DMA Gab-RRRDMA Gab-RRRDMA Gab-RRRDMA Gab-RRRVolume 16 No. 1 DULUTH MERCHANTS ASSOCIATIONDULUTH MERCHANTS ASSOCIATIONDULUTH MERCHANTS ASSOCIATIONDULUTH MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION January 2004January 2004January 2004January 2004

January 6, 2004Meeting

Sponsored by the

CompleteHealthcare Medical

Center, P.C.3870 Peachtree Industrial

Blvd, Suite 1-fDuluth, GA 30096

770/813-00871 Mile South of Pleasant Hill in the

Tree Summit Village Shopping Center

Complete Healthcare MedicalCenter, P.C. is pleased and veryexcited to be hosting the firstDuluth Merchants AssociationMeeting of the New Year. Theclinic offers comprehensivequality health care from highlytrained professional doctorsutilizing the latest technology ofmedical diagnostic evaluationand pain treatment.

Our state of the art chiropractic,medical, and physical therapymodalities include electric

muscle stimulation, deep tissuemassage, therapeutic exercises(strengthening), and stretchingtechniques. Our diagnostictesting includes ultra sound (toexamine the deep muscles,ligaments, discs of the spine,and extremities) as well asnerve conduction velocitytesting. Additionally, ourchiropractor offers thoroughexams which include casehistory, orthopedic testing, x-ray analysis, neurologicaltesting, postural analysis, and awellness program. At CompleteHealthcare Medical Center, P.C.,we believe massage therapy tobe an accessible and supportive,yet many times overlooked partof care.

Marie Kruzel, D.C.is Clinic Director.She specializes inthe treatment ofacute and chronicpain, post surgicalpain problems, discproblems,headaches, lowback pain, neckpain, muscle andjoint pain,nervousness, stress, whiplash(and other automobile relatedinjuries), numbness in hands orfeet, arm and shoulder pain,and sciatic pain. Additionally,Dr. Kruzel specializes in the careof fybromyalgia, carpal tunnel

and other stress or sportsrelated injuries.

If you suffer from headaches,sleepiness or fatigue, allergies,generalized pain, moodiness ordigestive disorders, do not missthe January, 2004, DuluthMerchants Association Meeting.We will be looking forward tooffering every attendee a giftcertificate to receive acomplementary massage and/orconsultation and exam. Ourboard-certified expert staffincludes, Marie Kruzel, D.C.,Alex Ghaffari, P.T., KhosrowEsna, M.D., Natalie Parker,P.T.A., Jennifer Penn, C.A., JoeNichols and Julia Peters,Massage Therapists, KimAutrey-Office Manager, Harriet

Selman-AccountsReceivableAuditor, andStephanieDarden-FrontDesk. Ourstaff iscommitted tohelping you inany way wecan.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEINGYOU ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 6,2004, AND HOPE YOU HAVE AHAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

Page 2 DMA Gab-RRR

from theDesk of the President

First and foremost, I want toextend my most sincere thanksto Dennis Keller. Hiscommitment this past year asthe President of the DMAprovided true leadership to theAssociation and raised the barfor me as the incomingPresident! Dennis, I accept thechallenge.

I want to thank all the boardmembers, returning and new,for committing to serve on theDMA Board and for your futuresupport during my year asPresident. As business owners,we all know there isn’t enoughtime to take care of all thethings we face day to day. YourBoard Members give their timeto keep the DMA a viableorganization and I indebted tothem for their dedication.

My next order of business is toextend an invitation to those ofyou who have been membersfor some time, but have notbeen able to get a break in yourday to make any recentmeetings. Mark your calendarsand make it happen! Commit toone evening a month! If youhave been doing business inDuluth, you know that this istruly a class group of peoplethat makes up the membershiproster of the DMA. Come andjoin in our monthly meetings.You will find networkingopportunities and friends atthese meetings. Invest in yourcommunity and your fellowbusinesses.

The Board’s initiative is to drivethe DMA in the best direction tobenefit the member and thecommunity. We invite yoursuggestions and input. Please

feel free to offer anysuggestions the board or to me.Let’s work together through ourassociation for the betterment ofour community and for our ownsuccesses!

