GBJ Staff

Carter’s, Inc. hiring for Braselton distribution hub

Carter’s, the largest branded marketer of baby and young children’s apparel in the U.S. and headquartered in Atlanta, has selected Braselton, Ga., as the home of its new multichannel distribution center.
Scheduled to open in June, the one-million-square-foot facility will support the company’s e-commerce, retail, and wholesale businesses and create an immediate need for 250 full-time employees. A job fair will be held May 9-12 at the new facility in Braselton. Interested candidates can visit www.carters.com/DCjobs to learn more and apply.

“Carter’s new distribution center will have an immediate, positive impact on the lives of Jackson County residents,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. “Encouraging job growth in the state is of the utmost importance, and we are pleased Carter’s has chosen to invest in Georgia and its workforce.”

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GBJ Staff

Caterpiller plans new factory near Athens, Ga.

Caterpillar Inc. has selected land near Athens, Ga., as the location for a new facility that will build small track-type tractors and mini hydraulic excavators. The state-of-the-art, one-million-square-foot-facility is expected to directly employ 1,400 people once it is fully operational.

The new facility will be part of Caterpillar’s Building Construction Products (BCP) Division, which is based in Cary, N.C.

Caterpillar plans to break ground on the new facility in Athens in the first quarter of 2012.  Initial production at the facility is expected to begin in late 2013, ramping up to full production over a five-year period. The company will use the website www.jointeamcaterpillar.com to fill the majority of open positions at the facility.

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GBJ Staff

There are Hidden Costs to Employee Turnover

National studies indicate that employee turnover is costing corporations in excess of $25 billion a year. The average turnover rate in any given company is 12-15 percent.

With Gwinnett County a hub of Georgia’s business activity and growing every year, even a slight improvement in employee retention can yield significant savings for our business owners. The cost of losing and replacing a strategic or critical employee starts at 150 percent of the value of that employee’s compensation package.

To put the issue into perspective, let’s use the example of losing an employee whose salary and benefits are worth $100,000. Losing and replacing this person at the cost of 150 percent will actually deplete your earning power by at least $150,000.

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GBJ Staff

Employee retention: mentoring your most valuable

It’s a problem every company must face, from small businesses to Fortune 500 multi-nationals. The cost of employee retention is skyrocketing. According to the latest estimates, U.S. businesses spend more than $200 billion every year recruiting and replacing employees. In today’s hyper-competitive labor market, marked by substantial fluidity and increased outsourcing, finding and holding on to your best employees has become a substantial challenge. And the stakes are high: regardless of your product or service, top-notch employees can be your most valuable asset. Costly turn-over can be affect your bottom line, inhibit growth and deplete morale.

It’s no longer just about the money. Of course, employees want to be well compensated for the value they bring to your business. But a good salary and generous benefits are only part of the story. Instilling passion and encouraging deep loyalty are equally important. But that’s easier said than done. We all go to work, put in our time and strive to be efficient and productive. Inevitably, though, inertia creeps in and prevents even good employees from performing at the highest levels. The repetition of daily tasks, the pressure of performance and even office politics all serve to dampen that essential spark.

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Gwinnett Magazine Staff

Slow economy equals staffing variety

To say jobs are hard to come by is nothing short of an understatement.  The national unemployment rate has found its comfort zone within the 9.0 range for months now, while Georgia’s unemployment rate has a bird’s eye view of the recession at 9.9 percent.

Still to many staffing agencies, the job market is still plentiful.  There are jobs out there for the taking.  The American Staffing Association says staffing companies employ 2.58 million people across the country every business day.

These days the saying ‘There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’” has never been more true.  Staffing agencies work as the middleman between those looking for work and those needing the work done.  However, in a stale economy, it might come as a surprise one local staffing agency is witnessing their business, especially for permanent positions, growing.

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GBJ Staff

New Georgia law: blue pencil it in

Employers, look over your existing employee non-compete agreements. Employees get ready for change.

On November 2, 2010, the Georgia voters, in landslide fashion, voted for House Bill 173 amending the Georgia Constitution, Article III, Section VI, Paragraph V(c) making way for additional employer enforcement on employee non-compete agreements in hopes of luring new businesses to Georgia. The passing of this Amendment allowed the enactment of O.C.G.A. § 13-8-50 et seq. otherwise referred to as the Restrictive Covenant Act (the “Act”). The following ballot language was so bold as to imply that by passing the Amendment that business will relocate or establish in Georgia:

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GBJ Staff

Small Business Incubator Launches in Alpharetta

With Georgia leading the nation in new business startups, a new kind of small business incubator will launch with ribbon-cutting ceremonies on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 to serve the need for more and better small-business growth and job creation throughout the state.

The Alpharetta Accelerator has been designed by its principals to offer multiple new services to its clients, unlike other small business incubators. The services include a 75-member Board of Advisors; access to the soon-to-be-established $10 million Alpharetta Seed Capital Fund; and preferred access to the Atlanta Gathering of Angels, a group of accredited investors that meets twice monthly. The Gathering of Angels group has found capital for more than 375 young companies since it was founded in 1996 by Tarby Bryant, one of the managing partners of the Accelerator.

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GBJ Staff

Minority-Owned Staffing Firm Expands in Gwinnett

Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development celebrated the expansion of I–TECH Staffing Services facility at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday evening  at their facility at 4020 Steve Reynolds Boulevard in Norcross. I–TECH Staffing Services is a GMSDC registered minority-owned staffing provider. The company was established in 1997 specializing in placing experienced Electronics Assembly and Soldering employees for the Computer and Electronics Manufacturing and Repair Industry. The addition of 45,000 square feet brings 53 jobs with it to Gwinnett County.

“My decision to expand in Gwinnett County was obvious. Gwinnett is growing and heavily populated with the communities in which we serve.” said Phillip Tran, President of I-TECH Staffing and I-TECH e-Services. Those communities include Vietnamese, Hispanic, Korean, South American, African, Eastern European, Chinese, and many others.

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GBJ Staff

Personal approach equals success for Quantum Search

When it comes to getting hired for a job, it is often about who you know.

That is why it is good to know Bob Rodgers. As the founder, president and CEO of the Gwinnett-based firm Quantum Search, Rodgers specializes in staffing executives in corporate, healthcare and non-profit sectors.

He has worked in recruiting for 24 years and decided to launch his own venture in 2001. More than 24,000 interviews later, Rodgers and Quantum Search are leading national and international retained executive searches from offices in both Georgia and Tennessee.

One reason for Quantum Search’s success is the personal approach Rodgers takes with his clients and candidates. A father of three, Rodgers believes it begins and ends with a connection.

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GBJ Staff

Exceptional Restaurant Company succeeds by knowing customers needs

Tom Arnold (left) commercial/industrial marketing representative, SCANA Energy, and Jerome Thomas (right), chief operating officer Exceptional Restaurant Company

It was a guiding principle when Thomas and partner Debra Luther plunged into the world of franchising in 1998 with the purchase of 22 Taco Bell restaurants, and has served him well for the last thirteen years, as the partners have grown their venture to a $40 million business. ERC now owns and operates 38 restaurants, including 10 Sonic locations, 27 YUM brand properties – Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, Pizza Express, and KFC – and one original concept, Pasta Amore.

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