About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2019)
BUSINESS THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, JULY 4 - 10, 2019 • Page 10 Mobile home improvement company seeks to roll into Stone Mountain Screenmobile CEO Scott Walker says the Stone Mountain area was identified as a good match for the company during a strategic franchise growth plan. BY KATHY MITCHELL FREELANCE REPORTER As California-based Screenmobile seeks to expand its presence nationwide, company officials have their eyes on Stone Mountain as one of the franchise company’s newest locations. Scott Walker, president and CEO of Screenmobile, called the Atlanta area-particularly Stone Mountain-“perfect for us.” The area was selected during what Walker called “a strategic franchise growth plan” in which the brand, which already has locations in North Atlanta and in Gainesville, plans to add between 10 and 15 new locations in the Atlanta metro area. Walker said he is highly confident that Screenmobile will identify a franchisee for the Stone Mountain area within the next few weeks. The company opened 17 locations in 2018 and is on track to add another 17 new units this year, he said. Brandon Meeks, owner of Screenmobile in Gainesville, joined Screenmobile less than a year ago and, according to a statement released by the company, has experienced “huge success with the brand.” “The demand for our services is high and folks love our concept — I’m even re-investing in my business and expanding my operations here in Gainesville with a new truck and field technician,” Meeks is quoted as saying in the release. The company specializes in window, door and patio porch screens, as well as solar shading products. “The weather in your area is a great match for our services,” Walker said. “There are many days when you have free weather, days when temperatures are just right for shutting off the air conditioning and enjoying the outdoor breezes, but you don’t want to contend with mosquitoes and other bugs—and you guys have a lot of bugs.” Walker said that among the company’s most popular products are its motorized and large format screens, which are designed to keep insects or sun out, when those are issues, but can be retracted when they’re not in use. “Essentially they are large roll up screens,” he explained, noting that they can be either motorized or manually operated. No one else in the Stone Mountain area is offering a similar service, Walker said. “Demand for our services is at an all-time high in the region. Local property owners are looking for convenience when it comes to home improvement, and no one makes it easier for the customer than Screenmobile.” He explained that a fully equipped truck arrives at the installation location, measures, manufactures and installs the screens in a single day. “If there’s a measurement error, there’s no having to go back to the shop and make another screen to be delivered maybe two weeks later. We redo it on the spot. “We’ve really transformed the industry,” Walker continued. “We bring quality, stylish screens and outdoor living concepts quickly and easily. We make major home improvement projects a breeze. Walker said he expects a good deal of interest in Atlanta area franchises, but Screenmobile wants to be sure every franchisee is a good match for the company. He said the company as it expands is looking for “entrepreneurs passionate about business growth and a great customer-focused attitude. It’s a people business, so we need business owners who work well with homeowners. We want people like us who aren’t satisfied until the customer is satisfied. We want people who appreciate the opportunity’s great work-life balance and the physical and emotional aspect of the job—people who enjoy working with their hands and building relationships with both customers and the local community.” Screenmobile franchisees get a protected territory that includes approximately 50,000 to 150,000 households, marketing materials, tools and equipment, uniforms and a trailer, Walker said. “They are afforded a strong corporate support system offering empowering training and guidance programs,” he added. New owners, he said, attend “screen school,” a two- week program to learn about business operations, goals and values, and have 13 weeks of ongoing online training known as “The Fast Start Program.” Founded in Glendora, Calif, in 1980, Screenmobile currently has 119 licenses across more than 25 states. The company has been ranked on the Entrepreneur “Franchise 500” list for the past 14 consecutive years. NOTICE The Board of Education of the City of Decatur does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be held at the Board Room of the Central Office at 125 Electric Avenue, Decatur, Georgia on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at 6:30 PM and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. 48-5-32, does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the history of the tax digest and levy for the past five years. CURRENT 2019 TAX DIGEST AND FIVE YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY PROPOSED Fiscal Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Assessment Ratio 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% REAL PROPERTY 1,326,224,078 1,593,567,251 1,693,241,224 1,834,363,413 2,014,946,720 2,167,405,870 PERSONAL PROPERTY 22,086,973 23,124,213 23,627,668 25,728,874 26,673,465 25,429,686 PUBLIC UTILITIES 15,152,714 15,236,377 15,658,734 16,521,530 16,257,608 15,852,838 MOTOR VEHICLE 47,331,663 35,521,587 26,623,700 23,481,413 13,249,950 10,074,188 GROSS DIGEST 1,410,795,428 1,667,449,428 1,759,151,326 1,900,095,230 2,071,127,743 2,218,762,582 LESS M&O EXEMPTIONS 65,251,923 65,148,453 84,745,047 230,800,694 275,708,328 304,154,135 NET M&O DIGEST 1,345,543,505 1,602,300,975 1,674,406,279 1,669,294,536 1,795,419,415 1,914,608,447 GROSS M&O MILLAGE 20.50 18.66 18.66 18.66 18.66 20.25 LESS ROLLBACKS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 NET M&O MILLAGE 20.50 18.66 18.66 18.66 18.66 20.25 NET TAXES LEVIED $27,583,642 $29,898,936 $31,244,421 $31,149,036 $33,502,526 $38,770,821 NET TAXES $ INCREASE $2,654,348 $2,315,294 $1,345,485 ($95,385) $2,353,490 $5,268,295 NET TAXES % INCREASE 10.65% 8.39% 4.50% -0.31% 7.56% 15.73%
