September, 2014 •
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
No joking around
Six Flags Over Georgia to debut new coaster. PAGE 27
Property values slowly rise Real estate shows growth north of Atlanta. PAGE 16 – 17
Volume I, Issue 3 • Part of Appen Media Group • Cherokee • Cobb • Forsyth • Fulton • Gwinnett • Hall
Healthy workers
Alpharetta company grows own garden. PAGE 13
Building a legacy
Zachary Henderson looks back at career. PAGE 21
Lifesaving donation
PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit #3592
Northside Hospital donates defibrillators. PAGE 25
High flying technology Cliff Whitney, owner of Atlanta Hobby and UAV Experts, shows off the Tempest, which can be used by scientists to study weather patterns or farmers to determine field moisture. Read more, Page 11.
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Job Networking in Roswell an essential tool for businesses Learn more about job networking in Roswell on page 23
2 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
WELCOME
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 3
QUICK GLANCE:
Letter from the publisher: There is absolutely so much activity, growth and development going on in the market right now it is difficult to process. In this issue, you will see a wealth of information about commercial real estate-related news and activities. Almost every economic measure is trending in a positive direction. This issue is packed full of specific examples and stories that represent these overall trends. Georgia’s economic ef-
Chamber of Commerce. On the local level, both residential and commercial property prices are back to near pre-recession levels. Construction is starting to boom across the region. Proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the concentration of first quality education institutions and a high-tech skilled workforce all point to a bright future in North Atlanta — especially if we can get our act together in terms of creating adequate affordable housing opportunities, significantly improved transportation and infrastructure and stronger live-work-play opportunities. If we build these things, yes, they — all those new white collar jobs — will come. Sincerely,
forts are beginning to bear fruit. Regionally, Al Nash was named the new executive director of the Development Authority of Fulton County, which bodes well for the entire market. For the past five years, Nash was executive director of Progress Partners – an initiative of the Greater North Fulton
Cost of new Braves stadium Total cost $672M
Hans Appen Publisher hans@appenmediagroup.com
What’s inside this issue:
55% 45% BRAVES $372 Million
Finance
[4] Credit card debt increasing across largest metro areas
LOCAL $300 Million
(percents based on net present value)
Project will generate 5,227 construction jobs with $235,000,000 in construction earnings, $35,000,000 of which will be earned in Cobb County.
Education
[6] Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson talks about Georgia Tech’s challenges
News
Source: Atlanta braves
[7] Economic future remains uncertain, Rajeev Dhawan says
Medical
[8] Statewide hospitals contribute $40 billion to economy
Movers and Shakers
[9] The people on the move, new hires and promotions
[17] Property values in upswing, but future of real estate remains uncertain
Technology
[18] Find out why real estate analysts have dubbed this area the “Ring of Death”
[11] UAV expert merges model airplanes and cameras [12] Hi-Rez Studios bets on video games
Health
[13] Jackson Healthcare plants garden for employees
Real Estate
[14] Countless factor make big deals possible in state [14-15] Commercial real estate rising from ashes
[19] Small investors and real estate crowdfunding in Georgia [20] Metro Atlanta waits to dig heels into commercial market rebound
Forsyth County
[22] Businesses band together to kick off South Forsyth CID
Fulton County
[23] Peak 10 opens new data center in Alpharetta
Gwinnett County
[24] Mike Price selected to lead Gwinnett Tech’s trustees
Cherokee County
[25] Goodwill opens new location in Woodstock
Hall County
[26] Spherion’s study finds employee satisfaction, retention at a crisis
Cobb County
[27] Energy Battery Group announces expansion
Restaurants
[30] Casual dining pizza eatery marks fifth venture for restaurateurs
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FINANCE
4 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Credit card debt rising in nation’s largest metro areas Data provides latest signs of continued economic recovery By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA – With the recession increasingly in the rearview mirror, consumers across the U.S. are taking on more credit card debt, according to the latest data from Equifax. The company attributed the credit card surge, in part, to increased lending to subprime borrowers. Equifax’s new National Consumer Trends Credit Report revealed that consumers in each of the nation’s 25 largest metropolitan areas increased credit card debt in the second quarter of 2014 compared to the same period one year ago. Last year at this time, seven of the top 25 metro areas had experienced declines in credit card debt. The rise in credit card debt is a positive step for the U.S. economy, as economists generally believe increased debt levels signal growing consumer confidence. Nationally, credit card debt levels rose from $586.8 trillion in the second
Total credit card debt: Top 15 metropolitan statical areas Rank
Area
Q2, 2013
Q2, 2014
% Change
1
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Isalnd NY-NJ-CT-PA
$49,844,336,208
$51,243,166,658
2.81%
2
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange CA
$34,258,765,895
$35,201,271,225
2.75%
3
Chicago-Gary-Kenosha IL-IN-WI CMSA
$20,488,520,135
$20,811,998,729
1.58%
4
Washington-Baltimore DC-MD-VA-WV-CMSA
$21,998,064,734
$22,863,267,041
3.93%
5
San Francisco-Oakland-San Joes CA CMSA
$17,511,656,700
$17,900,082,919
2.22%
6
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City PA-NJ-DE-MD-CMSA
$14,133,221,251
$14,549,279,339
2.94%
7
Dallas-Fort Worth TX CMSA
$12,777,804,456
$13,378,637,298
4.70%
8
Boston-Worcester-Lawrence MA-NH-ME-CT CMSA
$13,582,298,863
$13,973,439,683
2.88%
9
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria TX CMSA
$11,200,062,249
$11,810,417,116
5.45%
10
Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint MI CMSA
$9,718,615,270
$9,881,697,556
1.68%
$10,469,692,104
$10,910,011,478
4.21%
12
Miami-Fort Lauderdale FL CMSA
$8,581,380,326
$8,989,808,025
4.76%
13
Phoenix-Mesa AZ MSA
$7,779,169,445
$7,947,509,357
2.16%
14
Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton WA CMSA
$9,764,060,736
$10,008,666,954
2.51%
15
Minneapolis-St. Paul MN-WI MSA
$7,179,318,315
$7,349,104,585
2.36%
$249,286,966,687
$256,818,357,963
3.13%
NATIONAL TOTALS
Source: EQUIFAX
quarter of 2013 to $604 trillion in the most recent quarter, a nearly 3 percent increase. “It’s encouraging that both the supply and demand of credit is rising across the country,” said Trey Loughran, president of Equifax Personal Solutions. “It’s important for consumers to have access
to credit so that they can rebuild their credit portfolios in a disciplined manner and help the economy continue to grow.” Equifax said the rise in credit card debt is due, in part, to lenders who are increasingly issuing credit cards to consumers with subprime credit scores. The company said that one out of every three
new cards is issued to an individual with a subprime score, compared to one in four immediately following the recession. Although the definition of a subprime borrower varies and has changed since the recession, Equifax said a credit score below 660 is generally considered to be in the subprime range.
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 5
EDUCATION
6 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Georgia Tech welcomes back president By KATHLEEN STURGEON news@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA — As many college freshmen start a new chapter in their lives, students at Georgia Tech may find it reassuring that their 11th president, Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson, will be back for another year. Teaching and engineering may seem like two opposite career choices, but Peterson decided to take a teaching job while pursuing his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. “I was working as an engineer and had an opportunity to teach, and I thought, ‘This is really great. I like this,’” said Peterson. “Although I don’t teach very much now, I do get to work with some spectacular young people.” The spectacular young people are the primary reason why Peterson has remained in education. “I can’t think of a better job in the world,” said Peterson. “You’re around these remarkable, talented, energetic, exciting young people that have their whole lives ahead of them.” As exciting as starting college may be, there does seem to be one snafu Peterson experiences. “The biggest problem I face is that every year I get a year older and the fresh-
men are the same age,” said Peterson. “It’s just a great time to meet lots of new people, to experience new things. They’re away from home for the first time. It’s just a great environment – lots of energy and excitement, lots of things going on. Especially at a place like Georgia Tech.” This snag doesn’t faze Peterson from encouraging his students to explore the future of technology and to figure out what new fields are out there. He says some of the fastest-growing technology fields are cyber security, biomedicine and data analytics. “Cyber security is huge,” said Peterson. “We have all of this information available through cellphones, a lot of communications, so how do you protect that? People who wanted to steal money used to go in banks with guns. Now you don’t have to go to banks with guns to get money. You can do it through cyberspace.” These digital age worries may be new to some people, but Peterson says it is important to become educated and aware of these potential threats. Biomedicine is another important area to study because health care is an increasingly expensive proposition, Peterson said. “Everybody wants better health care,” said Peterson. “We’ve got a very strong joint biomedical engineering program
Kathleen Sturgeon
Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson has been at Georgia Tech since 2009.
with Emory University that continues to grow. How can you use the information that we have to try to predict [illnesses]? If we know something about your genetic makeup, your family history, your lifestyle, can we take that information and try to predict what kind of health issues you may face in the future?” The last area that Peterson says is growing quickly is data analytics, and it
combines both of the previous fields plus more. “How do we take these massive amounts of information that we have and create useful knowledge out of it?” said Peterson. “We can use data analytics to predict crime patterns, so if you can map and put the information in about crimes that happen around the city, how can you use that to predict other crimes that may occur? “It’s a big challenge to take massive amounts of information and create useful knowledge out of it.” Graduating 5,700 students this year and sending them out into the world to help are two goals Peterson has for the 2014-2015 school year. The nearly unlimited abilities of his students to learn and overcome issues are what keep Peterson going. “They go out and try and make the world a better place,” said Peterson. “We can keep more momentum, keep graduating great students, having them get great jobs and everything’s good.” At the end of the day, Peterson said he is glad to be in Atlanta. “We are getting some really spectacular students who are not just smart,” Peterson said, “but who have a strong sense of social consciousness and are going to go out and change the world.”
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NEWS
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 7
GSU economic forecast:
Economy sending mixed signals By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA – This economy is sending a mixed bag of data that shows an economy on the mend, but not out of the woods yet. That was the message Aug. 27 from economist Rajeev Dhawan, executive director of the Georgia State University Economic Forecasting Center’s quarterly forecast. On the plus side, one of the leading economic indicators – automobile sales – have soared, consistently hitting the sales mark for an annual 16 million units or more, and even reaching the 17 million units marker one month. Those are numbers that we have not seen since 2007. That causes quite an economic ripple through the economy, yet these cars are heavily discounted, in part to compete with Toyota and its devalued yen. The first quarter earnings were stymied by the severe weather that kept shoppers home for weeks. First quarter sales grew by only 0.9 percent. But the second quarter rebounded nicely where sales grew by 9.5 percent. “So averaging the two quarters is a growth rate of 4.7 percent, which is not great but does sync up with income growth, which has also been subpar in the recovery,” Dhawan said. So while the consumer is not buying a lot, he is buying cars and trucks. Why? It is those discounts. May spending showed a drop in spending on vehicles, yet the units were moving off showroom floors. “You sell more products for a lower price, but sales generate less revenue,” Dhawan said. “This is also evidenced by a drop in the average credit score for newcar buyers.” The credit scores have dropped to near 2007 levels; thus, it is lower-end models that are moving the most. There is even talk of raising the maturity of car loans to as much as 96 months. “On top of that, people are financing more than 100 percent of the value of the car when you add in taxes, fees and title. The rationale behind this is dealers need to push cars off the lots as manufacturers are replenishing cars and trucks at an increasing rate,” he said. All this pushes the multiplier effect both in spending and job growth in manufacturing, but means stockholders’ revenue is down. So in effect, the American and European car manufacturers are in a price war with Japan, which has a price advantage because of the 30 percent devaluation of the yen against Western currencies. “The winner in all this has been the consumer,” Dhawan said. Home starts and existing home sales are both up “quite a bit” from the lows of 2008-2009. They are nowhere near the peaks of 2006, however. New homes are at about half the 2006 level, which Dhawan says means more people are
GSU Forecast • November elections will have little effect on the stock market. If there is another congressional debt ceiling debate, due in March 2015, and it leads to another prolonged government shutdown, then the market could get the jitters again. • Expect a correction in new-car sales from more than 16 million units annually to a less sizzling 15.5 million units – which is still healthy. • The Fed will raise interest rates in mid-2015 when the good job growth of the last two years begins to show up in wage growth. Even then, interest rate increments will be measured in “baby steps” barely closing at 2.5 percent by the end of 2016. remodeling homes “extensively.” “Both of these activities have a multiplier effect, starting with bank construction loans and building activity, which gets the materials industry getting more orders of roof shingles, dry wall and carpets,” Dhawan said. But one multiplier effect has not materialized with all this new construction. That is new appliances and furnishings, which are not coming off the shelf. Instead, frugal homebuyers are saying their old furniture is good enough. That means those businesses ancillary to new construction are flat, costing sales and new jobs creation for industries producing those goods and materials. Dhawan sees an economy where consumers right now are willing to spring for big ticket items, perhaps tapping into stock portfolios to help pay for them. But they remain reluctant to loosen the purse strings one would expect in a full-fledged recovery. Add to that, the stock market indicators show the market may be due for another correction. Dhawan quoted economist Robert Shiller, who won a Nobel by showing the stock market regularly corrects itself when stocks’ price to earnings are too high relative to its trend. “The highest the market rose was just before the tech crash in 2000. The second-highest before that was Black Tuesday in 1929,” Dhawan said. The market today trails only these two events. Does that mean the market today is overvalued? The past does not necessarily predict future stock market trends, but it can affect the psychology of the market, according to Dhawan. Another key factor in stock market stability is when the Fed will finally start raising interest rates and by how much? Until the Fed actually does raise interest rates, Dhawan expects the uncertainty will continue to cause volatility in the stock markets as it rides the coattails of the latest shifts in world events and economic trends.
