Greater Fayetteville Business Journal - February 24, 2023 Issue

“It’s so good, you can put it on a flip-flop and eat it,” said Carl Pringle, creator of Flip Flop barbecue sauce, as he claps his hands in excitement and laughs. “But the commercial story is that it is sweet on the front, the heat is on the back.”

Pringle, a Fayetteville resident since 1993, grew up in Washington D.C. Growing up, he could not imagine living in Fayetteville when he spent the summers here visiting family.

“To be honest, I used to come here during the summers, and I couldn’t stand Fayetteville because I thought

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: THE L3 BRAND

Carl Pringle, creator of Flip Flop barbecue sauce poses next to his sauces now being offered in Food Lions across Fayetteville.

HARNETT COUNTY DECEMBER 2022: 3.6%

SAME AS DECEMBER 2021: 3.6%

HOKE COUNTY DECEMBER 2022: 4.5%

SAME AS DECEMBER 2021: 4.5%

MOORE COUNTY DECEMBER 2022: 3.1%

UP FROM DECEMBER 2021: 3.0%

SAMPSON COUNTY DECEMBER 2022: 3.1%

SAME AS DECEMBER 2021: 3.1%

ROBESON COUNTY DECEMBER 2022: 5.3%

DOWN FROM DECEMBER 2021: 5.5%

RALEIGH MSA DECEMBER 2022: 2.7%

SAME AS DECEMBER 2021: 2.7%

NOVEMBER 2022 STATE SALES AND USE TAX COLLECTION (CUMBERLAND COUNTY)

$23,829,703

UP FROM STATE SALES TAX COLLECTION

NOVEMBER 2021

$21,358,507

LABOR FORCE (DECEMBER) BY INDUSTRY (FAYETTEVILLE MSA)

4424 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303 910-240-9697 bizfayetteville.com

PUBLISHER

Marty Cayton martyc@bizfayetteville.com

EDITOR

Faith Hatton faithh@bizfayetteville.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Stephanie Meador stephaniem@bizfayetteville.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Charity Brandsma

Kate Griffin

Diana Hansen

Kathie Harris

Suet Lee-Growney

Jenna Shackelford

Eddie Velazquez

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

MARKETING CONTENT

Stacie Borrello

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER

Samantha Lowe samanthal@bizfayetteville.com

ACCOUNTING

Priscilla Nelson billing@bizfayetteville.com

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.

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A lot to celebrate! February 2023

Idon’t know about you, but I believe February is a very interesting month. With only 28 days (except for a leap year), it packs a punch.

It sets the tone for the soon emergence of spring (or not). It is the most rare birth month (although two of our most celebrated Presidents were born in February - thus the creation of Presidents Day). And, of course, it is the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day (which has an amazing history - worth looking into).

And speaking of history, February is also the month that Congress designated in 1986 to celebrate Black history. And more recently, in 2006, Congress chartered the third week in February to celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week across the country, which this year took place February 11-18, 2023.

In this issue, we have combined the celebration of Black History Month and National Entrepreneurship Week with a focus on Black owned businesses in our area. Fayetteville and our surrounding region represents a very diverse community. It is evident of the various awards and designations we have received. Two such examples are Methodist University, which recently was named the most diverse university in NC and last year, Fayetteville was named by LendingTree the city with the greatest percentage of Black owned businesses.

What a tremendous community! We have a lot to be thankful for! What a great opportunity and responsibility we have - to continue to thrive as a community that greatly respects and values each other’s differences. I believe the best is yet to come!

And speaking about things to come, you won’t want to miss our next Power Breakfast on February 28, 2023 at Cape Fear Botanical Garden called “Our Future Economy.” Our speaker, Ted Abernathy says he will “plan to look at the global and local economies and the

The month of February combines a number of historic and cultural holidays, some are recognized worldwide and others here in the U.S.

challenges businesses are facing to prepare for a rapidly changing and uncertain future. Ted further stated, “Evolving globalization, technological transformation, personal reevaluations and political paralysis are creating headwinds for all of us, and raising the question: What do we do to prepare?” Ted is extremely bright and has a gift for simplifying the complex. Go to www.FayettevillePowerBreakfast.com for tickets and to learn more.

We will also introduce and distribute our first copies of the 2023 Book on Business at the next Power Breakfast! The publication clearly shows the Fayetteville region as a significant center of business. The publication also serves as an annual update to businesses and community leaders on initiatives that boost economic development.

In addition to being mailed to Business Journal subscribers, the Book on Business will be distributed throughout the year at different Business Journal events, by area Chambers, economic development groups and other institutions that support business development in the Fayetteville region.

THIS YEAR'S PUBLICATION INCLUDES:

• Ranked lists with information about leading companies in a range of local industries

• Demographic and other statistical information in the Fayetteville region

• An annual report on several economic development initiatives in the region

• Information on the leading economic drivers in the area

Now back to February.

By the time this next issue is mailed, I will have also celebrated my youngest daughter’s 21st birthday, my youngest son’s wedding, and my youngest grandson’s 3rd birthday-all in February! What a month!

God bless you and yours!

7:30

OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE

In the past nine years, Abernathy and his team have worked on 146 projects in more than 20 states and internationally. He currently serves as economic advisor to the Council of State Chambers and previously held a similar position to the Southern Governor’s Association.

The Ralph and Linda Huff Orangery Cape Fear Botanical Garden Fayetteville, NC 28305

Ted Abernathy, a nationally respected economic strategist based in North Carolina, will talk about the Fayetteville region’s competitive strengths and weaknesses as well as how the changing landscape in global trade, technology and demographics will impact our community in 2023 and beyond.

TED ABERNATHY Managing Partner Economic Leadership

Ted Abernathy is the Managing Partner of Economic Leadership, which helps communities and other clients analyze competitiveness, develop strategies and reimagine the future.

