Regional Business Reports for November 2003

Buncombe County
Asheville Goes Hollywood with Film Festival
With roots in the film industry dating back to 1911, only one question comes to mind following the announcement of the inaugural Asheville Film Festival, set for Nov. 6-9: What took so long? “With a movie studio, skilled filmmakers, writers and laborers, as well as an active independent film community, it is only fitting for Asheville to launch its own film festival,” says former mayor Leni Sitnick, now chair of the Asheville Film Commission and a member of the festival’s steering committee. “Western North Carolina has built a name for itself as a strong filming location. Filmmakers and residents alike believe this festival is long overdue.”

Indeed, Hollywood A-listers and insiders, filmmakers, film buffs and tourists alike are expected to flock to Asheville to take part in the event. Asheville has attracted filmmakers for more than 40 feature films, including the toast of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “All The Real Girls,” and the not-yet-released suspense drama, “The Clearing,” starring Robert Redford, William Dafoe and Helen Mirren.

The festival will feature world premieres as a well as a variety of independent films. The festival will also offer a student film competition. The festival is produced by the Cultural Arts Division of Asheville Parks & Recreation in partnership with the Asheville Film Commission and the Asheville Film Festival Advisory Committee. For more information, call 828-259-5800 or visit www.ashevillefilmfestival.com.

Elsewhere around the state this month:

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh hosts Fossil Fair on Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring more than 40 exhibits, displays, activities and presentations about fossils. Admission is free. Info: 919-733-7450.

Celebrate everything Italian — food, wine and music — during Festa Italia at the Silver Coast Winery at Ocean Isle Beach on Nov. 15. Info: 910-287-2800.

Get an early jump on the holiday season at the annual Carolina Craftsmen’s Christmas Classic on Nov. 28-30 at Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. Info: 336-373-7474.


Winston-Salem
Joe Budd Explains His Sweeping Success Story
As a young man mopping floors for $1.25 an hour in 1963, Richard Budd could hardly have imagined that one day he would be the chairman of a $55 million company. Today, The Budd Group provides supplies and services related to janitorial, landscaping and security throughout North Carolina and the Southeast. In addition to its North Carolina offices, the company offers supplies and services in eight offices in Florida, South Carolina and West Virginia.

“Our growth has taken place not only by moving into new territories, but by increasing our services to existing clients,” says Joe Budd, oldest son of Richard Budd and The Budd Group’s CEO. “Our customers can count on us to provide great people who do the job right, and they have come to trust us with more and more of their needs.”

An increasingly important need among Budd’s customers is security. The company provides security at various checkpoints at Piedmont Triad International Airport, including curbside, loading docks, hangars and parking areas. Budd also provides security for US Airways’ maintenance and training facilities at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.

Listening to customers has served The Budd Group well. When the company’s janitorial clients complained that they couldn’t find anyone to mow their grass, The Budd Group added landscaping services. When R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, impressed with the landscaping and janitorial services, asked the company to consider entering the security market, it did, Joe Budd says. “We knew early on that we must change as our clients changed, and this business model has been a key to strategic partnerships with many customers,” he adds.

Although Richard Budd never pressured family members to enter the business, smart succession planning — something he says he began thinking about as soon as Joe was born — also ensured the business’ strength. Richard now serves as the company’s chairman; his second son, John, is the company’s pilot, and youngest son Ted heads up the company’s operation in Charlotte.

“We will continue to look at new regions that present opportunities for us,” Joe Budd says. “Growth requires careful strategic planning, constantly monitoring industry changes, marketing conditions and new customer demands.” -- Kevin Brafford


Raleigh
New Program Encourages Use of Renewable Energy
A major step to encourage the development of cleaner energy for North Carolina was taken recently when NC GreenPower launched a landmark program — the most advanced of its kind in the nation — to power the state’s homes, businesses and communities.

While 31 other states have programs in place, North Carolina’s is the first to receive support from the state’s utility companies, environmental leaders, technology suppliers, consumers and state energy agencies.

NC GreenPower will tap into technology that transforms renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass into safe and environmentally sustainable power. “We are giving the state’s businesses and residents the opportunity to do what’s right to ensure the quality of life for future generations,” says Carl Wilkins, program manager for NC GreenPower.

