GBJ Staff

Gwinnett’s international business scope

(L-R) Michael Mayers, operations manager, Bob Broaddus, laboratory manager and Michael Forgeron, president of Analysts, Inc.

According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, there are 579 ‘internationally based businesses’ in Gwinnett County that employee a total of 26,597 people.

Of these, 147 are involved in manufacturing. Together, they employ 10,959 people and account for approximately half of Gwinnett’s manufacturing jobs. Among this group, 29 companies in the Global Fortune 500 have a significant presence in Gwinnett.

“The Partnership Gwinnett community and economic development strategy and its investors have facilitated the creation high-wage jobs – more than 10,000 in the last five years,” said Nick Masino, senior vice president of Economic Development & Partnership Gwinnett. “That is why it is now more crucial than ever that we continue expanding our economic development initiatives internationally.”

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GBJ Staff

Five R’s of conflict management

Tensions are high. Mistakes abound. Clients are screaming. Cue the management team.

Workplace conflict is often the result of one person stirring the pot and creating controversy. Others get suckered into the fray and before you know it chaos ensues. Regaining control of a situation is tiresome, messy, distracting and extremely non-productive – and the job of leadership.

Mediating conflict among personnel to get work processes back on track is a fact of life for any organization. However, many leaders do not address these situations head on. A festering wound weakens the organizational unit and saps productivity. In extreme cases, unresolved conflict may lead to legal action and the result is far more damaging to both the business and leaders involved.

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GBJ Staff

Chamber to honor Gwinnett’s unsung heroes

Jim Maran

by Jim Maran, president and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber

Each year the Gwinnett Chamber hosts a series of quality award programs that celebrate and recognize the individuals and initiatives that make a significant impact in the Gwinnett community. These everyday people – the small business owners and entrepreneurs, the healthcare professionals, the leaders of non-profits, and the public safety professionals – are the unsung heroes of Gwinnett that have more impact on our lives and quality of life than most of us realize.

In December, for the very first time, the Gwinnett Chamber honored our healthcare professionals at the inaugural Healthcare Excellence Awards. This unique program allows us to celebrate an industry that is a vital component to our community’s long-term sustainability and growth. The Healthcare Excellence Awards also gave us the opportunity to celebrate Gwinnett’s solid reputation for quality healthcare that enables the wellbeing of our citizens and provides further opportunity to attract new business, create jobs, and ultimately afford a strong and well-rounded quality of life. But most importantly, the program allows us to celebrate the deserving individuals and organizations within the healthcare community. This is our night to say, “Thank you,” to show gratitude and demonstrate the respect we have for our healthcare heroes and all they do to contribute to Gwinnett’s overall success.

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GBJ Staff

Eight Gwinnett executives in Bulldog 100

The Bulldog 100 is a program that annually honors the 100 fastest growing businesses that are owned or operated by University of Georgia alumni. Among the 2012 honorees are the following Gwinnett executives.
• No. 18 – Richard Sampler, 1984, Fine Line Technologies in Norcross
• No. 36 – Scott Evans, 2003, Evans, Simpson & Associates, Inc. in Snellville
• No. 37 – Travis Reid, 1995, Jane Reid Higdon, 1999, Square1Art in Norcross
• No. 41 – Bonnie Shuman, 1980, Stratix Corp. in Norcross
• No. 48 – Rodger Breda, 1973, Breda Pest Management in Loganville
• No. 58 – Billy Stone, 1984, Dacula Pharmacy in Dacula
• No. 77 – Scott Hester, 1993, Asa Carlton, Inc. in Buford
• No. 86 – Phillip Bount, 1974, Phillip Blount and Associates, Inc. in Lawrenceville

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GBJ Staff

Gwinnett leads Asian global business recruitment mission

Leaders of Partnership Gwinnett, the community and economic development initiative that has been bringing jobs and wealth to the region since 2007, announced plans to conduct a two week Global Business Mission trip to South Korea, China and Hong Kong. Gwinnett Chamber President and CEO, Jim Maran, Senior Vice President of Economic Development & Partnership Gwinnett, Nick Masino, and elected officials and local business leaders are invited to join the international delegation, set to depart on May 31 and return June 13, 2012.

