BNC125 bizfayetteville.com
Local companies featured in top 125 private NC companies list Page 5 $2.00
WEB EXCLUSIVE Government
CSX grant funds a drone to monitor severe weather in Cumberland bizfayetteville.com
Developing
Banks keeping an eye on cryptocurrency Page 11
Health Care
Legacy Pediatrics expands to Spring Lake Page 15 GRAPHICS PROVIDED BT COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND/STATE OF NC DOT/ESRI/GARMIN/INCREMENT P/USGS/EPA
Discussions about Spring Lake’s comprehensive land use plan are intended to lead to strategic updates to the map of the future land uses for the Spring Lake Plan Area, adopted in 2002.
Index
In the News ........................................... 3 Editor's Notes ........................................ 4 Achievers ............................................... 8 Banking and Finance .....................11, 13 Health Care .........................................15 The List ................................................16 Biz Leads .............................................20 Profile ..................................................27
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VISIONING THE FUTURE OF
SPRING LAKE
A
vision for the future of Spring Lake is being created through a new comprehensive land use plan, and a kickoff meeting was held on Thursday, Sept. 30 at the Spring Lake Recreation Center as one of the first steps to updating the plan for the first time since 2002. On display were several large maps and visuals including future land use maps, current zoning maps, land use and population statistics and other interactive activities where residents could place dots next to their favorite priority items and share other ideas with handwritten post-it notes. Various topics were assigned to workspace stations across the room. Planning staff and steering committee members were around the stations to answer questions and encourage participation. “Land use is about what gets built >>
By Jami McLaughlin
where and therefore impacts many aspects of our daily lives,” said Annette Massari, comprehensive planner for the Cumberland County Planning and Inspections department and lead on the Spring Lake land use plan. “That’s why we are taking a broad approach to this initial engagement meeting and asked participants not just about land use, but also about housing, business and economic development, downtown development, public services and quality of life. By starting broad, we will understand roots the area’s land use needs, how they are interconnected, and the potential impact of land use changes,” said Annette Massari, comprehensive planner for the Cumberland County Planning and Inspections department and lead on the Spring Lake land use plan. The addition of topics from hous-
ing to downtown development is a major difference between the current adopted 2010 Spring Lake Land Use plan, which was created in 2002, and the future plan. “Looking back on the 2010 Spring Lake Land Use Plan, I believe it is fair to say that the primary focus then was strictly on ‘land use.’ While that is certainly an important consideration as a stand-alone issue, staff is looking to broaden the scope to look at areas that affect both land use and community life, as a whole. This will include developing policies on housing development, downtown development, public services and overall quality of life,” said Rawls Howard, director of the Cumberland County planning and inspections department. “I am particularly proud of how our comprehensive planning staff have worked to creatively engage these issues.” See SPRING LAKE, page 7
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>
By Keyuri Parab
October 8 - October 21, 2021
Page 3
bizfayetteville.com
Morganton Space opens NEW NATURAL LIGHT STUDIO AND EVENT VENUE IN HEART OF HAYMOUNT
M
organton Space, a natural light studio and small event venue, opened October 4 at 1308 Morganton Rd., Suite 201 located in the Haymount district of Fayetteville. The venue is a creative space and business venture of two of Fayetteville’s local photographers and businesswomen, Kristin Guynn and Taylor Heim. Friends as well as neighbors, Guynn and Heim met in 2019 in a photography group on Facebook. “The Morganton Space is something that I wanted for my photography and her space was already too small, and we started talking about the possibilities of renting it out whenever it’s not in use,” Guynn said. “The space will be available to rent for other photographers, organizations and individuals.” Heim is a baby planner photographer specializing in maternity, birth, newborn and Guynn’s business focuses on family, couples, maternity photography as well as business branding. “I was there first. I opened my photography business there in a small room a while ago. Of course, we’ve been friends for a long time, and she came up to the studio and we saw the bigger room was vacant,” Heim said. “And I was ready for that step. I am not much of a big leap person, so when she recommended the idea I was nervous and excited but here we are.” The 500 sq ft. event space includes a larger room and one small room that includes counter and desk space with a fridge. “We will be bringing in a velvet couch and props for photography, and decorate with a cowhide rug, white walls and gold frames,” Guynn said. “We’re going based on what the building already is and some mid-century vibe. We are trying to keep the character.” The studio also has large windows and natural lightning, Heim added. The building Morganton Space is located in is called Triangle Heights and was built in 1955, and is owned by the owner of the former Haymount Grill that burned down in 2016. “We can have 20 or less people in the space for now comfortably and
PHOTO PROVIDED BY KRISTIN GUYNN
Morganton Space, located in the Triangle Heights building, opened on Oct. 4 and can be booked for photography and events.
then we’ll see how it goes,” Guynn said. “It’s over by where Leclair’s General Store and the food truck stop is.” The duo got into the space two weeks ago and said they’ve been working non-stop everyday to get it up and running before opening the studio on Oct. 4. “It's been a fast moving process,” Guynn said. “We have just jumped into it and it’s been chaotic and it’s what I dream about now. I think we are coming into Haymount at a perfect time because there’s so many cool things coming in and around downtown.” Photographers interested in bookings can reach out to the business on their Facebook page at The Morganton Space. “The process of working togeth-
er has been really good, when I am freaking out, she calms me down and vice versa.” Guynn said. The business plan came together in less than a month, the two owners said. “I am not a big change person, and this is Kristin’s niche, and she could have absolutely done it without [me], but this is her thing, and she’s letting me be a part of it,” Heim said. “Whatever she says, I absolutely couldn’t do it without her. She’s just being humble,” Guynn added in disagreement. “We balance each other though, where certain parts we have to go ahead but certain parts where she pulls me back in.” Morganton Space came to fruition in hopes of having a better work-life balance for the duo as well as creating a sense of community in Fayetteville.
“This is also for the community because that’s my thing,” Guynn said. “The Fayetteville community has so much potential, and I very much think that if I want community and want something cool in it, I have to put it in the work to make it happen.” Currently the duo plans on renting out the space to others when they aren’t using it themselves. “The interest we have had in it so far makes us think we’ll be able to do a lot with this space and even profit from it,” she added. “So far, we have seen interest from yoga teachers to come teach classes, makeup artists who want to host classes and also an initiative wellness coach who wants to host something.” The space aims to provide an all inclusive welcoming opportunity to everyone in the community. Morganton Space will host it’s very first event for teachers, nurses and therapists, where they will have food catered for guests in a grazing table style to thank them for their hard work in the community. “Some of the other events we are planning on hosting are a garland or wreath making workshop by a florist. In February we plan on having a sipand-paint Galentine's event,” Guynn added. The duo hopes to outgrow the space in the future and to have larger events that aim to bring a very trendy, diverse and inclusive vibe to the city. “This is such a transient city, so our goal is to market well enough that when you come here you know who we are and have a place because I do think when more people feel at home here and welcomed here and more people feel like the city has something to offer them, then they will be more inclined to also be more involved in the community,” Guynn said. “We do want to take this city in a direction that’s going to appeal to a larger group of people and make them want to stay.” For more information and inquiries, businesses and individuals can reach Kristin Guynn at www.kristinguynn.com and Taylor Heim at www.taylorheimphotography.com
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
EDITOR'S NOTES
4424 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303 910-240-9697 bizfayetteville.com PUBLISHER Marty Cayton martyc@bizfayetteville.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jenna Shackelford jennas@bizfayetteville.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kathie Harris Jenna-Ley Jamison Monica Kreber Jami McLaughlin Brian Miner Scott Nunn Keyuri Parab CONTRIBUTING WRITER MARKETING CONTENT Stacie Borrello CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Samantha Lowe samanthal@bizfayetteville.com ACCOUNTING Priscilla Nelson billing@bizfayetteville
The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal is published twice a month throughout Fayetteville and the Cumberland County region. News related to the region’s business sector is posted daily at bizfayetteville.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS Your free trial of Greater Fayetteville Business Journal is ending soon. To subscribe, call 910-240-9697 or visit bizfayetteville.com/ subscribe. Subscriptions cost $9.95 per month or $95 per year. REPRINT For article reprints, plaques and more contact Jenna Shackelford at 910-240-9697. ADVERTISING For advertising information, please email us at marketing@bizfayetteville.com or call 910-240-9697. © Copyright 2021 Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
The impossible task T
he word “burnout” was introduced by a psychologist in the 1970s, but over the course of the past year and a half, it has become a business buzzword. Burnout has even been deemed a diagnosable condition by the World Health Organization which added the term to the International Classification of Diseases. How does one go from loving a job and being excited to produce quality work to being burned out? I’m no doctor — surprise! — but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to argue that burnout doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, I would argue that a non-diagnosable issue has to permeate either a workplace or an individual’s work ethic before burnout can become possible: workplace complacency. Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that any person who has ever faced burnout has a lousy work ethic. But general feelings of being overwhelmed by tasks at hand can easily tear down motivation to work; and when motivation is depleted but to-do lists flourish, staff may find themselves becoming burned out. We’ve all been there. If you’re anything like me, you might like making lists. You might even have lists for your lists, or lists for your lists for your lists. Some of my lists are found among the 1,474 notes I have in my iPhone’s Notes app; some lists are collections of data populating spreadsheets. A good list, regardless of the form it comes in, can keep me on track for my day or my week. The problem with lists is that, once they get to a certain length, they can get overwhelming, which can contribute to losing motivation to complete them. Before too long, the time spent pushing off the tasks that overwhelm us can lead to a more stress-inducing problem than what we would’ve had if we had just gone on with the show. Jon Acuff wrote in his book “Do
big to handle, breaking it down into smaller sections can make a job seem more manageable. Don’t worry, no elephants were harmed during the completion of a task. A headline from a blog article from James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits,” put it best: “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.”
