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First Bank of the South joins United Community bank system
By Rex Schuette
Chief financial officer, United Community Banks
Special to GwinnettForum.com

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Feb. 16, 2007 -- United Community Banks, Inc. (Nasdaq: UCBI) has announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Gwinnett Commercial Group, Inc., and its wholly-owned bank subsidiary First Bank of the South.

First Bank of the South has five banking offices in the metro Atlanta counties of Gwinnett, DeKalb and north Fulton, which are new markets for United, and a loan production office in Walton County. As of December 31, 2006, Gwinnett Commercial had total assets and deposits of $675 million and $583 million, respectively.

Under terms of the agreement, Gwinnett Commercial's shareholders will receive common stock of United Community Banks, cash, or a combination thereof. The terms are fixed with $32.5 million in cash consideration and 5.7 million shares of United Community Banks common stock. Based on United Community Banks 30 day average closing price of $32.35 on February 2, 2007, the transaction has an aggregate value of approximately $216.6 million. The transaction, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is subject to the approval of Gwinnett Commercial's shareholders and regulatory agencies as well as to other customary conditions of closing. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter and will be slightly accretive to earnings in 2007.

Jimmy Tallent, president and chief executive officer of United Community Banks, says: "First Bank of the South is the perfect partner for our company in many ways. This combination is about great bankers joining our team, similar cultures, and the ability to expand into three fast-growing Atlanta markets. We have significantly strengthened our presence in Atlanta, which is the economic engine of the South and one of the best banking markets in the country."

Established in 2000, First Bank of the South is located in Lawrenceville and has two additional offices in Gwinnett County and one each in DeKalb and north Fulton counties. It is the ninth-largest community bank in deposit market share in the Atlanta MSA and the seventh-largest in Gwinnett County, its primary market.

Glenn White, chief executive officer, and Steven Williams, president, will continue in their current positions to lead United Community Bank - Gwinnett. Additionally, their board members will serve on the United Community Bank local board, with one director joining the holding company board after the transaction is completed.

When the transaction is completed, United Community Banks will have 27 community banks operating 107 banking offices and assets of approximately $8 billion. And, it will have ten banks and 39 banking offices in metro Atlanta with total assets of approximately $3.0 billion.

Headquartered in Blairsville, United Community Banks is the third-largest holding company in Georgia. United Community Banks has assets of $7.1 billion in banks located throughout north Georgia, metro Atlanta, coastal Georgia, western North Carolina and east Tennessee. The company specializes in providing personalized community banking services to individuals and small to mid-size businesses. United Community Banks common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol UCBI. Additional information may be found at the company's web site at www.ucbi.com.

Finding gold, fund-raisers, signing day and best for business
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

FEB. 16, 2007 -- Where on the West Coast was gold discovered? It's not what you think. Answer below.

Someone sent us this: "The Romans are the only country I know that successfully stopped an insurgency. If we were Rome, we would do the same thing to Iraq that they did to Carthage and Judea, level the entire country and exile the population. But we aren't, we can't, and we won't."

* * * * *

Should Hilary Clinton win not only the Democratic nomination, but the presidency, is it possible for Bill to run to take her Senate seat? Probably so.

If that's the case, has there ever been a political figure in this country who was governor, then president, then senator? Can't recall any!

Just something to chew on.

One of the ramifications of Gwinnett growth and progress has been the total explosion of both golf tournaments and charitable auctions. Seems to me that we're getting to the point of overload on both.

However, each of these events seem to work for the charitable institutions, and in turn, spur others on. Each seems to pull from its own segment of interest.

Even geography doesn't help: we got invited to a charitable function 60 miles away the other day! That's what having 750,000 of your closest friends living near you will do, so I suspect we'll live with it. Actually, can you think of alternatives?

We remember years ago when the Cancer Society had those tasteless and low-return "Jail and Bail" fund-raisers. Happily, they had the good fortune to come up with a better idea, moving from those two-bit outcomes to a multi-million and most positive venture in the Relay for Life. That's the type of thinking we look for in the next frontier of charitable fund raising! We'll salute whoever steps forward with a new wrinkle for charities!

