Capital at Play April 2020

Gabriel Hargett Oowee Products p.16

Leisure & Libation

Hiking Along the Blue Ridge Parkway p.56

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise

Currying Favor

Chai Pani’s Meherwan and Molly Irani are

p.74

Volume X - Edition IV complimentary edition

capitalatplay.com

columns

You Aren’t the Face of Your Company, Your Brand Is p.70 April 2020

Vintage is

Always

in style.

Enjoy browsing cabinet after cabinet of yesterday’s treasures, diamonds and gemstone jewelry lovingly refurbished to reveal a fresh glow .

For thirteen years, we have been the area’s leader in the buying and selling of high quality pre-owned diamonds and gemstone jewelry. We showcase a wide selection of hand-picked pieces including antique, vintage and modern, all priced well below current market. Our expertise has spanned generations, dating from the 1920’s in Boston to the Tampa Bay area. Now, we celebrate our 13th anniversary in Historic Biltmore Village.

We buy diamonds, fine jewelry and old gold. Evaluations are free with no obligation and we know how to get you more when you sell.

Please call for an appointment 828.274.7007

Historic Biltmore Village 2 Boston Way Asheville, NC 28803 828.274.7007 | EstateJewelryLtd.com 2

| April 2020

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

3

Editor’s Thoughts

I

n the late summer of 2015, I packed my white Mustang to the top, bid a tearful adieu to my cat, Thomas, and hit I-40 East to seek new fortunes back in Carolina.

After a post-college stint in San Diego, I was ready to trade in palm trees for pine. I’d grown listless in the perpetually sunbaked malaise native to Southern California; I’m not the “hang-loose” type, and So-Cal’s complaisance was chaffing against my sense of ambition. I’d whet my editorial appetite in positions as editor of a luxury lifestyle publication and contributor to a website on Southern history and culture, and with a whole year of experience, I thought I could easily transfer my talents to a different coast and step into a lucrative career as a freelancer.

As you might imagine, I’d set my expectations a little high—but if I had to fall, Asheville wasn’t such a bad place to do it. I spent my first year here in an apartment on the second floor of a Montford Victorian building connections with our wonderfully vibrant network of local publications, one of those being this here print magazine, Capital at Play.

It didn’t take me long to recognize that Capital at Play was of a different caliber. The articles I was assigned were longer, which led to content that was richer and more complex. The guidance of the founder and editor was insightful; they pushed me to expand beyond the structure of the lifestyle editorial I’d been working in and expand into investigative journalism.

And our subjects, small business owners across Western North Carolina, galvanized us and our readers to work harder, aim higher, and be better.

Capital at Play came to truly mean something to me, and I, blessedly, came to mean something to it. I volunteered for whatever new gig and role needed filling: social media strategist, newsletter editor, giveaway coordinator, hell, even videographer. The world of editorial always had my heart, but Capital at Play had something special, and I was grateful to be a greater part of it in whatever way I could.

A lot has changed since I set my course east on I-40. I traded in the Mustang for an infinitely more sensible Jeep; Thomas the cat is now an LA resident and, though he doesn’t know it, has two new Southern stepbrothers (Sebastian and Louie, who occupy opposite ends of the feline spectrum); and I get to drive a mile-long stretch of the highway that delivered me here every night when I drive home to Candler.

But the greatest change of all, and the one I’m most proud of and grateful for, is this letter itself—the editor’s letter. That I’ve made it from upstart freelancer to editor of this incredible publication is one of the greatest honors I have ever known.

I cannot wait to continue to grow our impact and footprint, and I have so many big ideas to tell you about—but first, I want to say thank you. Thank you for reading this magazine, for making our work—the art of storytelling—possible, and for making that long drive down I-40 well worthwhile.

Till next time,

Emily Glaser

4

| April 2020

The

100

th

EDITION

WESTERN N ORTH C AROLINA’S BUSINESS LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

is coming this year!

Stay tuned for special giveaways and celebrations.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

5

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise

publisher

Anne Obolensky associate publisher

Jeffrey Green managing editor

Emily Glaser copy editors

Dasha O. Morgan, Brenda Murphy

contributing writers & photogr aphers

Evan Anderson, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Emily Glaser, Derek Halsey, Anthony Harden, Bonnie Roberson art director

Bonnie Roberson founder

Oby Morgan

briefs and events editor

Leslee Kulba

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.

Enjoy the journey.

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.

gener al advertising inquiries

for editorial inquiries

e-mail advertising@capitalatplay.com or call 828.274.7305

e-mail editor@capitalatplay.com

for subscription information

marketing & advertising

subscribe online at www.capitalatplay.com or call 828.274.7305

Roy Brock, David Morgan, Katrina Morgan

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 © 2020, Capital At Play, LLC. All rights reserved.

Capital at Play is a trademark of Capital At Play, LLC. Published by Capital At Play, LLC. PO Box 5552, Asheville NC 28813

Wealth, Insurance & Retirement 6

| April 2020

Capital at Play is protec ted through Tr ademar k Regis tr ation in the United States. The content found within this publication does not necessar ily ref lec t the views of Capital At Play, LLC . and its companies. Capital At Play, LLC . and its employees are not liable for any adver tising or editor ial content found in Capital at Play. The ar ticles, photogr aphy, and illus tr ations found in Capital at Play may not be reproduced or used in any fashion without express wr it ten consent by Capital At Play, LLC .

Sign Up

FOR OUR

E-Newsletter!

Our business ca sual week ly e - newslet ter features exclusive regional content you won’t f ind any where else , including : • B re ak ing b u sine s s news from acros s We s t e r n N or t h C arolin a .

• Info on event s , incubators , and suppor t progr ams.

• Loc al job o pe ning s .

• Re gion al d at a a nd s t at s .

• A nd more!

at c a p i ta l at p l ay . c o m April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

7

At Capital at Play, we have always profiled local entrepreneurs who take the risk and those who support them—and right now, they need that support more than ever.

As we review this edition before we pass it to the printers, we’re constantly distracted by the buzz of our phones alerting us to another headline proclaiming the neverending story of COVID-19. As anxiety inducing as this is for all of us, imagine the impact it’s having on the small business owners and entrepreneurs around town whose livelihoods, and the livelihoods of their employees, are at stake. The standard stresses these folks feel on any given day are amplified by a crisis like this, and it’s our responsibility as a community to assuage those concerns with our unmitigated support.

While we can’t encourage you to go out and shop local, there are ways you can continue to support small businesses across Western North Carolina that will help them weather this storm. As of press time, many local restaurants remain open for pick-up, carry out, and delivery; if you’d prefer to cook at home, you can still support these restaurants by purchasing gift certificates for future use. These extra funds can provide a necessary monetary interlude to buoy them through these strange times. The same applies for local shops and services: Shop online or buy gift certificates from these small businesses in order to help them through to the other side.

As for us here at Capital at Play, we’ll continue to do what we’ve always done: Profile these risk takers and have fun while we do it. We think we could all use a little light-hearted optimism at the moment (and perhaps for the foreseeable future), and we’ll champion that cause with gusto. We hope you’ll continue to support this small business, too.

Wishing you health and wellness,

The Capital at Play team

8

| April 2020

thi s page :

SPICEWALL A SPICES, photo by Alyse Baca courtesy Chai Pani Restaurant Group

F E AT U R E D vol. x

16

HANDMADE IN THE U.S.A. GABRIEL HARGETT

ed. iv

74

CURRYING FAVOR MEHERWAN IRANI

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

9

C ON T E N T S a p r i l 2020

photo by Evan Anderson

36

lo c a l i n d u s t r y

Western North Carolina is Gearing Up

56 The Blue Ridge Walkway l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n

Hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Outdoor gear builders are growing in Western North Carolina

briefs

insight

12 Coming Home to Oneself 30 Carolina in the West

Sara Stender Delaney of

3 Mountains Tea 50 The Old North State 14 Hope & Help

CarolAnn Bauer of Dry Apron

colu m ns

70 You Aren’t the Face of on the cover : Chai Pani’s Meher wan and Molly Irani photo by Anthony Harden

10

| April 2020

Your Company, Your Brand Is

Written by Bonnie Roberson

p e o p l e at p l ay

8 8 Annual Blowing Rock WinterFest

events

90 As of press, North Carolina has

declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19, which has led to the postponement of many events. We recommend confirming an event online or via phone before attending.

Asheville Express Employment Professionals 828-654-8101 Jobs.ashevillenc@expresspros.com

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

11

nsight

Coming Home to Oneself For 3 Mountains’ Sara Stender Delaney, it’s about making connections

E

ntrepreneurial inspirations take on many forms. In the case of Sara Stender Delaney of Asheville’s 3 Mountains tea company, her startup—which sources its key tea products, Tîma Tea and Silverback, from Rwanda, Africa— has its origins in global/social activism and her work with her nonprofit Africa Healing Exchange (AHE). She founded AHE after living in Rwanda in 2009 and gaining a personal understanding of the after-effects that survivors of the tragic civil war and genocide, which swept the African country in the ‘90s, were experiencing. (For more on AHE, visit healingexchange.org.)

“I worked for a company that employed Rwandan genocide survivors and mainly people who had been children and lost their parents in 1994,” recalls Stender. The war was unimaginably cruel and gruesome, but Stender found that somehow optimism prevailed.

“There is this very unique feeling of love and warmth in Rwanda that I have not felt in other places, and it is such a surprise, given what happened. There is also a lot of unhealed trauma.

From my experience in 2009, I learned that the two things that were most needed in Rwanda were jobs and support for mental health. Simultaneously, in the United States, we are seeing a spike in deaths related to unhealthy lifestyle and this growing phenomenon of isolation and separation. People are craving community and are seeking ways to live a healthier life.

“I launched 3 Mountains as a way to build community over healthy, premium products from Rwanda. The tea grown there is some of the best quality in the world, and it is a perfect growing climate, with rich soil and pure, high elevation air.”

Stender elaborates on her sourcing and processes—a “draft-style” sparking tea called 12

| April 2020

Silverback is one of the company’s specialties—saying, “I am excited to share with people more about the single garden estates we source from. 3 Mountains has direct personal relationships with the people who grow the products we use in our drinks. I wanted to create a transparent supply chain all the way to the farmer. Many companies talk about this and take you as far as the country or the farm where the ingredient comes from, but not all the way to farmer. You can travel with me in Rwanda for a week and take a tea plucking lesson from Beatrice and get an insider’s view of how it all works!

Beatrice even invites us into her home for a meal.”

“Silverback was born in a keg. A few years ago I saw a great opportunity, surrounded by breweries and knowing a lot of people who are trying to drink less alcohol or quit altogether but still want to be social. I wanted to create a ‘better for you’ drink that businesses could offer on tap, that would make them a profit and fill the needs of their diverse customer base.

It even looks like a beer in the glass. The formulation of Silverback is much different than most cold tea-based drinks—it is not made with a syrup, a powder, or loads of sugar. We use a whole-leaf brewing technology that allows us to capture the health benefits and the real flavor, and we don’t mask it with chemicals or artificial ingredients. I also found a way to do this locally, thanks to Bearwaters Brewing in Canton. It’s hard for beverage companies to get started, given the cost of

1. Sara Stender Delaney, photo by Mitch Fortune for Studio 828 2. Tea Grading with Sara 3. Beatrice plucking tea leaves, photos courtesy 3 Mountains

equipment, the high minimums, and long wait time to work with co-packers. I’m really grateful for that partnership, and their team has been a great asset to our launch this past year.”

The 3 Mountains brand has been steadily garnering a fanbase in Western North Carolina, recently notching kudos as one of Venture Asheville’s five 2019 Asheville Impact Micro Grant winners. Sara suggests that simply being part of the regional entrepreneurial community is a “win” in and of itself.

“I love this area. I have always been drawn to mountains, and the climate is amazing. I grew up in Vermont, and there are a

‘Asheville sucked me in!’ It’s a really supportive community for entrepreneurs to spread their wings. lot of similarities. This is a really easy place to find community and live a healthy lifestyle. I moved here 13 years ago on a whim, and, as they say, ‘Asheville sucked me in!’ It’s a really supportive community for entrepreneurs to spread their wings.

It’s great to know that so many people funded the Micro Grant program and really believed in me and my fellow finalists. For most of us, there are days when we are afraid. There are some haunting [business] statistics that are impossible to ignore, and it can also feel very lonely at times, so to have people put some money down—in a way, betting on us—is really motivating and encouraging. Anything to keep the confidence and morale high is greatly appreciated.

“I am building my company with an eye on keeping the overhead low to start, so as much as possible I’m building strategic partnerships. For example, I work with Big Bridge Design (profiled in the September 2018 issue of this magazine) for our branding and labels, and we partner with Bearwaters Brewing for contract production. And I rely heavily on our distribution partners, like Chex Finer Foods, P10, and now Regional Goods, to help get us into stores and support sales goals. I also love working with UNC-Asheville students, and we are in the process of hiring brand ambassadors and have an ongoing internship program.”

At the time of this interview, Sara had just returned from an Africa trip, which she undertakes on a regular basis, and she was clearly inspired, jet lag notwithstanding: “I was leading a Tîma TeaVenture trip with guests who are already buying specialty tea in bulk quantities from me or are curious about it, as well as a local nonprofit organization that works with people who have a history of mental illness, trauma, and addiction. We have an exciting itinerary each year, and it is open to guests to travel throughout Rwanda as non-tourists. It’s safe, clean, and comfortable. Everyone I know who has traveled to Rwanda has shared that their lives were positively impacted in really big ways.

“Incidentally, the ‘3’ in 3 Mountains references Vermont, Asheville, and Rwanda—three mountainous places that I consider home. More than that though, it represents unity and coming home to oneself; finding comfort and belonging in the world, and connecting people and nations.”

Learn more about 3 Mountains at www.3mountainstea.org.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

13

insight

Hope & Help

With her femme-positive startup Dry Apron, entrepreneur CarolAnn Bauer wants to make sure you are able to celebrate your body.

photos by Rafrica Adams

“M

y goal is to help prevent a painful condition that affects a large part of our population. To level the playing field for people of size. To educate the other part of our population that we are not what you think we are. To cultivate love between plus-size people and their bodies.

“That should be easy, right?”

CarolAnn Bauer, founder of Western North Carolina women’s apparel company No Sweat Undies (formerly Dry Apron, LLC) knows of what she speaks. She also knows her market: Last year, her business was one of entrepreneurial accelerator Venture Asheville’s five winners (out of ten finalists) at the Asheville Impact Micro Grant ceremony, a celebration of regional entrepreneurial startups that demonstrated stellar potential, not only via their growth to date, but also in terms of their product innovation and general approach to conducting business.

Her product description for the delightfully named No Sweat Undies ( from the website): “Many plus-size women share the burden of a problem that no one else knows about and no one sees. All of us sweat, but those who are larger, postnatal, or formerly larger share a condition that challenges even the medical profession. An overhanging belly creates a perfect environment for sweat to cause irritation and rash which can quickly progress to infection and cellulitis (intertrigo) within only 24 hours. Years of experience as a seamstress with an engineering mind finally gave me the solution which could relieve millions of people of their suffering. Dry Apron is underwear with a crucial third panel. The panel offers three important features. It separates skin that normally would be in tight contact; it is a breathable fabric; and it wicks away moisture like the finest athletic wear.”

Bauer talked to Capital at Play about her trajectory to date.

CarolAnn Bauer: My first career was as an interpreter for deaf children in public schools in California. Unfortunately, health issues forced me to retire early. One morning I woke to find I had yet another irritation under my pannis—the overlapping stomach skin that many plus-size people have. I was tired of this and decided someone had the answer to preventing this problem. So I started asking friends, acquaintances, strangers, medical personnel, and

14

| April 2020

CAROL ANN BAUER

anyone else who would stand still long enough to hear me. I was mostly met with blank stares. I discussed this with my adult daughter—who doesn’t have this same issue—and she said, “Well, then, make something!”

I have been a seamstress and clothing engineer for 50 years.

It was out of necessity. No stylish clothes came in my size, even sewing patterns were lacking. I have also been a size activist for 25 years, working at spreading information, promoting acceptance, and starting dialogues with uninformed people.

So I sat down at my sewing machine and started working.

After much trial and error—and many ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’ incarnations—I got it right. I was satisfied that this would protect me from the ravages of intertrigo, the demon infection that occurs from the trapped sweat under my tummy.

From there, I went to an agent who submitted my United States Utility Patent application. It went through quickly because there was nothing out there like it. I was ready for production!

My plan was to use cotton fabric because that was what doctors had told me to wear throughout my life. White cotton underwear. When I went to the company who was going to make them, the owner asked why I was going to use cotton. Then she told me about wicking fabric… you know, like high-end athletic wear is made of. So I beta tested it and… wow. My testers loved it.

CAPITAL AT PLAY: DID YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR INVENTION WOULD TAKE OFF AS A BONAFIDE COMMERCIAL PRODUCT? CarolAnn Bauer: Since 2016, many steps have brought me to where I am today. The first was getting my patent—imagine the affirmation! The next was when I got my first order that wasn’t from a friend/family. Someone was willing to pay money for my idea!

CAPITAL AT PLAY: HOW DID YOU STRATEGIZE, AND HOW MIGHT OTHERS SIMILARLY STRATEGIZE?

CarolAnn Bauer: Before my launch, I competed in “InnovateHER” [a national business competition for entrepreneurs aimed at improving the lives of women and families]. I was surprised to make it to the finals, and even more surprised that I placed second! This, with no pitch training and no PowerPoint. Every judge and support person was ready to help me out to get this product to market. I had support from Mountain BizWorks, Western Women’s Business Center, SBC, Venture Asheville, SCORE, and A-B Tech, to name a few.

I went to every networking meet-up, class, conference, and talk I could, sometimes hitting three events in one day.

I hit burnout and took a few months off. But then I started up again—I heard about the Venture Asheville Micro Grants.

I thought it would be good practice on applying for funds. I applied, as did 98 other worthy startup entrepreneurs. I put it out of my mind. I had done my part and had no thoughts of anything going any farther.

Then I received the email that I was one of the ten finalists for the five available grants. I would do my pitch in front of 100 people, a 60-second intro. Then I talked for 8 ½ minutes!

Everyone was listening and reacting. They wanted to hear

I was being trusted with a significant amount of money. They were investing in me and my idea. what I had to say. It was such a mind-blowing time. And then Jeff Kaplan called my name. I was one of the recipients—I was awarded $5,000!

It was astonishing! Me, a fat old woman from a poor family, who didn’t even go to a real college, had never owned a new car, always shopped at thrift stores and yard sales, was being recognized by these people. I was being trusted with a significant amount of money. They were investing in me and my idea.

CAPITAL AT PLAY: WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? CarolAnn Bauer: Business-wise, I am planning on reaching out to a video-based platform, possibly “on-air” shopping. Places where people can learn how No Sweat Undies works in the privacy of their home. Not an easy path, I’m sure, but the best one I can see at this time. So my plans for this coming year are to keep seeking out opportunities to spread the word.

I guess so many of my milestones were times of validation, of being told I deserved to be here, wherever “here” is. Right now—here is on the edge of giving a lot of people hope and help.

Learn more about No Sweat Undies at www.dryapron.com.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

15

Handmade in 16

| April 2020

the U.S.A.

written by emily gl aser photos by anthony harden

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

17

A

T

GABRIEL HARGETT

here was a time, they say, when things were done differently.

Old men lean back in their recliners and forward across sticky diner tables, pointing fingers and furrowing eyebrows as they repeat that gravelly refrain: “In my day…”

18

| April 2020

ccording to these unassuming sages, it was a time when the word “quality” meant something; when a man who made a product felt proud enough to stand by it. A time when taking stock of your business’ waste and trying to minimize it wasn’t “sustainable”, it was common sense. A time when “Made in the USA” wasn’t a marketing campaign, but a matter of course. A time when budgets were kept, mortgages were paid, and when work was done when it was done—not at quitting time.

It’s a bygone era that whistles into the American consciousness like the old-timey tune of Andy Griffith, kept alive by these veterans lamenting its loss and the misdirected attempts at its redemption by a slew of industries reclaiming the word “craft.” The art of these common sense business practices is largely lost on a generation of co-working, synergistic millennials, but it lives on in the practicalities of entrepreneurs like Gabriel Hargett.

Hargett, founder and CEO of Oowee Products, operates largely within the framework of those old-fashioned business principals, as do the employees who help handcraft and sell the company’s leather goods—customizable and co-branded accessories like pint, can, and bottle sleeves, leather patch hats, and luggage tags—to an increasingly global market.

Modern economists might call it “lean,” or “sustainable,” or “efficient,” but the truth is, many of the tenets of Hargett’s business are just plain sensible: Make a high-quality product using American-made, sustainably sourced goods; use simple tools, not new-fangled gadgets, to get the job done; employ members of your local community and train and pay them well; and give back in whatever way you can.

