Business North Carolina articles from December 2002

Business North Carolina archives from December 2002

Pappy's promise. (Up Front).(grandfather's feelings toward his first grandchild)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 1, 2002... The little man rests his head on my chest, his taut, newborn belly pressing against my sloth-softened, middle-aged one. I feel the gas gurgle in his gut. His face contorts, racing through a dozen expressions as if trying on guises to find one...

Trend.(economic data for North Carolina including employment, retail sales, passenger boardings at airports)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... Trend. % change Latest Previous Previous from last month month year year ...

Tenant bankruptcies are the lease of its worries. (Money Matters).(real-estate investment trust Highwoods Properties Inc.)
December 1, 2002... Executives of Raleigh-based Highwoods Properties Inc. (NYSE: HIW) are familiar with most of the peaks and valleys of real-estate markets. But now they're groping their way through unfamiliar terrain. For the first time since Highwoods became a...

Tar Heel Stock Watch.(rankings of North Carolina companies by price-earnings ratios, stock price change)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... TAR HEEL STOCK WATCH Expensive stocks Highest price-earnings ratios among North Carolina stocks P/E 9/27/02 52-week Company ratio * price range CT...

State can't stop Pilot from taking off to S.C. (Tar Heel Tattler).(South Carolina lures Pilot Therapeutics Inc. by taking equity stake, granting tax breaks)
December 1, 2002... It seemed a simple matter of knowing when to hold and when to fold: South Carolina comes courting Pilot Therapeutics, a young Winston-Salem biotechnology company. North Carolina tries to compete. It fails. Pilot leaves. Now tempers are flaring...

Shinn gives city a surprise boo-st. (Tar Heel Tattler).(George Shinn supports Charlotte, North Carolina's bid for National Basketball Association franchise)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... October was especially spooky in Charlotte: A few weeks before Halloween, the specter of George Shinn, owner of the Hornets pro basketball franchise, returned to haunt the city. Shinn and his team had been all but chased out of town earlier...

CNET/Business North Carolina Index.(data for large-cap, small-cap stocks)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... CNET/BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA INDEX Small-cap stocks slipped in September, but not as much as last year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They were up for the 52-week period. Large caps were performing even worse than post-Sept. 11...

Alamance County. (Tattle Tales).(state senator Hugh Webster asks State Bar to revoke Governor Mike Easley's law license)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Busy, busy: A state senator, riled by Mike Easley hinting he could retaliate against Alamance County for suing his administration in a funding dispute, wants the State Bar to yank the governor's law license. "I'm tired of Easley lying and...

SAS Institute. (Tattle Tales).(Morley Safer's 60 Minutes piece praises SAS Institute Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... This just in: Morley Safer's recent 60 Minutes piece gave Cary-based SAS Institute high marks for its employee perks and 24-year run of double-digit sales growth. Maybe he needed Mike Wallace to tell him the streak ended a year ago, when sales...

Greensboro brothel. (Tattle Tales).(police raid brothel only to discover that another one exists)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Take a number: Vice cops raided a thriving Greenboro brothel, only to be told by a customer, "You ought to see the other one." It had about 100 customers a day, twice the volume of the first.

Durham Housing Authority. (Tattle Tales).(public housing project remains empty due to delays, disputes)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Flush beats full house: The city can't issue a certificate of occupancy to a $2.8 million public-housing project, completed two years ago but still empty due to disputes and delays. The Durham Housing Authority recently discovered nobody had...

Pine Valley Baptist Church. (Tattle Tales).(church fires pianist for moonlighting at downtown bar)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Pianist envy: Donna Merritt says moonlighting got her fired from her job playing piano at Pine Valley Baptist Church in Wilmington. She plays weekends at a downtown bar with a mostly gay clientele.

McFadyen Music. (Tattle Tales).(music store manager says paying fine for display trailer is cheaper than other forms of advertising)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Fine's fine with him: Malcolm McFadyen, regional manager of McFadyen Music in Fayetteville, vows he'll keep paying $100-a-day fines for violating the city's sign ordinance with a display trailer touting specials. It's cheaper than buying...

