Although there was fear and uncertainty, founding partner and president Clay Griffith, always believed that a laser focus on technical expertise, coupled with an earnest commitment to forging meaningful relationships, would lead fledgling company Georgia Electric Associates Inc. (GEA) to success. The only surprise was how quickly that strategy would bear fruit. 

“We started out in 2016 and it took off,” Griffith said. “By the end of the year we had six or seven employees. At the end of ’17, we were probably at 12 or 14 employees. It rocked on, just steadily increasing our revenues and size until ’21, when we started Georgia Electric Associates Industrial, which is our welding and fabrication, that sort of thing. 

“We went from basically zero to 130 full-time employees from ’16 to the end of ’23. Our plan was to be a 20 to 30-person operation at our biggest point. We just blew it out of the water.” 

While Clay is convinced that the company’s founding principles have been the lynchpin of the company’s success, he’s quick to point out that relationships are two-ways streets and that without assistance from other likeminded businesspeople like AB&T Board Member Jake Reese, as well as GEA’s banker, AB&T President Matt Rushton, the company might still be operating out of one of the partner’s houses and still only carrying a handful of employees. 

“When we bought Dawson Electric and Plumbing out in ‘17, it was getting bigger and we needed more help. I was introduced to Matt at that point though one of our major customers who helped us get started, LRA,” Clay explained. “Jake introduced us and said, ‘here is somebody who can grow with you, that can help you get over some hurdles.’ And that’s what we needed. 

“We were ready to take the next step, but somebody had to believe in us enough to be willing to take that next step.” 

For a banker like Rushton, the willingness to take a chance on helping a new client comes from an alignment of values, and depends on how that business operates. And in the case of GEA, both of those were readily apparent. Just as Rushton positions himself as a true partner with his clients, working diligently to meet their needs in a manner that is sound and exceeds a client’s expectation, GEA approaches things the same way. 

“That’s why we mesh so good,” Griffith said. “I can call Matt on a Saturday and say, ‘Hey, I got a problem.’ And you know he’ll do whatever he can to help me out. And you can call and bounce stuff off of him that may not be your strong point. He can help you make the right decisions going forward. He’ll keep you in bounds too, but he doesn’t restrict you to the point where you can’t do what you really need to do. 

“You think about a small business and what is it, like 70 percent of them fail. You have to have the right people helping you. Everybody needs help. So, having a support system to reach out to, the right people who can answer the right questions and save you time and money and problems down the road, that’s key.” 

Of course, no matter how much their values align, there’s little help Rushton, or anyone, can provide a fledgling business if that company doesn’t have a sound foundation of expertise and understanding within their industry and market. 

Fortunately for GEA, industry expertise and a keen understanding of the local market was something the company had in spades, right from inception. 

Griffith, for example, is a native of Leesburg, having grown up the son of a local peanut farmer. After attending Georgia Tech, he returned home and began a 17-year career with a larger company. 

After growing disenchanted with that company’s business model, Griffith needed a change. He began the process of finding partners and founding GEA, which he believed could easily differentiate itself through its model. 

“I decided it was time to move from a larger corporation to a more family-oriented type of business, so I started Georgia Electric with two other people,” Griffith explained. “We started in a kitchen. We had an SBA loan and basically everything we had we put into it to get it started. It had to work. But we knew we could do it.” 

That Griffith believed the company could be successful, despite its humble beginnings, is a testament to his attitude and that of the entire company. In his mind, when you know what you’re doing, and you’re committed to doing it the right way, things will always work out. 

“It wasn’t a matter of if it was going to work, but how,” he said. “It was going to work. 

“There’s opportunity here if you’re willing to work for it. It’s not going to come easy. You’ve got to go the extra mile to make other people’s lives easier by doing a better job at what you do. 

“Clients can pick whoever they want to use. A lot of times it doesn’t come down to a cost. It comes down to more soft stuff. Can you get it done on a schedule? Do you have the technical people to do the project? Do you care enough to make it come out right? That’s why we’ve been so successful.” 

That sentiment rings true for Rushton and the rest of AB&T, as it mirrors their approach. That core focus on expertise, tailored solutions and unmatched service, has helped AB&T meet the needs of companies like GEA and also fueled the bank’s overall success. 

Much as the past few years have been a boon for GEA, AB&T has seen steady growth in recent years which lead to 2023 being one of the best in the bank’s more than 20-year history.