Horizons November 2014
A publication of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce
Prestige Members
Business in Full Gear
Northside Hospital-Forsyth Premier Corporate Sponsor
Forsyth County Government
DeKalb Office
The City of Cumming
Georgia Power
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Inspiring Smiles
2014 Annual Dinner & Celebration:
jTech Networks
Taubman
Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry
Kaiser Permanente
Lou Sobh Honda
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et in gear at the 2014 Annual Dinner and Celebration, presented by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. On November 7th we will network, enjoy delicious cuisine and lively entertainment and celebrate the successes of our community. This year’s black tie optional affair will be held at the Forsyth Conference Center Ballroom located at 3410 Ronald Reagan Boulevard, Cumming, Georgia 30041. A cocktail reception begins at 6:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased by calling 770-887-6461 or by visiting www.cummingforsythchamber.org. P a r t n e r s i n c l u d e C h i l d r e n ’s Healthcare of Atlanta Forsyth, Frazier & Deeter, Georgia Power, Winter Construction, AT&T, Hansgrohe, Kaiser Permanente, PNC Bank and Hayes, James and Associates to name a few. Opportunities are still available to sponsor this unique
event. If interested please contact the Chamber’s Membership Services department at 770-887-6461. Don’t miss this elegant networking opportunity!
Member Spotlight
Childress Klein Embraces Forsyth International the time you get to number four, you realize it is a big slice of your bread and butter,” adds Decker.
3 of the 5 tenants at Shiloh Crossing are owned by international entities.
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ell, when half of your leases over the last two years have been with companies based outside the U.S., you sort of start getting religion,” said John Decker, Industrial Partner with Childress Klein Properties (CKP). Decker is reflecting on the seemingly consistent stream of international companies finding their homes in Forsyth County. CKP’s land inventory and development activity are in The Meadows in South Forsyth County. They have built over one million square feet of buildings in the county and have plans for three more development sites. The development company has been responsible for bringing AT&T, Southern Prosthetics, Radiant Systems, Hettich America and Attachmate to the county during the last cycle, but this current cycle has brought a wave of tenants with a distinctly international flavor.
CKP has become friends with the Canadian Standards Association, Select Sport America, Flanders Scientific and Ingenico all during the last several months. The Canadian Standards Association is a competitor of Underwriters Laboratories that operates North America’s largest lighting lab in a building built by CKP. The LED light bulbs flooding the market are energy efficient, reliable and leading edge, but none of them have been tested. These new products are causing the surge in business for CSA today. A Danish company, Select Sport America, manufactures and markets one of the highest quality hand-sewn soccer balls in the marketplace today. The leather balls are actually stitched overseas, but the Forsyth County operation inflates and prints them with team logos before they are distributed all over North America. Select occupies half of one of CKP’s newest buildings.
Flanders Scientific, owned and operated by the Desmet family out of Belgium, reconfigures large HD flat screens for the defense industry. The brother/ sister team of Bram and Yoke are on site running the everyday business. Ingenico Group has their North American headquarters in the Atlanta area because Atlanta has become “transaction central.” From credit cards to checks to gaming transactions, Atlanta has become the processing hub. If you have gone through the selfcheckout line at Home Depot or bought a tie at Hermes, you have used their product. Ingenico’s small card swipe machines, used by consumers all over the U.S., are configured and distributed out of Forsyth County in one of CKP’s buildings. “Our next building in Forsyth has a strong possibility of being a data center,” says Decker. “There are already three corporate data centers open at The Meadows. The reliable power, great fiber network, good highway access, low construction costs, low property taxes and highly intelligent labor pool all make our Forsyth development the ideal location for such a facility,” Decker concludes.
“On the first one you are a little surprised to meet a foreign entity looking for a home in Forsyth, but by This 130,000 Sq. ft building is 200 feet deep and is typical of Childress Klein’s industrial development.
