Troup Trends | February 2023 Issue

February 2023

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A Second Lease on Life

www.lagrangechamber.com

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JOHNCARE

John Petrick loves the simple life – like crisp wind in his face during his morning bike ride and the spin of the reel on his fishing rod when he’s hooked a “big one.” Perhaps he revels in simplicity because, beneath the surface, John’s heart health is rather complicated. With diagnoses of ventricular tachycardia (VT), atrial fibrillation (AFib) and congestive heart failure, one thing is certain – John’s heart requires tailored treatment. That’s why he chose Wellstar.

Here, we know every person’s heart is one-of-a-kind. At Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, our entire team of general and interventional cardiologists as well as electrophysiologists treat conditions from murmurs to heart attacks. Patients with complex cases can access advanced heart failure and structural heart care experts. And, when it comes to our world-class cardiac surgeons, your heart is in the best hands.

That way, you can focus on the more important things in life.

Which, in John’s case, is going fishing. wellstar.org/westga 2

February 2023

HEART CARE | PRIMARY CARE | HEALTH PARKS | HOSPITALS

February 2023 VOLUME X, ISSUE I A publication of the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce 111 Bull St./P.O. Box 636 LaGrange, GA 30241 (706) 884-8671 www.lagrangechamber.com EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair: Brandon Eley EleyDigital Past Chair: Jamey Jackson TalentKinect Chair Elect: John Westmoreland, CPA Boatwright Secretary/Treasurer: Summer Deal True North Investments

CHAMBER STAFF President: Connie Hensler Director of Member Experience: Leslie Traylor Communications & Events Manager: Christan Spires Accountant: Melanie Key, CPA Design: Christan Spires

TO CONTRIBUTE Troup Trends welcomes your ideas.

Please send inquiries to info@lagrangechamber.com for consideration.

This publication is produced by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written permission is prohibited. All claims, materials and photos furnished or used are, to the publisher's knowledge, true and correct. Publication of any article or advertisement is not an endorsement by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce.

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CONTENTS 4 | A Letter from the Chairman 5 | Cover Story Adaptive Architecture: A Second Lease on Life 13 | Community

18 | Marketing How to Make the Most of Your Marketing This Year 22 | Movers, Shakers, Risk-Takers

Chamber Announces MBA 24 | Financial Focus Inaugural Cohort Healthy for the Holidays 14 | Oakfuskee Construction 26 | DE&I In the Workplace Underway

28 | History

What We Have Lost Country Financial - Britney Buchanan 30 | Chamber Events Spotlight on the Arts 17 | Traveling Exhibition Featuring 38 | Small Business Georgia Artists Comes to LaGrange Small Business Success with SBDC 16 | Business Spotlight

39 | Community Vote YES for SPLOST 40 | Healthcare Well Starts with Healthy Hearts 42 | Young Professionals

ON THE COVER Truitt Vanderbilt Club

Troup Trends is published quarterly by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce.

Please send news items, suggestions, advertising requests and comments to:

P.O. Box 636 • LaGrange, GA 30241 lagrangechamber.com

www.lagrangechamber.com

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FROM

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CHAIRMAN

Contributors

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ince 1911, the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce has been pivotal in promoting local businesses, advocating for better policies for the business community, and connecting key stakeholders in the area to foster economic growth in our area. I am excited for the opportunity to serve as the Chairman of the Chamber Board this year. In all the years I have been involved with the chamber, I have never been more excited about the future of the chamber or the future of business in Troup County.

The LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce understands that in order to have strong economic growth, we must have a strong community. We are incredibly fortunate in our community to have elected officials, business leaders, educators, and citizens that realize we all share the responsibility of working together to improve the community as a whole. A strong local business community is good for everyone.

It’s an exciting time to be in business in Troup County, for both small businesses and large industry, as our area continues to attract companies from all over the world bringing jobs and the opportunity for growth and that impacts everyone in the community. I look forward to continuing the Chamber’s long history of connecting businesses, non-profit organizations, and local elected officials to make our community the place we all want it to be.

I would like to thank Past Chairman Jamey Jackson for his leadership and especially for his ambitious goals as board chair, envisioning new programs and signature events, and elevating our existing events to new levels. He has truly set a new bar of dedication and excellence and his contributions to the Chamber will be felt for years to come.

My main goal as Chairman this year is to continue to bring increased value to our members, both small and large, to help you expand and improve your businesses. The Chamber’s leadership team is dedicated to supporting our local businesses in every way possible with events, programs, workshops and networking opportunities that will give our members multiple ways to engage and connect with potential customers or clients, learn new skills, and take their business to the next level.

The membership of the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce has never been more impressive or diverse, with small and large businesses, leading regional institutions, nonprofits and companies from a multitude of industry sectors throughout the region. I encourage all of our members to really engage and get involved to find the programs, events or opportunities that will help you make the most out of your membership and contribute to the continued growth and prosperity of our community. I look forward to working with you all as we grow together.

STEVE BOATNER Edward Jones BRANDON ELEY EleyDigital & 2BigFeet LAURA JENNINGS LaGrange Art Museum CAROLINE JOHNSON Troup County Government ANDREA LOVEJOY Community Member MATTHEW OLESON UGA Small Business Development Center LEWIS POWELL Troup County Archives

BRANDON ELEY Chairman, Board of Directors LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce

SHANDALEIA SHEPHARD Contitech SHELLEY STRICKLAND Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center

Special Thanks to Our 1911 Society Presenting Sponsors!

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Adaptive A rchitecture: A Second Lease on Life

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hen it comes to architecture, old often can be better than new.

A rising trend called adaptive reuse refers to the repurposing of existing structures for new use.

Troup County has many outstanding examples. In LaGrange, an 1892 Methodist Church has been the charming home of A Taste of Lemon restaurant for many years; Wild Leap Brewery has won awards, not just for great beer, but for creative reuse of the former Westbrook Tire facility, and the Lofts of LaGrange transformed the Dixie Mill textile plant into luxury apartments, to name just a few.

In Hogansville, among others, a refurbished train depot now hosts businesses and events, the 1937 Royal Theater is being restored as an arts center and the Hogan House at Rose Hill bed and breakfast occupies a lavish 1895 Victorian home. West Point is richly blessed with repurposed buildings, including Burrow Warehouse, an industrial warehouse revamped as a chic wedding venue, and the former freight depot, preserved for community use by the City of West Point.

"Sensitively repurposing historic buildings can help ensure their survival," said Shannon Johnson, executive director of Troup County Archives.

"Not every building can be a living history museum or remain exactly as the builders intended. In those circumstances, adaptive reuse is a wonderful way to retain part of our cultural heritage," she said.

While adaptive reuse is not new, it continues to gain both significance and momentum. This edition of Troup Trends spotlights three recent adaptations that are helping breathe new life into old structures. www.lagrangechamber.com

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Join the Club

or more than 100 years, any trip along Broad Street in LaGrange has been highlighted by the magnificent Georgian-style mansion built in 1914 for financier Cornelius Vanderbilt Truitt and later home to three generations of the Mansour family. Designed by P. Thornton Marye, architect of Atlanta’s fabled Fox Theater, the landmark now known as Truitt Vanderbilt Club has a distinguished past – and a promising future.

“We knew this building was something worth saving,” said Dave Murray, a managing partner of Truitt Vanderbilt Club LLC and founder of LaGrangebased global business MGroup. Murray, who successfully adapted a large, older home on North Lewis Street for MGroup headquarters, said that experience made him “not afraid of the idea of taking on a big project with a historic home.”

Along with partner Conway Broun of Athens, Murray and his wife, Patty Murray,

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recently purchased the residence which had been vacant since the passing of Mrs. Evelyn Mansour in April 2021. Their goal: to preserve and repurpose the home as a first-class venue for weddings, parties, meetings, and more. The name “Club” was intentionally chosen, Murray said, “because we didn’t want to be defined as solely an event center. It’s a place you can come and stay.”

Use of the Truitt Vanderbilt Club will also be an amenity for future purchasers of high-end condominiums planned in a style complementary to the “big house.”

Currently, in the design phase, the condos will be built on the back side of the 2-acre property, which borders Haralson Street.

Murray said the target market is empty nesters looking for a smaller footprint and a stress-free lifestyle.

