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Colin Garrett, G&G creating West Orange legacy By Stephen Hemelt Stephen.hemelt@orangeleader.com
Colin Garrett attended West Orange schools from kindergarten through high school, and was lucky when quite a few of his close school friends joined him at Texas A&M. He said they brought the small-town feel to College Station, which made the transition easier to handle. After a pit stop in biomedical science, he switched his study to construction science. It was a
natural progression, as Garrett’s father and best friend at the time started G&G in 1986. Coming up through high school, he would work summers for his dad with the demolition crew or concrete crew. “It was an immediate attraction once I settled into the construction science program at A&M; it felt like the place where I needed to be,” Garrett said.
Professional start He and his father planned for Garrett to work for a large
company in Dallas for a few years post graduation to see how they did things and bring that knowledge back home to exColin pand G&G. That added to his Garrett perspective, which comes naturally for someone with a self-admitted “lofty vision.” Thinking outside-the-box about growth is a must. He and his wife, Natasha, bought the company when there
were three employees. Still, they never foresaw the size and scale of what the company has become. “It has exceeded every expectation, every dream, every hope that we ever had for this company,” Garrett said. “Now, we have offices in Orange, Beaumont and Port Arthur. Orange is our executive hub. That is where our corporate headquarters are. We were founded in Orange, we have remained in Orange so we wanted to stay an integral part of Orange.”
G&G Enterprises expanded operations to Beaumont approximately seven years ago for greater exposure. When the move was made, there were 11 employees. Today, there are 58 employees. Garret attributes the growth to: • Being in the right place at right time; • Doing what they say they are going to do; • Delivering quality work for
MEALS ON WHEELS
Team of workers, volunteers provides way more than lunch
Courtesy photo
Pictured, from left, are Adriana M., Karen G. and Carol A. are seen during Tuesday’s Greater Orange Area Literacy Services class.
Reading is chief focus of GOALS
By Chrissie Mouton news@orangeleader.com
One organization helping to fight malnourishment among adults is Meals on Wheels of Orange County. That knock on the door might not seem important, but for some seniors, it may be the only friendly face they see the entire day. “We are a critical need here in the county. Several of our seniors only have interaction on a daily basis with the delivery driver,” said Kristin Burman, executive director of Meals on Wheels in Orange County. “Not only do we deliver nutritious meals Monday-Friday, we treat them with dignity and concern.” Sometimes that simple knock on the door can be lifesaving. Burman says a
See ‘Colin,’ page A2
By Chrissie Mouton news@orangeleader.com
Stephen Hemelt/The Leader
Pictured at Meals on Wheels of Orange County are Aeronita “Rose” Smith, from left, client tracker Vanessa Bufford, accountant/bookkeeper Ethel Marie Dantzler, executive director Kristin Burman and transportation coordinator and dispatcher Gabrielle Crumley.
few months ago one of her drivers went to deliver a meal to a regular client, but on that day, the client did not answer the door.
“Dawn (Burleigh) knocked and waited. She thought she heard a faint cry for help. She called 911 and, thank goodness, she
did. Once the emergency services arrived, they discovered the elderly woman had fallen through her floor the day before on Monday
after her food was delivered. She spent the night hanging on to the beams,” Burman See ‘Team,’ page A7
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” – Frederick Douglass One local non-profit is working hard to give that freedom to people in the area. Greater Orange Area Literacy Services, or GOALS, provides a variety of free services to enable those 16 and over to achieve their personal goals through improved literacy. “We believe the ability to read is critical to personal freedom,” Executive Director Rhonda Powell said. GOALS is an affiliate of ProLiteracy America and, according to its site, more than 43 million adults in the See ‘GOALS,’ page A7
Veteran-led chamber starts outreach in Golden Triangle By Chrissie Mouton news@orangeleader.com
A new Chamber of Commerce is actively building a network to connect veterans with local services. 1 - Creating a strong local veteran business ecosystem. 2 - Promoting the veteran business community and supplier diversity.
3 - Providing cooperative and business opportunities. 4 - Representing veteran entrepreneurs and chamber members to the greater Houston market, corporations and government supply chains. These are the four core competencies of the
Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce (HRVCC), a nonprofit established in 2021 by Dave Weaver and John Cacolice, retired U.S. Army veterans, to encourage economic growth and development of the veteran business economy.
For Mary Williams, Golden Triangle Forward Operating Base Director, her job of being a conduit and catalyst of awareness is just beginning in Southeast Texas. According to statistics See ‘Veteran,’ page A2
Courtesy photo
Mary Williams is the Golden Triangle forward operating base director for the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce.
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