Who We Are & Who We Serve
Founded in 2025 and headquartered in the heart of downtown Vidalia, Georgia, Planter’s Auxiliary is a consulting firm dedicated to cultivating the success of small businesses. While our reach extends across the state of Georgia, our roots remain firmly planted in the Greater Vidalia area—a community that inspires and grounds our mission.
Our firm was born from recognizing a critical gap in the entrepreneurial landscape: the absence of a dedicated partner to guide small business owners through the earliest and most defining stages of their journey. Traditionally, entrepreneurs have relied on accountants, attorneys, personal financial advisors, and their own intuition. While each of these professionals plays an important role, their perspectives are often focused on individual pieces of the puzzle rather than the broader strategic vision.
Planter’s Auxiliary exists to fill that gap—providing clarity, foresight, and structure before the first dollar is spent. We understand that entrepreneurs are driven by passion for their products and services, but that enthusiasm can be overshadowed by the administrative, financial, and operational demands of building a business. Without a thoughtful plan, unforeseen risks and missed opportunities can undermine even the most promising ventures.
Our expertise lies in crafting rigorous, research-backed business plans that evaluate a startup’s activities, mitigate unnecessary risk, and position the enterprise for long-term success. Studies show that a well-structured plan can greatly increase the probability of success—a meaningful advantage considering the significant time and capital founders invest in pursuing their vision.
At Planter’s Auxiliary, we recognize that every entrepreneur, and every venture, is unique. We tailor our services to meet the specific needs of each client, offering not only guidance, but a trusted partnership at the most pivotal moments of the entrepreneurial journey.
Gene Morris – Founder & CEO
Gene Morris is the founder and chief executive of Planter’s Auxiliary, a consulting firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs transform vision into sustainable business success. With over a decade of experience in small business consulting, commercial lending, and executive management, Gene specializes in guiding start-ups through the early, make-or-break stages of business planning—bringing clarity, structure, and foresight to every client engagement.
Gene’s career began in venture capital at Industrica, Inc., a boutique firm in Charleston, South Carolina, where he worked hands-on with founders in the defense and aerospace sectors. His role extended far beyond funding—providing operational support, strategic networking, and growth guidance that gave early-stage companies a competitive edge.
He later advanced to Associate Vice President at the National Rural Utility Cooperative Finance Corporation in Washington, D.C., where he managed a $1.7 billion credit portfolio serving 56 electric cooperatives across six western states. Over three years, he underwrote more than $1 billion in commercial loans, developing deep expertise in financial structuring, risk assessment, and strategic capital deployment for both non-profit utilities and for-profit fiber internet ventures.
Today, Gene serves as Chief Financial Officer for Altamaha EMC and Fiber, overseeing financial operations for an electric utility monopoly serving seven counties in southeast Georgia while spearheading the rollout of a regional fiber start-up. His leadership was critical in navigating the financial impact of Hurricane Helene in 2024, ensuring organizational solvency and stability through a high-pressure crisis. In addition to financial oversight, he manages accounting, billing, and warehouse operations, conducts salary studies, advises on strategic planning, and maintains key business relationships.
A magna cum laude graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, with both a Bachelor’s in Finance and an MBA, Gene also completed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Management Internship Program and is a graduate and coach of the Greater Vidalia Leadership Program.
Beyond his professional roles, Gene is an active angel investor, real estate renovator, small business owner and published author of The Morris System, a daily planner that distills proven productivity methods developed during his time at The Citadel and refined through real-world leadership experience. His investment portfolio includes traditional equities, fixed income, options, and alternative assets such as the animated Christian film David by Slingshot Productions—aligning both strategic opportunity and personal Christian values.
From venture capital incubators to bank negotiating tables to boardrooms to rural economic development, Gene’s career has been defined by bridging vision with execution. His breadth of experience uniquely positions him to help entrepreneurs build resilient, well-structured businesses that are equipped for long-term success.
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