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F
ounded in 1993, Gwinnett County-based
Garrard Group offers single-source real
estate development and construction
services to clients for projects in the retail,
restaurant, office, medical, financial, faith-
based, government, education and industrial
markets.
Garrard Group’s company motto,
“Building What Lasts,” is demonstrated
by the partnership approach it takes to
business, and it is the reason that the
majority of the company’s business comes
from satisfied, repeat clients.
“I think it boils down to two things:
relationships and adaptability. First, you
have to work hard to gain new relationships
and to maintain the ones you have. The key
to that, I think, is being trustworthy and
dependable—basically, doing what you say
you’re going to do,” said founder & CEO
Ron Garrard.
“The second point is that you have to
be flexible and willing to adapt. As anyone
can attest, our economic climate has shifted
substantially from twenty years ago, and we
have expanded our services over the years
to reflect those changes. We are constantly
trying to add value for our clients and
anticipate not just what
their needs are, but what
they will be in the future.”
Garrard Group has
grown and expanded
its offerings to include
program management
and real estate
development services.
This diversification—combined with a team
of industry veterans who carry extensive
expertise in real estate development,
program management and construction—
allows Garrard to deliver single-source
solutions to clients.
“In the past we have referred to Garrard
as a family-owned business because I grew
up in a family-owned business and several
of my family members have worked with
us over the years. I still tend to think of us
that way regardless of what family members
are actually working here because our team
behaves like a big family,” said Garrard. “I
feel a tremendous sense of responsibility
to my employees, and I think they also feel
that way for each other. If you are ever in
our office for any period of time you will
most likely hear a lot of laughter, which is
proof that we all genuinely enjoy spending
time with each other.”
The company values—to deliver,
grow, steward and serve—define how the
business operates. A dedication to Building
What Lasts extends beyond projects and
into the communities where employees live
and work. Garrard Group has built homes
with Habitat for Humanity, participates
in Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful’s Adopt-A-
Road program, and is a staunch supporter of
the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation
and Leadership Gwinnett, as well as the
Gwinnett Chamber.
“My faith has shaped the importance to
me of doing things that have eternal value,
and our corporate mission of “Building
What Lasts” is a direct reflection of that. I
am very fortunate to have a team that shares
that perspective and puts it
into practice daily through
the way they treat each
other, the way they deliver
quality for our clients, and
the way they serve their
communities, including
Gwinnett,” said Garrard.
“A few years ago, our
leadership team went through an exercise as
part of a rebranding effort for the company.
We shifted our vision to being more than
just a contractor, and we added a build-to-
suit development arm to the company. Even
though our mission “Building What Lasts”
has a strong construction implication, we
decided to keep it the same because the
desire to cultivate what has lasting value
hasn’t changed for us.”
“I was previously active in the Cobb County
Chamber of Commerce, so I already
understood the importance of a healthy and
active Chamber of Commerce. We joined
the Gwinnett Chamber when we relocated
our business to Lawrenceville, and are now
located in Duluth practically across the
street! The Chamber has created ample
opportunity for our team to network and
create connecting points with key leaders
in our community. Our membership in the
Chamber has provided professional and
personal growth training for our employees,
which benefits the overall health of our
organization. Most importantly, I think
the personal relationships that I have
developed through active involvement
have been invaluable to our growth and
sustainability as a company. “
–
Ron Garrard, celebrating Garrard
Group’s 20-year anniversary of
membership in the Gwinnett Chamber
Client relationships, quality service and community
THE EXECUTIVE – Q2 2015
PAGE 4
What Lasts
BUILDING