To each member of DMA, Iextend my personal wishes for amost joyous Holiday Season andProsperous New Year!

Dana WhitePresident, 2004

Meditat ion MomentMeditat ion MomentMeditat ion MomentMeditat ion Moment

As the new year rolls in, instead ofmaking a lot of "resolutions" that will bebroken or forgotten almost as soon asthey are made, why not make just one

"promise" to yourself? Perhaps apromise to schedule some downtime for

yourself, to take a walk a couple oftimes a week with no destination in

mind, to sit and listen to music, read abook, or write a book for that matter!

Whatever it is, write your promise on apiece of paper, and tape it somewhere

you will see it each day as a gentlereminder that when you take care ofyourself, you will have more to offer

others.

Have a blessed, successful andprosperous 2004!

Blessings,Rev. Marlene

2003Duluth Merchants AssociationOfficers & Board of Directors

OFFICERS

DANA WHITEPresident

DERECK WHITESMITHVice President

Alisa WilliamsSecretary

John MonkTreasurer

BOARD of DIRECTORS

Pam Adams 770-564-0876Laura Heck 770-814-8984

Jennifer Ingalls 678-376-9700Marion Maloof 770-923-1111Albert Marquez 770-623-6069

John Martin 770-476-2775Thom Mash 770-689-2600John Monk 770-495-8900

Sunny Ramsay 404-906-4677Allan Roth 770-497-8776

Dana White 770-476-1659Dereck Whitesmith 678-957-8030

Alisa Williams 770-476-3434Mark Williams. 770-441-0945

Jim Wilson 770-813-8947

The Gab-RRRis a publication of the

Duluth Merchants Associationwww.duluthmerchants.com

Printed and Distributed byAccent Mail Service

678-473-4643

Layout & Photography byLaura Heck, Heck Design Group

Phone/Fax 770-814-8984gabrrr@duluthmerchants.com

Edited bySunny Ramsay, Dan Cook Assoc.

404-906-4677gabrrr@duluthmerchants.com

Database by:Jim Wilson, ASK Staffing, Inc.

770-813-8947

January 2004 Page 3

Our 2003 DMAMerchant of the Year:

Marlene Schaper

First of all, let me share withyou that I am humbled andhonored to be the recipient ofthe Merchant of the Year Awardfor 2003. I have been amember of the DMA for aboutseven years, and have found itto be a rewarding experience inso many ways. The communityspirit, ethical business practicesand a sincere desire to helpeach other succeed are just afew of the reasons I joined theDMA years ago and plan tocontinue my participation withthe association. My massagetherapy practice was new whenI joined the DMA and has grownconsiderably since then. I havemany of you to thank for that. Iam pleased to call many of youclients, all of you friends andfellow entrepreneurs. Isincerely believe Duluth is astronger community due to theefforts the Duluth Merchant'sAssociation.

Thanks again!

Blessings,Marlene Schaper

Choosing the RightRepair Shop

By Albert Marquez

No matter what you drive-sportscar, family sedan, pick-up, SUVor mini-van, when you go in forrepairs or service, you want thejob done right. The followingadvice should take much of theguesswork out of finding a goodrepair establishment. Followthis advice and don’t just dropyour vehicle off at the nearestestablishment and hope for thebest! That is not choosing ashop…that is merely gambling.

I. Preliminaries• Read your owner’s manual to

become familiar with yourvehicle and follow themanufacturer’s suggestedservice schedule.

• Start shopping for a repairfacility before you need one;you can make better decisionswhen you are not rushed or in apanic.

• Ask friends/associates for theirrecommendations. Even in thishigh-tech era, work-of-mouthreputation is still valuable.

• Check with your local consumerorganization regarding thereputation of the shop.

• If possible, arrange foralternate transportation inadvance so that you will notchoose a facility solely on thebasis of location.

• Once you choose a repairshop, start with a minor job;if you are pleased, trustthem with more complicatedrepairs.

II. At the Shop• Look for neat, well-organized

facility, with vehicles in theparking lot equal in value toyour own and modernequipment in service bays.

• Professionally runestablishments will have a

courteous, helpful staff. Theservice writer should be willingto answer all of your questions.