KAFFEEBART/UNSPLASH
Every professional has had a moment in time where a task has seemed unmanageable. But learning how to manage those kinds of tasks can combat workplace complacency, which oftentimes leads to burnout.
Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck,” “Complacency is a slow gas leak, not a bomb blast. Like being robbed by a thief in the night who only steals a penny at a time, we awake to find the days have all gone somewhere.” What do we do, then, to counter complacency and to increase productivity? ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS Don’t struggle with the “impossible task” alone. Checking in with a colleague or even a friend outside of the workplace with updates on progress can help. EATING THE ELEPHANT Ever since I was a little kid, my mother has said to me, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It’s silly, but when a task seems too
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS If you’re overwhelmed or have a lot on your plate, give yourself grace by setting attainable goals for yourself. Good things take time and hard work, so take the different factors of your task at hand into consideration when making a game plan. Have you ever done the task or is it your first time doing it? Are you relying on other team members to also collaborate on the project? Given the other tasks that you need to complete, how much time, effort and energy can you afford to spend on the difficult task compared to the others? REST An underutilized tool, rest is something that every person needs and some people struggle to make time for after the clock hits five. It’s me. I’m “some people.” But running into the ground won’t move you upward — it’ll only drag you down mentally and emotionally. Take time off the clock to prioritize taking care of yourself so that you can approach tasks rejuvenated and motivated. Again, we’ve all been there. But there’s hope. By strategically tackling difficult workplace problems, you can cut down on the burnout and be on fire for your goals.
JENNA SHACKELFORD, Associate Editor 910-240-9697, Ext 102 • jennas@bizfayetteville.com
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
October 8 - October 21, 2021
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BNC125
bizfayetteville.com
Local businesses make BNC125 2021 list BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA RELEASES LIST OF TOP PRIVATELY HELD COMPANIES ACROSS STATE
E
very year, Business North Carolina releases BNC125, a list of the top 125 private companies in North Carolina. The list highlights the largest privately held companies within the state by collecting employment and revenue information from the companies. From there, the list is separated into sections based on their revenue information provided and some careful estimates from the staff of BNC for the companies that did not provide their revenue numbers. “The list is based on 2020 revenue, reflecting a year heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the introduction to the list, attributed to Peter Anderson, Taylor Wanbaugh and David Mildenberg, said. Nevertheless, these are businesses that, despite the arduous circumstances of the past year, thrived. To see the full list of honorees, visit www.businessnc.com/top-125-private-companies-in-north-carolina.
Business is booming in the Fayetteville MSA and surrounding area, so it is no surprise that seven businesses within Greater Fayetteville Business Journal’s coverage area have earned a spot on the BNC125 list. Read about them below. > > $500
MILLION-$999 MILLION
Prestage Farms, a poultry and pork producer in Clinton, takes no. 19 on the list. The company, which is family-owned, opened in 1982 by William Prestage who serves as the CEO to this day. Earlier this year, Prestage was honored by BNC on their Power List, which highlights influential business leaders across the state. The producer has locations in seven different states, to include Iowa, where the company opened a $320 million plant in 2019. Currently, the company employs 2,600 people.
> > $100-199
Freepik
The company has plans to expand to Camden South Carolina with a $150 million dollar processing facility. The expansion will create roughly 292 jobs. For more information about Prestage Farms, visit www.prestagefarms.com. Sampson-Bladen Oil Co. is in the 37th spot on the list as a distributor of petroleum products. Founded in 1936, the business employs 957 workers. At its start, the company provided petroleum products to Sampson, Bladen and Columbus Counties, but the company was incorporated in 1939 and has grown rapidly since. The CEO of the Clinton-based company is Haddon Clark III. For more information about Sampson-Bladen Oil Co., visit www. sboil.com.
> > $200
MILLION- $499 MILLION
Hog Slat, ranked 50th on the list, manufactures confinement equipment for agriculture. Based out of Newton Grove, the company is the largest construction contractor and manufacturer of hog production
equipment in the country, providing its equipment to over 80 retail stores nationwide and slats for some boat docks. The company produces live hogs in North Carolina, Illinois, and Indiana through TDM Farms as well. Founded in 1969 by Bill Herring, the company has 1,000 employees and 1,400 subcontractors. For more information about Hog Slat, visit www.hogslat.com. Union Corrugating ranks 72 on the list and manufactures metal roofing material in Fayetteville. The company was launched in 1946 but struggled to stay afloat. However, after Hurricane Hazel struck in 1954, Union Corrugating was the only local manufacturer for metal roofing; by choosing to keep prices fair even with the demand, the company positioned itself for success. Today, Union Corrugating is an industry leader with ten manufacturing facilities across the United States. It employs 696 people and the CEO is Keith Medick. For more information about Union Corrugating, visit www. unioncorrugating.com.
MILLION
DuBose Strapping, based in Clinton, takes the 109th spot on the list for its distribution of industrial equipment. The company dates back to the 1960s when it was founded by Charles Holden DuBose Sr. Although the company was not founded until the 60s, the story of the business started in the 1940s with DuBose Sr.'s lumber mill. After reselling his used steel straps for lumber loads from his mill to other lumber mills, he saw an opportunity to produce steel strapping himself. Today, the CEO is Charles DuBose Jr. and approximately 180 people are employed with the company. For more information about DuBose Strapping, visit www.dubosestrapping.com.
> > LESS
THAN $100 MILLION
Oliver’s Oil Company in Lumberton has convenience stores and distributes petroleum products. It was founded by Sonny and Doris Oliver in 1979. The company describes its origin as “a humble petroleum business and convenience store,” but today, the company has grown exponentially to have a bulk plant, 17 convenience stores and 150 dealer sites. The company is ranked at 117 on the list and employs 129 people. The CEO is Christopher Oliver. For more information, visit www. oliversoilcompany.com. Systel Business Equipment is based in Fayetteville as an electronics dealer and service provider. The company, which was opened in 1981 by its current President and CEO Keith Allison, employs over 250 people. Systel serves all 100 counties in North Carolina and parts of South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. The company holds the 121st spot on the list.
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
L en d in g | B usiness B a nking | Pers onal Banking
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>
By Jami McLaughlin
From SPRING LAKE, page 1
By 8 p.m., over 100 residents, property owners and business owners had stopped in the meeting. “It was great that so many residents showed up for this event. It shows our residents and planners both want to improve conditions in Spring Lake,” said Marvin Lackman, a resident and home owner in the Laketree neighborhood who attended the event. “It was very informative to see the information broken down at each of the stations, so it gives us a larger overview of Spring Lake and not just our own individual view. “A priority must be made in our infrastructure in order to grow and provide better services we must be able to meet the growing needs. Invest in our future. Spring Lake was once known as a place a single soldier, or an unaccompanied soldier resided between deployments. “We must provide better housing and be an inviting place for a soldier to bring his/her family. We must provide a safe environment to live and provide necessary social activities for the families. Spring Lake has a wealth of untapped potential. Our current situation is uncertain but with the right leadership, planning and community involvement our future is bright.” The potential in Spring Lake was clear as residents placed dots next to places where they felt could be redeveloped, answered questions on how they would like to see Main Street improve and even wrote in what strengths and opportunities they saw in the Spring Lake area. “This plan will reflect the goals and values of Spring Lake area stakeholders. The collective vision our participants share and the constraints they see between us and that vision will help planning staff make the most accurate and effective plan possible. Key products of this plan will be a future land use map and policy recommendations. Together, these tools can shape what future development and redevelopment look like in the Spring Lake Area,” said Massari, “In general, a land use plan can influence how a rezoning request is voted on, what ordinance changes may be considered, what initiatives may be pursued or what grants may be eligible to an area.” Comments were scattered across the room through conversations and notes on the tables including the need for housing redevelopment in the older sections of town, updated infrastructure and to see downtown core on Main Street improve. Ideas
October 8 - October 21, 2021
bizfayetteville.com
for Main Street involved updated façade treatments, food truck rallies in vacant lots, more sidewalk dining and housing downtown. One resident who agreed with the need for downtown development was Sona Cooper, a current alderwoman for the Town of Spring Lake. "I believe we need to focus on downtown development and public services. We could combine some of our needs into that development. A thriving downtown could include a satellite location of Cape Fear or another regional hospital with the ability to provide some of the more advanced diagnostic functions. If not Cape Fear, then the Health Department could come back and set up. It was good to see so many young people presenting and assisting us with information, and I hope to be able to
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
The Spring Lake Fire Department was repeatedly listed as a strength in Spring Lake according to the many write-in comments. Entertainment options were also listed as strengths with current restaurants, the new axe throwing activity center and outdoor activity with Spring Lake Outpost (kayaking), Carver’s Creek and the Fort Bragg Clay Target Center. Parks and activities for children along with housing options were cited as areas needing improvement. Overall in the room, one of the standout considerations for the Town of Spring Lake included its proximity to Fort Bragg. “I think one of the major considerations for the Spring Lake community is to bridge the community’s current planning efforts and vision with those of Fort Bragg,” said How-
PHOTO BY JAMI MCLAUGHLIN
A meeting about Spring Lake’s comprehensive land use plan was held on Sept. 30. The current 2010 plan was created in 2002.
work closely with everyone to develop and implement a comprehensive Spring Lake Land Use plan.,” said Cooper, “The meeting and information was very impressive.” Bringing in healthcare or government agencies to downtown cores has long been a tactic in downtown revitalization, especially in Main Streets that have vacant lots or buildings. These anchors could serve as catalysts for growth and the development of retail, residential and other activity centers, which was part of the conversation around the downtown development station. “The plan will have a special focus on downtown and will consider the unique needs of different neighborhoods or regions of the plan area,” said Massari. “Development and redevelopment will certainly be themes of the plan, as well as preservation and conservation where necessary. We always try to respond to the unique needs and opportunities of each area within a plan, but our understanding of the bounds and character of those areas depends heavily on community input.”
