Business North Carolina articles from March 2003

Business North Carolina archives from March 2003

Heroes. (Up Front).(death of astronauts and workers at West Pharmaceuticals Services explosion)(Column)
March 1, 2003... Two groups of people, three days apart, died on the job, one in the sky over Texas, the other in a Kinston factory. I know little about the lives of the latter but, like many since, have learned a lot about each of the astronauts who perished...

Trend.(North Carolina economic indicators)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... TREND Latest Previous Previous month month year EMPLOYMENT (1) Total employed (000s) 3,711.1 3,722.9 3,756.5...

Incentives play minor role in attracting foreign firms. (Economic Outlook).(Interview)
March 1, 2003... Dennis Rondinelli, a management professor at UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School, has done consulting work for the World Bank, United Nations, U.S. Agency for International Development, Canadian International Development Agency and...

Vegas bets tax slash draws Tar Heel racers. (Tar Heel Tattler).
March 1, 2003... Maybe North Carolina should legalize casinos. It only seems fair, the way Las Vegas is targeting some Tar Heel institutions. First in Sin City's sights was High Point's furniture market, with two developers winning $40 million in city and...

Making an incentive live up to its name. (Tar Heel Tattler).
March 1, 2003... Euphoria. That, former Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Patrick Woodie says, was the mood in 1993 when Bristol Compressors said it was bringing 750 jobs to Sparta. A job seeker called the Bristol, Va.-based company "our great white hope."...

Jest the facts. (Tattle Tales).
March 1, 2003... "My hairline's a recession, my waistline is inflating, and every time I look at my company's stock price, I experience a deep depression."

In their full upright and locked positions. (Tattle Tales).(Robert Brooks acquired Pace Airlines)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... His restaurants are famous for breasts and thighs, and Robert Brooks is putting another kind of wings on the menu. The chairman of the Atlanta-based Hooters chain bought Winston-Salem-based Pace Airlines and renamed two of its 17 planes...

Won't take this lying down. (Tattle Tales).(Elmwood Cemetery saved from road development)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Residents of Charlotte's Elmwood Cemetery -- including movie star Randolph Scott -- couldn't stand in the way of a road being bulldozed through the historic burial ground. But protests by more-mobile residents forced developers to bury the...

Mercantile menace. (Tattle Tales).(Pinehurst Civic Group President John Naylor opposes planned shopping center)
March 1, 2003... Pinehurst Civic Group President John Naylor has sounded the alarm: "The enemy is at the gates, the enemy of our way of life and what we hold dear in this wonderful community." The dreadful danger: a proposed shopping center.

Try buttering them up. (Tattle Tales).(University of North Carolina Chapel Hill studies lobsters)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... UNC Chapel Hill researchers are studying how virtually brainless lobsters find their way back home. Perhaps their work might have application in getting the legislature to adjourn.

Maybe they're shell shocked. (Tattle Tales).(Asian oyster research)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The state is letting watermen grow caged Asian oysters that have been bred so they can't reproduce for at least a year. The oystermen want to see if the parasite-resistant imports can provide an alternative to disease-ravaged local species...

Shows pluck. (Tattle Tales).
March 1, 2003... Durham house painter Emmanuel Dunnagan's take on President Bush's economic-stimulus plan: "Republicans are for the rich man. A working man voting for a Republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders."

Brave's new world. (Tattle Tales).(UNC Pembroke has an offensive mascot)
March 1, 2003... The National Collegiate Athletic Association included UNC Pembroke on a list of 31 schools that have a "potentially offensive mascot, logo or nickname." Seems the NCAA didn't know or care that Pembroke, which uses the nickname Braves, was...

Brave's new world II. (Tattle Tales).(Lumbee Tribal Council aim for federal recognition)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Lumbee Tribal Council's latest effort to win federal recognition for the tribe might hinge on having a homeland. The tribe currently claims all of North Carolina, putting it in conflict with the seven state-recognized Indian tribes, a...

Data Bits.(North Carolina sweet potato production)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... DATA BITS YAMMING IT UP North Carolina was the nation's leading producer of sweet potatoes in 2001. The top counties: Pounds (millions) 1 Johnston 106.0 2 Nash 102.5 3...

Rainstorm dampens hotel's pay purview. (Tar Heel Tattler).(Westin Hotel construction setback by J.A. Jones)
March 1, 2003... It seemed like a safe bet during last summer's drought. Trying to stick to its construction schedule for the 25-story, 700-room Westin Hotel beside the Charlotte Convention Center, J.A. Jones Construction Co. started installing interior walls...

