who assisted Mr. Don Baldwin with some debris removal.

A U D I T | A C C O UN T ING | T AX S E R V I C E S

229-446-3600 | mjcpa.com

2303 Dawson Road | Albany, Georgia 31707 24 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

AlbanyGA.com

May | June 2017

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 25

2017

2 0 1 7 BOAR D ME M B E R S CHAMBER O F CO MM E R CE

ALBANY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

BOAR D MEM BERS

EX EC U TIV E C OMM ITTEE

ME E T THE NEW

CHA IR W O M A N JENNY SAVELLE, THE 2017 CHAIR OF THE ALBANY AREA CHAMBER, was born in Beijing, China, and immigrated with her family to the United States when she was 11. She went to high school in Gwinnett County, north of Atlanta. She is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering. Jenny started her career with the United States Postal Service as an industrial engineer and was later promoted to engineering project manager.

Jenny married Jud Savelle, a native of Leesburg and fellow Georgia Tech industrial engineer, in 2004. Together, they aspired to become business owners and to work together. In 2008, Jenny and Jud left their advancing corporate careers to start a new journey.

The following year, they purchased Bishop Clean Care from Jud’s mother, Patti Bishop Savelle, and became third-generation owners of the company. Founded in 1952, Bishop Clean Care provides residential and commercial cleaning and restoration services and has 20 full-time staff and more than 80 part-time staff. Bishop Clean Care has been a Chamber member since 1975.

In addition to serving on the Chamber board in a variety of capacities since 2012, Jenny also serves on the board of directors of AB&T. In the past, she served as treasurer on the Girl’s Inc. board and as the chair of the American Heart Association’s Albany Walk.

Jenny and Jud have a 6-year-old son and 4-year-old identical twin daughters. Jenny and her family are members of First Presbyterian Church of Albany. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, cooking gourmet meals and rocking out in Zumba class.

JENNY SAVELLE

TAMMY McCRARY

SCOTT TOMLINSON

ED NEWSOME

JAY SMITH

CHAIRWOMAN Bishop Clean Care, Inc.

VICE CHAIR ComNet Technical Solutions, Inc.

TREASURER Flint Community Bank

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Albany Air Conditioning & Heating

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Georgia Power Company

MARY BETH HOBBY

ROBERT McKINNEY

PAMELA GREEN JACKSON

KEN BOLER

CYNTHIA GEORGE

MEMBERSHIP DIVISION Albany Herald Publishing Co.

LEGISLATIVE DIVISION Albany State University

CHANDU KINTAWALA

MATT REED

EDUCATION DIVISION Booz Allen Hamilton

Albany CEO

AlbanyGA.com

TOURISM DIVISION

ALLIES DIVISION Marine Corps Logistics Base

GARY SANDERS Albany Baptist Minister’s Conference

ADAM HUTCHINS Hutchins Clenney Rumsey Huckaby

B OA R D AT L A R GE BRITT BAZEMORE

CATHI JONES

MILAN PATEL

PAMELA SIMMONS

KingsMark Private Financial Advisors

Procter & Gamble

Indusa Investments

SB&T

LAKISHA BRYANT BRUCE

BOB KARWOWSKI

JAKE REESE

GEOFFREY SUDDERTH

United Way of Southwest Georgia, Inc.

Coats & Clark Distribution

LRA Constructors, Inc.

Deerfield – Windsor School

JESSICA CASTLE

CHRIS MISAMORE

PERRY REVELL

BRIANNA WILSON

Phoebe Putney Health System

SunTrust Bank South Georgia

AB&T

Southern Point Staffing

DEBBIE FINNEY

KENT NANCE

ALFREDA SHEPPARD

JIMMY WILSON

University of Georgia Small Business Development Center

State Farm Kent Nance

Watson Spence LLP

Renasant Bank

DONALD GRAY

SOLOMON NIXON Farmers Insurance Solomon Nixon Agency

SHIRLEY SHERROD

KBRWyle

26 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

LEADERSHIP DIVISION MADlab Marketing

May | June 2017

Resora - New Communities, Inc.

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 27

2016

• Hosted the State of the Community luncheon, a panel discussion with Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard, Dougherty Commission Chair Chris Cohilas, Darton Interim President Richard Carvajal, Albany State University President Art Dunning, Albany Technical College President Anthony Parker, Dougherty School Superintendent Butch Mosely and Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy CEO, Chris Hatcher.

AL B AN Y A R E A CH A M B E R O F C O MM E R C E

ANNUAL REPORT

• Hosted the Legislative Appreciation Luncheon to thank state elected officials for their support of the Albany Area and the Chamber’s Legislative Agenda.