EMPLOYEES WEAVE koozies together by hand.

It’s not to say that Oowee is old-fashioned—the company operates wholly in the 21st century, with laser engraving, computerized pattern sewing machines, and a decidedly contemporary dedication to communicating its brand story—just that the company employs a traditional sensibility even as it conforms to modern innovations and trends. It’s this fine balance of heritage craft, progressive ideas, and good old common sense that defines Hargett’s success, and it’s exactly what could make American manufacturing great again.

HARGETT’S HANDIWORK

DISTILLERIES LIKE Pendleton are tapping Oowee for their large leather labels.

Hargett has always been the kind of guy who liked to work with his hands. He’s a fiddler—not of the bluegrass variety, but the crafty kind—a notion endorsed by his paint-speckled and patched sweater and his career path, which has been varied but united by the common thread of hands-on dexterousness.

“I have been lucky enough to do things that I love for most my life,” he says of his experience in the working world, which began at 14 when he got a job as a bike shop mechanic in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. “It’s all I wanted to do on my day off anyways: hang out at the bike shop and play with bikes.”

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 19

When he moved to Asheville four years later, he found a network of mountain biking trails and a new trade in which to ply his acuity for creative tinkering: orthotics and prosthetics. As a certified orthotics prosthetics technician, Hargett built upon the foundational skills he’d developed in the bike industry, working with a range of new materials like carbon fiber, silicone, and plastic to construct customized external bracing and prosthetic limbs. The role also introduced and immersed him in sewing and leatherwork, as he crafted ankle gauntlets, knee braces, and straps from leather and thread.

While Hargett found the craft of orthotics and prosthetics rewarding, its methods were frustrating.

“I would compare it to rapid prototyping,” Hargett explains. “You spent so much energy making a tool, making a jig, making a cast—you make one, and then you’re done with it and you start all the way

The appeal of the leatherwork always lay in its potential for replication, but it quickly demanded that replication at a scale Hargett couldn’t accomplish singlehandedly. over again.” It spawned in the maker an inclination toward pattern and reproduction. “I got kind of intrigued about making the same thing over and over again,” he continues. “I was like, ‘I want to make something really nice and really dial the process down and get really efficient.’”

The answer lay in Oowee’s now-signature product, leather pint sleeves. Playing around in the workshop after a shift, Hargett used knubby rawhide in shoelace loops to stitch together two strips of scrap leather, tacked on a metal badge, and slipped the handmade koozie over a pint glass. It was replicable and adhered to the standard of craft he’d developed as a mechanic and technician—a hobby, he figured, that was worth pursuing.

“In the beginning, in 2009 and 2010, I would just be hanging out at Highland or something with my leather beer koozie, and they’d be like, ‘Oh, that’s cool, can you put our logo on it?’” he says. He’d offer a humble, shrugging affirmative and leave with an order for hundreds of the beer sleeves, now branded with 20

| April 2020

LOCAL BRANDS

• Highland Brewing

NATIONAL BRANDS

OOWEE’S PARTNERS

• Mercedes-Benz

• Wedge Brewing • Mountain Merch • The Asheville Visitor Center • The Grove Park Inn • Mast General Store • The Foundry Hotel

• National Geographic • Lagunitas Brewing Company • Budweiser/Bud Light • Wild Turkey Bourbon • Snap-on Tools • SweetWater Brewing • American Express • Pendleton Whisky • Duluth Trading Company • Tito’s Vodka • Four Roses Distillery • Professional Bull Riders (PBR) • Elijah Craig Whisky • Zaxby’s Restaurants

ORDERING OOWEE AVERAGE ORDER SIZE

150 - 200 Pieces LARGEST ORDER EVER

23,000 Pieces April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

21

BRANDING PRESSES for local, national, and international brands.

logos instead of metal badges. Other local breweries followed suit, and then the brewpub franchise Flying Saucer ordered 500—for each of its locations, about 3,500 pieces.

The appeal of the leatherwork always lay in its potential for replication, but it quickly demanded that replication at a scale Hargett couldn’t accomplish singlehandedly, especially not at home on the weekends. He was still working full-time as an orthotics prosthetics technician, and he began to consider how to recruit part-time help, which eventually led him to the Autism Society of North Carolina. At the time, the organization’s Blue Ridge Bags program was seeking ways in which community businesses could integrate adults with autism into their workforce through simple, duplicable tasks like folding pizza boxes, shredding paper, or, of course, sewing simple leather pint sleeves.

First with one participant, then several, the Autism Society provided a job coach and, at first, a workspace; Hargett equipped them with detailed instructions and supplies and donated 60 cents from every product sold to the nonprofit (today these staff are paid W-2 employees). By recruiting such a flexible 22

| April 2020

workforce, Hargett was able to scale his manufacturing business—an industry that typically demands all-or-nothing levels of investment—slowly and deliberately.

Over the next ten years, Hargett expanded Oowee’s product line, workforce (today there are 12 staff members and makers, including Hargett, half of which are still employed through the Autism Society of North Carolina), and footprint, moving the company from the incubator-like Mill at Riverside in 2019 to a property he purchased in Candler. It’s here, in a cinderblock maze of rooms inhabited by clunking, hissing machinery in all shapes, sizes, and shades of blue, that he continues to replicate those leather products that satiated his early itch for crafted efficiency.

FROM HIDE TO SLEEVE “Everything starts with leather cutting,” Hargett says, his tented fingers resting on a hide of umber-hued leather draped across a work table in the westernmost room of his manufacturing facility. It’s here that our tour, and every Oowee product,

FOIL CO-BRANDED logos can also be added to leather in gold or silver foil.

begins, and it’s also where the profitability of the company is decided. “Whether we make or lose money is [determined by] how efficiently we cut leather,” he explains.

In the corner is a shelf loaded with bundles of black and brown leather, all of which are sourced from United States tanneries and prepared specially for Oowee using a combination of both veg and chrome tannage. Because the leather is all a by-product of the meat industry, their raw—ahem, tanned—materials are intrinsically sustainable, and Oowee limits its products to two colors in order to minimize scraps and, therefore, waste.

Each bundle of leather is essentially a half hide, which is divided into manageable sheets and placed in one of a series of 80’s-era die cutters, which Hargett describes as “industrial cookie cutters.” Fitted with specially fabricated dies, the machines can punch out leather pieces for any of Oowee’s products with the simple push of a lever; it’s a more traditional model of leather cutting than seemingly sophisticated methods like lasers, but it gets the job done just fine and stands as a testament to Hargett’s dedication to balancing high- and lowtech tools for the best results.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 23

24

| April 2020

“We try and run a pretty tight ship on what we do with every square inch of our leather,” he says, pointing to blue bins beside each die cutter that collect scrap leather pieces. That means very intentional, conservative cutting that’s designed to make the most of each hide. “I do feel like we do a much better job than a lot of other leather manufacturers because I’ve been designing our product line to actually use our scraps,” he explains. Oowee’s smaller products, like key chains, leather patches, and tech snaps, make use of the scrap material left over from big items like leather whiskey labels and mason jar sleeves. Whatever scraps don’t make it into Oowee’s inventory are sold on Ebay or donated to an organization like the Boy Scouts.

The brand is both the organic result of Hargett’s own passions and the answer to market research.

While the profitability of the business may be determined in the cutting room, the business itself is defined by the quality of its branding—no, not its marketing, but the logos it burns permanently into its leather goods. “Putting logos on leather is something that we really do well as a company,” Hargett attests. (They do it so well, in fact, that other leather manufacturers have recruited Oowee to make the logo patches for their products.) The magic happens in the high-ceilinged central room of the Oowee facilities, down the center of which hunker some 11 branding machines, mighty contraptions of hissing gaskets and hot metal plates. The Goldilocks lineup of branding machines provide varying degrees of heat, pressure, and time to each leather piece, depending on its size. “It’s kind April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 25

BELOW: Oowee also uses laser engravers to brand its materials. This jig holds the leather in place as the logo —in this case, an image of an MTB cyclist—is engraved.

of like the bed of needles rule, where if you’re using a small surface you don’t need as much pressure, but if you’re using a really large surface, then you need a lot more pressure to get the same result,” Hargett explains.

Along the room’s three walls are old CD racks lined with hundreds of custom-made dies, most of which are etched with recognizable brand logos, including local names like Oak & Grist and Pisgah Tavern, and international ones like Wrangler, Budweiser, and Mercedes-Benz. These dies are fitted onto the branding machines and lowered, pressing the logo’s impression permanently into the leather.

Depending on the product, the leather is then either sent to a room with pattern sewing machines—“These are for doing our higher volume things that we’re doing the exact same stitch over and over and over again,” says Hargett—or to the nimble hands of one of Oowee’s six staff who are employed through the Autism Society of North Carolina. Hargett recognizes that sometimes partnerships like these might be perceived as a feel-good media scheme, but in this case, these employees are 26

| April 2020

integral to the operation. The majority of Oowee’s core products require the hand sewing they have been trained in, and Hargett has built his product line with his autistic employees in mind. “We have trouble making enough products for them—they can sew them faster than we can make them!” Hargett adds. “There’s a lot of additional work that’s been involved, but in my experience, it’s been just the best decision we ever made.”

When the last stitch is tacked, the final products are double-checked and slipped into branded packaging, most of which is designed to house multiple of the company’s goods. Printed on these boxes and hang-tags is the company’s well-defined and buzzword-y brand story: handmade in the USA, partnered with the Autism Society of North Carolina, and designed to bring people together.

But in this case, these aren’t really buzzwords, just a signal of the integrity with which Oowee products are made.

The final destination of each product is, of course, determined by its buyer—and more likely than not, that’s another business.

TED QUEVEDO AND Jesse Cunningham working the branding machines, which add logos to the leather.

CO-BRANDS & BUYERS Hargett’s business grew in tandem with, and in part because of, the craft beer boom. His first sales in the late aughts were made to Asheville’s up-and-coming breweries, where his customizable beer sleeves were a natural fit for their expanding shelves of promotional gear.

As his footprint grew to more breweries and businesses within the bev industry, the beer sleeves, along with other personalized leather goods, proved to be not just a product but a model that was spectacularly replicable: co-branded goods that could be sold or even given away by a growing community of Oowee partners.

Today, Oowee products are distributed through three distinct channels—direct-toconsumer, wholesale, and promotional—but the latter, co-branded promotional goods, still makes up the overwhelming majority of the company’s sales. “In 2019 it was almost 70% of our business. A lot of that is because we get a lot of really big orders through that channel, and so it makes percentages larger,” Hargett points out. By “really big orders,” he means runs of hundreds or thousands or, for their biggest clients, up to twenty thousand. These logo-stamped leather goods vary from the classic beer koozies and coasters to whiskey bottle labels and keychains.

Although he appreciates the launching pad the promotional side has provided for Oowee, it’s the other channels, through which he can peddle Oowee’s own lifestyle brand, that animate Hargett. The brand, which he describes with Ashevillian adjectives like “adventure,” “wildlife,” and “rad dad,” is both the organic result of Hargett’s own passions and the answer to market research. When he polled customers about why they liked Oowee’s products, the answers lay in the product’s functionality and design, of course, but also in that they serve as conversation starters. “We’re bringing people together with common interests and values,” Hargett says. And so Oowee is amplifying the connectivity of its products by imprinting them with icons that serve as conversation starters, demonstrating the user’s favorite hobbies (like fishing rods and mountain bikes for Hargett), origins (state outlines), or status (with lines like “Best Dad Ever” and “Trust me, I’m an engineer”).

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 27

In order to build the Oowee brand, Hargett is turning his attention to the retail and wholesale side of the biz and cultivating relationships with distributors and retailers.

get into a lot of places, and we wouldn’t have gotten those accounts otherwise.”

And once they’re into those retailers, Hargett is determined to stay there; he provides his retail partners with everything they could possibly need to sell his products well, including wooden displays made in-house and brand packaging that tells the Oowee story for them. “We work so hard to get a new account that once we get one, we’re trying to really treat them well and get them to be a good customer,” he says. “We want them to know about our product, how to sell it, what the key points are, and how to display it. So I am sort of jumping in and giving them a lot with their first order.” As with all aspects of his business, when approaching retail, Hargett operates with hands-on thoroughness.

“I kind of envisioned that the whole operation would be much, much smaller. So I’ve already kind of done what I set out to do...

So I really need to update the business plan.”

The decision to work with distributors was actually one Hargett was hesitant to make, but he’s come to realize that the investment—and it can be a big one—is worth the reward. Through a partnership with online retailer and distributor the Grommet in 2019, for example, Hargett got his products into 50 Ace Hardware stores and some 200 brick-and-mortar retailers. “We had to give them 15%, which is a lot of margin,” he admits, “but they helped us

28

| April 2020

OLD-FASHIONED MADE NEW Hargett didn’t necessarily set out to build a large-scale, all-American manufacturer, but that’s exactly what he did, and it’s that accidental success that aligns him even

more closely with those upstanding businessmen of yore.

“I honestly can’t say that I masterminded this whole thing, or that I had this clear vision. When I wrote my business plan, I wanted to have five employees and do a half million dollars in sales,” he remembers. “I kind of envisioned that the whole operation would be much, much smaller. So I’ve already kind of done what I set out to do. Our sales surpassed all my goals. We have double the employees,” he pauses and chuckles. “So I really need to update the business plan.”

Oowee, like its most time-honored predecessors, is operated with humble, common sense intention: Products are handmade with care and traditional craft; costs are cut where possible, whether that means building their own display cases or ordering double-duty packaging; and the owner understands every aspect of production, and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. But Oowee is also operated with a 21st century sense of innovation, opportunity, and open-mindedness its precursors lacked.

It’s easy to imagine Hargett taking a seat at the diner table to talk shop with those old-timey entrepreneurs and to maybe, just maybe, teach them a thing or two about American manufacturing.

50 - 60% OFF TOP BRANDS EVERYDAY!

106 Sutton Ave Black Mountain, NC •

828.669.0075 • towncountryfurniture.net

S H O P LO C A L • FA M I LY O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D B U S I N E S S

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 29

CAROLINA last-mile “delivery station,” a term that appears on the zoning application. The developer asked for no economic development incentives and said the building would go up very quickly once site prep is complete. This is characteristic of Amazon, but also of any other large retailer or delivery company building a warehouse. Elected leaders said they do not know what is moving in, but they’re looking forward to its addition to the tax base and the jobs it will create.

charges, added to copay amounts, were itemized as “total amount for hospital services” for an outpatient visit, even if the patient received no outpatient treatment and never set foot in a hospital. Those receiving the bills complained they had no advance notice, and now they were getting collection bills. Persons contacting Mission about the charges learned that, since the hospital was taken over

by HCA, what would formerly have been billed as office visits will now be billed as outpatient services. As independent medical offices continue to be bought up by hospitals across the country, it is not unusual for similar charges to be used to cover costs of merging and acquisition.

Industry experts are advising patients to ask if extra fees will be applied when they make their appointment, see if they can use their deductible to cover the fee, and negotiate a lower fee if they were billed without disclosure.

Not Lovin’ This Mystery

Crafty Centric Brews

western north carolina

buncombe county

Carolina Public Press (CPP) investigated complaints about a “surprise hospital charge” persons were receiving on bills for routine visits to their general practitioner’s office. At $100 or more, the

For nearly two years, Fermented Nonsense Brewing has operated as a separate entity from the space it calls home, a 130-square-foot office in Arden’s Craft Centric Taproom & Bottleshop. Now

in the

WEST [

news briefs

Is It Amazon? henderson county

As of this writing, the identity of the company behind a huge distribution center in Mills River is still only known by a few confidants. So Bill Moss of the Hendersonville Lightning did some investigative journalism. Mirroring the anticipation from Kernersville and other localities nationwide, speculation is running high that this could be an Amazon distribution center. What is known is that the site will be used for a 112,000-sq.-ft. warehouse and distribution facility on 28 acres sold to ALM Asheville for $50,000 in January. Moss found a similar real estate transaction in Washington state where the buyer, ALM Bremerton, was Amazon. Near the Asheville Regional Airport, the site would be well-situated for an Amazon

]

A Unique and Independent Real Estate Company since 1979 30

23 Arlington Street Asheville, NC 28801 | 828. 255.7530 | www.appalachianrealty.com | April 2020

50 the old north state

the businesses are merging under one name: Fermented Nonsense Brewstillery.

The two barrel brewhouse will move to an off-site production space where it can increase production, and a new craft distillery will occupy the office. A refashioned window will allow customers to take a peek at the distillery’s operations, and, thanks to a recent change in North Carolina law, they’ll be able to order cocktails made from the spirits produced on-site. The business will continue to carry the curated selection of beers they’ve become known for, with new operations slated to be up and running by mid-to-late summer 2020.

Facebook Reaching Out rutherford county

MCNC and Facebook are partnering to bring affordable high-speed internet to rural communities in Western North Carolina. MCNC is a nonprofit that builds, owns, and operates broadband for the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). The partnership will further MCNC’s objectives of improving connectivity and resilience by providing internet at 30 Community Anchor Institutions. These include the new North Carolina School of Science

and Mathematics, community colleges, charter schools, the North Carolina School for the Deaf, mental health/ substance abuse clinics, agricultural extension offices, and public safety stations throughout Rutherford, Burke, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Surry counties.

MCNC, which bills itself as a middle-mile fiber company, has been operating NCREN for 40 years and now provides internet to 750 institutions. Facebook will be paying for a high-capacity fiber route between Forest City and Dobson.

The line should be completed sometime this year.

Wolfe in Sheep’s Clothing buncombe county

Local leaders recently unveiled a conceptual design for $100 million in renovations for the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The venue was built 80 years ago as part of what is now known as the Harrah’s Cherokee Center. While it seats only 2,400, the venue has booked internationally-acclaimed artists like Bob Dylan, the Lumineers, and Billy Joel and Elton John on their Face to Face tour.

But the auditorium has had problems, like a leaking roof that took center stage during an Alison Krause concert and an

carolina in the west

air handler that blew a valve right before Warren Haynes’ Annual Christmas Jam. The venue is limited by its architecture: Cats could never be performed in the building because the set is too large to load up the 40o ramp and through the door, and performers have to fit through a 4-foot door to get to the dressing rooms.

Claims that philanthropists and corporate sponsors will foot most of the bill are not being taken seriously; most believe the city is going to float bonds. The venue sells 250,000 tickets a year, but General Manager Chris Corl estimates a total physical overhaul could double the number of days the venue is booked.

Earth Farewell buncombe county

Earth Fare announced its bankruptcy and quickly shuttered all its stores in February. The natural and organic supermarket had 3,000 employees across 50 stores in 10 states. The business was launched in 1975 by Roger Derrough as a hippie health food store in Asheville; after the company branched out to multiple locations, Oak Hill Capital acquired a majority interest in 2012. A statement from the company explained Earth Fare could no longer refinance its debt. The

223 Boyd Cove Road Leicester 28748

MLS #3461827 Private 93 Acre Mountain Cove with Cabin, Bath House and several springs.

Southern exposure.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

31

carolina in the west

company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which made public a stack of creditors.

United Natural Foods was owed $9.6 million, and three other companies were owed at least $5 million. Analysts are ascribing Earth Fare’s demise to its business model, saying the economies of scale that work for supermarket chains don’t apply to the health food niche.

For three short weeks, inventory and fixtures were liquidated at prices up to 90% off. A&G Real Estate Partners were engaged to sell stores and handle leases, and Hilco Streambank was contracted to find buyers for Earth Fare’s intellectual property, including trademarks, recipes, customer data, domain names, and social media accounts. While there’s a chance a new grocer could hire back those laid off, several existing stores have made special offers to hire former Earth Fare employees.

Military Beefing Up? henderson county

The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) is opening a branch on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. Joe Tew, a military veteran with 24 years of military aviation experience, several high ranks, and multiple combat tours, will be the office’s business development professional. It will be Tew’s job to monitor solicitations for bids on contracts from the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Immigration a nd Cu stom s E n forc ement , a nd Transportation Security Administration.

He will then notify organizations that could be a good fit and mentor interested parties through the bidding process.

Tew’s duties will extend to businesses in the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina. The NCMBC is funded through an allocation by the North Carolina General Assembly in an effort to grow the state’s defense economy.

32

| April 2020

Sharper Image transylvania county

Michele Pilon, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer of Transylvania Regional Hospital (TRH), announced the facility would soon be operating an improved magnetic resonance imaging (MR I) scanner. Because MR I uses high-frequency radio waves, it does not subject patients to health threats associated with X-rays. While the hospital already had an MRI machine, this one is described as less claustrophobic for patients, faster, and able to produce higher-resolution imagery. The machine arrived at the facility toward the end of last year, and it was expected to be operational within a few months. In the near future, the hospital will receive a new computed tomography (CT) scanner.

