The company was founded in October of 1981 by Theron “T” Carman and Don Girard. The company started with three equipment lines; Metro, Cleveland Range Company, and Frymaster Corporation. We used SMSA (Standard Metropolitan  Statistical Areas) by using place sales, as a barometer of where and when to add sale persons. Our SMSA’s  include; Georgia, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, and Middle and East Tennessee, which were slightly more than 5.2% in 1981. The three largest Metropolitan areas were Atlanta, GA,  Nashville, TN,  and Birmingham, AL. As a result we added two partners;  Ferrell Hataway in 1983 in Birmingham, AL, and Rick Shirk in 1988 in Nashville, TN. We operated in a small office on Shallowford Road in Atlanta till 1986 with satellite offices in Birmingham and Nashville.

In October 1986, we moved our Headquarters to 3157 Presidential Drive, Atlanta, Ga.  This 6,000 sq ft building has offices, a full test kitchen, a small showroom, and approximately 3900 sq ft of warehouse.  In 2011, adjacent space of 2100 square feet was added for additional offices and warehouse.  This NE Atlanta facility allows good access from the perimeter and from a major interstate, both within a mile.  Also, we currently have three (3) loading docks.

As our reputation and sales volume escalated, we have added several more outside sales persons and support staff.

“T” Carman’s stock was bought out in 2001, and “T” retired fully in 2007.   Rick Shirk and Ferrell Hataway, although no longer stockholders, still serve as outside sales persons and as Vice Presidents for CGA Reps.

In our current product offerings, we received 5 awards of excellence for sales in 2010.

In what was described as a difficult year, we grew sales and income by as much as 20% in lines that produced over 1 million dollars in our territory.  In 2011 we also grew our business by 10%.    In 2012 we set a new record for sales and income.  We received a “Rep of the Year Award” from San Jamar, and received additional awards for gains of 67%, 18%, and 15%  for 3 of our major lines as well.

We strive to represent and distribute lines that meet the criteria of being industry leaders, energy efficient, and employ cutting edge technology.

In 2012, Don Girard entered into an agreement with Dave Blum, Nick Swanson, and Seth Swanson to purchase the stock of the corporation. Dave, Nick, and Seth function as Managing Directors and run the business, while Don serves as a mentor and handles outside sales as directed. In June of 2018 Don Girard retired and CGA Reps was bought out by Nick, Seth and Dave on July of 2018.