InTucker Magazine

Business Boom – April 2019

Tucker is undoubtedly one of the fastest-rising business destinations in the Metro Atlanta area.  Each month, the ‘Business Boom’ by our Community & Economic Development Director John McHenry, will seek to show different examples of how Tucker’s business scene is flourishing.

In this month’s Business Boom, I’m proud to share about two exciting developments in the Tucker business community – the upcoming Tucker Manufacturing Day and the anticipated opening of the first newly chartered bank in 10 years in Georgia, a community bank right here in downtown Tucker. My hope is that many folks will be able to join us on Manufacturing Day (see details below), as well as have an opportunity to get to know more about Tandem Bank and their desire to serve the residents and businesses of Tucker.

Manufacturing Day 2019

There is a significant portion of the City of Tucker that has an industrial and manufacturing component. This can often be overlooked with little understanding of the importance of the jobs and the wide array of goods and services that are supplied to the community. The upcoming Tucker Manufacturing Day that will take place on Wednesday April 24 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. is going to change that perception. The event will take place at the Stone Ridge Event Center at 1750 Stone Ridge Drive and will include breakfast with a panel of experts discussing the status of manufacturing operations in the City of Tucker, along with showcasing recent developments and future opportunities. This will be followed at 9 a.m. by tours of four facilities in the City of Tucker: Eurofins, sonnenBatterie, Steel Mart and Thermo Pac. Sponsored by the City of Tucker, Tucker-Northlake CID and Tucker Summit CID, these tours will showcase the wide variety of industries that have selected to locate and operate in the City for its excellent transportation network, proactive City services and access to a diverse skilled workforce.

This inaugural event began with Mayor Auman’s vision of recognizing the vitally important economic activity that is found behind the industrial and warehouse structures that line some of our key corridors.

“If you pull back the curtain, there is an amazing breadth of services and cutting-edge technology right in our backyard; industry that is fostering well paid jobs that allow for families to live and work right here in our community,” he explains.

Collaboration plays a significant role in the partnership between the City and both CIDs, with this event as a prime example.

“Part of what we are highlighting on Manufacturing Day is that working together we create a strong and responsive environment for businesses to thrive,” says Tucker-Northlake CID Executive Director Matthew Lee.

The same sentiment was expressed by Emory Morsberger, Executive Director of the Tucker Summit CID.

“We know that Tucker is a critical manufacturing hub for metro Atlanta and we’re excited to sponsor an event that brings attention to the diversity and quality of services here,” Morsberger explains.

Laurie Wexel, who runs a business in an industrial area of Tucker and is a board member of the Tucker Business Association, was instrumental in organizing this event.

“One of my visions in starting and operating the Stone Ridge Event Center was to be an engine of revitalization and connection for businesses in the Tucker Summit CID and the new City of Tucker,” she says. “It was clear right away that once we pulled together the key players, there was excitement in showing off our businesses and how we support them. I’m so pleased to have helped advance the first of a series Tucker Manufacturing Days.”

Tandem Bank

This summer, Georgia’s first charter issued bank in over 10 years will open in downtown Tucker. Presently, they are raising $18-25 million from prospective local investors, working through the regulatory process, planning the renovation of their headquarters and establishing state-of-the-art technology solutions. The ethos of this bank can be found in its name Tandem Bank, which embodies working in partnership with people and businesses to help them achieve their goals. Tandem Bank’s products will include traditional deposit and loan products augmented with digital solutions. Tandem will be serving the residents and local businesses by meeting their banking needs with experienced bankers to help them grow and manage their assets. In the Tucker market, there are $1.5 billion in deposits, 1,700 locally owned businesses and no local banks.

The former Resurgens Bank CEO Charles DeWitt leads the Tandem Bank organizing group as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and says he had clear reasons for locating in Tucker.

“We chose Tucker because it has a strong community identity, excellent growth prospects and a vibrant business environment,” DeWitt says. “We believe a locally owned bank that is devoted to knowing our customers by name and supporting our neighborhoods will be well received by the area’s businesses and residents. We’re excited about the opportunity to bring hometown banking back to Tucker.”

It is a true testament to a community’s economic vitality to see this kind of growth. I‘m excited to keep you updated on this and other projects as they go forward.