Proud to be the Largest Minority Contractor in NC delivering award winning buildings that shape our future.

UNC Pembroke Thomas School of Business

ABC Eagle Award Winner Excellence in Construction Performance

From BORN FAVORITE, page 1

it was so slow,” Pringle said. “But it’s the best move I’ve ever made.”

He decided to stay to raise his sons because of the family-friendly pace of the town, a stark contrast from the way he was brought up in his D.C. family home.

“I had three sons, and I didn’t want them to see what I saw (in D.C.),” he said. “It’s everybody on top of each other and not much room … Sometimes you have to get away from your normal to do something different.”

Pringle’s heart and soul beat within the community, which he thought was his calling in life, and it was this sense of community that gave rise to his barbecue sauce. The original Flip Flop sauce is his personal rendition of a traditional D.C.-style barbecue sauce.

“I looked up a recipe for a sauce that was made in the D.C. area, but when I tried to make it I didn’t have everything they had, so I substituted a few things,” he said. “It came up pretty good and I took it to the community. Well, everyone was like ‘Mr. Carl, we like this. You need to do something with this.’”

In one of his many advocacy works at community feedings and fighting hunger, he met a fellow community feeding activist Jonathan Dozier. Dozier, who did not usually have hotdogs as part of his dietary repertoire, asked for some ketchup to go with his meal when he got hungry at one of the events.

“‘(Pringle) says, ‘Yeah, we don’t do ketchup here, but I have some sauce,’” Dozier said. “So I said, ‘let’s put the sauce on there.’ At that point, I was basically hooked … This is incredible. I don’t eat this many hotdogs.”

Dozier not only ate one hotdog the first time he tried Pringle’s sauce — he ate four hotdogs and a hamburger to go with the sauce he became hooked on. Eventually he approached Pringle to propose a partnership. Together they worked to not only commercialize the product but also grew the brand from one to three sauces.

Currently, they are working to expand on the current line to include a diabetic-friendly sauce called “Flip Flop Free” and a rub to enhance the sauces.

“We want to try to create a sauce that won’t spike the glucose levels in

the bodies,” Dozier said.

“That’s taking some time to do because sugar-free is really complicated and the formula. That’s where our growth is. That’s where we’re going.”

The inspiration behind the upcoming product is a personal one for both Pringle and Dozier.

“My son was diagnosed with diabetes; (Dozier’s) father has diabetes,” Pringle said.

Dozier is the chief executive officer of Flip Flop and Pringle’s partner. He was drawn to Pringle and felt a deep connection, and then decided to invest in him not only because he liked the sauce, but also because he also has a deep respect for Pringle as a person and his efforts in the community.

“He was feeding all of us out of his own pocket and that was pretty much all that I needed to know — that sealed the deal,” Dozier said. “It says a lot. That’s someone that I want to invest in. (Pringle) is a very giving man; a very generous man; a very kind man. And he’s been consistently that way. I’ve known him for a year and a half. We’ve worked steadily together.

He’s always been consistent.” Pringle’s motivation and inspiration to be a champion in fighting hunger within the Fayetteville community is his mother’s legacy.

“If I can touch somebody and help somebody, it gives me purpose,” Pringle said. “I’m just Bettye’s boy; Bettye was my mother. My mother passed away. She was very big in the community even before I knew about it. I learned a lot of things at her funeral. I wanted people to see that I was carrying her name. A lot of the stuff I do, I do it to honor my mother.”

His tenacity within the community feedings not only led him to connections, such as Dozier, but also people who connected him to get his bottles

on shelves at local grocery stores such as Pate’s Farm Market, Kinlaw’s Supermarket, and Downtown Market of Fayetteville; but also the national chain grocer Food Lion.

“I actually had a friend I do community work with talk to Food Lion, one of the managers,” he said. “Eight months later, we had an agreement.”

Since then, Pringle has competed and won in local and national barbecue competitions and featured on national television on shows such as Tamron Hall Show.

Dozier said apart from expanding their product line, they are working to put their bottles on more national hypermarket shelves such as Publix, Harris Teeter, and eventually Walmart.

“We’ve been strategically growing our company with the support of others in relation to supporting us by connecting us with the right people,” Dozier said. “We are pushing towards strategic growth in Fayetteville and North Carolina. We like to be in the Southeast; we’d like to grow beyond that. It’s going to take some time, I know. It will take years.”

In the meantime, while Pringle continues to perfect his new products, he continues to focus on his community efforts.

“As the sauce grows, I want to do what I’m doing with the community,” Pringle said. “I pledge a percentage of what I do has to go back to the community, because if it were not for the community I wouldn’t have the sauce.”

Ten percent of all sauce sales go to Uncle Carl’s Safe Space, Pringle’s community outreach organization. Flip Flop barbecue sauces is available on FlipFlopBBQ.com, Amazon. com, Food Lion stores, Kinlaw’s Supermarket, Pate’s Farm Market, and Downtown Market Fayetteville.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: CARL PRINGLE Flip Flop sauce comes in three flavors, but Pringle and Dozier are looking to expand on the current line.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: L3 BRAND

Pringle (pictured center), his partner John Dozier (pictured right) and their family and supporters gathered to celebrate the launch of Flip Flop sauce in Food Lions across Fayetteville.

ACHIEVERS

Kesterson named Farm Bureau Bank’s new eastern North Carolina market executive

Farm Bureau Bank is continuing with their expansion of their Commercial Banking team to the Eastern North Carolina market and has named DAVE KESTERSON as their Market Executive for the region.

In his new role, Kesterson will strive to provide tailored banking solutions and help maximize growth opportunities for local small and mid-sized businesses throughout a number of counties ranging from Raleigh to Fayetteville and eastward.