Another thing: when did the high school football "national signing day" become something people nearly take for a holiday? Is it really that important? (Some people seem to think so.)

From the Georgia Public Policy Forum: Good news, not-so-good news. Forbes magazine ranks Georgia the 10th best state in the nation for business, and Metro Atlanta is ranked the 15th best metro area in the nation for business.

The challenge? Georgia is behind southern neighbors Virginia (1); Texas (2); North Carolina (3); Delaware (8) and Florida (9). Among metro areas, southeastern cities ahead of Atlanta are Raleigh, N.C. (2); Knoxville, Tenn. (5); Nashville, Tenn. (7); Durham, N.C. (8) and Huntsville, Ala. (14).

Gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, on January 24, 1848. James W. Marshall was building a sawmill for Captain John Sutter, using water from the South Fork of the American River, when he noticed several flakes of metal in the water and recognized them to be gold. Though he tried to keep it a secret, the word spread quickly, and triggered the California gold rush of 1849.

But Sutter's Mill in 1848 was still technically a part of Mexico. A little more than a week later, the United States and Mexico signed a treaty that led to the United States' purchase of the land that became California, as well as the other southwestern states.

Good thing news traveled slowly then. For if Mexico had known about the discovery of gold, they might never have sold all that land for just $15 million.

Wonder how much we could sell them California back for now. It might be a bargain for the rest of us.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's featured sponsor is The Gwinnett Center, which is home to three distinct facilities right here in Duluth. The Convention Center offers patrons the opportunity to host or attend a wide variety of events; from corporate meetings to trade shows, to social occasions. The Performing Arts Center has an intimate capacity of 700 guests, which is home to many local events, family shows and even the occasional comedic performer. The Arena now entering its fourth year and has experienced tremendous success. In March, The Arena will host the 2007 Women's SEC Basketball Tournament which will bring regional exposure to Gwinnett County. The spring lineup includes Nickelback, Mana, Bill Gaither, My Chemical Romance, Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride and the ECHL American Conference Champions Gwinnett Gladiators. We are also proud to announce that the Gwinnett Center is now completely wireless to meet your technological needs. Visit www.gwinnettcenter.com for updates on events at the three great facilities.

Three Gwinnettians will be honored by the Northeast Georgia Council, Boy Scouts of America at its 2007 American Values Dinner on March 13, 2007, at the Gwinnett Center. Judy Waters, Wayne Sikes, and the late Scott Hudgens will be honored with the Distinguished Citizen Award.

Judy Waters is the executive director of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. She has served on Snellville City Council and on the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.

Wayne Sikes currently serves as chairman of the board for Gwinnett Medical Center. He is retired from the child care industry. Mr. Sikes and his family have served as a host family for many visiting college students through the Georgia Rotary Student Program.

Before his death in 2000, Scott Hudgens developed commercial projects throughout Georgia and the Southeast, including Gwinnett Place Mall and the Mall of Georgia. He was also a major philanthropic donor to many Gwinnett and Metro Atlanta charities, many made anonymously, including contributions to scouting. The Boy Scouts' Distinguished Citizen Award will be renamed the "Scott Hudgens Distinguished Citizen Award" in his memory.

Mr. Townley, author of Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts, will speak at the dinner. His book takes a look at the impact of Eagle Scouts on American society. Mr. Townley takes a look at Eagle Scouts in the public arena and will share his insight on the impact Eagle Scouts have had. Reservations for the fund-raising event are $250 per person or $2,500 for a table of ten. Co-chairs are Buck Lindsay and Glenn White.

The Northeast Georgia Council serves more than 10,000 youth in Gwinnett County and more than 25,000 in its 26 county area. More than 6,000 adult volunteer leaders work with these youth to provide opportunities for leadership, character, and physical development. The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 97th birthday this year. More information can be obtained by contacting Andy Price at the Northeast Georgia Council at 800-699-8806.

