CHAMBER MATTERS
The Douglas County Chamber's mission is to support, promote, and attract business for the advancement of our community.
JANUARY 2018
Reserve Your Seat for the 2018 Winter Ball Presented by GreyStone Power Corporation! Saturday, February 10, 2018 will be a night to remember as the Douglas County Chamber holds the 73rd Annual Winter Ball honoring our community’s outstanding businesses and leaders. The Winter Ball is presented by GreyStone Power Corporation and will install Mrs. Kara Pearson, GreyStone's Vice President of Financial Services, as Chairman of the Chamber Board. At a BRAND NEW location, the event committee will transform the Douglasville Conference Center into a Winter Ball for this year’s event. Guests will experience a magical welcome and have the opportunity to bid on endless items at the silent auction and unique big ticket items during the live auction sponsored by Hawkinson, Muchnick & Associates, CPA following the awards ceremony. Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy LIVE music by the Crystal Clear Band. The much anticipated highlight of the evening will be the annual community awards. Members of the Chamber and residents of the community have nominated the best of the best for Citizen of the Year, Small Business of the Year, and Large Business of the Year. This event WILL SELL OUT! Seating is limited to 400 attendees. Tables of ten are $1,250, individual seats are $125, Gold sponsorships are $3,000, and Silver sponsorships are $1,500. Reserve your seat today by contacting Morgan Helton at 770.942.5022 or at helton@douglascountygeorgia.com.
Meet the 2017 Buy Local - Win Big Contest Winner! After receiving over 1,500 entries, Margaret McCarley was announced as the GRAND PRIZE winner of $1,000! The winning business was Walmart.
In this Issue: • Welcome New Members • January Calendar • Member News • December Snapshots • Chamber CHOW Corner ...and MORE!
JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
www.douglascountygeorgia.com
Lead the Way: Apply for Leadership Douglas! The Douglas County Chamber is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 Class of Leadership Douglas. The mission of Leadership Douglas is to identify, encourage and develop leadership abilities so that its participants grow both personally and professionally. Participants in Leadership Douglas benefit from getting to know one another and from the exchange of ideas and experiences. They gain knowledge and understanding on crucial issues facing our community, while also attaining leadership skills. They also develop a network of relationships with other leaders of various backgrounds throughout Douglas County.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to our partners, Main Street Douglasville, Villa Rica Main Street and the Douglas County Economic Development Authority.
This professional leadership curriculum is achieved through a ten-month program of structured activity where students become familiar with all aspects of our community. Leadership Douglas utilizes professional leadership trainers while also utilizing community resources for courses such as Health and Recreation, Economic Development, Arts and History, Public Safety, Social Services, Education, Government Affairs, and Water Resources.
A special thank you to the Presenting Sponsor Bank of the Ozarks and our Media Sponsors, Chapel Hill News & Views and Villa Rica News & Views. Stay tuned for more Buy Local Win Big
To download an application, visit www.douglascountygeorgia.com or contact the Chamber at 770.942.5022. Applications are due no later than 5:00pm on Thursday, March 15th.
opportunities this year!
6658 CHURCH STREET, DOUGLASVILLE, GA 30134
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770.942.5022
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WWW.DOUGLASCOUNTYGEORGIA.COM
CHAMBER CHATTER Learn more about Douglas County Chamber programs and events.
Ambu-Stat EMS Celebrates New Office Space Ambu-Stat executive manager, Rita Ortiz, staff, and Chamber representatives celebrated their recent relocation of their business by holding a DC Chamber Ribbon Cutting on November 15th. Ambu-Stat EMS is now located at 1000 Shadix Industrial Way in Douglasville.
REGISTER NOW for the Live2Lead Leadership Development Conference on February 2nd
Executive Decisions Staffing Agency Opens in Downtown Douglasville Executive Decisions Staffing Agency owner, Andrionna Williams, staff, family, friends, and Chamber representatives gathered and held a DC Chamber Ribbon Cutting on November 29th. Executive Decisions Staffing Agency is located at 6662 Broad Street in Downtown Douglasville.
