West Georgia Woman Magazine August 2020

Complimentary

August 2020

West Georgia TM

Founder and CEO of NG Turf Aaron McWhorter Celebrates 35 Years of Business in West Georgia

The

MAN

ISSUE

Featuring: Aaron McWhorter Trent North Randall Redding Richard Turnbull

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British DJ Richard Turnbull is rocking in the U.S.A. Page 30 Photo by Zachary Dailey

What’s inside...

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School of Thought Trent North

30

From the U.K. to the U.S.A. Richard Turnbull

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Building a Legacy Randall Redding

36

22

Bringing Country to Carrollton

44

Celebrate His Success Aaron McWhorter

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Daily Fare

Kids Korner

& PRESENT

The Ultimate

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Man of the Hour I absolutely love publishing our annual "Man Issue." August is the one time of year we are able to celebrate some of the fabulous men who live and work in West Georgia. This issue always causes quite a stir around town!

It's interesting to learn more about these valued members of our community, and we are thrilled to feature some of our amazing male friends in West Georgia.

In This Issue I've known Douglas County School Superintendent Trent North for many years.

Trent is such a positive person – he's also intelligent, kind and cares deeply for his community. In spite of growing up in an impoverished family in the public housing projects of Carrollton, Ga., Trent has been extremely successful in his career in education. Through hard work and determination, Trent rose above his early Photo by Zachary Dailey circumstances, and is an exceptional role model for the youth in our community.

Learn more about Trent and his lifelong dedication to children on page 8.

Randall Redding, owner of R. K. Redding Construction (RKR) in Bremen, Ga., specializes in the new construction and renovation of medical facilities, schools, churches, universities and much more. In addition to being the CEO of RKR, he is the CEO of Mill Town Music Hall, a popular country music venue located in Bremen. He was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in Jan. 2019. ALS is extremely rare, with a heart-wrenching prognosis. In spite of this, Randall remains calm and steady. Read more about Randall on page 14 as he shares how his faith continues to see him through this difficult time.

On page 22, our friends at West Georgia Technical College have some exciting news. Their annual Black Tie & Boots concert will take place Oct. 2 at Buffalo Creek Technology Park – the site of the new WGTC Carroll Campus. And they want you to come celebrate with them! Although the venue has changed, nothing has changed about the fabulous entertainment. This year, WGTC is bringing long-time country music favorite Sawyer Brown to help celebrate, and they are offering general admission tickets to the public. We hope to see you there!

Originally from the United Kingdom and then Italy, Richard Turnbull moved to America to start a new life and to marry the love of his life, Jane, in 2015. From the age of 11, he was fascinated by the DJ decks at his local youth club and he has been a DJ ever since. I first met Richard in 2017 – the same day he received his green card in the mail! Richard is such a positive, fun loving person and is a joy to be around. He's also an awesome DJ. Read more about Richard and his journey on page 30.

Aaron McWhorter is a remarkable entrepreneur. In 1985, he started his sod business, NG Turf, and planted the first 25 acres of Bermuda grass with the help of only one or two employees. NG Turf has grown exponentially from its humble beginnings. The company now has approximately 2,000 acres with farm locations in Whitesburg, Calhoun, Clarkesville and Fort Valley, Ga. The company also expanded in 1991.

Aaron created Sports Turf Company to meet the needs of the growing athletic field construction business.

NG Turf and Sports Turf Company combined have close to 200 employees, many of whom are certified turf professionals. Learn more about Aaron and how he's celebrating 35 years in the sod business on page 36.

I want to thank the men who have helped make our publication a success: Gary Burton, magazine distributor; Dr. Fred Richards, friend, advocate and editorial contributor; Jason Studdards, our printer's sales executive; my amazing son, Zachary Dailey, photographer; and last but not least, all of our fabulous male advertising partners. There would be no West Georgia Woman without them!

I also want to extend my sincere gratitude to all of our valued advertising partners – men and women.

Through your partnership with this publication, you have impacted our lives, and the lives of so many women throughout West Georgia. From all of us at West Georgia Woman magazine, thank you.

See you next month!

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Publisher

Finding our voice. Knowing our value. Making a difference.

TM

West Georgia Woman is a voice for and about the women who live and work in West Georgia.

Our mission is to engage, inspire, and cultivate a cohesive community for all women in West Georgia by sharing our hopes, our dreams and our lives.

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We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Contact us: (404) 502-0251 Online: www.westgeorgiawoman.com

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Get yours from our racks at Kroger, Publix, Southern Home and Ranch and Food Depot (Maple Street) in Carrollton. We have them at Lee-King and Lee-Goodrum pharmacy locations in Newnan, the Inspiring women wanted.

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The views, opinions, positions or stratWest Georgia Woman is a monthly pubegies expressed by the contributing lication of Angel Media, LLC. All contents of authors are theirs alone, and do not this issue are copyright 2020. West Georgia necessarily reflect the views, opinions, Woman magazine, its logo and “Finding our positions or strategies of Angel Media, voice. Knowing our value. Making a differLLC., West Georgia Woman magazine ence.” are trademarks of Angel Media, LLC. or any employee thereof. Angel Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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West Georgia Woman Magazine P.O. Box 2782 Carrollton, GA 30112

Volume 5 • Issue 10 August 2020

Follow us! @WestGaWoman

This publication is dedicated in loving memory of Tristan Alexander Brooks May 15, 1993 – September 17, 2015

Angela Dailey angela@westgeorgiawoman.com

Copy Editor Editorial Contributor

Shala Hainer shala@westgeorgiawoman.com

Photographer for cover Zachary Dailey

Editorial Contributors

Charlene Brooks and Rose Isaacs

Advertising Sales

Sales@westgeorgiawoman.com Angela Brooks Dailey, owner and publisher of West Georgia Woman magazine, has lived in West Georgia most of her life and has a deep love and appreciation for the area.

She received her B.B.A in management from The University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga., and is a Civil and Domestic Relations mediator and arbitrator registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. She lives in Carrollton, and has two wonderful children, Zachary and Sydney Dailey.

Angela enjoys reading, spending time with her children and extended family and loves to watch Sydney play soccer.

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School of Thought

Educator Trent North Dedicates His Life to Serving Children in West Georgia

Photos by Mark Steffey

Photos courtesy of Douglas County School System 8

W

hen Trent North was growing up in Carrollton, Ga., he learned early on that no one was going to hand him anything – he knew he would have to work hard to gain friendship and respect from his peers.

He grew up in an impoverished family and spent his young life in Carrollton's public housing projects, which he says has had a positive and profound impact on him and has helped define who he is today.

"Growing up poor taught me how to fight for resources," he shares. "It taught me how to be respectful of everyone and the importance of family.

It taught me how to maximize my work ethic and to value education. With one basketball court in my community, I learned that I must work hard, practice and make friends to earn a spot on the basketball court. I learned at an early age that whatever I wanted to do, I must do more."

With grit and determination to succeed, Trent rose above his early circumstances and became a prominent member and supporter of his community – first in Carrollton as a teacher, middle school principal and county commissioner.

He now serves the Douglasville community as superintendent of the Douglas County School System (DCSS).

School Days As a child, Trent was extroverted and a voracious reader. He says he slept a lot and was a great dancer. He was also very popular in high school.

He was voted "Most Friendly" in Carrollton High School's senior superlatives and received runner-up for "Best Dressed" and "Most Flirtatious."

After high school, he attended the University of West Georgia (UWG) and received his bachelor's degree in political science. He furthered his education to include a master's degree in educational leadership – also from UWG – and a specialist's degree in leadership and curriculum from Lincoln Memorial University.

He met his wife, Toya, at UWG. "I immediately knew she was the one," he says. "She keeps me grounded and completely understands me. She is my best friend. She taught me the nuances of navigating the middle class."

When Trent finished his undergraduate degree, his original plans were to go to law school. But, he missed the timeline for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test).

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for admission purposes by all ABA-accredited law schools and Canadian common-law law schools, according to the Law School Admission Council.

