Electronics firm relocates division to Lawrenceville

By Patrick Fox

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A New York-based electronics manufacturer will announce plans today to relocate its service division headquarters to Gwinnett County, bringing 100 jobs with it.

Encompass Group Affiliates, a parts distributor and repair service provider for high-tech products and consumer electronics, will expand its current offices at 775 Tipton Industrial in Lawrenceville to accommodate the operation. Company officials said they expect to spend about $250,000 to expand the existing facility and for job training.

Most of the 100 jobs will be new hires, and the rest will relocate from the company's current service headquarters near Orlando.

ESS expects to continue growing in this market and looks to add about 30 jobs through the next 12 months. The company also plans to extend its “Green Choice” program, in which working parts are salvaged from unrepairable electronics and recertified for use.

"It's a good place and we expect it to grow significantly over a period of time," said Encompass CEO Wayne Danson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday. "We're basically in two business segments in the industry -- distribution and service. Service is going to be a growth engine for our business over the next two to five years."

The company moved its distribution center from Ft. Lauderdale to Lawrenceville in 2006 after hurricanes and bad weather convinced officials a change was best. Danson said Lawrenceville was attractive because of its cost structure, Gwinnett County's business friendly attitude and its proximity to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

The relocation was a joint effort by the Georgia Depatment of Economic Development and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Alison Starnes, business development manager for manufacturing and logistics with the Chamber, said Georgia's Quick Start program is helping Encompass prepare new hires for work in the expanding Gwinnett operations. Quick Start – the nation’s top workforce training program – provides free, customized workforce training as an incentive for companies to create new jobs in Georgia.