The Industry Appreciation Luncheon on November 20, 2024 at Lanier Technical College featured the presentation of the 16th Annual Industry of the Year Awards recognizing our existing industries for economic impact, corporate responsibility and workforce excellence.

Industry of the Year Awards

• Geveko Markings (Small Employer Category)

• Eskimo Cold Storage (Medium Employer Category)

• Carroll Daniel Construction (Large Employer Category)

Recognition Awards

• Caldwell Electrical Contractors (Workforce Development)

• ZF Gainesville (Workforce Excellence)

• Voyant Beauty (Safety Performance)

• Gold Creek Foods (Corporate Responsibility)

• Cargill (Environmental Responsibility)

• Syfan Logistics (Humanitarian Award)

Geveko Markings is celebrating 100 years since their business was first established in 1924 in Gothenberg, Sweden. The company produces highly durable horizontal markings for streets, highways, bikeways, and pedestrian walkways around the world. In Downtown Gainesville, some of their more artful installations can be seen on the Midland Highlands to Islands Greenway. The company has become a world leader with 14 global locations and believes in being in the markets they serve, to better serve their customers. They opened the Gainesville-Hall County location in 2020 to serve as their North American headquarters, distribution center and production location. When asked if they would support a Midland Greenway public art installation through the Greater Hall Chamber’s Vision 2030 effort, they didn’t hesitated. Geveko Markings employs 32 full time associates at their Gainesville-Hall County production headquarters. www.geveko-markings.us

With roots in Gainesville-Hall County and a close connection to the frozen foods industry, Eskimo Cold Storage founders Steve Williams and Karen Reece began blast freezing operations in 2007 with an initial location on Athens Highway in Hall County. The business was started from the love of warehousing and a close partnership with the poultry industry spanning more than 30 years. Today, the business serves its many frozen foods customers with warehousing and blast freezing services at temperatures as low as forty below zero capable of freezing fresh pallets of food that are ready for shipment the next day. In 2014, the company doubled the size of its Hall County location to allow their customers to expand and ready more frozen foods for shipment throughout North America and for export through the Port of Savannah. In 2024, the company began constructing its newest state-of-the-art freezer. Eskimo employs 140 full-time associates, and believes in giving the best possible service to customers, regardless of whether they are large or small. Part of serving customers means giving back to the community by choosing to buy local whenever possible.  www.eskimocold.com

Carroll Daniel Construction has been building their business in Gainesville-Hall County since 1946. Today, under the leadership of Brian Daniel, President & CEO, it’s become one of the top builders in the Southeast US and recently rated one of the Top Contractors in the Nation by Engineering News Record. With 400 employees and six Southeast locations, the company supports a pipeline of construction projects spanning institutional, commercial, transportation and industrial clients. Developing talent is a core business strategy for the company, and they have been rated by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the top employers in the region to work for. The company supports initiatives like the Skills USA Challenge, Work Based Learning, and in partnership with Lanier Technical College, developed a unique apprenticeship program to offer local high school graduates a career path to their industry through a construction project manager apprenticeship. Recent projects by Carroll Daniel Construction include both of the other Industry of the Year award recipients, Geveko Markings and the new Eskimo Cold Storage Expansion, as well as Kubota, Auto Metal Direct, Fieldale Farms, Gold Creek Foods, CJ Foodville, the Blue Ridge Connector and work at the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick, the Renaissance Building on the fourth side of the square in Gainesville, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, the Sandra Deal Elementary School, the University of North Georgia Gainesville Campus and the Lanier Technical College campus. www.carrolldaniel.com

Caldwell Electrical Contractors has partnered with the National Center for Construction Education & Research to develop their own apprenticeship program that allows current and potential employees to be trained and certified in Georgia. In partnership with Lanier Technical College and Workforce Strategies Group, they developed a Supervisor Communication & Leadership Program to improve workplace communication and teamwork. The company helps assist employees seeking to grow in their field by providing financial and administrative support. They contribute to several local organizations by partnering with North Georgia Works, Straight Street Ministry, and the Jarrard Burch Foundation, among others. They work hard to make impactful investments in their workforce and community. www.caldwellelectric.com

German based ZF Gainesville manufactures driveline components for construction equipment, automobiles and trains, steering systems and axles for trucks and buses. With 626 employees, the company in Gainesville has an established Leadership Development Program that provides opportunities for employees to advance from production employment to team leader to supervisor and beyond. Employees can take advantage of the tuition assistance program to advance into a completely different career path and have opportunities to work at any location in North America or around the world. They actively employ Work-Based Learning High School Students and allow student, industry, or community groups to tour their facilities. They offer paid volunteer days for employees to serve at local community service groups. For over 30 years the company has brought an international presence and global footprint to our community focusing on employee development and advancement. www.zf.com

Voyant Beauty specializes in aerosol, BOV, liquid, and hot filling capabilities with 360 employees at their Gainesville plant. The manufacturer holds a world class injury rate and have received the companies President’s Award for best overall plant for Health, Safety, Environmental and Zero-waste. They identify safety as a core value of the company and is a fundamental part of how they do business. Voyant believes excellence in safety is the highest level of employee engagement. This leads them to work side by side with their employees to drive safety culture in their facility through employee lead safety committees, programs, training, and safety audits. www.voyantbeauty.com

Gold Creek Foods, a poultry and beef processor, has 4,200 employees across multiple locations. The company invested in new facilities here in our community and bought another Gainesville-based company along with remodeling a building downtown that is now their corporate headquarters. They support other local businesses and contract with Carroll Daniel Construction to handle all their building and remodeling needs. Their employees are treated to annual Back to School Events, Mothers and Father’s Day cookouts, and discounted rates at the YMCA, and an on-staff counselor reflects their commitment to employees. Over the last few years, they have also expanded into beef processing and have a fully cooked frozen burger that can be purchased at some local grocery store chains. www.goldcreekfoods.com

Cargill produces food and ingredients with 205 employees at the Gainesville location. The company has been an active member of the Greater Hall Chamber for nearly 39 Years! The operations in Gainesville are part of the company’s broader environmental efforts that include, Water and Energy Conservation, Waste Reduction, Carbon Emissions Reduction, Earth-friendly Sourcing and Community Engagement. Cargill is striving to meet its net-zero carbon emissions targets by 2040. They are constantly aiming to reduce waste to landfills through recycling programs and waste-to-energy efforts. They assist farmers in making AG and food production practices more earth-friendly, along with supporting local projects and working with the community organizations on conservation efforts. www.cargill.com

Challenges arise every year in a variety of ways. What matters is how our businesses and community respond to these challenges. This year the Chamber decided to present a special Humanitarian Award for one such business – Syfan Logistics. The trucking and logistics company’s response after Hurricane Helene showed an outpouring of support for our neighboring states. They filled over 43 trucks with disaster relief goods and are continuing to fill more. Syfan Logistics has over 300 employes and reserves 10% of profits for charitable causes each year, and in 2023, the Syfan Gives program began a new tradition with the Syfan supports Rally 5k and Fun run, for childhood cancer. Syfan also donated funds to Hope for Hall and a new inclusive playground for all children of all abilities at Wauka Mountain Academy. www.syfanlogistics.com