Horizons August 2014

HorizonsA publication of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

August 2014

Prestige Members

Northside Hospital-Forsyth Premier Corporate Sponsor

Taubman

Forsyth County Government

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Inspiring Smiles

Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry

Kaiser Permanente

jTech NetworksThe City of Cumming

Georgia PowerDeKalb Office

Smithfield Farmland

Michael Williams

Lou Sobh Honda

A Fresh Look With The Title Sponsor

When is the 2014 Business Expo?

1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at the Forsyth Conference Center.

What attracted Forsyth County News to the Title Sponsorship of the Business Expo?

As the new guy, I’ve heard quite a bit about the Business Expo, and my staff raves about the way it’s grown over the years, so it’s a partnership I’m excited to continue. We at the Forsyth County News are already integrated with many of the businesses in the county that make this area great, and this a perfect opportunity to showcase some of the new, exciting things that are happening at the FCN. We’re

grateful to be working with the Chamber of Commerce on this annual event.

How many years has Forsyth

County News sponsored the Business Expo?

10 years, or so I’m told!

How has the Expo evolved during FCN’s involvement?

I’ve heard about the incredible growth of the Expo over the past decade, and it sounds like it’s right in line with this community and what it represents. This fast-growing, business-oriented community is a large part of the reason I decided to come to the FCN, and I’m excited to see my first Business Expo.

With all the innovation in media today, what can attendees expect at this year’s Expo?

It’s going to be fun. As our community evolves, the

Forsyth County News is committed to evolve with it as the county’s leader in media. In addition to our exclusive print products that we’ve produced for more than a century, we’ve recently upgraded our website, mobile site and social media pages. Plus, we’ve added a new video studio, Studio Forsyth. We may put a few of our new tricks on display at this year’s Expo. Stay tuned.

Vince Johnson, Publisher, Forsyth County News

2 HORIZONS August 2014

Member Spotlight

A utomationDirect has made Forsyth County home since its inception in 1994. As a direct seller of industrial automation products for

more than 20 years, AutomationDirect had led the industry in offering many customer services not common for more traditional distributors. They created a print catalog, and later an online store, that provides complete product information and pricing so that customers can make informed decisions on their automation purchases quickly and independently.

AutomationDirect’s standard for products is that they are practical, easy to use, and offer a low cost of ownership. The company works with dozens of national and international suppliers to bring customers the best products at prices typically 50 percent below national chains or manufac tu re r s ’ d i s t r ibu t ion channels. In addition, the company has created an in-house product development group to design cutting-edge software and firmware for certain core products such as programmable logic controllers.

Award-winning services satisfy

customersAutomationDirect maintains a

huge inventory in its Cumming warehouses, shipping 99.7 percent of orders complete the same day. They were among the first to offer free 2-day shipping, available for any order over just $49.

AutomationDirect’s online store is one of the most exhaustive in the industry – all technical documentation can be downloaded free of charge, as well as software and firmware updates. Hundreds of instructional videos are available for viewing without registration.

The company’s phone technical support staff has garnered top awards in service from industry magazine readers 13 years in a row.

With an average of 23 years of experience for a Tech Support person, customer questions are h a n d l e d q u i c k l y a n d completely.

Award-winning culture satisfies

employeesThe company’s success is

dr iven by many fac tors , including a visionary company leader and progressive benefits and culture that have won state

and national accolades. AutomationDirect has been recognized as Metro Atlanta’s Top Midsize Workplace by the Atlanta Journal Constitution in both 2012 and 2014. The Atlanta Journal Constitution, partnered with Workplace Dynamics, evaluates input on specific categories relating to a company’s workplace culture; the survey covers areas such as company direction, workplace conditions, execution, management, career, and pay and benefits.

Also, in 2011, AutomationDirect was recognized as the fourth in the top 25 best small and medium companies to work for in America by SHRM/Great

Places to Work Institute. The company has also won top honors in the

Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Healthiest Employer to Work For” survey multiple times, most recently for 2014.