MEDICAL
8 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Georgia hospitals contribute $40B to state’s economy By KEVIN BLOYE news@appenmediagroup.com As Georgia continued to slowly rebound from years of economic decline and job loss, Georgia hospitals continued to be a bright spot in 2012, pumping nearly $40 billion into the state’s economy, a new Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) study shows. The report also revealed that hospitals in the state employed more than 126,000 full- and part-time workers and indirectly created more than 287,000 full-time jobs in Georgia. “This study demonstrates that Georgia hospitals do much more than provide lifesaving health care services. They are a major part of the economic vitality of
the communities they serve throughout the state,” said GHA President and Chief Executive Officer Earl Rogers. “The mere presence of a hospital in a community offers residents access to well-paying jobs that are close to home while serving as a key factor in attracting other businesses to open in, or move to, that area.” Despite their major economic contributions, Georgia hospitals, especially those in rural areas, are facing unprecedented financial challenges. Since the beginning of 2013, four Georgia hospitals have closed, a fifth recently announced plans to close and others are struggling to keep their doors open. According to the 2012 Georgia Department of Community Health Hospital Financial Survey, 60 percent of rural
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hospitals lost money in 2012, while 42 percent of all hospitals had negative margins in the same year. A big strain on hospital finances continues to be the growth of uncompensated care. According to the GHA study, Georgia hospitals provided more than $1.6 billion in unpaid care, an increase of about $60 million from 2011. “Very few businesses can operate long term when nearly 20 percent of its customers cannot pay,” said Rogers, referring to the fact that nearly 1.9 million Georgians, or 19 percent of all state residents, are uninsured. “In addition, cuts to Medicaid and continuing new federal health care law reductions to Medicare place a huge financial strain on hospitals that, unfortunately, must resort to reducing staff and services to remain viable.” Forty-five percent of all Georgia hospital patients are insured through either Medicare or Medicaid. In 2012, Medicare paid 96 percent of hospital costs, while Medicaid, the state and federal health insurance program for low-income families, paid Georgia hospitals only 87 percent of costs. While commercial health insurance has traditionally made up for shortfalls in payments from other sources, changing insurance market dynamics are making that increasingly difficult. Many Georgians with private health insurance, including many of those
in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance exchanges, have huge annual deductibles that often go unpaid, leaving hospitals with no payment. “When consumers have health insurance that doesn’t provide coverage until a deductible ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 is met, for many families, that’s as if they have no insurance at all,” explained Rogers. “And, unfortunately, patients’ inability to pay their deductibles amounts to even more hospital care that is delivered and not paid for.” The report also shows that the presence of a hospital is a major source for jobs in any given community, both directly and indirectly. In 2012, more than 126,000 people were directly employed by a hospital in Georgia. But when an employment multiplier is applied to that number, it indicates that hospitals supported more than 287,000 full-time jobs in the state — an increase of nearly 128 percent. The employment multiplier considers the “ripple” effect of direct hospital expenditures on the economy such as medical supplies, durable medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. “When a hospital closes, as we’ve seen too often recently,” said Rogers, “not only is there a reduction in Georgians’ access to nearby lifesaving medical care, but hundreds, if not thousands, of well-paying, local jobs that are crucial to a local economy are eliminated.” The hospital economic impact report also measures hospitals’ direct economic contributions to Georgia’s working families. Using a household earnings multiplier, the study determined that hospitals generate nearly $16.3 billion in household earnings in the state. The household earnings multiplier measures the increased economic contributions from households employed directly or indirectly by hospitals through daily living expenditures.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Movers & Shakers
The people turning heads in your backyard
HEALTH:
McCoy named CEO of Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital ATLANTA — Craig McCoy has been named new chief executive officer of Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, effective Sept. 1. McCoy joined Emory Healthcare in May 2011 as CEO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Since May 2014, McCoy has served as interim CEO of Emory MCCOY Saint Joseph’s while also managing his responsibilities at Emory Johns Creek. “Craig’s knowledge and expertise in the Atlanta health care market is a tremendous asset to our independent community physicians, Emory-employed physicians and staff members,” said John T. Fox, Emory Healthcare president and CEO. Prior to joining Emory Healthcare, he served as CEO of a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona that was part of the Vanguard Health System. Visit www.emoryhealthcare.org for more information.
Autumn Leaves of Towne Lake partners with specialist WOODSTOCK, Ga. — A local specialist is making weekly house calls to Autumn Leaves of Towne Lake memory care in Woodstock to provide specialized medical care for the community’s residents. Dr. Gary S. Figiel, a geriatric specialist, is teaming up with the community to provide regular FIGIEL exams, treatments and medication regulation to residents while working with nurses and caregivers of staff. In addition, Autumn Leaves of Towne Lake will have 24-hour access to Figiel via phone. Autumn Leaves of Towne Lake recently opened a free-standing memory care community that specializes in providing care for residents living with Alzheimer’s, dementia and memory loss. Visit www.AutumnLeaves.com or call 888-6628886 for more information.
NEW HIRES:
Mosaic promotes Gautam Patankar to VP of operations ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Mosaic Clubs and Resorts has promoted 17-year industry veteran Gautam Patankar to vice president of operations Patankar, who has been with Mosaic (formerly Affiniti Golf Partners) since 2005, was most recently a regional manager overseeing operations at several clubs, including The PATANKAR Manor Golf and Country Club and Berkeley Hills Country Club, both located in north metro Atlanta. “Gautam has been an invaluable asset to Mosaic and Affiniti over the last decade,” said Steve Willy, Mosaic president. “His remarkable capacity to
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 9
broaden the culture at private member clubs while ensuring the fiscal health of those clubs is a hallmark of his exemplary career.” Patankar’s vision for a country club is to transform it from just a golf and dining venue to a true destination by adding creative programming for all ages. These events can include Daddy-Daughter dances, karate camp and comedy clubs.
Five new associates join KeyWorth Bank JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Neil Stevens, president and chief operating officer of KeyWorth Bank, headquartered in Johns Creek, announced the capps GOODSON addition of new associates, including a senior vice president. Rock Hunt joined KeyWorth Bank as senior vice president and commercial banker for the HUNT MARCO Forsyth and Hall county markets. Hunt is a veteran banker, having held senior-level management positions with Regions Bank, Community & Southern Bank and United Community Bank. Four new associates were also added to the Johns Creek location, including, Anita Marco, vice presiTHOMPSON dent and information technology manager; Mark Goodson, mortgage loan originator; Nancy Capps, deposit operations specialist, and Kaye Thompson, loan operations specialist.
Grissom to serve as chairman of Johns Creek Chamber JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Local attorney Susan T. Grissom assumed the role of chairman of the board of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce on June 1. Grissom has been a member of the Johns Creek Chamber since 2008 and during her membership has served on the board of direcGRISSOM tors and been the chairperson of the Chamber Gala committee in 2013 and 2014. Grissom is the managing member of Grissom Law, located in Johns Creek. She also serves as president of the Johns Creek Arts Center, is a member of the Emory Johns Creek Hospital Board and a member of the board of Johns Creek Advantage.
Wilburn is Advanced Disposal’s new region sales manager ATLANTA — Advanced Disposal, an environmental services company, announced Susan Wilburn as its South region sales manager. Wilburn Wilburn will oversee sales managers across four states and be responsible for
customer retention, revenue growth and marketing program execution. “Susan has a proven track record in our industry,” said Charlie Gray, Advanced Disposal South region vice president. “Her experience and unique industry perspective coming from the supplier side make her well poised to lead and bring about positive results in all lines of business.” Wilburn brings more than 10 years of industry sales experience. Most recently she served as regional sales manager of the technical division for Wastequip, a provider of waste industry equipment.
North Fulton Community Charities elects two new board members ROSWELL, Ga. – North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) has elected Samantha Browning, marketing manager for Edge Solutions, and John Hipes of HIPES BROWNING Hipes & Belle Isle Law Group as its two new board members. Both bring a wealth of professional experience to the board and will help with NFCC’s mission to build self-sufficiency and prevent homelessness and hunger in the community by providing emergency assistance and enrichment programs. For more information, visit: www.nfcchelp.org.
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.
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.
TECHNOLOGY
10 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Redefining the ‘flying car’ Commuter Craft aims to get consumers excited about aviation By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com WOODSTOCK, Ga. — “Are you building a flying car?” a lot of people ask Richard Hogan, the founder of Commuter Craft. Hogan said he’s quick to correct them. “We’re not building a flying car, we have built a roadable aircraft,” Hogan said. Hogan’s intent was to build a really good airplane, but one that you go to your garage to get when you’re ready to fly. With Hogan’s aircraft, you pack your plane, pull out of your garage and then drive 15 minutes to an airport, where you take off and fly 800 miles at 200 miles per hour to your destination. After you land, you don’t have to get a rental car. You simply keep your belongings inside the aircraft, fold the wings and drive it to see family, friends or a business client. Hogan, of Woodstock, has been using the Georgia Model Aviators airfield in north Forsyth County to test his kit-built composite two-seat airplane. “Our plan is to sell this as a kit first, because as long as people build 51 percent of the airplane themselves, then it qualifies under a category that Federal Aviation Administration set up years ago,” Hogan said. The goal is to have people build the kit at their facility on the north side of Atlanta. This is an all-composite airplane, meaning that there isn’t a lot of setting and cutting. Instead, the assemblage is put together similar to a plastic model that a lot of people build as kits. The process will take about three weeks to complete. The consumer can then take the aircraft home and place the engine and flight instruments. “In a couple months, they can be flying,” Hogan said. Traditionally, home-built aircraft took years for people to build, and that is part of what Commuter Craft wants to change. “We want to make it reasonable for someone to build an airplane at home,” he said. The kit price is $45,000 and consumers will have to buy an engine and some additional parts. People are going to spend about $100,000 to $120,000 doing a really good job at building this, Hogan said. “From a practical standpoint, when you’re going to build an airplane, you try to do a good job and make sure you got all the instruments that you need to take it cross country,” he said. A new airplane comparable to the Commuter Craft can run a consumer up
“The idea is not to make a car fly, but to make a really good airplane and then have that airplane capable of driving it.” Richard Hogan, founder of Commuter Craft.
Richard Hogan, founder of Commuter Craft.
to $500,000. “They can get a lot more airplane for the money with our roadable aircraft,” Hogan said. Hogan said he started working on the multi-vehicle platform about 10 years
ALDO NAHED/Staff
ago and really settled on a prototype about six years ago when he and his team tried to redefine the flying car. “They were thinking of it wrong,” he said. “The idea is not to make a car fly, but to make a really good airplane and
then have that airplane capable of driving it.” They have flown their prototypes secretly for years and in July, at the AA Airventure Oshkosh 2014 in Wisconsin, they unveiled their product in front of half a million people. “We got a wonderful reception,” Hogan said. “The people up there were very supportive of it.” The aircraft will be launching to the general public in about a year and a half. “The concept was that we could not compromise on the performance of the airplane, and that’s something that no one could get a car to do,” he said. The initial aircraft offering has a standard-type of 185-horsepower engine, which will approach 170 miles per hour and have a useful load around 700 pounds. On the ground, it’s all electric powered, Hogan said. Consumers will have two choices, go off the batteries and have a 45-minute range, or buy a hybrid version that has unlimited range, “as long as you stop and put fuel in it,” he said. “It needed to be something very attractive and gave performance that would inspire people to get into aviation,” Hogan said. “We set out to build an aircraft that was very safe, yet still had high performance – that way, you could use it to fly cross country.” For more information, visit www. commutercraft.com.
Onlookers crowd around Commuter Craft Innovator Ship One at EAA Airventure 2014 held in July at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
TECHNOLOGY
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 11
Aldo Nahed/Staff
Cliff Whitney, owner of Atlanta Hobby and UAV Experts, shows off the Tempest, which can be used by scientists to study weather patterns or farmers to determine field moisture.
Consumers learn to fly unmanned aircrafts Business merges cameras with model airplanes By ALDO NAHED aldo@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — Cliff Whitney is a leader when it comes to unmanned air vehicles for personal use. A $40,000 UAV known as the “Tempest” was developed by Whitney and his two companies, Atlanta Hobby and UAV Experts, to help farmers save money and scientists study weather patterns. The unmanned plane can fly 25 miles away, autonomously for an hour and a half. One of the key uses is saving farmers’ money by finding moisture spots in the food fields that wouldn’t be seen by the human eye or finding spots that need more fertilization or have had enough. “That’s cheaper than something the military might be paying a billion dollars for,” Whitney, 55, said. “It will do very similar flight characteristics.” Other users include NASA and Colorado State University, which used it on tornado and hurricane research. While commonly used by the military to spy on insurgents and even by law enforcement investigating criminal activity, the devices are now used by consumers,
including real estate agents and roofers. One system, called the Phantom Helicopter, can fly around a home and through a mounted FLIR infrared camera, find leaks and places that need more or less insulation. Another service that Whitney provides are devices used by the movie industry to get all the cool camera angles. “They can fly fully autonomously, or manually,” Whitney said. “We can program in a course and have it fly that course and land all by itself.” Four years ago, the Cumming-based Atlanta Hobby had four employees. This year, they hired 22 people. The company is growing rapidly, hiring wellpaying technical jobs and is the largest supplier of these systems in the world. “They are very technical jobs,” Whitney said. “We do a lot of repairs, a lot of maintenance, a lot of upgrades.” A fully configured system that operates cameras can cost $13,000, and smaller systems can go for as low as $2,000. Whitney was in the photo industry for 30 years, starting at Wolf Camera and eventually becoming president of
A small unmanned air vehicle equipped with a thermal imaging camera. the company, which filed bankruptcy 16 years ago. “I saw the merge in photography and flight,” Whitney said. “As this technology developed, we jumped on board with it and invested really heavy.” Since 1979, Atlanta Hobby has focused on the needs of hobbyists in the remote controlled cars, helicopters and model airplanes field, while year-old UAV Experts aims to bring unmanned air vehicle technology to the movie industry and commercial use.
“We have systems out at almost every major motion picture studio out there,” Whitney said. “The Weather Channel, National Geographic and the military flies our systems.” Any system sold comes with personalized training, Whitney said. “We teach them how to fly and we also do all the service and maintenance for them,” Whitney said. “They’re so much fun to fly.” Visit www.uavexperts.aero or atlantahobby.com for more information.
TECHNOLOGY
12 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
The next big thing: Competitive video gaming Hi-Rez bets on growing trend By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Video gaming is about to enter the realm of popular sports. That’s what Todd Harris, of Alpharetta-based gaming company Hi-Rez Studios, claims is the next big thing in gaming. He gave his thoughts at the monthly meeting of the Greater Alpharetta Tech Network Aug. 21 at the Golf Club of Georgia. Video streaming service Twitch has gained popularity in recent years for allowing viewers to watch other people play video games. In February 2014, the site had 45 million viewers, making it the fourth largest source of internet traffic in the U.S. It sold recently to Amazon for nearly $1 billion. This corresponds with a trend Harris has been seeing for a while. One of the highest viewed YouTube channels is not
Miley Cyrus or any other celebrity page. Instead, it’s a channel created by one man – PewDiePew – taking videos of himself playing games. He has 30 million followers and 3.5 billion views. “Watching people play games is a very big thing,” Harris said. It is becoming much like traditional sporting events – people get excited for their team or their players to succeed. Of course, like other sports, there is a lot of money to be had as well. Harris and Hi-Rez plan on bringing professional video gaming to Atlanta next year in the form of a tournament of their game “Smite,” a god-and-goddessbased fighting game. With a pot of close to $1 million, he expects plenty of players and hundreds of thousands of people watching – both live and online. Harris said the competition will be at the Cobb Energy Center Jan. 9 – 11. “It’s going to be a high-tech, highenergy sporting event and rock concert,” Harris said.
JONATHAN COPSEY/Staff
Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle, left, with Todd Harris, chief operating officer of Hi-Rez Studios, a local video game company. Hi-Rez is Alpharetta-based and has released three games – “Global Agenda,” “Tribes: Ascend” and “Smite.” They were
founded in 2005 from local workers. Hi-Rez Studios can be found online at http://www.hirezstudios.com/.
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HEALTH
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 13
Corporate wellness:
Alpharetta company grows own garden Fresh veggies healthy hit with workers By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Farmer Larry Sanford works his way through rows of crops, stopping occasionally to pick out a leaf or to pick a tomato from a vine. He has a half-acre of land in a small patch of woods not far from Old Milton Parkway and he spends his days tending to the rows of fruits, vegetables and herbs. What makes his micro-farm unique? It’s next door to the large office building of Jackson Healthcare and is completely dedicated to the workers there. The organic movement has spread extensively over the past few years. Stores like Whole Foods and farmers markets have exploded in growth as people seek natural, local food sources. One place the movement has been slow to enter is the business market. For Jackson Healthcare, on Kimball Bridge Road, they have not only started eating healthier at their office cafeteria, they have taken it a step further – it’s part of an overall effort to improve the employees’ health. Shane Jackson, the chief executive officer of Jackson Healthcare, said the company started an employee wellness program, encouraging workers to workout, eat healthy and think about their health. “For years now, we have had innovative wellness activities,” Jackson said. This includes physical training, weight loss and anti-smoking campaigns. He said over 70 percent of the company takes part in the wellness programs and they get discounts on their health care by doing so. “But there was a lack of success in good nutrition,” he said. “There is a lack of understanding in nutrition. People who are trying to eat well don’t know how to eat well.” The Jackson Healthcare building has an in-house cafeteria, and it was recently renovated. As part of the renovation process, they chose a new vendor and asked them to find locally sourced foods. Jackson noted there was a plot of land not far from the offices that was lying unused. It would be perfect for a small half-acre vegetable garden. “That’s pretty local,” Jackson said. The “micro-farm” has nearly 1,500 tomatoes and dozens of other species of vegetable, including squash, watermelon and kale. There are also plenty of herbs and fruits. Everything is grown organic and as natural as possible. Leftovers from the cafeteria are used as compost for the garden. All this is tended by Larry Sanford. Sanford is not a trained gardener, but he does have 10 years in landscaping and that important skill – a green thumb.