Gwinnett Technical College has added two persons to its business development and institutional advancement team.

Dona Lyn Goodpasture, grants and alumni coordinator, and Cris Perkins, director of institutional advancement, will work to bolster the connection between the college, the community and with existing and potential business partners to ensure long-lasting success of the college and its students.

Goodpasture previously worked for the American Red Cross in Monroe as health and preparedness director and in Thomasville as executive director. She also brings to her role prior experience from the technical college system from previous employment with Southwest Georgia Technical College in Thomasville. Goodpasture earned a bachelor's of arts in speech communication and master's of adult education from the University of Georgia. Goodpasture is married and has two children.

Perkins also brings technical college know-how from his most recent employment as director of institutional advancement with Athens Technical College. He earned a bachelor's of arts in journalism from Nicholls State University. Perkins wife, Sharon, is the head softball coach at Georgia Tech. The couple has two children.

The additional members of Gwinnett Tech's development office include Mary Beth Byerly, executive director, institutional advancement; Lorri Christopher, director of institutional advancement; Eugenia McQueen, fiscal analyst; and Sheila Brookshaw, administrative assistant.

"My husband and valentine, Mark, and I went to Copeland's in Alpharetta (on North Point Drive) to celebrate Valentine's Day. What a nice night we had! We received great service, and everything was definitely delicious, down to the best cup of decaf coffee I have ever had! My husband also enjoyed his generous portion of pan-roasted chicken and healthy veggies! I had the tomato basil chicken, yummy! and a side of spinach! Very tasty! Complete with a tableside photo taken to commemorate the event, the entire evening was just perfect, and reasonably priced. And although we did not order the mile and a half high pie, we could see it from yards away, wow! Maybe next time!"

Jesse Jewell is widely credited with making Gainesville the "poultry capital of the world." He pioneered vertical integration---the combining of all phases of the business, such as raw materials, processing, and distribution, within a single company---in the Georgia poultry industry.

Jesse Dickson Jewell was born in Gainesville on March 13, 1902. His mother, Mary Tallulah Dickson, was an art teacher at Brenau College. Jewell's father, Edgar Herman Jewell, owned a feed, seed, and fertilizer business. He died when Jewell was seven years old.

After graduating from Gainesville High School, Jewell studied civil engineering at Georgia Tech and the University of Alabama. In 1922 he began working in the family feed business, along with his mother and stepfather, Leonard Loudermilk. In 1928 Jewell married Anna Louise Dorough. They had three daughters.

When his stepfather died in 1930, Jewell began managing the family business. As the Great Depression drained the company's receipts, he tried a new approach to boost feed sales. He bought baby chicks and supplied them, along with chicken feed, on credit to cash-poor farmers. Once the chicks were grown, Jewell bought them back at a price that covered his feed costs and also guaranteed the farmers a profit. More and more Hall County farmers began to contract to grow chickens for Jewell. By the late 1930s Jewell began adding the elements that would make J. D. Jewell the largest integrated chicken producer in the world.

The first step, in 1940, was to open his own hatchery. Next came a processing plant in 1941. By 1954 Jewell added the final touches---his own feed mill and rendering plant. This vertically integrated corporation set the standard for poultry processors everywhere, as did Jewell's trademark frozen chicken. Jewell's hiring policies were also innovative: his processing plant was among the first factories in Gainesville to hire black workers.

Mr. Jewell pioneered in marketing frozen chickens. Prior to his work in this field, most chickens were sold fresh, not frozen. One of the outcomes of freezing chicken for sale was the expansion to a much wider field of distribution, including sales overseas, which revolutionized the chicken industry.

In the early 1960s Jewell sold his company to a group of investors. It went bankrupt in 1972, though Jewell himself never did. One of the main streets in Gainesville is named for him. With his poultry fortune he established a scholarship fund at Brenau College, where he also endowed a new building for biology and home economics. Jewell suffered a stroke in 1962 and died, after an extended illness, on January 16, 1975 at age 72.

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