“We are very excited to welcome Dave Kesterson to the Farm Bureau Commercial Banking Team as our Eastern North Carolina Market Executive, adding to our initial commercial markets in Western North Carolina, Western Virginia and Georgia” stated Farm Bureau Bank’s Chief Commercial Banking Officer Gary Armstrong said in a press release. “With Dave’s strong business banking experience and substantial knowledge of the market, we know he will bring a meaningful relationship building approach to business and commercial real estate clients in line with the experience Farm Bureau members have witnessed for decades.”

Kesterson has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Farm Bureau Bank, he worked at First Bank as an Area Executive and Senior Vice President as well as BB&T as a business banker and Vice President.

“I am excited to be joining the Farm Bureau Bank family, where building relationships takes priority over building the balance sheet. I believe your banker should come to see you at your business as opposed to expecting you to come to them,” Kesterson said in a press release. “Business owners across Eastern North Carolina have seen customer service levels at local banks diminishing over time. My goal is to bring back old-fashioned customer service-driven banking for select business owners regardless of their location across Eastern North Carolina.”

NCMBC welcomes Rivers as business development professional for the Fort Bragg region

The North Carolina Military Busi-

bizfayetteville.com

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.

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.”

ness Center has announced a new team member for the Fort Bragg region following the appointment of TONIA RIVERS as Business Development Professional. Serving businesses statewide from Fayetteville Technical Community College, Tonia will provide one-on-one assistance to help businesses in the following counties to compete for, win and grow jobs through federal contracts: Bladen, Cumberland, Columbus, Harnett, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland.

Tonia will work every day to identify current and future prime and subcontracting opportunities (with a focus on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), notify companies statewide of these opportunities, and provide one-on-one assistance to help companies in her service area to bid on and win federal contracts. Tonia will also join a robust NCMBC construction and infrastructure industry team.

“The business development team is the heart of the NCMBC,” said NCMBC Executive Director Scott Dorney in a press release. “Tonia's experience - from both the business and government perspectives - in construction and MILCON programs will serve her well in assisting businesses of all sizes and experience levels in competing for federal contracts.”

Prior to joining the NCMBC, Tonia served as a Project Officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in support of the U.S. Army Reserve Command MILCON Program, and in industry as a Senior Project Manager managing construction projects in the National Capital Region. Tonia's experience spans several market sectors and includes historic preservation and res-

toration, commercial, marine construction, residential, institutional, federal, healthcare and K-12 education. She has also been a critical team member in management of over $1 billion in construction projects.

Harnett County welcomes new marketing director for economic development

Harnett County is proud to announce ELIZABETH EDWARDS as the first Marketing Director for Economic Development effective Feb. 20. She brings over 15 years of experience leading digital marketing and communication initiatives, serving most recently as the Director of Communications and Donor Relations at William Peace University.

Prior to her position at William Peace University, Edwards led an alumni engagement communications strategy for Campbell University, guided communications and digital marketing efforts for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and supported global branding, economic development, and tourism-related promotions for the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

“We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth Edwards to Harnett County,”said Director of Economic Development Christian Lockamy in a press release. “Elizabeth has the drive and experience to lead our inaugural marketing efforts. We are very fortunate to have Elizabeth join our team.”

The Marketing Director role is the fourth staff position for Harnett County Economic Development that will work with the new Harnett County Economic Development Partnership. In this new role, Edwards will have

oversight of internal and external marketing strategies, playing a central role in positioning the community for the attraction of new jobs, investment, and overnight stays.

“I am excited to join the Harnett County Economic Development team and have the opportunity to showcase all this unique county has to offer entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries,” said Edwards in a press release. “I look forward to supporting the mission to create jobs, bring investment and ultimately, improve the quality of life for Harnett County citizens.”

Fayetteville native Joshua Williams wins SuperBowl

Mayor Mitch Colvin and the City Council congratulate and recognize Kansas City Chief cornerback, JOSHUA WILLIAMS for being part of the winning Super Bowl LVII team. Williams is a Fayetteville native and a Jack Britt High School and Fayetteville State University alumnus. This was his first Super Bowl after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

“On behalf of the City Council and residents of Fayetteville, I want to personally congratulate Joshua Williams and the Kansas City Chiefs on their win in Super Bowl LVII,” Colvin said in a press release. “As we celebrate this win with Joshua, I encourage everyone to work hard and stay dedicated towards accomplishing their goals as he did.”

The Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 at Super Bowl LVII. Williams played throughout the game finishing with three solo and one assisted tackle on the night.

During the regular season, Williams played in all 17 games, accumulating 40 total tackles, 11 assisted tackles, seven total pass deflections and one interception.

After graduating Jack Britt High School, he attended Palmetto Prep and later joined the Fayetteville State Football program and played three seasons with the Broncos. He finished his Bronco career with 81 total tackles (55 solo, 26 assisted), 21 pass breakups, five interceptions with returns of 32 yards, and a touchdown in the 29 games he played in.

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

Kesterson

Rivers

Edwards

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Williams

Bath Snob

A FAMILY BUSINESS PROVIDES UNIQUE, HOMEMADE CANDLES, BODY CARE AND MUCH MORE

For lovers of luxurious baths, simplistic skincare and those who enjoy the occasional guilty pleasure, a store nestled away near historic downtown Hope Mills may soon become your favorite new discovery.

Bath, body and candles boutique Bath Snob is a family run business that has been in Hope Mills since 2019. Offering skincare products like lotions, bubble bars and their homemade facial elixir, and other products such as wax tarts, fun themed candles and “scoopables,” there is a signature scent and product for all of your fragrance needs.

