Northwest Georgia's Business Report

Gingrey hosts job workshop today

(From a media release) A workshop to help retrain idled workers will be hosted by U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey this week. The programs include both advice on going back to school, leads on jobs and links to financial resources:

-July 2: Chattahoochee Technical College in Acworth, noon to 3 p.m.

>The event is free but reservations are required: stephen.smith@mail.house.gov.

There will be a presentation from 12-1 p.m., and a scheduled meeting time from 1-3 p.m. with representatives from the following institutions:

-Georgia Student Finance Commission

-Georgia Department of Labor

-Be Workready Program

-University of Georgia; Georgia Tech; Coosa Valley Technical College.

-West Georgia College; West Central Tech; Kennesaw State; Atlanta Art Institute; Georgia Highlands; Berry College; Shorter College.

-North Metro Tech; Georgia State; Devry University; Chattahoochee Tech; Coosa Valley Regional Development Workforce Investment

-For more, call Gingrey’s office at 706-290-1776.

Yet again: Double-digit unemployment across the board in May

Source: Georgia Department of Labor

The May jobless numbers show some ups and downs in Northwest Georgia vs. April 2009. Once again, all five counties reported unemployment rates of 10 percent of more with Chattooga coming in at 13.2 percent. That actually was good news: April's jobless rate was 13.4 percent in Summerville, Trion and other parts of the county.

-Bartow, Gordon and Floyd counties saw their respective jobless rates climb month over month while the percentage dropped in Polk County.

-But the numbers to watch -- the number of people unemployed in May 2009 vs. May 2008. Thirteen months ago, 3,038 people were out of work in Floyd County vs. 5,118 last month -- a 68.4 percent increase. 

-State report: May's 9.7 percent jobless rate set another record. Included are "many discouraged workers who re-entered the labor force," says the Labor Department.

More honors for Hawthorn Suites at River Crossing

(Media release) The Hawthorn Suites Ltd. at River Crossing in historic downtown Rome celebrates its second consecutive award of “Hotel of the Year.” The hotel was first given this prestigious title for 2007, and has held on to the reign for 2008. The award is presented to the hotel that best represents the Hawthorn brand, which is an extended-stay company with properties throughout the U.S. as well as in Australia, Dubai, Kuwait and Turkey.

The Rome property, managed by Battey Downtown Group LLC and partners, has also received its third Quality Excellence Award with a quality and service rating of 99.2%. These ratings are based on results of the Hawthorn Suites brand’s ongoing Mystery Shopper program. Previous awards and recognitions include the naming of Battey Downtown Group and Ira Levy as the 2006 Hawthorn Suites ‘Franchisee of the Year.’

Additionally, Hawthorn earned a Rome Area Heritage Foundation recognition for continued renovation and adaptive reuse of the Battey Machinery building and River Crossing complex. Throughout renovations original heart pine floors, oak beams, and brick walls of the historical structure have been maintained, as well as antique elevator shaft machinery.

Hawthorn Suites at River Crossing is located at 100-110 West 2nd Ave in the former Battey Machinery building. The circa 1890s building has a long local history, and with its 2004 renovation into the stylish upscale hotel, has been a productive addition to the redevelopment of the Downtown district. A multi-purpose project, the hotel features a three–story open atrium, fitness center, two meeting rooms and business center all on the main level. There are five retail spaces in the main lobby, viewable from 2nd Avenue traffic, including: Body MechanEx Personal Fitness, Seven Hills Salon and Spa, Plum Yummy bath and body, Studio Siri art studio, and Kelly Moore Photography studio.

Adjacent to the hotel, Opi’s Waterfront restaurant currently occupies the original home of a boiler repair facility that serviced steamships dating back to Rome’s commercial activity in the 1800s. Rome’s shopping district and excellent locally owned restaurants and specialty stores are all within close walking distance.

The 37 all–suites hotel features spacious studio, one– and two–bedroom suites, all with full kitchens and such in–room amenities as free wireless high–speed internet access, telephones with high–speed data access and voice mail, and free expanded cable television with HBO, CNN and ESPN. The hotel offers a superior complimentary hot breakfast buffet, a business center, guest laundry and dry-cleaning service.

Hawthorn Suites is a sponsor of The Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH) and all hotels are ADA–accessible. Reservations may be booked online at www.hawthorn.com or by calling 1–800–527–1133 or TDD 800–824–2116 toll–free. To reach the hotel directly, call 706–378–4837. All Hawthorn Suites hotels are independently owned and operated.

Gay Nichols, General Manager at Hawthorn Suites in Rome, extends her congratulations and appreciation to the staff of Hawthorn for all their hard work and dedication that has earned Hawthorn this prestigious award for both 2007 and 2008. Without your team effort, Hawthorn-Rome’s many notable achievements would not have been possible; thank you!

