Elberton, Ga., March 2010 – Star Granite & Bronze continues to expand its Elberton operations. The company has invested over $2.5 million dollars in a new facility and equipment in the last year to create high-end architectural and memorial plaques. Quick Start and Athens Technical College are the company’s partners in providing customized training for these new processes.
Star Granite Company is a wholesale quarrier and manufacturer locally owned by entrepreneur Rusty Adams. Adams purchased a small, existing granite company in 1979. Today it is state-of-the-art with a comprehensive line of products including bases for bronze memorials, columbariums and mausoleums, memorial benches, and many other custom granite products.
Last year, Mr. Adams purchased a Canadian bronze manufacturing company to join with the Star Granite family. This move added bronze plaques to the extensive line of products Adams could provide his customers. This most recent equipment purchase and expansion includes a high-tech, computerized polymer template system for commercial plaques.
“We’re thrilled to be able to extend our successful training partnership with Star Granite and Athens Technical College,” said Jackie Rohosky, Technical College System of Georgia assistant commissioner for economic development programs and head of Quick Start. “This is the best possible outcome for a training project – the company has already created more jobs than expected, and is building momentum to employ even more Georgians.”
Quick Start is Georgia’s internationally acclaimed economic development program that provides customized workforce training at no cost to qualified new, expanding and existing businesses in Georgia. Since 1967, Quick Start has trained more than 779,000 employees through 5,800 projects with a broad range of industries.
Quick Start will be continuing to design and develop training material for Star Granite & Bronze, as well as providing instructors for job-specific, quality and leadership classes.
The training program involves three distinct partners: Star Granite & Bronze, Athens Technical College and Quick Start. Each partner will be responsible for the successful completion of this program. The partnership will not end when the Quick Start training is completed. Athens Technical College will be available to assist Star Granite & Bronze with ongoing training programs.
“Visionaries like Mr. Adams see these difficult economic times as opportunities to grow and it will be serial entrepreneurs and small businesses that will help turn our economy around” said Dr. Flora Tydings, president of Athens Technical College. “The partnership between Star Granite & Bronze, Athens Technical College, and Quick Start will ensure the new employees of Star Granite & Bronze are trained to be effective and efficient team members.”
Dr. Tydings added, “Crafting high quality bronze products, Star Granite & Bronze will add a new manufacturing dimension to Elbert County and Northeast Georgia.”