Business
Taking Care of Business
Local groups help businesses come and grow
With more than 2,300 businesses, including some of metro Atlanta’s top firms and the regional headquarters of national and international companies, the Peachtree Corners/Norcross area is in the top 10 economic engines in metro Atlanta.
So says the chairman of the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce (SWGC), one of two local organizations devoted to keep that engine roaring. SWGC works to build a healthy economy and improve quality of life in the tri-cities area of Peachtree Corners, Berkeley Lake and Norcross.
“The chamber was founded on the ABC’s,” SWGC Chairman Weare Gratwick said. “Advocate, Build and Connect.”
The other organization, the Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA), was launched with five key initiatives, including giving businesses a unified voice and making it easier for the business community to interact with the city, said Lisa Proctor, the group’s president and executive founding member. Most of Peachtree Corners’ businesses are small, with 50 employees or less, Proctor said.
“We realize they don’t have all the resources the Fortune 500 companies have, so we are building networking and member opportunities that will bring those resources in,” she said. “We are trying to build real relationships, rather than just that drive-by networking event.”
Both of these organizations began in 2012, the same year Peachtree Corners was incorporated. The city born of technology says its robust business community is one of the reasons it can offer a full-service government that charges no property taxes — residential or commercial.
PCBA and SWGC are working to keep it that way.
Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
SWGC Chairman Weare Gratwick is regional president-Atlanta of Colony Bank and Mayor Pro Tem on the Peachtree Corners City Council. He’s been a city resident for 24 years.
Except for its paid director of sales and member services, Beth Coffey, the chamber is a volunteer organization with currently about 170 member companies.
Its 23-member Board of Directors meets quarterly. A dozen of those members serve on an executive committee that meets monthly with Gratwick and Coffey.
The chairman is especially proud of the group’s continuity of leadership. Every one of its past chairs, who serve one-year terms, has remained involved on a past chairs board.
SWGC promotes area businesses, represents them at government meetings and brings them together in a variety of ways.
Weekly Connect Over Coffee meetings are informal networking sessions where businesses can learn about each other.
“First Friday Breakfast” meetings usually draw about 50 to 100 people and feature speakers that have included Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks; Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash; and Jason West, program manager of the Gwinnett County Environmental Heritage Center, who spoke to the chamber as Button Gwinnett in celebration of the county’s bicentennial.
July’s First Friday will be a Mayors’ Panel, featuring the mayors of all three cities in the SWGC region.
Twice a year the chamber provides a leadership program “for business owners and lower- or mid-level rising stars” in small to mid-sized companies, Gratwick said. “We want to fill those gaps where companies may not provide those services directly,” he said.
SWGC provides an avenue for volunteering, supports community programs and has aided a variety of school programs such as, along with PCBA, the Rotary Club of Peachtree Corners’ Career Exploration Night for high school seniors.
Through its Project Curb Appeal, the chamber has taken on two medians on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard — from Holcomb Bridge Road to Paul Duke STEM High School — for more maintenance and beautification than the county can provide.
“We would like to expand that program north on Peachtree Industrial through Berkeley Lake,” Gratwick said. “We’re filling needs in business and the community and helping support our local schools.”
(Courtesy of Peachtree
Corners Business Association)
Peachtree Corners Business Association
PCBA President Lisa Proctor is the president and CEO of executive search and consulting services firm Sanford Rose Associates — Lake Lanier Islands. She’s lived in Peachtree Corners for more than 25 years.
PCBA is all-volunteer, with about 200 member companies and 575 company representative members across metro Atlanta. In addition to connecting its members, the group recommends member businesses to others and seeks to promote integrity — all through networking meetings, social events, member education and a speaker series.
One recent speaker was Steven Carse who co-founded the King of Pops frozen treats business with his brother Nick in 2010 after he was laid off from his corporate job during the Great Recession.
PCBA also supports community activities and charitable organizations.
“We’re not a civic organization, but this is a great way for a lot of us to be involved with our community,” Proctor said. “At least once a month we hand out a check to one of our local scholarship recipients or local 501C3s that need support.”
PCBA keeps metrics on membership trends, including why businesses close or move out of the city. “We’re not going to solve every problem in the world, but … we want the group to be accessible and for companies to feel comfortable, so we understand the resources they need,” Proctor said.
One of those problems led to a new program called the PCBA Lunch Club, which was launched in May. Proctor knows of one restaurant whose owner said sales dropped by more than $3,000 a week after the city’s new Town Center opened in April, with Farm Burger, Marlow’s Tavern and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill among its current and “opening soon” tenants.
Through the Lunch Club, PCBA member restaurants are filling empty seats by offering discounts to fellow PCBA members and their guests, Proctor said.
“We have to be Switzerland,” Proctor said. “We cannot play favorites with any of the businesses.
“Everyone’s so excited about the new Town Center, and that’s good,” she said. “We’re making sure that we are listening to the established restaurants and (working on) what we can do to encourage people not to forget them.” ■
The strategic acquisition strengthens TransPak’s Southeast presence and expands their capabilities in custom packaging for military, aerospace and high-value equipment.
TransPak, a global leader in logistics, packaging and crating services, recently announced the acquisition of Reid Packaging, a long-standing provider of custom packaging solutions based in Peachtree Corners. Both family-owned and operated companies share a deep-rooted commitment to quality craftsmanship, reliability and customer service, making the acquisition a natural fit.
