Capital at Play April 2017

Steve Woody & David Fann Avadim Technologies p.20

Rentz, McClinton, & Huss Salvage Station p.84

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise

colu m ns

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

PRETTY

Polk IN

Volume VII - Edition IV complimentary edition

capitalatplay.com

Economic report on Polk County

Spring Cleaning

TLC advice for your garden and yard p.32

The Perseverance Equation p. 41

p.56

Ready to Work?

The business of hiring from younger generations p.78

April 2017

2

| April 2017

“ What I find most inspiring are individuals who seem to achieve exceptional results while maintaining life balance.�

- W. Neal Hanks Jr. -

828.476.4281 | beverly-hanks.com

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

3

Neal Hanks Q&A WHO IS BEVERLY-HANKS? We are a full-service real estate firm offering residential and commercial brokerage, marketing, and developer services in Western North Carolina. Our agents’ local expertise and exceptional care for their clients have earned us the title of market sales leader for over 40 years.

WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS DRIVEN YOUR SUCCESS?

We’re focused on building a real estate company where the region’s top professionals want to work. We’re thriving because our agents are singularly focused on their clients’ success. Their focus is possible because dozens of marketing and support staff work in concert with them to achieve extraordinary results.

DESCRIBE THE BEVERLY-HANKS CULTURE?

We are collectively committed to building long-term relationships with our customers through exceptional service and making significant impacts in our communities through active involvement. Our culture flourishes by doing the right thing, at the right time—every time.

WHY DO YOU THINK CLIENTS ENJOY WORKING WITH A FULL-SERVICE REAL ESTATE FIRM?

A real estate transaction is an infrequent, significant, and often intimidating process. We have found that by coordinating as many aspects of the process as possible, we can ensure a smoother and more enjoyable experience for our customers.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INSPIRATION?

I have been and am inspired by many people. What I find most inspiring are individuals who seem to achieve exceptional results while maintaining life balance.

Work, faith, family, health, recreation, and community contribution are all important to me.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU AREN’T WORKING? I am an avid outdoorsman, happily married husband, and father of four. Family activities and outdoor recreation are my favorite pastimes.

108

| April 2017

More About Beverly-Hanks Thousands of home buyers and sellers choose us for the resultsoriented service that has been our hallmark since 1976. Our strength lies in the ability to provide the services of highly trained, caring REALTORSÂŽ who are experts in their communities.

Whether you’re moving to Asheville, across town, or around the world, we can help you through our global network, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Ž. This network of 550 independent firms dominates in more top U.S. markets than any national franchise.

You want to be sure you choose the best, and in Western North Carolina that choice is Beverly-Hanks & Associates.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 109

Just how badly do you want to play golf this weekend?

Come shop the largest selection of diamonds in the Carolinas.

4

| April 2017

828.253.1805 | 121 Patton Avenue | Asheville, NC 28801 | spicergreene.com

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

5

Editor’s Thoughts THE INNOVATORS OF COMFORT™

RECEIVE 10% OFF* all Stressless® Furniture. *See your sales associate for complete details.

Now - May 15

Stressless Magic

Stressless Crown

109 BROADWAY

BLACK MOUNTAIN

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

6

| April 2017

T

here’s no place like home, eh? Wasn’t it just two months ago when, in this space, I quoted Hendersonville’s Bill Fishburne, who authors our annual real estate survey, as saying that “we are blessed with beauty in every direction”? He was referring to Western North Carolina, of course. And while I risk redundancy by bringing up that notion again so soon, in all honesty, that’s exactly what kept coming to mind as we put together our April issue.

Case in point: “Pretty in Polk,” by Jennifer Fitzgerald, essentially an economic report on Polk County, located in the foothills south of Asheville, bookended by Hendersonville to the west and Rutherfordton to the east, and comprising the county seat of Columbus, plus Tryon, Saluda, Green Creek, Cooper Gap, and White Oak. (The lovely nearby burg of Landrum, South Carolina, is rumored to consider itself an honorary Polk County-ite as well.) But if you go through the story, among the terms you’ll encounter alongside sundry numerical data are “compellingly beautiful,” “a place that is gorgeous,” and “ideal climate”—not to mention a flat assertion that “the natural beauty will take your breath away” and more than one “we fell in love with the place” testimonial.

Elsewhere in this issue you’ll find “The Reel Deal,” by Toni Sherwood, about the cinephile and film society community in our area. While it’s probably self-evident that an arts-supporting region like Western North Carolina would embrace the film milieu, one thing that’s not explicitly mentioned in the report is the accompanying legacy of filmmaking. North Carolina has long been known to be a bonafide film magnet, thanks to its mountains-to-sea quality that provides pretty much any type of setting a filmmaker might require. Those mountains, in particular, have proven irresistible time and time again, and of course the aforementioned natural beauty hasn’t hurt one bit in sealing the deal(s).

“Beauty” may be an eye-of-the-beholder metric, of course, but I suspect that any poll on natural beauty as it pertains to a geographic region would be overwhelmingly supportive of this type of subjective assertion. There’s a less quantifiable—though no less real—psychological and emotional component at play, too. My family initially moved here in 2002, but in 2012 we relocated to the Triangle (job opportunities). For some reason, though, by early 2015 we realized how much we missed the mountains—we’d been coming back every summer for a visit—so after much debate and strategizing, we decided to return for good. I still remember navigating that 20-foot U-Haul truck, topping the big hill between Old Fort and Black Mountain, looking down at the awesome expanse that was stretching out in front of me, and feeling a wonderful rush of relaxation that I hadn’t felt in nearly three years. Toto, I said to myself, we’re home.

Sincerely,

Fred Mills

AWARD -W INNING . T IMELESS . V ISIONARY.

H I S T O R I C B I LT M O R E V I L L A G E Reviving and redeveloping defines the Biltmore Property Group. Being the largest real estate owner in Historic Biltmore Village, Biltmore Property Group has attracted national retailers while staying committed to the preservation and historical integrity of this charming community.

For more information about BPG, please call us at 828.398.6854.

CORPORATE OFFICE: 10 Brook Street, Suite 205 • Asheville, NC 28803 828-398-6854 • info@biltmorepropertygroup.com • FOR LEASING INFORMATION: 828-398-6966 April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

W W W . B I L T M O R E P R O P E R T Y G R O U P . C O M

7

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise

Feather Your Nest

CONSIGNMENT SHOP

Specializing in upscale one-of-a-kind furnishings, housewares, home decorative items and vintage & fine jewelry.

New items arriving daily!

Come see for yourself!

publisher

copy editors

Oby Morgan

Dasha O. Morgan, Brenda Murphy

associate publisher

contributing writers & photogr aphers

Jeffrey Green managing editor

Fred Mills

Jennifer Fitzgerald, Jason Gilmer, Anthony Harden, Marla Hardee Milling, Cinthia Milner, Robin Payne, Toni Sherwood, Dawn Starks

briefs and events editor

Leslee Kulba

gr aphic designer

Bonnie Roberson Intern Ali Burke

Tuesday through Saturday | 10am to 4pm 1215A Greenville Hwy. Hendersonville, NC

828.693.3535 Accepting Quality Consignments

Information & Inquiries Capital at Play is Western North Carolina’s business lifestyle magazine. It embodies the idea that capitalism thrives with creativity—that work requires an element of play. Exploring everything from local industry to the great outdoors, Capital at Play is inspiration for the modern entrepreneur.

In every edition, we profile those who take the risk, those who share that risk, and those who support them—telling the untold story of how capitalists are driven by their ideas and passions.

We cater to those who see the world with curiosity, wonderment, and a thirst for knowledge.

We present information and entertainment that capitalists want, all in one location. We are the free spirit of enterprise.

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

Roy Brock, David Morgan, Katrina Morgan, Pat Starnes

subscribe online at www.capitalatplay.com or call 828.274.7305

marketing & advertising

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 with the readers who follow it.

It’s Our Business To Make You Look Good.

7 Convenient Locations!

Call (828) 253-3691 Or visit Online at swannanoacleaners.com

8

| April 2017

This magazine is printed with soy based ink on recycled paper. Please recycle.

