Business North Carolina articles from April 2004

Business North Carolina archives from April 2004

Got the fry-grill blues.(Up Front)(fast-food restaurants)(Column)
April 1, 2004... Working in a weave-room, fighting for my life, Trying to make a living for my kiddies and my wife; Some are needing clothing, some are needing shoes, But I'm getting nothing but the weave-room blues. I've got the blues, I've got the...

Trend.(economic indicators)(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] TREND Latest Previous ...

N.C.'s law is superior on subprime lending.(Economic Outlook)(Interview)
April 1, 2004... North Carolina's predatory-lending law, one of the nation's first, took a hit in early 2004 when the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency weakened states' authority over the subprime-lending practices of nationally chartered banks,...

Eastern.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... HOOKERTON -- Tile Restoration, which restores and sanitizes tile in places such as hospitals, will invest about $800,000 in an expansion that will add 100 jobs at an average salary of $22,800. The company employs 35. HAMLET -- Webb...

Rubbermaid commercial products.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Rubbermaid Commercial Products in Greenville will end production before May, eliminating more than 300 jobs. The plant, which makes brooms, brushes, mops, buckets and other items, and its predecessors have been here nearly 40 years. The company...

Working capital.(Regional Report)(unemployment)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Caption: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] North Carolina's unemployment rate fell to 5.8% in December. Rates decreased in 74 counties, increased in 24 and stayed the same in two. For the second straight month, Vance, at 12.5%, had the highest...

Triangle.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... MORRISVILLE -- Software maker ChannelAdvisor, which helps companies such as IBM and Sears sell merchandise on the Internet, plans to double its work force to about 120 this year after receiving $7 million in venture capital. Investors included...

Raleigh-based First Citizens BancShares is buying BTI Telecom's former headquarters from ITC DeltaCom, the Atlanta-based telecommunications company that bought BTI last year.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Raleigh-based First Citizens BancShares is buying BTI Telecom's former headquarters from ITC^DeltaCom, the Atlanta-based telecommunications company that bought BTI last year. A First Citizens spokeswoman would not disclose the price and did not...

Triad.(Regional Report)
April 1, 2004... GREENSBORO -- The city will likely lose nearly half of Oakwood Homes' 575 jobs after Clayton Homes, part of Omaha, Neb.-based Berkshire Hathaway, buys the bankrupt mobile-home maker for $373 million. The deal is expected to close this month....

Despite its experience angling deals, Winston-Salem-based BB&T couldn't reel in FloridaFirst Bancorp.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Despite its experience angling deals, Winston-Salem-based BB&T couldn't reel in FloridaFirst Bancorp. It signed a contract in October 2002 to buy the Lakeland, Fla.-based bank for $134.8 million but dropped the plan six months later, after the...

Charlotte.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- Bank of America will spend $68.1 million to open 23 branches in South Florida within two years. Wachovia is expanding into the wholesale and retail markets in Texas. It will open 30 to 50 branches per year from 2005 to 2010. ...

To reduce its presence in the wholesale energy market, Duke Energy merged wholesaler Duke Energy North America with Duke Energy International, which provided energy marketing, risk management and power-development services around the world, to form Duke Energy Americas.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... To reduce its presence in the wholesale energy market, Duke Energy merged wholesaler Duke Energy North America with Duke Energy International, which provided energy marketing, risk management and power-development services around the world, to...

Western.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... FLETCHER -- Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Steelcase will close its officefurniture plant by the end of the year, eliminating 480 jobs. The company will shift the work to Michigan and California. BLACK MOUNTAIN -- Houstonbased Cooper Bussman,...

Powers Great American Midways.(Regional Report)(state fair contract)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Burgaw-based Powers Great American Midways will provide rides for the North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Fletcher in September. Powers' bid will give the state 58.5% of ride receipts. An executive at Drew Expositions, which had held the...

Bank of Granite: one runs, no fits, no heirs.(Tar Heel Tattler)
April 1, 2004... John Forlines is in foul humor. The normally genial 86-year-old chairman and chief executive of Granite Falls-based Bank of Granite Corp. has to deal again with the succession question. "We are not necessarily looking into that every day," he...

Board keeps them down on the pharm.(Tar Heel Tattler)
April 1, 2004... The way Jan Crimin sees it, the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy has no regulatory authority over her business because it isn't a pharmacy. The way the Pharmacy Board sees it, her business needs to be shut down for much the same reason: It...

