I’m off to a new chapter in life. After 7+ years of working with the state of Georgia, my family and I have moved to Seattle. Julia (my wife) took a job offer with HBO that, as the saying goes, we could not refuse. That places me in the hardly ever enviable category of what HR types call the “trailing spouse.” Fear not, lad, I say, this is not the first time, and you will figure it out.
Thanks to the team for a great send off, and for this funny poster with images including the Governor – Attorney General – publisher of Fortune magazine – Porsche test track – Chinese delegation – and a video shoot for a German investment video where I convinced a CEO to shoot a mountain biking scene with me. I especially like the “We Speak Buh-bye.” 😉
In my tenure working for Georgia, USA, I’ve collaborated with executives from many global brands to elevate the business environment here. One of the greatest joys of my job has been the opportunity to peel back the layers and look inside the inner workings of companies and their leaders. But when I learned of Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods in Blue Ridge, Georgia, it especially caught my attention.
My brother and I follow our father upstream in the Chattooga river watershed.My youth was filled with fishing expeditions. Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, my father took me out in the boat seemingly every weekend. We were also fortunate enough to share a mountain house, and a former fly fishing camp, in Cashiers, North Carolina with 9 other families from Charleston. It was here that my father taught me how to use a fly rod. When A River Runs Through It came out I thought the brothers in the movie held an uncanny resemblance to me and my brother (I’m the nicer one). But that movie, and Robert Redford’s voice, absolutely encapsulated the deep and intricate love one can have for rivers.
Speaking of famous people, rumor had it that President Jimmy Carter had one of Oyster’s fly rods. So I made my way up from Atlanta to the Georgia mountains to learn more.
Meeting Bill Oyster
Bill Oyster is the consummate entrepreneur. When he was 15 his father drove him to the local airport, so that he could then fly off in a plane with his pilot’s license in hand. He joined the Navy when he was old enough, but he ultimately decided that wasn’t his future. Bill jumped in to professional cycling instead where he dominated the sport until he was injured. Meanwhile, he majored in Art at the University of Georgia and fished whenever he could. He tried his hand at real estate, but there was a call for something different. His wife, Shannen, suggested that he make fly rods. Bill got his hands on some relatively underground books on the craft of making fly rods, and he taught himself the trade. Easier said than done, but of course now he is an expert at it. He also happens to be a master engraver.
Bill in his element on a stream near Blue Ridge, Georgia.
The Process
Bill sources bamboo from a small region of China that is renowned for producing the perfect tensile strength. He fires the bamboo with a blow torch, cuts it down to strips, and then planes it out to an exact triangle. These pieces are glued, compressed, cured and eventually fortified with resin. The eyes and handle are then attached in addition to any custom engraving. These rods are beautiful works of art and highly functional as well. Bill’s customers range from plumbers to presidents to members of the royal family. But he has taken this manufacturing business above and beyond.
Bill Oyster of Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods in his workshop in Blue Ridge, Georgia.
Bill Oyster of Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods in his workshop in Blue Ridge, Georgia.
Bill Oyster of Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods in his workshop in Blue Ridge, Georgia.
Giving it Away
Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods not only makes a product you can buy, it also teaches you how to make it. This is unusual for a company to do something like this, but instead of cannibalizing business, it has made it blossom. Bill and Shannen hold classes every month, and attendees can work alongside them – and their expert staff – to make their own fly rod. And because their shop is a stones throw away from some world-class trout streams, you’ll have every chance to whip some water. People come from all over the world to attend, so if you are interested in doing this yourself then sign up now because there is a healthy waiting list. You may also want to join them on one of their various fishing adventures around the world.
Rock Star
Bill and Shannen’s business is so unique, and has done so well, that they were recently recognized as a Small Business Rock Star. I had the opportunity to return to Blue Ridge to produce this video celebrating their win. Of course Bill is a natural on camera as well.