Copyright © 2017, Capital At Play, Inc. All rights reserved.

Capital at Play is a trademark of Capital At Play, Inc. Published by Capital At Play, Inc. PO Box 5615, Asheville, NC. 28813

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, Inc. and its companies. Capital At Play, Inc. 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, Inc.

Now Offering Expert Real Estate Advice at 18 South Pack Square, Asheville

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

9

H E A R T S C A N ’ T W A I T. I N M ATTE R S O F T H E H E A R T, W E WAIT F OR TH E RIGH T P E RSON. WAIT F OR THE R IG HT TI M E A N D T H E R IG H T P L AC E . B UT WH E N IT COM E S TO H E ART H E ALTH , YOUR HEAR T C A N ’ T WA IT. Pardee’s Heart and Vascular team can see new patients WITH IN A F E W DAYS instead

of waiting weeks or months. One more way we’re showing our commitment to your heart’s health.

APPOINTMENTS WITHIN 48 HOURS

828-697-7377 10

| April 2017

thi s page :

DEPARTURE: THE JOURNEY TRIBUTE BAND enter tains at Salvage Station. photo by Anthony Harden

on the cover : Tr yon International Equestrian Center is the per fect family friendly venue, photo by Erik Olsen

F E AT U R E S vol. vii

20

SERVE & PROTECT STEVE WOODY & DAVID FANN

ed. iv

84

ANY WAY THEY WANT IT

JIMI RENTZ, DANNY MCCLINTON, & PATRICK HUSS April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

11

ctivity annually. Are kers?

C ON T EN T S AN ARM

LKER a p r i l 2 017

ight and solutions t oductivity and drivin ? One who checks o HORSE EVENTS abound at the Tr yon International Equestrian Center, photo by Erik Olsen

ay. Employee disen ctivity annually. Are kers?

ight and solutions t oductivity and drivin lo c a l i n d u s t r y l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n

41

65

Pretty in Polk

The Reel Deal

Cinephiles and film societies in Western North Carolina

Economic report on Polk County

colu m ns

insight

briefs

32 Spring Cleaning

14 T he Garage Authority

36 Carolina in the West 60 The Old North State 80 National & World News

Written by Cinthia Milner

56 The Perseverance Equation

Nancy K. Martin

The LEAF Love Fund Campaign

Written by Dawn Starks

78 Ready to Work?

events

Written by Robin C. Payne

p e o p l e at p l ay

96 The Art Affair 12

| April 2017

18

LOCAL GIFTS BUYING GUIDE

“Rainy Day Blues”

98 April showers bring… … concerts, theater, a steeplechase, & more!

your profits costs employers costs $300 billion in lost productivity employers annually. Are your profits $ melting awaymelting because of disengaged workers? away beca

MY DOYOU YOU DO OF HAVE AN YOU OF DO HAVE AN ARMY ARMY OF

RS? SLEE SLEEPWALKERS? SLEEPWALKERS?

to Express help Employment Express Professionals has insightEmployme and solutions to help ng re-engage your your re-engage team, leading to higher productivity and your driving your te out What’s worsethan What’ thanananemployee employee who who s quits? worse One What’s worse quits?

Onewho whochecks checksoutout than businessbuttobutstill thementally business to the top ngagement mentally, stilltop. showsup uptotowork work each each day.

Employee but disengagement still s mentally, shows day., Employee disengagement

your profits profits costs employers costs $300 billioninin lost lost productivity productivity employers annually.

Areyour your profits $ costs employers $300 billion annually.Are melting awaybecause melting becauseofofdisengaged disengaged workers? away beca melting away workers?

to Express help Employment Express Professionals has has insight and help Express Employment Professionals insightEmployme andsolutions solutionstoto help (828)your 654-8101 (828) ng re-engage your re-engage team,leading leadingto to 654-8101 higher productivity your driving your te re-engage your team, higher productivityand and driving your business the business top. to the top 1979 Hendersonville 1979 Rd Suite B Hendersonville business to to the top.

Asheville, NC 28803 Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 654-8101(828) 654-8101 (828) 654-8101 1979 Hendersonville 1979 SuiteBB Hendersonville 1979 Hendersonville RdRdSuite Asheville, 28803 Asheville, NC 28803 Asheville, NCNC 28803

www.expresspros.com www.expresspros.com

www.expresspros.com www.expresspros.com www.expresspros.com April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

13

nsight

NANCY K. MARTIN cutting the ribbon on her business.

Room for Your Garage Band?

I

When it comes to making garages functional and attractive, The Garage Authority isn’t just monkeying around.

t’s spring; time to clean up those garages, carports, and storage spaces. You may think it’s as simple as just dragging your junk into the driveway for a weekend yard sale, but afterward you’ve still got to deal with all the tools, sports equipment, bicycles, plastic storage bins, and random personal ephemera. What to do?

The Garage Authority to the rescue. Based in Arden and serving Western North Carolina, as well as the Upstate region of South Carolina, the company sells and installs space-efficient and aesthetically pleasing storage and shelving solutions for garage, workshop, and basement, as well as throughout the 14

| April 2017

house, additionally sealing and coating garage floors to make them easier to clean and maintain.

The company was originally founded as Monkeybars of WNC & the Upstate “in June 2011, in the middle of the Recession, by my son, Daniel Gibbs, who had just graduated from Appalachian State with a building science construction management degree,” says owner Nancy K. Martin. “There were no local jobs for him in his field, but staying here in Western North Carolina was important to him, and research led us both to believe there was good potential with this product line in an open market to build a successful business. I did all of the marketing from the beginning—together, we went through the initial training, and off we went to work.”

Successful, indeed—The Garage Authority was profitable its first year of business; every year since has seen a significant increase. (Martin: “We were elated when, in our third year, revenues increased over 74 percent.”) In 2013 the name was rebranded as The Garage Authority, and by 2015 they had outgrown their original space in Horse Shoe, necessitating a move to a larger warehouse and showroom in Arden. That same year Martin, who has an extensive background in technical sales and sales management, purchased the business from her son.

“I had the challenge of streamlining and improving our operating costs, and managing the growth efficiently,” recalls Martin. “In 2016—our first full year in the new facility and first full year in full control—we achieved an actual decrease in cost of goods, and our net operating income improved dramatically. One of the biggest hurdles [of the past] was surviving during December, January, and February, and I am pleased to say that this past December and January were the best we have ever had to date.”

Although the Monkeybars company name was retired, the Monkeybars process remains key to their success. Martin explains that the flexible/scalable designs of the custom-built storage systems they install will help maximize efficiency of storage when floor space is at a premium, the idea being to utilize layering on the walls so that even bulky things (bicycles, blowers, large tools, etc.) can come off the floor to hang from

THE

Brands YOU LOVE, AT

the metal shelving’s adjustable bars and hooks. “The systems’ flexibility allows for homeowners to be able to reorganize as often as they like, truly supporting the concept of seasonal accessibility,” says Martin.

Going forward, The Garage Authority plans to expand its services via selected partnerships—not to mention hiring, training, and retaining talented employees —in order to provide customers with one-stop shopping for all types of interior transformations.

“Our goal is to grow at least another 20 percent in revenues, while continuing always to improve cash flow and profitability.”

YOU WILL LOVE EVEN MORE BUY, SELL, OR TRADE HIGH QUALITY: Harley, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, & BMW

BLUERIDGERIDERS.COM • 828.505.7575 • ASHEVILLE NC

it’s about the journey ™

They have also added the cabinet lines Contur (all-metal modular cabinets) and Ulti-MATE (commercial grade PVC laminate cabinets).

“At the beginning of this year,” says Martin, “we added a second vehicle, a new cargo van, to the fleet, and are expanding our capabilities to do more jobs in less time, which fulfills part of our long-term plan. Our goal is to grow at least another 20 percent in revenues, while continuing always to improve cash flow and profitability.

“That, and maintaining our high standards of total customer satisfaction.