The owners chose the Downtown LaGrange Development Authority to manage bookings and other arrangements for the repurposed home

because of its successful track record in similar roles for Del’Avant, the Abbott Atrium, and other downtown locations.

DLDA Executive Director Bill Hunnicutt said the organization is thrilled that the historic property has been repurposed for use by the community and guests to downtown.

“We look forward to overseeing future family celebrations, corporate events, and overnight stays in the luxurious guest suites at the Truitt Vanderbilt Club.

The DLDA is so pleased to have been included in the work of reinventing this beloved landmark,” Hunnicutt said.

DLDA staffer Barbie Watts, formerly promotions and marketing manager, is heading the effort, happily describing herself as “chief celebration officer” for the Truitt Vanderbilt Club.

With a background in residential interior design, Watts said she is “thrilled to be

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a part of preserving and repurposing this gem of a home.”

Waldorf-Astoria or St. Regis,” just on a smaller scale.

Gem indeed. With stunning interior details — original light fixtures, wallpapers, paneling, and furnishings — the spacious downstairs rooms are Grand, capital G. There’s a grand hall, recital room, parlor, formal dining room, card room, and more.

An equally grand staircase leads to the upper floor, gracefully adapted with four lavishly updated guest suites, each with custom furnishings and luxurious baths.

Also upstairs is the elegant Dogwood Parlor, an ideal photo spot that opens onto the equally elegant railed balcony overlooking the great lawn.

Bridal party members, event hosts or business guests can stay in pampered comfort on the premises. When event clients are not using them, the bedroom suites are available for rent by anyone, including locals who might want to treat themselves.

“The idea is to offer all the amenities common to a 5-star hotel,” said Murray, a seasoned traveler whose company creates and markets furnishings and fixtures for the hospitality industry, including highend hotels. The Truitt Vanderbilt Club, he said, offers a place to stay “as nice as the

Nasor Mansour III, who grew up in the home with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Nasor Mansour Jr., and his three siblings, said he is very pleased with the project.

At recent introductory events, guests familiar with the Mansour home were amazed and pleased at how little the downstairs has been changed, Watts said.

That included members of the Mansour family.

“It was done with great taste,” Mansour said. “I am happy they could maintain the ambiance that was there when our family lived there.”

Mansour is also grateful that the new owners preserved the home in a way that ensures it will continue to be a Broad Street landmark. Some prospective buyers planned to tear down the house and use the entire property to build condos.

While the residence looks unchanged, major improvements have been made to wiring, heating, air conditioning, and security, along with all steps required by current commercial building codes.

Gorgeous hardware floors have been refinished and the elaborate woodwork

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gleams with new paint.

“The bones were great,” Murray said, but big-ticket upgrades were extensive.

The dining room, for example, is architecturally one of the finest rooms in the home. It looks untouched, but hidden away are all the equipment and technology needed for a corporate board meeting. Several business meetings have already been held there, along with catered dinners, served from the adjacent, restaurant-style kitchen, fully modernized and equipped with special features, like a separate caterer’s entrance.

Watts said it’s been a joy to show the new “old” home to potential clients, vendors, and members of the community. Interest has been high.

“So many people have said they always wanted to see it and now they can,” she said. “Many wonderful memories have been made in this beautiful place, and we are happy that, in its new role, so many more can create happy memories here.” www.lagrangechamber.com

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Mead Me at Twin Mills

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hen a historic building in downtown Hogansville became available in 2019, Brandon Rettke jumped at the opportunity. The building’s rustic charm and Main Street location, he felt, made it perfect for repurposing as the winery he’d dreamed of opening.

The quaint brick structure, which dates to 1924, had another advantage: a fascinating history. Today’s winery was yesterday’s city jail.

Yes, Twin Mills Winery, whose name honors Hogansville’s textile heritage, was once the city’s jail and city hall.

Occasionally a customer will come into the Tasting Room, look around, and quip, “I spent some nights in here.”

Actually, the jail cells are intact and visible from out back, but not from inside the winery, Rettke explained. He’s given the Tasting Room a rustic, industrial look with antiques and upcycled materials, including a repurposed factory cart.

Guests can also sip their wine in the original city hall vault, furnished with an old church pew and mood lighting.

The winery aims to be “casual, cozy, and convivial. “It isn’t a restaurant, but does serve simple meat and cheese options.

It’s also “BYOF,” Rettke said. “We’re Bring Your Own Food friendly.”

The young winemaker, whose full-time job is in the aviation industry, developed an interest in wine about 15 years ago and, for a time, envisioned himself running an apple winery in Wisconsin.

After relocating to Georgia, first to Newnan in 2015, then to Hogansville in 2018, he began volunteering at River’s Bend winery near West Point to learn the art of winemaking. Twin Mills was licensed and began production in 2021. The winery opened last year.

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Billed as “not your average winery,” Twin Mills specializes in small-batch, handcrafted meads, and wines. Mead, Rettke explains, is a honey-based wine of ancient Viking heritage.

“Our meads have the mouthfeel of a wine rather than the thicker syrupy feel of many traditional meads,” he said. Many customers are attracted specifically for the mead, and beer drinkers, he’s found, often really enjoy mead.

The wines are named to recall aspects of the community’s textile heritage. There’s Selvedge Summer Mead, Buckram Cherry, and Olefin Orange Spice, a melomel-style wine made with orange blossom honey, oranges, golden raisins, and a blend of warm spices. Coming soon: Homespun Pineapple, also a melomel-style wine made with orange blossom honey. After fermentation, the wine is aged with fresh pineapple to infuse flavor and add a bit of sweetness.

Soon to mark its first anniversary, Twin Mills recently expanded its Tasting Room hours, adding Friday nights to its original Saturday and Sunday hours.

Rettke’s flying schedule - 12 days on, 10 days off – allows him ample time for wine-making, which he calls “more my hobby.” It also makes it possible for him to be active in the Hogansville community, serving on the Downtown Development Authority, Tourism Committee, and Hummingbird Festival organization.

“I’ve enjoyed being part of a small town reinventing itself and glad that I could turn one of its historic buildings into a place where people can visit the past,” Rettke said.

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Class is in Session

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community of restoration.”

Those words, inscribed on a wall in the spacious atrium of the J. Smith Lanier Academic Building at Point University, refer to Psalm 80:3 and the university’s mission as a faith-based institution.

The description is also literally true. Point has been restoring and repurposing buildings in downtown West Point since relocating there in 2012. The imposing main campus building was built in the 1940s as the headquarters of major textile company West Point Pepperell and was greatly expanded with a three-story addition in the 1970s.

Several other repurposed downtown buildings – furniture stores, a restaurant, a retail shop, and even a car dealership — now house facilities of the private, accredited, liberal arts university founded in East Point in 1937 as Atlanta Christian College.

“God brought us here, not just to relocate a college, but to help restore the town,” said Point President Dean C. Collins.

That’s exactly what has happened, said West Point City Manager Ed Moon.

“Point has had a very positive impact, especially downtown, but also for the whole city and the surrounding area.

It’s great to see the students out and

about, going to class and visiting local businesses. It’s brought a sense of place and added vibrancy. That means a lot.”

Those students “out and about” include almost 500 traditional students enrolled on the West Point campus. A majority of the 900 high school students taking dual enrollment classes also study in West Point or at off-site locations in Peachtree City and Savannah. All told, Point currently offers more than 40 programs of study and serves more than 2,300 students, including about 1,000 online.

financial and strategic sense to relocate,” Collins said.

The search for a new home spanned several years and numerous twists and turns. Many communities expressed interest and several responded to a

From the college’s perspective, relocating from East Point to West Point was both practical and providential, President Collins explained. The original campus needed a lot of work, and the location was not conducive to growth.

“It made obvious

www.lagrangechamber.com

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S T O R Y Request for Proposal. The college’s board considered Peachtree City and Newnan, among others, but backed off during the economic downturn of 2008.

When the search resumed, donors and friends encouraged the college’s board to consider the West Point area, and the former Pepperell headquarters was suggested as a location.

The massive building was solid and had a bit of an academic look, Collins felt.

He recalls asking architects with Credo, a well-known higher education design firm, if the structure’s 77,000 square feet were adequate for a college aiming to serve 1,000 students.