CT scans integrate X-rays with computer interpolation to generate 3D images, so they emit less radiation than traditional X-rays. Transylvania’s CT scanner will capture imagery in 640 slices. The higher the resolution, the less likely it is doctors will have to resort to invasive exploratory surgery. TRH is a member hospital of Mission Health, and it is accredited by the American College of Radiology.

Affordable Faceting watauga county

Doc’s Rock s G em M ine & the Appalachian Fossil Museum on Mystery Hill Lane will remain open for educational purposes, but owner Randy McCoy is moving the store to Main Street in Blowing Rock, and it will be called McCoy Minerals. McCoy said he had enough inventory to justify the move and only had to wait to repair the roof before opening. The store will sell jewelry, mineral specimens, fossils, and rare gemstones, and it will also provide a number of jewelry and lapidary services. McCoy works with graduate gemologists who perform careful appraisals that consider the physical characteristics and legacy of jewelry

and gemstones. He also has two cutting areas in-house for faceting and cabochon, so turnaround times are normally only a few days. McCoy can also repair chips and breaks in gemstones. Lastly, the store is a retailer for Stuller, a jewelry manufacturer with an online presence that lets customers customize their own piece using standardized templates.

Getting out More buncombe county

The Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) has announced new, seasonal flights that will run from May through October.

Allegiant Air will begin twice-weekly nonstop service to Boston, Chicago, Houston, and Austin. Introductory fares as low as $33 one-way are available for some destinations. The additions will bring the total number of destinations Allegiant serves nonstop from Asheville to 14. American Airlines will be adding second daily flights to Dallas-Fort Worth and Philadelphia, as well as seasonal Saturday service to Chicago and Washington, D.C.. American also flies to Chicago and New York. Other airlines servicing Asheville include United, flying to Chicago, Newark, and Washington, D.C.; Delta, connecting to Atlanta with seasonal nonstop flights to Detroit and New York; Spirit, flying to Orlando; and Elite Airways, offering seasonal service to Vero Beach. The number of people flying in or out of AVL on commercial jets increased 43% year-over-year; growth was the result of a combination of added flights and high booking rates.

Invest Wisely henderson county

Steward Partners Global Advisory announced the opening of an office in Hendersonville. Steward Partners bills itself as an employee-owned, full-service partnership of private wealth advisors.

Services include a range of advisory

For Those Who Seek The Exceptional Life. services, liability management, wealth planning, institutional investment, and insurance planning. Steward Partners offers securities through Raymond James Financial Services, while the two institutions stress their professional independence. The Hendersonville office will be the firm’s nineteenth overall and its first in North Carolina.

Bill Gold will be the office’s managing director and first advisor. Gold came to Steward Partners after working ten years for UBS, where, overseeing $120 million in client assets, he specialized in helping people through life transitions like retirement. Before that, he was an advisor for Merrill Lynch for 14 years. Raymond James manages $785 billion in client assets.

Best of Several Worlds

photos by Marilynn Kay Photography

haywood county

Ryan Murdock and Anthony Viviani hosted an open house for their EZ Log Structures dealership on Dellwood Road bet ween Way nesv i l le a nd Maggie Valley. Their sales office is, naturally, an EZ log structure itself.

The business partners came together after both experienced a squeeze trying to find affordable housing for their families in the area. Murdock compares the homes to Lincoln Logs; to put them together you just need four workers, a screwdriver, a rubber mallet, and a week. Turnaround time is fast; that is, a home can be ready to occupy within three months of selecting the design and signing the papers.

The homes, which come in a kit, typically cost $100/square foot and are of the popular tiny home variety. They’re marketed as attractive, well-designed, and warm, and great as accessory dwelling units. Rented as an Airbnb, a few bookings a month would cover the payment plan. Kits are also available for work sheds, garden sheds, saunas, and other residential enhancements.

714 Wickhams Fancy Dr #1016, Biltmore Lake NC - MLS#: 3598029 - $1,795,000

Marilyn C Wright Global Real Estate Advisor Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist Guild

10 Brooks Street Suite 130 Asheville NC 28803 828.279.3980 | Ashevillerealtormwright@gmail.com April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

33

carolina in the west

Park Here henderson county

Hendersonville City Council is considering construction of a five-story parking deck downtown in conjunction with a hotel project. The structure, designed in red brick to conform with existing architecture, would be located at the corner of Fifth and Church, where the Dogwood parking lot is currently located. The deck would provide 323 spaces next to a Springhill Suites by Marriott and cost $8.2 million, including about $1 million for soft costs. The city contracted with Walker Consultants to evaluate the site, costs, and revenue streams. The consulting firm recommended charging $1.50/ hour for street parking on Main and the avenues, and $1.25/hour for deck parking with the first hour free. The hotel would rent 38 spaces, and monthly rates would be available on a tiered basis. If the public is amenable, the deck could be open for business in late 2021.

Artists in Their Habitat transylvania county

To raise funds to build one more home, Transylvania Habitat for Humanity sent out a call for artists for its first ever ‘Home

Is Where the ART Is’ event and auction.

Artists are allowed to submit only one piece of art-work. The piece must begin with the purchase of an item from the local Habitat ReStore. The item can be used as the subject matter, material for the piece, or a tool used to create it. Artists must produce the receipt and a photograph of the item as part of the entry process. Works must be originals and not reproductions. Acceptable forms are jewelry, fiber, sculpture, woodworking, metalsmithing, ceramics, painting, photography, drawing, glass art, artistic quilts, and mixed-media. Items will be auctioned at a reception to be held July 11. Habitat will apply 70% of proceeds toward building a home, and the artists will get to keep the rest.

for joining. Frames are prefabricated for assembly on-site, which allows for precision machining and testing. The factory is fully powered by renewables and uses software to minimize waste when cutting materials. The timber is arranged radially and close-set to absorb shock like a bicycle wheel. The design is advertised as capable of withstanding winds of at least 185 mph. Less than 1% of Deltec homes have been structurally damaged in extreme weather; only one home was damaged during Hurricane Andrew when winds exceeded 200 mph.

(Deltec was featured in this magazine in January 2015.)

Don’t Be Fuelish haywood county

Sweet Home buncombe county

The latest issue of Fast Company featured Deltec round homes. Based in Asheville, Steve Linton’s company engineers homes to be environmentally sensitive, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. Intentionally manufactured, each piece of framing lumber is mechanically-graded as the hardest class available and special gaskets are used

Kevin Brock has launched Balsam Energy Consultants. Brock is a licensed engineer with 30 years’ experience consulting and redesigning buildings for more efficient use of utilities. Working part-time at the new company, Brock will be performing energy audits for commercial, industrial, government, and institutional enterprises. He will also make his services available to multifamily residential developments managed as a business. (Duke Energy Progress still

A downtown shopping destination for more than 50 years where the amazing selection of footwear for men, women, and children is only outdone by the award-winning customer service

34

| April 2020

N Lexington • Asheville, NC 28801 • 828-254-6721 • topsforshoes.com 27 N27 Lexington Ave. Ave. • Asheville, NC 28801 • 828-254-6721 • topsforshoes.com

provides free energy audits for single-family residences.) In addition to auditing, Brock performs consulting pertaining to redesigning facilities to be healthier and better for the environment. These include assessing the condition of structures and developing a preventive maintenance plan, analyzing utility rates, performing feasibility studies, commissioning buildings, performing third-party verifications, and assessing indoor air quality.

certifying economic entities, because they wanted to pursue a livelihood in food trucking. She said business should be good because Cherokee becomes a food desert when most of its restaurants close for the non-tourist season. Existing laws still prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages from the trucks and carts.

non-advertising portion of revenue should be spent, Newman wanting the 33% to be available for any tourism-related expenditure. The TDA won’t be voting on a finalized budget until May.

Campus Upfits transylvania county

TPDF Might Get More buncombe county

Legal Symbiosis

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) is conswain county sidering supporting legislation that The Tribal Council of the Eastern would change the way its revenues are Band of Cherokee Indians unanimously disbursed. The TDA is funded through a approved legalizing food trucks. They 6% hotel tax, which collects $25 million have been allowed to operate if the annually. Currently, 25% of the funds go owner/operator secured a permit from the to the Tourism Product Development county and licensure from the tribe, but Fund (TPDF) to subsidize capital projthe Cherokee Code expressly prohibited ects tourists might enjoy, like ballfields the selling of meat from a nonpermanent and civic center improvements. The structure. Terri Henry, executive director remainder is poured back into advertising. of the Tribal Employment Rights Office Local government bodies have lobbied (TERO), recalled an era gone by when for a greater share of the revenues. Now, people used to drive around selling frozen the TDAuis onboard with a proposal r nch nd b e k e meat out of trucks. While that is still not from the Asheville Buncombe Hotel e w rving Now tosecarve acceptable, leaders decided out Association (ABHA) to up the TPDF share exemptions for food trucks and food carts. to 33%. Buncombe nch County Chair Brownie nd bruand e k e e w Henry said several people had r reached Newman ABHA Executive Director se ving Nowcharged out to TERO, the tribal body with Jim Muth, however, disagree on how the

Brevard College is developing a facilities master plan that calls for a lot of new construction to handle upward-trending enrollment. Additions projected within two years include a new 52-bed residence hall, a new football stadium and field house for sports teams, and a new facilities maintenance building. Existing facilities will be upgraded with features like air conditioning for dormitories.

Over a longer term, the plan calls for creating a student health center, and a campus farm, and changes would be made to infrastructure to promote walking and bicycling over automobile use. To fund the changes, the school hopes to raise $20 million over five years; this is twice what its current capital campaigns raise. College leadership prefers to proceed pay-go to taking out debt.

your complete your complete Fabric cente

Fabric center

Largest selection of upholstery fabric in WNC

Now

catering

Starting at per person

12.99

weekend serving

kend ving wee r e s w o N

brunch

Largest selection of upholstery Fast, fabric in WNC friendly service

F f s

Drapery material/lining | Comforter and bedsprea

Drapery material/lining | Comforter and bedspread material brunch

U.S. 25 North

U.S. 25 North

|

Fletcher, NC

| YOUR Fletcher, NC | 684-0801 COMPLETE FABRIC CENTERS Largest selections of upholstery fabric in WNC!

LOCATION IN FLETCHER fletcherfoamandfabric.com

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

35

|

36

| April 2020

local industry

Western North Carolina is

GEARING

UP

written by jennifer fitzger ald photo by Evan Anderson April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 37

local industry

ITSBOW CEO DAVID BILLSTROM describes Western North Carolina as a “Goldilocks” location for manufacturers of outdoor gear. It’s a claim he can testify to, as he moved his cycling apparel company from California to the seemingly unassuming location of Old Fort last year.

Old Fort was chosen after an exhaustive, year-long evaluation of manufacturing locations and, according to Billstrom, his is one of the first new manufacturers in Old Fort in some time. Here the company’s 25-plus employees— many of them, naturally, bike enthusiasts—have easy access to single-track MTB (mountain bike), gravel and road routes right outside their door— something that was hard to find in California. Add to that the region’s desirable towns like Asheville and the network of skilled production workers from Old Fort to Hickory Billstrom can draw on, and the metaphor begins to ring true. Being at the foot of the mountains is indeed the “Goldilocks” location—not too far, not too close, but just right.

Billstrom notes that although Kitsbow’s products, which balance both technical performance and top-notch tailoring, are a departure for the region’s craftsmen, they have adapted seamlessly. “I should explain that we are making apparel one garment at a time, sometimes called the Toyota Way applied to clothing,” he explains. “Our production workers are in teams, and they support each other and make complete and perfect garments, one at a time.

This is pretty different from traditional textile and furniture production in WNC, so they’ve had to stretch and try a different approach—and they’re doing a great job.”

Kitsbow is one of a growing number of outdoor gear manufacturers in the region that are capitalizing on the large population, both locals and tourists, of outdoor adventure seekers. In addition to all those benefits of calling Carolina home, Billstrom notes, there’s an entire thriving outdoor industry here for manufacturers to build on. As a whole, North Carolina outdoor recreation generates $28 billion in consumer spending annually and provides 260,000 jobs, $8.3 billion in wages and salaries, and $1.3 billion in state and local tax revenues 1. Data from the Outdoor Industry Association states 56% of North Carolina residents participate in outdoor recreation each year; those participants need clothing and gear to hit the trail, the slope, and the rocks—where better to make and find them than right here in Western North Carolina?

1 Bureau of Economic Analysis

38

| April 2020

Extraordinary Gear Made Here As the local industry of outdoor gear builders grows, companies in this segment have joined forces and formed the Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC (OGB), a collection of regionally based companies who have come together to share their ideas, insights, and experiences. Member brands have rallied behind the ideas that define outdoor gear building in Western North Carolina (WNC): responsible manufacturing, innovation, and economic impact. The OGB’s motto is “Extraordinary Gear Made Here”—and it is.

Outdoor Gear Builders, the first gear builder association of its kind in the outdoor industry, is celebrating its seventh year of collaboration; in August, the organized is set to hold the sixth annual Get in Gear Fest, an opportunity for members to showcase the products to the public. Since it was founded in 2013, the organization has grown to over 50 members and become a noteworthy force in the economic development of WNC by heightening the region’s outdoor industry profile and contributing significantly to the state’s $28 billion outdoor rec industry. The validity of the organization is only growing: In the past year alone, the organization became a 501c and former OGB board chair and co-founder Amy Allison went on to become the North Carolina outdoor recreation director.

“When this organization began in 2013, we realized there were so many gear manufacturers in this area, but nobody was coming together for the greater good of the industry in our state,” says Matt Godfrey, board chair of the Outdoor Gear Builders.

“We knew that the outdoor industry was a viable economic driver for the area, and we’ve seen that continue to grow in the past few years as more new brands are starting up in the area or moving here from out West.”

Thomas Dempsey reflects back to 2012, when he and Kyle Mundt, both of SylvanSport (profiled in the January 2019 issue of Capital at Play), met with a leadership team at Advantage West (the now-defunct nonprofit agency that helped bring companies like Sierra Nevada to the region) to talk about how to attract the outdoor sports and rec trade medias to Western North Carolina. Bringing media to the area was particularly relevant to SylvanSport, the makers of the GO Camper, as shipping the camper to major media outlets in the hopes of a favorable review and press coverage was a pricey gamble. With the Kayaking World Championships being held at the Nantahala Outdoor Center that year, Dempsey and the leaders at Advantage West hatched a plan

photo courtesy Diamond Brand Gear

to lure the outdoor media in town for the event to see SylvanSport.

“This brainstorm session led to the concept of forming a partnership of regional companies that make outdoor gear—OGB was born,” says Dempsey.

Initially, the idea was met with both excitement and suspicion, but as the organization gained structure, momentum for it and its cause, followed. “We created momentum thanks to the work of the individual partner companies and the work of our volunteer board, and we created value for the members via shared knowledge, resources, and the Get in Gear Fest. We also accomplished our original goal of creating enough critical mass to attract the media here to WNC to get in on what we’ve got. I can hardly believe what we have accomplished in six years!”

Waypoint Accelerator “Picture this: You’ve entered and set foot on a 1,000-mile adventure race. This is your first time

attempting a feat of this size, and you quickly realize your pack is way too heavy, you get lost several times, you are cut, bruised, and weary as you finally reach the first checkpoint. The Waypoint Accelerator is there waiting to help you sort out your pack, treat your cuts, feed you, and help you prepare for that next checkpoint. We will be here at all 10 checkpoints to help you finish the race—very much like entering the race to be an entrepreneur.

That first step is the hardest part, but now you have support along the way to help guide you and grow your company.”

That’s the work of the Waypoint Accelerator according to Matt Godfrey who, in addition to his role as OGB board chair, is director of the accelerator program. The Waypoint Accelerator was founded in 2019 and is the first outdoor business accelerator program in the Eastern United States and the third nationally. The program combines rigorous business curriculum with adaptive mentorship in order to advance the impact of local early-stage, outdoorsy April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 39

local industry

Outdoor Gear Builder Statistics Source: 2018 Western North Carolina Outdoor Industry Manufacturing Census

JOBS 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2016

2018

In 2018 there were at least 762 jobs with outdoor gear builders in Western North Carolina.

EXPORTS

100% of WNC gear builders distribute their products all around the United States.

Other countries gear is sent to include: The United Kingdom, Norway, South Korea, Russia, France, Australia, and Japan.

Information courtesy of the Outdoor Gear Builders Association. | April 2020 40

businesses. The program is particularly unique in that it offers participants access-to-capital connections without asking them to surrender equity or take investment.

A “waypoint” is a reference point that helps us find our way, making it an apt metaphor for the program’s mentorship role, which is to guide outdoor businesses toward success. Godfrey explains that the Accelerator helps participants take inventory and determine their current waypoint and what gaps and needs they can identify in order to both understand their next waypoint and the help they need to make it to that destination.

“Leveraging education, network connection, and a collaborative culture within the WNC outdoor industry, the Waypoint Accelerator represents a form of ‘trail magic’ for early stage, outdoor-focused companies when they need an added boost towards reaching the next waypoint in their journey of growth and development,” says Godfrey. “Most entrepreneurs go into business because they are passionate about solving a problem related to a product or service need. We chose [the name] Waypoint partly because of the outdoor connotations, but also because as entrepreneurs embark on their journey, they quickly become overwhelmed with everything required to manage and grow a business. We wanted to bring them in, help them take inventory, help them determine their current waypoint and what gaps/needs they can identify to both determine their next waypoint, and what help they need to make it to that destination.”

The concept for the Waypoint Accelerator was born out of the Growing Outdoors Partnership of WNC (a collaborative effort of many local entities also working to expand the outdoor industry in WNC)

photo by Katherine Brooks Photography

Alyson Neel, owner of Blyss Running in Fairview, became an OGB member in early 2019 and was excited to meet like-minded folks coming together for the betterment of the outdoor community. When she heard about the Waypoint Accelerator program, she knew it was something she wanted to be a part of.

“Blyss Running was at a place where it needed to grow,” says Neel. “Specifically, I needed guidance in finding new sources and ideas surrounding manufacturing and marketing. Waypoint not only helped me with those areas, but also helped in ways that I wasn’t expecting. Some issues arose during my time in the program that, without the support and resources provided, navigating and resolving them would have been difficult to overcome. What set Waypoint apart from other business development programs was being able to learn alongside other outdoor specific companies, focusing on the nuances of our industry.”

We’re All in This Together

and a grant submission to the Appalachian Regional Commission. The two main partners in the development and execution of Waypoint are the Outdoor Gear Builders (OGB) and Mountain Bizworks. Combining the wealth of outdoor industry knowledge from OGB member companies and the business education programming and delivery expertise of Mountain Bizworks, they were able to develop a model focused on outdoor industry connections and solid business fundamentals with the goal of accelerating each company to their next stage of growth.

“Through a competitive application process, we had 26 outdoor-focused companies apply for this first cohort and we accepted 10 strong, early stage companies from around WNC,” says Godfrey of the first cohort, which launched last September. The program combines 10 curriculum-based sessions in Asheville with in-depth mentorship from OGB members and other professionals in the local outdoor industry. The last session for the first cohort was in February with a final showcase of the participating companies on display at the Get in Gear Fest. The application process for Cohort 2 of the Waypoint Accelerator will open in mid-June.

Blyss Running manufactures running apparel that is both comfortable and functional, which is exactly what Neel couldn’t find when she took up running herself. She explains that for so long, the athletic wear industry designed clothes for who they thought was the customer: someone young and lean. In reality, women of many ages and body types run—in fact, the largest growing segment of runners in the United States are women over the age of 40, but they are being largely ignored by the industry.

When Neel started to run, her options were limited and downright intimidating. Blyss Running gear was born from this experience and designed to

“We manufacture here because this is where we design, test, and use our gear. There is no better epicenter for outdoor recreation than WNC.” flatter, perform, and fit a woman’s body with features they actually want: shorts that stay put and don’t cause chafing, a wide waistband that sits at the waist and has a drawstring, and large secure pockets big enough to carry a phone and other essentials.

Neel has lived in Western North Carolina for more than 20 years and wouldn’t want to live and work April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 41

local industry

ROCKGEIST BIKEPACK USA photo by bikepacking.com

photo courtesy Diamond Brand Gear

elsewhere; when it came to the decision of where to manufacture her products, her decision was already made—and it was a good one. “Being a runner in this part of the country, especially a trail runner, is

Outdoor Gear Builders on

WHY WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA IS SO GREAT FOR THEIR WORK Abundant resources and talent pool Prime area for product development and testing Gaining national and international recognition as a gear innovation hub Network of collaboration within the outdoor industry of WNC

pretty exceptional. The running community is large and supportive,” she says. “Additionally, the support of the local business community, and the outdoor industry specifically, is such a valuable asset. The 42

| April 2020

collaborative sense in doing business here makes it so special. Being a part of the OGB, I know that I can call on other members, and there will be someone to offer help or advice or just an ear when needed.