Henderson County. (Tattle Tales).(Farm City Day festival features remote-control toy truck instead of real pig for greased pig catching contest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Only the tires squeal: After animal lovers filed a lawsuit contending that trying to catch greased pigs violates state animal-cruelty laws, Henderson County substituted a remote-control toy truck capped by a porcine cookie-jar cover during its...

The Carolina Panthers. (Tattle Tales).(former Carolina Panthers linebacker Darren Hambrick commits check fraud)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Bad draft choice: The Carolina Panthers paid linebacker Darren Hambrick a reported $515,200 in 2001, but that doesn't include the $5,682.21 bonus Dade City, Fla., police say he gave himself. Hambrick, now with the Cleveland Browns, cashed two...

Data Bits.(top ten states ranked by per capita fuel sales tax collected in 2001)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... DATA BITS PAYING AT THE PUMP The state ranked sixth in total fuel sales tax collected in 2001, but didn't fare as well per capita. Per capita taxes 1 Montana $202.64 2...

Two airports fight for flight museum. (Tar Heel Tattler).(Asheboro Municipal Airport, Wilmington International Airport fight for aviation museum)
December 1, 2002... To hear one legislator tell it, Wilmington aviation boosters dozed off at the stick. When they woke up, they discovered their hopes of bringing the official state aviation museum and hail of fame to Wilmington International Airport were about...

Raleigh might have a drinking problem. (Tar Heal Tattler).(Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker wants stricter enforcement of Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission laws)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Mayor Charles Meeker doesn't think the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission pays enough attention to Raleigh -- specifically, to the city's request that it crack down on convenience stores that keep violating ABC rules. But he might not...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2002... Incorrect information provided by SNL Financial resulted in incorrect 2001 financial figures for Gate-way Financial Holdings in the November issue. The Elizabeth City-based company had revenue of $11.5 million, assets of $160.8 million, net...

Aegis Communications Group. (Regional Report: Eastern).(telecommunications company adds jobs at call center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... ROCKY MOUNT -- Irving, Texas-based telecommunications company Aegis Communications Group added 80 jobs at its call center here, bringing employment to 280. Aegis expanded to serve new clients.

aaiPharma. (Regional Report: Eastern).(signs agreement to commercialize discoveries made at University of North Carolina Wilmington's Center for Marine Science)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WILMINGTON -- aaiPharma, a drug manufacturer based here, will get dibs on the commercialization of discoveries by researchers at UNC Wilmington's Center for Marine Science. Terms were not announced.

DSM. (Regional Report: Eastern).(DSM adds production lines at Dyneema synthetic fiber plant in Greenville, North Carolina )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... GREENVILLE -- DSM, a Dutch maker of drugs and chemicals, is adding three production lines. The $100 million expansion will create about 75 jobs. The plant, which employs about 1,400, makes Dyneema, a lightweight synthetic fiber used in...

Phelps Dodge. (Regional Report: Eastern).(closes magnetic wiring plant, moves production to Texas, Indiana)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... LAURINBURG -- Blaming poor sales, Phoenix-based Phelps Dodge will close its plant in December, idling 90. It makes magnetic wiring for electric motors. Production will be moved to El Paso, Texas, and Fort Wayne, Ind.

Blackwater USA. (Regional Report: Eastern).(wins firearms-training contract from United States Navy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... MOYOCK -- Blackwater USA, which runs firearms-training centers in Camden and Currituck counties, won a five-year, $35.6 million contract with the U.S. Navy. The company will conduct two-week training sessions on such topics as sentry duty,...

Stanadyne. (Regional Report: Eastern).(laid off workers at Jacksonville, North Carolina plant, plans to open new plant)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... JACKSONVILLE -- Windsor, Conn.-based Stanadyne laid off 22, about 4% of the work force, at its plant here. The company, which makes diesel-engine parts, blamed the poor economy. It still plans to open a second plant here by the end of the year...

