Atlanta Business Chronicle Market Report 2013

GAINESVILLE /
HALL COUNTY
LEADING
LAWYER
Randall Frost
boosts business
community.
9B
MARKET REPORT
May 24-May 30, 2013
Section B
The science of growth
Hall County a leader in life sciences
industries in Georgia
By Christine Hall
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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he Gainesville-Hall County metropolitan area has flourished
into a hub for life sciences over
the past three decades, and the
Greater Hall Chamber of
Commerce is making an effort to court
additional companies to the area.
“There is a good concentration of talent
resources, and that is driving life sciences
businesses our way,” said Tim Evans, vice
president of economic development for the
chamber.
DIVE IN
Lake Lanier
is just one
of the many
tourism options
in Gainesville.
6B
There
are more
than 400 life sciences companies in Georgia,
and 1 in 40 jobs are tied to the industry,
said Gretchen Corbin, deputy commissioner for global commerce at the Georgia
Department of Economic Development.
The industry typically has good pay —
an average of $59,956 per year — and has
been fairly stable, she added. During the
recession, when employment was down in
the state, life sciences employment
increased, she said.
Within the industry, Georgia has
emerged as a leader in cold chain logistics,
immunology, hematology and medical
devices. Corbin said the medical device
companies, of which Gainesville is a leader,
accounts for 50 percent of life sciences
companies and
27 percent of the
workforce.
“For companies that
need those services, we can
cluster them around each
other,” she added. “Georgia
would be a strong contender for
those looking to invest in people and
resources.”
Research institutions educating the workforce has also been a big factor, Corbin
said. The state’s biotechnology-related
scholars have attracted millions in federal
and private dollars and created some of
the nation’s leading bio research centers
of excellence, according to the economic
development department.
It’s the educated workforce and
proximity to Atlanta that attracted Aeon
Clinical Technologies, which moved to a
28,000-square-foot facility in Gainesville last
November.
Aeon, offering toxicology testing
services, has about 40 people working
in the new space, which was formerly
occupied by a pharmaceutical company,
Shawn Desai, operations manager and
lead chemist for Aeon, said.
Being in Gainesville has enabled the
➤ See LEADER, 8B
CREATING
WORKERS
LEADING
INDUSTRY
Lanier Technical
College, led by
Ray Perren, helps
drive economic
development.
Greater Hall
Chamber
of Commerce
honors industry.
4B
11B
GAINESVILLE-HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
Page 2B • May 24-30, 2013
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
NGMC on cutting edge of medical procedures
By Randy Southerland
dislocations where the ball pops out of
the socket.”
atients fly into Atlanta nearly every
About 90 percent of patients go home
day for advanced medical care at the
the next day.
city’s hospitals. These days some are
For the past several years, NGMC has
driving past the more famous names
made a name for itself as the top cardiac
like Emory or Piedmont on their way to
care hospital in the state. Part of that
Northeast Georgia Medical Center in
excellence has arisen from its willingness
Gainesville, seeking advanced procedures
to experiment with new equipment such as
such as minimally invasive valve replacerobotic angioplasty, a procedure that opens
ment and robotic angioplasty.
blocked arteries with a stent or balloon,
Recognized as one of the best in areas
restoring blood flow to the heart during
such as cardiology, critical care,
a heart attack.
women’s services and others,
Traditional angioplasty
NGMC recently became the only
requires the surgeon to stand
hospital in Georgia to make
beside the patient on a table and
America’s 50 Best Hospitals by
guide small wires and equipment
Healthgrades, putting it among
through the femoral artery in
the top 1 percent of hospitals in
the leg to the heart. Imaging
the country.
equipment displays the proce“It’s a very unique medical
dure inside the body, but puts
DeCook
culture here,” said Dr. Charlie
doctors
and staff at risk for
The Longstreet
DeCook, an orthopedic surgeon
radiation exposure. Now they sit
Clinic P.C.
at The Longstreet Clinic P.C. in
behind a lead-shielded cockpit,
Gainesville. “The physicians seem to be
using joysticks to control how the robotic
at the top of their game. This is the reason
devices move through the body, while
I came here.”
watching the process on monitors.
Northeast Georgia Health System
“The robot is an extra set of hands for
President and CEO Carol Burrell said,
us,” said Dr. Mark Leimbach, chairman
“Our culture here is really very focused
of the Department of Cardiology at the
around continuous improvement — being
medical center and an interventional
better tomorrow than we are today. It’s
cardiologist. “The other thing is that
not our intention to get into any kind of
robots are very good at precisely controlprogram just to get into it.”
ling instruments. It allows us to manipulate
The hospital supports the works of
with more precision than you can with just
physicians who have mastered innovative
your hand alone.”
procedures and equipment. DeCook is one
The medical center is also the first in the
of fewer than a dozen surgeons in Georgia
U.S. to implant eSVS Mesh, an extremely
who performs the anterior approach to hip thin, flexible tube of knitted mesh metal
replacements.
during heart bypass surgery. The surgeon
Instead of making an incision through
takes healthy arteries or veins from other
the hip, the process allows surgeon to
parts of the patient’s body and attaches
avoid cutting muscle and employ X-rays
them to the blocked artery in a way that
for better placement of the artificial joint.
allows blood flow to “bypass” the blockage.
“The advantage is that there is less pain
The mesh is placed around the vein,
and a quicker recovery associated with
like a sheath, to make it stronger and
it,” he said. “There’s also less risk of
prevent enlargement. The sudden
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
P
Advanced
tools:
Surgeons at
Northeast
Georgia
Medical Center
use the HANA
table for hip
replacements.
SPECIAL
enlargement of the vein bypass graft often
results in a buildup of plaque within the
graft that ultimately causes it to narrow
and stop working.
“This could be a real game-changer for
heart surgery,” said Dr. Alan Wolfe, a
cardiovascular surgeon with Northeast
Georgia Physicians Group Cardiovascular
& Thoracic Surgeons. He and a colleague
performed the first implantation of the
mesh as part of an initial feasibility
clinical trial.
Wolfe is also one of the few surgeons
in the country who performs minimally
invasive valve reconstruction surgery.
Instead of making a large opening in the
chest, he makes an incision about the
length of a silver dollar — large enough to
insert a single shaft of instruments into
the chest. He then positions a videoscope
inside the heart through a separate inch
and a half wide working port.
“Instead of peering down through the
hole in the chest, I’m looking at a video
monitor when I operate, which is much
better than you can see with the naked
eye,” Wolfe said.
Minimally invasive surgery means less
trauma and pain for the patient. The
recovery time is also reduced from the
traditional six to eight weeks down to
less than 10 days.
Other minimally invasive surgery
includes work to the back.
While millions suffer from low back
pain, only recently has the sacroiliac (SI)
joint in the pelvis been identified as the
culprit. Small shifting in the joint can
create pain after falls and accidents or
childbirth. While physical therapy can
help, new surgical techniques are effective
in providing a long-term fix for pain.
“At the time I was not a particular
believer in the SI joint as one of the
primary pain generators, but as I looked
into it more I learned it was an underappreciated source of pain in people,” said
Dr. David Weiss, an orthopaedic surgeon
with Specialty Clinics of Georgia. “Most
of the cases are due to relative instability
where there is a very mild increase in
motion in the SI joint, which causes a lot
of pain. Most of those we treat are due
to that.”
Weiss performs a fixation/fusion
procedure at NGMC in which a triangular
shaped biomechanically rigorous implant
designed specially to stabilize the SI is
inserted through a small incision on the
buttock.
NGMC’s willingness to invest in
advanced technology has continued to pay
off, according to Burrell.
“We provide the staff the particular
equipment they need,” she said. “We
support them and their efforts to provide
these more advanced technologies that
provides better patient care outcomes.”
In face of challenge, change for education
or generations, education across
community — a refreshing example of
America has functioned much like
what a community can achieve when it
factories and businesses.
minimizes worry over who gets the credit.
