North Atlanta Business Post, October 2014

October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Forsyth MARKET REPORT:

State of growth

Forsyth County leading the way for Georgia. PAGE 1B

Big wheel keeps turnin’

SkyView Atlanta keeps Gwinnett company afloat. PAGE 21A Volume I, Issue 4 • Part of Appen Media Group • Cherokee • Cobb • Forsyth • Fulton • Gwinnett • Hall

Asian commerace

Gwinnett has community to support. PAGE 20A

Craft icecream hits Cobb

Keith Schroeder puts new spin on classic treat. PAGE 27A

Steak night

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit #3592

Ruth’s Chris opens newest location. PAGE 30A

If you build it, will they come?

Appen Media Group 319 North Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009

North metro Atlanta is in the midst of three major retail developments. From top: The new Atlanta Braves Stadium in Cobb County, the

Avalon in North Fulton and the Taubman mall in Forsyth County.

See story, Page 16A-17A.

A focus on leadership and community collaboration Learn more on page 22A

2A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

WELCOME

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 3A

QUICK GLANCE:

Letter from the publisher: Welcome to the fourth edition of the Business Post and the second edition that includes a market report — Forsyth County.

What’s surprising about Forsyth County is it boasts the lowest poverty rate (6.6 percent) and the highest average SAT scores in the state.

We would like to thank and acknowledge the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce and its President James McCoy. We would also like to thank McCoy’s staff for the wonderful work they do to foster the business community in Forsyth County.

In this edition, we also recap existing and developing projects in the retail industry in north Atlanta, highlighted by ‘Can north metro sustain mega-retail?’ which delves into three developments totaling 2.4 million square feet of new retail space and 1.64 million square feet of Class A office space.

Wow. Are there enough shoppers and businesses in north Atlanta to support all of them? Maybe.

Lastly, one of my favorite pieces entitled ‘Asian commerce thriving in Gwinnett’ details the incredible transformation of Gwinnett County as one of the most diverse counties in the state, if not the country.

Gwinnett has leveraged this great asset to further economic growth and quite literally recruit business from overseas to move headquarters or open satellite offices in Gwinnett.

As always, we appreciate your support of this publication and welcome any and all criticism or critique.

Next month, look forward to a recap of the areas’ chambers of commerce and a special focus on higher education institutions our area.

Best,

Top states for business

#1

workforce Hans Appen Publisher hans@appenmediagroup.com

Amongst all 50 states, Georgia ranks number one for workforce.

Other rankings

What’s inside this issue: News

All 50 states were scored on 51 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Those metrics were separated into ten broad categories, weighting the categories based on how frequently they are cited in state economic development marketing materials. The study ranks the states based on the criteria they use to sell themselves.

[4A] I-285 gets variable speed limits • Emory’s Center for Advanced Heart Failure gets recertifcation [6A] 5 lessons about business fraud [7A] Fulton axes county manager [8A] H uman trafficking in Johns Creek • Georgia among nation’s leaders in job growth [11A] Johns Creek Business Expo [14A] G eorgia Ports Authority poised for continued growth [29A] B illboards headed to North Fulton

Movers & Shakers

[10A] T he people on the move, new hires and promotions

Retail

[16A- 17A] C an north metro sustain mega-retail?

[18A] Avalon set to open Oct. 30 [19A] B usinesses gear up for holiday season [20A] Asian commerce thriving in Gwinnett

Gwinnett County

[21A] L eCraw Engineering shares company culture

#6 Access to capital #8 Education #14 Cost of living #14 Business friendliness #17 Technology

Source: cnbc.com

Fulton County

[22A] From Roswell to Asheville [23A] Italian furniture designer carves way into Roswell

Hall County

[24A] Highland Mountain Beverage Company thriving

Cherokee County

[26A] Sizemore Group, Woodstock work on Ga. 9 LCI Grant

Cobb County

SECTION B:

Special Focus Section FORSYTH AN ENGINE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH: [1A] H ow Forsyth County survived the recession, thrived • Quick Glance: Community ripe with potential, prosperity [2A] G a. 9 widening project welcomed [3A] N o taxes give Cumming an edge in attracting business

[27A] H igh Road Craft Ice Cream puts new spin on classic treat

[4A] T ech forum brings talent, opportunities

Sound Advice

[5B] C herry Street Brewing expands brewery

[28A] Retail and business management experts

Restaurants

[30A] Power lunch spotlight • Ruth’s Chris opens newest location • Costa Vida opens in Forsyth

[6B] H arry Norman agents visit Forsyth schools [7A] Sprouts Farmers Market opens • Harry Norman, Realtors’ looking for agents

subscribe today 770-442-3278 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET 319 North Main Street Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 Published by Appen Media Group Advertising: All advertising published in North Atlanta Business Post is subject to current rate card; copies available from the advertising department. To obtain a copy contact your sales representative at 770-442-3278 or email advertising@ appenmediagroup.com.

Newsroom: All press releases and editorial information can be sent to business@appenmediagroup.com Visit northatlantabusinesspost.com for more information.

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4A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

I-285 gets variable speed limits Northern arc raised to 65 mph

NORTH FULTON’S SINGLE SOURCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ATLANTA – Beginning Oct. 5, drivers on I-285 will see new speed limit signs along with a new speed.

The Georgia Department of Transportation unveiled new electronic signage –variable speed limit (VSL) – along the northern arc of the highway.

The speed limit will be increased from 55 mph to 65 mph along the 36-mile stretch of road.

These new signs are electronic, which will allow GDOT to change the speed limit to match congestion or need down to as low as 35 mph.

“VSL gives us the ability to warn drivers in advance that they are approaching heavy congestion or a crash site and to slow down that approaching traffic to a safe speed – one that will best facilitate its movement through the affected area,” GDOT Chief Engineer Russell McMurry said. “This will be immeasurably safer than having to slam on the brakes when suddenly confronted with backed-up traffic.”

The success of the 65-mph speed limit on the south side and the abundance of I-285 lanes on the top – as

many as seven and no less than four in either direction – validate the top side increase, said the department.

But there are distinctions between top and bottom.

The top half carries an average of 50,000 more vehicles a day – 100,000 more in certain locations, and there are nearly twice as many interchanges on the top.

More traffic and more interchanges equate to more merging and weaving movements, more congestion and more crashes – all of which can result in traffic backups.

VSL will allow GDOT Transportation Management Center operators, who constantly monitor I-285 via active traffic management software and closed circuit cameras, to instantaneously detect a crash, breakdown or congestion forming.

They then will be able to post warnings in advance of that area on overhead message boards and use 176 new electronic speed limit signs on the shoulder to make real-time adjustments to reduce the speed limit in and leading up to the area.

Speeds will be reduced in 10-mph increments as necessary to 55 mph, 45 mph and a minimum of 35 mph.

—Jonathan Copsey

North Fulton consistently ranks as one of the fastest growing areas in the country. This strong business community is the fi ber-optic backbone of the East Coast and our healthcare access – with five major hospitals nearby – surpasses many other large cities.

Please visit us to learn about our six distinct cities,our booming Healthcare IT industry, the mission-critical data centers, numerous Fortune 500 headquarters and the top-ranked schools that make North Fulton Atlanta one of the best places in the country to do business.

www.ProgressPartnersAtlanta.com

GREATER NORTH FULTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.gnfcc.com | 770-993-8806 ALPHARETTA | JOHNS CREEKS | MILTON MOUNTAIN PARK | ROSWELL | SANDY SPRINGS

Emory’s Center for Advanced Heart Failure gets recertification ATLANTA – Emory Saint Joseph’s Center for Advanced Heart Failure has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for its ventricular assist device (VAD) program.

The VAD is an artificial heart pump that can be used as a bridge to transplant or as “destination therapy” for certain patients in which transplantation is not an option.

The Certificate of Distinction recognizes Emory Saint Joseph’s compliance

with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care.

This is the third consecutive recertification the center has received from The Joint Commission since the implantation of the first VAD in 2009.

Currently, the Center for Advanced Heart Failure has implanted more than 100 devices.

Visit www.w.org for more information.

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NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 5A

Gwinnett UNG receives $5.2M gift to support Corps of Cadets County opens HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The University of North Georgia (UNG) received property worth an estimated $5.2 million from the estate of Army Col. Lewis “Jack” Peevy, who died in January at age 71, to establish a fund to support the Corps of Cadets.

The gift is the second-largest gift in the university’s history and the second from Peevy, a graduate of the university who had a 30-year military career. In 2012, Peevy committed $2.1 million to establish the Col. Jack Peevy Military Scholarship, a fund to assist members of the Corps of Cadets with educational expenses.

“The Corps of Cadets is a vital part of this university’s heritage and its future,” said university President Bonita C. Jacobs. “Col. Peevy was very supportive of this university and transformative gifts like his sustain our efforts to educate some of the country’s finest Army officers and future military leaders.”

During his military career, Peevy commanded Airborne Infantry, Special Forces, and Military Intelligence units.

He also served a combat tour in Vietnam, where he had been wounded seven

Cadet Elledge during UNG graduation. times and hospitalized for more than 2½ years. He lived in the Alpharetta area.

His awards, decorations and qualifications include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with V Device, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the Special Forces Tab. In 2013, Peevy was honored by the university as a distinguished alumnus.

“You don’t realize how unique and significant [the university] is until years

after you’ve left it,” Peevy noted in 2012 about the impetus behind his gift.

The foundation will liquidate the assets left by Peevy to create a fund for the Corps of Cadets, as he requested, according to Dr. Andrew Leavitt, vice president for university advancement at UNG and CEO of the University of North Georgia Foundation Inc. In addition to the Peevy gift, UNG raised more than $1 million in the 2013-2014 year for student scholarships, including $340,498 raised at the annual Scholarship Ball.

“We will continue to increase scholarship opportunities, both need- and merit-based, to assist our students in graduating on time,” Jacobs said.

UNG is one of only six federallydesignated senior military colleges in the United States and carries the state designation of The Military College of Georgia. The Corps of Cadets comprises some 800 students, who participate in a full-time Army ROTC program. The other five senior military colleges are the Citadel, Norwich University, Texas A&M, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech.

‘Doors’ to art

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – Doors to Homes and Hope is now open through Nov. 1.

Over 100 artistic doors are for sale and on exhibit at five Gwinnett County locations outside in public spaces.

Doors of Art is painted by over 100 local artists in support of Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity and Artworks! Gwinnett.

Doors of Art began as an art event in 2013 and has became an art movement that brings private, public and nonprofit sectors of the Gwinnett community together. Exhibiting cities include, Norcross, Suwanee, Duluth, Sugar Hill and Lawrenceville. The presenting sponsors are Lowe’s and Two Men and a Truck along with Gwinnett Technical College, Gwinnett Great Days of Service, The Tool Bank and Gwinnett County schools.

The Doors of Art can be viewed and purchased at www.gwinnetthabitat.org and proceeds will be shared among the two organizations.

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6A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

5 lessons for business leaders from the latest fraud statistics Organizations worldwide lose 5 percent of revenues to internal theft Organizations around the world lose an estimated 5 percent of their annual revenues to occupational fraud, according to a survey of certified fraud examiners (CFEs) who investigated cases between January 2012 and December 2013.

Applied to the estimated 2013 gross world product, this figure translates to a potential total fraud loss of more than $3.5 trillion (U.S.).

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) published the results of the survey in its highly anticipated 2014 Report to the Nations on Occupa-

tional Fraud and Abuse.

The report includes data compiled from 1,483 cases of fraud submitted by CFEs globally.

Based upon the findings in the report, the ACFE presents five of the top lessons business owners, directors and managers should heed to be better protected from the risk of fraud:

1. Implement a fraud hotline.

Occupational fraud is far more likely to be detected by a tip than by any other method.

More than 40 percent of all cases were detected by a tip – with the ma-

The process of recovering the losses from a fraud can go on for years.

At the time of the survey, however, most respondents (58 percent) noted that there had been “no recovery” of losses to date. jority of them coming from employees of the victim organization. There are several providers of hotline services that can help implement an anonymous tip reporting system for businesses of all sizes and industries.

2. Be aware of red flag behaviors. More than 90 percent of fraud

perpetrators in the study cases displayed certain common behavioral indicators.

Among the most common red flags: living beyond one’s means (43.8 percent), having financial difficulties (33 percent), keeping an unusually close

association with a vendor or customer (21.8 percent) and exhibiting control issues with an unwillingness to share duties (21.1 percent).

3. Don’t depend solely on external audits. External audits are

implemented by a large number of organizations, but they are among the least effective controls in combating occupational fraud.

Such audits were the primary detection method in just 3 percent of the fraud cases in the study.

For perspective, 7 percent were

detected by accident. A robust anti-fraud program with a reporting system for tips is needed for better protection.

4. Small business owner?

Be vigilant. The smallest organi-

zations in the ACFE study suffered disproportionally, with a median loss of $154,000 – higher than the overall median loss for fraud cases in the study ($145,000).

These organizations typically employ fewer anti-fraud controls than their larger counterparts, which increases their vulnerability to fraud.

5. Focus on prevention, not recovery. The process of recovering the

losses from a fraud can go on for years.

At the time of the survey, however, most respondents (58 percent) noted that there had been “no recovery” of losses to date.

By contrast, only 14 percent of victim organizations had made a full recovery during the same period. It is clearly more cost-effective to prevent fraud with proactive controls, rather than to hope to recover losses after the fact.

The 2014 Report to the Nations is available for download online at: ACFE. com/RTTN.

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NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 7A

Fulton axes county manager Hausmann: ‘politics at its worst’

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA – Just one year after hiring County Manager Dwight Ferrell, the Fulton County Commission shocked the community when it voted 6-2 Oct. 1 to hand him his walking papers.

In a 4-2 vote, the commissioners voted to remove Ferrell without giving any explanation for the move.

The move comes when Fulton County is facing its most critical budget ever where deep cuts are expected; around a half-dozen department head jobs remain unfilled; and the General Assembly has put the county on notice that Fulton’s governance is again in its crosshairs.

Ferrell had been under fire from the Fulton employee union for “unresponsiveness” and the union had wanted Ferrell gone as well.

Commenting on the dismissal, Fulton Commission Chairman John Eaves would only say the board wanted to “go in a different direction.”

“I am very confident with the decision the Board of Commissioners made in terminating the contract of Dwight Ferrell,” Eaves said.

Fulton Chief Financial Officer Patrick O’Connor – himself a finalist for the manager’s position – has been named interim county manager and will head the budgeting job.

County Commissioner Liz Hausmann from Johns Creek called it, “Politics at its worst.”

She blamed the firing on the political maneuvering of outgoing commissioners who stirred the pot to engineer Ferrell’s ouster. Hausmann pointed out the only other commissioner to vote with her was Emma Darnell, with whom there has often been mutual political antagonism on the board.

“I think that it is instructive that on this issue we did agree,” Hausmann said.

Ferrell is being made the fall guy for a situation the commissioners have seen coming for years, she said. “[Ferrell] was not allowed to do his job. They did not allow his initiatives [to cut the 2014 budget] to go forward. Why isn’t this something we planned for? The decline in revenues was there and we made no adjustments,” Hausmann said.

While Fulton touts the fact it made no tax increases since 1991, Hausmann points out the county failed to make reductions in spending during the worst recession since 1929 and instead allowed its $150 million surplus to melt to zero.

“The board chose a man with no county management experience; he came out of MARTA Transit. But he’s well respected and his reorganization plan was

approved only a month ago,” she said. “I can’t explain [the firing] or defend it.”

The timing could not be worse either, Hausmann said. Three, perhaps four, new comEaves missioners (Eaves faces Republican challenger Earl Cooper in November) take office in January.

