Special Focus:
Protecting and Investing

If you don’t give a rip, no one else will either. But magic happens when you do care.

Taking personal responsibility is infectious and has a dynamic ripple effect. Deliberate planning and being proactive represent the most direct and obvious ways to your safeguard assets – business, personal and community. In Gwinnett, as with our state and nation, individual and collective actions, or inaction, set the course for today’s opportunities and become the foundation for tomorrow.

Read the following articles to point you in a positive, proactive direction.

• Keeping an eye on Gwinnett’s safety
• Unleash your company’s potential
• Benefits decisions can’t wait on the Supreme Court
• Nine ways to protect everything you own
• Alert businesses can capitalize on housing trends
• Globalizing Gwinnett to accelerate bottom-line growth
• Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

GC&E Systems Group, Inc. Assistant Project Manager Shane Crumbley (left) and Technician Mike Williamson

Special Focus:
Protecting and Investing

Meeting security needs in and around Gwinnett County’s public facilities and commercial enterprise since 1999, GC&E Systems Group, Inc. has recently entered into a new contract with the county. This latest collaboration entails installing and maintaining security cameras in Gwinnett County parks and park facilities – an extension of the Park Smart program started in 2010 – as well as repair and maintenance of existing cameras at county buildings.

Headquartered in Norcross, this firm is a leading provider of specialized enterprise telecommunications operations, maintenance and engineering services for the federal government, and state, local and commercial entities. GC&E engineers serve customers from locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, offering three areas of expertise: security, communications and electrical services for all types of commercial, industrial and military projects.

Due to its deep relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), GC&E is uniquely suited to bring world-class products and expertise to the local level. “We have immediate access to field-tested equipment and technologies, and marry those to offer the very latest trends to local entities like Gwinnett County and Gwinnett County Public Schools,” explains Dennis Bristol, GC&E president. The firm has also held the contract for GCPS phone lines and security installation for the past seven years.

In meeting security needs for government or commercial entities, GC&E engineers work collaboratively with facility managers and IT professionals to put in place a centralized security infrastructure that can range from network intrusion detection to physical security such as card access systems and camera coverage. For forensic purposes, GC&E stores and can recall data to pinpoint suspicious activity or security breaches.

Another valuable asset GC&E brings to Gwinnett clientele is their tie to leading manufacturers. Because GC&E operates on a larger platform with the DOD, their specialists recognize potential scalability for new products and technologies as they come to market. By getting user feedback and posing questions to learn more, GC&E can then request immediate training. As well, they can respond quickly to customers with manufacturing or back end support. Bristol comments about his team, “If you’re not installing, you’re training.”

That level of commitment is what motivates this company from the top down. “Our customers have a real world mission ahead of them,” says Bristol. An Army veteran, he reveals, “I try to run the company like my own personal battalion. I expect the best from our employees – from the way they wear their uniforms to their attitudes and work efforts.” In collaboration with the GC&E leadership, Bristol embraces a culture of family, professional development and recognition among his staff that has resulted in historically low turnover.

Keep in mind the next time you drop your child off at school, enter a county facility or visit a Gwinnett park, GC&E is behind the scenes, looking out for your safety, because Bristol and his team knows, “It’s critical everyone gets home safely.”

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Read more articles related to the protecting and investing special focus.

• Unleash your company’s potential
• Benefits decisions can’t wait on the Supreme Court
• Nine ways to protect everything you own
• Alert businesses can capitalize on housing trends
• Globalizing Gwinnett to accelerate bottom-line growth
• Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

Special Focus:

by Mark Cole

When company leadership puts value on protecting and growing its greatest asset – its people – these assets return much more to a company than the original investment.

Take Jack Domme, for example. Under his leadership as CEO of Hitachi Data Systems, the company has budgeted money and time the past three years to develop its workforce. Hitachi experienced a 30 percent year-over-year increase in profits. Jack understands that its people unleash a company’s potential!

Make your people an investment priority. Here are three ways to start.