We don’t go to a customer to sell a shelf or a cabinet or even a floor. We go to provide a complete solution to a nagging, often annoying problem or frustration.

We custom design an efficient solution to accomplish their goals—we take the time to help them.”

Visit the Garage Authority on the web: www.monkeybarscarolinas.com April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

15

insight

Celebrate An Appalachian Spring

All You Need Is…

LEAF Love

Local Shopping, Dining & Essentials In a Uniquely Asheville Atmosphere

E

THE HISTORIC

GROVE ARCADE on

BATTERY HILL

Open Daily

•

One Page Avenue

828.252.7799 16 GA_Capital_April17.indd 1

•

•

Downtown Asheville

www.grovearcade.com

| April 2017 3/3/17 11:45 AM

The LEAF Love Fund Campaign hits an early milestone.

mphasis on “community”: Black Mountain-based nonprofit LEAF Community Arts, at 22 years young, is well-known throughout Western North Carolina—the twice-annual LEAF Festival (plus LEAF Downtown AVL), in particular, having become a regional institution (the 44th Festival happens next month, May 11-14). So in 2014, a series of six Vision 2020 Summits were held throughout the Southeast, and out of these collaborative conversations among community leaders and LEAF members emerged a set of core principles for LEAF’s 2020 Vision: Growth and Stability, Transforming Lives, Connecting Cultures, and Generating Unity. The idea was to look towards the future and, mindful of a long-term legacy to be forged by LEAF, utilize “music, art, and festivals to create welcoming places and spaces of possibility that embrace these core values.”

Following the conversations, the LEAF Love Fund Campaign was mounted, with the goal of establishing a $1,000,000 LEAF Endowment Fund for long-term support of LEAF International and LEAF Schools & Streets cultural arts education programs.

Teaming with LEAF to lead the effort: Asheville native son and former Detroit Tigers/current Los Angeles Angels outfielder Cameron Maybin, who established his Maybin Mission in 2016 to inspire positive development among inner city youth in locales across the country, Buncombe County included, and empower them with a deeper awareness of their own cultural identities.

Explained Maybin, “I believe in the power of AfricanAmerican youth in Asheville, and that through music and arts, they have a voice to change their lives. LEAF offers youth the opportunity to find this voice within themselves. It’s an honor to partner with LEAF—sharing cultural opportunities and educational programming with youth. Through our Maybin Mission initiative, my family and I are proud supporters of community arts, instilling positive change, and development for our next generation.” (In January at UNC-Asheville, Maybin hosted the inaugural Maybin Mission Youth Camp, and nearly 150 kids, ages 8 to 13, turned out for the Saturday morning baseball clinic.)

In a show of overwhelming support, within 12 months that $1 million fundraising goal was a reality. The LEAF Love Fund

Campaign culminated into the LEAF Endowment Fund, which effectively gives LEAF the ability to move beyond short-term partnerships and commit long-term resources to programs serving youth, families, and communities that are often overlooked. The Fund will serve as an independent revenue stream separate of LEAF Festival ticket sales or special events revenue and will allow LEAF to truly shift to a culture of giving. According to LEAF, “The priorities of these programs include positive youth development, partnering to build stronger local communities, helping preserve global traditions, and connecting cultures.”

On January 31, LEAF hosted meet ‘n’ greets featuring LEAF Schools & Streets programs: LEAF Djembeso, at the Christine W. Avery Learning Center; and Hip Hop Dance, in Woodridge public housing community. The former featured teacher Adama Dembele, an Asheville-

LEAF DANCE WORKSHOP taught by Otto “Aquaboogy” Vasquez, photos by Anthony Harden

“LEAF serves in our local neighborhoods as well as with our global partners.”

ADAMA DEMBELE

CAMERON MAYBIN photo courtesy Tony Farlow

based master djembe player originally from the Ivory Coast, who led a youth class in authentic West African drumming and rhythms. The dance workshop was taught by Otto “Aquaboogy” Vasquez, an internationally acclaimed Broadway dancer, instructor, choreographer, and street dancer. By all accounts, both events were inspiring successes, and in true LEAF fashion, there is more to come.

“LEAF serves in our local neighborhoods as well as with our global partners,” says Jennifer Pickering, LEAF founder and executive director. “The LEAF Endowment Fund gives me great hope because we will be able to say to organizations like the Delta House in Buncombe County, residents of Southside & Burton Street neighborhood in Asheville, members of The Bribri First Nation indigenous tribe in Costa Rica, and many other partners, that LEAF is committed to working with you to preserve cultures and empower communities through cultural arts for decades to come.”

More details on the LEAF Love Campaign and LEAF Endowment Fund can be viewed at www.theLEAF.org/leaflove.

For details on the Maybin Mission: www.MaybinMission.com.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

17

local gifts buying guide

Rainy

DAY

Blues

April is a rainy month, so let these local venues turn those Blues into something you can use! <<

<< ARTFUL SCIENCE Peaceful, magical spinning globes, powered by light…

36 designs, including planets, moons, & artistic designs. Shown: Earth with clouds. ( $145 ) BlackBird Frame & Art blackbirdframe.com

LUNARIA AQUA GEMSTONE EARRINGS 18K yellow gold drop earrings with rose cut cushion dark aquamarine.

Inspired by the shape of the Lunaria flower. Hand hammered and engraved by Italian artisans. ( $2,050 ) Spicer Greene Jewelers spicergreene.com

<<

<<

BAROQUE HINGE BANGLE Baroque Hinge Bangle with Aqua Chalcedony by Julie Vos. ( $278 )

A TEMPEST RETURNS BY HOLLAND VAN GORES Wood carving created as a reaction to the 2016 presidential race, Hurricanes and storms are likely metaphors for this artist who moved from the Caribbean. 18”x19” ( $675 )

Bette Boutique betteboutique.com

The Gallery at Flat Rock galleryflatrock.com

<<

100% MERINO WOOL EURO-SIZED PILLOW

Echoview Fiber Mill echoviewnc.com

18

| April 2017

images- not shown to size

<<

Knitted on a solar powered knitting machine in Weaverville, NC, this plush 100% Merino Wool Euro-sized pillow is stuffed with a feather and down insert. ( $220 )

ANORAK BY CIAO MILANO A stylish, weatherproof essential.

Sizes S-L. ( $158 ) Scout Boutique Instagram: @scoutavl

<< BLUE KYANITE PENDANT This beautiful blue kyanite pendant wrapped in 14 karat gold is sure to make a splash on a rainy day. ( $2,750 ) Biltmore Lamp & Shade Gallery biltmorelampandshadegallery.com

<< ORIGINAL COPPER PATINA CUFF

<<

BLUE GARDEN BY NEST FRAGRANCE Blue hydrangea, hyacinth, and forget-me-nots blend in this candle.

A portion of the proceeds from this candle will be donated to Autism Speaks. ( $42 )

<<

This unique cuff design and color combination is created by using a patina recipe that is free of harsh chemicals and eco friendly. ( $50 ) Embellish Asheville embellishasheville.com

The Gardener’s Cottage, Asheville thegardenerscottageasheville.com

SWEATER BY J’ENVIE, NEW YORK Lovely, soft acrylic sweater that will take you comfortably from day to evening. Exceptional fit. ( $185 )

FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

Flowers by Larry flowersbylarry.com

<<

April showers bring May flowers.

Vintage blue and white porcelain filled with brilliant spring blooms.

Wonderful awaits! ( $145 )

<<

<<

Lucy Anne

MODO PAPER-THIN TITANIUM FRAMES Made with 0.6mm thick Beta Titanium 153, and combines the lightness and strength of Titanium with the utmost flexibility.

OneWay Eyeglasses eyeglasses-asheville.com

HANDMADE WEDDING ALBUM & BOX Capture your wedding day perfectly with a handmade wedding album encased in its own custom designed box, preserving it for 30 anniversaries and beyond. ( $850 ) Azalea Bindery azaleabindery.com

<< WATERPROOF SEIKO PROSPEX WATCH Have a good time on a rainy day with this waterproof Seiko Prospex. ( $495 ) The Watchmaker’s Shop thewatchmakersshop.com

paid advertisement 19 April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

When Steve Woody and David Fann got life sciences company Avadim Technologies off the ground, they had no inkling that, in less than a decade, they’d be overseeing a multi-million dollar company.