The typical school
At the pre-school level, for
utilizes sequential curriculums,
example, we offer the only
chronological-age grouping of
public dual-language immerchildren and progression
sion programs in the state.
based upon seat time — the
Recognizing the value of a
norm for millions of young
multilingual and multicultural
students. And as the world’s
education, multiple locations
only remaining superpower,
within the Hall County School
the United States could argue
IEWPOINT District now provide a Spanishthat this traditional model has
William Schofield or Mandarin Chinese-based
served us well.
curriculum. Additionally,
However, in our corner of the state, we
numerous lottery-funded public and prihave recognized that the world around us
vate providers offer high-quality programs
is changing dramatically. Thus, the options throughout our community to complement
we provide to best educate and equip our
fee-based options. K-12 choices also
entire citizenry must adapt and respond
abound for Hall County families. In the
accordingly.
public arena, both the Hall County School
Pre-K programs, K-12 options, higher
District and our sister system — the
education and adult learning in GainesvilleGainesville City School District — have
Hall County are evolving rapidly to meet this developed multiple educational pathways.
challenge. Simply said, we are shifting away
Eighteen charter schools and another 11
from knowledge-based education to a system programs of choice offer nearly unlimited
of learning that emphasizes problem-solving, public options for school-age learners.
collaboration and innovation.
Whether a child is inspired by the arts,
To accomplish this transformation, we
technology, life sciences or building
have relentlessly pursued unprecedented
houses for the homeless, we have a
partnerships among our private education, program to meet their individual passions
public education and local business
and bents. Our Lanier Charter Career
F
V
Academy has multiple businesses run by
students, including our locally famous
“Bistro at the Oaks” and the “Reflections
Spa,” which are open to the public.
Riverside Military Academy, Lakeview
Academy and numerous other private
schools here also offer high-quality
affordable options for area families.
Upon graduation in our community,
students are fortunate to have a wide
range of post-secondary options nearby.
The Gainesville campus of the newly
consolidated University of North Georgia
and Lanier Technical College provide
state-of-the-art public college programs.
Brenau University, located in downtown
Gainesville, is consistently rated among
the finest private liberal arts colleges in
the country. Meanwhile, the worldrenowned University of Georgia, Georgia
Institute of Technology, Emory University
and Georgia State University are all within
a 45-mile drive from our county borders.
Our commitment to teach and learn does
not stop after college. Lanier Technical
College has been a leader in supporting
local businesses and new industry through
its partnership with the state of Georgia’s
Quick Start program. This “just enough,
just in time” training option is customized
to fit the needs of both new and existing
industry while providing relevant, costeffective and world-class learning for our
local workforce.
Igniting the spirit of entrepreneurship,
the imaginative Featherbone
Communiversity in Gainesville has been a
business incubator for numerous startups.
At the same time, this program has evolved
into a transformational example of the
power of intergenerational, real-time,
community-based learning for local citizens.
We peer into the future and cannot fully
imagine what skills and competencies will
be required for the next generation to
thrive. However, there is no doubt that all
citizens, regardless of age, must continually grow and develop to fully participate
and excel in a rapidly changing world.
Wanted: Individuals who can innovate,
create and communicate as they make our
world a better place. Join us in GainesvilleHall County, Georgia, where we are
committed to supporting the development
of human potential from “cradle to grave.”
We have set a bolder course for the future,
and we invite you to visit and personally
experience our spirit of educational
innovation.
Schofield is superintendent of the
Hall County School District.
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
GAINESVILLE-HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
Page 4B • May 24-30, 2013
Lanier doubles in education, econ development
By Nicole Bradford
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
n his first day as president of Lanier
Technical College, Ray Perren
reflected on the task of endlessly
researching what skills are needed
by local industries — and then training
people to fill them.
“This is the kind of job where you put
your head on the pillow at night and you
know that you have made a difference.”
The challenge isn’t only to provide a
pipeline for companies that are hiring now,
but to anticipate who is hiring in the
future. Local businesses — and even
future ones — have
been more than happy
to provide feedback. In
fact, even in the wake
of an economic crisis
that sent many a
worker to the unemPerren
ployment line, Lanier’s
Lanier Technical
job placement rate
College
remains above 86 percent. Its five campuses provide
post-secondary education for students in
high school through adults who are either
victims of downsizing or leave stagnating
careers to retrain.
The college maintains contact with area
employees through advisory boards.
“We hear directly from businesses
how we are doing,” Perren said. “Are
our programs meeting their needs?
Are there any trends on the horizon we
need to be preparing for? They are also
very involved in setting up labs that focus
on hands-on instruction. The businesses
help design labs to reflect what’s going
O
on in the workplace, so our graduates are
ready to go to work on day one.”
Today, Lanier is focusing future programs
on predicted growth in biomedical and
engineering technology fields.
Health care is an area where demand is
currently robust.
“Gainesville is a center for health care,
and the health-care field is growing,”
Perren said.
Computer science is identified as
another area of job growth. Meanwhile,
the area’s manufacturing industry is
requiring technicians with more intricate
and specialized knowledge.
“We are not your dad’s trade school,”
Perren said. “We do teach trades, but
everything today is so heavily infused with
technology. These are high-tech fields.”
Education experts agree that a
“disconnect” exists between high school
graduates and the job market. Yet
misconceptions continue when it
comes to technical training programs.
“We, as a society, have equated success
with a four-year degree,” Perren said.
“Most of the jobs created now don’t
require a four-year degree, but you need
something beyond high school. This is the
backbone of the workforce.”
Dual enrollment — the opportunity for
high school students to train for specific
careers while earning a diploma — are
continuing to grow, he said, with 98 percent of students enrolled in such programs
graduating from high school.
Overall, however, Lanier’s students
are a mix of age and experience. About a
quarter of Lanier’s students are in the
18-20 age range. However, a significant
number are over 40. It’s not unusual for
students to hold four-year degrees.
Lanier is part of the Technical College
System of Georgia. Like other technical
colleges in the system, Lanier’s role in its
community is a dual one. While it is a
college providing education — including
adult literacy programs — for residents, it
is also a vehicle for economic development.
“[Lanier] is absolutely vital to the
success of the economy here in Northeast
Georgia,” said Doug Carter, board member
of the Technical College System of Georgia
and president of Gainesville-based
development and brokerage company
Don Carter Realty.
Lanier Technical College
Founded: 1964, first classes held
in 1966
Locations: Oakwood, Cumming,
Winder, Dawsonville and Commerce
Students: 26,400
Job placement rate: 86.2 percent
Degrees offered: Technical
certificates of credit, diplomas
and associate degrees
It is a vibrant time for technical colleges,
Carter said.
“Certainly, we’ve seen changes over the
last six or seven years with the economy,”
Carter said. “The job market has changed,
and I think it will continue to change.
And the role of technology is a much
greater one as companies look to bring
in employees. At the other end of the
spectrum, you have people being retrained
who were perhaps displaced from a
previous job or are looking for greater
opportunities.”
Since one of the key assets for drawing
new businesses is a trained pool of talent,
the Technical College System of Georgia
stays ahead of the game by offering to
pre-train a workforce pool for businesses
being courted to enter the community.
The Georgia Quick Start program is
another element in the economic development role, Carter said.
“It has been a great
recruitment tool for us
for local industries,” he
said. “The Quick Start
folks at Lanier can do
prototypes of the equipment, so workers can
be trained prior to it
Carter
ever being up and runDon Carter Realty
ning. Those employees
walk in the door and hit
the ground running. It saves time, money,
training costs — and it is a huge asset for
those companies. It’s also a huge win for
employees, because they are ready to get
in there and make a living.”
Lanier’s role also covers helping local
startups build a business through its
Manufacturing Development Center
(MDC) located at Gainesville-based
Featherbone Communiversity.
Founded in 2006, the MDC has
launched 18 companies and produced 14
patents and three copyrights, said Gus
Whalen, chairman of the Warren
Featherbone Foundation. In addition,
he said, $42 million in revenue has been
generated, and 704 jobs have been created
by MDC companies.
Q&A
Road Atlanta fans will see positive changes
eoff Lee is the longtime president
and general manager of Road
Atlanta, whose love of racing began
as a driver.
A native of Carmel Valley, Calif.,
Lee has been involved in motor sports
since 1977 when he
started racing formula
cars just weeks after
his high school
graduation.
He retired as a
driver in 1984, and has
worked in the sport in
advertising, marketing
Lee
management and
Road Atlanta
then management
ever since.
Lee moved to Georgia in 2001 as
president and general manager of Panoz
Racing School, which he led until its
merger with Skip Barber Racing School
in July 2007.
Here, Lee discusses what the recent
merger between NASCAR’s Grand-Am
road racing series and the American Le
Mans Series will mean for Road Atlanta.
The merger, announced last fall, will
mean some changes, but Lee says fans of
road racing will like them.
Both sanctioning bodies will continue
to operate separate schedules in 2013
before racing under one name in 2014
beginning with North America’s premier
sports-car race, the 52nd annual Rolex 24
at Daytona, Fla.