Your Healthy Home Products Now Available in Douglasville Wenck Travel owners and longtime Chamber member, Patty and Stan Wenck, friends, and Chamber representatives celebrated the opening of their second business, Your Healthy Home Products, by holding a DC Chamber Ribbon Cutting on November 30th. Your Healthy Home Products promotes the products sold through Norwex.
Thank You Michelle Volk! The Chamber Board and staff would like to extend a heart felt thank you to Michelle Volk for being the Chamber Diplomat Chair since 2014 and for being a Diplomat for over 20 years! We appreciate your dedication to our members and the community over the last 20 years, and we look forward all the great things that lie ahead for you.
2018 Seniors: Apply for the Chamber Foundation Scholarship by March 15th The Douglas County Chamber Foundation is proud to offer multiple scholarship opportunities to high school students from Douglas County schools. These scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors exemplifying outstanding leadership qualities. The first place scholarship is $1,000 and the second place scholarship is $500 with the Board Scholarship awarding $500. Applications are due by March 15th at 5 p.m. For more information visit www.douglascountygeorgia.com/leadership.
December
SNAPSH TS Dennis Connally greets guests at the Comcast Business After Hours in November.
Frank Smith spends time connecting with others Chamber President and CEO, Kali Boatright and YLD graduate, Tyler at the Georgia Power Business4Breakfast Kelly at the Comcast Business in December. After Hours.
Chamber Diplomats, Sandy Gamble and Kerry Rigdon enjoyed networking with everyone at the Holiday Social. New Manchester High School's A capella group, InToneNation, performs at the Georgia Power Business4Breakfast at the Douglas County Courthouse. LD 2018 classmates Brian Keel and Edwin Jones give a thumbs up for the fantastic breakfast provided by Atlanta's Finest Catering at the Georgia Power Buesiness4Breakfast!
James and Aislinn Wren were all smiles at the Chamber Holiday Social in December. Thank you for hosting the event!
Rita Fasina-Thomas and Richard Block greeted guests as they arrived at the Comcast Business After Hours in November.
For information about upcoming 2018 networking events, visit www.douglascountygeorgia.com.
Thank you to this month's networking event sponsors: Comcast Business After Hours Sponsored by: Connally, Jordan & Associates, P.C., CPA Georgia Power Business4Breakfast Sponsored by: Douglas County Government
Tonya Jackson and her YLD Mentee, Ashlyn Daniel at the Georgia Power Business4Breakfast.
Emily Lightner and Dr. Deborah Johnson - Blake enjoy the festive fun at the Chamber Holiday Social!
Chamber Holiday Social Sponsored by: Wren's Body Shop
Connally, Jordan & Associates, P.C. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
MEMBER NEWS... We are pleased to support and celebrate our member's accomplishments!
WellStar Douglas Hospital Named 'Top General Hospital' WellStar Douglas Hospital is the only hospital in Georgia to be named a Top General Hospital by the Leapfrog Group, a national independent hospital watchdog association. Based on quality and patient safety, the Leapfrog Top Hospital Award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can receive.
Yeager Middle School Sends Big Military Thank You; Student Receives Thank You Gift from Bahrain
Southwire Plans $20 Million Expansion in Villa Rica In a special called meeting of the Douglas County Economic Development Authority, it was announced that Southwire is expanding their distribution operations in Douglas County, Georgia. Southwire began construction on a 400,000 square foot facility in the City of Villa Rica in the same business park as their current location. The new facility will create 60 new jobs and will invest $20 million.
This October, Yeager Middle School seventh-grader Jeremy Barnes “Looking long-term, we project that we will reach joined his fellow Yeager classmates in writing letters of appreciation to U.S. Service Members serving overseas. After a snow-filled Douglas capacity in our current Villa Rica distribution facilities by County weekend, Jeremy and his teacher, Ashleigh Elder returned to 2019 or 2020,” said Kurt Hennelly, Southwire’s executive the classroom to find a surprise waiting for them. U.S. Navy Master at vice president of sourcing, distribution and manufacturing strategy. “The addition of this new space fits well into the Arms Landan Adams told Jeremy in his letter: “It’s brave and grateful future plans for our logistics network, supports our Americans like you that remind is why we’re Accelerate Growth corporate strategy and will provide us here. We are happy to serve our country, to with the capability to better serve our customers.” provide young men like you safe and hopeful opportunities...you have represented Yeager Middle School very well. For more member news, visit www.douglascountygeorgia.com. Your teachers should be very proud of you, your family as well.”
