Page 40 - Catoosa Community Guide
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Jump Start Development                                            Georgia Northwestern Technical College
                                                                In an effort to spur continuing commercial investment, the EDA    (GNTC) opened its Catoosa campus in 2016.    Training Professionals
                                                                has entered into a real estate partnership that is taking off. “EDA   It is the first higher education facility to
                                                                has purchased about 20 acres of land on Battlefield Parkway in    locate in Catoosa County. The state purchased    for the Workforce
                                                                Ringgold as part of a public/private partnership with Armour      the land for the college from the EDA. The
   BUSINESS                 7  0  6  .  8  6  6  .  8  2  8  3  Development Coordinator for the Catoosa County Development        GNTC Catoosa Campus offers programs
                                                                Commercial Real Estate,” advised Katie Sponberger, Economic
                                                                                                                                  of study like logistics and industrial systems
                                                                Authority (EDA). “Previous successful public/private ventures
                                                                between Armour Commercial Estate and the EDA include Costco       that are specific to the needs of our existing
                                                                                                                                  manufacturing industries. The college funnels
                                                                and Cabela’s and have resulted in the construction of over        a skilled workforce directly to area industry.
                                                                300,000 square feet of retail development in Catoosa County in
                                                                the last five years.                                              Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s
                                                                                                                                  Catoosa County Campus offers students the
                                                                                                                                  opportunity to earn an associate’s degree,
                                                                                                                                  diploma, or a certificate.
                                                                                                                                  Program offerings include:
                                                                                                                                  Business Management, Certified Customer    Georgia Northwestern Technical College is
            P.O. Box 909 • 5842 Highway 41 • Ringgold, GA 30736                                                                   Service Specialist, Cybersecurity, Computer    focused on education for career-building skills.
                                                                                                                                                                          Degrees, diplomas and certificates are offered
                             706.935.2424                                                                                         Support Specialist, Early Childhood Care    in more than 200 programs of study in business,
                                                                                                                                  and Education, Emergency Medical Services    health, industrial and public service careers.
                                                                                                                                  Professions, Health Care, Industrial    GNTC also partners with area businesses to
                                                                                                                                  Systems, Information Security Specialist,   provide customized employee training.
                                                                Costco has brought consumers from around the region to Catoosa    Instrumentation and Controls, Logistics and                                       CATOOSA COUNTY CAMPUS
                                                                County and generated revenue that has a far-reaching impact on                                                 The new Catoosa County Campus        Ringgold, Georgia
                                                                the local quality of life.                                        Supply Chain Management, Mechatronics,             makes it convenient            706.965.1120
                                                                                                                                  and Web Site Design and Development.           to train students in this area.    GNTC.edu
                                                                “We have code named this effort ‘Project Jump,’” she continued.
                                                                “The meaning behind the code name is that we hope to ‘jump        Among the programs available at GNTC    GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institute.
                              © Shaw, A Berkshire Hathaway Company.  start development on the Ringgold side of Battlefield Parkway.   is the opportunity for high school students         Timothy M. Mason, CPA
                          shawinc.com                           The Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics has already       to participate in the Move on When Ready                Timothy M. Mason, CPA
                                                                been revealed as a tenant – with more to come.”
                                                                                                                                  Dual Enrollment Program. While still in
                                                                                                                                  high school, students can take college courses,         Accounting I Bookkeeping I Payroll Preparation
                                                                                                                                                                                          Accounting I Bookkeeping I Payroll Preparation
                                                                Most observers point to the major investment of Costco in a                                                                            SalesTax I IncomeTax
                                                                142,990-square foot store that opened in Catoosa County in 2010    taught by a GNTC instructor, at any Georgia                         SalesTax I IncomeTax
                                                                as the most significant economic catalyst in the area in years. “I   Northwestern Technical College campus
                                                                started that building, arriving in July 2010, when it had a floor   or at their high school. Move on When
                                                                and two partial walls, commented Costco General Manager           Ready students receive credits toward their
                                                                Bob Palermo, who has been with the company for 27 years. “We      high school graduation and toward a college
                                                                now employ 215 people, and the vast majority of them live in      degree at the same time.
                                                                Catoosa and Walker Counties, but we have employees who live       Georgia Northwestern Technical College
                  7731 Nashville Street • Ringgold, GA 30736
                          706.935.9100                          as far away as Fort Payne, Alabama, to the south and Cleveland,   also has a variety of noncredit options
                         Licensed in Georgia and Tennessee      Tennessee, to the north.”                                         available including continuing education                                    404 North Main Street
                                                                                                                                                                                                              LaFayette, GA 30728
                                                                 “People come from all over the states of Georgia, Tennessee,     courses, business and industry training                                     404 North Main Street
                                                                and Alabama to shop in our community,” Sponberger observed.       courses, ACT Work Keys® Assessments,                                        LaFayette, GA 30728
                                                                                                                                                                                                              706.638.3575 ph
                                                                “When out of town shoppers spend money in our county, they        and Georgia Quick Start. Through GNTC’s                                     706.638.3575 ph
                                         Ringgold               are helping to increase our sales tax revenue. This allows our    Office of Adult Education, students can                                     706.638.2506 fax
                                                                                                                                                                                                              timothymmasoncpa.com
                                         100 Helpful Place      local government to provide more amenities to residents like      enroll in GED classes, assess their skills in                               706.638.2506 fax
                                         Ringgold, GA 30736                                                                       various academic areas, learn English as                                    timothymmasoncpa.com
                                         706-935-2231           better roads, parks, recreational activities, increased public safety,                                                                        tmmcpa@comcast.net
                                                                and more.“                                                        a second language, and take Work Keys®                                      tmmcpa@comcast.net
                                         Store Hours:                                                                             Assessments.
                                         M-F 8:00-8:00          Engaging its employees in the life of local communities has been                                                   SM
                                         Sat 8:00-8:00          a priority at Costco, and Palermo is justifiably proud of the effort.    Many Financial Aid Options are available   C PA  SM
                                                                                                                                                                          C PA
                                         Sun 10:00-6:00         Under his leadership, the company is visible in many facets of    including the HOPE Grant and Scholarship,    America Counts on CPAs  We work with Individuals, LLC's, Corporations, Partnerships, Fiduciaries
                                                                daily life in Catoosa County.                                     Loans, and Scholarships.              America Counts on CPAs  We work with Individuals, LLC's, Corporations, Partnerships, Fiduciaries

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