By Boyana Peeva
REMERTON — Three local business owners have enjoyed more customer traffic since they moved to 1303 Baytree Road in Remerton.
Bubba Highsmith Insurance, Nijem Tech and Coldwell Banker Commercial opened their doors at a new location on Baytree Road on Oct. 15.
“The Remerton City Council was very helpful, and we want to say thank you for welcoming us,” Tommy Nijem, owner of Nijem Tech, said.
Despite a continued economic downturn, Bubba Highsmith Insurance had reached the point that it needed more space to accommodate the needs of an increasing number of customers. Owner Bubba Highsmith wanted a more commercial and visible spot to continue developing his business. He found the building on Baytree Road, and since it was too big for just him, he asked Tommy Nijem to buy it with him and to move there as well.
“Bubba and I have known each other since college,” Nijem said.
At the same time, both businesses were clients of Coldwell Banker Commercial which also moved in the same building and now it leases space from Nijem and Highsmith.
The building needed a lot of renovating, and the process lasted from July until mid-October, but it was all worth it.
Highsmith said the new location allows better parking, more space and more exposure.
“We have a lot more traffic by phone and people walking in here,” Highsmith said. “We have a big sign flashing messages like ‘Drive Safe’ and ‘Happy Birthday’ to our customers. They really, really like it. Also, here I got more parking and customers appreciate that.”
Nijem had his business previously on North Oak Street and it was progressing without any major advertisement. The new spot, however, brought more attention and clientele.
“I got a lot of phone calls from people just because they saw the sign on Baytree,” he said.
Tom Call, broker and owner of Coldwell Banker Commercial, was also expanding his business and was looking forward to opening a second office. Now he has his residential office on Gornto Road and the new commercial office on Baytree Road.
“The residential part of the business grew really fast, and I had no space for the commercial,” Call said.
Since he opened his office in October, Call said he has received positive feedback from his clients and the neighborhood.
Coldwell Banker Commercial is a commercial real estate advisor and partner. It represents buyers, sellers and tenants for commercial real estate purposes, while the office on Gornto Road is focused on residential real estate. Call has been in this business since 1998 and his experience allows him to offer quality services.
“We treat the clients the way we want to be treated,” he said. “Our goal is to provide superior real estate services.”
Bubba Highsmith said that he began his career in 1995 after he graduated from the Valdosta State University. He started business as an agent for State Farm in 2002 and was originally located on North Patterson Street. Recently, he sold that location and moved to Baytree Road.
“State Farm is the largest auto and home insurer in the United States,” he said.
His office also specializes in life and health insurance for individuals and families. Highsmith explained that, unlike some insurance companies, he provides personalized service and focuses on the “person-to-person” service.
“A lot of times people just want to come by. For example, when we have 16-year-old drivers, they can come by and I’ll talk to them about the important things they should know about being a safe driver,” he said. “It gives a more personal touch.”
Bubba Highsmith’s office also provides services in Spanish, as he has a Spanish-speaking employee.
In addition, he is a registered representative through State Farm VP Management Corporation.
Nijem Tech’s specialty is computer technology consulting.
“(We do) everything from simple computer repair to much more complex consulting and support, networks, e-mail systems, servers, Web site development,” Nijem said.
The firm began business two and a half years ago, but Nijem has been doing similar and even more complex services since 1993.
According to www.nijemtech.com, “Tommy has served some of the largest, most sophisticated companies in the world. Now he is bringing his skills and experience home to Valdosta and the nearby region.”
His clients are small businesses and home users, and most of the time Nijem Tech goes to the clients to fix their problems.
“It gives me an opportunity to meet with the customer and figure out ways to use technology to their advantage,” he said. “Most of the time they end up saving money.”
Clients can also bring their computers for repair to the office on Baytree Road, where he also has a service room.
Nijem Tech, Coldwell Banker Commercial and Bubba Highsmith are each located at 1303 Baytree Road.
Nijem Tech is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (229) 269-4151 for more information or visit www.nijemtech.com.
Coldwell Banker Commercial is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and can be reached at (229) 241-1471 or by visiting valdostarealtors.com.
Bubba Highsmith works from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call (229) 671-9980 or visit bubbahighsmith.com for more information.
