Business North Carolina articles from November 2002

Business North Carolina archives from November 2002

We were wrong. (Up Front).(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2002... Many years ago, on this very page as part of a column trying to explain what it is we do BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA and why we do it, I wrote: "Our job is to produce quality in-depth journalism -- to dig into stories behind the news, then deliver...

Trend.(various economic statistics)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... Trend. EMPLOYMENT (1) Latest Previous Previous month month year Total employed (000s) 3,713.8 3,711.0 ...

Think tank rues accuracy of its own grim prediction. (Economic Outlook).(Interview)
November 1, 2002... David L. Dodson is president of Chapel Hill-based MDC Inc., a private, nonprofit research group established in 1967 to help North Carolina make the transition from a segregated, agrarian economy to an industrial one with an integrated work...

Investors win when this company keeps tanking. (Money Matters).(Blue Rhino)
November 1, 2002... Rhinos love to eat and wallow in the mud. Billy Prim didn't really care about those characteristics when he dubbed his company Blue Rhino Corp. in 1994. He picked the name to get attention. Five years later, his company was acting like its...

Message on a bottle wasn't phrased well. (Tar Heel Tattler).
November 1, 2002... Water bottlers love to plaster their products with images of bubbling brooks and mountain meadows. But the competition in this roiling segment of the beverage industry -- Coca-Cola and Pepsi are investing billions -- can get as rough as...

SpectraSite finds towers in inferno. (Tar Heel Tattler).
November 1, 2002... SpectraSite Holdings had a risky yet tantalizing strategy. It would buy up cellular towers, then lease space on them to providers in the booming wireless-communication industry. And the company, started in 1997, grew fast -- sales hit $473...

Jar wars. (Tattle Tales).(Duke University ends boycott of Mt. Olive Pickle products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Duke University President Nan Keohane ended the school's six-month boycott of Mt. Olive Pickle, citing steps the company has taken to improve labor relations and worker safety. Turns out Duke's dining service didn't even use Mt. Olive products,...

Post Modern. (Tattle Tales).(Central Piedmont Community College cuts metal sculpture to make room)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Needing space to expand, Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte applied a cutting torch to a metal sculpture that was in the way and trashed the remnants. Relocating the piece, which was donated in 1983, would have cost $13,000. Local...

Discredited. (Tattle Tales).(National Association of Credit Management declares bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... A nonprofit based in Charlotte has declared bankruptcy, citing "substantial debt beyond its ability to pay." The National Association of Credit Management -- Carolinas conducted training seminars for its 500 members on, among other things, how...

Erogenous zoning. (Tattle Tales).(Swansboro zoning rules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Stephanie Midgett, owner of Club Tropics in Swansboro, wanted to sponsor a float in the town's annual Mullet Festival Parade featuring the winner of her bar's bikini contest. But town officials may torpedo her plans. They say if contestants...

Roadside detraction. (Tattle Tales).(Jerry Lewis criticizes Sanford's solicitation laws)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Comedian Jerry Lewis says Sanford City Council members are "a bunch of morons" for banning roadside solicitations. The ban kept local firefighters from asking for handouts for Lewis' Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon. Under it, their...

Decent exposure. (Tattle Tales).(UNC Chapel Hill takes control of sexually explicit Web site)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... UNC Chapel Hill has gained control of a sexually explicit Web site -- UNCGirls.com (Tar Heel Tattler, May 2000) -- thanks to a federal judge's order. As of late September, the site was still active, but the smut was gone. It directed visitors...

Ceiling them short. (Tattle Tales).(Goldsboro population statistics)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Goldsboro's official population will increase by 591, to 39,634. Seems the U.S. Census Bureau forgot to count 85 people scattered around town -- and 506 inmates in a state prison.

Hue to rue. (Tattle Tales).(Boomtown Furniture sign may receive grant to be repainted)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Sidney Popkin, owner of Boomtown Furniture, did what Jacksonville city officials wanted. He got rid of a sign painted on his store that violated a local ordinance. But he did it by painting the whole store a bright shade of yellow even he calls...