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ard. “As Spring Lake sits literally at the doorstep of this important community partner and national icon, it is vitally important that there is solid communication between the County and Fort Bragg throughout this process. County planning staff and Fort Bragg staff have an outstanding working relationship. The County is excited to have Fort Bragg, and other stakeholders, as part of our steering committee for the important project.” Cumberland County Planning staff were pleased for the turnout in the open house. “There is a real sense of community in Spring Lake. Those who came out to the meeting strongly identify as members of Spring Lake,” said Massari. “That was exciting for us. We hope to reach a large number and diverse range of area stakeholders. Throughout the process we hope to work with area property owners, business owners, major investors and institutional partners. For the same reason, a breadth of engagement topics will better inform the plan, a range of participant perspectives will
only strengthen the final product.” The next steps are stakeholder meetings and a review meeting where the public will be invited to evaluate proposed policies and recommendations. The final draft of the plan will begin its last stage for the adoption process next year. “For our next step of engagement, tentatively planned for December, we will meet with different stakeholder groups to deepen our understanding about area constraints and opportunities. This will help us understand not just what changes are needed, but also how to achieve them,” said Massari, “As planners, we have different tools at our disposal, levers that we can pull, to shape the built environment, such as land use plans, zoning ordinances and subdivision ordinances. There are limits to both the range and the precision of these tools, so planning staff will have to think critically and creatively about how to distill public input to make the most effective plan possible. Once a plan is drafted, it will be circulated for additional public feedback and edits before presented for adoption.” The Town of Spring Lake is the latest in a large rotation of land use plans in the county. “Land use plans are non-regulatory policy documents that community leaders use to help guide decisions for zoning, land use, and general community growth,” said Howard. “Counties and municipalities are also required to have land use plans under State law. These plans can be utilized by anyone in the community as a point of departure for land use discussions as they arise; typically through rezoning processes. The County’s goals for land use planning would be to have the entire County under the purview of some form of focused area plan. Currently, the County has 12 active land use area plans throughout the County, with a 13th plan currently under review and consideration by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Ideally, as a best practice, land use plans should be updated roughly every five years.” Full details of the Spring Lake Area Land Use Plan can be found at www. spring-lake-area-land-useplan-cumberlandgis.hub.arcgis.com/. The website also includes a survey that residents or those with a connection to the town can use to describe the future they would like to see in Spring Lake as well as additional meeting and plan information.
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
ACHIEVERS Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomes new staff members FACVB announced on Sept. 24 the hiring of three new team members, ISAIAH GRIFFIN, JOIE SCHUBERT AND JENNIFER BETSHLIMON. Griffin will serve as the sales coordinator for the FACVB. He will work alongside other coordinators within the organization to help them reach the goals of their recruitment and meeting efforts in Cumberland County. Originally Griffin from Ohio, Griffin moved to Fayetteville in the 80s. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Schubert, a visitor information counselor, grew up in a military family and moved to Fayetteville a few years ago to be closer to her family. Her skills and familiarity with the area make her a fit for the position as she will be responding to questions about Watts the area, providing materials, selling souvenir items, and serving as a public relations specialist to benefit the overall Cumberland County visitor experience. Betshlimon, an administrative assistant for the organization, has acquired her skillset needed for the position through a decade of experience in administrative assistance with a background in sales. Before her hiring at Betshlimon FACVB, Jennifer worked most recently for a corporate and criminal attorney handling data, reports, correspondence and appointments. In her new role, she will prepare reports, conduct research and collect data.
Select Bank & Trust board of directors honor two individuals
President and CEO of Select Bank & Trust WILLIAM HEDGEPETH and Chairman of the Board GARY CICCONE were honored on Sept. 17 with Resolutions in Recognition and Appreciation for Service to Select Bank & Trust. “We began this journey some 20 years ago. We grew to the 6th largest community bank in N.C. and the
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
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What are you and your peers achieving? Have you reached a new goal? Have you acquired another business? Maybe your business has a new hire you would like to highlight.
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal wants to hear from you and your business to shine a spotlight on your accomplishments. To nominate someone for GFBJ’s Achievers section, email editor@bizfayetteville.com with the subject line “Achiever.” 9th largest bank in N.C,” Hedgepeth wrote in a Facebook post about the honor. “This was made possible by our hard working and incredible employees, our loyal customers and our patient shareholders! I appreciate Hedgepeth the support of Chairman Ciccone, the board of directors, executive management and the many current and former employees that made this possible, and along the way they also made me a better CEO. I wish I could name them all as they all deserve to be recognized. The bank’s success and my personal success was not possible without all working together to make Select Bank & Trust one of the best banks in N.C. Next quarter we will merge into First Bank creating the largest community bank in N.C. We are looking forward to the next chapter.”
Fayetteville State University appoints new Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning DR. NICOLE JAMES LUCAS has been named the new Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning. Previously, Lucas served as the school’s Interim Director for Institutional Effectiveness and the Southern Association of College and School Commission Liaison; before that position, she served five years as chair of the sociology department and for three years as chair of the Council of Chairs. Lucas still Lucas holds the position
of SACSCOC Liaison and is leading FSU’s 10-year SACSCOC reaffirmation. Among other new responsibilities, Lucas will oversee the assessment of the university’s strategic plan and will be at the forefront of university-wide planning. Lucas attained her Ph.D. and an M.S. degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College.
Lumbee Tribe Enterprises awarded $10M contract Lumbee Tribe Holdings, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Lumbee Tribe Enterprises, was awarded a fiveyear, $10 million-dollar contract with the US Marine Corps, Marine Corps Systems Command. Under the new contract, the organization will support Joint All-Domain Command and Control at Camp Pendleton, Calif. “MCTSSA is a special client to LTE, and we are honored to expand our services in new and critical ways to ensure mission success,” said Caleb A. Malcolm, deputy vice president of operations, in the press release. “This contract award is a result of new, sustainable and strategic teamwork by our dedicated teammates to deliver solutions with valued partners like La Jolla Logic, Inc., San Diego and another LTH subsidiary, Lumbee IT Solutions, LLC (LITS).” According to the release, LTE’s contractual responsibilities will be to “provide technical management, coordination of task activities, and administrative support. This includes performing technical assessments and
data collection activities, monitoring test execution, and verifying system compliance to military standards. In addition, LTE will analyze test procedures, conduct root cause analysis, and perform network design and maintenance.”
Cumberland County official earns HR certification ANTHONY WADE, chief human resources officer for Cumberland County, attained his Professional in Human Resources certification from HRCI, a NCCA and IAS-accredited global leader in exams and certifications for application of HR best practices and procedures. Attaining the PHR certification indicates the mastery of HR management to include a clear knowledge of the U.S. rules and regulations surrounding the field. The PHR certification’s requirements include a one, two or four years of professional HR experience, submission and approval of application, passing a high-stakes assessment and maintaining the credentials through retaking the assessment and passing or by continuing professional development credits, according to the description of the certification.
Harnett Regional Water honored by N.C. Division of Water Harnett Regional Water was among 64 water treatment plants that were honored by the North Carolina Division of Water for surpassing both state and federal standards for drinking water last year.
The division’s Public Water Supply Section gave HRW the N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award which is “part of a state effort to enhance the performance of existing surface water treatment facilities,” according to the Harnett County press release. Public water systems are defined by the Public Water Supply Section as those that “provide piped drinking water to at least 15 connections or 25 or more people 60 or more days per year,” according to the NC Department of Environmental Quality website. Harnett County has won the award for the past 11 years.
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
October 8 - October 21, 2021
bizfayetteville.com
While all plants in North Carolina must meet the state and federal requirements, plants that receive the award have even more stringent requirements for their water quality; largely, the difference is that these plants go above and beyond to demonstrate turbidity removal. Turbidity refers to the cloudiness of water caused by water that can interfere with disinfection. “Harnett Regional Water is very proud of our record of environmental compliance as evidenced by this water quality award,” stated Harnett Regional Water Director Steve Ward. “The fact that we have received the award for 11 consecutive years is a testament to our commitment to water quality. Harnett Regional Water is very fortunate to have such a fine group of water treatment professionals who strive daily to provide only the best drinking water to all of our customers in the County and surrounding region.”
Barnhill Contracting Company promotes directors of operations statewide
Barnhill Contracting Company recently announced the promotion of four directors of operations for their company. Greater Fayetteville Business Journal’s coverage area falls within Barnhill’s Eastern Division. The new Eastern Division operations director is BRAD MARTIN. “The Directors of Operations will advance our operational excellence Martin in regional areas or market sectors, and these guys are the perfect fit for the job,” Barnhill Contracting Company posted on their LinkedIn. “Their promotions are well deserved and representative of their hard work throughout their Barnhill careers.”
Fayetteville Academy announces new members of Board of Trustees A recent press release from Fayetteville Academy announced WELLS ALDERMAN, NICOLE ALEXANDER, KAREN EWART AND ANN KULICH YOUNG as the newest members of their Board of Trustees.
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ACHIEVERS
Alderman, who co-owns A&G Residential, is a homebuilder. He previously served as a sales manager for H&H Homes and has previously served Alderman as the president of the Home Builders Association of Fayetteville. In 2014, he was recognized by The Fayetteville Observer on their 40 Under 40 list. Alderman serves on the board of the Fayetteville Police Foundation and as a deacon at First Presbyterian of Fayetteville. Alexander Alexander has served 17 years in the U.S. military so far, which is what led her to Fayetteville. The last 11 years of her service has been at Fort Bragg. Originally from the West Coast, Alexander is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds master’s degrees from both Webster University and the Naval Postgraduate School. She also co-founded a nonprofit, PROMOTE, which encourages diversity and inclusion in national security
organizations. Ewart acquired her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Since receiving her Ewart degree, Ewart has worked for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in Manhattan and for DuPont at its Fayetteville Works facility. Ewart is a pilot and flight instructor and an active member at her church, St. Patrick Catholic Church where she is a member of the handbell choir. She previously served on the Parish Council and numerous other committees. She is also a master gardener in Cumberland County. Kulich Young is a Fayetteville native and a lawyer. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and earned her law degree from Campbell University. She Kulich Young made partner at Brady Brady Delaney Young and practices family law. She also serves on the board for Fayetteville Animal Protection Society.
