Brandon & Amanda Bryant Red Tree Builders p.16
l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n
Unique
GUIDED
Tours
Local Industry
Veterinarians of Western North Carolina p.37
Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise
p.57
in Western North Carolina
colu m n
Investing in the Health of Employees p.70
Tracking THEHives
James Wilkes & HiveTracks are
p.74
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have a dawg—that’s “dog” to laymen—named Sammy, a Shetland sheepdog/golden retriever mix (gregarious personality; stumpy but powerful legs; inveterate announcer who barks out the window if he spots even a falling leaf; “herds” me with light nips upon my ankles whenever he feels I am not properly paying attention) who joined the family a little over a decade ago. “Every boy needs a dawg,” I said at the time, referring to our son, who’d recently entered elementary school in Asheville, although my statement was more of a rationalization than a manifesto, since the whole thing was my wife’s idea, as she’d grown up in a household with a steady succession of hunting dogs. Sorry, I mean dawgs. Sammy, not to put too fine a point on the matter, transformed our household. See, we were cat people (ask me sometime about when we were living in Chatham County, near Chapel Hill, with 17 felines, all of them related), and adding “dawg people” to the family’s CV was a bit daunting (ask me sometime about having to repair our beloved antique table whose leg received a good chewing by young Sam). And when we got the pooch, I made it clear to my wife that he was her responsibility. Anyone reading this who is also a dawg owner can guess how long that declaration/resolution lasted. And you’ll also know, instinctively, what I mean by the term “transformed”; I wouldn’t trade away a second of the time I have spent playing with and loving—and being loved back by—Sammy. So, this particular editor’s letter is dedicated to the folks who, over the years, have helped us nurture and care for Sammy—those veterinarians and their staff who schooled the Mills family, total novices, in The Way of The Dawg, and made sure that we didn’t overlook any aspect of his health and happiness needs. With that duly noted, then, let me just add that putting together this issue’s Local Industry report on Western North Carolina veterinarians was personally gratifying, and for obvious reasons. I suspect it will resonate with a lot of you readers as well, whether you’re a fellow pet owner, someone with farm animals such as horses, chickens, and goats, or even an aficionado of critters that fall on the more exotic end of the critter spectrum—our story mentions, in the very first paragraph, an area vet once tasked with treating “a 680-pound tigress and her 300-pound cub.” I certainly can’t top that particular anecdote, although my time spent living with 17 cats had its share of colorful moments. Still… not all that long ago, we welcomed another member of the family, a fluffy Maine Coon cat we named Smokey, after his grey-and-blue coloration. Smokey has, not to put too fine a point on it, also transformed our household; his stare-downs with Sammy, and the duo’s ensuing tussles, are better than any mock battle you’ll find on a WWE broadcast. At the moment, we have no plans to expand our brood any further. Famous last words, I know.
Sincerely,
Fred Mills
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com
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Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise
publisher
Oby Morgan associate publisher
Jeffrey Green managing editor
contributing writers & photogr aphers
Jason Gilmer, Emily Glaser, Derek Halsey, Anthony Harden, Bill Kopp, W. Ronald Moffitt art director
Fred Mills
Bonnie Roberson
briefs and events editor
engagement editor
Leslee Kulba
Emily Glaser
copy editors
Dasha O. Morgan, Brenda Murphy
Information & Inquiries Capital at Play is Western North Carolina’s business lifestyle magazine. It embodies the idea that capitalism thrives with creativity—that work requires an element of play. Exploring everything from local industry to the great outdoors, Capital at Play is inspiration for the modern entrepreneur. In every edition we profile those who take the risk, those who share that risk, and those who support them—telling the untold story of how capitalists are driven by their ideas and passions. We cater to those who see the world with curiosity, wonderment, and a thirst for knowledge. We present information and entertainment that capitalists want, all in one location. We are the free spirit of enterprise.
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Editorial content is selected and produced because of its interest to our readership. Editorial content is not for sale and cannot be bought. Capital at Play is financially sustained by advertisers who find value in exposure alongside our unique content and to the readers who follow it. This magazine is printed with soy based ink on recycled paper. Please recycle. Copyright © 2019, Capital At Play, Inc. All rights reserved. Capital at Play is a trademark of Capital At Play, Inc. Published by Capital At Play, Inc. PO Box 5615, Asheville, NC. 28813
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Capital at Play has partnered with Bclip Productions to bring the pages of each edition to life, just for you. Featured at Capitalatplay.com and our Facebook page, we give you exclusive interviews and insider info on the people, places, and faces of Capital at Play has partnered with Bclip Productions to bring the pages of each edition to life, just for you. Featuring a new enterprise throughout Western North Carolina. Visit us on social media or at our website to see the latest 60 Seconds at Play.
second video every two weeks, we give you exclusive interviews and insider info on the people, places, and faces of enterp throughout Western North Carolina. Visit us on social media or at capitalatplay.com to see the latest 60 Seconds at Play NOVEMBER VIDEO
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MARKETING AND TRAINING VIDEOS FOR BUSINESS At Bclip we do more than tell your story. Our business-first mentality and combustible creativity set us apart from other video production companies. It’s our mission to help our customers sell their products, train their staff, and entertainINcustomers with video. We strive to eat, sleep,P and think like the FOX HUNTING WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA wonderful companies we work with. photo by DonWestPhotos.com at Tryon Hounds
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www.bclip.com MARKETING AND TRAINING VIDEOS FOR BUSINESS 8
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At Bclip we do more than tell your story. Our business-first mentality and c creativity set us apart from other video production companies. It’s our mis help our customers sell their products, train their staff, and entertain custo video. We strive to eat, sleep, and think like the wonderful companies we w
on the cover :
JAMES WILKES shows off some of his personal hives. photo by Todd Bush thi s page :
DINOSAUR BONES, at the Asheville Museum of Science. photo by Anthony Harden
w 60 prise y.
combustible ssion to omers with work with.
F E AT U R E D vol. ix
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BUILDING A PHILOSOPHY
BRANDON & AMANDA BRYANT
ed. iv
74
TRACKING THE HIVES JAMES WILKES
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com
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C ON T E N T S a p r i l 2 019
TUKIT TOUR company at New Belgium Brewer y. photo courtesy Tukit Tours
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57
lo c a l i n d u s t r y
Caring For the Creatures
Veterinarians of Western North Carolina
insight
l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n
The Tour’s the Thing Unique Guided Tours in Western North Carolina
colu m n
12 T he Silent P
Matthew & Nana Pfahlert
70 Investing in the Health of Employees
Written by W. Ronald Moffitt, M.D.
p e o p l e at p l ay
8 8 OpenDoors of Asheville Art Affair 2019
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nsight
“P”
IS FOR
“Productive” Matthew and Nana Pfahlert relocated to Asheville for its well-documented creative and professional community. They quickly became part of it.
C
all it Pfahlert Creative Labs or simply The Silent P, which is how clients and friends of Matthew and Nana Pfahlert refer to it—the downtown Asheville full-service graphic and web design company has quietly been amassing the kind of industry acclaim that a lot of businesses would positively kill for. Skeptical? Just check out some of the testimonials that appear on their website. “Matt has quickly picked up on our company’s vibe and been able to expand the creative possibilities for us [and] brought the right mix of creativity, enthusiasm, and patience to each of the projects we have worked on.”—Billy Maupin (general manager, Yep Roc Music Group) “I can’t put into words how satisfied and relieved I feel, leaning on their expertise.”—Alyn Mearns (singer-songwriter for the band Yes The Raven) “Pfahlert gets design. [He puts] image to the undefined.”—Ben Levin (Tony Margherita Management, which manages the band Wilco) And a quick scan of some of The Silent P’s creations more than confirms the testimonials—an impressionistic poster for the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s recent Asheville concert, for example, or posters, teeshirts, and album covers for Wilco, Ben Harper, Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Black Keys, Farewell Milwaukee, Empire Circus, and Band of Horses. The designs are eye-catching, as they are intended to be, of course; yet they also convey a sense of their subjects’ actual sensibilities and style. Musical acts’ logos can at times seem a dime-a-dozen, just a mashup of disparate fonts in pretty colors. But The Silent P’s genius seems to reside in how the names blend with imagery—the quivering guitar strings and tactile stage carpet design of the Tedeschi Trucks poster is instructive—to result in something that isn’t fleeting. This is genuine art destined to become collectible (and potentially valuable) well beyond its initial commercial advertising purpose. The Silent P doesn’t limit itself to the music world, however, as evidenced by projects for the Footcandle Film Festival, Mission Health, Frye Regional Medical Center, Lightning Cycles mountain bikes, and numerous breweries and beer companies. “Sometimes,” says Matthew, “there’s a perception that what we do is hit a few keys and ‘BOOM!’—out pops art or design from the computer. Lots of folks use pretty crappy online logo and design 12
| April 2019
BEN HARPER signing original works by The Silent P. photos courtesy The Silent P
We’ll(almost) Paint
MAT THEW AND NANA PFAHLERT
Anything
CALL US TO DISCUSS YOUR CUSTOM PROJECT TODAY
services or apps, and that is tough to compete with—not that we try. We have educated many clients, helping them see why a certain design or concept is stronger than another. And I also create a lot of designs and art by hand, which these days is more rare. We get a lot of opportunities to approach creative problems that way, especially when working with music management clients and their bands. We’re super happy to have the accounts we service and get to work with smart people that understand what value we can bring to their events, project, or products.” The Pfahlerts started their business in 2003; Matthew is the creative director and Nana is account manager, with the rest of the team including Claire Tuttle, Miguel Mena, and Don Galbraith. Matthew readily answers the “Why did you start the company?” question thusly: “Like many small businesses, the ‘why’ would be multi-faceted. I had worked for a couple ad agencies in WNC for several years, working on whatever accounts they decided to go after, and because they were small agencies, I had to wear many hats—art director, designer, creative director, writer, illustrator, editor, etc.—and for that I’m really thankful, since it laid the groundwork for running my own business. “It also gave me the confidence that I could do this and be happier, in part because I could decide what sort of clients and businesses I wanted to partner with and, hopefully, create something special along the way.
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Our steadfast commitment to building lasting and commercial customers. This long-term approach along with our relationships has made us one of the country’scompetitive product offerings in areas such as business, commercial, leading financial institutions for both consumerinstitutional banking, wealth management1 and insurance1 services are why customers have trusted us with their financial well-being for well and commercial This long-term At First Citizens,customers. customers benefit from a high level of personal service and our integrated approach to helping people and over one Ready hundred years. to get started? businesses achieve goals. After all these years, we remain committed to the values and principles that have allowed approach along withtheir ourfinancial competitive product Headquartered in Raleigh, us – and our customers – to prosper. Barry KampeNorth Carolina, First Citizens is the largest offerings in areas such as business, commercial, family-controlled bank in the United States. Banker Because ofIIIour heritage, we Vice President, Business Ready to get started? 1 institutional banking, wealth management andunderstand the importance of helping people do more with the money Barry Kampe 108 Patton Avenue 1 insurance services are why customers have they earn, save and invest. Carefully stewarding our customers’ financial Vice President,�Business Banker III Asheville, NC 28801 108us Patton Avenue ® trusted with their financial well-being for wellresources is always among our highest priorities. 828.280.1167 Asheville,�NC�28801 over 828.280.1167 one hundred years. barry.kampe@firstcitizens.com barry.kampe@firstcitizens.com Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, First 1 Wealth management and insurance services are not available in all areas. Consult with yourfi local banker. rstcitizens.com Investments in securities, annuitiesfamily-controlled and insurance are not insured bybank the FDIC orin any federal government agency; may lose value; are not a deposit or other obligation, or guaranteed by, any Citizens is the largest bank or affiliate; and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. the United States. of our heritage, we Member FDIC. Equal HousingBecause Lender . 1 Wealth management and insurance services are not available in all areas. with your local banker. APR* understand the importance of helping people 7Consult years – 3.25% GOH-011 05.18 Investments in securities, annuities and insurance are not do more with the money they earn, save and firstcitizens.com insured by the FDIC or any federal government agency; may invest. Carefully stewarding our customers’ lose value; are not a deposit or other obligation, or guaranteed by, any bank or affiliate; and are subject to investment risks, financial resources is always among our including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Member highest priorities. FDIC. Equal Housing Lender .
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insight
Running a small business is really hard work, but unless I just simply had to, I’d never go back working for someone else.” The regional connection proved fortuitous as well, establishing both a professional and an aesthetic bond for them. “We really love being a business in Western North Carolina,” continues Matthew. ”There’s some great energy here, as well
“There’s some great energy here, as well as a healthy creative community that seems to all play well together.“ as a healthy creative community that seems to all play well together. The beauty of the mountains and outdoors are just another jewel to running a business here. Nothing like a good MTB ride to clear the head and get re-energized. We also joined AMP, Asheville Music Professionals, and are involved with some nonprofits and local foundations—we want to be a positive influence here in our home of Asheville.” Capital at Play always tries to gauge an entrepreneur’s selfdefined milestones, and Matthew quickly ticks off several.
“Getting work published in several design books was a nice milestone, one of which was Communication Arts, as well as a well-known music poster book (Gig Posters Vol 1 & 2). A Wilco poster retrospective book was a big one too (Beyond The Fleeting Moment: Wilco Concert Posters). We recently won Print Magazine’s Regional Design award for a Wilco poster—very happy it was for a concert in Asheville at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium! Having our first solo poster show was really enjoyable too, one in Raleigh, another at the Hickory Museum of Art, and a few more here and there.” He laughs and adds that “still being in business after the first year” was definitely also an early and obvious high-water mark. “Then,” he says, “10 years came quickly after. And now, hitting 16 years is amazing, especially when your chosen profession seems to be devalued more and more. “We are super thankful to the clients and people out there that ‘get it’ as far as why hiring a professional graphic designer is a good idea. And we don’t always say ‘yes’ to prospective clients. It’s a fortunate place to get to in a career, to really try to only work with clients and businesses or other artists that speak to you in some way.” To see more of their work visit www.TheSilentP.com.
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15
Building A Philosophy written by jason gilmer
|
photos by anthony harden
For Red Tree Builders’ Brandon and Amanda Bryant, their ultimate goal was not only to build houses that they could still be proud of many years later, but also to build a small family that could withstand the stresses and rigors of modern life and thrive. 16
| April 2019
BRANDON BRYANT working on site of a Red Tree Builders' property. April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 17
T
here is a photograph, saved somewhere on a laptop in Brandon and Amanda Bryant’s majestic North Asheville home, that shows the moment in 2017 when Brandon was inducted as the president of the Asheville Home Builders Association. His wife, Amanda, who coowns Red Tree Builders with him, is on the stage to help with the induction. As Brandon raises his hand to take the oath, the couple’s small daughter, Charlee, runs to the stage and raises both hands to take part in the ceremony.
[ Click ] That moment shows so much about the young, energetic, and entrepreneurially-minded family that has turned their company into a concierge builder and takes their slogan—Artfully Crafted, Beautifully Made—to heart. “That photo represented everything about us,” says Amanda, who also serves as vice-president. “The thought would not have entered her mind that Charlee wasn’t doing it. She was doing it and she was doing it because it was a sacrifice, knowing that as Brandon stepped into that leadership role, that was another job… Everything we do, we’re all wrapped into one. If you get me, you get all of us. If you want Brandon, you get all of us. Same with Charlee.” That familial spirit is what sparks how Red Tree Builders, the construction company that focuses on custom-built, eco-luxury green-built homes, engages with its clients and with each project. The Bryants and their staff want to make sure that when a project is complete, it is worthy of being a Red Tree home. As with every great artist, the company signs its work, but instead of a looping signature on a hidden 2x4, it is done on a metal placard placed discreetly somewhere on the property. Business has grown in recent years for Red Tree Builders. There was a 132 percent increase in revenue from 2016 to 2017, and a 38 percent increase the following year. This company doesn’t plan to make the jump into mass production; it wants to continue to provide personal service and a personal touch. 18
| April 2019
“My philosophy is that your house should be a piece of art,” says Brandon, who is the company president and visionary. “It should be a reflection of you, but it needs to be something that will stand the test of time. Great design lasts forever.”
Family First To choose the Bryants as your homebuilders means you, too, are a part of their family. Time spent with the couple in the planning stages is done at their home or over coffee as they ask questions about your life: *Do you cook often and where are the kids when you cook? *How important is outdoor living? *Did you inherit your grandmother’s large five-piece bedroom set that needs a lot of space? They aren’t building dozens of homes at once, but instead focus on building five to eight projects at a time with three to six more in the design phase. Because of this, face time with the couple and their small staff—they have four fulltime employees—is bountiful. Brandon is often on job sites, watching the progress and talking with everyone about what is going on.
BRANDON AND AMANDA BRYANT April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 19
A BEST IN Green award for Red Tree from the National Association of Home Builders.
