Business North Carolina articles from October 2004

Business North Carolina archives from October 2004

By George.(Up Front)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
October 1, 2004... A heart attack snatched George Breisacher at his home Aug. 11, 13 days before his 65th birthday. Born in Ohio, reared in Michigan, he came South in 1973 to work as a staff illustrator for The Charlotte Observer. On the side, he created a...

Trend.(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Latest Previous Previous % change month month year from last year ...

Books.(Executive Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Hugh Morton's North Carolina By Hugh Morton Foreword by William Friday This best-selling collection of photographs and their stories by the state's most popular photographer is a gift any North Carolinian would want on their desk...

Gourmet snacks.(Executive Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Aunt Ruby's Peanuts of historic Halifax County offers a wide variety of gift-pack combinations of their delicious country-style peanuts, roasted redskins, chocolate peanut clusters, honey-roasted and salted-in-shell peanuts. [ILLUSTRATION...

Apparel.(Executive Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... "If you don't know furs, know your furrier." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You'll feel sensational in a Hertzberg Fur! Hertzberg Furs 6019B Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, NC 27612 (919) 782-2165 (800) 876-3877

Gourmet snacks.(Executive Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Carolina Cookie is how holiday gifts get done. Your business associates, family and friends will be glad you called Carolina Cookie Company. Call (800) 447-5797 to order or to receive our catalog. You can also visit us at:...

Magazines.(Executive Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Not just a magazine, but the unbiased source of business information in North Carolina. It's the perfect gift that keeps on giving all year long for your friends, clients or prospects. Get 12 months of Business North Carolina for just $30. We...

Wine.(Executive Gift Guide)(Shelton Vineyards)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Committed to producing world-class wines in North Carolina's Yadkin Valley, Shelton Vineyards offers unique gifts--from wine and basket shipments to wine-club memberships and wine-barrel adoptions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Discover the...

State needs a strategy to sow up seed money.(Economic Outlook)
October 1, 2004... North Carolina companies raised $368.3 million in venture capital in 2003, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the National Venture Capital Association and Thomson Venture Economics. Though the state was ninth in the nation in...

Welcome from the mayor.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... On behalf of the City Council and the citizens of Kannapolis, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the City of Kannapolis, North Carolina. Kannapolis is a city with a proud history that provides a strong foundation for continued prosperity....

General info.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Kannapolis, North Carolina, is a thriving city located northeast of Charlotte in Cabarrus and Rowan counties along the Interstate 85 corridor in the heart of the Piedmont region, the fastest-growing business corridor in the southeastern United...

Breaking new ground for business.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A new day has dawned for Kannapolis, North Carolina. Historically known as a one-industry town reliant on textile manufacturing, Kannapolis has made great strides over the past decade to diversify its economy and recruit new business and...

Work-force data.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Total new jobs listed and placed by the Salisbury JobLink. Employment Security Commission Year Number of Jobs 2003 1,376 1st quarter, 2004 1,050 Total new jobs created by Cabarrus County ...

Unique development opportunities.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... With a $3 million public investment, the city developed Kannapolis Gateway Business Park in 2001. The Kannapolis Gateway Business Park is a partner-ship between the city and Charlotte developer Mark-PiercePoole Properties Inc., a...

Business parks.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Novant Health, based in Winston-Salem, recently announced a ten-year lease with Charlotte developers MarkPiercePoole Properties Inc. for the 57,600-square-foot shell building in the city-owned Kannapolis Gateway Business Park for their first...

Available industrial land and building space.(Brief Article)(Directory)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... SITE SIZE SPACE Kannapolis Gateway 85 acres, including Planned 753,000 square Business Park 12 acres for retail feet of industrial space Childress Klein 275 acres Planned...

Retail.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Construction of NorthLite II, a 50-acre commercial and office development, is under way. NorthLite II is adjacent to NorthLite Center, a 110-acre development with I-85 frontage that is anchored by a Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Kohl's. NorthLite II...