“They will be facing a huge revenue shortfall and a Legislature we don’t agree with on a host of issues,” Hausmann Hausmann said. “This [firing] was not in the best interests of the county or its citizens.

How do you stand behind a tax increase and do nothing about spending?”

The county has been taking some positive steps, introducing zero-based budgeting and getting KPMG to do a pro bono efficiency audit for Fulton, Hausmann said.

“The KPMG audit was Ferrell’s doing.

He was attempting to get things better organized despite resistance,” she said.

She did back the appointment of O’Connor as interim manager, saying he is the best person to get the county through the budgeting phase.

Ferrell got some signals early on when he took the reins in September 2013. Facing a huge deficit in the coming budget and dwindling reserves, he recommended steep cuts to the budget across the board. The commissioners instead emptied the county’s reserves and called for a 17 percent millage increase to balance the books.

The county was to institute a zerobased budgeting system that would mean department heads would have to justify their budgets based on need, not what was spent the previous year. With that, Ferrell would have had some teeth to cut the budget. But he was not to get that chance.

Eaves expressed full confidence in O’Connor’s ability handle the interim county manager duties and to move the budget process forward for 2015.

“He has a very, very strong financial background and has managed our county resources from the Finance Department very well,” he said.

Looking forward to 2015, Eaves said O’Connor will be able to “man the ship” right now.

As the legislative session begins, Eaves said O’Connor will be able to defend the county’s actions against any further attacks on county sovereignty.

EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2014-15

Issue Date

Space Reservation Date

Materials Deadline

November 2014 – Chamber spotlight • By the numbers: Chambers • What’s the next move: How to keep the economy growing Nov. 10 • What makes a good leader • Getting the most of your current customers

Oct. 30

Nov. 3

December 2014 – Entrepreneurs (Venture capitalists, 10 success stories) • Business Post’s 2014 Gwinnett Market Report special focus • “Entrepreneur of the Year” The top entrepreneurs of North Atlanta • Taking the entrepreneurial plunge • Giving: Philanthropy is more than money. Executives and companies who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get involved in causes that are most important to them and what it means for employee engagement

Dec. 15

Dec. 4

Dec. 8

January 2015 – Growth and Development • Economic Forecast, Business leaders weigh in with their predictions of what the coming year will bring their business and industry • Bold predictions on issues affecting Jan. 12 business in the New Year • Companies that turned big declines into surprising turnarounds • New beginnings: New CEOs and their plans to grow their business

Dec. 31

Jan. 5

February 2015 – Banking and finance • Business Post’s 2015 Cobb Market Report special focus • By the numbers: Top banks and financial institutions • Women in business: profile top female executives in North Atlanta and women’s issues in business • How to get financing for your business growth

Feb. 9

Jan. 29

Feb. 2

Call 770-442-3278 to reserve your ad space today! www.NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

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8A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Human trafficking in Johns Creek:

Johns Creek takes aim at massage parlors New ordinance not yet tried, but enforcement coming

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Citizens of Johns Creek have noted a peculiar number of massage operations in the city for some time now, and with the right website address accessed, it is obvious certain establishments advertise services of a sexual nature rather than a therapeutic one.

This situation rankled many citizens, so March 13, 2013, around 100 of them decided to go to the City Council meeting to ask their council to do something about it.

The result has been a tougher massage ordinance that is designed to protect those legitimate purveyors of massage therapy while discouraging those that offer prurient satisfaction. But it has not happened overnight.

As Police Chief Ed Densmore explained to the citizens at that March 13 meeting, it is a difficult and timeconsuming operation to use the tried and true method of a sting, in which an undercover agent is used to arrest a woman who is actually working as a prostitute.

Such a case requires wearing a wiretap, backup officers and an officer willing to be a “john” in the operation.

“And at the end of the day, we have a prostitution arrest, but the business could remain open. Usually, they were open the next day and the woman out on bail before the arresting officer was back from court in Fulton County,” Densmore told the citizens that night.

In the end, the only one really punished in the arrest was the woman, who is often a victim herself. Often, these women in massage operations are near-slaves who may be drug-dependent, undocumented or have the pimps holding their documentation.

But that evening, the citizens were demanding action and the elephant in the parlor was at last being discussed.

Councilwoman Kelly Stewart called the meeting an “eye opener” for her when these citizens came demanding action.

She quickly realized this was a much larger problem in the city. After talking to the police chief and city manager, she

went online to find out what clients of these establishments were telling one another and in explicit terms.

“I knew we had a problem when I was informed there were Stewart more massage parlors in the city limits on Medlock Bridge Road than there were gas stations and fast-food restaurants,” Stewart said.

“And I really understood that the women are the real victims. This was human trafficking, and it needed a bigger light shined on it,” she said. “But when you start asking what can businesses, citizens and government do, you find that the answers are far from easy.”

That is because this is truly organized crime at work. If a woman is arrested, she is bailed out immediately and either gets a fine and released or is simply sent to another operation.

If the business is closed, their expert lawyers get an injunction that day and the doors are open again.

Fulton County spends millions each year on its court system and jail. Prostitution arrests are at the bottom of the totem pole.

For the criminals, prostitution is a lucrative business, and they know the laws at least as well law enforcement.

The City Council now prodded to action immediately created a task force to look into the problem. Stewart said she would have breakfast regularly with a group of seven to 10 residents to discuss strategy.

“I visited shelters and talked to women. That put a face on what was going on,” she said.

Council met with Atlanta shelters that specialize in getting women and minors out of that life and off the streets.

Then-City Attorney Bill Riley advised getting a tougher ordinance that would put the burden of operating a clean and true massage business on the operators. But most of all, it needed to be an ordinance that was not already covered by state law.

The reason was that the criminals win if they get into Fulton Superior Court.

said.

Sentences are light and often ignored.

The challenge is to create something If they violate a city ordinance, then the that does not harm legal operations or city’s judge has jurisdiction and would allow illegal ones to pop up again. likely enforce the letter of the law against One effective meathe operators who are sure is to limit where the true bad guys in this massage businesses can sordid business. be located. Since they Stewart said the congregate on Ga. 141 council liked this ap(Medlock), make them proach. be at least 300 feet “We didn’t want from the road. Massage to just send the trash parlors on 141 tend to elsewhere to start over,” be visible from the road, she said. “We want to making it easier for outstop it altogether. So the of-towners to find them. best approach was to “There is prechave citizens, businesses edent for such buffers,” and government all have Bergthold said. “The input on the ordinance.” idea is for the city to It also needed an weed out unlawful opexpert in the field, and erations so that we are they thought they found left with the legitimate their man when they ones.” contacted Tennessee Other areas of possiattorney Scott Bergthble regulation violations old. He is an expert involve requiring HIPAA who first became aware Kelly Stewart, regulations for patient of the proliferation of Johns Creek Councilwoman confidentiality to be folthe problem in his own lowed. This is something community. the legit business does, He already had a but such record-keeping relationship with Johns is foreign to the illicit operations.

Creek over an adult bookstore that wantCity Manager Warren Hutmacher ed to open in the city, and they returned said the city has adopted a much toughto Bergthold for help again. er, more effective ordinance now. But the “There are legitimate massage busiresults are still in abeyance. nesses with therapeutic value in the city.

The city contacted and is working But the flipside are the bad ones with closely with all massage businesses illicit practices,” he said. “Unlike the making sure they all know what is to be bookstores, they are not protected by expected of them under the new law so the First Amendment, so we have more that they can come into compliance. latitude in dealing with them.”

“The next step will be to ensure But that does not mean easier. It recompliance. We are working with all the quires an ordinance that does not unduly businesses to give them ample time to hurt those legitimate massage businessdigest and comply,” Hutmacher said. es. Massage is a licensed occupation, so “The idea is not to shoot everybody they must be able to produce licenses for down but to bring them all into complieach masseuse. ance. We want to be reasonable and The twist in the ordinance is to make friendly.” the operators in the city liable for emIn the next few months, the city will ploying an unlicensed masseuse. The city be better able to judge the effectiveness is free to do this because the state does of the ordinance. not regulate operators, just the masIf it is, Mayor Mike Bodker says seuse. he wants to take it before the Georgia “State law is pre-emptive of local Municipal Association for other cities to ordinances, which means the state law adopt. would take precedence if there is a con“We won’t be happy until we drive flict. What we do is find ways to regulate this business out of the state,” he said. without creating that conflict,” Bergthold

“I really understood that the women are the real victims. This was human trafficking, and it needed a bigger light shined on it.”

Georgia among nation’s leaders in job growth ATLANTA – Georgia is ranked sixth nationally and third in the Southeast for top job growth.

With over 79,300 new jobs in the past 12 months, Georgia represents a 2.0 percent annual growth rate, which is higher than the nation’s average of 1.8 percent.

These encouraging numbers were announced by the

U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The number of jobs in Georgia totaled 4,132,900 in August, up from 4,053,600 in August 2013. The August-to-August job growth was the second largest in Georgia since 2005.

“Georgia has been ranked in the top 10 states for job creation for the past two years,” said State Labor Com-

missioner Mark Butler. “Our state’s employers are to be commended for their confidence in our state’s economy, as they continue to invest in hiring and growing their companies.”

Georgia’s job gains came in several sectors, including computer system design, accounting, architectural and engineering.

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NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 9A

PrivateBank to sell Norcross branch to Heritage

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com NORCROSS, Ga. – A PrivateBank branch in Norcross has been sold to the parent company of HeritageBank of the South.

The branch in Norcross from The Private Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chicago-based PrivateBancorp, Inc. Financial terms of the deal with Heritage Financial Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HBOS) were not disclosed.

The move gives Heritage its first retail banking branch in metro Atlanta, where it already has extensive mortgage operations. The branch, 3169 Holcomb Bridge Road, is in the northeast area of metro Atlanta, four miles north of Interstate-285.

The PrivateBank branch on Holcomb Bridge Road has about $129 million in deposits and $40 million in loans from retail and small business banking clients.

Heritage officials said the location is home to a significant population of small- and medium-sized businesses, which they say fits well into Heritage’s operating model.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2014.

HeritageBank also expects to retain the employees currently working in that location. An investor presentation outlining key information about the transaction is

available online under the “Investors” tab of the Company’s website, www.eheritagebank.com.

With the recent completion of the purchase of

Alarion Financial Services, Inc., Heritage has approximately $1.8 billion in assets, $1.0 billion in loans, and $1.5 billion in deposits.

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10A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Movers & Shakers The people turning heads in your backyard

Calling all hip and knee pain sufferers DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Do you suffer from hip or knee pain? Dr. Jon Minter will give a talk on the latest in partial knee resurfacing at 6 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the Northside Dawson Medical Campus, 81 Northside Dawson Drive in Dawsonville.

Minter, an expert in the surgical management of hip and highly Minter complex arthritis, will be the guest speaker at the free and informative event.

Learn about MAKOplasty, a robotic arm-assisted partial knee resurfacing procedure designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis (OA).

“Robotic surgical replacement of the hip and knee is dramatically easier on patients,” said Minter. “Normally, patients are up, moving and even discharged within six hours after surgery.”

Register by calling 1-888-787-9537 or visit www.

MoveWithStryker.com.

Nicole Buchanan joins Harry Norman, Realtors JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Harry Norman, Realtors welcomes Nicole Buchanan as a realtor in its Johns Creek office. Nicole and her family live in Gwinnett County and she is highly regarded by her clients and peers for having a high level of integrity, in depth market knowledge, and an incredible work ethic that Buchanan deliver results.

For more information, contact 678-322-7717, nicole.buchanan@harrynorman.com, or visit Buchanan online at www.nicolebuchanan.harrynorman.com

Forsyth resident named district engineer GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Golden announced the appointment of Brent Cook as district engineer for the 21 counties in northeast Georgia that make up DOT District 1. Cook, of Forsyth County, is responsible for systems inventory, environmental services, Cook public transportation, as well as planning and programming construction projects throughout the district. He became district traffic engineer in 2004 and was responsible for the placement, installation and maintenance on all traffic signals and other traffic control devices. Cook was named assistant district engineer in 2013 while remaining district preconstruction engineer, but assumed the duties of district engineer Sept. 16.

Jackson Healthcare hires Gianni Betti as new chef ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Jackson Healthcare has hired noted Tuscan chef Gianni Betti as the new general manager and chef at its company dining room, Ciao

Bella.

Betti, who was born and raised in Reggello just outside of Florence, Italy, launched Antica Posta with his two brothers in Buckhead in 1999. It is the sister restaurant of Antica Posta in San Casciano, Italy.

“We are delighted to have such a wonderful chef now in house to Betti cook meals for our employees,” said Shane Jackson, president of Jackson Healthcare.

“His expertise in creating incredible meals with fresh healthy ingredients fits perfectly into our vision for nutritional wellness. I know I can’t wait to see what he is making for lunch.”

Betti, a North Fulton resident, said he was looking forward to preparing food in a corporate environment so he could stay closer to home and his family.

“He will create food with Mediterranean flare, but we will still have the favorite traditional fare,” said Leslie Day-Harrell, vice president of property management for Jackson Healthcare. “We have a heavy emphasis on healthy eating, and the food speaks for itself.”

Margolis named interim CEO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital ATLANTA – Marilyn Margolis, vice president of operations and chief nursing officer (CNO) at Emory Johns Creek Hospital, has been named interim chief executive officer of the hospital. This comes after former Emory Johns Creek CEO Craig McCoy was appointed CEO of Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Margolis effective Sept. 1.

Margolis has held the positions of VP of operations and CNO at Emory Johns Creek Hospital since 2011.

Prior to that, she served in various positions at Emory including: director of nursing for Emory Healthcare’s Emergency Services, director of nursing for neurosciences at Emory University Hospital and director of nursing operations at Emory University Hospital.

“I am honored and excited to serve as interim CEO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital,” Margolis said. “Our goal is to make the hospital run smoothly and seamlessly during this transition time.”

Disney exec. to lead Avalon hospitality team ALPHARETTA, Ga. — North American Properties (NAP) has tapped a Disney veteran to lead its hospitality program at Avalon and invested in a Ritz-Carlton training program for the Avalon team. These moves demonstrate NAP’s commitment to introducing a new level of service when Avalon opens on Oct. 30 in RIGSBY Alpharetta.

Wayne Rigsby will lead Club Avalon at the $600 million, 86-acre mixed-use Avalon. Club Avalon’s unique approach to concierge service will provide five-star services to guests and residents for a seamless and luxurious experience from the moment they arrive. That experience will be all about taking care of life’s little details. The concierge will be prepared to thoughtfully and expertly fulfill any convenience, amenity or desire for residents, shoppers and office employees.

“We are excited to welcome Wayne to the Club Avalon team,” said Mark Toro, managing partner of NAP. “As a seasoned hospitality manager, his extensive background with the Walt Disney Company will

MOVERS & SHAKERS allow him to effectively oversee our one-of-a-kind concierge program.”

Rigsby launched his career at the Walt Disney Company in 2007.

His exceptional leadership skills and commitment to guest services resulted in multiple promotions during his time with Disney, where he finished his career as the restaurant guest services manager at Golden Oak Club. Rigsby obtained his MBA from Stetson University and is currently enrolled at the Climer School of Real Estate.

Georgia Health Underwriters installs new president ATLANTA– The Georgia Association of Health Underwriters (GAHU), an organization of health insurance agents, brokers and consulting professionals, announced the new president for the 2014-2015 fiscal years.

Jodie E. Braner, a registered health underwriter (RHU), will lead Braner the nonprofit organization.