Tough budget could KO boxing agency. (Tar Heel Tattler).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The state Boxing Commission has proven it can take a punch, surviving Senate budget proposals that recommended killing it each of the past two sessions. But it's not dropping its guard just yet. Some legislators think boxing regulation could...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2003... In January's Trend, the number of government workers in 2001 should have been 629,100. The 2001-2002 change was 2.7%.

Andy's Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers. (Regional Report: Eastern).(headquarters relocated)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... MOUNT OLIVE -- Andy's Cheese-steaks and Cheeseburgers moved its headquarters from Kinston to a new 45,000-square-foot office and distribution center here and doubled its central staff to 27. Founder Kenney Moore had been commuting from Mount...

Keihin Carolina System Technology. (Regional Report: Eastern).(plant expansion)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... TARBORO -- Keihin Carolina System Technology, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Keihin, is spending $10 million to expand its 104,000-square-foot plant here by 16,000 square feet. The plant, which employs about 435, makes mini-computers and...

Cooperative Bank-shares. (Regional Report: Eastern).(turns into a commerical bank)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WILMINGTON -- Cooperative Bank-shares has converted its Cooperative Bank from a savings bank to a commercial bank Cooperative has 17 branches in Eastern North Carolina.

Bahakel Communications. (Regional Report: Eastern).(Univision purchases WKFT-TV from Bahakel Communications)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... FAYETTEVILLE -- Los Angeles-based Univision is buying WKFT-TV from Charlotte-based Bahakel Communications. Price was not disclosed. The purchase was expected to dose in the first quarter. The station will broadcast Spanish-language programming...

Ikex. (Regional Report: Eastern).(announces expansion, distirbution agreement with Browning North America)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... MIDDLESEX -- Utah-based firearms maker Browning North America will distribute wildlife-food mixes packaged here by Ikex. Ikex, which also makes fertilizer, seed and other agricultural products, will expand its plant here and add about 20...

J. Arthur Dosher Memorial Hospital. (Regional Report: Eastern).(expansion underway)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... SOUTH PORT -- J. Arthur Dosher Memorial Hospital has begun a $13 million expansion of its operating rooms and emergency and physical-therapy departments. Completion is scheduled for 2005.

Weavexx. (Regional Report: Triangle).(plant to close)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WAKE FOREST - Weavexx, which makes fabric and press equipment for the printing industry, will close its plant here by the end of the year, idling about 133. The company, a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based Xerium, says work will be shifted from...

Business software maker SmartPath has secured $3.2 million in venture capital. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... MORRISVILLE -- Business software maker SmartPath has secured $3.2 million in venture capital. The company is developing an Internetbased software to help businesses prepare marketing materials. Clients include GlaxoSmithKline and Victoria's...

Southeastern Janitorial Supply and Carolina Maintenance Co. (Regional Report: Triangle).(two companies liquidated)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... RALEIGH -- A federal judge has approved liquidation of two businesses started by the late Ronnie Shavlik, the former N.C. State basketball star, and run by his son and son-in-law since 1983. Southeastern Janitorial Supply and Carolina...

Chimerex. (Regional Report: Triangle).(pharmaceutical company seeks federal grant to fund development of smallpox drug)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... DURHAM -- Chimerex is seeking a $6 million grant from the federal government to prepare its experimental smallpox drug HDP-CDV for human testing. Company officials say the drug could be used by the estimated 50 million Americans who cannot take...

N.C. State University. (Regional Report: Triangle).(North Carolina State University seeking partner to build, operate hotel, convention center)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... RALEIGH -- N.C. State University officials have asked the Council of State to delay considering the university's plan to build a $70 million hotel and convention center (Tar Heel Tattler, June 2002) on its Centennial Campus. The university says...

Highwoods Properties. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Highwoods Properties Inc. will not receive rent from WorldCom Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... RALEIGH -- Bankrupt Mississippi-based WorldCom will not pay $14.3 million rent this year to Highwoods Properties. The telecommunications company was the real-estate investment trust's biggest client, with four buildings in Tampa, Fla., and two...

Closure Medical. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Closure Medical Corp. receives approval for Dermabond surgical glue)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... RALEIGH -- Closure Medical has received federal Food and Drug Administration approval to sell a new version of its Dermabond surgical glue. The new version is six times thicker than the original, giving physicians greater precision when...

Andrx. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Andrx Corp. acquires plant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... MORRISVILLE -- Davie, Fla.-based generic-drug maker Andrx has purchased a manufacturing plant here for about $28 million from New York-based Bristol-Myers Squibb. Andrx plans to spend $85 million to renovate and equip the plant over the next...

