The largest nursing care provider in Georgia will cut the ribbon to officially open its new headquarters in Gray next week. The offices of Ethica’s corporate headquarters in Gray have been functional since the move from Macon December 15, but the official opening is scheduled for 11 a.m. January 24.
Ethica president Lucy Rogers said the city’s central location and the technology available were the key elements to the decision to locate in Gray.
Mayor Jason Briley said he is thrilled that the company chose to relocate to Gray and hopes it is just the beginning for the city.
“It’s important because this is the type of business we need to attract,” Briley commented. “I truly believe that as more businesses locate here, they will attract others to do the same. Technology and service industries are exactly what we need.”
Development Authority Chairman Greg Mullis also welcomed the headquarters and said he feels the Ethica move will have a tremendous impact on the community.
“It’s just great that Ethica wanted to come to Gray. It speaks to our quality of life and shows Gray is a viable place for companies to do business,” Mullis said. “I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Rogers said 2007 begins her 25th year with the company, which was formerly known as Caremore. The company became Ethica four years ago.
According to the president, the company provides management and clerical support for 48 nursing centers and four assisted living facilities in the state.
“We provide skilled nursing services, assisted living, adult day help, and respite care,” Rogers stated. “The administrative offices include 96 employees that support the nursing centers and 5,000 associates in the field caring for 5,000 patients.”
Rogers said the associates at each facility include the office staff, nurses, certified nursing assistants, nutrition, house- keeping and maintenance personnel.
Gray and Lynn Haven Nursing homes and StoneBrooke Assisted Living in Gray are all Ethica facilities. The company manages nursing centers located along the I-75 and I-20 corridors across the state.
Rogers said Ethica began looking for a new location for its headquarters because of limited space in their offices in Macon, and Gray is centrally located.
“We had the room to build a training center here, and one of the major components we do is education. We want to make sure our associates have the knowledge and the skills to do their jobs and stay updated,” she added. “It’s our responsibility to make sure our associates are educated. Previously, we had to rent space for training.”
The new training center is a state-of-the-art facility with a computer-controlled audio-visual system and viewing screens that drop down from both sides of the room.
The headquarters consists of two buildings with a total of 15,000 square feet. The buildings were constructed by Al Bridges, and Rogers said he worked closely with Ethica’s design team to ensure that the buildings would meet their needs.
“I’m excited about being here and being active in the community,” she said, and added that about 50 employees will be at the Gray office on a daily basis.
Rogers lives in Eatonton and said the drive to work seems much closer since the move.
The president was a registered nurse working in hospitals in acute care and the emergency room before she entered into the long-term care field. She has held the position of president for two years, starting as an administrator at Chaplinwood Nursing Home in Milledgeville and working her way up through the company.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with the most wonderful people in the world,” Rogers remarked.