When the project is about two weeks from completion, they hold a summit of everyone in the company. They walk through the home. Employees point out potential problems or concerns. Notes are taken. A to-do list gets made, and the house gets those small touches that make it a Red Tree home. “Seeing a home evolve from paper to real life is an incredible experience. When you are in the build process you are so focused on the task at hand that you sometimes fail to see the big picture,” says Ashley Kepley-Steward, who first served as an intern in the company and has been a project manager for the past year-and-a-half. “When you actually step back and think about the whole thing from an outsider’s perspective, it is really mind-blowing. “Our ‘Homeowner Orientation’ is essential to our process. This is the time where we educate the homeowners on the ins and outs of their new home. We go over every detail, from mechanical and plumbing and electrical locations, operation and maintenance, to general home care. During this time, they are given the opportunity to look over everything and make sure it is how they imagined and if there are any items they would like to be touched up. This meeting brings us all together for the common goal of ensuring that we built them the home they have dreamed of.” 20
| April 2019
The process for Red Tree Builders to construct a home can take months or years; recently they signed a contract after more than three years of discussion about the project. If a homesite is ready when talks begin, the process can take only several months to get into construction. During that time, though, meetings with the Bryants are the norm, not the exception. Personal service is key to their brand and to how they work. The homebuilding process begins with the initial meeting and then moves to the site visit, followed by signing a contract with the company, meetings with architects, and then the “bonzai meeting,” which makes sure the company and the client are in alignment on all of the details. Construction takes 10 to 12 months on average, and there are weekly updates about the project. “Putting the buyer first promotes a family atmosphere between Red Tree and the buyer,” says project manager Dan Blackwell, who has worked at Red Tree Builders since 2017. “We update the buyers weekly and upload pictures so they can see the progress of the home. Local buyers go to the homes often and the out-of-town buyers get to experience the build through written updates and pictures.” “Red Tree’s goal is to provide not only a quality home that is built to last generations, but to also establish and maintain an
open and close relationship with the client,” adds Patrick Medlin, who is the company’s financial officer. It isn’t just the clients who enjoy a family-like relationship with the Bryants, but also their staff. Conversations with employees typically involve questions about weekend plans or a spouse’s health.
“Brandon and Amanda have been not only bosses, but friends,” Blackwell explains. “They are very supportive and interested in our growth as project managers. The combination of collaboration and respect for our individual strengths and experience make Red Tree function more like a team than a hierarchical organization.” Kepley-Steward agrees, saying, “Red Tree is very family-oriented. That is one of the things that attracted me to this company from the beginning. They truly care about you as an individual and treat you as family. Working for Red Tree has been very different from any employer I have ever had. They truly care about our ideas and opinions and use them to make the company better. There is rarely a week that goes by where Brandon is not asking us what we think about a new idea he has or if we see something that could be done better.”
“Simply stated, though, my biggest support was from family. Entrepreneurship runs in our blood, as does building. While I’m the first home builder, my family has [always] been in some form of construction.” Brandon and Amanda are amicable towards ideas from others, and they want their employees to feel a sense of ownership in the company.
Pre-Construction Lives As a college student, Brandon applied for an American Eagle credit card. He wasn’t looking to fill his closet with April 2019 | capitalatplay.com
21
A SIGN IN FRONT of a Red Tree Builders' construction site.
new jeans, sweaters, and leather belts; he just wanted to chat up a store employee. Amanda was a student at Erwin High School, located just northwest of Asheville, when she started to work at the Asheville Mall store, and Brandon, a Burnsville native, was a student at nearby Mars Hill University when they first met. Amanda also ended up at Mars Hill and they became friends, though they didn’t date until years later, and married almost 10 years ago. Brandon actually proposed to Amanda on a plot of land two doors down from their current home. Brandon had bought that land and turned it into the first Red Tree Builders home. For them to get to that point, though, there were other jobs and other professional destinations. Building homes isn’t how Brandon thought his career hunt would end. A job with a NBA team? Maybe. Working with highend computer systems? Possible. Being in the sun checking to see if a sub-contractor has used the right siding? Probably not. After he graduated with a degree in computer science he took a job—“job” might be a strong word since it was an unpaid position—in Portland, Oregon, for a company called Game Face Sports Jobs. The program prepares those who want to go into management-level jobs for professional sports teams. 22
| April 2019
For Brandon it meant cold-calling hundreds of people daily, trying to sell tickets to Los Angeles Avengers Arena Football games, along with Everett (Washington) AquaSox and Hudson (New York) River Dogs minor league baseball games. Eventually, his work at Game Face led to interviews with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, plus a job offer with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns that Brandon almost took. “It was $13,000 a year, I had to be there in seven days, they had given me 24-hour notice to decide, and there would be 20-some of us doing sales,” Brandon recalls. “I did the math and, if I killed it, I’d make $19,000 a year without insurance. I got the job offer, and everyone was so excited for me—and then I said, ‘No.’ I could have figured out the money. I’d just gone three months without making money, so it wasn’t a big deal if I didn’t make any.” He adds that the position just didn’t feel right. So, he came back home and helped his dad build bridges for a bit and then took a job in real estate, selling for Catawba Falls Preserve in Black Mountain. This became a job that he enjoyed and did well with, but it still wasn’t exactly what he wanted to do. Brandon outlines how he made the transition from real estate broker to starting a building company:
THE PL AQUE found somewhere in ever y proper ty built by Red Tree.
“It all kind of overlaps, including doing some real estate development work in between when building had slowed down. I remember my first house that I was building to sell was worked on while also building bridges for my father. Lots of evenings and weekends. I love to learn and read, and, in the beginning, definitely spent some time following and talking to builders in the industry who were beginning to focus on green when I finally got the nerve. They were few and far between, and unfortunately, most didn’t make it through the recession and/ or decided to become teachers and writers. “Simply stated, though, my biggest support was from family. Entrepreneurship runs in our blood, as does building. While I’m the first home builder, my family has [always] been in some form of construction—from building bridges to equipment, grading, and land. For classes, I’ve taken everything from advanced framing to green building, to studying building science. I’m now a Certified Master Green Builder. This certification has not always been around, but it reflects the importance of the industry moving that way.” He notes that he initially got Red Tree Builders off the ground using money he had saved, adding, “I was able to take a small loan out from my grandparents for my first spec house to get the materials moving, and traded favors [that] included the family and friends for some other work—for example, April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 23
my dad and neighbor helped with the grading and tree clearing. I was blessed to do this—and also sell the house. Shortly after, the [building] industry came to a halt, and some of my mentors didn’t make it. By not over-leveraging myself and a lot of luck, I took the very slow and steady road.” Elsewhere, while Brandon had been searching for (and ultimately finding) his professional calling, Amanda had been doing the same thing, but without knowledge of what her future husband was doing. She became a teacher, loving the job except for the bureaucracy that bogs down young teachers as test scores permeate the learning cycle. She moved to Florida to teach and worked a second job until hurricanes began to hit. It was then that she decided
“By putting in the sweat equity and love, Red Tree has flourished, allowing me to spend less time on the day-to-day.” to move back. When Hurricanes Frances and Ivan brought torrential rains and flooding to Western North Carolina in 2004, there were hundreds of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agents who ascended on the area to help. “I ran into someone doing an inspection of my grandfather’s house, which had flooded,” she says. “They told me they were looking to hire people. I became a local ambassador and got a public relations job.” She continued to work for FEMA, accepting jobs in public affairs and congressional affairs and traveling the country. That work continued while she and Brandon dated and into their marriage. She accepted a job in Washington, D.C., and worked there as the couple opened Red Tree Builders in May of 2006. Even after Charlee was born, the couple often lived apart for weeks. Their daughter’s first plane ride was to New York as Amanda worked for FEMA during Hurricane Sandy. It wasn’t until last April, when another job opened up, that Amanda decided to leave FEMA.
The Asheville Museum of Science For several years Amanda has been involved with the Asheville Museum of Science, including some time spent as a board member. The museum is an exploratory facility that opened a downtown location in 2016 after years in other locations and under other names. 24
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AMANDA'S TASKS at the museum can be different every day, including leading students around to explore the space.
It now consists of hands-on activities and a STEM lab where little minds and hands can discover, as the website says, “The connections between astronomy, geology, weather, climate, ecology, and paleontology to form the beautiful landscape we call home.” Eventually the job of executive director opened, and Amanda took the position in order to continue what the museum had started and to grow the experience. The job, she says, is a 50-to-60-hour a week position that encompasses a lot of responsibilities. “It changes on a daily basis, from working with the team to provide quality science education and hands-on learning, to problem solving,” she says. “I’m responsible for running day-to-day operations, building a team of staff and volunteers to carry out our strategic mission, and much more.” Previous jobs in elementary education, public relations, and policy has helped Amanda tremendously in this new role. She loves that the STEM lab is used constantly during field trips and she is able each day to go into the museum and watch as children learn. Even with this high-profile position she still has responsibilities with Red Tree Builders. The couple have built a strong team and enforce a set of standards, and this helps make it possible to do other things. “Our success has really been built on surrounding our family with extremely passionate and smart individuals, that April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 25
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THE BRYANTS give Charlee an education in work-life balance every day, just by the way they live. | April 2019
we learn from and become partners—family,” she says. “By putting in the sweat equity and love, Red Tree has flourished, allowing me to spend less time on the day-to-day. Early morning emails and evening site visits and client meetings have seemed to work most recently. When things go wrong, I’m typically able to step away and talk to Brandon by phone to quickly hammer out an action plan or provide support to his decision making as an advisor.” But even with so much time spent on their jobs, Amanda and Brandon make time for their most important team member.
Keeping Their Family First There’s an ever-going, fun-loving battle between Brandon and Amanda in their hope of luring Charlee away from the other’s profession. Some days their daughter is the vice president of the construction company, and on other days she’s the busy bee in the Asheville Museum of Science, flitting between jobs. At the museum she’s in charge of sweeping escaped sand into the dinosaur fossil exhibit, and she’s often in the gift shop straightening the racks. Charlee has been known to make crafts
to sell to visitors. Then there are the days she dons her yellow construction hat and picks up limbs or other detritus from a home construction site. No matter where you see Charlee’s parents, you’re more than likely to see her. That’s also the case if clients are at the house for a meeting; there’s no storefront shop to welcome potential clients or to host brainstorming sessions, so the Bryants’ home (which was to be a spec home until Amanda fell in love with it) has taken that role. The over-the-garage office has tables and chairs for meetings and doubles as a homework spark for the kindergartner. “She comes home and she’s working with Brandon two to three days a week. She’ll come to the museum and work with me. She goes to job sites with us,” Amanda says. “Brandon may be in the office with his team or with a client, and she is right there with them. It’s just this understanding. Most of the people we surround ourselves with and that we work with would never balk at that and, if they do, they probably aren’t the right people for us to work with.” “This allows us to spend good quality time, in that four to six o’clock window, with our daughter,” Brandon said. “Ultimately, April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 27
there’s work we have to do early in the morning and late at night after bedtime.” Being a parent isn’t easy. Neither is running a business. Combining the two can make for tense times, but the Bryants roll with the adjustments. They set alerts on their phones to ensure conversation that doesn’t involve work. Saturday mornings are family time, whether it’s making breakfast together, watching cartoons, or walking the family dog. “I would love to paint this perfect picture and say we are Chip and Joanna Gaines, but we are not,” says Amanda, mentioning the seemingly perfect working couple of HGTV fame. “We’re all the stuff they cut out of the show,” Brandon quips, with a laugh.
The Greening of Red Tree There was a time when Brandon drove a Cadillac Escalade, one of the largest SUVs in the luxury company’s fleet. As he became more and more learned in what green building is and he decided to embark on a career as a green builder, he traded the automobile for a used truck. “I sold the Escalade because I didn’t think I could drive that car and have those principles,” he says. “I can’t say that I care
about the environment and want to build efficient homes and roll around in a car that gets that low of gas mileage.” His progression from real estate seller to home builder happened as the term “green builder” and the movement toward enlightening people of the holistic concept that homes have a positive and negative effect on the environment found ground. Brandon admits that his family wasn’t “green” growing up, but says they weren’t wasteful, either. Talks with another realtor started Brandon on hunts about the concepts, and he read actor Ed Begley’s books about sustainable and eco-friendly living. The more he learned, the more he thought, “Why don’t people build this way?” “I was early in my career, so there wasn’t anything I could say ‘this is how I’ve always done it’ and had to learn something new. I just decided to learn to build in this way.” Being a green builder isn’t simply adding EnergyStar appliances to a new kitchen. While Brandon learned about what was needed to comply with national regulations, he had to teach others, too. “I had to truly learn how to do it,” he adds. “And then explain to our trade partners. At some point you’d have to say, ‘Here’s the reason why we’re doing this. You’ve never done it like this
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before and it doesn’t make sense to you and you’ll probably roll your eyes after I leave, but, besides me paying you, here’s where I’m going with this.’” Since Red Tree Builders opened, Brandon has been named the National Home Builders Association Green Professional of the Year and has been involved with national-level committees on a variety of subjects. The construction company
Carolina Home Builders Association’s Star Award for best energy performance. “We’re not where we are because of us,” Amanda says. “We’re here because of all the people who have taken the time to work with us and grow with us and problem solve with us. It was a game changer when we figured out it was a whole team approach.”
“We’re not where we are because of us,” Amanda says. “We’re here because of all the people who have taken the time to work with us and grow with us and problem solve with us.” has also earned honors through the Asheville Home Builders Association’s parade of homes events, including Craftsmanship Awards (2014 and 2017) and Innovative Awards (2010 and 2014). A Red Tree home was honored in 2017 with the North
“There’s a lot of other green builders out there,” Brandon says. “We have a build philosophy that we’re designing a home for you, so we want to really know how you live in the house. We want to build a custom house just for you.”
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 29
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An Ounce of Prevention buncombe county
Earth Fare, which brands itself as a retailer of natural and organic groceries, has added a chief medical officer to its executive team. Dr. Angela Hind will provide input on product selection while being charged with developing wellness programming for customers and designing a wellness-oriented employee benefits package. She will also help employees get the training they need to direct customers to helpful products. Hind comes from a 20-year career as an internist where she saw many patients suffering chronic disease that could be alleviated through dietary and stress management and avoidance of toxins. She therefore sought out additional training in the fields Largest selection of molecular toxicology and functional of upholstery medicine. Hind has been a consultant
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for Earth Fare in the past, supporting the corporate vision that grocery stores have a responsibility to promote wellness. Earth Fare was founded in Asheville in 1975 and has grown to operate 50 locations in the Eastern United States.
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Stacy Stern, an “internationally accla i med, award-w i n n i ng event producer,” has founded Camp BIG. It recreates summer camp for people over 21. On 150 acres of forestland with two lakes in Banner Elk, adults spend five days and four nights in double bunks with a shared bathroom. They get to eat three meals a day, featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, andFast, s’mores. Then friendly they get a happy hour with beverages
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provided. There are no camp counselors, so skipping activities to chill is perfectly fine. Daytime fun includes the usual basketball, volleyball, kickball, dodgeball, and arts and crafts. More special activities include ziplining, rock climbing, archery, canoeing, and mountain tubing. For those with cabin fever, there will be two excursions: one to Grandfather Mountain and one to Grandfather Vineyards. Days will wind down with fireside events like sing-a-longs, storytelling, karaoke, and live entertainment. The camp will run two sessions in 2019, accommodating 100 troopers in each. Enrollment is around $1,000 per person and up. Wedding entourages, corporate teams, and other groups are welcome.
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The Diana Wortham Theatre is expanding. The new venue, to be known as the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, will include the old theatre plus two new stages. The work was made possible with over $3.1 million raised since 2015 by The Next Stage campaign. In honor of Diana Wortham, the main theatre, which seats 500, will continue to bear her name. Upgrades include an improved sound
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system with accommodations for the hearing-impaired, and energy-efficient fixtures. The Tina McGuire Theatre will be a black box with tiered seating for 80-100. It takes the name of a donor and patron who has supported the Diana Wortham since serving as a founding member, doing anything from helping make stage sets to filling in as interim director, always donating generously and patronizing the arts. Lastly, the Henry LaBrun Studio, seating 60-80, will host classes and events. It, too, is named in honor of a generous benefactor. Other upgrades to the facility include the construction of more office space and renovations to the lobby, main entrance, and courtyard. Work began in January and should be completed in September, in time for the 2019/2020 Mainstage season.
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on its 26 wooded acres. The Woodward House has 16 uniquely-decorated guest rooms with a large common area, and the Historic Lodge is more rustic and sportsthemed. Also on-premises are cabins and the Historic Poolside Cottages, all with modern amenities. The resort offers ample meeting space, and its restaurant, Season’s, has been providing meals for all guests. The historic resort has roots going back to 1789, when John Earle used a land grant to build a grist mill. The property has been used as a home by historic figures, including Secretary of the Confederate Treasury George Trenholm and former South Carolina Governor William Aiken. It has also been home to the predecessor of the Flat Rock Playhouse, a club, and boarding schools.
They’re on the List buncombe county
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The WNC Press Pass Conference was The Highland Lake Inn & Resort, held in downtown Asheville March 5th, at popular for wedding celebrations and the Goodwill Training Center, and 6th, at h executive retreats, is up for sale. The the A-BbTech Hospital Conference uncMission end rThe eekCenter. w property is now owned bysthe Grup sold-out event, organized by g in v r w e family, who purchasedNito in 1999. They Small Town Ventures President/CEO are asking $6,650,000 in a listing with Emily Breedlove, featured workshops, nch end bru k e e w g Beverly-Hanks Real Estate. The resort panel discussions, and individual prein v r e Now s features a variety of accommodations sentations that sketched out the intricate
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intersections between small businesses, marketing/PR groups, and regional media outlets. For example, one workshop on the 5th, led by Michelle McConnell Yelton and Shawna Carpenter of McConnell Group PR, was titled “Making the Most of a Limited PR Budget”; a panel on the 6th featured notable area members of print and electronic media discussing how they make coverage choices and giving tips on the most effective and efficient ways for businesses, marketers, and writers to approach them with pitches and ideas. (That panel, included Capital at Play founder/publisher Oby Morgan, along with representatives from WLOS News 13, Blue Ridge Public Radio WCQS-FM, WNC Magazine, and Asheville CitizenTimes.) The general consensus among attendees was that the conference provided invaluable insights and extremely useful strategies for a business hoping to get its story out to the general public—not to mention offering intriguing behindthe-scenes peeks at how the media and marketing worlds operate.
