4 / 12
After
starting his first job at a grocery
store in 1976 in Snellville, GA,
Greg Shumate, now the CEO
and Managing Partner of Brand Mortgage,
opened his first savings account with a
small, hometown bank –The Brand Banking
Company. Impressed with that experience,
Greg logically went back to Brand Bank
when he needed a loan for his first car. These
two small but important milestones marked
the beginning
of an important
relationship that
would lead to great
things not just for
Greg, but also for the
communities and
citizens of Gwinnett
and metro Atlanta.
As a Senior Vice President and Regional
Manager, Greg helped grow the company he
worked for to a top 5 Atlanta firm and opened
over 15 offices in Georgia and Florida.
When the company relocated to Marietta,
Greg decided to
try something
different. With a
young family at
home, Greg thought
the opportunity
and timing was
right to start his
own mortgage firm
with his longtime
friend and business
partner, Bartow
Morgan, CEO of
Brand Bank. So, in 2006, after an hour and a
half conversation between Bartow and Greg,
Brand Mortgage was born.
Even on the verge of the subprime
mortgage crisis, Brand Mortgage got off to
a healthy start. In the past two years alone,
the company has achieved a staggering 198
percent growth rate and added over 100
new jobs. This, combined with their recent
expansion in Gwinnett and being named one
of the top places to work in metro Atlanta
by the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
, earned
Brand Mortgage the Gwinnett Chamber’s
first-ever Pacesetter Award. Awarded in April
at the Pinnacle Small Business Awards, the
Pacesetter Award honors companies that
display extraordinary innovative practices and
determination. The ability to grow at a record-
setting pace while maintaining focus and
providing a quality service has allowed Brand
Mortgage to overcome adversity and stand
out in a crowd earning them this distinctive
award.
Brand Mortgage’s innovative strategy
that has allowed them to excel in the toughest
of markets, particularly for the mortgage
industry, is really nothing new, but rather
something most companies in the industry
have a hard time doing during these tough
times – maintaining a positive approach to
doing business.
“Our strategy has been to simply outwork
everyone and do it with a bigger smile than
everyone else,” said Greg.
This culture of support and hard work
starts with Greg and permeates throughout
the entire organization and its 170 plus
employees. “I have a career built on what
other people think of me and I want that to be
a positive impression,” said Greg. “At Brand
Mortgage, the employees and I strive to do
the right thing with every decision we make.
We work hard and support each other and our
customers can see that.”
On top of Brand Mortgage’s strong work
ethic that keeps the company running strong,
Greg attributes much of their success to their
tie to the not-so-small anymore, but still
hometown bank, Brand Bank.
“Having the backing of The Brand
Banking Company with a strong and reliable
funding stream has been essential to our
success. Since 1905, Brand Bank has been
Brand Mortgage Thrives with Common
‘Cents’ Approach to Running a Business
Key leaders at Brand Mortgage such as
Mack Mullins, EVP Capital Markets;
Alex Koutouzis, President; and Stephanie
Kennedy, EVP Operations work closely with
Greg to keep the company running strong.
THE EXECUTIVE – SUMMER 2011
PAGE 4