Fortune 500 list for ‘08 features 12 Georgia companies

Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle

Three Georgia companies fell off the Fortune 500 for 2008, leaving 12 Peach State companies on the list. But Atlanta placed fifth in the nation among cities with the most Fortune 500 headquarters.

Fortune compiles its annual list of the biggest and best businesses based on 2007 fiscal and calendar year financial performance, focusing on revenue.

• Home improvement retailer The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE:HD) ranked higher than any Georgia company, placing 22nd on the 2008 list with $84.7 billion in revenue. It ranked 17th on last year’s list.
• United Parcel Services Inc. (NYSE:UPS) fell three spots to 46 with $49.7 billion in revenue.
• Beverage giant The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE:KO) moved from 94 last year to 83 in 2008 with $28.9 billion in revenue.
• Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.  (NYSE:CCE) stayed flat at 118, with $20.9 billion in revenue.
• Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL), which recently announced merger plans with Northwest Airlines, landed at 129 with $19.2 billion in revenue. It was ranked 136 on the 2007 list.
• Columbus, Ga.-based insurer Aflac Inc. (NYSE:AFL) dropped one spot to 165 with $15.4 billion in revenue.
• Southern Co. (NYSE:SO) ranked 166 with $15.3 billion in revenue. The Atlanta energy giant cam in at 168 last year.
• SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE:STI) checkedin with a ranking of 193 and $13.5 billion in revenue. Thank bank holding and financial services company placed 183 last year.
• Genuine Parts Co. (NYSE:GPC) parked at 243 with $10.8 billion in revenue, compared with its ranking of 244 last year.
• Calhoun, Ga.-based flooring products company Mohawk Industries Inc. (NYSE:MHK) ranked 328 with $7.6 billion in revenue. It was at 304 in the 2007 list.
• AGCO Corp. (NYSE:AG) placed at 359 with $6.8 billion in revenue. The Duluth, Ga.-based agricultural equipment maker garnered a ranking of 421 in last year’s list.
• Consumer products company Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (NYSE:NWL) is ranked 378 with $6.4 billion in revenue. It was 343 last year.

Homebuilder Beazer Homes USA Inc., building products distributor BlueLinx Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BXC) and energy company MirantInc. (NYSE:MIR) fell out of the Fortune 500 in 2008. They are now among 14 Georgia-based companies (with rankings) that made the Fortune 1000: Synovus (NYSE:SNV) at 514; BlueLinx at 568; Georgia Gulf Corp. (NYSE:GGC) at 645; Superior Essex Inc. (NASDAQ:SPSX) at 675; Exide Technologies (NASDAQ:XIDE) at 682; Mirant at 798; Spectrum Brands Inc. (NYSE:SPC) at 740; Acuity Brands Inc. (NYSE:AYI) at 766; Graphic Packaging Corp. (NYSE:GPK) at 773; AGL Resrouces Inc. (NYSE:ATG) at 776; Rock-Tenn Co. (NYSE:RKT) at 811; Flowers Foods Inc. (NYSE:FLO) at 883; Mueller Water Products Inc. (NYSE:WMA) at 928; and Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) at 931.

Atlanta ranked fifth among cities with the most Fortune 500 headquarters with nine. In first was New York with 43 Fortune 500 companies, Houston with 25, Dallas with 12 and Chicago with 12.

Spruce up: It’ll pay off later

Source: AJC - Homefinder

Here are 10 jobs that will increase your home’s efficiency and boost aesthetics.

Call this the wish list. Or the value-added list. Or the upgrade list. It’s a list of things to do around the house some expensive, some not; some cosmetic, some operational that will make your home perform better and make it a nicer place. When it’s time to sell, it will set your house apart.