“They said yes, and they were almost right,” he said, laughing. Everything fit except music and a cafeteria.

“We went on a mad tear to find other buildings,” he said.

They didn’t have to look far. After years of decline following the loss of its textile industry, several buildings were available in West Point’s downtown.

Adapting the main building from offices into a full-fledged college was challenging, but ultimately very successful, Collins believes. Care was taken to preserve historical aspects of the building, like walnut paneling in multiple areas and custom Brazilian red cherry floors in a conference room. The only major structural change was to tear out a front wall, creating a light-filled twostory entrance. Academic areas, formerly filled with office cubicles, were revamped to promote openness. Faculty offices, with glass doors, surround classrooms

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and collaborative student study areas.

A modern, open, largely digital library space was created along with student activity areas. There’s also a plant-filled courtyard with seating.

The overall goal, Collins said, was to “invite interaction.”

Naming the building for J. Smith Lanier II was a meaningful way to recognize and honor the nationally prominent businessman’s longtime support of the college. Lanier, who died in 2013, served on the college’s board for more than 25 years, dating back to its East Point days. “And he was a contributor longer than that,” noted Collins, describing the insurance industry giant as “a mentor and friend.”

Originally secured by long-term lease, the Lanier building was later donated to the college by a group of investors. Sale of the East Point location helped underwrite some of new facilities.

A short way from the Lanier building, the Point music department found its home in a former Ford dealership. The repurposed building, now known as the Scott Fine Arts Center, provides ample space for faculty offices, a piano lab, a music technology lab, soundproof practice rooms, a large classroom, and a 175-person performance hall.

In addition to upgrading a fading building, the music program enhances the cultural life of West Point and surrounding cities, said City Manager Moon.

“They put on excellent performances,” Moon said. “Sometimes I can’t believe it’s

C O V E R little downtown West Point.”

The band program found a spacious home in a former furniture store, and the cafeteria took over a former restaurant, both on nearby 3rd Avenue. Open to the community and including a bookstore and Starbucks, the cafeteria serves three meals and about 300 people per day, Collins said. Upstairs, a former loft residence has been adapted to house 40 students. Other nearby buildings have also been converted into student housing.

Collins likes the idea that the university blends in as a part of the town.

“We are not identifiable as a separate entity. We are a part of the community,” he said.

And the community has welcomed them big time, said Mary Susan Underwood, a West Point resident since 1985 and Point’s director of guest relations.

“The community is very excited,” Underwood said. “We are visible, we bring young people and energy downtown. Who would have thought people would be living in downtown West Point?”

Underwood’s multiple responsibilities include managing another repurposed facility, the 1910 William T. Parr house on West 10th Street.

to advertise in

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Gifted to the college, the stately home features original furnishings along with significant pieces brought from the East Point campus. It provides convenient, comfortable lodging for guests of the college, as well as a lovely setting for meetings, dinners, and college-related celebrations. A separate three-car garage, built in the 1970s in the style of the older home, has been transformed into modern offices and meeting space for the development department.

Refurbished buildings aren’t the only contribution Point has made to West Point and the surrounding Valley area. The college’s numerous sports programs share space with the City of West Point’s recreation facilities.

“It definitely brings life to our community,” said Moon, noting he “smiles big” when he sees packed parking lots outside athletic fields.

A Point-sponsored beautification program has also reached across the community.

“We have planted some 250-300 trees, so far, in West Point, Lanett, and Valley,” said Stacy Bartlett, Chief of Staff at Point. “It’s good for the environment and promotes curb appeal.”

That fits, President Collins adds, with the college’s mission to educate students to influence the culture for Christ in all spheres of life. “Planting ourselves,” is part of that, he said. Point students give some 16,000 hours of community service annually.

“We are a part of many communities,” Collins said. “We are all dependent on each other. We try to be a part of the well-being of Troup and Chambers counties.”

contact: CHRISTAN SPIRES 706.884.8671 christan@lagrangechamber.com

www.lagrangechamber.com

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Hiring full-time positions, scan to apply now!

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Chamber Announces Minority Business Accelerator Program Inaugural Cohort

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n January 20, 2023, the LaGrange Troup County Chamber of Commerce announced its inaugural cohort for the newly established Minority Business Accelerator Program. The small businesses that were selected for the program are listed below: The Minority Business Accelerator (MBA) program was born from the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee to advance equity amongst local minority-owned businesses in Troup County.

During the program, members of the cohort will meet throughout the year at 4 educational sessions and will receive 1-1 sessions with small business coaches, a complimentary Chamber membership, and a marketing package.

Sponsors for the program include the Callaway Foundation, EleyDigital, Georgia Power, Interface, Jackson Services, Kia Georgia, Kimble’s Food by Design, Mack Reynolds Realty, LLC, Marsh McLennan Agency, Synovus, and TalentKinect.

“The Chamber is thrilled to have had such great interest in the program from both our applicants and sponsors,” said Connie Hensler, President of the LaGrange Troup County Chamber of Commerce. “We look forward to partnering with our participants and learning how we can better serve our small business community.”

2023 MBA Cohort B Clean - Tim Busuulwa BeeTV Network - April Ross Clockwork Performance Training - Kane Bradfield Coach Jacole, LLC - Jacole Todd D. Lane Agency - Donte Lane Fabframez - Tiaria Johnson Features PMU Studio - Natasha Heard Infinity Plus, LLC - Renata Buckner Kirkland Express, LLC - Joe Kirkland lc, creative - Lauren Clark Premier Medical Training Services - Leslie Langford & Michelle O’Neal Rhodes Casual Dining - Mignon Smith Rio Grande Taqueria - Lorena Nava Tara’s Personal Chef & Catering Services LLC - Tara Ogletree Two Teachers Tutoring, LLC - Laura Lee Pike & Charity Miller

www.lagrangechamber.com

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Oakfuskee Construction Underway

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evelopment of Troup County’s highly-anticipated Oakfuskee Conservation Center is well underway and progressing each day.

In addition to upgraded campgrounds and amenities, the construction of this facility is one of many ongoing enhancements to the recreational and educational features that Pyne Road Park at West Point Lake has to offer!

The park's existing campgrounds have been beautifully renovated, greater security lighting has been installed at the mega boat ramp, and the popular multi-use trails have been improved to accommodate hikers, bikers, and equestrians, with even more trails expected in future expansions.

Now, substantial progress is advancing with Pyne Road Park's latest development, The Oakfuskee Conservation Center, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.

This facility will wonderfully increase educational opportunities within the park by housing both indoor and outdoor classroom spaces for professional and public programs that aim to promote conservation knowledge and practices.

An on-site staging unit will also allow space for lake restoration, and the center’s special events space will provide a brilliant venue for hosting a wide variety of gatherings, such as conferences and celebrations.

Additionally, the building and its surrounding amenities will be powered by an assortment of eco-friendly features, including energy-efficient HVAC units, large low-velocity ceiling fans, low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lights, and a drought-resistant landscaping system.

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of those involved with this project, the following advancements have been made

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to the project job site since breaking ground in August 2022: The concrete basement foundation walls and various concrete slabs have been completed, waterproofed, and backfilled; the structural concrete footings for the front porch, drive-thru Porte Cochere, and massive back porch overlooking Lake West Point are complete; and the block masons have finished topping out the concrete block elevator and stairwell shafts.

The structural steel and metal framing are currently underway, as well as the plumbing/electrical/HVAC rough-ins. A majority of the grading and site work is also substantially complete, including most of the gravel base installed on the driveways and parking lot areas, underground waterlines, and exterior site lighting. As soon as the roofing system is installed, the exterior façade is next on the list, which includes windows, doors, siding, trim, stucco, and stone work.

Updates will be provided to the public as construction continues.

www.lagrangechamber.com

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BUSINESS

SPOTLIGHT

When Do I Need Life Insurance?

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aGrange native and Country Financial insurance agent, Britney Buchanan, is pleased to share the following tips with you.

and have kids, the money from a life insurance death benefit could help your family carry on financially if they no longer had your income. In fact, more than onethird of households say they’d feel the financial impact within one month if the primary income earner passed away.