Del Laboratories.(moves manufacturing to new factory in Rocky Point, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Del Laboratories, a Uniondale, N.Y.-based cosmetics and pharmaceuticals maker, will move mast of its manufacturing to Rocky Point, about 20 miles from Wilmington, creating about 500 jobs. The company employs 220 in warehousing, distribution and...

Progress Energy. (Regional Report: Triangle).(executive appointments, tenure extensions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- The board of Progress Energy extended Bill Cavanaugh's tenure as chairman and chief executive into 2005. Cavanaugh, CEO since 1996, was slated to retire in 2004. Progress also made Bob McGehee heir apparent for Cavanaugh's job....

LVL7. (Regional Report: Triangle).(LVL7 Systems Inc. receives venture capital funding)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CARY -- LVL7, which makes networking software, received $12.5 million in venture capital from California-based Gabriel Venture Partners and Atlanta-based H.I.G. Ventures. LVL7 will use the money for sales and marketing.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. (Regional Report: Triangle).(negotiates with state regulators over conversion to for-profit health insurer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CHAPEL HILL -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina made what it called its final offer to state regulators in negotiations over whether it will convert from a nonprofit to a for-profit health insurer. Blue Cross and the state have been...

GlaxoSmithKline. (Regional Report: Triangle).(receives approval to sell new version of Augmentin antibiotic)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- GlaxoSmithKline, a drug maker with a large research campus here, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell a new version of its Augmentin antibiotic. The new formulation was approved for people...

Red Hat. (Regional Report: Triangle).(signs marketing agreement with International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- Red Hat, a distributor of Linux computer-operating software, signed a multiyear marketing pact with IBM, under which Red Hat's version of Linux will be installed on large IBM server computers. Terms weren't disclosed.

ChemCodes. (Regional Report: Triangle).(ChemCodes to develop products for Roche Holding Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... DURHAM -- Drug-discovery company ChemCodes has signed an agreement to develop products for Swiss drug manufacturer Roche. ChemCodes says it has new automated technology that will create compounds faster. Financial terms weren't announced.

Incara Pharmaceuticals. (Regional Report: Triangle).(stock price falls, company's stock removed from Nasdaq )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- Incara Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a drug for liver disease, was kicked off Nasdaq because its stock, trading at 10 cents a share in early October, no longer meets the trading network's listing requirements....

Bob Sullivan. (Regional Report: Triangle).(named founding dean of a new business school at University of California, San Diego)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CHAPEL HILL -- Bob Sullivan, dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill, is leaving to become founding dean of a new business school at the University of California, San Diego. Sullivan, who starts in January, has been...

Paradigm Genetics. (Regional Report: Triangle).(receives genetic research contract from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- Paradigm Genetics, which does genetic research, has been awarded a five-year federal contract worth as much as $23.8 million. Under the contract with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Paradigm...

Durham pharmaceutical.(Trimeris Inc., Triangle Pharmaceuticals Inc. seek approval for AIDS drugs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Two small Durham pharmaceutical companies have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve new AIDS drugs. Trimeris, working with New Jersey-based Hoffmann-La Roche, seeks permission to sell Fuzeon. Unlike existing anti-HIV drugs,...

Rural Vance County has the highest percentage of carpoolers in the Triangle region and urban Wake, the lowest.(commuter, carpool data for North Carolina's Triangle region)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... Rural Vance County has the highest percentage of carpoolers in the Triangle region and urban Wake, the lowest. Commuters In a (000s) carpool Vance 17.9 19% Warren 7.1 18...

RF Micro Devices. (Regional Report: Triad).(invests $60 million in Jazz Semiconductor)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... GREENSBORO -- RF Micro Devices is pumping $60 million into a California silicon-wafer maker for a 10% to 20% stake and a seat on its board of directors. Newport Beach-based Jazz Semiconductor makes radio-frequency and mixed-signal wafers. RF...

