Investing in Gwinnett

Korean business owners find success, home in the county

Dennis Han is White House-bound.

He is one of the many Korean-Americans who received a special invitation to the Washington, D.C. this month to commemorate the Centennial of Korean Immigration - an invite that Han sees as an honor.

The invite could also be seen as a testament to his success in business and to the increasing importance of commerce among his new and native countries. Not to mention his county.

"We've been seeking opportunities with Korea to invest in Georgia," says Han, president of Han Capital Partners in Duluth. "We're promoting Gwinnett on behalf of everyone here. We actually spend more time explaining Atlanta (and Gwinnett, specifically) than we do our product. We're constantly telling the Korean government to rely on us and we'll make the connections and grow together. This is the land, the state, the county of opportunity."

"A lot of people are drawn to the mild weather in Georgia," says Andy Kim, CEO of The Corman Group consulting firm in Suwanee. "And compared to LA, New York and New Jersey, the living costs are very low."

Gwinnett business owners such as Han and Kim promote Atlanta and Gwinnett County to investors in Korea. Recent relaxing of foreign investing restrictions in the country has businesspeople eager to find the best new markets.

"Georgia will soon be the third-largest Korean population, after LA and New York," Han says. "It's around 140,000 now, and will reach more than 200,000 in the next two or three years."

Korean businesses also help the county economically.

"The Koreans bring buying power, create new businesses and create more income for the government," Han says. In working with local partners and manufacturers in Korea, Han believes Gwinnett can become the next urban lifestyle hotspot. Soon, Han Capital Partners will begin investing in and developing mixed-use communities in addition to upscale shopping centers. "I'm trying to make Gwinnett the next Buckhead," he says.

Han first moved to the U.S. as a teenager in 1986. He became enamored of Atlanta during a trip with friends in 1999.

"From the plane I looked down at the city, and I was pretty sure there was something I could do," Han says.

Other cities, Han said, were too crowded - "and what I wanted to do was already there." After settling in Atlanta, Han began what is now Han Capital Partners, a real estate investment company. Recently, Han moved his offices to a new complex in Duluth, seeing that commercial and residential growth in Gwinnett was on the rise.

"I also fell in love with the county," Han says. "The Gwinnett chamber is very friendly and understanding. I continue to look for opportunities to grow here."

That's music to the ears of the chamber, which is working to recruit more Korean businesses.

"Once business people understand what's here and how it benefits them, it's amazing how barriers just melt away," says Tom Fricano, vice president of member services for the Gwinnett chamber. "It has been interesting to watch those relationships develop."

Korean churches are also a source of strong community ties, with around 200 in metro Atlanta. "The church is very strong and is a central area for communities," Fricano says. "It's a place to worship, socialize, network and plan a strategy."

It's a strong sense of community, Han says, that will help Korean business owners thrive in Gwinnett.

"One goal is helping the community," he says. "We just have to work together more closely and understand each other better."

According to Tom Fricano, it's the partnership with the county and the Korean community that will help strengthen Gwinnett County.

"We believe we're a stronger community together than we could ever be apart," Fricano says.

by Jill Von Wedel