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strong sales during the first half of 2018, and a downturn for the second half. For the last 15-20 years, China has been a major buyer of quality wood grown in the United States. Demand was strong as the Chinese economy grew and a lot of furniture was needed to keep pace with an ongoing housing boom. The market was impacted somewhat as construction tapered, but tariffs are the main problem. Industry leaders say the 25% tariff threatened for exports to China is high enough to divert traditional buyers, and the industry’s margins are too thin for the harvesters to absorb it. When Chinese buyers started negotiating prices down as much as 30%, Parton Lumber found buyers in other markets. For example, China used to buy 75% of Parton’s poplar exports; now it only gets 20%. While this is typical of the industry, Gilky Lumber is in a better position. Gilky exports 80% of its kiln-dried lumber, and half that amount goes to China. However, due to soggy weather two years in a row, his company’s inventory is depleted, with almost all of it already having a buyer.
Giving & Getting watauga county
Boone-based ECR Software (ECRS) Corporation, a developer and integrator of point-of-sale software and hardware systems, has established the Computer Science High Achievers’ Scholarship for Appalachian State University. The scholarship will award $4,000 each, per year, to eight incoming undergraduate students who will collaborate with faculty on research that they will subsequently report at STEM seminars supported by the school. They would also be considered for internships or full- or part-time employment at ECRS or other local technology companies. The fund will also support fellowships for two incoming graduate students, who will each receive $12,000 for two years. The graduate students will work with faculty and a mentor from ECRS on specific research projects; suggested topics included computer vision and
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machine learning. ECRS has a history of partnering with the school: In 2016 the company donated a computer with a powerful graphics processing unit; and in 2018 it worked with the school to develop a training program for students with disabilities. School alumnus Pete Catoe launched ECRS in 1989, and he employs many graduates from his alma mater.
Collect All Ten! buncombe county
United Way of Asheville and Asheville City and Buncombe County schools partnered with GE Aviation to create 200 STEM Kits for distribution to students in the fourth and seventh grades. The kits provide a simple take-home project for student-parent collaboration. The kits were created by GE Aviation with input on grade-level appropriateness from Brian Maccarelli and Stefanie Buckner, both subject matter specialists for Buncombe County Schools. One kit is a route planner for destinations in the state of North Carolina, and the other teaches odometry through the use of a wooden, rubber band-powered vehicle kids get to construct. Each kit also includes a “trading” card featuring a GE Aviation employee, giving their title and a description of how they contribute to the manufacture of airplane parts. The initiative is one of many produced by United Way’s Business United, which helps connect community needs with the local philanthropic and employee engagement goals of businesses with a presence in the area.
Flyover Nation henderson county
Asheville developer Ken Jackson has plans to create the largest subdivision in Henderson County. Working its way through Henderson County’s development review process is a proposal for 545 single-family homes, 312 apartment units, and 361 townhomes to be built
on the former site of Tap Root Dairy. In the latest development, the county’s planning board voted to table Jackson’s application for a conditional zoning until he can complete a traffic impact analysis and the FAA completes an air space safety evaluation. Representatives of the Asheville Regional Airport Authority who attended the meeting said the FAA requires the evaluation for any construction within 20,000 feet of an airport. They delivered the message that the authority strongly opposes the development because residents under the flightpath are likely to be disturbed by the sound of 200 arrivals/departures a day. Reciprocally, the subdivision would expose the airport to lawsuits for nuisance noise, which, if the courts deem inadequate warning was provided, could lead to the shutting down of a runway or even the entire airport.
Got Debt? buncombe county
At a budget worksession February 12, CFO Barbara Whitehorn said the City of Asheville was going to fall about $270 million short on funding for capital projects over the next four years. Back in 2016 Asheville voters approved $74 million in general obligation bonds: $25 million for affordable housing, $32 million for transportation projects, and $17 million for parks. The last time they approved general obligation bonds before that was in 1986. By way of comparison, Whitehorn said many cities approve bonds every two to four years. Asheville’s largest unsupported project was $76 million for transit expansion, which includes a $50 million bus maintenance facility. Councilor Julie Mayfield pointed out that federal funding might offset costs for that, but a study, for which no funds have been allocated, was first required. Councilor Vijay Kapoor expressed surprise at the magnitude of the shortfall, but Mayor Esther Manheimer said this was nothing new; council was just seeing everything at once now. Whitehorn said
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Mountain BizWorks announced the thirty companies that will participate in the 2019 ScaleUp WNC program. The companies were selected for their potential for growth and economic impact, and they will receive mentoring from the Hatch AVL Foundation and access to capital. This year’s cohort is described as more “mature” than those of former years, having average annual revenues of $498,000. It includes Active Strategies, Archetype Brewing, Asheville Tea Company, Boomerang Communications, Climbmax Climbing, CoreSelf, Deal Family Farm, Dig Local, Foothills Farm & Butchery, Global Language System, Gold Star Honeybees, Kudzu Brands, Little Sprout Carryout, Living Sabai, Luxury Therapeutics, Mountain Laurel Handrails, One Click Fix, Peoples Golf, Qualla Java, Sanctuary Brewing Company, Shanti E l i x i r s, Si mpleTi x, Sma l lc a ke s Cupcakery & Creamery, Sora Surya No, Terrane Glass Designs, The Blind Pig, The Bright Angle, Urban3, VaVaVooom, and WNC Repairs. ScaleUpWNC is funded in part with a $100,000 grant from NC IDEA, a private foundation that has expanded its mission of investing in entrepreneurism beyond supporting only tech startups.
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Kids Can’t Cut It haywood county
The Town of Canton was fined over $7,000 for violating child labor law. Back in August, an OSHA employee observed a street crew trimming trees that was in violation of traffic flagging standards. Investigating, it was discovered that two minors, one aged 16 and the other 17, had been operating chainsaws. Per the Fair Labor Standards Act’s 29 CFR
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Part 570’s Hazardous Occupations Order #14, employees not yet 18 years old are banned from operating or assisting in the use of “power-driven circular saws, band saws, guillotine shears, chain saws, reciprocating saws, wood chippers, and abrasive cutting discs.” There would have been no problem if the students had a learner or apprenticeship exemption. The town has since paid the fine and is “working closely” with the Department of Labor. Corrective actions include educating department heads and supervisors about labor law, putting stickers on motorized equipment that state age limits for operators, updating the town’s personnel and safety policies, and providing classes for traffic flaggers and chainsaw operators. The town has traditionally hired high school students to help with the seasonal summer workload.
An Uncertain Construction Fund buncombe county
Back in 2011, Buncombe County voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax with a 500-vote margin. The tax had been advertised as paying for capital improvement needs at A-B Tech while the enabling legislation did not allow a
specific purpose to be named. Answering to public demand, the county commissioners passed a resolution requiring that funds support the advertised purpose. Regardless, in 2013, the first transfer of these sales tax revenues to the county’s general fund was made, and the practice continued until $15 million was diverted and the matter was brought to the attention of county and school leadership. In the meantime, PFA Architects had performed an assessment claiming the school had $25 million in unaddressed maintenance needs. Legal counsel for both boards recommended they enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be signed into law by the North Carolina General Assembly. The MOU stipulated terms for an eight-year capital improvement plan in which the county would give the school $3,125,000 and escalate its allocations 5.54% each year to cover costs of inflation in the construction industry. Transfers to the general fund would be capped at $5 million annually, and the school would have to maintain at least $2 million in a rainy-day fund. The concept was approved by both bodies on split votes and, pending the school’s approval of a commissioners’ amendment to create an oversight body, will be forwarded to the General Assembly.
The Buzz on Mosquitos jackson county
We s t e r n C a r o l i n a U n i v e r s i t y announced research grants awarded to its professors in December and January, three of which pertained to work with mosquitoes. First, the American Mosquito Control Association awarded $29,609 to a study named “Rapid Identification and Characterization of Mosquitoes of Public Health Importance.” The work will expand on recent efforts using infrared spectral analysis to identify mosquitoes posing threats to human health. It will place particular emphasis on the Culex mosquito as a carrier of West Nile virus and add spectral records to existing profile libraries. Secondly, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services gave $41,205 to a project with the name “Aedes Bionomics and La Crosse Encephalitis Vector Control.” This endeavor will study the habits of the mosquito Aedes albopictus in finding hosts and laying eggs. Thirdly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $97,335 to a project with the name “USVI Larval Mosquito Survey 2019.” The investigation will count various types of mosquitos in the United States Virgin Islands.
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Pat’s School of Dance has been selected to choreograph the 2020 Sugar Bowl halftime show, and students of the studio will be the only dancers in the program. Director and owner Pat Shepherd began dancing at an early age and at 18 became the youngest teacher in the United States certified by Dance Masters of America. She has since been certified by the Professional Dance Teachers of America and the Dance Educators of America. The school teaches tap, jazz, ballet, and acrobatics. Shepherd has traveled extensively as an award-winning choreographer, teacher, and competition judge. Her students have won thousands of awards and moved on to perform on college and professional dance teams, cruise ships, national tours, and Broadway. Big-name venues to host the school’s performances include Disney, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, Atlantis in the Bahamas, and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The studio has choreographed halftime shows for the Orange Bowl and Holiday Bowl as well. Shepherd was a choreographer for the first Dirty Dancing movie, and she and her husband appeared in the remake.
Ingles Markets, with headquarters in Black Mountain, featured heavily in financial news earlier this year. The grocer closed the first quarter of its fiscal year in December with net sales of $1.06 billion, up 4.7% year-over-year, and gross profits of $258.4 million. Zack Equity Research was among the first to call attention to the grocery chain’s net profit margin and the high price-to-earnings ratio of its stock. An article citing the data in Yahoo! Finance headlined, “Is Ingles Markets a Great Stock for Value Investors?” Apparently it was. In short order, institutional investors, who now own 62.09% of Ingles’ stock, descended upon what Zack rated a “strong buy.” The stock was undervalued, and active investors took advantage of a window of opportunity before the disparity between buying and book values corrected. BlackRock purchased 125,446 shares, Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan purchased 1,636,000 shares, and several other investors purchased tens of thousands of shares. By February 25, the stock was being downgraded to “sell.”
Elvis Has Left the Building mcdowell county
Sam Sturgill, owner of Moondoggy’s Diner & Soda Fountain, a 1950s style rest aura nt in dow ntow n Mar ion, announced he is retiring. The property is up for sale or rent, and Sturgill would be willing to sell the business to the right person. For 16 years, the family-owned business was a hit with locals and visitors, serving American favorites like burgers, fried chicken, fries, shakes, and kids’ meals packed in car-shaped boxes. The joint was decorated with trappings from the 1950s, like a real soda fountain, a juke box, vending machines, vintage signs, and posters of icons from the era like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. Moondoggy’s was a gathering spot for showing off classic rides, and Sturgill added a meeting room to accommodate civic groups. The website boasted “top quality ingredients” and “friendly, well-trained staff;” and Sturgill said he was retiring because he could no longer deliver on the latter. Referring to an ongoing theme and variations of new hires not showing up for work or not working when they did, he told the McDowell News, “I got aggravated with the attitude.”
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photo cour tesy of Whiskey River Large Animal Mobile Veterinar y Ser vices
Veterinarians in Western North Carolina offer many varied services and deal with a wide range of animals. But what they all have in common is an extraordinary love for those animals and a desire to make their lives as full as possible.
Caring FOR THE Creatures written by bill kopp
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 37
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ACUPUNCTURE with AVL Acupunture, photo by Michael Valentino
V
eterinarians are a breed apart. Dedicated to the well-being of domesticated animals, they have to be prepared to encounter the unexpected, as one Western North Carolina vet vividly recalls, of a recent patient visit: “Following a telephone call that started with, ‘We hear you’ll see anything,’ a rescue worker transporting a 680-pound tigress and her 300-pound cub showed up at our office for a health certificate.” All in a day’s work for those dedicated professionals who look after the health of the region’s non-human creatures. There are more than 175 veterinary practices in Western North Carolina. Many administer standard care to household pets, but quite a few—especially in agricultural areas—have practices that expand to (or even specialize in) care of farm animals, horses, and more exotic creatures. The range of services and procedures offered varies, and many veterinary practices provide care that goes beyond the range of Western medicine. No matter where one roams in the 18 counties of Western North Carolina, there are veterinary professionals ready to meet the health needs of our four-legged friends.
It Takes All Kinds
photo by Anthony Harden
Say “ahh”: Dr. Brittany Beil with an equine client photo cour tesy of Whiskey River Large Animal Mobile Veterinar y Ser vices
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The lion’s share of most veterinarians’ visits consists of dogs and cats. Some, like Dr. Beth Hampton Jones, of Asheville Animal Acupuncture, see only feline and canine patients. Dr. Susan Reinecke, who along with Dr. Kathleen Allison operates Broad River Animal Hospital in Weaverville, says that her practice is “about 45% cats and 55% dogs, plus the odd rabbit or rat.” Dr. Tami Shearer, of Smoky Mountain Integrative Veterinary Clinic in Sylva, says that she also focuses primarily on dogs and cats, but notes some interesting exceptions: “I have treated a few chickens, a turkey, and a goat with acupuncture. The chicken was egg-bound; shortly after her acupuncture treatment, she was able to pass her egg. I also helped a pet turkey that impaled itself on a fence.” Dr. Brittany Beil, on the other hand, doesn’t treat canines or felines at all. She says that her Whiskey River Large Animal Mobile Veterinary Services sees “approximately 70% horses and 15% goats. The remaining 15% is a hodge-podge of cattle, sheep, llamas, alpacas, and a handful of chickens and pigs.” She notes that she does tend to a few exotic patients as well. “We currently care for a small zoo with black bears, brown bears, monkeys, lemurs, and some tigers. In the coming year, that facility plans to expand to include wolves, otters, sloths, and possibly giraffes.” Asheville’s Haw Creek Animal Hospital sees a wide variety of animal patients, says Dr. Heather Sinclair. While three-fourths of its patients are cats and dogs, the remainder is a menagerie. “We see many birds, rabbits, rats, ferrets, snakes, lizards, and pocket-pets on a regular basis,” she says. “Pigs and goats are less common, but by no means unusual at our practice.” And
DR . TAMI SHEARER and assistant David Messer examines Brody, photo by Pat Thomas / cour tesy Smoky Mountain Integrative Veterinar y Clinic
her practice’s proximity to the WNC Nature Center means an occasional visit by a wildlife patient.
An Integrative Approach to Care Most of the region’s veterinarians offer wellness visits, surgery, dental care, and some degree of internal medicine. But the services provided can go far beyond those. More and more practices are embracing the concept of integrative medicine, a patient-centered approach that Duke University describes as “address[ing] the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental influences that affect… health.” Integrative medicine was first developed to treat human patients, but its concepts transfer seamlessly to veterinary medicine as well. “I offer pain management, rehabilitation, hospice, and palliative care,” says Dr. Shearer. “Because of my background in pioneering the area of veterinary hospice, I decided to really focus my practice on helping pet owners and their pets by creating a practice that nurtures the human-animal bond.”
Alternatives to Western Medicine As is the case with human health, some pet owners find that the traditional Western approach to medical care doesn’t
meet the needs of their animal. In such cases, they seek other solutions. And an increasing number of veterinary practices are prepared to address those needs. Dr. Shearer cites some of the reasons that clients come to her: “Pet owners have made a decision not to pursue curative treatments; there was a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness or symptoms of a chronic illness that were interfering with the routine of the pet; or a pet had a disease process where curative treatment was possible but failed.” She also mentions that some pets present problems that require longterm intensive care, but also have additional associated health complications requiring a more complex treatment. Dr. Beth Hampton Jones’ suite of treatment options includes Eastern and Western approaches for her animal patients. “I do acupuncture, cold laser therapy, and Chinese herbal medicine for dogs and cats,” she says. “My focus is on approaching my patients and their problems holistically and individually. I used to own a general practice, and I practiced general medicine for many years. My patients and clients come to me now for a more natural and holistic approach.” “We try to practice a two-medicine view, both traditional and alternative,” says Dr. Brittany Beil. “We carry ultrasound and digital x-ray [equipment] on the truck, and we provide dental care, vaccines, and surgery.” But Dr. Beil’s practice is also certified in equine acupuncture and will soon offer equine
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 39
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Dr. Susan Reinecke (L) and Dr. Kathleen Allison, photo cour tesy of Broad River Animal Hospital
spinal adjustment (chiropractic). “We try to look at the whole animal and decide the best course of action for its healing and utmost health,” she says. “Clients want to improve the quality of life for their pets by seeking out unique services,” adds Dr. Shearer. “I see more and more clients in need of alternative care for their pets because conventional care has failed, or because their pets do not tolerate [certain] medications.” Clients’ positive experiences with human hospices lead many to consider similar care for their pets, she says. “We are seeing more requests for alternative therapies and gentler preventative medicine,” says Dr. Beil. “We have always offered acupuncture for horses, and often will transpose these skills to other animals—goats, alpacas, and sheep—as well.” Dr. Jones has noticed a trend among her clients toward increased interest in diagnostic testing. “And they’re willing to spend more to get that testing,” she says. “Now we have CT scans, MRIs, and hyperbaric chambers. We have specialists who are ophthalmologists, oncologists, and cardiologists.” She also notes greater interest in the nature and quality of the food given 40
| April 2019
to pets. “Pets are more like family today, and that is reflected in their owners’ actions,” she says.