Braner, of Marietta, has over 10 years of brokerage experience in the life and health insurance industry and brings determination, passion and commitment to her role as president of the Georgia state chapter.

Braner is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned the registered health underwriter designation from the American College. She currently serves her local community on the board of directors for the Friends of East Cobb Park as well as the Technology Association of Georgia Health Society.

“The delivery of health care is changing,” Braner said. “Health care reform has been a unique component of that change. Combined with the ongoing changes in law and compliance, employers are in need of assistance in managing their employee benefit programs more than ever. My role will be to provide our members and community of clients with the most current education and guidance. We will also focus on the changes in technology.”

For more information, visit www.nahu.org.

Engel & Völkers expands management team BUCKHEAD, Ga. — Valerie Levin, senior vice president, business development & operations, and Joe Gary, builder account manager, have been added Gary Levin to managing team of Shirley Gary, managing broker of Engel & Völkers Buckhead Atlanta, a real estate company with offices in 38 countries worldwide.

Levin brings more than 25 years of experience in sales, management, training and recruiting in the real estate industry to her senior VP position.

Gary, a licensed broker, brings expertise and indepth knowledge of the greater metropolitan Atlanta market. Gary previously held similar management positions within a large national mortgage company.

Submit your Movers & Shakers We want to hear about your new hire, promotion, board of director changes and recognitions, email a brief and headshot to business@appenmediagroup.com.

NEWS

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 11A

JC Business Expo ‘best ever’ 3rd annual Expo complete sellout

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – For the third straight year, the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce Business Expo was sold out, and for the second year, it had more exhibitors than the one before.

“Yes, we couldn’t have squeezed another table in here if we’d wanted to,” said JC Chamber President John Bemont. “We were sold out with a waiting list. The response this year was just tremendous.”

Asked if the chamber would be looking for a bigger venue next year, Bemont just shook his head. He said The Bricks at Perimeter Church has been a “super” venue for the Expo with generous but compact space and plenty of parking.

Ground-floor accessibility and a natural food court combine to make The Bricks ideal for Bemont’s annual show.

“We are very happy with this location. It’s been everything we could ask for. And I think 100 booths are about the maximum number we can serve well. We had 92 last year and I thought we were full,” Bemont said.

The businesses at The Bricks appeared to be quite busy explaining their companies to the visitors making the rounds.

Bemont said the Expo is not just about introducing one’s business to the other exhibitors and visitors. It is also about making new contacts and finding new local businesses that can help you.

“It is always a good thing to be able to do business with people you know and live in your town. It helps when you have a relationship with the other guy, whether you’re his customer or he is yours. Sometimes, it works out that they are both,” Bemont said.

Johns Creek Mike Bodker said he was pleased to see so many businesses contributing to the vibrancy of the city.

“This is by far the largest business showcase in Johns Creek. We can’t ask for more than that,” Bemont said.

PHOTOS BY HATCHER HURD/Staff

J. Wayne Baughman, conductor of the Johns Creek Symphony, makes a little music at the Johns Creek Business Expo. The city’s nonprofits like the Expo as much as the for-profits when it comes to telling people what they do well.

Mayor Mike Bodker does the honors at the JC Business Expo ribbon cutting as dignitaries look on.

Chamber President John Bemont welcomes visitors to the third annual Johns Creek Business Expo.

Sheila T. Gregory came to the Expo as executive director of the Institute for Scholarly Writing and Critical Thinking. But after visiting the Johns Creek Arts Center booth, she left an artist.

Attorney Susan Grissom, center, and Jennifer Nicholson listen as Great Plains National Bank mortgage officer Gary L. Wofford makes a point.

Allgood Pest Solutions’ Amanda Austin isn’t kidding when she says, “When the bugs are gone, it’s Allgood.”

NEWS

12A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

I-285/Ga. 400 interchange OK’d; $1.06B price tag ‘Worst bottleneck in Southeast’ to get makeover

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA – North Fulton residents received transformational news last week when it was announced that the Ga. 400/I-285 exchange is getting a complete makeover. But there will be a cost beyond the $1.06 billion price that comes with it.

After the completion of the environmental study, the construction of the project will finish by first quarter of 2020.

The Ga. 400 project is filled with flyover ramps; separate collector-distributor (CD) lanes parallel to Ga. 400 and I-285 that will also serve motorists getting off at areas near the interchange; and tons of asphalt and concrete.

The work schedule calls for another 42 months to complete. Knowing transportation projects reputations, you can round that off to 4 years.

With the environmental study due to be completed by the end of 2015, the A rendering of the completed I-285/Ga. 400 interchange. The project is estimated to cost $1.06B and completed by 2020. ribbon cutting should take place in early 2020. it needs to be fixed. And I will tell you – Georgia Department of Transportait’s the No. 1 priority for the Department tion spokeswoman Natalie Dale acknowlof Transportation, the governor and edged there will be pain during the long Will it have tolls? the Senate Transportation Committee,” construction period, but she said motorNo, it will not as a part of this project. It will be funded by federal, state, Beach said. ists should keep their eyes on the prize. local and private funds.

Getting the port of Savannah deep“There will be delays, but people have ened to accept the new super tankers is to remember what is waiting at the end,” When will construction start and end? equally important, but conDale said. “Obviously the Construction should begin in 2016 and be open to traffic sometime in 2019 gestion relief at Ga. 400 interchange is beyond ca(optimistically). can scarcely be measured pacity. So what we are dobecause its effects today ing is adding more ramps, What will the project accomplish? are so far-reaching. more CD lanes and more It should relieve a substantial amount of vehicular traffic jockeying for “That I-285/Ga. 400 exit points.” position and weaving and changing of lanes due to closely spaced interinterchange affects more Greater North Fulton changes in the area: Roswell Road, Glenridge Drive, Ga. 400, Ashfordthan just those people Chamber of Commerce Dunwoody Road and Peachtree-Dunwoody Road. on 400. It affects people President Brandon Beach Collector-distributor lanes should bleed off vehicles onto collector-distributor trying to get to Cobb and agrees the project is badly roads well before they get to the interchange.

Gwinnett. That is truly a needed. He said the four project of regional signifiyears of discomfort during What is a collector-distributor lane? cance,” he said. the construction will be Known as a CD lane, it is a controlled-access lane parallel to the roadway The GDOT rendering of more than compensated that separates through traffic from local traffic exiting and entering freeway the project conjures up imwhen the project is finsystem. They reduce the vehicle conflicts associated with weaving and laneages of the I-285, I-85 inished in 2020. changing. tersection colorfully known Beach should know. as “Spaghetti Junction” Not only does he serve as How will this project accomplish its goals? for its spectacular flyover a state senator, he sits on The CD lanes, separated from the highways by barriers, will use new or lanes to get traffic from one the State Senate Transexisting exits to channel local traffic from the through traffic long before Interstate to the other. portation Committee and they reach the present exits. This will require widening bridges in the interBut closer inspection of is a former member of BRANDON BEACH, change area, reconstruction of existing ramps, construction of flyover ramps GDOT’s Ga. 400 renderthe State Transportation Member, State Senate and braided ramps where one crosses over another ramp.

Board.

Transportation Committee ing, its flyovers appear to be flatter, more linear and “That is one of the most the Federal Highway Administration The flyover then will carry them less altitudinous than those dysfunctional interchanges (FHWA) approved the Atlanta Transeast of Roswell Road in that single CD at Spaghetti Junction. in the Southeast, and it portation Improvement Plan, which lane that will merge into two lanes with For instance, the flyover to take cars needs to be fixed. I was on Ga. 400 yesincludes the funding for I-285/Ga. 400 another single northbound CD lane from eastbound on I-285 who want to go to terday about 6:30 p.m., and traffic was interchange project.

Ga. 400 carrying northbound cars that Ga. 400 North or Glenwood Drive will completely stopped. also want Glenwood Drive. exit into a CD lane well west of Roswell “From a safety standpoint, it needs to See INTERCHNAGE, Page 29A The Ga. 400 plan is a go now that Road. be fixed. From a congestion standpoint,

FAQs for the Ga. 400 interchange

“That I-285/ Ga. 400 interchange affects more than just those people on 400. This is truly a project of regional significance.”

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 13A

October 31, 2014

NEWS

14A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Georgia Ports Authority poised for growth

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com SAVANNAH, Ga. — With nearly 13 percent growth in container traffic over the first two months of the fiscal year, the Georgia Ports Authority has made a strong start to fiscal year 2015.

For July and August, the GPA moved 595,711 twenty-foot equivalent container units, up 12.9 percent or 68,246 equivalent container units (TEUs) compared to the same period last year.

Both months set consecutive TEU records, with 293,889 TEUs crossing GPA docks in July and 301,822 TEUs in August.

The August number grew by 21,009 TEUs, or 7.5 percent, compared to the same month a year ago. Containers moved by rail also reached record levels in August, at 52,711 TEUs. “To accommodate growth at these levels, we are taking the necessary steps to expand capacity now,” said Curtis Foltz, GPA executive director. “Infrastructure improvements, which include additional cranes, operational improvements and container storage consolidation, will increase annual throughput capacity from 4.5 million to 6.5 million TEUs.” Last month, GPA board approved the

latest phase of container storage consolidation, which will add space for additional TEUs on Garden City Terminal.

“Increasing our capacity means increasing jobs and economic opportunity,” said James Walters, GPA board chairman. “More cargo moving through our deepwater ports supports growth not only within the transportation sector, but in the community goods and services supported by logistics industry payrolls.”

By 2024, Garden City Terminal will feature some 30 ship-to-shore cranes, up from the current 22, and 169 rubbertired gantry cranes, Foltz said.

The GPA currently employs 116 RTGs to handle shipping containers on terminal.

Foltz said both of Georgia’s deepwater ports in Savannah and Brunswick, there is ample room to grow.

“In Brunswick, we moved more than 674,000 Ro/Ro units last year, but we have enough land permitted for construction to double our Colonel’s Island operation,” Foltz said.

For the first two months of the fiscal year, Brunswick has experienced a 7.9 percent (3,863-unit) increase in Ro/Ro volumes to reach 57,085 units moved.

The port could eventually eclipse the ports of New York and New Jersey to lead the east coast, Foltz is noted at a

The Maersk Atlanta sails past Historic River Street in Savannah Ga., on its way to the Georgia Ports Authority Garden City Terminal. meeting last month at Savannah’s International Trade and Convention Center

on Hutchinson Island, the Savannah Morning News reported.

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NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 15A

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16A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

RETAIL

Can north metro sustain mega-retail?

Cobb, Forsyth, North Fulton look to try A office space; 500,000 square feet of upscale retail space, 450 hotel rooms; 600 luxury multi-family residential units; and 100,000 square feet for a multi-use enterNorth metro Atlanta is in the crosstainment facility. hairs of three major development projects Just this month, a Doubletree Suites economists say could change the face of

by Hilton hotel near the site was sold to a the region. commercial real estate firm based in DalAlpharetta is set to celebrate the grand las. Encore Hospitality plans to complete opening of Avalon, an 86-acre mixed-use a $6 million renovation of development, later this the 154-room hotel in time month. The project, more for the stadium’s opening than two years in the makin 2017. ing, will feature 500,000 “A lot of the growth in square feet of retail with any market right now is another 105,000 square Generation X and millenfeet of Class A office space nials,” said Dan Reuter, above, 101 residences and community development 250 luxury rental units. manager with the Atlanta Avalon developer Regional Commission. “So North American Properties it makes you wonder who estimates the development are the people who are gowill bring 3,500 permaing to shop at these differnent jobs to the area and ent malls? Are they people generate $21 million in who are already there, and annual sales tax revenue. are they going to compete Avalon rose from the against existing retailers?” ashes of the failed ProsEven the most qualipect Park on Old Milton fied retail economists Parkway. would be guessing on Meanwhile, several whether the region can miles north along Ga. 400, support these new, upscale plans are in the works retail centers, Reuter said. for a $1 billion mixed“The big issue here is: use mega mall in south Is Atlanta big enough to Forsyth County. Progress sustain them?” he said. on the Taubman Mall “That’s a tough question, development has stalled because Atlanta is big. since the County ComWe’re the ninth or tenth mission gave tentative largest regional economy approval in 2008, but if it in the country, and we’re goes forward, the site will growing.” feature 12-story buildings, Another concern is; 1.4 million square feet of Even if the new megaretail, another 900,000 centers survive, what will square feet of office space, Dan Reuter, community development manager become of the smaller 500 hotel rooms and 875 with the Atlanta Regional malls operating in the upscale residences. area? There are a number Work is very much un- Commission of metro Atlanta malls that der way on another mega were profitable whose fate project 20 miles to the was sealed when another west. Ground was broken bigger mall opened nearby, Reuter said. last month on a new $672 million stadium “Historically, we have seen reto host the Atlanta Braves. The ballpark, to tail displace other retail, sometimes be located just northeast of the I-75/I-285 because of preferences, because people interchange in Cobb County, is scheduled have decided this retail has the newer for completion in 2017. store with a different feel to it,” Reuter What sorts of development will ocsaid. “In general north Fulton is a very cur around the stadium is anyone’s affluent area, and there are only so guess, but the Braves organization itself many dollars to circulate, you would has said it intends to include within its guess.” complex: 630,000 square feet of Class

By Pat Fox news@appenmediagroup.com

“You wonder who are the people who are going to shop at these different malls? Are they people who are already there, and are they going to compete against existing retailers?”

Construction is underway for the new Atlanta Braves stadium in Cobb County. It is sp and 100,000 square feet for a multi-use entertainment facility.

A rendering to the Taubman mall in Forsyth County. Development has stalled as of la

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NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 17A

peculated to include 630,000 square feet of Class A office space; 500,000 square feet of upscale retail space, 450 hotel rooms; 600 luxury multi-family residential units;

ate due to the recession in 2008.

Construction on the Avalon in North Fulton is nearing completion, set to open Oct. 30.

RETAIL

18A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

The developers of Avalon were looking for a large site in the middle of North Fulton. They found it at Ga. 400 and Old Milton Parkway.

Avalon set to open Oct. 30 Property key piece in plans

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Location, location, location. It all boils down to that for Mark Toro and North American Properties, the developers of Avalon, the $600 million mixed-use development at Old Milton Parkway and Ga. 400 in Alpharetta.

North American Properties (NAP) already owns Atlantic Station in downtown Atlanta. Given how much is invested in that, why would Toro look outside the Perimeter at North Fulton?

“The entire industry has been aware of the strength of the North Fulton marker for some time, from a demographic perspective,” Toro said.

It’s got the right mix of bonuses – high income and high density with lots of spending power.

“There is a void in the market for upper moderate and luxury retailers,” he said.

Avalon aims to reinvigorate shopping, similar to NAP’s other location, Atlantic Station.

It has to be more than just niche and specialty shops, Toro said. It has to be an experience. Constant events draw customers in and, more importantly, keep them there.

“In today’s world, it’s extremely difficult to get people out from behind their keyboards and into a physical bricksand-mortar store,” Toro said.

Avalon by the numbers • 86 acres • $600 million cost • 2.4 million square feet total • 750,000 square feet Class A office • 500,000+ square feet retail • 101 single-family houses • www.experienceAvalon.com

An eye on North Fulton Toro said he was working in North Fulton in the 1990s and became familiar with the area.

“I knew then the market will continue to grow, and the city will not remain a bedroom community,” he said. “The corporate and business aspect of Alpharetta has grown tremendously.”

Since North Point Mall opened in the 1990s, Toro said there have been no significant new offerings in housing, retail or experiences, despite the population tripling and incomes doubling. What new development has gone in, Toro calls “vanilla.”

