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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Gwinnett Studio





OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Mark Farmer, Mark Butler, Peter Hildebrandt

Mark Farmer, Mark Butler, Peter Hildebrandt

Mark Farmer/Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development

Mark Farmer, Gwinnett Chamber Economic DevelopmentThe Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development department is tasked with implementing the Partnership Gwinnett initiative, which is the community and economic development strategy for the county. The department works to foster business growth in the county.

 


Mark Butler/University of Georgia Small Business Development Center

Mark Butler, UGA Small Business Development CenterThe University of Georgia Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) mission is to enhance the economic well-being of Georgians by providing a wide range of educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The SBDC provides one-on-one consulting, continuing education and access to research for its clients. One-on-one consulting services are provided at no cost to the small business owner.

Peter Hildebrandt/SCORE

Peter Hildebrandt, SCORESCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. They have been doing this for over fifty years. Since their work is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and thanks to a network of 11,000+ volunteers, they are able to deliver their services at no charge or at very low cost. Anyone can sit down for mentoring sessions with a SCORE mentor, and it’s always free. The SCORE mentors are all successful business people who have either started their own business or been executives in larger organizations.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Mike Sammond, Vlad Rusz, Katie Grubbs, Shevonn Willis, Malcolm Evans, Vince DeSilva

Mike Sammond, Vlad Rusz, Katie Grubbs, Shevonn Willis, Malcolm Evans, Vince DeSilva

Malcolm Evans/Sales Accent

Malcolm Evans, Sales AccentSales Accent is Malcolm Evans. He has been in sales since he could walk. He is described as an innovative and passionate Salesman’s Salesman, an advocate for businesses and customers alike. He grew up living in a pub in rural Wales surrounded by green fields and sheep. “I have been dealing with customers since I could reach high enough to pour a pint of beer.”

Originally in engineering, he transitioned to a sales life in the 1980’s. Pagers, fax machines, CRM and 5 pound mobile phones are some of the changes he has seen. His experience covers marketing, advertising and sales management. No stranger to the global market, Malcolm came to the United States in 2001 while employed by one of the largest engineering companies to focus on the challenges of global selling and international business development.

Malcolm is a business owner, sales trainer, aspiring writer and speaker. He is a Jeffrey Gitomer Certified Advisor and holds his own interesting perspectives on sales, customer relations and the entrepreneurial spirit. He is a driven individual motivated by the “American Dream” where anything can be achieved.

Vlad Rusz/Sterling Rose Consulting

Vlad Rusz, Sterling Rose Consulting CorpSterling Rose Consulting is a Georgia based Company that provides business plan creation and review, online and offline marketing, marketing plan creation and review, accounting, bookkeeping, financial analysis, operations, payroll services, Zoho CRM customization, Zoho CRM implementation and business consulting. Their staff has over 50 years of successful entrepreneurial experience. In addition, the CEO of the company has launched and ran three successful businesses that currently range in age from 2 to 7 years old with gross revenues ranging from $240,000 to $5.0 million.

Sterling Rose Consulting prides itself on providing quality, investor ready documentation. They take it even one step farther and make sure, you as the client, understand how to effectively present these documents whether they are being prepared for internal use or outside investors.

Sterling Rose Consulting Corp., also provides full Zoho CRM migration, customization, implementation and maintenance. The company is proud to be a Zoho Partner and Reseller.

They service both start-ups and established firms.

Katie Grubbs/SuperScribe

Katie Grubbs, SuperScribeSuperScribe is an elite team of educated professionals who aim to serve local physicians in efficiently and accurately completing their electronic medical records. They strive to become a valuable personal assistant to their clients to improve their revenue capture and flow of patients through their respective departments. Their team can tailor their services to focus on all clerical needs allowing physicians to return their focus to the patients.

Shevonn Willis/The Smith Willis Firm

Shevonn Willis, The Smith Willis FirmThe Smith Willis Firm concentrates on business law. They take the time to get to know their clients and understand their clients’ business needs and goals. Using this knowledge they are able to help clients find the right solutions that fit their particular needs. The Smith Willis Firm assists companies in matters related to business formation, as well as drafting and reviewing contracts. They also help clients understand and stay compliant with the multitude of federal and state laws that govern the workplace by providing advice on employment matters and developing company policies and procedures.

Additionally, their specialty is assisting business clients with the legal aspects and implications of insurance. They work with business clients from the beginning of the process to the end. This includes counseling clients on risk management through insurance, insurance policy review and evaluation, assessing areas of exposure, and once a claim has been filed, diligently representing clients in negotiating with insurance companies.