Liquor levies. (Data Bits).(tax collected from alcoholic beverages)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... LIQUOR LEVIES North Carolina collected more in alcohol-beverage taxes than all but three states in 2001. Tax revenue (millions) 1 Florida $545.5 2...

Will state take bait and switch license? (Tar Heel Tattler).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... When the General Assembly eliminated licensing for charter-boat captains during a 1997 overhaul of fishing regulations, Tar Heel captains cheered. Not anymore. Now anybody with a suitable boat can hire out as a charter captain. And...

Protests's traffic jam doesn't move mayor. (Tar Heel Tattler).(Pat McCrory)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory allows that black contractors went too far when they blocked Tryon Street downtown with tractor-trailer trucks to pressure the City Council into adopting a program to help them land more public jobs. But what really...

Advanced Internet Technologies. (Regional Report: Eastern).(acquires Netrophia)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... FAYETTEVILLE -- Advanced Internet Technologies, which designs and hosts Web sites, bought Brunswick, Ga.-based Netrophia, which offers similar services. Terms weren't disclosed. AIT, which projects revenue of $30 million this year, plans to...

Burlington Industries. (Regional Report: Eastern).(laid off workers eligible for benefits under NAFTA agreement)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... ROCKY MOUNT -- About 70 workers laid off from Greensboro-based Burlington Industries' plant here will be eligible for benefits such as retraining, job-search allowances and up to 78 weeks of unemployment pay under the North American Free Trade...

Global TransPark. (Regional Report: Eastern).(is buying 162 acres to complete its 11,500-foot runway)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... KINSTON -- The Global TransPark received permission from the state to buy 162 acres for up to $3.5 million to complete the cargo airport's 11,500-foot runway. It is scheduled to open by Dec. 16.

Convergys. (Regional Report: Eastern).(will double its work foce in Greenville, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... GREENVILLE -- Cincinnati-based Convergys, which handles billing and customer service for companies, will double its work force here to 600 by the end of the year. The company says it needs the employees because it signed a new client, which it...

StateLine Builders. (Regional Report: Eastern).(is buying a lot in Pasquotank County Commerce Park)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... ELIZABETH CITY -- Moyock-based StateLine Builders is buying a lot in Pasquotank County Commerce Park to expand manufacturing capacity. The company makes portable buildings, gazebos, children's gym sets and outdoor furniture. The factory will...

Magna Entertainment. (Regional Report: Eastern).(will build a $3 million staraw plant in Lumberton, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... LUMBERTON -- Magna Entertainment, a Canadian operator of horse racetracks, will build a 30-employee, $3 million straw plant here next year to convert wheat straw into horse bedding.

Business at state ports in Wilmington and Morehead City. (Regional Report: Eastern).(decreases 27% in the year ended 6/30/03)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Business at state ports in Wilmington and Morehead City decreased 27% in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Activity at bath ports declined, but the drop was much steeper -- 45.3% -- in Morehead City. Karen Fox, spokeswoman for the State Ports...

Hatteras Networks. (Regional Report: Triangle).(raises $45 million in venture capital)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... DURHAM -- Hatteras Networks, which makes telecommunications equipment, has raised $45 million in venture capital, which it will use to roll out its main product. The company's ethernet technology more efficiently bridges fiber-optic networks...

Waste Industries USA. (Regional Report: Triangle).(acquires Pelican Container)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- Waste Industries USA, formerly Waste Holdings, acquired Pelican Container, which operates in New Hanover and Brunswick counties, and North and South Sanitation, which operates in Wake and Johnston counties. Terms weren't disclosed.

Trimeris. (Regional Report: Triangle).(plans to sell 2 million additional shares of stock)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... DURHAM -- Trimeris, which is developing HIV drugs, asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for permission to sell 2 million additional shares of stock. Based on the price at the beginning of September, the offering could raise nearly...