There is a sense that we’re all in this together—we all want to see each other succeed because ultimately that will benefit our community.”

Proving Grounds It’s that sense of community and a genuine appreciation of place expressed by Neel that permeates the “why” of so many of the region’s outdoor gear makers. American Backcountry, for example, manufactures T-shirts, performance apparel, and accessory items using recycled water bottles in Asheville. As if they weren’t green enough, President Frank Hintz shares that a large portion of the company’s product is made in the Carolinas with a narrow 150-mile footprint. Asheville is a key location for the company because of the city’s proximity to the Appalachian Trail and other strong proving grounds for their products.

Proving grounds, unsurprisingly, are abundant in the region. Many of Western North Carolina’s outdoor gear builders cite the area’s expansive

SHIREY FORGE photo by Terri Clark Photography

photo by Durand B. courtesy Fifth Element Camping

outdoors as the primary incentive for basing their companies here, both because they get to enjoy them and because they offer ample opportunities to test their products. Nick Spero, CEO of Asheville’s Fifth Element Camping, notes that the region is the ideal location to create and test the company’s modular camping systems. Adam Masters, founder of kayak builder Bellyak, Inc., which operates out of Candler, agrees: “We manufacture here because this is where we design, test, and use our gear.

There is no better epicenter for outdoor recreation than WNC.” Scott McCrea of Swaygo Gear (which creates waterproof backpacks and caving equipment) and Ted Swartzbaugh of Tarpestry (manufacturers of weather-resistant, patterned tarps) are also inspired by their locations’ proximity and accessibility to the outdoors. “We moved from Boone to Colorado [and back] to Boone because we see all the same adventuring perks, plus the ability to garden, too,” says Swartzbaugh, adding that it’s also a central location for East Coast music festivals, which are a major vending opportunity for the company.

It’s not only Western North Carolina’s bountiful nature that serves as inspiration for the gearmakers, but the region’s rich textile and craft heritage as

well. Makers like ROCKGEIST BIKEPACK USA, Diamond Brand Gear, and Shira Forge choose to work in WNC in part because of the history of craft in the area and the community’s appreciation of it.

Gregor y Ha rdy, ow ner of RO CKGEIST, manufacturers of bikepacking gear, says his company is headquartered in WNC to contribute to and learn from the rich bike and textile culture here. They have also benefited from the guidance of larger, more established outdoor gear manufacturers in the region and the strong entrepreneurial support found in Asheville. Matthew Shirey believes it is very advantageous to his business, Shira Forge in Sylva, to be located somewhere where craft is still appreciated and the community wants to support handmade goods.

Diamond Brand Gear relocated their factory to Western North Carolina way back in 1942 (and corporate offices in 1966), and they continue to revive the craft of sewing for which the region was once known. “Our biggest challenge in 2020 will be continuing to find local people who want to keep the craft of sewing alive by making it their career,” says CEO, John Delaloye. “To tackle this issue, we recently partnered with over 20 WNC manufacturers, the Carolina Textile District, Blue April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 43

local industry

Ridge Community College, and A-B Tech Community College on an industrial sewing program.” The program is designed to prepare students for a career in sewing, a career path that’s once again expanding in Western North Carolina thanks to employers like Diamond Brand.

And sometimes, the region just provides a level of convenience that would be hard to find elsewhere.

Industry Nine, which has 45 full-time employees, makes high-end custom road, gravel, and mountain bike components, including wheels, hubs, and stems, and has been based in Asheville since the inception of the company in 2005. Clint Spiegel, the founder and owner, grew up working in Turnamics, the machine shop next door which machines all the hubs, spokes, stems, and more for the company today. Having a machine

“We certainly try to support anyone that does things locally that would benefit our customers. We are seeing a small increase in products made here in WNC.” shop as a neighbor allows the company to be nimble and flexible with product development as they can have new product prototypes within hours, as opposed to shipping overseas, which can take weeks or months just to get a new prototype during product development.

With their staff entirely based in Asheville, they are a team full of riders, which allows them to handle every aspect of product development from initial concept, to prototyping, to product testing all in-house under one roof—and it also doesn’t hurt that the riding in WNC is world-class. The proving grounds for their products, like so many of their peers, are right outside their door.

Locals Supporting Locals These manufacturers don’t just benefit from their surroundings, they’re supported by them, too. OGB member products are carried by many local retailers, like D.D. Bullwinkel’s Outdoors in Brevard and Outdoor 76 in Franklin, regional players like Mast General Store, and national powerhouses like REI. Small, local retailers have come to realize the value added by carrying small, locally made products. Aaron 44

| April 2020

These photos show the Waypoint Accelerator OGB attendees on a tour at Diamond Brand Gear. They had the oppor tunity to sew and learn about LEAN manufacturing techniques.

Businessesr represented clock wise star ting Top Lef t are: Blue Ridge Hiking Company, Tarpestr y, and Blyss Running. photos cour tesy The Outdoor Gear Builders

Size of Outdoor Gear Building Companies in Western North Carolina

BY ANNUAL REVENUES

6%

15%

15%

27%

31% 6%

Saft owns Foot RX Running in Asheville, which carries running shoes, fitness gear, and accessories, including a sampling of Blyss Running styles for customers to try. “We’re a local business supporting another local,” he explains of the decision to carry Blyss. “We certainly try to support anyone that does things locally that would benefit our customers. We are seeing a small increase in products made here in WNC.” Saft doesn’t just carry and recommend local products, he uses them personally. As a small business owner, he fully understands what these entrepreneurs are going through and the risk involved and wants to see them succeed.

And consumers agree. Local runner and rower Mona Ellum loves the commitment of Blyss Running to making their products domestically. “I like to buy locally whenever possible and have also purchased Diamond Brand Gear and ENO [Eagles Nest Outfitters] products,” she says. The cost differential between these locally made products and those of “big” brands is minimal, and Ellum is happy to spend a few dollars more if it means supporting small, local companies who directly benefit our local economy through efforts like offering living wages.

$5 - 25 Million $25 - 100 Million Less than $100 Thousand $100 - 500 Thousand $500 Thousand - 1 Million $1 - 5 Million Source: 2018 Western North Carolina Outdoor Industry Manufacturing Census with information courtesy of the Outdoor Gear Builders Association

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 45

local industry

local industry

Growing Conference

No other outdoor cooker can match the quality and versatility of a Big Green Egg. Grilling, Roasting, Baking or Smoking it truly is The Ultimate Cooking Experience!®

136 Weaver Blvd, Weaverville, NC 28787 ✆828.645.8811 1888 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803 ✆828.676.0047 3340 Boylston Hwy, Mills River, NC 28759 ✆828.891.4545 812 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804 ✆828.505.3672 10 Westridge Market Pl, Candler, NC 28715 ✆828.527.6468

FOR COMMUNITY

BY COMMUNITY April is National Volunteer Month. The YMCA was founded as a volunteer-led organization, and today hundreds of volunteers share their talents with the Y, contributing thousands of hours of time. The Y has many opportunities for you to make a positive impact.

The Y.™ For a better us. » ymcawnc.org/volunteer « YMCA OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 46

| April 2020

The Outdoor Economy Conference was founded in 2018

by Western Carolina University (WCU) as a one-day event designed to connect people across the various elements of the outdoor recreation economy and its value chain—gear manufacturers, outfitters, retailers, service providers, supply chain partners, local government, land management, and more. The 2020 conference will focus on bolstering the future of the outdoor economy through powerful conversations on topics like growth through diversity, equity, and inclusion and building outdoor communities. Scheduled for October 6-8, 2020, upwards of 750 people are slated to attend the main event this year (up from 540 in 2019).

“This focus on weaving together a stronger fabric to support and grow the outdoor recreation economy as a whole is what makes this event so unique and powerful,” says Noah Wilson, who is program director of Growing Outdoors at Mountain BizWorks. Mountain BizWorks is the fiscal agent for the Growing Outdoors Partnership, which took over Western Carolina’s role in running the Outdoor Economy Conference (WCU remains a partner in the event).

Designed to grow the outdoor recreation economy as both an economic and community development driver across WNC and beyond, the conference draws attendees from every sector of the outdoor economy. It is a conference for everybody who plays a part in the outdoor economy, because the outdoor economy needs all those people to meet one another and work together if the industry is going to thrive in the future. The conference is already drawing a national audience; people from 20 states and 39 of North Carolina’s 100 counties attended last year, with more national participation anticipated for 2020.

“When people have jobs that are inherently tied to the health and well-being of their neighbors and the places they live and play in, we are all better off,” says Wilson. “The outdoor economy incentivizes us to care for our land, and to grow conscious, planet-positive businesses (like the member companies of the Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC). And when we take care of our places, they take care of us—our bodies, our minds, our spirits, and our wallets, too.”

Strong State Experts agree—the outlook for the industry is only up from here.

As mentioned before, according to the 2017 OIA’s Outdoor Recreation Economy report, outdoor rec contributes $28 billion to North Carolina’s economy and supports over a quarter million jobs. This is a significant increase from the previous report in 2014, which found that the outdoor economy in the state offered only a $19.2 billion contribution (47% increase) and 192,000 jobs (35% increase). Dave Petri,

The Outdoor Biz Pitch featured 10 Waypoint Accelerator businesses pitching their up and coming businesses. This was the opening night of the 2019 Outdoor Economy Conference. Photos by Donovan Godfrey Photography, cour tesy The Outdoor Gear Builders

independent consultant and member of the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition’s Board of Directors, says although this data is a few years old, it does provide insight into the trend of growth witnessed across the state. That growth has been represented by both new companies moving to or starting up in North Carolina and many existing ones that have grown within it.

However, what may be overlooked is the impact the out-of-state outdoor gear industry has on North Carolina manufacturing, as those national companies call on Carolinian manufacturers to provide them with materials needed to make their gear. “Take, for example, the textile industry,” Petri explains. “Companies such as Unifi (makers of Reprieve), Burlington (makers of No Fly Zone), and

Performance Textiles supply technical performance materials such as fabric and yarns to many national brands located outside the state. This positions North Carolina to be one of the leading (if not the leading) states to be a material supplier to technical outdoor apparel in the USA.” Petri says growth in the industry is anticipated for the future as companies continue to relocate to North Carolina, new companies are created, and existing companies continue growing.

Amy Allison, director of the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, agrees that the outdoor gear industry is seeing significant growth, listing local examples of outdoor companies that have amplified their reach in recent years: “ENO has April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 47

local industry

developed a strategic international growth plan that has helped them grow their presence internationally into 40+ countries; Blue Ridge Chair Works has seen tremendous growth through international trade and has garnered national business from iconic heritage brands; SylvanSport has launched an entire new line of adventure gear, as well as their award-winning Vast travel camper; Big Adventure paddle sports expanded their line and added more jobs through a merger with Bonafide Kayaks; and that is just the tip of the iceberg,” says Allison.

Allison adds that the outdoor community and the level of support is something that really sets WNC apart from other areas of the country, and she anticipates it will continue. “Our region realizes how important the outdoor recreation industry ecosystem is here, and we receive support from the state level down to the local community and the individuals who feel proud to use gear made by companies based right here,” she says. “We are collaborating, helping one another and the greater WNC community, and celebrating our successes together. That community spirit is contagious and will continue to attract other businesses looking for a thriving outdoor community to join.”

Hayley Wells leads the Ward and Smith P.A. Outdoor Sports and Recreation group, which advises outdoor gear manufacturers in all operational areas, including startup needs like entity selection and business formation, and services for mature companies like lobbying or succession planning. Wells voices similar thoughts on the continued trajectory of growth.

“We have found this industry is a natural fit for Western North Carolina because so many of the products developed here meet a need for those recreating in the Blue Ridge Mountains or otherwise support or facilitate visitors and residents enjoying the natural surroundings of the Asheville region,” Wells says.

“Additionally, the workforce of outdoor businesses tends to be intentional about where they choose to live and pick locations that align with where they like to spend time when they are off-the-clock.”

Part of the DNA While the industry is reaching monumental peaks, it is not a newcomer in the local economy. Clark S. Duncan, executive director and senior vice president, Economic Development

Smart personal investing for all of life’s seasons 828.274.7844 | info@wofm.us www.WhiteOakFinancialManagement.com Every Investment Strategy Has The Potential For Profit Or Loss.

48

| April 2020

Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, says the outdoor gear industry has long been part of the DNA of the Western North Carolina economy.

“The talented and growing workforce of our region continues to be the number one reason businesses expand here or choose to locate here.”

“The sector has been a strategic growth target for both our recruitment and entrepreneurial development programs for at least the past decade,” says Duncan. “What’s interesting to note is just how specialized our workforce is for the

outdoor industry—up to 18 times the national average in certain niche skillsets. In an industry that is so heavily concentrated in just a few U.S. markets, this suggests that we have both the capacity and opportunity for continued expansion.”

Is there too much of a good thing? Will the local economy reach a saturation point of outdoor gear manufacturers?

Duncan says healthy economic growth should always strike a balance between new venture formation, local industry growth, and outside investment—all of which the local outdoor industry has already proven to have. A growing economy such as ours will continue to welcome new employers that build great gear and invest in great people.

“The talented and growing workforce of our region continues to be the number one reason businesses expand here or choose to locate here,” says Duncan. “Taken together with our abundant opportunities for mountain adventure, a strong peer group of outdoor gear makers, and capacity building investments like the recent ARC Power Grant – the future of the industry is bright.”

With most of life’s little daily worries like home and yard maintenance and housekeeping taken care of, you’re free to focus on your total health – body, mind and spirit. The beautiful setting, wonderful new friends, and newly discovered interests keep you engaged, active and happy!

Call to schedule a visit and discover a holistic approach to a joy-filled retirement at Deerfield.

Asheville, North Carolina 800-284-1531 deerfieldwnc.org April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 49

THE OLD

NORTH

STATE [

news briefs

Well Played knightdale

By entering into a lease for 120,000 square feet of warehouse space, Transpacific Suppliers Alliance became the tenth and final tenant of Hinton Oaks, an industrial development built on-spec. The story began when Wake Stone, which has been running a quarry for half a century, decided to enter the development business. The company had purchased a large tract in 2007 to serve as a buffer for its quarry. Then, after about seven years, corporate decisionmakers thought they’d try putting the 48 acres to work. Warehouses were, and continue to be, in high demand in the area, and their impact was low enough for them to be considered a buffer. So Wake Stone’s admittedly high-risk plan was to invest several million dollars in

]

each of five warehouse buildings, but negotiations for a building permit were not straightforward, since Knightdale did not even consider industrial uses in its unified development ordinance. In the end, Wake Stone agreed to have its adjacent property annexed by the city and provide all-access infrastructure if the city, in turn, would supply water.

How’d They Think of That? fuquay-varina

TE Connectivity is a company based in Switzerland that sells electrical components for harsh environments in 150 countries. The company attests that after trees and storms, animals are the third most common reason for power outages.

TE Connectivity therefore has a special line of products that keep high-voltage transformers safe from animals and vice versa, and most of the items are manufactured at the company’s Fuquay-Varina plant. Typically these devices are as simple as extra plastic insulation for wires.

This year the company has released a more effective product known as the Wildlife Line Guard. From a distance, it looks like a large, round hairbrush, but it is actually a stack of discs with rounded-tip spikes emanating radially. When clamped around an installed wire, the discs spin independently of each other. So when a squirrel walking along a wire runs into the installation, he will spin this way and that with each step and fall off the wire rather than contact a lethal junction.

Cooler Cabana emerald isle

Brothers Dane and Scott Barnes and their best friend, Alex Slater, have given notice for their professional careers and will now produce the Shibumi Shade fulltime. It started with the loathing all three developed for the setup and takedown of cumbersome, unstable beach umbrellas and shade tents. Cabanas block the sea

Now Offering Duct Cleaning!

“Best of WNC” Hall of Fame for Five Years in a Row!

For Details Or To Schedule Your Appointment Call Us At 828-254-6141.

BEFORE

AFTER

Trust your home to HAYNES! 50

Proudly Employee | April 2020Owned

Quality Commitment Character

30 carolina in the west

breeze and hold heat, so they considered instead an idea that would work with the wind. Their prototype, made with borrowed equipment and YouTube videos, was made of a U-shaped PVC frame and a rip-stop nylon sail with a sleeve through which the PVC was fitted. The friends took it to the beach, and it worked without a hitch. Though they made the device for personal use, attention from passersby gleaned 32 sales in their first year; with no advertising, orders are now in the thousands. Today, the product is made out of tent poles connected with shock cord and sold only in two-tone blue to streamline operations. An arc is made with the poles parallel to the beach, and the sail, once attached, just blows behind. The tote bag filled halfway with sand is used as the single stake. The design requires at least a 3mph wind and one person with a couple minutes for setup, weighs only four pounds, and shades 180 square feet.

FDA approval, Audenz has two advantages over typical vaccines. First, it is produced by injecting mammal tissue, instead of chicken eggs (using eggs is a very slow process that produces only one or two doses per egg). Secondly, it uses Seqiris’ MF59 adjuvant that boosts the recipient’s ability to produce more antigens that may even work against mutated viruses, thereby reducing the amount of active ingredients needed for the vaccine. As a result, high volumes of the vaccine could be produced on short notice; Audenz can even be stockpiled.

The Holly Springs facility was selected because it is already equipped to produce another flu vaccine, Fluad. Seqiris does not intend the product to be marketed commercially in the United States, but it will instead honor an exclusive distributorship agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services in accordance with national pandemic preparedness initiatives.

So Many Edges

Did You Know?

holly springs

kernersville

Seqiris’ Holly Springs facility will be the exclusive producer of the H5N1 (a subtype of the influenza A virus) vaccine Audenz. Having just secured

ERD-Industrial Electronic Repair has published “A Guide for E-Cycling of Industrial Electronic Equipment.” The infographic details which electronics

the old north state

items are recyclable and why recycling is profitable. Items the guide recommends recycling are axis machining systems, battery charging systems, CNC boards, motherboards, power supplies, press brakes, printed circuits, and semiconductors. The graphic says only 20% of the 50 million tons of e-waste produced a year are recycled, and e-waste represents 70% of landfill contents.

Things are only expected to get worse as projected growth in electric vehicle use would generate 11 million tons of used lithium-ion batteries by 2030. By 2050, 60 million tons of recyclable solar panels could also be headed to landfills.

Representatives from ERD-Industrial say Google and Microsoft save $10 million a year through e-cycling. It is not only good for the environment and the wallet, it supports 1.25 million jobs.

Training the Local Workforce lexington

When Egger Wood Products agreed to set up its North American headquarters near Lexington, corporate leadership knew they would have to train a local workforce for its advanced

Believe in Abundance limited memberships now available.

visit visit biltmore.com/bscc biltmore.com/bscc or or call call 828-257-5959 828-257-5959 for for membership membership information. information.

limited memberships now available. visit biltmore.com/bscc or call 828-257-5959 for membership information. mention mention this this ad ad and and receive receive aa free free round round of of sporting sporting clays clays when when you you join join ($30 ($30 value). value).

From dreams to reality, let us help you choose the pathway.

How can we make life easier for you?

Offering tax optimized financial advising, custom-designed to help achieve your goals.

Tax • Financial Management • Business Growth Securities offered through Avantax Investment ServicesSM, Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Avantax Advisory ServicesSM.

40 N. FRENCH BROAD AVENUE, ASHEVILLE NC 828.258.2323 | CLKCPA.COM

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

51

the old north state

When it comes to your to-do list, put your future first.

To find out how to get your financial goals on track, contact your Edward Jones financial advisor today.

Katherine C Morosani Financial Advisor

IRT-1948H-A

1185 Charlotte Highway Suite I Fairview, NC 28730 828-628-1546 Katherine C Morosani

FAP-1966D-A

Financial Advisor

edwardjones.com Member SIPC

www.edwardjones.com

Member SIPC

1185 Charlotte Highway Suite I Fairview, NC 28730 828-628-1546

Donʼt Pay High Internet Prices To Build Your Wine Cellar!

Service includes free delivery and stocking of your cellar

We also track allocated and hard to find wines for you

manufacturing jobs, which will number 400 in its first phase of operations and 770 at full buildout. So the Austria-based manufacturer of flooring, cabinets, and furniture launched the same program it uses at its other 18 plants. Partnering with Davidson County Community College, the program targets high school students with an offer to pay for their associate degree in an electrical or mechanical trade field while training them on-the-job in a part-time paid position.

A full benefits package is included, and upon graduation, the students will be eligible for full-time employment. The idea was such a hit, five other manufacturers formed the Davidson and Davie Apprenticeship Consortium to offer similar opportunities with their organizations. Those organizations are BMK Americas, CPM Wolverine Proctor, Ingersoll Rand, Kurz Transfer Products, and Mohawk Industries.