We will work with you.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Opportunities for public/private partnerships. * City and county industrial incentive grants and additional incentives from the State of North Carolina. * Competitive property-tax rate at $0.497 per $100 of home value. *...

Shoe show.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... "Kannapolis, N.C., is a perfect place to locate a business, with easy access to transportation, such as rail, the interstate highway system and three airports. An investment in commercial real-estate in Kannapolis is a solid one right now. You...

Major retail facilities.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... RETAIL CITY LEADING DISTANCE TO MAJOR FACILITY STORES THOROUGHFARES Cannon Village Kannapolis Carolina Interiors, Less than four ...

Demographic trends and projections.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * The 2000 Census estimated a total population of 36,910 for the City of Kannapolis. The current state-estimated population is 38,245. * Kannapolis experienced an annual growth rate of 28 percent from 1990 to 2000, which is 10th-highest...

Major business employers.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. Number of employees 1. NorthEast Medical Center 3,700 2. Philip Morris 2,600 3. Wal-Mart 750 4. CT Communications 670 5. Sysco Food...

Education and training.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Kannapolis is located within 45 miles of 15 primary and secondary educational facilities, such as Rowan Cabarrus Community College, with one branch located in Kannapolis, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, home to more than...

Area map.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Kannapolis is conveniently located just northeast of Charlotte in Cabarrus and Rowan counties along the Interstate 85 corridor in the heart of the Piedmont region. North Carolina's fastest-growing business corridor. Kannapolis enjoys a moderate...

Quality of life and area attractions.
October 1, 2004... Kannapolis is known for its blend of a unique heritage and new conveniences. From shopping in Cannon Village to Concord Mills, from the old mill house historic area to new subdivisions, Kannapolis has married tradition with the present day to...

Wilson county loses jobs in the mail.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... It will take a while, but Wilson County is losing more jobs. Cox Target Media, the direct-mail subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Newspapers, will close its Elm City plant to consolidate operations near its Largo, Fla., headquarters. But the plant...

TRW.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GREENVILLE -- Livonia, Mich.-based TRW, which makes rack-and-pinion-steering parts, planned to close its factory here in late September. Opened in 1979, it once employed 375. About 115 were to be laid off.

Unifi.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... KINSTON -- Greensboro-based Yarn maker Unifi will buy Invista's polyester-filament plant here for $21 million. Invista, a division of Wichita, Kan.-based Koch Industries, makes polyester yarn fibers at the plant. Operations here account for...

Burlington Industries.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RAEFORD -- Blaming foreign competition and casual dress for work, Burlington Industries laid off about 70 workers at its plant here, which makes yarn and dyes polyester and wool blends. The plant employs about 500.

The Riggings.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... KURE BEACH -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the town $3.6 million to demolish The Riggings, a condominium complex on the verge of washing into the ocean, and rebuild it nearby. Sandbags have protected the 48-unit building...

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint and several groups, including Golden LEAF.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GREENVILLE -- Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint and several groups, including Golden LEAF, which administers half of the state's cut of the national tobacco settlement, will spend $14.6 million to establish high-speed Internet service in much of...

Fairfield Inn at Cross Creek Mall.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... FAYETTEVILLE -- A group of San Francisco investors bought the Fairfield Inn at Cross Creek Mall for $5.3 million. It was the seventh local hotel to change hands recently amid strong demand from reservists being trained at Fort Bragg to serve in...

US Airways Express.(Eastern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GREENVILLE -- Arlington, Va.-based US Airways Express began a sixth daily flight at Pitt-Greenville Airport. The latest is another to Charlotte.

Working capital.(Regional Report)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Source: Employment Security Commission, June. Figures are not seasonally adjusted. The index is the number of jobs as a percentage of the average in 2000. [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Tech company upgrades N.C. presence.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Network Appliance, a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based data-storage-system maker, is expanding in North Carolina. The company employs about 150 at a research-and-development and sales operation in Durham. It is buying three buildings in Research Triangle...

