Winston-Salem Journal articles from February 2004

Winston-Salem Journal archives from February 2004

Investment Firm to Buy Greensboro, N.C.-Based Guilford Mills.
February 28, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 28--Guilford Mills Inc. said yesterday that it has agreed to be sold for $107 million to an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management LP, a privately held investment firm in New York. Cerberus said it plans...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Business to Take Over Airport Taxi Service.
February 28, 2004... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Feb. 28--For more than a decade, Airport Express has been providing exclusive taxicab service at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. That relationship comes to an end April 1. The struggling taxicab...

Northwest North Carolina Funeral Homes Offer 'Memories of a Lifetime' Videos.
February 27, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 27--Advancements in technology are enabling three Northwest North Carolina funeral homes to provide a timely celebration-of-life element to the solemn time of family visitation. Hayworth-Miller Funeral...

Human Resources Professionals Stress Improved Education for Job Seekers.
February 27, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 27--Atrium Windows and Doors is nearly one-third through an expansion that could create 250 jobs at its manufacturing plant in Welcome this year. Hiring, however, has been hindered because some of the...

Belgian Bedding Manufacturer Seeks Incentives for Forsyth County, N.C., Plant.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 26--Bekaert Textiles USA Inc. is requesting up to $230,000 in local economic incentives to help pay for a two-phase expansion of its plant at Union Cross Business Park in southeast Forsyth County. Bekaert...

Independent Regional Book Publisher in Winston-Salem, N.C., Turns 50 This Year.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 26--Most publishers have hopes of landing that one book that can bring them instant success. John F. Blair Publisher, an independent regional publisher in Winston-Salem which turns 50 this year, has had...

Credit-Card Users Face Increased Fees for Late Payments.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 26--Credit-card users, particularly those customers who have accounts with larger banks, face another round of fee increases. Wachovia Corp. notified customers in their February credit-card statement that...

Investment-Banking Firm Wants to Open an Office in Winston-Salem, N.C.
February 25, 2004... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Feb. 25--To look at him, you wouldn't know Bowman Gray IV is a bit of a gambling man. Gray, the vice president of Miller Johnson Steichen Kinnard, an investment-banking company based in Minnesota, plans to...

R.J. Reynolds in Talks to Sell Packaging Division.
February 24, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 24--Talks with potential buyers of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s packaging division are under way, but there's no word on when a deal might be concluded. "We are in talks with buyers and the talks are...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Health-Care Firm Hires Consultant to Help with FDA Review.
February 23, 2004... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Feb. 23--As president of MRI Cardiac Services Inc. in Winston-Salem, Scott Huber knows a lot about information systems and small-business management. Dealing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Jobs Likely to Stay Intact despite Possible Bank Cuts.
February 21, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 21--BB&T Corp. is considering cutting some back-office jobs as it evaluates potential offshore operations, but officials said yesterday that its work force in Winston-Salem likely would not be impacted. ...

Winston-Salem, N.C.-Based BB&T Bank May Not Pursue Acquisitions in 2004-05.
February 20, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 20--Lingering "indigestion" from 2003 bank purchases could keep BB&T Corp. on the acquisition sideline through 2005, officials said during yesterday's annual investor and analysts conference. John...

Auto Dealers Generate Most Complaints to BBB of Northwest North Carolina.
February 20, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 20--Consumer complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau of Northwest North Carolina were down last year from 2002, but dealers of new and used automobiles generated the most complaints for the second...

Furniture Retailers Today Compete on More Than Prices, Industry Officials Say.
February 20, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 20--The days of competing on price alone are over for furniture retailers, according to industry officials. "Furniture retailers have to wake up and realize their strengths and weaknesses," Jerry Epperson,...

Wake Forest University Student Creates Computer 'Away Message'-Reader Program.
February 20, 2004... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Feb. 20--Nick Gray discovered he had too many friends. Like hundreds of other Wake Forest University students, Gray relies heavily on the "buddy list" service available from America Online's Instant Messenger...

Thomasville, N.C., Plywood Supplier Commits to Domestic Customers.
February 20, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 20--Sterling & Adams Bentwood Inc., a Thomasville plywood supplier, has decided that it will live or die with its domestic customers despite the onslaught of Chinese home-furnishings imports. "And we can...