Long before Avalon, Alpharetta had Prospect Park. It had similar goals – mixed-use with plenty of apartments and retailers. When the recession came, it failed just after construction began, leaving a clear-cut, half-finished scar in the center of Alpharetta. It needed a new buyer.

What struck Toro and many other regional developers was the site of Prospect Park. It is a prime location right in the center of the area.

“It is 86 acres in the heart of a region that has phenomenal financial strength,”

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American Threads Anthropologie Antico Pizza Napoletana Arhaus Athleta Banana Republic Bantam + Biddy Bantu BCBG Bocado Burger Bar C. Wonder Caffé Gio Calypso St. Barth Crate & Barrel Columbia Sportswear Cru Food & Wine Bar Destination Maternity Dry Bar Everything But Water Exhale Spa Fab’rik Fly Wheel The El Felix Francesca’s Free People Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory Gap Goldberg’s Deli Gymboree J. Crew J. Jill

he said. “It has access to Ga. 400, and Old Milton Parkway is one of the very few arterials that has regional access and crosses the Chattahoochee River.”

Sitting at this intersection, any development would be able to accommodate a significant level of traffic. All it would take is the right developer with the right project.

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Janie & Jack J. McLaughlin Kendra Scott Kinnucan’s Kona Grill LensCrafters L’Occitane Lou & Grey lululemon Marlow’s Tavern Marmi Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Orvis Paper Source Pinkberry PNC Bank Pottery Barn Kids Regal Cinemas Road Runner Sports Sage Boutique Soft Surroundings Sunglass Hut Ted’s Montana Grill The Cosmetic Market Oak Steakhouse Tommy Bahama Van Michael Salon Vineyard Vines West Elm Whole Foods Market

“It was one of the most highly coveted sites in the region,” Toro said. “Everyone in the area was aware of it.”

NAP managed to put together the best offer and bought the land that will soon be Avalon.

“We were very aggressive, to say the least.”

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NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 19A

of

our communities

Appen news lets us know what’s going on right in our own backyard. As busy parents, it’s a great resource for places to go. As doctors, it helps us connect with our community and share our knowledge to better serve local medical needs. When we first arrived in Johns Creek, Appen helped us get to know our community and helped the community know who we are! I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to know what’s going on in this area without our community newspaper.

DR. JOHN REYES & DR. INGRID REYES

Businesses gear up for holiday season

By SHANNON WEAVER news@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA — It’s only October, but North Atlanta businesses are preparing early for the holidays. Christine Vogt-Tamisin, one of the owners of Sis and Moon’s, said customers are already prepping at her store in Alpharetta.

“People are actually starting to do their Christmas shopping now,” VogtTamisin said. “We’re in running mode for the holiday season.”

Anticipating the holidays, Atlantaarea businesses are beginning to hire temporary staff to fill the busy season.

Walmart held a hiring event earlier this month to recruit 100 employees for three of their locations in Cumming and Alpharetta.

HoneyBaked Ham is expected to hire 10,000 temporary workers for the holiday season, including 1,000 in the metro Atlanta area, said Kristen Lenze, a HoneyBaked Ham spokeswoman.

Lenze said that this translates to 40 new employees per store.

Similarly, Toys R Us projects 45,000 jobs with 1,000 local positions.

And of course, Roswell-based United Parcel Service (UPS) plans to hire as many as 95,000 employees.

Vogt-Tamisin said that Sis and Moon’s has begun looking for temporary staff as well.

Sis and Moon’s, a boutique that sells clothing, jewelry and other crafts emphasizing local artists, typically hires up to six people to help during the holidays, she said.

“We usually hire local high school kids that are interested in the arts or

Physicians, Modern Obstetrics and Gynecology of North Atlanta

“People are actually starting to do their Christmas shopping now.

We’re in running mode for the holiday season.”

Christine Vogt-Tamisin, Co-owner Sis and Moon’s in Alpharetta

trying to pursue art in college,” she said.

“We have girls working here who help us during the festivals who have worked with us temporarily throughout the holiday season. If they’re good workers, we absolutely keep them on.”

October may seem early for Christmas preparations to some, but as many as 40 percent of shoppers said that they started holiday purchases before Halloween, in a National Retail Federation survey in 2006.

Also, a recent Small Business Saturday campaign that encourages local shopping (with a boost from credit card issuer American Express) is set for Nov. 29 this year, which seems at odds with earlier-and-earlier promotional activity by national retailers.

“Every year, we’ve gotten busier and busier,” Vogt-Tamisin said. “We’re so excited.”

NorthFulton.com • 770-442-3278 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, Georgia

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20A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Asian commerce thriving in Gwinnett

By Pat Fox news@appenmediagroup.com Few metro Atlanta counties have devoted more time and effort to developing Asian markets than Gwinnett County.

For the past five years, government and business leaders have cast a wide net across Asia, with visits to South Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan.

Those efforts have paid off in a big way. Today, sales, receipts or value of shipments from Asian or Asian Indian companies account for about $3.4 billion in the local economy. The county’s total Asian annual payroll is $471 million.

And while government and business leaders work to draw more overseas commerce, local Asian businessmen and women who have already established a foothold in the community work to grow even larger.

“All the affluent, intelligent, engaged Asians are moving to this area,” said Nick Masino, senior vice president of Economic Development and Partnership Gwinnett at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. “They’re moving here for the same reason I moved here out of college, the same reason 30,000 people move to metro Atlanta every year. There are great schools, especially in north Fulton, Cobb County, Gwinnett County.”

One of the biggest reasons for the Gwinnett’s success in drawing international business from Asia, Masino said, has been working through Peter Underwood, a business development consultant working with the Georgia Department of Economic Development in Korea. Through Underwood’s direction in Korea, the state was able to draw investors such as Kia Motors, SKC and LG Chem.

“What we’ve done on top of that is use the people who live here in Gwinnett County and metro Atlanta to connect with people back in South Korea,” Masino said. “We also go there, work with organizations like the Korean International Association, the Korean Small Business Administration to set up seminars for businesses interested in expanding into the United States.”

Gwinnett County is home to some 23,000 Koreans, by far the largest concentration in the state. They represent 3 percent of the county’s 850,000 population and are about 24 percent of the county’s Asian population.

Duluth and the surrounding area has the highest concentration of Korean residents and businesses.

There are 93,000 businesses registered in Gwinnett County, 14 percent are Asian.

In the past several years, the county has landed some major Korean businesses.

One of the biggest is large equipment manufacturer Doosan. The company, which acquired Bobcat three years

By the numbers Number of Korean firms Gwinnett: 2,464 Fulton: 893 DeKalb: 869 Cobb: 730 Clayton: 309 Gwinnett’s annual payroll Asian Indian: $270.5 million Korean: $87.8 million Chinese: $61.3 million Vietnamese: $40.2 million Other Asian: $40.2 million Some of Gwinnett’s largest Korean employers • Clark Equipment Co. – Industrial machinery & equipment -- 624 employees • Doosan Infracore -- Industrial machinery & equipment -- 110 employees • Mega Mart – Grocery store – 150 employees • Kia Motors – Auto parts distribution and training center – 65 employees • Dasan Machineries – Defense manufacturer – 50 employees • Source: Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce ago, moved its credit headquarters to Suwanee, then added manufacturing.

Doosan also worked with county and business leaders to pave the way to add a natural gas engine assembly plant at their campus, adding millions in new capital investment.

Another heavy equipment manufacturer, Hyundai, moved its corporate headquarters from Chicago to Norcross in 2010. Company leaders said the move would provide them better access to Latin American markets through Hartsfield Jackson Airport. Overall, the move represents more than a $10 million investment and about 100 jobs.

Dassan, a new company that develops auto parts and gun components, is investing $30 million and hiring 150 workers in Duluth.

While Asian companies span the county, Koreans, for the most part have settled in and around Duluth. Nearly every shop window in the mini-malls along Pleasant Hill Road carry both English and Korean lettering.

Sometimes that has led to the misconception that Duluth has become dominated by Koreans, but that is not true, said Joe Allen, executive director of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District.

The Asian community plays a big role in the area economy, Allen said.

However, while many of the signs along storefronts carry wording written in Korean, Japanese or Chinese, only 9 per-

From Korean language shops and newspapers, Gwinnett County is home to a large sector of the Asian community.

Photos by ALDO NAHED/Staff

Korean shoppers get a flavor of their home country in Gwinnett County at Super H Mart.

cent of the daily workforce is Asian.

“In fact, it’s difficult to track exactly how many Gwinnett businesses are Asian,” he said. “Many of the properties are leased to Asian entrepreneurs but remain registered to non-Asian owners.”

Clayton Lee, vice president of the Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta, said Gwinnett had long been a draw for Koreans because of its school system. But the opening of a Super H shopping center in Duluth in 2004 sparked the true influx.

“That shopping center ignited and attracted most Korean businesses,” he said. “That’s where it really started.”

The neighborhood environment is also very important to Koreans, Lee said. Gwinnett offers reasonable housing prices and many amenities, such as parks, that appeal to the community, he said.

The county is well-known to the people in Korea as well, he said. Through

is many visits to woo businesses, Koreans have a sense they are welcome in Gwinnett, he added.

“The government is very supportive of the Korean community,” Lee said. “We don’t feel left out.”

Lee has worked hard to help local Koreans integrate into the larger community.

He is part of a campaign led by the grassroots group Asian Americans Advancing Justice to register 10,000 voters to participate in this fall’s election.

Lee is also a charter member of the Duluth mayor’s Korean Task Force, contacting residents to become more involved in the community. The effort had the added effect of spurring Korean businesses to reach outside their own native market, he said.

“A lot of Korean businesses have been successful because they targeted not just Koreans but others in the area,” Lee said.

GWINNETT COUNTY

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 21A

‘Drive for success kept us afloat’ Gwinnett-based engineering firm founder shares company’s culture

By KATHLEEN STURGEON news@appenmediagroup.com GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – In 2013, downtown Atlanta gained a new attraction called the SkyView Atlanta Ferris Wheel.

This was the first of its kind in the area and draws people from all over into the city.

Mark LeCraw of LeCraw Engineering, the business responsible for bringing SkyView to Atlanta, says his company has worked with the wheel’s owners before, so when the owners wanted to move the wheel from Pensacola, Florida to Atlanta, they called them.

While being responsible for one of the hottest downtown Atlanta attractions, LeCraw has other reasons for wanting to be an engineer.

“My grandfather, Charlie Ruppe, was a civil engineer with his own engineering and surveying business in Dunwoody,” said LeCraw. “I was fortunate to start going to work with him at a very young age and ‘being an engineer,’ he would have me do odd jobs around the office, make blueprints, help him in the field on surveys.

“That led me to a lifelong pursuit of continuing his legacy,” he said.

LeCraw later went to Auburn Uni-

versity and had two internships for local engineering firms.

After graduating, he worked for a large national firm for nine years before deciding to start LeCraw EngiLECRAW neering with a partner, Jeff Wilkerson.

Although he had good intentions, LeCraw started his business during the recession and business was challenging.

He says he had a plan to make it through.

“We had a detailed plan of how we were going to generate business, and a drive for success is what kept us afloat,” said LeCraw. “One of the biggest motivators was seeing the reaction people had when we told them we were branching out on our own during the deepest recession most of us will ever see.”

Working well with your business partner is one of the biggest keys to success, says LeCraw.

“In general, my partner and I work well together,” said LeCraw. “We have the same values, faith and similar upbringings. We are also both Eagle Scouts and we both always have a genuine desire to do things the right way, even if it is not the most profitable.

“Our people come first, and we intend to operate that way from day one until we decide to hang it up,” he said.

Visit www.lecrawengineering.com for more information.

BRIEFS & SHORTS: Gwinnett County Haso expands operations to Gwinnett County GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Japan-based manufacturer is entering the U.S. market and creating 170 new jobs Tokyo, Japan-based Haso Ltd., a development and manufacturing of hygiene and household cleaning products, joined Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) to announce the opening of its U.S. manufacturing operations in Gwinnett County.

The announcement represents 170 new jobs and $7 million in capital investment for the community.

Haso Ltd. will lease a 100,000 square foot facility, 2850 Colonnades Court, in the City of Peachtree Corners.

The facility will house all U.S. production operations for the company as well as serve as the corporate office for president, senior staff, human resources, accounting, marketing and maintenance.

“This is a great win for the City of Peachtree Corners and marks the second big global announcement this year, adding more than 150 local jobs to our community,” said Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason. “I

LeCraw Engineering

LeCraw Engineering is the company responsible for bringing SkyView Atlanta to Georgia.

applaud Haso for its decision to grow here, a decision that will benefit our community.”

For more information, visit www.hasoltd.com.

Gwinnett Tech, Southern Polytechnic partnership yields big opportunities GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – Gwinnett Technical College’s articulation agreement with Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) enables GTC bioscience graduates to earn their bachelor’s degree – with tuition, fees and expenses covered.

Gwinnett Tech’s Bioscience Technology program formed a partnership with SPSU, which recently merged with Kennesaw State University, in 2013.

The ”2 + 2 Agreement” allows Gwinnett Tech students with an associate degree in Bioscience Technology to transfer all of their coursework to SPSU and complete a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S) in Biotechnology at the university in two additional years.

The SPSU degree is supported by a federal grant that covers tuition, fees and additional expenses for students accepted to the SPSU program.

Five Gwinnett Tech bioscience grads have already

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been accepted into the SPSU program.

For more information, visit www.gwinnetttech.edu.

Massey acquires BACO exterminating services NORCROSS, Ga. — Harvey L. Massey, chairman and CEO of Massey Services, announced the purchase of BACO Exterminating Services, a pest management company headquartered in Norcross, Ga. BACO was established in 1995 and provides residential pest control, termite protection and lawn services to approximately 30,000 customers in the greater Atlanta area.

The company has more than 60 team members operating out of offices in Norcross, Winder and Dallas, GA. “We look for companies who have a reputation for exceptional customer service and BACO has done an outstanding job in their commitment to total customer satisfaction,” said Mr. Massey.

The joining of the two companies further expands Massey Services in the Georgia market. Massey Services also has service centers in the cities of Alpharetta, Marietta, McDonough, Fayetteville and Gwinnett County.

22A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

FULTON COUNTY

From Roswell to Asheville:

How bus ride created community collaboration

By BECKIE HAWKINS Communication and vision strategy Roswell Inc ROSWELL, Ga. – A few short weeks ago, a significant portion of Roswell’s community leaders piled into a bus and drove to Asheville, North Carolina as participants of Roswell Leadership Focus, a program presented by Roswell Inc. These movers and shakers were on a mission to experience and learn about new ways to encourage citywide collaboration and encourage our ever growing business community to succeed and thrive.

Why Asheville?

As it turns out, Roswell and Asheville have quite a lot in common.

As a hub of culinary excellence, fine art and tourism, Asheville is rapidly becoming one of the most prominent cities in the Southeast. As our city shares these values, the initiators of Roswell Leadership Focus (RLF) thought it would be prudent to explore how such positive change came about in Asheville, a formerly debt-laden city with limited resources.

The trip was not just about similarities between the cities though. It was also used as a tool to further scope out what

Particpants of Roswell Leadership Focus are all smiles on their way to Asheville, North Carolina.

Roswell is, can be and what community components are too far a reach for Roswell.

The program consisted of presentations from Asheville’s community leaders over two days. Presentations started with an open conversation on creating a sense of place that is threaded with art.

Then, focus turned to the redevelopment of Asheville’s River Arts District, a formerly industrialized area that has been converted into a purely creative space.

The Asheville Chamber of Commerce and the economic development leaders discussed the value of public-private

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partnerships followed by ideas for implementing tourism plans.