The Role of Medicines And Pharmaceuticals in Veterinary Care When it comes to sourcing pharmaceuticals for their patients, most of the veterinarians interviewed rely on national distributors. “Local suppliers don’t exist,” says Dr. Reinecke. “Most pharmaceuticals that are labeled for animal use are not locally available,” agrees Dr. Sinclair. “Increasingly, as the larger players in the veterinary industry acquire more integration in their business, smaller hospitals have to rely on buying through national consortia in order to remain price competitive.” She notes that her practice can sometimes source compounded medications in tablet and capsule form from Sona Compounding in Asheville. Dr. Beil works with a national supplier that maintains a regional warehouse in Browns Summit, just north of
DR . NIC PINK ALL and assistant Mar y Jo Bale, with Josie photo by Pat Thomas cour tesy Smoky Mountain Integrative Veterinar y Clinic
photo cour tesy of Whiskey River Large Animal Mobile Veterinar y Ser vices
Greensboro. “That usually allows us to order or send medications within 24-48 hours,” she says. And Dr. Jones orders her acupuncture and herb supplies from a local company, Golden Needle. Dr. Sinclair observes that more and more clients are using online pharmacies to fill their pet prescriptions, and she’s fine with that trend. “While there are some caveats to this practice, we have never based our business success on high drug markups,” she says. The trend “has allowed us to focus our onsite pharmacy more on what our clients need on an immediate basis.” She believes that the migration to online pharmacy has kept her practice very aware that “it’s the hands-on work that sets us apart. We practice high quality medicine so clients return for services, not for sales.” “With vaccines currently being in the national limelight, we often get questions about efficacy and duration of the protective properties of vaccines for horses and others,” says Dr. Beil. “We recently have joined forces with GenSol Laboratories to begin developing affordable titer [immuneresponse antibody] testing for routine equine vaccines.”
Going Mobile With a goal of meeting the needs of patients on location— especially important for larger animals—a number of mobile veterinary services operate in Western North Carolina. About 20 veterinarians offer mobile vet services as their primary or secondary method of treatment. Several mobile veterinarians— most notably ones located in or near Tryon, home to the Tryon International Equestrian Center—limit their practices to horses, but most provide medical care to a range of animals. “We travel from farm to farm with the equipment in our truck and handle most medical care for large animals and farm animals right where they live,” says Dr. Beil. “We cover routine, preventative, basic surgical, and emergency care.”
Essential Training And Certification Plus People (And Animal) Skills Veterinarians complete a postgraduate four-year course of study to earn their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 41
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designation, but that’s just the beginning. “We also need to pass national boards and state licensure exams,” says Dr. Reinecke. Adds Dr. Sinclair, “And as with any practice in North Carolina, DVMs must hold a current license from the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board.” To stay current on the latest topics, DVMs practicing in in North Carolina must also complete 20 hours of continuing education each year. There exist several additional and very specific certifications that veterinarians can choose to obtain, many focusing on non-invasive methods. Dr. Shearer lists some of these, all of which she has earned: “Certified Canine Rehab Practitioner, Certified Vet Pain Practitioner, Certified Vet Acupuncturist, Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian, and Certified Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Palliative and End-
to being medically competent, creativity, honesty, and transparency are very important. Our clients really count on us to come up with creative solutions for their pets when there are challenging health problems.” “Clients like to know and trust their veterinarian,” says Dr. Jones. “They like someone who can explain things well and communicate effectively; they want someone who seems to genuinely like their pet and care about his well-being.” Dr. Beil concurs, adding, “If someone can’t feel comfortable with you, they are not going to trust your judgment or follow your recommendations.” She emphasizes that clients want to feel that they are involved in the decisionmaking regarding their animals’ care, and they want to know that the doctor takes their concerns into account when treating their pets. She quotes
Tourists are relatively common visitors to standard care veterinary practices, especially during the warmer months. of-Life Practitioner.” She is also nearing the end of a course of study that will earn her a master’s degree in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. When it comes to support staff, North Carolinabased licensed veterinary technicians are required to have state certified training, licensing, and biannual continuing education as well. The role of veterinary assistant doesn’t require state registration or certification; as a result, the tasks they are permitted to perform are more limited. “But generally,” says Dr. Beil, “they can accomplish their training on-the-job.” Dr. Sinclair notes that her office is typical in that it has a mixture of the various levels of skilled staff. Even when there aren’t stringent certification requirements, many vet practices focus on staffing their offices with experienced personnel. “I have trained my staff with the special skills to handle the cases that we see,” says Dr. Reinecke. She notes that one of her team member’s experience in hospitality makes her well suited as a communicator. “And I have trained her to help me with the patients, too,” she says. Clients tend to look beyond training and certification when choosing a veterinary practice for their pet. Dr. Sinclair outlines some of the qualities that clients look for, saying, “In addition 42
| April 2019
a well-known catchphrase that serves as a guide: “They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Dr. Reinecke says that “mad vetting skills” top the list of what her clients seek in a veterinary doctor. “But mostly,” she concludes, “people want you to be nice and show you care.”
In Case of Emergencies Many veterinary practices limit their work to business hours; quite a few are open with limited hours on Saturdays, but comparatively few offer Sundays or late-night hours. When emergencies happen, many vets serving the Asheville area refer clients to REACH Veterinary Specialists, about a mile north of Asheville Outlets. REACH sees animal patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The websites or answering machines of many veterinarians outside Asheville provide contact information for emergency services in their areas. But most of the veterinarians interviewed do try to provide some measure of support to clients after hours. While Dr. Reinecke’s practice refers afterhours emergencies to REACH, she notes that during regular business hours, “we just drop what we are doing” to deliver emergency care.
photo by Anthony Harden
photo cour tesy of Broad River Animal Hospital
photo cour tesy of Whiskey River Large Animal Mobile Veterinar y Ser vices
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 43
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photo cour tesy of Whiskey River Large Animal Mobile Veterinar y Ser vices
ASSISTANT ELLEN Kilgannon and Dr. Shearer photo by Pat Thomas / Cour tesy Smoky Mountain Integrative Veterinar y Clinic
“I actually give my clients my cell phone number and try to be available to answer questions and help direct the care of their pets after hours,” says Dr. Shearer. “At bedtime, I turn my phone off and direct clients to local emergency care facilities.” Whenever practical, she makes a point of educating her clients ahead of time on how they can deal with certain emergencies themselves. “For example, a client may call me and say that their pet with a heart condition is having some trouble breathing. I may advise them to use emergency oxygen therapy that I sent home with them, or to give an injection of Lasix under the skin, and then I would see them first thing in the morning.” “I do speak to clients about emergencies and potential emergencies after hours,” says Dr. Jones. She refers clients to REACH when circumstances warrant. Dr. Sinclair’s practice in Haw Creek offers longer than typical hours. “We are open seven days a week until 11 p.m. to accommodate urgent and emergency cases,” she says. “It’s not unusual for our doctors to perform surgery or continue care into the wee hours, but we will also refer to one of the local emergency hospitals when intensive overnight care is in the patient’s best interests.” Dr. Beil’s mobile vet service does handle emergencies. “As long as we are in town and the emergency is within our service area,” she says, “we do everything we can to get there in a timely manner. For the most part, we see all our clients’ own emergencies, snow, rain, night, or day.” Reciting her practice’s mantra (“What’s best for the animal is what’s best”), she makes the point that “sometimes, the best is not us.” In those cases, she refers clients to other vets who are closer by or have specific expertise. Tourists are relatively common visitors to standard care veterinary practices, especially during the warmer months. 44
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The more specialized veterinary practices see fewer out-oftowners dropping in for pet care, but it does happen. “I had a patient show up who needed help with an allergy shot,” says Dr. Shearer. “We were happy to help out.” Dr. Beil’s mobile service sees visiting non-locals as a matter of course. “We partner with many of the public equine camping locations up and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other hot-spot trails,” she says. “They often will call on the tourists’ behalf when someone from outside the area is visiting and needs help. We welcome these folks just as we do regular clients.”
Animals on Board Approximately 30 to 35 of the veterinary practices in Western North Carolina also offer animal boarding. Most others refer clients to businesses specifically designed to offer animals a place to stay during the day, overnight or long-term. “I don’t have staff to supervise hospitalized overnight patients, so we really try to get pets home at nighttime,” says Dr. Shearer. But, mentioning a paralyzed coonhound named Leroy, she admits, “when that is not possible, at times I have taken pets home with me. Leroy laid next to my bed.” Dr. Sinclair says that like all of the vets interviewed for this story, her practice doesn’t offer boarding. “But we do provide some ‘medical boarding’ for clients who have animals requiring more care than clients feel they can depend on at regular boarding facilities.” Her office also provides to its clients some limited boarding of exotic pets. But it’s Dr. Susan Reinecke who likely best expresses many veterinarians’ feeling about pet boarding. “I always tell
people it’s like your pediatrician offering day care,” she says with a laugh. Acknowledging that boarding is a good convenience for clients, she says that it’s often a distraction from practicing medicine.
Expecting the Unexpected Most veterinary visits involve routine matters. But like any other profession, vets in Western North Carolina have their stories of unusual encounters. The tigress and cub mentioned at the beginning of this story are among the most memorable. “Huge cages on flatbed trailers drew quite a crowd,” recalls Dr. Sinclair. “But perhaps the most memorable part was when I handed a six-inch long fecal loop to a newly-hired assistant and told him to go get a fecal sample.” Dr. Sinclair notes that handlers distracted the cats with raw chicken breasts while exams were performed. Other vets relate similarly unusual stories. One doctor recalls “a big burly Harley biker guy who had a venomous snake as a pet; he was a little intimidating. He made an
AVL Acupunture, photo by Michael Valentino
...and ...andlasts lasts aalifetime. lifetime. Exceptional Faculty Exceptional Faculty appointment to bring in his new dog for an appointment, and I was thinking he was going to bring me a vicious giant killer dog. When he arrived for his appointment, he pulled a tiny Chihuahua from his leather jacket!” Turns out the man was a social worker at a local school. Dr. Beil relates a particularly unusual story from her years of experience. “Libby the horse had a very specific type of colic that had essentially stopped her intestines from moving. This caused her to fill up with air, which is very painful until the pressure can be released so the intestines begin moving again. We had to come up with a plan, and fast. We decided to do a procedure called cecal trocarisation. We passed a large needle through her side, into her intestines, and then left it
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in place while gas escaped! Libby did very well and survived to be a happy, healthy mare.” Another tale with a happy ending from Dr. Beil: “Katie the goat was attacked in her pasture by dogs; she was injured very badly in her back leg. Although the skin was not even cut, her muscles were very damaged and were making her very sick. She came to live in our office for quite some time, and we had to manage her wound extensively as the tissues started to die. She ended up with a large wound that was difficult to bandage over her hamstring area. She also became very sad living away from all her goaty friends. We had to think outside the box to come up with a way to keep her wound covered and healing while she was able to go back home and into the pasture. “So, we used a tie-on bandage, honey, and sugar to help with wound heal. And then we got creative. Our assistant went to the thrift store and got some cute toddler pants. We fashioned the pants to a dog harness with mattress sheetkeepers, and made a changeable, washable bandage cover that strapped on like suspenders. Katie was much happier! And after four months, the wound was completely healed.” Dr Beil says that she hopes one day to create a children’s story CAPJABHALF
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about the episode; she already has a title: Katie, the Goat Who Wore Pants. Another veterinary doctor rattles off a seemingly endless list of strange tales. “There was one woman who, once she was secure in the exam room, told us her son waiting in the lobby wanted to kill her. I had a mother-in-law come in and pay for her son’s dog’s ashes, only to find out she was really stealing them from her estranged daughter-in-law. I’ve done a home euthanasia where I had to wait while the owner took a shower and put on special clothes for the procedure.” But that vet’s strangest story of all—so far, at least—is this: “A woman asked me if I saved her cat’s testicles after his neuter because she wanted to make earrings out of them!”
Steadfast Dedication to Animals’ Well-Being Every veterinary practice—and every doctor, for that matter—is unique. But in the end, what they all have in common is an extraordinarily love for animals and a desire to make their lives as full as possible.
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“The personal relationship I have with my clients and patients is very rewarding,” says Dr. Jones. “I truly enjoy my job every day, and I bring pain relief and extend quality of life to grateful dogs and cats.” Dr. Shearer emphasizes that her integrative approach “addresses
“The way we simply approach animals, introduce ourselves, and stay open to different ways of interpretation comes from a place of deep love and respect.” not only the physical health of the pet, but also the emotional well-being of the pet-family unit. We apply the philosophy of hospice and palliative care to every family we serve,” she says. Dr. Jones runs a one-woman practice. “I answer all my phone calls and schedule all
the appointments,” she says. “I personally know every client and patient.” Dr. Beil makes the point that all of the staff members at her primarily equine-focused practice “come from natural horsemanship backgrounds. The way we simply approach animals, introduce ourselves, and stay open to different ways of interpretation comes from a place of deep love and respect. We view our clients as equals and try to explain their options as if we were speaking to a good friend or our parents. If they understand the ‘why’ of what you are doing, they are much more likely to believe in your recommendations, and the animals will improve. “Our promise to all our clients and patients is to be more informed, more experienced, more educated and skilled each time we visit,” says Dr. Beil. “We laugh with them. We cry with them. We are an extension of their family, and we like it that way. The animals are often family; why can’t their doctor be, too?” See lists of area vets on the next few pages.
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VETS FOR YOUR PETS List of Veterinarians Currently Operating in Western North Carolina.