You’ll likely reach a few milestones when you and your family may think about the value of life insurance coverage. A recent COUNTRY Financial Security Index survey found that 3 in 10 Americans don't have life insurance for themselves or a spouse. While it may not be a priority, meeting with an insurance agent to see how life insurance could protect your loved one is an important part of achieving your financial goals.

We all know life is unpredictable. To protect your family from the unthinkable, consider five life milestones that should prompt you to check in with your insurance agent and ask about life insurance: 1.

Going to college -- Life insurance can help pay for those college loans if something happens to you.

Depending on the type of loan, parents may be responsible for student loans.

2.

Getting married -- Your spouse may need help paying for expenses if something happens to you.

3.

Having a child -- If you’re married

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Buying your first house -- If anyone relies on your income to help pay the mortgage, the money from a life insurance death benefit could help ensure your family stays in their home well after you’re gone.

Becoming an empty-nester -- whole life insurance can provide benefits while you’re still living, such as supplementing retirement income or making a down payment on a

vacation home.

6.

Take the time to reflect - Reflect on the changes you experienced this past year, and what may be down the road.

As you work through life, you may find you need to protect what you value most.

Whether that's your home or car or the loved ones in your life, Britney is available to help you.

“One of the main reasons I opened my insurance agency is to help people protect their family and understand life insurance coverage,” said Britney.

As a Country Financial® Insurance Agent, she is prepared to help you with auto, home, business, farm and life insurance options to protect what and who you love.

Britney can be reached at 706-703-5126 of Britney.Buchanan@countryfinancial. com.

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February 2023

SPOTLIGHT

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Traveling Exhibition Featuring Georgia Artists Comes to LaGrange

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he amazing talent of artists living and working in Georgia will be showcased in an exhibition opening on April 15 at the LaGrange Art Museum (LAM). “Highlighting Contemporary Art in Georgia: Picture This” focuses on 11 painters: Bo Bartlett, Cedric Smith, Cheryl Goldsleger, Dianna Settles, Fahamu Pecou, Holly Coulis, Margaret Morrison, Melissa Huang, Tori Tinsley, Shanequa Gay, and Orion Wertz. Twenty-four works of art will be featured.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens and the Georgia Museum of Art on the University of Georgia campus. Artist Didi Dunphy, program supervisor at the Lyndon House, was the curator and has been a guest speaker at LAM. The exhibition took several years of planning, said Dunphy.

Margaret Morrison, a professor of art and drawing at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, has fabulously detailed still-lifes in the show that will amaze our local viewers, according to Laura Jennings, LAM executive director.

Columbus native and realist painter Bo Bartlett also has works in the exhibition.

He now resides in Columbus and Wheaton Island, Maine. In 2018, the artist and Columbus State University unveiled the Bo Bartlett Center with a mission to bring arts to the community.

From Pecou’s large-scale portraits to Huang’s glitch-inspired paintings that draw inspiration from social media, Gay’s collage-inspired focus on ritual and personal memory, and Wertz’s apocalyptic video-game scenes, “Picture This” presents a varied look at contemporary painting in Georgia.

“Picture This” is the third in a series organized by the Georgia Museum of Art and the Lyndon House Arts Center.

In 2016 there was a show featuring printmaking and then in 2019 works of paper. Each exhibition is made available at minimal cost to interested venues in metropolitan areas big and small across the state, in keeping with the University of Georgia’s statewide public outreach mission.

“The museum is very fortunate to be selected to show this exhibition at a reasonable cost. The public has no idea of the cost involved in bringing an exhibition to LaGrange. Contracts, shipping, insurance, installation, and everything with increased costs,” Jennings said.

The exhibition is making six stops around the state. It opened in the summer of 2022 at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens and then went to the Illges Gallery at Columbus State University. The exhibition is now at the Albany Museum of Art and then moves to LAM. The final two stops are the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon and the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta.

www.lagrangechamber.com

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How to Make the Most of Your Marketing This Year

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t’s easy to get busy with the holidays and end of year activities and neglect to take the time to plan to make the most of marketing for the new year.

Don’t worry, it’s not too late to set yourself up for success for 2023. Invest some time now and you’ll reap the rewards all year long.

Let’s look at how you can make the most of your marketing this year…

Write down a list of campaigns and for each one answer the following questions: What was the goal of this marketing campaign?

Did the campaign meet the goal? If not, why?

How could the campaign be improved?

Review Last Year’s Marketing Effectiveness

Should we continue with the campaign going forward?

It’s important to take some time to reflect on last year and analyze what worked and what didn’t. What were your most successful marketing channels and campaigns for 2022? How can you expand and improve on those this year, while cutting campaigns and channels that were not effective?

Set a Clear Strategy

Even if you didn’t have a written marketing plan last year, you can still brainstorm the types of marketing you did and whether they were effective at generating leads, sales, or brand 18

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One of the biggest mistakes I see small businesses make with their marketing strategy is they just don’t have one. They just do whatever pops in their head at the moment, or whatever an ad salesman convinces them might bring in some new customers. Without a clear strategy, it’s easy to get “shiny ball syndrome” and hop from one initiative to the next, but it’s impossible to do everything and do it all well.

What is the goal of your marketing?

To increase sales? To improve brand recognition? Each marketing campaign may have a slightly different goal, but they should all have a clear objective and shouldn’t just be generic ads. Brainstorm who your ideal customers are and create buyer personas of 3-5 target customers, and develop a marketing plan to reach them.

Understanding your ideal customer will help you focus your marketing to the channels and mediums that will be most effective. Create your ads with your ideal customer in mind… what problems do they have that your product or service solves? What pain points does your company alleviate? How can you make their lives easier or better?

Simplify Your Objectives There are a lot of ways you can market your business… print media, billboard, TV and radio, free and paid social media, search engine advertising, in-person events, and more. It’s really tempting

M to want to try a little bit of everything to see what works, but by spreading your marketing out over half a dozen channels, you aren’t able to focus and optimize your campaigns for effective results.

It’s better to focus on the one or two channels that can generate the most impact for your business, and spend 80% of your time on those. As your company grows and you have internal resources to handle more, you can add additional channels to your marketing strategy.

That doesn’t mean you can’t post to Facebook if your two key channels are search engine advertising and print marketing, but you shouldn’t be spending a substantial amount of time on Facebook ads if search engines drive the majority of your new customer acquisition.

Create a Marketing Calendar Consistency is key in marketing and what gets planned gets done. Create a

marketing calendar and plan out your campaigns, social media posts, and customer communications ahead of time.

You can use something as simple as Google Calendar or a task management system like Asana or Trello, but whatever you use, be sure to review it regularly to make sure campaigns are moving forward on time.

Measure Performance John Wanamaker famously said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.”

If you don’t measure your marketing performance, how do you know what works and what doesn’t? Fortunately, there are ways to measure just about any type of marketing campaign.

From tracking phone numbers to links that redirect to landing pages and automatically tag an ad source, you can track just about every type of advertising these days.

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Set KPIs (key performance indicators) and make sure your analytics software is measuring the right metrics to be able to track the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Whether your key metrics are customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend, average order value, or annual churn, you should track your key metrics in a dashboard and review them frequently and adjust your marketing campaigns and strategies accordingly throughout the year.

Make It a Great Year If you haven’t already spent a little time working on and planning your marketing for the new year, it’s not too late. And if you need assistance with creating a marketing strategy or with ongoing advertising, there are several Chamber members that can help.

See a full list Chamber businesses in advertising and marketing in our Business Directory at lagrangechamber.com

www.lagrangechamber.com

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FIND THE RIGHT PHYSICIAN FOR YOU. We have all the care you need.

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MOVERS, SHAKERS, RISK-TAKERS

MOVERS, SHAKERS, RISK-TAKERS Hills & Dales hires new Horticulture and Garden Manager

Troup County Schools Welcomes Dr. April Armstead

The dawning of a new year brings with it the next chapter in the story of Ferrell Gardens. We’d like to introduce our new Horticulture and Garden Manager, JoHannah Biang! JoHannah’s extensive horticulture experience, ranging from ornamentals, to vegetables, to fruits, medicinal herbs, and even mushroom cultivation, makes her a great fit. Most recently, JoHannah served as farm manager at the UGArden, the University of Georgia's student community farm where they teach students how to grow their own food using organic practices. She also worked in a plant propagation lab and in the Trial Gardens at UGA where she loved seeing all the newest annuals and perennials, growing them out in the greenhouse, and then later planting and evaluating them for our climate in the Southeast. Additionally, JoHannah completed a horticulture internship at Callaway Gardens where she worked on the trails, in the Sibley and butterfly center, the vegetable garden, and even propagating native azaleas. Now that she has joined Hills & Dales Estate, she is most looking forward to engaging and connecting people of all ages and backgrounds with the estate. She’s excited to join a devoted and talented horticulture team and looks forward to reconnecting with ornamentals and slipping vegetables into any available areas. Please join us in welcoming JoHannah, as she ushers in the newest season at Hills & Dales Estate!