TV Sells north wilkesboro

Not long ago, Kayla Peters thought it was ridiculous to pay $40-$45 for a pair of earrings, so she started making her own out of clay. The earrings are relatively large with a primitive look, extremely lightweight, and nickel-free. She started selling the jewelry to friends less than a year ago when they asked her where she purchased them. Then she stepped back, realizing she could do better with a business model, and started selling the items on Etsy, Instagram, Facebook, and in local boutique gift shops as Kay’s Clay Works. Each item is handcrafted and can be custom-colored, for example, with team colors. The materials are inexpensive, and it takes about an hour to make a pair, so the earrings retail for around $12-$20. The hardest part in the manufacturing process is conditioning the clay so it will cure properly. Business really took off after Peters’ father scored a TV appearance for her on ABC affiliate WBMA-LD in Birmingham, Alabama. It enabled her to quit her day job working for Lowe’s to pursue her passion for fashion and “styling people.”

Post-TSA Decompression Zone charlotte

Call 828.575.9525 and ask for John.

169 Charlotte Street Asheville, NC 28801 metrowinesasheville.com

52

| April 2020

American Express announced the opening of its 11th Centurion Lounge in Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Serving 46 million customers last year, CLT is the seventh-busiest airport in the world. Located post-security on the top floor of The Plaza, the lounge is exclusive to holders of Platinum, Centurion, and Delta Reserve cards and their guests. The lounge covers 13,000 square feet and features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the airfield and downtown skyline, plus a mural by local artist Amanda

Moody. Its main feature is the regional cuisine prepared by local James Beard semifinalist Joe Kindred, including buttermilk fried chicken and grilled cauliflower steak with pistou sauce. A complimentary bar provides custom cocktails by mixologist Jim Meehan and wines selected by Anthony Giglio. More pragmatically, the lounge has dedicated workspaces, power outlets, high-speed Wi-Fi, private phone areas, and comfortable seating. Shower suites and family rooms are also available.

Optimum Precision davidson

MSC Industrial Supply, a distributor of industrial metalworking maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services, has entered into a contract with the United States Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory “to advance manufacturing” in the United States. Metalworking experts from MSC will work with customers to optimize their tools and collect data, which will then be analyzed to design tools of the future. Scott Smith of Oak Ridge explained as the project helps manufacturers improve precision for better products, it will, as a natural consequence, reduce corporate utility usage and costs, extend tool life, increase productivity rates, and make the country more competitive. MSC experts work side-by-side with manufacturers, using over 1.7 million products to support their goal.

Scarcity Is Scarcely Good raleigh

Some state legislators are trying again to weaken Certificate of Need (CON) laws. Proposed amendments to House Bill 126, which was already passed, would exempt ambulatory surgery centers from CON laws. CONs in North Carolina subject healthcare providers’ plans to invest in capital improvements, such as construction or major medical equipment like radiology scanners, to approval by the 25-member State Health Coordinating Council. The application fee for a CON can cost $500,000, and many legal bills are likely to follow. Opponents argue regulation is needed to protect healthcare in rural areas, prevent over- and under-utilization of services, and protect patient safety. Those favoring the amendments argue this is a textbook case of an incumbent industry preventing lateral entry to its market. CONs restrict supply and, therefore, drive costs up, sometimes twofold. They further cite reports, like one from the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found healthcare costs are 11% higher in CON states, or one from the Mercatus Center, which says states with CON laws have 30% fewer rural hospitals per capita. Mercatus also ranked North

Your gently used shoes can work real magic.

We’ll sell your donation in one of our stores, then use the proceeds to help fund our job-training and employment programs.

So local people can achieve financial security.

And if your spring cleaning happens to turn up a gently used lamp, rug, coffeemaker or box of outgrown clothes, well ...

There’s no place like Goodwill for getting folks back on their feet.

100% Local | 100% Nonprofit goodwillnwnc.org April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

53

the old north state

Carolina’s CON laws as the fifth-strictest in the nation.

Enjoy Your Outing apex

Launched just over a year ago, BoatyBall has really taken off. The idea was born when founder Bob Wall and his wife were out on their boat and couldn’t find any mooring balls. (Mooring balls are floating balls anchored to the sea floor that allow boaters to merely tie on and tie off, rather than dropping and weighing anchor.) A storm was approaching, so they went to the next bay, and the only available ball was broken. When they made it safely to a third bay, they conceived BoatyBall. It’s a web-based mooring-ball reservation system built by Belgium-based Klarrio, which also built and maintains the BoatyBall website.

It’s not just for emergencies, it also helps eliminate the early morning scramble for moorings and the congestion associated with it. With over 10,000 reservations, BoatyBall now has 9,000 subscribers and expects to add about 600 a month through the year. The reservation system currently operates only in the British Virgin Islands, but the technology is scalable. The platforms online are operated out of the BoatyBall office in Apex.

This Town Needs More Facetime high point

David Congdon, chair of Old Dominion Freight Line, and his mother and father through the Earl and Kathryn Congdon Family Foundation, have an idea for restoring a sense of community in their hometown. They’re transforming the former site of two hosiery mills into a coworking space for networking and entrepreneurial incubation. The family has committed over $30 million toward upfitting the old factories, and they have already arranged for the donation of 54

| April 2020

fabrication equipment and tooling for a production lab as well as business equipment. In addition to coworking spaces, the facility will have gathering spaces, including an event venue on the top floor of one of the factories. The first space to open, though, will be a revenue-generating cafeteria. Congdon envisions creating a traditional downtown, where people from different backgrounds and disciplines come together to synergize friendships and business partnerships.

The center will be called Congdon Yards; the name was chosen because “yard” evokes images of fabric as well as train and truck yards.

Prodigy chapel hill

Priyav Chandna is the founder of the online chess academy MyChessTutor.

He began learning the game at age six in Botswana, and he was a two-time champion in his homeland’s national tournaments before he was 14. When he moved to the United States and was still in high school, he was state champion in New Mexico and a runner-up three times in North Carolina. Upon graduation, the veteran chess player decided to try coaching and launched the academy, a combination of a two-dimensional chessboard and video conferencing for real-time feedback and analysis. Building his client base was difficult, his strategy being to give underpriced live lessons.

Chandna learned through the experience that he really enjoyed teaching, and his students showed marked success in their game. Business was so good, he took time off during his sophomore year at UNC Chapel Hill to rethink his business model. Among other things, he hired about a dozen coaches to help. The academy now has 90 students enrolled, aged 5-79, some of whom are technical professionals, doctors, and CEOs. Now that the business is stabilized with 10% monthly growth, Chandna intends to return to school and pursue other business ideas.

Evidently Worth the Trouble cary

The vegetation management arm of Bayer Environmental Science, a division of Bayer Crop Science, headquartered in Cary, announced it has secured United States Environmental Protection Agency approval for restricted use of Invora herbicide. The product is federally-registered only for use on non-hayed private rangelands or managed grasslands in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, or Texas. Invora’s active ingredient is effective on woody brush and weeds, broadleaf weeds, and two of the most persistent invasive brushes: honey mesquite and huisache. The product continues to work for about two years after a single treatment, and it is effective in rangeland restoration. Drawbacks are brush treated directly must not be removed from the site, but must be allowed to decay; vegetation grown on-site after treatment, and the manure of animals grazing on that vegetation, may not be taken offsite for two years; and livestock grazing on treated vegetation may not be taken off-site unless fed untreated vegetation for three days.

Spiking Germs lake junaluska

This year, WNC Sterile Solutions, based in Lake Junaluska, entered into an exclusive distributorship agreement with Durisan. Durisan is described as a germicidal fogger that kills 99.9% of bacteria, germs, and viruses. It is water-based, organic, safe for plants and animals, and EPA-approved. Durisan’s proprietary technology covers surfaces with microscopic spikes that attract single-cell organisms and pierce their membranes. Because Durisan kills germs mechanically, there is no need to worry about harmful side effects from chemical reactions, and it is safe for use with all water systems. As an added

bonus, it is effective on-contact and continues to work for about a month after the treatment. The product further works on porous and nonporous surfaces, and it is non-leaching and non-migrating. While the contract covers all of Western North Carolina, owner Brandon Firestine currently has the capacity to only focus on homes and businesses in Haywood County.

Conscience Before Profits raleigh

Basil Camu took over his father’s tree service, Leaf & Limb, and quickly grew it to an enterprise raking in $5 million a year. This year, however, he made a decision to cut revenues by $1.5-$2 million. Camu explained that when he started work, all he knew about trees was how to cut them down. Now that he’s a certified arborist, he’s aware of the role trees play in maintaining groundwater supplies and absorbing air pollution. He therefore decided he will never fell another tree, and his business won’t, either. He ran the idea past his 45 employees, who love trees as much as he does, and they unanimously agreed to take a potential hit for the sake of the planet. Customer response, he said, was mostly positive. Meanwhile, before the landscaping season returns to full swing, the employees have been trying to drum up business from people who want the kinds of services they want to perform: caring for trees. Camu is at peace with his decision to live purposefully. “It’s uncertain, but it feels amazing,” he said.

The Cabinet Design Studio at

FOREST MILLWORK Asheville, NC «» Greenville, SC

828.251.5264 www.ForestMillwork.com

Over 100 years.

Over 100 years.

Forever First.

Forever First. ®

®

After enough time, your name becomes more than the thing peopleenough call you.

It becomes yourbecomes reputation.

Andthan yourthe promise.

After time, your name more thing For more years,your First Citizens And Bankyour haspromise. helped people call than you. It100 becomes reputation. customers make mostFirst of the moneyBank theyhas earn, save For more than 100the years, Citizens helped and invest.

Learn how we can help you at firstcitizens.com. customers make the most of the money they earn, save Or stop byLearn one of ourwebranches.

Because money isn’t and invest. how can help you at firstcitizens.com. everything. depends onBecause what youmoney do withisn’t your Or stop by But onesoofmuch our branches. money.

First Citizens Bank.

Forever First. everything. But so much depends on what you do with your money. First Citizens Bank. Forever First.

Member FDIC FDIC April 2020 | Member capitalatplay.com

55

From Boone to the border, the Blue Ridge Parkway hosts a network of trails for the novice and experienced hiker alike. It could almost be renamed...

Blue Ridge Walkway THE

written by derek halsey

56

| April 2020

leisure & libation

photo by Evan Anderson April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 57

leisure & libation

I

t’s the end of February, and I’ve pulled over on Route 221, heading southwest out of Linville between the majestic

Grandfather Mountain and the equally impressive Linville Gorge.

I’ve stopped by a roadside pasture where a small herd of beautiful Scottish Highland cattle are grazing on the cold, wet grass.

One of the oldest registered breeds of cattle in the world, Scottish Highland are known for their ginger-red coats of foot-long hair, which hang in shaggy strands down their faces, making them look like bovine hippies with horns. They are smaller and mellower than regular cattle, and because of their long and wavy hair, they are well-suited for the cooler climates found here in the western mountains of North Carolina.

I’m snapping photos of the bohemian cows in the late winter snow when an SUV pulls up; it’s driven by one of the owners of Highland Legacy Farms in Newland, where they’re breeding and raising the Scottish Highland cattle for sale. She strikes up a conversation, and I learn that the family moved to our mountains from Florida three years ago and now live a few miles down the road, not far from Linville Gorge. Despite being so close to one of Western North Carolina’s most well-known natural wonders, she admits to having never explored the extraordinary crevasse in her backyard.

“We haven’t even been to Linville Falls yet,” she says of the area’s most picturesque landmark, which is located on the western end of the 11-mile-long Linville Gorge, nor has she heard of the famous Brown Mountain Lights, which mysteriously appear and hover above the ridges after dark, visible from various parts of the higher reaches of Linville Gorge. The Brown Mountain Lights have been featured in songs and on TV, yet word of them has yet to reach their new neighbors.

But it’s not surprising; many long and short term residents of Western North Carolina and even the region’s tourists have yet to explore the natural beauty beyond their driver’s side window. It’s a phenomenon as mysterious as those Brown Mountain Lights: Folks will pile into cars and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), but for reasons unknown, they never park and explore on foot via the endless network of trails just off the BRP. The Parkway provides scenic views, but it’s not until you take to the trails that you can truly understand and appreciate the beauty of Western North Carolina.

That’s why this hiking guide is designed to get you onto the Parkway and off on a trail. Heading west from the Deep Gap exit just east of Boone, we’ll follow the meandering curves of the BRP towards the Cherokee National Forest, stopping for a series of short, medium, and long hikes along the way that provide you with a collection of snapshots of the region’s varied scenery. We can’t cover every path and trail in Western North Carolina, but we can get you into the woods and onto the clifftops that will motivate you to seek out even more trails.

58

| April 2020

OVERLOOK OFF one of the trails at Mt. Mitchell, photo by Bonnie Roberson

Boone Above

courtesy Mount Inspiration, photo by Evan Anderson

As you begin your journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway, take note of the white cement milepost markers along the way. These low-tothe-road signs are engraved with mile numbers and serve as guides to your location on the 479-mile roadway; we’ll use them as guideposts frequently throughout this article.

In the Boone and Blowing Rock areas of Western North Carolina, you’ll find several 5,000-foot and higher peaks, which means stunning views and strenuous hikes. Ready to get the blood pumping? Start with the summit trail to the top of Elk Knob Mountain. Located at Elk Knob State Park in Todd, this 3.8-mile, round-trip switchback trail falls into the moderately hard hiking category. As is so often the case with harder hikes, it’s worth it: The view from the summit gives you full panoramic access to the peaks located to the west, north, and east of Elk Knob Mountain, including Mount Rogers, the highest summit in Virginia.

Once you’re back on the Parkway and heading southwest from Deep Gap, look out for the Rough Ridge Trailhead parking lot near milepost 302. Because this is a fairly easy trail and close to the bustling college town of Boone, it can get very busy in the summer months, but navigating the crowds is a small price to pay for the breathtaking view of Wilson Creek Gorge down below.

If you’re feeling adventurous (and want to avoid those crowds), you can also take a short, quarter-mile walk south from the Rough Ridge Trail parking lot on the BRP to the Ship Rock Trail. You’ll cross a short portion of the famous Linn Cove Viaduct and pass the milepost 301 marker, then find the Ship Rock Trail on the right at the end of a rock wall.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 59

leisure & libation

“Photographers and nature lovers of all stripes adore this trail at dusk, when the view of the sunset is breathtaking and the trail is short enough to navigate back to your car before it gets too dark.”

photo by Evan Anderson

60

| April 2020

The Ship Rock Trail follows the bare mountain wall upward and eventually connects with the top section of the Rough Ridge Trail, where the views are better and the tourists fewer. You don’t need ropes to hike this route, but you will have to use your hands and feet to climb the boulders, so it isn’t for the faint of heart—and neither are the incomparable views at the summit.

Further down the road at milepost 305 you’ll find the exit for Route 221; this turnoff will take you to Grandfather Mountain State Park. It’s just a mile-long detour to the destination, where for about $20-plus per person, you can go to the top of Grandfather Mountain and enjoy their zoo, gift shop, and take a walk across the world-famous Mile High Swinging Bridge. On the clearest of days, you can make out the skyline of Charlotte on the horizon almost 90 miles away!

Back on the Parkway heading south, you’ll quickly come to a parking lot on the left side of the road at milepost 305, the trailhead to the Beacon Heights Trail—arguably one of the most unique paths in the area. Just 1,400 feet in length, this easy trail is a quick walk with a big reward. At the top of the path, you’ll experience a view that epitomizes the wonderful off-road vistas that are accessible to even the most casual hiker.

There are two other trails that intersect with the Beacon Heights Trail that head in different directions, but the trail signs are easy to follow so stay on the Beacon Heights path. Once you head up the trail, take a left at the stone bench and walk up the rock steps. The narrow path widens as you walk out onto a sloped rock knob that offers a 180-degree view that stretches from Grandfather Mountain on your left to Table Rock Mountain

and Hawksbill Mountain on the right, both of which climb up from the bottom of Linville Gorge down below. The two sister peaks look like pointed, side-by-side elbows on the horizon.

As you continue south down the Parkway, watch for the parking lot to the Flat Rock Trail, which will be on your right just past the milepost 308 marker. Also known as the “Sunset Trail,” this is another easy, 30-minute round-trip adventure that takes you through dense, misty woods and to a cliff trail that overlooks the valley below. Photographers and nature lovers of all stripes adore this trail at dusk, when the view of the sunset is breathtaking and the trail is short enough to navigate back to your car before it gets too dark.

For the more intrepid hikers, at milepost 311 on the BRP, turn left onto a gravel road called Old Jonas Ridge Road. Drive

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 61

POINT WHERE THE AT and MST meet , photo by Bonnie Roberson

AT & Mountains-to-Sea When you take a step back and consider the wider view of this wondrous region, you’ll notice some of the famous, very long legacy trails of Western North Carolina. At the top of the list are the Appalachian Trail and the newer Mountains-to-Sea Trail, both of which take a lot of planning, skill, and time to complete.

The world-renowned Appalachian Trail travels from Maine to Northern Georgia and includes a wonderful 97-mile section that meanders within the wilds of Western North Carolina.

A bit farther north, there is an additional 220 miles of the Appalachian Trail that switches back and forth along the North Carolina-Tennessee border. Some people choose to hike this trail in sections, while others prepare to do the whole 2,100 miles over a six month period.

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is also a very lengthy and adventurous journey. It extends for 1,200 miles from Clingman’s Dome all of the way to the Outer Banks Islands that stretch out into the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, as with the Appalachian Trail, the variety of off-shoot trails and possibilities are nearly endless.

While the Appalachian Trail was conceived in the early 1900s, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail was officially created in the year 2000.

Therefore, this extensive pathway is a work in progress with trails still being perfected and cleared by a wonderful group of people called The Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. On their website, mountainstoseatrail.org, you will not only find the history of this increasingly popular walk, you will also find maps, trip tips, and a chance to be a part of the team as you hike.

What is fascinating about the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is you get to witness and experience the diversity of our home state, hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, cresting over the tallest peak in the eastern United States on Mount Mitchell, and then heading downhill to explore the flat Piedmont area of the state before finally ending up on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

62

courtesy Mount Inspiration, photo by Evan Anderson | April 2020

two miles until you see a white church on the left with a gravel road veering off behind it; this is known as both Pineola Road and Forest Road 464. This gravel drive goes deep into Wilson Creek Gorge and is punctuated by small parking lots and signs that mark the strenuous Big Lost Cove Creek Trailhead on the left and, about a mile further on, the moderately difficult Little Lost Cove Cliff Trailhead on the right.

The former is a two-and-a-half hour round trip hike, and the latter an out-and-back about 40 minutes each way with steep inclines up the mountain. Both trails, however, offer incredible payoffs at the top with rocky cliffs and stunning views of Wilson Creek Gorge and the ever-changing Grandfather Mountain on full display in the distance.

photos by Bonnie Roberson

Linville Gorge Back on the BRP heading south, you’ll drive into the Three Peaks Region as you near Asheville. Your first stop? Linville Falls and Linville Gorge.

At milepost 318 is the exit to another section of Route 221. Turn left on the road, and within a mile you’ll see Route 183, where you’ll take another left. Drive .8 of a mile to a gravel road on the right with a sign that reads “Wiseman’s View and Linville Falls,” which leads quickly to the Linville Falls Trail parking lot. From this trailhead, choose your own adventure: Hike up for a lofty view of Linville Falls, or hike all the way down to the river where you can traipse across the top of the falls themselves.

Back on the gravel road, four miles deeper into the woods is the parking lot for the world famous Wiseman’s View Trail. Please note that if this road is wet or slippery, you will not make it while driving in a two-wheel drive vehicle or one with low clearance.

In the dry summer months when the gravel road is drought dry, however, it is navigable in a two-wheel drive car, just look ahead for ruts and be careful.

Once at Wiseman’s View, this very short, paved trail can be accessed by hikers and walkers of all levels; it’s wheelchair accessible with stone benches dotting the path to catch your breath. Once you walk out onto the observation area, you’ll be hit with a truly incredible view of Linville Gorge. The panoramic scene that envelopes you includes the 1,400-foot deep gorge that cuts through the mountain and the slopes of both Hawksbill Mountain and Table Rock Mountain that drop steeply from their impressive summits down to the Linville River below.

There are plenty more trails in the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area that veer down from the rim and descend into the gorge below; if you choose to explore these routes, be very prepared and take careful note of your return path as this sprawling valley has stranded many a novice hiker. From the gorge floor, the Linville River Trail stretches across a lengthy 11 miles; the portion of the trail that reaches up and out of the gorge is particularly strenuous and will quickly test the limits of beginner hikers. If you’re an experienced adventurer, however, it’s worth the extra effort as the gorge unveils itself to you from the summit.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 63

leisure & libation

To traverse another set of great trails on the other side of Linville Gorge, drive back out to Route 183, turn right, and follow the road until it dead ends on Route 181. Take another right and look for the big “Ginger Cake” neighborhood sign on the left, where you’ll turn onto the road of the same name.