1. Invest your time: Knowing that you cannot invest the time needed to cultivate every member of your staff or team, the key is to spend time with the group, but invest focused time with the team members who have significant potential. Schedule meetings to walk your team through key decisions and discuss the impact on the business. Your team will gain perspective that equips them to grow and better serve the company.
2. Turn time into experiences: As you make sales calls, review marketing plans, meet with key clients or develop strategic plans, be intentional about including those high potential people in the conversation and the process. Define the task. Have the team member(s) watch. Next, take time to perform the tasks together so your teammate(s) can feel the weight of making these decisions. Then, observe the person(s) in action. Eventually, that person can teach others.
3. Spend money to develop your people: Be mindful of skills and industry requirements or events that will serve to keep your people current with trends and technology. These factors will impact their ability to grow and perform well. Remember, developing people involves both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills. Round out their training by including budgets for seminars and workshops that address communication, leadership and conflict resolution. On an individual level, engage people through mentors, books and online resources. Particularly at the executive level, one-on-one coaching also can provide a great return.

John Maxwell often says, “The most appreciable asset in any organization is your people.” A business leader’s ability to grow and add value to people professionally and personally minimizes risks of dissatisfaction, low motivation, turnover and lost momentum. Ultimately that yields long-term financial gain. So, let’s invest well!

Mark Cole is CEO of The John Maxwell Company, www.johnmaxwell.com.

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Read more articles related to the protecting and investing special focus.

• Keeping an eye on Gwinnett’s safety
• Benefits decisions can’t wait on the Supreme Court
• Nine ways to protect everything you own
• Alert businesses can capitalize on housing trends
• Globalizing Gwinnett to accelerate bottom-line growth
• Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

Special Focus:

by Blake Watts

The Supreme Court’s pending decision on the healthcare debate is an issue weighing heavily on the minds of many small business owners and human resources executives contemplating health coverage for employees. As leaders, you are waiting to see what happens with the healthcare law currently under review, thinking the decision will affect your strategy.

The Court’s decision should not matter. Of bigger concern should be your response to the following questions:

• •Healthcare costs will continue to climb nine to 15 percent. How are you, as a small business owner, planning for this major expense?
• •Are you currently in compliance with the alphabet soup of state and federal laws relating to employee benefit plans?

With employer health plans on a double-digit rise, you’ll have to make some hard decisions come re-enrollment time, specifically around absorbing premium increases, making changes to a current plan to keep costs in check, and/or shifting more costs to employees.

Small business owners make these choices every day. These actions are ushering in a new era of purchasing trends for health coverage. In the next several years, we will see our entire business culture un-marry itself from the ‘Buying Power’ model that most businesses employ, in which they ‘shop the market’ to reduce cost, to a ‘Buying Intelligence’ model in which employers will solve for the spend instead of a certain benefit level. This shift in strategy will give employees more choices and open up a world of available risk management solutions.

Where does your business stand on compliance? Are you up-to-date with the latest addendums to FMLA, COBRA, OBRA, HIPAA, ERISA and FICA? Small employers can’t afford – literally – to miss any of these regulatory deadlines/requirements by following business-as-usual strategy.

Wise employers are implementing solutions to help their beleaguered human resources staff stay current. Protect your business, employees and dependents now.

Blake Watts is vice president, health and benefits solutions at Delta Community Credit Union’s Members Insurance Advisors LLC, a subsidiary of Delta Community Credit Union, www.membersia.com.

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Read more articles related to the protecting and investing special focus.

• Keeping an eye on Gwinnett’s safety
• Unleash your company’s potential
• Nine ways to protect everything you own
• Alert businesses can capitalize on housing trends
• Globalizing Gwinnett to accelerate bottom-line growth
• Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

Special Focus:

by Hillel L. Presser

More than 100 million lawsuits are filed each year. One in three people will be sued in the next 12 months. No one’s immune, but people showing a lot of assets – whether $100,000 or $5 million – are especially vulnerable.

If someone thinks you’ve got a lot to lose – and thus, they’ve got a lot to gain – you become a choice target. Lawsuits have become big business, especially since the economic downturn. They’re a cheap way for people to make lots of money, often with an investment of just a few hours’ time. Consider how vulnerable are you. Would you survive being sued?