ANDREWS ANDREWS VETERINARY HOSPITAL
828-321-3316 andrewsveterinaryhospital.com
ASHEVILLE 4 PAWS FAREWELL
MOBILE PET HOSPICE
828-707-4231 4pawsfarewell.com
828-252-2079 aspca.org/animal-protection/ spayneuter-services/aspca-spay-neuter-alliance
BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL
828-298-1800 banfield.com/veterinarians/nc/ asheville/ash
CAROLINA PET CARE
ALL PETS ANIMAL HOSPITAL AND REHABILITATION CENTER
828-645-5252 allpetsasheville.com
828-254-4224 carolinapetcarepa.com
CAT CARE CLINIC OF ASHEVILLE
828-645-7711 catcareclinicasheville.com
ANIMAL HOSPITAL EAST
828-298-6585 animalhospitaleast.com
ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF NORTH ASHEVILLE
828-253-3393 ahna.net
ANIMAL HOSPITAL SOUTH
828-277-0600 animalhospitalsouth.com
ANIMAL MOVEMENT
828-450-0851 animalmovement.com
CEDAR RIDGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-575-2430 cedarridgevet.com
CHARLOTTE STREET ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-232-0440 charlottestreetanimalhospital. com
HAW CREEK ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-298-1678 hawcreekanimalhospital.com
MOUNTAIN VALLEY VETERINARY HOSPITAL
ASHEVILLE ANIMAL ACUPUNCTURE
828-450-0851 ashevilleanimalacupuncture.com
ASHEVILLE PET REHAB
828-337-9326 avlpetrehab.com
828-254-2122 mountainvalleyvet.com
OPEN DOOR VETERINARY CARE
828-417-7768 opendoorveterinarycare.com
ASHEVILLE VETERINARY ASSOCIATES South 828 -274 - 0646 West 828 -253 - 0451
ashevillevetassociates.com
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ASPCA SPAY/NEUTER ALLIANCE
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PEOPLE AND PETS ACUPUNCTURE
828-254-2773 officeofpeopleandpetsacupuncture.com
REACH VETERINARY SPECIALISTS
BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL
REDWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL
PINNACLE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
SKYLAND ANIMAL HOSPITAL
WESTERN CAROLINA VETERINARY SURGERY
828-665-4399 reachvet.com
828-298-1846 redwoodvetasheville.com 828-252-8644 skylandanimalhospital.com
SOUTHEAST VETERINARY AND DERMATOLOGY CLINIC
828-385-6565 southeastvetderm.vet
SUNVET ANIMAL WELLNESS CLINIC
828-254-2221 sunvetanimalwellness.com
SWEETEN CREEK ANIMAL & BIRD
828-684-8875 sweetencreekvet.com
THE PET VET ON PATTON
828-232-9990 petvetonpatton.com
UPSTATE VETERINARY SPECIALISTS – ASHEVILLE
828-210-8285 upstatevet.com
WAGHAB
828-633-7004 waghab.com
828-681-0519 banfield.com/veterinarians/nc/ arden
828-676-2332 pinnacleanimalhospital.com
828-684-0019 wcvs.org
WNC VETERINARY HOSPITAL
828-684-3531 wncveterinaryhospital.com
BANNER ELK BLUE RIDGE VETERINARY CLINIC
828-963-6641 blueridgevetclinic.com
LINVILLE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-898-8900 linvilleanimalhospital.com
BLACK MOUNTAIN BLUE RIDGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-669-8719 brahinc.com
CATS CRADLE
828-490-3319 catscradlewnc.com
ARDEN AVERY CREEK PET HOSPITAL
828-651-8868 averycreekpethospital.com
BOONE ANIMAL EMERGENCY CLINIC OF THE HIGH COUNTRY
828-268-2833 boonevet.net
ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF BOONE
828-264-7113
ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER OF BOONE
828-264-7007
APPALACHIAN NEW RIVER VETERINARY ASSOCIATES
828-278-8794 anrva.com
PET CARE CLINIC OF THE HIGH COUNTRY
828-268-1159 boonevet.squarespace.com
WATAUGA VETERINARY HOSPITAL
BURNSVILLE BURNSVILLE VETERINARY CLINIC
828-682-2100 burnsvillevetclinic.com
CANE RIVER VETERINARY WELLNESS
828-682-7710 canerivervet.com
CANDLER CANDLER VETERINARY CLINIC
828-667-0247 candlervet.org
828-264-8077 animalsnaturally.org
CASHIERS CASHIERS VILLAGE VETERINARY
828-743-5656 cashiers-village-veterinary. business.site
BREVARD ANIMALS OF EDEN VETERINARY HOSPITAL
828-884-3647 animalsofeden.com
BREVARD ANIMAL HOSPITAL
CLYDE COUNTRY LANE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-627-9100 clanimalhosp.com
828-883-8105 brevardanimalhospital.net
RIVERSONG VETERINARY CLINIC
828-862-8450 riversongvet.com
BRYSON CITY BRYSON CITY VETERINARY HOSPITAL
828-488-6018 brysoncityvet.com
828-894-6065 tryonequine.com
ETOWAH ETOWAH VALLEY VETERINARY HOSPITAL
828-890-1401 etowahvalleyvethospital vetstreet.com
FAIRVIEW FAIRVIEW ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-628-3557 facebook.com
FAIRVIEW KENNELS
828-297-3300
WHISPERING WATERS ANIMAL CARE
TRYON EQUINE HOSPITAL
COLUMBUS BONNIE BRAE VETERINARY HOSPITAL
828-894-6064 bonniebraeveterinaryhospital. com
DVM
828-859-6005 vetmed.umn.edu/dvm
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FLETCHER FLETCHER ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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WHITE OAK VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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FOREST CITY FOOTHILLS ANIMAL CLINIC
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TRI-CITY ANIMAL CLINIC
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FRANKLIN ANIMAL HOUSE VETERINARY CLINIC
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LENZO ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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NOAH'S ARK COMPANION ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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HENDERSONVILLE ALL SAINTS ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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ANIMAL CARE CLINIC
828-692-7201 animalcareclinicnc.com
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local industry
APPLE VALLEY ANIMAL HOSPITAL (EQUINE MOBILE VET)
828-685-1650 avvets.com
HAYWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-697-0446 haywoodvet.com
HENDERSONVILLE VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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KANUGA ANIMAL CLINIC
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LAUREL PARK ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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NORTH STATE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF MARION
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CRESTVIEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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FOOTHILLS MOBILE VETERINARY SERVICE
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MARS HILL MADISON COUNTY ANIMAL CLINIC
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MILLS RIVER HEALTH CARE FOR PETS HOSPITAL
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HIGHLANDS ANIMAL WELLNESS HOSPITAL OF HIGHLANDS
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HIGHLANDS-CASHIERS ANIMAL CLINIC
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HORSE SHOE MERRY FOREST ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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MILLS RIVER ANIMAL CLINIC
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VISTA FALLS VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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MURPHY ALPINE VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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TRI STATE SPAY NEUTER CLINIC
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LAKE LURE WAGS AND WHISKERS PET WELLNESS CLINIC
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MARION
TRICOUNTY ANIMAL CLINIC
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NEWLAND AVERY ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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PISGAH FOREST PISGAH PET CARE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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ROBBINSVILLE LAGNIAPPE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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RUTHERFORDTON BUCHANAN MOBILE VETERINARY SERVICES
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RUTHERFORD VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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SALUDA SALUDA VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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SPINDALE HINKLE'S PET HOSPITAL
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RUTHERFORD LARGE ANIMAL SERVICES
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SPRUCE PINE MITCHELL VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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| April 2019
STEWART'S MOUNTAIN VIEW ANIMAL
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SWANNANOA BEACON VETERINARY HOSPITAL
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SWANNANOA VALLEY ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-299-1433 swannanoavet.com
SYLVA COPE CREEK ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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SMOKY MOUNTAIN INTEGRATIVE VETERINARY CLINIC
828-586-3300 shearerpethealth.com
SYLVA ANIMAL HOSPITAL: RICK WALL, DVM
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WAYNESVILLE ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF WAYNESVILLE
828-456-9755 animalhosp.com
BALSAM ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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HAYWOOD ANIMAL EMERGENCY
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JUNALUSKA ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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MAPLE TREE VETERINARY HOSPITAL AND DOG CAMP
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RAHAMA KENNEL AND CATTERY
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WEAVERVILLE ALLEN ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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ANIMAL HOSPITAL AT REEMS CREEK
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APPALACHIAN ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-658-8989 appalachianvet.net
BROAD RIVER ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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MOUNTAIN ANIMAL HOSPITAL
828-645-1616 mountainanimalhospital.com
WHITTIER CHEROKEE ANIMAL CARE CLINIC
828-497-3401 cherokeeanimalcare.com
WNC MOBILE VETS ANIMOBILE MOBILE VETERINARY SERVICES
828-817-8749 animobiledvm.com
CARING CONCEPTS MOBILE VETERINARY HOSPICE AND HOME EUTHANASIA SERVICE
CROSSROADS MOBILE VETERINARY CLINIC
828-490-0344 crmvc.com
DR. LILIAN HERRON, DVM
828-674-4946 drlilianherron.com
FREER EQUINE MOBILE VETERINARY
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FRENCH BROAD MOBILE VET
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MAST MOBILE PET CARE AND ACCUPUNCTURE
828-963-2600 MOUNTAIN EQUINE MOBILE VETERINARY SERVICE (SCOTT LEWIS, DVM)
828-545-1971 mountainequinewnc.com
SCOTT E. PICKETT, DVM
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As Seen In WESTERN
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FINEST HOMES
SMALL THINGS VETERINARY HOUSE CALLS
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562 Long Shoals Road Arden NC 2019 | capitalatplay.com 828-687-1968 •April TogarRugs.com
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THE OLD
NORTH
STATE [
news briefs
Pervasive raleigh
Superior Court Judge Douglas Sasser approved a settlement between chemical manufacturer Chemours and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The settlement includes a $12 million fine, the largest in DEQ history, plus $1 million to cover costs of investigation. In the summer of 2017, Chemours stopped releasing GenX, a chemical described by WRAL as a “largely unstudied industrial contaminant,” into the Cape Fear River, following negative press that launched the DEQ investigations. In the months that followed, the DEQ continued to detect plumes of GenX in the water that were attributed to air and soil contamination. Chemours has since invested over $100 million in stateof-the-art systems to manage emissions
]
and remediate damages. The company expects these investments will reduce levels of GenX and related chemicals by at least 99% by the end of the year. Other terms of the agreement require Chemours to file reports tracking GenX air emissions, continue analyzing GenX levels in river sediment, and maintain filtration systems for at least 20 years.
Taking a Stand statesville
Badger Sportswear has terminated relations with one of its suppliers, Hetian Taida. The Chinese company is the target of allegations that it is using forced labor from Muslim groups in Communist reeducation camps. According to the accusations, Uyghurs in particular
were being separated from their families, detained in poor conditions, and subjected to brainwashing while being assigned menial tasks well below their skill level, that paid little or nothing. The Chinese government at first denied the existence of the camps and then justified their practices as necessary for “national security” and “ethnic harmony.” While investigating the claims, Badger opted to err on the side of “an abundance of caution;” trafficking in imported fruits of forced labor being illegal in the United States. Badger provides clothing for college sports teams and their fans; and its statements that only 1% of its products were made by Hetian Taida didn’t stop college bookstores from boycotting the company altogether. Even though boycotts ran rampant, Badger goods could still be purchased on Amazon and the websites of Kmart and Walmart.
Take it to the Banks charlotte
Two of the country’s largest regional banks, BB&T, with headquarters in Winston-Salem, and SunTrust, headquartered in Atlanta, announced their intentions to merge before the end of
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23 Arlington Street Asheville, NC 28801 | 828. 255.7530 | www.appalachianrealty.com | April 2019
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the year. Pending regulatory approval, the new bank will be the sixth-largest United States bank in terms of assets ($442 billion) and deposits ($324 billion). Since 2006, the Federal Reserve Board has approved 3,800 bank merger applications, but those have all involved small banks getting absorbed into larger financial institutions. BB&T CEO Kelly King said the merger would help the companies achieve the “scale needed to compete and win in the rapidly evolving world of financial services.” JP Morgan Chase, for example, spends $10 billion a year and employs 50,000 to keep its technology up-to-date and secure. Terms of the merger call for locating an Innovation and Technology Center and headquarters in Charlotte. The new bank will have a new name and branding to be announced before the deal is closed. King will stay on as chair and CEO until September 2021 when SunTrust’s COO William Rogers will replace him.
A Trane to NC davidson
Ingersoll Rand finalized plans to close its manufacturing plant in Buffalo, New York. The move, challenged by the International Association of Machinists
the old north state
and Aerospace Workers union applying pressure to local elected leaders, will put 300 people out of a job. While 150 jobs will be retained for Buffalo’s technology center, which deals with customer support ranging from engineering design to service calls, 40 assembly, machining, and technical manufacturing jobs will be transferred to Ingersoll Rand plants in Mocksville and Davidson. Additional jobs will move to Vignate, Italy, and Wujiang, China, aligning with corporate strategies for reducing shipping costs. The North Carolina plants manufacture compressors for Trane heating and cooling systems, like the Buffalo plant did. Misty Zelent, spokesperson for the company, said Ingersoll Rand would only work with the union on matters like severance packages. North Carolina is a right-towork state, and the jobs will transfer a week before the union contract expires. The latest move represents the second wave of Ingersoll Rand jobs transferred to Mocksville in less than a year.
from shuttering by WRS Real Estate Investments of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Under its former owner, New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group, the roof on the mall had developed leaks leading to water damage and the issuance of orders to close, in the interest of public health and safety, from Mount Airy and Surry County. The mall managed to stay open because T. Scott Smith, president of WRS, told the city commissioners at a public meeting he would be interested in buying it. Unfortunately, it took about a year to get the paperwork in order. As the new owner, WRS is committed to renovating the space, a project expected to last six to 12 months, and it is recruiting new tenants, some of which may be local businesses; some may not be retailers. At the time of purchase, only five tenants remained in the 207,542-sq.-ft. mall, JC Penney being among those that had left. Belk anchors the mall, but it is separately owned in a separate building that was renovated a year ago.
Swimming Upstream
Getting the Rollers
mount airy
salisbury
While bricks-and-mortar retail chains are becoming scarcer, the 50-yearold Mayberry Mall has been spared
Finzer Roller has acquired the business and some assets of Carolina Rubber Rolls, a subsidiary of HBD/Thermoid, for an
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undisclosed amount. CEO John Finzer applauded the lawyers of both companies for closing the deal, solidly and on short notice, in only nine days. Matt Lockard, president of HBD/Thermoid’s Rubber Products Group, said the company wanted to divest itself of the roller operations to focus on its core business, which is not only manufacturing hoses, but innovating with research and development to meet customer needs. With the deal, Finzer acquired equipment, inventory, and sales records from a viable competitor. Accommodating the acquisition will not be a problem, as Finzer had already intended to add 15,000 square feet to its 35,000-sq.-ft. Kernersville plant this year. Thermoid will use the space made available by the move to restructure operations ergonomically and warehouse additional inventory to reduce lead times.
Furniture Hack asheboro
Don’t stop now
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| April 2019
Jill Jones
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Due to an ongoing investigation, Klaussner Home Furnishings was not allowed to say much, but the company did confirm it had been a victim of a cyberattack. Law enforcement agencies and a “leading forensics firm” were notified immediately. Employees confirmed that manufacturing operations in Asheboro were shut down February 12-14 due to unspecified computer issues, but some plants resumed production as early as that Friday. No permanent damage to operations was anticipated, but orders scheduled to ship before February 21 were slightly delayed. One of Klaussner’s selling points is the fast turnaround times made possible through strategic vertical integration and inventory control. Now one of the largest furniture companies in the United States, Klaussner offers several product lines with a wide range of upholstering options for the living room, dining room, bedroom, and outdoors. Asheboro is home to its headquarters, 10 manufacturing plants, a warehouse, and a distribution facility. With 1,202
employees, it is Randolph County’s fourth largest employer.
A Netflix Original high point
Netflix cofounder Marc Randolph returned to High Point University to mentor students as the Entrepreneur in Residence in a Growth Mindset Summit. During a question-and-answer session, Randolph spoke about risk-taking. He invited educators to find ways to challenge students to overcome their fear of risky exploration, fostering interest in seeking, engagement, and growth. Randolph told business students he suspected they all had a dream, but fear of some unknown was holding them back. It might be a lack of how to raise money or how to distribute their product. He said people should overcome being riskaverse by taking smaller risks closer to their comfort zone. He suggested spending five minutes one day doing something that doesn’t require any outside capital, resources, or labor— like walking up to somebody and doing some social research. Then, he said, they should move on to something else small. By doing that, they would grow capacity for taking on tasks with larger risks of failure. Then, Randolph, who has started a total of six companies, admitted he personally didn’t have a dream, but he was curious. He found out what he wanted to do by failing around. To show it is human to err, he shared some of the setbacks he has experienced.
Scattered to the Wind chapel hill
Over 100 jobs left Chapel Hill with the $23 million bankruptcy sale of Advanced Sports Enterprise (ASE) to a group of four investors. ASE had been a designer and retailer of premium bicycles; operations for its Performance line were headquartered in Chapel Hill. Tiger Capital Group and Advanced Holdings formed BikeCo
to purchase the assets and trademarks of ASE’s wholesale business, ASI. AMain purchased the trademarks and web domains for Performance and Nashbar, but none of the inventory or premises. Described by its CEO as a technology company disguised as an e-commerce website, AMain intends to continue selling the brands online. Lastly, K&B Investment purchased ASE’s real estate in Chapel Hill and Philadelphia. ASE had not committed to shuttering its stores until the deal closed because HTM US Holdings, famous for its Head brand, was first declared the winner of the bankruptcy auction. Head had intended to keep the stores open but forfeited its winning bid in a series of missteps. At its peak, Performance had been the largest bicycle retail chain in the country with 104 stores employing 1,700.
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A new rep or t i s s ue d by t he Environmental Working Group and Waterkeeper Alliance warns chicken farms could now be posing a greater threat to the North Carolina environment than hog farms. In “Under the Radar: New Data Reveals NC Regulators Ignored Decade-Long Explosion of Poultry CAFOs [Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations],” authors Soren Rundquist and Don Carr note hog farms have numbered about 2,100 since 2008, but chicken farms have increased from around 4,000 to 4,700. They also estimated North Carolina chicken farms were generating 4.8 times more nitrogen waste and 4.1 times more phosphorus waste than its hog farms. The problem was particularly concerning in Duplin and Sampson counties, where 93% of poultry farms are within three miles of at least 20 other poultry or swine farms. Rundquist and Carr ask why the state would impose a moratorium on new hog farms and not do the same for the poultry industry. Chicken farming is estimated to have a $36 billion impact on the state’s economy.
