Campus News

State Farm gift funds creation of new sales lab in Terry College of Business

State Farm has committed $96,000 to establish a sales lab at the Terry College of Business. The donation will benefit Terry’s marketing department, which will use the gift to renovate and outfit space in Sanford Hall to house the State Farm Sales Lab. The lab will consist of six small break-out rooms, a small conference room and a video control room. All of the rooms will have video-recording capability.

“A high percentage of business graduates, including about 70 percent of marketing majors, start their careers in sales,” said Robert T. Sumichrast, dean of the Terry College of Business. “The addition of this dedicated lab space will strengthen the marketing department’s program in professional selling, and it will help the Terry College better prepare graduates for job opportunities right out of college.”

The marketing department has made sales management a key focus, including the faculty’s recent approval of professional selling as an area of academic emphasis.

“State Farm is proud to present this gift to the Terry College and honored to be a partner in the UGA community,” said Jim Kinkade, a State Farm vice president of agency. “This is a win-win for everyone as we help prepare these young adults for life and careers.”