OCTOBER 2014
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Georgia Peanut Bank Week October 18-25 Trey Mosley finds his place in the field Protect Your Small Business
The Construction Lending Team Changing The Game Plan, The Trey Rood Story Top 5 All-Time Best Sellers
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KEEP PLOWING ON Trey Mosley Finds That Farming Is His True Calling Some people spend a lifetime trying to find their purpose. Others, like Trey Mosley, are fortunate enough to know from the beginning. Trey is a peanut farmer in east Georgia and at only 25 years old, he’s already found his place in life—riding high atop a John Deere tractor. Though it skipped a generation, farming is in Trey’s blood. “My granddaddy was a farmer with cows and whatnot. My parents don’t know anything about it, but they’re learning,” Trey explains. “Nothing against office jobs, but being outside is better. Even when it’s raining on the farm, there is always something to do.” Of course, it could be argued that today’s farmer has it a good bit easier than Trey’s granddaddy. “My granddaddy had an open air tractor. Today, tractors come with GPS navigation, satellite radio and even air conditioning. It’s really come a long way.” But, even with today’s technology, Mother Nature still has the final say. “There are so many things you can’t control. For example, peanuts planted early this year did not do well. You just have to go with your gut and you never know what tomorrow will hold.” Even with the uncertainty of farming, Trey still says he is right where he wants to be. “I love farming. And, peanuts are my favorite crop; from the day you plant them through harvesting. They’re very pretty—they lap in the middles and the bush gets so big you can’t see the dirt.” He contends they are also one of the easiest crops to farm. “You plant the last week of April into May. Once the plants are up, you spray for weeds and diseases every 14 days. The plants grow for 140 days before you gather them by using the plow to flip the plants. Then, you go through with the picker, which picks the peanuts off the plants. So, the need for manual laborers is minimal.” In addition to his 200+ acres of farm land, Trey has also opened his portfolio to growing chickens. “Every so many years, Claxton Poultry will contract with local farmers to build chicken houses. Last year, I was able to have some houses built, and they’re going good. We grow broiler chickens. The chickens are brought to me from the hatchery. Then, its 35-40 days until they are processed and shipped to places like Chick-Fill-A.” It’s definitely a lot of work, but Trey doesn’t see it that way. “I get some time between the end of December and the end of February before planting season starts again.” Because farming is something he loves, Trey lives by the motto, “When you enjoy what you do, you never have to work.” And, now Trey is working on the next chapter with a new bride and hopes to make farming a family tradition. “Maybe one day, I’ll have a little one I can teach to farm and drive the tractor.”
THE MORTGAGE CONSTRUCTION LENDING TEAM “If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?” Andy Robertson | Director of Construction Lending
“Napa, California. The weather is great and it’s a rural area that has all the services of the city as far as restaurants, shopping, etc. Also, it is a very active lifestyle with lots of outdoor activities. Did I mention that I like great wine, and that’s the source?”
Savannah Dollar | Construction Specialist
“If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live in Italy! I just love the pasta, pastries, wine and slow paced living. No one is in a rush there and the history and scenery is just amazing.”
Alicia DeRoche | Construction Specialist
“If I could live anywhere in the world, I would choose Italy. My mom’s side of the family is Italian, so I’ve always been interested in the Italian culture.”
Corporate account takeover is a type of fraud where thieves gain access to a business’ finances to make unauthorized transactions, including transferring funds from the company, creating and adding new fake employees to payroll, and stealing sensitive customer information that may not be recoverable. HeritageBank recommends following these tips to keep your small business safe.
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Educate your employees. You and your employees are the first line of defense against corporate account takeover. A strong security program paired with employee education about the warning signs, safe practices, and responses to a suspected takeover are essential to protecting your company and customers. Protect your online environment. It is important to protect your cyber environment just as you would your cash and physical location. Do not use unprotected internet connections. Encrypt sensitive data and keep updated virus protections on your computer. Use complex passwords and change them periodically. Partner with your bank to prevent unauthorized transactions. Talk to your banker about programs that safeguard you from unauthorized transactions. Positive Pay and other services offer call backs, device authentication, multi-person approval processes and batch limits help protect you from fraud. Pay attention to suspicious activity and react quickly. Look out for unexplained account or network activity, pop ups, and suspicious emails. If detected, immediately contact your financial institution, stop all online activity and remove any systems that may have been compromised. Keep records of what happened. Understand your responsibilities and liabilities. The account agreement with your bank will detail what commercially reasonable security measures are required in your business. It is critical that you understand and implement the security safeguards in the agreement. If you don’t, you could be liable for losses resulting from a takeover. Talk to your banker if you have any questions about your responsibilities.