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leisure & libation
The
photo By Bruce Brumbaugh / courtesy Tukit Tours
Tour's The Thing writ ten by emily gl aser
O
n a sunny summer day in downtown Asheville, they’re everywhere. They laugh raucously from the windows of a purple bus and balance steadily on the heavy wheels of Segways on Pack Square. They peddle the chained mechanics of an oversized bike with comradely zeal and trip along the cracked sidewalks between South Slope’s breweries. Sunglasses-adorned locals perched on picnic tables outside neighborhood haunts roll their eyes in condescending derision and mutter a knowing aside: “Tourists.” But these aren’t just tourists, they’re tours. And they’re a booming biz for the scenic region we call home. With a trusty local at the helm, thousands of visitors explore the ales, cuisine, and culture of Western North Carolina through guided tours
every year, in automobiles and on foot. Despite the industry’s affiliations with credulous rubbernecks, with a growing and diverse spectrum of specialized guided tours, it’s a business that’s increasingly suited to local residents, too. Whether you’re a native Carolinian or a recent transplant, guided tours and their informed leaders will impart you with new knowledge of your hometown—and a good time, too. If you want to dig deep into a local niche—from our literary history to foraging for indigenous plants to the ghostly archives of the city’s landmarks— there’s likely a tour to help you do so. They’ll lead you down trails both figurative and literal, take you behind-the-scenes of our cultural stalwarts, and vest you with a library of esoteric trivia sure to make you the star of your next cocktail party. April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 57
leisure & libation
photos cour tesy No Taste Like Home
SPREAD OF various edibles. photo by Krista Rosso
58
CEO Alan Muskat gathering mushrooms. | April 2019
ALAN AND group gathering mushrooms
No Taste Like Home Ours is a region regularly hailed as a foodtopia rife with farm-to-table fare, creative fusion, and James Beard-nominated chefs. It’s a food scene that draws tourists in swarms to a bevy of guided restaurant and brewery tours, but small plates and samples lose their allure when you’re a full or part-time resident of the region. Instead, mountainous urbanites might turn to local guided tours, not for a look at the restaurant scene, but at the scenes from which they source, which often means the mountains themselves. When Alan Muskat founded No Taste Like Home in 1995, tours (and tourism) were scarce around here, but the longtime forager still found a market to flex his knowledge of native edibles. “I had been gathering wild foods for about 100 different restaurants over the course of 15 years when I began to shift into teaching,” he recalls. “I found this to be more sustainable (that is, dependable, especially with climate change) and more rewarding. With the growth of tourism to Asheville, my ‘classes’ became ‘tours.’” Muskat’s venture has since evolved to include two guided ecotour options, a 3.5-hour Foraging Tour and 1.5-hour Wild Food Stroll. On the Foraging Tour, novice gatherers explore an area outside of Asheville and pluck over a dozen wild edibles, then savor the fruits—literally—of their labors in an appetizer prepped at one of the city’s award-winning restaurants. Attendees of the Stroll, which takes place on the grounds of
the Grove Park Inn, don’t gather the plants they find, but they do taste them in an appetizer prepared at the hotel. Both tours are led by seasoned couriers who share a passion for the gifts of the land. “Our guides have several hundred hours of training, and then years of experience,” Muskat says. “For them, this is first and foremost a way of life.” No Taste Like Home is one of only a handful of forage-totable tours worldwide, and arguably the most renowned: The business is ranked number one in the world in its category on TripAdvisor. Though he admits that his demographic these days is largely tourists, the things that draw customers to Muskat’s tours are universal and particularly applicable to we citizens. “People interested in foraging almost always fall into at least one of these six categories, people wanting to either: save money, eat healthier, eat more interesting food, be more sustainable, be independent, and/or be more connected with the earth,” he says. Whatever sparks their interest, Muskat’s mission and intention for the business is clear: “Foraging is not just a fun ‘survival’ challenge. It represents a viable and necessary alternative to the very basis of civilization,” he explains, adding that he believes foraging is the solution to our unsustainable dependence on destructive agriculture. (Muskat is currently writing a book on the topic.) “I’d like to see foraging become a regional sustainable economy for WNC. We can solve the hunger problem here and be a model for communities across the region.”
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 59
leisure & libation
photos cour tesy Asheville Farm To Table Tours
Asheville Farm To Table Tours Though Muskat’s idyllic vision of a culinary economy sustained by foraging is a laudable aspiration, for now, our restaurants and markets rely on its antithesis: agriculture. But Western North Carolina’s farms are a far cry from the sprawling, near-apocalyptic corporate plantations of documentaries, instead approximating the arcadian plots of James Herriot’s pages. Tucked into valleys and gulches across the mountains, local farmers produce marbled cheeses, buckets of berries, and a rainbowed spectrum of vegetables for the hungry palates of regional eaters—and attendees of Ann Stauss’ Asheville Farm to Table Tours. “I have enjoyed many a delicious farm-to-table meal in Asheville and knew most of the food came from nearby, but I had only been able to visit a few local farms,” Stauss says, of her business’ origins. “Although the farm-to-table movement was vibrant in our area, there was little opportunity to experience this at its source: the farms.” Inspired by ASAP’s (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) popular annual Farm Tour, Stauss founded Asheville Farm To Table Tours in order to offer foodies a behind-the-scenes look at where their food is grown and an opportunity to meet the people growing it. On her three tours, six to 12 curious gastronomes pile into a van (loaded with local snacks and an icy cooler for goodies 60
| April 2019
A GROUP ready to pile into the van and get to the next farm.
picked up along the way) and trek the winding roads around Asheville, visiting two or three farms or creameries hidden in the hillsides, like Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, Carolina Bison Farm, and Flying Cloud Farm. The tours, which run Wednesday through Friday, and soon, Saturday, are themed and dependent on the day, like Friday’s Cheese, Glass, Flower Blast tour. At each stop, farmers offer visitors a personal tour of their turf, weaving through crop rows or cheese vats to divulge the inner workings of their trade. “Many of the farms I visit are not normally open to the public, so guests can see operations they would be unable to experience on their own,” Stauss adds.
BLUE RIDGE MTN CREAMERY cheese aging inside cheese cave.
“My curiosity has driven me to explore and investigate all over the world, and Asheville stands out as a beacon of the strange, spooky, and mysterious things I’ve discovered.” Though her demographic is largely tourists, many of them are part-time residents or repeat customers. The impetus for attending such a tour, particularly as a hometowner, is tenfold: to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the farmers who make our food; to learn about Western North Carolina’s rich agricultural heritage; to study current farm methods and practices; to research local CSAs; to meet the farmers from whom you already buy at tailgate and farmers markets; or, for home gardeners, to tap into an insider’s know-how on topics like seed sourcing, organic pest and weed control, planting practices, and appropriate seasonal planting. Not to mention there’s nothing quite so sweet as a fresh-picked strawberry still warm from the sun, or so indulgently piquant as cave-aged cheese still cool from the stones.
AT HIGHGATE FARM, FARMER Melissa explains their planting Methodology.
Haunted Asheville As a Carolinian, you likely know of the Brown Mountain Lights; the spectral orbs, tinged crimson and silver, are known to float in ghostly synchronicity along the ridge of Brown Mountain (located about a half-hour north of Morganton) and are purported to be the lost souls of Cherokee and Catawba warriors’ womenfolk. It’s a wellknown Appalachian legend, but it’s not just in the lonesome hills that you’ll feel the eerie chill of the paranormal. The April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 61
leisure & libation
THE ORANGE PEEL APRIL 26 6PM
photos this page courtesy Joshua Warren/Haunted Asheville
BRILLIANT FASHION. BRIGHTER FUTURES. The 5th Color Me Goodwill runway show features seven Asheville-area designers presenting color-inspired collections made from items found at Goodwill stores. It’s a show of innovation and ingenuity like no other. Celebrate the creativity of Asheville’s fashion designers and meet some of the people Goodwill has served.
SHOP. DONATE. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
| April 2019 62 100% Local | 100% Nonprofit | colormegoodwill.org
cobblestone streets and art deco architecture of Asheville also harbor a host of spirit-centric secrets—secrets revealed on the city’s original ghost tour, Haunted Asheville. Founder Joshua P. Warren’s mind is steeped in local lore, an interest piqued by his family’s lengthy heritage in the area (both sides have called the region home since the late 1700s). “I grew up with a passion for our history and finding the rarest lore about my hometown,” says the Asheville native, who wrote the book Haunted Asheville at just 18 years old and founded his tour business soon after, in 1996. More than two decades later, Warren is an authority in the paranormal field, with features on shows like Ghost Adventures and In Search Of, but it’s still Asheville that holds his attention: “My
photos this page courtesy AVL Lit Map Tours
curiosity has driven me to explore and investigate all over the world, and Asheville stands out as a beacon of the strange, spooky, and mysterious things I’ve discovered.” On Haunted Asheville tours, intrepid attendees are led through the streets of the city by Warren or one of his team of true paranormal investigators as they share stories historic and haunting. The company offers three experiences: Asheville’s original Classic Ghost Tour, which explores the stories behind macabre monuments, like a murder at the Battery Park Hotel and a body entombed Poe-style in a wall of the Basilica of Saint Lawrence; the Supernatural Tour, an investigation into other eerie affairs, like witches, ghouls, and vampires; and the Biltmore Village Mystery Tour, available to groups of 10 or more, which trips along the bricked walks and tall tales of Vanderbilt’s legacy. Guests end their traipse at the Asheville Mystery Museum in the Masonic Temple, a collection of odd relics collected by Warren on his travels and artifacts from Asheville’s more mysterious histories. Though Haunted Asheville is, perhaps unsurprisingly, busiest around the Halloween season, the walking tours operate on weekends year-round. As a rarefied and genuine local, Warren enjoys the opportunity to share little-known folklore with other citizens.
“Though most of our guests are from out of town, we pride ourselves on impressing locals,” he says. “As a native, my goal is to amaze another native with things he or she never knew about our home.” Hesitant to sign up for a haunting? Don’t be. “Our tour is not a ‘jump-out-and-scare-you’ experience,” Warren explains, “but an authentic exploration of what makes Asheville such a rare and magnetic location in these mysterious, scenic, and often creepy mountains.”
AVL Lit Tours Asheville’s mythologies aren’t all occult or clandestine; in fact, the city’s literary history and the writers who populate it are positively legendary. Most local bibliophiles have stood before the yellow clapboard of Thomas Wolfe’s childhood home or wondered which room was Fitzgerald’s at the Grove Park Inn. Yet these stories of Asheville’s great American novelists, as well worn as the pages of their books, are only the beginning. The city’s newest guided excursion, AVL Lit Tour, offers an expansive surveillance of Asheville’s lengthy cultural legacy, chronicling both the well-known and unsung. The artistic trek serves as evidence that the city’s literary history isn’t a speed read, but a veritable tome. April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 63
leisure & libation
ON AN EN PLEIN Air Painting Tour
“For 90 minutes, our inquisitive guests adventure downtown and into the past where they encounter literary giants, bookish literati, and lesser-known writers, as well,” explains Sarah Giavedoni, who co-founded the tour last year with her business partner Jimmy MacKenzie. “Of
The tour, which the duo hosts on Wednesday evenings and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, draws back the curtain (or rather, turns the page) on the city’s more erudite lore, featuring footnotes on lesser-known names like Wilma Dykeman and John Ehle, as well as literary giants not often associated with Asheville like Ernest Hemingway. MacKenzie a nd Giavedoni, both graduates of U NC-Asheville’s mass communications program, combined their shared passion for local (and not-so-local) lit with their individual talents—Giavedoni in marketing and design, MacKenzie in journalism—to found the unique venture. “I guess the tour really just emerged after we read a miniature library of local tales,” recalls MacKenzie. “We possessed information we were passionate about and talents that could be utilized, and the question, ‘What do we do with all this?’ Suddenly, we were putting together the AVL Lit Tour.”
Asheville has become a bigger and bigger attraction on the national stage. For many people unfamiliar with our history, that can feel like a new and foreign phenomenon, but it’s not. course we talk about Thomas Wolfe and Carl Sandburg and Charles Frazier, but this city’s literary history is so much deeper and wider than that. We namedrop everyone from pioneering women in medicine to notorious serial killers.” 64
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photos cour tesy Leap Frog Tours
Like most guided tour businesses, attendees of the AVL Lit Tour are, more often than not, tourists, but locals could stand to learn a thing or two about our bookish mythos, too. “We’ve had many locals take our tour—locals who are very knowledgeable about the area—and they’ve all told us they learned something new on the AVL Lit Tour,” MacKenzie reports. “It’s always beneficial to have a deeper understanding of the city you live in.” (That’s why they offer a 20 percent discount for locals using the code LOCALLOVE.) The derivative of such a tour, Giavedoni argues, isn’t just the acquisition of a personal library of interesting and localized lit facts; it’s a deeper understanding of both Asheville’s history and modern cultural currency. “Over the last few years,” he says, “Asheville has become a bigger and bigger attraction on the national stage. For many people unfamiliar with our history, that can feel like a new and foreign phenomenon, but it’s not,” she says. “We hope that after people take the AVL Lit Tour and are asked what’s interesting about our city, they’ll have dozens more talking points and anecdotes than they had before. Culture is not new to this area. We’ve had a rich literary history during the good times, down times, and today.”
Leap Frog Tours
BEER TOUR guests at New Belgium
LEAP FROG also offers wedding transportation
Most guided tour companies capitalize on a specialty, using hard-won expertise as a springboard for a business that appeals to a unique, niche community of customers. And then there’s Leap Frog Tours, a venture that has turned our region’s multifarious diversions into a ranging, well-rounded selection of attractions. “Most of the tour companies in the area focus on one thing, like beer, food, or art tours,” points out Ann Smith, who co-founded the venture with her business partner, Kim Turpin, back in 2016. “We are a full-service provider. We offer all different kinds of tours, custom tours, and transportation.” Leap Frog’s lineup is sweeping in both its listings and territory, with selections indoors and out scattered across the region. Click-and-book tours, regularly scheduled and frequently hosted, range from the ASHEVILLE DISTILLERY TOUR at H&H Distilling. April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 65
leisure & libation
photos cour tesy Leap Frog Tours
PREPARING TO board for the Sanitation Wildlife tour
conventional, like brewery and winery tours, to more unusual offerings like mountaintop yoga, to the emphatically special, like their Cataloochee Valley Elk Adventure. Their diverse selection of tours provides unparalleled opportunity for we mountain dwellers to dabble in something new, whether that be en plein air painting, the science of pollinators, or the flavors of one of the Blue Ridge’s small towns, like Sylva or Waynesville. The company’s expansive list of tours is always in flux as Smith and Turpin adjust their agenda according to seasons, demand, and stroke-of-genius ideas. Their new tour, which will commence on Saturday, April 20 (ahem, 420, for those in the know), falls into that latter category: The Franny’s Farm CBD & Hemp Tour, Asheville’s first hemp excursion, will realize a new, unexplored avenue of the region’s flourishing industry. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at the mountains’ preeminent hemp venture, including Franny’s Farmacy downtown and the Leicester farm itself. It’s not just Leap Frog’s expanse of tour options that sets the company apart—it’s that they’re customizable. “We’re finding that we’re building quite a niche for ourselves creating custom experiences for couples, families, and groups,” Smith explains. That might mean rescheduling a click-and-book tour or creating a completely custom itinerary. As if that weren’t enough, Leap Frog also offers transportation services for events and parties across Western North Carolina; in 2018 alone, the company shepherded attendees of nearly 60 local weddings. As the hub of the mountains, it’s no surprise that most local guided tours are stationed in Asheville, but it was in direct contrast to this that Leap Frog Tours got its start, and it’s still one of the predominant USPs of the business today. “My business partner, Kim, and I spent about six months researching business ideas,” remembers Smith. “We realized that although there were lots of tour and transportation options in Asheville, there weren’t many options outside of Asheville in 66
ANN SMITH & KIM TURPIN | April 2019
photos cour tesy Tukit Tours
photo by Bruce Brumbaugh
TISHA PERRY & SHAWN MASON
Parking Hassles Could Vanish Via TukIt Tour Co. Asheville’s distinct districts and steep hills (we are in the mountains, after all) inspire many spectators to trade their walking shoes for wheels, and the city has arisen to their demands with gusto. Red tour trolleys, clunky Segways, bicycles, a big purple bus, and a few very short-lived electric scooters have made themselves available to weary pedestrians, but now there’s a new vehicle in town, and it’s called TukIt. Located just a couple of blocks north of Biltmore Village, TukIt Tour Co. provides tours of Asheville via the comfort of six-passenger tuk tuks, electric-powered rickshaws with bells and whistles like heated seats and bluetooth speakers through which clients can listen
to their own playlists. The venture hosts a few standard guided tours (think breweries and rooftop bars), but it’s the potential of a create-your-own tour—and a personal driver that alleviates the burden of parking—that’s most appealing to we locals. “Locals can park at our office (not pay to park anywhere) and not worry about drinking and driving around,” points out Tisha Perry, who co-owns the business with Shawn Mason. “Locals can use us for their fun, but also business. What a better way to have a customer in town and take them to eat and have a couple drinks or go on a tour than being able to sit across from them and talk business, not drive!” April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 67
leisure & libation
the greater Western NC area. For example, there weren’t any beer tour companies taking people to the breweries in Brevard, Waynesville, or Sylva. So, we started what we call our ‘Outlier Brewery Tours.’” As a former freelance tech writer and psychological services company CFO, Smith and Turpin, respectively, also differ from most tour entrepreneurs in that they didn’t turn their passion into a business; instead, they’ve turned their business into a passion, pooling Turpin’s extensive knowledge of the area and Smith’s knack for logistics into an unparalleled resource for visitors and locals alike. Whether you want to explore the towns in Asheville’s orbit, hike a new trail, or gain a better understand of the French Broad’s role in our city’s history, there’s a Leap Frog tour for that. The business stands as testament to the fact that, no matter how local we are, there’s still a whole lot to learn about this place we call home.
Local Yokel Perks A mistaken belief common to we Appalachian denizens is that we are so immersed in our own locality, to explore it further is unwarranted or unworthy. But it’s in these tours that such a notion is debunked. Regardless of your tenure as an Ashevillian, or Western
Most of these tours also invest directly back into their community, both economically and philanthropically. When you’re supporting these guided tours, you’re also supporting the dynamic organizations with which they partner.
