Winder, Georgia

7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 Developers have also started to come in and revitalize old buildings to make them fresh again. A brewery has purchased an old textile manufacturing plant that they will turn into both a brewing location and company headquarters. VanKirk Electric has renovated around 10 buildings in Winder’s downtown and DLD Construction purchased a former department store, which got a full upgrade. Maynard notes, “The building had gotten into disrepair. The roof was falling in, it was rotten and becoming a hazard. “We were fearful we’d have to end up going in there to demolish it. The community wouldn’t have been happy about us doing that, but it would have been way cheaper than for us to repurpose it. So we sold it to Danial Diaz (DLD Construction) for $1 and he fully renovated it and opened it up.” The new building includes an upscale pool hall, rooftop bar, events and office space, as well as a main floor restaurant. “It’s really cool,” Maynard adds. “It’s the tallest building in town, so it’s really neat.” The revitalization of the city’s downtown has come with a boost in employment. Once the brewery opens, it will employ about 75 people and the other contractors are also providing jobs. These new jobs are a boon to the city, whose residents typically commute out to work in nearby cities, or to surrounding industrial jobs in the county. The majority of Winder’s employment typically comes from smaller businesses, with staff numbers anywhere from 50 to 100 people. The city’s biggest employer is Akins Ford, which sells Ford, Chrysler, Plymouth and GM vehicles and is currently the number one Ford dealer for volume in the state of Georgia. The dealership sits on several acres of property in the city and employs 300 people. Its owner, Brad Akins, was born and raised in Winder and has been a dedicated force in helping to make it a better place. “He’s been a great benefactor to all kinds of schools, sports, the YMCA. He’s literally pumped millions into the city,” Maynard says.