Inspire Pharmaceuticals.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... DURHAM -- Drug maker Inspire Pharmaceuticals raised about $77.1 million in a secondary stock offering. The company, which sold 6.9 million shares at $12 each, hopes to get U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval by the end of next year for...

Hosted Solutions.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CARY -- Data-center operator Hosted Solutions, formerly Spring-board Managed Hosting, bought Raleigh-based rival Redundant Networks data center and client base. Terms weren't disclosed. Hosted Solutions planned to add 10 employees to its 28.

BioDelivery Services.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- Newark, N.J.-based BioDelivery Services, which is developing drugs for cancer and other diseases, bought Arius Pharmaceuticals for $2.5 million in stock. Arius, which has three employees here, will operate as a...

Underwriters Laboratories.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- Northbrook, Ill.-based product-safety tester Underwriters Laboratories is moving up to 200 of its 371 jobs here to its headquarters and to Melville, N.Y., during the next year. It once employed nearly 600 here.

Red Hat.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RALEIGH -- Red Hat, which sells and services the Linux computer-operating system, restated earnings for the past three years. For the fiscal year that ended Feb. 29, the company restated net income as $13.7 million, down from $14 million. For...

Andrx.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... MORRISVILLE -- Andrx, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based generic-drug maker, says it likely will sell a plant it is renovating here. The company bought the plant and 96 acres in 2003 from Bristol-Meyers Squibb for $22.6 million. Andrx planned to...

Cree.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... DURHAM -- Cree, which makes light-emitting diodes and semiconductors, is spending $300 million to expand its manufacturing capacity. The company, which employs 964 in North Carolina, plans to add 300 jobs beginning this fall. It will receive...

Curtis Media Group.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RALEIGH -- Curtis Media Group bought WRBZ-AM from Roslyn, N.Y.-based Alchemy Communications. Curtis paid $8.7 million for the 10,000-watt radio station, which will keep its sports-talk format.

Paradigm Genetics.(Triangle)(Icoria)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- Gene-researcher Paradigm Genetics changed its name to Icoria, which it says reflects its new focus on health care and agriculture. Its Nasdaq ticker is now ICOR.

SpectraSite.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CARY -- SpectraSite closed on its $50 million purchase of 191 leases for satellite towers from San Antonio-based SBC Communications.

Charles & Colvard.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... MORRISVILLE -- Imitation-diamond maker Charles & Colvard moved into a larger office and manufacturing space. The 16,500-foot building doubles its manufacturing capacity. Robert Thomas, president and CEO, says the company could add to its 55...

Four Moore County.(Triangle)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Four Moore County golf courses made Golf Magazine's "Top 100 You Can Play" list, which ranks the nation's daily-fee, resort and semi-private golf courses. Pinehurst No. 2 was fourth. Two other Pinehurst courses, No. 4 and No. 8, were 82nd and...

Technimark.(Triad)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ASHEBORO -- Technimark will invest $36.5 million in an expansion of its plastic-molding business here. The company is building a 31,000-square-foot plant and will add 79 jobs within three years. It employs about 355 in Randolph County.

Weil-McLain.(Triad)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... EDEN -- Michigan City, Ind.-based boiler manufacturer Weil-McLain, part of Charlotte-based SPX, plans to start assembly operations in a 412,000-square-foot former Pillowtex plant here. It will open in the first quarter of 2005 and will employ...

Purolator Facet.(Triad)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GREENSBORO -- Purolator Facet, part of Rockford, Ill.-based filter maker Clarcor, moved a division here from Massachusetts. Purolator Advanced Filtration employs 36 at a 97,000-square-foot plant. Purolator Facet has about 200 employees in...

HomeServices of America.(Triad)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... WINSTON SALEM -- Minneapolis-based HomeServices of America, a real-estate company that's part of Omaha, Neb.-based Berkshire Hathaway, bought Graham & Boles Properties, based here. Terms were not disclosed. It will fold the agency into...