• Feel free to ask for the namesof a few customers. Call them.

• All policies (labor rates,guarantees, methods ofpayment, etc.) should beposted and/or be explained toyour satisfaction.

• Ask if the shop customarilyhandles your vehicle make andmodel. Some facilitiesspecialize.

• As if the shop usually does yourtype of repair, especi-ally if youneed major work.

• Look for signs of profession-alism in the customer servicearea; civic and communityservice awards, membership inthe Better Business Bureau,AAA-Approved Auto Repairstatus, Customer serviceawards.

• Look for evidence of qualifiedtechnicians, such as tradeschool diplomas, certificates ofadvanced course work, andASE Certifications – anational standard of techniciancompetence

• The backbone of any shop isthe competence of itstechnicians.

III. Follow-Up• Keep good records;

keep all paperwork.• Reward good service with

repeat business. It is mutuallybeneficial to you and the shopowner to establish arelationship.

• If the service was not all youexpected, don’t rush to anothershop. Discuss the problem withthe service manager or owner.Give the business a chance toresolve the problem. Reputableshops value customer feedbackand will make a sincere effortto keep your business.

Page 4 DMA Gab-RRR

Pam AdamsPam Adams is the webmaster for theDMA’s website. A self-proclaimedDigital Diva and Gadget Guru, Pamenjoys sharing her knowledge andexperiences with other entrepreneurs.In keeping with her tagline, We GiveYour Business Card Legs, Pamfounded BizLynks when she realizedthat many small businesses,especially solo-preneurs, still did nothave a professional web presence dueto budget constraints and/or ageneral lack of knowledge.

Explaining the technical to the“technically-challenged” is what Pamdoes best. She doesn’t stop atbuilding your web site; she goes extramiles to help you grow your businessby building your professional image,improving your credibility, andincreasing your client base. SOHO(small office/ home office) businessesand organizations looking foraffordable, innovative ways toimprove their business identity or totake their business to the next levelmake up the majority of the BizLynksclient family.

When Pam is not donating her time tothe DMA she serves on the Board ofthe Sharing Center for Women, is anAmbassador for the Dekalb Chamberof Commerce and serves as theAdministrative Assistant to her Pastorat Simmons Chapel AME Zion church.And by the way, in her spare time sheis preparing for the CertifiedInternet Webmaster – Master SiteDesigner Certification.

Laura HeckI’m Laura Heck of the Heck DesignGroup. My husband and I are graphicdesigners, specializing in print designand production, Powerpointpresentations, photo-retouching, andMac to PC file conversion (and vice-versa). Some of our recent projectsinclude tourism brochures and NYCsubway posters for the US VirginIslands, a CD package with bookletsand disk-imprint for the US MarineCorps., and the Gwinnett Countynewsletter (in our new associationwith Rock, Paper, Scissors). You canfind samples of our work atwww.forumfolios.org/Laura_Heck.

I also have a series of fine artphotography of Reflections in Water.

I create new works for the series eachyear. I’m currently showing myphotography at Pepins de Joie FineArt Gallery in Buford, and theMuseum Gift Shop at the HudgensFine Arts Center in Duluth. I’ll bedonating another photograph to thisyear’s Spring Benefit Silent Auction,so save some of that Christmasmoney and make a charitabledonation at the same time!

I’m proud to serve on the board ofdirectors for the Duluth MerchantsAssociation again in 2004. I am stilldoing design, layout and photographyfor our newsletter, the Gab-RRR, andam very grateful to Sunny Ramsayfor taking on the role of editor.Please support her by participatingin the newsletter. It is a wonderful,tasteful, and free way to advertiseyour business. As a marketingprofessional, I can tell you thatpriceless opportunities come withincreased participation in ourorganization and our community.

Albert MarquezAlbert Marquez is serving his secondyear as DMA Event Coordinator.

Albert is the owner and operator ofAutomotive Specialists of NorthAtlanta which is located at 3883Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in Duluth.For the past 25 years Albert hasoffered maintenance and repair for allforeign and domestic cars, truck and

SUV’s. He has Master Certificationsfrom the Automotive ServiceExcellence Organization. The Shop isan approved AAA repair facility.