G
With the merger of NASCAR’s GrandAm Series with the Braselton-based
American Le Mans Series earlier this year,
what changes will fans of Road Atlanta see?
How will the 10-hour or 1,000-mile
Petit Le Mans be affected by the
merger?
Q:
Q:
A:
A:
Only good ones. The merger brings
a “best of both worlds” scenario for
Road Atlanta and its marquee event, Petit
Le Mans. The most successful elements
of each series are being combined and
brought to the track. That is a recipe for
success. Although there are no major
announcements at this point we may soon
see more new events joining our already
diverse schedule. In fact, one of the junior
NASCAR series, K&N Pro Series, which
participates in road racing, will be an
additional race during our Petit Le Mans
weekend. Road Atlanta will continue
to offer a variety of prestigious events
throughout the year, with the Petit Le
Mans remaining as our signature event.
Does the merger mean there will
be upgrades or new offerings at
the track?
Q:
A:
Yes, but not immediately. There is
no doubt NASCAR has the resources
and expertise to initiate upgrades and
new events at Road Atlanta in the future. I
expect our fans will start to feel the benefit
of our new ownership soon and will
continue to feel it for years to come. However, the first priority is to make sure the
debut of the United SportsCar Racing
Series next year goes smoothly and has
a great first showing at Petit Le Mans to
close its first season.
In a positive way. The Petit Le Mans
will run this year as an American Le
Mans Series-sanctioned event, as it has in
years past. We expect this to be a very well
attended race as fans come to see ALMS
in its last race under its current makeup.
However, thanks to an agreement with
the Automobile Club De L’Ouest (ACO)
in France, the Petit Le Mans name will
continue in the future when it joins the
United SportsCar Racing series. Without
question, Petit Le Mans will continue as
a cornerstone event of the new series.
We expect that Petit Le Mans’ stature will
only increase as the new series combines
the best of the ALMS with the Grand-Am
teams/cars that never competed here
prior to the merger.
Q:
A:
What were attendance figures for 2012,
and what do you anticipate for 2013?
It is now our policy to not announce
attendance figures but if you refer to
published figures in the past with the
knowledge that the event has grown
substantially over the past years, you can
tell that Petit Le Mans attracts one of the
largest crowds in North American Sports
Car racing. That being said, the 2013 Petit
Le Mans is likely to be a new record and
will certainly be “nostalgic” as we say
farewell to the American Le Mans Series.
I think our fans will respond to that in a
very positive way, because this race will
also be both the end of a significant era
and the beginning of an exciting new era.
While Petit Le Mans is Georgia’s largest
annual international sporting event, Road
Atlanta also hosted 16 different spectator
events last year, including five major events
headlined by the Petit Le Mans. Needless
to say, with those events (along with being
active nearly 340 days a year with other
club, racing school and private manufacturer events) we have a substantial
economic impact on the greater Atlanta
region and plenty to offer our fans
year-round.
Q:
A:
Can you give us a hint at what fans
can expect to see in 2014?
Many of our fans got a partial
glimpse of the future at our GrandAm race April 19-20. In general, we expect
bigger fields, closer competition and
more diverse manufacturer participation
in 2014. We will continue to emphasize
fan-friendly activities that have made Road
Atlanta so popular among road racing
fans. As I stated earlier, the merger will
bring the best of both worlds. I can assure
our fans the new ownership is firmly
committed to sports car racing in general
and Road Atlanta in particular. I expect
more announcements in the future as we
expand our annual event calendar, but for
the moment let me just say that the future
looks very bright at Road Atlanta and
we think our fans will welcome further
announcements when they are made.
Stay tuned.
Corporate Spreadsheets
(Gainesville-Hall County Style.)
“America’s 50 Best Hospitals“
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
(only one in Georgia)
Healthgrades
“100 Top Hospitals“ in the nation
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Truven Health Analytics
“Best Small Places for
Business and Careers“
Gainesville-Hall County
Forbes Magazine
Top 15 of “America’s Most
Fun, Affordable Cities”
Gainesville-Hall County
Bloomberg Businessweek
Top “5 Best Places in
Affordable Cities for
Retirement”
Gainesville-Hall County
AARP The Magazine
Pull up a picnic blanket and let’s talk business. Here in Gainesville-Hall County,
many a business meeting and corporate retreat take place ashore the sparkling,
emerald waters of Lake Lanier.
From our dynamic business climate, to Georgia’s No. 1 cardiology hospital, to our
great culture and quality of life, Gainesville-Hall County offers an unmatched lifestyle in an extraordinary environment.
So check us out. In under an hour, you can be in the heart of Atlanta to the south
or the Blue Ridge Mountains to the north. Or simply stay right here in Gainesville-Hall
County for the best life has to offer. Welcome to our
kinder, gentler way to live, work and play.
Where business has a life.
Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 374 | Gainesville, GA USA 30503
770.532.6206 | www.greaterhallchamber.com
H a l l | G a i n e s v i l l e | O a k wo o d | F l o we r y B ra n c h | a n d l i q u i d a s s e t s i n b e t w e e n
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
GAINESVILLE-HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
Page 6B • May 24-30, 2013
Tourism expected to be at record levels in 2013
By Christine Hall
the previous year, Stacey Dickson, president
of the bureau, said.
ew things happening in Hall County
Hall County tops tourism spending in
are driving the area’s tourism sites
Northeast Georgia, with growth of 12 perto expect record-breaking bookings
cent, compared with an average of about
this summer.
7 percent, Dickson said.
Another summer of Lake
“We had the best 2012 in terms
Lanier at full level, new activities
of bookings, inquiries and level
and parks, and improvements
of the lake,” she said. “Now that
and investments in lodging are
the lake is full — at full wake
providing potential for more
levels — we are starting to
tourism dollars to flow into
get even more inquiries. We
the area.
anticipate 2013 is going to be
More than $25.8 million were
record-breaking.”
spent on tourism in Hall County
The lake is the No. 1 driver for
Dickson
in 2011, the most recent data
visitors,
and one of the newest
Lake Lanier
available, according to the Lake
attractions is Wake the Lake
Convention &
Visitors Bureau
Lanier Convention & Visitors
Cable Park in Sunset Cove. For
Bureau. Visitor spending for
people who want to enjoy the
2012 will come out in the fall, but is
lake, but don’t have a boat, the park makes
looking to be about 10 percent higher than water sports like skiing, wakeboarding and
tubing accessible. The park opened in
April and is expected to host national
competitions, Dickson said.
Another new attraction poised to open
later this summer is Don Carter State
Park. It is located on about 1,040 acres
along North Browning Bridge Road off
of Clarks Bridge Road north of the lake.
Will Wagner, park manager for the
Georgia Department of Natural
Resources, said he doesn’t have an
official open date yet because some of the
construction has been delayed due to the
weather, and the area has experienced a
lot of rainfall over the past few months.
Summer fun: Wakeboarding is a natural
The park will feature eight overnight
pasttime on Lake Lanier.
cottages overlooking Lake Lanier, 46
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SPECIAL
reservable spaces for recreational vehicles
and campers, and areas for tent and
hammock camping. There will also be
several picnic areas with grills and picnic
shelters for rent.
The visitor’s center is Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design certified and will sell gifts and souvenirs.
Wagner plans to work with local farms to
provide products like jams and jellies.
The park will have two separate nature
trails, one along the shoreline and another
that is paved for strollers or bicycles,
which will be about 1.5 miles long.
Families will also have several playgrounds
to use that will have things to climb on that
resemble trees and a slide that looks like a
hollowed-out log, Wagner said.
“One of our major attractions will be a
large beach swimming area,” he added.
“We have several private coves off of the
park near the Chattahoochee River that
we can utilize.”
Based on other parks Wagner has
work at, he expects between 180,000 and
200,000 visitors will come to Don Carter
State Park, and estimates around $6 million of economic impact. He doesn’t know
yet what kind of interest there will be for
corporate events, but he said the facilities
do work for corporate getaways.
The cottages, which have boat ramp
access nearby, are already getting inquiries,
including weddings and family reunions,
Wagner said. In fact, one party was
interested in renting out all eight cottages
for a wedding.
Dickson is excited about all the lodging
improvements and additions, like the
cottages at Don Carter State Park,
being made in the area. That includes
the entrance of new brands including
Down time: Guests can relax on the porch
swing at the Inn at Magnolia Oaks.