After missing the LSAT deadline, Trent had a chance meeting with a former high school coach.

The coach asked Trent if he would be interested in a paraprofessional (educational assistant) position for a world geography teacher in the Carrollton City School System (CCSS).

Trent jumped on board and never looked back.

"The principal asked me if I could be a teacher after my first day," he says. "I have no regrets."

Dedicated to Children

Trent is deeply committed to children and their families in West Georgia, as evidenced by his lifelong career as an educator.

He spent 26 years in the CCSS serving in the roles of a paraprofessional, a history and government teacher at Carrollton Junior High School, assistant principal of Carrollton Elementary School and founding principal of the New Horizons Alternative School.

He spent the last seven years of his career in Carrollton as principal of Carrollton Middle School. He also served five years as director of community affairs, program compliance and human resources.

On June 1, 2017, he began an exciting new chapter in his life when he was appointed as superintendent of the DCSS, replacing Gordon Pritz, who retired after seven years as superintendent and 40 years in education.

Trent was selected from a pool of 44 applicants from across the country.

As superintendent, Trent leads a 26,600-student school district that includes 35 schools with a budget of $263 million. DCSS has approximately 3,000 employees, making it the largest employer in Douglas County.

"It has been an honor serving as superintendent," he says. "I am proud to be a part of a district focused on improving students’ readiness for college, career and life. DCSS has an awesome school system. Douglas County does not realize what an awesome resource they have here.

This school system is full of committed educators and parents who want to see every student succeed. Our Board of Education is also committed to preparing students for a lifetime of As superintendent for the Douglas County School System, Trent leads a success. John Maxwell says, 'People 26,600-student school district that includes 35 schools with a budget of don’t believe in visions. They believe in $263 million. DCSS has approximately 3,000 employees, making it the the individual.' I am truly committed to largest employer in Douglas County.

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Political Career

“

My mother modeled what it meant to help others.

She told me, 'Anytime you can help someone, you owe it to them to help them until they are able to help themselves – always.'

In addition to being an educator, Trent served as a Carroll County commissioner for 24 years.

Serving as vice-chairman, he oversaw an annual budget of $48 million, contributed to the growth of over 3,000 jobs through his support and negotiations with new and relocating businesses, served as a liaison to Tanner Health System, and negotiated board support for construction of the UWG stadium/sports complex and student center.

"I enjoyed being on the Board of Commissioners," he says. "I believe my time and service there had a positive impact on the community. It was time to move on to the next

“

the students and to the Douglas County School System."

chapter. I am grateful for my time in Carroll County and will forever be connected to my former friends and colleagues."

Strong Female Influencers

Trent's mother was a strong role model for him while he was growing up.

She taught him valuable lessons about success and treating others with love and respect. "My mother modeled what it meant to help others," he shares. "She told me, 'Anytime you can help someone, you owe it to them to help them until they are able to help themselves – always.'

'Support the least of them,' was her motto. She has been my hero in my personal life."

Trent's most important influence in his professional life has been Jackie Filinger, a retired educator. She has served as his mentor since 1993, and he always reaches out to her for guidance.

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Helping Young Women Trent and Toya are proud parents of two college-aged daughters. Alecia attends Florida A & M University, and Alexis attends the University of Memphis.

As the only male in his family, Trent has actively pursued equality for young girls and women. "Equality for women isn't just something you talk about," he explains.

He has always tried to make scholarships available for females and has helped with raising funds for female athletes.

Trent shares his insight on leadership at the Main Street Villa Rica Leadership Luncheon.

He says he is committed to Photo by Michael Valentine, courtesy of Main Street Villa Rica. making sure all female students race or religion," he says. "Every child deserves the have access to the same resources and privileges as right to continue the family tradition of educational their male counterparts. excellence or to be first to start it."

"I will always strongly advocate for my students regardless of socioeconomics, zip codes, gender,

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Trent lives in Douglasville and is proud to call West Georgia home. In his free time, he loves reading books on leadership. He enjoys playing golf because it is a challenge for him. "It is the only sport that can capture my attention," he says. "I get beat all the time, but I love it." He also enjoys playing basketball with his girls.

His favorite part of Carroll County is the Greenbelt. The Carrollton GreenBelt is an 18mile shared-use path designed for non-motorized users and pedestrians. The trail connects existing neighborhoods with the University of West Georgia, the city school campus, city parks and several commercial shopping areas.

In Douglas County, he loves the outdoors and opportunities for passive recreation.

"I love this community because of all the wonderful things this area has to offer," he shares.

"I believe West Georgia is the best place to live, raise a family and educate your children. I love the places of worship, the quality of the school systems, the employment opportunities and the infrastructure. And I am proud of the businesses and industries that are bringing even more growth to our communities." WGW

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Building a Legacy

Contractor Randall Redding Builds Relationships in West Georgia and Beyond 14

Photos by Ivey Redding

R

andall Redding is no stranger to awards and accolades. The 65-year-old CEO of R. K. Redding Construction (RKR) in Bremen, Ga., has pursued a level of excellence that is unsurpassed over the 29 years that he has owned the business.

RKR is licensed in six states and specializes in the new construction and renovations of medical facilities, schools, universities and more. In addition to being the CEO of RKR, he is the CEO of Mill Town Music Hall, a popular country music venue also located in Bremen.

Randall's most recent recognition includes receiving the 2019 Bremen Junior Women’s Club Citizen of the Year award on Nov. 7, 2019; he and his wife, Tena, were awarded the Carroll County Chamber Business of the Year Award for Mill Town Music Hall in March; and on June 12, 2020, he was named as the recipient of the prestigious Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGC Georgia) Skill, Integrity & Responsibility (SIR) Award.

AGC Georgia, is the leading association for the construction industry. The annual SIR Award recognizes deserving individuals who have shown a lifetime of exemplary service and have made substantial contributions to the AGC organization, the construction industry and to their community.

Always humble, Randall has never been one to seek out recognition for himself. Instead, he is quick to share that it's a team effort. "I appreciate that.

They are very kind to recognize me," he says. "It recognizes our family and our businesses. We all work together, so whenever they honor me, they honor everyone."

Raised on Faith Randall was born and raised just outside of Bremen and attended school in Buchanan through the sixth grade. In the seventh grade, he switched schools and went to school in Bremen until he graduated in 1973.

His mom and dad raised him in a Christian home – his dad was a Baptist minister who started Calvary Baptist Church in Bremen – a church that is still active today. The first four members of Calvary Baptist were his parents, Randall and his sister.

His parents were also owners of the M&W Cafe in Bremen.

The City of Bremen was once called the "Clothing Center of the South" due to the men’s suits that were made and shipped across the United States.

Famous leaders such as Bear Bryant and President Jimmy Carter would buy their clothes in Bremen.

During the clothing industry's peak in the 1970s, there were approximately 2,500 Bremen residents – mostly women – who worked in the clothing manufacturing plants, according to West Georgia Textile Heritage Trail. The majority of the city’s clothing manufacturers closed in the 1980s and 1990s due to falling profits caused by foreign competition and the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994.

"In Bremen's heyday, everyone ate in that restaurant," says Randall. "I helped my parents by wiping down tables, bussing tables and serving coffee and tea – taking care of the people who worked in the plants, the executives and industrial leaders who ate there."

A Building Background Randall's great-grandfather had been a selftaught architect and was an accomplished builder in the area. Randall's grandmother would often talk about her father's work and would take Randall to see some of the buildings and homes his greatgrandfather had built.

Randall had a wonderful relationship with his grandparents on his mother's side. They were both very active, planted a garden each year and loved being outdoors – things Randall enjoyed as well.

His grandfather would find scrap wood, and he would bring it to Randall for his building projects.

His grandmother would give Randall quarters to go next door to the country store to buy nails.

"I’d build things in the back yard and in trees on our farm, and she would come out and inspect them and sit in the hut with me for a while," he says.

"That’s how I fell in love with building as far back as I can recall. They were both very inspirational to me. I loved them and loved staying at their home as much as my parents would let me."