CHAMBER O F CO MMERC E

2 0 1 6 hig h lig h t s

• Hosted the leadership and personnel of Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany and Headquarters Marine Corps Logistics Command during the Salty Sandbagger Golf Tournament, a friendly golf competition held twice a year between the base and the business community.

• Celebrated exemplary students and their teachers at the annual STAR Student Teacher luncheon.

• Hosted more than 800 business and community leaders at five Rise N Shine breakfasts, focusing on Industry Awards, Military Appreciation, Partners in Excellence, Legislative Affairs and Strive2Thrive, Non-Profit of the Year.

• Facilitated business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships through 11 Business After Hours networking socials, with total attendance of 1,500 people throughout the year.

• Graduated the 2015-2016 class of the Chamber’s Institute for Leadership Development and welcomed 15 participants into the 2016-2017 class.

• Promoted hundreds of member announcements through the Chamber website, www.albanyga.com.

• Welcomed more than 70 new members into the Chamber family

• Continued to be an investing partner in the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission, which facilitates job creation and business investment in Albany-Dougherty County.

• Hosted a book launch party for the Quality of Life magazine

• Hosted Albany-Dougherty Day at the Georgia Capitol and participated in private meetings with key state leadership, including Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.

• Held quarterly ambassador luncheons.

• Attended the Georgia Historical Marker Ceremony for the home of Governor George Busbee.

• Advocated on behalf of the community and Marine Corps Logistics Base through the Chamber-organized Washington, DC Fly-In, during which local leadership meets with the Georgia Congressional delegation and Marine Corps leadership at the Pentagon.

• Hosted the “Think Local” Business Expo, drawing a crowd of more than 500 people to 59 member businesses showcasing their products and services.

• Partnered with Chamber members and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital to provide welcome wagons to doctors entering the Southwest Georgia Family Medicine Residency at Phoebe.

• Kicked off National Small Business Week and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce Celebrate Small Business festivities with a joint proclamation by Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard and Dougherty County Commission Chairman Christopher S. Cohilas.

• Celebrated six small business finalists at the annual Small Business of the Year reception. Announced Royal Collection as the 2016 Small Business of the Year.

• Supported Mission Change, the Chamber’s 2016 Non-Profit of the Year, through a donation from the proceeds of the Celebrate Small Business Raffle.

• The Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee hosted the annual Military Affairs Christmas social, a relationship-building event between base leadership and the Chamber.

28 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

• Hosted 54 ribbon cuttings for member businesses and assisted with four groundbreakings including: Downtown Albany’s microbrewery – Pretoria Fields, Albany State University, the pool at Thornton and Southwest Georgia Medical Student Housing Complex. Chamber Ambassadors participated in all events.

• Held 106th Annual Meeting, during which retiring board members were recognized, as were the Lifetime Service Award recipient and the Ambassador of the Year.

• With input from allies and the Legislative Affairs Committee, presented the 2017 Legislative Agenda, which advocates on behalf of issues, projects and initiatives of importance to the Albany Area. The Chamber worked with state-elected officials to promote the agenda.

• Recognized exemplary young professionals through the 40 under 40 Luncheon, hosted in partnership with The Albany Herald.

• Provided business-related educational programming through four Lunch and Learn events.

• Organized local leadership representation at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner and Eggs & Issues Breakfast with Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.

• Recognized and celebrated 44 members through the Star Business of the Week program.

• Increased Facebook audience to more than 3,087 fans.

AlbanyGA.com

May | June 2017

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 29

A

2016 Annual Report

ALBANY CO NV E NT IO N & VISIT O RS BURE AU

20 16 h i g hl i g h t s Albany Welcome Center • Visitors Guides Distributed – 43,099 • Visitor Center Door Count – 54,218 • Visitor Sign-In – 18,839 • Relocation Packets – 70 Convention and Visitors Sales • Assisted Events Economic Impact – $7,392,876 • Assisted Events Attendance – 68,739 • Give-A-Ways – $25,761 • Tradeshows/Conferences Attended – 23 • Group Information Requests – 186 • CVB Assisted Events – 179 Marketing and Communications • Advertising Leads – 3,558 • Visitors Results from Leads – 1,539 • Travel Writers Hosted – 6 Social Media • Facebook – 4,470 likes • Instagram – 993 followers, 717 posts • Twitter – 1,991 followers • Pinterest – 1.9k pins, 44 likes, 472 followers • YouTube – 28 subscribers, 5,481 views

Our roots run deep.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development reported in 2015 tourism generated $233 million in domestic tourist spending in Dougherty County. This is an increase of 6 percent over 2014.

Providing audit, accounting, business advisory & tax services to Southwest Georgia for more than 65 years.