BB&T. (Regional Report: Triad).(BB&T Corp. acquires Equitable Bank)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WINSTON-SALEM -- BB&T is expanding its presence in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. It has agreed to buy Wheaton, Md.-based Equitable Bank for $52.6 million in stock. The deal is expected to close in early 2003. BB&T, which had total assets of...

AdvancePCS has bought Accordant Health Services. (Regional Report: Triad).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... GREENSBORO -- Texas-based managed-care company AdvancePCS has bought Accordant Health Services, a Triad company that helps patients manage complex diseases such as hemophilia and cystic fibrosis. Terms were not disclosed. No layoffs are...

Wake Forest University School of Medicine. (Regional Report: Triad).(raised $145.6 million in funding from external sources)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WINSTON-SALEM -- Wake Forest University School of Medicine raised more money for research and related activities from external sources in its last fiscal year than ever before. The $145.6 million for the year that ended in June was 9.6% higher...

L&E Packaging. (Regional Report: Triad).(Avery Dennison Corp. acquires label, tag printing company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... GREENSBORO -- California-based Avery Dennison is buying L&E Packaging, a printer of apparel labels and tags that has been based here for 46 years. Terms of the deal, which should close by the end of the year, were not disclosed. None of L&E's...

Triumph Group. (Regional Report: Triad).(builds $9 million technology center)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CLEMMONS -- Pennsylvania-based Triumph Group is building a $9 million technology center, which is expected to add 150 jobs here over the next five years. The workers will design hydraulic pumps and motors for aircraft. A Triumph subsidiary,...

Amplistar. (Regional Report: Triad).(biotechnology company ceases operations, lays off employees)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WINSTON-SALEM -- Amplistar, a biotech spinoff from Wake Forest University that raised more than $4 million to develop medical-testing products, has ceased most operations and laid off all but two of its employees. It had failed to raise an...

Oakwood Homes. (Regional Report: Triad).(names new chairman of the board)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... GREENSBORO -- Troubled mobile-home maker Oakwood Homes has added chairman of the board to President and CEO Myles Standish's titles. Former chairman Dennis Meyer remains on the board. Oakwood had lost $99.5 million through the first three...

Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management. (Regional Report: Triad).(Dean Charles Moyer to return to teaching)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WINSTON-SALEM -- Saying he's accomplished many of his goals and it's time for a change, Charles Moyer, dean of Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management since 1997, will return to teaching next August. Babcock has been...

Pharmagraphics. (Regional Report: Triad).(packaging printer builds facility to house headquarters, manufacturing operations)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... HIGH POINT -- Pharmagraphics, a packaging printer specializing in health-care products, is building a 63,000-square-foot structure that will consolidate its headquarters and Triad manufacturing operations. About 175 of the company's 600...

Guilford Mills.(emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, focuses on automotive, industrial fabrics)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Guilford Mills has ended a six-month sojourn in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It cut senior debt to about $145 million, from $270 million when it filed, partly by converting it to equity. Senior lenders now own 90% of the company and its common stock....

British Airways. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(suspends flights to Gatwick Airport due to drop in demand)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- Citing a drop in travel, British Airways has suspended its daily flight to London's Gatwick Airport. US Airways will continue daily flights to London and Frankfurt, Germany. British Airways might reinstate its flight if demand...

Corinthian International. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(plans to build office-and-industrial complex )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CONCORD -- Charlotte-based developer Corinthian International will build a $12 million, three-building office-and-industrial complex at Concord Regional Airport, beginning this winter.

Catawba River. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(drought, heavy water use may cause water shortages along Catawba River)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- N.C. Division of Water Resources Director John Morris says drought and heavy use threaten water shortages along the Catawba River. Advocating a regional compact to protect the river, he told people at a conference to discuss the...

Superior Walls Systems. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(will open new plant in North Carolina)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... SALISBURY -- Oxford-based Superior Walls Systems will move its headquarters and open a $2 million, 100-employee plant in a former Federal-Mogul brake-pad plant to be nearer customers in Charlotte and the western Carolinas. It will keep about 35...