These awards reflect the ongoing efforts by the company to retain and encourage professional and personal growth of its employees. Current job openings can be viewed at http://jobs.automationdirect.com .

Automation Direct Serves the North

American Industrial Market from Cumming

HORIZONS August 2014 3

Education

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Lanier Tech Admits First Physical Therapist Asst. Class

S eventeen s tudents have been admitted to the first class of Lanier

Tech’s new Physical Therapist Assistant program, and they are excited. Clara Zarouk says she’s “excited about learning different ways to help people improve their quality of life.” Speaking about the program’s state-of-the-art lab facility, Zarouk’s classmate Jamie Stewart says “I’m excited just being in that room. Seeing all the stuff we’re going to get to work with was awesome. And the clinicals and everything, getting to go out in the field and work with people, I think that will be really fun.”

Zarouk and Stewart should graduate in spring 2016. They can expect a healthy

job market when they do: demand for physical therapist assistants in Lanier Tech’s service area is projected to increase by 66 percent in the coming decade, and median salary for physical therapist assistants in this area is over $42k per year. As Clara Zarouk points out, “Because baby boomers are aging, there’s going to be greater need for PTAs.” Dr. Patty Stancil, director of the program, agrees: “These graduates will fill a real need, and expand the pool of qualified PTAs in the area.”

In addition to job opportunities and competitive salaries, students are attracted by the nature of the work. “I like that you’re not on call,” says Zarouk, “it’s a

family-friendly career.” “And, you have a lot of options for where you want to work,” says Stewart.

Dr. Stancil offers regular information sessions for prospective students in the Lanier Tech PTA program. Prospective students who want to be considered for admission to the fall 2015 class should plan to attend the next scheduled information session on August 5, at 6:30 pm, in building C104 on the Forsyth Campus. Additional information is available at http://www.laniertech.edu/AcademicPrograms/LTCPrograms.aspx?id=100.

Dr. Stancil working in the PTA lab with two PTA students, Clara Zarouk and Jamie Stewart.


In-Depth

By: Saquib Hyat-Kahn

I n n ova t i o n – c r e a t i n g something anew or out of

something which did not exist before – is the true engine of economic growth. This has been true since ancient times,

although only fully recognized in modern times. “New creations” can enable us to raise our productivity. Whether they are fundamental or disruptive, innovations have the power to create jobs, companies and industries. The resulting innovation paradigms can generate economic growth for decades.

Business owners often ask themselves, “Why aren’t we better at innovation?” After all, there is no shortage of sound advice on how to improve: Come up with better ideas. Look outside the company for concepts and partners. E s t a b l i s h d i f f e r e n t f u n d i n g mechanisms. Protect the new and radically different businesses from the old. Fine-tune the execution.

Such strategic counsel, however, is based on the assumption that all organiza t ions face the same obstacles to developing new services, products, or lines of business. In reality, innovation challenges differ as companies vary widely in size and capacity for growth. They are characterized by independence of action, differing operational structures, and varied management styles. Otherwise commonly followed advice can be wasteful, even harmful, if applied to the wrong situations.

Buying into the latest advice about innovation—businesses should focus on generating more ideas—managers s e t u p a s e r i e s o f f o r m a l bra ins torming sess ions . Idea generation isn’t always the problem, however. Some companies have inadequate screening, development

and funding processes: Concepts never flourish, nor die. The brainstorming sessions inadvertently aggravate the innovation process—employees pump ideas without tangible outcome.

Even the strongest analgesic won’t mend a broken bone. Likewise, companies can’t just import the latest innovation fads to cure what’s ailing them. Instead, they need to consider their existing processes for creating innovation, pinpoint their challenges, and develop ways to address them.

To innovate, managers need to view the process of transforming ideas into commercial outputs as an integrated innovation flow. The first of the three phases in the flow is to generate ideas; this can happen inside a business or outside a business. The second phase is to convert selected ideas for funding and developing

them into commercial outputs. The third is to implement the commercial outputs.

The integrated innovation flow offers a customized, systematic approach for assessing your business’ innovation and adopting best practices. The flow-based view enables managers to pinpoint strengths and deficiencies for realizing their business’ true potential.