Wendover Financial Services.(Triad)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GREENSBORO -- Loan processor Wendover Financial Services, part of Plano, Texas-based Electronic Data Systems, will cut 60 jobs here by the end of October. Most are clerical positions.

Motivational speaker will head HPU.(Triad)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... High Point University named local businessman Nido Qubein, 56, president. He will succeed Jacob Martinson, who will retire in December after 19 years. Qubein immigrated to the United States from Jordan in 1966. He earned an associate degree in...

AirTran Airways.(Triad)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... AirTran Airways, part of Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran Holding, discontinued service to Piedmont Triad International Airport after six years. AirTran told PTI that it wasn't attracting enough business travelers, who often pay higher fares because...

Deal will steal Charlotte headquarters.(Charlotte)
October 1, 2004... Charlotte is expected to lose a corporate headquarters in October when Venturi Partners merges with Houston-based Comsys Holding, a private information-technology staffing company, in an all-stock transaction estimated at $104 million. Venturi,...

Oiles America.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CONCORD -- Oiles America, part of Japan-based Oiles, will build a 32,000-square-foot building next to its 50,000-square-foot factory and add 20 jobs, bringing the total to 100, by year-end. It makes self-lubricating bearings for automakers.

Time Warner Cable.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- Stamford, Conn.-based Time Warner Cable cut about half of its 90 jobs at News 14 Carolina, a 24-hour local-news operation it owns here. It will move technical and administrative work to Raleigh, where it has a similar channel.

MedCath.(Charlotte)(MedCath heart-hospital chain)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- Steven Puckett, founder of MedCath heart-hospital chain, resigned as chairman. Puckett, who is chairman and founder of Hospital Partners of America, also based here, cited a potential conflict of interest, saying the two chains...

Neiman Marcus.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- Dallas-based department-store chain Neiman Marcus will open an 80,000-square-foot store here in 2006. It will employ between 150 and 200 and will be the upscale chain's only store between Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

Mitchell Gold.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... TAYLORSVILLE -- Furniture maker Mitchell Gold added 100 jobs at its headquarters here. The company, which employs about 700, increased the size of its headquarters to about 660,000 square feet, building an additional 240,000 square feet of...

Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- Charlotte/Douglas International Airport received $15.4 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to build a third runway, buy emergency vehicles and make other upgrades.

Actron Manufacturing.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- SPX bought Cleve-land-based Actron Manufacturing, which makes diagnostic equipment for the automotive aftermarket industry. Terms weren't disclosed.

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, part of Falls Church, Va.-based defense contractor General Dynamics, received a $25 million contract from the Army to build equipment that can detect and identify biological-warfare...

U.S. Department of Transportation.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE -- The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the city $11.5 million for its light-rail project. The 10-mile system could begin operation as early as 2006.

Hooker Furniture.(Charlotte)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Martinsville, Va.-based Hooker Furniture will close its plant in Maiden by the end of October, cutting 240 jobs--13% of its work force. Hooker employs about 600 in North Carolina and makes wood furniture for home use at the 200,000-square-foot...

German company picks Enka for plant.(Western)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Jacob Holm Industries, a German company that makes nonwoven fabric for products such as baby wipes, industrial-cleaning towels, and hospital gowns and masks, will build a $40 million, 150,000-square-foot plant in Enka, near Asheville. The...

Consolidated Metco.(Western)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CANTON -- Portland, Ore.-based Consolidated Metco unveiled plans for a $10 million expansion of its injection-molding operations. It bought a 219,000-square-foot plant here and was to add about 70 workers to the more than 400 it employs in...

Progress Energy.(Western)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ASHEVILLE -- Raleigh-based Progress Energy will spend nearly $3 million to remove about 10,000 tons of contaminated dirt from a site downtown and will donate the land to the city for a park by the end of this year. Once occupied by a...

Skyland Architectural Woodwork.(Western)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SYLVA -- Skyland Architectural Woodwork, which makes doors, shutters and other products, opened a 14-employee operation in a 30,000-square-foot former apparel plant. Financial details weren't disclosed.