Asheville’s finest local restaurants invited the participants to enjoy lunch as founding members of Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR) discussed how their restaurants work together to not only promote the industry and implement solutions to challenges, but how they give back to the community as well.

Brainstorming and creating lists of action items were a constant during the trip. The participants, who come from diverse backgrounds, were able to brainstorm and collaborate about the possi-

bilities for Roswell.

Through meeting Asheville’s leaders and experiencing the unique atmosphere that is Asheville, the participants could begin conversations about the next steps to further expand and instill Roswell’s unique identity.

Roswell, too, is growing in prominence among the cities of the Southeast.

It will take new ideas and reinvestment to capitalize on Roswell’s finest assets and expand them, especially as the population grows and changes. These assets include but are not limited to our fine arts programs, recreation and parks, local cuisine, historic corridors, river district and much more.

Asheville provided a host of not just new ideas, and brought together people who are energized to implement plans and laid the foundation for relationships to further develop.

Most of all, it set the stage for collaboration, open conversation and has already brought ideas into action. Great things are happening in Roswell and greater things are yet to come!

Roswell Inc promotes economic development through a public-private partnership with the city of Roswell.

Learn more at www.roswellinc.org.

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FULTON COUNTY

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 23A

Italian furniture designer carves way into Roswell

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — An Italian outdoor furniture designer is not lounging around when it comes to winning over the American market.

Designer Carlo Basso is working to break through by visiting direct buyers and going to exhibitions to woo new wholesale customers through Roswellbased Affinity International Furniture.

Basso, along with his wife and creative director, Erlina Darmi, say the European market has been extremely receptive to the work.

“The main difference from Europe,” Basso said, “is the distribution. In Europe, there’s a lot of retail shops, in America, it’s all about the big stores.”

So don’t expect the outdoor furniture, including coffee tables, lounge chairs and other living accessories that Basso creates to be sold at Home Depot or Target.

“We are after the medium-to-high quality consumer,” Darmi said.

Basso, whose line of outdoor furniture combines retro and vintage with a modern twist, added that distribution through Crate and Barrel would be closer to his retail customer base.

“New and fresh always comes out of the traditional, because the traditional is the base,” Basso said.

Basso, whose work is featured at several world-renowned hotels, said he

aims to reach local interior designers and smaller boutiques specializing in artistic, but functional furniture.

“I think the volume market is full of low quality products from China,” Basso said.

Ferdinal Winarta, who is representing Basso through Affinity International Furniture, said he’s thrilled to be able to showcase the award-winning designer.

“He’s a top outdoor designer and I’m excited to bring him to the United States,” Winarta said. “Carlo Basso’s work is solid and exclusive.”

Basso manufactures his furniture in Indonesia, using mostly polyethylene and natural rattan to create functional and durable outdoor pieces.

“The keyword is classic contemporary,” said Darmi.

For more information, visit www. affinityinternationalfurniture.com or http://web.tanjayasinar.com.

Ferdinal Winarta of Affinity International Furniture, Erlina Darmi, creative director of Tanjaya and Carlo Basso, designer, have combined to create furniture that is art.

BRIEFS & SHORTS: Fulton County Medical research facility moves to Alpharetta ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Institute of Medicine and Research has moved its offices to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta from Sandy Springs and will change its name to the Institute for Advanced Medical Research. The Institute for Advanced Medical Research (IAMR) conducts neurological research, including studies in the area of depression, Alzheimer’s disease, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), adult and adolescent ADHD, Fibromyalgia and anxiety.

“We wanted our offices to be more convenient for people who want to participate in our research studies,” said Medical Director Dr. Angelo Sambunaris. “The name selection better describes what we do. Not only do we conduct research but we also provide educational resources to those who need more information about these diseases.”

The Institute for Advanced Medical Research is a leading clinical research facility and was founded in 1998 (as the Atlanta Institute of Medicine and Research). It is the only neuroscience facility of its kind in the area. Sambunaris is the founder of the IAMR and has more than 20 years of psychiatric clinical experience including a fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health.

For more information, visit the Institute for Advanced Medical Research website at http://www. iamresearch.org/ or call 770-817-9200.

The new offices will be located at 5895 Windward

Parkway, Suite 150, Alpharetta.

Providence Group opens Ruth’s Farm model home ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Providence Group of Georgia officially unlocked the doors of its brand new, fullydecorated model home at Ruth’s Farm in Alpharetta. In celebration of this stunning model home, home buyers can currently save big when they purchase a new home at Ruth’s Farm.

Featuring the Brentwood home design, interiors of the model home are spacious and open with five bedrooms and a finished basement.

The Brentwood model showcases luxury finishes and features including a gourmet kitchen with large island, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, family room with coffered ceiling and a wall of windows, hardwood floors throughout the main level, large dining room with butler’s pantry and outdoor living space.

For more information on available homes or to schedule a tour, call 678-392-7466 or visit www.

TheProvidenceGroup.com/Ruths-Farm.

GaPTA gets donation from Alpharetta Beverage ATLANTA— The Georgia Parent Teacher Association (GaPTA) has signed an agreement with the Alpharetta Beverage Company (ABC). The company pledged to

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donate a portion of every bottle sold of Tenacious Tea in the state of Georgia to the GaPTA. Tenacious Tea has no sugar, no carbohydrates, no calories and naturally caffeine free, ABC representatives say. “We applaud ABC for the development of an allnatural, zero calorie beverage as a healthy drink alternative,” said GaPTA President Rita Erves. “We are excited to work together to educate our communities on healthy lifestyles.”

For more information, visit www.gapta.org.

Roswell Yoga Life comes to historic district ROSWELL, Ga. — A new yoga studio is now open in historic Roswell, at 408 South Atlanta St. Roswell Yoga Life (RYL) encourages people to live their best life through a personal yoga practice. The studio offers diverse yoga styles taught by dynamic teachers to accompany all clients. Classes are held seven days a week and include slow-flowing Yin Yoga, Power Yoga (heated and non-heated), pre-natal, kids’ and teen yoga, as well as workshops to enrich the mind, body and spirit.

Gretchen Griffin, owner of Roswell Yoga Life, said her mission is to bring health, wellness and create space for creating community in Roswell.

“Everyone can practice yoga, and RYL is here to support you in creating a yoga practice that brings out the possibility in your life,” Griffin said.

The first month of unlimited classes costs $49.

Visit www.roswellyogalife.com for more information.

HALL COUNTY

24A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Brewing businesses thrives in state

By KATHLEEN STURGEON news@appenmediagroup.com HALL COUNTY, Ga. – The state of Georgia is home to many successful businesses.

Some are well known, like CocaCola, Home Depot and Spanx.

In November 2013, JONES Georgia was named the No. 1 state for business in the U.S. by Site Selection magazine. Most recently, Georgia was named the No. 1 state in the U.S. for business by CNBC. These accolades suggest that entrepreneurs who start a business in Georgia may have better than average chances of being successful.

Local businesses that aren’t as wellknown have also shown that brewing success is possible.

Americans love coffee. This is one reason why Lane Jones decided to open Highland Mountain Beverage Company, a coffee and bottled water service and bottle-less filtration systems.

A liking for the coffee industry isn’t

Highland Mountain Water and Coffee

Highland Mountain Beverage Company serves over 3,400 customers all over North Georgia. the only reason Jones decided to open shop.

“I always knew that for me to get ahead in life, I needed to be in business,” said Jones. “I attended the University of Georgia and after that I went to work for a company that transferred me from Atlanta to Monroe, Louisiana.”

After being in Louisiana for a while, Jones wanted to change companies, and thus started working for Royal Cup Coffee.

Soon after though, Jones wanted to come back to the Atlanta area and work.

“I researched the best place for a

startup coffee service in the Atlanta area, and I ended up in Gainesville, Georgia,” said Jones. “I started Lane’s Coffee Service in 1981 and struggled for about four years while building the business. Then in 1989, I decided to go into the bottled water business and then filtration.”

After building up a loyal customer following, Jones and all the workers at Highland Mountain were hit, like many other businesses, by the recession. Jones says having savings set aside is very helpful.

“We were hit hard by the recession, so I had to not take a salary for 18

BRIEFS & SHORTS: Hall County

months,” said Jones. “In addition, I put some of my savings back into the business to keep it going. Plus, we had to cut costs drastically on everything without affecting our product line. We cut out everything that was not necessary at that time.”

This careful planning has helped Jones survive the recession and continue in business for 30 years.

Jones also says hiring top-notch people, having a supportive wife and buying other companies that were in distressed situations during the recession helped Highland Mountain stay alive.

“I have plans but they always change over time to meet our customers’ everchanging needs,” said Jones. “We have had to be very adaptive to the business environment.”

Being adaptive was a boost to Jones’ business, and in 2012, they received the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year award.

Some advice to aspiring business people is to start with written goals and work a plan to achieve those goals, Jones says.

Visit www.highlandmountainwater. com for more information.

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Chief Cagle elected to state fire association post HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Hall County Fire Services Battalion Chief Scott Cagle was elected to a top office with the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (GAFC).

Cagle was elected District Vice President of Area 1, which is comprised of 24 counties and 119 fire departments in northeast Georgia.

Cagle was elected to the post during the 2014 Georgia Fire Service Conference in Macon last month. The annual conference is held jointly by the Georgia State Firefighters Association and GAFC, which works closely with many different organizations concerning issues on the local, state and national levels that affect fire services. Cagle has worked for Hall County Fire Services for 22 years. He was appointed chief of Planning and Preparedness in October 2013.

Hall Chamber announces fall business beautification awards HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Winners of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee’s Business fall awards of excellence include the new Gainesville Pedestrian Bridge, connecting the Brenau Downtown Center and Midtown Gainesville and BatesCarter, an accounting firm founded in 1962 and located at 525 Candler Street in Gainesville.

The Hall Chamber wants to promote attractive and well-maintained areas by publicly recognizing those who have made beautification efforts to property.

Bates, Carter & Co., LLP is located in the site of the former Candler Street Elementary School.

The school opened in 1911 and closed in 1978.

Scheduled for destruction, the building was purchased in 1981, renovated and reopened in 1982 as Bat-

esCarter and Don Carter Realty offices. It is also listed in the national register of Historic places.

The Chamber initiated the beautification program 19 years ago and various businesses have received the award, including most recently Kipper Tool Company and First Baptist Church in 2012.

“The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize businesses and organizations that beautify their properties,” said Kit Dunlap, Greater Hall Chamber president/CEO. “The Business Beautification Awards send a message to all saying… ‘We care about our community and our quality of life.’”

For information on beautification programs, call Robin Halstead, vice president of community development, 770-532-6206 x 101.

Hall businesses will need license prior to opening doors HALL COUNTY, Ga. — At a work session Oct. 6, the Hall County Board of Commissioners discussed requiring businesses to have a license approved prior to opening. The Commissioners are also reviewing changes to fee schedule for business licenses.

The Commissioners want to change the business license code, including reducing the grace period for late payments and to require businesses to have a license before opening.

Commissioner Scott Gibbs said the county will also review possible changes to the fee schedule for business licenses, which are calculated based on the number of employees and the specific type of commercial operation.

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 25A

CONNECT TO YOUR COMMUNITY November is our Chamber focus, so don’t miss out.

We will cover: • By the numbers: Chambers • What’s the New tech saves limbs next move: How to keep the economy growing • What makes a good leader • Getting the most of your current customers July, 2014

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Tech capital

Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle makes case. PAGE 20

Hospital profiles

By the numbers on the hospitals north of Atlanta. PAGE 10

Volume I, Issue I • Part of Appen Media Group • Cherokee • Cobb • Forsyth • Fulton • Gwinnett • Hall

Land of innovation

Metro-Atlanta leads nation in health-tech. PAGE 12

Safety first

Hospitals with strict guidelines perform better. PAGE 15

Sprouting up

Sprouts Farmers Market opens in Snellville. PAGE 18

Dr. Greg Robertson of Emory Johns Creek uses a tiny laser camera to detect clogs in arteries which leads to lose of limbs. See story, page 8.

EMORY JOHNS CREEK HOSPITAL

Roswell, Georgia — a classic, southern town where small business makes a big impact

Learn more about how your small business can find success in Roswell on page 26

Deadline to advertise October 30 Reserve space today. Call 770-442-3278 or email advertising@appenmediagroup.com

CHEROKEE COUNTY

26A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Sizemore Group helping Woodstock with Ga. 9 LCI Grant Int e

rsta te 5

75

City wants upgrade ofI-575 entrance

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com

Highway 92

Highway 92

stat

e 57

5

Highway 92

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WOODSTOCK, Ga. – The Sizemore Group is helping Woodstock revamp the Ga. 92 corridor west to I-575 with the help a $60,000 ARC Livable Centers Initiative grant to create a vision for the corridor.

Sizemore Group planner Deanna Murphey said one charrette held in September brought out a number of citizens with ideas for the corridor.

“What Woodstock wants is to make the 92 corridor a gateway to the city,” said Murphey. “Now they are going through the community process to get their ideas. They are looking at preservation projects, land use, transportation and economic development.

The Ga. 92 Corridor LCI study area encompasses around 400 acres adjacent to Ga. 92, east of I-575.

The boundaries include I-575 to the west, the back of parcels adjacent to and Ga. 92 to the north. Also there are parcels adjacent to Stonecroft Lanes to the east, and the back of parcels adjacent to 92 to the south.

Existing retail destinations in the study area include Woodstock Commons Shopping Center, which contains the Goodwill store and Woodstock Village Shopping Center anchored by Southern Antique Gallery and Dollar General.

“Woodstock has such a vibrant downtown. So they are looking at future improvements to the corridor and develop an idea of what they should look like. “ Step one is getting the people’s ideas.

One thing citizens have asked for is more “there” there as developers like to say.

They want some of the vibrancy that has made downtown Woodstock so attractive.

Activities and accessibility for pedestrians and bicycles are mentioned. But that has to be balanced with the corridor’s main purpose which is to keep traffic moving.

“It is a major corridor and we don’t want to disrupt that traffic,” Murphey said.

Other ways to improve the corridor is to add beautification by planting along the medians and adding sidewalks, trees and landscaping, she said.

“Overall, they want to make it an attractive corridor.”

People have asked to see more restaurants along the corridor and more office space. Even more retail has been requested because there are some open spaces along Ga. 92 that could offer infill opportunities.

“That would really be for private development coming in ultimately. We are

trying to help visualize what that might look like,” said Murphey.

There are also opportunities for more green space, taking advantage of several creeks and streams in the area and turning that into an amenity.

Kickoff for the LCI was in August, and Sizemore plans to have a draft plan to bring before the public in mid-November for comment with a report to the city

by December or early January 2015.

The city would then tweak it to suit and adopt the plan into their comprehensive plan.

The next step would then be implementation.

Most likely that will begin with a beautification plan.

The ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative is a program that awards planning grants on a competitive basis to local governments and nonprofit organizations.

BRIEFS & SHORTS: Cherokee County Raydeo leases space in Holly Springs HOLLY SPRINGS – Raydeo Enterprises announced it will lease 14,000 square feet of space in Rickman Industrial Park in Holly Springs.

Raydeo Enterprises provides design development services, manufacturing of millwork, resin and solid surface processes, and decorative metalwork.

The company expansion includes 30 more employees and a second location in downtown Canton.

The space in Holly Springs will be used for Raydeo Enterprises’ metalwork and sign operation.

Raydeo participates in the state’s Opportunity Zone program and was certified to use the job tax credits in

2013 for new job growth.

The $35000 tax credit per job creation was cited as an incentive to expand in Holly Springs.