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Tourism
Cumming Christmas Parade & Jingle Jog T
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he Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce and Forsyth Community Connection are partnering again this year to provide the community with a full morning of holiday fun. The Jingle Jog will occur on the morning of Saturday, December 6, 2014 immediately followed by the ninth annual Cumming Christmas Parade. Both events will take place on Marketplace Boulevard with the Jingle Jog beginning at 9:00 a.m. and the parade starting
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at 10:30 a.m. The title sponsor for both events this year is again Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Other partners include Lou Sobh Honda, Community & Southern Bank, Hansgrohe, American Proteins, Humana, Pur Barre and Evergreeen at Aubrey’s Landing to name a few. For more information, float registration and runners’ registration check out www.marketplacechristmas.com.
Vote Daily
10.27 - 11.19 ForsythNews.com/BestOf
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In-Depth
Putting Georgia Back to Work
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his year three respected, independent media outlets including no less than CNBC named Georgia the No. 1 state in the nation in which to do business, fulfilling a goal I announced upon taking office in 2011. Some had imagined that my stated goal to make Georgia the most business-friendly state in the nation was aspirational-the kind of goal that you never reach the top if our state government would take our partnership with the private sector seriously. In the spirit of the public-private partnership, we launched the Governor’s Competiveness By: Governor Nathan Deal Initiative in 2011 and through close collaboration with business leaders we identified what were the most strategic steps we could take to boost our economic competitiveness. We took those steps and today the results are in; not only are we faring well in the rankings, but more than 12,600 new businesses have chosen to plant flags in our red clay. As you might imagine, these days people no longer ask if the goal was aspirational. They now ask what we are doing to ensure Georgia remains No. 1 and the short answer to that question is that we will keep dancing with the one that brought us and continue listening to the private sector. The longer version of my answer is that the biggest opportunity for continued improvement lies in the area of workforce development and this year we launched the High Demand Career Initiative to ensure our education and training infrastructure is producing the trained and reliable workforce companies demand. Through this Initiative we are bringing together those involved in training Georgia’s future workforce—the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia—to hear directly from the private sector about what specific needs they have from a workforce perspective today and five to 10 years down the road. What degree programs or certificates are businesses looking for on resumes? What skills and competencies are they demanding? Where are our education and training efforts delivering and where are they failing? In some instances we’ve been able to connect participating businesses with existing assets to meet their needs but in other instances, where we lack the programming or capacity to meet demand, we are aggressively implementing changes. For example, when Georgia companies consistently reported a shortage in the computer programming and coding area, we took action to allow computer programming to count for a core requirement at the high school level and, in our technical schools, we are making this area of study tuition free.
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“Through close collaboration with business leaders we identified what were the most strategic steps we could take to boost our economic competitiveness” The workforce shortage in computer programming is not confined to Georgia. In fact, it is a national and even global issue, but what sets Georgia apart as unique is that we are moving aggressively to address the issue. It is my belief that this rare commitment to hear business and then to take action is what will ensure that we are delivering the work force that Georgia companies demand, and it is this same commitment that will ensure Georgia remains the No. 1 state in the nation in which to do business.
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Month in Review
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Chamber Golf Tournament participants get in a little practice before the tournament kicks off!
L to R: Mark Ham and Jonathan Green
Title Sponsor, Northside Hospital- Forsyth came to play!
Golfers enjoy the post-tournament cookout.
HORIZONS November 2014
Month in Review Transportation Summit
Business After Hours
Networking in the Hansgrohe Aquademie
Transportation Summit panelists (left to right): Forsyth County Commissioner, Brian Tam; GA Department of Transportation Director of Field Services, Bayne Smith; and Representative Mark
L to R: Bruce Longmore, Tricia Crews and Napoleon Foster
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Decorate Your Home Beautifully this Fall with Art by
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Peter Wrobel, M.D.
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International Business
Bright Light Systems’ CEO, Brad Lurie, accepts the award for New Company of the Year at the Governor’s International Awards. *Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Business Chronicle
James Suh of Forsyth County’s Motovario Group USA presents the International Deal of the Year award.