Vince DeSilva/Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Vince DeSilva, Gwinnett Chamber of CommerceThe Gwinnett Chamber is the forum where business, government, education, healthcare, arts/culture/entertainment, and philanthropic and public service communities come together to advance the region’s economy and enrich Gwinnett’s quality of life.

 

 

OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Guy Karnitz, Al Karnitz, Megan Lesko, Karen Backus, Bill Lampton, Mike Sammond

Guy Karnitz, Al Karnitz, Megan Lesko, Karen Backus, Bill Lampton, Mike Sammond

Al & Guy Karnitz/Ace Truck & Body Repair

Al and Guy Karnitz, Ace Truck Body and Trailer RepairAce Truck Body & Trailer Repair‘s motto “You had a choice and you chose us” has led them through 32 years of growth and success as a full-service operation specializing in body and engine repair and painting of tractor-trailer and medium-size trucks, as well as mobile units to provide on-site repairs.

Since Al Karnitz opened the doors to his company on August 11, 1981, the company has grown from four employees to 38 employees housed in a 33,000 square-foot custom-built repair facility located just three miles from its original location. Over time, the company has become a seven-figure, family-run business. The eldest son, Guy Karnitz, is the general manager. Another son, Allan Karnitz, is in charge of outside estimating and public relations. The company continues through the generations, with grandson Devon Karnitz, who works as an estimator.

Bill Lampton/Championship Communication

Dr. Bill Lampton, Championship CommunicationFounded in 1997, Championship Communication helps companies identify their communication problems and find solutions to them. Also, Dr. Bill Lampton helps leaders learn to speak with “poise, power, and persuasion.” He teaches clients to produce top-quality, cost-effective videos using their iPads or iPhones.

As a keynote speaker, seminar director, and coach, Bill has worked with top-tier clients, including the University of Georgia Athletic Association, Gillette, Ritz-Carlton-Cancun, Celebrity Cruises, and the British Columbia Legal Management Association. He wrote a popular book, “The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication, Change Your Life!” His motto: “Helping You Finish in First Place!”

Karen Backus/Avion Energy Group

Karen Backus, Avion Energy GroupAvion Energy Group gets energy providers licensed in your state to compete with each other to get you best pricing. Avion provides an apple-to-apple comparison of best pricing by providing you a list of those suppliers on one sheet of paper where you can see how they competed for your business. They will arrange to have the contract documents prepared for your signature the same day and will notify you when your signed agreement has been accepted by the provider. About 90 days before your contract is about to end they will contact you to start the process again. You can change suppliers each time your contract is up for renewal yet remain a client of Avion Energy for years to come and the best part is their service is totally free because they are paid by the providers.

Megan Lesko/Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Megan Lesko, Gwinnett Chamber of CommerceThe Gwinnett Chamber is the forum where business, government, education, healthcare, arts/culture/entertainment, and philanthropic and public service communities come together to advance the region’s economy and enrich Gwinnett’s quality of life.

 

 

OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Mike Sammond, Jai Rogers, Jeff Kim, Rachel Fasig, Vince DeSilva

Mike Sammond, Jai Rogers, Jeff Kim, Rachel Fasig, Vince DeSilva

Jeff Kim/TRACS Group

Tax Rebate And Credit Specialists ( TRACS ) brings their  specialty of identifying and generating state and federal tax credits to Georgia businesses. They service over 1,200 clients and have generated more than $292 million of state and federal tax credits for their clients.

 

Jai Rogers/Delta Community Credit Union

Delta Community Credit Union is Georgia’s largest credit union serving more than 300,000 members in the metro Atlanta area and employees of top businesses such as Delta Air Lines, Chick-fil-A and RaceTrac. Delta Community is a state-chartered credit union organized under the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, and its deposit accounts are federally insured through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. Unlike a for-profit bank, Delta Community is owned by its members, not individual or institutional investors.

Rachel Fasig/Suwanee Magazine

Suwanee Magazine is a family, community & lifestyle magazine designed to keep pace and flow with the active Suwanee lifestyle. Distributing over 20,000 free copies bi-monthly to hundreds of businesses and locations in the Suwanee area, the magazine shares insight with its readers and focuses on their unique interests. Suwanee Magazine devotes sections pertaining to the best of dining, shopping, music, local personalities, business, industry and everything in between that impacts the Suwanee area and beyond. Each month new businesses emerge, new trends develop, new leaders move to the community forefront and Suwanee Magazine is there to keep you connected!

Vince DeSilva/Gwinnett Chamber

The Gwinnett Chamber continues to lead the way in the creation of programming geared towards its membership community.