ADMETech. (Regional Report: Triangle).(names Scott Neuvill as president and CEO)
November 1, 2002... CHAPEL HILL -- ADMETech, a drug company spun out of UNC Chapel Hill's pharmacy school, named Scott Neuville president and CEO. Neuville was CEO of iBiomatics, a subsidiary of Cary-based SAS Institute.

Highwoods Properties. (Regional Report: Triangle).(could be hurt by the bankruptcy of US Airways)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- Highwoods Properties, a real-estate investment trust, revealed that it could be hurt by the bankruptcy of US Airways, whose leases in Winston-Salem account for $6.9 million, about 1.5%, of High-wood's annual revenue. The office space...

Serenex. (Regional Report: Triangle).(raised $15 million in venture capital)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... DURHAM -- Serenex, which develops software and equipment to speed development of drugs, raised $15 million in venture capital and plans to add about 30 employees, doubling its staff. Among the investors was Durham-based Intersouth Partners.

Martin Marietta Materials. (Regional Report: Triangle).(signs a contract to run three mines and acquires an asphalt plant)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- Martin Marietta Materials, which mines and sells construction materials, bought an asphalt plant in San Antonio, Texas, and signed contracts to operate, with an option to buy, three limestone mines in Florida. Martin Marietta also...

LipoScience. (Regional Report: Triangle).(plans to sell up to $92 million of stock)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- LipoScience hopes to go public by selling as much as $92 million of stock. The company, which develops diagnostic tools for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, had asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for permission...

Winston Hotels. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- Winston Hotels, a real-estate investment trust, sold a 126-room Hampton Inn in Southern Pines to privately held McPeake Hotels for $3.8 million.

Closure Medical. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Daniel Pelak named president and CEO)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... RALEIGH -- Closure Medical, which makes adhesives for closing wounds, named Daniel Pelak president and CEO. He replaces Robert Toni, who retired. Pelak comes from Minneapolis-based medical-device maker Medtronic.

RBC Centura Banks. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Rocky Mount-based RBC Centura Banks has purchased the naming rights to Raleigh's Entertainment and Sports Arena for $80 million. The arena, which will be called the RBC Center, is home to the Carolina Hurricanes professional hockey team, and...

The Triangle's two most populous counties have the region's highest median household income. (Regional Report: Triangle).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... The Triangle's two most populous counties have the region's highest median household income. Median household income Wake $54,988 Durham 43,337 Chatham 42,851 Orange ...

Burlington Industries. (Regional Report: Triad).(to close distribution center and cut jobs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... GREENSBORO -- Burlington Industries will close a distribution center in Stokesdale and textile mill in Reidsville, but dates haven't been set. The closings, part of Burlington's efforts to emerge from bankruptcy, will cut about 330 jobs.

1st State Bancorp. (Regional Report: Triad).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... BURLINGTON -- 1st State Bancorp will buy back as many as 328,961 shares of its stock, about 10% of those outstanding, by the end of 2003. With the buyback, the bank hopes to increase earnings per share and return on equity.

Targacept. (Regional Report: Triad).(acquisition of Inversine from Layton Bioscience )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... WINSTON-SALEM -- Targacept, which was spun off by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco two years ago to search for medicinal uses for nicotine, bought Inversine, a hypertension drug, from California-based Layton Bioscience for an undisclosed amount. Targacept...

Lexington Home Brands. (Regional Report: Triad).(Mocksville furniture plant to close)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... LEXINGTON -- Blaming imports, Lexington Home Brands is dosing a Mocksville furniture plant, putting 360 people out of work. It's the first major change since the company's management team and Sun Capital Partners bought Lexington from Lifestyle...

Ford. (Regional Report: Triad).(distribution center to open in Mebane)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... MEBANE -- Ford is opening a 225,000-square-foot distribution center that will employ 50, most of them transfers from other Ford plants. It should open in July and will supply auto parts to 337 dealers in the Southeast.

Banner Pharmacaps. (Regional Report: Triad).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... HIGH POINT -- Drug maker Banner Pharmacaps will consolidate domestic manufacturing here and add 100 jobs, boosting the total to about 600. At the same time, Banner will close its other U.S. plant, which is in Southern California.