Created, owned and operated by a mother, Mary Thompson, and her two daughters, Connie Melvin- Rushing and Tammie Melvin-Carlile, the family came together from across the country and combined their separate businesses to become the Bath Snob of today.

“I actually started a Bath Snob in California, so I used to go to the LA county fairs and stuff like that,” explained Rushing. “And my sister had a company, Candle Freaks out in Virginia. So, when her husband was retiring, she kept bothering me for a whole year. She said ‘Come on, bring your business out here. We can combine our business together.’”

Rushing, who is self-taught when it comes to the soaps, lotions and skin care products she creates for sale, said that for her, it started as a side gig that eventually became something more real.

“I never thought about soap. How it started was that we had a women's event in California, and I had to figure out gifts. And my sister saw this recipe for these bath bomb cupcakes. They looked like blue bath bombs. It was those hard tops that you put in the water. So, I made those, you know, just to give out for the women, and they liked it so much they were ordering.”

But running a business is more than pretty soaps and nice fragrances. According to Rushing, each team member plays an important role in the success of Bath Snob.

“So, I am the soaper, and the media person, and my sister, she's more on the business side of it, the financial side. She does that and she

does a candle section,” said Rushing. “And then my mom does all the retail. So, the thing to start with about my mom, she worked for AAFES (The Army & Air Force Exchange Service) for over 30 years, so she brings that retail experience. I bring the analytical side and my sister brings more like the business savvy side.”

Even the name, Bath Snob, has family ties, originating as a term of endearment towards Rushing from her late husband Anthony.

“That’s how I got the name. My husband called me a bath snob because, when I'm sitting on the tub, I thought ‘what else do I like? Oh, what if I got a nice soap on the side. Oh, and a couple of candles,’ right? Like I'm a true snob, I will be in the tub for hours,” said Rushing.

All of the more than a dozen scents and products are made in house with all natural ingredients. According to

Rushing, the products and what's in them started based on what she wanted in soaps and scents and what would work for her skin.

“That’s why I started experimenting,” said Rushing. “Let me make

my own soap the way that I want it. I made it the way everybody else does, like you chop up the cubes, put it in the microwave and pour it. But it has to be better. So, I learned how to do it with oils and butters the way that I want that's good for my skin, and then my kids’ skin and then I realized, ‘oh I can help them with their eczema. I can do this and that.’ and that's how it started.”

Even with their expansive product line, Rushing said she’s not done yet with a new product expected to launch within the next month.

“We're working on a face mask and we're testing it with turmeric, activated charcoal and apple cider vinegar. We're close, we're just testing. Another thing on product testing, we have to see how long it can be out in the open without any preservatives,” said Rushing.

Anyone looking to enhance their bath time routine is welcome to stop by the store located at 3505 N Main St, Hope Mills for a product demonstration, or sneak a peek at their inventory on their website at www. bathsnob.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: GFBJ Bath Snob Co owners Tammie Melvin- Carlile (pictured left), Mary Thompson (middle) and Connie Melvin-Rushing (pictured right) hand make all the products sold in store.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: GFBJ

Connie (pictured above) gives a demonstration of Bath Snob’s shaving soap. Shower steamers (pictured left) are one of the most popular items among customers.

OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE

Our Future Economy

TED ABERNATHY TO SHARE INSIGHTS INTO FAYETTEVILLE’S ECONOMY AT FIRST POWER BREAKFAST OF 2023

The first Power Breakfast of the new year is coming up on Tuesday, Feb. 28. It will be held at the Ralph and Linda Huff Orangery at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Through a collaboration with the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal was able to arrange to have Ted Abernathy speak at this Power Breakfast titled “Our Future Economy”.

Ted Abernathy is a nationally respected economic strategist based in North Carolina. At the breakfast he will talk about the Fayetteville region’s competitive strengths and weaknesses as well as how the changing landscape in global trade, technology and demographics will impact our community in 2023 and beyond.

“I’ve heard Ted Abernathy speak twice now, and not only does he have a really good grasp of the global and national economy, but also, his firm

does a lot of research on the region, so he’s got a good understanding of our local economy,” shared GFBJ Publisher Marty Cayton.

This is the first Power Breakfast that will feature an individual speaker rather than a panel. Cayton noted that Abernathy is skilled at presenting complex thoughts and ideas in a way that individuals who are not experts in economics or finance can understand them.

Ted Abernathy is the Managing Partner of Economic Leadership, which helps communities and other clients analyze competitiveness, develop strategies and reimagine the future.

“I got into the field by looking at how communities grow and how [the] workforce fits into that,” shared Abernathy.

In the past nine years, Abernathy and his team have worked on 146 projects in more than 20 states and internationally. He currently serves as economic advisor to the Council of

State Chambers and previously held a similar position to the Southern Governors’ Association.

At the conclusion of Abernathy’s presentation there will be 20 minutes reserved for questions from the audience.

In addition to hearing Abernathy speak, attendees will take home a copy of the brand new 2023 GFBJ Book on Business. The book will be debuted during the last few minutes of the event. This is the second annual Book on Business which provides readers with carefully curated ranked lists detailing organizations within the area that offer services across many industries.

“I think the excitement of having something to take away, not only intangible, the ideas and the content from Ted’s speaking, but something tangible and that’s new and fresh and represents our region’s economy is a good thing to have. This will be the second year that we’ve introduced it through the Power Breakfast Series,

so I think it’s a great venue to do that,” added Cayton.

“We’re excited about 2023 as Greater Fayetteville Business Journal, and we’re looking to continue to serve the business community here in Fayetteville and the region around us,” concluded Cayton.

The first Power Breakfast of 2023 will also be the first event that features one speaker, Ted Abernathy, instead of a guest panel.

