Nine companies linked to College named to UGA’s 2025 Bulldog 100
The University of Georgia’s 2025 Bulldog 100 list honors nine alumni from the Mary Frances Early College of Education.
This annual recognition, sponsored by the UGA Alumni Association, recognizes the fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni. The winners were measured by their business’s compounded annual growth rate over a three-year period.
This year’s fastest-growing businesses with ties to the College include:
- ASW Distillery, Atlanta, GA (Kelly Chasteen, B.S.Ed. ’00): ASW Distillery is Georgia’s first single malt whiskey maker, combining Scottish traditions with southern style to make its award-winning products. Since 2018, ASW has received more awards than any other craft whiskey distillery from the San Francisco World Spirits competition.
- Big Apple Services Inc., Conyers, GA (Josh Cagliani, M.Ed. ’10): Big Apple Services is a family-owned and operated company that delivers high-quality road paving services across the Southeast. The Big Apple Services team has worked on projects with the Atlanta airport, Amazon, Mercedes Benz, Home Depot, and more.
- Buckhead Beans, Atlanta, GA (Matthew Ades, M.Ed. ’96): Established in 2014, Buckhead Beans delivers fresh, locally roasted artisan coffees and organic teas to offices in the Atlanta area. The company sources a huge selection of single origin and blend coffees from three local roasters.
- Erica Davis Lowcountry, Savannah, GA (Erica Davis, B.S.Ed. ’99): Erica Davis Lowcountry is a restaurant and caterer that has served Savannah, Bluffton, Beaufort, Charleston, and St. Simons Island for over 20 years. The restaurant’s coastal southern cuisine brings together fresh seafood, barbecue, and southern sides.
- Extra Special People, Watkinsville, GA (Laura Whitaker, B.S.Ed. ’07, M.Ed. ’10): Founded in 1986, Extra Special People (ESP) offers high-quality affordable programs for people with special needs. Whitaker has expanded ESP's participation opportunities to include weekend and after-school programs, family support programs, as well as events and summer camp.
- FleetForce Truck Driving School, Bradenton, FL (Tra Williams, B.S.Ed. ’95): Fleetforce is the fastest-growing commercial truck driving program in the U.S. with dozens of future locations under development in cities across the Southeast. The program, which is headquartered in Sarasota, FL, delivers industry-leading training that empowers new drivers throughout the country.
- FTM Travel, Brentwood, TN (Christy Shadday, B.S.Ed. ’93): FTM Travel specializes in turning vacation dreams into dream vacations. Whether it’s a Disney destination, Universal Parks & Resorts visit, or overseas, FTM is a one-stop shop for all-inclusive resorts, custom tours, honeymoons, cruises and more.
- Good Dog Veterinary Care, Marietta, GA (Natalie Singletary, B.S.Ed. ’12): Good Dog Veterinary Care is a full-service veterinary hospital specializing in wellness and preventive care, dentistry, internal medicine cases, soft tissue surgery, and breeding management while also welcoming critical and emergency cases.
- Savannah Drywall Supply, Pooler, GA (Amanda Montford, B.S.Ed. ’01): For more than five decades, Savannah Drywall has provided superior service to the construction industry with its supply of quality architectural finishes, gypsum products, tools, and accessories.