Atlanta, GA

After serving as the face of Georgia agriculture for the past twelve years, former Ag Commissioner Gary Black is using his experience and connections in a new venture designed to help farming operation realize their full potential.

“We kind of had a thought that I know a lot of people kind of see their situation as kind of an impossible mission. Can I do this? And so, I wanted to put a team of people together to say yes, it is a possible mission. We can help you get to your stated objectives and so, that’s what we’re doing. Making sure we have the right people in the right place at the right time at the right meeting to make sure we get a deal done, that’s my goal and objective,” says Gary Black, Managing Partner of On Point Strategies.

Between the marketing, research and development and strategic planning, On Point Strategies hopes to strengthen agribusinesses here in Georgia, which would in turn boost the industry as a whole.

“If we bring more business to Georgia. If we help make existing businesses find markets. If we help them employ more people, it just strengthens the entire agricultural economy. Everybody has a needle to thread, but why would you do it blindfolded? You never would. You’ve you got to see the objective and have those stated objectives and goals and really plan for your business. So, we’re helping people do that,” says Black.

One of the major issues they are working on at the moment is how to expand Georgia’s reach when it comes to agricultural commodities throughout the world.

“How do we penetrate a market? So, we’re building, I’m thankful to have wonderful relationships with most of the consulate generals here in Atlanta that represent Georgia in the Southeast from the countries that are key trading partners like Brazil. And we’ve used those relationships, built those relationships. And where there’s a deep desire to do business,” says Black.

That could benefit one market in particular, especially after seeing a tariff in India being reduced from one hundred percent to just thirty.

“Just as Georgia Grown pecans have gotten on the table in Asia and China, now with the reduction of tariffs, something I worked on for a number of years and thankful of the team that’s finally brought that to fruition, have a much better, a much better situation in India to market our products,” says Black.

As for the long-term goal for this endeavor, Black says it’s pretty simple.

“If you come to us with and you say, ‘you know what? I’ve got a mission that looks real, impossible, can you make it mission possible for us?’ That’s what we do,” says Black.

By: Damon Jones