 

 

 

 

 

OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Mike Sammond, Stephanie Moyer, Kevin Ford, Stephanie Sokenis, Norma West, Johnny Phelps

Mike Sammond, Stephanie Moyer, Kevin Ford, Stephanie Sokenis, Norma West, Johnny Phelps

Stephanie Moyer & Kevin Ford/Insperity

???????????????????????????????Insperity, a trusted advisor to America’s best businesses for more than 27 years, provides an array of human resources and business solutions designed to help improve business performance. Insperity offers the most comprehensive suite of products and services available in the marketplace. Insperity delivers administrative relief, better benefits, reduced liabilities and a systematic way to improve productivity through its premier Workforce Optimization™ solution. Additional company offerings include Human Capital Management, Payroll Services, Time and Attendance, Performance Management, Organizational Planning, Recruiting Services, Employment Screening, Financial Services, Expense Management, Retirement Services and Insurance Services.

Norma West/Country Financial

Norma West, Country FinancialFrom the first fire policy in the 1920’s to the billions of dollars in assets and investments they protect and manage today, their history tells the story. Country Financial began in the state of Illinois and is currently available in 17 states. In 2005, they acquired Cotton States Insurance in Georgia. Currently they have ten financial representatives in the Gwinnett County area and many more throughout the state of Georgia. Country Financial is able to protect your assets, family and businesses by looking at ways to help save money for the future, retirement planning, and helping to protect your assets for the next generation. Country Financial has been a leader in providing auto, home and life insurance for over 85 years and, most importantly, their financial representatives understand the value of great service to their clients.

Johnny Phelps/Harry Norman Realtors

Johnny Phelps, Harry Norman RealtorsFounded in 1930, Harry Norman, REALTORS is Atlanta’s oldest and largest residential real estate firm with 12 sales offices, various franchise and satellite offices, and more than 1,000 real estate professionals. Harry Norman, REALTORS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. HomeServices is the second-largest full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firm in the U.S. with 30 locations, over 20,000 sales associates and more than 3,500 employees. Harry Norman, REALTORS is the exclusive Atlanta affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate and achieves additional international exposure through membership in such exclusive real estate networks as Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® the largest network of independent residential real estate firms, with 600 members representing 5,000 offices and 150,000 associates across the U.S. and in more than 35 countries.

Stephanie Sokenis/Gwinnett Chamber

Stephanie Sokenis, Gwinnett ChamberThe mission of the Gwinnett Chamber is to strengthen existing businesses, facilitate the growth of quality job opportunities, and enrich the community’s quality of life.

The Gwinnett Chamber serves over 2,000 members throughout metro Atlanta by delivering pertinent and useful programs that strengthen and connect businesses locally, regionally, and globally. The Gwinnett Chamber uses its strategic marketing and communications capabilities to support its members, promote its programs, and enhance economic development efforts.

The Gwinnett Chamber develops opportunities for job growth by working with strategic partners to enhance economic development initiatives in Georgia. The Gwinnett Chamber promotes economic development in Gwinnett and the metro Atlanta area primarily through its Partnership Gwinnett initiative. Partnership Gwinnett focuses on holistic economic development in targeted industries through continuous efforts to retain, expand and leverage existing Gwinnett businesses; focused marketing efforts to attract businesses to locate or expand operations in Gwinnett; and comprehensive efforts to assist entrepreneurs in launching and sustaining start-up businesses.

The Gwinnett Chamber supports community development efforts that enrich Gwinnett’s quality of life and quality of place. The Chamber also facilitates efforts to develop, attract, and retain world-class entrepreneurial and community leadership talent.

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OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Bryan Ginn, Mike Sammond, Malinda Foster, Randy Hicks

Bryan Ginn, Mike Sammond, Malinda Foster, Randy Hicks

Bryan Ginn/GA PCOM

GA Campus – PCOM was established in 2005 to help address the physician shortage in Georgia and the southeastern United States. With academic programs including the Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine, Doctorate in Pharmacy, and a masters degree in BioMedical Sciences, their college focuses on the health sciences. The college anticipates an expanding academic program in the years to come to address other health sciences fields where there is a need for more practitioners.

Malinda Foster/Courtyard by Marriott – Mall of GA

The Courtyard by Marriott – Mall of Georgia is an award-winning hotel located in Buford, GA. Host hotel to the Gwinnett Braves, this Marriott hotel offers corporate and leisure travelers a place to call home while in the area. The hotel offers guests an exceptional facility, convenient location and outstanding customer service. The Courtyard by Marriott – Mall of GA is owned and operated by Hotel Equities which is a full service hotel development and management company located in Atlanta.

Randy Hicks/Merchant Data Systems

Merchant Data Systems was founded in 1997 on the principals of delivering outstanding service as well as a commitment to innovation and excellence with both their merchants and sales partners.

