Gwen Collins turns precision into progress with Pinnacle Financial Partners

Gwen Collins knows a thing or two about precision. It's the standard behind Collins Manufacturing Company, the Macon, Georgia-based contract manufacturer she owns with her husband, Larry Collins. It's also a fitting description of the way she's grown it: one deliberate move, smart investment and new opportunity at a time.

The Collinses purchased Greene Machine & Manufacturing, Inc. in 2006 and began building from there. Over the years, they strengthened the company's manufacturing capabilities and brought additional businesses into the fold. What started as a single operation evolved into a stronger, more capable manufacturing business, shaped in no small part by Gwen's willingness to see possibility where others might see a stopping point.

That persistence earned her one of small business's highest honors. Gwen was named Georgia's 2026 Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), recognizing the leadership and entrepreneurial spirit behind nearly two decades of growth. The recognition also placed Collins Manufacturing among the nation's top small businesses, earning first runner-up honors in national competition.

Her relationship with our team began with another pivotal moment.

"We were looking for a 7(a) loan1," Gwen recalled. "The existing bank we worked with, their underwriter said no."

Amy Fitzpatrick had been in contact with Gwen and Larry for some time, having met with them to understand their business and the plans they had for growth. Hearing a “no” from their current bank ultimately led Gwen and Larry back to Amy. At the time, Amy was with Synovus, now Pinnacle Financial Partners, and approached the opportunity differently.

Amy and her team said, I think we can do something here. Gwen shared.

Not long after this conversation the pandemic hit, Amy helped the company secure funding through the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program. Later that year, financing solutions helped refinance equipment leases, saving Collins Manufacturing approximately $20,000 a month while providing additional working capital to support day-to-day operations.

As the company continued to grow, so did the partnership. The Collinses completed moving their full banking relationship to Pinnacle, and additional financing helped bring outsourced machining capabilities in-house while supporting the company's continued expansion.

"We were able to meet, initially, a capital need," Amy said. "But we were able to then at that point show them the additional capabilities that our bank delivers. They've trusted us to help them through a couple of acquisitions. The sky's the limit, really, on the next step."

Looking back, Gwen is still amazed by how far the business has come.

"I didn't really know much about machining at all when we bought this business," she says. "And then now, we've built what we have."

Even Larry is quick to credit her impact.

"I'm so proud of [Gwen]," he said. "Her leadership is really what took us to where we're at today."

Gwen hopes her success story reaches beyond manufacturing.

"I'm hoping I can inspire some young ladies to go into science, technology, engineering and then also go into entrepreneurship," she proclaimed.

For Women's Small Business Month, Gwen's story is worth celebrating not only because of the recognition beside her name, but because of everything behind it: the decisions made when the answer was no, the opportunities she kept pursuing and the business she has continued to build with purpose.