SPECIAL
2TUN - FOTOLIA
N
Off the beaten
path: The Inn
at Magnolia
Oaks in
Clermont, Ga.,
is a bed and
breakfast in
Hall County.
Back to nature: Camping and unique
camping sites abound in Gainesville.
Best Western Plus in Oakwood, and the
upgrade of the Comfort Inn and Suites in
Buford to a Holiday Inn Express in late
June, she added.
Lake Lanier Island Resort has about 300
rooms, Dickson said, and the overflow will
now go into those new hotels. There are
also new private accommodation options,
including The Inn at Magnolia Oaks, a
bed and breakfast in Clermont, and North
Georgia Canopy Tours, offering “glamping”
(a mix of glamour and camping) in teepees
that are climate controlled, and have Wi-Fi
and luxury linens.
“For us, the more lodging, the more
business we can accommodate, the more
revenue for us,” she said.
Grier Todd, general manager of Lake
Lanier Islands Resort, said the area’s
tourism is getting back to pre-recession
levels. The resort’s main season is
between Memorial Day and Labor Day,
and he expects it to be a good season
due in part to the full lake.
“We are estimated to hit our budget,
which is up 15 percent to 20 percent yearover-year,” he said. “In terms of the last
few years, this is very good.”
Since 2006, the resort has spent $70 million in upgrades to the rooms,
infrastructure and roads, Todd added.
For the past three years, the resort has
also been developing the entertainment
side of its business, and this year, it will
host concerts and bring in other beacharea entertainment, Todd said.
To keep the momentum going, the
resort will introduce a new attraction of a
boardwalk area reminiscent of one from
New Jersey that will feature games,
restaurants and entertainers, he added.
“Some people may say they don’t want
to spend the money, but with the economy
bouncing back and the growth we are
seeing, that bodes well for the hospitality
market,” Todd said.
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
GAINESVILLE-HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
May 24-30, 2013 • Page 7B
Hall beginning to see Vision 2030 realized
By Tonya Layman
delivery of high-quality health care,
health-care education and employment
bout eight years ago, Gainesville-Hall
with a focus on the life sciences industry.
County leaders listened to more than
The Longstreet Clinic P.C. CEO Mimi
1,000 area citizens voice what they
Collins serves as a board member of
want from their community in terms
Vision 2030. She is the chair of the
of where they’d like to live, work and raise
health-care committee and the Lake
families.
Lanier Olympic Center Committee. She
As a result, the Greater Hall Chamber
is passionate about the health initiatives
of Commerce Vision 2030 program was
that have come out of Vision 2030.
initiated and a set of long-term goals, the
“The chamber of commerce created a
15 Big Ideas, is in place.
health-care committee around the same
“We got over 4,000 ideas that we boiled
time that Vision 2030 was defining their
down into things we could actually do.
‘big ideas.’ That committee latched on
We promised people we would create a
to the concept of creating a culture of
living document and not just
wellness,” she said. “They
create something and put it on
turned their business expo into
the shelf and revisit it in 25
an interactive health expo
years,” said Rob Fowler, execuand have rallied the business
tive vice president at insurance
community around that concept.”
firm Turner, Wood & Smith and
The chamber has also identichairman of Vision 2030.
fied “healthy businesses” where
“We are so diverse in all of the
companies of different sizes are
things we are working on with
recognized for the healthy
Fowler
Vision 2030 including health
initiatives
at their workplaces.
Turner, Wood & Smith
care, education, green space,
The Healthcare Initiative
tourism and economic developConsortium created a
ment,” said Meg Nivens,
Community Health Snapshot
executive director of Vision 2030.
that pulled together health-care
“We have looked at where we
data from community electronic
want to be in 25 years as we grow
medical records on more than
and identified our priorities. We
20,000 individual patients to proare now working towards these
vide a benchmark to measure
goals every day.”
successes on the journey to
One “big idea” is a state-of-thebecoming a healthy community.
Nivens
art hotel and conference center
Data
elements, including BMI,
Greater Hall Chamber
in downtown Gainesville that will
cholesterol, diabetes risk and
of Commerce
serve as a catalyst for redevelophypertension were gathered
ment in the downtown/midtown area.
on adult patients seen in 2011 at medical
Part of this initiative is Gainesville’s new
locations in Hall County.
pedestrian bridge that connects midtown
“The health-care consortium recognized
and downtown and spans 360 feet above
one of the things we lacked was a way to
Jesse Jewell Parkway. Completed last fall,
measure the impact of the initiatives in our
the bridge facilitates safe pedestrian flow
community and thought it would be great
between the future City View Center, the
if we could provide a health assessment of
Downtown Square, Brenau University
our community,” Collins said, adding now
and the Georgia Mountains Center.
that it is complete they hope to update it
Fowler said improving the health of the
every two years and embark on a snapshot
citizens is a big part of the plan and they
of pediatric health in the community.
are putting programs in place to provide
They will use their findings to make links
high-quality, innovative, affordable and
between the state of the county’s health
accessible health care to residents.
and education and advocacy.
“We strive to create a culture of wellness
One of the things the leaders realize
among our residents and our community,”
improves health is access to green space,
he said, adding that health care is a major
another element covered under The Big
industry and economic engine for
Ideas. The goal is to have the greatest
Gainesville-Hall County.
amount of green space with parks, recreThey are working with providers to
ation areas and privately owned open land
become an elite destination for the
of any urban county in Georgia. In addition
to a network of pathways connecting
North Hall, Gainesville and South Hall,
Elachee Nature Science Center in
1. Downtown Hotel/Conference
Chicopee Woods, Smithgall Woodland
Center
Garden and Don Carter State Park are
key anchors of the effort.
2. Culture of Wellness
The Smithgall Woodland Garden, the
3. Lifelong Learning
Smithgall’s 185-acre home place that the
4. Green Street Post Office relocation
family donated to the Atlanta Botanical
5. Green Space Initiative
Garden in 2001 for preservation and devel6. Health-Care Advancement
opment into a public garden, recently
broke ground and will be open to the
7. Harbor Town mixed-use
public in late summer of next year, said
development
Mildred Fockele, vice president of
8. New Visitor’s Center on
horticulture at Atlanta Botanical Garden/
Interstate 985
Smithgall Woodland Garden.
9. Leadership: The Wisdom Project
The first phase will consist of the entry
drive through the woodland area, a
10. Performing Arts Festival
5,000-square-foot visitors center, 5 acres
11. High-Speed Rail
of gardens and a 2,000-seat amphitheater.
12. Gainesville Bypass
Ultimately, the space will be available for
13. Community of Towns
large events.
14. Art Districts
“This property will allow Atlanta
Botanical Garden to not only expand our
15. OneHall Model for Diversity
plant collections but also our programming
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SPECIAL
A
and conservation efforts. It is a wonderful
opportunity for us and for the Gainesville/
Northeast Georgia area,” Fockele said.
The project’s total investment, including
the value of the property, is between
$19 million and $20 million.
“That is a pretty significant investment
and a majority of the money has been
raised in the Gainesville community.
That shows there is support within the
community for this project,” Fockele said.
“It really will add to the great cultural
component that is already established in
Hall County.”
Plus, it will be an economic driver.
“This site is about three minutes off of
[I-]985 so we will be a tourism destination,
and we think it will bring tourism dollars
to the community as well,” she said.
Part of the greenspace initiative also
includes the city’s work to redevelop
the midtown area, which includes the
Envisioned:
This is the
rear view of
the future
Smithgall
Woodland
Garden visitors
center. It’s
part of Hall’s
Vision 2030
to improve the
community.
conversion of the CSX rail line into a
greenway and the building of a park.
“There are a lot of neat things happening
in the area with green space and greenways that will improve our quality of life
here,” Nivens said.
As a host to national and international
sporting events including triathlons,
canoe/kayak, rowing and other water
sports, Lake Lanier Olympic Center is a
destination for recreational sports enthusiasts and an economic engine for the
community, as well as being integrated
into the community’s wellness and
commitment to quality-of-life initiatives.
This facility has seen little in enhancements or upgrades since it was built for
the 1996 Summer Olympics.
“This is a very unique feature and
economic driver for our community but
really in need of investment and a long-term
business and strategic plan,” Collins said.
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IDEAS. INNOVATION. TEAMWORK.
COMMERCIAL + INDUSTRIAL DIVISION
David Lee, Commercial/Industrial Marketing Representative
Jackson EMC approaches
every commercial/
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means strategies for energy efficiency. Opportunities created. Innovative
solutions. And reliable service at reasonable prices that allows business
to move forward — no matter how large or small.