Troup County Schools has welcomed the expertise and experience of Dr. April Armstead as a Director of Youth Apprenticeship in conjunction with the Work Based Learning programs provided by Troup County Schools. Dr. Armstead has proven a great liaison between Chamber Industry partners and promoting student success.

Dr. Armstead brings with her over 25 years of experience in higher education and project management. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from West Georgia College, a Master of Arts with a concentration in Education from Jacksonville State University and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama.

Dr. Armstead, working closely with THINC CEO Gerald Wyatt, Troup County Career Center Principal Jeff Little, WBL Coordinators Courney Freels and Darrell Battles, has proven to be a leader within the programs offered to the students of Troup County Schools.

Mr. Battles states, “Since she joined our team- she has opened multiple opportunities for our students and created dynamic relationships for the workforce futures of Troup County.”

Known for her optimism and drive, Dr. Armstead is a community treasure.

Do you know a Mover,Shaker, or Risk Taker?

Tell us their story!

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MOVERS, SHAKERS, RISK-TAKERS

Dodson Hired as New Head Coach for LaGrange College Football Wesley Dodson was named as the new head coach of the LaGrange College football program on Sunday. Now serving as defensive coordinator at Hampden-Sydney College, Dodson is expected to join LaGrange later this week.

“From a very deep and qualified applicant pool of more than 150 candidates, Wes rose to the top,” said college President Susanna Baxter. “We are confident he will fulfill our vision for an excellent DIII football program committed to our studentathletes and their academic and athletic success.”

Dodson has worked at Hampden-Sydney since 2007, first as an assistant coach and then as defensive coordinator since 2008. He also spent two years as an assistant coach at the College of William and Mary.

“Wes is a perfect fit for our program,” said Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Terlynn Olds. “He connected with current team members and our staff immediately.

“He has deep knowledge of all phases of the game and experience working with both on-campus constituents and the wider community. And his recruiting ties within the state will allow him to hit the ground running.”

For his part, Dodson is ready to get to work.

“My family and I are extremely excited to join the LaGrange College family, Panther Athletics and the LaGrange community,” he said. “I want to thank President Baxter and Vice President Terlynn Olds for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to lead the Panther Football program. It is their vision for LaGrange College and Panther Football that excites me about this opportunity.

“We are going to build this program on the foundation of family, professionalism and citizenship. There will be an emphasis on academics with the purpose of obtaining a meaningful degree, as well as personal development. We are going to build and mold great men that the college and community will be proud of—with the ultimate goal of being a championship football program that is committed to excellence in everything we do.

“I am eager to meet the team and get started building a program together that will excite LaGrange College, the alumni and the community of LaGrange.”

Dodson earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Western Michigan University where he played both quarterback and free safety and was a four-year letter winner.

He and his wife, Teresa, have three children and two grandchildren.

Panther football is one of 16 sports teams at LaGrange College.

Georgia’s oldest private institution of higher learning, LaGrange College has been ranked as a top-ten school and “best value” among 99 Southern regional colleges by U.S. News & World Report. A four-year liberal arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church, LaGrange offers more than 50 areas of study with an emphasis on global engagement and service.

(803) 973-9776 www.lagrangechamber.com

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Financial Focus: Smart moves for investors after a down 2022 Many investors were glad to see the end of 2022. But what’s ahead this year? And what moves can you make in response to last year’s results?

steps that make sense in all investment environments. Here are a few to consider:

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Focus on the long term. It can be disconcerting to look at investment statements containing negative results, as was the case for many people throughout 2022. But it’s important to view a single year’s outcome in the larger context — and historically, the stock market has had many more positive years than negative ones, though, of course, past performance is not a guarantee of what will happen in the future. In any case, it’s generally not a good idea to overreact to short-term downturns and make moves that could work against your long-term strategy.

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Keep adequate cash in your portfolio.

The value of your investments may have gone down in 2022 — but you didn’t really sustain any actual losses unless you sold those investments for less than what you paid for them. To avoid having to sell investments to supplement your income or to pay for unforeseen costs, such as a major home or car repair, try to build the “cash” portion of your portfolio, so it covers a few months’ worth of living expenses. When you’re retired, and it becomes even more imperative to

To begin with, here’s what happened: 2022 was the worst year for the financial markets since 2008, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping nearly 9%, the S&P 500 losing more than 19% and the technology-heavy Nasdaq falling 33%. Several factors contributed to these results, including the moves by the Federal Reserve to aggressively hike interest rates to combat inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war, recession fears and increased concern over COVID-19 cases in China.

However, 2023 may be different. Many experts believe that inflation may moderate considerably, especially during the second half of the year. If that happens, the Fed may well pause its interest rate hikes and perhaps even consider cutting rates — a move that is often positive for the financial markets.

Also, if a recession emerges, but it’s relatively short and mild, as expected, the rebounding economy may be favorable for the investment outlook.

Regardless of what transpires this year, though, you can help move toward your financial goals by following some basic 24

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avoid selling investments when their price is down, you may need an even bigger pool of available cash.

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Look for opportunities. Although 2022 was certainly a down year for the financial markets, some developments have presented new opportunities for investors. For one thing, the contribution limits have increased for IRAs, 401(k)s, and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), all of which are pegged to inflation.

Also, with interest rates considerably higher than they were a year ago, fixed-income investments may offer more income and provide added stability in portfolios during times of economic weakness.

When you’ve been investing for a long time, you will experience down years in the market, such as the one in 2022.

These years are an inevitable part of the investment process. But since you can’t control what happens in the financial markets, you need to concentrate on what you can control — and that may be a lot more than you think.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

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DIVERSITY/EQUITY/INCLUSION

DE&I in the Workplace Nicole Snow, founder of Darn Good Yarn – a successful international yarn and clothing company – once said, “A small business is an amazing way to serve and leave an impact on the world you live in.” That statement couldn’t be truer.

Accounting for approximately half of the country’s GDP1 and 65% of all new jobs1, small businesses significantly impact the success of our nation.

The legacy of small businesses is evidence that the American Dream is possible. From the early 1600s when the first small businesses were founded, entrepreneurship has sustained the American economy. In the 400 years since, entrepreneurs have evolved to weather social, economic, political, and cultural change. A crucial piece of this evolution is the continued embrace of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Small business owners themselves represent diversity: * Nearly 30% identify as racial minority * 18% of small business owners who employ others are immigrants * 63% of small business owners are

over the age of 40 * ~ 49% are women * 4% have a disability * 6.1% are Veterans * 909 businesses are certified as LGBTQ owned by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce It is widely known that organizations benefit from diversity in profitability, productivity, reputation, employee engagement, and retention. However, small business owners may not know how to integrate DE&I initiatives into their organizations successfully. Entrepreneurs can support DEI in their organizations by deploying a few simple but meaningful actions: * Incorporate DEI into business strategy (e.g., values, employee training, pay equity, recruitment, and employee engagement) * Post open positions publicly and in locations/job search engines with broad audiences to generate a diverse candidate pool * Ensure HR policies and policy enforcement are equitable, inclusive,

*For a list of sources contact the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce.

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and consistently applied * Foster a tolerant work environment where employees can be their authentic selves and be respected for their contributions and unique perspectives * Maintain open lines of communication with employees to give and receive feedback These points are just a few examples of how small businesses can support DEI in their organizations. For more information, small business owners can visit: * US Small Business Administration website: www.advocacy.sba.com * US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website: www.eeoc.gov * US Department of Labor website: www.dol.gov * Ga Department of Labor: www.dol.georgia.gov For additional resources, local small businesses can contact: * LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce: www.lagrangechamber.com * Racial Trust Building: www.racialtrustbuilding.org

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What We Have Lost On a recent ghost tour conducted on a warm Fall night, an out of town guest remarked that LaGrange must have great historic preservation ordinances in town, because so much of the built environment remains. However, the truth of the matter is quite a bit more complicated. It is never possible to save everything, and even if it was possible, progress would be impeded, leaving our cities and towns cluttered with crumbling and useless structures.