Downtown Winston-Salem, N.C., to House Marriott Hotel, Embassy Suites.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 18--The proposed Marriott Hotel in downtown Winston-Salem could reinvigorate efforts to attract larger and more upscale conventions to the community, local tourism and business leaders said yesterday. ...

Clemmons, N.C., Firm Offers Medicare Service to Area Public, Private Entities.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 18--CLEMMONS, N.C. -- A Clemmons medical-services company is providing a financial lifeline to public, volunteer and private emergency agencies dealing with tight budgets. EMS Management & Consultants...

Winston-Salem, N.C.-Based Propane Company Sold Due to Costs of Regulation.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 18--Costly regulations that govern public companies are one reason why Blue Rhino Corp. decided to sell itself to a Missouri company, according to a regulatory filing. When Blue Rhino announced last week that...

Proponent Says Free-Trade Pact Means Reduced U.S. Textiles -- versus None.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 18--GREENSBORO, N.C.--Supporters of the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement said yesterday that passage of the controversial deal could be the difference between a reduced, but viable U.S. textile...

High Point, N.C., Film Production Company Adapts to High Definition Technology.
February 17, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 17--HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Working together isn't for every married couple, but it's right for Ellen Gefen and Mark Caudill, the owners of Gefen Productions. "It's something we've always done," Gefen said. ...

Martinsville, Va.-Based Furniture Maker Takes No Position on China Petition.
February 17, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 17--Hooker Furniture Corp. said yesterday that it is taking a neutral stance on a federal anti-dumping petition targeting Chinese wood-bedroom furniture after being a prominent supporter since July. ...

North Carolina Productivity Gains Fail to Translate into Job Creation.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 16--Chuck Smith hears that the Triad economy is recovering, but he wonders when he will be allowed to participate. He's not the only local out-of-work resident questioning whether 2004 will be a brighter...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Sports Marketing Firm Scores Big-League Successes.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 16--In the early days of Accessory Brands Inc., Jeff Arnold was lucky if he reached a buyer's voice mail. "I had a hard time getting appointments," said Arnold, the president and chief executive of the sales...

Winston-Salem, N.C.-Based BB&T to Expire 'Poison Pill' Plan Early.
February 14, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 14--BB&T Corp. said yesterday that it would accelerate the expiration date of a shareholder-rights plan established in 1997 to make a hostile-takeover bid harder to accomplish. The plan, also known as a...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Leaders Push for Use of Local Suppliers by Businesses.
February 14, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 14--Winston-Salem leaders are stepping up efforts to get local companies to use local suppliers. In a campaign called "Don't Pass the Buck," the Winston Works! task force is asking companies to dedicate at...

North Carolina Commerce Department Detects Economic Downturn in State in 2003.
February 14, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 14--Northwest North Carolina's economic health took a slight turn for the worse during 2003, according to an annual assessment released by the N.C. Commerce Department this week. As a result of the review,...

Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., Business Profile Column.
February 14, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 14--Fran Creighton loved teaching French at Wake Forest University, but she knew that a successful career in academia would entail a lot of writing and research. Not exactly her "bailiwick," she said. ...

Study Finds North Carolina Medical Centers Gave Great Economic Boost to Areas.
February 13, 2004... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Feb. 13--When a medical center is doing well financially, everyone benefits. That seems to be the conclusion of a national medical-college association, which found that North Carolina's six accredited...

Shareholder Sues Winston-Salem, N.C., Propane Firm over Acquisition Proposal.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 13--Blue Rhino Corp.'s board of directors was sued yesterday in Forsyth Superior Court by a Florida shareholder who alleges that board members did not live up to their responsibility to get the best possible...

Parent of Greensboro, N.C.-Based Tobacco Firm Sees 26 Percent Drop in Profits.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 13--Loews Corp. said yesterday that fourth-quarter profit fell 25.7 percent for its Carolina Group tracking stock as sales dropped because of increased promotional spending. "2003 was a relatively difficult...

Greensboro, N.C.-Based Textile Firm Gets New Owner, Partnership.
February 12, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 12--Cone Mills Corp. plans to emerge from bankruptcy protection within the next month with a new owner and an expected denim partnership with a long-time Greensboro competitor. But analysts said yesterday...