Saquib Hyat-Khan is Founding Chief Executive of AppliedTechonomics. An incubator and management consulting company, AppliedTechonomics helps pre-startups, startups and existing companies worldwide unleash unique profitable products, services, and bu s i n e s s e s . To l e a r n m o r e , v i s i t w w w.AppliedTechonomics.com.

Integrated Innovation Flow

Integrated Innovation Flow: Viewing innovation as a process instead of focusing on a part allows you to pinpoint strengths and deficiencies.


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Month in Review

Derek Brooks and Family

Matt McClure and Family Bert and Melissa Durand and Family

Chairman’s Cabinet Event

Jerry and Pam Bowman


Month in Review

The SBSC and the WWMB gather to discuss customer service challenges at July’s Lunch & Learn.

Lunch & Learn panelists included (L to R) Perry Tomlinson, Executive in Residence at the University of North Georgia BB&T Center for Ethical Business

Leadership; Lynn Basinger, Vice President of Customer Care and Leadership Development Programs for Sandler Training and Danette Smith, Regional

Coordinator for Economic Development – Region 2 GA Department of Labor

Crowds gather to view the Triple Crown National Fastpitch softball tournament at Fowler Park in Forsyth County.

Local business-owner, Nelish Patel, is interviewed live on CBS Sports at the Triple Crown National tournament.

SBSC & WWMB Lunch and Learn

Triple Crown National Fastpitch Softball Tournament



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Economic Development

Chamber Recruits Retail and Restaurants

HCA

I n December of 2013 the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce conducted a retail

opportunity gap analysis to assess the condition of Forsyth County’s retail market. The report revealed that the community was underserved in several major retail sectors.

In January of 2014 the Chamber of Commerce announced plans to address this issue by growing the commercial segment of Forsyth County’s tax digest from its current level of 20 percent to 25 percent over the next five years. The plan, which is appropriately named “Business First,” specifically calls for the recruitment of new restaurants, hotels and large-scale retail establishments.

Historically, the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce has successfully attracted retailers to Forsyth County and the City of Cumming. Past projects include such establishments as Academy Sports, Carrabba’s, and Value Place Hotel; as well as the expansion of the Hampton Inn on Buford Highway.

Since January of 2014 these successes have continued to occur at an accelerated pace. According to recent reports, the Chamber of Commerce successfully recruited a new Fairfield Marriott to the Collection Shopping Center. The project is expected to generate 15 new jobs and $7 million in new capital investment.

In 2013 the Chamber of Commerce successfully assisted the Lou Sobh team with opening a new Honda dealership within Cumming, Georgia . The organization is currently assisting the Lou Sobh team with bringing a new $10 million Kia dealership to the community as well. The project is forecasted to create approximately 50 new jobs and $10 million in new capital investment.

This year the Chamber also participated in the expansion of Polo Golf & Country Club and Lenny’s Sub Shop. Collectively, Polo Golf & Country Club’s remodeling project and Lenny’s Sub Shop’s expansion into Bald Ridge Marina are projected to generate more than 50 new jobs and approximately $2 million in new

capital investment.According to recent reports from the Chamber of

Commerce, the revitalization of Lakeland Plaza has remained a focal point of their retail recruitment efforts. In 2013 Lakeland Plaza – which is located on the Southwest corner of the intersection of GA highway 20 and GA 400 – experienced the loss of such anchor tenants as Kroger, Blockbuster Video, and SteinMart. In keeping with the Business First retail recruitment strategy, the Chamber partnered with retailers and real estate brokers to fill each of the vacant locations. Blockbuster Video’s former location has been successfully redeveloped into the new home of Panera Bread. Additionally, the former Kroger location will soon become the new home of JoAnn Fabric — the nation’s largest specialty retailer of fabrics and one of the largest specialty retailers of crafts. These expansions have been echoed by a flurry of new retail developments along GA highway 20 – including the remodeling of Arby’s and Wendy’s; and by the opening of Buffalo’s and Texas Road House.