Here are nine tips to help guide you in protecting your assets:

1. Inventory your wealth.
   Take stock of valuable domain names, telephone numbers, intellectual property, potential inheritances and other non-liquid assets.
2. Convert non-exempt assets into exempt assets.
   State laws protect some personal assets from lawsuits and creditors. Find out Georgia’s exemptions and convert non-exempt assets (i.e. cash) into exempt assets (i.e. life insurance).
3. Protect every asset from every creditor.
   There’s no point in protecting your money if your business is exposed, or protecting your business if your house is exposed. Your asset protection plan should withstand any threat.
4. Don’t rely solely on liability insurance.
   Buy as much insurance as you can, but realize that 70 percent of claims are not covered. Having insurance and an asset protection plan is the belt and suspenders approach to hanging onto your pants.
5. Avoid fraudulent transfers.
   You may invalidate your entire asset protection plan if your creditor doesn’t get paid because you sold an asset to a person or entity for less than its fair market value when faced with a lawsuit.
6. Don’t title your assets solely to your spouse or to ‘straw men.’
   They may have more financial problems than you.
7. Protect with liens.
   Make all of your assets valueless. Become an unattractive candidate for a lawsuit.
8. Transfer your assets to a protective entity.
   Own nothing while controlling everything. Transfer any non-exempt assets out of your name to protective entities such as trusts, LLCs, limited partnerships, etc.
9. Keep your plan up to date.
   Laws change every year. Have your plan reviewed yearly.

Attorney Hillel L. Presser is the author of Financial Self-Defense and specializes in establishing comprehensive asset protection plans, www.assetprotectionattorneys.com.

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Read more articles related to the protecting and investing special focus.

• Keeping an eye on Gwinnett’s safety
• Unleash your company’s potential
• Benefits decisions can’t wait on the Supreme Court
• Alert businesses can capitalize on housing trends
• Globalizing Gwinnett to accelerate bottom-line growth
• Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

Special Focus:

As the local housing market continues to take a beating, new opportunities are arising for businesses that are paying attention. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) reveals that homeowners are choosing to personalize their space during a remodel as more people are opting to stay put, rather than move.

NARI National President Dean Herriges, MCR, CKBR, says, “Because many homes have recently decreased in value, people are deciding to stick it out for much longer than they had originally planned.” According to a poll on NARI.org, 26 percent of respondents are planning to stay an additional 16 to 20 years in their homes because of decreases in their home values. Another 23 percent report they are going to stay an additional six to 10 years.

This in turn, has sparked a new remodeling trend that centers on making homes better reflect individual lifestyles and tastes as people decide to live in them longer.

“Remodeling used to be about increasing resale value – making improvements that are appealing to the majority of buyers in order to boost the value of the home,” explains Herriges. “More and more, people are throwing out the resale theory and making specialized improvements that suit their needs and their needs only.”

And this trend stretches far beyond flashy paint colors and finishes. Homeowners are opting for more extravagant customizations make sense to their lifestyles.

For local contractors seeking to bid on remodeling projects to businesses that supply products and services to complete these projects, the opportunities abound for companies willing to adapt to the trends that are in play.

Visit the NARI.org site to get tips on how to hire a remodeling professional and to search for NARI members in and around Gwinnett.
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Read more articles related to the protecting and investing special focus.

• Keeping an eye on Gwinnett’s safety
• Unleash your company’s potential
• Benefits decisions can’t wait on the Supreme Court
• Nine ways to protect everything you own
• Globalizing Gwinnett to accelerate bottom-line growth
• Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

Special Focus:

by Yelena Epova

The Gwinnett Chamber and the Georgia Department of Economic Development are clearly focused on building a very favorable environment for domestic and international small businesses. Whether yours is a U.S. company expanding abroad or an international company looking for a U.S. home, find peer companies that have already taken this approach, build relationships and swap lessons learned about the process of going global.

Following are four global trends affecting small- to medium-sized business decisions.