“We’re excited about 2023 as Greater Fayetteville Business Journal, and we’re looking to continue to serve the business community here in Fayetteville and the region around us.”

— Marty Cayton

TED ABERNATHY Managing Partner Economic Leadership

The previous Power Breakfast took place on Dec. 1, 2022 and featured panelists James Freeman, Justin B. Hembree and Fred Surgeon.

Hollywood Java

MOBILE COFFEE BAR BRINGS LOVE OF LOCAL COFFEE TO FAYETTEVILLE AND BEYOND

Dalton and Patrice Carter met and fell in love over coffee 13 years ago. Now, they’re the owners of a thriving mobile coffee bar.

Hollywood Java started in 2018 as a pop-up coffee shop and has since evolved into a mobile coffee bar. Owned and operated by husband and wife Dalton and Patrice Carter, Hollywood Java’s mission is to build community around specialty coffee. Dalton, nicknamed “Hollywood,” and Patrice, nicknamed “The Good Doctor,” are filmmakers and Army Veterans with a passion for engaging with their community. Dalton shared that while filmmaking is his passion, he was looking for a job to do in between creative gigs. Through taking barista courses, Dalton’s initial love for coffee grew into the desire to start a business.

“One thing about me and Patrice, we travel a lot and when we do travel, we try our best to frequent local coffee shops. We try to avoid the chains…we want to go where the locals go and talk to the baristas and the owners and typically, that’s always a great experience. So not only do we seek out great coffee but we seek out great experiences with the owners and baristas. So that’s something that going forward we wanted to kind of provide for the community as well with not only great coffee, but a great customer experience,” shared Dalton.

As their business grew in popularity they were able to raise money for a trailer from a crowdfunding campaign and graduated from their pop-up business model to the mobile coffee bar that they run today.

The trailer allows Dalton and Patrice to bring their business to new communities, taking their brand to other North Carolina cities and even other states like South Carolina and Georgia.

“We love catering. That's kind of like our big thing, that and outreach,” shared Patrice.

Dalton expanded on this sentiment expressing the joy that he and

Patrice feel in forming relationships with the people they cater for. “We love everything we do, but we especially love catering because it kind of changes the dynamic of how we work and interact with the people we serve…with the catering it’s just more networking, it’s connection…”

Dalton and Patrice share the re-

sponsibilities of running the business. Patrice takes on a large portion of the administrative aspects of Hollywood Java while Dalton takes the lead when it comes to preparing the drinks.

“One of our biggest goals is to continue to push the idea of specialty coffee in the community... We carefully source our beans. The roaster that we use, they have a direct relationship with the farmers to the point where they actually visit the farms. So the coffee beans go from the producers, to farmers, to roasters to our hands, so it’s only two or three hands removed from the customer, and it makes a difference…” shared Dalton.

Their coffee is locally roasted by Carrboro Coffee Roasters and they use manual brewing methods to keep the quality of their product consistent.

The future is bright for Hollywood Java as the owners continue to build upon what they’ve got and imagine further successes for the business.

“We’re talking about franchises. We have customers all the time, I can't even count the number of

people that say ‘I would love to own a coffee business’ or ‘I want to own a coffee business,’ and so we want to just sort of do a deeper dive into looking at franchising and multiplying what we currently have, in addition to educating our clients and interacting with our clients. So the goals are, I would say, multiplication, education and interactivity, by way of specialty coffee,” commented Patrice.

“We do weddings, wedding receptions…we’ve done military events, employee appreciation, so any opportunity that any business or event will bring us out for them to experience our specialty coffee we would love that…and [we’re] hoping to grow our business in that regard this year,” added Patrice.

Dalton and Patrice are grateful for the community support they’ve received over the past several years and look forward to continued growth.

To learn more about Hollywood Java and to find out where their mobile coffee bar will be next visit their Facebook page: @hollywoodjavanc.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: HOLLYWOOD JAVA

Left: The trailer allows Dalton and Patrice to bring their business to new communities, taking their brand across North Carolina and to other states like South Carolina and Georgia. Right: The Hollywood Java crew carefully source their coffee beans, partnering with local roasters who keep close relationships with the farmers who supply their coffee.

“ We love catering. That's kind of like our big thing, that and outreach.”

Patrice Carter

Owner Hollywood Java

Hollywood Java owners Patrice (pictured left) and Dalton (pictured right) are Army Veterans with a love for coffee and the Fayetteville community.

Helping

Fayetteville Businesses Weather the Storm

As Fayetteville’s utility provider, PWC provides special support for our business and industrial customers:

• During storms, extended outages or other emergencies, we keep in contact with you to address your specific needs. Be sure to provide, or update, your contact information (before a storm hits) through the Storm Central/Business Continuity link at faypwc.com.

• You can also sign up for Electric Outage Notifications through PWC’s Online Account Manager to receive notifications 24/7my.faypwc.com. We’ll let you know when there’s an outage that affects your business location (especially helpful when it occurs after hours).

Customer Focused. Community Strong. 17212

Defense Contractors

By Eddie Velazquez

Artificial intelligence training

RESIDENTS RECEIVE REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE WITH REALISTIC FAKE PATIENTS AT THE NEW CAPE FEAR VALLEY HEALTH LEARNING FACILITY

Apartnership between Cape Fear Valley Health Center and a major pioneer in medical simulation technology could train and help retain the next generation of professionals in the medical field. Medical simulation technology developed by Miami-based Gaumard Scientific is a main focus of the new Cape Fear Valley Health Center for Medical Education and Neuroscience Institute, which officially opened in January. The long term project was around 10 years in the making and was built in the last year and a half on the corner of Owen Drive and Melrose Road in Fayetteville.