We’re proud to be an
economic leader in Hall County.
770.536.2415 • jacksonemc.com
Page 8B • May 24-May 30, 2013
GAINESVILLE/HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
Retail heats up, office improving in Gainesville
By Doug DeLoach
around 2 to 3 percent annually for the last
decade, even taking into account a very
nyone looking for signs of economic
small dip during the recession,” Evans said.
recovery in the commercial real
With overall economic indicators
estate sector in the state need look no swinging in a more favorable direction, the
further than greater Gainesville and
slowdown in investment in development
Hall County.
and new construction during the recession
Paralleling good news on jobs and
is turning out to have an unexpectedly
income performance is solid evidence that
positive effect, as almost any available
the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in
space is not standing vacant for long.
North Georgia, which encompasses
Supporting the general feeling of
Gainesville and surrounding communities, optimism is an economic development
is riding a wave of commercial real estate
report recently released by the Hall
activity. Especially notable are
chamber, which lists an array of
trends and transactions in retail
retail activity including:
development and absorption,
• Buffalo Wild Wings Grill &
with pockets of office movement
Bar in the Beechwood Crossing
in the mix as well.
Shopping Center on Georgia 53
“Right now we have around
joins Olive Garden and
800,000 square feet of retail that
Cheddar’s on the growing list of
is either under construction or
national restaurants newly
has been permitted, in the
opened in the area.
Evans
market,” said Tim Evans, vice
• Construction is underway
Greater Hall Chamber
president of economic developon the new Kroger-anchored
of Commerce
ment at the Greater Hall
New Holland Market, a retail
Chamber of Commerce.
and commercial complex. The developer,
Experts say the primary drivers of the
Carolina Holdings Inc. and Pacolet
retail boom are regional demographics,
Milliken Enterprises Inc., plans for
including steady population growth,
700,000 square feet of retail space near
infrastructure improvements and
Exit 24 on Interstate 985.
residual effects from the recent economic
• The new Thurmon Tanner Parkway
doldrums. Recent census data indicates
extension is generating retail interest from
Gainesville-Hall County has a primary
I-985 Exits 16 and 17 in Oakwood to the
trade area serving more than 462,000
highly successful 500,000-square-foot
Northeast Georgia residents.
Stonebridge Village Center on Spout
“We’ve been under-retailed in a number
Springs Road in Flowery Branch.
of segments in Hall County in relation to
• The revitalization of Lakeshore Mall
our population growth, which has been
continues with the construction of a new
50,000-square-foot Dick’s Sporting Goods,
which is scheduled to open in fall 2013.
According to Lakeshore Mall General
Manager Mike Weinberger, the extra-large
Dick’s Sporting Goods will be the first
store of its type in the Gainesville market.
“Because this is such a big sportsoriented area, with Lake Lanier sitting
at our doorstep and all of the outdoor
activities going, there is a lot of anticipation and excitement about Dick’s coming
in,” Weinberger said.
Built in the 1960s, Lakeshore Mall is
currently undergoing a massive, multimillion-dollar overhaul.
With anchor tenants like Sears, J.C.
Penney and Belk already in place,
Lakeshore Mall is now actively pursuing
smaller businesses, especially restaurants.
“Having Dick’s here will open a few
more doors; it doesn’t close the deal, but it
opens the door,” Weinberger said.
“Gainesville is blessed to be a) north of
Atlanta and b) its own MSA because those
things make us the bull’s-eye in the target
for a lot of businesses,” said Brent
Hoffman, broker with Prudential Georgia
Realty and chair of the Greater Hall
Chamber’s Commercial Real Estate
Professionals. Prudential Georgia Realty
Commercial Service recently
brokered a deal that will see Tribe
Transportation Inc., a Native Americanowned logistics and trucking company,
relocate its operational headquarters from
Cleveland to Gainesville. The company will
be hiring 200 new employees to work at
the 13,000-square-foot office complex.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
Retail/office developments
➤ Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar in the
Beechwood Crossing Shopping Center
on Georgia 53 joins Olive Garden and
Cheddar’s on the list of newly opened
national chain restaurants.
➤ Construction is underway on the new
700,000-square-foot, Kroger-anchored,
New Holland Market near Exit 24 on
Interstate 985.
➤ In the fall, Dick’s Sporting Goods will
open a 50,000-square-foot retail store at
Lakeshore Mall.
➤ Bitzer completed a 95,000-square-foot
North American headquarters and
manufacturing operation at Tanners Creek.
➤ In 2013, Atlanta Biologicals will complete a new 36,000-square-foot life science facility, to serve as the company’s
North American headquarters, research
and development, and production for
specialized cell culture products.
➤ The Georgia Poultry Laboratory
Network is constructing a new science
laboratory and headquarters in the new
Gateway Industrial Centre.
➤ ZF Wind Power invested $100
million in a 250,000-square-foot
manufacturing facility and division headquarters in Gainesville Business Park.
➤ ProCare Rx opened a new
43,000-square-foot headquarters in the
new ProCare Park.
New lab: Georgia Poultry Laboratory
Network has broken ground on a new
$14 million science lab and headquarters.
JOANN VITELLI
Continued from 1B
company to take advantage of its location
near United Parcel Service Inc.’s North
Georgia hub, which Desai said has helped
Aeon speed up its work with the ability to
receive samples earlier in the day.
“Gainesville also has a lot of people with
college degrees that we could pull from,”
he said. “And, we are right down the road
from Interstate 985, so we can get to
Atlanta in less than an hour.”
Alkermes Plc has had a presence in the
area since the early 1980s, when it was
Elan Drug Technologies of Ireland.
Alkermes purchased the company in 2011.
It develops pharmaceutical products for
diseases including multiple sclerosis,
schizophrenia and Type 2 diabetes.
Originally, the owner had been attracted
to the quality of life in Hall County and the
fact there were similar companies already
located there, Kevin Brady, vice president
and general manager of Alkermes, said.
The company has about 170 people
employed in Gainesville, and the “strong
depth and breadth across the industry”
has been good for Alkermes, he said.
“The area has huge potential for
growth,” Brady added. “The more
technical folks in the area, the better
it is for our industry.”
Another tie-in for the area is the food
processing and poultry support companies,
Evans said. Much of the skill sets, quality
management and safety best practices
between those and the life sciences
industry has been transferable, enabling
companies to attract talent, he added.
Georgia is a leading state in the production of poultry with 1.4 billion chickens
grown, Keith Pritchard, head of Merial
Select Inc.’s U.S. avian business, said.
SPECIAL
Hall County a leader in life sciences industries
Life sciences: Kevin Brady, vice president
of Alkermes Plc, said the area has “huge
potential” for growth.
The industry accounted for $18.4 billion
of economic impact in 2011. Hall County is
seventh in production of poultry, around
$239 million a year, he added.
Merial Select, a Sanofi SA company, a
leading manufacturer of poultry vaccines
in the U.S., operates a research and
development and manufacturing site in
Gainesville, employing about 290 people.
It started as Select Labs in the 1970s, which
was later sold to Rhone Merieux, a division
of Rhone Poulenc, and became Sanofi.
“Hall County is a great place for people
to live, and we never saw the need to
leave,” Pritchard said. “Geographically,
it is a good place for our business.”
Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network,
operated by the Georgia Poultry
Improvement Association, a nonprofit
organization poultry health monitoring
facility, has also had a long presence in the
area. It put down roots in Hall County in
the 1930s because Northeast Georgia had
been home to a number of poultry farms.
“The support industry is here,” Louise
Dufour-Zavala, executive director of
Georgia Poultry, said. The lab tests the
birds, their environment, feed and meat
primarily for poultry used for food.
Earlier this month, Georgia Poultry
broke ground on a new $14 million science
lab and headquarters 14 miles north of
Gainesville in the new Gateway Industrial
Centre. Dufour-Zavala expects to be in the
new space by next year. The lab will be
designed as a biosafety Level 2 lab, which
will enable better workflow and more
security for the testing of flocks, she said.
By the numbers
➤ Georgia has the seventh-largest number
of bioscience companies in the U.S.
➤ The 2013 Milken Institute report rated
the Gainesville-Hall County metro area
among the “Best Small Metro Areas” in
the U.S. for the fourth consecutive year
based on job and salary growth. In the
latest report, Gainesville-Hall County was
ranked 39th overall and second in the
nation for short-term job growth.