JONATHAN COPSEY/Staff
Larry Sanford tends to his half-acre garden every day. It sits in the shadow of his employer, Jackson Healthcare and supplies the workers there with plenty of fresh food.
JONATHAN COPSEY/Staff
Jackson Healthcare, based in Alpharetta, has started its own vegetable garden to give its employees a local, healthy and organic alternative to eating unhealthy foods. “I know plants and how to keep them alive,” he said. Sanford walks the farm-fresh produce from the garden straight to the cafeteria, where they are handed over to the chef to make what he can using whatever is available daily. Employees can also buy the food straight from Sanford, like a small farmers market. “People walk out with bags full of tomatoes and squash,” Sanford said. “I get a group of about 10 people waiting for me in the mornings. You can’t get squash if you’re not there when I get there. They snap it up quickly.”
Jackson and Sanford say people recognize the taste of something fresh and, if given the choice, will chose it over foods bad for you. When the company vending machines were removed for being too unhealthy, the workers revolted, Jackson said. He relented and brought them back, but this time with a bowl of fresh fruit placed next to them. The trick is giving people the choice. “You have to look at what you eat and what you eat eats,” Sanford said. “Look at the things you’re eating from the grocery store. What you put in your body is important.”
Jackson agreed fresh produce tastes different from what can be found at a grocery store. “If you eat a tomato [from the garden] and one at the local grocery store, they are two completely different things,” Jackson said. “They taste different. My 8-year-old daughter won’t eat grocery store food anymore. “If we are providing something that tastes good, people will eat it.” Jackson said, given how much use he has gotten out of a half-acre plot, he sees more companies and neighborhoods growing their own community gardens in the future. Is something like a vegetable garden worth the time, energy and effort? For Jackson, he believes the benefits of such a wellness program speak for themselves. “It’s the big debate, what is the return on investment? It’s hard to prove that,” Jackson said. “But if I’m eating right and exercising, I feel better and have more energy. There is an increase in production for that. “We want to impact and improve the lives of everyone we come in contact with,” Jackson said. “We want them to spend less on health care but also want them to live a better life because they work here. It’s the right thing to do.” As for farmer Sanford, he is already looking forward to next year and what he will grow in his garden. “Next year will be awesome,” he said.
REAL ESTATE
14 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Georgia making big deals possible By PAT FOX news@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA — While the nation digs out from its worst recession in two generations, large inventories of commercial property sit idle, waiting to be put to use. More and more frequently, a big deal happens. State and local governments have made it their mission to find suitors for idle property. “Recently, Georgia has been ranked the No. 1 state in the country for workforce, the No. 1 state in the country for business climate,” said Amanda Shailendra of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Part of the reason for that is because we have strong programs in place that support business and business growth.” With prices depressed, it’s a buyers’ market, and companies are looking for bargains. One inducement the state and some local governments have used successfully in Georgia are tax incentives, which provide breaks for companies that invest big money and bring high-paying jobs to the area. Over the past few years, Georgia has tallied a business score sheet that includes a $1 billion investment by pharmaceutical giant Baxter International to build a manufacturing facility near Covington, accounting for close to 2,000 jobs and a $26 million technology development facility in Roswell for General Motors, which will add about 1,000 jobs. These are just two of the big-name deals, but the state has a laundry list of other companies who have taken advantage of the more than 10 tax incentives offered, said Shailendra, who heads the life sciences and corporate solutions team in the global commerce division of the agency. Big deals like these usually begin when a company contacts the state to let it know they’re looking at Georgia for a new facility. Typically, the company will not disclose its name but will provide some basic information, such as the number and type of jobs that will be
“Recently, Georgia has been ranked the No. 1 state in the country for workforce, the No. 1 state in the country for business climate.” Amanda Shailendra, Georgia Department of Economic Development created, salaries and the dollar amount of the investment the company is planning to make, Shailendra said. Based on the preliminary inquiries, the department begins answering questions, providing general, then more specific information about what the state has to offer. The Georgia DOED has a research team that helps answer virtually any question a company could ask, she said. “About that time, we begin connecting with our local partners,” she said. “So we work with the local development authority or chamber of commerce.” The department also notifies utility companies – Georgia Power, Georgia EMCs, Electric Cities of Georgia – to help with the process. These utilities can assess the needs for an operation and what it will take to meet them. Representatives from nearby technical colleges or universities are also part of the courting process. Colleges help with workforce development and can connect companies with programs that are already in place, Shailendra said. The state’s Quick Start Program provides customized workforce training free of charge to qualified businesses in Georgia.
Al Nash, executive director of Progress Partners, the economic development arm of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, said tax incentives play a big part in landing big companies, but one shouldn’t overlook the power of the location itself. “With larger companies, it first starts internally as to whatever their strategic plan is or they think they want it to be,” he said. “That could be arrived at internally or externally where they hire someone to come in and ask them what needs to be done in order to compete.” He related a story about NCR, which moved its corporate headquarters to Duluth in 2009. Even though the company was headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, NCR President and CEO Bill Nuti continued to live in New York with a small corporate office in Manhattan, Nash said. Nuti related to Nash that, although his company was a major player in the global market, many people in Dayton still regarded it as a cash register company, not the point-of-sale technology giant it had become. The point is, Nash said, NCR wanted to situate itself in an environment that understood the global market, with resources nearby to foster its growth. Another consideration, he said, was that NCR would hire and train talent, then send them to major markets to work. When it came time to promote them to corporate positions, they would be asked to relocate to Dayton, and many would decline, Nash said. If a company is to grow, it must be associated with an environment that can provide world class research and training, access to global transportation and an environment that can attract and retain talent, Nash said. “So (NCR) hired a consultant, and at the end of the day they ended up moving to Georgia,” Nash said. “They put those jobs here because Hartsfield Airport, Georgia Tech and Gwinnett Tech helped them make that decision.”
Commercial real estate rising from ashes By BRIAN PATTON news@appenmediagroup.com “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” With apologies to Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, this classic line from “Truckin’” pretty much sums up the past few years when it comes to commercial real estate development in North Atlanta. There’s no need to rehash here the impact that the financial crisis and Great Recession had on commercial real estate (CRE) development not only in North Atlanta, but all over the country. But we’re now more than five years past the end of the recession, if you can believe that. So where do things stand now with regard to CRE development in North Atlanta?
Looking up In general, things are looking up for North Atlanta CRE — way up in some types of development. Residential subdivisions are a good example, as land development is back on the upswing.
Land prices are pushing up close to pre-recession levels and residential land values are high. This heated development and pent up demand for new housing is driving the development frenzy. Unfortunately, it’s also driving “antidensity” cries from homeowner groups, which is making it more difficult to get land zoned, thus making it hard to justify asking prices in some cases. This will start to have a calming effect on land values, but residential developments that already having zoning in place and are in the pipeline will reap rewards because there will be a lull in home development after the market soaks them up. In addition, apartments are at alltime high occupancy, which is driving demand for apartments as an investment. There are multiple buyers for every apartment deal on the market — especially Class A apartments, which are the hottest ticket in town. These are currently trading at historically low cap rates. The fact is, the North Atlanta market is still very attractive from a residential
CRE standpoint for all the same reasons it has always been: a strong, businessoriented political climate; lots of corporate headquarters and high-tech companies; some of the best public schools in the state of Georgia; and a great quality of life in terms of outdoor activities, shopping, parks, greenways, golf courses and close proximity to mountains, large recreational lakes and more. “The multi-family market is surging,” said Tad Leithead, the chairman of the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID). Leithead said Cobb County was hit harder by the recession than most areas of North Atlanta, but that it’s now recovering more quickly than most. He attributes this to an improving overall economy, more available credit from banks and other lenders and pentup demand manifesting itself as family finances improve and consumer confidence rises. “We have seen virtually zero new commercial development in recent years until the upswing in multi-family started about two years ago,” said Leithead.
“Retail and hotel developments are now in final discussions, and we will start to see office developments underway within a year.” Leithead cites Encore, Overton Rise and Riverwood as signature CRE projects currently under development in Cobb County. Of course, the big CRE news in Cobb County is the announcement earlier this year that the Atlanta Braves will relocate from downtown Atlanta to a brand-new, $1 billion ballpark and mixed-use facility on 60 acres of undeveloped land in Cumberland in 2017. “This will enhance CRE investment in the area on all fronts: residential, retail, hotel and office,” said Leithead.
The role of financing in CRE development “Money talks,” and you-know-what walks, the old saying goes. Nowhere does this hold more true than in CRE development.
See ASHES, Page 15
REAL ESTATE
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 15
Ashes: Continued from Page 14
When financing is readily available, deals get done, projects get started and new developments pop up left and right. But when financing dries up — well, just look at what happened with CRE development in the aftermath of the recession. “A lack of financing was at the center of the recession,” said Doug Krueger, the chief financial officer of Connex Financial, which provides commercial financing for small to mid-sized investors and companies. “Many clients during the recession were struggling and had difficulty qualifying for financing,” Krueger said. “Even when financing options were available, many of the more qualified borrowers were waiting out the downturn.” Krueger said that financing has become more widely available for different types of commercial real estate beyond multifamily. “There are now more than 40 CMBS lenders back in the market in preparation for re-financing the massive loan volume that will be maturing in 2015, 2016 and 2017 from the CMBS market’s peak prior to the recession,” he said. Some areas of North Atlanta survived the recession by discounting rents, giving concessions and reducing land prices, said Josh Barnes, director of real estate operations for Orkin & Associates LLC. “Well-located functional buildings remained leased, while difficult locations and older buildings struggled,” Barnes said. “Vacancy rates went above 20 percent in some areas. But the market has improved — rents are going up, vacancies are going down and more businesses are expanding.” Barnes thinks that positive perceptions are helping a great deal. “The core fundamentals haven’t changed, but people’s perceptions of the health of the economy have,” he said. “Since people think things are better, they open new businesses and take more risks. Low interest rates and low cap rates have led the way for the commercial real estate recovery. “Now that rents are going up and vacancies are going down, we are gaining back lost ground,” Barnes said.
A testament to CRE recovery There might not be a better testament to the CRE recovery in North Atlanta than Avalon — the $700 million mixeduse development at Old Milton Parkway and Ga. 400 that is the biggest mixeduse project currently under development in the entire country. This property was cleared several years ago, but the planned mixed-use project (at the time it was referred to as Prospect Park) was a victim of the recession. For a couple of years, an ugly, halffinished parking garage was a constant reminder of the CRE market crash.
A rendering of the new Atlanta Braves stadium in Cobb County.
The site was acquired by North American Properties in 2012, which soon broke ground on Avalon, now scheduled to open this fall. The development will eventually include more than 500,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, a 14-screen movie theater, office buildings, two hotels, single-family homes, condos and luxury apartments. Avalon is targeted at affluent shoppers and will feature upscale retail brands, allowing affluent North Atlanta residents to shop at high-end, boutiquestyle stores without driving to Buckhead. “We have six unique cities in North Fulton with excellent schools and a high quality of life that makes this an attractive area in which to live and do business,” said Al Nash, the executive director of Progress Partners, an economic development initiative of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. “We’re seeing steady absorption of vacant commercial space, as well as a renewed housing boom.” Nash points specifically to health IT and mobile payments as growth industries that are driving CRE development. Nash cites Fiserv and Halyard Health as signature CRE projects currently under development in North Fulton. Also, he said that city center projects are either ongoing or planned in the majority of the county’s six cities. Gwinnett County, meanwhile, is reaping the CRE development rewards of Partnership Gwinnett and Partnership Gwinnett 2.0 — comprehensive community and economic development initiatives launched by the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. The former was a five-year initiative that ran from 2006-2011, while the latter is another five-year plan launched in 2012 with a sharper focus on five targeted industries: health care/life sciences, professional and corporate services, information technology solutions, advanced manufacturing and supply chain management. “We have been laser focused on
economic development in Gwinnett County,” said Nick Masino, senior vice president, economic development and Partnership Gwinnett. “This focus, along with our aggressive economic development strategies, has resulted in the attraction of more than $83 million of capital investment in Gwinnett County in 2013 and 2014 alone.” Along the Satellite Boulevard corridor, Primerica recently opened its new 344,000 square foot headquarters building, while Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating has recently opened a new 500,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility. “The past year alone has seen over 400,000 square feet of office leasing activity in Gwinnett County,” said Masino, “as well as more than one million square feet in new industrial leasing activity.” According to Masino, due to this high demand for industrial space, in part to meet the demands of the fast-growing advanced manufacturing sector, three new speculative industrial buildings are expected to break ground in Gwinnett this quarter. “This is another sign of the strengthening CRE market in North Atlanta,” Masino said.
Up in Cumming In Forsyth County, the commercial real estate market in 2014 is “extremely vibrant,” said Randall Toussaint, vice president of economic development for the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce. “This has been a phenomenal year for Cumming and Forsyth County’s commercial real estate markets, as our CRE markets continue to thrive at an accelerated pace.” Forsyth has emerged as a hub for the health care, international, manufacturing and technology sectors, Toussaint adds. In 2013, Forsyth County participated in 19 economic development projects that collectively generated $58.9 million in new capital investment, according to Toussaint. “This year, we have already surpassed
last year’s total,” he said. “These projects have caused the vacancy rates in our community’s retail, office and industrial sectors to reach their lowest levels in five years.” This year alone, the city of Cumming and Forsyth County have successfully recruited nine new companies to the community while assisting eight other companies with expansion. These projects include corporate expansions at Scientific Games, S&S Technical and D7 Supply and the attraction of technology giants Prosys and Whitlock. “Collectively, these 17 projects are forecast to generate approximately $90 million in new capital investment,” said Toussaint. “Our long-term economic development strategy seeks to grow the commercial segment of the local tax digest by 5 percent over the next five years. This strategy will generate continued growth in the commercial real estate sector for years to come.” Much of this CRE success can be attributed to the abundance of inexpensive land in Forsyth County. Also, Forsyth has consistently been ranked among the fastest-growing and most affluent communities in the country. “We are currently ranked by Forbes as the 13th Wealthiest Community in America and the seventh fastest-growing community in America,” said Toussaint. “Forsyth County has emerged as one of the nation’s premiere places to do business, and the health of our commercial real estate market reflects this.” No matter which area of metro Atlanta you look, commercial real estate is making a huge rebound. There’s no doubt that Atlanta’s future will be a carefully sustained resurgence of the once strong commercial real estate market of yesteryear. Brian Patton CCIM is an author and advisor on investment and commercial real estate development. He can be reached at 770-634-4848 or via his website: www.brianpattonccim.com.