Waleska OKs streetlights, improve road WALESKA – The Waleska City Council has approved a $97,000 streetlight project for downtown.

The project will provide better illumination for the downtown.

The proposal had been suggested by Georgia Power and will lights an estimated every 120 feet along Ga. 140.

There will be a total of 17 lights in all.

The city is also considering adding speed bumps to

“It is a major corridor and we don’t want to disrupt that traffic.”

Deanna Murphey, Sizemore Group planner

The grants are used to prepare and implement plans for the enhancement of existing centers and corridors consistent with regional development policies.

They can also provide transportation infrastructure funding for projects identified in the LCI plans.​​​

submit news to business@appenmediagroup.com

the city’s Grady Street road improvement project and banning heavy trucks.

Canton considers landlord licensing CANTON – The Canton City Council is looking at a business license for landlords as way to raise revenue dedicated to improving the downtown area.

Such licensing would also help the city identify actual owners of commercial property doing business as a limited liability company (LLC).

This would give the city more information who owns rental housing in the city and better enforce code violations without researching tax records.

COBB COUNTY

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 27A

Ice cream maker takes ‘High Road’ to new heights

By KATHLEEN STURGEON news@appenmediagroup.com COBB COUNTY, Ga. – One thing that Georgians know well is the summer heat, and they also know that ice cream is a great way to cool off.

Keith Schroeder is a chef and chief executive officer of High Road Craft Ice Cream. He too is aware of how much customers love ice cream.

After 20 years of working as a professional chef and culinary school instructor, Schroeder decided to enroll in an MBA program while working full-time as the executive chef at the Westin Hotel in Atlanta.

“How can we elevate ice cream to the level of truly exceptional?” Schroeder asked himself.

This pushed him onto the path of making custom high-quality ice cream for other chefs who were cutting back on their pastry programs.

“Just as chefs don’t make core menu ingredients like cheese, wine, spirits or chocolate from scratch, they’re seeing the value of getting exceptional ice cream from craft producers,” said Schroeder.

This idea evolved into High Road Craft Ice Cream in 2010.

Originally located in Chamblee, Georgia, High Road moved to a new and larger factory at 1730 West Oak Commons Court, Suite B, Marietta, in August.

“The need for a more appropriate space was a long time coming,” said Schroeder.

Cooking Light

High Road’s most popular flavor vanilla fleur de sel ice cream is based on a French-style custard with Madagascar vanilla, and includes a pinch of fleur de sel (French sea salt).

The unique flavors, including pistachio honey ricotta, bourbon burnt sugar and vanilla fleur de sel keep customers coming back and have created a very loyal fan base throughout metro Atlanta.

Visit www.highroadcraft.com to find out where you can get a taste of High Road ice cream.

Keith Schroeder, chef and chief executive officer of High Road Craft Ice Cream.

BRIEFS & SHORTS: Cobb County

A rendering of the new tower at the Cobb County airport.

Cobb Co. airport adds new tower, customs facility KENNESAW, Ga. – International travel will soon be within reach of Cobb County-McCollum Field with improvements underway at the Cobb County airport.

Last month, officials held a joint groundbreaking for a new $2.9 million air traffic control tower, expected to be completed in January and an $800,000 U.S. Customs inspection facility planned to open in July 2015.

The 78-feet tall air traffic control tower will improve visibility, provide proper layout of equipment and offer an improved work environment for controllers. Once the new air traffic control tower becomes operational,

the current control tower, which opened in 1995, will be demolished, except for the airport administration base building.

The customs inspection facility will allow international arriving aircrafts to clear customs at Cobb County Airport rather than clearing at another port-of-entry airport and then continuing their flight to Cobb.

The airport, 1723 McCollum Pkwy NW in Kennesaw, is located on nearly 320 acres of land and has one runway which is 6,305 feet long. There are over 350 aircraft based at McCollum, most of them are single-engine. The announcement follows the August completion of a $1.2 million extension of two parallel taxiways at the western end of the airfield.

Ninety percent of the cost of the two airport upgrades were paid for through federal grants.

First Landmark Bank, Midtown Bank & Trust Co. to merge MARIETTA, Ga. – On Oct. 20, Marietta-based First Landmark Bank will merge with Midtown Bank & Trust Company.

The two banks have been in talks since April, according to the Atlanta Business Journal. The merger will create the 10th largest community bank by assets in metro Atlanta.

The combined company will have approximately

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$411 million in assets and will operate three branches, said a Landmark spokesperson.

Midtown Bank will operate as a division of First Landmark Bank and move its headquarters from Midtown to Marietta.

Midtown Bank President and CEO R. Stanley Kryder will serve as president and CEO of the combined bank and First Landmark president and CEO Terrence Y. DeWitt, will serve as its executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Golf Association names executive director MARIETTA, Ga. – The Georgia State Golf Association announced that Matt Williams was named its new executive director. Williams begins his duties with the Association Nov. 16.

In his new role, Williams will oversee the Association’s staff of 13, which carries out various services benefiting GSGA member golf clubs and Williams individual golfers across the state. As Executive Director, he will be charged with developing a strategic plan that adapts to golf’s changing industry, identifying creative ways to grow the game in Georgia.

Visit www.gsga.org for more information.

28A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

SOUND ADVICE

Retail follows rooftops in Forsyth County Brian Patton

brianpattonccim.com

Forsyth County is no longer a sleepy little county north of Atlanta.

Its yearly population growth of 3.18 percent, compared to the U.S. average of 0.7 percent and Georgia’s 0.9 percent, has overpowered most similarly situated counties.

It has been consistently listed as one of the top fastest growing counties in the nation and a few years back was listed as the 13th wealthiest county in the nation.

In the last 14 years alone, the population has grown by almost 30 percent.

With that huge population growth, it’s inevitable that Forsyth County should pay homage to the old saying, “Retail follows rooftops.”

But despite those great population numbers and up until late last year, retail has been a little stagnant due to the sluggish economy and tight financing markets for new retail stores.

Like many counties, Forsyth has been grappling with staying in the good graces of the Atlanta retail market.

A study sanctioned by the CummingForsyth County Chamber of Commerce at the end of last year indicated that the community was underserved in several major retail sectors.

Randall Toussaint, vice president of economic development with the chamber, said after reviewing the results of that study, he and his coworkers embarked on a goal to increase the commercial segment of the county’s digest from 20 percent to 25 percent.

This plan, dubbed “Business First,” calls for the recruitment of restaurants,

Aldo Nahed/Staff

Coscto recently opened a 148,000 square-foot facility that also includes a liquor section and tire center in Forsyth County. hotels and large box retail stores.

The chamber, through its local professional staff, has been aggressively working with developers and commercial real estate agents to sound the drumbeat of Forsyth County’s amenities, and most importantly, its rooftop prowess.

It appears that this strategy, along with an improving consumer spending trend, has paid dividends in the first part of this year.

With the recent opening of Costco Wholesale Club, Forsyth County has taken a large step in the right direction of plugging the “large box retailer” hole outlined in its 2013 study. Additionally, a favorite grocery provider, Aldi’s, has just opened a new location on Highway 20 as part of their metro Atlanta growth

strategy.

Additionally, Lakeland Plaza, an older big box retail project, located at the corner of Highway 20 and Ga. 400, is under revitalization.

Despite losing some strong tenants, the space is filling up with some wellknown retailers, such as JoAnn Fabrics, which is the nation’s largest specialty retailer of fabrics. In addition, several restaurant sites nearby have undergone or have planned major renovations to update their look.

And of course, no discussion about FoCo retail would be complete without discussion of “The Collection of Forsyth County,” or “The Avenue” as many locals still call it.

While its rebranding to the new name

caught many county residents off guard, it hasn’t caught the retailers off guard.

This corridor has continued its competitive march with a new hotel, new restaurants and new convenience stores popping up continuously over the last year.

Retail in Forsyth County continues to be a shining example of what well designed, high end retail can do to an area.

The benefit will be for residents and visitors alike, for many years to come.

Brian Patton, CCIM is an author and trusted advisor on commercial real estate investments and development.

He can be reached at 770-634-4848 or via his website: www.brianpattonccim. com.

Strategic alignment consists of 5 major components Dick Jones Founder & President Jones Simply Sales

Does your small business have a strategic plan?

Is the plan producing the results you thought it would?

Developing a strategic plan for your business is essentially a cognitive process, meaning anyone can sit down and develop one.

So, if developing a strategic plan is relatively easy, why is it often so difficult to successfully implement a strategic plan?

Strategy formulation and strategy implementation are two different things.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that if you have a strategic plan that you’ll actually achieve the goals set forth in the plan.

If it were that easy, everyone who had a strategic plan would be successful.

Unfortunately, this is not reality.

In nearly every case, the impediment to successfully implementing a strategic plan is the lack of alignment to five major organizational components.

This includes: • Structure: How you are functionally organized to support your strategy.

• Processes: Ensuring your processes are aligned to execute your strategy.

• People: The skills, knowledge and capabilities of your human resources.

• Measurements: How employees

are measured, paid and incentivized.

• Communications: What leadership says and does to create a culture for success.

Most companies typically get the first one right.

After developing a new strategy, they make sure that their structure is aligned to support it.

However, they often fail to align their current processes, people, measurements and communications.

As such, even though the strategy is very good and the organizational structure is aligned, it is virtually impossible to achieve success because everything else is not aligned.

It is supporting yesterday’s strategy, not today’s.

All five of these organizational components need to be aligned for a success-

ful strategy implementation. This may require creating new processes while at the same time abandoning old ways of doing things.

It could include implementing new technology tools, hiring new people, training programs or revising the measurement and compensation systems.

And it most certainly should include that leadership is “walking the talk” in both their written and verbal communications.

To ensure successful strategy implementation, make sure you have aligned your structure, processes, people, measurements and communications.

It takes more time to do this than just writing a strategic plan, but strategic alignment is a critical success factor in successful strategy implementation.

NEWS

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 29A

Billboards headed Johns Creek’s way

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Johns Creek residents have been calling City Hall about a huge LED-lit billboard at the Kimball Bridge Road and State Bridge Road intersection, asking why such a thing could be allowed to happen.

That billboard – which is actually in Alpharetta – is only the tip of the iceberg.

That sign was permitted by court order and there are more to come.

Johns Creek could have as many as 31 more LED billboards that have courtordered permits within the Johns Creek city limits.

They are all due to a lawsuit lost years ago by Fulton County before Johns Creek was a city.

Johns Creek City Manager Warren Hutmacher said there will be nowhere near 31 billboards permitted in the city.

There simply is not the space on the specific locations.

Just how many and where have not been decided yet.

“Originally there were three sign companies all asking for permits. Some would have been back to back on the sites. So we are in discussions with the company to find a reasonable number,” Hutmacher said.

Realistically, there are physical limitations where the signs can go.

Hutmacher said he thinks no more than half the number permitted will be built.

The sign company Action Outdoor Advertising has bought out the competing two companies.

“This all occurred long before there was a city of Johns Creek,” said Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker. “There are discussions that are ongoing.”

The good news is that the number of signs in North Fulton was negotiated to a total of 34 signs. The State Bridge Road billboard is one of those. Another one is in Milton, and the third is in Alpharetta on South Main Street near the Roswell city limits.

The bad news is there are 31 more signs permitted in what is now Johns Creek.

Confusing? It is a legal tangle that began long before there were any “new” cities in North Fulton.

Billboard timeline 2003 – 2005: Action Outdoor Advertising JV, LLC and three other companies file outdoor advertising applications with Fulton County.

2005: Fulton County denies them, citing its sign ordinance.

The companies file a lawsuit and win in Fulton County on First Amendment grounds. Around 75 permits had been sought.

2005 – 2006: Cities of Sandy Springs, John Creek and Milton are established.

2007: Cities of Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Alpharetta and Milton consolidate with Fulton County’s appeal to the billboard companies.

2011: The Ga. Supreme Court determined in a separate appeal that the Fulton County sign ordinance was unconstitutional.

Thus, any permit requests must be granted absent any valid sign ordinance.

2014: Melvin K. Westmoreland of the Fulton Superior Court orders May 27 that all cities, including the city of Johns Creek, must comply with the sign permits. Talks are ongoing over how many signs will actually be permitted.

Hatcher Hurd/Staff

This billboard at State Bridge Road and Kimball Bridge Road could be joined by 31 more signs in Johns Creek.

The 75 billboard permits were requested in 2002, and denied by Fulton County (See timeline). The three companies involved jointly sued the county on the grounds that the ordinance unduly restricted free speech under the First Amendment.

Interchange: Continued from Page 12A The FHWA determined the plan met federal air quality regulations — the final hurdle in moving the project forward and delivering congestion relief to the more than 400,000 daily motorists.

The improvements include: • Construction of new flyover ramps, • New collector-distributor lanes, • Other facilities to aid east-west travel on along I-285 and north-south travel along Ga. 400.

Now that the Georgia Supreme Court has cleared the way siding with the sign companies, it has remained up to the remaining company and the city to agree where in Johns Creek the signs will be placed.

With the Supreme Court decision

GDOT estimates the design-build cost to be $1.06 billion.

This past May, the governor and GDOT board members approved the sale of $130 million in previously authorized bonds and the use of $81.5 million in accrued state motor fuel funds to accelerate the project.

To complete the funding of the improvements, GDOT will use a public-private partnership model.

“This project is a top priority for metro Atlanta, as interchange improvements will alleviate congestion, create jobs and grow businesses,” said GDOT Commissioner Keith Golden. “We now have the go-ahead to move forward with these improvements, and we’re excited

hanging over the city’s head, there is no legal reason for Action Outdoor to negotiate.

That leaves the city with little bargaining power.

“There is no legal requirement for any conversation; there is just a cooperative spirit,” Bodker said.

Bodker said he has been impressed with Action Outdoors’ willingness to hammer out an agreement that will benefit both parties.

“This was not our fight initially. We just inherited it from Fulton County.

Now we have to make the best of it,” Bodker said.

about that. Once complete, this interchange will become a key asset to our transportation infrastructure, helping move people and goods more efficiently.”

“All Georgians benefit from reducing congestion for commuters and freight haulers, and improvements to this important interchange will do just that,” said GDOT Board Chairman Don Grantham.

“We’ve achieved this critical milestone with the support of many local and state partners,” said GDOT Board member for the 6th Congressional District Dan Moody. “It really speaks to the leadership, perseverance and teamwork that have moved this project closer to construction.”

RESTAURANTS

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30A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com For more info visit roswellinc.org or call 678.823.4004

Power lunch spotlight: Asian cuisine

By CAROLINE SANDERCOCK Roswell Inc. communication intern Looking for the perfect lunch spot to meet clients and friends? We can help with that. Whether you’re closing deals, catching up on the latest news, or looking to break up the work day with a great meal, Roswell has the answer.

Today, we are in the mood for Asian food. Roswell offers a wide variety of cuisine as diverse as the continent itself, so name your price and take your pick from one of these delicious restaurants.

If you need a break from the monotony of your cubicle and want some fresh air, head over to Zest on Canton Street for sushi with a view. Go ahead and get that extra appetizer or free

birthday dessert while you’re there – no one has to know.

Yummy House is the perfect place for when you’re in a hurry but looking to satisfy your noodle cravings. Grab your fried rice and fortune cookies to go or take a break from your day and enjoy it in house.

Feeling some Thai food? We’ve got options.

With its authentic atmosphere, Thai Emerald is the ideal place to impress a client and show them how cultured you are. You could also make your way to La Voh Thai and Sushi Bar to check out how new management has spiced up the menu.

Whether you’re in the mood for take-out or taking in all your lunch break has to offer, Roswell is ready to deliver. Enjoy!

