Brand Bank Chairman to Speak Jan. 30 to GABB
Michael Coles, chairman of Brand Bank and namesake of the Kennesaw State University College of Business, will speak on Jan. 30 to the state’s business brokers about principles for success in business.
His Jan. 30 speech to the Georgia Association of Business Brokers, the state’s professional group for buying and selling businesses, will start at 10:30 a.m. at the Atlanta Realtors Center at 5784 Lake Forrest Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30328. The meeting will be preceded at 9:45 a.m. with a free networking session with coffee and pastries sponsored by GABB Affiliates Susan Kite and Kim Eells, both Vice Presidents of Government Guaranteed Lending with the Brand Bank.
Deeply involved in the community, Michael Coles is a transformational leader, accomplished entrepreneur, education advocate and motivational speaker. He is living proof that there are no limits to what we as individuals can accomplish. His GABB presentation is “The 10 Lessons That Have Guided My Business Life.”
After a successful 19-year career in the clothing business, Michael tested his entrepreneurial skills in 1977 when he co-founded Great American Cookie Company with an investment of only $8000. Shortly after starting the company, he was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident and was told by doctors he would never walk again unaided. As Michael recovered thru a self-designed rehabilitation program he took the Company from its first store in Perimeter Mall in Atlanta to hundreds of stores nationwide and at the same time set 3 coast-to-coast cycling records. When Michael started the Company there were three major cookie companies in business; one had almost 100 stores and the other two had fifty each. When he sold the Company in 1998 with sales over $100 million, Great American Cookie Company was the largest franchisor of cookie stores and the other three companies no longer existed.
Michael’s commitment to community service led him to run for public office in 1996 as the Democratic nominee for the House of Representatives in the Sixth District and in 1998 he won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, challenging Senator Paul Coverdell.
In 2003 Michael accepted the corporate reins of Caribou Coffee Company as Chairman, CEO and President. Over the next five years Michael more than doubled the size of the company extending the brand reach domestically and internationally. In September 2005, he successfully took the company public on NASDAQ under the symbol CBOU.
Coles was one of the founders of Charter Bank & Trust and served as its Chairman, taking the bank public and selling the publicly traded company to Synovus Bank.
Appointed by Governor Roy Barnes in 1999 to chair the Georgia Film, Video and Music Advisory Board, during his four years as Chairman, Michael took it from $170 million to over $1.5 billion in economic impact.
Having contributed much of their time and resources to education, the arts, environment and philanthropic organizations, Michael and his wife, Donna were honored as the Georgia Philanthropists of the year in 1995.
Michael was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes in 2001 to serve on the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
Michael now serves as Chairman of Brand Holding Company and Chairman of Brand Bank.
In recognition of Michael’s success, leadership and benevolence, Kennesaw State University, under the authority granted by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, declared that the institution’s School of Business be named and known in perpetuity as the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. In 1999 Michael received the Honorary Doctor of Human Letters Degree from Kennesaw State University.
As Entrepreneur in Residence for the Coles MBA 2013 Spring Semester, Michael led a class entitled “Concept to Counter”, allowing students to grasp the concept of taking their creative thoughts and ideas to the marketplace.
Michael received the National Women’s Political Caucus Good Guy of the Year Award for his work on behalf of women’s issues. He joined the ranks of past recipients, including Ed Asner, Alan Alda and former Vice President and U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Walter Mondale.
Michael continues to serve on numerous non-profit boards. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Donna and they are the parents of three adult children and seven grandchildren.
The GABB is the state’s only association of professionals who work to facilitate the purchase and sale of businesses and franchises. The group includes business brokers as well as lenders, attorneys, business appraisers, insurance agents, environmental specialists and other professionals. GABB’s member business brokers work with businesses of all sizes to help them through all steps of selling their company: valuation, marketing, financing, and closing. Aspiring business owners also work with business brokers to purchase existing businesses at a fair price.
GABB meetings are free and open to the public, but we ask that you let us know you are coming by filling out this form.
Read MoreGABB Million Dollar Club 2017 Application Due Nov. 8
The GABB is now accepting applications for the 2017 Million Dollar Club, recognizing members who have sold businesses worth at least $1 million in the previous year. The deadline for submitting applications is Nov. 8, 2017.
Awardees will be honored at the annual GABB Holiday Gala on Dec. 7 at Maggiano’s Perimeter Center.