Administrators have said in the past the hospital has offered 15 educational programs for more than 300 residency seats. Now with a new simulation lab on the third floor, residents can get hands-on training in surgery, emergency/ trauma treatment, labor and delivery and more thanks to new developments in artificial intelligence.

“Simulation really breaks down into a few different areas and it's really designed to allow physicians and nurses to train before they get involved with real patients,” said James Archetto, Gaumard’s vice president. “We have these very realistic, lifelike simulators. They're very human in terms of how they perform physiologically and the immersion that allows for students.”

The AI patient simulations at Cape Fear Valley Health can weigh up to 130 lbs and allows the use of real medical equipment, which familiarizes learners with the tools of the trade.

“That means the same electrocardiogram (EKG), the same blood pressure monitor, the same pulse oximetry monitor can all be attached to the simulator. The simulated patient actually has software and hardware that allows it to generate these signals that mimic the actual signals that the body makes.”

“They bleed real, they cry real tears, they sweat, and they speak,” Archetto said.

Archetto used the example of a patient that comes into the emergency room with chest pain.

“That simulated patient can be put on a real EKG and be defibrillated with real energy,” he said. “Let's say that [the] patient then had a heart attack. That same simulator could be

moved into the critical care area and the students then could be checking arterial blood gas samples on that patient. They can hook the simulated patient up to real monitors in the critical care unit.”

According to Archetto and CFVH, the state-of-the art simulation technology can help address significant issues that plague the health care sector in the United States.

“There is no doubt that we hear about the health care shortage daily. There's a shortage of nurses, physicians, and first responders in the U.S.,” he said, noting that there are several bottlenecks that contributed to the staffing shortage issue. “One is that there aren’t enough people entering the workforce. Number two, is that there aren’t enough faculty to train those students.”

By 2033, the University of North Carolina (UNC) estimates that the state will face an estimated shortage of nearly 12,500 registered nurses. According to a study by UNC, the largest shortfalls for registered nurses are projected to occur in hospitals where demand could exceed supply by nearly 10,000 positions by 2033.

The second largest projected shortage of registered nurses is forecast to be in nursing homes and extended care and assisted living facilities. The shortage at these facilities by 2033

could be nearly 2,000, which is 31 percent of the workforce.

To decongest these bottlenecks, Archetto said, simulation can help get hands-on experience for students quickly.

“The technology allows you to reimagine that student-to-faculty ratio,” he noted. “You can have these autodidactic students who can go into a simulation center, learn at their own pace, and gain this very immersive educational experience without having to have an educator dictate to them exactly what's supposed to take place. It can be self-directed learning and simulation certainly helps in that regard.”

Archetto described the differences between didactic education and practical education. Didactic education, he noted, refers to students sitting in a classroom, listening to a lecture and later preparing for an exam.

“Certainly that is a way to learn conceptually,” he said. “Over the years, what we've learned, clinically, is that students retain far more information when they're actually able to practice these skills over and over.”

One of the lessons in education, brought by the distancing and spatial restrictions ushered in by the COVID-19 epidemic, is the notion that lectures aren’t exclusively confined to a lecture hall. Similarly,

Archetto said, the pandemic also brought into focus a reimagining of hands-on training.

“With the pandemic, students were no longer allowed to go into hospitals for practical and clinical education of practicing on real patients,” he said. “Our technology allowed students to go into a simulation center that was very clean, not worrying about any COVID-19 contamination, and practice very sophisticated skills on a simulator.”

Simulation can also help open the doors for students of all backgrounds.

“You can set up a simulation center really anywhere and access to health care is a substantial problem,” Archetto said. “Access to health care education compounds that problem. Simulation centers can be remote. People don't have to go to large teaching institutions for education anymore.”

As an example, Archetto said simulators can be stored in a car and transported anywhere.

“There are educators that take their programs to very rural locations and this allows medical education to take place anywhere, which provides that access that in the past wouldn't have been available with typical clinical education.”

But the technology hasn’t always been there. In fact, Archetto said, it wasn’t until about 15 years ago that medical simulation technology experienced big breakthroughs.

“One of those is the ability for simulated patients to become wireless and tetherless, which is exclusive to Gaumard. Not all medical challenges take place in a hospital,” Archetto added. “Learners need to experience emergencies where they take place, whether that's on a battlefield, or a car accident.”

Gaumard’s simulated patients operate via a battery and are controlled via bluetooth, Archetto said, instead of being plugged into a wall.

“We're at this level of sophistication, where you're asking the simulator questions. They are answering you, they will squeeze your hand and are hooked up to real equipment,” he said. “Technology is used as a tool to allow us to ensure that the next generation of healthcare providers have the competency that they need to care for patients.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: GFBJ

AI patients found in the CFVH Center for Medical Education and Neuroscience Institute include a pregnant patient (pictured above), a grown man, small child, toddler, and infant. All can simulate real life medical conditions, breathe, and respond to their caretakers.

History being sold

OVER ONE MILLION SQUARE FEET OF HISTORIC PROPERTY IN ERWIN, NC HAS BEEN SOLD TO A NEW LLC FOR $9.5 MILLION

The Erwin Business Complex, a historic piece of property over 100 years old has been sold to new owners.

Located at 200 North 13th St. in Erwin, the property was the home of the Erwin Cotton Mill that was completed in 1904. The mill became the defining feature for the nearby town formerly named Duke, but today is known as the Town of Erwin after a name change in 1926.

The mill’s impact on the community continued until its closing in 2000, leaving behind a legacy that still defines Erwin to this day. According to the Town, Erwin is still referred to as the “Denim Capitol of the World” for the amount of raw denim produced for over half a century.

Now the property is being passed on to new owners, but long-time employee Norman Avery is there to oversee it be sold for the fourth time since he became employed by the property in 1962.