Active with the DMA, Albert is yourcontact to help you show-case yourbusiness through one of the upcomingevents. He always welcomes yourcalls!

John MartinJohn Martin is a Commercial Lenderwith Gwinnett Community Banklocated in Duluth, Ga. GwinnettCommunity Bank is a rapidly growingcommunity oriented bank focused onthe financial needs of the Gwinnettand the surrounding areas. He hasrecently been named the BranchLending Officer for the Bank’s firstbranch banking office in Suwanee,John frequently speaks at seminars,small business gatherings, religious,and social organizations on topicsranging from banking and finance topeople building and motivation.

John is active in his communityserving as the current Co-Chairman ofthe Duluth Fall Festival, DuluthMerchants Association Board Memberas Peggy Mitchell Memorial Road RaceChair, Administrative Council Memberof the Duluth First United MethodistChurch, Board Member of FreedomMissions Prison Ministries, GwinnettChamber Member, Candidate forLeadership Gwinnett, and Member of

DMA Board (top, L to R): Mark Williams, Dana White, John Monk, Albert Marquez, JohnMartin, Dereck Whitesmith, Richard Daluga, Sunny Ramsay, Jennifer Ingalls, Pam Adams,Allen Roth, Thom Mash; (seated, L to R): Jim Wilson, Alisa Williams, Randy Sutt, DennisKeller, Laura Heck. Thanks again to Richard, Randy and Dennis, who are stepping down.

January 2004 Page 5

both the Community BankersAssociation of Georgia and GeorgiaBankers Association.

John is single and lives in the Dulutharea. He enjoys playing golf, softball,and basketball. He is a huge fan of allsports, but an avid follower ofUniversity of Georgia Football andBraves Baseball.

Thom MashLife began in 1952 for Thom Mash inPontiac, Michigan. Upon graduatingfrom High School he attended IndianaUniversity on a wrestling scholarship. In 1972 he joined a “Few GoodMen”…. The United States MarineCorps and spent most of the next fouryears between Quantico, Virginia andAlbany Georgia working on IBMcomputers. In 1976, Thom joined thecomputer side of Pontiac MotorsDivision and in 1981 was transferredto Georgia with GMAC and settled intolife’s routine in Sandy Springs. Theyear 1985 was the time to leave GMand Thom did so to start a small deckcompany. Additionally Thom hasbeen with Abatement Technologiessince 1992 as their OperationsManager.

Thom has been deeply involved withLegion Programs the past 6 years andcurrently holds the position ofCommander of the American LegionPost 251 in Duluth.

Tom and his wife, Susie, are theproud parents of two daughters,Jennifer and Karlee.

John MonkJohn has been a Duluth MerchantsAssociation member since inception ofthe firm and has served as a boardmember and treasurer for the pastthree years. He will also maintainthese positions for the year of 2004.

John A. Monk, C.P.A., P.C. wasfounded and located in Duluth, GA inOctober of 1994. A locally ownedCertified Public Accounting firmoffering accounting and tax servicesto individuals and small businesses. We also offer business consultingservices, estate tax and trustplanning, and representation beforefederal and state tax agencies.John is President of the firm and is a graduate of the University ofAlabama.

Sunny RamsayFirst time Board Member, SunnyRamsay’s personal tag line is‘Signature Forget-Me-Nots and asa consultant in the promotionaladvertising field, Sunny has joinedwith Dan Cook Associates, Inc…apromotional advertising firm whichtakes pride in providing qualitypromotional products to fit everyneed and every budget!

A ten year resident of Duluth hasconnected her with great communitymemberships including DuluthKiwanis, Gwinnett Chamber ofCommerce, Women’s Legacy ofUnited Way, the Duluth MerchantsAssociation, a volunteer at the DuluthFall Festival and GBTA. She recentlyfinished her training and isvolunteering with the PeachtreeChristian Hospice and also is involvedwith animal rescue and pet fostering.

‘From Widgets to Waterford’ and thesky is the limit for products availableto promote yourself, your company,your property, your airline, yourorganization, your club, youremployees. Anything that can beimprinted, embroidered, embossed,etched, screen printed, and on and oncan be a wonderful item to use forpromotion! And remember…it is yoursignature!