REAL ESTATE
16 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
A slow struggle back $10.0
$10.1
(Figures in billions)
Gross taxable value of property in north metro Atlanta counties Values are determined by county assessors and are listed at their taxable value, which is 40 percent of fair market price. For example, a $100,000 home would be listed as having a value of $40,000. These figures are higher than the counties’ “taxable value” because they do not include exemptions.
$10.3
$10.3
(Figures in billions)
$1.37
Commercial and industrial real property value
(Since the recession)
Forsyth County $9.90
$9.23
$1.36
$1.40
$
Gwinnett County $35.4
$34.6 $31.6
(Since the recession)
$29.3
The figures do not include personal property, such as inventories.
Sources: Georgia Department of Revenue; county assessors’ offices
Hall County $7.51
$7.64 $1.15
$7.43
$7.06 $1.21
$1.21
$6.66 $1.18
$6.98
$6.60 $1.13
$1.08
$8.25
$8.00
$7.51
$6
$1.10
Fulton County $58.6
$58.2
Cobb County
$55.2
$53.5
$51.9
$33.8
$51.9
$51.9
$33.7
$8.10
$18.8
$19.4
$18.7
$18.9
$17.9
$17.3
$31.4
$8.00
$29.7
$7.72
$
$17.8
Cherokee County $9.20
$9.00
$1.12
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
$8.24
$1.15
$7.76
$1.08
$
2008 2009 2010 201
REAL ESTATE
Property values continue to dig out from market collapse The tax digest shot up 6.5 percent for 2014 (from $5.9 billion to $6.3 billion). “We’ve almost made back a big chunk of what we lost in the last two years,” Watson said. “So that’s a result of us By nearly all accounts, real estate in metro Atlanta is doing a reevaluation on properties. We expect to see some on the upswing from the drubbing it took during the Great nominal bump next year, too.” Recession. The county has already had 500 building permits The value of property, both commercial and residenthis year, about 40 percent of them in two subdivisions, tial, has begun to trend upward in most corners, but not Cresswind and The Village at Deaton Creek, both in the nearly to the levels seen before the big bust. south near Lake Lanier. Houses there range in price from Fulton County, which casts an economic shadow over $300,000 to $500,000, he said. the entire region, is only now beginning to edge upward, Watson said he thinks commercial properties still but the remnants of the downturn remain strong in some haven’t rebounded, but there appears to be some interest of its southern portions. Commercial and residential in some of the smaller properties. property values have dropped more than 3 percent in Col“We’re not on as shaky ground as we were in 2009 lege Park and East Point in the past two years alone, while and 2010,” he said. “It sure seems that all the restaurants Milton in the north and Fairburn in the south have seen parking lots are full.” increases of over 6 percent. Steve White, Cobb County chief assessor, said both Cities like Milton, where residential constitutes close commercial and residential sectors are recovering well, to 85 percent of real property, are enjoying the upswing in but neither are soaring. home prices. “With fewer foreclosures occurring and low interest Unlike other municipalities, city leaders there have rates, I would expect to see the real estate market to do sought to tightly regulate commercial development and quite well,” he said. preserve the pastoral landscape. The story is similar in Cherokee County, although the The strategy seems to have worked during the recesride back up was sudden, according to Chief Assessor sion. While other areas were experiencing sharp declines John Adams. in property values, Milton’s held up, even during the worst Properties began declining in 2008 and remained of the recession. depressed until about two years ago. The balance sheet Now, other areas are enjoying the recovery. didn’t begin improving until 2013, fueled by a turnaround The latest data from Case-Shiller shows the home price the previous summer. index for Atlanta at or near its highest levels in more than “For us, around the end of May (2012), it was like a five years, up 11 percent from last year. But commercial ‘V,’” he said. “It just turned back real fast.” property in Atlanta and elsewhere remains This year’s digest is up about 13.7 a slow sell. percent from last year, when properties “Residential is more in demand right showed a 2.5 percent rise. now,” said Steve Pruitt, chief assessor “Up through 2007, we were getting for Gwinnett County. “If I had to identify 3,000 to 3,500 new construction building the hottest area, it would be that little pie permits,” Adams said. “But around 2010 shape of Gwinnett west of I-85, which and ’11, we got down to where it was less essentially makes up Peachtree Corners, than 500 for the year.” Berkeley Lake, Duluth, Suwanee, Sugar Following the 2012 mid-year turnHill, Buford. That is the area we’ve seen around, building permits began a sharp the more concentrated value increases.” rise. Last year, there were close to 1,300 In nearby Hall County, Chief Assessor building permits. Steve Watson said Gwinnett’s burgeoning The rebound is continuing, although population is having a positive impact. Adams said there’s no way of knowing the “Properties are still not selling for what future. they were in 1999 and 2005 to 2007, but But the picture is even brighter in Forthey’re selling for more than what they syth, the state’s fastest-growing county. were a couple of years ago,” Watson said. The median sale price for single-family “We’ve cumulatively lowered the tax digest detached residential was $285,000 for the almost 22 percent in the last four years second quarter of 2014, an increase of 10.2 and lost about $1.4 billion in taxable value percent over the same period a year ago. because of the downturn in the economy.” This marks the 10th consecutive quarter The hottest property in Hall County, where median sales prices have increased. Watson said, is in the south. It’s been that It also gets the county back to where way since the mid-to-late 1980s because of it was in January 2008 when the market Gwinnett County. collapsed. “We’ve had development in the north “From 2009 to 2011, it was exactly part, but nothing like what’s happened in the opposite,” said Tim Hopkins, associthe south,” he said. “People enjoy the qual- Steve Watson, Hall County ate broker with Keller Williams Realty in ity of life in Gwinnett.” Chief Assessor Cumming. Watson, who used to work in the GwinForsyth and perhaps North Fulton are ennett tax assessor’s office, said Gwinnett joying a robust recovery now, Hopkins said. County began lowering property values in “Forsyth was really one of the last to go into the housresponse to the market in 2009, then began circling back ing downturn and the first to come out, as far as the counaround in 2012 and 2013. But Hall County didn’t start ties near us are concerned,” Hopkins said. “New homes lowering property values in response to the market until are just through the roof in Forsyth County.” 2011, even though the economic downturn had a similar New homes, in fact, saw a 17 percent increase in meeffect. dian sales price over the past year, Hopkins said. As a result, evidence of Hall County’s turnaround “New construction is quickly getting pricy again,” he has lagged behind many other counties and is only now said. reflecting improvement.
By PAT FOX news@appenmediagroup.com
$1.24
$1.25
$27.5
$6.72
$29.0
$29.9
$28.8
$7.30
$0.96
$7.26
$8.04
$7.36
$7.19
$6.61
$6.61
$7.67
$7.10
$1.07
$29.9
$28.1
6.77
$9.26
$9.14
$8.92
$1.28
$0.98
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 17
$0.95
$1.03
11 2012 2013 2014
“We’ve had development in the north part, but nothing like what’s happened in the south,” he said. “People enjoy the quality of life in Gwinnett.”
REAL ESTATE
18 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Is the ‘Ring of Death’ still tarnished? By PAT FOX news@appenmediagroup.com One of Georgia’s premier real estate data analysts says his predictions for real estate still rings true. Steve Palm of Smart Numbers says outlying areas of metro Atlanta remain stagnant in the real estate market. His “Ring of Death” garnered headlines three years ago when economists were looking for signs of a revival in the market. According to Palm, 12 north Georgia counties still have a long way to go in terms of recapturing land values because they remain saddled with years’ of residential inventory. The Ring of Death includes areas of Barrow, Bartow, Clayton, Carroll, Dawson, Douglas, Fayette, Jackson, Newton, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton counties. Palm says the areas became so overdeveloped that realtors couldn’t find enough buyers. The areas remain populated with vacant lots, many of them sporting weather-worn sewer and electrical hook-ups. These 12 counties at one time showed some signs of life, accounting for close to one-quarter of metro home sales. “Their best year was ’03 when they
Top 5 counties Cherokee, Cobb, Forsyth, North Fulton and Gwinnett account for close to 65 percent of all homes sold in the region. had 25 percent of the market,” Palm said. The latest Smart Numbers tracking analysis shows these 12 counties stuck at about 10 percent of the sales market. Home sales did not rebound with the economic turnaround. They fell. At the same time, the “Top 5” counties – Cherokee, Cobb, Forsyth, North Fulton and Gwinnett – have increased in their share of sales since 2007, when it plummeted to 42 percent. Today, the Top 5 counties account for close to 65 percent of all homes sold in the region. “The reason they got a lot of that market back is because they were located in good areas,” Palm said. Pretty much the same is true of Palm’s “Next 6” counties, areas that include Coweta, DeKalb, Hall, Henry, Paulding and South Fulton counties. Properties in these areas took much of the market share during the recession but have since receded to historic levels.
“A lot of negative things are happening,” he said. “People are losing their disposable income, too much government regulations. If you had to build 40,000 homes, you couldn’t do it because there’s not enough labor.” Steve Palm,Smart Numbers
Palm does not hold out much hope for the Ring of Death. “The developers over-developed, the lenders over-lent, the builders over-built, the consumer over-bought when they had no money,” he said. “And, it will probably never come back.” Palm traces the development of the Ring of Death back to the early 2000s when the price of lots in the Top 5 counties grew so high, that developers moved to the outlying areas.
“I told them there wasn’t enough demand out there,” Palm said. Although the inner Atlanta market has been robust over the past two years, Palm said he sees the growth moderating. “A lot of negative things are happening,” he said. “People are losing their disposable income, too much government regulations. If you had to build 40,000 homes, you couldn’t do it because there’s not enough labor.”
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REAL ESTATE
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 19
Small investors and real estate crowdfunding in Ga. By BRIAN PATTON news@appenmediagroup.com Thanks to recent Georgia law changes, small investors can now “play” with the big boys. For as little as $500, investors can participate in real estate deals that, until recently, were only available to accredited investors. Accredited investors are considered those with more than $200,000 in annual income or $1 million in net worth. Now, there are no income or net worth requirements if a small investor wants to dive in. This is being accomplished via crowdfunding. Crowdfunding, although not by the same name, has been around a long time. In 1875, the Statue of Liberty was funded from donations around the world. In about five years, school children, small businesses and private citizens gave enough small and large donations to fund the project. Crowdfunding has even been used to raise money for movie and music projects. Even Mozart sold future manuscripts by using the method. He used investors to raise money for his living expenses, while he worked on a new manuscript. Upon completion, he then provided a signed copy to each investor. The term crowdfunding was first used around 2006. Its growth has been phenomenal. In 2013, it reached $5.1 billion worldwide. In a recent study, it was determined in March 2014 that more than $60,000 was raised on an hourly basis and that 442 crowdfunding campaigns were launched per hour. Grady Thrasher, of www.Crowdvested.com, is one of those guys raising funds. And his niche is raising funds to purchase and develop real estate in Georgia. His company, which he helped form within the last year, specializes in real estate for small investors. With Grady’s company, you can get started with just $500. In speaking about one of his active projects, East Atlanta Village, Thrasher said, “This crowdfunding model helps you get involved in your community by investing in it. And, this is a great redevelopment project that investors can be proud to own.”
The process Most deals have a three-part process. A sponsor starts the process by controlling the real estate and pledging some funds to get the deal going. The fundraiser seeks funding from
the third part of deal, the crowdfunding investor. Most small investors are familiar with REITs (real estate investment trusts). These are real estate companies that purchase real estate and issue stock like a mutual fund. The advantage of crowdfunding is that an investor can pick and choose their investment. If you like in-town retail deals, then you can choose that one. If you like apartment deals, then you can choose one of those. This new platform lets the investor control the asset allocation, in a very hands-on way.
Monday September 29, 2014 The Golf Club of Georgia
Paradigm shift So, what does this new funding method mean for real estate? As most investors know, bank financing continues to be a difficult part of raising money for real estate ventures. This new platform has the potential for creating a paradigm shift. One look at the stock market in the last 15-20 years is a window into where real estate funding may be in the same time period in the future. Technology has brought accessibility to the average stock market investor. Where years ago, only the “big boys” invested in commercial real estate, technology has opened up stock market investing to everyone with a computer. Just as the internet pushed middle class investors into stocks and mutual funds via their 401Ks, the internet and crowdfunding will open doors to these same investors to increase returns via investment real estate projects, some in their own back yards. Asset control is now the key with crowdfunding. The small to mid-level investor has more control over their money. You can now decide what type of real estate investment, what area of the world and exactly how much to invest in that particular project. On top of that, you can do that sitting at your kitchen table. The idea is just now starting to pique the interest of angel investors, venture capitalists and high net-worth individuals. These groups see this as an inexpensive way to raise much needed capital in an ever growing restricted marketplace. Its ability to tap into middle income American investors creates huge potential for future projects. And if the past success of the method is an accurate barometer, real estate investing will now benefit directly from marketing to every level of investor. Brian Patton CCIM is an author and investment and commercial real estate development advisor. He can be reached at 770-634-4848 or www.brianpattonccim.com.
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REAL ESTATE
20 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Commercial property still lagging Myers said. As a result, vacancy levels climbed to more than 25 percent in some areas during the recession. They have since fallen into the mid-teens as job Metro Atlanta is still waiting to dig growth recovers, he said. its heels into the commercial market But it’s not that easy. rebound. One of the leading parts of the Unlike residential property, the marrecovery in Atlanta has been the whiteket for commercial space is more comcollar job sector, positions in technology, plicated, awaiting more solid economic finance and accounting. The biggest drag growth, adapting to changing needs of has been the housing market, Myers tenants and finding favorable political said, which is still not back to where it climates. was 10 years ago. By all accounts, commercial property Housing-related employment inis in better shape than it was several cludes such jobs as construction, permityears ago, sector experts agree. ting, loan officers and city planners. Joel Owens, principal broker with One good sign for the local economy, All World Realty in Canton, said the Myers said, is that housing mobility has first part of the commercial recovery is picked up because people across the already underway. country are finding it easier to sell their “Most of my clients now are going houses. Migration to Atlanta is not where after retail strip centers, where there’s it once was, but it is recovering, he said. 10-12 tenants,” he said. “The price is “The point is that the (commercial usually anywhere from $2 million to $6 property) recovery started in Midtown million. The typical buyer is putting 25 and Buckhead, then shifted to the Cenpercent down on the loan.” tral Perimeter, and now it’s starting to go Owens, who also serves as a moderainto the northern arc areas,” Myers said. tor for free online property investment “North Fulton, Alpharetta, Roswell, that service BiggerPockets, said the first secwhole area up there was lacking in terms tor to come back following a recession is of the recovery, but it’s starting to benefit the single-family market, which began its now.” upturn four years ago. The next sector, To illustrate, he cited recent anmulti-family units and apartments, has nouncements by State Farm to build a been in recovery for 18 months, he said. new operations center on a 4-acre site in Retail usually comes next, and Owens Dunwoody and Fiserv’s decision last fall said single-tenant operations are just to sign a lease for 376,000 square feet in starting to take off. Compared to four Alpharetta, moving 2,000 workers from years ago when capital markets were Norcross and adding another 500. frozen and investors were sitting on the Over toward I-75, Myers said the sidelines, money is beginning to flow into Cumberland Galleria area hasn’t moved retail properties, Owens said. much in terms of vacancy rates, but it “A lot of people that were holding didn’t have as much of money are contacting me a fallout as some of the this year with a favorable other parts of the metro. interest rate wanting to “I am curious to see buy property,” he said. the potential of what It may take a little the area can be maybe time for the other comfive years down the road mercial sectors to bounce when you have the new back. In a couple of Braves Stadium,” he said. years, when the economy It may take longer for is going full throttle, and the I-85 corridor through there are stories about Gwinnett, Myers said. how great things are go“Norcross/Peachtree ing, that’s when the hotel Corners, we’re showing a industry starts making a vacancy rate there north comeback, Owens said. of 20 percent,” Myers Office property is only said. “That was before beginning to see signs of the Fiserv announcerecovery. ment. Even in Suwanee, Atlanta is historically Duluth and Buford, we’re a high-vacancy metro, showing a vacancy rate and it still is today, of 18 percent, still very said Jeff Myers, senior high.” real estate economist But while Gwinnett with CoStar Portfolio may not have the same Strategy, one of the naappeal for office proption’s largest real estate erty, it is not out of the research firms. commercial picture. The recession hit Jon Wiley, associate Atlanta hard, transformJeff Myers, senior real professor in the Departing it from one of the country’s fastest-growing estate economist with CoStar ment of Real Estate at Portfolio Strategy Georgia State Univercities into one posting sity’s Robinson College normal growth at best,
By PAT FOX news@appenmediagroup.com
“The point is that the (commercial property) recovery started in Midtown and Buckhead, then shifted to the Central Perimeter, and now it’s starting to go into the northern arc areas.”