& Protect

Serve written by jason gilmer photos by anthony harden

THE OLDER ROCK AND STUCCO BUILDING SITS

across from the Swannanoa River near Asheville’s Biltmore Village, within earshot of a large construction project down Thompson Street and across the cloudy water from Tobacco Barn Antiques.

It’s nondescript in its appearance, and the smallish sign out front doesn’t explain much about the ever-growing business that operates inside.

Avadim Technologies, Inc., (pronounced ah-VAH-dim) is a cutting-edge life sciences company, but it doesn’t show that with its current surroundings. There’s no visible “modern edge” to the corporate headquarters, no outward showing of new money.

And the company—recently named the 234th fastest growing private company in the nation by Inc. Magazine, mentioned on the same list as known quantities like Microsoft, Under Armour, Intuit, GoPro, Timberland, Clif Bar, Patagonia, and Zappos—is still somewhat new to the medical field it serves.

20

| April 2017

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

21

IN AVADIM’S packaging space, employees work assembly lines.

Plus, there’s the promise—or hype—that much more is on the horizon. In December Avadim opened an impressive new 90,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing and distribution center located on Old Patton Cove Road in Swannanoa. In addition, the company is planning a further expansion for its corporate headquarters as anchor for the new Black Mountain Medical Technology Park; Avadim intends to create a minimum of 551 new jobs during the next five years. Avadim noted in a press release, “[The expansion in] Buncombe County will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Under the terms of the JDIG, the company is eligible to receive up to $4.9 million in total reimbursements. Payments will occur in annual installments over 12 years pending verification by North Carolina Commerce and North Carolina Department of Revenue that the company has met job creation and investment targets.”

Even with the recent growth, the millions of capitalized money, the prospect of quickly going public this year, and the addition of employees—Avadim already employs more than 100 people—and square footage, there’s still a small business feel about Avadim.

Maybe it’s the people in charge. Local boy-made-good CEO Steve Woody is down to earth, talkative, and personable, talking like someone who aced medical school. President David Fann has a quick smile behind a salt-and-pepper mustache and the ability to make a business-unsavvy person understand the bigger picture.

Maybe it’s also how they treat people. There’s a sign on the parking spot closest to the office building’s door that reads, “Reserved for Mama Jane.” That’s Woody’s 89-year-old mother, who still works daily and manages purchase orders.

Or maybe the success is a bit of both, mixed with the company’s range of topical skin products that defend against 22

| April 2017

infection, improve neuromuscular health, and accelerate chronic wound healing. Avadim products are used in 250 hospitals and more than 200 long-term care facilities across the country.

What is Avadim?

For Woody and Fann, meetings with possible investors begin with a specific message. It’s because of Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why that Woody has changed how he talks with people. A copy of the book is in the corporate office conference room.

“We used to share our ‘why’ at the end when we gave our presentation to a customer or to Wall Street,” he says. “We start with our ‘why’ now, as the first thing. It wasn’t that we didn’t know our ‘why,’ but now we’ve positioned it properly and it’s made a big difference in our company.”

So—as the saying goes—why?

To understand that part of the Avadim situation, years have to be removed from the conversation. It’s not the technology.

It’s the name.

Avadim is from the Hebrew root word, “avad,” which means “to serve.” The name was given to Woody by the company’s current vice president of manufacturing, Josh Montgomery, who had sat on the name for years, waiting to use it for the right project. The Avadim purpose, Woody says, is to serve the greater good, and that’s apparent throughout the company.

“We’re a life sciences-based company and we’re built around the concept of serving,” he explains. “We wanted to do something that would make an impact, a positive impact.

At the time, we were thinking about just the United States and we didn’t have this global piece that we’ve realized with this technology. We wanted to make a difference. We didn’t want

“ We wanted to make a difference.

We didn’t want to do something that wasn’t specific to really changing people’s lives.”

DAVID FANN & STEVE WOODY

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 23

to do something that wasn’t specific to really changing people’s lives. A lot of healthcare is not necessarily about changing your life. That’s what we want to do.”

A staff of 40 salespeople across the country are selling the Avadim products that prevent conditions instead of treating them, products which include Theraworx (topical solution that assists in optimizing the skin’s outer most layer, the stratum corneum), Combat One (a total bath in a bag made for soldiers in the field), and [pH]uel 5 (a skin and muscle science system that optimizes training and recovery in athletes). Products have been used in major hospitals like the Mayo Clinic and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Center, as well as throughout the professional sports world.

As more money comes in, the company will do more humanitarian-type efforts. They sent a case of product to an orphanage in Mexico to knock out Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) virus and sent more to the African country of Liberia to help with Ebola a few years ago.

Both ventures helped the people in need, notes Fann.

The idea for Woody and Fann is to fill their company with like-minded people, those who care about helping others. They listen during the interview process to hear what applicants say about their lives, paying particular attention to if there’s too much “me” talk. Woody says that 25 percent of the people fit Avadim’s preferred profile, and they hire a smaller percentage.

“My goal is to grow to 900 people,” Woody says. “People ask what keeps me up at night and it’s this: Can we get 900 people that can be others-oriented in a very ‘me’ society and be passionate about what we do? If you can get passionate people, they will run through a wall for you. You can’t duplicate passion.”

The men walk the walk, too. On the second Thursday of each month, they show their appreciation for the employees when they host their Thankful Thursday lunch. Initially they used local food trucks, and as the company grew, they got local restaurants to cater the meal for everyone in the company with the management staff serving the food.

It’s a chance to let everyone know what is happening in sales, what new equipment is being purchased, and to share customer testimonies. “We wanted to stop every month and be thankful for being blessed to have jobs first and jobs that allow us to make a difference in people’s lives every day,” Woody says. “I really wanted to communicate to everyone in a transparent way.

People just want to feel involved, so involve them.”

Woody’s Story Steve Woody’s entrepreneurial spirit blossomed in high school.

Woody, who grew up in Asheville’s Oak Forest community off Hendersonville Road and played soccer as a student at T.C. Roberson High School, wanted to be an architect. A friend who was a couple of years older had a side job drawing plans for builders at cheaper rates than licensed architects, and when that friend left for college, he asked Woody to take over the business.

24

| April 2017

CHEMICALS ARE measured and tested in the mixing room.

“It’s interesting as to what makes an entrepreneur,” says Woody, now 55. “I was 16. That was my first business, and I started doing designs for builders. I did that all the way through college and about three years after college. It was one of the ways I made ends meet.”

Woody spent two years studying architecture at UNC-Charlotte before he left that program, returned home, and became a student at UNC-Asheville. He did work in the business, though, as he secured a job with Asheville architect Jim Samsel, of the award-winning Samsel Architects. (Profiled in the November 2015 issue of Capital at Play.) Woody says he did some of the initial work on Blue Moon Bakery, the downtown bakery that opened in the early ‘90s and lasted until 2005.

His studies and work in the business are what led him away from it. He saw what kind of life being an architect would give him. “I saw how hard of a life it was. It’s feast or famine, and not well-paying,” he says.

There was a problem, though, as he began college in his hometown: Woody needed a new major so he could join the soccer team. He didn’t like English or history, but was good at math, so that became his new future.

Soccer has been a part of his life for years. He played midfielder, a spot that is involved in the team’s offense and defense. It allowed Woody to help everyone and share the ball similar to how he did when he played point guard for the high school basketball team. As an adult, he continued to play a role in the Asheville soccer community and, along with several others, gave the needed money to open the old Asheville Soccer Center on Crowne Plaza Road.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 25

When he graduated from UNC-Asheville in 1985, Woody had no idea what kind of job to look for. Talking with friends one day, someone mentioned quality control as a possible field. He opened the newspaper to the classified ads and found an opening at Medical Action Industries, Inc., which then was located on Buxton Avenue where Eagles Nest Outfitters now resides.

log cabin, built in the mid-1800s and later expanded to include bedrooms, porches, and a kitchen, is still part of the landscape in that area, a short hike from Rough Fork Trail in Waynesville.