“This program is voluntary and is an easy and affordable way for everyone in North Carolina to increase the use of renewable energy. We have such an abundant supply of these resources, it’s only natural to invest in them to help protect our environment and to improve air quality.”

The N.C. Utilities Commission approved the NC GreenPower program plan earlier this year. NC GreenPower is an independent nonprofit organization administered by Advanced Energy, a Raleigh-based nonprofit organization that helps utility, industrial and residential customers improve the return on their energy investment. Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores, headquartered in North Wilkesboro, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has a regional office in RTP, are NC GreenPower’s founding sponsors.

Residential and business customers may voluntarily contribute funds that NC GreenPower will use to encourage the development of power from renewable energy sources in the state. A typical residential customer would contribute a minimum of $4 per month. That $4 will add a block of 100 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy to North Carolina’s power supply.

Businesses and large-volume power users also can volunteer to support NC GreenPower by contributing toward 100 or more blocks of green power at $2.50 per block. Those blocks of green power will also be added to North Carolina’s power supply.

Customers may sign up for the program by contacting their electric utilities, including Dominion North Carolina Power, Duke Power and Progress Energy, or members of the N.C. ElectriCities and North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. All contributions are tax-deductible and will be used for NC GreenPower; no funds will be used by the utilities. -- Kevin Brafford


Catawba County
Tournament Scores Big Profit for County, Charity
Catawba County needed some good news and The Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn delivered it. The Champions Tour event won by Craig Stadler generated an economic impact of up to $30 million, according to PGA Tour officials. Despite the absence of a primary sponsor, course owner Don Beaver, a Hickory business man, has pledged to support another tournament next year. “We are definitely committed for another year,” says tournament director Jim Correll. The event attracted more than 90,000 people. Officials had anticipated about 60,000 to 70,000 people would attend. Area residents turned out in mass to help make the tournament a success. About 1,000 people lent their help as volunteers, paying $55 each for the privilege.  The nonprofit tournament guaranteed at least $100,000 to go to charity after expenses, with the bulk of it earmarked to the Catawba County Chapter of the United Way. — Charlene H. Nelson


Fort Fisher
Aquarium Visitors Again Top One Million Mark
Tourists generally don’t flock to the North Carolina coast to visit aquariums, but the latest data shows that they’re making them part of their vacation anyway. More than 1 million people are expected to tour at least one of the state’s three aquariums — at Fort Fisher, Roanoke Island and Pine Knoll Shores — before year’s end, according to David Griffin, director of the three facilities. It will mark the second consecutive year of 1 million-plus visitors. Last year, nearly half of that number toured the swanky Fort Fisher site.

“It’s still new,” Griffin says of the Fort Fisher facility, referring to the $17.5 million in renovations and additions that recently occurred at the aquarium. Part of its lure is a 235,000-gallon, 24-foot-deep tank that is filled with eels, sharks and stingrays. Visitors also get to see a conservatory, which displays plants native to North Carolina.

The Fort Fisher renovation followed a $15 million renovation and expansion of the Roanoke Island aquarium in the late 1990s, Griffin says. State taxpayers footed that entire bill, as well as an equal amount for Fort Fisher. The remaining $2.5 million for the latter came from donors.

Aquarium officials soon hope to renovate and expand the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium. A plan was in the works four years ago, but was sidetracked when Hurricane Floyd attacked the coast. At the time, state officials were just weeks away from signing the contracts to renovate and expand the aquarium, Griffin notes. “All of their money went for recovery,” he says.

The aquariums receive a $4.8 million annual appropriation from the General Assembly and generate approximately $3 million a year in gate receipts, according to Griffin.  — Kevin Brafford


Winston-Salem
Merger Creates Area's Largest Real Estate Firm
Two of the Triad’s largest real estate firms have joined forces to form Winston-Salem’s largest independently owned residential real estate agency. Graham & Boles Properties merged with Crowder McChesney & Associates in a deal that gives the combined firm the largest market share in terms of sales volume, company officials say. The new Graham & Boles, now with 80 sales associates, had annual sales of $440 million last year.