Vacancy rates in metro Atlanta Second-quarter numbers from CoStar market research show Midtown, Buckhead and Perimeter Center have made giant strides in filling office space vacated during the Great Recession. Location
Recession Peak
Q2, 2014
Central Perimeter
22.42%
13.83%
Chamblee/Doraville
13.04%
1.55%
Cherokee County
17.71%
10.86%
Cumberland/Galleria
7.59%
16.84%
Decatur
7.93%
4.79%
Downtown Atlanta
14.44%
13.02%
Duluth/Suwanee/Buford
18.64%
17.47%
East Cobb
19.29%
18.50%
Fayette/Coweta County
16.16%
16.00%
Kennesaw/Town Center
17.02%
12.81%
Lawrenceville/Lilburn
18.27%
14.04%
Lower Buckhead
15.40%
2.58%
Midtown/Pershing Point
25.29%
14.34%
N. Fulton/Forsyth County
17.28%
14.48%
Norcross/P’tree Corners
23.75%
2.99%
North Clayton/Airport
15.94%
14.00%
Northlake/Lavista
6.71%
18.64%
S. Clayton/Henry County
15.37%
13.72%
Stone Mountain
12.27%
11.56%
Upper Buckhead
25.01%
3.43%
West Atlanta
35.10%
33.59% Source: CoStar
of Business, said the post-recession economy has forced businesses to rethink their footprints. E-commerce and telecommuting options are allowing businesses to reduce their need for shelf space and office space, Wiley said. But that has created a need for industrial space, and Atlanta is suited for such growth. Atlanta is a supply unconstrained market relative to other parts of the country because it has available land on all sides, Wiley said. Also, it is politically fragmented, meaning different communities allow different classes of development. “If they’re not going to let you build a big industrial site in Gwinnett, Hall County may allow it,” Wiley said. “You just go farther up the interstate and somebody will let you do it.” Investors are hesitant to build shopping malls, Wiley said. The large enclosed malls are being sold and converted to new uses. Industrial has taken its place. Wiley cited two major industrial sites that have recently been announced. Atlanta-based Home Depot is constructing a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center in Locust Grove that is expected to hold about 100,000 stockkeeping units. Bed Bath & Beyond will
locate an 810,000 -square-foot center in Jackson County. These new facilities, and others planned for the future, require space that only the outer edges of the metro area can provide, Wiley said. At the same time, many industrial facilities in Atlanta are obsolete because of increased innovation in logistics and supply chain management, he added. “You used to build an industrial building that had a 25-foot clear height,” Wiley said. “Now they’re building them with 40- to 50-foot clear heights on the inside so you can have a stack five pallets high.” Today’s e-commerce fulfillment centers not only accommodate trucks, but cars and vans, parking areas and shipping desks. So people are going to be building large industrial, horizontal buildings to meet these needs, Wiley said. Industrial development is not popular in every community. These large facilities add noise, traffic and infrastructure. On the other hand, Wiley said, many communities welcome them because of the jobs they bring. “Industrial is really the big opportunity,” he said. “Banks and the capital markets realize that, and they’re not going to fund retail development projects, so industrial is getting the funding.”
REAL ESTATE
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 21
Architect Zachary Henderson looks forward to second 50 years Businessman, community leader not ready to hang up his spurs just yet By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Zachary “Zac” Henderson, AIA, says he has thought about retiring after 50 years as an architect, but the truth is he can’t find anything else he would rather do. Instead, Henderson said he is concentrating on what he’ll be doing “for the next 50 years.” “I have hiked, rode horses, motorcycles and skis. But I’ve never thought about retiring,” said a relaxed Zac Henderson leaning back in his chair in his office. “I’ve had a lot of friends who retired, and a lot of them are dead. “I just want to be proactive in my craft as long as possible,” he said. “My favorite project is my next one. That sounds sort of glib, but it’s true. I love the spirit of the thing.” A lot of that spirit has found its way into the bricks and mortar of Roswell and its environs. As an architect, he had an eye for preserving history and using history to reinvent communities. In 1965, Henderson followed the conventional wisdom that one had to have a Peachtree Street address to be successful in Atlanta. That’s where he began. It was a great time to practice the craft of architecture, he said. Atlanta was in the midst of transforming itself from a regional city to a national one. As Henderson’s business grew, he went bi-coastal, adding an office in San Francisco while he moved on up to offices in Buckhead. By 1975, he employed 30 people and was growing larger all the time. Around this time, he moved again to Perimeter Center. But he found success was taking him where he just did not want to go. “We had offices on both coasts, spiraling success, but I wasn’t really happy. I found I wasn’t practicing architecture any more. I was just becoming a manager,” Henderson said in a 2003 interview. So true to that maverick streak in him, he closed that West Coast office and move lock, stock and light table to Roswell. “People told me I was crazy when I said I was going to bring my business to Roswell,” Henderson said. “They thought I’d lost my mind. ‘You can’t move to that
HATCHER HURD/Staff
Zachary Henderson looks back on 50 years of work and can’t help but smile. podunk town,’ they said.” Well, why not? Henderson was never afraid to buck the trend. One thing Henderson does have is a knack for dovetailing his business, his community service and his lifestyle in the direction he wanted to go anyway. He had surprised a lot of his colleagues when he decided to open a one-man operation on Roswell’s Canton Street. “I thought I could do just as well working close to home and I would save two hours a day just in my commute,” he said. Certainly Henderson has had many commercial successes. In 1994, however, he had perhaps his most successful project when he designed his first community for The Orchards Development LLC. As architect for the group specializing in ranch-style quad-attached homes for empty nesters, he and the developers have hit upon one of the most successful formulas for living space ever designed. Compact yet spacious, these attached duplexes were designed for the 55 and older crowd, but only their garages were contiguous. Orchard communities began to spring up all over, and 20 years later continue to do so. “It was the first walkable community in Roswell where folks could walk to the restaurants or the dry cleaners,” he said. “That became such an amenity for the
Henderson, Roswell Historic District joined at hip Perhaps Zachary Henderson’s most visible – if relatively unknown – footprint on his native Roswell is the preservation of vibrant Canton Street and the city’s Historic District. He founded the Canton Street Preservation Society and went on to work on an estimated 60 projects in the Historic District. Chief among them are: • Plum Tree Village, a Canton Street 2-acre complex of artists’ studios, shops and small offices, all built in the cottage Victorian style. • Old Roswell High School’s conversion to loft condominiums and a village of office condos, townhomes. • Retail and restaurant sites at Crossville and Crabapple roads. • The Roswell Vietnam War Memorial.
project. We would always locate them in walking distance from where people wanted to go. More than 20 such communities flourish in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, he said. As it turned out, the concept also appeals to younger couples. Most of Henderson’s projects are with entrepreneurs. “I like it where you can sit down and try to find out what sort of personality your client wants in the project,” he said. “That is how we have evolved our creative approach.” He has done everything from columned homes to log cabins, historic preservation to recreation. “I can’t say I do this type or that type of project except that it is personalized to the person across the table,” he said. He says he has always followed a simple philosophy: “To help clients create an economical, functional, creative, eco-friendly project within their budget. Our emphasis in all our projects is on the people who will occupy or use our building more than the buildings themselves.” Some people don’t like what Henderson calls vanilla, canned architecture, and those are the clients he looks for. He has met up with enough clients of that ilk to stay busy nearly five decades. Success in business has never been enough to satisfy him, however. He has been a community activist and a community servant his whole life. If a thing can be made better or done better, he thinks it should be that way. That was why he founded the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (now Greater North Fulton Chamber to include Sandy Springs) in 1972. Canton Street today has some of the hottest addresses in North Fulton. Small houses ready for conversion into boutique restaurants go for hundreds of
thousands of dollars. But that was not always the case. By the 1980s, the oldest section of Roswell was going to seed. Some great historic homes were maintained, but not much was going on in the area. In 1981, Henderson led the business and property owners on Canton Street to found the Canton Street Preservation Society. “Out of that grew all of the efforts for the preservation of Canton Street. We helped the city get the grant for the revitalization of Canton with period lampposts, brick pavers and the landscaping,” Henderson said. That organization eventually morphed into the Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau, dedicated to bringing tourism to Roswell. Today, the city has branded itself “Historic Roswell.” Dottie Etris, the Roswell CVB director (who Henderson hand-picked), said Henderson always had extra energy for the city when it called upon him. “Once the tourism program was started, he served as first president [of Roswell CVB] and was instrumental in developing the program and getting the Visitors Center renovated and open,” Etris said. Today, Roswell tourism is a $100 million a year industry. He served several years as president and still remains on the board as chairman emeritus. “Zac is known for his creativity and vision. And he has used both to help advance support of and to bring awareness to the Historic District in general, and he also embraced promotion and support of the arts,” Etris said. Roswell Mayor Jere Wood called Henderson one of the city’s “visionaries.” “He has clearly been a leader. He not only started the [North Fulton] Chamber of Commerce, he also started the organization that would become the Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau,” Wood said. “He has credit for founding two organizations that have helped shape the city and have continued to be influential in the city,” Wood said. However, the capstone of his service to the community has to be the job he did in brokering the donation of the LeitaLift Foundation’s property on Ga. 92. The 20-acre site was valued at $20 million at the time. Henderson and the other trustees agreed to turn over the land for a perpetual city park named for Leita Thompson, who devoted her life to helping working women. Henderson looks back with pride on many of his accomplishments. But for him, it is about the people he has met. “If anything has endured more than my buildings, it is these friendships that have been built out my clients, business associates and community leaders. People who are of the community,” he said. “I think that is what keeps me going back to do the next project.” No doubt it does.
22 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
FORSYTH COUNTY
Businesses band together to improve South Forsyth Support creation of community improvement district By CAROLYN RIDDER ASPENSON Carolyn@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — Five local business representatives from Forsyth County met at the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 3 to sign votes of support for the creation of a South Forsyth Community Improvement District. If approved, the community improvement district (CID) would allow businesses within the South Forsyth area to levy taxes on themselves to help fund improvements specific to the addition of a new exit off of McGinnis Ferry and Ga. 400. The district would cover a congested area on the border of Johns Creek and Alpharetta. The CID would generate about $12 million annually and could help restart the stalled Taubman Mall project, a 150acre mixed-use development located on Union Hill and McGinnis Ferry, which was initially scheduled to start in 2011. Residential property owners within the district will not be taxed.
CAROLYN ASPENSON/Staff
Area business owners sign written votes of support for the creation of the South Forsyth Community Improvement District at the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce. Pictured are Bruce Hagenau of Metcam, Terry Kime of Paramount Business Advisors, Judy Meer of Meer Electric, Keri Williams of Solvay Specialty and Phil Bauer of Scientific Games International. District 25 state Rep. Mike Dudgeon proposed the idea of the CID at the 2014 Georgia General Assembly. “This is an excellent opportunity for local businesses and the county in general,” said Bruce Hagenau, president of Metcam. “The new exit will not only improve access to south Forsyth County, but also allow for increased growth of the community.”
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Terry Kime, of Paramount Business Advisors, agreed. “The creation of the community improvement district will allow new businesses to come into the area and create jobs for residents,” Kime said. Creating a CID requires a majority vote from business owners of taxable properties within the district, approval from the state legislature and the Forsyth
County Commission. After the CID is approved by state and local governments, a seven-member board of directors consisting of property owners and equity holders would be created. “I’m cautiously optimistic the CID will be approved and am confident the community will benefit from the new exit and community growth,” Hagenau said.
FULTON COUNTY
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 23
Nash named to Fulton Development Authority Becomes executive director By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA – The Development Authority of Fulton County (DAFC) has named Alvin P. (Al) Nash as its new executive director. Recommended by the DAFC executive committee, Nash’s appointment was approved by the entire board at its Aug. 26 meeting. Nash was previously with the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and Progress Partners. “They [DAFC] see me as bringing someone that can help expand the business of the Authority and help the tax base of Fulton County,” Nash said. “I will be helping companies grow and stay in Fulton County. We have a good product and I can talk about how to grow this county and make it stronger.” Nash brings extensive business recruitment and economic development experience to his new role. For the past five years, he has been executive director for Progress Partners, an economic development initiative by the GNFCC. He has more than 40 years of experience in development with extensive
ties to various groups involved in economic development public policy, business growth and job creation. “We are very excited that someNash one with Al Nash’s expertise has agreed to join the Development Authority of Fulton County in such a key role,” said DAFC Chairman Bob Shaw. “We are seeing a renewed interest in companies looking to relocate here or expand operations in Fulton County, and we are convinced that Al’s knowledge, relationships and experience will ensure we are as competitive as possible in bringing new jobs to the county.” Prior to joining Progress Partners in 2009, Nash was executive vice president for The Coleman Group, a top residential developer in the metro area. In addition, he has held numerous positions within the real estate and economic development market around metro Atlanta for the past four decades. “Al will be a great addition to the Development Authority of Fulton County. His skill set and proven track record in economic development will help Fulton County to continue our quality growth,” said Brandon Beach, state senator and president and chief executive officer of the GNFCC.
JONATHAN COPSEY/Staff
Data company Peak 10 opened its new 25,000-square-foot facility Aug. 28. It plans to expand the facility in the coming years to meet demand.
Peak 10 opens new data center By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – With the needs of data processing and security ever-growing in our high tech world, there is also a need for data centers to house all that information. One of those data center companies, Peak 10, recently opened their newest addition in Alpharetta. Sitting on 12 acres of land off Edison Drive, the 25,000 square foot facility is expected to be the first of three expansions for the company. Peak 10 now has 24 locations nationwide, with three in the Atlanta area, totaling over 100,000 square feet. Peak 10, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, offers “IT infrastructure and cloud services” to its clients. “In 2007, we came to Atlanta and the area put their arms around us to help and support us,” said David Jones, CEO
BRIEFS & SHORTS: Fulton County
Roswell’s Workforce & RUMC Job Networking ROSWELL, Ga. – While many cities still struggle to recover from the economic downturn, Roswell is growing like never before. Once considered a sprawling residential focused suburb, the City of Roswell is now drawing major corporations to its doors, as well as fostering a healthy and growing community of local independent businesses. As a result, the labor force is exploding and unemployment is decreasing every year. In January 2013, the unemployment rate in Roswell was 6.6 percent, which was well below the national average at 7.9 percent.