When Woody, and his wife, Cindy, and their six kids (Maggie, Jordan, Chloe, Logan, Jake, and Elsa), finally left Medical Action,

Upon hearing what the lab had to say about their testing, and realizing that the results were nothing short of amazing, he immediately rummaged through the trashcan, looking for that discarded prospectus.

“They offered the job to three other people,” Woody says. “It paid $4.50 an hour. Thank goodness it did because no one else would do it. I decided to do it for a couple of years, put it on my resume, and go from there. I loved it and excelled at it.” That job, which was only supposed to be for a couple of years, lasted 13. There were opportunities to leave. Headhunters called and offered jobs.

The mountains, though, are home for Woody. His family has strong ties to the area. His grandparents were one of the first families to settle in Cataloochee Valley. Their one-room 26

| April 2017

it wasn’t for a new locale. He stayed put and launched Integrated Quality Systems, an organization which helped companies launch new medical devices. In 2004 he founded G3 Medical, a company that focuses on manufacturing, packaging, and sterilization services, along with quality system management.

It was his work with G3 that led him to the medical technology he is now poised to share with the world. On two occasions he dismissed the idea of buying the bionome technology, that of a bacterial wash, but a third opportunity didn’t go unnoticed.

A friend sent him the prospectus for the wash and some

IN THEIR NEW 90,000 -sq.-f t. manufacturing and distribution center, there is a workspace within a workspace.

samples to get tested, mainly as a favor to get the owner of the technology off his back.

Woody sent it to the lab he was already working with on another project, and, after some testing, the lab called to inquire about the product. Upon hearing what the lab had to say about their testing, and realizing that the results were nothing short of amazing, he immediately rummaged through the trashcan, looking for that discarded prospectus in order to learn more.

Woody compares the situation to the old joke where a storm is coming and the man forgoes a car ride with his retreating neighbors, a police motorboat, and helicopter, and then ends up drowning because he was waiting on a sign from God. When the man enters Heaven, he asks God why he wasn’t saved and God replies, “Well, I sent you a boat and helicopter.”

“I was trying not to do this project and that’s how I ended up doing this project,” says Woody, who bought the rights and equipment to the biotechnology in November of 2006, and then bought the patent in 2007 and renamed the product Theraworx.

“I’m not sure I’m a great visionary at all,” he jokes.

Having the technology wasn’t enough, though. Woody had trouble making the business work, as he committed one of the business world’s first sins: never take money from one business to fund another.

“I came up during a time in the ‘80s and ‘90s where we bootstrapped a lot of these medical companies. You could do it in those days. I think it’s much more difficult to bootstrap a

company now. A friend told me that it would take me $2 million to get it out of the ground, $5 million to get anywhere close to what you want to do, and I thought he was crazy. It’s taken a lot more than $5 million to get it to where it is today. It takes more capital to get where you want to get.”

That’s where Woody’s true vision came into play and where Fann entered the picture.

Fann’s Story At 10 years old, David Fann scored his first job. It wasn’t as if he interviewed or even asked for the position —his father, a builder in Atlanta, made the youngster sweep up around the homes he built. But there was money involved, and that was enough for Fann. He studied what his dad did, and by the time he was 18, he had both his building license and real estate license and was building his own houses.

When he tired of that life, Fann, who never attended college, shifted to sales. He and his wife, Debbie, moved their three kids (Haley, Max and Brett) around the country for a while, living in Fort Worth, Austin, Atlanta, San Diego, and Ponte Vedra Beach (Florida) as he worked in sales and raising capital for companies.

“My background has been taking companies public,” says Fann, who is poised to make Avadim his sixth such company.

While living in San Diego, he attended business meetings in Asheville, fell in love with the area, and purchased a lot in April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 27

With Gratitude to Our Clients.

Todd Kaderabek & Julie Smith 828.215.3393 | julieandtodd@beverly-hanks.com

Skyland Automotive, Inc.

255 Smoky Park Hwy, Asheville, NC 28806• 828-667-5213 www.skylandmercedesbenz.com

28

| April 2017

The Cliffs community the first weekend lots were available. They settled here six years ago after he took a company in Ponte Vedra Beach public.

His job at Avadim is, in his words, a God story. Fann once cared about personal possessions and constantly searched for new toys. He joined a Friday morning bible study at the Atlanta Bread Company and was saved there.

At one meeting he met someone who knew Woody. “He knew Steve had a company that was struggling and needed money,” Fann explained. After a few months, the two businessmen met and Woody asked Fann if he knew anything about the medical field. Fann said no.

“I didn’t understand his background of raising capital and I don’t think I appreciated how important it was to capitalize a company,” Woody says.

Fann told Woody that he would come by the corporate office, look around and

THREE BR ANDS RESIDE under Avadim’s roof; Therawor x, [pH]uel 5.0, and Combat One.

Delivering a Shared Vision

see what he thought. When he arrived there were three cars and one was his.

Finally, an arrangement was made, and Fann became the company’s president.

“I told my wife I’d never go help another company unless they could pay me,” recalls Fann. “Steve says ‘Dave, I can’t pay you,’ and I say, ‘That’s ok.’”

In December 2012 Fann was ready to begin to raise capital for the company. It didn’t happen until January 9, 2013, when he secured $100,000. To the business, he says, it felt like one billion dollars.

Unbeknownst to Fann at the time, Woody was 12 days from closing the business.

“I’m blessed that I didn’t end up bankrupting both companies and having nothing,” Woody says. “I was going to shut this down within two weeks. I was trying not to bring David on, not because I didn’t like him, but because I knew we were the Titanic. I was already responsible for enough lives. He wanted to help and I was like, ‘Dave, you’re just going to help me bail out the Titanic with a spoon.’ That’s where we were headed.”

“I always wanted to get into the medical business,” Fann says, “but couldn’t break through until Steve took a chance on me.”

The chance saved the company and has pushed Avadim into a new territory.

It’s February, but David Fann’s office is hot. The air conditioning, typically not needed this time of year in Asheville, is broken and the corporate office for Avadim hasn’t hit sweltering level yet, but it’s close.

He sits in shirt sleeves and talks about his role as president and how it differs from Woody’s role.

“My job description is to make sure we have the right corporate structure, we have enough capital to execute our plan, put the strategic plan together, and get the right people in here to execute it,” Fann says. “Steve is the CEO. I call him ‘The Professor,’ but he knows nothing about what I do. I’m pretty good at what I do and he’s great at what he does. We make a good team.”

Woody has a habit of using whiteboards, and when one isn’t around, he improvises. The windows in Fann’s office have been marred by Woody’s inability to find something else to write on.

He took a black marker and scribbled numbers there. It’s very A Beautiful Mind.

The bu si ne s s side is Fa n n’s re sp on sibi l it y. The manufacturing side is Woody’s. Like yin and yang, they work in conjunction without getting into each other’s way.

Woody even considers their jobs to be the equivalent of two separate companies.

“I call him my Bobby Kennedy or my lead keel,” Woody says.

“He hates it when I call him my lead keel. He keeps the boat upright and steered straight. While we’re working on so many different fronts, he keeps us going in the right direction.”

This year, the business is poised to top $20 million in sales. That number could balloon to $50 million if a number of contracts, mainly one for the product Combat One, come through. Soon, drug stores across the country April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 29

will sell Avadim products, the first of those being Sona Pharmacy on Fairview Road in Asheville. Avadim’s goal: to have more than 70,000 pharmacies as clients. Avadim hired Guthy Renker, the direct marketing company that introduced Proactiv to television consumers, to help with the transition to retail.

from the 18,000-sq.-ft. corporate office in Biltmore Village to the 90,000-sq.-ft. Swannanoa facility. Plans for the even bigger Black Mountain facility are in the works, with Woody falling back on his architect skills to give ideas, and he hopes to see it functional by 2018. And as noted above, there’s a looming IPO. “We hope to be public this year,” Fann says.

