Servicemagic.com awarded Donald Wolf, owner of Dad’s Septic Tank and Well Pump Service, the Home Pro of the Year Award for outstanding ratings and performance. Servicemagic.com connects homeowners to pre-screened professionals and honors the best in their field each year. www.servicemagic.com
Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP has announced that Homer Lee Walker joined the firm as a partner in its real estate and real estate capital markets practices. Walker joins the firm from Alston & Bird. Walker is featured as one of the leading Georgia lawyers for real estate in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Yipit has launched in Atlanta, connecting residents with prime discounts and savings on local goods and services, organized by group deal sites such as Groupon, LivingSocial and others through a free daily e-mail service. www.yipit.com
The Samaritan House of Atlanta and Atlanta Enterprise Center merged to form the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency in an effort to assist the homeless. The Robert J. Woodruff Foundation and Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation pledged $500,000 to the new partnership. www.samhouse.org
Grant Park’s Boulevard Group was named one of the Inner City 100 that lists the 100 fastest growing companies in America’s Inner Cities. The Inner City 100 program spotlights companies supporting city economies in an effort to develop strong communities. www.boulevardgroup.com
The Icebox was named the 2010 recipient of the Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta Torch award for Community Service. Criteria for the award includes company participation with charities and community organizations, individual employees’ community participation as well as contribution levels of money to charity organizations. www.iceboxonline.com
Paul B. Kelman retired from his position as executive vice president of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District on July 16. Kelman’s retirement concludes 22 years of service with Atlanta’s community development organization. At press time, CAP had not named a new executive director. www.atlantadowntown.com
One Georgia Bank has been approved to assist minority, women and veteran owned small businesses by acting as a participating lender through the federal Department of Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). The Short Term Lending Program (STLP) is aimed at helping qualified small and disadvantaged businesses compete for government contracting opportunities. Under STLP One Georgia will provide a line of credit that will be secured primarily by receivables from transportation contracts. The DOT will fully guarantee the line and the maximum loan amount is $750,000. STLP eligible activities include maintenance, rehabilitation, improvements, or revitalization of any of the nation’s transportation modes which include public, commercial, Federal, State, or local agency. One Georgia Bank is currently processing its first application under the program. www.onegeorgiabank.com
Victoria Smith has opened 4 Laces, which offers clothing for social events such as football game, tailgating, cocktail parties or evening events. The idea for 4 Laces came in early 2006 when Smith, a University of Georgia grad, always found herself trying to find fashionable and color coordinated outfits to wear to UGA football games. Find the 4 Laces page on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @4laces or visit www.4laces.com.
Chinamex, a facilitator for U.S./Chinese intercontinental businesses, hosted its first official visiting delegation at its headquarters and showroom in Atlantic Station in June. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, pictured, welcomed those in attendance, followed by a luncheon in The Lobby restaurant at Twelve Hotel and then a series of networking sessions take place back in the showroom. The second day was filled with tours to several local manufacturing facilities. www.chinamex.com
HomeGrown Decatur will open this month in the space formerly occupied by That Pottery Place at 412 Church St. HomeGrown will serve as a market and gallery space for local artists, artisans and craftsmen to showcase their work. An emphasis will be placed on green and eco-friendly art. Decatur residents and co-owners Lori Ronca and Beth Thompson plan to offer classes, as well as monthly art openings and special events. Student art shows will feature talented young people from the metro area. Local artists interested in displaying their work at HomeGrown can contact Beth and Lori at www.homegrowndecatur@gmail.com.
Atlanta’s East Lake Foundation has announced that Daniel Shoy, Jr., has joined its staff as Program Director. In this newly created role, Shoy will work with managers of the programs funded by the East Lake Foundation, including The First Tee of East Lake golf and life skills program and the CREW Teens high school support program. Shoy has worked with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation since 2001, most recently as Senior Program Officer. Shoy led grantmaking initiatives for the Blank Foundation and effectively managed a wide array of grants. Prior to joining the Blank Foundation, he held program and service management roles with Hands On Atlanta, City Year San Jose and the Atlanta Outward Bound Center. Shoy serves on several state and national education committees and task forces, and he is a graduate of Emory University.
Melissa Hayes-Intermill is the new owner of autrepeau, a fashionable line of innerwear designed to eliminate the itch, stiffness and clinginess of everyday clothing. Featuring both pant and top liners to accommodate both winter and summer fashions, each piece is available in black, white and nude and designed with a form-fitting fabric blend of nylon and spandex to ensure no shifting or bunching occurs throughout the day. Founded in 2005, autrepeau is based in Atlanta, Georgia and is made solely in the United States.www.autrepeau.com