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By the time Randall reached the seventh grade, he had pretty much decided he was going to work in the construction industry. "That’s what I really wanted to do with my life," he says. "I’ve always felt it was my calling to be a contractor." He began to work construction jobs in the summertime while continuing to help his parents in the restaurant.

Learning the Hard Way When Randall and his longtime friend, Robin Worley, graduated high school, Robin was planning on going to Auburn University and wanted Randall to go with him. But college wasn't something that Randall's family had ever discussed. No one in his family had ever attended college.

"It wasn’t that college wasn’t important," he says.

"It just wasn’t talked about in our home. So, I didn’t prepare by taking the right courses in high school."

This would prove to be a challenge that young Randall would be almost unable to overcome.

Set on going to Auburn with Robin, Randall applied to the School of Architecture. Because he had not taken the prerequisite courses in high school that he needed to get into the program, Auburn sent him a letter declining his application a few weeks later. He was upset, but determined, and went to see one of those industrial leaders he knew from working at the M&W Cafe. This man was a large contributor to Auburn, and the athletic building had been named after him.

After Randall told him about his plight, the businessman immediately had his secretary call the president of Auburn, Harry M. Philpott. The man told Harry he had watched Randall grow up in the restaurant, that he was a hard worker and he knew Randall was going to be successful – they just needed to give him a chance.

"He hung up the phone and said, 'Now listen, you’re going to be admitted into building technology,' which I didn’t event know existed but it was exactly what I needed to be in," Randall explains. "Then he told me, 'Now, you don’t get that many breaks in life – make the most of this.'"

Randall told him he would do his very best to make him proud.

"So, I got in, but I was not qualified," he laughs.

"And I quickly figured that out. I was so far behind not taking the math courses, and frankly, it was an engineering degree."

When Robin and Randall first began attending college, they both tried out for their favorite college sports, hoping to walk on the teams. Football for

Robin, wrestling for Randall. During this time, the SEC (Southeastern Conference) included college wrestling.

When Randall was a sophomore in high school, Bremen started a wrestling program. He wrestled for three years, and helped bring home the state championship during his senior year – Bremen's first state championship on record. His decision to try out for the Auburn wrestling team was influenced by Coach "Sonny" Dragoin, Auburn's head golf coach.

"Coach Dragoin was at our awards banquet and he said to me, 'I hear you’re going to Auburn.

You need to walk on the wrestling team.' So, I just kind of took it as that’s what I needed to do," says Randall. "My college roommate Robin walked on the football team and I walked on the wrestling team."

Auburn's wrestling coach was a legend, and Randall was honored to earn a spot on the team.

"I worked hard to get on that team," he says. "I worked with all the first string athletes to push them as much as I could to make them better. That was my job."

He wrestled two years for Auburn, but during his sophomore year, he was having difficulty trying to catch up on learning the prerequisite math while taking his regular coursework and juggling wrestling at the same time. He knew he would have to stop wrestling. He also had an unsettling encounter with one of his college professors during this time that would change the course of his life.

One day, during a lab class, the college professor tapped Randall on the shoulder and told him to come into his office. He pushed a piece of paper across the desk and told Randall to sign. It was a transfer out of the building technology program.

"I asked him, 'What is this about?' says Randall.

"The professor said, 'You have to sign this because you have to leave building technology and get into another degree.' I told him, 'No. I'm a builder,' and he said, 'No, no, no. You're not a builder. I've never seen anyone less qualified to be a builder than you.'

I refused to sign. He was screaming at me, but I just got up and went back into the class."

Randall made a C in that class, but it was the last one he would ever make. "He built a fire under me, and I was determined," he says. "I started working about eight hours a day studying." A close friend took Randall under his wing and tutored him in math, science and physics. From that point on, he made the Dean's list every quarter.

"I appreciate that professor," he shares. "He actually inspired me. I needed that wake-up call and the extra incentive. I fell in love with learning and

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Along with his rigorous studying, Randall worked for a home builder his junior and senior years. He graduated college in 1976 and received an A-plus on his thesis – something the thesis jury rarely gave.

First Love Randall met his first wife, Cindy, in high school, and they began dating when he finished college.

In 1978, they were married and had a son, Randall Keith Redding Jr., (Keith) in 1982. After only 10 years of marriage, the couple was shocked to learn in August 1988 that 31-year-old Cindy had breast cancer. She battled the disease, went into remission and they went on with their lives.

In college, Randall had always dreamed of owning his own construction company. After working for other companies for several years, he and Cindy made the decision to start their own, and RKR was born in 1991. RKR had two employees at first – Randall and Cindy. Then, as they began landing some contracts, Tony and Debbie Lovvorn came on board to help build the company.

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See website for details.

Everything was working out well for the couple.

They had a wonderful young son, a promising future with RKR and, as young parents do, they centered most of their lives around Keith's sports and Cub Scouts. Then, the unimaginable happened. Shortly after starting RKR, Cindy learned that the cancer had moved into her bones. Although the news was devastating, they were determined not to give cancer any more of their time than was necessary.

"We were very young and had a young son," he shares. "We approached cancer in a way that we did what we had to do with the cancer but at the same time she wanted – and I did too – to try to have a normal life, as much as we could." Randall was a Cub Scoutmaster, and he and Cindy stayed very active in Keith's life. "She focused on living and not on dying," he says. "That’s what we all did, and that’s how we approached life. I saw how faithful the Lord was during those days. Giving us peace and keeping us with joy in our home. It didn’t cause us to lose our faith – it caused us to grow deeper roots.

I just learned to trust Him more deeply during that time. I think that was true, not only for me, but for my wife and our son as well."

Sadly, after bravely battling cancer for five years, 36-year-old Cindy passed away the day before

Keith's 11th birthday.

"That’s the way life is," he relates. "We just have to deal with it. It certainly leaves an impression and imprint on your life forever. But He works all things together for our good, and He certainly worked it for her good. She’s in heaven and not concerned about anything, and what was waiting for her preserved us as well. God is faithful."

New Beginnings Randall was introduced to his current wife, Tena, through mutual friends, Ed and Carol Hogan. He knew of Tena because she went to Bremen High School, but because she is 10 years younger than Randall, they didn't really know each other. They met over dinner at the Hogan's home, and hit it off immediately. They have been married 26 years and have a daughter, Ivey, together.

He and Tena have a home on an original farm his grandfather owned in Bremen. They split their time between there and another home they have in Vinings, Ga. Keith is 38 years old and is the president of RKR. A 2004 Auburn graduate, he has a home on the same farmland with his wife, Brooke, and their four children: Cindy Claire (named after her late grandmother), 11, and natural triplets, Randall Keith Redding III (Tripp), Livi and Lyla, 8.

Ivey is 22 and recently graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., with a degree in religion and the arts. She lives in Tennessee and works as a writer, photographer and videographer.

Randall and Tena have a beautiful family dog named

Randall, with his wife, Tena.

Randall says their family dog, Harley, runs the house.

Harley, a Shih Tzu. "He runs the house," Randall laughs.

R. K. Redding Construction RKR has become a trusted leader in the construction industry. The company Randall and Cindy started with only two employees in the beginning has grown to around 70 today.

Well known for their quality work and exemplary customer service, some of their projects include the Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville, Ga., the Greek Village, bookstore and renovation of the old auditorium at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, the West Georgia Technical College Allied Healthcare building in Newnan and the Tanner Health System expansion in Carrollton.

As CEO, Randall's primary duties include business development, working and communicating with new clients, working with the marketing department, accountants, insurance companies and with RKR's bonding company. Construction companies are required to work with a bonding company, which is similar to an insurance company. A bonding company writes a policy guaranteeing owners the construction company will complete the project.

"That’s a big investment, and they are trusting us to do it well," he says.

Randall also works with the AGC (Association of General Contractors) regarding safety protocols.

RKR's culture has always been focused on client satisfaction. He says they work very hard to take care

19

of clients and make the construction process as easy as possible. Clients feel comfortable with his staff and become friends with them. Over 80 percent of RKR's projects are with repeat clients. "We provide a great end product that will last for generations," he explains. "They know they can trust us and that we will take care of them. They feel like they are getting more than what they are paying for."