Networking at the Atlanta World Showcase
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HORIZONS November 2014
Forsyth Shines at Governor’s International Awards T
he Atlanta World Showcase and Governor’s International Awards serves as one of the hallmark events for Atlanta’s international business sector. Home to more than 60 international companies, our community was thrilled to serve as the title sponsor of the event. The Atlanta Business Chronicle developed this program to highlight key leaders who helped make Atlanta a top international business hub and in the forefront of global commerce. The winners and finalists were honored at an event on October 2nd at the Georgia International Convention Center. Forsyth County’s international businesses are conducting commerce throughout the globe. This is illustrated by the rapid expansion of such local companies as Bright Light Systems--the w i n n e r o f t h e G o v e r n o r ’s I n t e r n a t i o n a l Aw a r d : N e w Company of the Year. This is significant because their efforts generate new jobs and capital investment and help position our community as a global center for international business.
Founded in 2011, Bright Light Systems, Inc. (BLS) is a rapidly growing, energy efficient, lighting company that specializes in producing luminaire systems for high mast applications, an environment that has had little innovation for half a century. Bright Light Systems’ uses a combination of hardware and software, coupling the most advanced, high-tech light source (light emitting plasma or “LEP”) with sophisticated control, scheduling and monitoring to s i g n i fi c a n t l y r e d u c e e n e rg y consumption (up to 85 percent). CEO Brad Lurie chose to relocate Bright Light Systems from California to Forsyth County in 2013 taking advantage of the strong talent pool and attractive real estate prices Forsyth County offers. Additionally, Forsyth’s proximity to the transportation infrastructure of Georgia Port Authority and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport makes it attractive for Bright Light to ship its products around the world. Bright Light Systems has installed projects in Canada,
Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, New Zealand as well as the United States. In critical infrastructure facilities, including seaports, airports, and railyards, Bright Light Systems is quickly gaining market penetration by helping clients: • Significantly reduce energy consumption • Improve safety and security with the much brighter lighting • Enhance video clarity where CCTV is used for surveillance • Reduce light pollution consistent with the “dark sky” initiatives • Reduce operational costs and maintenance due to up to 15 year life of LEP compared to one year with traditional HPS lights. “We are looking forward to working with other Forsyth County businesses to help them realize operational savings,” Lurie said “while improving light quality for safer work areas and eliminating light trespass into local residents.”
Education
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Partnering for Education and Workforce Development
he Forsyth Conference Center at Lanier Technical College is an integral part of workforce development in Forsyth County. Businesses small and large are using the facility for training, workshops and meetings. Companies like Scientific Games, General Motors, Northside Hospital, Synchrony Financial, 400 North Board of Realtors and many more are planning offsite meetings to focus on team building skills, strategic planning, product training and continuing education. The center also hosts many events open to the public that cover subjects such as leadership, business ethics, digital technology and more.
The center also hosts many events open to the public that cover subjects such as leadership, business ethics, digital technology and more
college credit. The Dental Hygiene, Nurse’s Aide and Medical Assisting Programs hold their graduation ceremonies at the center, the Interior Design program hosts a Senior Portfolio Showcase and Adult Education had 503 graduates for its GED Graduation. The Forsyth Conference Center at Lanier Technical College is a versatile rental space that serves the community well. Check out the online calendar for events that are open to the public and sign up for the Conference Center newsletter to r e c e ive r eg u l a r n o t i c e s o f u p c o m i n g eve n t s . ( w w w. l a n i e r t e c h / ForsythConferenceCenter.edu) For business meeting and event needs, please contact the Event Office at 770-781-6974.