Duke Energy. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(suspends power plant construction, sells stock, plans layoffs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- Duke Energy has suspended construction of power plants in Washington, New Mexico, Nevada and Illinois totaling more than $2 billion. It also sold an additional $1 billion of stock and announced 1,900 layoffs, as many as 400 in...

Carolinas HealthCare System. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Michael Tarwater named chief executive)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- Michael Tarwater, 48, is the new chief executive of Carolinas HealthCare System, the state's largest hospital chain, with $2.6 billion of revenue last year. Tarwater, formerly the chain's chief operating officer, succeeded Harry...

A two-inch-long mollusk. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(construction of U.S. 74 bypass halted because of possible impact on endangered animal)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... MONROE -- A two-inch-long mollusk has halted construction of the U.S. 74 bypass north of the city. The road is expected to carry 30,000 cars a day. The project could be stalled several months to years while wildlife authorities study its impact...

Family Dollar Stores. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(plans expansion into California, chairman retires)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... MATTHEWS -- Family Dollar Stores will expand into California, building as many as 1,000 stores there, and is considering moving into Mexico. No timetable was set. It now operates 4,617 stores in 40 states. Leon Levine, 65, who built Family...

Carolina Panthers. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Ericsson Corp. won't renew contract for naming rights at Carolina Panthers' stadium)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers need a new name for Ericsson Stadium. Ericsson has announced it won't renew its contract for naming rights, which have cost the struggling Swedish telecommunications company about $2.7 million a year.

Wal-Mart. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. builds distribution center in Shelby, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... SHELBY -- After completing its 750-employee, $50 million distribution center, Wal-Mart expects to hire an additional 50 employees this winter. The center will supply about 50 stores in the Carolinas.

Concord Regional Airport. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(plans expansion of runway)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... CONCORD -- Concord Regional Airport this winter will begin an $8.6 million expansion of its 5,000-foot runway. The 1,900-foot expansion will allow larger corporate jets to land. The project is to be completed in 2004.

Mecklenburg County's percentage of residents living in apartments or condos doubles the region.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... Mecklenburg County's percentage of residents living in apartments or condos doubles the region's. Multifamily housing Mecklenburg 32.4% Catawba 15.1 Gaston 13.7...

AuditHead. (Regional Report: Western).(telecommunications bill auditor plans to expand staff)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... TRYON -- AuditHead, a new company that researches telecommunications bills for errors, wants to employ 100 within two years. The company recently began operating with eight employees as Communications Profit Recovery but wanted to have a more...

Haywood County. (Regional Report: Western).(county commissioners want to build high-security prison, but not at Mountain Research Station)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WAYNESVILLE -- County commissioners still want the state to build a 1,000-cell high-security prison in Haywood County, but they do not want it at the state's Mountain Research Station, where agricultural research takes place. A new prison would...

RFS Ecusta. (Regional Report: Western).(former employees of RFS Ecusta Inc. are eligible for unemployment compensation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... PISGAH FOREST -- More than 550 workers who lost their jobs when the RFS Ecusta paper mill closed in August ("Pulp Friction," October) are eligible for unemployment compensation, the state Employment Security Commission ruled. The company had...

Rutherford County. (Regional Report: Western).(ranks 10th in North Carolina for new jobs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... FOREST CITY -- Rutherford County ranked 10th in the state for new jobs in the first half of 2002, the only western county among the top 10. The jobs came from Troy, Mich.-based auto-parts maker ArvinMeritor, which will employ about 150 at its...

Tanner Cos. (Regional Report: Western).(Pell Tanner named chief executive officer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... RUTHERFORDTON -- Pell Tanner, 42, replaced Donald "Chap" Johnston as CEO of Tanner Cos., which makes women's apparel. Johnston will remain on Tanner's board. Tanner is the grandson of the company's founders.