Reid Packaging, founded in 1982, has distinguished itself as the go-to customer industrial packager in the metro Atlanta region, providing corrugated, foam and custom-engineered crating solutions, particularly in the military and aerospace industries.
Under the ownership of Ward Phillips since 2008, the company has grown to become one of the largest packaging facilities in the region, with a 60,000-square-foot site.
The acquisition will allow TransPak to expand its local manufacturing capabilities in the Southeast, while leveraging Reid Packaging’s expertise in specialized and heavy-duty custom crates.
Strategic Atlanta location and enhanced capabilities
The acquisition is part of TransPak’s strategic expansion into the Atlanta market, a critical logistics hub for both the renewable energy and semiconductor industries.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Reid Packaging into the TransPak family,” said Tomas Molet, executive vice president of East and Midwest Operations, TransPak. “With Reid Packaging’s prime location in Peachtree Corners, we are now able to serve customers throughout the Southeast, including direct routes to the Carolinas and beyond. This acquisition strengthens our ability to meet the needs of existing clients, especially those in the semiconductor and renewable energy sectors.”
In addition to the strategic location, the acquisition brings new manufacturing capabilities to TransPak’s East Coast operations. Reid Packaging’s facility is now the largest of TransPak’s locations in the region. Its offerings include enhanced services, such as heavy-duty and triple-wall corrugated packaging, which will enable TransPak to meet the growing demand for custom-designed packaging solutions for fragile, high-value equipment.
Commitment to employees and leadership appointments
A key focus of the acquisition was ensuring a smooth transition for Reid Packaging’s employees.
“We made a commitment to Ward Phillips to take care of the staff, and we’ve delivered on that promise,” said Molet. “All employees were retained, and we’ve introduced benefits they previously didn’t have as part of our commitment to making this a positive transition for everyone involved.”
Amanda Gautney, a longtime member of TransPak’s leadership team, has been appointed as the operations manager for the Peachtree Corners facility. “I’m excited to work with the team at Reid and continue the legacy of this respected company,” said Gautney.
Looking forward in Atlanta
TransPak plans to continue operating under the Reid Packaging name for the immediate future. However, the facility will gradually transition to full integration under the TransPak brand, reflecting the shared values and commitment to quality of both companies.
About TransPak
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, TransPak has been providing innovative and cost-effective design, crating, packaging and global logistics for over 70 years.
As a customer-focused, women- and family-owned company, TransPak combines the agility of a small business with the reliability of a global powerhouse. TransPak lives by the slogan, “We make it happen,” ensuring that high-value, fragile, and oversized goods reach their destinations safely and efficiently.
For more information about TransPak, visit transpak.com.
Leroy Hite, founder of Cutting Edge Firewood, was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Berry College in August
Berry College recently awarded its annual Distinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit to Leroy Hite, founder of Cutting Edge Firewood (and Berry College graduate, class of 2008). The annual award recognizes and honors alumni who have demonstrated a range of positive entrepreneurial skills — including a commitment to turning a dream into a reality, the vision to create an enterprise, the courage to assume risks and the ability to make changes and take advantage of new opportunities.
“This award holds a special place in my heart, maybe more than any other I’ve ever received,” said Hite. “Being recognized by my alma mater is incredibly meaningful to me.
My entrepreneurial journey began at Berry College. It’s where that initial spark was ignited, and honestly, I’m not sure I’d be where I am today without it. Berry nurtured my curiosity, drive and resilience — the key ingredients to entrepreneurship.”
Innovative entrepreneurship
Berry College professor and leader of the school’s Entrepreneurship Program, Dr. Paula Englis, said that Hite took every class she offered. And when those ran out, he did directed studies with her.
“He always knew he wanted to run his own business, and the growth and success of his firewood enterprise has been a wonder to watch,” she said.
Hite was nominated by Berry alumni Alison Ritter, class of 1994. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also supported Hite’s nomination.
“As a small business owner myself, I have strong appreciation for and recognize the perseverance it takes to build a business from the ground up,” said Kemp. “Leroy’s innovative approach to the firewood industry, focusing on product quality and customer service, mirrors the entrepreneurial spirit that has long driven Georgia’s economic success.”
The company
When Hite founded Cutting Edge Firewood in 2013, he created the world’s first luxury firewood and cooking wood company. He reinvented everything about the firewood industry, from how firewood is dried and stored to how it’s packaged, shipped and delivered. When the company began, it was just Leroy with a one truck and a trailer. Now Cutting Edge Firewood employs 40, stocks enough inventory to fill its 40,000-square-foot Peachtree Corners warehouse and ships wood to all 50 states.
The wide variety of wood from Cutting Edge undergoes a special drying process to ensure that it’s free from unwanted pests, mold or fungus and provides an unmatched clean and bright burn with pleasant aroma. Their focus on process and the use of hardwoods such as oak, hickory, cherry, apple, pecan and maple ensures their customers receive the highest quality firewood, cooking wood and pizza wood possible.
For more information about Cutting Edge Firewood, visit cuttingedgefirewood.com.
To learn more about the Entrepreneurship Program at Berry College, visit berry.edu/academics/majors/entrepreneurship.
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