Biz Briefs: $1.25M for Hux
Online house-cleaning marketplace Hux has moved closer to founder and CEO Stanley Vergilis’ envisioned expansion with a $1.25 million investment from Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper and the Dau Group.
Hux does for house cleaning what Uber and Lyft do for taxi services, connecting people who need the service directly with the providers while taking a percentage of the transaction.
Vergilis, a Georgia Tech alumnus and son of Russian Jewish immigrants, told the AJT last year that he wants to expand his Atlanta startup to Charlotte and other cities and move beyond house cleaning to other informal services, which include everything from dog walkers and painters to tutors and landscapers. The Atlanta Business Chronicle and Hypepotamus reported that Hux, which is profitable, will use the investment to grow in those ways.
Selig Invests in Manuel’s
Selig Enterprises is joining Green Street Properties as an equity partner and co-developer on the Manuel’s Tavern redevelopment in Midtown, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported.
The project includes the renovation of the venerable gathering spot for power brokers and journalists, plus housing, offices and retail space.
“Institutions like Manuel’s Tavern are what make up the fabric of this city,” Selig told the Business Chronicle.
Selig Enterprises is the landlord for the Israeli Consulate in Midtown and the Atlanta Jewish Times in Sandy Springs, among many others.
Award for MyPoochFace.com
MyPoochFace.com, an online platform to turn pet photos into art, was one of three winners at the 23rd annual Marketing Awards for Excellence, presented Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Georgia Aquarium.
David Lefkovits, who heads real estate developer and construction company the Lefko Group, founded MyPoochFace.com in June. Dog owners upload photos of their pets, and artists use them to create whimsical portraits on canvas.
The Dunwoody-based company shipped more than 600 dog portraits in its first eight months, and Lefkovits said he expects to triple production the next six months after launching the full website in late February. The business had a marketing presence on the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s gym floor during the Book Festival in November and has built a following of more than 57,000 people on Facebook.
The company joined Coca-Cola and Southwire as winners of the MAX Awards, presented by Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Morgan & DiSalvo Honored
Morgan & DiSalvo has been named an Atlanta metro Tier 1 law firm in trust and estates law in the 2016 Best Law Firms rankings published by U.S. News & World Report and BestLawyers.com.
To be eligible, a firm must have a lawyer listed in the Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top 4 percent of practicing U.S. lawyers, based on law firm assessments and client evaluations.
“We are passionate about our firm and our practice,” said Richard Morgan, partner at Morgan and DiSalvo and a member of Congregation Dor Tamid. “We always strive to provide the highest level of expertise and service. Having our efforts recognized by our peers and clients is an honor that we greatly appreciate.”
Diane Weinberg, who is of counsel at the firm, is a member of Congregation Beth Shalom.
“Our Tier 1 recognition this year was particularly gratifying because we could not have gotten it without the incredible feedback from our clients. We owe our clients a big thank-you,” Morgan said.
The full Best Law Firms list is at bestlawfirms.usnews.com.
Wilkins Moves to Altisource
Bradford Wilkins, who was one of Workforce magazine’s 25 Game Changers last year while serving as a vice president with Adcap Network Systems, was named vice president, human resources, for Altisource late in 2015.
In his role with the technology company servicing the mortgage and real estate marketplaces, he oversees human resource functions in the United States, Uruguay and Luxembourg and formulates and implements Altisource’s strategy to be an employer of choice. Wilkins is leading efforts to attract the best talent; improve HR services, processes and support frameworks; and improve employee engagement.
Before joining Altisource, the Congregation B’nai Torah member helped Adcap make improvements to be named the No. 1 small or midsize business to work for at the Atlanta’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For awards ceremony in 2014 and 2015.
Disaster Aid Available for Nonprofits
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that low-interest-rate disaster loans are available to some private nonprofit organizations even though they do not provide critical services of a governmental nature.
Such organizations as soup kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges may apply for the loans if they suffered damage from storms and floods between Dec. 22 and Jan. 13. Only nonprofit organizations in Baker, Carroll, Chattahoochee, Crawford, Dade, Decatur, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Gilmer, Greene, Haralson, Harris, Jeff Davis, Lamar, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Montgomery, Morgan, Muscogee, Newton, Oglethorpe, Pickens, Stewart, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Towns, Troup, Upson, Webster and Wilkes counties are eligible.
Such organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other assets. The annual interest rate is 2.625 percent with terms up to 30 years. Applicants may seek 20 percent more than their actual damage to implement improvements that would prevent damage from similar disasters.
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