TriQSI. (Regional Report: Triangle).(recruiting services files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CARY -- TriQSI, a recruiting service focused on the telecommunications industry, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company had 63 employees and revenues of $4 million in 2000. It now has 25 employees and is shifting its focus...

Learfield Communications will pay UNC Chapel Hill $2.5 million a year. (Regional Report).(University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) signs contract awarding radio rights to sports events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Jefferson City, Mo.-based Learfield Communications will pay UNC Chapel Hill $2.5 million a year for the next nine years for rights to produce radio broadcasts of Corolina sports events and the school's television and radio coaches' shows....

The average online shopper in Raleigh spends more but makes fewer purchases than one in Charlotte.(United States cities ranked by average monthly online spending by residents)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... The average online shopper in Raleigh spends more but makes fewer purchases than one in Charlotte Average U.S. monthly rank spending 1 Seattle $280 2 Portland 249...

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings. (Regional Report: Triad).(tobacco company plans to cut work force, sell two divisions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WINSTON-SALEM -- R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings plans to cut its work force by 635, about 8%, in the first half of 2003. It also plans to sell a packaging division and a botanical-extraction division. Reynolds took a $235 million restructuring...

Targacept, a spinoff of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco aimed at finding medicinal uses for nicotine. (Regional Report: Triad).(Targacept Inc. receives venture capital funding)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WINSTON-SALEM -- Targacept, a spinoff of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco aimed at finding medicinal uses for nicotine, has landed $46 million in venture capital. Financing was led by Nomura International's Healthcare Private Equity Group, based in...

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings. (Regional Report: Triad).(Dianon Systems Inc. acquired)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... BURLINGTON -- Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings has agreed to buy Dianon Systems, a Connecticut-based medical-testing company, for $598 million. The deal, expected to close in the first quarter, would boost LabCorp's share of the...

Burlington Industries. (Regional Report: Triad).(outsourced trucking, transportation services to UPS Supply Chain Solutions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... GREENSBORO -- Burlington Industries is phasing out trucking and transportation units in Burlington. The bankrupt textile maker is farming out that role to UPS Supply Chain Solutions to cut costs. The affected units employ 130. The company hopes...

High Point Regional Health System. (Regional Report: Triad).(posts first loss in over 20 years)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... HIGH POINT -- High Point Regional Health System, a nonprofit hospital, lost $1.7 million in its most recent fiscal year, its first annual loss in more than 20 years. Managers blamed rising drug, malpractice-insurance and technology costs, cuts...

Timco Aviation Services. (Regional Report: Triad).(acquires maintenance base from Aviation Management Systems)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... GREENSBORO -- Timco Aviation Services has taken control of a maintenance base at the Goodyear, Ariz., airport from Aviation Management Systems, which is in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It's Timco's first maintenance base west of the Mississippi River....

Oakwood Homes. (Regional Report: Triad).(mobile home manufacturer files for bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... GREENSBORO -- Mobile-home maker Oakwood Homes has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Through the first nine months of its 2002 fiscal year, Oakwood lost $99.5 million - largely because of declining sales and bad loans made by its...

RF Micro Devices. (Regional Report: Triad).(RF Micro Devices Inc. acquired Resonext Communications)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... GREENSBORO -- Semiconductor maker RF Micro Devices has purchased Resonext Communications, a California-based provider of wireless local-area-network services. The deal cost $133 million in stock, and the company said it would take a $15 million...

Blue Rhino. (Regional Report: Triad).(propane-gas dealer raises funds through private placement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WINSTON-SALEM -- Propane-gas dealer Blue Rhino raised $15.8 million in a private placement of common stock. It plans to pay down a part of the company's debt that carries an interest rate of 13%.

BB&T. (Regional Report: Triad).(BB & T Corp. is buying Southeastern Fidelity Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WINSTON-SALEM - BB&T is buying Tallahassee, Fla.-based Southeastern Fidelity, which finances insurance premiums. Terms weren't disclosed. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter. Southeastern Fidelity will be folded into South...

Four of the state's top 10 ZIP codes for political contributions from individuals are in the Triad.(ranking of North Carolina zip codes by political contributions from individuals)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Four of the state's top 10 ZIP codes for political contributions from individuals are in the Triad Contributions (000s) 1 27408 (Greenboro) $1,351.8 2 28207...

Which doesn't fit. (Regional Report).(Yadkin River valley designed American Viticultural Area)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Napa Valley, Martha's Vineyard, Yadkin Valley or Sonoma Valley? The answer is none of the above, as far os the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is concerned. The bureau has designated the Yadkin River volley an American...

