Community Servant

Muddessar Ahmad, a Pakistani native, came to America in January 2001.  It was a challenging move for a young man trying to find his place in the world, having only $2,200.00 in his pocket and almost no English in his vocabulary.  Yet he was determined not to give up on his desire to embrace the "American Dream" and build a better life for himself and his family. 

Though he attended college and graduate school studying economics, his first job was a very entry-level position at a Baltimore, MD, gas station.  Ahmad was used to hard work and was determined to work even harder here.  Although the journey has been peppered with many challenges, you will not find him complaining; instead, he is grateful for every opportunity and proud to be an American Citizen.  In an article titled Everyday Heroes: Muddessar Ahmad and running in many Metro Atlanta newspapers (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rockdale CitizenJacksonville Progress, and Clayton News, for example), was quoted saying, "The United States is a wonderland from all the outside world, and it's a dream come true for not only me but most immigrants, This is the best country to live." 

He made his way from Baltimore to Conyers, GA, in June 2003.  Owning his own business was always his dream, and he had an opportunity to enter the oil and gas business in this new location.  His pockets held little money, but he pooled what he did have with friends and purchased a small, troubled gas station on West Avenue.  The location was the previous home of a shell station closing just six months prior.   Soon Ahmad and his friends, now business partners, were open for business and at home - literally, as he and one of the business partners shared a 24-hour schedule and a cot in the back room.  Open around the clock; two cots were unnecessary as someone was always working while another rested. 

In a new place, much different from his American experience thus far, there was no network of friends, no surrounding family, and very little community support.  Nonetheless, this place would win his heart and soon paint a much different picture for his life.  "I remember how Mayor Charles Walker mentored me and how Mr. Gregory B. Levett, Sr. would stop by, acquaint himself and then take the time to walk me through the community.  I met some wonderful people through this process who not only welcomed me but supported the store through their patronage.  They never left me.  And they never let me down."

Ahmad recalls the long hours when pennies were tight and every pinch was felt.  As two gentlemen manned their West Avenue location, the third partner maintained a full-time job in case the venture met additional challenges or failed to succeed.  Not only did the business not fail - it grew into 19 gas stations serving 19 Georgia counties and five major oil companies.  But even though there were many stations in many counties, Ahmad's heart had been captured by the Rockdale community, and it was in this community that he would continue to build relationships and serve others.  "The West Avenue experience fortified my desire to remain in Rockdale.  The citizens made me feel welcome and never treated me differently; I've never regretted being a part of this community."

Ahmad is no longer in the gas and oil business but is the founder and owner of  Omega Builders.  It is a real estate company owning various properties, including strip malls or shopping centers, warehouses, office buildings, and residential real estate.  It is also the catalyst of many opportunities allowing him to pour into the community that he loves.