“We have brought together two groups of extremely high-quality real estate agents — the best agents representing both new-home and existing-home sales,” says Katy Boles, president and CEO of the company.

Conversations between the two companies started about a year ago with word that Rick Crowder, who handled the brokerage area at Crowder McChesney, would soon retire. Jim McChesney was in charge of the new homes/development area at Crowder McChesney, and that made for the right fit.

“While not sacrificing the focus Graham & Boles has in the resale and upper-end markets, the merger will give Graham & Boles Properties a much broader market share, especially in the area of new home sales,” Boles says.

Boles heads the combined company, and Rod Eller of Graham & Boles is vice president and general manager. Jim McChesney serves as vice president of the New Homes Division, a newly created division. Crowder McChesney was one of the developers for Brookberry Farm, a highly anticipated subdivision in northwest Winston-Salem that is part of the estate of the late Bowman Gray Jr.

The merger with Crowder McChesney provides quite a coincidence for Boles, who began her real estate career in 1978 working for Rick Crowder at Crowder Realty.    — Jim Buice


Charlotte
Database Gets an Update, Adds an Online Version
The North Carolina Atlas, praised for its breadth, scholarship and beauty when it was published just three years ago, is getting an update — one that helps interpret trends currently making headlines across the state and nation.

The web-based update, completed by faculty in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at UNC Charlotte, contains new figures and research concerning manufacturing, agriculture, air quality and population growth. Available online at www.ncatlasrevisited.org, it both revisits and continues the scholarship of the “North Carolina Atlas: Portrait for a New Century,” which was well received and widely distributed across the state following its 2000 release by UNC Press.

Using the most current data, the authors are revisiting their former research to add to and refresh their findings. The web site’s section on manufacturing, for example, begins with an explanation of that sector’s historic role as the backbone of the North Carolina economy. From there the site charts its recent decline — especially in textiles, apparel and furniture, discusses the implications of statewide industrial changes, provides a map of recent factory closings and ends with a discussion of the challenges and possible alternatives ahead for the state and its workforce.

Al Stuart, project director and emeritus professor of geography, as well as co-editor of the project with Douglas M. Orr Jr., president of Warren Wilson College, says that such a wealth of information makes the site much more than a data dump. “It interprets what the statistics mean and their implications for the people and the state,” Stuart says. Beyond the maps, charts and research, the site even offers streaming video. The site also provides links for viewers who wish to obtain more detailed statistics.

The web site is a free information source, made possible by $40,000 from the McColl Foundation and $10,000 from the Donor Advised Fund of the Knight Foundation.

Known for its accessibility and strength of scholarship, the original atlas has been placed in every library branch in the state and sold out of its first printing in less than a year.   — Natasha Ashe



Concord
County's New Logo Showcases NASCAR
Cabarrus County’s new community logo showcases the economic impact that motorsports provides the area. Supported by a tagline that reads, “The Center of American Motorsports,” the new look pays homage to the presence of Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS). “Cabarrus County’s new logo and tagline reflect the great importance of the motorsports industry in our local economy,” says Robert Freeman, chair of the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners. “By partnering with LMS, Cabarrus County recognizes the huge concentration of motorsports businesses and jobs in our area. We are extremely proud of the new look and feel it is a true representation of the pride, respect and appreciation Cabarrus County has for being the center of American motorsports.”

In a study released by the speedway on Oct. 8, John Connaughton, economist and professor at the UNC-Charlotte, said that race fans attending last month’s UAW-GM Quality 500 raceweek events would bring more than $106 million to the local economy. That compares to about $86 million from a 1999 study by Connaughton. Supporting the expected 300,000 attending fans, Cabarrus County will have more than 6,000 local residents employed in positions from pit crews to medical care.

“Cabarrus County is fortunate to have an increasingly diversified economy,” says County Manager John Day. “In addition to manufacturing, the commercial and tourism sectors are rapidly emerging. One of the most significant industries, however, is motorsports, which represents the single largest cluster of businesses in the county. Our new logo and tagline celebrate that fact.”