Alisa Williams, SecretaryOne of our new Board Members isAlisa Williams. Raised in Toccoa,Georgia, she attended the StateUniversity of West Georgia andreceived her BBA in Marketing and aswell as her MBA. Buford is now herhome. Before joining the City Duluthas the Downtown Manager, she heldmarketing positions with the GeorgiaMunicipal Association and theMunicipal Gas Authority of Georgia.

Alisa loves working in this wonderfulcommunity and feels that The DuluthMerchants Association is made up ofthe best and brightest businesspeople in Duluth. She is proud to be apart of an organization which worksto make the City of Duluth the placewhere everyone wants to live, work,shop and play!

Mark WilliamsMark Williams is a home grownGwinnettion and is a resident of Duluthto this day. He is co-owner with hisdad and brother of the PRINTINGTRADE CO., a successful, full serviceprinting facility in Norcross. Mark isproud to tell you that his father startedthis business in the basement of theirhome some 34 years ago!

Community activity is a strong suit forMark. In addition to his new term onthe DMA Board, Mark has beenappointed to the Parks and Recrea-tions Authority and the RevitalizationTask Force by the Gwinnett CountyCommissions; is a Charter Member ofthe Duluth Club; a board member ofNorcross Business Association. He isa former president of the CardinalLake Civic Assn, where he led therevitalization of the 40 year oldresidential community. He has beenvery involved with foster childrenprograms and seeing the huge needto address the needs of children infoster care Mark and Suzanne Geskein co-founded the Foster ChildrensFoundation in February of 2003.

Mark is the first to tell that he hasthree sources of pride and joy - histhree children: 20 year old son,James; 19 year old son, Joshua; and15 year old daughter Jessica.

Jim WilsonJim Wilson has been an activemember of DMA since 1997, and hasserved on the board of directors since1999. His DMA service has includedbeing the newsletter editor and he iscurrently the database manager.

Jim and Shirley own and operatethree personnel staffing companies,ASK Staffing, ASK PersonnelResources, and Medical PersonnelResources. The companies are fullservice staffing agencies that providepermanent placement, evaluationhires (temp to perm), and contractemployees. Several specialties areInformation Technology,administrative support, and medicalspecializing in physician placements. We service customers nationwide,however most of our business comesfrom the Southeastern states.

Serving Others. How may we serveyou?

Page 6 DMA Gab-RRR

Aurora TheatreSchedule

Moon Over Buffalo

by Ken Ludwig

January 23 - February 22, 2004

A modern farce about the livesof two second-rate actors andtheir last chance at stardom.Featuring Shelly McCook andAnthony Rodriguez.

Life is a Dream/La Vida esSueño

by Pedro Calderon de la Barca

March 19 - April 18, 2004, NoShow on Easter

The Spanish fairy tale about acaptive prince will be performedin English with Sunday eveningshows in Spanish. Spanishshow on Sunday evening at7:00 pm

Pete ‘n’ Keely - a MusicalComedy

by James Hindman, Additionalmusic by Patrick Brady and MarkWaldrop

May 21 - June 20, 2004

Through a non-stop parade ofAmerican song hits, relive thiscouple’s roller coaster ride thatgot them where they are today …DIVORCED!!! Featuring KathleenMcManus and Alan Kilpatrick.

Showtimes are Thursday -Saturday at 8:00 pm, andSunday at 2:00 pm unlessotherwise noted.

Prices are $22 Adults, $20Seniors, $18 Students forThursday, Friday, Sunday, and$25 Adults, $23 Seniors, and$21 Students for Saturday.

For reservations:www.auroratheatre.com or770-476-7926

Holiday Meeting Highlights !

Changing of the guard…

2004 President Dana White takes the torch from2003 President Dennis Keller. Thanks to both of youfor your dedicated service!

Who Won?!?Harold Stamey (left),Cancun Trip Winner,shakes hands withrunner-up AllanArcand, who won atrip to Navarro Beach,FL – not bad either!Thanks to Albert andMarlene Marquez fordonating theirvacation home.