"It’s a real magnet for bringing economic activity to that area," he says. "It doesn’t take anything out of the community – it adds to the community."

A Shocking Diagnosis

In 2016, Randall began experiencing twitching in his muscles. At first, he brushed it off; he worked out three times a week and thought he may have overdone it during his regular workouts. Then, he Gone Country began to experience muscle weakness. He went to When the Ingles on Business 27 in Bremen moved see a neurologist in 2017 who began tracking the to a different location (Walmart had already moved progression of the muscle weakness and ran some from that location a few years prior), the Reddings tests. In January 2019, Randall visited Dr. Jonathan decided to buy the shopping center through their Glass, a neurologist at Emory University. rental company, Tendall Properties, LLC, and split it Randall finally had a name for his illness. He was into smaller spaces to rent to other businesses. diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

It was important to Randall and Tena that the shopping center would continue to be a vibrant part ALS is extremely rare. In 2016, only 14- to 15,000 Americans had ALS, according to the National of the Bremen community.

"I knew that people in Bremen continued to drive Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. down Business 27 to get to Carrollton," he explains. With ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the "I had never owned or been a part of a music venue, lower motor neurons deteriorate or die, and stop but after much prayer, I felt confident that was what sending messages to the muscles. No longer able to function, the muscles gradually weaken, begin to we should do."

In January 2012, they opened Mill Town Music twitch and waste away. Eventually, the brain loses its Hall. Mill Town is a 1,040-seat family friendly concert ability to control and initiate voluntary movements. venue that hosts about 25 to 30 concerts each year.

Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, The venue primarily hosts concerts of classic country, usually within three to five years from when their bluegrass, 90s country, Motown, gospel artists and symptoms first appear. People with ALS normally retain their ability to perform higher mental classic pop/rock. Notable performers include The processes such as problem solving, reasoning, Charlie Daniels Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, The understanding and remembering, so they remain Temptations, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride and Tanya Tucker. Mill Town also rents its space for fundraising very aware of their progressive loss of function. events and conferences.

The news came as more of a shock to Tena than Over the last nine years, fans have come from all to Randall. He already had suspicions that he had over the country to attend the concerts and all of the ALS after researching his symptoms. hotels and restaurants fill up to capacity.

"I know what ALS means and what it does," he relates. "Obviously it was a shock to be diagnosed with it. I had already about decided that it was ALS. I’d been thinking that about a year and a half when things just kept progressing, and I was losing some strength in my right shoulder. I couldn't lift the weight that I had been lifting at the gym anymore, and that was a sure sign of ALS. He kept his diagnosis quiet until he and Tena could explain the situation to their family. Over a period of time, they sat down with Background: View from the foyer of Mill Town Music Hall. Inset: Inside Mill Town Music the people at RKR, their friends Hall. The venue seats 1,040 people. Photos courtesy of Mill Town Music Hall.

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and their clients and shared the news. "I know I’ve got great friends and people who love our family and me, so I wasn’t hesitant about sharing it," he says.

"It’s just a part of life. I never did try to squelch it or deny it. It goes back to being transparent. I don’t live my life that way, and I don’t deal with business that way. We don’t try to keep people in the dark.

We’ve had amazing support from the community, our friends and our family."

wanted to see them," he explains. "It's important to just be doing those kinds of things because none of us are guaranteed another day – if you really think about it. So, just taking time to really enjoy life. You savor each moment. It’s really been a precious time in my life, frankly, because you begin to have good conversations with people that maybe you wouldn’t have otherwise. You wouldn’t sit down and tell your friends you love them and how much they mean to you until you know that you need to take these moments and not miss it so, in that regard it’s been a Living Life to the Fullest really precious time."

Although Randall is well aware of his prognisis, he The disease has progressed fairly quickly over the remains consistently calm and steady, his faith in God last year. Randall has lost all strength in his arms and never wavering.

He says he hasn't really experienced legs and is now in a wheelchair. He still has some use any anger, sadness or depression. in his hands and is able to eat, speak and breathe "I really haven’t," he says. "Even when I’m by without complications. myself, I’m not He plans on sitting around working as CEO of being angry or RKR for as long as frustrated. You he can. just deal with it.

"I don't go You can’t change to the office as it, but at the much, but at my same time there’s age, I probably no reason to be wouldn't anyway," frustrated because he explains. "I get it doesn’t help any. up every morning.

I really don’t allow I’m working every myself to stay day. I’m very much there or live in that connected, and I Randall, with Tena, center, and their daughter, Ivey. place. I’m happy. always will be as long as I can go. Obviously, going from a very active I’m just going to deal with it with the Lord’s help each day. That’s what I’m doing. He’s been good to me life to one that’s in a wheelchair, it’s a change. But, thankfully, the Lord has walked with me. He gives me continuously." peace, contentment and joy.

"It doesn’t matter that I’m in a wheelchair. And I A Lasting Legacy have great people who come in to help me at home.

I have great friends that help me. My son has started "I hope people remember that I was a good friend coming over and helping Tena with me. We're doing and a good husband and father," he shares. "I hope what we can and doing what Cindy and I did when they remember that I was a good builder. That I was she was sick – continuing to live life, enjoy each day a person who wanted to see people succeed in their and not focus too much on the future when it comes lives and tried to provide opportunities where each one could flourish and be the most that they could to that. I don’t want to miss out on today thinking about what could happen tomorrow. I just don’t live be. like that."

"That I, hopefully, helped build a community that will last for generations. Buildings, hospitals, schools Since his diagnosis, Randall has continued to and different churches. It will be a strong legacy for create fond memories with his family and friends. all of us associated with R. K. Redding Construction.

"Time with my family is precious," he shares.

Hopefully, we helped the community become a The family went to Europe last year and had a better place, too, in a small way. That’s what I hope great time in Florence, Italy. He and Tena also went on a fall leaf tour to see the Aspens in Colorado and people will remember about me. I’m not afraid at all.

God will be with me every step of the way and I’m continued on to Connecticut, Boston and Maine. not alone so, I’m not afraid." WGW "I had never seen the Aspens in the fall, and I

21

Bringing Country to Carrollton

Revamped Black Tie & Boots Event Will Spotlight New Campus Site Photo: Official architectural rendering of the new West Georgia Technical College Carroll Campus classroom building.

T

he West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) Foundation Executive Director Kelsey Jones. “We Foundation is shaking things up for its 19th made this decision in the best interest of everyone’s annual Black Tie & safety and comfort Boots and is bringing longconsidering COVID-19 time country music favorite, restrictions. We will take Sawyer Brown, to Carrollton every measure to prioritize to celebrate. safety, including offering Traditionally, Black Tie additional handwashing and & Boots is held at the hand sanitizer stations and Murphy Campus Conference implementing best practices Center in Waco, Ga. When in live entertainment and COVID-19 restrictions food service.” threatened to cancel this In addition to the venue year’s event, the Foundation change, general admission and college had to get tickets will be available creative. With the help of the for the public for the first Carroll County Development time in years. “I am excited Authority and county and that we can offer general city officials, they were able admission ticket sales this to secure a new venue and year, allowing us to invite date for the concert. more of our community “The Foundation is to engage with us and excited to host this year’s enjoy this event,” says event outdoors on October WGTC President Dr. Scott 2, 2020 at Buffalo Creek Rule. “WGTC really is the Technology Park – the site community's college and Long-time country favorite Sawyer Brown will perform at of the new WGTC Carroll the West Georgia Technical College Foundation’s annual it is so important to me Campus,” says WGTC that we give everyone the Black Tie & Boots event on Friday, October 2.

22

opportunity to participate.”

Although Black Tie & Boots has been revamped in some ways, having a popular and talented performer is one thing that will never change. This year’s headliner, Sawyer Brown, joins the long and star-studded list of country music performers who have taken the stage at this annual event, including Blake Shelton, Little Big Town, Wynonna & the Big Noise, Lonestar and last year’s performer, Craig Morgan.

