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Campus Review
August 15, 2014
Georgia in a Film Boom Town Mode
by Barton Bond
International CEOs Work with Clayton State MBA Students
The rapid and large-scale growth of the
film industry in Georgia is resulting in
some of the same types of classic effects
experienced through the history of the
U.S. – specifically, the growing pains
associated with “Boom Towns.”
Booms starting most notably with the
Gold Rush of the 1840s in northern
California, and then extending to Alaska,
then to the Land Rushes of the 1880s in
Texas and Oklahoma; the “Oil Boom” in
those same states a few decades later and
right now in North Dakota and Wyoming
related to oil shale. Economists and social
scientists have studied these experiences
and have found a number of commonali-
ties – some of which we are seeing in
Georgia.
For example, rapid influx of a new indus-
try often results in a serious need for
trained workers and then the correspon-
ding lack of same. This pressure creates
an imbalance in supply and demand and
the consequences include industry having
to import workers and/or pay a premium
for qualified workers. Obviously, we see
that in Georgia right now in the film
industry.
Another effect is the rapid build-up of
support businesses – either from business-
es from elsewhere moving in or local
businesses starting up. We also are seek-
ing this in our state. In fact, the growth of
both varieties has been dramatic in just
the last few months.
The leading indicator of growth has been
Pinewood Studios – open for barely six
months and already there is serious talk of
expansion of studio facilities. However,
under the radar have been the establish-
ment and influx of dozens of support and
related companies. All these together are
forming a strong and diverse backbone
essential to long-term, sustained and
multi-tiered growth. And maybe more
important – creating a basis for additional
growth… sort of a self-generating eco-
nomic development engine.
But what we don’t see, nor are we likely
to see in Georgia, is the rapid decline of
this new industry, such as what happens
historically when the gold or oil runs out
or the market price drops dramatically.
Regarding film, there are two fundamen-
tal reasons this “bust” is not in the cards…
Number one --- the film/entertainment
industry in this county is more than 100
years old and still very . Hollywood per se
Clayton State University MBA students in
Dr. Leon Prieto’s International Business
& Global Logistics summer semester
class have had the opportunity to work
with two international CEOs; Rami Abu
Ghazaleh of the successful Saudi Arabian
fast food restaurant, ALBAIK, and Dar
Vasseghi, of Yoshinoya America, a quick
service restaurant originally founded in
Japan in 1899. All parties involved agree
it was a case of dreams made real.
“Working with Rami Abu Ghazaleh, CEO
of ALBAIK, was such a great experience
for me! I had never worked with someone
from Saudi Arabia before; therefore, I did-
n’t know what to expect,” says Angela
Harrison, an MBA (Supply Chain) student
from Little Rock, Ark. “Mr. Ghazaleh was
very accommodating and willing to assist
us with whatever we needed to success-
fully complete our SWOT and PEST
analysis project in spite of his very busy
schedule. He not only supplied us with the
necessary information and tools needed
for the project, but also offered some
advice on life that will stick with me for-
ever. Working with him on this project
was an experience that I will never for-
get.”
"Five of my kids are half-Georgians from
Albany. When Angela first contacted me,
asking for my support, my answer was a
yes... simply because I thought it would
make my kids proud,” says Ghazaleh,
whose firm has been featured on an
episode of No Reservations with Anthony
Bourdain. “Then I became so impressed
with the level of commitment, profession-
alism and knowledge Angela had for this
project. Her knowledge about ALBAIK
impressed me, and the support she had
from Professor Leon Prieto was remark-
able. She is a future leader that I know
Clayton State will be very proud of. I wish
her and her classmates the best of luck
always."
Another MBA program member whose
dream was made real is Brandi Luongo,
an MBA (Supply Chain) student from
Newnan, Ga.
“I am more than halfway into the MBA
program and I have completed a number
of successful group projects,” she says.
“My most recent project was by far the
most rewarding. In analyzing Yoshinoya,
I was able to work directly with the CEO
of Yoshinoya America, Dar Vasseghi. He
did not hesitate to take time out of his
busy schedule to offer his input, which
helped our group to
get a better under-
standing of the com-
pany as a whole. It
was an honor to be
able to work with Mr.
Vasseghi and it is an
experience I will
carry with me as I
progress through my
remaining time in the
MBA program and
into my career.”
"I applaud Brandi and
her team for reaching
out,”
comments
Vasseghi. “Closing
the gap between aca-
demics and the cor-
porate world early on
is just smart. I'm sur-
prised, again and again, how relevant my
own business school -- Stanford
University -- experience has been in my
work. The foundational tools and models
become second nature to the decision-
Dr. Vasseghi
Ghazaleh
Film, cont’d., p. 13
CEO, cont’d., p. 9