Lanier Technical College’s partnership with the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce has helped to bring regional job fairs to the community. This year, 81 employers came to interview applicants for positions within their companies and 750 job seekers met with them. Walmart and Sprouts have also used the center to meet and interview applicants as they open new stores in Forsyth County. Another joint event was a Manufacturing Boot Camp that was held this past spring to address the job skills needed for the industry, discuss tax credits available for manufacturing companies and new OSHA regulations. Lanier Technical College utilizes the Conference Center to further its mission for workforce development. The training rooms have been used by Georgia Quick Start to provide free customized training to local businesses that create new jobs in the area. The center also hosts Dual Enrollment meetings for parents and high school students that are interested in obtaining
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Thank You to All of the 2014 Annual Dinner & Celebration Sponsors!
Join us in Forsyth County
Jared and Stephen Dabbs
The Dabbs Agency, LLC (678)379-4300 dabbss1@nationwide.com Nationwide.com/stephendabbs
Family owned and operated, come see us today! *Located behind the Zaxby’s on Bethelview Road, Suite 103, Cumming, GA
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Member News Smiling and Singing Go Hand-in-Hand
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riday, September 25, 2014 was a very special day at Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics, as they welcomed the Daraja Children’s Choir of Africa to their North Point office for a fun-filled day of providing dental care, playing games, doing arts & crafts and of course, lots of singing! A total of 24 choir members and seven choir directors, along with 10 interns, and the Daraja staff visited the office for the fourth annual “Daraja Day.” The choir was in the Alpharetta area as part of their U.S. tour. The day was filled with lots of welcoming, soccer games, corn hole tournaments, finger painting,
bracelet making, bubbles and each child chose a pair of “goggles” ( or sunglasses). A comprehensive team made up of four pediatric dentists, an orthodontist, six dental hygienists, and 14 staff members all from Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics volunteered their time to provide free dental care to the children’s choir. “Daraja Day here at ACD&O is when you guys bless us immensely by allowing our kids to come and get their teeth checked out and do all kinds of fun activities. We’ve been so blessed that Dr. Mac and the whole team is helping us out in this way,” Rob Allred, Daraja Children’s Choir Director, said about the day. Vashti, a dental assistant with AC&O says “My favorite part about Daraja Day is seeing their smiles, and how much they are enjoying the fact that they are at a dentist and we’re making such a positive experience for them and they love it. When they get to sing for us at the end is probably the most rewarding part of it all.” The Daraja Children’s Choir of Africa is a traveling
international hope exchange organization with the goal of globally broadening the children’s horizons, widening their perspective of the world, and making an impact and investment in the future of Uganda and Kenya. To see how you can help the choir, or check out their tour schedule, visit darajachoir.org.
Scientific Games Wins 2014 Industry Award for Best New Instant Game
Lou Sobh Automotive is proud to announce the official groundbreaking of Lou Sobh Kia!
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cheduled to open its doors in 2015, Lou Sobh Kia will be located at 1135 Buford Rd. in Cumming, GA, a next door neighbor to Lou Sobh Honda. Lou Sobh Automotive is excited to bring another award-winning automotive brand to the wonderful Forsyth County community.
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cientific Games Corporation announced that World Class Millions, a $30 instant game designed by the Company for the Massachusetts State Lottery has received the 2014 Best New Instant Game Award from the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. The award was recently announced at NASPL’s Annual Conference and Trade Show in Atlantic City, New Jersey. World Class Millions was selected as the Best New Instant Game by a panel of judges who reviewed entries from North American lotteries, including the U.S. and Canada. “Scientific Games and the Massachusetts State Lottery have a long and storied history together and we are delighted that World Class Millions has received this prestigious industry award,” said John Schulz, Senior Vice President, Instant Products for Scientific Games.
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Upcoming Events November 4
November 13
November 5
November 18
Member Power Networking LunchNoon; Roly Poly Sandwiches Real Estate Roundtable11 a.m.; Post Road Library
Business After Hours 5:00 p.m.; Community & Southern Bank 2014 HCA Summit 7:30 a.m.; Forsyth Conference Center
November 7
Annual Dinner & Celebration6:30 p.m.; Forsyth Conference Center
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.