Since their debut on “Star Search” in the early 1980s, Sawyer Brown has released 23 studio albums with more than 50 chart WGTC's 2019 Black Tie & Boots featured Craig Morgan. Photo by Tim McClain. singles. In addition to the band’s success on country radio, the group has taken scholarships and general support to WGTC. home CMA, ACM, CMT and MCN awards. However, “While we have all been under the cloud of this Sawyer Brown is most known for their wildly pandemic, we felt we needed to craft our own silver entertaining live performances, having played more lining. We are so excited to bring Carroll County – than 4,500 shows across the world. and all of West Georgia – a new event format this Besides boasting a talented headliner, Black Tie & year,” says Rule.

Boots offers VIP packages so that guests can support “Moving to an outside venue has given us the the WGTC Foundation while enjoying dinner, drinks opportunity to showcase our new Carroll Campus that and dancing. All proceeds of the event benefit will be home to 22 programs in high-demand career WGTC Foundation’s mission that includes providing fields. We fully expect to open for students in 2022, for its Gap Funding program, need-based student so this is a great opportunity to celebrate that on the horizon. It has also given us the opportunity to work closely with our friends at the Development Authority, Carroll County and the City of Carrollton. I feel so encouraged to live and work in a community that is this creative and willing to work together. I don't think Now with TWO locations! we encountered a single ‘no’ or nay-sayer during the entire planning process.”

302 A Newnan St Opportunities for partnership, which include access Carrollton, GA (678) 390-6580 to the VIP area and reserved concert seating, are available now. For information on partnering with the WGTC Foundation, contact Kelsey Jones at kelsey. jones@westgatech.edu or 404.807.2038.

General admission tickets will go on sale to the public in mid-August. Follow WGTC on social media and more! for updates and visit the website at www.westgatech. edu/black-tie-boots for details on this year’s event.

211 Gordon St Bremen, GA (770) 537-1236

and more! www.spa316.us

West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers more than 120 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is the fourth-largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges. For more information, visit www.westgatech.edu.

Sawyer Brown is a five-man band including singer Mark Miller, keyboardist Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard, lead guitarist Shayne Hill, bassist Jim Scholten, and drummer Joe Smyth.

Visit www.sawyerbrown.com for more information. WGW

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Daily Fare With

e s o R f e h C

Photos by Zachary Dailey

26

Chef Rose Isaacs is a native of Carroll County and lives in Carrollton with her husband Shawn and their son, Sebastian.

She graduated from West Georgia Technical College in 2013 with a degree in Culinary Arts.

After graduation, she began her career as a chef at the Carrollton Kroger Marketplace where she works in the bistro.

"

This recipe makes perfect use of the wonderful vine-ripened tomatoes that are in season.

"

Cherry Tomato Tart Ingredients

10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle 1 package slightly thawed puff pastry 4 tablespoons cream cheese 2 egg yolks 1 tablespoon Parmesan, finely grated 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives Handful fresh basil leaves

Preparation Heat the oven to 400°F.

Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle

with a little oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast tomatoes for 20 minutes until softened and they

turn sticky.

While the tomatoes are roasting, unroll the pastry and cut

into 4 rectangles.

Transfer to a baking sheet.

Prick the middles with a fork leaving a half-inch edge

around each rectangle.

Bake for 8 minutes until puffed up and just starting to

turn golden.

Gently press the centers of the rectangles down with your

fingers or a small spoon, leaving the border raised higher.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, 1 egg yolk,

Parmesan and chives, and divide among the tarts.

Top with the tomatoes, then lightly beat the other yolk

and brush over the pastry borders.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the pastry is puffed and

golden.

Serve drizzled with oil and scattered with fresh basil

leaves.

Serves 4.

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Pineapple Coconut Chia Breakfast Popsicle

Ingredients 13.5 ounce can coconut milk (full fat) 2 tablespoons chia seeds

3 teaspoon honey or agave 1 cup pineapple

Preparation

"

Makes a great breakfast on the go or an afternoon snack. Try with different fruit purĂŠes such as strawberry, mango or papaya.

28

"

Mix coconut, chia seeds, and 2 teaspoons honey in a bowl.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes and allow chia seeds to plump from the coconut milk.

In a food processor or blender, blend pineapple and 1 teaspoon of honey until smooth.

Layer coconut chia mixture with purĂŠed pineapple in popsicle molds alternating each until the mold is full.

Top with popsicle sticks and freeze until solid.

Serves 4. WGW

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From the U.K. to the U.S.A.

British DJ Richard Turnbull is Rocking in the U.S.A.

Photos by Zachary Dailey 30

R

ichard Turnbull was born in York, in Northern England and grew up near the town of Ilkley in the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales.

"Charlotte Brontë and Beatrix Potter country," Richard explains.

Another well-known celebrity, famous author and veterinarian, the late James Wight, known by his pen name, James Herriot, practiced for almost 50 years in the farm country of the Yorkshire Dales.

Herriot is best known for writing a series of eight books about animals and their owners set in the 1930s to the 1950s.

Raised in a rural community, Richard loved being in the outdoors. "You get used to the rain and the cold early on," he laughs.

"It is a very beautiful part of the world," he says.

"I feel very blessed to have been raised there. There are some fantastic places and things to see. The people are very different in the North – they're a lot more friendly than those in the South of England."

Richard goes back home to visit his 83-year-old mother and his four boys, ages 12 to 21, twice a year. "When I do go back, it’s great to be a tourist and enjoy all the things that I was too busy to do when I lived there," he relates.

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623 DIXIE STREET – CARROLLTON, GA of music and seeing the positive impact it had on people of all ages was the driving force behind his career decision. Richard's first paid DJ’ing job was at the Ilkley Rugby Club. Rugby is a full-contact team sport that has some similarities to American football.

The sport originated in England in the first half of the 19th century.

"That was back in the days when you had to put pennies on top of the needle to stop it from bouncing from everyone dancing – kids ask your granny what I’m talking about," he laughs. "I wanted to be, and have been, a DJ ever since I was a young boy."

Richard's mom and dad always encouraged him to follow his dreams – no matter what. "My mother and my father – when he was alive – were nothing but positive about anything I’ve ever wanted to do.

Only as you get older do you realize what a huge effect that has on you," he shares. "Never once have they said, 'Don’t do something.' My Dad had a saying, ‘God loves a tryer,’ and my mom's positivity is 'awesome,' as Americans say. Whilst not everything may have been the success I’d hoped for, I’ve never once been afraid of trying. I think that is a hugely beneficial mindset to have."

From the age of 11 Richard was fascinated by the DJ decks at his local youth club and had dreams Richard Turnbull rocks out the house during one of his gigs. He always wanted to be a DJ, ever since he was a young boy. of being a DJ. His love

Giving England the Boot By 2002, Richard had built a successful DJ and event organizing business in England. While booking a vacation that year, he

31

stumbled upon a 200-year-old farmhouse for sale in Tuscany, Italy. "The house had 15 acres of olive groves, vines and fruit trees nestled in the Tuscan Hills," he shares. "In one word, it looked ‘Idyllic,’ and, remarkably, was the same price as the house I had in England."

He purchased the farmhouse and four months later his family moved to Tuscany. The farm had no bathroom, no kitchen and the roof needed repairs, but Richard tackled the home renovations and farm life with gusto. "I had a great adventure, making olive oil, wine, and cider as well as running a successful building business and launching a magazine for Tuscany," he says. "I was also fortunate to DJ at some of the most amazing castles and villas that you might even see in celebrity magazines."

Their journey in rural Italy – along with the challenges they faced – was featured in several TV series including The Great Italian Escape, No Going Back and A Year in Tuscany. "I know from numerous emails I've received that I have inspired many people to live their dreams, which is a great feeling," he shares.

Richard and his wife later divorced, something that was extremely challenging for his family.

"Divorcing the mother of my children was traumatic for everyone, but I am grateful that the spirit of ‘living life to the fullest’ that was instilled in me has been instilled in my boys too," he explains. "They know that they will always have my love and support in whatever they do."

thought that it would be great to live here, I never thought I would."