➤ In 2013, Site Selection Magazine
ranked the metro area fourth in the nation
for the number of new and expanded
industries.
➤ Over the past year, 24 new and
expanded businesses created 1,660
jobs, retained 1,530 existing jobs and
generated $203 million in capital
investment for Gainesville-Hall County.
Source: Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce 2013
Economic Development Report
Evans said the poultry industry,
educational institutions and quality of life
have created a special niche within the
life sciences industry for Hall County.
“Hall County has unique assets that
continue to make it a competitive place for
finding the right talent and for growing a
business.”
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
GAINESVILLE-HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
May 24-30, 2013 • Page 9B
Frost boosts Hall businesses, community
By H.M. Cauley
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
. Randall Frost arrived in Gainesville in
1971, a newly minted Mercer University
law school grad who quickly learned
that there was one driving force behind
Hall County’s economic engine.
“Everything turned on the price of
chicken,” said Frost, 66. “But since then
it has evolved. There’s a larger variety of
industry here now.”
For the past several years, Frost has not
only watched that evolution but helped
propel it. As an active member of the
Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, he
knows it takes much more than chicken to
sustain growth and prosperity. Frost first
got involved through his law firm,
Stewart, Melvin & Frost LLP in
Gainesville, where he has worked for 20
years, and is currently the chairman of
the chamber’s board.
“When I first went on the board, I was
running the inner workings, but as
chairman-elect and chairman, I’ve been
most interested in promoting Gainesville
and Hall County as attractive places to do
business,” Frost said. “That’s the way to
create jobs, which is the one thing we
really need for our economy to maintain
steady growth.”
The chamber has sponsored a number
of job fairs that introduced the benefits
of Hall County to a wider spectrum of
businesses, Frost said. Bringing in new
industries is critical to creating those jobs.
“To have extraordinary growth, we need
new industry,” he said. “We have had some
— Komoto and Wind Power are two —
and many don’t have connections to the
chicken industry. We’re very interested in
any industry that’s environmentally sound
and has good jobs. We currently have
about 70 active prospects in the area. And
that’s really what the chamber is primarily
here for — to promote this area and work
closely with government. If you can’t get
J
J. Randall Frost
Age: 66
Born in: McRae,
Ga.; raised in
Baxley, Ga.
Lives in:
Gainesville
Current job:
Partner, Stewart, Melvin & Frost LLP
Education: BBA, The University of
Georgia; JD, Walter F. George School
of Law, Mercer University
Family: Wife, Susan; two children and
two granddaughters
Hobbies: “A little golf.”
along with government, it’s not an attractive area to new businesses.”
The county was hard-hit by the recession, but Frost sees signs of rebounding,
particularly in the commercial and
residential real estate arenas.
“Right now, a fairly large shopping center
with a Kroger [is] going on in Gainesville,
close to downtown, and that’s a very positive sign,” he said. “It’s important that we
continue to grow and maintain a certain
standard and level of life. To me, that’s
what the chamber does: It promotes businesses not only that come to Gainesville,
but it helps existing industries to grow.”
Frost also lends his support to a variety
of community organizations that are pieces
of the bigger quality-of-life puzzle. His list
of civic engagements is lengthy, and
includes leadership roles at his church,
Grace Episcopal Church, the Gainesville
Kiwanis Club, the local Arts Council, the
Salvation Army, Gainesville’s Board of
Education, Hall County YMCA, the local
United Way, Boys and Girls Club and the
Humane Society. Among his favorite
Longstreet pediatric
centers get certification
By Lisa R. Schoolcraft
INDUSTRY FOCUS EDITOR
he Longstreet Clinic P.C.’s Center
for Pediatrics locations in Baldwin,
Braselton, Buford and Oakwood
were recently certified as Level 3
patient-centered medical home (PCMH)
programs by the National Committee
for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
They join the Gainesville location,
which was certified earlier this year.
The Center for Pediatrics, with 14
physicians and 11 midlevel providers, is
the first pediatric practice in Northeast
Georgia to achieve this level of recognition
under the NCQA’s 2011 PCMH standards.
Of the eight pediatric sites in Georgia with
this certification, Longstreet’s Center for
Pediatrics represents five of them.
A patient-centered medical home is a
comprehensive approach to providing
quality primary care. The Center for
Pediatrics at The Longstreet Clinic works in
partnership with each child and his or her
family to ensure all medical needs are met.
Through this partnership, the pediatric
team will help the patient and his or her
family access and understand specialty care
and other educational/community services.
T
Obtaining this level of recognition
means a practice has demonstrated that it
meets rigorous standards, including use of
evidence-based criteria, patient-centered
care, and use of information technology in
the delivery of care to patients.
“We moved forward to achieve certification for all of our primary care sites after
our Family Medicine practice in Oakwood
was certified in early 2012,” said Mimi
Collins, Longstreet Clinic CEO. “We
established a PCMH team that leads and
facilitates the certification process. The
team began the process of applying for
certification for our five pediatric locations
in spring 2012.”
The entire process from application to
certification took about a year, she said,
and Longstreet is now working toward
certification for its adult medicine practice
in Gainesville.
“As a part of our strategic plan, we
decided to adopt the principles and PCMH
philosophies for clinical care and operations across the clinic,” Collins said.
“This is a part of our philosophy and our
culture. It goes beyond just working for
the certification.”
Reach Schoolcraft at lschoolcraft@bizjournals.com.
causes are education, children and the arts.
“That’s one of the reasons I like working
with the Salvation Army — they try to help
families,” he said. “Anytime you can help
the family as a whole you stand a better
chance of moving them forward.”
At the Arts Council, located in
Gainesville’s Smithgall Arts Center, Frost
said he was “talked into” getting behind a
cause to which he had no personal
connection.
“I have no artistic talent, but I’ve always
thought it’s important to promote the
arts,” he said. “Having an understanding
or appreciation makes you even more
appreciative of what you have. One thing
we have, and that I like the most, is the
Arts in Schools program. It helps us get
children interested in the arts, so they do
better in school. They also learn there is
something every child can do; you don’t
have to be a gifted athlete or great public
speaker to get involved.”
Gladys Wyant has run the Arts Council
for 30 years and counts Frost among her
list of board members that “I don’t ever
want to let go.”
“I have known him for 20 years through
our church, and though he doesn’t display
many artistic talents, he recognizes the
importance of how the arts relate to higher
grades in school,” she said. “He’s very
supportive and has been president three
times. But he’s also involved with other
groups. He recently raised money for our
YMCA; he’s past president of the Kiwanis;
and he’s involved with the Boys and Girls
Club. People want to work with him
because he’s really solid. He’s there when
you need him, not only for pro bono work
as an attorney, but if we need tables or
chairs moved too.”
Frost started his law career learning to
be a general business attorney, a wellrounded approach that was important to
working in a small firm. One of his longtime associates in the firm is William
Blalock, who arrived in Gainesville two
years after Frost.
“It turns out, we had a lot in common:
We were both in the military and at UGA
as undergrads, even though we didn’t
know each other,” Blalock said. “His dad
was a grocer and so was mine; we both
came up putting cans on the shelf. We
laugh about that a lot. He’s still a hard
worker; you’re liable to come up here
on Christmas Day and find him here.
He’s very diligent about his civic and
professional duties.”
Blalock has observed firsthand his
partner’s commitment to the community.
“Nobody’s ever asked him to do any
kind of civic work that he said no to,”
Blalock said. “He is the go-to person in the
county. His résumé shows how extremely
involved in the community he is. He’s
always glad to help.”
For Frost, being engaged in the community is part of the debt he owes to the place
that he now calls home.
“We’ve been very fortunate that
Gainesville was a good place to rear our
children,” he said. “And the community
has been very good to us. I’m very grateful
for that.”
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GAINESVILLE-HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
Page 10B • May 24-30, 2013
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
Lake Lanier home sales, water levels up
Rising tides
By Tonya Layman
Another economy-related factor that
to sell it, you get used to the fluctuating
affected lake home sales was a change in
water levels but if you have to sell and the
■ In 2009, Lake Lanier’s home
ot only did Lake Lanier water
consumer expenditures. People simply
lake is down there may not be as much
supply was at 34 months. In
levels substantially dry up between
stopped buying second homes.
activity or profound prices,”
January, that number dropped to
2007 and 2012, so did the lake’s
Norton said in years past, as
he said.