R & V Warren Farms.(Western)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... MILLS RIVER -- A former tomato farm, auctioned by the federal government after its owners pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government of $9.2 million, brought about $4.25 million. Owners of R & V Warren Farms were accused of beating...

Nuclear plant's siren signals bye-bye birdies.(Tar Heel Tattler)
October 1, 2004... Her birds are prize breeders, and her pasta l'autruche--ostrich-filled ravioli with bourbon creme sauce--is to die for. But when a neighbor put up a "screw the ostriches" sign, Madeleine Calder knew he wasn't promoting procreation for her Apex...

Town says Lowe's price is too high.(Tar Heel Tattler)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... When Roxboro Mayor Steve Joyner has a big project around the house, he drives a half-hour to Durham to shop at Lowe's. So when the Mooresville-based retailer said it wanted to build a store in Roxboro, he was thrilled. But to borrow a line...

Things get sticky with Krispy Kreme.(Tar Heel Tattler)
October 1, 2004... Walk into a Krispy Kreme store and you'll find a wall of glass through which customers can see doughnuts being made. Company executives hope their transactions can stand up to that kind of scrutiny from federal regulators. The Securities...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2004... The Top 75 chart in the August issue incorrectly reported Southern Community Financial Corp.'s outstanding shares. The Winston-Salem company had 17.7 million, making its market capitalization $184.2 million, which ranked 55th among the state's...

Alexander Hamilton.(What They're Reading)(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Russell Robinson, partner, Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's an exceptionally well-written biography of the least well-known founding father and the person probably most...

Angels & Demons.(What They're Reading)(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Kel Landis, CEO, RBC Centura Banks Angels & Demons by Dan Brown [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I was drawn to Angels & Demons after reading Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which was a real thriller based on an engaging mix of history and...

Things Worth Fighting For.(What They're Reading)(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Rick Carlisle, managing partner, Dogwood Equity Things Worth Fighting For by Michael Kelly [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is a collection of his articles and columns over a several-year period that gets his thoughts and insights on...

Dead-solid perfect.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Dead-solid perfect: Catawba Memorial Park, Funerals and Cremations in Hickory opened a new section--Forever on the Green--around a real putting green. Dearly departed duffers can be cremated, entombed or buried in the section's Fairway Estates....

Gender bender.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Gender bender: When California-based Mantra Films, which produces those Girls Gone Wild videos of bosom-baring, hard-partying babes hawked on late-night TV, came to a Raleigh nightclub, a long line formed outside. Only problem: Just one of...

Getting your money's worth.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Getting your money's worth: It costs students living on campus $6,876 a semester to attend Barber-Scotia College in Concord. But this fall, it offered to enroll them for only $688 (the remainder paid through work-study jobs and scholarships)....

O brother.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... O brother: The feds indicted Bill Campbell, former Atlanta mayor and brother of watchdog N.C. State Auditor Ralph Campbell, on charges of corruption, bribery, tax fraud and racketeering. Somewhere in North Carolina, a profligate state employee...

Data bits.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... Alleghany County has the state's highest ratio of cars and trucks to people; Onslow, the lowest. Highest Alleghany 97.3% Dare 95.1 Ashe 94.6 Camden 93.8 Macon 93.8 Lowest Onslow 63.6 Hoke...

Judge not.(Tattle Tales)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Judge not: A Charlotte Observer series on drunken-driving cases reported that Mecklenburg District Judge Jerome Leonard believes in giving defendants the benefit of the doubt, which explains why he acquitted 50 DWI cases brought before him,...

Sprayed, not stirred.(Tattle Tales)(Alcohol Without Liquid)(Spirit Partners)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Sprayed, not stirred: Greensboro-based Spirit Partners acquired the U.S. distribution rights for a device that allows imbibers to inhale their booze. The British-made Alcohol Without Liquid--AWOL--is a $3,000 device that mixes oxygen with a...