The speedway, built in 1960, hosts three NASCAR races annually — two in May and one in October. Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Iredell counties have long been considered the hub of NASCAR. “Currently, more than 90 percent of racing teams are headquartered within 50 miles of the speedway, helping keep the core of the racing industry here in Cabarrus County,” says Doug Stafford, executive vice president of LMS. “Cabarrus County and its municipalities are truly the engine inside the motorsports industry.” — Kevin Brafford


Greensboro
Hundreds Participate in Novel Groundbreaking
When it comes to building Center City Park, Downtown Greensboro Inc. is doing all it can to get the public involved. That started on Day 1 of the project for the 1.5-acre downtown park at the intersection of Elm, Friendly and Davie streets with “Start the Park.” Instead of the typical groundbreaking, Downtown Greensboro started its initiative of creating pride and a sense of ownership by encircling the park in more than 2,000 feet of ribbon. The nonprofit group then handed out 300 pairs of scissors, and at the count of 10, everyone cut the ribbon.

A crowd of more than 800 showed up for the ribbon cutting in August and was treated to free hot dogs, ice cream and popcorn. After the ceremony, a design workshop for the park was held.

Action Greensboro, a nonprofit organization of foundations and businesses, is raising $12 million for the park with a target opening date of summer 2005. Land has been cleared for the project, and Downtown Greensboro, which will manage the design and construction, plans to hold workshops and focus groups from October through February 2003 to determine what area residents want to do and see in Center City Park.

“We do not have a design nor have we hired a designer because we are still obtaining input from the community,” said Laura Hutchinson, vice president of operations of Downtown Greensboro.

Local officials consider the park to be one of the catalysts in giving downtown a boost. “The park is one of the key projects in this revitalization,” says Susan Schwartz, president of Action Greensboro. “It will provide a focal point for downtown, a gathering place for citizens and make a dramatic signature statement about our community.”  — Jim Buice


Salisbury
Grocery Store Chain Shows Its School Spirit
Food Lion may call Salisbury home, but the state’s largest grocery chain is sensitive to college sports fans in the Triangle. As part of 68 Triangle-area stores that were renovated during the past 11 months, Food Lion has unveiled three university theme stores, featuring the school colors and logos of Duke, N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill.

The Duke theme store is located in the Woodcroft Shopping Center on Hope Valley Road; the N.C. State theme store is in the Avent Ferry Shopping Center on Avent Ferry Road, and the Carolina theme store is located in the Carrboro Plaza off N.C. 54.

Fans and other shoppers will notice the university features immediately. The official school colors are evident throughout, and a school logo greets customers as they enter each store. Small details such as shopping cart handles and fixture bumper strips also reflect the school colors.

Food Lion is planning a North Carolina Central University theme for its new store in the Eagle Village shopping center in Durham, scheduled to open in early 2004.

“These universities have shaped the Triangle region. Passions for these institutions are felt deeply,” says Kyle Mitchell, Food Lion’s vice president of construction and engineering. “As a member of the community for nearly 30 years, Food Lion understands the pride our customers and other fans have for these universities. We think this will make shopping for groceries a little more fun.”  — Kevin Brafford


Reidsville
Wow! Stately Manor and Priceless Art, Just $5 Million
Changing times and tightening belts sometimes even force heirlooms onto the trading block. Such is the case for the historic Chinqua-Penn Plantation, which N.C. State University is hoping quickly to sell. The 23-acre plantation in Reid- sville features a stately manor and an art, antique and furnishings collection. The buildings on the property are listed at $3 million, while almost 3,000 items of furnishings, china and artwork are valued at $2 million. Proceeds from the sale will fund a scholarship endowment in the name of the Penn family, who transferred the estate to the UNC System in 1959. N.C. State took over management of the property in 1986.

Chinqua-Penn was closed to the public in 1991, but was reopened in 1995 by Chinqua-Penn Foundation Inc., a private nonprofit organization, under a lease from the state. The foundation, citing a lack of funding, economic conditions and debt, terminated the lease in 2002. Officials say lean budgetary times hurt the N.C. State’s ability to maintain and operate the property.

A group of related companies, composed of Sotheby’s International Realty, Southern Pines-based affiliate Clark Properties and Sotheby’s Auction House, will represent the university to market and sell the property. -- Mick Kulikowski

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