For additional information, contact HeritageBank. You can also visit the following websites to learn more about how to protect your small business:
LEARN MORE
U.S. Chamber of Commerce | Internet Security Essentials for Business Federal Communications Commission | Small Biz Cyber Planner Federal Communications Commission | 10 Cybersecurity Strategies for Small Business Better Business Bureau | Data Security Made Simpler NACHA | The Electronic Payments Association Corporate Account Takeover Resource Center
PLAN, PREPARE AND PROTECT
YOUR BUSINESS
Preparing a business in case of natural disaster or an emergency is similar to preparing your own home and family. Consider the different types of disasters that could impact your company and the likelihood that they might occur. The risks faced by your organization will vary according to the size, location and nature of operations. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has established four universal building blocks of emergency preparedness:
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Be Informed
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Make a Plan
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Build a Kit
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Get Involved
The first step is to inform your team members of the different protection plans based on the nature of the emergency. At times an evacuation plan may be necessary, while other times a lockdown plan or shelter-in-place plan may be the best option. It is helpful to post a map of your evacuation route in public areas, such as break rooms. It is crucial that all team members are aware of the emergency plan and what procedures to follow in various situations. Make sure everyone has access to emergency numbers such as fire, police and medical. Identify a system to warn everyone to take protective action, whether it is an alert through email, phone or text message. A key component in a successful emergency plan is to practice the plan with your team members. Regularly scheduled education and training sessions should be conducted to provide everyone with information while identifying needs and developing preparedness skills. Those with special needs or disabilities should be identified and a plan put in place to assist these team members. Disaster training should be included in new employee orientation programs as well. The team responsible for emergency preparedness should execute periodic workshops using a hypothetical disaster to have a better understanding of what resources will be impacted, how assets can be preserved, how team members can be protected and how recovery can be hastened. Weaknesses in the plan should then be noted and the plan revised to included needed improvements.
EMERGENCY SUPPLY LIST
Basic first aid kit | Provide for medical needs Bottled water and snack food | Hydration and nourishment Medications | Over-the-counter medicines Flashlight | In the event of a power loss Battery-powered weather radio with extra batteries | Stay aware of the latest weather alerts Whistle | Gain attention with a large crowd Personal hygiene items | Sanitary wipes, toilet paper, sunscreen, body wash, toothbrush, blankets, etc.
Heritage Employee Pens Memoire on Cancer Battle Trey Rood, a twenty-two year old senior at University of Georgia and member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, is finishing up the final semester of attaining his business degree. While this may not sound like anything out of the ordinary, Trey has overcome a 5% five-year survival rate of stage IV melanoma. The cancer was discovered near the end of his freshman year of high school when doctors removed a lump from behind his right ear that was initially thought to be benign. At this time, there were very few treatment options for a patient with Trey’s diagnosis. The Rood family pursued an alternative treatment in Germany hoping to save his lung from surgical removal; however, a few months later, it was time to pursue a new approach. Trey’s parents, Cherie and Charlie, researched cancer institutions and settled on Dr. Patrick Hwu at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. After having fought off 11 brain tumors, Trey was selected for “Adoptive T-Cell therapy” in July 2010, just in time before his melanoma progressed too far to recover. At the time, as well as today, only two patients per month are selected for this treatment. By early 2011, all of Trey’s tumors had shrunk and he was showing incredible response from the T-Cell Therapy. Today he is in remission, though he still returns to MD Anderson every six months for testing.
Changing the Game Plan: The Trey Rood Story
Now that the worst appears to be over, Trey and Cherie felt compelled to share their story with the masses. “Writing the book wasn’t really something we just decided to do, it was something that we sort of more felt like we had to do,” Trey Rood said. “We knew it would be a lot of inspiration for a lot of people.” Trey and Cherie have spent the last three years co-writing the memoir, telling their compelling story about fighting one of the deadliest forms of cancer. “The book is framed around the story of a football player and changing the game plan,” Cherie said. “It’s a football story of how we had to keep changing the game plan over and over and keep making a different plan with different ideas or thoughts for survival.” “We want to give back to those who may not have an opportunity to have that treatment,” Cherie remarked. “Today, there are still only two people a month at MD Anderson that they can treat.” All proceeds from Changing the Game Plan: The Trey Rood Story will go towards T-cell Therapy research at MD Anderson Hospital. “ Trey interned with HeritageBank Mortgage in Atlanta during the summers of 2013 and 2014. He has accepted an offer to work with the Secondary Marketing team full time upon his graduation this winter.
More information can be found at www.prayfortrey.org. Changing the Game Plan: The Trey Rood Story can be purchase here.
Oh,
The Places You’ll Go!
As the best-selling children’s book says, “You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” So, grab your passport and take a trip to the Garden of Good and Evil or the Louvre in Paris. With this list of the New York Times’ All-Time Best Sellers, there’s no limit to where you may end up.
1. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Weeks on NYT Best Sellers List: 216 Last Time it appeared on List: 09/06/1998 Nonfiction work by John Berendt published in 1994, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was Berendt’s first, and became a NYT bestseller for 216 weeks following its debut and still, to this day, is the longest standing best seller of the Times. Based on real-life events that occurred in the 1980s, the book depicts a wide range of eccentric personalities in and around the city of Savannah, Georgia.
2. Tuesdays with Morrie Weeks on NYT Best Sellers List: 206; Last Time it appeared on List: 12/19/2004 Written by American writer Mitch Albom, this memoir was later recreated into a TV movie. Newspaper sports columnist, Albom, recounts the time spent with his 78-year-old sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, at Brandeis University, who was dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
3. The Power of Positive Thinking Weeks on NYT Best Sellers List: 186 Last Time it appeared on List: 05/27/1956 One of the most widely read and widely referenced books in Modern American History, this book has actually become part of the English Language. By minister and author Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking is a practical guide to mastering the problems of everyday living.
4. A Light in the Attic Weeks on NYT Best Sellers List: 182 Last Time is appeared on List: 12/04/1988 A collection of 131 poems and accompanying illustrations by American poet, writer and children’s Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic was first published by Harper & Row in 1981.
5. Oh the Places You’ll Go Weeks on NYT Best Sellers List: 178 Last Time it appeared on List: 07/09/2000 Written and illustrated by children’s author Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go! was the last book published before the author’s death. The book concerns the journey of life and its challenges.