GABB members are eligible for the:
- Million Dollar Club if they have eligible sales from Nov. 1, 2016 to Oct. 31, 2017 of $1,000,000 to $1,999,999.
- Multi-Million Dollar Club members will have eligible sales generated totaling $2,000,000 or more during the same period.
- Life Members of the Million Dollar Club have been elected to the Million Dollar Club for three consecutive years or any 5 years.
- Phoenix Award Member is anyone who has been elected to the Million Dollar Club for any 10 years.
- Silver Phoenix honors a person who has been elected to the Million Dollar Club for any 25 years.
To be eligible for the award, an applicant must be a current member in good standing of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers and only transactions closed after the effective date of membership in GABB will count as Million Dollar Club volume. All transactions must be submitted to Pratt’s Stats to be eligible.
The online application, along with detailed rules about the club, can be found at the GABB website.
GABB 2017 Million Dollar Club Application.
GABB Million Dollar Club rules
Please contact Diane Loupe at georgiabusinessbrokers@gmail.
Hospitality Business Expert Spoke Aug. 29 to GABB
Leonard Jackson, a professor in the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration and the Enterprise & Innovation Institute at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, spoke to the Georgia Association of Business Brokers on Aug. 29.
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How Franchise Brokers Can Grow (or Destroy) Your Nest Egg
Dr. Jackson’s areas of expertise include business development and venture creation, revenue management practices, asset management and real estate investment trusts performance, information assurance and security in the hospitality industry, corporate responsibility and green practices in the lodging industry, pricing of lodging goods and services hospitality investments and hospitality business financial performance.
The GABB is the state’s only association of professionals who work to facilitate the purchase and sale of businesses and franchises. The group includes business brokers as well as lenders, attorneys, business appraisers, insurance agents, environmental specialists and other professionals. GABB’s member business brokers work with businesses of all sizes to help them through all steps of selling their company: valuation, marketing, financing, and closing. Aspiring business owners also work with business brokers to purchase existing businesses at a fair price.
GABB meetings start at 10:30 a.m. at the Atlanta Realtors Center at 5784 Lake Forrest Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30328. The meeting will be preceded at 9:45 a.m. with a free networking session with coffee and pastries sponsored by a GABB Affiliate.
GABB meetings are free and open to the public, but we ask that you let us know you are coming by filling out this form.
Dr. Jackson’s academic background spans several business disciplines. In addition to his academic degrees, he also earned certificates in revenue management and hotel real estate investment and asset management from Cornell University and is certified by the Committee on National Security Systems (a United States intergovernmental organization that sets policy for the security of the U.S. security systems) as a certified risk analyst. Dr. Jackson also earned the following professional certifications: Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive, Certified Hospitality Revenue Manager, Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics, Certified Hospitality Technology Professional, and Certified Hospitality Educator. He also studied German at the Neue Sprach und Handelsschule, Basel, Switzerland.
Prior to entering academia, Dr. Jackson acquired extensive experience in the hospitality industry. He held senior managerial positions with leading hospitality enterprises including resorts and commercial hotels, a free-standing restaurant and a national airline. His corporate experience includes positions in the areas of financial controlling, accounting, auditing and lodging operations management. Dr. Jackson’s international experience includes living, working and studying in the Caribbean, North America, Central America and Europe. He also co-founded and managed his own venture.
Dr. Jackson earned a Ph.D. and M.S. from Oklahoma State University, a M.S.E. from the University of Florida, an MBA from the University of Guelph, an M.Acc. from Florida Atlantic University, a B.A./B.Comm from Ryerson University, and an A.A. from George Brown College. He also holds a graduate certificate in information assurance from Oklahoma State University.
Directions to the GABB meeting location at the Atlanta Realtors Center:
From the South: I-75 north to I-285 east or I-85 north to I-285 west. Exit at Roswell Road south and turn right onto Northwood Drive. Turn right onto Lake Forrest. The Atlanta REALTORS® Center on the left at the stop sign (intersecting Allen Road).
From the North: Take GA 400 south and change to I-285 west. Continue as above via Roswell Road.
From East or West: I-285 to Roswell Road. Continue as above.
There is no charge for parking.
For more information about the GABB, contact Diane Loupe at georgiabusinessbrokers@gmail.com or GABB President Mike Ramatowski at 770-634-0428.
Read MoreSales Guru To Lead July 25 GABB Peak Performance Workshop
International sales guru Mark Antonio will lead a Peak Performance Workshop at the July 25 meeting of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers.