1. Global expansion is a recession buffer.
   Geographic diversity and access to new markets or resources helps lower the risks associated with concentration in one economic region. And while every economy has been affected by the most recent downturn, not every economy has been affected at the same point in time, in the same way or in the same industries. For U.S. companies thinking about exporting, consider whether to form a domestic international sales corporation (DISC) to realize potential tax benefits.
2. International companies are moving to Georgia.
   Norcross-based Delta Engineering is a Belgian company that moved here in 2011. Vice President Geert Beerens says, “I moved to Georgia because of the strong labor pool and the convenience of Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. I moved to Gwinnett, specifically, because of the abundance of commercial properties and the favorable taxes compared to surrounding counties.”
3. Manufacturing jobs are re-shoring.
   Many manufacturers with revenues $20 to $500 million are actively bringing jobs back to Georgia. Although an inexpensive labor pool overseas lured manufacturing jobs away, a number of smaller companies now find it easier to maintain quality and see it as a more cost effective proposition to close geographical gaps in the supply chain. Also of grave concern are additional risks from volatile foreign markets, currency and politics that often result in a greater chance for patent and intellectual property infringement.
4. New markets exist for outsourced IT jobs.
   Companies should consider all the potential cross-border tax and transfer pricing issues. The availability of a highly-educated, motivated and often English-speaking workforce in countries like the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Panama and Costa Rica, coupled with the much lower cost of employing these workers, continues to make outsourcing IT jobs a great option for small businesses trying to remain competitive.

Yelena Epova is a partner in Habif, Arogeti & Wynne’s Tax Group and head of its International Services Practice, www.hawcpa.com.

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Read more articles related to the protecting and investing special focus.

• Keeping an eye on Gwinnett’s safety
• Unleash your company’s potential
• Benefits decisions can’t wait on the Supreme Court
• Nine ways to protect everything you own
• Alert businesses can capitalize on housing trends
• Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

June 2012, Lilburn's Lions Club Park will undergo a transformation that will take 11 months to complete.

Special Focus:
Protecting and Investing

Business owners and local residents are hopeful that a revitalized merchant district is about to emerge in Lilburn. Recent collaboration announcements among the City of Lilburn, Gwinnett County and the Lilburn Community Improvement District (CID) may mark the first steps to making the area’s commercial corridor along U.S. Hwy. 29 a greater draw for new businesses to move in and set up shop.

Primarily known as a bedroom community with world-class schools, Lilburn is also one of Gwinnett County’s primary traffic arteries. Thousands of motorists travel through Lilburn each day to reach a major highway or interstate.

Now that the multi-year Georgia Department of Transportation road projects and median construction work are complete from Ronald Reagan Pkwy. to Rockbridge Rd., the facelift is nearing completion. Mid-May, the Lilburn CID announced its plans to embark on a median landscaping project along the Hwy. 29 corridor as a means of raising the community’s profile and overall attractiveness.

“Fresh landscaping will have a tremendous impact on the entire community by beautifying this gateway corridor into Lilburn,” says Lilburn CID Executive Director Gerald McDowell. “We know that business and commercial property owners as well as residents have looked forward to seeing this effort take off.”

As the spruce up begins, the entire community eagerly awaits the final outcome of a pending agreement with Big League Dreams for a massive softball complex near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 29 and Indian Trail Rd. Plus, set to begin in June, the Gwinnett commissioners recently awarded a $5.3 million construction contract to redevelop Lions Club Park for youth baseball/softball opportunities. Gwinnett County signed a 50-year lease agreement in 2005 with the City of Lilburn to operate and maintain the 51-acre park and expect construction to be complete in 11 months.

Complementing the Lions Club Park renovation is the new 79-acre Bryson Park on U.S. Hwy. 29 at Hood Rd. that opens in mid-July. It features a multi-purpose field with artificial turf (striped for football, soccer and lacrosse) and natural grass soccer fields. In addition, there is a picnic and playground area, along with a multi-purpose trail.

These recreation facilities alone will draw thousands of visitors to Lilburn each year. Combined with daily commuters, now is the time for businesses to examine the great opportunities currently available in and around Lilburn.

“Good things are happening in Lilburn,” says Jimi Taylor, co-owner of Taylor Made Gift Baskets. “I am beginning to again love the city I chose so many years ago!”

Just as many other Gwinnett municipalities have undergone dramatic revitalization in the past decade, Lilburn’s commercial gateway is primed for that level of rebirth.

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Read more articles related to the protecting and investing special focus.