Since January of 2014 the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce has also attracted several major grocers to the community, including Aldi and Costco. As a leader in the grocery retailing industry Aldi operates nearly 1,300 stores in 32 states, primarily from Kansas to the East Coast. Aldi’s newest location on Buford Highway is forecasted to generate 15 new jobs and $2.2 million in new capital investment. Additionally, Costco’s newest location is forecasted to bring 200 new jobs to the community. The new Costco store and gas station will open on Exit 15 of GA 400 in August of 2014.

If you want to suggest a store that you would like to see in our community, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at (770) 887-6461, or recommend a location via Facebook at www.facebook.com/CummingForsythChamber .

T he Healthcare Association of Forsyth County would like to invite all practice managers and

physicians to the August educational Lunch and Learn on “Hidden Secrets to Improve Your Bottom Line.”

Surviving financial pressures can be a challenge in today’s changing health care environment. Learn tips and tricks from industry experts on how to increase revenue and decrease expenses, improving your bottom line.

Join the HCA on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for this educational opportunity. The meeting will take place in the Bennett Room located at Northside Hospital-Forsyth (1200 Northside Forsyth Drive, Cumming GA 30041).

To register please contact the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce at 770-887-6461 or via the web at www.cummingforsythchamber.org.

Health Care Industry

Experts Share Financial Wisdom


TourismWelcome

Michelob Ultra Marathon® Moves to

Forsyth County

Forsyth County Schools

Welcomes Newest

Team Member

A fter a successful five year run in the Brookhaven area of Atlanta, the Michelob Ultra Atlanta 13.1 Marathon® has relocated to Forsyth County.

The event will take place Saturday, October 4, 2014 and is expected to draw 3,500 runners and walkers from the metro area and around the southeast.

The Atlanta Marathon is part of the nationwide Michelob Ultra 13.1 Marathon® series. Started in 2008, the series is unique in that it provides participants with the atmosphere and amenities of a large marquee event while maintaining the convenience and personalized experience of a smaller field. The series currently has stops in Boston, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Dallas.

When asked about the change in location, race director, Bob Fox, spoke enthusiastically about the opportunity to serve the active running and walking community of the north metro area with an event “closer to home.” He is also pleased that the new location offers a venue that is a departure from the typical urban setting, but is still readily accessible to residents and visitors alike.

Individuals, businesses and community organizations looking for more information or for opportunities to get involved with the event are invited to visit www.131atlanta.com or to contact Jayne Nickell in the Atlanta Race Office at [email protected].

F orsyth County Schools (FCS) is excited to introduce the newest member of its Public Information and Communications Office, Hannah Orr. Orr is a native of

Forsyth County and proud graduate of Forsyth Central Highschool. Following graduation from FCHS in 2005, Orr received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from Shorter College in 2009.

Prior to returning to the Forsyth County School System in July 2014, Orr was the Education and Workforce Development Manager at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. She served as the liaison between the business community, public school districts and post-secondary institutions in Cobb. She managed all programs between those entities, including Partners in Education, Give Our Schools a Hand Teacher of the Year celebrations, Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership, Principal for a Day and Teacher for a Day.

In her new role as Communications and Partnerships Facilitator at FCS, Orr will work closely with community partners to plan special events, maintain and grow the Partners in Education program and other district-wide initiatives, and facilitate communication between the district and business community.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to return home to work with the schools and community that mean so much to me. I look forward to working closely with the businesses, community agencies and organizations of Forsyth County to ensure success of our students and our community,” said Orr.

To learn more about the Forsyth County School System, please visit www.forsyth.k12.ga.us.