The Clearing. (Regional Report: Western).(motion picture filmed in Asheville, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... ASHEVILLE -- Robert Redford, Helen Mirren and Willem Dafoe were among stars here recently for the filming of The Clearing. Redford stars as a kidnapped business tycoon. Pieter Jan Brugge, producer of The Insider and Bulworth, is directing. No...

Mountain Council for Entrepreneurial Development. (Regional Report: Western).(AdvantageWest forms council to aid entrepreneurs, new businesses in North Carolina)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... AdvantageWest, the Asheville-based nonprofit economic-development agency representing 23 western North Carolina counties, hopes its Mountain Council for Entrepreneurial Development will help create new businesses in the region. Jim Roberts,...

Packaged good: Our Small Business of the Year blends folk art with flour power to create a recipe for success. (Cover Story).(profiles of Immaculate Baking Co., Mitchell Brothers Moving Inc., S&L Painting and Decorating Inc., Comquest Solutions Inc.)(Company Profile)(Biography)
December 1, 2002... Wearing a white polo shirt, its untucked tail draping his khaki shorts, the chief executive of BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA'S Small Business of the Year reminisces about his childhood. U2's Rattle & Hum soars from the speakers of his iMac as he...

Law and orders: To broaden its market, VisionAir took its eyes off public safety. Now the software maker is focusing again on calling the cops. (Feature).(Company Profile)
December 1, 2002... When a 911 call comes into the Durham County Sheriff's Office, dispatcher Theresa Thomas moves quickly. Sitting in front of a wireless dispatch and tracking system, she soothes the caller while gathering information. As she talks, she can see...

A new leaf: Contract farming is closing the book on tobacco auctions--and the doors of tobacco warehouses--across the state. (Feature).
December 1, 2002... He leans against a post, a wiry man bent slightly at the waist. Life in the fields has turned Billy Neal Perry's face and arms the texture of an old, worn shoe. Cigarette smoke curls under the bill of his cap as he watches about a dozen men and...

Insurers moving on after Sept. 11. (Special Advertising Section).(economic aspects, statistics for North Carolina's insurance industry)(Industry Overview)
December 1, 2002... Perhaps no industry suffered as much from the effects of Sept. 11, 2001, as the insurance industry. Short term, it was hit with $75 billion in claims nationwide from the attacks. Long term, the industry's property-and-casualty insurers have...

Measuring the Traingle. (Regional Focus: Special Advertising Section).(data on schools, sports venues, tourism, employment in North Carolina's Research Triangle region)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... Nestled among the native pines in the heart of the Tar Heel state lies a band of progressive, prosperous communities with a quality of life and business climate second to none. That quality of life and economic vitality have made the Research...

He wrings revenue from sweaty jocks. (People).(Jerry Kingrey, founder of Athletic Focus Inc.)(Biography)
December 1, 2002... Jerry Kingrey may be a computer geek, but the former director of Internet technology for the State Data Center is no nerd. He runs and lifts weights to keep the link to his days as a high-school athlete. When he couldn't find any place in...

His company is real rags-to-riches story. (People).(Fred Slosman of disposable products company Slosman Corp.)
December 1, 2002... Fred Slosman wants to clean up with his 100-year-old company's first consumer product. In January, Asheville-based Slosman Corp. introduced Wipease--eight kinds of disposable paper wipes saturated with cleaners for glass, leather, silverware,...

This broker cannot let his guards down. (People).(Robert H. Perry & Associates Inc.'s history, services)
December 1, 2002... Bob Perry feels secure about his business, which is brokering sales of security companies. At a time when snipers and terrorists have become a news staple, the future for the $17 billion U.S. security industry looks bright. It all adds up...

Bricks & Mortar.(Asheville, North Carolina's Public Service Building)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Built in 1929 for Carolina Power & Light Co., the Public Service Building's grandeur echoes Asheville's boom before the Great Depression. Restored, it is home to restaurants, retail shops and offices.