• Please visit our Event’s Calendar at www.cummingforsythchamber. org to see a full list of events, more information and registration.
North Cumming Dentistry New Patients Welcome
Welcoming Smiles and Compassionate Care
FREE TEETH BLEACHING With Adult Exam and Cleaning (Call Us for Details @ 470-253-7349)
• Most Insurances Accepted • Emergencies and Dental Anxious patients welcomed
Check us out on
• Full Dental Services provided (Call for details)
• Accept Medicaid Kids & Adults
• Weekend and Evening Appointments
Dr. Farid Moghaddam, D.M.D.
@ Facebook.com/NorthCumming • 1715 Friendship Circle | Suite 100 | Cumming, GA 30028 Phone: (470) 253-7349 | Fax: (470) 253-7352
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Horizons 2014 Officers
Board of Directors
Ann-Margaret Johnston, Chair,
Nelish Patel
Johnston & Associates
CHOA
Bob Russell
Bill Cupp
Jon McDaniel
Chris Stockhoff
Thom Smith
Rep. Mark Hamilton
James McCoy
Russell Landscape
Bruce Longmore
Terry Smith
Darla Light
Mary Helen McGruder
Walter Sears
Matt McClure
Rep. Mike Dudgeon
Vice President of Economic Development
Lynn Jackson
Andrew Shannon
Dr. Buster Evans
Doug Derrer
Charles Banks
Hon. Phil Smith
Daniel Shaffer
Northside Hospital-Forsyth
Chris Ethridge, Secretary/Treasurer Frazier & Deeter, LLC
Chamber Staff
Hampton Inn
Lenny’s Sub Shop
Linda Cole, Past-Chair
Ex-Officio
A.C. Smith Poultry Co.
Bert Durand
Tracy Moon
Ethan Underwood
Fisher & Phillips LLP
Jeff Pruitt
Forsyth Conference Center
Bruce Hagenau Metcam John Rasper
Dekalb Office
Chair, Forsyth County Board of Education
Wells Fargo
Shawn LaFave
North Georgia Promotions
AGL Resources
Superintendent, Forsyth County Schools
United Community Bank
Jay Ryerse
Lipscomb, Johnson, Sleister, Dailey, & Smith LLP
Pete Amos
Chairman, Forsyth County Board of Commissioners
Paul Chambers AT&T
Jtech Networks, LLC
Mark Bond
Hayes, James & Associates, Inc.
H. Ford Gravitt
Mayor, City of Cumming
Blake House Sawnee EMC
Forsyth County Public Library Sawnee Mountain Foundation
Forsyth County Manager State Court Judge
Brandywine Printing
Dr. Joanne Tolleson
Hansgrohe
PNC Bank
Derek Brooks
Chair, Forsyth County Development Authority
Jen Bruno
Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry
Snap Technology, Inc
David Seago
Lanier Technical College
Anchor Home Mortgage
Pam Bowman
PB Consulting Services
Mike Wathen
Kaiser Permanente
BB&T
Bank of North Georgia
Carter Barrett
Community Business Bank
Kevin Garmon
Bannister Creek, LLC
Drew Walker
Alliance National Bank
Sen. Jack Murphy Sen. Steve Gooch Rep. Geoff Duncan
President & CEO
Randall Toussaint Alex Girrbach
Director of Operations
Laura Stewart
Director of Communications & Events
Jason Mock
Director of Small Business Services
Anna Barlow
Director of Tourism Development
Jimmy Lane
Rep. Kevin Tanner
Director of Membership Services
Rep. Sam Moore
Maggie Schmitz, Sherri Klug
Jeff Tweed
Membership Services Executive Administrative Assistants
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In an emergency, experience matters Emergencies happen. And when they do, rest assured that you’ll get the best care close to home. Northside’s board-certified emergency medicine physicians and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified nurses are just right up the road. We hope we don’t have to see you, but if we do, you’ll be in the best possible hands. Visit us online at www.northside.com.
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