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
October 8 - October 21, 2021
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>
By Scott Nunn
October 8 - October 21, 2021
bizfayetteville.com
Page 11
BANKING AND FINANCE
Crypto Cautious AS THE PUBLIC EMBRACES BITCOIN AND OTHER VIRTUAL CURRENCIES, BANKS TAKE A WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH
S
topping at the Circle K for gas? You might be tempted to grab a couple of hot dogs and a Coke. And, oh yeah, don’t forget the Bitcoin. Bitcoin Depot, a cryptocurrency network, recently entered a deal to place their ATMs in Circle K convenience stores, which has more than 7,000 locations nationwide. Customers can use the ATMs to instantly buy Bitcoin and more than 30 other types of cryptocurrency, a digital money system that exists outside government-issued currency. So why is a company known for coffee, breakfast sandwiches and cigarettes joining the world of Bitcoin, an indisputably complex, fringe financial system? "Circle K understands that cryptocurrency will be a growing part of the future economy and payments landscape,” CEO Brandon Mintz said in July as the company announced its partnership with Bitcoin Depot. Mintz believes by adding the Bitcoin ATMs to its stores, Circle K can attract new customers and also offer the increasingly popular — but not necessarily easy to access — financial option to underserved communities. Making the fairly new technology accessible to its often blue-collar-worker customers “will set (us) apart from other retailers,” Mintz said. But embracing what, granted, is only a small piece of the cryptocurrency world also set Circle K apart from another big U.S. business — the banking industry. For banks, cryptocurrency is especially complicated. First, while Circle K and other stores are providing a location for a cryptocurrency ATM machine, they are not necessarily involved in cryptocurrency transactions or other services. Banks, on the other hand, are highly regulated by both federal and state agencies and rely on a certain amount of predictability and guarantees in the services they offer. But the novel cryptocurrency system remains alluring to the traditional financial industry. For one thing, cryptocurrency has provided significant returns on investments for many people. And beckoning back to the Circle K philosophy, cryptocurren-
EXECUTIUM/UNSPLASH
cies are a service that many people — including bank customers — want easy access to. So far, however, North Carolina-based banks are taking a cautious approach to dipping their toes in the still-somewhat-mysterious world of cryptocurrencies. “We have no plans to offer cryptocurrency trading or bitcoin purchases to our clients at this time,” Frank Smith, a vice president for corporate communications for Raleigh-based First Citizens Bank, told the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal. The bank has more than a half-dozen branches in the Fayetteville area. “Like most U.S. banks, we're monitoring these types of services,” Smith said. Another large North Carolina bank, State Employees Credit Union, which also has a half dozen branches in Fayetteville, offered a similar response. “We don’t currently offer (cryptocurrency) business services,” said Sandra Jones, SECU’s senior vice president of member communications. But that doesn’t mean the banking industry isn’t closely following the trend. While some institutions — notably central-reserve banks — see cryptocurrency as a threat to the status quo and financial stability they say they provide, some observers say banks are missing out on a technology that is inevitable. Denis Astapchenia, head of financial services at Andersen, which develops IT solutions for financial institutions, fears banks are repeating a previous mistake -- failing to embrace new technologies and innovations, primarily engaging customers with how and where they want to do business, such as more digital-banking options.
“Obviously, banks should be going digital; that is not even a question,” Astapchenia said. “The question is how to do it correctly and more rapidly than competitors. Each case is unique, but in our opinion, there is one key detail — the client.” The client should be at the center of the bank’s digital transformation, and all changes should focus on their needs and wants, Astapchenia said. “The client is not ready to wait,” he said. “The bank should provide the opportunity to purchase the largest possible number of products, including complex ones (for example, mortgages and cryptocurrency) through digital channels, eliminating the necessity to visit the branch.” On the other hand, however, banks tend to be conservative institutions, according to the financial-technology publication Finextra. For banks, there is a big question, according to David Creer, technology and innovation lead at GFT, a financial-industry technology firm. “This is a big challenge they have to answer if they do not want to be left out of this unstoppable wave in this new financial era,” Creer said. But while some observers see cryptocurrency as an inevitable and transformative opportunity for the banking industry, others see it as a threat. Much of that analysis is taking place in European banks. The Bank of England and the U.K. Treasury, for example, are exploring creating a central bank devoted to digital currency, a system that would be used alongside traditional deposits. Among the concerns, according to the website Investment Executive, is that such a system would cut into the profits of banks and negatively affect their ability to shore up the overall economy when needed.
But even as U.S. banks remain skeptical of cryptocurrencies, they are attracted to blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. According to the First Citizens Bank website, “with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need to find new ways of doing business, it's safe to say the future of blockchain is no longer emerging — it's here and well-established.” Super-encrypted blockchain technology not only can make financial transactions faster and more secure, it can do the same for private information such as medical records, observers say. Although it’s not offering cryptocurrency services, First Citizens is bullish on blockchain encryption: “The future of blockchain is much more than finance and cryptocurrencies. It provides an innovative approach to managing data and executing transactions where accuracy and reliability are critical,” according to the First Citizens Bank website. “There are many opportunities to use blockchain across many businesses and industries to transform products, services and processes — a trend that will only grow in 2021.” Although places such as Circle K are merely providing a location for a cryptocurrency ATM, it’s still a step ahead of where most banks are in the evolution of the new technology. For Creer, the analyst with GFT, it’s a matter of when, not if banks will embrace cryptocurrency. “As in many other areas of innovation, large financial institutions are not going to be left out of this change and will have to progressively integrate digital assets into their services,” Creer said. “The scope for growth is enormous in areas such as payments, transfers and decentralised finance,” he said. “Undoubtedly, the new financial era ... will transform the future of the global economy.” Meanwhile, cryptocurrency has staked out at least one popular U.S. destination — the local Circle K. So move over, hot dogs and to-go cups of coffee, and make room for a new neighbor — the Bitcoin machine. So far, it appears to be here to stay.
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>
By Keyuri Parab
October 8 - October 21, 2021
bizfayetteville.com
Page 13
BANKING AND FINANCE
KELLY SIKKEMA/UNSPLASH
A proposal to increase the capital gains tax has many taxpayers asking how it will affect them.
Capital gains tax WHAT IMPACT COULD BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED CHANGES MAKE?
T
he proposed increase in capital gains tax would raise the tax from 20 percent to the highest of 39.6 percent, affecting the wealthiest taxpayers on gains realized after Sept. 13, 2021 if passed. The government levies a capital gains tax on profits that are incurred from investments when they are sold. The capital gains tax rate is proposed to go up from 20 percent to 25 percent and 39.6 percent on shortterm capital gains. The rate will apply to those in the top tax brackets for longterm capital gains which would be individuals earning more than $445,850 and married joint filers earning above $501,600. “You can have two different kinds of capital gains, short-term and longterm to simplify,” said Lisa Sessoms, partner at TRP Sumner, a CPA and advising firm. “Short term is an asset one has owned for a year or less and long term is usually more than that. There are different rules that determine which category your asset may fall in like a person’s taxable income bracket.” Capital gains tax can apply to a variety of investments from mutual funds, stocks and brokerage accounts to real estate sales and any other investments, she said. “Typically, if an individual or a couple is selling their primary residence, in most cases they will not pay any capital gains tax on that, reason
being there is an exclusion that they have used the house as their primary residence for two out of the last five years prior to sale. Then they may be able to have that gain excluded,” Sessoms said. “And that exclusion is fairly generous. It’s $500,000 for a married couple and $250,000 for an unmarried individual.” The current long term capital gains tax is a maximum of 20 percent. There are also 15 percent to 0 percent rates based on the individual's taxable income. The current maximum tax rate on collectibles held over a year is 28 percent. Sessoms began her career in 1985 and said that everytime there is a new administration, president and changes in political parties at the federal level there are changes in capital gains tax. “Historically some have been more widespread, and more significant than others but it is not uncommon at all for any president to make changes to comply with the platform that they are running their administration on,” she said. “There are some significant things included in this plan, but I would not say that it’s the largest one I have ever seen.” Sessoms said their firm has seen clients calling with questions and concerns regarding the proposed tax increases. “People want to know things like they are planning to sell property
and how it will affect their tax situation, another issue that’s been discussed has been changes and impacts on estate taxes,” she added. “We are telling them what we know based on this hasn’t been signed into law.” Her advice to clients and the public is if they are going to have a significant transaction in 2021 that involves a capital asset to please contact their tax advisor and ask them to project what the 2021 income tax might look like to avoid surprises. “Some of the challenges we face the most with clients when they have capital gains transactions is to keep proper records, proper documents, cost net investments, improvements and such,” she mentioned. “If you buy a property and spend money to improve it in some way and you sell it, that becomes a part of your original purchase price of the property, so when they sell it they get to use that against the selling price which can result in lessening the gain that they have to pay tax on. TRP Sumner sends out information to clients and those interested on updates and news on changes in taxes and other such topics. Those interested to be on their email list to receive these updates can email their sales director, Janet Carter at jcarter@trpsumner.com or follow their Facebook page @TRP Sumner PLLC. The changes in capital gains
taxes will also affect the real estate and housing industry. Currently, depending on the nature of the real estate, one may incur a 20 percent maximum capital gains tax but it may be 25 percent in case of rental properties. Sessoms described the current state of the housing market as ‘crazy’, and said with the high prices in some of the surrounding high income neighborhoods, the tax bracket inclusions may not be enough. “I don’t know when this will become law, it has to go through so many channels at the national level before it hits the president's desk for signature,” she said. “I am set to attend an educational class in November, part of which will bring us up to date on this proposed tax plan, but until then anything can change.” Sessoms and her colleagues are beginning to attend educational classes to bring themselves up to speed on the new changes that the upcoming administration has proposed. “I would definitely say there could be a tax planning strategy that can be implemented to help clients manage their tax bills better,” she said. “Some of the advice we often give out to clients is on what documents they need to keep in order to document the transactions and their expenses, which could potentially result in a lower profit and lower tax.”