Mark Antonio is one of America’s leading authorities on sales training, social media marketing, and peak performance. He’s traveled the United States, Canada, and South America conducting workshops for the Who’s Who of the Corporate World: Bank of America, RE/MAX, Morgan Stanley, ADP, Nissan, Berkshire Hathaway, and Aflac, to name just a few.
The GABB is the state’s only association of professionals who work to facilitate the purchase and sale of businesses and franchises. The group includes business brokers as well as lenders, attorneys, business appraisers, insurance agents, environmental specialists and other professionals. GABB’s member business brokers work with businesses of all sizes to help them through all steps of selling their company: valuation, marketing, financing, and closing. Aspiring business owners also work with business brokers to purchase existing businesses at a fair price.
GABB meetings start at 10:30 a.m. at the Atlanta Realtors Center at 5784 Lake Forrest Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30328. The meeting will be preceded at 9:45 a.m. with a free networking session with coffee and pastries sponsored by Stuart Oberman of the Oberman Law Firm. Photographer Roger Easley will be at the meeting to take professional head shots of GABB members.
GABB meetings are free and open to the public, but we ask that you let us know you are coming by filling out this form.
Mark is a former Senior National Trainer for the leading authority in the personal development industry and a Certified NLP Practitioner. He’s traveled to over 35 different countries and is fluent in 3 languages. He advises and consults with executives, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs in the areas of sales, social media marketing, and leadership mastery.
Directions to the GABB meeting location at the Atlanta Realtors Center:
From the South: I-75 north to I-285 east or I-85 north to I-285 west. Exit at Roswell Road south and turn right onto Northwood Drive. Turn right onto Lake Forrest. The Atlanta REALTORS® Center on the left at the stop sign (intersecting Allen Road).
From the North: Take GA 400 south and change to I-285 west. Continue as above via Roswell Road.
From East or West: I-285 to Roswell Road. Continue as above.
There is no charge for parking.
For more information about the GABB, contact Diane Loupe at georgiabusinessbrokers@gmail.com or GABB President Mike Ramatowski at 770-634-0428.
Read MoreExpert Discussed Business Immigration Options at June 27 GABB Meeting
Immigration attorney Elena Kochutin discussed immigrant and non-immigrant options for business owners at the June 27, 2017, meeting of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers.
The GABB is the state’s only association of professionals who work to facilitate the purchase and sale of businesses and franchises. The group includes business brokers as well as lenders, attorneys, business appraisers, insurance agents, environmental specialists and other professionals. GABB’s member business brokers work with businesses of all sizes to help them through all steps of selling their company — valuation, marketing, financing, and closing. Aspiring business owners also work with business brokers to purchase existing businesses at a fair price.
Ms. Kochutin is the founding attorney of EK Law Office, and she specializes in Immigration and Nationality Law. She gave a brief overview of the immigrant and non-immigrant options for business owners, briefly covering the EB-5 investor program, and two non-immigrant visa classes, E-1/E-2 for treaty traders/investors and L-1A for multinational executives or managers.
Ms. Kochutin received her JD from Georgia State University, College of Law and is a member of the State Bar Association of Georgia. Ms. Kochutin is fluent in English and Russian. Ms. Kochutin also has an MBA in International Business from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MA in Linguistics from the Urals State Pedagogical University in Russia. Ms. Kochutin helps businesses, entrepreneurs, families, and individuals with their U.S. immigration needs. Because the U.S. immigration law is federal in nature, Ms. Kochutin can assist clients in all fifty states of the United States as well as in any other country of the world.
GABB meetings start at 10:30 a.m. at the Atlanta Realtors Center at 5784 Lake Forrest Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30328. The meeting will be preceded at 9:45 a.m. with a free networking session with coffee and pastries.
GABB Treasurer Thomas Crumpton of Commercial Experts, Inc., sponsored the meeting.
Directions to the GABB meeting location at the Atlanta Realtors Center:
From the South: I-75 north to I-285 east or I-85 north to I-285 west. Exit at Roswell Road south and turn right onto Northwood Drive. Turn right onto Lake Forrest. The Atlanta REALTORS® Center on the left at the stop sign (intersecting Allen Road).
From the North: Take GA 400 south and change to I-285 west. Continue as above via Roswell Road.
From East or West: I-285 to Roswell Road. Continue as above.
There is no charge for parking.
For more information about the GABB, contact Diane Loupe at georgiabusinessbrokers@gmail.com or GABB President Mike Ramatowski at 770-634-0428.
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