However, by January 2014, the unemployment rate in Roswell dropped to just 5.2 percent. Impressive for one year’s work. Now, the businesses of Roswell, small and large alike, are in need of qualified employees. The RUMC Job Networking Program is helping to supply that demand. The RUMC Job Networking Program has been connecting talented, qualified individuals with recruiters and businesses for more than 20 years. A strong, educated workforce is in the top three needs for businesses looking to expand or move to an area. Every 4 to 8 weeks, the program holds a Mini Job Fair that brings in 20+ local employers offering more than 100 job openings. More often than not, many of the recruiters end up hiring on the spot. This is a valuable resource for companies and job seekers alike. RUMC Job Networking connects local qualified talent with growing local businesses. RUMC Job Networking and Roswell Inc partner together to recruit businesses looking for qualified candidates for employment to the job fairs. Visit roswellinc.org and www.rumc.com for more information. –Jessica Diamond, Roswell Inc Communication Coordinator
Home care provider opens JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Wellington Place of Serenity, a
of Peak 10. He said the company expects to add a further five facilities in the coming years in Atlanta, with two more on the Alpharetta site. “This is a huge opportunity for us,” he said. The new building provides not only the hardware for technology companies, it also provides meeting space and offices for customers, opportunities not available at their Norcross location.“We are able to offer so much more than we have previously been able to offer,” said Angela Haneklau, vice president and general manager of Peak 10. Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle said his city is getting the word out about its density of technology companies – a fast-growing number. “[Companies] will chose Atlanta and then discover Alpharetta,” Belle Isle said. “Instead, Peak 10 chose Alpharetta.” For more on Peak 10, visit them online at www.peak10.com.
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private home care agency has recently opened in Johns Creek. Owned by Laura Jaka, Wellington Place of Serenity, 240 Amberton Court in Johns Creek, provides individualized home health services and supports including nutritional support, personal care, companionship, special needs care, community integration and basic medical needs. For more information, visit www.wellingtonplaceofserenity.com, email info@wellingtonplaceofserenity. com or call 678-353-6125.
Building Character Acting adds Alpharetta location ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Building Character Acting classes opened their newest location in downtown Alpharetta. In the past five years, the after school program has expanded throughout the Alpharetta, Roswell and Johns Creek area. The newest location will offer performance opportunities as well as “life skills taught through theater and play,” said Whitney Christopher King, founder and artistic director. Classes are held at The Tributary, 61 Old Canton St. in Alpharetta, on Monday afternoons. For more information, visit www.buildingcharacter. org, email whitney@buildingchristopher.org or call 404849-9644.
24 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
GWINNETT COUNTY
Gwinnett Medical Center:
Robotic surgery expansion gives patients more options LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Recently, Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) obtained a second da Vinci Surgical System designated for single site and laparoscopic surgery. According to local surgeons, robotic surgery promotes precision and efficiency. “The da Vinci Surgical System Robot, with its precision and 3-D camera, allows us to do single incision surgery, like gallbladder removal or cholecystectomy, in a very precise manner,” said Dr. James Elsey, a vascular surgeon at GMC. This is in line with a national trend toward limiting surgical incisions, he said. “Through the robotic system, we are able to offer single incision surgery to more types of patients,” added Dr. David Schmidt, also affiliated with Gwinnett Medical Center. “It allows us to perform
advanced operations with optimal 3-D visualization.” Schmidt said GMC will soon offer robotic surgery as an option to patients requiring more complex laparoscopic procedures. Surgeons have full control, directing the robot to make precise movements. The da Vinci Surgical System has 3-D vision and a magnified view and provides the surgeons with full control of the laparoscopic instruments. This allows physicians to perform surgery using laparoscopic instruments, which mimic the way human hands and wrists work in open surgery. GMC also offers robotic-assisted surgery for procedures in bariatrics, gynecological cancer and prostate cancer. Visit www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org for more information.
BRIEFS & SHORTS: Gwinnett County
RockTenn to acquire A.G. Industries to expand display offerings NORCROSS, Ga. — RockTenn, a paper and packaging manufacturer, has signed an agreement to acquire A.G. Industries, a manufacturer of point-of-purchase displays and fixtures to the consumer products and retail industries. AGI In-Store is owned by American Greetings Corporation and employs approximately 300 employees in Forest City, North Carolina. The transaction is expected to close later this quarter. “AGI In-Store is an excellent strategic fit with RockTenn Merchandising Displays,” said Craig Gunckel, executive vice president, merchandising displays and folding carton. “Adding AGI In-Store supports our strategy to provide a more holistic portfolio of innovative in-store marketing solutions, including ‘store-within-astore’ displays.” KeyBanc Capital Markets is acting as exclusive financial advisor to American Greetings.
Gwinnett Parks ‘Plein Air Challenge’ extended LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Capture the unique and scenic features of Gwinnett County parks by participating in the 2014 Gwinnett Parks Plein Air Challenge. “En plein air” is a French expression meaning “in the open air,” and is used to describe the act of painting outdoors. This year, the Plein Air Challenge has been extended to encourage more artists from all over the state to get involved. Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation invites artists to meet in selected parks in Gwinnett County to
participate. The challenge will end with an opening night reception held on Nov. 22 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center. A cash prize provided by the Gwinnett Parks Foundation will be given to the top three award winners. The first prize entry will also receive recognition in the winter edition of Gwinnett L.I.F.E. magazine and gallery space for one month at Peachtree Corners Library. Top three winners and seven honorable mentions will be featured in a three-month event tour at parks and libraries throughout the county. Tour dates and locations to follow. Submission fees are $36 per painting with a limit of two per artist. For prospectus and registration information, visit www.gwinnettparks.com. Participants must be at least 16 years old and register to enter the reception and exhibition held Nov. 22. Painting and drawing dates and locations are: Sept. 20 at Little Mulberry Park, Oct. 4 at Holcomb Bridge Park and Oct. 25 at the Yellow River Post Office.
Developing new business through technology luncheon Oct. 2 GWINNETT/NORTH FULTON, Ga. — Gwinnett Tech and Georgia Tech are partnering to present “Developing New Business Through Technology,” a luncheon event in the Manufacturing Growth Education Series. The event will be held Oct. 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Busbee Center on the campus of Gwinnett Tech. The cost is $15 and includes lunch, networking, presentation, case study and question and answer. Manufacturing Supply Chain Council members receive a $5 discount. Ed Murphy, strategic business manager at the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Georgia Tech, will be the speaker. Murphy specializes in assisting manufacturers develop and implement strategic growth plans and recognize new opportunities for growth. Meeting attendees will discover how to find new technology or leverage existing technology to increase business and serve new markets, gain new evaluation
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techniques to avoid wasting valuable time or resources pursuing unprofitable opportunities, learn to use Mind Maps and other tools to organize information and successfully develop new ideas. The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership Gwinnett is also sponsoring the event. Registration information is available at http://tinyurl.com/ll2e2ug, or call Bill Ritsch 678-294-1579.
Price to lead Gwinnett Tech trustees GWINNETT/ NORTH FULTON, Ga. — Mike Price, executive manager of Elesys North America, is the new chair of the Gwinnett Tech Foundation Board of Trustees. Price will lead the foundation trustees in their work to Mike Price, executive manager advance support of Elesys North America and funding for Gwinnett Technical College’s programs and facilities, student scholarships and faculty and staff development. The board’s first meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year was held on campus recently. Price joined Elesys, located in Suwanee, in 2004 where he has held a broad range of management roles. His diverse background includes expertise in areas such as human resources, information technology and general corporate affairs. Price has a wealth of knowledge in international, hitech manufacturing industries. He is a graduate of the executive MBA program at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 25
Northside Hospital donates lifesaving equipment to schools CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — As Cherokee County students are getting back to work this school year, parents can have peace of mind in knowing that their children’s schools are now equipped to provide the most-timely response in treating victims of cardiac arrest. Northside Hospital-Cherokee has donated automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to the last six schools in Cherokee County that did not already have them. AEDs went to Johnston Elementary, Boston Elementary and Little River Preschool in Woodstock, Ralph Bunche Preschool in Canton and Oak Grove Elementary and Oak Grove Preschool in Acworth. “Our program would not be the caliber that it is without the support of Northside Hospital,” said Jennifer Whitfield, school nurse at Creekview High School. “We look forward to our partnership for many years to come.” According to the American Heart Association, about 360,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests are reported each year in the U.S. AEDs available on the market today are safe and simple to use by non-medical personnel. Voice prompts and visual displays guide the user through the process, while the computerized device accurately assesses the cardiac state of the patient, makes an appropriate therapy decision and administers electric shock, if needed, in order to restore the heart to its natural rhythm.
From left are Cherokee County School District lead school nurse Rita Parmenter, Oak Grove Elementary School nurse Vicki McGill, Northside Hospital-Cherokee marketing and community relations representative Donnie Henriques, CCSD lead school nurse Gwen Chambers and Oak Grove Elementary School Assistant Principal Courtney Shaw. Defibrillators were donated to Johnston, Boston and Oak Grove elementary schools, as well as Little River, Ralph Bunche and Oak Grove preschools. “Such a device will make our campus so much safer, not only for our students but also for the many guests we have for special events,” said Les Conley, principal of Oak Grove Elementary. “As a Title I school, it is challenging to raise sufficient funds for such a purchase. The generosity of Northside-Cherokee will make the Grove a safer, and thereby a happier place.”
Northside Hospital-Cherokee has been a Partner in Education with the Cherokee County School District (CCSD) for more than 10 years. “Through our Partners in Education program, Northside Hospital-Cherokee is committed to enriching the learning and success of our partner schools by providing the resources and support that they need,” said Billy Hayes, chief
BRIEFS & SHORTS: Cherokee County Goodwill opens location in Cherokee WOODSTOCK, Ga. — Goodwill of North Georgia held a grand opening for its 12,000-square-foot shopping center. This marks the 50th operating location for Goodwill in North Georgia, 6719 Bells Ferry Road. Elaine Armstrong, the director of public relations for Goodwill of North Georgia, told the Ledger-News that the Bells Ferry location would play a large role in helping to provide more individuals with jobs in the coming years. “The store will be a place to shop and a donation center, meaning that anyone can both purchase and donate items there. When people donate and shop (at the Bells Ferry location), they will be supporting people finding new jobs and going to work,” Armstrong said. “This center is near to the Woodstock location, which does have the job training and placement programs, resume prep and other assistance programs that
Goodwill has to offer. This means that people will be shopping and donating to help their neighbors find new jobs.” For 85 years, Goodwill of North Georgia has provided job training and employment services to local communities. In 2013, Goodwill reached more than 40,000 people with its employment services.
Woodstock victorious in Going Green challenge CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Going Green Committee has concluded its third Mayor’s Recycling Challenge event, which challenged cities in the county to encourage residents to recycle during the months of June and July. The winning city for total pounds recycled, as well as the winning city for most pounds collected per capita were announced during the chamber’s September Good Morning Cherokee breakfast meeting. The city of Woodstock (which won last year’s challenge with 421,286 pounds) collected the most recycling this year too, totaling 374,322 pounds. Woodstock was followed by the cities of Canton – 158,622 pounds, Ball Ground – 109,000 pounds, Waleska – 96,760 pounds, Holly Springs – 61,660 pounds and Nelson – 10,820 pounds. The combined total collected by all the cities was
executive officer of Northside HospitalCherokee. The hospital also recently donated an EKG machine to the health care science program at Creekview High School in Canton. The program trains students who have an interest in a future career in the medical field. For more information, visit www. northside.com/community.
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811,184 pounds, which is a 3 percent increase over last year. The city of Waleska for the third consecutive year collected the most recycling per capita with 138.4 pounds per resident, as determined based on 2013 U.S. Census population estimates. Additional per capita totals included Ball Ground – 73.5 pounds/resident, Woodstock – 13.9 pounds/ resident, Nelson with 8.2 pounds/resident, Canton – 6.6 pounds/resident and Holly Springs – 6.3 pounds/resident. North Metro Waste and Waste Management partnered with the chamber on this event.
Stars and Strikes plans to open in Woodstock WOODSTOCK, Ga. — A new Stars and Strikes bowling and entertainment complex will open in Woodstock next spring. The new 50,000-square-foot Stars and Strikes will open at 10010 Ga. 92 in Woodstock, right off Interstate 575. The business will feature an American grill restaurant. Stars and Strikes has existing locations in Cumming, Lawrenceville, Sandy Springs, Dallas and Stone Mountain. Visit www.starsandstrikes.com for more information.
HALL COUNTY
26 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Most employees unhappy with their jobs, study finds Spherion sheds light on employee satisfaction, retention By Carolyn Aspenson news@appenmediagroup.com GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A national employment company has published the results of their 15-year Emerging Workforce Study and the results are worth knowing. Spherion Staffing Services, a company with 65 years in business, worked with the international polling firm Harris Interactive to complete their study, said Regional Vice President Lynn Billing. Billing addressed members of the Greater Hall County Chamber of Commerce during a small business seminar last month. “We wanted to determine the changing attitudes and expectations of workers and what companies can do to attract talent,” Billing said.