However, demolishing well-built and beautiful structures, only to replace them with barren parking lots, or shoddilyconstructed mediocrity only subtracts from a city’s façade, both literally and figuratively.

Progress must be allowed while being sensitive to history and a locale’s sense of place.

Downtown LaGrange has lost a number of beautiful structures, some through disastrous fires, others through neglect, and still others to progress. This is a look back at some of what we have lost.

Truitt Opera House For more than a century, a large, three-story building dominated the southeast corner of the Square. Like its former neighbor, the Park Hotel, across the street, Sterling Hall was built sometime before the Civil War, though we do not know exactly due to a lack of surviving newspapers. For nearly a century, this building, originally called Sterling Hall, was a landmark in the community. Out of the first two stories operated businesses and retail establishments, while many prominent local attorneys, medical professionals, and

businessmen had offices in the building and the third floor attracted nationally known performers to the opera house space.

The third floor theater not only attracted leading lights of the entertainment world, but hosted concerts, balls, speeches, and presentations as well. In 1881, Sterling Hall was purchased by James Gates Truitt, who renovated and renamed it the Truitt Opera House. In the early 20th century, the third floor was inexplicably sealed and remained as a time capsule while a number of businesses continued to operate on the floors below. Following the occupation of a Buy-Wise store, the building was torn down in 1989 and replaced by Liberty Park.

Southern Female College/Render Apartments Since its earliest days, LaGrange has been known as an educational center.

For decades, one of the major institutions was Southern Female College, the Baptist counterpart to LaGrange Female College (which would become LaGrange College).

Prior to the Civil War, Southern Female College had a large building between Hill and Greenville Streets, near the location of the Dawson Street School. That structure was destroyed by fire during the Civil War as it was being used as a Confederate hospital.

The school was later rebuilt on the western block of Church Street between Smith and Battle Streets. In 1908, a disastrous fire destroyed most of the college buildings.

Three buildings were rebuilt, but the college never recovered from the financial strain of the fire. The college closed in 1917 and the remaining buildings were turned

A postcard with a “bird’s eye view’ of Hines Street and the Truitt Opera House probably taken around 1906 by Julius Schaub.

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Two of the Southern Female College buildings around 1910. into apartments owned and operated by Eula Render, a former college instructor.

On a cold December night in 1949, fire destroyed one of the buildings. The last remaining apartment building was torn down in 1962 and replaced by a new post office building.

Railroad Depots The first train chugged its way into LaGrange in the mid-1850s. The railroad helped shape the history and development of the city. By the early 20th century, there were three railroads converging on town, each one with its own depot for passengers and cargo. It was certainly an unusual sight, especially in a small town, to have three depots all lined up.

The first of the depots to go was the Atlanta, Birmingham, & Atlantic Railroad Depot that was torn down in the 1920s, though the other two depots remained until the early 1990s. Around that time, CSX, which owned and operated the rail lines through downtown, deemed the old

The last remaining Southern Female College building when it served as the Render Apartment Building.

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The last remaining Southern Female College building when it served as the Render Apartment Building.

The Schaub Studio at 110 Church Street around 1900. depots to be too close to the tracks. With an eye towards public safety, the two depots were demolished in 1993, to the consternation of many local citizens who wished to preserve these buildings.

Schaub Studio A small, wood frame building once stood at 110 Church Street that was, for many years, the oldest commercial building in downtown. The exact date of construction is unknown, but it is estimated that it was built as a general store sometime between 1830 and 1850. After the Civil War, the building was converted for use as a photographic studio and used by photographer J. M. Thomlinson. The building had a large skylight at the back of the building to provide sufficient light for photography. Eventually, Julius Lindsay Schaub took over the studio as one of the leading photographers in town. The building served a variety of uses after Schaub’s death before it was torn down in 1993 to create more parking for the First Baptist Church.

A postcard showing the three railroad depots around the turn of the 20th century. Left to right are the Macon and Birmingham Depot, the Atlanta and West Point Depot and the Birmingham, Atlanta, and Atlantic Depot.

Calumet Mill Before the Civil War, Godfred Kener, a German immigrant, opened a steam-saw mill and warehouse on the southeast corner of Morgan and Hines Streets where he An unknown worker oversees the demolition of the A. & W. P. Depot manufactured furniture and coffins. Following his death in 1993. in 1879, his mill was converted into the LaGrange Cotton Seed Oil Mill, which later became a cotton manufacturer with the shorter name, LaGrange Mills. As the first textile mill within the city limits, it proved to enterprising young local businessmen that there was money to be made in the textile industry.

The mill saw a number of additions over the years and was eventually bought as part of the Callaway Mills Company. When Millikin acquired the Callaway Mills, the LaGrange Mills (now called Calumet) was a part of the sale. The Calumet Mill closed in 1982 and sat empty until its demolition in 1986. The mill site is now occupied by St. Peter’s Catholic Church.

The Calumet Mill in the early 20th century. www.lagrangechamber.com

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C H A M B E R

E V E N T S

Join us in celebrating our members!

Ribbon Cuttings, Anniversary Celebrations and Grand Openings

Creative Legacy Group 119 Ridley Avenue, Suite 104, LaGrange

Kemi & Co 1028 Hogansville Road, LaGrange

LaGrange Housing Authority & West Georgia Star Revis Street, LaGrange

Truitt Vanderbilt Club 304 Broad Street, LaGrange

Signature Property Group - The Purple Haired Realtor 101 New Franklin Rd, Suite D, LaGrange

Hustle & Flow 1304 Hogansville Rd, Suite E, LaGrange

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C H A M B E R

E V E N T S

The Estate at Elegant Occasions 602 E Main Street, Hogansville

Spherion Staffing 11 N Lafayette Square, LaGrange

Beautdee Organizational Services Operates Remotely

8's Cigar Lounge 408 Daniel Street, LaGrange

Features PMU Studio Operates Remotely

Country Financial - Britney Buchanan 2170 W. Point Road, Suite 19, LaGrange

www.lagrangechamber.com

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C H A M B E R

E V E N T S

EARLY BIRD BREAKFAST NOVEMBER

In November, we heard about the “New Georgia Economy” from Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and celebrated Mayor Jim Thornton’s many years of service to LaGrange as he transitioned into a new role. Special thanks to our presenting sponsor Jackson Services, our Gold Sponsor, Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services, Inc., and our Registration Sponsor, The Salvation Army.

EGGS & ISSUES

Our President and Members of our Board of Directors went to the Georgia Chamber’s annual Eggs & Issues Breakfast to hear from Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Elect Burt Jones, and Speaker of the House Elect Jon Burns as the State’s legislative session began.

CHAMBER PARTNERSHIPS

In partnership with the Southeast United States Korean Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber held The Next Generation Workforce Development Forum. Two speakers and panels discussed the differences between Korean and American culture and work styles, workforce retention, and the ever-changing landscape of the HR function.

CHAIRMAN'S GALA Chamber Staff celebrating the inaugural Chairman's Gala on January 13th.

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CHRISTMAS PARADE Chamber staff honoring Warren Adams for 30 years of directing the LaGrange Christmas Parade.

