A company with its roots in Gray and Jones County is investing in the future of the community with two businesses already open, and a third under construction, all creating a gateway to the city.
Landmark is the company, and the development on the corner of Gray Highway and the North Gray Bypass is Landmark Pointe.
The state-of-the-art Suds Bucket Carwash was the first business to open with the address of 615 Landmark Pointe Blvd. A franchised coffee shop, Scooter’s Coffee, opened this past Saturday, and a convenience store called Ranchers is under construction.
Landmark President and entrepreneur TJ Heath said, even before construction of the Gray bypass began, Landmark Pointe was being planned as a gateway to Gray that would set a new standard for development in the community.
“It started in 2012, and it’s been a long process,” Heath said.
He estimates Ranchers should be open by April 1, 2023. It will be a 7,000 square feet convenience store and fueling center, with nice restrooms, similar to a QuikTrip. It will not be a truck stop.
Heath said the development started with the purchase of 30 acres on the corner of Gray Highway and Georgia Highway 18. He sold 10 acres to the state for the bypass, and part of that sale was the granting of two access points on the bypass, one directly across from the Highway 18 intersection.
He eventually bought 15 more acres on the corner, which brought the total to 35 acres for the development.
“Now the vision for this site is coming to fruition in the form of a master planned commercial development featuring pad-ready sites served with all utilities with two driveways on the bypass and two driveways on Gray Highway,” he explained.
Heath said the Landmark Management Team believes the confluence of Gray Highway, Highway 18 and the Gray Bypass make Landmark Pointe the premier commercial site in Jones County.
He said the remaining footage could add retail such as a bank, drug store and restaurants, and the interior of the property is being evaluated for a hotel, loft apartments, retail strips and big box opportunities.
Construction has been managed by Landmark Construction, and the sitework was subcontracted to Southeast Outdoor Solutions, who worked in close collaboration with the City of Gray Water Department.
Heath said civil engineering was performed by Cunningham and Company.
The entrepreneur grew up in Jones County and worked at Old Clinton Gas while attending high school.
After graduating, he bought the business and started taking classes at GMC.
Heath said he became interested in real estate, which turned into developing and led to what Landmark is today.
The company has several divisions, including management, retail and Landmark Construction, which was started six years ago by Heath and Brandon Burgess. Heath heads the development division of the company himself.
He said the construction company has $35-40 million in projects underway all over the southeast. Altogether, Landmark has an estimated 150 employees.
The entrepreneur credits the success of the company to finding good partners like Justin Kelly at Dairy Queen, which is now the number one Dairy Queen in the nation. He said Landmark partnered with Kelly by purchasing the building.
“Justin is a hard worker, and Dairy Queen is his. He deserves all the credit for what he did with it,” he said. “It’s not about me. We’ve partnered with the right people.”
Heath said the company recently hired a director of retail who has 20 years of experience.
He said Dylan Heath and Kelly are the operating partners of the retail division that includes Suds Bucket, Scooter’s and Ranchers.
“You can’t do it all yourself, and we’ve been able to find the right people,” he said.
Heath said the difference in Landmark Pointe and other developments is the master plan. He said years have been spent on the design.
“That’s what attracts people to want to be here. People in retail businesses like being part of a master plan,” he said.
The entrepreneur said Landmark is being selective of the businesses that will be a part of development.
“In 20 years, we’d like this to be a place where you work, live and play. That would include retail, loft apartments and a small market.”
Heath said the first impression of Gray is important, and Landmark is focused on doing the right thing for the community.
“Landmark would not invest this heavily in such a site elsewhere but has done so here so that a traveler’s first impression of Gray is one that people of Jones County can be proud of,” he said.