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
K N
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>
By Kathie Harris
October 8 - October 21, 2021
bizfayetteville.com
HEALTH CARE
Page 15
Legacy Pediatrics expands to Spring Lake L
eaving a legacy is a fundamental part of what drives Ana Hodges and what inspired the name of her pediatric clinic. Legacy Pediatrics opened its second location at 1095 North Bragg Blvd. in Spring Lake on September 13. Hodges has spent her adult life serving, from her years as a military physician to her current role as owner and sole pediatrician at the clinics. The first location on Sandhurst Drive in Fayetteville opened in 2009 through a partnership between Hodges and veteran pediatrician Dr. Pierre LeMaster. “We named Legacy together,” says Hodges. “I wanted to build on his legacy and that’s what we want to leave behind, too. To continue his work, and then mine, and then beyond.” Hodges also runs a pediatric after-hours clinic in the evenings every weeknight. These patients are often military dependents struggling to find primary care pediatricians. Hodges would have to turn them away because her Fayetteville location was packed. Her mission to support military families and the unmet demand for care inspired the addition of the Spring Lake clinic. Hodges says she looked at several surrounding towns and counties before finally deciding Spring Lake was the best fit. It also helps serve her goal of helping military families because of its proximity to Fort Bragg. “It feels like an area that has a health need,” says Hodges. “There’s not a lot of reach.” Originally planning to begin opening a second location during the usually quiet summer, Hodges found herself slammed with patients this summer. “The summer has been hectic with all the sick, not only COVID but winter-level sicknesses like RSV and hand, foot and mouth,” says Hodges. She says the area saw all the illnesses they usually see in the winter because families were isolating less. There has been a 40 percent increase in mental health issues among children, and weight gain cases are above pre-pandemic levels. “At the main campus, every single
GPOINTSTUDIO/FREEPIK
Legacy Pediatrics opened its Spring Lake location, pictured with staff on the right, on September 13.
appointment is full,” says Hodges. “It’s been a blessing to have this location not quite full yet because we’re giving people there an option to come here.” Hodges owns the building on Sandhurst Drive, but she chose to rent for the Spring Lake location with a five-year lease. The landlord recently renovated the 3,000 square foot clinic space, so except for adding computers, Hodges found it move-in ready. The location has high visibility on N.C. 87 and captures a lot of North Ramsey Street traffic as well. Hodges says opening a business in Spring Lake has been a positive experience so far, despite Town Hall being closed. Spring Lake’s audit woes haven’t helped its struggle to offer healthcare options for residents. There are gaps not only in pediatrics but in other areas as well. In July, the Town Hall was closed to foot traffic pending an investigation of its handling of the town’s finances. A drive-up window and dropbox are available to residents and business owners like Hodges, who used the
drive-up window service to get the clinic’s water turned on. “It was strange, but they were really great,” says Hodges. Legacy Pediatrics has five providers across the two clinics. Hodges is the sole physician, along with two physician assistants and two administrative personnel. She’s currently interviewing for one more staff member. Staff rotate so three providers cover at “Main” and two at “North,” or the Spring Lake location. Legacy Pediatrics North is a full-service clinic, just like the main campus. It offers primary care for children aged 0 to 18, or as Hodges says, “crib to college.” Well care, chronic conditions, hospital visitations, and immunization services are available. Legacy offers antigen testing for COVID-19 but is in the process of purchasing a machine to perform PCR tests as well. Both locations have a lab, and the Spring Lake site has six exam rooms with room for more.
Legacy Pediatrics has safety measures like separate sick and well times and reduced wait times in the waiting room. They take all insurance and her current patients are a third military insured and another third Medicaid. Hodges, who earned her degree at the University of Miami, served eight years in the Army. When she and her fellow physician husband were both stationed at Fort Bragg, they became dually deployable. Hodges chose to end her Army career for a more stable career as a local provider. The region hasn’t disappointed. Legacy Pediatrics and its night clinic are often booked solid, and Hodges expects to make a profit in the first year of running the newest location. “Labor Day we saw 50 patients in six hours,” says Hodges. “I feel bad turning people away. We’re trying to get more providers so I can double the schedule at the after-hours clinic.” Hiring has been difficult as the pandemic’s health and economic impact has reverberated across the workforce. Hodges has struggled to find employees since many are expecting higher starting salaries. However, Hodges thinks her positive, supportive workplace culture is a plus for anyone who desires a work/life balance. “I think, as women, we’re sold this whole bill of goods where you’re supposed to give one hundred percent to everything, which is hard to do, especially in medicine,” says Hodges. “Part of what I like to do is mentor other women. We take students from both Campbell and Methodist, not all women, but we like to give back to the community by having students rotate through the clinics.”
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
October 8 - October 21, 2021
THE LIST
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
October 8 - October 21, 2021
SPONSORS PRESENTING
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>
October 8 - October 21, 2021
Page 19
bizfayetteville.com
By Scott Nunn
Part of the change
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER EXCITED TO EXPAND INTO THE REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN FAYETTEVILLE
T
he Cool Spring Downtown District welcomes the newest Edward Jones location to the district. The second downtown Edward Jones location is operated by Debbie Best, Certified Financial Planner and is located at 228 Winslow Street. Best has been in the financial services industry for over 28 years, and GFBJ spoke with her on how she can provide tailored financial strategies. Although Edward Jones is a nationwide network of financial planners, the firm prides itself on its local connections. “One thing that appealed to me working for Edward Jones is their interest in being invested into the community and their focus on giving back,” said Best, who runs one of a dozen Edward Jones offices in the
“I am so excited to be a part of the downtown revitalization efforts and have my office in downtown Fayetteville,” Best said, noting that both are great investments. PHOTO PROVIDED BY EDWARD JONES
Fayetteville area. “We offer a complimentary consultation for our financial services,” Best said. “It’s a wonderful way to see how I can help you and your 210
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goals with the focus on creating the right plan for you or your family,” Best said. “Before making any recommendations, we work to understand what is most important to you. Then we’ll create a strategy customized for your needs and your goals.” The Edward Jones model that Best follows means, “we’ll continue to partner with you throughout your life to ensure we are staying on track to achieve those goals,” Best said. With her move to the Cool Spring District, Best is proud of her service to her customers as well as the revitalization of downtown. “I am so excited to be a part of the downtown revitalization efforts and have my office in downtown Fayetteville,” Best said, noting that both are great investments.