Costa Vida opens first Georgia location

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. – The Baja California-inspired restaurant chain Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill will open their first location in state in Forsyth County.

Costa Vida, 405 Peachtree Parkway, will open Oct 13 in the Starbucksanchored Brannon Crossing shopping center across from The Collection at Forsyth and right next to Rosati’s Pizza. Their menu features southwest favorites with a California surfer motif.

The franchisees are brothers Donnie Williams and Michael Williams, who was recently elected as state senator for south Forsyth in 2015.

The brothers signed an area development agreement with Salt Lake City-based Costa Vida for the state of

Georgia, beginning with eight locations in the greater Atlanta area, the first of which will open in Cumming on Oct. 13.

This is Michael Williams’ first restaurant, but he ran and sold a successful chain of hair salons.

“As a politician and experienced franchise and small business owner, I’ve learned and strongly believe that you must be passionate about not only the product and service you are providing,” said Michael Williams in a company press release.

“Distinct from other restaurant concepts in the area, Costa Vida offers a unique flavor profile that cannot be found around here,” he said. “Inspired by coastal Mexico, Costa Vida’s vibrant menu boasts quality ingredients with gluten-friendly options and better-foryou Mexican cuisine.”

Ruth’s Chris gains new Alpharetta home Relocates restaurant off Ga. 400

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – After 20 years in operation, the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Sandy Springs, at the corner of Roswell Road/Ga. 9 and I-285, closed down. It will reopen in its northern neighbor of Alpharetta.

The new location, at 11655 Haynes Bridge Road, Alpharetta, sits on just over 2 acres of land in an 18,000-square-foot location in the former Rainwater restaurant location, off Rainwater Drive and not far from the Haynes Bridge Road exit of Ga. 400.

The site, said co-owner Nancy Oswald, was perfect for a new home.

“We have been interested in Alpharetta for over a decade,” Oswald said.

“We just hadn’t found the right opportunity.”

She said she and her partners wanted to stay in the North Fulton or North Atlanta area.

“We have watched Alpharetta grow from its rural roots to a growth city,” she said. “It’s now a bustling destination of choice both commercially and residentially.”

Alpharetta has at times been included on national lists as friendliest city, fastest growing city and more wealthy.

“It’s a forward-thinking community with an expanding workforce and the largest suburban office market in metro Atlanta,” Oswald said. “It’s a natural place for us to be.”

The building itself has seen a string of tenants rotate through it in the past five years.

Oswald is hopeful all it takes is the right restaurant with the right brand to make it work.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Alpharetta 11655 Haynes Bridge Road, Alpharetta, Ga. 2.3 acres, 18,000 square feet In particular, the building has extensive private dining and event space.

“North Fulton in general is an underserved private dining community,” Oswald said. “This facility has a number of rooms that can be used for private dining. The Rainwater Ballroom upstairs can seat 125 people.”

The new restaurant will have flexible rooms that can serve between 10 and 200 diners as the need requires.

“It is unprecedented in North Fulton,” she said. “It’s a wonderful facility.”

Franchisees Jim Brooks, Phil Brooks, Mark Oswald and Nancy Oswald, the largest franchisees of the brand, collectively own 10 Ruth’s Chris restaurants with an 11th on the way in Charleston, South Carolina.

Oswald said she had grown up with the original Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in New Orleans. When she and her husband, Mark, went looking for franchising opportunities in Atlanta, it was a natural fit.

“We really want to be involved in a brand we have a true passion for,” Oswald said.

That passion is shared not just among the owners. Oswald said there are more than 25 employees that have stayed with the company for over 16 years, working their way up in a company they enjoy.

The new location is hiring more than 100 new employees.

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 31A

32A • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Appen Media is excited to announce Institute for Advanced Medical Research as a Title Sponsor for the upcoming 2014 Best of the Best Awards Gala.

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You are cordially invited...

to attend the Best of the Best Awards Gala. Come out and honor the best businesses that North Fulton and South Forsyth have to offer! We will be recognizing the best restaurants, realtors, doctors, and more!

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“Best of the Best”

Metropolitan Club 5895 Windward Pkwy. • Alpharetta, GA 30005

SECTION B

October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

NORTH ATLANTA BUSINESS POST

FORSYTH MARKET REPORT

Eating healthy at a great value Sprouts Farmers Market opens.

PAGE 7B

SPECIAL FOCUS SECTION

QUICK GLANCE:

Community ripe with potential, prosperity James McCoy jmccoy@cumming forsythchamber.org

pected to generate more than 600 new jobs and about $100 million in new capital investment – and the year’s not over.

I would like to welcome you to Cumming and Forsyth County, Georgia, a community ripe with potential and rich in proven prosperity.

The citizens, businesses and local government are all committed to keeping this community one of the nation’s best places to live, work and play.

Located on the northeast edge of the booming metro Atlanta region, Forsyth has been consistently ranked as one of the 10 fastest-growing communities in the nation since 1995, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Since the economic downturn, Forbes Magazine named Forsyth County as the second “Best Place in America to Get Ahead” and the 13th wealthiest county in the nation.

Forsyth is now home to more than 60 international companies, 20 of which have located their North American corporate headquarters in Forsyth County.

The Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce in connection with the Forsyth County

See GROWTH, Page 5B

See PROSPERITY, Page 3B

Northside Hospital-Forsyth opened in 2002 which opened the door to other health care companies like Kaiser Permanente and St. Joesph’s Hospital.

Forsyth surfaces as engine of state’s economic growth

By PAT FOX news@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Forsyth County was not immune to the economic downturn that swept the nation six years ago.

Business activity slowed, property values fell by as much as 25 percent and unemployment topped 8 percent.

The county slid into the recession poised to become metro Atlanta’s latest economic and residential darling.

Its population was swelling – up 78 percent since 2000 – and businesses were growing. Then the shoe dropped with a thud that echoed for more than four years.

Few communities in Georgia have

This Section Sponsored By

rebounded with their zest still intact and their prospects as rosy as Forsyth County.

With its population now pushing 200,000, the county is moving beyond its traditional reputation as a bedroom community for the Atlanta workforce.

“The numbers are growing at a rate that surpasses what our initial forecast would be,” said Randall Toussaint, vice president of economic development for the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce. “This year, we’ve worked on almost 20 economic development projects, companies that are moving to the area that we recruited, or companies that are here in the community and are growing and expanding.”

Collectively, those projects are ex-

Forsyth fast stats • Poverty rate: 6.6 %, lowest in the state. (Georgia: 19.2 %) • Unwed births: 18.8%, second lowest in the state. (Georgia: 45.1 %) • Average SAT score: 1580, first among public school systems.

(Georgia average: 1452) • Annual population growth rate: 3.18 % (Georgia: 0.9 %; U.S.: 0.75 %)

Harry Norman, REALTORS® Forsyth/Lake Lanier Office 1664 Market Place Blvd., Cumming, GA

Office: (770) 497-2000 www.harrynormanlakelanier.com

FORSYTH COUNTY

2B • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Residents attend an open house addressing the widening of Ga. 9, also known as Atlanta Highway.

ALDO NAHED/Staff

‘We’ve all had traffic fatigue’ Ga. 9 widening to four lanes a welcomed project

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Hundreds of residents and business owners participated in the Georgia Department of Transportation input open house meeting to address the widening of Ga. 9.

For Jo Woodard, who attended the open house at Vickery Creek Middle School and lives off Campground Road in south Forsyth, the population growth has really put stress on county roads, especially on the two-lane Ga. 9 (Atlanta Highway).

“I think we need to hasten it,” Woodard said. “I don’t know how you can build it fast enough.”

The proposed widening would take Ga. 9 from the Fulton-Forsyth County line (McFarland Parkway) to Ga. 141 (Bethelview Road/Peachtree Parkway) in Cumming.

The proposal would widen Ga. 9 to a four-lane divided highway following the existing roadway but straightening out curves and flattening hills.

The plan includes sidewalks on both sides of Ga. 9 and a new bridge over Big Creek.

But engineers associated with the project told residents the project is likely not to get started until 2019 and would take about 18 months to complete.

Kim Harper said that’s too long to wait. Harper described morning traffic getting out of her road onto Ga. 9 as a “nightmare.”

“Where we live, it can take five-toseven minutes just to make a left-hand turn,” Harper said.

Harper and two of her neighbors

came to the meeting because they were interested in the state’s traffic plan and the group recommended the addition of a traffic light to their street near McFarland Parkway and Ga. 9.

“We obviously need an expansion to Ga. 9,” Harper said. “You can see the traffic back up, exactly where they want to start the project.”

For Espressos Coffee business owner Jeff Amodio, widening the road is a much-needed plan, but he said the median will hurt businesses located along Atlanta Highway.

“We will lose all the business of people trying to come up to our restaurant going north,” Amodio said. “The way it is now, they would have to go half a mile north to turn around, do a U-turn, so the only business we would get is southbound traffic.”

Amodio said a good alternative would be turning lanes like those that exist now and getting rid of the medians.

“I don’t know why they can’t keep the turning lanes and widen the road,” Amodio said.

GDOT engineers and consultants discussed the proposal with residents and business owners, but there was no formal presentation.

Forsyth County Commissioner Todd Levent, who owns Midway Warehouse, said it’s his responsibility to jumpstart the project and he used his massive email list to let residents know about voicing their concerns to GDOT. “It’s important to let GDOT know that we need this project really bad and it’s been a long time coming,” Levent said.

As far as the median, Levent said his business will also be impacted.

“If you have a product and you have a store people like, they will find a way to pull into your parking lot,” Levent said.

“I’m one of the ones who have to suffer through this as well, but this is transportation for the future of our county and it brings all kinds of business. We’re all stuck in traffic right now and we’ve all had traffic fatigue.”

Anyone who was unable to attend the public information open house can send comments on the project to Hiral Patel, state environmental administrator for Georgia DOT, 600 West Peachtree St., 16th Floor, Atlanta, Ga. 30308. All comments will be considered in the development of the final project design and must be received by Oct. 3.

Plans and handouts can be viewed at the Georgia DOT District Office located

End Project 007844 Begin Project 0008357 SR 371/Post Road

at 2505 Athens Highway in Gainesville.

Project information will be available on the DOT website after the open house meetings at www.dot.ga.gov. On the home page, choose “information center,” then public outreach” and select the project’s county and choose “go.” A list of active DOT projects in the county will appear.

End Project 0008357 SR 371

Proposed Bridge over Big Creek

End Project 0007843 Begin Project 007844 McFarland Road Begin Project 0007843 Fulton/Forsyth County line

Big Creek Greenway

FORSYTH COUNTY

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 3B

No taxes give Cumming an edge in attracting business

By PAT FOX news@appenmediagroup. com CUMMING, Ga. — At the heart of Forsyth County’s recent success as a magnet for business and growth lies the city of Cumming.

This small city of 5,400 rests just west of Lake Lanier and has become the nerve center for the entire county.

While it serves as home to county government, it is the city itself that wields much of the say in how the area develops economically. Cumming’s influence is entrenched in 50 years of guidance from Mayor H. Ford Gravitt.

First elected mayor in 1970, Gravitt presides over a City Council that, combined, represents 250 years of service.

And what do residents have in large part because of this leadership?

Paved roads, a police force of 35 officers, cheap utilities, one of the most modern and low-cost water and sewer systems in the state – all without paying a dime in property taxes.

“We’re the only municipality of this size that has no property tax in the state of Georgia,” Gravitt said.

It’s a boast that’s been true for the past 40 years.

“We don’t go sticking our necks out and borrow money and sell bonds,” Gravitt said.

“We don’t owe any money. We collect the sales tax; we collect the business license; we collect beverage taxes. As far as property taxes, we do not have any.”

Residents still pay county and school taxes, although the county mill levy remains almost half that of nearby metro counties, like Cobb, Gwinnett and Fulton, and the school taxes are no higher.

Even with that, Cumming

manages to spend about $3 million a year to maintain its roads.

That’s not including major capital improvements. The city recently constructed a new $4 million park and recreation facility and a $17 million aquatic center – all paid for in cash.

In partnership with the state of Georgia, residents now have access to a newly opened drivers’ services office. The city also worked with the state and federal governments to land a new $25 million fully equipped National Guard headquarters, the first such facility north of Atlanta since World War II. Equally important, the city courted the Georgia Board of Regents to add a $7 million campus for University of North Georgia on Pilgrim Mill Road near Ga. 400.

“We have a lot to offer here in Cumming and Forsyth County,” Gravitt said. “We have some of the best schools in the country.”

Add to that, the city hugs the western shore of Lake Lanier, an amenity that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Cumming is also one of four governments with rights to use the lake as a water source, giving it the right to supply other cities and counties with the valuable resource.

Currently, Cumming has about 25,000 local customers and about twice as many in an agreement with the county.

Even with its natural resources, its long history of fiscal health and its amenities, Gravitt admits the surge in growth has created challenges.

“We have grown so fast over the last 20 years, we haven’t been able to keep up as much as we’d like with infrastructure with the roads,” he said. “We have congestion problems just as other fast-growing areas, but we’re working on that.”

Prosperity: Continued from Page 1B government, the Development Authority of Forsyth County and the city of Cumming would like to thank you for considering CummingForsyth County as a part of your strategic plan.

We are currently targeting select industries and invite you to contact us to discuss further your potential expansion or relocation needs.

We want you to build, grow and succeed in our community and are prepared to work to earn your business.

For more information about moving or growing your business in Forsyth County, please contact me at 770-887-6461, ext. 11 or via email at jmccoy@cummingforsythchamber.org.

One way to keep up with local demands is to continue attracting businesses to the area.

Right now, commercial property represents about 25 percent of the city’s valuation.

Gravitt said he’d like to see that figure rise, and he expects it to.

He pointed to the recent opening of a 148,000-squarefoot Costco store at Bald Ridge Marina and Market Place Boulevard.

The store, which opened in late August, is expected to add close to 200 jobs to the local

economy.

Other efforts are underway to attract more commercial enterprises.

“That’s one of the things we’re trying to work on,” Gravitt said.

Cumming Mayor Ford Gravitt has guided his “We have an city for 44 years. overabundance of residential right now, business and industry in Cumand we’re trying to get more ming and Forsyth County.”

4B • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

FORSYTH COUNTY

Marc Morris, left, president of Talmadge Group, shakes hands with Mike Nelson, a software automation architect, as David Hancock looks on.

ALDO NAHED/Staff

Budding tech enthusiasts meet to start something bigger First tech forum brings talent, opportunities

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — Forsyth County has emerged as a hub of technology.

What many are unaware of is that it’s the home of the data centers for Toyota through JM Family Enterprises, New York Life, Publix Supermarkets and the data center tracking for all of UPS. “We’ve got an abundance of fiber optic cables,” said Randall Toussaint, vice president of economic development for the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce.

But what Toussaint and others in the community are starting to see is after the economic downturn, there has been a rise in entrepreneurs in the digital realm.

“Folks who had worked previously in the technology arena are now going into more innovative positions and creating their own companies,” Toussaint said.

President and owner of the Talmadge Group, Marc Morris is one of the IT service providers and consulting firms based in Forsyth County.

Morris’s company helps companies

hire, retain and attract new talent.

Earlier this month, he hosted the inaugural North Atlanta Startup Coffee along with the chamber.

The event is designed to get the talent out of home offices and basements.

“We have an incredible talent base here where people work within their homes, they telecommute, but they are not connected to the community,” Morris said. “We want to figure out how we can create this network that in essence will create more jobs in the community and keep dollars in the community during the day and prevent the thing that I hate the most, which is the traffic on Ga. 400.”