Thank You toAll of the 2014

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Member News

Cumming Hampton

Inn Standing

Out

Local Author Nominated for

Georgia Author of the Year Award

Stars and Strikes Celebrates New Look with Grand Re-Opening

Lanier Fuller Center for Housing Makes a Family’s “Dream Come True”

R honda Hall and her family were left without a home when a terrible

house fire struck in 2011. Hall and her daughters moved in with her sister in

Dahlonega, forcing Hall to leave her j o b . I n a devastating situation, the family was

in desperate need of help. A company that was aware of their hardship donated a mobile home, which they gratefully accepted. Unfortunately, the structure was in great disrepair and in need of remodeling that Hall could not afford. That’s when Chuck Ingraham and the Lanier Fuller Center for Housing, a local branch of an offshoot of Habitat

for Humanity, stepped in.The Fuller Center for Housing was

founded by Millard and Linda Fuller in 2005 and was established to help families in need with home repairs. Chuck Ingraham founded the local Lanier chapter of the organization last year. Hall’s home was to be the branch’s first project. Over the course of several months, the team spent many hours working to transform the mobile home into a structurally sound, permanent building. On July 10th, Ingraham passed the keys to Hall and gave her a first look into her new home. Hall was beyond grateful for The Lanier Fuller Center for Housing’s work and dedication. To Hall and her children, the new home was more than a project, it was a “dream come true.”

A f t e r c o m p l e t i n g a r e c e n t remodeling, Stars and Strikes

ushered in a new look for their Cumming location with a grand re-opening and ninth anniversary celebration on July 12th. The building exterior has been updated with a modern and clean new look, with new signage and a redone façade. The celebration included a ribbon-cutting, giveaways, inflatables, face painting and special

discounts on games and fare including $2 bowling, laser tag, bumper cars, hot dogs, fries and more. They also hosted a silent auction to benefit the American Cancer Society. Stars and Strikes has invested close to $1 mill ion in renovations and improvements during its nine years in Cumming.

To learn more about Stars and Strikes, visit www.StarsAndStrikes.com or call 678-965-5707.

L ocal Georgia author, Terry Dodd, has been nominated for the 50th Annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards. His fiction novel that earned him the

nomination, The Carpenter, tells the story of a man who lived in the first century and his struggles with faith. Terry is an author of ten books, seven of which are Christian novels. The other three are of the science fiction genre. He was honored with a 2012 Eric Hoffer Legacy Fiction Award for The Foursome.

The Georgia Author of the Year Awards event has been sponsored by the Georgia Writers Association since 1994. It is the oldest literary awards in the southeastern United States. For more information, please visit AuthorOfTheYear.org.

T he local Cumming Hampton Inn has been collecting accolades since its October 2013 renovation that totaled more than one million dollars. It’s most

recent score of 97.5 on the Hilton Quality Assurance evaluation was the highest score in the history of the hotel. Just this year the hotel was awarded the Trip Advisor Award of Excellence. However, most impressive of all is that on July 9, 2014 the Cumming Hampton Inn was ranked the #1 Hampton in the entire world! Hotel owner and President/CEO of Sai Hospitality Management, Nelish Patel, readily credits his incredible staff and hotel General Manager, Freddy Burch for the hotel’s high rankings and great success.


Upcoming Events

• Please visit our Event’s Calendar atwww.cummingforsythchamber.org to see a full list of events, more information and registration.

Key to the events

Member Power Networking Lunch — Meets every Tuesday at noon at a different location and includes casual networking for 20-35 other business professionals.Business After Hours — Meets the second Tuesday of every month from 5-7 p.m. at a different host location every month. The purpose is networking and to experience new businesses in the community.Women Who Mean Business — Meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 a.m. This is a specialized networking group of over 50 female business professionals. Join them for breakfast.

For more information contact Ryan Garmon at770-205-8960 or [email protected].

HorizonsA publication of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

May 2014

Prestige Members

Northside Hospital-Forsyth

Premier Corporate Sponsor

Taubman

Forsyth County

Government

Children’s Healthcare

of Atlanta

Inspiring

Smiles

Alpharetta

Children’s Dentistry

Kaiser Permanente

jTech Networks

The City of Cumming

Georgia Power

DeKalb Office

Smithfield Farmland

Michael

Williams Lou Sobh Honda

Keeping abreast of the political challenges

and activities that affect the area and your

business has never been more important!

