The Snellville Commerce Club began in the mid-80s as a place for local business owners to get together and network. Originally called the Snellville Merchants Association, around a dozen of them met at the former Ryans in Snellville on a regular basis. Its purpose is to "showcase the business community," according to long-time member and co-president Jimmy Norton. The club disseminates information to the community and provides an opportunity to network with a wide variety of people. "Snellville’s got great demographics, disposable income, schools that succeed and low crime," added Norton. "It…

Although Monkey Wrench Brewing is not yet in operation, Wayne Baxter doesn't feel that it's that far off. After home brewing for sixteen years, his dream is to own and operate a microbrewery in Snellville, or at least close by. The only thing stopping him is finding the right investors – and with his business savvy, a passionate team and optimism for the future of craft beer, that shouldn't be a problem. The market for craft beer has been growing by about 14-15% per year for the past five years. There is a trend toward buying local and drinking local, according to Baxter. “If I use honey in …

If you’ve ever been stopped at the light on the corner of Scenic Highway and Dogwood or Ronald Reagan, you’ve probably seen small signs advertising Japanese sword lessons. It’s a bit of an unusual thing to see advertised in Snellville, so of course I had to find out what this was all about. I first saw one of their shows at the Snellville International Festival and was struck by the grace and strength of this martial art form known as Shinkendo. Shinkendo teaches students "classical Japanese customs, etiquette, strategy and the Japanese Language to enhance technical and cultural understanding…

Owned by husband and wife team Sam and Chrissy Thomas, this med-spa offers everything from facial toning to Botox fillers. Chrissy is an RN and BSN and has worked in the field of skin care since 1996. She has worked as charge nurse of plastic surgery for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and was the director of adult plastic surgery and director of skin care services for Plastic Surgery Consultants in Atlanta. Sam, a graduate of Emory University, left a career in Information Technology to work with Chrissy in 2010. He handles things like the daily operations, marketing, client retention, web …

Jack Poles owns Wallpaper Your World and the Fabric and Wallpaper Outlet on Rawlins Rd., near the corner of Hwy. 124 and 78.  Recently, Snellville Patch spoke with Poles about his business. Patch:  Have you always been at this location? Jack: We moved to this location in October of 2011 in order to increase our visibility.  Before that, we were on Ronald Reagan. The store is going on 30 years, and we purchased it six years ago.  Patch:  Who owned it previously? Jack: A woman named Julie Goodroe. Patch:  Do you personally own the business, or is it a partnership? Jack: I solely own Wallpaper …