“An investment banking advisor is leading us through the process. The plan is to file the paperwork in May. If that happens, we’ll be public by late summer or early fall, as long as the market stays decent.”

In the 1980s Woody had been part of Asheville’s medical device boom, which itself was a reflection of the strength of the manufacturing sector in Western North Carolina during that period. The allure of overseas cheap labor and the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, however, ultimately served to decimate that sector, shuttering scores of facilities throughout the region. Now, in 2017, Woody is hoping for a revival, with his company as the central figure in the next boom.

“Everyone who knows this technology,” Woody concludes, “thinks we will change global health.”

“We hope to be public this year. The plan is to file the paperwork in May. If that happens, we’ll be public by late summer or early fall, as long as the market stays decent.”

In July, Theraworx Relief, a nighttime cramp relief product, will make its debut on television and will be, according to Woody, “the first time people get to see Theraworx from Seattle to Miami.” As a lead-in to that, earlier this month it was announced that the product is also now available through Amazon.com.

There are 110 employees now but more will soon be needed. Much of the production has already been moved 30

| April 2017

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

31

column

Spring Cleaning

Although those April showers do bring May flowers, your garden and yard will still benefit from a little TLC— and a strategic game plan.

A

C

cinthia milner

is a garden coach at B.B. Barns Garden Center & Landscaping Services in Arden, NC.

32

H, A PR IL . T HE D O GWO ODS A R E

blooming, the azaleas are carpeting lawns in mass color, and we’re feeling, well, overwhelmed. Spring garden chores are looming as we swoon over April blooms and wonder how our neighbors manage that perfect lawn.

One of my jobs as a garden coach is to remind folks that the garden is a process. Garden chores will get done, just not all at once. Start by giving yourself permission not to finish the chore list the first weekend the weather is nice. Your back and knees will appreciate the pace.

So, chin up. There’s a lot to do outside, and April’s weather will be fickle, but spring will keep pushing forward, and so will we.

Frost Cloth, Blankets, Sheets, Leaves

Have a good frost protection plan, especially if you’re a vegetable gardener. We get confident when those 60°-70° days roll around, but it’s April and 20° nights will come. The average last frost date for Western North Carolina is April 10th, though many old timers to Asheville won’t plant annuals or warm season vegetables until after Mother’s Day. Be a good scout and be prepared.

You’ve got a several options: blankets, sheets, row covers, or frost cloth. Frost cloth and row covers are available at most nurseries, but they’re almost guaranteed be sold out on the day the frost is predicted, so plan ahead. Row covers are for vegetable gardens and are easily slipped over new

| April 2017

lettuces or broccoli heads. Frost cloth is a scratchy fabric that looks like a blanket and protects to different degrees of temperature. Be sure to ask for one that protects as low as 10° to 20°. If your landscape is small and you have the extra blankets or sheets, use those.

Plants that are sensitive to spring frost include all vegetables and strawberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, all fruiting trees and bushes, and many perennials. If you’re not sure whether to cover or not, check with a nursery or the North Carolina Cooperative Extension (NCCE; www.ces.ncsu.edu).

By the time you read this, spring perennials may already be blooming, while summer perennials may just be coming up. Cover emerging shoots with leaves.

Cover blooming plants with buckets, old nursery pots, whatever is handy. You get the idea; one size does not fit all. Incidentally, draping a blanket over the plant won’t work. It must go all the way to the ground and be held down with bricks or other heavy objects. The purpose is to capture heat radiating from the ground inside your homemade tent.

Water the soil well before you cover because moist soil radiates more heat. Remove the coverings early the next day before temperatures rise, so plants won’t fry.

C If this seems daunting, there’s another option: Instagram it. Take pictures the day before that hard freeze, and post to your favorite social media for prosperity. Remember, you’re the gardener. It’s about what you can do.

The sights… the seasons…

the lifestyle.

Fertilize, Compost, Mulch

Most homeowners don’t fertilize their plants seasonally. The assumption is that plants get what they need from the soil and surrounding environment. While that is true, adding fertilizer is one step to ensure the sustainability of that environment.

As plants grow and draw nutrients from the soil, they deplete the soil. In natural environments, like a forest, where leaves and other debris biodegrade back into the soil, the soil is replenished naturally. In our landscapes, where leaves are blown away with leaf blowers, fertilizing gives plants crucial nutrients. (If you’ve never done a soil test, do one now. Contact the NCCE to find out how. Understanding your soil aids in knowing which fertilizer to add.)

When fertilizing, use either an acidic fertilizer or an alkaline one. The flowering dogwood, for example, prefers an acidic fertilizer, while maples require a more alkaline one. Apply exactly as the fertilizer recommends. A good layer of compost is also beneficial to the soil and your plants. You can buy bagged compost or start your own compost pile. Compost piles are a great way to recycle yard waste and replenish lawns and landscapes. It’s an organic solution to building a better soil for your plants.

Adding mulch helps retain moisture and is a barrier to weeds that compete for nutrients. An inch to two inches of mulch is all that’s necessary. Avoid piling mulch around trees, giving them the “candle in the cupcake” look, which is dangerous to the longevity of a tree. You should always be able to see the root flair of your trees.

Fertilizing plants supports a healthy immune system, making them less susceptible to disease and pests. This makes for a happier July and August when pests and diseases are the primary garden chores.

Prune

Pruning stimulates growth and increases fruits and flowers.

Pruning early on establishes the architecture of the tree or shrub, and makes pruning in subsequent years easier. This chore is pretty much a must-do if you don’t want a jungle on your hands in short order.

Begin with dead, diseased, damaged, or dying wood. These should be removed throughout the year, because where limbs are torn, or dead wood hangs on, that is a perfect spot for disease and pests to harbor. Second, it’s important to thin out the plant to avoid overcrowding its interior, allowing better air circulation and sunlight penetration. This is especially important for fruit trees and berry bushes. Third, remove crossing branches; again, this rubbing together creates another host spot for disease and pests. Remove watersprouts and suckers. Suckers are vegetative

Have it all at Deerfield – extraordinary surroundings, activity-

filled days and nights, an extensive list of amenities – all in one of America’s most desirable retirement destinations, minutes from historic Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Asheville’s vibrant downtown. You’ll be free to explore new interests and passions, embrace new friendships, and enjoy life at your pace.

Call to schedule a visit and learn how you can live the retirement of your dreams.

AN EPISC OPAL R ET IR EM ENT CO MMU N I TY

1617 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 800-284-1531 828-210-4592 deerfieldwnc.org April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

33

column

growth from the root system, and watersprouts are vegetative growth from branches or trunk. Suckers compete for nutrients and watersprouts’ vertical growth clutters the interior of the plant.

Don’t prune spring flowering shrubs like azaleas, rhododendrons, forsythias, lilacs, and weigela until after the flowers fade but before July 4th. Most spring blooming shrubs bloom on old wood, and pruning before July 4th gives the plant time to put out new growth and thus more flowers for next year. It’s best to know what plants you have and when to prune them. A good pruning book or online resource will give you that information.

Pruning completes your three big spring chores. Fertilizing, mulching, and pruning take the longest—from here on out, it’s easy sailing.

Tidy the Beds

Clean out perennial beds of matted leaves and debris, cutting back any of last year’s missed perennials. Hellebore leaves, ornamental grasses, and any seed stalks you left for the birds can be cut back now. Weeds are generally the first to arrive, so be vigilant and start pulling now. It may seem that weeds always win the day, but it’s possible to get an early start and stay on top of them. (Well, let’s talk in August and see how we feel about that statement.)

Plant

April is a good month for planting trees and shrubs. Do amend the soil with a 50-50 mix of native soil and amendment of choice.

Plants must learn to grow in their native environment, so don’t overdo on the amendment, but don’t skimp, either. Remember, we’re always building a better soil. And research which amendment is best for your soil. Example: Soil conditioner is recommended if you have heavy clay soils. It can be added as an amendment or used as mulch. A blended amendment that contains compost, manure, and topsoil works well when backfilling planting holes.