The study, which was started in 1997, surveyed about 200,000 workers throughout the country. Billing said the study provides a unique perspective into the minds of today’s workforce. “There are two different kinds of workers,” Billing said. “The traditional and emergent, and each are defined by their workplace values and expectations.” Billing described the traditional as the employee more concerned with job security, stability and direction. “Traditional employees tend to have a clear career path and stay with a company long term,” she said. “And emergent employees are looking for new experiences and opportunities for growth.” She said the emergent workforce is defined as the millennials, people who reached adulthood around the year 2000. “For companies to be successful, it’s important to create a work environment
Formal Work/ Life Balance Programs
Offered 2009
Offered 2012
Flextime
25%
24%
Telecommuting
13%
19%
Paid time off for community service
9%
21%
Sabbaticals
7%
11%
Job sharing
5%
10%
that is aligned with the belief and value system of the current workforce,” she said. And companies are feeling the pressure. “The study showed that hiring skilled workers is a top concern for employers,” Billing said. “Finding the right talent concerns them so much that they’re delaying programs and opportunities because they can’t find good people.” She said the traditional job search, meaning answering classified ads, is a thing of the past. “It used to be the only way to find a job, but today it’s all about personal referrals,” Billing said. “The workforce within a company now is what determines the hiring of new employees.” The Internet, she said, is the driving force of that change, and can make or break a company. “With the tapping of a few keys, a company’s reputation can be improved or destroyed,” she said. “Instead of word of mouth going from one person to another, they’re reaching tens of thousands of people in seconds.” The study showed that emergent employees want to feel aligned with their employer’s mission, and if they don’t, they’ll let the world know through posts, blogs, comments and other options available through social media. “Applicants look to what current and former employees say about their company rather than what the executives, the media and even the customers say,” Billing said. Unfortunately for companies, the study showed that only about 35 percent of employees would say something positive about their current employer. “Those numbers equate to a revenue loss of anywhere from 6 to 25 percent,” Billing said. “We live in a world of social media now.” For some companies, that can mean millions of dollars. Billing said the solution is a change of attitude by the company, not the employee. The study showed that companies with old school or traditional attitudes appealed to only 29 percent of the current workforce. “Right now, millennials make up about 25 percent of the workforce, but by 2025, they’ll be at least 75 percent,” she
said. “So it’s crucial to meet the needs of this important workforce.” But just what are those needs? In 1999, the study examined the main drivers for gaining and retaining employees and found three key issues – mentoring, training and education and opportunities for growth. Lack of these components made current employees four times more likely to look for jobs in the first 12 months of employment. The study also showed that supervisors and other management roles were a key factor in job satisfaction. The traditional rules of management, where bosses are feared and not personally involved with their team, no longer apply. Employees want to feel a personal connection to their supervisors. Job satisfaction ratings were 25 percent higher for employees who considered their supervisor their friend. The effects of Sept. 11, 2001, not only changed the economic aspects of companies, but also changed employees’ priorities and caused a shift in their belief systems, creating what the study called the work/life balance movement. “The downturn in the economy made employees feel that working 80 hour weeks wasn’t worth it,” Billing said. Seventy-three percent of workers surveyed said they would choose their families over their careers, and 96 percent said an employer that helps their employees meet family obligations is important. The current workforce wants flexible work options like flextime, job sharing and telecommuting, but the study showed few companies agreed. In 2003, only about 19 percent of the workforce surveyed worked for companies
• Forty-four percent of employees surveyed said they would look for a new job within the first 12 months of employment for companies who lacked a clear corporate mission and follow through. • A quarter of employees surveyed believe social media sites allow them to be more productive and will impact their decision to stay with a company. that offered the desired work/life balance options. In 2005, Spherion addressed that issue through the study, surveying employers about their business practices, and the results showed employers are disconnected with their workforce. Company leaders believed they were meeting the needs of their employees and that only 14 percent would leave within the next year, but the workforce surveyed showed about 40 percent planned to quit their current employment. Only a small percentage of companies offered work/life balance programs and those that didn’t offer such programs had no plans to, either. As the workforce continued to push for a work/life balance, some companies began to migrate from traditional work environments to emergent companies. Those that did saw an increase in employee retention. The study showed companies that dedicated more time and resources to the driving needs of their workforce and shared similar values retained more employees. The development of emergent attitudes by both companies and their employees has continued to shape business structures. The workforce no longer wishes for companies to adopt an emergent mindset. They expect it. The study showed that companies in line with the emergent value system are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Today only about 33 percent of companies surveyed fall under the traditional mindset while about 48 percent are migrating toward being emergent companies. “Migrating toward the more desired company profile will allow companies to successfully attract and retain talented employees,” Billing said. For more information on the study, visit www. spherion.com.
COBB COUNTY
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 27
Six Flags to debut two new roller coasters in 2015 AUSTELL, Ga., — A full season of chaos, mischief and mayhem are on tap next year, as Six Flags Over Georgia announced two new rides for the 2015 season. The park’s 12th roller coaster, The Joker Chaos Coaster, along with Harley Quinn Spinsanity, will debut as Gotham City’s newest challenges. “We are excited to introduce two new high-thrill attractions to our collection of world-class coasters at the park,” said Six Flags Atlanta Properties Park President Dale Kaetzel. “Gotham City is one of the park’s most iconic and popular areas and this multi-million dollar expansion will help create a day full of fun and exciting memories for all of our thrill seekers and their families.” With its unique seating pattern, The
BRIEFS & SHORTS: Cobb County Energy Battery Group announces expansion
The deadline for entry is Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Debi Smith earns 2014 Five Star Real Estate Agent Award
MARIETTA, Ga. — In order to meet the growing demand for its battery and stored energy related products, Energy Battery Group has moved its world headquarters to a new facility in Marietta while also opening a 73,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution and logistics center in Raritan, New Jersey. “The Marietta facility triples the size of the original headquarters and will accommodate our national and international customer service, sales, logistics and administrative staff,” said Rick Hallock, Energy Battery president. Energy Battery Group was founded in 1996 and is a privately held company. The company provides battery distributors with options for group buying of battery services and products including automotive, commercial and marine batteries. Hallock said business has been strong for the past several years.
AUSTELL, Ga. — Debi Smith, of Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage, was named one of Atlanta’s outstanding real estate agents with fewer than 7 percent awarded. The Five Star Real Estate Agent award program is the largest and most widely published real estate agent award program in North America. Agents are measured using an objective, in-depth research methodology with significant focus on customer feedback and overall satisfaction. Five Star Professional partnered with Atlanta magazine to recognize a select group of Atlanta area real estate agents. For more information, visit http://www.fivestarprofessional.com.
Entries open for Georgia Team Championship
Princeton Lakes Pediatrics expands into Kennesaw
MARIETTA, Ga. — Entries are now being accepted for the 22nd annual Georgia Team Championship. This event will take place at The Georgia Club in Statham, Nov. 1 – 2. The team competition is open to four-man teams of male amateur golfers. The field of 30 teams will compete over 36 holes. Round one will consist of 18 holes of four-ball stroke play (two two-man teams with both scores counting as total team score). The final round will be 18 holes of individual stroke play (the low three of four scores count as team score). Last year, Dalton Golf and Country Club won their third Georgia Team Championship with a final score of 15-under-par 345 (133-212). They finished three strokes ahead of Houston Lake Country Club in Perry, who earned runner-up honors at 12-under-par 348 (131-217). Eligible players must enter online at the GSGA website, www.gsga.org, by clicking the event registration.
KENNESAW, Ga. — The timing is excellent. With more Georgians having access to health care and more growth expected in Atlanta, many health care providers are opting to open their own practices. That’s just what board-certified pediatrician Dekisha Drayton did in 2007 when she opened her first medical practice, Princeton Lakes Pediatrics in South Atlanta. Amid a tough economy, the practice flourished; and now, with the Affordable Care Act and a ripe climate for growth, Drayton has expanded her practice into Kennesaw, 2953 North Cobb Parkway, Suite 16/17. “I am very pleased to open a practice that incorporates the use of technology and brings greater access to pediatric health care. I began my career in pediatrics in metro Atlanta more than 10 years ago, and I am extremely elated and eager to offer my services to a growing population of children and families,” she said. “As a growing practice, it’s our goal to offer the most current and state-of-the-art services.” Visit princetonlakespeds.com for more information.
Joker Chaos Coaster joins the popular Batman: The Ride and Mind Bender roller coasters in Gotham City and will feature: • A “face-off” against each other as the train’s 24 riders begin their journey • The train rocketing up seven stories high • A glide, both forward and backward, through a bedlam of loops • A suspended upside down roll, 72 feet in the air A second new attraction, Harley Quinn Spinsanity, will also be introduced in 2015, sending riders spinning, twisting and rolling through a cycle of classic fun in Gotham City. The park’s two new attractions are expected to open in late spring 2015. Visit www.sixflags.com for more information.
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Strathmore’s Wright honored in Who’s Who list KENNESAW, Ga. — Dr. Carla Y. Wright, of Kennesaw, has recently been recognized as a Professional of the Year by Strathmore’s Who’s Who for her outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of psychology. Wright is chief executive officer of Creative Interventions Inc., which provides counseling, substance abuse treatment and mental health services. Wright received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, her master’s degree from Webster University and her Ph.D. from Capella University.
America’s Capital Partners continues growth in Ga., N.C. COBB COUNTY, Ga. — America’s Capital Partners (ACP) has purchased six Class-A office buildings in North Carolina and Georgia totaling over 860,000 square feet during the past month. Coral Gables-Fla.-based ACP acquired the three buildings that constitute the Townpark Ravine office complex in Kennesaw. This purchase included over 360,000 square feet of Class-A office space located in a 243-acre master plan mixed-use project being developed in the I-75 corridor of Cobb County. The buildings are currently more than 95 percent occupied with three major tenants having expanded at the close of 2013. In July 2014 ACP, closed on over 500,000 square feet of space with the purchase of Three, Five and Six Coliseum Centre buildings along with a 6-acre undeveloped site located within the Coliseum Centre office park in Charlotte, North Carolina. CBRE represented both ACP and the seller in addition to assisting with financing through GE Capital. “The Coliseum Centre purchase was a good investment both because of the location and the quality of the asset,” said Sergio Socolsky, CEO of ACP. “Although our latest acquisitions have been in the south, we continue to explore investment opportunities all along the East Coast as well as in Texas and Colorado.”
SOUND ADVICE
28 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com
Unemployment, tax reform should top 2015 legislative agenda Mark Burkhalter McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
This spring, the business network CNBC ranked Georgia the No. 1 place to do business in the country for 2014. Unfortunately, as we wind down summer, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has posted shocking data. Our state’s unemployment rate not only worsened in July but is now the second worst in the country. When ranked with the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Georgia falls only behind Mississippi in the number of citizens out of work and now looking for jobs. We have an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent while the national rate is 6.2 percent. Some regions of the state have
an unemployment rate of 9.4 percent. After giving the nod to Texas for several years, CNBC ranked Georgia first for doing business in 2014 primarily because of our infrastructure such as Hartsfield International Airport and workforce (collective bargaining is not legal here). The network noted our weaknesses in Georgia’s education and employment. If we are to turn around the job losses of the Great Recession, the state needs to attract businesses of all sizes that will hire new workers. North Fulton has certainly been an attractive place to do business. But to do that, we should take up tax reform and cut the state’s income tax rate – now at 6 percent – to grow the economy and help create new jobs. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, 28 states have lower personal income tax rates than Georgia, including our neighbors in the region. Florida, Tennessee and Texas have no state income tax. Alabama and Missis-
A strong fall housing market, but for whom? Robert Strader Local Realtor Keller Williams Realty
2013 was the best year for home price appreciation since 2006 in our area and by all accounts was a welcome shift in our housing market for sellers in North Atlanta. While we continued to see prices rise as we moved into this year, they rose at a much slower pace. Demand in 2014 began to soften, in part because of the previous year’s rapid rise in prices and buyers’ perceptions of value. While prices have gone up, the number of homes sold has been down over the previous year. Another factor that reflects softening demand has been the drop in homes selling for more than asking price. While the number of homes selling over asking price has dropped 7.4 percent in North Fulton and Forsyth County, the drop is far higher in places like Cherokee and Gwinnett Counties, as reflected in the chart. Another factor that played into softening demand was the limited inventory in 2013 and the beginning of 2014. That, however, has begun to change. With a rise in home values and the growth of new home construction, inventory levels have jumped up; most notably in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties. Prices are up, which is great for sell-
County
Change in Above Asking Sales Price
Change in Inventory Levels
North Fulton
-7.4%
15.8%
Forsyth
-7.4%
28.1%
East Cobb
-6.2%
8.4%
Cherokee
-13.3%
14.4%
Gwinnett
-17.4%
37.7%
ers, but buyers have more to choose from now and are running into fewer multipleoffer situations as evidenced by the drop in above asking sales prices. Industry analysts are predicting a strong housing market this fall and for 2015, predicting an increase in the number of homes sold. An increase in transactions would be a sign that buyer fatigue is waning and would give buyers a lift in confidence after last year’s surge in home prices. But it isn’t bad news for home sellers. Current inventory levels reflect a sellers’ market but as those levels rise, there could be shift back to a buyers’ market. I don’t see this as a big risk and, in the end, a balanced market with healthy inventory levels and healthy sales is ultimately good for both home buyers and home sellers. Bob Strader is a local realtor with The NORTH Group of Keller Williams Realty. More information can be found on his blogs liveincumming.com or liveinalpharetta.com or email him: info@thenorthgroup.com.
sippi collect 5 percent. North Carolina has cut its tax from 7.75 percent to 5.75 percent, including a dramatic cut in its corporate income tax rate. Art Laffer, an economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan, and Stephen Moore, the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, point out in a new book that there are more people working in the nine states with no income tax compared to the nine states with the highest personal income tax. Georgia lawmakers have taken a good first step by offering an amendment on the ballot in November that would prohibit the state’s income tax from ever rising above 6 percent. However, to truly spark our economy, the General Assembly needs to reduce tax rates and not attempt to replace it with other new revenue. Only when we take money out of the hands of government and return it to the people will they spend it and create new jobs.
In a readers’ survey released by the Atlanta Business Chronicle last winter, 77 percent of respondents said they would like the legislature to abolish the state income tax – first imposed in 1929. In addition, another 12 percent said they favored reducing the current tax. Lawmakers who sincerely want to lure jobs from the rest of the nation and foster economic growth need to embrace bold tax reform so we can compete in the employment sweepstakes and jumpstart our still sputtering economy. Burkhalter is a senior strategic advisor and independent consultant in the national government affairs practice of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. He also leads the firm’s public affairs and economic development initiatives in the United Kingdom. Burkhalter is the former speaker of the House and speaker pro tempore, who spent 18 years representing Johns Creek in the Georgia General Assembly.
The value of having a sales process Dick Jones Founder & President Jones Simply Sales
Do you currently have a definable, repeatable and measurable sales process in your business? Is this process documented? Does everyone on your sales team follow this process? If your answer is yes, you probably are experiencing predictable sales results. If your answer is no, your results most likely are unpredictable. As Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Without a defined sales process, it is virtually impossible to determine what you need to do to improve your sales results. And for most businesses that don’t have a defined sales process, they learn the hard way that “trial and error” improvements rarely work. Having a sales process that is defined and measurable can help you pinpoint improvement actions. For example, if your business relies on a steady stream of new business leads and there is no tracking system in place to account for these leads, how would you possibly know if your
lead generation process is adequate for achieving your sales goals? On the other hand, if you have a process for lead generation that everyone uses and it is not producing enough sales, you probably want to improve or change the process. Documenting a sales process for your business is not time consuming, and can reap huge benefits. Just like a football team uses a playbook to execute the “process” of running a play, a sales process is a playbook for your sales team. A sales process is essentially a systematic approach to selling a product and service; and a sales team’s fundamental job is to move a greater number of larger deals through the sales process in less time. Having a sales process that is measurable allows you to track these metrics and then identify ways to improve them. Technology tools like Salesforce. com have automated this process and can provide real-time and historical analytics to help you pinpoint improvement opportunities. Take the time to document your sales process and develop measurements. Train your sales team on the process and require that they follow it. Track your results and identify ways to improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of the process. Having a definable, repeatable and measurable sales process can have a profound impact on enabling sales growth in your business.
SOUND ADVICE
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 29
No full-time offer from your internship… now what? Elaine Krehmeyer Career Revelations
You worked hard to obtain an internship in your field. Hours of review on your resume, countless interviews and maybe even a new suit. But after 10 weeks of blood, sweat and tears to prove yourself, you didn’t receive a full-time offer. Ouch! As you return for your senior year, you look around and learn that many of your friends landed the big opportunity and will sail through their final months as a college student. I know it is disappointing and frustrating and perhaps scary. You may be wondering, what do I do now?
1. Breathe It’s all about perspective. It may seem like the end of the world right now, but I
promise this is a blip on the map, a tiny road block. Now you must decide how you handle it. Are you going to whine and moan and blame your manager or the company or your co-workers? Or are you going to take the bull by the horns and own this? Here’s how.
career fairs, meet with a career counselor, talk to your professors or receive targeted guidance from a career coach. Whatever you do, do it now! Don’t wait until you get closer to graduation. Pick yourself up, shake off your frustration and get going!
2. Build, don’t burn bridges
4. Formulate your story
Even though you did not receive an offer, your summer employer is likely your best reference to date. Follow up now with your previous managers and team. Tell them that you learned a lot over the summer and you would like to stay in touch. Ask for feedback on approaching your job search. Ask if and how you can tap into their network. Stay connected with anyone and everyone you met during the internship.