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North Carolinian there’s something you don’t know about your city and region, and there’s likely a guided tour to help you learn about it. With native experts at the helm and staffed by passionate and extensively trained chaperones, the specialized guided tours of our area offer opportunity for hometowners to deep dive into a niche that piques their interest. Rather than while away hours on websites or in library stacks researching your new obsession, you can let the existing experts do it for you and reap the benefits of their disciplined labors. As tours like No Place Like Home and Haunted Asheville prove, the word “expert” in this context is justifiably warranted; in Western North Carolina many of the tours and their founders are not just renowned locally, but worldwide, for their savvy mastery of their subjects. It would be foolish not to tap into such easily accessible resources. Most of these tours also invest directly back into their community, both economically and philanthropically. No Place Like Home, for example, partners with local nonprofit SeekHealing, a bulwark against the opioid crisis here. Leap Frog Tours offers an experience in conjunction with RiverLink that illuminates the history of the French Broad River’s impact
on our community and its future preservation. When you’re supporting these guided tours, you’re also supporting the dynamic organizations with which they partner. Not to mention, if you stand behind the mantra “support local,” there are few industries so immersed in our regional culture and economy as guided tours. Tourism is the profitpumping lifeblood of our financial system; in 2017 Buncombe County tourism provided for some 18,346 jobs and $2 billion in spending at local businesses such as guided tours. When the season slows down (and parking downtown de-escalates from a marathon sport to a spirited competition), it’s our responsibility as residents to sustain businesses dependent on seasonal tourism. These businesses keep our city thriving, and we should do the same for them—and maybe learn something really cool in the process. And in the end, that’s what it’s all about. Western North Carolina’s guided tours, particularly those led by esoteric experts, showcase and promote the more riveting, novel, and sometimes wacky aspects of our home’s cultural legacy, strengthening and perpetuating those stories—both big and small—that make us, us.
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www.ashevillechamber.org April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 69
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Investing in the Health of Employees
Health and wellness programs can help lower a company’s health care costs, improve workplace safety, reduce sick days, and attract and retain top talent.
T
HE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
is to focus solely on the customer. Or is it? If we, as leaders or business owners, shift our paradigm to prioritizing the health of our employees, the end result will be a highly engaged, competent, and happier employee delivering the ser vice or producing the products for our customers.
W
w. ronald moffitt, m . d .
is a primary care physician and the medical director of Pardee @Work, a program of Pardee UNC Health Care.
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You cannot go a week without reading about the rise in health care cost, and this is especially true for businesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), businesses lose billions of dollars every year because of employee illnesses, absenteeism, presenteeism (workers who return to the job while still sick), work-related injuries, and preventable chronic diseases. The fact is, when employees are unhealthy, they require more medical services, which increases insurance rates for your whole organization, and they are less engaged—which increases the probability for production mistakes or poor customer service. By investing in the health and well-being of your employees, you are also investing in the long-term efficiency, productivity, and success of your business. Employees spend nearly a third of their lives at
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work. If you want to make a positive impact on your team, consider health and wellness programs in the workplace as important as your P&Ls. As a primary care physician and leader of a program that offers health and wellness solutions for local businesses, I see the benefits of addressing wellness in the workplace every day. We have helped companies deliver programs to employees with chronic illnesses, resulting in reversal or reduction of symptoms, which can lead to a reduction in overall health care costs.
The Rising Cost of Poor Health in the United States Recent reports indicate that now nearly 40 percent of Americans over age 20 are obese. The
W Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index found that overweight or obese workers miss 450 million more workdays than employees at healthy weights. This adds up to a staggering $153 billion in lost productivity each year. At least 50 percent of all Americans have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in our country for both men and women, with heart disease and stroke being two of the costliest conditions to treat. The CDC reports that for every $6 spent on health care in the United States, $1 is spent treating heart disease and stroke.
SMOKING AND TOBACCO USE, WHICH CAUSES ONE IN FIVE DEATHS EVERY YEAR, IS A TOP CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATHS. D i a b e t e s i s one o f t he mo s t prevalent chronic diseases and has increasingly significant health and economic consequences. Total health care costs and lower productivity due to diabetes has been estimated at $245 billion per year. Fatigue, stress, and mental health issues also top the list of job-related health concerns. Lack of sleep has been attributed to increased workplace errors and accidents, as well as decreased productivity. Smoking and tobacco use, which causes one in five deaths every year, is a top cause of preventable deaths. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that 25 percent of the American workforce will be over the age of 55 by 2020.
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How to Address Employee Health in the Workplace
BEING MORTAL
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care provider, we help them locate a physician who will accept them as a patient immediately.
The first step is to assess your overall employee health. Each company and its employees are unique. A comprehensive understanding of what is driving workplace injuries, absenteeism, and the rise in health care utilization gives you a baseline for program strategy and tracking results. When companies offer health and wellness programs tailored to the needs of their workforce, timelines for impact can be expedited. Here are just some of the results we have seen when our clients address employee health: 1. Several companies throughout the region have identified high blood pressure as a health risk for their employees. By offering monthly blood pressure checks and consultations, we have been able to monitor these employees and refer them to their primary care provider before the risk greatly impacts the employee’s health. If they do not have a primary
2. I mplementing a walking program has proven to be one of the most popular initiatives because it is an activity most people can participate in with many health benefits. Creating competition and providing incentives typically generates some excitement and longevity. After seeing initial results, many of our clients add on nutrition or fitness counseling, tobacco cessation classes, stress management workshops, individualized health coaching, and occupational health services.
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3. Medium to large organizations have seen the benefit of offering onsite health clinics. These clinics are typically staffed by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant who can see employees for minor illnesses and common complaints at their workplace. The clinic’s provider can order testing and provide a
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prescription if necessary. This helps the employee get the appropriate treatment immediately and return to work faster, improving productivity and reducing absenteeism.
ACCESS TO THESE PROGR AMS CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT, JUST LIKE VACATION DAYS, HEALTH INSUR ANCE, AND RETIREMENT PLANS.
and attract and retain top talent. Access to these programs can be considered as an additional employment benefit, just like vacation days, health insurance, and retirement plans. From a business perspective, consider that many companies are insuring not only their employees, but also their families. Many workers take their newfound health knowledge home, causing a ripple effect of healthier choices in their families, whether it’s healthier meals or more exercise as a family. When organizations take time to understand and invest in the long-term health and wellness of their employees, they will see a return on their investment in the form of lower health care costs and a more engaged, productive workforce.
How do Employers Benefit? Health and wellness programs can help lower your company’s health care costs, improve workplace safety, reduce sick days,
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Tracking
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photo by Todd Bush cour tesy Hive Tracks & Faith Mountain Farm
James Wilkes is saving the world one bee population at a time through entrepreneurship and technology.
THE
Hives
written by derek halsey
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photos by anthony harden
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(L-R) Sullivan Wilkes (Commercial Support Specialist), Dr. Joseph Cazier (Chief Analytics Officer), Dr. James Wilkes (CEO), Ethan Walton (Customer Relations)
This seems to be a day and age of causes, with many people focusing on niche ideas to fight for and support. In the case of Dr. James Wilkes, he has combined childhood interests with a stellar academic career, digital innovation, and even the use of crypto-currency to further a cause that might just save the world: protecting the beehives of the planet Earth. 76
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W
hen it comes to the decline of the bee population in recent years, the implications are staggering should the species face any kind of holistic demise. If plant life is not pollinated sufficiently and crops do not get to grow as they need to, life on this water-covered orbiting rock is in for a drastic change. Wilkes is not only dealing with this issue by advocating for the cause and furthering education about these intriguing flying insects that have been around for 100 million years; he is using new technologies and entrepreneurship to make a difference. Wilkes is a professor in the department of computer sciences at Appalachian State University, located in Boone, North Carolina. At his mountaintop acreage located in nearby Ashe County, Wilkes is also a farmer and a beekeeper who cultivates over 150 hives on his land with his family. And relatedly, he is the CEO and co-founder of the Blowing Rock Software Company and its main creation, HiveTracks.com. The app and website are, in his words, “a hive management software system for beekeepers.� When Capital at Play visited Wilkes, he was fresh off of a trip to Rome, Italy, where he attended a conference on the plight of the bee at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Though one would think jet lag might be in play, Wilkes is energetic, focused, and open to conversation about all
photo by Todd Bush cour tesy Hive Tracks & Faith Mountain Farm
that is going on in his life. As we enjoy a cup of excellent small batch java at Hatchet Coffee Roasters in Boone, we discuss his Italian adventure and the ever-changing aspects of his life.
Parasites, Pesticides, Pathogens, and Poor Nutrition “Both of my parents were public schoolteachers when I was growing up in Eden, NC,” says Wilkes, outlining his dual career trajectory. “I originally wanted to be a math teacher. Computers came into my world when I came to Appalachian State University in 1983 to study computer science and mathematics, [although] technology back then was pretty rudimentary! When I was a kid, my dad had beehives. In 1964 he and his buddies ordered a package of bees from Sears and Roebuck. By the time I was born, we had a couple of beehives in the backyard, so I kind of grew up with them. I began to keep my own hives in 2000.” Fast-forward to the present: While attending the recent United Nations symposium in Rome, Wilkes got the chance to spread the word about Western North Carolina with his conference mates. “I took a lot of products from my farm business there and gave them out as gifts, so there are some Faith Mountain Farm goods now floating around Italy,” he explains. “I shared some of my sourwood honey with the largest honey producer in all of Italy while networking. Beehives are very complex systems, so April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 77
DR. JAMES WILKES
if you think there is one little thing that fixes everything that is wrong with the bee populations, then you are a bit naïve. Just like with humans and our immune systems and our health, there are a lot of factors that influence it. For honey bees in particular, we have identified parasites, pesticides, pathogens, and poor nutrition as problems. We call them ‘the Four P’s.’ Those are the pillars of honey bee health.”
Wilkes is involved with the collection of beehive data in America, and the good news, based on his research, is that there have been some slight increases in the bee population in recent years. Bee parasites, it turns out, take the form of the Varroa mite, while pathogens are found in the form of various viruses that exist in the bee population. And when you add pesticides and other man-made inventions to the mix, it is the root of many 78
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DR. JOSEPH CAZIER
arguments and discussions concerning the fate of our bee populations in these modern times. “Neonicotinoids, for instance, fall into the pesticides category,” continues Wilkes. “Pesticides are designed to kill bugs. If the honey bee comes in contact with it, it is going to have an effect. Now, is the effect lethal or is it sub-lethal, where it affects bees in a way that other things like poor nutrition are enhanced? Some bees may have a really strong immune system and they can metabolize the pesticide and get rid of it. But, they still have to deal with it, one way or another, and it does affect the bee population. As for the issue of GMOs (man-made genetically modified organisms), we don’t know what the effects are yet. There are unknowns concerning the unintended consequences or side effects of GMOs that we have yet to think about.” When it comes to big agricultural companies and their part in the making of pesticides and more, Wilkes’ view of them is more nuanced than some might imagine. “I don’t think those companies are totally wrong, but I don’t think they are totally right, either. They actually do a lot of work with honey bees and I have been in meetings with them. Their livelihood depends on growing stuff, which depends on pollination. It would be really idiotic on their part to not care about this issue. That being said, they still want to make money and produce products and things like that, so they might not be as sensitive as some people want them to be concerning bees. My point is: I don’t think it is an ‘all or nothing’ proposition, partly because I’ve been at the table with these April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 79
people, and they definitely put a lot of resources into studying the issue and evaluating and trying to help push things forward.” As suggested above, Wilkes is involved with the collection of beehive data in America, and the good news, based on his research, is that there have been some slight increases in the bee population in recent years. That is due to the growing popularity of being a beekeeper, and also because of an edible crop known as the almond. “Right now, at this very moment in the spring,” says Wilkes, “the biggest pollination event on the planet is happening in the Central Valley of California. About two million honey bee colonies have been trucked into the Central Valley and they are in the orchards right now pollinating the almonds. You
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would not have almonds without it. The problem is that the process can mean that the bees can have a lack of diverse forage. The bees will go into an almond orchard and go after the almond blooms and grab the almond nectar and the almond pollen, which are both the bee’s food. But, they are getting only one source of pollen and nectar there, and that does not satisfy every nutritional need that they have. Nectar is mostly sugar and carbs with trace minerals in it. But it is the amino acid distribution in pollen that they need to function well as a colony. The bees grow very big while in the almonds. But after the pollination is over, they are removed from the orchards because you can’t just leave them there as it will hurt them. Diversity is the key.”
Thinking Globally While Acting Locally Still, problems with bee populations remain and dangerous outcomes need to be averted. According to Wilkes, if we have no bees, we will have a lot less food to choose from to eat. Yes, there are crops that pollinate through the air, such as wheat and other grains, but the more nutritious and diverse foods found in our diet would be at great risk because they are pollinator dependent. So, how does Wilkes make a difference concerning the bee colony loss crisis? He cultivates over 100 hives at his Faith Mountain Farm in Western North Carolina; he uses his academic position to help the Bee Informed Partnership, an
organization that works with beekeepers worldwide to help understand which practices work the best; and he co-founded an impressive company called HiveTracks. “Around 2008, I had this idea while standing in my bee yard, thinking that technology should play a role in beekeeping,” recalls Wilkes. “I thought, ‘We are still keeping bees like we did in the 1800s, and yet I have this device in my pocket that has the possibility to bring information to me that could help me be a better beekeeper and take better care of my bees.’ That was my lightbulb moment. HiveTracks.com gives you a place to record beekeeping information. “Beekeeping is an observational exercise. You go and look at your bees often because you are evaluating the health of your
photo by James Wilkes
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com
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colony every time you go in there. But, you have to know what happened before to know whether or not if they are on a good trajectory or a bad trajectory. Capturing that information in a way that informs you will help you in ways such as, ‘What am I looking for?’ and ‘What do I need to do?’ Just as importantly, on top of that, what if we
the same events and dealing with the same pressures as other beekeepers, so sharing that information with one another is important. Right now, we have two business models and two products at HiveTracks. We have one product for the hobbyists and one for the commercial beekeepers in California and elsewhere. HiveTracks. com is a subscription-based software service using mobile apps and web apps. It all works together to deliver information to you about your bees. And it has sharing mechanisms, so that if you and I are beekeepers, we can trade information and mentor one another and share peer-to-peer advice.” To that end, Wilkes’ apps make it easy for a user to use a smartphone or tablet to simplify hive management, in particular recording of data relevant to a beekeeper, such as the current age and status of a hive’s queen and the relative health of the hive compared to previous observations. One can also share that data with other beekeepers in your network (as well as elsewhere in the world—see below) and view smart maps to determine where your and other nearby beekeepers’ bees are currently foraging. And by setting reminders via the app calendar, critical tasks like feeding
Wilkes notes that HiveTracks—which, to date, has tracked over 100,000 hives— now has over 30,000 users located in 152 countries and it is growing by the year. aggregate all of this information and share it with each other worldwide?” Indeed, a big part of the beekeeping culture is the sharing of information. HiveTracks is taking that aspect of this avocation to the next digital level. “Beekeeping is very localized,” says Wilkes. “In your region, you are doing the same things and experiencing
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and inspections will not be inadvertently overlooked. According to the HiveTracks website, there are three subscription tiers: Hobbyist, $5 per month for up to 10 hives tracked; Enthusiast, $10 per month for 20 hives; or Sideliner, $20 per month for 100 hives. In terms of HiveTracks’ commercial applications, a business can more efficiently track tasks and progress from the field in order to have up-to-date and accurate data and, in turn, make informed decisions regarding the bee yard, thereby saving time and increasing productivity— and, hopefully, boosting the bees’ overall health. There are also three subscription tiers for commercial beekeepers that are set on an annual per-hive basis; for 2019 HiveTracks has added monthly webinars and training sessions, as well as optional in-person training. (Wilkes has written a useful article outlining HiveTracks’ origins and how the software is used at www.beeculture.com/hive-tracks.) Wilkes notes that HiveTracks—which, to date, has tracked over 100,000 hives— now has over 30,000 users located in 152 countries and it is growing by the year. “It is amazing that we are so global. It helps to be invited to the United Nations if you are a global presence, and that all happened organically. It blows my mind that we built this little thing here in Western North Carolina, and it has migrated around the world as a great illustration of the power of the internet. Many people found our website and took the time to sign up, many for free at first. We wanted to build up interest in it as we worked to create a sustainable business model, and we are getting ready to pivot with that very soon as we perfect our data analytics abilities. We are working on our little niche in the industry and we will be ready when the greater beekeeping world begins to pay attention.” Some in the beekeeping world are already paying attention. While Wilkes was at the confab in Rome, there was talk of holding a bee conference in a smaller country that recently experienced some governmental upheaval. The officials were having a problem contacting anyone 84
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photo by Todd Bush cour tesy Hive Tracks & Faith Mountain Farm
associated with beekeeping in that nation. Wilkes consulted the HiveTracks website and realized that he had a customer from that very country who was a subscriber, and that simple connection impressed all who were networking with him in Italy. Wilkes created HiveTracks nine years ago with fellow beekeeper Mark Henson, who is also a professional software engineer. Henson left the company about three years ago when his internationally-based day job expanded. The current team includes Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Green, Chief Strategy Officer Ged Moody, and Chief Analytics Officer Dr. Joseph Cazier, and together they have structured a compelling narrative with a potentially global appeal—and impact. “What we pitched to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations office in Rome was that our honey bee data and the ability to collect it would help them achieve their sustainable development goals,” says Wilkes. “You could take an economic engine model into developing countries with our software, and it would help monitor, observe, and collect data that will help them and tell them if they are being successful or not.” Wilkes already outlined the perils bees are facing. The good news about bees, though, is that they can adapt with resilience, whether they live in southern Florida or upper Saskatchewan in Canada. That applies to many places around the globe as well. HiveTracks wants to be a part of enhancing that reality going forward.