Table Rock Road will almost immediately veer off to the left— that’s your route. This easily traversable road eventually turns into gravel and will lead you to the eastern rim of Linville Gorge. Once on the gravel road, you’ll land upon the Hawksbill Mountain Summit Trail parking lot a few miles in and many other trailheads as well. About four miles further down is the sign for the Table Rock Mountain Trail parking lot road on the right.

First, at the Hawksbill Mountain Summit Trail is a trail marker on the right that verifies your destination. While the trail to the summit is steep at times, it is only about a mile long and approachable for the average hiker. When you get to the summit, be sure to explore the mountaintop trail on the right as much as the one on the left, as the rock formations are even more impressive on that side of the peak.

If you venture down to the Table Rock Mountain parking lot, you’ll have access to two awesome trail options. The path to

As you descend south towards Asheville, the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and Craggy Pinnacle Trailhead are both perched at the 364 milepost. What makes this area well worth the pitstop is the unusual rock formations that line the hike at this high elevation. In fact, although it’s less than 20 miles from Asheville, Craggy Gardens is over 3,500 feet higher in elevation than the city down below.

The Craggy Pinnacle Trail is a moderate mile-and-a-half round trip, and the views of the mountain range that surround the summit are framed at each turn. It’s the perfect place to take in the sight of the abundant wild blooms in early summer; first the Catawba trees bloom with their pastel pink flowers in May, then the mountain laurels, and finally the alabaster flowers of the native rhododendron trees in June.

West of Asheville Once you pass Asheville on the BRP (the turn off for Asheville is at milepost 388), the trails continue to range from challenging to easy, all of them offering a special slice of the Western North Carolina mountains.

“On the Chimneys Rim Trail, however, you become a part of the gorge itself, meandering in and out of rock formations while still landing those breathtaking views along the way.” the right is a steep, mile-long trail to the summit of Table Rock Mountain. The other hike, found at the opposite end of the parking lot by the bathrooms, leads to the Chimneys Rim Trail.

The best approach to discovering the Chimneys Rim Trail is to hike it for about a mile-and-a-quarter before turning around when the rock formations are replaced by woods. Experienced and novice hikers count Chimneys Rim Trail among their favorite paths in the region: With comparable hikes, you’re either looking up to the top of the gorge or looking down into the crevices; on the Chimneys Rim Trail, however, you become a part of the gorge itself, meandering in and out of rock formations while still landing those breathtaking views along the way.

Back on the Parkway, milepost 355 is home to the turn-off to Mount Mitchell. Mount Mitchell is the big one—the tallest mountain east of the Rockies. The hike to the summit from the parking lot is an easy 600-yard jaunt, and the 360-degree views are dazzling, depending on the weather. There are other, longer trails worth exploring that depart from the Mount Mitchell summit, but again, you must be prepared for a serious hike if you take on these strenuous treks.

64

| April 2020

As you continue down the Parkway heading south, Mount Pisgah soon rises up before you at a striking 5,722 feet in elevation. Considered a diverse trail in flora and fauna, the 1.6 mile trek up the Mount Pisgah Trail is strenuous, especially as you near the summit, which can be spotted from various parts of downtown Asheville. The panoramic view from the top is a welcome reward for the work, and the 1.6 mile hike back to the car feels like a breeze after the trip up.

As your journey continues, there are two back-to-back stops that yield superb hiking opportunities and landscapes: Graveyard Fields and Waterfalls at milepost 418 and the Art Loeb Trail system located at milepost 420.

Graveyard Fields is a wide-open, high altitude meadow dotted with a rainbow of wildflowers in summer that rests at 5,000 feet in elevation and is fenced in by 6,000-foot peaks. The stop also affords the chance to find two waterfalls; the first lies just one-third of a mile from the trailhead, and the second waterfall is located on the longer, 2-plus mile moderately difficult hike that winds across the mountainous meadow.

A couple of miles further down the Parkway is the Black Balsam Knob section of the Art Loeb Trail system. Beginning

Elk Knob State Park

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

start here

Deep Gap

TENNESSEE 321

BOONE

Blue Ridge Hikes Map

321

Grandfather Mountain

Cut out this page and take it with you for your next drive and hike on the parkway.

Flat Rock Trail

221

MILEPOST 311

MILEPOST 318

Linville Falls Trail

PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST

221

BLOWING ROCK

MILEPOST 302 Rough Ridge Trail MILEPOST 305 Beacon Heights Trail

321

Big & Little Lost Cove Trails

Hawksbill Mountain Summit Trail

Table Rock Summit Trail Wiseman’s View Trail Chimney Rim Trail

221

Mt. Mitchell

MILEPOST 355

221 40

40

40

OLD FORT

MARION

This map is not meant to be an exact representation, but rather used as a guide. For a more thorough blueridgeparkway.org 65 April map, 2020 visit | capitalatplay.com

PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST

leisure & libation

TENNESSEE

NORTH CAROLINA MILEPOST 364 Craggy Pinnacle

WEAVERVILLE 26

40

ASHEVILLE 40

240

40

26 74

WAYNESVILLE

MILEPOST 407 Mt. Pisgah Trail Black Balsam Knob

MILEPOST 451 Waterrock Knob

PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST

Art Loeb Trail 74

MILEPOST 418 Graveyard Fields MILEPOST 422 Devil’s Courthouse Trail

NORTH CAROLINA 66

| April 2020

SOUTH CAROLINA

photo by Evan Anderson

at the Art Loeb Trail parking lot at milepost 420 on the BRP, this trail can be easy, medium, or hard, depending on how long you’re willing to hike. Even the mile-and-a-half round trip hike up to Black Balsam Knob is fairly easy and provides the stunning views landscape photographers love. The bald sits above 6,000 feet and provides splendid, 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains, but the views closer at hand are just as beautiful: fields filled with wildflowers, prairie grasses, and weathered pine trees. If properly prepared, you can keep hiking further on the Art Loeb Trail, traipsing from summit to summit.

Two more miles down the Parkway leads you to the Devil’s Courthouse Trail at milepost 422. Devil’s Courthouse Mountain itself is one-of-a-kind with its jagged edges and cliffs reaching up to 5,720 feet. The one-mile trail is mostly paved, although it is considered a strenuous hike to the summit, and deposits the hiker at a summit that affords spectacular views. One ofttold tip for this hike is to not stop at the overlook, but instead continue to the summit for the best experience, including an excellent spot for taking in a summertime sunset.

From the Black Balsam Knob area, the distinctive Looking Glass Rock Mountain looms in the distance. Located on the other side of Brevard, Looking Glass is a notoriously challenging hike. A much shorter but equally picturesque trail can be found off milepost 522 of the BRP: the Devil’s Courthouse Trail. It’s a popular one-mile round trip with views that rival Looking Glass Rock.

VIEW FROM Devil’s Courthouse, photo by Bonnie Roberson

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 67

leisure & libation

As you come to the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway where the western corner of North Carolina narrows and the Blue Ridge Mountains turn into the Smokies, trails still abound, including Tennessee’s famous Clingman’s Dome off in the distance.

Towards the end of the Parkway near Waynesville and Cherokee, you’ll find the Waterrock Knob Trail at milepost 451, fewer than 20 miles from the Parkway’s 469-mile conclusion. At 6,292 feet in elevation, Waterrock Knob is one of the highest of the 40 peaks in North Carolina that peek above the clouds at 6,000 feet. The trailhead parking lot alone is above the 5,700foot mark and features views of both the sunset and sunrise, making it an accessible destination from which to picnic or relax.

The Waterrock Knob Trail is the last hiking trail found on the Parkway. The trail is steep at places with a rise

of 400-plus feet in elevation as you head to the summit.

But as it’s only a 1.2-mile round trip, it’s the perfect way to cap off your journey on the Parkway, with striking views of the Great Smoky Mountains that lie beyond the great American highway to the west and north.

*** Whatever route you choose to explore on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it’s always important to think ahead; be prepared with water, snacks, cell phone, and layers of clothing to adapt to the rapidly changing temperature at higher elevations, and hike with partners when possible.

If you stumble upon wildlife (it’s likely on some of these longer, less popular trails), treat them with respect and distance.

The views that await you from these trails, whether long or short, easy or strenuous, eclipse just about anything you’ll see from an Asheville rooftop. And it’s not just about the view; exploring these mountains on foot delights all the senses: feel the chill of a misty breeze, smell the buttery petals of a wildflower, hear the chirp of native birds, and taste the wild blueberries. Your car might deliver you to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but only your feet can take you to the true magic of the mountains.

68

| April 2020

these two photos cour tesy Mount Inspiration, photos by Evan Anderson

The views that await you from these trails... eclipse just about anything you’ll see from an Asheville rooftop.

photos by Bonnie Roberson

You Can’t Get Enough: A Few More Fun Hikes Roan Mountain Another popular trail found about 20 miles away from the BRP is the Roan Mountain Grassy Balds Trail. Located on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, you will follow Route 261 out of Bakersville, North Carolina, until you reach the sign for Carver’s Gap on top of the mountain where you’ll find a large parking lot for the trail.

The Roan Mountain Grassy Balds Trail is an easy, medium, and a long trail all in one, depending on how far you want to go. It features the largest section of grassy balds found in the entire Appalachian Mountain chain and also contains rare fauna as well.

Once you begin your journey, you will soon walk into a Wizard of Oz woods that look spooky and are covered in deep green moss year-round. Once past the woods, you begin to head up the mountain, where the views are soon stunning. Once on top of the first ridge, it is your choice as to how much farther you will go.

If you are in good shape and ready for more adventure, continue hiking another two-anda-half miles until you reach the 6,182-foot summit. The Appalachian Trail also follows the Roan Mountain Trail for a short while, but the trail signs are clearly marked. A good time to walk this superb path is in May and June when the rhododendrons are blooming, although every season is wonderful “Up On The Roan.”

Chimney Rock Chimney Rock State Park is located 25 miles south of Asheville and it is yet another popular place for easy-to-medium hikes and views.

Chimney Rock itself can be reached after a 500-step climb with a wonderful overlook of Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge at the top.

The Bearwallow Trail and Wildcat Rock Trail are located on the way to Chimney Rock State Park as you drive from Asheville, and are definitely wor th a visit. Bearwallow's trails a bit milder, and end up at the top of the mountain in a cow pasture. While hiking

to Wildcat Rock will include climbing rock stairs and navigating some steep trails, this 3-mile hike ends at a spectacular view from the overlook.

Looking Glass Rock If you’re looking for a more challenging hike, the distinctive Looking Glass Rock Mountain beckons in the distance. The hike to the summit of Looking Glass Rock is about a sixand-a-half mile round-trip with a hard climb of 1,700 feet in elevation. You’ll find the trailhead on the other side of Brevard on US Highway 276 North (also known as the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway). From US Highway 276 North, travel 5.3 miles and turn left at the sign for the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and the State Fish Hatchery; the Looking Glass Rock Trail parking lot is about a half mile past the hatchery. This is a notoriously tough hike, but you’ll be rewarded with epic views and bragging rights.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 69

column

You Aren’t the Face of Your Company, Your Brand Is

Y

OU ARE GETTING READY TO PITCH YOUR business plan to investors. Your speech is prepared, you have statistics to support your idea, you’ve practiced your spiel in front of your mirror and your dog.

B

bonnie roberson

is the Art Director of this publication with 10+ years of experience in the design field.

70

The day of, you shower, comb your hair, pick out the just-right outfit because you want to look your best. No detail is too small because you know that first impressions are important. You want to look like the person these investors can have confidence in.

This same ideology and approach should be applied to your logo and brand.

Many times, a customer’s first interaction with a business is through visuals like logos, ads, websites, or business cards. These designs are the way people see and relate to your brand, which itself is a visual representation of your business. Your brand is the equivalent of a quick “elevator pitch” of your business, which is why professionals providing a service need a solid branding presence to connect with potential customers. You can’t connect with

| April 2020

every potential customer and shoot them your elevator pitch, but your brand can.

Unfortunately, business owners frequently push aside the significance and validity of design to focus on more “urgent” needs when starting, growing, or evolving their business. To make the grave mistake of having the design of your business’ brand as a secondary or tertiary priority may eventually come back to haunt you.

First Impressions Just like when you’re getting ready for a big meeting, there are many small details that go into the different aspects of design and branding. It’s more than making your logo bigger or changing a color, it’s

B about communicating the spirit, message, and outlook of your business with a single visual element—that requires some serious attention to detail. Your branding, no matter what the application, has the ability to instill deeper feelings of confidence or relatability in your potential customers, and to ignore that doesn’t just negate those benefits, it could produce the opposite effect of instead instilling negative connotations like a lack of professionalism or investment in your product.

In design it really can come down to the tiniest details. A serif, for example, is a font that has a little mark at the end, or a “foot” (think Times New Roman). Serifs are commonly used to imply professionalism or solidity. Yet there are many types of serif fonts, and a designer can find one that speaks to how you would like your business to appear. Compare this to the outfit you are choosing for your presentation; you could go with a suit, but there are different cuts and fabrics

COLORS, FONTS, IMAGERY, CONTR AST—ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE STORY OF WHAT A BUSINESS OR PROFESSIONAL DOES. that you have to choose wisely in order to communicate your personality and offer a subtle hint to the investor about the type of person you are.

Colors, fonts, imagery, contrast—all of these elements of design have a role to play in the story of what a business or professional does.

Ditch D-I-Y With the rise of $5 logo sites, create your own logo options, and a friend-of-a-friend who has Photoshop, more and more entrepreneurs are choosing to forgo the use of professional designers and creatives in favor of the cheaper route. By using this less expensive option, these businesses are disregarding the value that a professional designer can bring to their brand.

A designer gets to know the needs and desires of the company, and they understand the “language” of design that can communicate those messages to the public through visuals.

Designers can also use their experience to expand a business leader’s idea of what is necessary in their design, ultimately helping the business come to the best decision to meet its branding or marketing needs.

As you build a budget into your business plan, be sure to set aside funds for design and marketing. Whether it be the production of a logo or refreshing an existing brand,

Instantly Transform Your Home with timeless handmade beauty from Togar

562 Long Shoals Road Arden NC 2020 | capitalatplay.com 71 828-687-1968 April • TogarRugs.com

column

discussing your options with designers is of inexpressible value.

These professionals want to help you look good (literally), they want to move people to use your service, they want to inspire users of your product, and, most importantly of all, they want to help you tell your story.

Your brand is often the primary contact point of your business; to put that kind of control in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand the principles of design theory would be a disservice to the concept you’ve worked so hard to turn into a business.

Intuition As a professional designer, I take into account a lot of discrepancies in design that most people don’t see. One of my focuses in designing this publication is to make sure the copy is at its most readable; if there is a hiccup in the way the typography is laid out that distracts the eye from the flow of the reading, the design has done an injustice to the work of the talented writers that contribute to our publication. Even a small stutter in design can cause a reader to get distracted

72

| April 2020

enough that they don’t finish reading or miss a vital part of the story. The human brain recognizes these visual ticks and will inadvertently produce a negative response.

Color theory is a great example of intuition in design. Certain colors give viewers certain feelings; blue, for example, tends

THE CREATION OF THIS PROFESSIONAL GROUP IS A TESTAMENT TO THE ABUNDANCE OF WORKING DESIGNERS IN OUR AREA. to give viewers a sense of calm without them even realizing it (think soothing oceans and cloudless days). This is why it’s common for medical professionals to use a shade of blue in their branding: striving to offer a patient a sense of serenity during what, for many, is a stressful visit.

Finding the right balance of these visual components is an extremely rewarding aspect of design. It’s the designer’s job to make the viewer feel something, whether the viewer knows it or not.

Where My Professionals at?

Recently Asheville acquired its own branch of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), which is the professional association of design. This group encompasses a variety of creatives, not just graphic designers, but also photographers, animators, coders, and illustrators. The creation of this professional group is a testament to the abundance of working designers in our area that can help your brand truly reflect your business’ mission.

These artists are out there every day, creating visual stories for businesses, nonprofits, and other professionals. Western North Carolina is flush with wonderful designers ready to assist your business, so do yourself a favor and reach out to one when you need it the most—which is always.

*** Local business owners wear many hats, put out many fires, and cultivate great ideas. Don’t let your business’ story go untold across any element of branding and marketing. Make sure your branding, fonts, the photography you use, the tone of voice you write in, all reflect your business’ mission and personality. Even by taking the small step of recognizing the feelings and experience that you want your logo or designs to convey is a big move towards growth in your company.

Remember that in many cases first impressions are key. If you show up to your investors meeting with Comic Sans on your business card, chances are, they are going to immediately excuse you from the room. If you don’t know what I mean, call a designer.

Charlotte Street 180 Charlotte Street Asheville, NC 28801 828.785.1940

Sweeten Creek 76 Sweeten Creek Rd. Asheville, NC 28803 828.258.5385

West Main Street 120 West Main Street Brevard, NC 28712 828.884.2285

Off Long Shoals Rd. 100 Julian Shoals Rd. Arden, NC 28704 828.585.2431

mountainpaintasheville.com April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 73

Meherwan and Molly Irani have already become Asheville’s preeminent restaurateurs - now they’re poised to take over supermarket shelves. photo by Anthony Harden

74

| April 2020

photo by Lauren Van Epps Chai Pani Restaurant Group

Currying Favor written by emily gl aser

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 75

photo by Jack Sorokin

There are not crowds in Asheville in February.

I

n July our rivers teem with bikini clad floaters and the broad yards of breweries are covered in the footprints of tourists. In October peepers whirl through the city’s streets in a tumult that echoes the swirling piles of leaves they’ve come to see. Even December finds droves of visitors seduced by that particular alchemy of Christmastime in the mountains.

But in February, that month when winter feels most dense and grey, crowds are absent—with one notable exception.

The lunch crowd at Chai Pani on a brisk Friday afternoon is thunderous and as diverse as the dishes on which they’re munching: a duo of suit-clad ladies on lunch break; a ranging family of teens and toddlers; a gaggle of bridesmaids just arrived in the city; and a couple of Chai Pani’s employees satisfying their hankering for the restaurant’s Indian street food on their day off. To their voices is added the clink of forks on metal dishes, the slurp of creamy tea, the dry swish of winter jackets being stripped in the restaurant’s intimate warmth. The door swings open and closed, open and closed, allowing a steady stream of new customers and the day’s stiff breeze.

Amidst the hubbub sits Co-Founder, CEO, and Executive Chef Meherwan Irani, a surprising figure of affable, easy-going serenity. He’s sprawled relaxedly in a corner of a Chai Pani booth, 76

| April 2020

a cup of warm chai in one hand, as he explains the concept of “jugaad” (joo-gäd). “It’s how all business is conducted and how shit just gets done in India,” says Meherwan, pausing, as he does often, for a vigorous chuckle. The Indian colloquialism refers to a specific spirit of ingenuity that combines frugal innovation and street smarts, spurring informal inventors across the country to create solutions using the limited tools at hand. Type the term into Google, and you’ll find a host of creative depictions of jugaad: a wagon with a water pump for an engine; flip-flops made from lime colored soda bottles; a roof balanced on three pillars and a crooked tree branch—Frankenstein-like inventions that are antithetical but efficacious (if often dangerous).

“The closest American equivalent I would have is to sort of to ‘MacGyver’ it,” he explains. “Just figure it out.”

In a country of a billion people, Meherwan points out, you have to be able to adapt creatively, quickly, and flexibly—much like one does in the restaurant business. It’s jugaad, he reveals, that’s enabled and expedited the expansion of a veritable culinary empire. What began with Chai Pani, his first Indian street food restaurant he opened with wife Molly and a ragtag team of passionate epicureans in Asheville in 2009, has since expanded into the Chai Pani Restaurant Group: Chai Pani and Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville; four restaurants in the Atlanta area and one more due to open in Charlotte; and Spicewalla, an Asheville-based spice company beloved by chefs across the country and, you know, Oprah.

When people ask how they do it all—stacking Jenga-tile endeavors one atop the other with hardly a wobble—he points to jugaad: “It’s the business mentality we use a lot here at Chai Pani,” he explains. “We just don’t worry about it. We just do it, and if we hit a roadblock, we figure it out. Everything’s figure-out-able eventually.” His shrugging assuredness might be misinterpreted as flippancy, but in fact it’s a brand of cultural steadfastness—with jugaad, failure just isn’t an option. “One mentality of jugaad is that we just don’t give up,” he adds. “You always make it happen.”