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Page 20
October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
BIZ LEADS Reader’s Guide BizLeads is a collection of information gathered from greater Fayetteville courthouses, state government offices and information websites. The listings are intended to help the business community find new customers and stay on top of happenings with current customers, vendors and competitors. New Corporations lists firms from the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal region that were recently incorporated in the State of North Carolina.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY Saved By The Fade Barbershop LLC 1814 Strathmore Avenue Fayetteville Agent: Alo Tavai Alapati The Lindsey Investment Group LLC 1201 a Murchison Road Fayetteville Agent: Sparkle Bass Mental Health & Christian Counseling Services of Donisa J Hammond PLLC 5657 Seafield Lane Hope Mills Agent: Donisa J. Hammond The Sunnybrook PRTF LLC 2132 Yellowbrick Rd Fayetteville Agent: Damscus Road Facility The Relocation Professionals LLC 6420 Apple Cross Ave Apt D Fayetteville Agent: Travis Shepard Jenkins Empowerment Consulting LLC 446 Waterbury Dr Fayetteville Agent: Stanley Edward Marcus Jenkins
J Young III Inc. 5867 Columbine Road Fayetteville Agent: Angela B Ewing MGG Tax Inc. 5867 Columbine Rd Fayetteville Agent: Angela B Ewing Sunni Daze Boutique LLC. 7121 Dayspring Dr Fayetteville Agent: Lasundra Onita McKenzie Pill Box Services LLC 9162 Bay Trace Drive Linden Agent: Angela L Fipps The Council Chambers LLC 3616 Mill Creek Road Fayetteville Agent: Eduardo J. Anton Kim Balthrop Enterprises LLC. 8200 Cliffdale Road Suite 110 Fayetteville Agent: Kim S. MinerBalthrop BADD Legacy LLC 5524 Hickory Knoll Rd Fayetteville Agent: Christina LaShay McKoy ALL N Hauling LLC
3947 Dunn Rd Suite 5 PMB 48 Eastover Agent: Johnny Alvin Pettaway Jr. swg enterprises llc 886 Micahs Way NorthSpring Lake Agent: Samuel Gordon Creed Breed Kennels LLC 13991 NC 210 S Spring Lake Agent: Katisha Rojas Leezer Investments LLC 3261 Natal St Fayetteville Agent: Edward Le ezer HDL2LOVES LLC 5109 Wichita Dr Fayetteville Agent: ArNita Davis Pick&Choose Inc. 1110 Clark Street Fayetteville Agent: Larry Everett JusBKraft'n LLC 2420 Camp Lejeune Ct Hope Mills Agent: Talia M Benton Suga Mama’s Confections inc 6900 Cliffdale Rd Suite 105 Fayetteville Agent: Tonesha Bryant Kornegay Transportation Inc LLC 1339 Kienast Dr Fayetteville Agent: Kermit Devon
Fayetteville Agent: Kreston Thomas
Fayetteville Agent: Blasmite Desinat
GCT Logistics LLC 6012 Shannon Woods Way Hope Mills Agent:Craig E Taylor
DOC Automotive and Transportation LLC 2691 Rivercliff Road Fayetteville Agent: Darius Cruthirds
Lavish Hustlers LLC 1829 Ellie Avenue Fayetteville Agent: Dakim Ky Leggett AD-Ventures LLC 2902 High Plains Drive Hope Mills Agent: April Antonia George Apex Solutions LLC 4840 Cellner Dr Unit B Fayetteville Agent: Dean Domine The Janey's Real Estate Group LLC 7725 Siple Ave Fayetteville Agent: Jacqueline Janey Augustin Tax Services LLC 16 Briar Cir Apt F Fayetteville Agent: Myckerlson Augustin Church Entertainment Inc 2010 Ireland Dr Fayetteville Agent:Steven M Shaw Water 2021 LLC 713 Emeline Ave Fayetteville Agent: An Thu H Chu
A.D Dispatching LLC 1929 Brawley Ave Fayetteville Agent: Annabelle Marie Perez Daystar Spiritual LLC 6845 Wimbledon Circle Apt 302 Fayetteville Agent: Naquiyah Denise Booker Josey Unlimited Lorry Service LLC 4520 Headwind Drive Fayetteville Agent: Bronce Wyatt Body Contouring By K.Rochelle LLC 3947 Dunn Rd suite 5 PMB 48 Eastover Agent: Kenyatta Rochelle Jones Earlean Creative Preschool LLC 1617 Gibson Street Fayetteville Agent: Crystal Lavon Crumb Hackett Express LLC 7113 Lytteton Dr Fayetteville Agent: Christopher Jerome Hackett
Kornegay 47EVEN LLC 511 N Reilly Rd Fayetteville Agent: Tony Swindell
Christina’s Safe Place 312 Bartow Drive Fayetteville Agent: Shauna Brewington
New City Development III LLC 230 Green Street Fayetteville Agent: David T. Courie ECJL Farms LLC
Fayetteville Today LLC 1148 Honeycutt Rd
Esnaldo LLC 20 Briar Circle apt D
4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville
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Agent: Davis W. Puryear Rafe's Island Farms LLC 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville Agent: Davis W. Puryear TJ's Chrome Shop LLC 1324 Eastern Blvd Fayetteville Agent: James G Humphrey Jr Ashley Heights LLC 2919 Breezewood Ave Ste 100 Fayetteville Agent: Denver Ralph Huff III J Graham Transportation LLC 1209 Braybrooke Place Fayetteville Agent: James Andre Graham PPSK Properties LLC 3842 Talus Rd Fayetteville Agent: Jitendra Patel BMO Promotions & ENT LLC 2997 Cedar Creek Rd Fayetteville Agent: Canaan Wynder Surreal Transport LLC 5136 Chesapeake Rd Fayetteville Agent: Jimmy Lorenzo Williams II Asset Finder Pros LLC 5506 Dodge Drive Fayetteville Agent: Gilbert Bryan House of Beauty LLC 414 Desmond Dr Fayetteville Agent: Tiara Ashelle Young
JF&K LLC 901 Elliot Farm Rd Fayetteville Agent: Jerald F. McDonald Jr.
Spark Photobooth Inc. 96 Wiregrass Ct Angier Agent: Kathlyn Cox
TNC Services LLC 2908 West Shore Ct. Fayetteville Agent: Mark Bhatt
The Clean-Up Woman LLC 18845 Hwy 27 West Cameron Agent: Kimberly Michelle Street
RNR of Fayetteville LLC 150 N Mcpherson Church Rd Fayetteville Agent: Rajendra M. Shah Juliet Alpha LLC 212 Slagle Pl Fort Bragg Agent: Jalila Amatullah Wahid
Eley's Signing & Notary LLC 517 Century Dr Cameron Agent: Terrance Antoine Eley Jus' Maccin LLC 43 Gordon Ln spring lake Agent: Shavonne Antoinette DeVane
HARNETT Elishas Closet LLC 197 Bunting Drive Lillington Agent: Elisha Reina
MACA Dealings LLC 280 Hallow Oak St. Spring Lake Agent: Mitchel Jackson
K & Company Designs LLC 295 Green Forest Circle Dunn Agent: Kaylan B. Tripp
Rosemarys Boutique LLC 15 Avondale Drive Lillington Agent: Rosa Mary Surles
Chuy's concrete llc 15 Colonial Hills Dr. Lillington Agent: Jesus Alberto Mayo Velazquez
SAG51 LLC 166 Leaning Pine Circle Spring Lake Agent: Jason Lamont Givens
N-Motion Freight llc 91 Dogwood lane Lillington Agent: Breon D. Smith KLR Contracting LLC 32 East Depot Street Angier Agent: Kristin Losquadro Razon MaK Enterprises LLC 358 Peanut Lane Cameron Agent: Kelsey Jean Sigette
Waddell Crawl Space Solutions LLC 518 Matthews Mill Pond Rd Angier Agent: Hunter Waddell Magic Ice USA Inc. 11 Brookridge Drive Cameron Agent: Joshua Melocik J & M Flooring Installation LLC 48 Cora Ln Angier
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
October 8 - October 21, 2021
BIZ LEADS
bizfayetteville.com
Agent: Jose De Jesus-juarez HOKE COUNTY Sofull Delight LLC 124 Mix Trail lane Raeford Agent: Kiaona Kierra Binion
Coleman Star Struck LLC 2108 Stonegate Drive Raeford Agent: Justice Elijah Medico
Kenwood Flooring LLC 106 Calla Court Raeford Agent: Kenneth Anthony Ashby Sr.
The Law Office of Serenity P. Hardaway PLLC 1284 Fayetteville Road Raeford Agent: Serenity P. Hardaway
McGeachy LLC 101 Belle Boyd Drive Raeford Agent: Anya Terelle McGeachy
Gonza-Lo Construction LLC 16 Jackson Mhp Raeford Agent: Brayan Gonzalez Lopez
Rolling Echoes Massage LLC 145 Union St Raeford Agent: Stephanie Michelle Gish Boss it Girl Cosmetics LLC 100 Celena Ct Raeford Agent: Etricia Danyel Hatten Greaux Farms Cultivation LLC 5167 N Old Wire Road Raeford Agent: Noah Warren Black Friday Shoes Plus LLC 192 Tipperary St Raeford Agent: Ali Alsaidi The Moms of Angels Foundation 1930 Club Pond Road #1038 Raeford Agent: Tiacoilyia Cassie McIver Coleman's Enterprise 21 LLC 450 Copper Creek Dr Raeford Agent: Shamorrow
ROBESON J.O.Y. Christian Ministry L.L.C. 16654 NC Hwy 71 N Shannon Agent: Margaret Maynor Chocolate Angel Trucking LLC 13 Jasper Drive Shannon Agent: Organizing Helps LLC The Luna Tree LLC 814 North Walnut Street Fairmont Agent: April Whittemore Locklear BodyBOOST121 LLC 57 Edith Drive LoT 3 Fairmont Agent: MiChaela Aria Campbell Honey Lens Studio LLC 4900 Independence Dr Apt 19 Lumberton Agent: Megan Michelle Hammonds Trucker City Kings Logistics & Supply LLC
1016 E 9th St Lumberton Agent: Robert A Kanne Corey’s Express and Transport LLC 191 1st St Parkton Agent: Corey Donta Lewis JB Boaz Trucking and Logistics LLC 222 Benson Chapel Rd Rowland Agent: Gerald Jacobs McQuage Trucking LLC 892 Merritt Rd Fairmont Agent: Magalis Gonzalez Mcquage Package Express Delivery Service LLC 240 Wagon Wheel Rd Shannon Agent: Sharon F Moore
Loving Hearts and Helping Hands LLC 526 W 17th St Lumberton Agent: Fannie Perry CND Small Engine Repair and Service LLC 192 Eastwind Dr Lumberton Agent: Charles Leavitt Joey's Place LLC 876 Veterans Road Saint Pauls Joseph G Weindel Agent: Jamie L Oxendine Lovette Insurance & Financial LLC 4271 Lovette Rd. Lumberton Agent: Whitney Craig Lovette Breeden Transport LLC 91 Lexie Logan Ln Lumberton Agent: Raheem Breeden
JL Oxendine Investments LLC 2914 North Elm St #1035 Lumberton Agent: Jamie L Oxendine
Petronila Services LLC 826 Oakgrove Church Rd Lumberton Agent: Petronila Servin
Lovette Insurance & Financial LLC 4271 Lovette Rd. Lumberton Agent: Whitney Craig Lovette
Loving Hearts and Helping Hands LLC 526 W 17th St Lumberton Agent: Fannie Perry
Breeden Transport LLC 91 Lexie Logan Ln Lumberton Agent: Raheem Breeden Petronila Services LLC 826 Oakgrove Church Rd Lumberton Agent: Petronila Servin
CND Small Engine Repair and Service LLC 192 Eastwind Dr Lumberton Agent: Charles Leavitt
Sellers Towing LLC 1128 Zoar Church Rd Salemburg Agent: Isaac Sellers Sassy Balloon Kreation LLC 505 Stetson St Clinton Agent: Aleema S Quispe Barnes Transport Trucking LLC 695 Wilmington Rd Turkey Agent: Anthony Lee Barnes Jr Running on Blessings LLC 6610 Harrells Hwy Garland Agent: Veronica R Newkirk Atkinson Christian Academy Inc. 18356 NC Hwy 210 E Ivanhoe Agent: Christopher