1. Replace your windows with high-performance, double-paned, low-E windows. Low-E means “low energy.” These windows have a metallic coating on the inside that reflects heat outside in warm weather and holds it inside in cold weather. It also reflects damaging ultraviolet rays.
2. Have your closets outfitted by a company that installs racks, shelves, drawers, and other organizing equipment.
3. Have your grout professionally cleaned and sealed. A grungy kitchen floor or shower stall will look like new. Expect to pay about $1.75 per square foot.
4. Replace worn or damaged counters with solid surface, granite or quartz. This is an instant upgrade that gives a big-ticket look. It’s about $50 a square foot for quartz, more for granite and about the same for solid surface.
5. Update your lighting and fans. The builder-standard fixtures that were in the house when you moved in may be showing their age.
6. Add insulation. Have a free energy audit performed by your utility company to assess the energy efficiency of what you have, and add more as appropriate.
7. Replace tired knobsand drawer pulls. Bright bass is so early ’90s, and it’s probably scratched and nicked by now. New knobs start as low as $1 each, and you can replace a houseful gradually.
8. Upgrade the kitchen faucet.This fast fix improves the look of the entire room. In today’s open-plan homes the kitchen is on full view, and a good-looking faucet upgrades everything around it. And it’s a daily pleasure: You can use the kitchen faucet many times per day. It should be versatile, sturdy, and great-looking. Expect to spend a few hundred dollars.
9. Replace the lamp shades. Take your lamps to a retailer who specializes in shades and lamps and try on a variety of sizes, styles and colors. Often a lamp has had the wrong shade since Day 1, and what a huge difference the right shade makes.
10. Have a landscaper give your yard and garden a professional going-over. Often trees and shrubbery are so overgrown, the house is barely visible. It’s like getting a haircut when your hair has gone shaggy. You’ll be amazed at the difference.

Congratulations to our July Agents of the Month!

Buckhead office
Mary Clark Caldwell: Volume Listed, Units Listed
Skogstad Team: Volume Ppending, Units Pending, Runner-up Volume Closed, Runner-up units Closed
Margie Stockton: Volume Closed, Units Closed
Dan Edwards: Runner-up Volume Pending, Runner-up Units Pending
Jim Simons: Runner-up Volume Listed

Sandy Springs office
Kelly Boudreau: Volume Sales, Volume Listed, Units Listed
Andrea Cueny: Closed Sales, Pending Sales
Phebe Etheredge: Runner-up Pending Sales
Kathy Luyendyk: Runner-up Volume Closed
Heather Shipp: Runner-up Volume Listed

North Fulton Office
Suzanne Close: Volume Closed, Units Closed, Units Listed, Volume Listed
Robin Ives Moncrief: Volume Pending
Pam Scudellari: Units Listed, Volume Listed

Johns Creek Office
The Lyons Team
Lynn Odom
Kathy Vaughn
The Durden Team
Michele Collins

Cobb Office
Donna King: Volume Listed
Linda Irwin: Units Listed
Doranne Strama: Volume Closed
Susie Corbett: Units Closed
Julie Mendenhall: Volume Pending

Le Rêve Estate graces the cover of Luxury Real Estate Magazine

Jenny Pruitt & Associates’ Le Rêve estate was recently featured on the cover of Luxury Real Estate Magazine’s Summer edition. In addition, the $45 million property was one of the magazine’s featured golf properties. Below is a short snippet on Le Rêve from Luxury Real Estate Magazine; however, please click here to read the full article!

Le Rêve serves as a breathtaking retreat for family, friends, and business associates to discover splendid opulence, and thoroughly enjoy nature’s beauty. Residents and guests may delight in swimming, horseback riding, or a peaceful stroll over the 72 acres of sprawling land, including streams and gardens, a four-acre lake and pastoral meadows with boundless vistas. There is even a private world class golf course on the grounds, a virtual golf room inside the home and a regulation bowling alley. Equestrian accommodations include top-of-the-line horse stables, quaint pastures for grazing and a riding ring. The carriage house contains posh quarters for guests and staff and a convenient storage space for golf carts and gear. The home itself has been built with a rich traditional European design. From lavishly appointed rooms, to its state-of-the-art theatre, to the 12-car garage, this home is an architectural wonder. Sporting unmatched magnificence in its every asset, Le Rêve embodies it title. Please visit LeReveEstate.com for more information and photos.

Property Stats:
Location: North Atlanta, Georgia
Price: $45,000,000
Lot Size: 72+ acres
Bedrooms: 7
Bathrooms: 23 (12 full and 11 half)
LeReveEstate.com
LuxuryRealEstate.com/831514