Morris is a proponent of keeping tax dollars and talent local.

“We want to give people an opportunity to not only live and work here, but we want to give them an opportunity to play here as well,” Morris said.

At the meet up were about two dozen people, some representing startups in the technology field as well as the chamber’s economic development staff.

In future meetings, Morris said there will be speakers talking about issues

important to the community.

“We have one of the strongest data backbones that exist right here in our community, so it makes it a great place for technology companies to work,” Morris said. “We have local companies, small businesses who just want to find out what is this about. The largest focus is business entrepreneurs and technology professionals.”

One of these entrepreneurs was Johns Creek-based Mike Nelson, who said he was looking to move into Forsyth County.

Nelson provides software automation, architecture, mentoring and coaching.

“I help people get to the cloud and a lot of people, especially small businesses, don’t have the staff to do that,” Nelson said.

Other attendees included software developers Philip Martin of Roswell and David Hancock, who has a startup called Suwanee Creek Software.

“This one has got potential,” said Hancock.

Toussaint said the chamber wants to make sure they have the resources to first bring these startups together, so they can meet each other, and secondly,

About 24 techies attended the first networking meeting. help these startup businesses grow and expand.

Organizers say they want to host the tech forum once a month. The next will take place in the first week of November.

But don’t expect to see the event posted on the chamber’s website.

“This entire event was purely marketed using social media,” Toussaint said. “We did that so we could speak to the audience we wanted to attract in a manner that would speak to them.”

FORSYTH COUNTY

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 5B

Beer boom Cherry Street Brewing expands brewery, plans to add taproom

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — At Cherry Street CoOperative, the brew business is overflowing, spilling over to next door and opening a Tap Room for adults later this fall.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we outgrew the restaurant,” said Nick Tanner, who runs the brewpub, located adjacent to Rick Tanner’s Restaurant at the Vickery Village in Cumming.

Rick Tanner’s Restaurant is a family-friendly and welcoming neighborhood spot, but Nick Tanner said he was running into problems when he wanted to throw beer parties and beer events. This was affecting the restaurant’s business.

“It’s time for Cherry Street to have its own identity and people can go and enjoy the beers and not be in such a family setting,” Tanner said.

Two doors over, 5817 Bond Street, Nick Tanner is opening the Cherry Street Tap Room, a 21-and-older hangout.

The opening will allow Cherry Street to grow its beer selection from 17 to 25 craft brews at all times. The Tap Room will also feature other local breweries and local wineries with a focus on hosting events, parties, beer dinners and beer release parties.

“We can spread our arms a little bit,”

Tanner said. “A lot of the times when we do these parties in the restaurant, people show up and it’s too loud. We are basically too crowded.”

With the opening of the Tap Room, Tanner said he will also be expanding the production of his product by about 50 percent.

“It seems like a lot percentage wise, but it’s a good number for us,” he said.

“This will be three different things for us: brewery production expansion, bar increase our physical location for people to enjoy our products and then increasing our space for beer aging, so we are going to have some dedicated space to barrel age beers.”

Barrel-aged style of craft beer is on the rise, so is craft beer consumption and sales in general. The Brewers Association reported an 18 percent mid-year growth for the country’s small and independent craft brewers.

Cherry Street’s Tap Room will be a social place, a gathering place similar to a pub, Tanner said.

“We will be doing a lot more events, we want to continue our involvement in the community,” Tanner said.

Cherry Street is a bit different from other breweries or brewpub in the state because they also distribute their product.

Per state law, they are a brewpub and have to maintain 50 percent of food versus alcohol sales in the restaurant.

Distribution sales do not count against the 50 percent they have to maintain.

But the business does have a volume cap — 10,000 kegs per year.

“We’ll never reach that out of this

Aldo Nahed/Staff

Cherry Street Brewing crew from left: Chris Williams, Mitch Smith, Nick Tanner with Mash, the brewdog; Sean Brooks and Jonny Bradley.

current location,” Tanner said. “But it’s real good for us to grow into.

Tanner enjoys the brewpub concept because he was born and raised in the restaurant business.

Breweries, however, cannot sell directly to the customer because they have limited volume they can give customers and have to charge customers differently based off tours and educational experiences.

Since opening its operations on Dec. 12, 2012, Cherry Street has brewed 300 batches of beer, had four full time employees added to the brewery and won five different accolades or awards.

Growth:

By the numbers

Continued from Page 1B

Forsyth County Unemployment Rate

The county’s fastest growing industry sector is health care.

The establishment of Northside Hospital-Forsyth in 2002 and its subsequent expansions, has triggered a boom that has trickled through the entire health care sector, Toussaint said. The county has seen expansions of other groups, such as Kaiser Permanente and St. Joseph’s Hospital after it merged with Emory.

Northside opened a Women’s Center in 2008, bringing maternity and newborn services closer to home.

Soon after, the hospital delivered the county’s first baby in 25 years. The hospital now is home to several thousand births per year, creating an abundance of children’s health care markets in Forsyth County, Toussaint said.

One of the most unique expansions in the area has been the movement of Children’s Healthcare into the North Atlanta market, Toussaint said. The facility opened a $6.1 million urgent care center about a year and half ago, prompting it to explore the feasibility of establishing a bigger footprint in the area.

“We started seeing a movement of more pharmaceutical manufacturers as well,” Toussaint said.

The second fastest growing market is manufacturing.

“A lot of the off-shoring that took place during the

July 2008 July 2009 July 2010 July 2011 July 2012 July 2013

Forsyth 5.0 % 8.4 % 7.8 % 7.5 % 7.1 % 6.2 %

Georgia 6.6 % 10.5 % 10.3 % 10.3 % 9.6 % 8.3 %

U.S. 5.8 % 9.5 % 9.5 % 9.1 % 8.2 % 6.2 %

Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor

Forsyth County Property Valuation (in $billions) 2008 2009 2010 2011

$10.3 $10.3 $9.90 $9.23

2012 2013 2014

$8.92 $9.14 $9.26

early to mid-90s is starting to go in reverse cycle,” Toussaint said. “Companies that were previously looking into the Asian market due to low cost of labor and easy access to their manufacturing cycle are now reconsidering.”

China, for example, is seeing the cost of labor rising exponentially and some economists forecast that within four years, there will be an equilibrium between the cost of labor in China and the cost of labor in the United

The distribution has also been putting Cumming on the map of craft beer enthusiasts who will drive from all over the state for a taste.

Distribution started at surrounding bars, restaurants and growler shops. But things really took off when the Cherry Street craft beers made it to Atlanta and are now available at most North Georgia restaurants and even in the Tennessee area.

“We have met and exceeded our expectations and goals,” Tanner said. “I am just blown away with what we’re able to do and how it keeps getting better and growing.”

States. The trend has meant an influx of international companies to Forsyth County. It is now home to more than 70 international companies.

“What’s phenomenal about that is that most of these companies moved to our market as small businesses, and within two to three years of opening their initial sales offices, they began to explore the feasibility of actually manufacturing that product here,” Toussaint said.

The draw of people and business to Forsyth County can be traced to a confluence of several factors.

Taxes are between 12 percent and 16 percent lower than most communities of its size. It is a high-growth area, ranked as the seventh fastest growing community in the nation.

Forbes Magazine ranks Forsyth County as the 13th most affluent community in the nation. Its per-capita income of $39,262 is well above that of average communities in Georgia where the average is $25,000.

In the United States, it’s $28,184.

The county’s school system boasts an average SAT score of 1580, the highest among public school systems in the state. The schools and local technical colleges also are keyed to meet the needs for economic growth, offering programs to prime candidates in the areas of science, technology, engineering and applied mathematics.

“That’s why a lot of folks consider moving to our community,” Toussaint said. “They want to make sure they have a great quality of life, low taxes and also have access to an environment where their kids can prosper.”

FORSYTH COUNTY

6B • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com

Harry Norman Realtors meet South Forsyth Principal Jeff Cheney during their school tour.

photos by ALDO NAHED/Staff

Realtors get ‘schooled’ on county’s best asset Schools hold open house for Harry Norman agents

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The rapid real estate growth in Forsyth County has also impacted local schools.

Robert Aiken, senior vice president and managing broker of the Harry Norman, Realtors Forsyth/Lake Lanier office, said that as realtors, they need to know everything about schools.

“Schools are the most important thing to these people who are moving into town,” Aiken said. “The realtors need to be educated and they need to know what specialties the schools have.”

Aiken has held the school tours each year, encouraging staff to visit the schools, meet staff and see what they have to offer.

“It’s all about educating the realtors,” Aiken said. “It’s a good education for them.”

Hannah Orr, Forsyth County Schools’ communications and partnerships facilitator, took about a dozen realtors on a yellow school bus to three high schools, Lambert, South Forsyth and Central.

“We are about to begin some pretty big construction projects,” Orr said.

That’s because of a recently approved bond for education, which will also bring large improvements and updates to all schools.

In May, voters approved a $195 million bond for education that will go toward technology infrastructure, security and to alleviate overcrowding.

“With all of our schools, we’ll be getting a facelift and updates to existing programs and buildings,” Orr said.

Every year, the Forsyth County School District has about 1,700 new students, but this year, they are already

Name this middle school FCS is seeking a name for Middle School No. 10, projected to open in 2016 and located at 625 James Road, Alpharetta (one block south of McFarland Road off Union Hill Road). The three recommendations from the school naming committee include Creekside, DeSana and Union Hill. Vote on a school name

by Friday, Oct. 10 at www.bit. ly/10oWHqI. A new high school is projected for 2018. surpassing that. There are 1,535 new students since May for a total of 42,371 students enrolled this school year.

“This year, there has been a huge growth already,” Orr said. “They are moving to a great area and a great area that has great schools.”

There are 4,300 full-time employees and 1,300 substitutes, making it the largest employer in the county.

At Lambert High School, Principal Dr. Gary Davison said his school, which offers culinary, health care and finance academy tracks, is adding 19 new classrooms due to the five-year-old school’s rapid growth.

Realtors’ second stop was South Forsyth High School, where Assistant Principal Laura Wilson said the school is a leader in technology, design and competitively building of robots. The school is also proud of a partnership with Siemens USA. “We are leading the way in that program area,” Wilson said.

Principal Jeff Cheney added the

Realtors mingled at Central High School classes during their tour.

school also leads internationally on DECA marketing and nationally with its culinary arts program.

Linda Cooksey, a realtor on her first school tour, said she was excited to learn about the schools in the area, especially the career paths that many students focus early on.

“They are putting the students first and are so focused on college prep,” Cooksey said. “They can step out of high school and into college and be ready to go.”

The tour ended at Forsyth Central High School, the county’s oldest high school, which is going to undergo a lot of changes in the next few years.

Central High School Principal Mitch Young said his school’s STEM academy (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is one of the best in the state. In addition, Central is leading in track and field as well as improving its football program.

“There are very exciting times ahead for us,” Young said.

Carrol Cunningham, a Harry Norman Realtor and former DeKalb elementary school principal, helped to organize the bus tour. She said good schools are a key

Fast stats • Forsyth County Schools has grown to 42,371 students, a 1,535 increase since May. • FCS maintains the lowest millage rate in metro Atlanta at 16.30, followed by Hall at 18.490, Fulton at 18.50 and Cobb at 18.90.

• Total number of schools: 35 — 20 elementary; nine middle; five high schools and one virtual.

• Third fastest-growing district in the U.S., from 2005-2010.

• Seventh largest school system in Georgia out of 180 districts.

• Highest SAT scores in Georgia: 1,568 • Graduation rate: 89.5 percent; state: 69.72 percent. part in selling a home to families.

“They want to know about the quality and a lot of people look that up before they come,” Cunningham said. “They choose Forsyth over Fulton because of that.”

FORSYTH COUNTY

NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • October, 2014 • 7B

New grocery store ‘Sprouts’ up in Forsyth County

By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Hundreds of eager shoppers lined up at 6 a.m. to attend the grand opening of the new Suwanee Sprouts Farmers Market.

“I think that speaks to the brand and the excitement that it generates in people,” said Donna Egan, a Sprouts spokeswoman. “People are interested in eating more healthfully and doing so at a great value, which is really our sweet spot.”

The new store, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, hired 100 new team members, and this will mark the company’s fourth location so far this year.

Other locations include Snellville, 1250 Scenic Highway; Dunwoody, 2480 Mount Vernon Road; and Norcross, 5130 Peachtree Parkway.

And the Sprouts Farmers Market growth is not slowing.

Early next year, a location is planned for Cumming’s Lakeland Plaza, 501 Buford Highway.

There are plans to build a distribution center in the Atlanta area in the next couple of years, Egan said.

“Atlanta is the anchor for the Southeast, and then we’ll continue the Southeast expansion,” Egan said. “We’ve been

Aldo Nahed/Staff

Sprouts Farmers Market offers fresh, organic food as well as a wide selection of wine and beer.

planning our expansion for a while.”

The Phoenix, Arizona-based grocery store has generally been located through the Southwest, but in 2014, they opened two stores in the Kansas City area with a focus in Atlanta.

Next year, there are plans for a new Alabama location.

Harry Norman, Realtors’ Forsyth County/Lake Lanier expands CUMMING, Ga – Harry Norman, Realtors Forsyth/Lake Lanier Office is excited to announce the approval of another expansion.

Opening their doors three years ago, they have been apAiken proved to expand for the second time, making the office a total of 6,000 square feet. This expansion will allow support to 25 additional agents.

They are the fastest growing real estate office in Georgia.

In the past year alone, they have recruited over 20 agents.

However, they are still looking for new agents, experienced agents and even people who are considering a career change into the real estate field.

Harry Norman, Realtors Forsyth/ Lake Lanier Office is equipped with many features including: • Beautifully appointed reception area • Conference room with projection equipment • Meeting and training facility with projector and laptop • Direct incoming phone lines with private numbers to agents’ desks and

personal voicemail • Parking with shopping center security • High-speed internet access • Wireless networking available throughout the office • Personal agent website and email addresses • Top of the line photo-quality copiers • Handout materials for clients include home magazine • Cma toolkit • Market tracker • Access to a marketing coordinator • And more Along with all of those great benefits, agents will also receive: Website, e-mail, voicemail, training, continuing education classes, marketing support, advertising, personalized yard signs, business cards, announcements, lock boxes for all listings, access to a contact management system, social media support, desk fees, voicepad, newspaper announcements, and access for your listings to be on 500+ websites as well as the real estate guide.

Plus, it won’t cost you a dime to join their team.

Confidentially stop by their office and talk to broker Robert Aiken or visit their website www.HarryNormanForsyth.com.

The company has about 200 stores, and their aim is for 1,200.

“It’s a big deal to be move to a different region of the country because it requires thinking about the supply chain differently,” Egan said.

Sprouts Farmers Market stores offer a variety of bulk items, baked goods,

vitamins and beauty products, dairy and fresh meats, but the operation revolves around produce, which generate about 25 percent of sales.

“We are a farmers market and we prioritize that in our store,” Egan said.

Produce selections are both conventional and organic with different local farms highlighted.

All specialty items are marked with QR codes that give products more information or play videos.

“There are people who follow specific diets; there are signage throughout the store to highlight product attribute and what it means,” Egan said. “That’s really part of why Sprouts has been so successful.

We are focused on the customer who has just started to eat more healthfully.

As opposed to other specialty retailers who might cater to more affluent customers, we really go after the average grocery shopper.

“We try to set up our store so they are not intimidated,” Egan said, “So people feel like they fit in, they can ask questions, they can learn about product attributes and are not expected to know everything when they enter the store.”

For information, visit www.sprouts. com or for a career, visit sprouts.com/ careers.

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8B • October, 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com