First Bancorp. (Regional Report: Triad).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... TROY -- First Bancorp will buy back an additional 200,000 shares when it finishes its repurchase of 150,000 shares, which started in October 2001. First Bancorp was trading at about $25 -- near its 52week high of $27.52 -- in September.

Gilbarco. (Regional Report: Triad).(90 more jobs to be cut)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... GREENSBORO -- Gilbarco, a maker of gas pumps and accounting systems for service stations, cut 90 more production jobs, bringing the total to slightly more than 300. The company cited slow sales, a product phaseout and efficiency gains. Gilbarco...

Culp. (Regional Report: Triad).(plans for closing Chattanooga plant)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... HIGH POINT -- Fabric maker Culp is closing a Chattanooga, Tenn., plant, hoping to cut costs by as much as $15 million annually by shifting production to other plants. Culp lost $3.4 million in its last fiscal year and $23.2 million the quarter...

FNB Financial Services. (Regional Report: Triad).(looks for approval to expand into Northern Virginia)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... REIDSVILLE -- FNB Financial Services is seeking regulatory approval to expand its mortgage operations into northern Virginia. FNB operates 17 banks in North Carolina and Virginia and seven mortgage-origination offices in the two states.

Piedmont Triad International Airport. (Regional Report: Triad).(funding from Federal Aviation Administration for runway and taxiway)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... GREENSBORO -- Piedmont Triad International Airport received $10.8 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to help build a runway and a connecting taxiway that will partly serve a planned FedEx package-sorting hub. As a result, the FAA...

Piedmont Triad Research Park. (Regional Report: Triad).(plans for expansion)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Piedmont Triad Research Park in Winston-Salem should look a lot different 15 years from now. Park developers announced plans for a 180-acre expansion that would make the park 10 times larger. It now consists of four buildings and has about 600...

The increase in the Triad metro area's foreign-born pouplation is larger than most. (Regional Report: Triad).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The increase in the Triad metro area's foreign-born pouplation is larger than most. * 1 Nashville, Tenn. 57.4% 2 Atlanta 53.2 3 Louisville, Ky. 51.5 4 Minneapolis 50.5 5 Triad 49.0 6...

Duke Power. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- Duke Power launched a plan to spur reuse and redevelopment of vacant industrial buildings in the Carolinas by giving occupants 50% off electricity bills. The discount will apply for the first year of five-year leases.

Freightliner. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(new $54 million production line installed at North Carolina plant)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... MOUNT HOLLY -- From an investment standpoint, a new $54 million production line for medium-duty trucks here is good news. But Freightliner, the Oregon-based truck maker, says it won't rehire any of 475 local workers laid off in the summer of...

John Q. Hammons. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(hotel planned near Lowe's Motor Speedway)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CONCORD -- Missouri-based John Q. Hammons, a hotel-development company, is drawing plans for a $40 million Embassy Suites Hotel and convention center near Lowe's Motor Speedway. Construction will begin next spring.

V3 Systems. (Regional Report: Charlotte).($11.5 million in financing obtained)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- V3 Systems, which helps manufacturers streamline supply-chain management, has obtained $11.5 million to be used mostly in sales and marketing.

Gaston Chamber of Commerce. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... GASTONIA -- The Gaston Chamber of Commerce named Bob Morgan, a former vice president of the Charlotte chamber, its CEO. Morgan is the Gaston chamber's fourth CEO in three years.

Harvest States Foods. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(to build new plant in North Carolina)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... NEWTON -- Harvest States Foods, based in Minnesota, will build a bakery to merge its tortilla plant in Newton and its corn-chip plant in Claremont. The new plant, slated to open by July 2003, will employ about 70 people.

CommScope. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(lays off 250 more workers)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... HICKORY -- Citing continued weakness in the optical-fiber market, CommScope laid off 250 more workers -- about 8% of its work force -- at its five U.S. plants. That leaves it with about 3,000. Corning Cable Systems, another fiber maker, says it...