11.5 months.
housing market. But agents are
many as 25 percent of the buyers
Patti Chambers, associate
happily reporting that as the lake hits
on Lake Lanier were buying a
broker and team leader with
■ Lake Lanier homes average prices
full pool, there is also a pool of potential
second home. Now, most people
Keller Williams Lanier Partners,
have firmed up, to $470,500 in
homebuyers.
buying on the lake are looking
said it is fun getting back to long
2012, and sales increased 5 percent.
Now the challenge that agents face is
for primary residences. Last
days of real estate after some
■ Homes over $1 million showed
low inventory — a sign the economy
year, only 12 percent of the lake
slow years.
a 20 percent increase in volume.
is rebounding but still a situation that
houses that Norton’s firm sold
“It sure is fun working 10 to 12
Chambers
makes it harder to find the perfect home
were second homes.
hours
days
like
we
were
used
to.
There remains an abundance of
Keller Williams
for clients.
“We are seeing a continued
We are back at it,” she said. “The
Lanier Partners
$1 million choices, with a supply
“The market has largely recovered.
trend of major Atlanta, specifilake is beautiful and at full pool
of 53.3 months.
What we have here is a strengthening lake cally North Atlanta, executives, living on
and we are getting lots and lots of activity.
market, rising prices and low
Lake Lanier year-round,” Norton
I have been in real estate here for 34 years
supply,” said Frank Norton Jr.,
said. “As Atlanta’s population
and it is a good time. Inventory is very low.
“We had so many foreclosures and short
CEO and chairman of The
continues to grow northward,
The home prices are on the upswing. Our
sales that played havoc with the market,
Norton Agency. “We had a better
Lake Lanier will eventually be in
foreclosure activity has slowed, which is
but in the last three months we are seeing
year in 2012 than in 2011. The
the heart of metro Atlanta. We
wonderful.”
better appraisals,” she said, adding she is
lake market really bottomed in
have been seeing more developBecause inventory is low, Chambers and also seeing an upswing in investors looking
2010 but we have been slowly
ment over the last 10 years in a
her team are contacting people they know
for rental properties along the lake.
climbing out. Sales are slightly
millionaire row along the shorehave been waiting to sell until better times
Chambers is also seeing an increase in
up and prices are going up.”
line of Lake Lanier. These houses and letting them know that time has come. sales at neighboring subdivisions, and
Norton
In 2010, during the lowest
have everything but a gift shop
“This is the best I have seen it in a few
Keller Williams is getting back in the
The Norton Agency
period, the average sale price
with pools that would rival Six
years,” she said. “I keep a list of folks I meet
business of placing subdivision agents out
was $437,000. Today, it is up to $470,500.
Flags. And we have captains of industry
who say, ‘Hey, don’t forget me when times
there to move new construction products.
It peaked at $645,000 in 2007.
from around Atlanta looking to call Lake
are better for selling’ so I am calling
“It sure is good to hear some hammers
In 2009, an all-time inventory peak,
Lanier home.”
them now and we are selling a lot
out there,” she said.
Norton Agency tracked a 34-month lake
This year’s rainfall has helped, as well.
of those houses before they even
Phil Baraona, sales associate
home supply. Inventory has dropped to
Water levels are higher than they have
hit the market. We really have to
with Coldwell Banker Atlanta,
11.5 months, perhaps the largest swing
been in years, which appeals to buyers.
seek out the supply.”
said while he is seeing an
of any metro Atlanta market segment,
Norton knows what goes down comes
It is also a good time to buy,
increase in activity, it is not as
Norton said, adding there is only about a
back up.
she said.
much as he anticipated.
five-month supply of houses with a price
“The lake has fluctuated off and on since I
“We are seeing some good
“Sales are up but not a signifitag of less than $500,000.
can remember,” Norton said. “Sure, people
prices too on some nice propercant amount. I would have
Norton believes Lake Lanier is a
here would love for it to always be full, but in ties. It is fun right now. The
thought there would have been
Baraona
fantastic place to call home and a valuable
terms of land value it really only affects the
homes are still affordable. I have
more pent-up demand,” he said.
Coldwell Banker
community asset.
values of the shallow cove houses.”
had two contracts recently in the
Still, he feels sales are heading
Atlanta
“It is our liquid asset. It is part of our
Although Norton believes this to be
$300,000 range on great looking
in the right direction.
quality of life. It creates a recreational
true, he also understands that public
houses on good water,” she said.
“I think most of the lake agents are
lifestyle, has great tax value and is an
perception may be affected by low levels.
While appraisals are still coming in low,
feeling bullish. We feel it will be a good
attractor of good people,” he said.
“If you own lake property and don’t have Chambers believes they are getting better. year,” he said.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
N
Farmers sowed Hall’s diverse, modern economy
s a second-generation dairy farmer,
In the early 1900s, cotton was king in Hall
I’m probably an atypical chamber
County but it also was a thief in the night,
chair. Then again, you might say the
robbing the soil of vital nutrients for other
same about the percepplantings that hold the soil.
tion of agriculture in today’s
It was an early lesson in the
modern economy, particularly
pitfalls of a single-industry
here in my hometown commueconomy — even more so
nity of Gainesville-Hall County.
when the cotton boom
In years past, we were
eventually busted.
mainly known in this part of
Fortunately, poultry farming
the state for our poultry
came behind cotton, leading to
industry. The big bold letters
IEWPOINT the mechanized poultry
emblazoned across the side of
industry inspired by Gainesville
Dixie Truelove
a local water tank still proclaim
businessman Jesse Jewell.
us as the “Poultry Capital of the World.”
Poultry became the stepping stone to Hall
But today, chickens share equal billing
County’s earliest business diversification.
with a diverse array of big economic
Mr. Jewell and other pioneers like him
drivers that includes international
were dreamers. They envisioned a day
manufacturing, life sciences, health care,
when life wouldn’t necessarily be tied to
tourism and an ever-growing network
the farm. A day when children could grow
of educational institutions.
up to realize their own dreams and leave
Is the importance of agriculture diminthe farm. They dreamed it, and it changed
ished in this new age? Absolutely not.
us forever.
Agriculture — better known today as
Today, there are still a few of us farmers
“agribusiness” — is still the single largest
amid a county population that has swelled
industry here and across the state. But
to well over 200,000. We are happy with life
speaking for farmers, we’ve worked hard
on the farm, but we also quietly take pride
for generations to achieve the expansion of in our role in building one of Georgia’s
opportunity and quality of life that we now
most vibrant and diverse local economies.
enjoy here so abundantly.
International manufacturing. As
Growing up, I used to hear tales from
agriculture grew — and continues to grow
my dad, Elmer Truelove, about how our
— an international base of allied industry
creeks once “ran red” with muddy
moved here to support it. Our community
Georgia clay.
is home to dozens of Fortune 500 firms
A
V
among more than 300 manufacturing and
processing companies based here.
Diversity is visibly represented with
18 different nationalities across 41
international companies from countries
like Germany, Japan, the Netherlands
and Great Britain.
Life sciences. Gainesville-Hall County
is claiming its niche in the bioscience field
that is sweeping across Georgia, home to
the seventh-largest number of life-science
companies in the nation.
Elan Drug Technologies (now Alkermes)
has been a part of Hall County for over three
decades. It joins other progressive bio-techs
like Merial Select, Theragenics, Atlanta
Biologicals and Aeon Clinical Laboratories.
The recent groundbreaking for the
expansion of the Georgia Poultry Lab here
adds even more momentum to this key
economic sector.
Health Care. Northeast Georgia
Medical Center, the state’s No. 1 heart
hospital, recently was ranked among the
top 1 percent of the nation’s hospitals by
two highly respected national rating
services.
The region’s leading employer with
over 5,000 employees and 500 physician
staff, the medical center has created a
micro-economy of its own — with the
residents of Hall County and Northeast
Georgia as the primary beneficiaries.
Tourism. Lake Lanier is known as
“Georgia’s Great Lake” and one of the
state’s biggest draws for tourism with
8 million visitors annually.
Lake Lanier Islands Resort, which
recently completed renovations in the
millions of dollars, is clearly one of our
crown jewels in Hall County and Georgia
along with international motor sports at
Road Atlanta.
Yet another jewel is our strong arts
community.
Education. The merger of two respected
schools — the former North Georgia
College & State University and Gainesville
State College — into the new University of
North Georgia has created tremendous
excitement here and across the state.
We have long been blessed with a steep
tradition of post-secondary education that
also includes Lanier Technical College and
Brenau University.