When planting, be sure to root prune the plant when you remove it from the container. The plant was grown in a container and every time the roots hit the side of that container, it root pruned itself and the roots circled downward. If you plop the plant in the ground like that, the roots won’t unwind naturally.

Root pruning is done by removing any broken or diseased roots, and then teasing roots out to look like the spokes of a wheel.

It may require scoring the roots to get the process started, depending on how tightly wound the roots are. You will not hurt the plant (or the roots) by scoring them.

Dig a hole the depth of the container but twice the width of it.

This allows for backfilling with the mixture of amendment and native soil. Water well immediately after planting, making sure

NEW & CONSIGNMENT FURNITURE!

The Largest Consignment Store in WNC… 20,000 sq ft of shopping fun!

169 Charlotte Street Asheville, NC 28801

3699 Hendersonville Rd. Fletcher, NC 28732

828-575-9525 metrowinesasheville.com

(Clothing, decor, furniture & more!)

MON – SAT: 10 – 6

SMALL SHOP SERVICE *FREE & EASY PARKING*

34

| April 2017

LARGE SHOP SELECTION

828-687-7565

|

www.ilovelulus.net

the soil is moist. And, while spring often brings showers, watering is still essential that first season to get new plantings established.

A good rain gauge helps. Gardens need an inch of water a week.

If yours isn’t getting that, then watering becomes your job. Water

PLANTING IS ONE JOB THAT PAYS OFF IN SPADES—PUN INTENDED—IF YOU DO IT RIGHT, ESTABLISHING THE PLANT FOR FUTURE DROUGHT, PEST, AND DISEASE. slowly, allowing water to penetrate soil, circling around the drip line of the plant as you go. You want the water to percolate down, soaking the root ball. The horticulture cliché applies: Watering deeply and infrequently is better than frequently and shallow, which will not soak the roots, only the top layer of soil. So water deeply twice a week to help establish the plant.

Planting is one job that pays off in spades—pun intended—if you do it right, establishing the plant for future drought, pest, and disease.

Transplanting

Now is the time to divide certain perennials. Rule of thumb: For spring blooming perennials, divide in the fall; summer and fall blooming perennials, in the spring. It’s a simple job that helps grow the garden. Perennials benefit from division every three to five years. It’s as easy as digging the plant up (when you first see new shoots), taking a good knife (a Japanese garden knife is the best), and splitting the plant in half or thirds, then replanting.

As with planting, use amendment and water to reestablish.

Benches

Finally, every garden needs a bench because every gardener needs a place to stop, rest, and enjoy the fruits of their labors.

If yours doesn’t have one, then from the garden coach to you, that’s your first garden chore. Put in a bench before the hard work begins.

椀渀琀爀漀搀甀挀椀渀最 琀栀攀

䠀攀爀椀琀愀最攀 䌀漀氀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀

戀氀甀攀 ∡

愀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀 椀渀 礀攀氀氀漀眀Ⰰ 眀栀椀琀攀 愀渀搀 爀漀猀攀 ㄀㐀欀 愀渀搀 ㄀㠀欀 最漀氀搀 猀琀愀爀琀椀渀最 愀琀 ␀㄀Ⰰ㈀㔀

戀椀氀琀洀漀爀攀 瘀椀氀氀愀最攀

搀漀眀渀琀漀眀渀 愀猀栀攀瘀椀氀氀攀

眀眀眀⸀戀氀甀攀最漀氀搀猀洀椀琀栀猀⸀挀漀洀 㠀㈀㠀⸀㈀㜀㜀⸀㈀㔀㠀㌀

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

35

CAROLINA in the

WEST [

news briefs

Why Do We Still Forage For Supplements? buncombe county

Working as the director of the North Carolina A rboretum’s Germplasm Repository, plant physiologist JoeAnn McCoy is helping to fulfill the institution’s vision of creating a local products industry. She is involved in many projects, including the creation of a collection of ginseng seeds for the United States Forest Service and stocking repositories of native plants for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. But her main focus is manufacturing black cohosh supplements locally. The plant’s roots have been used for centuries as an herbal supplement, primarily for treating the symptoms of menopause. It grows naturally in the area, but it is not faring so well in warmer temperatures.

]

McCoy has harvested the seed pods from the stems of 22 strains and stored them in federal seed repositories in Ames, Iowa, and Fort Collins, Colorado, and in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. She has worked to breed a variety that is strong, disease-resistant, and capable of growing in full sunlight.

She is also working to determine which breed will produce the highest percentage of triterpene glycosides, the active ingredients. McCoy is surprised the plant is not grown as a cash crop and that supplements are not manufactured in the area, but by the German company Schaper & Brummer. To get a business started, McCoy has surveyed interest in manufacturing black cohosh supplements in the region, met with four potential investors, and begun a business plan. Her work was recently featured in Yale Environment 360.

LOCALLY OWNED …

LOCALLY GROWN: 29YEARS!

EDIBLES ANNUALS PERENNIALS 36

| April 2017

TREES TROPICALS SEEDS & BULBS

Ghost Town Abandoned haywood county

Alaska Presley is giving up trying to make a go of Ghost Town in the Sky. At age 88, the businesswoman purchased the park for $2.5 million in 2009 after the owners filed for bankruptcy. It had been a mountain-top Wild West attraction. Visitors would ride a chairlift, incline railway, or tour bus to a dusty faux town where stuntmen enacted shootouts and saloon girls danced the cancan. Amusement rides included a TiltA-Whirl, bumper cars, and the famous Cliffhanger roller coaster. Upon opening in 1961, the park was billed as Western North Carolina’s number-one tourist attraction. When Presley purchased the property, the large rides were too expensive to repair, so she tried to set up an Appalachian village for crafters. The village was opened for two years, but then an issue with the public water hookup prevented the village from opening in 2016. Presley is now trying to get $4.5 million for the property. She is willing to sell all 260 acres, which would include some home sites; or just the 90 acres on which the rides, the old town, and the chair lift remain. Real estate agent Chris Soco, who listed the property, says he has gotten several offers, including one from a

FLORAL

SPA! GIFTS STATUARY OUTDOOR FURNITURE

BBBARNS.COM | 3377 SWEETEN CREEK RD. ARDEN, N.C. 28704 | 828-650-7300

developer who wants to design an alpine slide under the chairlift, borrowing the concept from Ober Gatlinburg.

Be Nice with Rice buncombe county

The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village serves fresh Mexican dishes as well as cerveza, margaritas, and over 50 tequilas.

The restaurant and bar also recently celebrated the 200,000th meal it has made possible for Western North Carolinians struggling with hunger. The restaurant partners with MANNA FoodBank in a program called Be Nice with Your Rice.

Diners can opt to skip a side item that would normally be served with their order, and the restaurant will donate the retail value of that item to MANNA. To date, the program has raised $72,770 for a program that can provide meals at less than 36 cents each. Since MANNA food is donated, purchased with grants, or obtained at special aftermarket rates, the cost largely covers operations and distribution. Like many, Sherrye Coggiola, who co-owns the restaurant with husband Anthony, found the statistics on local hunger staggering.

Information published by MANNA asserts one in six Western North Carolinians struggles with hunger and at least one in

60

80

the old north state

national & world

four children are food-insecure, or unable to eat nutritious meals on a regular basis.

MANNA serves over 200 organizations that provide meals to the poor in 16 Western North Carolina counties, and in 2015, it distributed over 15.7 million pounds of food. The Coggiolas just bought a new van with which they hope to travel the countryside teaching other restaurateurs about Be Nice with Your Rice.