I was recently tasked with creating a new video for the Global Commerce team here in Georgia, USA. This is not a simple project given the diversity of industry sectors the Global Commerce division targets for recruitment and relocation. From Aerospace to FinTech to Food Processing, each industry has its own requirements for success – with one exception. They all require talent to innovate and grow. Coupled with the tried and true approach of, don’t listen to us, listen to the companies that are here, and now you have a strategic approach to keep the narrative succinct and applicable to all.
This video project took me to a myriad locations across the state of Georgia:
Stogner Hill at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at dawn to shoot footage of planes taking off and landing.
UPS’s new SMART Hub, which is 1.2M square feet, or the size of 20 football fields. And I love the fact that every morning UPS drivers do calisthenics together before departing on their rounds.
In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains with Bill Oyster, owner of Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods.
In the brand new Telluride on a 2-mile test track at Kia Motors Manufacturing in West Point, Georgia.
In addition, the port of Savannah – headquarters for Gulfstream – King’s Hawaiian’s food processing facility in Hall County – the data center for InComm – the new Cyber Center in Augusta – Sany in Peachtree city, which is the same location “Avengers: End Game” used for their headquarters – and the list goes on.
I also spun out three separate videos from the larger finished piece:
It was a big project and a great experience, and I am thankful to the companies and individuals who opened their doors and took their time to help me tell a great story.
At the end of the fiscal year I was approached by our deputy commissioner of film about producing a new film industry video – this was something I helped her produce a few years ago. The original piece was designed to illustrate the diversity of jobs and people the film industry employs, as well as the economic impact that radiates out, in some cases, from unexpected sources. Folks who are not deeply embedded in the industry do not always think about the carpenters, electricians, and people who supply contact lenses for zombies, so we wanted you to hear from them.
I thought about her request for a minute, but I ultimately suggested we do something different. The older video was still relevant and useful, so why not go an extra step and leverage the creative talent we have here in Georgia through a more thematic, possibly animated piece, that is whimsical and fun? And instead of locking up all our hard work in to one video file, let’s expand it out into a complementary web experience. She agreed!
You’ve probably seen the peach logo at the end of your favorite movies and T.V. shows, but another way film production companies can qualify for tax credits is by producing a film about filming in Georgia. Historically, we have not showcased these productions on Georgia.org, so I wanted to bring these in to the web experience to further leverage credible comments from famous producers and actors.
So here we began. We first looked around for some qualified animation companies in Georgia, of which there are many. But ultimately we landed on Floyd Country Productions who produces the popular hit show, Archer. There is always that bit about budget and deliverables that needs to get worked out, but suffice to say they were awesome to work with. The bonus came when Amber Nash agreed to do the voice of the character based on herself. We cranked on the script and got it to be about as non-governmenty as we could, while also delivering the salient stats and facts. Meanwhile, styling and character development were underway along with plans for the web experience.
I approached the web experience with the same outline of the script. The scrolling parallax design is divided in to sections that emphasize tax credits, jobs, workforce development, studio development and tourism with the final call-to-action sending the user to main film page with additional resources. The copy and associated video is designed to bolster that section with personality and proof of perspective from actual producers and actors.
We launched the whole thing on Film Day at the Georgia State Capitol. An audience of film industry people were gathered, and the Film Works video was warmly received. I even heard a “bravo!”
The same day we launched a digital marketing campaign on Facebook and LinkedIn, and the MPAA even picked it up and distributed it through their network.
It was great to finally see the end result grow wings and fly. You can check out the whole experience at Georgia.org/FilmWorks.
Now what to do when the deputy commissioner of film approaches me to do something new again?
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jay Neely of Gulfstream Aerospace to discuss their operations in Georgia. The following video is a result of that conversation.
Gulfstream is a native Georgia company whose headquarters have been located in Savannah since 1967. Today, more than 12,000 Georgians design, develop, manufacture, market, service and support the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft.
Aerospace products are Georgia’s No. 1 export ($8.3B) and the state’s second largest manufacturing industry generating a $64B economic impact.
The intersection of business and lifestyle. Robert Payne | Seattle, Washington
