Members of Pinnacle Credit Union have voted in favor of merging with Peach State Federal Credit Union on August 15. The financial merger has been approved by the National Credit Union Administration and is effective September 1, 2024. Pinnacle and Peach State have a shared history of serving educators, and possess common values, mission, and culture.
With the merger Peach State will now be a $934 million union, serving 70,000 members in Georgia and South Carolina.
Pinnacle Credit Union was founded in 1926 under the name Atlanta Teachers Credit Union and is currently the second oldest credit union in Georgia. In 2014, the credit union completed major technological enhancements that provided members with convenient digital banking options, and over the last two years added two locations to expand branch access for their members.
Matt Selke, CEO of Pinnacle Credit Union says: “Our shared history and mission create a new chapter filled with opportunity for Pinnacle’s members. Our board of directors and management team are committed to making member-centric decisions that will help them achieve their goals. This merger positions us to do just that, and to be able to meet the ever-changing financial needs of our members and communities while staying true to our core values and principles.”
Pinnacle is welcomed to the Peach State family by Marshall Boutwell, president and CEO of the credit union. “We look forward to building meaningful relationships with our new communities. It is our goal to make this transition as smooth as possible for Pinnacle’s members, with minimal impact on their day-to-day banking activities.”
Peach State operates as a not-for-profit financial cooperative with a mission to provide quality financial services that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of its member-owners. The credit union’s passion for helping their members and communities led them to create the Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation. To learn more about how Peach State cares and how to get involved, visit peachstatefcu.org/CARES.
Toyota parts center to occupy former AJC plant
Toyota Parts Distribution Center. Provided.
Now operating out of the former Atlanta Journal-Constitution printing plant at 6455 Best Friend Road is Southeast Toyota Distributors, a state-of-the-art parts distribution center. It will bring 120 jobs to the area, and represents more than a $41 million capital investment for Gwinnett. The company is the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas.
Southeast Toyota distributes vehicles, parts, and accessories to the 177 Toyota dealerships in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, which sell approximately 20 percent of all Toyotas in the country. The new Gwinnett-based center will allow Southeast Toyota Distributors to better serve the entire southeastern region.
Brent Sergot, president of Southeast Toyota Distributors, says: “With this cutting edge-facility, we are able to more effectively support the needs and growth of Toyota dealers in the region while providing an enhanced associate experience through the utilization of advanced technology in the workplace. We are working to offer our dealers unparalleled accessibility and flexibility. This new location in Gwinnett and the state of Georgia will support our continued commitment to being an associate-focused, dealer-driven partner providing the highest level of service to dealers and their customers.”
The new center will amplify dealership fulfillment services, enable e-commerce shipping ability, enhance parts shipment accuracy and improve logistics efficiency by reducing the daily miles driven by more than 7,000.
The newly constructed 453,000-square-foot facility will begin servicing dealers in early 2025, creating more than 100 initial jobs in Gwinnett. Economic development partners like NAI Brannen Goddard, Georgia Power, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Gateway85 Community Improvement District (CID), worked with Partnership Gwinnett and the Georgia Department of Economic Development on this project to redevelop an exurban space into a modern, technology-driven facility with local employment opportunities.
Gateway85 CID Executive Director Emory Morsberger says: “Having Southeast Toyota Distributors located within the Gateway85 CID is nothing short of incredible. Their presence in our community continues to raise the bar for businesses in the region and we are excited to have them in our District.”
For more information on Southeast Toyota Distributors, please visit JMFamily.com, and to learn more about relocating or expanding business in Gwinnett, visit PartnershipGwinnett.com.
Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC has its headquarters in Deerfield Beach, Fla., with its vehicle processing facilities located in Jacksonville, Fla. and Commerce, Ga.
Gwinnett Tech grant benefits scholarships
Gwinnett Technical College is getting a $10,000 grant from Atlanta Gas Light in support of scholarships for students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) career fields. The donation will fund scholarships for their natural gas technician and HVAC programs as well as their emergency fund. The natural gas technician program takes one semester to complete and has a 99 percent job placement rate.
The grant is part of a $50,000 grant to Gwinnett and two other units to promote STEM education. The two others are:
- Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation to be used to support scholarships for at-risk students; and
- Middle Georgia State University to provide financial aid for students. The monies donated will support the endowment’s scholarships for students from Central Georgia in STEM classes.
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