Allied Logistics, Inc. Graduates From Landmark Program

PRLog (Press Release) - Sep 23, 2009 -
Atlanta, GA - The 29 members of the fifth Mentor Protégé Connection class graduated Thursday evening, September 10, 2009 in ceremonies at the Atlanta History Center.

“Fostering relationships between the mentors and protégés helps spark learning in both directions,” said Ken Stewart, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). “In this economic environment, businesses small and large reap the benefits from the Mentor Protégé Connection.”

Georgia’s Mentor Protégé Connection, formerly the Governor’s Mentor Protégé Program, teams successful companies such as Georgia-Pacific, Coca-Cola and United Parcel Service with smaller, growing Georgia-based businesses to increase the odds for success. Each class commits to a 12-month cycle that includes one-on-one mentoring sessions, specialized training seminars, networking events and mandatory progress reporting sessions.

Twenty-six mentor companies teamed with protégé businesses to incorporate best practices into areas such as accounting & finance, human resources, strategic planning, marketing, Web site development, operating efficiencies and organizational planning issues.

This year’s protégés reported numerous successes, including:

·         Revenue growth even in challenging economic conditions
·         Significant operational improvements
·         Identification of new markets
·         Website redesigns
·         New sales and marketing opportunities


The Mentor-Protégé program is managed by GDEcD.

“An estimated 95 percent of all businesses in Georgia are small businesses, and Mentor Protégé Connection helps them achieve their goals and forge key business relationships,” said Heidi Green, Deputy Commissioner for Global Commerce with GDEcD. “We wish this year’s protégés success as they implement new business strategies.”


A complete list of the fifth Mentor-Protégé class is below.

Corporate sponsors of the program are GE Energy, Georgia Power, Hardin Construction, Lockheed Martin, The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Turner Broadcasting Systems and UPS.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, please visit www.georgia.org/mentorprotege.


Mentor-Protégé teams:

Mentor: Turner Construction Company
Protégé: Accura Engineering and Consulting Services, Inc., Atlanta

Mentor: Georgia Power Company
Protégés: Agility Surveying Company, Inc., Marietta; ARS Mechanical, LLC, Conyers  

Mentor: The Coca-Cola Company
Protégé: Allied Logistics, Inc., Atlanta

Mentor: Skanska USA Building, Inc.
Protégé: Atlanta’s Cascade Concrete Pumping Foundations, Inc., Atlanta

Mentor: Cox Communications, Inc.
Protégé: Bellsoft, Inc., Lawrenceville

Mentor: Hardin Construction Company, LLC
Protégés : Cadence Group, Inc., Atlanta; Raymond Engineering Georgia, LLC, Conyers

Mentor: Wachovia
Protégé: Courseault Commercial, Inc., Atlanta

Mentor: GTECH Corporation
Protégé: Data Systems & Games, Inc., Austell

Mentor: Citizens Trust Bank
Protégés: Elgia, Inc., Alpharetta; Giavanna Constructors, Inc., Lawrenceville

Mentor: S.L. King & Associates, Inc.
Protégé: Exalt Integrated Technologies, LLC, Atlanta

Mentor: Turner Associates Architect & Planners, Inc.
Protégé: Formcase, Inc., Norcross

Mentor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Protégé: GSE Facility Services, LLC, Atlanta

Mentor: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Protégé: Hadley’s International Productions, Inc., Atlanta

Mentor: AGL Resources, Inc.
Protégé: Integrated Construction Management, Inc., Lithonia

Mentor: Agile 1
Protégé: Larche’ Communications, LLC, Atlanta

Mentor: Heery International
Protégé: Lemongrass Consulting, Inc., Locust Grove

Mentor: United Parcel Service
Protégé: McPherson, Berry & Associates, Inc., Ellenwood

Mentor: Jordan, Jones, & Goulding, Inc.
Protégé: Neogate, LLC, Tucker

Mentor: GE Energy
Protégé: Phoenix Solutions, Inc., Loganville

Mentor: H.J. Russell & Company
Protégé: Scott & Sons Holdings, LLC, Atlanta

Mentor: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Protégé: Stag Enterprise, Inc., Ball Ground

Mentor: Accenture
Protégé: Sun Technologies, Inc., Duluth

Mentor: The North Highland Company
Protégé: Turnkey Solutions, LLC, Alpharetta

Mentor: Stevens & Wilkinson
Protégé: UpBuild Design, LLC, Decatur

Mentor: LexisNexis
Protégé:  VanRan Communications Services, Inc., Doraville

Mentor: AT&T
Protégé: Visions Telecommunications, Inc., Lawrenceville