C H A M B E R

E V E N T S

2022 LaGrange Christmas Parade Float Winners

Kia of LaGrange 1st Place First-Time Entry

Realtor John Paul 2nd Place First-Time Entry

Feeding the Valley Food Bank 1st Place Civic Division

Chatty of LaGrange 2nd Place Civic Division

Grayhill Church of God 1st Place Church Division

New Life Deliverance Church 2nd Place Church Division

Striffler-Hamby Mortuary 1st Place Small Business Division

Royal Academy of Dance 2nd Place Small Business Division

Callaway Elementary School 1st Place School Division

Great Wolf Lodge 1st Place Industry Division

Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center 2nd Place Industry Divison

West Georgia Technical College Directors Award

Not pictured: 2nd Place School Division: GreenpowerTroup in partnership with Diverse Power

www.lagrangechamber.com

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C H A M B E R

E V E N T S

2022 Chairman of the Board, Jamey Jackson, passing the torch to 2023 Chairman Brandon Eley.

Small Business of the Year Tara's Personal Chef & Catering Services

Small Business of the Year Building Blocks Behavioral Center

Large Business of the Year Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center 34

February 2023

Small Business of the Year UrgenCare Clinic

Manufacturer of the Year Interface

C H A M B E R

E V E N T S

Nonprofit of the Year Harmony House Domestic Violence Shelter

Nonprofit of the Year Feeding the Valley Food Bank

Young Professional of the Year Brandon Adams

Ida Tarver Jones Volunteer of the Year Daniela Bailey

Otto Korth Diplomat of the Year Jennifer Emery

Tom Hall Innovation Award Meg Kelsey

Jane Fryer Community Impact Award Chalton Askew *Accepted by Troup County Commission Chair Patrick Crews.

Commissioner Richard English Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award Greg Hall*

Chairman's Award Mike Gilmartin www.lagrangechamber.com

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C H A M B E R

E V E N T S

Welcome New Members

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A Piece of Heaven Income Tax

Continental

Practice Swing Indoor Golf Center

& Travel Agency

Creative Legacy Group

Purge Nation

Acom Integrated Solutions

Crossroads Treatment Center

Ram Environmental Services

Adient, LLC

CWG/TalkinTables

Scoops LaGrange

Amanda Eiland Hair

Edward Jones, Lafayette Parkway

Sejong Georgia

Angel Care Living Assistance Services

Ekkebus Family Foundation, Inc.

Sheer Elegance Event Center

Aslan USA, LLC

Feller Holdings Inc.

Signature Property Group -

Atlanta Injury Law Group

Givorns Foods

Purple Haired Realtor

Auto Gallery Chevrolet Buick GMC

H&H Solutions LaGrange, LLC

SIP Cafe and Wine Room

Baby Heart 2 Heart

Highland Pines Resort and Marina

SiteCare, LLC

Baker Wealth Group, LLC

Hustle & Flow All N 1 Services

SMC Corporation America

Bare Aesthetics & Wellness

Jenna Calleen Photography

Southern Harbor Resort & Marina

Beacon Landscaping, LLC

John's Trucking, LLC

Spherion Staffing of Lagrange

Beautdee Organizational Services

Joy Inside Tears

Strickland Tax and Accounting

Bellevue/LaGrange Woman's Club

Kemi and Co. Tax Agency

The Center for Mindful Exploration

Bret Bryant - New York Life and

LEAD Advisors

The Estate at Elegant Occasions

NYLIFE Securities

Legacy Ventures

Theresa Fairchild, LLC

Bubble Lee Balloon Art

Liberty Communities

Tiffany Pressley, Allstate Insurance

c3Counseling, LLC

Lily Hill Farm

Towne Fitness Club

Cafe Bruleé & Dessert Bar

Lueder, Larkin & Hunter, LLC

TRC Staffing

Calumet Park Neighborhood

Making Memories Vinyl & Creations

Trident Truck Rental, LLC

Association Inc.

MCD Land Management LLC

Truitt Vanderbilt Club, LLC

Champions Training Academy

Michelle, RN, LLC

Turkey Creek Tents and Events

Chatmans Media, LLC

Mickena Kendricks Agency

Turnkey Corrections

Coach Earl Chambers, LLC

MJR Solutions

Twin Mills Winery, LLC

Coleman Worldwide Moving /

Modern Woodmen of America

Vann Co. Construction LLC

Allied Van Lines

NAOS On-Site Staffing

Veterans Roofing Company

Combat Zone

Onin Staffing

West Georgia Oral & Facial Surgery

February 2023

PR

AC T In d o

I I C E S Wor

N

G G R ol f CENTE

We’re OBSESSED with creating PROFITABLE online EXPERIENCES

E-Commerce Consulting

Online Marketing

Website Development

Full Service Solutions from Strategy to Implementation EleyDigital is a small team of specialists

Visit www.eleydigital.com

in online marketing, e-commerce, and

connect@eleydigital.com

web design & development with more than 20 years of experience.

or call 706.407.1047 to schedule a consultation

www.lagrangechamber.com

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S M A L L

B U S I N E S S

Small Business Success with SBDC

W

hen customers ask Diane and Ed Taylor about the pain-relieving properties of turmeric, they tell them about Bo and Tarra.

The two Asian elephants, who live on the 850-acre Elephant Refuge of North America (ERNA) in southern Georgia, no longer suffer from arthritis since they began taking a turmeric supplement grown and sold by the Taylors.

“Since Bo and Tarra have been on their turmeric, they have displayed no signs of stiffness or joint pain,” Carol Buckley of ERNA said. “What a blessing to have this premium grade organic turmeric grown right here in South Georgia.”

The Taylors have been growing the golden rhizome—known for its properties as a powerful anti-inflammatory—for almost 10 years.

Both Taylors come from farming backgrounds, but it wasn’t until Diane experienced a traumatic brain injury that she began to grow medicinal herbs.

Diane experimented with plants such as aloe vera and scoured medical journals for information on how she could lessen her use of pharmaceuticals and improve her health outcomes.

In 2015, Diane discovered turmeric at her local market and wondered if it would grow well in South Georgia. Before she knew it, Ed had planted 1,000 turmeric

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February 2023

plants in their home garden.

As the plants were growing, Diane would go outside to weed. She would pull out some of the root, wash it off and chew it. After a few months, she noticed that some of the aches and pains she had been experiencing were gone.

By studying the biochemistry of turmeric, Diane found that it has a strong antiinflammatory effect. She and Ed started growing even more turmeric, as in South Georgia the winters are mild enough grow the plant year-round.

Ed, an engineer by trade, started building a website. Their business, the American Turmeric Company, was officially founded in 2018. While they produce turmeric oils, powders and purees, the largest amount of turmeric that they sell by volume is to dog food companies.

As they established the business, they focused on building strong personal and professional connections in Georgia.

Andrea Collins, executive director of the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce, recommended them to the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

“We knew that part of our success was going to come out of making the right connections,” Ed said.

Working with faculty members Alyssa Foskey and Walt Moore with the UGA SBDC at Valdosta State University, the

Taylors learned about a USDA Value Added Product Grant, a two-year award that allows producers to be reimbursed 50 cents for every dollar spent.

With help from a grant-writing team recommended by the SBDC, the Taylor’s were selected for a $250,000 grant.

“The people that we worked with were so amazing,” Diane said. “They put us through the process step-by-step and allowed us to understand what we needed to do with the application.

Without their help, we couldn’t have done it.”

The Taylors have also worked with Dimitris Kloussiadis at the SBDC International Trade Center to identify countries that produce high-quality turmeric. Kloussiadis helped them import turmeric powder from small, organic farms.

“For us, the SBDC has been a great resource,” Ed said. “It’s given us a place where we can reach out to make contacts that we otherwise would have no way to make. Food PIC is a good example of them opening a door for us.”

Diane hopes to work with the FoodPIC to process products to ship to premium grocery stores.

“Our goal is to get turmeric into the hands of more people,” she said.

For an SBDC consultation contact Todd Carlisle at tcarlisle@georgiasbdc.org.

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Vote YES for SPLOST

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t’s that time again! Troup County SPLOST will be on the ballot this March, and the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce encourages you to vote YES and to help spread the word by sharing on Facebook or putting a sign in your yard.

In addition to large projects, SPLOST funds are also used for more mundane (but expensive) projects like road repairs and repaving, building maintenance, purchasing fire trucks and rapid response vehicles, and updating technology in our government facilities.

What is SPLOST?

What is in the SPLOST VI?

A SPLOST is a Special Local Option Sales Tax of 1% that by law has to be used for capital projects like infrastructure improvements, new construction, government vehicles, public parks and more. The current SPLOST up for a vote is for Troup County and city governments. It comes up for a vote every six years.