Firm to Expand Cable-TV Service in Yadkin, Davie Counties in North Carolina.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Lisa Hoppenjans Feb. 11--YADKINVILLE, N.C. -- Yadkin Valley Telecom is expanding its cable-television service in Yadkin and Davie counties, offering consumers a rare opportunity to choose between cable providers and becoming the...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Suburb Draws Bank Branch Battle.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 10--One of the most competitive banking markets in Forsyth County lies along a 1.6-mile stretch of Lewisville-Clemmons Road. Nine banks and two credit unions operate branches in that section of Clemmons,...

North Carolina Business Group Urges Lawmakers to Target Development Funds.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 10--The state's largest business-advocacy group is urging the General Assembly to focus its funding on economic-development "winners" over the next two years. North Carolina Citizens for Business and...

Missouri Firm to Buy Winston-Salem, N.C.-Based Propane Products Company.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 10--A Missouri company is buying Blue Rhino Corp., for $340 million in cash, but no major changes are expected locally, the companies said yesterday. The proposed deal calls for Blue Rhino, based in...

High Point, N.C., Furniture Mart Picks Area Architectural Firm for Canopy.
February 10, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 10--A Winston-Salem architectural firm will play a role in providing the International Home Furnishings Market in downtown High Point with shelter from the weather. Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce...

Winston-Salem, N.C.-Based BB&T Still Eyes Bank Expansion in Central Florida.
February 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 6--BB&T Corp. said yesterday that central Florida remains high on its expansion list despite being outbid for a bank in Lakeland, Fla. BB&T offered $135 million for FloridaFirst Bancorp Inc. in October...

Weak Job Market, Crowded Market Keeps Lid on Forsyth County, N.C., Home Prices.
February 6, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 6--A weak job market and an increase in the number of houses for sale have kept a lid on the average sale price for a home in Forsyth County in recent years. The average sale price for a home in this area...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Post Office Hosts Mail Scam Information Session.
February 5, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 5--When Bessie Childers of Kernersville receives unsolicited mail that says she is a winner of a sweepstakes prize and all she has to do to claim it is pay a fee, she throws it in the garbage. She said she...

MBA Team from Wake Forest University Wins International Marketing Competition.
February 5, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 5--Being able to think fast on their feet with little sleep enabled an MBA team from Wake Forest University to win an international marketing competition last weekend. Wake Forest has won the Marketing...

Winston-Salem, N.C.-Based Home Manufacturer to Cut 275 Jobs after Merger.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 4--About 275 employees at Oakwood Homes Corp. in Greensboro will lose their jobs as part of Clayton Homes Inc.'s planned purchase of the company's assets, a Clayton Homes official said yesterday. Clayton...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Consumers Can Now Obtain Credit Reports.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 24 -- Consumers haven't been able to get a copy of their credit report in Winston-Salem since February 2000, but now they can. Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Forsyth County, a nonprofit United Way...

Lewisville, N.C., Fitness Center to Open 24-Hour Annex.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Richard Craver Feb. 3-- LEWISVILLE, N.C. -- The urge by members to lift more than a late-night snack convinced a Lewisville fitness center to open a 24-hour annex for weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise. The Fitness...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Church Makes Real Estate Investments to Aid Community.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 3--Union Baptist Church on North Trade Street decided last spring to take charge of its economic development and empowerment by buying an apartment complex. It didn't stop there. Last month, the church bought...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Area Eyes Burgeoning Digital-Design Sector.
February 2, 2004... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Feb. 2--It seems Angelos Angelou was right all along. Angelou, a Texas consultant, released a market assessment plan for the Triad in the fall, calling for the area to latch onto the burgeoning digital-design...

Winston-Salem, N.C.-Area Business Index Shows More Economic Growth.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Fran Daniel Feb. 2--Economic activity in the Triad increased for the sixth consecutive month in December, according to the Triad Business Index. The index, which measures business activity in an eight-county area, rose 0.3...

Winston-Salem, N.C., Companies Don't Necessarily See Boost from Exports Growth.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Brian Louis Feb. 2--Exports from North Carolina have increased over the past year as the value of the dollar has declined, but that hasn't necessarily translated into a boon for some local companies that export. For example,...

Incentives Help Davidson County, N.C., Bid for Flooring-Tile Firm's Expansion.
February 2, 2004... Byline: David Ingram Feb. 2--LEXINGTON, N.C. -- An incentives package that local officials are calling unprecedented has put Davidson County among the finalists for the major expansion of a Belgian flooring-tile maker. The Davidson...