January Member Spotlight WEST GEORGIA CORNHOLE Four years ago, Brandon Greba spent most Thursday nights building cornhole boards in his garage, filling orders whenever he could find some time away from his nine-to-five gig as an industrial supply sales manager. In July 2013, with the support of his family, Greba quit his job, hired a couple parttime employees, and took the plunge. Two babies, 17 employees, and thousands of orders and happy tailgaters later, Greba and West Georgia Cornhole, LLC are thriving. Brandon moved West Georgia Cornhole into a 5,000-square-foot facility in Winston and now ships boards to Australia, Japan, Alaska and everywhere in between. Along the way, he’s improved the quality and diversity of his products, taking Photoshop and Illustrator courses to elevate his custom designs. West Georgia Cornhole’s business scope has skyrocketed, but Greba remains down to earth. He credits his wife, who helped him complete orders in the early days and still assists him weekly with bills and accounting. Even amongst the chaos of a booming business and growing family, Greba remains focused on the folks that helped him build an empire of boards and bean bags—his employees. For more information about West Georgia Cornhole, visit www.westgeorgiacornhole.com.
2016 & 2017 Small Business of Excellence Winner
Source: Bank of America Business Advantage - Fall 2017 Small Business Owner Report
Meet the 2018 Chairman of the Board Kara Pearson! We are thrilled to announce the first female Chamber Board Chair in a long time - Mrs. Kara Pearson! She currently serves as the Vice President of Finance at GreyStone Power Corporation. Kara has been actively involved in the Chamber for many years, and we are excited to work alongside her in the upcoming year. Kara resides locally with her husband Brad, and their two children.
Corner Check out this month's featured restaurants!
Week of December 31st - Burke's Grill
5% Off Your Bill or 10% Off Between 2 - 5 p.m.
Week of January 8th - Hudson's Hickory House Receive a Free Beverage with the Purchase of Any BBQ Plate (offer for dine-in only).
Week of January 15th - Cabin Fever Roasters FREE Drink (any size) with Purchase of a Sandwich.
Week of January 22nd - Chick-fil-A Arbor Place Free Chicken Sandwich with Purchase of Medium Waffle Fry & Drink
Week of January 29th - Uncorked on Main
WELCOME KARA!
Buy One Entreé, Get One 50% Off (one per table)
Coupons MUST be printed. Find your copy in a Douglas County Sentinel or at www.douglascountygeorgia.com
WellStar and Mayo Clinic. Working together. Working for you. As a proud member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, WellStar is even closer to achieving our vision of world-class healthcare. Through this innovative collaboration, WellStar doctors have special access to Mayo Clinic knowledge, expertise and resources while patients continue to receive care delivered right here, close to home. And now with even more WellStar locations working together with Mayo Clinic, you get peace of mind knowing that we are here for you.
WellStar Ad
Innovation. World-class care. WellStar. For more information, please visit wellstar.org/mayo. For physician referral, please call 770-956-STAR (7827).
WellStar Health System, the largest health system in Georgia, is known nationally for its innovative care models, focused on improving quality and access to healthcare. WellStar consists of WellStar Medical Group, 240 medical office locations, outpatient centers, health parks, a pediatric center, nursing centers, hospice, homecare, as well as 11 inpatient hospitals: WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital), WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, North Fulton, Paulding, Spalding Regional, Sylvan Grove and Windy Hill hospitals. As a not-for-profit, WellStar continues to reinvest in the health of the communities it serves with new technologies and treatments.
We believe in life well-lived.