“The Partnership Gwinnett community and economic development strategy and its investors have facilitated the creation high-wage jobs– more than 10,000 in the last five years,” said Masino. “That is why it is now more crucial than ever that we continue expanding our economic development initiatives internationally.”

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GBJ Staff

Gwinnett Chamber names top 2012 priorities

Raymer Sale, 2012 Gwinnett Chamber chairman and president of E2E Resources, Inc.

In conjunction with the Gwinnett Chamber’s 64th Annual Dinner Presented by Gwinnett Medical Center, Raymer Sale, the 2012 Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce chairman and president of E2E Resources, Inc., announces the collaborative vision of the organization to create new jobs, encourage business development and small business growth and support crucial transportation solutions and investments.

Chairman Sale will address a sold-out crowd of over 1,000 business and community leaders, Feb. 3, at the Gwinnett Center.

Among the Gwinnett Chamber’s top priorities for 2012 are a renewed focus on attracting and keeping high-wage jobs, continuing to support and protect new and innovative funding sources for all modes of transportation in metro Atlanta, and attracting and growing high-growth entrepreneurial firms and small businesses.

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GBJ Staff

What lies ahead for Gwinnett in 2012?

Raymer Sale, Jr., CLU, president of E2E Resources and incoming Gwinnett Chamber board chairman

Enough of the doldrums. With a symbolic fresh start, it appears that the business community is ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities the New Year offers.

The Gwinnett Business Journal posed several questions to Gwinnett business leaders to gauge their anticipated business outlook for 2012. Based on their feedback, they sense that it’s time for a break through, time to take charge at the individual level to turn this economy around.

Learn what is immediately on the horizon for their respective organizations. Consider the business or personal advice each shares. And most importantly, discover their outlook for the coming year.

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GBJ Staff

Jackson EMC Foundation tops $6 million in grant awards

(l-r) Jackson EMC Gwinnett District Manager Randy Dellinger, North Gwinnett High student Chad Scott, Mill Creek High student Sierra Menzies and IDEALS Leadership School founder Jack Williams hold a $5,000 Jackson EMC Foundation grant check that will support the development of Gwinnett County high school athletes into positive role models and leaders.

Six agencies serving area residents have been awarded grants totaling $65,837 by the Jackson EMC Foundation, a charity funded by the electric cooperative’s members through their donations to the Operation Round Up program.

Since the Jackson EMC Foundation began in 2005, it has funded 589 grants to organizations and 217 grants to individuals, putting more than $6.1 million back into local communities. The Operation Round Up program allows participating electric cooperative’s members to have their monthly electric bills ‘rounded up’ to the next dollar amount. These funds are pooled and then available as part of a grant application process.

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GBJ Staff

Qualify for paralegal jobs in eight weeks with class at UGA Gwinnett Campus

Jobseekers can prepare themselves for a career in the legal industry by taking an eight-week Paralegal Certificate Course© at the UGA Gwinnett Campus from Feb. 3 through Mar.  24, 2012.

The class meets on Fridays from 6-9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is offered by the Georgia Center for Continuing Education in partnership with the Center for Legal Studies.

“Our mission to provide quick, intensive, low cost programs has never been more relevant than it is today,” said Center for Legal Studies President Gary Knippa.

The paralegal field is growing faster than the national average for all occupations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that the number of paralegal jobs in 2018 will be 28 percent higher than a decade earlier. The national median earnings for paralegals are currently $44,480, and freelance paralegal professionals can earn significantly more.

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GBJ Staff

Gwinnett Chamber’s 64th Annual Dinner celebrates exceptionalism

Citizens of the Year, Clyde and Sandra Strickland

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce will honor local pacesetters and involved citizens at its 64th Annual Dinner presented by Gwinnett Medical Center on Feb. 3, 2012. The black-tie optional celebration will be held at the Thomas P. Hughes Grand Ballroom at Gwinnett Center with a reception beginning at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Incoming chair Raymer Sale, president of E2E Resources, will highlight the Gwinnett Chamber’s 2011 accolades and the achievements of the Gwinnett community. The evening will also celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of the following honorees:

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