Anthony Rodriquez andDave Cook provided joyand laughter asRudolph and Santaduring this year’sholiday meetingperformance. Thanksagain to the AuroraTheatre for hosting andperforming at ourholiday meeting!

January 2004 Page 7

2003 Calendar of Events

All Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. on thefirst Tuesday of each month, exceptwhere otherwise indicated with a *.Locations will vary.

January 6 Complete HealthcareFebruary 3 The Soda Shop

March 2 GwinnettCommunity Bank

March 7 Spring BenefitApril 6 Southeastern

Railway MuseumMay 4 The Hooch Golf

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It’s Game Timefor Members of the

DULUTH MERCHANTSASSOCIATION

CourseMay 29 5K Road Race

June 1 Esposito’s TavernJuly 13 Maloof Chiropractic

August 3 Duluth Fall FestivalSeptember 13 American Legion

Post 251October 5 Atlanta Flooring

Design CentersNovember 2 Gwinnett Chamber

of CommerceDecember 7 Aurora Theatre

Anyone interested in hosting a DMAmeeting or providing refreshments,please contact Albert Marquez at770-623-6069.

The Gladiators would like to invite all members of the DMAand their families to attend our game on

FRIDAY JANUARY 9th at 7:35 PMvs. the Columbus Cottonmouths.

egular-priced seats in this area are $16, but DMA Members can purchase Premium seats for $12, or purchase a Premium seat anda Gladiators cap for only $15. OR, a $100.00 investment gets you 10 End Zone Level Tickets, Business Card size ad in a specialandout at the Arena; OR a $250.00 investment gets you 20 End Zone Level Tickets, Business Card size ad in a special handout at

the Arena, and Video Board Listing as a Co-Sponsor of the Merchants Night.Tickets can be mailed via registered mail, delivered, or picked up at the Gladiators Front Office. Mail or delivery will be subject to a $5 handling fee.

ate of Order: ____________________ Date of Event: Friday, January 9th at 7:35 PM

oup Name: ___________________________________ Contact Name: ____________________________________

dress: __________________________________________________________________________________________

ty: _________________________________________________ State: __________ Zip Code: _________________

one: _________________________ Fax: _______________________ E-Mail: ________________________________

Seating Package: Premium Seat and Gladiators Cap ($15) -or- Premium Seat without Cap ($12)

Number of Seats: ______ x $_______ = $________ Handling Fee: $________ TOTAL: $__________

ethod of Payment:Check/Money Order (payable to Gwinnett Gladiators Hockey Club): ❑ Check Number: ____________

Credit Card Type: ❑ Visa ❑ MC ❑ AMEX ❑ Discover

Credit Card #: _________________________________________________ Exp. Date: _________

Cardholder Name (please print): ___________________________________

Customer Signature: ____________________________________________ Date: _____________

Please Return To: Jim Hall, Director of Community RelationsGwinnett Gladiators Hockey Club PO Box 957238 Duluth, GA 30095

Phone 770-497-5109 Fax 770-497-5101 e-mail: jhall@gwinnettgladiators.com

Is Your Company Making News?",

If it is, we want to spotlight you in the DMA Gab-RRR. If you have any significant news about yourbusiness: awards, big wins, new expansions, relocating, please e-mail them togabrrr@duluthmerchants.com or fax it to 770-813-0468. It is your newsletter and we rely upon you.

Are you using your association's website to the fullest? Add your web address and a businessdescription to your entry in the online membership directory.Send an email to webmaster@duluthmerchants.com with your updates.

ALL NEWSLETTER ENTRIES must be submitted by the 12th of each month for the next issue.

"Change of Address”

Please e-mail your address changes to Jim Wilson at jwilson@askstaffing.com or call him at770-813-8947.

"Are You Next?"

We want to showcase our DMA members in our meetings. If you would like to host a meeting or if youhave an educational 30 minute presentation that you believe would be of benefit to our members,please call Albert Marquez, 770-623-6069 with your ideas.

"The Network Table Is Available!"

Yes, we want you to invite all of you to bring your literature (in small quantities) about your productsand services to our DMA meetings so fellow members can learn more about you. BUT, FAIR WARNING:at the end of the evening, you must take your literature with you, or it will be thrown away.