Page 21
300 7 Eagles Ln Clinton Agent: Ronnie L Marable II KPATM LLC 217 S. Center Street Warsaw Agent: Kenneth Earl Cates New Town Graphics LLC 204 Raleigh Street Newton Grove Agent: Michael Hunter Womble II Pro Service Delivery Inc. 217 Pearl Street Clinton Agent: Chanel Rich Williams Properties and Investments LLC 244 Wilmington Road Turkey Agent: Warren Willi ams Whiskering Pines
Howard Barnhill 40 and Son Logistics LLC 135 Avon Lane Newton Grove Agent: Xavier Antonio Thompson
Dog Sanctuary Inc. 2901 North McCullen Road Faison Agent: Nancy Gump Bladen County
Lamp To My Feet LLC 7219 North US 421 HWY Clinton Agent: Alanna K Breedlove
True Image Landscaping & Consulting LLC 1319 Old Boardman Road Bladenboro Agent: Luther Wright
KNL Transport LLC 107 Heath Street Clinton Agent: William Nicks
Jessup & Jessup Trucking LLC 4458 River Rd White Oak Agent: Semorrick Jessup
Joey's Place LLC 876 Veterans Road Saint Pauls Agent: Joseph G Weindel
Supreme Cutz Barbershop LLC 403#C Southeast Blvd Clinton Agent: Samuel Sanchez
Sae' Towing & Transport LLC 79 Carter Rd. Riegelwood Agent: Constance Conswella Bress
SAMPSON COUNTY
Marable Excavation LLC
5 Guys and a Girl Catering and Events
LLC 1661 Clyde Evans Rd Evergreen Agent: Crystal Leigh Buffkin BMooreEnterprises LLC 17061 NC Hwy 87 West Tar Heel Agent: Jami B Moore K & R Transport LLC 183 Westwood Drive Agent: Elizabethtown Ryan Thornton Murphy's Construction 6 LLC 86 Jasmine Lane Clarkton Agent: James P Murphy Jr Happy Helpers Tranport LLC 432 Browntown Rd Riegelwood Agent: Samantha Lornese Graham Moore Platinum Custom Homes LLC 3997 Carthage Road West End Agent: Charles E. Bolton Jr. CliniPact LLC 4 Dunedin Circle Pinehurst Agent: Tamara Oh
XMARK LLC 7025 Harrison Lane West End Agent: Edward Jon Deck Jr. DEX LLC 7025 Harrison Lane West End Agent: Edward Deck Fox and Fern LLC 215 Edinboro Drive Southern Pines Agent: Emily McGregor Herds Creek Farm LLC 1118 Fazio Dr Pinehurst Agent: Ann Marie Richards Beachy Keen LLC 2200 Wadsworth Rd Carthage Agent: Robert Mendiguren The Inspired Nest LLC 224 Meyer Farm Drive Pinehurst Agent: Karen Ann Patton Urgent Vets for Pets Clinic PLLC 90 Cherokee Rd, 3rd Flr Pinehurst Agent: James R Van Camp D-Man of All Trades LLC 103 Tiverton Court West End Agent: Dylan Jones
Heather Tippens Counseling PLLC 160 Westchester Circle Pinehurst Agent: Heather Tippens
Freight Dog Express LLC 1599 NC-24 Cameron Agent: Andre Grier
SRMC of Montgomery County 2 Regional Circle Pinehurst Agent: Richard Lee Yelverton III
Veterans' Direct Support LLC 10205 US Hwy 15501 Unit 26 Suite 221 Southern Pines Agent: Kenneth Lee Wright Jr.
Page 22
October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
HOSPITALITY
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By Scott Nunn
Page 23
Work hard, play hard FAYETTEVILLE GOES EXTRA MILE TO ATTRACT SPORTING EVENTS
I
n basketball, they call it a “sixth man.” Fayetteville’s Ray Floyd and Charlotte's Davis Love III loved playing before hometown fans at North Carolina golf tournaments, for example. But it’s not only the competitors who value an at-home advantage. Groups that organize sporting events and other competitions also value a familiar setting and familiar faces. That’s why Amy Karpinski, director of sports marketing for the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, believes so strongly in building relationships. “It's everything. If you can't build a relationship, you're not going to get their business,” Karpinski told Greater Fayetteville Business Journal recently. “It's all about building and cultivating relationships. And if you sense you have an interest in what they're interested in, more than likely you're going to get that business.” “Maybe tomorrow they'll bring it here, or it may be five years, but if you show that interest in it, they'll bring it here,” Karpinski said. With moderate weather yearround, a central location, several major venues and modest costs for things like lodging and food, the Fayetteville area has proved successful in landing various competitions. “Whether chess or speed cubing, all the way up to football, baseball, basketball, cricket, I'll book it,” Karpinski said. Two events the FACVB recently hosted are good illustrations. In April, the American Junior Golf Association held its 2021 Junior Open at Anderson Creek Golf Club, in Spring Lake. And in the first week of September, USA Table Tennis held its Butterfly Cup at the Freedom Courts Sportsplex. It’s the biggest such event on the East Coast, Karpinski said. With 40 tables of play and $6,000 in prize money, the event drew people from across the nation and one international player -- people who, in turn, contributed to the Fayetteville-area economy. And building such relationships goes beyond sporting events. While they likely wouldn't call it a “homecourt advantage,” Karpinski said attracting events such as religious conventions and military meetings and reunions is much easier -- and
PHOTO COURTESY OF FACVB
USA Table Tennis held its 2021 Butterfly Cup competition recently at the Freedom Courts Sportsplex, on Gillespie Street.
more likely to succeed -- when the group is familiar with the venue and the community. For one thing, it means there are fewer surprises. For sporting events, Karpinski said, the competitors want to focus on their game, not how long it takes to get to the venue or when hotel rooms will be ready. So whether a competitive event or a convention, the participants and also the organizers want the location to feel like home. On average, about 75 percent of sporting events held here are organized by a person or group outside the region, Karpinski said. And as an organizer of events herself -- she is head of the Cape Fear Table Tennis Club--, Karpinski has some insights on what groups are looking for as well as what they are not looking for, a skill-set she believes gives the FACVB its own advantage in recruiting sporting events. “Because I run tournaments myself, I know how hard it is,” Karpinski said. The Cape Fear Table Tennis Club hosted the 2021 Butterfly Cup. The company Butterfly produces high-performance table tennis equipment. “I know that any little thing I can take off the shoulders of a tournament director is one less thing they have to worry about.” As with nearly all aspects of
life over the past year or so, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on sporting events. And only some can shift to Zoom meetings. Some events, such as gymnastics, have shifted to “virtual meets,” in which routines are filmed at gyms and then later scored by a remote judge. Even with in-person events, however, technology is increasingly playing a more important role in the convention business. “We really want to delve into the very lucrative E-Sports market,” said Karpinski. E-Sports essentially is a form of competition using video games. While such tournaments have been around for a while, in recent years there have been more players competing professionally, and some colleges offer scholarships to players on E-Sports teams. In October, Karpinski and Dorothy Strahley of the Crown Complex will travel to Las Vegas for an E-Sports business summit with the hopes of drawing an event to Fayetteville. “It’s basically, you know, video games,” Karpinski said. “They have [tournaments] all over the country and there’s hundreds of millions of dollars that go into this. The Crown's already working on updating their facilities with high-speed internet, things like that.”
Although competitors usually bring their own computers, adequate technological infrastructure needed to support the events must be in place, she said. Another non-traditional competition is speedcubing or speedsolving, which involves finishing combination puzzles -- most famously a Rubik's Cube -- as quickly as possible. “Speed cubing is very interested in running a state championship here, but they're waiting for COVID to die down,” Karpinski said. Karpinski also is in talks with a group looking to bring a national Beep Ball tournament here, a sporting competition for the blind and visually impaired. “I'm constantly researching new sports and different things I'm trying to get,” Karpinski said. “I'm just constantly learning.” While she believes it’s close relationships that can seal a deal, Karpinski said Fayetteville also benefits from its location -- just off Interstate 95 and exactly halfway between New York and Orlando. “That makes it very convenient, you know, and having the Crown and the Freedom Courts Sportsplex, which is a great venue for basketball, wrestling and boxing,” Karpinksi said. “And we have some great directors in this area that cultivate tournaments here and are very good at it. The competitors want to come here year after year because the tournaments are so good.” With sporting events proving to be a winner, the FACVB hopes to better measure their impact. “We are still working on the best way to capture accurate economic data,” Karpinski said, adding that she’s meeting with industry peers across the state to discuss that piece of the puzzle. And while Karpinski makes sure she’s thinking outside the box on what events to court, there are plenty of traditional sports looking for the “home-field advantage” and great location on which the FACVB prides itself. “We'll be bringing some gymnastics and cheerleading here … and boxing wants to run two or three more events next year,” she said. “It's just endless. There's so much out there.”