MEMBER RENEWALS Thank you for your continued investment in the Chamber! Ambu-Stat, LLC Beyond the Front Porch, Inc. Billy C. Upton Agency, Inc. Chapel Hills Golf Club CP Douglas Place I LLC Crossroads for Life Ministries CWC, LLC DOBBS Heating & Air, Inc. Douglas County Disabilities Coalition Douglas Dental Care Edward Jones Investments - Rocky Clay Folks, Inc. Hawkinson, Muchnick & Associates, P.C. High Caliber Realty Holiday Inn Express Atlanta West Home Depot Douglasville Mirror Lake Golf Club Pioneer Residential PT Solutions The GreenTree Day Spa Troy University-Atlanta Site UMAC South LLC Unlimited T's West Atlanta Pediatrics
JANUARY CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2nd
ALL DAY: Youth Leadership Douglas Retreat
4th
ALL DAY: Leadership Douglas Meeting
5th
Chamber Closed for Training
9th
2 - 6 p.m. Youth Leadership Douglas Meeting*
10th 8 a.m. Georgia Chamber Eggs & Issues Breakfast 12 p.m. Diplomat Meeting at O'Charley's Restaurant
11th 8 a.m. Georgia Power Business4Breakfast Sponsored by WellStar Douglas Hospital 11:30 a.m. Ribbon Cutting at Safelite AutoGlass
12th 8 a.m. Good Morning Connections Leads Group* 8 a.m. BIG Success Leads Group at WGTC
15th Chamber Closed for MLK Jr. Day 16th 8 a.m. Board of Directors Meeting 11:30 a.m. Chairmans Club Reception* 12 p.m. GreyStone Power Luncheon Sponsored by Connally, Jordan & Associates, P.C., CPA At the Douglasville Conference Center 2018 Economic Outlook Keynote Speaker: Dr. Joey Smith, UWG
23rd 9 a.m. Small Business Committee Meeting at WGTC 25th 11:30 a.m. Ribbon Cutting at Georgia Blue Foot & Ankle 5 p.m. Comcast Business After Hours Sponsored by Wren's Body Shop and Carrabba's Italian Grill
26th 8 a.m. Good Morning Connections Leads Group* 8 a.m. BIG Success Leads Group att WGTC * Event held at the Chamber
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! DOUGLAS COUNTY TASK FORCE ON FAMILY VIOLENCE, INC.
WILLIAM CROWE AFLAC INSURANCE AGENT
Katrina Harley P.O. Box 362 Douglasville, GA 30133 678.715.1196 www.douglastaskforce.com
William Crowe 8310 Office Park Drive Douglasville, GA 30134 678.889.3618 www.aflac.com
GOTCHA SURVEILLANCE, LLC
McDONOUGH BOLYARD PECK (MBP)
Jay Hobdy 8318 Duralee Lane, Suite 202 Douglasville, GA 30135 678.430.3116 www.gotchasurveillance.com
Jessica Fulton 3575 Piedmont Road, Suite P-120 Atlanta, GA 30305 404.923.8362 www.mbpce.com
JC FREEDOM HOUSE MINISTRIES Marigold Edwards P.O. Box 821 Douglasville, GA 30133 770.675.3817 www.jcfreedomhouse.com
Interested in becoming a member? Call TODAY at 770.942.5022 or visit www.douglascountygeorgia.com.
MEET OUR CHAMBER DIPLOMATS! The Chamber Diplomats play a very important role in our Chamber. Enjoy getting to know our volunteers and their favorite things about being a Chamber Diplomat!
JACOB HARRIS, GOLD'S GYM Who is your go-to Chamber member when you shop locally? Monterrey's on Hwy. 5, I eat there weekly!
What song best describes you? Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
LYNN MURRAY, PUBLIC EDUCATION TRUST FUND, INC. What is your favorite Chamber event? I enjoy the monthly luncheons because the speakers are prominent with relevant messages, and I enjoy meeting people I haven't met before when I sit down at a table.
Who is your go-to Chamber member? Definitely restaurants! Neither my husband nor I like to cook. I always use my Chamber CHOW coupons!
Learn more about our Diplomats at www.douglascountygeorgia.com.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2018 CHAIRMANS CLUB
douglas county
POWERING Our Community
Your Community Partner From attracting new jobs and retaining
Round UpÂŽ and partnering with area schools,
existing businesses, to prescription savings
GreyStone Power is your Community Partner.
and other shopping discounts, from scholarships for local students, to
Because real power comes from making
helping neighbors through Operation
life better for the people we serve.
Your Community Partner
GreyStone Power is an equal opportunity provider and employer.