Von Drehle, a maker of paper towels and tissues, has opened two of five production lines. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... MAIDEN -- Von Drehle, a maker of paper towels and tissues, has opened two of five production lines at a $7 million plant here and expects to open the other three within five years. It will employ about 70. The 150,000-square-foot plant is...

Duke Energy. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Duke Energy Corp., Duke Power Co. appoint presidents)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CHARLOTTE -- Fred Fowler, former group president for energy transmission, has been elected president of Duke Energy, relieving Rick Priory of one of three titles. Priory will remain chairman and chief executive. Both are 56. Fowler will be...

Kewaunee Scientific. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(closes plant in Texas, boosts employment in Statesville, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... STATESVILLE -- Closing its Texas plant will bring 30 jobs, boosting Kewaunee Scientific's local employment to about 500. The maker of furniture for computers and other electronics has a manufacturing plant and headquarters here and had sales of...

Decore-ative Specialties. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(plans new factory in Monroe, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... MONROE -- Monrovia, Calif.-based Decore-ative Specialties will build a $5.5 million, 100,000-square-foot addition to its plant here and double local employment to about 300. The company makes cabinet doors.

Bank of America. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Electronic Data Systems Corp. receives contract to operate data, voice communications networks)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CHARLOTTE -- Bank of America has signed a 10-year, $4.5 billion contract under which Electronic Data Systems will operate its data-and-voice-communications networks. More than 1,000 BofA employees, including 85 here, will be offered jobs by EDS...

Atlantic Rim Equities. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(plans shopping center in Cherryville, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CHERRYVILLE -- Atlanta-based Atlantic Rim Equities will build a $7 million shopping center, anchored by an Ingles supermarket, where Carolina Freight was based until the trucking company closed in 1996.

About two-thirds of the city's I-485 Outerbelt will be completed this year. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CHARLOTTE -- About two-thirds of the city's I-485 Outer belt will be completed this year when 20 miles of the 67-mile beltway open, state transportation officials say. This year's segments will include 13.2 miles east of the city and 6.4 miles...

American Tool Group, which makes hand tools, and Boston Gear, which makes transmission parts, will each move about 100 jobs here by year end. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CHARLOTTE -- American Tool Group, which makes hand tools, and Boston Gear, which makes transmission parts, will each move about 100 jobs here by year end. The Chicago-based tool maker will relocate its headquarters, and the gear company, which...

Walk-On Products. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(opens factory in Salisbury, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... SALISBURY -- Walk-On Products, which makes carpet padding, opened a 70-employee factory in a building vacated in 2000 by Muncie, Ind.-based jar maker Ball. Owner Billy Moose has invested $5 million and expects $20 million a year in sales.

Piedmont Natural Gas. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Thomas Skains named president)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CHARLOTTE -- Thomas Skains, 46, succeeded Ware Schiefer, 65, who retired as president of Piedmont Natural Gas. Skains, who had been vice president of marketing and supply services, has been with the company seven years.

Mirant. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Mirant Corp. decides not to build power plant in Gastonia, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... GASTONIA -- Atlanta-based energy trader Mirant has reversed a decision to build a $500 million gas-fired power plant here. It is reducing its presence in the Southeast.

Except in Gaston, households with at least three autos increased in each of the region's counties in 1990-2000.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Except in Gaston, households with at least three autos increased in each of the region's counties in 1990-2000 Three-car households Change Mecklenburg 40,653 15.8% Gaston 14,592 (1.0)...

Pro basketball will return to Charlotte next year with a National Basketball Association. (Regional Report).(Charlotte, North Carolina to have professional basketball team)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Pro basketball will return to Charlotte next year with a National Basketball Association franchise awarded to Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television. Johnson, worth about $1.3 billion, will pay $300 million for the team,...

Grassy Creek Construction. (Regional Report: Western).(plans shopping, entertainment complex in Spruce Pine, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... SPRUCE PINE -- Grassy Creek Construction is building an $8 million shopping and entertainment complex here. Construction should be finished in early 2004. The complex will include a Chevrolet dealership, a national hotel chain, a movie theater,...

Asheville Independent Restaurant Association. (Regional Report: Western).(independent restaurateurs form trade association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... ASHEVILLE -- Independent restaurateurs in the Asheville area have formed a trade association to share ideas and pool their purchasing and advertising resources. The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association has about 20 members who meet...