Study reinforces military's impact.(Tar Heel Tattler)
April 1, 2004... For years, politicians have warned that North Carolina is splitting into two states--east and west, urban and rural, one rich and one poor. The process isn't further along primarily because of a segment of the Eastern North Carolina...

No vacancies: Camden County.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... No vacancies: Camden County wants the General Assembly to authorize it to levy an occupancy tax on motel rooms. Then all it needs is for someone to open a motel there.

Skullduggery: an appalachian state anthropology professor saw a deal on eBay she had to refuse--and report.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Skullduggery: An Appalachian State anthropology professor saw a deal on eBay she had to refuse--and report. Bidding on a skull discovered during a commercial excavation in Maui began at $1,000. Ann Kakaliouras regularly scans auctions sites for...

Paging hugh jass: time warner cable's 24-hour news station in raleigh must have gone snow-blind during the late-February snow-storm.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Paging Hugh Jass: Time Warner Cable's 24-hour news station in Raleigh must have gone snow-blind during the late-February snow-storm. Viewers got four hours of sophomoric double-entendres after pranksters took advantage of a feature on the...

Pay for rain: Charlotte officials blamed five years of having to raise water rates on the drought.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Pay for rain: Charlotte officials blamed five years of having to raise water rates on the drought. This year's increase is due to rainy weather, which has cut consumption and is draining the budget.

Sell away: The N.C. commerce department ranked concord mills as the state's top tourist destination last year.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Sell away: The N.C. Commerce Department ranked Concord Mills as the state's top tourist destination last year. The megamall pulled in 15.3 million visitors, outdrawing such has-beens as the Blue Ridge Parkway, which doesn't even have a...

School work: the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission is concerned that a future tenant of Summit Corporate Center could hamper its ability to market the industrial park.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... School work: The Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission is concerned that a future tenant of Summit Corporate Center could hamper its ability to market the industrial park. After all, some companies might chafe at the prospect of their...

Gotta-wanna-needa-getta-hava: cajun quarterback Jake Delhomme, who led the Carolina Panthers to the super bowl, inked a deal to endorse Bojangles' spicy chicken.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Gotta-wanna-needa-getta-hava: Cajun quarterback Jake Delhomme, who led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl, inked a deal to endorse Bojangles' spicy chicken. John Kasay's performance in the big game wouldn't qualify him to pitch Bo's...

Bag lady: a Davidson College student's duffel bag aroused suspicions when it started wiggling on a charlotte-to-vermont bus.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Bag lady: A Davidson College student's duffel bag aroused suspicions when it started wiggling on a Charlotte-to-Vermont bus. The student and his ticketless girlfriend got a free night in a Salisbury jail, charged with obtaining property by...

Surf 'n' turf.(Data Bits)(seasonal housing)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... SURF 'N' TURF Counties with the most seasonal housing usually have beaches or mountains nearby. Seasonal units Brunswick 15,540 Dare 13,355 Carteret 13,333 Macon 6,305...

Percentage of U.S. workers.(Figuratively Speaking)
April 1, 2004... Percentage of U.S. workers who say they understand their companies' highest priorities: 44.

Percentage of U.S. workers who say they would react favorably if their workplaces adopted stricter dress codes: 69.(Figuratively Speaking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Percentage of U.S. workers who say they would react favorably if their workplaces adopted stricter dress codes: 69. Of executives who did not think workers would like that prospect: 85. Of workers who said that they would dress better for...

Percentage of American households that are "affluent"--earn $75,000 or more a year: 25.(Figuratively Speaking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Percentage of American households that are "affluent"--earn $75,000 or more a year: 25. Of affluent Americans who say they enjoy buying things more when they get a bargain: 92. Who say they have achieved "the good life": 62. Who would call...

Percentage of employees who say lack of opportunity played a big part in deciding to leave their jobs: 37.(Figuratively Speaking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Percentage of employees who say lack of opportunity played a big part in deciding to leave their jobs: 37. Lack of incentives: 28. Frustration with corporate culture: 28. Lack of recognition or praise:25.

Of the world's 100 largest economies, the number that are nation-states: 47.(Figuratively Speaking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Of the world's 100 largest economies, the number that are nation-states: 47. That are multinational corporations: 53. Of the world's 220 nations, the number whose GDP is exceeded by the gross revenue of Exxon Mobil: 200.

Age at which majority of Americans feel adulthood begins: 26.(Figuratively Speaking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Age at which majority of Americans feel adulthood begins: 26. Age when people should be employed full time: 21.2. When they're able to support a family: 24.5.

Average cost per employee per year to companies.(Figuratively Speaking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Average cost per employee per year to companies for unscheduled absences: $645.