Perhaps it’s jugaad that allows Meherwan to do what nary another restaurateur could do: sit placidly in the heart of lunch rush without even an inkling of distraction; he seems to trust unflinchingly in this machine he’s built with a medley of tools and its ability to draw a lucrative crowd even in the dead of winter. And in a way, Meherwan is jugaad; he’s a paradoxical amalgamation of disparate experiences and parts—a salesman, a techie, a chef, an entrepreneur—that, when stitched together, breathes with hearty, robust life. And whatever the endeavor, be it a restaurant, a spice company, or an expansive line of grocery products, Meherwan always makes it happen.

First Course Though born in London, Meherwan grew up in the small Indian town of Ahmednagar, where his mother, Amrit Irani, and grandmother opened their home as a bed and breakfast for Western acolytes visiting a nearby ashram. Expanding her own entrepreneurial empire, Amrit fed her guests Americanized Indian dishes and peddled them souvenirs so they could avoid the overpriced wares of tourist traps.

“My mom immediately became the equivalent of a Wonder Woman, because in the ‘70s in India it was still pretty patriarchal; a woman’s place was in the house and women were certainly not out in the entrepreneurial world,” Meherwan says of their return to India and his mother’s introduction to the workforce, both of which were spurred by the onset of his father’s blindness; his inability to work provided Amrit with the latitude (and necessity) to do so instead. “So that was my childhood: watching my mom make Indian food approachable for Americans, and watching her be really entrepreneurial. So if you wonder, how did I end up in this business—opening a restaurant that I hope is approachable to Americans? From my mom,” he grins.

The inevitability of Meherwan’s wife Molly’s role in Chai Pani was also arguably predestined by her parents’ culinary capitalism: She spent her formative years back-of-the-house in their busy Myrtle Beach eatery. “I worked pretty much every position over the years, so the culture of restaurant life was the landscape of my childhood,” she recalls. As if their fate as restaurateurs weren’t already set, the two met in that restaurant. Meherwan, who’d long been engrossed in American culture thanks to his mom’s Western guests, decided to pursue

photo by Jack Sorokin

photo by Anthony Harden April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 77

chai pani asheville

Hatched April 2009 | Opened Sept 2009

mg road

buxton hall barbecue

Hatched Summer 2012 | Opened Oct 2012

Hatched Summer 2014 | Opened Sept 2015

botiwall a charlotte

Coming in 2020

botiwall a alpharetta

Hatched Summer 2018 | Opened May 2019

chai pani decatur

Hatched Sept 2012 | Opened March 2013

botiwall a ponce

Hatched Summer 2015 Approached by Ponce Citty Market | Opened March 2016

What Meherwan’s Cooked Up The footprint of Meherwan's culinary empire extends far beyond the boundaries of Asheville and across the Southeast (and he's not stoppin' there).

78

| April 2020

an MBA at the University of South Carolina. In the summers, he’d stay with family friends in Myrtle Beach and, like so many college kids, wait tables to save some cash for the semester ahead. Molly, home from her own college in California, did the same. The rest, as they say, is history.

After college, the couple settled in California, their life on a predictable trajectory: marriage, baby, career. Meherwan, a natural-born (and mother-bred) entrepreneur, eschewed a traditional career path in favor of creative entrepreneurship, first, and shortly, as a wholesale purveyor of Indian imports, and then for ten years as, of all things, a car salesman. As antithetical as the concepts that define the Chai Pani Restaurant Group today—authenticity, uncompromising quality, a dedication to service—may seem to the cliched car salesman, those are all skillsets that Meherwan says he polished in his years with Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. Meanwhile, Molly adapted to a

bemoaning the state of Indian food in America. Ever since his first experience at an Indian buffet in Columbia, after which his friends had explained that stale naan and vats of curry were just the norm, Meherwan had been on a quest for any eatery that could capture the flavors of home. “There are so many Indians here, surely some Indian’s doing it the right way,” he remembers thinking. “Nobody was, at least not back then.”

By the ‘90s, other international cuisines had moved past their dumbed down counterparts; Italian was no longer spaghetti and meatballs, Chinese was not just buffets of sweet and sour pork, “But one of the greatest cuisines in the world from a country that’s been around for 6,000 years—this is all we got?! What is wrong with us?!” he laughs, recalling his incredulity.

What was wrong, according to Meherwan, was actually the result of a lot of things that seem kind of right. The community of Indian immigrants in America was comparatively quite

Molly asked Meherwan if he could choose to do anything, something that combined his talents and passions, what would it be? When he considered what he really loved, his answer was threefold: tech, the auto industry, and food. series of positions—personal assistant, professional organizer, doula—before the Dot Com Boom drove them to return eastward. With the promise of a job in real estate and a newfound affection for the town, the family settled in Asheville. For a few years, Meherwan found a new level of success. “We bought a home, our kid was going to private school, Molly was a stay-athome mom, life was great,” he says. “And then 2008 happened.”

The private, secondary real estate bubble he’d been buoyed on burst. But in the fragmented pieces of the economy and Meherwan’s career’s collapse, the Iranis found their calling: Chai Pani.

Stirring The Pot It began with a question—the kind of question that almost inevitably leads to self-reflection and, if you’re lucky, reformation.

In the car on a trip home from visiting her family in Myrtle Beach, Molly asked Meherwan if he could choose to do anything, something that combined his talents and passions, what would it be? When he considered what he really loved, his answer was threefold: tech, the auto industry, and food. But of these options, a career in the field of food seemed most inaccessible; he was in his thirties with a wife and a child, and enrolling in culinary school and climbing the steep, sweat-stained rungs of the gastronomic ladder was a daunting prospect.

Yet Meherwan’s gravitation toward cooking was indubitable. He’d long perched on a soapbox of culinary injustice,

young. “And when we came here, unlike other cultures, we come with academic chops,” he says, pointing out that most migrated to pursue graduate degrees. Even those who did become entrepreneurs tended to gravitate toward convenience stores and hotels because of the strong cultural community that already existed in those fields and which supported the newcomers. “Opening a restaurant was probably a last resort for someone to do,” he theorizes.

With one exception, Vik’s Chaat in Berkeley, where he wondered at the sight of Americans eating Indian street food, Meherwan’s hopes were dashed again and again by strip mall canteens. So he took up his own kadai and began frying, steaming, and sautéing dishes himself, the heady waft of roasted spices and rich sauces alone enough to satisfy his nostalgic cravings. Though his mother hadn’t taught him to cook, she did instill in him the lessons that defined his home kitchen cuisine (and later, Chai Pani’s): “It’s because of her that I figured out how to not overthink things when it comes to food, and just figure it out,” he attests. “You do what tastes good and what makes sense.”

It wasn’t until a week after Molly posed her question that all these wires—his passion for food, his disappointments with the culinary landscape as it stood, even the examples set by his mother—finally made contact. “I had my eureka moment,” he remembers. Lying in bed, he tossed aside his book when the revelation hit. “I just sat up and I was like, ‘Wait a minute—I keep thinking that in order to do something in food I have to come in from the kitchen side. What if we opened our own restaurant?’”

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 79

The idea of serving great food was one thing—but opening and running a restaurant, Molly knew, was something completely different. “The first words out of my mouth went something like ‘Forget everything I said about following your bliss, that’s the craziest idea I’ve ever heard. You’re out of your mind!’ There might have been some expletives thrown in for good measure,” she laughs. “And so the debate began. I ranted about all of the endless reasons why I thought it was a terrible idea: ‘It’s harder work than you could ever imagine! It’s impossible to make any money!

You don’t know how to cook professionally! How can you open an Indian restaurant in a town with no Indians?!’ For every concern I expressed, he already had a perfect response—my husband the salesman!”

As for Meherwan, he remembers his argument as being a bit more straightforward: “The Indian jugaad guy in me went, ‘Oh, we’ll figure that out, that’s not the hard part! The hard part is coming up with the idea, which we just did!’”

“He convinced me that he could apply all of his years in sales and his MBA background with his love of great food to crack the code on how to make a restaurant run well. I was eventually sold on his dream and became his partner in the business,” Molly says. The couple, it turns out, were the restaurateur dream team: Meherwan’s passionate ebullience was tempered by Molly’s seasoned, engrained acumen, his big ideas reigned in by her reality checks. “The experience I had growing up ‘in the biz’ allowed me to be the devil’s advocate when it came to the nuts and bolts of the vision for Chai Pani,” Molly explains, describing her husband as a “dreamer and a visionary,” and noting that her experiences growing up in the industry informed them on what not to do as Chai Pani took shape.

With a big idea and a business plan, all the two needed to implement their vision was money—but in 2009, that was particularly hard to come by.

“The stock market had crashed, the economy was in freenfall, and not a single bank or credit union or any financial institution or even the SBA [Small Business Association] was willing to give us a loan to [open this restaurant],” Meherwan remembers.

But in the truest spirit of jugaad, he didn’t take “no” for an answer; instead, he wrote an open letter to everyone they knew explaining their concept and asking for support, be that a loan, an investment, or something else—whatever people could give to help this lofty, arguably risky dream get legs.

The response to the letter was immediate and represents a spectacular lesson in the capacity of community. Friends sent $50 checks and sizable 80

| April 2020

THE FLAGSHIP Asheville location of Chai Pani. photo by Anthony Harden

photo by Molly Milroy

loans; those who couldn’t afford to help financially offered to lend a hand instead. And most galvanizing of all were those who showed up on their doorstep— from California, Seattle, Hawaii—inspired enough by their vision to become a part of it. With helping hands and handouts, Chai Pani became a reality.

When the restaurant opened five months after its initial inception in September of 2009, it was the property of Molly and Meherwan, but it belonged to their team. The Iranis granted autonomy to their employees from the outset, and as the brand crystalized, every aspect of it was molded by the hands of many. Meherwan brought in Amrit, who instilled in his cooks her lessons in kitchen intuition; the result was an innovative, playful, and approachable menu that drew on Indian traditions but was entirely the creation of the Chai Pani kitchen. Employees shared enthusiastic, personal posts on the company’s social media accounts, cultivating a spirit of authenticity most PR managers would (and do) pay for. The excitement of Chai Pani’s ranks was so palpable on Twitter and Facebook that, according to Meherwan, opening day dawned with a line of eager patrons knocking at the door.

Currying Favor Really, that line has never left—and on this busy Friday afternoon in February, it’s easy to see why: Our table is topped with a rainbow of chaat (multi-textured and flavorsome Indian street snacks) and thalis (family style dishes) that

steam the shining silver of their plates to a dull fog. Meherwan points to each dish, explaining the Indian derivative and the American adaptation, the unique combination of which defines much of his cooking. Not just the menu, but each dish is a lesson in diversity: crispy-fried potato croquettes topped with cool yogurt; kale fattened with chippy batter and, at Meherwan’s insistence, double-dunked into green chutney and sweet yogurt; an Indo-Chinese (the Tex-Mex of India, he explains) dish of spicy, gingery cauliflower.

The menu is, like his mother taught them, a testament to adaptation, and it bears the mark of many cooks and palates—but none more so than Meherwan himself. His avant-garde approach to serving authentic, playful Indian food—in the South, no less—has earned him national accolades since the restaurant’s earliest days. He’s been a James Beard contender five times (most recently, this February) and his contagious smile and adaptive recipes have graced the pages and screens of pretty much every major food and lifestyle publication and network, Bon Appetit, Food Network, and National Geographic included. He’s repeatedly praised for doing exactly the thing he pined for all along: bona fide Indian food made available and amenable to a broad audience of Americans.

As the spotlight began to shine on Meherwan’s cooking, the business model began to both expand and contract. With Meherwan’s commitment growing and his travel schedule increasing, Molly shifted to a part-time role in the restaurant (her titles today April 2020 | capitalatplay.com

81

JAMES GROGAN photo by Lauren Van Epps Chai Pani Restaurant Group

photo by Anthony Harden

are co-founder and hospitality director) in order to anchor their home life.

Simultaneously, the opportunity to expand to additional locations shifted from a possibility to a necessity, not because of demand (though that certainly validated the decision), but in order to create greater opportunities for the employees that had made Chai Pani, well, Chai Pani.

“A year into it, I looked around at this amazing team and I’m like, ‘These guys can’t do this forever, they can’t wait tables and sweep floors… They’re my family and my friends, we’ve got to find a way for everyone to win, not just for me and Molly.’ So we opened a second restaurant,” Meherwan explains of the decision to open Chai Pani Decatur in 2013.

It’s that perspective, Meherwan explains, that’s spurred the company’s decision to continue to expand across Georgia and North Carolina over the past ten years [see sidebar, p. 78]. “Now we literally open because we go, ‘Ok, we’re at the point now where we’re getting top-heavy with wonderful people that we don’t want to lose. Let’s go open something and give them a chance to [do something more],” Meherwan explains. It’s a strategy that’s provided the Iranis with enviable employee retention in an industry known for the opposite, and many of their earliest staff are now

stockholders and managers of the Iranis’ various ventures.

The community they’ve built within their organization is also a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, Molly points out: “I don’t know how we got so lucky to find such great people, but I do believe that like attracts like, and the more great people we found, the more they attracted amazing people and that process became a force in and of itself,” she says.

The footprint of the Chai Pani Restaurant Group today qualifies it for appellations like “chain” and “franchise,”

“I don’t know how we got so lucky to find such great people, but I do believe that like attracts like, and the more great people we found, the more they attracted amazing people.”

82

| April 2020

but they forgo those designations and the assumptions that come with them, instead allowing each location to operate largely independent of the mothership; each restaurant has its own website, its own social media, and to an extent its own vision, though Meherwan’s touch is the thread that binds them. And when they open, those leading the

photo by Anthony Harden

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 83

photos by Lauren Van Epps Chai Pani Restaurant Group

project connect with community leaders and organizations and ask how they can integrate the business with their new town. “It’s a more awkward way to do it, but it’s still better than saying, ‘Hey, we’re a chain,’” Meherwan argues. In doing so, he hopes each location is part of its individual community first, and the Chai Pani Restaurant Group second; he wants people to be surprised that there’s another location in a different city, and often, he says, they are. “It’s rooted in how humans want to feel: We want to feel that we’re having a unique experience, that it’s authentic, that the place is part of the community,” he says.

Spice of Life Meherwan attributes much of his success in expansion to the replication of the same model; he knows that through experience and straight up time, he and his team have created a brand and series of processes that work, and they work well. To open a business with a different model, he says, would require “the same amount of figure-out-ed-ness.” It’s the predominant reason why his crowd-pleasing basement bar, MG Road, shuttered last year: Meherwan didn’t have the time or energy to commit to truly learning and elevating a business that wasn’t a restaurant, at least not at the level of integrity and dedication he’d become known for, and neither did any of his employees. (It also made sense to transition the space into an expansion of Chai Pani, whose cup—err, room—overfloweth).

And yet Meherwan’s latest endeavor—and arguably his most successful to date—marks a decided departure from the restaurant model: Spicewalla. “That did require a completely different business skillset from the restaurant business, but luckily a skillset that I already had, which was sales and retail,” he says of founding and running the spice company.

Though Meherwan is, as Molly asserted and most would agree, a hell of a visionary, the initial idea for Spicewalla wasn’t a product of his ambitious inclinations.

It was actually the notion of Mac Sullivan, CEO of Southern Foods, Meherwan’s longtime, local broadline distributor (broadline distributors provide restaurants with a range of supplies, from toilet paper to tripe). Sullivan wanted to provide his merchants with higher quality spices, and Meherwan introduced him to his contacts who dealt in bulk—but Sullivan needed convenient, USDA approved jars of spices, not 50-pound sacks of raw materials. And so Sullivan suggested Meherwan found a spice wholesaler, noting that he already understood every 84

| April 2020

photo by Andrew Thomas Lee

From Butter Chicken to Barbecue: BUXTON HALL BARBECUE

photo courtesy Chai Pani Restaurant Group

In 2014, when Meherwan Irani heard through the culinary grapevine that Elliott Moss, then the much-lauded chef of West Asheville’s the Admiral, was planning to open a barbecue joint, he tucked his napkin into his collar with anticipation.

When the plan fell through, Meherwan offered to lend an ear to his gastronomic peer, and the two met at MG Road for a round of consolatory drinks.

Four Old Fashioneds later, Meherwan was agreeing enthusiastically to a partnership with the Florence, South Carolina, native and fellow James Beard nominee. “What I recognized in Elliott was him trying to do what I’d done with Chai Pani,” Meherwan says. “He was also bemoaning the state of barbecue […] I saw in him that same sort of firedup-ness about the topic that I would get about Indian food.”

With Moss’ credentials as a chef and the Chai Pani team’s expanding expertise in opening and running restaurants, “it really felt like a match made in heaven at the time when we were four Old Fashioneds deep,” he chuckles, raising his hands in metaphorical surrender. The restaurant opened on South Slope, just south of downtown Asheville, in September 2015, and has since earned a level of national attention that’s on par with Meherwan’s other ventures.

While working with a partner has proved challenging in new ways, it’s also validated the Irani’s business approach.

“All of us at the company are exceedingly proud of two things,” Meherwan says of Buxton Hall. “A, its success.

And B, our ability to know that what we did with Chai Pani wasn’t a one-off in terms of the skillset… We know what we’re doing from a purely business technical standpoint, these ideas that we've had that we’ve cultivated, nurtured, and our organizer’s system that we’ve developed—this humanistic approach to doing things—they work in real life, not just because there was a hole in the market.”

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 85

aspect of the spice business: what restaurants want and need, what chefs think, how broadlines work, and most importantly, spices themselves.

Once introduced, Meherwan took up the project with the same enthusiasm and, scrupulousness of any project born of his own mind. He crossed the globe in pursuit of the best spices and herbs possible—French lavender, Madagascar vanilla, Israeli dill, Spanish paprika, Vietnamese cardamom—and established relationships with middlemen he liked, trusted, and who shared his reverence for quality. From them he imports spices in bulk, which are delivered to his Asheville facility, then processed, packed, and shipped. “The big difference between what we’re doing and what you see in the grocery store shelf,” Meherwan says of Spicewalla, “is the typical jar of cumin seeds on a grocery store shelf has probably taken a year to year and a half to get from the farm to the shelf, whereas we’re trying to cut that time down to a third, and and try to get it to where if you order something from Spicewalla, we actually don’t even pack it until you order it. So when restaurants order from us, we don’t have it sitting on the shelf ready to go; we custom make and blend the batch.” That makes for a more potently flavorful product.

When Meherwan introduced Spicewalla for restaurant distribution in the fall of 2017, it was quickly championed by the who’s-who of Asheville’s culinary scene, like Katie Button and John Fleer, who were inspired by both the quality of the product and the curation of the brand. Then the company began creating custom blends for their restaurant partners, like Button’s Bagels’ bagel mix and the Chop Shop’s rubs. Word of the new spice company spread first within the culinary community; 86

| April 2020

today they distribute to some 600 restaurants through Cheney Brothers (which acquired Southern Foods) and to even more eateries directly.

As the flavors of Spicewalla’s spices spread outside these kitchens with each dish, so did word of the company, and soon consumers began knocking on the door of the factory. They wanted to buy spices, which Spicewalla would dole out in Ziploc baggies. “Eventually I said, ‘Let’s just develop a retail line.’ It was more to satisfy the needs of people that were coming by the factory than anything else,” Meherwan remembers. The small consumer-facing operation—a few tins in his restaurants, a website—rapidly garnered national attention from the likes of Fortune, Forbes, and finally, Oprah, who added the 18 Pack Kitchen Essentials Collection to her 2019 List. “We sold 72,000 tins just through the 18 pack collection—just that alone, not counting the halo effect on all the other stuff we sold. It was incredible,” he says of Oprah’s endorsement. Next came deals with Costco, World Market, and Macy’s. As Spicewalla has expanded, and rapidly, Meherwan has drawn on the skillsets he developed as a restaurateur and a salesman—branding and packaging, credibility and relationships, authenticity, differentiation, quality product—and, as always, on his team, which is built almost entirely of people who were already in his organization.

Boiling Over Meherwan has long been heralded as the torchbearer of Indian cuisine, lobbyist for chaat and defender of pakoras and

SPICEWALLA OPERATIONS photos by Lauren Van Epps Chai Pani Restaurant Group

puri. And while he’s undoubtedly shifted the course of the cuisine in America, especially in the South (you don’t get nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for nothin’), the influence of his restaurants is concentrated and constrained by their points of impact. While Spicewalla is bound for national distribution, it doesn’t necessarily achieve Meherwan’s ultimate intention of making Indian food—real Indian food—accessible.

Meherwan’s old soapbox of the state of Indian cuisine actually extended beyond restaurants and to grocery shelves; just as he descried the bland curries of buffets, so did he lament the tasteless frozen meals, jars of congealed curry sauces, and puck-like microwaveable somosas he’d find in grocers. Despite the elevation of other make-at-home cuisines, he was disappointed, once again, that Indian food lagged behind its counterparts.