Page 24 >>
October 8 - October 21, 2021
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
bizfayetteville.com
By Scott Nunn
Jobless rate falls
A
FAYETTEVILLE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECREASES, BUT STILL LAGS STATE
lthough it's slowly heading in the right direction, employment in the Fayetteville area still is dragging its feet. Yes, the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area -- one of the largest of North Carolina's 15 MSAs -- saw its jobless rate drop from 6.7 percent in July to 6.4 percent in August. But the figure remained well above the state average of 4.4 percent. Breaking it down by region, Fayetteville was tied with Rocky Mount in August for the worst jobless rate. All 15 MSAs had rate decreases over July. While Fayetteville and Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.4 percent, Durham-Chapel Hill and Raleigh had the lowest -- 3.7 percent. The overall good news is that, when compared to the same month last year, unemployment rates decreased in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, and all 15 of the state’s MSAs showed rate decreases over
the year. Looking specifically at counties, Scotland had the highest unemployment rate in August at 8.7 percent. Chatham, Avery, Ashe, and Orange Counties each had the lowest -- 3.4 percent. When it comes to employment reports, the N.C. The Department of Commerce slices data into more pieces than your grandmother trying to stretch a cake at a Sunday dinner. Several of the state’s metro areas had jobless rates under 4 percent, which is considered by some economists as “full employment” -Durham-Chapel Hill, 3.7; Raleigh, 3.7; Asheville, 3.8; and Wilmington 3.9. The N.C. Department of Commerce also breaks down job numbers by county: In Cumberland in August, for example, the labor force was about 124,500 people, and about 8,000, (6.4 percent) reported they could not
find a job, the 93rd worst among the state's 100 counties. Elsewhere in the Fayetteville region, Harnett’s jobless rate was 5.0%, down from 5.2 last month; Moore county dropped to 4.1 from 4.4 percent; Robeson went from 7.2 to 6.9; and Bladen 5.4 to down to 5.2 percent. In the Fayetteville area specifically, manufacturing added new jobs as did leisure, hospitality and government. Robert Van Geons, president and CEO of Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, adds some perspective to the numbers: “We’ve been higher than the other metros for a number of years,” Van Geons told the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal on Monday. “The fact that we are a transitory community, with families moving in and out, plays some role. We also have a significant portion of our workforce (roughly 25%) employed in
sectors that have been hard hit by COVID-19 (Hospitality, restaurant, traditional retail, etc.) On the other side however, “Our universities and Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) are aggressively working to help those that have ‘some college’ find a path to completion, opening up significant new career opportunities. “We lead most metros in that category, falling behind when compared on “completion”. Complementing this, city and county leadership, our workforce development board and Cumberland County schools are investing substantial resources into workforce development, skill certifications and technical training,” Van Geons said “That is the No. 1 driver for most corporate site-location projects. While these efforts take time, they will be transformative.”
bizfayetteville.com
>>
By Keyuri Parab
Dragon’s Lair
D
FORT BRAGG DECLARES EPISODE FIVE WINNER
ragon’s Lair, a shark-tank style innovation pitch event hosted by Fort Bragg announced 1st Lt. Mahdi Al-Husseini, 25th Infantry Division from Hawaii as the winner of its fifth episode this morning. Al-Husseini pitched the idea to leverage artificial intelligence to train, measure and record pilot performance through iterative feedback. “Mahdi’s program has the potential to revolutionize the way our army manages aviation practices and pilot and crew performance,” said Col. Joe Buccino, XVIII Airborne Corps Innovation Officer. “This was among the most well-developed, visionary concepts we’ve seen come into Dragon’s Lair thus far.” As the winner of the competition, Al-Husseini won the Meritorious Service Medal, a four-day pass off work and the option to attend the Army school of his choice. “I hope that the technology introduced and this artificially intelligent task training system for Army avia-
tors will continue ongoing development and ultimately make a meaningful difference to our Warfighters,” Al-Husseini said. His proposed pilot-performance program will move forward into implementation across all XVIII Airborne Corps aviation units. “Mahdi’s presentation during Dragon’s Lair leverages technology available in the marketplace today,” said Jared Summers, XVIII Airborne Corps chief tech officer. “His presentation showcased computer vision in an innovative way to create value and solve a user-problem for the warfighter.” Al-Husseini won by two points out of a possible 275 total points in an assessment graded by the 11 panelists. Following him in second place was Lt. Col. Jason Harlan, assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division for the M1 Abrams tanks self-recovery system he developed in his garage using his own resources. “For us to have these soldiers come in from Hawaii, Georgia, Ken-
tucky and all over the Army, what it means for us is soldiers have ideas, they see inefficiencies, they see problems in their daily lives and solve for those problems,” Buccino said. “And for us Dragon’s Lair is about embracing the soldier, the idea, bringing it up here to the headquarters. Then the next step is implementing it.” Initially, soldiers submit their ideas through a third-party website which is reviewed every three months by the Dragon’s Innovation Council who reviews and selects the candidates that will move forward to present at the Dragon’s Lair events. “This is the biggest one we’ve done and is the best one yet in a sense because it represents a full diversity of thought and innovation across the army,” he added. “There are different ideas being presented from very complicated AI algorithms for pilot performance feedback to a new policy to treat soldiers who have had to come out of a traumatic experience with sexual assault, so we’ve
got a wide range of ideas, and that’s what Dragon’s Lair is about.” A press release sent out by Fort Bragg this morning mentioned that American’s Contingency Corps will implement some aspect of each of the seven ideas presented at Dragon’s Lair, Episode 5, The innovations include solar-panel battery charging system, a new system to care for survivors of sexual assault and augmented realtiy tools to improve maintenance training. Buccino emphasized the importance of Dragon’s Lair and the need for innovative ideas from soldiers by pointing out that the leadership may not always have all the ideas and solutions because they don’t see all the problems. “In the Army, you hear it all the time, ‘people first, people first.’ Okay, we are doing it. It’s getting the idea and uplifting that idea, and that’s the whole concept of Dragon’s Lair,” he added.
Page 25
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October 8 - October 21, 2021
Page 27
PROFILE
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Wellons makes a mark on Spring Lake Q&A B illy Wellons, president of Wellco Contractors and principal officer of WS Wellons Realty, has served the Spring Lake and greater area for more than five decades, developing neighborhoods, building hotels and shopping centers, and other advancements. A native to Dunn, where he earned the prestigious Eagle Scout award, one of his proudest accomplishments, Wellons began working in his family real estate business in 1970 and has continued his family legacy lending vision and putting resources into developing some of the key assets of Spring Lake. The transformations in areas of Spring Lake beginning in the 1980s including the Laketree subdivision, Sleep Inn and Suites Hotel, FTCC campus and more have been game changers for growth and investment to the small town nestled next to Fort Bragg. Outside of land development, property and rental management, Wellons has been well-known in the Carolinas for playing in rock and roll bands and riding his Harleys. From 1965 to 1968, he played with Gene Barbour and the Cavaliers, a popular band that opened for shows like Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Four Tops among others. That band evolved to Men of Distinction, which Wellons played with until 1975. A reunion tour made up of 12 members from both bands formed in 1996 and lasted for around three years. Wellons is also a long-time board member of FTCC, which opened its Spring Lake campus in 2004.
GFBJ: Your family has been involved
Creek with 150 homes and Old Farm Village with another 150 homes and developed Overhills Creek with 350 homes. We developed our own water utility and sewer plant and when we sold to Harnett County in 1995, we had 1000 water customers and 500 sewer taps. In 1986, with partner Mr. Dohn Broadwell, we purchased 300 acres of land from the Murchison family and began to develop what is now commercial, multi-family and residential. Our proudest parts of this property are the FTCC campus, the County Library, a nice award-winning Sleep Inn and Suites hotel and the commercial development. We also built the Gateway Inn, which was the first five story building and the first building with an elevator in Spring Lake.
GFBJ: How have you seen Spring Lake change over the years?
WELLONS: In my 50 plus years of
working in Spring Lake, the most obvious changes are the once thriving Main Street is now a dissolute kind of street and outdated and all of the new growth is along the 87 and 210 corridors. That is where the traffic is, and it has outgrown the Main Street corridor. DOT’s improvement plan that was created by the increased traffic in Harnett County closed 13 businesses and eliminated curb cuts except for the major streets off 87/210.
GFBJ: With the Spring Lake Com-
prehensive Land Use Plan coming up, what do you see as Spring Lake’s top priorities?
in Spring Lake for a long time. Can you tell our readers about your history? Housing and commercial developments in Spring Lake?
WELLONS: The new land use plan
WELLONS: My father and his broth-
GFBJ: What makes Spring Lake
ers came to Spring Lake in the 1950s and began to develop single family housing. My dad recognized a need for rental housing as well, which was natural for Spring Lake with the proximity to Fort Bragg. In 1968, we moved into Western Harnett County Anderson Creek and developed homes and two mobile home parks. Old Farm Mobile Home Park and Cooper's Creek had 250 mobile homes each. We also began to build apartments and single family as well. We have since redeveloped Cooper’s
should think outside the box for the future of our city. We need to become a point of destination attractive to development?
WELLONS: Spring Lake is in a per-
fect location and that is what makes it a great potential for the future. It has accessibility to the northside of Fort Bragg and everyone coming from Harnett, Lee and Moore counties to get to Fort Bragg to go to work.
GFBJ: What do you see as the largest obstacle to development in Spring Lake?
Billy Wellons President of Wellco Contractors and Principal Officer of WS Wellons Realty
Age: 75 Family: Wife Colleen, Children Kristin, Jamie and Ryan, Three grandchildren Reid, Christopher and Ethan with son in law Jeremy Seeland and daughter in law Christina Johnson Education: Dunn High School 1963, Graduated from NC State in 1968 with a degree in economics Previous Experience: Guidance counselor and Economics teacher at Anderson Creek High School, joined W.S. Wellons Realty and Wellco Contractors in 1970 Hobbies: Riding horses, motorcycles and enjoying his farm
WELLONS: Biggest obstacle to
growth is finding a central area that can create an impact and the city must take the risk to invest in updating its infrastructure.
GFBJ: There are older areas of
Spring Lake that are populated with post WWII housing, how do you see those areas changing in the future?
WELLONS: All of the older housing
of post World War II will be determined by who owns what. We have so many small owners who want to invest in the properties as rentals and then are not willing to do what it takes to make them better. These properties will always be an obstacle until we find a better way to deal with them. Hopefully in the future they will go away for a new development. We could create something new with a concerted effort from a planning standpoint. It would create
positive change in Spring Lake
GFBJ: What project(s) have you been the proudest to be a part of ?
WELLONS: The 300 acres of the Murchison property is my proudest development. It is the new Spring Lake and was a major impact in residential, multi-family, hotels and commercial development.
GFBJ: What is the best piece of advice you have received?
WELLONS: My dad gave me my best advice always. He was a very smart man with a vision and a commonsense approach to things and always said “hard work” will overcome all obstacles. I have tried to live up to his standard of hard work. Don't be afraid to take the risk.
Page 28
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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
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