With such rich diversity in GainesvilleHall County’s economy and quality of life,
it’s understandable that the foundation of
farming is sometimes overlooked. But
from the seeds of those fertile fields
sprang the imagination and spirit that
continues to run deep in Hall County.
Truelove is vice president and owner of
Truelove Dairy. She currently serves on the
Board of Trustees for Leadership Georgia
and is the 2013-14 Chair of the Greater
Hall Chamber of Commerce.
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
GAINESVILLE-HALL COUNTY MARKET REPORT
May 24-30, 2013 • Page 11B
Hall industries contribute with more than jobs
By Nicole Bradford
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
or some companies, operating within
a community means more than just
providing employment for its residents.
The Greater Hall area is the home
of more than 300 manufacturers, processors and distributors.
These industries, which range from
automotive suppliers to life science companies, are the backbone of the community
and many provide much more than
employment, said Shelley Davis, vice
president of Existing Industry for the
Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce.
As each year winds down, the chamber
selects its Industry of the Year awards,
created to recognize standout companies
not only for their effect on the local
economy, but for contributions that may
otherwise go unnoticed by many.
“This is my favorite event,” Davis said.
“It’s really more about letting the whole
community celebrate our existing industries. We want not just the chamber
executives, but everyone, to see the
positive impact they have.”
In its fifth year, the award garnered 20
nominations, with three winners chosen
based on factors such as corporate responsibility and workforce excellence, she said.
Examples of community benefits range
from the expected methods — contributing to nonprofits and volunteering in
organizations — to unique programs that
ultimately benefit the area as a whole.
Zebra Technologies Corp., recipient of
the Industry of the Year award in the small
business category, recently became an
official Partner in Education with Johnson
High School in Gainesville, helping the
campus implement a Flexographic
Printing Program. It is a first-of-its-kind
effort in a Georgia high school, said Zebra
Plant Manager Pao Sengkhammee.
“This program will provide the local
workforce with skills that the Zebra
Flowery Branch plant and other printing
companies in the area will benefit from —
and allow the community to leverage the
availability of a skilled workforce to draw
more industry into Hall County,”
Sengkhammee said.
The relationship between the chamber
and companies either taking a serious look
at Hall County or already in business here
is a mutually beneficial one, he said.
“The chamber has been incredibly supportive, from providing references for the
plant site to referring us to local resources
necessary for a Greenfield plant startup,”
Sengkhammee said.
Founded in 1969, Zebra opened its
Flowery Branch location in 2008, later
doubling its square footage. Today, it
employs about 35.
Aside from contributions and work
with local nonprofits and leadership
Aeon Clinical Technologies .................................. 1B
Alkermes Plc ....................................................... 8B
Atlanta Botanical Garden .................................... 7B
Beechwood Crossing Shopping Center ................ 8B
Belk .................................................................... 8B
Best Western Plus ............................................... 6B
Bitzer US Inc. .................................................... 11B
Boys and Girls Club............................................. 9B
Brenau University ................................................ 7B
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar ............................. 8B
Carolina Holdings Inc. ......................................... 8B
Center for Pediatrics ............................................ 9B
Chattahoochee Country Club............................. 11B
Cheddar’s ........................................................... 8B
Coldwell Banker Atlanta..................................... 10B
Comfort Inn and Suites ....................................... 6B
Dick’s Sporting Goods ......................................... 8B
SPECIAL
F
organizations, some clever partnerships with
Hall County’s industries have developed.
Gainesville-based Kubota
Manufacturing of America Corp., the
chamber’s Industry of the Year in the large
category, saves Hall County more than
$30,000 annually in grass-cutting contracts
by giving Kubota access to local parks and
utility sites for turf product testing.
And while the company contributes both
money and volunteer hours in many of the
usual ways, it often helps the community
by doing what it does best.
For nearby Eagle Ranch Christian
Children’s Home, the tractor, heavy
equipment and rough terrain vehicle
maker provides turf equipment for use as
well as mowing services for large areas.
Kubota added an assembly line in 2012
and currently employs more than 1,000.
Eighteen local interns are sponsored and
trained by the company. Its Japan-based
parent company first opened the
Gainesville plant in 1988.
Winners of the Industry of the
Year awards demonstrate innovative
and ongoing examples of corporate
responsibility, from environmental
impact to benefits and opportunities for
the workforce that go far beyond simply
providing employment, Davis said.
As the area has become home to more
companies, its workforce has become
more skilled and thus more alluring for
additional businesses.
Commercial compressor manufacturer
Bitzer US Inc., the winner in the medium
business category, has been a presence in
Hall County for more than 30 years. In that
time, Hall County has become one of
Georgia’s most advantageous locations for
businesses, Financial Controller Paul
Conlon said.
“The labor market in Hall County has
become much more skilled, and educational options are now more diverse than
ever,” he said.
The chamber, meanwhile, provides
information and help on labor sourcing
JOANN VITELLI
Industry winners: The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce recognized three companies
as Industry of the Year, in the small, medium and large categories.
Honored: Bitzer US Inc., maker of
commercial compressors, won the
medium category.
and training, working with other businesses
in the county and current tax regulations,
such as energy credits, he said.
The Oakwood location recently added a
new manufacturing facility, completed in
December. With 120 employees, the
company now has many opportunities
ahead. “Our challenge at the moment is
prioritizing them,” Conlon said.
The Greater Hall Chamber recognized
all three companies during its Industry
Appreciation Luncheon held Jan. 23 at
the Chattahoochee Country Club in
Gainesville, and sponsored by Lanier
Technical College.
■
JOANN VITELLI
“It’s really more about
letting the whole community
celebrate our existing
industries. We want not just
the chamber executives, but
everyone, to see the positive
impact they have.”
Shelley Davis
Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce
■
Leading the way: From left, Mike Duffy, plant manager; Paul Conlon, financial
controller; and Peter Narreau, president Bitzer US Inc., are leaders in the community.
INDEX
Don Carter Realty................................................ 4B
Don Carter State Park ..................................6C, 7B
Eagle Ranch Christian Children’s Home ............. 11B
Elachee Nature Science Center ........................... 7B
Featherbone Communiversity .............................. 4B
Gainesville Kiwanis Club ..................................... 9B
Georgia Department of Economic Development ... 1B
Georgia Department of Natural Resources ........... 6B
Georgia Poultry Improvement Association ............ 8B
Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network..................... 8B
Grace Episcopal Church ...................................... 9B
Greater Hall Chamber
of Commerce ........................1B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 11B
Hall County YMCA................................................ 9B
Healthcare Initiative Consortium .......................... 7B
Holiday Inn Express ............................................. 6B
Inn at Magnolia Oaks, The ................................... 6B
J.C. Penney.......................................................... 8B
Johnson High School......................................... 11B
Keller Williams Lanier Partners .......................... 10B
Kroger ................................................................. 8B
Kubota Manufacturing of America Corp.............. 11B
Lake Lanier Convention & Visitors Bureau ............ 6B
Lake Lanier Island Resort .................................... 6B
Lake Lanier Olympic Center ................................. 7B
Lakeshore Mall.................................................... 8B
Lanier Technical College ..............................4B, 11B
Longstreet Clinic P.C., The ........................2B, 7B, 9B
Manufacturing Development Center..................... 4B
Mercer University................................................. 9B
Merial Select Inc. ................................................ 8B
National Committee for Quality Assurance ........... 9B
New Holland Market ............................................ 8B
North Georgia Canopy Tours ................................ 6B
Northeast Georgia Medical Center ....................... 2B
Northeast Georgia Physicians Group
Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeons .................. 2B
Norton Agency, The ............................................ 10B
Olive Garden ....................................................... 8B
Pacolet Milliken Enterprises Inc. .......................... 8B
Prudential Georgia Realty .................................... 8B
Salvation Army .................................................... 9B
Sanofi SA............................................................ 8B
Sears .................................................................. 8B
Smithgall Woodland Garden ................................ 7B
Specialty Clinics of Georgia ................................. 2B
Stewart, Melvin & Frost LLP ................................. 9B
Stonebridge Village Center .................................. 8B
Technical College System of Georgia ................... 4B
Tribe Transportation Inc........................................ 8B
Turner, Wood & Smith .......................................... 7B
United Parcel Service Inc..................................... 8B
Wake the Lake Cable Park ................................... 6B
Warren Featherbone Foundation.......................... 4B
Zebra Technologies Corp.................................... 11B
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