“I’m looking at the kitchen, at our incredible curries and sauces, and I’m going, ‘Why doesn’t it taste like that?’” he says of modern Indian grocery staples. “So Spicewalla is now my entree: I’m going to hopefully do to the grocery store shelf space what we did to the restaurant space,” he proclaims. Meherwan’s excitement is palpable as he pitches his new idea: “I’m convinced that I have what it takes to figure out how to get it an incredible, frozen butter chicken with rice, that somebody’s gonna put in the microwave and go, ‘Okay. It’s not as good as eating it in the restaurant, but my god, it’s 80% there.’ Which I think is head and

shoulders above the experience most people have right now.” It’s a market Meherwan is uniquely positioned to enter: With all those award nominations and restaurants, he’s a recognizable figure on the food scene, which means he has the power to popularize his cuisine through grocery store merch, much like Emeril and Wolfgang Puck before him. While there are smaller companies that are

“ If other cuisines can be adapted into frozen meals and grocery store staples without compromising their authenticity and flavor, why can’t Indian food?” creating really good Indian products for distribution, it’s Meherwan’s star power and position that could elevate his to a household name.

As Meherwan embarks on this latest venture, which is in development in 2020, he does so with the same spirit of jugaad that started it all. If other cuisines can be adapted into frozen meals and grocery store staples without compromising their authenticity and flavor, why can’t Indian food? “I’m going to figure it out,” he says with finality, sitting back in the booth of his first restaurant, which two hours later still hums with the din of a February crowd, the steady stream of which is proving ceaseless. “You can quote me on that. I will figure it out.” After all, he always has.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 87

People Play at

1

2

4

5

1. Andrew Brunk auctioning a painting by Molly Courcelle (RF) 2. OpenDoors Auction donor and supporter, Mike Rose stands with development staff, Dosty Quarrier (CK)

88

| April 2020

3. OpenDoors Executive Director Jen Langdon Ramming, styled by ananda studios (RF) 4. Long-time supporter and donating artist Jeremy Russell, with wife, Jamie Hammond (CK)

3

6

5. Event committee member Roxanne Kenyon (right) with Jessica Tomasin (CK) 6. Volunteer and supporter Jordan Israel (CK)

Opendoors Art Affair Look 2020 The Venue Downtown Asheville, NC | February 29, 2020 Photos by Robbie Francis (RF) and Cindy Kunst (CK) 7

8

9

10

11

12

7. Jasmine Middleton, awarding college scholarship to senior, Eric Lloyd (RF) 8. (L-R) Michele Bryan with Gigi Renee

9. Donors and volunteers, Jennifer and Richard Bock (RF) 10. Styled and fashioned by ananda and Bette Boutique, this year's Live Auction Art Handlers pose before the start of the event.

11. OpenDoors 9th grade students, Honesti Whiteside and Tyshauna Jacobs (RF) Â 12. Art collector and OpenDoors supporter, Tom Oreck, perusing live auction offerings (RF) April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 89

events

april

428 Hazelwood Ave, Waynesville, NC

EVENTS

Mark Warren, owner of Medicine Bow Wilderness School in Dahlonega, Georgia, will teach how to use various plants for food, medicine, insect repellent, crafts, and shelter.

> FREE > 828-456-6000 > blueridgebooksnc.com

– may 21 Biltmore Blooms april 1

9:30AM-3:30PM The Biltmore Estate One Lodge St, Asheville, NC

april 2

The Ancient Ways of the Cherokee and How We Can Use Them Today 3-4PM Blue Ridge Books

Kicking off the 2020 series of free educational events, the Southern Highland Craft Guild has assembled a wealth of demonstrators in wood and glass. Art forms include welding, blowing, piercing, bezeling, etching, glass staining, knife making, etc..

> 828-298-7928 > southernhighlandguild.org

april 4

And so it begins—again. Historic flower gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted will unfold with each step into spring. The estate will share updates so you can be sure to see your favorites.

> 800-411-3812 > biltmore.com

Folk Art Center Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC

ArtScape Reception 5-7PM

Boys and Girls Club of Hendersonville 1304 Ashe St, Hendersonville, NC The 40 juried artists responsible for the banners hanging on light posts downtown will sell and show. Light refreshments will be provided.

> FREE > 828-693-9444 > artscapehvl.org

april 4

How to Find Your Customers 9AM-12PM

A-B Tech Small Business Center 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler, NC No matter your businesses size, market research is always needed. This seminar will give you ways to learn more. Retired telecommunications marketing executive Tom Mock will teach techniques for ongoing targeted marketing.

april 4

Glass & Metal Day

10AM-4PM

> FREE > 828-271-4786 > asheville.score.org

e v e n t s n ot i c e As of press, North Carolina has declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19, which has led to the postponement or digital hosting of many events.

We recommend confirming an event online or via phone before attending.

90

| April 2020

april 7

Chamber Music Tuesdays

12:30-1:30PM Brevard Music Center 349 Andante Lane, Brevard, NC

The Brevard Music Center and the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra partner for a first Tuesday public performance. This month pianist Jihye Chang is featured.

> FREE > 828-862-2100 > brevardmusic.org april 11

73rd Tryon Block House Races Green Creek Race Course 6881 NC Hwy 9, Columbus, NC

Get out your spring bonnets and get ready to party; this event is a delight for horse lovers. Five races will show off horses’ strength and agility. Upscale entertainment will abound.

> Packages: Up to $2000 > 828-863-1000 > tryon.com

april 11

april 12

General Contractor Seminar

Easter Egg Hunt

9:30AM-2:30PM The Biltmore Estate One Lodge St, Asheville, NC

8AM-5PM Holiday Inn Asheville – Biltmore East 1450 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC The seminar helps prepare students for the NASCLA exam. Books and a study CD are included with the registration fee.

The exam qualifies someone to become a licensed General Contractor in several states, including North and South Carolina.

> Registration: $1,800 > 919-872-2740 > nc-mha.org

> Registration is required, cost is included with admission > 800-411-3812 > biltmore.com

april 11

Low Country Boil

april 14

Appalachian Jazz Ensemble

2–5PM Burntshirt Vineyards 2695 Sugarloaf Rd, Hendersonville The Hendersonville Burntshirt Vineyards hosts a low country boil with all the fixings, a select glass of wine, and live music.

> $40/$35 Wine Club tickets > burntshirtvineyards.com

Kids 2-9 with their own baskets are welcome to join the Easter activities on the lawn of the Biltmore Estate. The first hunt is at 11 AM and the second is at 2 PM. Between these times, there will be jugglers, photos with the Easter bunny, magicians and more.

8-9:30PM Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts 733 Rivers St, Boone, NC Two ensembles under the direction of Rod Berry will play selections from Nestico, Goodwin, Harbach/Kern, Duke, Setzer, Carmichael, and Sebesky.

There are chairs, and then there are chairs.

Find your next treasure at the

Four Seasons Hospice Home Store.

NEW Location Opening Soon on Long Shoals Road.

Follow us on Facebook @HospiceHomeStore.

Delivery/PickUp Available.

(828) 696.0625

211 N. Main Street, Hendersonville 121 Long Shoals Road, Arden

HOSPICE HOME STORE April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 91

events

THE INNOVATORS OF COMFORT™

SAVE $500

ON A SIGNATURE BASE RECLINER AND OTTOMAN OR LEG COMFORT ™ RECLINER. OR GET A FREE ACCESSORY WITH YOUR STRESSLESS PURCHASE.* April 10 - June 1, 2020

> FREE > 800-841-2787 > music.appstate.edu/news-events

Cider, Wine & Dine Weekend Hendersonville, NC

This weekend is set to celebrate the wine, cider, and food industry of Henderson County. There will be many businesses participating with special events like cider and wine tastings, music performances, dinners, and more!

> Prices individualized per event > visithendersonvillenc.org/cider-winedine-weekend

Carolina Concert Choir presents Solace Amidst Life’s Storms Friday 7:30-9PM Saturday 3 - 4:30PM Grace Lutheran Church 1245 6th Ave West, Hendersonville, NC Singers wish you peace with an eclectic mix of Bach, Simon & Garfunkel, and Broadway hits.

>Tickets: $22 / $5 for Students > 828-393-5737 > carolinaconcertchoir.org april 18

Storyboarding 101

109 BROADWAY

BLACK MOUNTAIN

(828) 669-5000 Mon. - Sat. 9am - 5:30pm TysonFurniture.com SPECIAL FINANCING See store for details.

92

| April 2020

> Registration: $35 > 844-285-3456 > ashevilleschooloffilm.com

april 16 -19

april 17 & 18

*See Store for complete details.

perspective, and more.

1-4PM Asheville School of Film 45 S.French Broad Ave, Asheville, NC A good storyboard is essential for efficient production and a seamless end product. Presenter Brad Hoover will teach about framing, camera angle,

april 18

Wildflower Identification Techniques 1-2:30PM Elk Knob State Park 5564 Meat Camp Rd, Todd, NC

A ranger leads a one-mile walk, sharing insights from taxonomy, ecology, and ethnobotany. Hikers will depart from the trailhead parking lot.

> FREE > 828-297-7261 > ncparks.gov/elk-knob-state-park/ events-and-programs

april 18 & 19

Masterwork 6: The Seventh Sessions

4-6PM (Sat, Sun) & 8-10PM (Sat) Wortham Center for the Performing Arts 18 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC This will be a live recording session of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony plus an interview with conductor Darko Butorac.

>Tickets: Adult $61.49, Youth (0-24) $29.71 > 828-254-7046 > ashevillesymphony.org

april 21

Seminar: How to Write a Business Plan 9-11AM Henderson County Chamber of Commerce 204 Kanuga Rd, Hendersonville, NC

A business plan will chart and start your company’s journey to the next level.

The seminar covers nuts and bolts like legal structure, market analysis, cash flow, HR management, etc..

> Fees: $25 > 828-692-1413 > hendersoncountychamber.org april 23 -25

Natural Dye: A Study of Mordants

10AM-4PM Cloth Fiber Workshop, Riverview Station 191 Lyman St, Asheville, NC

The workshop covers best practices for printing and immersion dyeing wool, silk, and cotton. While learning, students will create a take-home sample book. All levels of expertise are welcome. Registration includes a $20 materials fee.

WHAT ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS? The modern alternative to dentures and the closest you can get to natural teeth!

Consult a Rockcliff oral surgeon to see how dental implants can restore your self-esteem and positively impact your health.

Asheville I Hendersonville I Waynesville I Sylva RockcliffOralSurgery.com I 828-255-7781

For every climb you need to conquer, a bank that has your back.

> Registration: $320 > 828-273-7454 > clothfiberworkshop.com april 23

36th Annual Economic Crystal Ball Seminar

When you need to scale big challenges before you, it’s nice to know you have

7-8:30PM UNC Asheville, Lipinsky Auditorium One University Heights, Asheville, NC

a bank that stands behind you. At

David Berson, vice president and chief economist for Nationw ide Insurance, and James Smith, chief economist for Parsec Financial, will share economic forecasts for business in 2020 based on recent political decisions. Registration required.

and business banking services that

First Horizon Bank, that’s exactly where we’re excited to be. Strengthening your resolve to rise above with personal demonstrate a deeper understanding of you, your path and your potential.

Make the climb with us today at firsthorizon.com/leap.

> FREE > 828-251-6550 > events.unca.edu ©2019 First Horizon Bank. Member FDIC.

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 93

events

april 23

Alpine for Makers

9AM-12PM Center for Craft 67 Broadway, Asheville, NC Lisa Zahiya of Studio Zahiya will guide students through a SWAT analysis of their business’ production and sales.

The course meets Thursdays through May 21.

> Registration: $375 > 828-253-2834 > mountainbizworks.org april 24

Admissions Discovery Day

10AM–3PM Daoist Traditions College 382 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC

Tour the campus and medical herb garden, meet the staff, and learn more about the programs available at Daoist Traditions College. Advanced registration required.

> FREE > 828-225-3993 > Daoisttraditions.edu april 24

What Mediators Need to Know

9AM-12:30PM Holiday Inn Asheville – Biltmore West 435 Smokey Park Hwy, Asheville, NC In addition to addressing practical problems, the course, worth three hours of continuing legal education (CLE) and two hours of continuing mediator education (CME) credit, will help with scheduling, reporting, and getting paid.

> Enrollment: $175 > 828-251-6089 > mediatewnc.org 94

| April 2020

Explore the World In downtown aShEvILLE april 25

36th Annual Pioneer Day

10AM-4PM Mountain Gateway Museum 24 Water St, Old Fort, NC

Mountain Gateway is celebrating Appalachia with their Pioneer Day festivities. Crafts, storytellers, and music showcasing all things WNC will be on display. Vendors will be set up selling items and food for purchase. Come out for this fun event.

> mgmnc.org april 25

Business Exit & Succession Planning

8AM-4:30PM Blue Ridge Community College 180 West Campus Dr, Flat Rock, NC Exiting your business and succession planning is a complex process. This seminar brings together a group with expertise in financial planning, business operations, business law, tax issues, and insurance. If COVID-19 is still a factor, this event will be an online course.

> blueridge.edu/sbc april 26

Dancing With The Local Stars

5:30PM Wortham Center for the Performing Arts 18 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC Your favorite local celebrities will be dancing on stage for the support of Mountain Child Advocacy Center.

Like the television show, these local professionals have teamed up with professional dancers to entertain with a night of dance. “Vote” for your favorite, by donating on the website, then come watch them dance.

>Tickets: $45 - $75 > 828-257-4530 > dwtlsavl.com april 28

HCC Small Business Center Seminar: Social Media/Marketing Summit

5:30-8:30PM Haywood Community College, Regional High Technology Center Auditorium 112 Industrial Park Dr, Waynesville, NC Martin Brossman will teach how leveraging tools on multiple social media platforms can grow business.

> FREE > 828-627-4512 > haywood.edu/instruction/regionalhigh-technology-center

april 29

Choice of Business Entity

11:30AM-1PM Lenoir-Rhyne, Asheville campus 36 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC

Instructors will compare the simplicity, cost, liability protections, and tax advantages of sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, and C and S corporations.

> FREE > 828-407-4263 > asheville.score.org

CultIvatIng Cultural CurIosIty Experience these

ENGAGEMENT STATIONS Go Global Interactive World Map • Easel Rider Art Bar • Virtual Reality CAVE • Historic Del Cardo Local History & Music Trail • Sougou Artist Market in honor of Madiba • ONEmic Recording Studio • Instrument Petting Zoo • Sound Underground • Cultural Immersion Exhibits

& so much more!

april 30

Writing & Mindfulness with Albert Flynn DeSilver 6:30-8:30pm Flatiron Writers Room 5 Covington St, Asheville, NC

OPEN DAILY » 11a-7p | SUN » 11a-3p TUESDAY » CLOSED

19 EAGLE STREET • AVL 28801 @ Corner of Eagle & Market

theLEAF.org 828.68-MUSIC 95 April 2020 | | capitalatplay.com

events

DeSilver is a “poignant and inspirational” poet, memoirist, and nonfiction writer. He will help aspiring authors find their original and authentic voice.

>Tickets: $45 > flatironwritersroom.com april 30

Listen to This

7:30PM 35below 35 E. Walnut St, Asheville, NC

A trusted partner in philanthropy since 1978. w ww.cf wn c.o rg

Ashevillian writers, performers, and citizens take to the stage at 35below for a night of storytelling and song hosted

by Tom Chalmers.

> $15 > ashevilletheatre.org may 1-3

23rd Annual French Broad River Festival

Hot Springs Campground & Spa Pisgah National Forest, 315 Briggs Rd, Hot Springs, NC The weekend features live music from regionally and nationally acclaimed artists, vendors, and outdoor competitions.

Proceeds benefit American Whitewater, the Verner Center for Early Learning, and the Hot Springs Community Learning Center.

> frenchbroadriverfestival.com may 2

The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra presents Food, Glorious Food

Top: Photo by Travis Bordley Bottom: Mel Chin’s WAKE on view through 9/7

96

| April 2020

7:30-10PM Blue Ridge Community College, Conference Hall 49 East Campus Dr, Flat Rock

Selections like Bach’s Coffee Cantata and Strauss’ Waltz: Wine, Women and Song celebrate the union of music, food, and drink.

>Tickets: $45 > 828-694-1707 > hendersonvillesymphony.org/concerts/ food-glorious-food

may 5

Building Mountain Bike Communities 9AM–4PM Cherokee Fairgrounds 545 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee, NC

This workshop is designed to help community leaders stay on track with their mountain bike community planning and development and leverage and develop their trail systems.

> $99–129 > 28-253-2834 > Outdooreconomy.simpletix.com may 8

Irene Wortham Center

20th Annual Golf Tournament

10AM-4PM Mount Mitchell Golf Club 11484 NC 80, Burnsville, NC

Proceeds from the annual golf tournament will benefit the Irene Wortham Early Learning Center, a non-profit pre-K school for low-income children with intellectual developmental disabilities.

> 828-274-7518 > ireneworthamcenter.org 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.

Alden & Kel ly Ward Ward Piano Co. p.18

Elisa

n Blake m & Alliso Van Arna p.14

n Libatiop.60 C Leisure & ng in WN

SoulKu

High Country

Les Vance

Boats p.76

colu m n

Carolina's

Free Spirit

of Enterpris

e

Y

Western North

Carolina's Free

Spirit of Enter

prise 's Free Spirit of Enterpri Western North Carolina

Constructive

loc al in d u s t ry

colum

ns

March 2020

p.36

-

an

nu

al

m

an

uf

ac

t

i ur

ng

ed

it

io

n

Music & Art EDITION

-

January 2020

III - Edition Volume X editio n

ED. 10

tary

- VOL. 9 OCTOBER 2019

10 ED. 1

Succession Business 102 p.26 Volume X - Edition I Planning compl imenta ry edition Column: Ship capitalatplay.com The Wine Local? p.72 p Sho or Wine

comp limen y.com capitalatpla

Where the Local

an n ual

ise

JANUARY 2020 - VOL.

Enterpr ise

p.74

lle s, Ashevi Remedie Sovereign Ole Shakey’s have What do demy, & them.

Beaut y Aca The brain behind n? in commo

A Manufact ur ODYSSEY ing

Small Local Venues s are p.61

p.37

A look at Ashev District evolving River Arts

a’s Free Spirit of Enterpr

Spir it of

2020

e

olina's Free

RaEisingr TH Ba

Zone Ahille’ead s ever-

Wester n North Carolin

Nor th Car

of Enterpris

Western

Free Spirit

p. 36

se

at i o n leisure & lib

t ry lo c a l i n d u s

h Carolina's

Architects

Asheville Improv

A Music Man

Wine In The Time of Tariffs p.66

ign

By Des of WNC

Awad Hall, Hall, & Collective p.76

er Dave Brewp.14

s

The Power of Your Posse p.50

Western Nort

I N DU STR

Matt Manes s&

owi Axe Thr

Western North

LOC A L

Clark Mitch

ell Roots & Bran ches p.54

Volume IX - Edition

complimen tary

October 2019

X

edition

capitalatplay.com

subscribe

online today at C A PI TA L AT PL AY.CO M /S U B SC R I B E / w e s t e r n n o r t h c a r o l i n a' s

Business Lifestyle MA GA Z I N E

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 97

Visit Now to Discover the Carolina Day School Advantage

Independent ⁓ Co-ed ⁓ PK3-12

98

• High academic standards with emphasis on critical thinking skills

• Close mentoring connection between faculty and students

• Co-educational exchange of ideas and intellectual perspectives

CarolinaDay.org ⁓ Asheville, North Carolina ⁓ A Tradition of Excellence Since 1908 | April 2020

April 2020 | capitalatplay.com 99

SOON, YOU’LL SEE BEVERLY-HANKS SIGNS BLOOMING ALL OVER OUR MOUNTAINS.

OUR LOCATIONS

Right now, the number of homes for sale is lower than anyone can remember. Last year, our agents helped over 2,483 sellers benefit from our region’s growing demand.

NORTH ASHEVILLE 820 Merrimon Avenue

DOWNTOWN BREVARD 6 East Main Street

DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE 300 Executive Park

SOUTH BREVARD 7737 Greenville HIghway

If you are ready to plant a for sale sign in your yard, it’s possible there will never be a better time.

Give us a call, and we can help you prepare your home and price it correctly for maximum appeal.

SOUTH ASHEVILLE 1 Town Square Boulevard, Suite 140

WAYNESVILLE 74 North Main Street

You’ll find our agents working and playing throughout Western North Carolina.

Most offices are located in the heart of our downtown neighborhoods.

HENDERSONVILLE 512 North Main Street

Call us today - (828) 476-4281

100

| April 2020

BURNSVILLE 69 West US 19-E

LAKE LURE 11 Mountains Boulevard SALUDA 153 East Main Street

WEAVERVILLE 62 North Main Street