SPLOST VI has a lot of continuation projects including new phases at Oakfuskee and The Thread, as well as new and updated city parks, roads and bridges improvements, gateway corridor enhancements, Griggs Center improvements, a Rosemont Community Center, a community outdoor family pool and so much more. This SPLOST is more about expanding and improving existing infrastructure to make sure our roads, utilities, and other infrastructure are ready for the growth coming to our area over the next 5-10 years.

Vote YES for SPLOST

Without SPLOST, these funds would have to be raised through additional property

Election day is March 21

What are the benefits of a SPLOST? SPLOSTs can help keep property taxes lower by providing funds for vital infrastructure projects. There are only a few ways local governments can raise funds, and the primary way our county raises money is through a property tax.

SPLOST provides another way to raise funds that brings in as much as 50% of funds from people that live outside our county.

It is also a fairer tax system because everyone pays it, not just property owners.

taxes and 100% of the costs would be shouldered by Troup County residents.

As tourism continues to grow in our area with West Point Lake, our fantastic sports complexes, drawing tournaments, and Great Wolf Lodge bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to our area annually, SPLOST is the best way to fund key infrastructure projects going forward.

Please vote YES for SPLOST VI and help us spread the word by liking the Facebook page and by putting a sign in your yard. If you have any questions about SPLOST projects, we encourage you to come to an open house event - we have several planned over the next few weeks.

Visit Facebook.com/TroupCountySPLOST to like our page or learn more about SPLOST. Early voting is Feb 27-March 17

What are some past projects?

SPLOST has been critical in expanding and maintaining crucial infrastructure in Troup County and in making large projects possible that would otherwise not have been funded. Some past projects include the Troup County Government Center, Mike Daniel Recreation Center, Sweetland Amphitheatre, The Thread, Oakfuskee, the Troup County Agricultural Center, the William J Griggs Recreation Center, the Harris Baseball Complex and the McCluskeyTennis Complex, and the creation or renovation of public parks all over the county. www.lagrangechamber.com

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H

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Well Starts with Healthy Hearts

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ell Starts with Healthy Hearts

It’s impossible to count all the ways your heart supports you in a single day. Whether it’s checking out a new trail, gardening or simply playing with your kids, every beat of your heart helps you do all the activities you enjoy most.

That’s why it’s so vital to take care of your cardiac health — and doing so is easier than you might think. According to Wellstar medical experts, consistency is the key.

“To keep your heart in top shape, make gradual changes sustained over a lifetime,” said Dr. Vivek Nautiyal, Wellstar medical director of preventative cardiology. “Investing in your heart health can be as simple as going for a walk after work, trying a healthy recipe or scheduling that wellness exam you may have been delaying.”

Remember to start small — by just taking a few simple steps, you can keep your heart going strong.

Detect heart disease at the start Getting a heart screening is a great way to care for your cardiac health. Wellstar's Know Your Heart screening program helps catch potential heart problems early, so you can live life to the fullest.

Through this testing, you can learn your risk of heart disease and other serious conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

After the screening, you will receive an individualized health report with all the latest stats about your heart. Our team will go over the results with you one-on-one and recommend lifestyle modifications to help you be the healthiest you.

Your physician will check the Foundational 4 numbers that are the cornerstone of general wellness and heart health, including: • Body mass index (BMI) • Blood pressure • Blood glucose (sugar) • Blood cholesterol “Your provider can help create a personalized plan to keep your heart healthy, which may include diet, exercise or other lifestyle modifications,” Dr. Nautiyal shared. “If you need expert cardiovascular care, they can also refer you to a heart specialist right away.”

When it comes to staying ahead of potential health issues, Dr. Nautiyal also shared the importance of being aware of your family history and cardiovascular stats.

Along with monitoring your overall wellbeing, your primary care physician can help catch potential heart problems early.

“Be sure to know your cholesterol numbers and seek a preventative cardiology consultation if you have a family history of premature heart attacks, coronary disease or stroke — especially at an age below 55 years old,” Dr. Nautiyal said.

“At your annual wellness exam, your

Expert cardiac care is available right

Protecting your heart takes a team

40

provider can assess your risk of certain heart conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure,” Dr. Nautiyal explained.

February 2023

here in Troup County, at the Robert B. Copeland Center for Cardiovascular Care, located at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center. When you’re faced with a heart care concern, the center offers services from diagnosis, through treatment, to recovery. Board-certified physicians utilize state-of-the-art facilities and advanced technology to offer tailored treatments, helping you feel confident on your journey to wellness. The team has undergone rigorous training and evaluation, as evidenced by national and state recognitions and accreditations, including: • Advanced certification as a Joint Commission Primary Heart Attack Center • Emergency Cardiac Care Center Level II by the Georgia Department of Public Health — This is the highest level that can be achieved without offering open-heart surgery, which is available through partner hospitals in our cardiovascular network • Mission: Lifeline® - STEMI Receiving Center - GOLD Award by the American Heart Association • Mission: Lifeline® - NSTEMI BRONZE Award by the American Heart Association Schedule your heart screening today.

Call Wellstar West Georgia Cardiovascular Medicine at (706) 242-5100 or visit wellstar.org/westga for more information.

Get there with Synovus.

888-SYNOVUS synovus.com Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.

lc, creative Lauren Clark Interior Decorator laurenclarkcreative.com @lclarkcreative

NEW!

Shop @palette.lg

LSYO side-by-side Rueff: Concertino for Alto Sax The Thrill of the Orchestra: Star Wars and other selections!

• ED U C AT I O N •

Carol Cain, Narration

Lindsey Welp, Alto Sax

MARCH 21 7:30 PM

tuesday

twoteachers.org

callaway auditorium

Two great spring 2023 concerts coming up!

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Boulanger: D’un matin de printemps 2023 LSO Young Artists Competition winner Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 The Organ Symphony

APRIL 25 7:30 PM callaway auditorium

tuesday

lagrangesymphony.org

CNA Training & More!

(706) 756-2164

Don Papenbrock, Organ and the 2023 first place winner of the LSO’s Young Artists Competition for strings www.lagrangechamber.com

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YOUNG

PROFESSIONALS

2022 Young Professional of the Year Brandon Adams Vice President of Operations

Airforce Heating & Air What has enticed you to be more than I realized early on that if I wanted to seriously take advantage of my membership then I was going to have to get boots on the ground. I knew I needed to get out and meet people and network. There is no one better to market my business and educate on my industry than me and I needed to get in front of other people to make that happen. The chamber was the best facilitator to allow me the opportunity to successfully and consistently market my brand in the area. I believe in the mission of the chamber and have been witness time and time again to its reach and return on investment both from my own personal experience and the testimony of other involved members. The more I participated and the more I grew with my membership, the next logical steps were to advance my participation by way of becoming a diplomat, committee leader for young professionals and now a board member. I truly believe that the Chamber is the central hub for business diversity and it takes a variety of leadership to keep the mission advancing forward.

Advice for a new Chamber member?

As mentioned above, my best advice is to be as present as you are possibly able to be. The chamber gets us all in the same room together, but you as the business leader need to nurture the relationships you develop during those encounters. Thinking the chamber is an dynamic lead source that just constantly churns business your way while you sit idly is not a realistic way to approach your membership. Be engaged and get involved.

As the YP of the Year, what does the YP group hope to accomplish in 2023?

Goals- Increase participation while continuing to support the mission of the chamber and advancing ourselves professionally in the community Events- Increase the frequency in which we gather together to network and support one another Improvements- Marketing and building anticipation and momentum around YP events and opportunities

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February 2023

CAREER FAIR 2023

Hosted At:

February 25, 2023 1 College Circle, LaGrange, GA

9am - 12pm

www.troup.org

JOB POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Scan to register

Certified: Teachers/Support Staff Classified: Paraprofessionals, Secretaries, Nutrition, Transportation, Maintenance, Technology, Environmental Services

For more information contact: hrdepartment@troup.org

www.lagrangechamber.com

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MOHAMMED QURESHI, D.O.

GETTING YOU BACK IN THE GAME

Your bones, joints, and spine are at the core of every movement.

Any injury to these areas can aaect your rountine and active lifestyle. We are here to help you develop strategies for getting back on your feet and moving.

the care you expect. the professionals you know. a name you trust.

1805 VERNON rOAD, LaGrange, GA 706.884.2691 www.SOUTHERNORTHOPEDICS.org facebook.com/emoryatlagrange

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February 2023