Richard's mother was one of seven siblings and grew up in the northern mill town of Huddersfield, England. Her uncle immigrated to America to start a new life. "He encouraged her family to join him in the U.S., but her mother refused to go," he explains.

"When I told my mother that I had met Jane and was moving to America, she said she was happy for me. But the next day, she called me to say that she believed it was 'destiny' that I was going to America and that whilst she may not have gotten there, Turnbulls were meant to be here! Her positivity is awesome."

Richard and Jane live in Carrollton with their pets.

They enjoy mountain biking, playing disc golf and love to explore new places whenever they can.

"My wife Jane is the best thing that ever happened to me," he shares. "Every day I am thankful that I get to do the things I love with the person I love."

Although Carrollton is very similar to where he grew up – apart from the weather – with a mixture of countryside and the city within easy reach, it took a bit of time for Richard to become accustomed to the size of the country and the distance it takes to get from one place to another.

"Drive for three hours in Italy and you could be in another country," he exclaims. "If you do it in England, you’re in the sea! Jane was eager to take me to lots of different places when I first came over.

We would drive for an eternity to see something that was just as nice as where we Coming to America live!"

He likes his new hometown Richard met his current wife, and the people very much, Jane Simpson, in 2015. At and says he has really enjoyed the time, she was the general meeting people he wouldn't counsel for the University of have had the opportunity to West Georgia (UWG) so, it meet before. made sense to the couple for He is amused when Richard to move from Italy he talks about the many to the U.S. after they were misunderstandings and married. miscommunications there have Having made a significant been because of his English move years earlier from accent.

England to Italy, the transition "From the kindly West to the United States wasn't Georgia Woman magazine difficult for Richard. "The move owner who gently corrected my to America was much easier announcement of 'West G A' – at least you speak a similar to 'West Georgia' – 'We don’t language," he laughs. "Most say the letters, 'G' 'A,' we say Brits have a fascination with Richard, the day he received his Green Card in the mail. March 10, 2017. Photo by Angela Dailey.

Georgia,’ – thanks Angela," he America and while I’d often

32

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Carrollton.

"If people aren't expecting an English accent, they certainly aren't expecting one who speaks Italian," he laughs. "An elderly guest said to me in Italian, ‘Play something from Italy,’ to which I replied in Italian, ‘Certainly, not a problem!' I’m still paying for the repair to the floor that he promptly fell through!"

Building a Niche In addition to DJ'ing, Richard specializes in home renovations.

The 54-year-old bought his first home at the age of 19 and has renovated numerous properties Richard, with his wife, Jane. He says she's the best thing that ever happened to him. since then. He normally works with laughs. "The one customer who brought me a pen homeowners and real estate agents with small jobs when I asked for a bin (trash can) and the countless that many builders are too busy to take on. "I love people who have not listened to a word I’ve said but to help people realize their dreams," he explains. politely asked at the end, 'Where you from?'"

"My particular niche is that I can do most things, but He also had an amusing experience when he was don’t want to employ a team that I would then have DJ'ing a wedding at Sunset Hills Country Club in to keep busy, therefore, I am able to help people

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34

with little jobs that many builders just won’t do. This often leads to bigger jobs such as kitchens, bathrooms and decks. It’s also another way that I get to meet people from all walks of life."

In 2018, he and Jane bought an old church built in 1909 on Clem Lowell Road in Carrollton and have transformed it into a beautiful family home. "We saw it purely by chance and instantly fell in love with it," he exclaims. "It has a really welcoming feel to it and there is a calm serenity about the place. We had been looking for a project – seeing as I spend most of my days renovating other people’s houses, we thought, Richard and Jane recently renovated a church built in 1909 and transformed it into a beautiful family home. Inset: The former congregation room has an open floor plan with 'Why not do it for ourselves?' – and 1000 square feet of living space. The home also boasts three large bedrooms and space the opportunity to renovate such a for a home business. Outdoor photo by Zachary Dailey. Indoor photo by Richard Turnbull. quintessentially American looking church was too good to miss. The building sets for movies and TV shows. "I was at 'flip' has been a fun-filled experience, as well as a lot Pinewood Atlanta Studios when they were filming of hard work." the last Avengers film and Robert Downey Jr. walked When they took ownership of the church, it was past me on my first day," he exclaims. full of bibles, pews, the altar and the piano – as if He has also enjoyed being a college student. everyone had just left the last service. They found He just graduated from UWG last month with a good homes for many of the things that were left bachelor's degree in organizational leadership. behind and Richard cut down the long pews and Through his DJ business, UK2U Discos and made breakfast bar-sized pews that he says were Events, Richard supports numerous organizations in really popular. the community as a DJ and emcee "Practically all the neighbors and for local events such as the March people that used to go to the church of Dimes, March for Babies, 5Ks and have called in at some point," he more. says. "Everyone has been delighted "I believe very strongly in giving with the work that we’ve done and back and helping others when with the fact that the building itself possible," he says. "I’m lucky that I will be standing for another 100 enjoy what I do and am more than years – at least. We had one lady call happy to support local organizations in who got married there 50 years and events. My first event here was ago and another lady, now 72, who for a sorority Color Run fundraiser came to Sunday school at the church for Alzheimer’s at UWG. I particularly when she was 6!" enjoy the Carrollton Parks and The former congregation room Recreation's Daddy, Daughter Dance, has an open floor plan with 1,000 which is a great community event."

DJ Richard with UK2U, the best DJ in square feet of living space. The "As you get older, you realize that West Georgia (in our opinion), volunhome also boasts three large teers his services each year as DJ and very few people actually ever find emcee for the March of Dimes, March the one thing that they passionately bedrooms. The former fellowship for Babies. Photo by Angela Dailey. hall provides ample space for enjoy. To have had a lifetime of doing a home business such as yoga, the thing I love – and getting paid massage therapy, fitness or child care. The newly for it – is fabulous. I built a large DJ company in renovated 2,700 square-foot home on two acres is England and then, ended up DJ’ing at amazing villas now on the market for sale. and castles when I moved to Italy. Now I get to play Richard also works for the entertainment industry for Americans! Quite a journey!" WGW

35

Photos by Zachary Dailey

36

Celebrate

HIS SUCCESS

Greener Pastures

Founder and CEO of NG Turf Aaron McWhorter Celebrates 35 Years of Business in West Georgia

37

W

hen most people see a beautiful yard, they may not think about all of the work that goes into producing that high-quality, luxurious lawn. Growing sod takes thousands of hours of painstaking work to develop a product that measures up to the level of excellence that NG Turf clients are accustomed to having at their homes and businesses.

"Our average crop right now takes about 18 months," says Founder and CEO Aaron McWhorter.

"Then, we have to mow it three times a week. We have to keep it weed-free year round. Next, we have to water and maintain it even after we've grown it in.

We sell about 45 percent of the farm a year and the rest is always in transition."

Family owned and operated for 35 years, NG Turf has established itself as an industry leader throughout the Southeast, providing a wide selection of quality premium grass varieties that are backed by superior service and a one-year warranty.

When Aaron began growing sod in 1985, he had only one or two employees. He planted 25 acres of Bermuda grass that first year. NG Turf has grown exponentially from its humble beginnings. The business now has approximately 2,000 acres with farm locations in Whitesburg, Calhoun, Clarkesville and Fort Valley, Ga. It has also expanded into another company – Sports Turf Company – created in December 1991 to meet the needs of the growing athletic field construction business. Recent projects for Sports Turf Company include the Atlanta Falcons training facility in Flowery Branch, Ga., the 1996 Olympic Softball Facility in Columbus, Ga., and numerous projects for the University of Alabama, Mississippi State, Auburn University and the University of Mississippi. NG Turf and Sports Turf Company combined have close to 200 employees, many of whom are certified turf professionals.

Farm Life Aaron's dad, Alton, was a schoolteacher and met Aaron's mom, Opal, when they were both teaching school in Lowell, Ga. They were married in 1937, and Aaron was born 10 years later.

