04/17/2008
CONTACT: David Raynor, 404-876-8516 or Todd Pack, 615-872-5897
Family-owned store is 'a great example of the entrepreneurial spirit'
|
|
|
Earl Smith's father, T.F. Smith, joined NFIB in 1957. |
ATLANTA -- Some businesses survive only a few years, but Triangle Grocery Inc. of Rockmart has been in business since 1949. The family-owned store recently marked its 50th anniversary as a member of the National Federation of Independent Business, the state's leading small business association.
"It isn't easy to run a successful small business. It's even harder to keep it going for nearly 60 years, but that's what Triangle Grocery has done," said David Raynor, state director of NFIB/Georgia. "It's a great example of the entrepreneurial spirit that makes small business the heart and soul of Georgia's and the nation's economy.
"We're honored that the Smith family and Triangle Grocery have chosen to remain a part of NFIB/Georgia for so many years," Raynor said.
T.F. Smith bought the Polk County grocery store from a local businessman in 1949 and joined NFIB/Georgia in 1957. Smith passed away in 2001, leaving the business to his family.
"My father joined NFIB because he knew it would give him a voice in Atlanta and in Washington, D.C.," Earl Smith said. "There's so much happening in the world, we have to stay plugged into what's going on. We know NFIB is there for us."
Running a small business is never easy, but Earl Smith said he takes inspiration from the words of his father, who said, "With a small business, there is no guarantee but unlimited opportunities." The elder Smith is memorialized with a portrait and plaque near the front entrance to the store at 101 New Town Road.
Small business accounts for almost 98 percent of employer firms in the state and employs almost 47 percent of Georgia's workforce. "It's important for small business owners to get involved, to speak out on the issues that affect them," Raynor said. "Without members like the Smith family and Triangle Grocery, NFIB's voice can't be heard."
For more information on joining NFIB, call 404-876-8516.