“Well, I started off employed by Erwin Mills, and I moved up in management over the years to plant engineer,” said Avery. “It went from Erwin Mills to Burlington Industries to Swift Textiles and now, the LLC company that has it now. So, I’ve been here a total of 60 years, going on 61 years.”

Avery, who now serves as a senior management director for the Erwin Business Complex on the property said he’s seen the area develop over time, including how it has affected the employment within the community.

“When the Mill was running peak under Burlington and Swift, we were employing 2,400 employees and we were producing on average per week, 7 million yards of denim so it’s come a long way. Since it was shut down, we’ve started renting out areas,” said Avery. “Right now, we have about 44 tenants in the plant, and we can use 44 more, it’s a big operation.”

Commercial real estate firm Dowell Commercial Realty finalized the sale on Feb. 1 for a final price of $9.5 million with reported plans for the new owners to improve and reposition the property. The management of historic sales is listed as a "niche specialty" for Dowell Commercial Realty, which has helped broker the sale of 15 historic properties around

North Carolina.

“Each Commercial real estate specialty has its own niche real estate brokers, developers, lenders, contractors, etc. Many groups will “stay in their lane” and stick to the product type they are familiar with. Historic rehabilitation is the same,” said CEO and Principal Broker Sean Dowell. “Historic properties each have challenges related to limitations on improvements to maintain the historic fabric, extensive paperwork with the state and federal governments, environmental cleanup typically, specialty construction code (rehab code verse new construction), etc. Historic deals are time consuming affairs. They are not for the unprepared or faint of heart. As a side note, I don’t know if Erwin mill will be a historic rehab, but we’ve positioned it so it could be.”

The property measures approximately 1,075,000 SF across 56 acres.

It was listed for sale for a number of years before being listed by DCR in 2016. After finding some environmental concerns on the property including a nonperforming test well

among other things, owners embarked on a five-year effort working the Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Programs to fix environmental concerns with a cost of $4 million.

Dowell Commercial Realty partnered with business consultant Jeff Smith, president of CIRA Solutions, LLC to help coordinate the cleanup of the property on behalf of the sellers. Environmental sampling, indoor air vapor testing and soil testing are some of the measures taken to ensure property would be safe for new development.

“We worked with the state on that, and we identified those areas of concern, and then we spent the last essentially three years dealing with those issues,” shared Smith. “So, we've taken a property that was an industrial site for well over 100 years and identified environmental issues that were created back when there were no environmental regulations whatsoever. We've identified the environmental concerns, and then we worked with the state, and we actually remediated those issues and those

concerns so the property can be put back into use safely.”

Smith said that this was the first time he had taken on a project of this magnitude, but said he is excited to see the property get back to being used productively.

After his time on the property, 81-year-old Avery and his business partner Frank Alumon decided it was time to sell. While the new owner company is still a mystery, county records confirmed the land is under the new ownership of 200 NORTH 13, LLC based out of Brooklyn, New York.

“Super nice people, very nice people, they're good to work with, of course they’re just getting their feet on the ground with the plant, and they’ve got a lot they’re having to cover and do,” said Avery.

Avery said it has been easy working with the new owners, and he will be staying on to train his replacement before he decides to step back for good. He also said early plans for possible developments and upgrades are in discussion.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: CREXI.COM

The property is now home to the Erwin Business Complex which houses 44 tenants.

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

Haines Septic and Construction LLC

7640 Rufus Johnson Road

Fayetteville

Agent: Jessica Lynn

Haines

Moore V isions Empowerment LLC

945 Kaywood Dr.

Fayetteville

Agent: Casey Gregg

Har mony Scrubs LLC

6144 LOUISE ST.

Fayetteville

Agent: MONICA NICOLE

WRIGHT

Apollo K-9 Training LLC

308 Broomfield CT

Fayetteville

Agent: Valerie Marie

Damasin

Talon Air Command LLC

6520 BAGDAD ROAD

Fayetteville

Agent: Daryl Antone Smith

L's Kitchen LLC

5312 Bragg Blvd

Fayetteville

Agent: larry l stephens

Big X Transport LLC

342 Wagoner Dr Suite 208

Fayetteville

Agent: Zavier Shelly

Bayit LLC

439 Westwood Shopping Ctr PMB 5

Fayetteville

Agent: Salvatore

Cosimo Daniele

Graphx Unlimited LLC

7311 Melissa Cour t

Fayetteville

Agent: Brandon Alex Hitchings

Jenny's Services Co.

7030 Bronwyn St

Fayetteville Agent: Jenny Rueda Montealeg

894 Bridgette Street

Fayetteville

Agent: William David Wilson

Jack Britt Band Boosters Inc.

7403 Rockfish Rd

Fayetteville Agent: Tim Parsons

SPIFFYS LLC

6144 LOUISE ST

Fayetteville

DF&G Ser vices LLC

3025 Emer ywood Rd

Eastover

Agent: June. Ray Batton Jr

Bee Whisperer LLC

3059 N Main Street Suite 19

Hope Mills

Agent: Josee Bourget

Fayetteville

Agent: Adriana

Londono

Kona Lawn Care LLC

1938 Forest Hills Drive

Fayetteville

Agent: Lori Rita Higgs

Demensions L.L.C

212 South Main Street

Spring Lake

Agent: Phillip William

5248 Sundown Dr

Fayetteville

Agent: Tavoria Freeman

Ant & Rods Transport LLC

5944 Kindley Drive

Fayetteville

Agent: Anthony David Fields

Bolanta LLC

3017 Brookcrossing Dr

JD's Affordable Auto Sales LLC

150 South Bragg Blvd Spring Lake

Agent: Alexander Williams

Boutique Beekeeping LLC

3059 N Main Street

Suite 19

Hope Mills

Agent: Josee Bourget

Total Turnaround Cleaning & Repairs LLC

408 Newburgh Drive

Fayetteville

Agent: Nicole Adrian Pitts

Grate Events

L.L.C.