Alton started a dairy farm in Heard County in 1947 after World War II. Aaron grew up learning about hard work from an early age. "We had all the milking equipment, but it's certainly changed over the years," Aaron explains. "The equipment was semiautomatic. You had to handle the milk by hand. It goes directly into a piping system and a cooler now.

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The McWhorter's family reunion photo. L to r: Aaron's brother, Dale, mom, Opal, dad, Alton and Aaron. He turned 16 that year.

Photo courtesy of NG Turf.

That was not the way it was in the 1950s."

Opal stopped teaching for about 10 to 12 years when Aaron was born. Aaron attended first through sixth grades at Heard County School in Centralhatchee. Opal began teaching again when the boys were older and taught 7th and 8th grade students at Roopville. Aaron also attended school there in 7th and 8th grade.

In 1959, Whitesburg and Roopville High Schools were consolidated into Central High School (CHS).

Later, Opal went back and received her library certification because her major was in English. She became the librarian at CHS and worked in the library there for 30 more years.

Aaron's parents were very supportive, and he was active in sports at CHS while also helping his parents with work on the farm. "The only time my parents had to force me to work was when everybody else went swimming," he laughs. "When all my friends from high school went swimming at the lake on Sunday afternoons, we had other responsibilities.

Those were the times working was a problem. But under normal conditions, it was not that big of a deal to work. I wouldn't say we ever had to negotiate that – there was not much negotiation with my dad." His mom was a bit more easy going, he says.

After graduating high school, he went to West Georgia College, now the University of West Georgia. He worked his way through college doing

everything from working as a janitor to working as an 8th, 9th and 10th grade basketball and football coach. "I decided I wanted to coach after I graduated, so I did for a short while at Lamar County High School in Barnesville," he says.

Coming Home Aaron came back home to work on the farm in 1972. They were actively engaged in the dairy business until 1982. "At one time, we had about 340 cows we were milking," he says. “In today’s standards that’s not much, but during that time, it was huge.” They were also growing various agricultural products.

NG Turf's home base is located on a 450-acre farm in Whitesburg. Aaron originally bought that farm in 1978 to grow corn for the dairy operation.

The reason he purchased that location was because the land could be irrigated – the Chattahoochee River adjoins the farm. The original irrigation system was the first one installed in North Georgia and was recently taken down after 40 years.

There were no buildings, only land at first. Storage bins were later put on the farm in 1979 to store the corn for the dairy operation.

Transitioning to Sod By 1983, Aaron had gotten completely out of the dairy farming business. He leased the farm to a farmer from New York State who moved his family and his cows south to live on the dairy farm. Aaron moved off the farm to Carrollton, and the farmer moved in. Aaron contracted with the farmer to grow feed for him. "We were still farming in a way, but we were not milking cows," he says.

"From 1983 to 1985, I only had one employee – two at the most," he relates. "We were growing some wheat straw that landscapers used."

In the summer of 1984, a landscaper was buying wheat straw from Aaron. As they were loading it on a small trailer behind his truck, he casually mentioned to Aaron that he should grow some sod.

“My immediate reaction was, 'Well, what’s sod?'

That’s a true story," Aaron laughs. "I said 'What’s sod?' And he started telling me he used it on home lawns and whatnot and then, I realized what he was talking about. But the term 'sod' didn’t ring a bell with me."

The landscaper gave Aaron the name of a contact from another company where he was buying sod, shared with Aaron what he was paying for it and

shared one more very important fact – that he was having to wait six weeks to get a load of sod because it was in such high demand.

"It definitely got my interest," Aaron says. "I made some calls and looked into it. The sod business was just in its infancy in the South. It goes back to the 40s and 50s in some parts of the country but was just taking off in the 60s and 70s."

Aaron had a very difficult time getting enough financing, and it was a struggle to pay the loans back in the beginning. "Eventually, we kind of got our head above water," he relates. "It took us a long time, though. We were still farming other things at the same time. We had several hundred acres of soybeans."

He planted his first 25 acres of Bermuda grass in 1985. After 12 months, he harvested the first grass in late June 1986. His son, Mark, and daughter, Merett, grew up with the business and assisted with the first harvesting.

"Mark had just turned 14 and my daughter, Merett, was 10," he says. "The harvester had autosteer on it, and she would sit on the tractor and hold it while Mark and I were standing on the back. When we'd get close to the end, I would get off, run to the tractor controls and get it lined back up. I would turn the auto on and she would sit in the tractor seat and hold it while we harvested. That's not unusual on a farm for young kids to work. I started working on my parents' farm earlier than that."

Mark is now the president of NG Turf, Merett is vice president of marketing and golf course sales, his other daughter, Natalie, is special projects coordinator and Natalie's husband, Jutt Howard, is

Aaron with his family. Back row l to r: Son, Mark McWhorter, Aaron, Son-in-law, Jutt Howard. Front row l to r: Daughter, Merett McWhorter Alexander, wife, Linda, and daughter, Natalie Howard. Photo courtesy of NG Turf.

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vice president of business operations.

"I always have enjoyed working with my children in the business," he says. "I told my two older kids when they were in high school that I’d pay them more than McDonald's paid, so we paid them a little extra money to work for us."

A True Family Business Not only does Aaron's immediate family work in the business, but the entire company is more like one large family. There are many close relationships, and some of the employees span across multiple generations of families. The company has several celebrations throughout the year to bring everyone even closer together.

The result of this caring, family atmosphere is that the employees treat NG Turf customers the same way – just like family.

"We've always had our employees' immediate family at our Christmas get togethers," Aaron says.

"The last few years, we've had them at UWG and we'll have around 350 people – kids, families. The employees get bonuses and awards, the wives get Christmas presents. The kids get to order their gifts, within reason, and they are all individually given their gifts – hand wrapped. There's entertainment, music, lunch, Santa Claus is there. People who have retired from NG Turf come. Trying to find a venue large enough has been a real challenge."

Aaron also holds a "Dinner and Doves" event the first Saturday in September each year. They

One of NG Turf's Christmas celebrations.

Photo courtesy of NG Turf.

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A beautiful NG Turf lawn.

grow thousands of sunflowers on the farm for the annual dove shoot. He invites customers, friends and politicians. Last year they had about 600 people in attendance.

"We have a tremendous amount of employees who have children who work here in the summer when they’re out of school," he explains.

"We have a long history of hiring employees' brothers, kids and nephews. There are a lot of closeknit relationships here. The interesting thing about agriculture employment is that you can hire younger kids than you can in some other businesses. Our employees will ask, 'Can you find something for my son to do while he's out of school this summer?' It happens a lot."

Aaron feels good knowing that he is helping support families and the local economy, but having close to 200 employees is a huge responsibility for a business owner.

"It is interesting," he relates. "You could construe that to be a lot of pressure to make a payroll every week. And if the money quits coming in, it would quickly turn into a crisis. It's like any other business."

Like most entrepreneurs, Aaron doesn't take any of the success of his businesses for granted. He is always quick to point out that it’s the employees who really make the business a success.

With so many employees, the biggest challenge for Aaron is just keeping everybody headed in the same direction, keeping them engaged and involved – mentally and physically – and looking toward accomplishing something.

"Building the 'esprit de corps,' if you will," Aaron explains. "A synergy of family. I think it's about the company as much as it's about accomplishing the objective, and the objective really is about customer satisfaction – solving a problem. I feel like when we are putting sod out there, we are solving a problem.

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as two years, in certain situations. Then, when the crop is complete, you can't harvest it all at once. "The problem is, you can't sell it all in one day," he explains. "You can't sell anything until the phone rings. There is always the potential challenge of being able to cashflow the business."

There is also the added expense of maintaining the crop Women’s Auto Clinic. until it can be sold.

Freight costs are very Women’s Concierge Service. expensive, and one truckload can weigh up Location is Key to 40,000 pounds. To 770.832.9465 remain competitive in Aaron says the location of his farm has been another key to NG Turf's success in the sod business. their pricing, NG Turf delivers sod to clients The farm is unique because of the favorable soil 134 Bankhead Ave., Carrollton normally within a 200 types, access to the river and its proximity to the www.lamberttirecompany.com mile radius.