Percentage of employers who say they've had an office romance: 58.(Figuratively Speaking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Percentage of employers who say they've had an office romance: 58. Of employees: 44. Who say no one knew about it: 24. Who say, though they told no one, everybody at work knew: 20. --Compiled by John MacIntyre For sources, go to...

Impatient investors say bank must grow or bye.(Money Matters)(First Charter Corp.)
April 1, 2004... On his first visit to Moscow, the story goes, a Soviet student came away disappointed after viewing the preserved corpse of Communist leader Vladimir Lenin. "It just lies there," he said. In capitalist Charlotte, a similar thought has occurred...

Tar heel stock watch.(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... TAR HEEL STOCK WATCH Expensive stocks Highest price-earnings ratios among North Carolina stocks P/E 2/27/04 52-week Company ratio * price range Red Hat ...

Groups plan to play hardball with pols.(Capital)(manufacturing industries join hands)
April 1, 2004... When it comes to business development, North Carolina is hurting, and elected leaders in Raleigh and Washington aren't listening. That's the consensus of representatives of five business and trade associations from across the state. Though...

Cash cowed: perhaps the state's most retail-heavy town, tiny Pineville experiences sticker shock at the price it's having to pay.(Feature)
April 1, 2004... Tara Pennix--all 5 feet 7 inches of her--stands between about 75 shoppers and the latest Air Jordans. Nike's Retro 12 basketball shoes go on sale today at Finish Line in Carolina Place mall. The anticipation is too much for some. They've nudged...

The Merck deal raises questions about where the state is going with incentives.(Gelt Trip)(Cover Story)
April 1, 2004... Night has fallen--it's past 6--on the one-day special session that Gov. Mike Easley called last December for the General Assembly to consider his latest economic-incentives package. On the floor for debate: the Job Growth and Infrastructure...

Wood that they could: thinning their holdings, timber companies clear the way for Wall Street to find a slow-growth stock.(Feature)
April 1, 2004... Along Water Street in the town of Washington, some houses date to the late 1700s. South of town, a low bridge carries U.S. 17 across the Pamlico River toward Chocowinity Bay. Next to the bay is Cypress Landing, a 1,200-acre development by...

Cook's tour: Mark Freedman keeps things stirred up all day at the Greensboro restaurant that bears his name.(Picture this)
April 1, 2004... His workday starts at 9:30. Mark's on West-over won't open for two hours, but chef Mark Freedman is on duty at the restaurant, checking food deliveries, chopping vegetables, starting sauces and deciding on specials. Trucks come every day--a...

Executive travel guide: where are you going?(Special Advertising Section)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2004... The cost-conscious travel buyer is looking for value in both business and recreational travel purchases. Whatever your reason for traveling, a variety of accommodations are available in the cities, mountains and beaches of North Carolina. ...

The Triad: new focus is on tech, biotech.(Regional Focus: SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2004... Change doesn't have to be unsettling. The Piedmont Triad Partnership--North Carolina's most manufacturing-intensive region--is adjusting to downturns in its traditional industries by fertilizing a crop of biotechnology-and technology-based...

All his work for NFL teams are inside jobs.(People)
April 1, 2004... The job market was dire when David Wagner graduated with a bachelor's in architecture from Virginia Tech in 1974. "You flat out couldn't get a job," he says. With no prospects in or around his native Pittsburgh, Wagner relentlessly pursued...

Nurse's business is feeling no pain.(People)(Ludy Strother)(Biography)
April 1, 2004... Nurse anesthetists administer 65% of the 26 million anesthetics given to U.S. patients each year. And in any given week, Ludy Strother dispatches about 200 such nurses to fill temporary positions at hospitals around the country. ...

He deals with plight of the living dread.(People)
April 1, 2004... When they hear "assisted living," most people picture crones and geezers idling away their final days in hushed, dark rooms. But how about three old gals in prom dresses sharing a bottle of bubbly as they pose on the steps of the Davidson...

Her goods have gone to the dogs.(People)(Sylvia Pickett)(Brief Article)(Biography)
April 1, 2004... It all started with a bad case of puppy love. In 1999, Sylvia Pickett was working as a rep for furniture accessory lines when she decided to take her Shih Tzu, Tashi, to a trade show. Pickett bought a denim baby snuggly--the kind mothers strap...

Bricks & mortar.
April 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Its walls are straight, but wedges of glass in the corners make charlotte's newest skyscraper wider the higher it gets. The 46-story Hearst Tower, completed in 2002, was designed by the Atlanta firm of...