3. Use fall recruiting All of the tools and resources that you need are at your fingertips in the next few months. It is important that you revise your resume, attend appropriate
Inevitably recruiters are going to ask you in an interview what happened. You need to first understand why you didn’t get an offer. Then articulate what you learned and what you are doing about it. I started out the summer slow and struggled with multitasking. I developed my organizational and time management skills over the course of the internship and now have a solid system in place. I received feedback that I was effective at networking with the people above me, but not gaining the respect of my peers. I became actively involved in a final team project and learned to leverage the strengths of those around me.
5. Network Tell everyone you know that you
are seeking employment after graduation. The job seeking process is very public. Utilize social media. The more people you speak to in the field, the more confidence you will have to share your strengths and land an awesome job. Life is a journey and you are well on your way to an exciting career. You can do this! Elaine Krehmeyer has over 24 years of professional experience with a major financial institution, with 15 years spent directly recruiting and managing college students and graduates. Reach out to her at elaine@careerrevelations.com.
EXECUTIVE MARKETPLACE FIND ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN
Advertise in Executive Marketplace today! BUSINESS COMPUTER PROBLEMS? “Carmichael manages our IT. I have never worked with a more client-centric business before – ever. They return calls fast. They listen exceedingly well. They know what they are doing. They are honest, professional, and local. They are partners with Appen Newspapers / Appen Media Group in the truest sense of the word.” – Ray Appen, Publisher Media Group Appen Med Newspapers Appen New
Call today for your free IT assesment. – Tyler Jones, Principal
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North Atlanta Business Post EXECUTIVE MARKETPLACE Reservation deadline: Thursday one week and a half prior to publication date Art deadline: Monday one week prior to publication date Ex. Friday July 14 is publication date; Reservations are due by Thursday July 3, artwork due Monday, July 7
Executive marketplace – Print Advertising Ads will appear within a border and include an Executive Marketplace masthead.
Deadling to advertise in our next issue is September 4! For more information or to reserve space in the next issue, contact June Michaels at 770-442-3278 ex. 136 or email advertising@ appenmediagroup.com.
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30 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com For more info visit roswellinc.org or call 678.823.4004
Power Lunch Spotlight: BBQ By JESSICA DIAMOND Communications Coordinator, Roswell Inc Looking for the perfect lunch spot to meet clients and friends? Roswell restaurants 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 perfect plate for you and your lunch mates. Are you craving for some exceptional, finger-licking BBQ? Thankfully, Roswell offers plenty of options for every taste, atmosphere and budget. With big tables and bigger portions, Swallow at the Hollow on Green Street is the full southern experience. You’ll come for the comfortable country atmosphere and stay for the banana pudding. Slope’s BBQ is a Roswell staple. Talk about a place where everybody knows your name. You’ll find yourself among friends as you slurp your Brunswick stew and sweet tea. Spiced Right Ribhouse is another Roswell favorite with a loyal following. With
their meat smoker wafting the aroma of slow cooked pork all through the Roswell Square, you’ll follow your nose to a hearty, delicious lunch. You can never go wrong with Dream-
land Bar B Que. You know you’ll be in good company when you find yourself elbow deep in sauce at this well-known restaurant. So many choices and so little time for lunch. You may be late getting
BRIEFS & SHORTS: Restaurants
Restaurateurs Fikret Kovac and Hicham Azhari, center, of F&H Food Trading Group, opened their fifth venture together, Real Fix Pizzeria, in historic downtown Roswell.
Real Fix Pizzeria debuts in Roswell ROSWELL, Ga. – Restaurateurs Hicham Azhari and Fikret Kovac of F&H Food Trading Group have debuted their fifth venture together, Real Fix Pizzeria, in historic downtown Roswell. Giacomo Lazzano recently moved from Palermo, Italy, to join the Real Fix team, bringing generations-old Italian culinary traditions with him. The casual, neighborhood pizzeria opened Sept. 2. The 1,200-square-foot restaurant, 14 Elizabeth Way in Roswell, features a vibrant and energetic interior comprised of tiled walls and an illuminated sign that
offers a vintage feel. “We are excited to introduce our take on authentic Neapolitan-style pizza to downtown Roswell,” said Azhari. “Giacomo’s expertise in the dough room combined with our use of locally sourced, high-quality ingredients will make dining at the Real Fix an unprecedented experience for the neighborhood.” Real Fix, which derives its name from co-owner Kovac’s nickname, will boast a menu comprised of chefdriven pizzas, superior ingredients, canned beer and bottled wine. Styles include the famous original fried and Neapolitan-style pizzas. All pies can be made with gluten-friendly dough and vegan cheeses. The dough is handmade in the restaurant’s humidity- and temperature-controlled dough mixing room and starter, crafted by piazzolo Lazzano. Inspired by pizzerias on the streets of Napoli, Real Fix’s famous original fried pizza is made when the dough is flash-fried, giving it a crunch particular to this specific style of pizza. The Neapolitan and fried pies will be prepared in two specialized, wood-burning ovens and cooked at 900 degrees. F&H Food Trading Group’s collection of restaurants currently reside on Canton Street in historic downtown Roswell and include the neighborhood tap house, 1920 Tavern, New York butcher-influenced Little Alley Steak and Salt Factory Pub, a modern gastropub serving comfort food with an international twist. The second location for Salt Factory opened in Alpharetta in November 2013 and a future location is planned for Woodstock later this year. For more information, call 770-299-1657 or visit
back to work today. Don’t worry - We won’t tell! Eat up, nnjoy and don’t forget your wet naps in case you have some fingerlickin’ ribs.
submit news to business@appenmediagroup.com
www.fhfoodtradinggroup.com.
Another Broken Egg Café announces Johns Creek location JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Double R Restaurant Group announced plans for a new Another Broken Egg Café location at 11031 Medlock Bridge Road, Suite 110 in Johns Creek. This marks the Lafayette, Louisiana-based group’s fifth location in the Atlanta region. Renovations to create the new café started this month with an anticipated November 2014 opening. Another Broken Egg Café serves Southern-inspired dishes, including six varieties of eggs benedict, 11 gourmet omelet choices and handcrafted burgers, specialty sandwiches and fresh salads. Existing Atlanta area locations for Another Broken Egg Café include Atlanta, Buckhead, Vinings and at 4075 Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta. For more information, visit www.AnotherBrokenEgg.com.
NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com • September 2014 • 31
Promote Your Business
Advertise In Our 2014 Lifestyles Answer Book Reach our print and online audience of over 200,000* North Fulton and Forsyth residents by advertising in the Lifestyles Answer BookŽ – Appen Media Group’s annual community guide to Lifestyles, Destinations, and Get-Aways
• Dining • North Fulton Sports & Leisure • North Fulton for Boomers & Seniors • Cities We Love • Resorts & Hotels • Active Excursions • Real Estate • Outfitters & Outdoors • Travel & Cruises • Golf Courses • Bed & Breakfasts • Events & Festivals •The Arts • Downtown ATL Destinations
Reserve your advertising early for best position Advertising deadline October 9
The 2014 Best of the Best Winners will be announced!
Vote Now
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LLifestyles Li Lif ifes if es Antique Anti Antiq Antiqu A ntiqu ntt que Store S
Winner: Quee W Queen n of Hearts A tiq Antiques Antiques670 670 0N N. Main Street Alpharetta, Alpharetta, Alpharetta h , Ga Ga 3 00 30004 (also (also l Buford & Marietta) Mar www www.queenofh w.queenofh que o hearts queenofh e www.queenofheartsantiquesiinteriors.com, interiors interiors.co nteriors.co tteriors.co i com, m 678-297-7571 678 6 67 78-2
Auto too R Repair ep epa epai paaiir pa pai i
Winner: Winne Winn Win W ner: Ba Back B k on the Road287 2875 875 87 8 75 B 75 Bethany Be Bethan ethany h y Bend Be end Milton, Mi GA, 3 3000 30004, 300 0004, 04, 04 4 ((678) 4, 678) 678 67 78 8)) 566-6 8 566-6663 www.bac www.b ww www w ww.backon ackonth ckont konth onth heroadaut www.backontheroadauto.com
Baankk Bank
Winner: Winne Winn Wi W nner: ner: er: BB&T BB&T Windward P kway Park Parkw ParkwayParkway way ay y-- 5520 Windward y Alpharetta, Parkway Parkwa Parkw Park Par P ar arkw a rkway ayy A lpharetta, Ga 30004, 30 3 0004, 00 4, 77 7 70-343-6399 7 770-343-6399 www.bbt.com www ww w ww w.bbt.com w.b w .b bbt bb b b btt
Finalist: KeyWorth Bank www.keyworthbank.com 11655 Medlock Bridge Road Johns Creek, GA 30097 770-418-2772 9925 Haynes Bridge Road, Suite 100 Alpharetta, GA 30022, 770-753-2300
Bar-B-Que
Winner: ‘Cue Barbecue13700 Hwy. 9 N., Alpharetta, Ga 30004, 770-667-0089 www.cuebarbecue.com Finalist: SmokeJack- 29 S Main St, Alpharetta, GA 30009 www.smokejackbbq.com (770) 410-7611
Beer Growler Store
Winner: Blind Murphy Craft Beer Store- 53 S Main St,
Your Vote Counts
Alpharetta, Ga 30009 http://www.blindmurphy.com (770) 807-0186 Finalist: The Beer GrowlerAlpharetta – 865 N. Main St Johns Creek – 3000 Old Alabama Rd, 770-696-2542 www.thebeergrowler.net
Breakfast
Winner: J Christopher’s300 Old Alabama Rd., #126 Alpharetta, Ga 30040 www.jchristophers.com 770-360-0970, & 3070 Windward Plaza Alpharetta, Ga 30009, 770-740-8571, & 11725 Alpharetta Hwy. Roswell, Ga 30076 770-817-0200 Finalist: Original Pancake House-5530 Windward Pkwy #120A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 www.originalpancakehouse. org, (678) 393-1355
Dance Lessons
Alpharetta, Ga 30004 (770) 817-4656 www.burgerďŹ .com
Brewery
Winner: Jekyll Brewing2855 Marconi Dr, Alpharetta, Ga 30005, jekyllbrewing.com Finalist: 5 Seasons Brewing 5seasonsbrewing.com 3655 Old Milton Pkwy Alpharetta, GA 30005 770-521-5551
Brew Pub
Winner: Hop Alley Brew Pub- 25 S Main St, Alpharetta, Ga 30009
www.hopalleybrew.com (770) 696-2097 Finalist: Cherry Street Brewing Cooperative- 5810 Bond St, Cumming, GA 30040 www.cherrystreetbrewing.com (770) 205-5512
Burger
Winner: Scratch Fresh12872 Alpharetta Hwy, Milton, Ga, 30009, (678) 393-9059 www.scratch-fresh.com Finalist: BurgerFi5475 Windward Parkway West
Finalist
Best Maid Service
Mini Maid Best of North Fulton & South Forsyth
2013 770-360-9000 %%% !# #! #
! ##
Winner: Cactus Car Wash12905 Hwy 9 North Milton, Ga , 770-343-9960 www.cactuscarwash.com
Winner: Cumming Dance Academy- 419 Tribble Gap Road, Cumming, Ga 30040 www.cummingdanceacademy. com770-781-4922 & 230 Elm St. Ste. 100-200, Cumming, Ga 30040, 770-781-4922
Finalist: Mammoth Hand Car Wash & Detail Salon- 255 S Main St, Alpharetta, Ga 30009 www.mammothdetail.com (770) 521-0300
Finalist: Arthur Murray7855 North Point Parkway Alpharetta Ga 30022 678-795-9854 arthurmurrayatl.com/alpharetta/
Car Wash
Consignment Store
Winner: Designer Consigner670 N Main St #101, Alpharetta, Ga, 30009 www.designer-consigner.net (770) 777-0032 Finalist: Alex N Sis- 29 Milton Ave., Alpharetta, GA 30009, (678) 566-3973 www.alexnsis.com
Corporate Lawyer Winner: Hipes Belle Isle Law Group-178 South Main Street, Suite 250 Alpharetta, Ga 30009, 770.664.6699 www.hbilawďŹ rm.com
Day Spa
Winner: Spa Sydell- Multiple Atlanta Locations (404) 2557727 www.spasydell.com Finalist: LaVida Massage Johns Creek – 678-624-9091 Cumming – 678-947-4642 Alpharetta – 770-740-0654 www.lavidamassage.com-
Dessert
Winner: Alpine Bakery12315 Crabapple Rd, Alpharetta, Ga 30004 www.alpinebakeryandtrattoria. com, (770) 410-9883
Financial Advisor Winner: KeyWorthBank-9925 Haynes Bridge Rd, #100 Alpharetta, GA, 30022 www.keyworthbank.com 770-753-2300 11655 Medlock Bridge Rd. Johns Creek, GA, 30097 770-418-2772 Other ofďŹ ces in Duluth & Marietta
Hair Salon
Winner: Aria- 10 Roswell St #100, Alpharetta, Ga, 30009 www.ariasalonspashoppe.com (770) 475-8111 Finalist: Bob Steele Salon5530 Windward Pkwy #1260, Alpharetta, GA 30004 www.bobsteele.com (404) 262-9499
Happy Hour
Winner: Village Tavern11555 Rainwater Dr Alpharetta, Ga 30009 www.villagetavern.com 770-777-6490
Jewelry Store
Home Care for Seniors
Finalist: Atlanta Diamond Design Johns Creek – 3000 Old Alabama Road, Forsyth - 410 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 120 770-751-9555 www.atlantadiamond.com
Winner: ElderCare Companions- www.eldercarecompanions.com (770) 977-9111 3939 Roswell Rd NE Suite 350 Marietta, Ga
Finalist: Pat McArdle
Finalist: Pure Taqueriawww.puretaqueria.com 103 Roswell St, Alpharetta, GA 30009, (678) 240-0023 1143 Alpharetta Street Roswell, GA 30075 (770) 817.7873
Finalist: Senior Helpers- 294 South Main Street ste #500 Alpharetta, Ga 30009 770-442-2154 Seniorhelpers.com/northatlanta
Interior Designer
Winner: Allison Havill Todd Interiors-5325 Lake Pointe Center Drive, Ste 100 Cumming, GA, 30041 www.ahtinteriors.com 678-648-4548 Finalist: Donald MitchellP.O. Box 657, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 (770) 712-2290
Winner: Iroff & Son Jewelers 3960 Old Milton Pkwy #300 Alpharetta,Ga, 30005, www. iroff.com, (770) 751-7222
Local Store
Winner: Parsons- 7300 N. Point Pkwy Alpharetta, Ga, 30022, (678) 879-1050 www.parsonsgifts.com 525 Lakeland Plaza Cumming, Ga 30040 770-887-9991 Finalist: Sis & Moon's- 24 Milton Avenue, Alpharetta, GA 30009, (404) 414-5765
Maid Service
Winner: The Maids- 1105 Woodstock Rd #130 Roswell, Ga, (770) 579-6442 www.maids.com Finalist: Mini Maid- 271 North Main Street Alpharetta,
Winner
Best Dance Lessons
Cumming Dance Academy Best of North Fulton & South Forsyth
2013
+++ *## $ $ #, %# ' " & *## $
"# ) ) *## $
Go to www.NorthFulton.com to vote for Your Favorite Business Contact Appen Media Group 770.442.3278 | www.AppenMediaGroup.com * 100,000 print readers and approximately 150,000 on-line viewers
One Hour New Client Custom Massage Session
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32 • September 2014 • NorthAtlantaBusinessPost.com