Atlanta market. Atlanta was considered at one time "To start your own to be the largest sod market in the world, according business as an entrepreneur and to be successful, to Aaron. NG Turf is the closest farm to Atlanta that you have to be extremely blessed to be extremely has any significant volume, or over 200 acres. No healthy," Aaron says. "You cannot miss work. You other farms come close in the area. have to be physically and mentally able to put in a "The Whitesburg property is what got us in the lot of hours and be there every day. You don't get sod business," he says. "Aaron didn't get us in the sod business. If I had not had this piece of property, sick days like everybody else. It just doesn't happen.

I would probably be teaching school again or doing I was fortunate enough to go over 30 years without missing a day." something else. We have a little nucleus here of For an entrepreneur, running your own business around 800 acres of good soil – rich soil. Our other can be all-consuming. It is often difficult to take even farm locations are much the same." a short time away from operations. "It becomes your life and just about everything," he explains.

His Advice "My two older kids would tell you that we would go When a business owner invests in sod production, on vacation and I would spend half the time on the phone dealing with issues. You're never totally able there is no return on the investment for as much to turn it off. If you think you can turn it off, you better go get another job."

Even when Aaron had triple bypass surgery in 2011, he was only out a little over a week before he was back in the office.

"That was a shock learning I had to have heart surgery," he says. "I never had any heart pains or anything to tell me there was a problem. It was pure luck that I found it.

I bought a physical that included a stress test at a charity auction. I ran the Peachtree Sod is loaded onto a truck for delivery.

We're helping somebody fix their yard. It's really nice to have someone either call or tell me, 'Your people have just done a great job,' and to hear them give a good recommendation."

Customer satisfaction is always the goal at NG Turf, and no matter what the situation may be, they always do their best to make the customer happy.

A cornerstone of NG Turf is education, and many of their employees are certified turf professionals.

They strive to be turfgrass experts and give their customers reliable advice, even after the sale.

"Our goal is 100 percent customer satisfaction, 100 percent on-time delivery, 100 percent quality," he says. "How we answer the phone, how we respond, 100 percent perfection. That's the goal. Do we struggle to reach the goal? Everybody does – we do, too. The other part of that is that if we struggle and we stump our toe, then we will make it right."

Photo courtesy of NG Turf.

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Road Race 25 times and I was running a lot.

I ran that summer. Then, in August I took that stress test and the doctor said you've got a heart problem. Two months later, after multiple tests we did the heart surgery."

Working with Women "I think women would be surprised that a 'farm' would have the staff, quality of service and the professionalism that we have," he shares. "I think they would also be surprised at how many women work here. From time to time we've had several women working on our farms, in sales and driving forklifts.

Merett has done a great job of developing Several women work at NG Turf and Sports Turf Company – in the office, in sales and on the farm. L to r: Michelle McDonald, certified turf grass a relationship in the golf industry that has professional and sales manager, Aaron, Nicky Stacey, certified turf grass been very beneficial to the company. About professional and scheduling manager and Kim Ashby MacColeman, 25 percent of our business is golf, so that's a marketing director. big deal. She not only sells it, she manages the first litter, and he weighed 110 pounds. Tee is it." from the second litter.

Aaron says his best friends have always been In high school, Aaron thought it would be nice female – even when he was in high school. "It's to join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot, funny that the people I was mostly friends with and, but life got in the way. Years later, he thought to I mean, truly friends – not necessarily girlfriends himself, "What happened to that idea? It just kind – those that I just talked with, most of them were of went away." So, in 1995 he earned his pilot's female," he relates. license. He has a small plane on the farm that he

A Full Life For Aaron, the grass is – quite literally – greener on the other side, as he lives close to the farm with his wife, Linda. Along with his three children, he has six grandchildren.

He has a faithful companion in his black Labrador retriever, Tee. A Labrador retriever is something Aaron says he has had with him pretty consistently for the last 30 years. He enjoys quail and pheasant hunting, and Tee is always there to retrieve.

Tee's dad, Dakota, was given to Aaron by a customer in August 1994. "He gave him to me, and I wasn't even sure I wanted him," he laughs. "But when I realized he retrieved everything imaginable, that was even better. He hunted with me a lot." In 2000, when Dakota was 6 years old, he developed bone cancer in his right front leg. Aaron took him to Colorado State University, where they were able to remove the cancer bone and graft in a bone from an Akita. The rare procedure was actually filmed by a camera crew from the ABC television show, 20/20.

Since Dakota was likely to be sterile after receiving chemotherapy, Aaron saved his sperm to continue Dakota's lineage for years to come. Tank was from

will occasionally take out to his other farm locations in Calhoun and Perry. "My interest in flying goes way back," he explains. "I started late. I didn't have enough money to do it earlier."

At 73, Aaron is directly involved in overseeing almost every aspect of NG Turf, from building something in the welding shop and repairs to planting in the fields, fertilizing and the business operations of the farm. "You can't have 200 employees and do everything yourself," he relates.

"But you can still have a feel for what's going on.

As long as I'm healthy, I'll be involved. I enjoy it. It's like that old saying, 'If you enjoy what you do, you'll never have to work a day in your life.'" WGW

To learn more about Aaron McWhorter and NG Turf or Sports Turf Company, call 770.431.1340 or visit the website at www.ngturf.com 43

Kids Korner

C

Fun Football Wreath

ollege football officially kicks off Aug. 29. Get your kids in the game with this really easy football wreath. Even the smallest of children will have a ball making this fun wreath.

Show off your team spirit with this adorable mason jar football pennant centerpiece. Using the same materials you used for the wreath, just add markers, a mason jar and two dowel rods and you've scored another fun family football craft.

Materials Green construction paper Brown foam sheets Small roll of thin, white duct tape Scissors Glue Instructions Cut the green construction paper into small rectangular shapes.

Glue pieces together to form a wreath.

Cut six football shapes out of the brown foam sheets.

Glue footballs to the wreath.

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By Charlene Brooks Photos by Zachary Dailey Cut six pieces of white duct tape into 4- to 5-inch strips.

Place one strip vertically on each football shape.

Cut 18 pieces of the white duct tape into 2- to 3-inch strips.

Place three strips horizontally on top of the vertical strip, leaving about 1-inch between each strip.

Hang on your door.

Football Pennant Centerpiece

Materials

Mason jar with screw-on lid Brown foam sheet Small roll of thin, white duct tape 2 12-inch dowel rods Construction paper (favorite team colors) Glue Markers for decorating pennant Instructions Roll up the brown foam sheet horizontally and place inside the mason jar. Trim to fit, if necessary.

Cut two pennant-shapes out of the colored construction paper.

Decorate pennants as desired.

Glue the ends of the pennants to one end of each of the dowel rods.

Cut one strip of the white duct tape to fit the

vertical length of the jar. Stick to jar, leaving about 1/2-inch of space at the top and bottom of the jar.

Cut five pieces of the white duct tape into 2-inch strips. Place the five strips horizontally on top of the vertical strip, leaving about 1-inch between each strip.

Place the pennants in the jar. Go team! WGW

August is National Immunization Awareness Month • • •

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All adults should get recommended vaccines to protect their health Even healthy adults can become ill and pass diseases on to others All adults should get an influenza vaccine each year to protect against seasonal flu, especially older adults (65 and older), pregnant women and people with long-term medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes Every adult should get one dose of Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis) if they did not get Tdap as a teen, and then receive a Td (tetanus and diptheria) booster every 10 years. Women should get a Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy preferably during their third trimesters (27 to 36 weeks) Adults 50 and older are recommended to receive the shingles vaccine Adults 65 and older are recommended to receive both pneumococcal vaccines, and some adults younger than 65 with certain conditions are also recommended to receive one or both pneumococcal vaccines Everyone should have their vaccination needs assessed by a health care professional

Dedicated Healthcare When You Need It Most • 770.832.9689

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