WELCOME TO TOWN: ACE president and CEO Grace Fricks cuts the ribbon for the Tifton location with South Georgia Regional Director Tommie Beth Willis.

TIFTON — Access to Capital from Entrepreneurs (ACE) cut the ribbon on its Tifton office Jan. 4

Tommie Beth Willis, South Georgia Regional Director for the Tifton office, gave a brief description of what ACE is and what it offers.

A community development financial institution (CDFI), “We provide capital, coaching and connections,” Willis said. “We help small- and medium-sized businesses to grow and become sustainable and generate jobs.”

ACE is located at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce office at 1001 Love Avenue.

Willis described ACE as “a non-traditional lender.” The organization works with businesses open at least two years, offering loans from $15,000 to more than $1 million. Willis said ACE can work with banks in connection with a loan.

“As a CDFI, we primarily serve businesses that are owned by women, minorities and those in underserved communities,” Willis said. She said small businesses “are the heart and foundation” of ACE.

For the coaching aspect, Willis said ACE has financial advisors and offers workshops.

Tifton mayor Julie Smith said small businesses are the “heart of our community,” in a speech welcoming ACE. “Having this facility in this town is so important.”

President and CEO Grace Fricks said Tifton is ACE’s fifth office, “And really one of our most important.” She mentioned everyone who made it possible to open an office here.

“Our target market … are those people who are not able to get everything they need from a traditional bank or financial institution,” said Fricks.

ACE’s headquarters are in Cleveland, located up in Georgia’s mountains. Willis said there are offices in Atlanta, Cleveland and Norcross, plus women’s business centers in Savannah and Norcross.

“We are not a cookie-cutter program,” Fricks said, adding it took eight months to find this office and the team who will be working here.

Board Chair Bill Zawrotny apologized for how long it took ACE to reach southern Georgia. He said ACE will add a board member from this area.

The crowd for the ribbon cutting was not limited to Tift Countians. Many of ACE’s management team made the drive and, with this being the first office for the group in this section of the state, many individuals from Albany, Fitzgerald and Moultrie were in attendance as well and representatives from many chambers of commerce.