Klasson elected to Heritage First Bancshares' board of directors:

(From a media release) Dr. Stephen C. Klasson has been elected to Heritage First Bancshares' Board of Directors, according to Dr. Kenneth F. Davis, board chairman. Heritage First Bancshares is the holding company of Heritage First Bank. Klasson is among the investors buying about a third of the bank. He practices with the Harbin Clinic, Rome, specializing in Orthopaedics and Hand Surgery. He received his M.D. from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine after having completed his undergraduate work at Duke University. He completed his Internship and Residency at the University of Arkansas School of Medical Sciences, and a Fellowship at the Arkansas Hand and Microsurgery Center. He is Board certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and has earned a Certificate of Advanced Qualifications in Surgery of the Hand. Dr. Klasson resides in Rome with his wife and three sons. He volunteers with the Rome High School Wrestling Team and enjoys spending leisure time with his family and with outdoor activities. “I am proud to welcome Dr. Klasson to the Heritage First Bancshares Inc., Board of Directors,” Dr. Davis said. “He has certainly earned a reputation of excellence in all his endeavors and I believe our bank will be well-served by his efforts on the Board, for many years to come.”

Two signs of hope in the housing market; not so with jobs

1) Realtors' president: 'We've already hit bottom,' sales increasing

-Graham Dixon doesn't need optimism. He's seeing the hoped-for rebound in local home sales in Rome/Floyd County. As president of the Greater Rome Board of Realtors and a partner in Lambert, Dixon & Tate, Dixon keeps a steady eye on sales trends and he likes what he's seeing deep into the second quarter of' 09. Here's why:

-Single-family home sales already are up 16 percent vs. the first quarter.

-Through June 15, local home sales are at 262.

-Prices are remaining mostly steady, maybe down 4 percent.

-Starter homes are doing the best, those in the $99,900 range, Dixon says. A big help: the $8,000 federal and $1,800 tax benefit for first-time buyers (including those who haven't owned a home for at least three years).

-Homes selling for up to $150,000 are doing well, he says.

-There is less demand for executive homes, those $600,000-and-above.

-There's "still an over supply" of homes on the market, Dixon says, but he's confident "we've already hit bottom" and that those waiting for the basement prices might have waited too long.

- "It's a great time to buy," says Dixon, citing mortgage rates, home prices and the nearly $10,000 in federal and state tax benefits.

Dixon was a guest on Wednesday's Talk of the Town on WRGA 1470 AM.

2) Plans filed for Park Village in Cartersville: residential, commercial, mega-church: A 135-acre all-in-one community, ParkVillage, is being proposed near Douthit Ferry Road and Pine Grove Road on Cartersville's exploding West Side. (See the "A" pin in the Google Map below). A development of regional impact statement filed with the Coosa Valley Regional  Development Center shows:

-135.3 acres for mixed use.

-19.1 acres would be set aside for 230,000 square feet of commercial use with potential for loft/townhome residences (no more than 40).

-49 acres for 156 single-family lots.

-12 acres with 115 senior living residences.

-56 acres to be sold to a large congregation church "relocating from in town." One option: Tabernacle Baptist Church. Notes in city records have discussed possible uses of the Tabernacle site should the site become available.

-The project would be built in several phases with the first taking 24 months; the second, up to three years; and build-out within 10 years.

-The developer: NPO Investments; contact: Karl Lutjens, Southland Engineering.

-For more, click DRI files One and Two.

-What's next: The development center will review the application, perhaps seek additional information and then decide whether it benefits the community. We'll have more updates.

3) State unemployment rate climbs to record 9.7% in May

We're a week away from the local reports but the May jobless rate for Georgia sends a ominous signal. The state's unemployment rate was at 9.7 percent last month, the highest ever, vs. 5.9 percent a year earlier. The fear is a double whammy could hit with the June numbers: College graduations plus an influx of high school summer workers.

“Georgia’s record unemployment rate of 9.7 percent is a stark reminder that the road to economic recovery will be long and difficult,” says State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.

Last month, 463,883 unemployed Georgians were looking for work, an increase of 62 percent from May 2008. Of that number, 157,544, or 34 percent, were receiving state unemployment insurance benefits, while another 90,000 are receiving federal extended benefits, a Labor release shows.

The number of payroll jobs in May decreased 217,000, or 5.2 percent, from May 2008. The over-the-year losses came in professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies, manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, and in the construction industry. Job gainers totaling 16,200 were recorded in health care and educational services.

Good news/bad news on first-time jobless claims in May

Source: Georgia Department of Labor

All five Northwest Georgia counties saw a double-digit drop in first-time jobless assistance claims in May but compared to the same month last year, it was a far different story.

-In Floyd, 1,024 claims were filed, down almost 35 percent from April but up 35.6 percent from May 2008.

-Bartow saw the most claims, 1,069, which was down 27 percent from the previous month but up 86.2 percent vs. May 2008. Bartow has seen the largest single layoff of the year: 659 jobs at Trinity Rail Car.

-Gordon County also was four digits--1,010--vs. 923 the month before and 810 a year earlier. Several closings or layoffs have been announced, including the loss of a Shaw plant (390 jobs)

-Polk County, stung earlier this year by the loss of 80 jobs at HON Co., saw 491 claims last month, down near 47 percent from April but up 81.2 percent from a year earlier.

-Statewide: 75,436 laid-off workers filed first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits in May, an increase of 68.7 percent from May 2008 but down 10.6 percent from April.
-Says Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond: “The over-the-year increases in initial claims have declined from the triple-digits we experienced earlier in the year. Initial claims were also down from April to May in 11 of our state’s 14 metro areas. I remain hopeful that Georgia’s job losses will continue to decline in the coming months.” 
-Who lost jobs: Workers in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction, and administrative and support services.  Also: the number of jobless workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits rose 110 percent over the year, from 74,981 in May of 2008 to 157,544 in May of 2009.