2812 Ramsey Street Suite 9844

Fayetteville

Agent: Kashona Denise Grate

Pink Kitty LLC

1161 Sleepy Hollow Dr

Fayetteville

Agent: Lashelle

Devonye’ Averett

Sunshine Lane LLC

769 Poole Drive

Fayetteville Agent: Heather McKeithan

SUNX Inc.

1616 Cypress Lakes Road

Hope Mills

Agent: John Paul Jackson Jr.

Countr y Time Transit LLC

417 Hallmark Rd

Fayetteville Agent: Amanda L.

Clifton

Ty's Demolition and Disposal LLC

416 Loblolly Ct.

Fayetteville Agent: Jerry Tyler Bacon

SAMIRA LLC

22 Packet circle For t Bragg

Agent: Farangez Bakhdavlatova

Keys Kitchen LLC

6856 Cinnamon Creek Circle Apt 104

Fayetteville Agent: Kurin Samuel Keys Jr

Veteran Realty Services LLC

128 S Reilly Rd Fayetteville Agent: Jamie Lynn Tilke

CFHC Call Center LLC

2521 D Raeford Road

Fayetteville

Agent: Shazada Keith

2-6 Warcatz Travel Basketball

2408 Crosshill St

Eastover Agent: Daniel Mitchell III

TR1 Farms LLC

2126 Cypress Lakes Road

Hope Mills Agent: Thomas R Prewitt

Parkers Security LLC

DBA Signal of NE

Fayetteville NC

600 Sweet Ct

Stedman Agent: Parkers Security LLC

W ilson's Sprinter Cargo LLC.

Agent: MONICA NICOLE WRIGHT

Spiffy & Swanky LLC

6144 LOUISE ST

Fayetteville Agent: MONICA NICOLE

WRIGHT

Laverne Robinson Realty LLC

111 Lamon Street STE

108

Fayetteville Agent: Laverne Sueann

Robinson

Lugis Constr uction Corporation

100 Hay Street Ste

503

Fayetteville Agent: Abundant Living Consulting Corporation LLC

One Accord Counseling and Treatment Services

PLLC

5427 Spreading Branch Rd.

Hope Mills

Agent: Charlamane

Suggs

CW FASHIONS

L.L.C.

6101 Earp Ct

Hope Mills

Agent: Charles Wendell

Wright Sr

On Top Roofing and Gutters LLC

2444 Dunn Road

Eastover

Agent: Steven Richard Parks

1800 Wynfair Drive

LLC

127 Maxwell Street

Fayetteville Agent: Kelvin T.

Draughon

P & P Thomas LLC

503 Chesapeake Place

Fayetteville

Agent: Tiffany L. Williams

Three R Ventures LLC

5075 Morganton Rd

STE 10C #1273

Fayetteville

Agent: Rachel Sanders

BIC BANDITS LLC

1822 Nuthatch rd

Fayetteville

Agent: Keair Wilkins

Roxanne Bar ton Photography LLC

6614 Planters Row

Dr Hope Mills

Agent: Roxanne Barton

Ashleys Place @ Cope St Inc

573 Porter Road

Hope Mills

Agent: Terry James Miller

RE1 LLC

4317 Ramsey St

Fayetteville

Agent: Davis W. Puryear

Adrielle' & Company LLC

2730 Creek Meadows Pl. Apt 141

Fayetteville

Agent: Arnisha Scott

F isher Transit Inc.

4641 Doc Bennett Road

Fayetteville

Agent: Blake Elliott Fisher

Selfly Enterprise LLC

6936 Wadsworth Place

Raines

Scarbrough Family Holdings LLC

421 KINGSFORD RD

Fayetteville

Agent: Stephen ALLEN

Scarbrough

Jenkins Advisory Services LLC

1922 Ft Bragg Rd

Fayetteville

Agent: Wyatt Douglas Jenkins

Moore V isions Empowerment LLC

945 Kaywood Drive

Fayetteville

Agent: Casey Gregg

DH Insurance Agency Inc.

226 Rowan St

Fayetteville

Agent: David Hales

James Francis Academy LLC

2750 Creek Meadows Pl Apt 94

Fayetteville

Agent: BREA ASHLEY

GANNON MUIDDINEDI

NG Capital LLC

119 Old Gate Rd.

Fayetteville

Agent: Kfir Nurieli

Unear thed LLC

314 Mayodan Drive Apt 304

Fayetteville

Agent: Sasha Briana Collins

M. Boney Enterprise L.L.C.

253 BUCKHEAD ROAD

Fayetteville

Agent: Marilyn Boney

F irsthand Business Solutions LLC

Fayetteville

Agent: Ibrahim

Abdulsalam

Brooke Valley Owners Association Inc.

1786 Metromedical Drive

Fayetteville Agent: Radford Brown

Live Oak Landing LLC

639 Executive Place Suite 400

Fayetteville

Agent: Patrick Raynor

Equality Splicing Communications LLC

6548 Vineyard Dr.

Fayetteville

Agent: Quinton Turner

Float N' Ride LLC

6502 Somerset Ct.

Fayetteville

Agent: Jonathan J Purchase

Anjubikash LLC

3419 Camber ly Drive

Fayetteville

Agent: Bikash Gurung

Talon Air Command LLC

6520 Bagdad Road

Fayetteville

Agent: Daryl Antone Smith

CM Therapy PLLC

3011 Town Center Dr Ste 130 Unit #211

Fayetteville

Agent: Carla Marie Zerger

Boast About It Services LLC

2201 Redstone Dr

Fayetteville

Agent: Yessenia Marie Alvarado

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