They are a full-service payment processing company offering a wide array of services to all business types including Credit Card Processing, Debit Card Processing, Automated Account Settlement, POS Equipment Sales & Leasing, 24/7 World Class Customer Service, Merchant Cash Advances, Proprietary Gift Card and Loyalty programs, as well as merchant-friendly PCI Compliance solutions.

They also offer industry-leading Payroll, Human Resources, Marketing and eMarketing programs and more to streamline their merchants’ operations and help them realize cost savings. Their consultative approach with business owners helps merchants get the products and services they need while helping to keep their costs low. This allows merchants to focus on their core business with confidence that their payment acceptance tools are working together with them to increase in-store sales.

Through the alliances Merchant Data Systems has forged, they are able to provide the most technologically advanced and secure payment processing solutions and products positioning Merchant Data Systems to be a one-stop shop for all your payment processing needs.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Mike Sammond, Kimberly Shupe, Bryan Howell, Andy Morgan

Mike Sammond, Kimberly Shupe, Bryan Howell, Andy Morgan

Kimberly Shupe/Fenski Automotive

Fenski Automotive Center is conveniently located and now celebrating 10 years at 1010 Peachtree Industrial  Boulevard in Sugar Hill. Since 2004, they have provided complete auto repair services on your domestic, Asian and  European vehicles with the goal of helping you keep them up to 300,000 worry-free miles as they are designed to do. They understand the value of preventive maintenance and their industry certified technicians strive to offer each customer a consultation they can trust. Fenski Automotive Center… Helping you LOVE  your vehicle much longer than your loan!

Bryan Howell/Parker Young Constructioin & Firestar

Complete disaster restoration from fire, water, storm and mold for homes and businesses in Georgia and the Southeast. Parker Young Construction and Firestar are the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce’s July 2014  Business of the Month award winners.

 

Andy Morgan/The Morgan Law Group

The Morgan Law Group is a full service and transactional law firm providing legal counseling and support services to businesses and business owners primarily in the areas of corporate law, business law, and contracts.  Typical transactions would include business formation, drafting and negotiating transaction documents, agreements and contracts, deal structuring, private equity financing and business acquisitions and sales. The Morgan Law Group is the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce’s August 2014 Small Business of the Month award winner.

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OPEN FOR BUSINESS presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Sid Theus, Chris Willis, Genie Burnett, Stacey Williams, Vince DeSilva, Mike Sammond

Sid Theus, Chris Willis, Genie Burnett, Stacey Williams, Vince DeSilva, Mike Sammond

Open for Business highlights and celebrates many of the top businesses and community leaders that make Gwinnett County a great place to work… and a great place to live. Selected shows will also discuss important and relevant topics that affect the business climate in and around Gwinnett County

Today’s Guests:

Dr. Genie Burnett/Manna Fund

???????????????????????????????Manna Fund has been operational for 8 years. Manna Fund is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing hope and financial assistance to individuals who need treatment for eating disorders. Manna Fund provides funds for residential and inpatient eating disorder treatment for individuals lacking insurance coverage or for those with inadequate insurance coverage. Manna Fund grants scholarships to recipients by providing direct payment to partnering eating disorder treatment facilities.

Their Mission is to address the epidemic of eating disorders by providing prevention programs, education, research, and financial assistance for treatment to all qualified individuals through well-administered programs.

Chris Willis/Willis Mechanical

Chris Willis, Willis MechanicalWillis Mechanical is a mechanical contractor based in Norcross, GA. They provide a full spectrum of HVAC and refrigeration service to commercial and industrial clients. With innovative offerings such as a 2 hour emergency response time guarantee (that has never been broken), Willis Mechanical is growing fast!

 

Stacey Williams/Foster & Witmer

???????????????????????????????Foster & Witmer in an independent insurance agency specializing in the hard to place risk. They have been serving the Atlanta area since 1976. If you have tickets, accidents, credit problems or no prior coverage for your auto, home or business, they can help.  Foster & Witmer is ” Big Enough to have the Markets and Small Enough to Care”.


Sid Theus/American Painting & Renovations

Sid Theus, American Painting & RenovationsAmerican Painting & Renovations has grown exponentially in the residential, commercial and multi-family property industries because of quality workmanship, competitive pricing and reliable service to all of their customers. APR is currently licensed in 33 states and has no plans to stop there! The company and the subcontractors perform a host of renovation and construction services across the country, including apartment-to-condo conversions and interior and exterior renovations. American Painting also provides the residential, commercial and multi-family communities with services such as exterior painting, concrete, roofing, stucco, siding, gutter replacement, carpentry, welding and much more.

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