2617 Gillionville Rd.

30 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

AlbanyGA.com

May | June 2017

www.draffin-tucker.com

(229) 883-7878

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 31

A

2016 Annual Report

STRIVE 2 THRIVE DIR EC TO R' S MESSAGE 2016 was an amazing year for Strive2Thrive. The results that happen when a community unites beyond race, income and across class lines are truly phenomenal. We have definitely taken the “bull by the horns” as we continue to empower families towards selfsufficiency.

Eradicating poverty extends beyond providing resources; it also involves eradicating faulty belief systems and impoverished mindsets. The move from poverty to self-sufficiency is not a cookie cutter process, but takes patience and the realization that change is an inside job.

2 0 1 6 Awa r d s Each year during the December Rise N Shine breakfast, Strive2Thrive presents awards to outstanding participants and volunteers. These awards include the Jane Willson Family of the Year award, named in honor of Strive2Thrive’s most generous benefactor. The award recognizes the participant who has exemplified outstanding leadership, shown commitment through active participation and made noteworthy progress towards self-sufficiency. The 2016 Family of the Year recipient was Ms. Sharon D. Davis.

Community engagement is one of the primary tools needed to ensure that Strive2Thrive remains a viable part of eradicating poverty in Dougherty County. Often times “poverty” is viewed from a global perspective, when in reality it is a “squatter in our own backyard.”

It takes a host of people and organizations to accomplish the work and achieve the kinds of results we have. For the 2016 operating year, S2T had 135 volunteers who dedicated more than 2,095 cumulative hours of service.

Dougherty County Rotary President Pfizer United Way Day of Caring team Donna Gray posts sponsorship sign for the prepares S2T community garden for planting organization's generous grant donation for the S2T community garden irrigation system.

Our goal in 2017 is to increase community engagement and our capacity to serve more families. With the help of this community, we can move towards creating positive trans-generational legacies, by ending the cycle of poverty in the lives of those we serve.

2 0 1 6 S TA TIS TIC S

Family of the Year recipient Sharon D. Davis and Strive2Thrive Executive Director Alvita Swain

Strive2Thrive salutes all of our generous donors, partners, volunteers and the community. Without you, the results you see would not be possible. Together we can continue to empower Dougherty County families who live in poverty to move successfully towards self-sufficiency by providing a “HAND UP and not a HAND OUT!”

Since 2010, Strive2Thrive has served more than 400, men, women and children through our Phase I and Phase II programs. S2T has impacted the local workforce by an overall increase in participant employment of 60.5 percent over the life of the program. The number of lifestyle upgrades and personal development outcomes has been phenomenal. Many of our participants have also completed technical/college degrees and two participants have gone on to pursue graduate degrees.

In 2016 the program served 70 families (142 individuals) in both our Phase I and Phase II programs. The statistics for families enrolled in our two-year program include:

Left to right: Patricia Clay, Volunteer of the Year; Ashley Wilson, Youth Volunteer of the Year; Misty Shinard, Commitment Award; Sharon D. Davis, Family of the Year; Brianna Register, Pathways to Wholeness Award, (not pictured); Rochelle Bush, Facilitator of the Year

32 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

V O L U N T E E RS

AlbanyGA.com

• 70 percent gainfully employed • 71 percent job retention after six months of employment • 100 percent reside in safe and affordable housing • 78 percent own reliable transportation • 98 percent high school diploma or GED • 45 percent actively enrolled in monitored monthly savings plans May | June 2017

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 33

It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.

-Vince Lombardi Sometimes recovery starts with a smile and a bag lunch.

In the aftermath of the storms, DCSS staff, teachers and student groups headed into some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods delivering food, blankets, and smiles to those who needed it the most.

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The DCSS is committed to serving and supporting our students and staff during this time of need. need

Dougherty County School System 34 May | June 2017 | BUSINESS

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www.metropower.com www.essmpi.com AlbanyGA.com

May | June 2017

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 35

We Build more than just Buildings!

“We Build Lasting Relationships, Communities, Trust, Memories and the Future.”

SPRING 2017

Southwest Georgia Medical Student Housing Complex located at 225 West Fourth Avenue Albany (Corporate Headquarters) 415 Pine Avenue Suite 200 Albany, GA 31701 Phone (229) 883-6000 Fax (229) 883-4220

Atlanta 990 Hammond Drive, N.E. Building One, Suite 970 Atlanta, GA 30308 Phone (770) 542-2400 Fax (770) 542-2405

Macon 3985 Arkwright Road Suite 107 Macon, GA 31210 Phone (478)254-2772 Fax (478) 254-3532

San Antonio 17803 La Cantera Parkway San Antonio, TX 78257 Phone (210) 569-0964 Fax (678) 405-1904

Pellicano Construction is licensed and/or authorized to work in 21 states

www.pellicanoconstruction.com