The Bee And The Blockchain Another fascinating aspect of Wilkes’ endeavors is his knowledge and use of crypto-currency. Since the creation of BitCoin in 2009, the world has wondered if crypto-currency was a real thing, as it is a web-based form of money that is not backed by any bank or government. Now, other crypto-currencies have been created, and a market has been established. Wilkes has been using crypto-currency for years. He learned about the new technology from one of his Appalachian State University students and he was hooked. His eyes light up when the subject of crypto-currency is broached, and as the morning progresses, he pulls up one of his crypto-currency pages on his cell phone that shows a decimal point and
JARS OF WILKES' honey on his office shelf
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a number that stretches back to the right for eight or nine digits. It represents the worth of his crypto-currency on any given day, just like checking the stock market. “It is fascinating to think about the implications of such a currency,” says Wilkes. “Crypto-currency continues to bump up against the institutions of governments and your big banking companies. It is like Uber coming into the taxi systems in big cities. In Rome, for instance, Uber was phenomenally simple, and I have used it all over the world. Crypto-currency will similarly break up the stranglehold of the [financial] system. It’s all about the technology. Blockchain is the technology behind crypto-currency, which creates what I call an immutable ledger of a transaction that cannot be tampered with or changed. That is what gives crypto-currency its worth.” Wilkes, who is set up to make transactions with his crypto-currency and is able to turn it into United States dollars at any time with his smartphone, remembers another lightbulb moment he experienced, this one involving BitCoin. “In 2012 some of my computer students says to me, ‘Dr. Wilkes, we would buy some stuff from you at the farmers market if you would take BitCoin. We were goofing around,
talking about my farm and the products that I sell, and they half-kiddingly made that offer. So, I set up my account so I could take BitCoin. Between these students, they bought about $100 worth of my goods and I ended up afterwards
Whether you sell your honey using crypto-currency or good ole Benjamins, beekeeping is a growing hobby that is very rewarding. with about a half of a BitCoin. At that time, half of a BitCoin was worth about $300. When BitCoin went through the roof recently, it hit a very high peak, so I made a little money, all based on that initial $100 worth of honey I sold to my students. I have it written on my little whiteboard at the farmer’s market; ‘We accept credit, debit, BitCoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, whatever.’ It is a great conversation starter.”
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To meld the two technologies, Wilkes and the HiveTracks crew are working on an adaptation of the blockchain technology that will authenticate the sources of honey throughout the supply chain.
*** Whether you sell your honey using crypto-currency or good ole Benjamins, beekeeping is a growing hobby that is very rewarding. And with a large part of the honey sold in stores and at fruit stands not being 100% pure, you will harbor no doubts about the actual quality of the honey that comes from your own hives. Wilkes hopes that his HiveTracks app and website will continue to connect beekeepers located around the world who want to help our buzzing buddies stay healthy. If the opposite happens, then every country, culture, civilization, and crop could be adversely affected. As usual, while Mother Nature rules the planet, we humans can either be ethical and smart about how we do business, or we can become yet another society that ends up on the ash heap of history.
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Call today to learn more about our Master Plans & Consultations 828-743-0307 | mpdargan@dargan.com | dargan.com April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 87
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1. Patricia and Tommy Norman 2. (L-R) Brian Repass, Sandi Feutz, Michelle Shelfer, & Maggie Carnavale 3. (L-R) Cameron & Chris Smith, with
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Colby Peele 4. Aaron Vaughan & Nita Howard 5. Jamie Hammond & Jeremy Russell 6. Donating artists Mark Bettis & Cindy Walton,
with a guest. 7. ACS Board Chair, Shaunda Sandford, & OpenDoors executive director Jen Langdon Ramming- Photo Credit: bigesphotos.com
OpenDoors of Asheville Art Affair 2019 Ambrose West | Asheville, NC | March 9, 2019 Photos by Rachael McIntosh 9
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8. OpenDoors merit scholarship recipient Navante Johnson 9. (L-R) DeMaya Timpson, KaMira Craig, Heavyn King, & Honesti Whiteside
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10. (L-R) Patty Ready, Katina Turner, & Dana Marsh 11. Event co-chair Nicki Ingle 12. OpenDoors Laureate of the Year recipient Eric “Big E� Howard receives a standing ovation.
13. OpenDoors student Dazya Dean, and County Commissioner Amanda Edwards 14. Andrew Brunk during the live auction, with Annie Smith assisting April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 89
events
april
EVENTS
With champagne, flowers, and chocolates, patrons will enjoy sample performances by the Carolina Concert Choir, Flat Rock Playhouse, Hendersonville Community Theatre, and Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra.
> Reservations: Individual $30, Table (8) $200
> 828-692-1413 > hendersoncountychamber.org
april 2-3
CCx: Business
8:30AM-5PM The Collider 1 Haywood St, Asheville, NC
april 4 - 5
A gathering of multidisciplinary entrepreneurs, scientists, and executives explore the triple bottom line. This is but one event in the 10-day 2019 Climate City Expo.
> Registration: $625.74 > 828-254-6283 > thecollider.org april 4
Arts after Dark
5-7PM Conference Hall 49 East Campus Dr, Flat Rock, NC
2019 MO Summit 9:30AM-6PM
april 4
Chefs in Action
6-9PM
Celine & Company Catering 49 Broadway, Asheville, NC Seven Asheville chefs will help raise funds for Food Connection. Cuisine, libations, storytelling, music, dancing, and fundraising activities will fill the air.
>Tickets: Single $77, Couple $127, Table (10) $602
> 828-575-9599 > wickedweedbrewing.com april 5
Cambria Hotel Ballroom 15 Page Ave, Asheville, NC
ArtScape 2019 Kickoff
This 2nd annual event will feature myriad “high impact” CEOs from around the US—some from companies previously featured in this magazine—speaking and sharing insights. Also: an awards gala co-presented by Real Leaders magazine to name the top 100 “positive impact” companies in the country. Special pre-conference reception and “bootcamp” on April 3.
Art Mob Studios & Marpetplace and Woodlands Gallery Near 4th and Main, Hendersonville, NC
> momentumavl.com
5-7:30PM
In its fourth year, the celebration changes out the banners on the street in an opportunity to support the arts in more ways than one. This year, the original art featured on the banners will be sold at Art Mob Studios and Marketplace and Woodlands Gallery.
> artscapehvl.org
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april 5 -21
“Alice in Wonderland”
7:30PM (Fri & Sat), 2:30PM (Sun) Asheville Community Theatre 35 East Walnut St, Asheville, NC The world of illusion with its cast of trippy characters is interpreted live in this Broadway production.
>Tickets: Adult $26, Child (0-17) $12 > 828-254-1320 > ashevilletheatre.org april 5 -7
Connect Beyond Festival
april 6
Children’s Welfare League Spring Gala
6PM-10PM Plaza Resort Expo Center 1 Resort Dr, Asheville, NC
The beloved volunteer organization’s annual fundraiser is to benefit their Student Stipend and College Scholarship programs for financially vulnerable high schoolers. There will be cocktails, dinner, dancing, a raffle, and both silent and live auctions.
>Tickets: $125-$1,000 > cwl-asheville.org
> Admission: General $111.82, VIP $222.03 > connectbeyondfestival.com
april 6
Blowing Rock Trout Derby
7AM-4PM Broyhill Park 1504 Laurel Lane, Blowing Rock, NC
Trout season begins! The 40th annual Derby invites kids to simply catch a trout in Watauga County, or catch ‘em in town at the well-stocked park lake, then bring those catches in for judging. Plenty of prizes, gifts, clinics, and contests as well. No registration required.
> 828-295-4636 > blowingrock.com/troutderby
Various Venues Downtown Asheville
Ashevegas called it “Asheville’s version of SXSW.” For a weekend, people who use the arts for more than entertaining consumption will converge to tap into a creative spirit that transcends manmade boundaries. Thought-engaging activities will include book readings, musical performances, panel discussions, film screenings, and more.
> 828-877-3130 > cradleofforestry.com
april 6
Opening Day Appalachian Folkways Celebration
10AM-4PM Cradle of Forestry 11250 Pisgah Hwy, Brevard
To celebrate the opening of the Cradle of Forestry for the 2019 season, visitors get to see how settlers cooked, did laundry, made tools, plowed fields, and more.
> Admission: Adult $6, Youth (4-12) $3
april 6 -7
21st Annual Asheville Orchid Festival
9AM-5PM North Carolina Arboretum 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC World-class breeders and representatives from orchid societies will display their
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April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 91
events
masterpieces and share their know-how in a variety of educational presentations.
> Admission: Adult $5, Child (0-11) FREE > Parking: Personal Vehicle $14, Motor Home $50, Bus $100 > 828-665-2492 > ncarboretum.org
april 6 -7
Sculpting the Human Form
“Our world desperately needs female leadership, and I’ve made it my mission to help encourage and inspire potential female leaders to be the very best they can be.”
10:30AM-4:30PM North Carolina Glass Center 140C Roberts St, Asheville, NC
Jake Sadler will teach techniques of heat control and sealing for making an anatomically-correct human form of glass.
>Tuition: $315 > 828-505-3552 > ncglasscenter.org APRIL 7
Week of the Young Child Celebration
THE 15TH ANNUAL
LUNCHEON
Featuring Soccer Champion and Equality Activist Abby Wambach Tuesday, May 21 Asheville Register beginning March 1 www.cfwnc.org
2-5PM Ira B. Jones Elementary 544 Kimberly Ave, Asheville, NC
Buncombe Partnership for Children hosts a day of play and performances; proceeds are to help build a foundation for children’s learning and development. Children ages 2+ will enjoy The Professor Whizzpop Magic Show, and there will be a free Pop-Up Adventure Playground.
>Tickets: $8 magic show > buncombepfc.org/event/2019-
week-of-the-young-child-celebration
APRIL 7
Power of Place Lecture 4-6PM Kittredge Theatre,
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Warren Wilson College 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa, NC To celebrate its 125th year, this free lecture series highlights the college’s history and vibrant location, and this final lecture of the spring semester will feature Clemson University professor of wildlife, Dr. J. Drew Lanham.
> 800-934-3536 > warren-wilson.edu APRIL 8
Are You Ready to Start a Small Business? 9AM-12PM A-B Tech Madison Campus 4646 US 25/70, Marshall, NC
Design and gift manufacturer and importer Eddie Dorf will help entrepreneurs get a more solid footing with tips on habits of successful managers, testing concept viability, finding and contacting customers, and sailing smoothly through economic vicissitudes.
> 828-271-4786 > asheville.score.org/content/takeworkshop-280
APRIL 10
Music of Yuko Uebayashi & Sofia Gubaidulina
7:30-10PM Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center 20 College St, Asheville, NC
Pan Harmonia, Kate Steinbeck & James Brinkmann (flutes), and John Crawley (piano) will host this interactive art and music event in order to “enhance audience’s connection with music and creativity.”
>Tickets: $20 advance, $25 at door, $5 students > panharmonia.org
You’ve seen The 2019 Annual around Western North Carolina? APRIL 11
WNC Career Expo
11AM-4PM WNC Ag Center 761 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher, Nc This free, twice-annual career fair, hosted by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, aims to connect employers with talented workers.
> 828-258-6128 > ashevillechamber.org APRIL 11
I Am Home Art Project 4-7PM Haywood Street Congregation 297 Haywood St, Asheville, NC
Want to be Featured in the 2020 edition? Showcase your business in this one of a kind publication. For more information, please contact us at 828.274.7305 or at advertising@capitalatplay.com
The project gives at-risk and homeless persons a safe space to create and heal. This is the artists’ second show of the year.
> Donations: Welcome > 828-576-2477 > iamhomeartproject.com APRIL 12-14
Asheville Wordfest: Healing the Soul of Appalachia
Various venues in Asheville area
Masters of a variety of verbal genres search together for meaning and understanding. Readings, workshops, and thoughtfulness are on the agenda. This event is produced by Explore Asheville, Flat Iron Writers Room, and David Joe Miller. Everything’s free except WORD! ($12).
> Donations: Welcome > lhopegill@gmail.com > avlwordfest.com
Your source for Hearth & Patio needs 264 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC | 828.252.2789
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 93
events
APRIL 13
plēb urban Wine Release
plēb urban winery 289 Lyman St Asheville, NC
The popular River Arts District winery uses wines produced with local WNC grapes, and this special release will showcase the complexity and variety of wines of the region.
> 828-620-9862 APRIL 18
Trauma and the Brain: Humans and Horses 6-7:30PM Verner Center for Early Learning 2586 Riceville Rd, Asheville, NC
Therapy horses have often endured trauma of their own. Theories and findings on how humans connect with equine recovery are discussed. Free, but seating is limited.
> 828-649-7064 > heartofhorsesense.org APRIL 20-21
Spring Fling at NOC
10AM-4PM Nantahala Outdoor Center 13077 West Hwy 19, Bryson City, NC The free family-friendly celebration in the Nantahala Gorge has the usual food, live music – and paddling!
> 828-785-4940 > noc.com APRIL 25
Blue Ridge Symphonic Brass
7:30-9PM Brevard College – Porter Center 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard, NC The “heavy metal” artists collaborate 94
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with the Brevard College Wind Ensemble, conducted by Maestro Jamie Hafner.
> Donations: Welcome > 828-551-6839 > blueridgesymphonicbrass.org APRIL 26
Spring 2019 WNC Business Workshop
8AM-4PM Montreat College School of Adult and Graduate Studies 29 Turtle Creek Dr, Asheville, NC People from various fields of expertise will lead classes on social and digital marketing, web marketing, business planning and growth, business law, sales management, hiring and employment, and customer service. Included are a continental breakfast, lunch, and networking time.
> Early Bird: $49.95, Normal Bird $59.95 > wncbusinessworkshops.com APRIL 27
2019 Plant Sale
9AM-2PM Clem’s Cabin 1000 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC The annual event of the French Broad River Garden Club Foundation raises funds for conservation and horticulture scholarships. Annie Louise Perkinson of Flying Cloud Farm will share how to grow cutting gardens at 11.
> fbrgcf.org APRIL 27
Hendersonville Art and Architecture Walking Tour 9-10:30AM Woodlands Gallery
419 North Main St, Hendersonville, NC The free 90-minute walking tours, which recur select Saturdays, are guided by architectural tour architect extraordinaire Doug Gelbert and reveal many of the town’s best-kept secrets.
> 828-693-8504 > acofhc.org
Fall: October 17-20
APRIL 27
Patch-a-Palooza
1-4PM Vance Birthplace 911 Reems Creek Rd, Weaverville, NC Kids learn about old-fashioned farmsteading through a diversity of hands-on engagement.
> Registration: $5 > 828-645-6706 > historicsites.nc.gov/events/patchpalooza-vance-birthplace
APRIL 27-28
Mother Earth News Fair
9AM-6PM (Sat), 9AM-5PM (Sun) WNC Agricultural Center 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd, Fletcher, NC Demonstrators, lecturers, and vendors will help you live off the land and become more self-reliant.
> Admission: $20-$60, Parking $12 > 800-234-3368 > motherearthnewsfair.com APRIL 28
Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest
1-5PM Highland Brewing Company 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Asheville, NC Family-friendly cheese-centric workshops, demonstrations, and tastings will mark this annual fundraiser for the April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 95
events
WNC Cheese Trail, a nonprofit promoting the production and sale of local cheese.
>Tickets: $14 > mountaincheesefest.com MAY 1-5
Oriental Rug Event
10AM-4PM Ten Thousand Villages: 10 College St, Asheville, NC In the annual event, Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit promoting fair trade, will offer for sale about 300 artful rugs handcrafted by the Pakistani guild Bunyaad.
> 828-254-8374 > villagesasheville.org MAY 1-5
Mule Days
8:30AM-4PM Leatherwood Mountains Resort 512 Meadow Road, Ferguson, NC
“Mule people” are coming from nine states. Activities for guests include parades, shows, rides, games, and dinner.
> 919-754-7568 > leatherwoodmountains.com
Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise
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MAY 2
Sound Effects Benefit Concert
6-10PM Isis Music Hall: 743 Haywood Road, Asheville
The Asheville Music School’s 7th annual fundraiser will feature school ensembles including Miner and Vinyl Crossroads performing the Beatles’ Revolver in its entirety. This will mark the fourth Fab Four album the school has covered, and the events are always popular.
>Tickets: $15 advance, $18 at door; $7 for children under 12 (under 2 free) > 828-252-6244 > ashevillemusicschool.org
F O R T I C K E T G I V E AWAY S , E X C L U S I V E S , A N D M O R E !
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If your organization has any local press releases for our briefs section, or events that you would like to see here, feel free to email us at events@capitalatplay.com. Please submit your event at least six weeks in advance.
April 2019 | capitalatplay.com 97
Making each step happier & healthier along the way.” - Dr. Thomas Eisenhauer, General Surgeon The heart of a community isn’t a place, it’s the people. It’s our connections to each other and to all that it means to call this place our home. Our home is changing. It’s growing. And we at Pardee continue to grow right alongside you and your family. We continue to expand our expertise and accessibility, so we can be right here for you every day in order to help you live your best life. That’s what community is all about. People sharing the best they can do, so we can all be the healthiest and happiest we can be. | April 2019 98 HAPPYWITHPARDEE.ORG
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