• Keeping an eye on Gwinnett’s safety
• Unleash your company’s potential
• Benefits decisions can’t wait on the Supreme Court
• Nine ways to protect everything you own
• Alert businesses can capitalize on housing trends
• Globalizing Gwinnett to accelerate bottom-line growth

Meredith Atha, general manager of Sterling Autobody Centers poses with Motorhead Garage co-hosts Sam Memmolo (L) and Dave Bowman.

Have you reached the pinnacle? Newly promoted? Taking on a different role or changing companies? Send details to newsroom@gbj.com and we’ll help spread the word.

Meet the May 2012
People on the Move in Gwinnett

Meredith Atha, general manager of Sterling Autobody Centers poses with Motorhead Garage co-hosts Sam Memmolo (L) and Dave Bowman. Sterling Autobody Centers, with five Atlanta-area collision repair shops, was featured recently featured on a 30-minute episode of Motorhead Garage airing on the Fox Sports Network and filmed at the Centers’ Lawrenceville location.

Marsha Anderson Bomar

Marsha Anderson Bomar, a senior principal with Stantec and based in the company’s Duluth office, has been elected to the WTS International Board of Directors, a professional association dedicated to the advancement of women in the transportation planning and engineering practice.

Jill Biazzo

Jill Biazzo is the new creative services project manager for Visix, Inc. in Norcross, charged with expanding the firm’s design team in coming months.

Cassandra Blassingame

Cassandra D. Blassingame is the new program development manager for Ashworth College’s career training programs, a leading online school based in Peachtree Corners.

Lauren Brady

Lauren Brady has been selected as the program manager for Partnership Gwinnett and will manage implementation of over 60 well-established programs per year.

Sean Buckley

Norcross Allstate exclusive agency owner Sean Buckley received the Chairman’s Inner Circle Conference award, nationally one of only two percent of insurance agencies and personal financial representatives to reach this level of achievement.

Erica Carrasquerro

Lawrenceville Allstate exclusive agency owner Erica Carrasquerro received the Chairman’s Conference award, nationally one of only six percent of insurance agencies and personal financial representatives to reach this level of achievement.

Victor Corrigan, MD

Victor Corrigan, M.D., general cardiologist for Piedmont Heart Institute with an office in Snellville, was named to a highly selective list of ‘America’s Top Doctors’ representing the top one percent in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Debbie Dykes

Norcross Allstate exclusive agency owner Debbie Dykes received the Chairman’s Inner Circle Conference award, nationally one of only two percent of insurance agencies and personal financial representatives to reach this level of achievement.

Peggy Goodman

Peggy Goodman is the newly named principal of Five Forks Middle, assuming this role June 1, 2012. Most recently the principal of Gwen Oaks Elementary, she has been an educator since 1977, coming to Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2000.

Lindsay Hahn

Lindsay Hahn has joined Norcross-based Visix, Inc., as a customer success manager and is tasked with helping clients successfully adopt Visix technologies as well as support the company’s international and inside sales initiatives.

Ken Johnson

Ken Johnson is the newly named principal of Archer High, assuming this role June 1, 2012. Most recently the principal of Berkmar High, he has been an educator and coach since 1993, coming to Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2000.

Otis Jones

Otis P. Jones, of Lawrenceville, was re-elected to a one-year term as secretary-treasurer of the Georgia Transmission Corporation Board of Directors. He also is Jackson Electric Membership Corporation’s (EMC’s) chairman of the board.

David Kandzari, MD

David Kandzari, M.D., interventional cardiologist for Piedmont Heart Institute with an office in Snellville, was named to a highly selective list of ‘America’s Top Doctors’ representing the top one percent in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

William Knopf, MD

William Knopf, M.D., interventional cardiologist for Piedmont Heart Institute with an office in Snellville, was named to a highly selective list of ‘America’s Top Doctors’ representing the top one percent in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Peter Mansolillo

Allstate exclusive agency owner Peter Mansolillo received the National Conference award for high standards in customer satisfaction and retention and profitable business growth, nationally ranking among the top agencies.