Timken. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(plans $16 million expansion )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... LINCOLNTON -- A $16 million expansion of the Timken plant here will create 44 jobs. The plant makes bearings for truck wheels and industrial applications. And Lincoln County agreed to chip in $250,000.

Information Architects. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Nasdaq delists Information Architects)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- Nasdaq delisted Information Architects, which soared in the late '90s on the strength of its Y2K software, then tanked when it failed to reposition itself. Its stock recently was selling for 24 cents a share.

US Airways. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(to drop 32 domestic flights)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- US Airways will drop 32 domestic flights from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in November but add a flight to San Jose, Costa Rica, in early 2003. The airline filed for bankruptcy in August.

Goodrich. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(asks for permission to issue $2.4 billion in equity or debt)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- Goodrich, which makes aerospace equipment, asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for permission to issue $2.4 billion in equity or debt. The company will decide which kinds of securities to sell as the need arises.

Bissell Development. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(to construct a $15 million building in Ballantyne Corporate Park)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE -- Bissell Development will construct a $15 million, 125,000-square-foot building in Ballantyne Corporate Park. The announcement comes despite a weak market for office space. The park is part of a 2,000-acre mixed-use development in...

The Winston. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(to remain at Lowe's Motor Speedway)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Winston, a stock-car race worth $75 million annually in television rights, hotel roams, restaurant and souvenir sales and other economic activity, will remain at Lowe's Motor Speedway at least another year. NASCAR, which sanctions the race,...

Despite all its white-collar jobs, Charlotte's annual manufacturing payroll is still the region's largest. (Regional Report: Charlotte).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... Despite all its white-collar jobs, Charlotte's annual manufacturing payroll is still the region's largest. Payroll (millions) Mecklenburg $1,498.1 Catawba 1,183,0 Gaston 803.1 Rowan...

Nanotech Capital. (Regional Report: Western).(Oak Ridge National Laboratory contract)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... TRYON -- Nanotech Capital, a venture-capital group based here, reached an agreement to find commercial uses for discoveries from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Terms weren't revealed. The company's name is taken from...

Cherokee Helicopters. (Regional Report: Western).(receives attorney general ruling)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... SYLVA -- Jackson County can't regulate sightseeing flights by Qualla-based Cherokee Helicopters, the state's attorney general says. The flights, which began in 1999, continued after county commissioners banned them in November 2001.

Parkway Bank. (Regional Report: Western).(to receive construction project tax incentives )
November 1, 2002... LENOIR -- Parkway Bank will get state tax breaks of $19,706 over three years to help with building a 9,000-square-foot headquarters and office building. The $1.4 million expansion could allow the bank to double its staff of 16.

Drake Enterprises. (Regional Report: Western).(purchases building)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... FRANKLIN -- Drake Enterprises has bought a former Nantahala Power & Light building and moved about 100 of its 455 employees into it. The company, which makes and sells tax-preparation software, expects to use the building for an expansion.

Town officials rejected a plea by real-estate agents. (Regional Report: Western).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... BLACK MOUNTAIN -- Town officials rejected a plea by real-estate agents to lift a ban on signs that direct people to houses for sale. Agents say their calls have dropped by 50% since the ban was imposed earlier this year.

Bristol Compressors. (Regional Report: Western).(closes plant)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... SPARTA -- Virginia-based Bristol Compressors closed its plant here in September, eliminating about 60 jobs. Alleghany County, Sparta and three regional economic-development agencies are trying to recoup $7.36 million from the maker of...

Blue Ridge Paper Products. (Regional Report: Western).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... CANTON -- Blue Ridge Paper Products will spend $14 million in the next three years to reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions at its paper mill here. The improvements will help the company, which makes beverage containers and envelopes, meet new state...

Agfa-Gevaert Group. (Regional Report: Western).(to close X-ray film plant in Cedar Mountain)
November 1, 2002... CEDAR MOUNTAIN -- About 330 workers will lose jobs when Belgium-based Agfa-Gevaert Group closes its X-ray film plant here in late November. The company is consolidating North American X-ray film plants at its Bushy Park, S.C., location.

