Finding out how to do business with the world’s busiest airport used to be as secretive as trying to get in to see the Wizard of Oz. This past week, thanks to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, hopefully, that gate has finally been opened.
Twenty-five small businesses from Georgia and Florida made a huge step inside the airport’s golden privilege gates after completing the inaugural Gateway to Growth program sponsored by the airport.
A graduation ceremony was held at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), the largest center for entrepreneurs of color in the United States. The graduation was sponsored by Concessions International, one of the first sponsors of the Gateway to Growth program.
Dickens had an idea over a year ago to make the process of doing business with Hartsfield Jackson International Airport a lot simpler. His idea was developed into two programs – Gateway to Growth, which is an 11-week educational program designed to equip small business owners with the knowledge and tools necessary to do business at Hartsfield Jackson.
The second program is Soar ATL, which provides concessions opportunities to small businesses. Completing the Gateway to Growth program does not guarantee a concession spot or a contract with the airport.
“Small businesses are really at the heart of the economy of Atlanta. This city was built on the backs of small business owners,” said Tyronia Smith, assistant general manager, Commercial Revenue for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In the spirit of entrepreneurship and continuing the legacy of Maynard Jackson, who completely changed the opportunities for minority and small businesses, that was really the driving factor behind this program.”
During his first term in office, the city’s first African American mayor created the majority-to-minoirty program after an audit showed that less than one percent of the city’s contracts went to African American businesses despite a growing black population. He held up the work on the new airport terminal until the majority companies could join forces with a minority partner. His program became a model for other urban cities with large black populations.
His efforts dramatically increased the proportion of city business going to minority firms, significantly contributing to the growth of the Black middle class in Atlanta.
The downtown white business community was not happy with the Jackson administration. .
As a native of Atlanta and a former small business owner, Dickens is thrilled to see the program graduate its first class of 25 cohorts.
“This gives small businesses who have been moving forward, but now they get to level up to be able to do business with the world’s busiest airport,” Dickens said. “ This is Maynard Jackson’s dream. He came up with the idea of economic inclusion and using the airport to do so. As mayor, this feels great to give small businesses an opportunity to thrive.”
One of the early African American businesses to benefit from Jackson’s program was Herman J. Russell Companies, one of the nation’s largest black-owned construction companies. Russell created Concessions International which is now run by his daughter Donata Russell Ross.
When she heard about the new program for small businesses, Russell-Ross said it was a no- brainer about becoming involved.
“Whenever you hear about a program in Atlanta allowing our entrepreneurs to grow and develop you can’t help but want to be a part of it,” she said. “This is a city without a lot of resources but we are still trying to figure out networking. This was the perfect opportunity for us to participate and to support the airport.”
The graduation ceremony was held in the former headquarters of H.J. Russell companies.
Atlanta business owner Connell Reynolds of Travel Kots said the program was very valuable to him because his company has been trying to find the correct way of doing business with the airport for years. Founded in 2018, Travel Kots provides sleeping kots to any place in the world.
“We saw it as a perfect opportunity to make some inroads into the airport which we have been trying to do for quite some time,” Reynolds said. “The program has been amazing because it allows us to have a seat at the table with actual decision makers which helps us navigate the process of solicitation.”
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has an outstanding $66 billion economic impact on the state. It employs along with the airlines and other airport-related companies more than 63,000 people.
“This is a rare and great opportunity for small businesses. Airports are economic engines no matter what city they are based in,” said the airport’s new general manager, Ricky Smith. “Everyone should have access to that engine especially, small and minority businesses. Airports are complicated environments.”
Atlanta’s airport has one of the highest participation of minority businesses of any major airport in the country, Smith added.
The application process will open again in January with the program starting in February. For more information go to the airport’s website at: www.atl.com