Jeffrey Marshall, MD

J. Jeffrey Marshall, MD, FSCAI, FACC, is the newly installed president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). Dr. Marshall is the medical director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

Dennis Martin

Dennis Martin, Ted’s Montana Grill in Buford, was named Proprietor of the Year for the second year in a row from among all the company’s 44 restaurants nationwide, and accepted honors for Highest Sales Growth and Highest Guest Count Growth for the restaurant. (L-R) Kristi Nyhof, president and chief operating officer, Ted’s Montana Grill; Dennis Martin and George McKerrow, Ted’s Montana Grill co-founder and CEO.

Tony Martin

Tony Martin is the newly hired chief operating officer for Visix, Inc. in Norcross. He will oversee technical operations and brings more than 10 years experience in LEAN tools, project and personnel management, and process controls.

Caroline Mendez

Caroline Mendez, CEO and chairwoman of C12 Group Women, earned a ‘Women of Distinction’ award by the Soroptimist International Atlanta, GA Chapter.

Robert Michener

Robert Michener is the newly named director of operations for Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District (CID), and in this capacity also oversees the CID’s landscaping efforts, sidewalk construction and nightly private security patrols.

Dr. Donald Panoz

Dr. Donald E. Panoz is the newly appointed Board Chairman at NanoLumens. Founder of Mylan Laboratories, Elan Pharmaceuticals and the American Le Mans Motorsports Series, among others, brings 50 years of business success to this Norcross firm.

Dr. Randy Pierce

Dr. Randy Pierce has been appointed interim president of Gainesville State College, assuming the post on July 1, 2012, and will guide the consolidation of Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University.

Adam Squires

Adam Squires, co-owner of MoneySaver is entering Gwinnett County by launching franchise ownership opportunities to entrepreneurs in the area to focus on solely promoting neighborhood businesses rather than national brands.

Max Teich

Carl House Executive Chef Max Teich is delighting brides and the company’s off site catering clientele with his inventive seasonal menus. He previously owned a catering firm and worked with Lee Epting Catering and The Georgia Club.

Mary Thomas

Mary Thomas is the newly named principal of Pharr Elementary, assuming this role June 1, 2012. Most recently the assistant principal of Arcado Elementary, she has been an educator for Gwinnett County Public Schools since 1987.

Dawn Tibbles

Dawn Tibbles is the newly named general manager of Carl House in Auburn, Ga., serving both wedding clientele and Carl House’s growing off site catering division.
She was formerly with Country Club of the South and Cherokee Town and Country Club.

George Villasana

George Villasana is the newly named vice president and general counsel for Duluth-based Asbury Automotive Group Inc.

Chuck Warbinton

Chuck Warbington, executive director for the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District (CID), is one of 15 civil engineering professionals from across the country named to the CE News magazine’s inaugural list of 2012 rising stars.

Dr. Darin Wilson

Dr. Darin Wilson, director of Athletics at Georgia Gwinnett College, has received the Athletics Director of the Year Award from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Athletics Directors Association.

by Leo Wiener

Leasing can be a challenge in this down economy. Property owners who make prudent choices can set themselves up for a big win in the short term and ensure long-term viability for their commercial properties.

When you are trying to fill vacant space, you are often forced to take on additional risks by leasing to tenants that you might not have pulled the trigger on in a bull market. The critical concept to remember is that you will almost always earn more value from a building that has tenants than one that sits vacant.

Also keep in mind that, in a retail center, when your property is unoccupied, you are often still paying common area fees – power bills for the parking lot and other charges that don’t stop simply because a structure is empty. The other factor to weigh when evaluating what direction to take on filling your vacancies is the impact of foot traffic on a fully leased commercial property – an crucial element needed for the health of your anchor stores. That alone can make finding a tenant for an empty property a top priority.

All of these concerns are great reasons to be more flexible in your decision paradigm when structuring a deal to fill your vacant properties. As a commercial property owner, you can often help your situation by taking a risk that you might not normally take. You can make bigger concessions on the bonuses for new tenants, or even take on a tenant with a lower credit rating than you would accept in a better market.

Some of these risks will pay out and earn you a long-term tenant that will keep your property occupied, increase foot traffic and help you earn money on your commercial properties. Who knows, you could also hit the jackpot and find a new tenant that will fill your space for years to come.

Leo Wiener is chair of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District board of directors and a principal and partner with Glenwood Development Co. LLC.