Network with many of the area’s top business

and political leaders and expand your business

contacts when you attend the 2014 Post

Legislative Session Breakfast, presented by

AT&T on Tuesday, May 6th at 7:30 a.m. at the

Forsyth Conference Center (3410 Ronald

Reagan Blvd. Cumming, GA 30041). This

event is hosted by the Lanier-Forsyth Rotary

Club and all attendees should register with the

Chamber with the exception of Lanier-Forsyth

Rotary Members. Admission is $15 for

Chamber Members and $30 for Non-Members.

Register at www.cummingforsythchamber.org.

Plan to Attend the Post

Legislative Session Breakfast

Calling All Chamber Members!

PUBLISHES4th Friday of every month in the Forsyth County News

and following Sunday in the South Forsyth News

Market Your Business in the Ultimate B2B Publication, Horizons.

July 29Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

August 1Real Estate Roundtable-11:00 a.m., Forsyth County Library – Post Road

August 5Women Who Mean Business Networking-7:30 a.m., The Cupbearer

August 5Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, El Don Mexican Bar & Grill

August 12Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, TBD

August 19Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, Buffalo’s Café

August 26Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, Alessio’s Restaurant & Pizza

August 272014 Business Expo-1 p.m., Forsyth Conference Center


James McCoyPresident & CEO

Randall ToussaintVice President of Economic Development

Alex GirrbachDirector of Operations

Laura StewartDirector of Communications & Events

Jason MockDirector of Small Business Services

Anna BarlowDirector of Tourism Development

Jimmy LaneDirector of Membership Services

Jeff TweedMembership Services Executive

Maggie Schmitz, Sherri KlugAdministrative Assistants

2014 Officers Board of Directors

Nelish PatelHampton Inn

Bruce LongmoreLenny’s Sub Shop

Lynn JacksonNorthside Hospital-Forsyth

Shawn LaFaveNorth Georgia Promotions

Tracy MoonFisher & Phillips LLP

Jeff PruittForsyth Conference Center

Bruce HagenauMetcam

John RasperDekalb Office

Bob RussellRussell Landscape

Terry SmithA.C. Smith Poultry Co.

Connie SandersWells Fargo

Bert DurandUnited Community Bank

Ethan UnderwoodLipscomb, Johnson, Sleister, Dailey, & Smith LLP

Pete AmosChairman, Forsyth CountyBoard of Commissioners

Paul ChambersAT&T

Bill CuppAGL Resources

Darla LightChair, Forsyth County Board of Education

Dr. Buster EvansSuperintendent,Forsyth County Schools

Jay RyerseJtech Networks, LLC

Mark BondHayes, James & Associates, Inc.

H. Ford GravittMayor, City of Cumming

Blake HouseSawnee EMC

Jon McDanielForsyth County Public Library

Mary Helen McGruderSawnee Mountain Foundation

Doug DerrerForsyth County Manager

Hon. Phil SmithState Court Judge

David SeagoChair, Forsyth County Development Authority

Dr. Joanne TollesonLanier Technical College

Jen BrunoHansgrohe

Chris StockhoffAnchor Home Mortgage

Walter SearsAlpharetta Children’s Dentistry

Charles BanksPNC Bank

Daniel ShafferSnap Technology, Inc

Derek BrooksBrandywine Printing

Pam BowmanPB Consulting Services

Mike WathenKaiser Permanente

Thom SmithBB&T

Matt McClureBank of North Georgia

Carter BarrettCommunity Business Bank

Kevin GarmonBannister Creek, LLC

Drew WalkerAlliance National Bank

Rep. Mark Hamilton

Rep. Mike Dudgeon

Sen. Jack Murphy

Sen. Steve Gooch

Rep. Geoff Duncan

Rep. Kevin Tanner

Rep. Sam Moore

Ann-Margaret Johnston, Chair,Johnston & Associates

Linda Cole, Past-ChairCHOA

Chris Ethridge, Secretary/TreasurerFrazier & Deeter, LLC

Ex-Officio Chamber Staff

Horizons

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Documents

Horizons August 2014