Tracker Marine. (Regional Report: Western).(plans new factory in North Carolina)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... RUTHERFORDTON -- Tracker Marine, maker of aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats, is opening a factory that will employ 300. The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners agreed to spend $3 million to lure the company, a division of Springfield,...

Northwestern National Bank has been sold to Hickory-based United Community Bancorp. (Regional Report: Western).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WILKESBORO -- Northwestern National Bank has been sold to Hickory-based United Community Bancorp, holding company for Catawba Valley Bank and First Gaston Bank, for $35 million. Northwestern's six branches will operate under the name...

Harrah's Cherokee Casino. (Regional Report: Western).(Cherokee Tribal Council plans new hotel tower)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Recession? What recession? Just six months after opening a 1 5-story, 252-room hotel tower at Harrah's Cherokee Casino in Cherokee, the Cherokee Tribal Council approved construction of a second tower. Final room count hasn't been determined....

Bed scores: administrators use best-hospital rankings and ratings to win market share. But what's their real measure? (Cover Story).(Cover Story)
March 1, 2003... Ingeborg Benfield lies motionless. In her chest, blood surges through the mitral valve into the left ventricle, one of her heart's two primary pumping chambers. She is otherwise fit, but with each beat the valve leaks, allowing blood to flow...

Behind the wheel: Ray Evernham won big as Jeff Gordon's crew chief. Now he's trying to score as a NASCAR team owner. (Feature).
March 1, 2003... Like a statue, Ray Evernham Jr. stands, arms crossed and locked to his chest. He's atop a trailer used to transport equipment for his auto-racing team. Earphones connected to a two-way radio on his belt hold a red baseball cap and sunglasses...

The wright stuff: North Carolina provided not only the site, but Tar Heels played essential--if forgotten--roles in the first flight. (Feature).
March 1, 2003... Bill Tate, assistant weatherman at Kitty Hawk, doesn't get much credit for his role in the birth of aviation. One afternoon in September 1900, he was sifting through the mail from Elizabeth City when he noticed a letter postmarked Dayton, Ohio,...

Fight and flight: with 25,000 in uniform and thousands of civilian employees, military aviation is a $4 billion industry in North Carolina. (Feature).
March 1, 2003... Storms bring early dusk. From out of the distant gloom, piercing white lights seem to float down like flares. Gradually, the silhouette of an airplane takes shape behind them, skimming the runway. There's an explosion, like thunder. Orange...

Hubs and hubris: commercial aviation has been a lift to Tar Heel business--and caused turbulence for some of the state's airports. (Feature).
March 1, 2003... Flight 1050 backs away from the terminal and turns onto a taxiway, tires thumping softly on seams in the tarmac as it rolls. The jetliner pauses at the end of a runway. "We're third in line to take off," the pilot announces, with almost a yawn...

Medical complex fans city's growth. (Special Advertising Section: Regional Focus).
March 1, 2003... Beauty and brains. Not a bad combination. And Greenville is a wellspring for both with a thriving student community and world-class health care, education and business. The Eastern North Carolina city is home to 20 parks and six museums....

She wants to ride out of town on a high-speed rail. (People).(Julie Hunt works for Carter & Burgess Inc.)
March 1, 2003... There times when Julie Hunt older than 32. "In the engineering world, years equal experience. So there are times I want to dye my hair gray and say, 'Look at my resume. I have the gray hair to prove it.'" Her superiors at Fort Worth,...

He sees cash flow from bioterrorism. (People).(profile of Eric Button, CEO of EcoGenomix Inc.)
March 1, 2003... Eric Button swears his experience with bioterrorism wouldn't fill a Dixie cup. And as temporary chairman and CEO of EcoGenomix Inc., spun out of UNC Greensboro's biology department to develop a method of detecting germs and bacteria in drinking...

She says job was hers for the asking. (People).(profile of Julie Garella, co-founder of McColl Garella L.L.C.)
March 1, 2003... At 42, Julie Garella swears she's never written a resume. She's worked her way up the financial-services food chain without one. Never heard of her? How about her partner, Hugh McColl? He built Charlotte-based Bank of America into one of...

Bricks & mortar.
March 1, 2003... In 1971, racial strife and the Vietnam War diminished the spirits of many, but architects were growing bolder. Odell Associates of Charlotte designed the five-story Blue Cross building in Durham, a rhombus with 45-degree sides and 4,760 panes...

Wirthwein makes parts for German manufacturer BSH Home Appliances. (Regional Report).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Craven County officials have offered a German plastics company land and other incentives valued at nearly $700,000 to build a plant in New Bern. Wirthwein makes parts for German manufacturer BSH Home Appliances, which has a plant in New Bern....