Beat Q+A

Adam Traill, a UGA sophomore, is being interviewed in the Tate Student Center on Sep. 24, 2024, about his role at Gulfstream Aerospace. Gulfstream Aerospace is a company that “designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and services business jet aircrafts.” (Photo/Kira Doppel)

Adam Traill is a Sophomore Finance Major at the University of Georgia and an Intern at Gulfstream Aerospace in Product Support and Completions Manufacturing. 

Q: Having worked for a business located in Athens, what is one of your biggest takeaways?

A: You’re going to meet all types of people. Most everybody in Athens is very nice and is very easy to work with. People always have expectations and you have to meet those expectations. I can say we have worked with UGA a couple of times. At my most recent position we work in connection with Athens airport. We were extending the runway a little bit because we needed a project to get finished in Athens and that was what part of the project we were working on. It goes to show that Athens is becoming more and more busy but people are still very nice. 

Q: There is a lack in advertising for companies like Gulfstream, why do you think that is?

A: Most of the people that are buying these planes are not watching TV, they are not reading billboards, they are not on the highways or driving. They have people that take care of pretty much everything day by day and the only time they are interested in talking to us is when they are actually buying their plane. There is no marketing for Gulfstream because they come to us. 

Q: You were just working at one of the biggest career fairs in Athens, what is the most important thing companies look at in the hiring process?

A: I just will start off by saying that the least important thing is GPA in my opinion. One of the main things we were looking for was people that had a general interest in our industry which is aerospace. That was a huge thing and a lot of passion for Gulfstream and an interest in working there. Of course we look at GPA, major, how passionate they seem to be, but in general we are just looking for a competent person, a will to work and a general sense of what the field requires. 

Q: Where do you think business is currently trending in Athens?

A: I think the wealth gaps are getting more and more divided. I keep circling back to apartment complexes because they kind of show who is in the city, and apartment complexes have been increasing their rental agreements more and more every year. There are a lot more people coming in with, you know, high net worth, high incomes, whatnot. But that goes to show that it is definitely a college town, and because the wealth gap is getting more and more divided between rich and poor, college is going to become more selective. On the flip side of that, we've got Athens Clarke County, which was actually one of the poorest counties in the state. You can definitely tell we're sitting in one of the poorest places in the state of Georgia, and the area is pretty much ignored. UGA doesn't like to touch on that topic. I think that can definitely put some strain on the economy, for sure. 

Q:In Athens do you think that people who have lived here their whole lives are starting to be priced out by students?

A: I think gentrification is actually quite a huge issue. There was a veterans program back in the 40s and 50s, here in Athens. It was a cheap house you could purchase with a grant. Those houses today, they're about three quarters of million dollars to over a couple million dollars, depending where you're at. Athens is simply growing. There's more people, so gentrification is going to become a natural thing. 

Comments trimmed for length and clarity.

Why I wrote the story.

This was one of my first interviews as a reporting student, I was really nervous writing this story because I was unsure of if I was doing a good job. Once I relaxed and took my time, I was able to ask questions that I didn’t initially prepare and it flowed more like a conversation and he was able to relax as well.