Counties in the Western Region have some of the state's best and worst business-failure rates. (Regional Report: Western).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... Counties in the Western Region have some of the state's best and worst business-failure rates. Lowest Rate Ranking Transylvania 4.3% 3 Yancey 4.6 4 Watauga 5.3 7 Alleghany 5.9 12...

Aluminum foiled: built as a company town, Badin ponders its prospects if Alcoa departs. Will it find a future wrapped in its past? (Feature).
November 1, 2002... David Summerlin grins as he points out items in an Alcoa salesman's wooden sample case: a rod and piston, a jar lid, a handful of nuts and bolts, a packet of aluminum foil, even a tiny bas-relief portrait of Teddy Roosevelt. They are on display...

Share cropping: credit unions show up for the first time on our ranking of the state's largest financial institutions -- in a big way. (Banking).(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2002... During its first 26 years, Reynolds Carolina Federal Credit Union turned away all would be members except R.J. Reynolds Tobacco workers and their families. Even when it first reached outside of Reynolds in 1993, it wasn't bold. It admitted...

The non prophet: true believer Jim Blaine builds the nation's second-biggest credit union and the state's fifth-largest financial institution.(State Employees Credit Union)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2002... Jim Blame needed a job. After flunking out of the UNC Chapel Hill's MBA program in 1973, he hauled bricks on construction sites. That was not, he quickly decided, a way he wanted to make his living. So he went to the Employment Security...

A formula for success: six decades after dashing a dream of being a research chemist, Martha Guy keeps her bank at the top of our periodic tables. (Banking).
November 1, 2002... When Martha Guy gets too old to run Avery County Bank, another banker is eager to buy it. That would be John Forlines, chairman of Bank of Granite in Granite Falls, who says, "She's got a great little bank." And Forlines may be the sort of...

Radio active: in small markets, independent AM stations survive by playing to their strength: They know who's listening. (Feature).
November 1, 2002... A full moon still hangs over Mount Jefferson as Mike Powers parks his pickup beside a brick ranch house flanked by white satellite dishes. The clock reads 5:30 as he plops in a swivel chair and starts pulling compact disks from racks of country...

2002 Meeting & Convention Guide. (Special Advertising Section).(several places exist in North Carolina for business meetings and conventions)(Directory)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... Across various segments of the economy, one thing that many North Carolina companies and organizations have in common is tight budgets. And while an economic slowdown certainly presents a number of challenges, it also opens up new and...

Asheville: living high in the west. (Special Advertising Section: Regional Focus).(a discussion of the development of the city of Asheville, North Carolina)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2002... Twenty years ago, the federal General Services Administration made public its plans to spend $8 million to renovate the massive downtown Asheville complex where it stored national weather information. But some local folks had a better idea. It...

Pet projects let him shoot sick animals. (People).(a discussion of Advanced Medical Productions Inc. president Bill Hayes)(Biography)
November 1, 2002... Almost nothing in Bill Hayes' early years augured a career as a documentary filmmaker. He grew up on a Mount Airy tobacco-and-chicken farm, hoping to be a professional baseball player. "But I couldn't hit a curve ball." His only exposure to...

From government, she's got a hand out. (People).(a discussion of North Carolina Biotechnology Center president and CEO Leslie Alexandre)(Biography)
November 1, 2002... Leslie Alexandre's experience in Washington as a legislative staffer, then lobbyist, made her a natural choice to be president and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. After all, the private nonprofit, which promotes research and...

He counsels clients to avoid his kind. (People).(a profile of lawyer Pete Anderson)
November 1, 2002... Charlotte lawyer Pete Anderson doesn't mind representing companies charged with crimes. After all, he cut his teeth prosecuting companies that broke federal environmental laws and, like any litigator, enjoys the combat of the courtroom. But...

Bricks & Mortar.
November 1, 2002... You don't always have to climb the corporate ladder to get to the top: A window washer spruces up the Wachovia Center, a 30-year-old dowager among downtown Charlotte's bank towers. Behind it rise the spires of Bank of America's 60-story...