Beauty in Regeneration graham county

Naturalists are now assessing the damage at Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest caused by the wildfires that raged through Western North Carolina from October through December. The old-growth forest is home to trees that can be 400 years old, 100 feet high, and 20 feet in circumference. Efforts to save the giant tulip poplars, which included dynamiting giant hemlocks nearby to reduce kindling, proved successful. But many other trees were scorched and many fell, particularly on slopes, where fires rampage hotter and faster. The wilderness area is forever changed, but forest rangers are encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to find beauty in regeneration, evidenced by the lichens and flowers now sprouting on the

carolina in the west

forest floor. Some park structures were destroyed, including the Wayah Bald Fire Tower and the Whitewater Falls access area and staircase. The latter hosts 55,000 visitors a year, and repairs are expected to cost $220,000. Since federal guidelines ban mechanized equipment from wilderness areas, it will take many years to clear the damage. The National Forest Service will be holding a salvage sale for 200 acres of timber. Neighboring homes and businesses were not harmed structurally, but the fires hit during leaf season in Graham and Swain counties, where tourism is the number-one business. Foot traffic continued to be down 15% through the winter in places like the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Also Catering To the Prius Palate buncombe county

After thirty-one years of business, serving an estimated two million customers, the J&S Cafeteria in Enka has closed. The restaurant, with its classic cafeteria line serving healthy, home-style choices replete with vegetables, was long a favorite for seniors on fixed incomes.

When it opened, the average cost for a

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 37

carolina in the west

square meal was around $3.00. Through the years, the restaurant aligned itself more with trends. It started serving filtered water and ceased serving animal byproducts several years ago. President and CEO Fagg Nowlan says the decision to close took two years to make. He is now looking for a place to open a smaller restaurant that will seat only 150-200, compared to the old restaurant’s capacity for 400. The new store, and the five others in the chain, will cater more toward millennials. The Enka restaurant has seen a steady decline in visits by patrons over 45 years. Nowlan says the Food Network has turned everybody into foodies, with fast-casual restaurants serving world flavors now in demand.

There are no plans to close any of the other stores, but rather to open more locations that are more streamlined with a focus on salad bars and more variety. J&S opened another location in Greensboro as recently as last November.

Midnight Train To Canton THE EVOLUTION OF TRADITION We take the mystery out of buying Estate Diamonds and fine Pre-owned Jewelry. Since our beginning when David L. Yaffin became “Boston’s Diamond Broker” in the 1920’s, we’ve helped thousands to appreciate the quality and savings provided by selecting pre-owned diamonds. Our story is truly an evolution of tradition. For sixty years, we served St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area and now, Richard S. Yaffin is proud to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Estate Jewelry Ltd. in historic Biltmore Village.

As our name implies, we showcase an outstanding selection of pre-owned diamonds and fine jewelry sourced from local area estates and private owners.

HISTORIC BILTMORE VILLAGE 2 BOSTON WAY, ASHEVILLE, NC 28803 For current store hours and vacation dates, call or go Online CALL 828.274.7007 | EstateJewelryLtd.com 38

| April 2017

haywood county

William McDowell purchased the Reynolds School Property in Canton for $80,000 at auction last December.

He wants to turn the one-story, 20,000-sq.-ft. facility into a community center. The school was built in 1930, and it was located next to McDowell’s home.

He attended the African-American school in the days of segregation; his mother was a cook there, and his grandfather was president of the football booster program. After McDowell grew up, he owned jewelry stores and worked in the real estate business, eventually moving to Las Vegas where he now runs an artist development company.

He also married soul legend Gladys Knight. They bought a home in Fairview in 2005, and when McDowell returned to his old school, he found it serving as a storage shed, the grounds overgrown with weeds. McDowell felt the need

WE SELL to restore the sense of community he once felt. Not only did people maintain their yards, he noted, “everybody had the ability to nurture without question.

You just felt like you were surrounded by people who love you.” He will host several community meetings to gauge the community’s will for the property, but he envisions setting up classrooms for his wife to teach music classes and kids to take etiquette courses. He also wants to set up a track where the elderly may walk safely. He hopes to host a fundraiser concert later this year to help pay for renovations and operations.

Luthimania polk county

Jay Lichty, of Lichty Guitars in Tryon, is one of six luthiers to participate in Luthiers for a Cause. First a carpenter and woodworker, Lichty (profiled in the February 2014 issue of this magazine) combined his passion for music with his vocation to start a business handmaking custom guitars and ukuleles.

The initiative began as a challenge to see how much artisanship alone could impact the sound quality of an instrument. It was decided that half a dozen luthiers would make a ukulele out of wood from the same trees. The tree most commonly selected was The Tree, a legendary Honduran mahogany that grew 100 feet tall with a base ten feet in diameter. It was felled 50 years ago, but sat for years in a ravine until it could be harvested. The bark was spiraled making remarkably beautiful quilt patterns, and instrument makers found it had rich tonal qualities as well. The wood now sells for $1,500 per board-foot. The instrument tops will be made from the Lucky Strike California redwood log.

California redwood is another wood of treasured tonal qualities, but it cannot be harvested unless downed by natural causes, like the lightning after which the log was named. After the scientific experiment is over, the ukuleles will be

sold, with all proceeds benefitting the Ukulele Kids Club. The club provides music therapy for children in hospitals and sends kids home with the gift for life of the healing power of music, otherwise known as their very own ukulele.

Take It Where the Sun Don’t Shine transylvania county

The tiny town of Rosman is gearing up for the total solar eclipse on August 21. This will be the first one visible over the contiguous United States in 38 years, and it will be exclusively observable in the United States. It will also be the first in history to pass directly over an astronomical research facility with four state-of-the-art radio telescopes, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. The moon will totally block the sun, leaving only its corona visible, but only over a path 70 miles wide, which will sweep from Yaquina Head, Oregon, through Greenville, South Carolina, before the alignment is lost over the Atlantic. The blackout will last only one minute and forty-seven seconds over Rosman, but tickets to watch through the telescopes are already sold out. As consolation, a balloon will be launched to 90,000 feet to livestream coverage. Lodging facilities are selling out in advance.

The Ash Grove Mountain Cabins and Camping, for example, sold out to a regular who booked the whole campus for family members. The Hampton Inn is reserving media space for teams from national networks. The Transylvania Tourism Development Authority has been hyping the event for a year, and it has contracted with a marketing agency to address traffic and public safety issues, since the largest event the town has ever endured has been the annual White Squirrel Festival, which draws 35,000 tourists over three days.

• Vintage pieces, one-of-a-kind gems, contemporary designs and signed pieces

• Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Van

Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari, David Yurman, John Hardy

• Pre-owned G.I.A certified

diamonds and precious gems

•

Licensed and insured Diamond Brokerage

• Beautiful estate jewelry at significant savings

WE BUY • Your unwanted diamonds,

gemstones and fine jewelry

• Premium always paid for

signed pieces from Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari

• We’re prepared to purchase outright one item or an entire estate

• Pre-owned G.I.A certified

diamonds and precious gems.

Free examination, evaluation and estimate We use G.I.A standardized grading on all evaluations All transactions held in strictest confidence April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 39

ASHEVILLE: Historic Biltmore Village 9 Kitchin Place 828-274-2630

Light, fresh style just in time for Spring!

40

| April 2017

STORE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-7pm Sat. 9:30am-6pm Sun. 12pm-5pm

local industry

Pretty Polk

IN

written by jennifer fitzger ald

In Polk County, pleasant surprises abound: big-city opportunities in a small-town setting.

SPRING IN Polk County, photo courtesy Melinda Massey April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 41

P

POLK COUNT Y Cour thouse

local industry

olk County, located in the Western North Carolina foothills south of Asheville and bookended by Hendersonville to the west and Rutherfordton to the east, is a truly unique place, an area rich with history and full of friendly folks. The natural beauty will take your breath away and the small-town charm will make you never want to leave.

Crys Armbrust, commissioner and mayor pro tem for the Town of Tryon, describes the area as “living in paradise.”

“The geographic place itself is compellingly beautiful,” he says, ticking off the county’s attributes. “The famed, mild, Thermal Belt weather is certainly rarified. The region’s history holds some national importance in several cultural and artistic contexts—peopled by individuals, some famed and some even infamous, who have made significant contributions to both our nation and world. And lastly, I appreciate the camaraderie of simple everyday encounters with truly fascinating backgrounds, who, if not born here, have chosen to make this place ‘their’ place.”

The county population of almost 21,000 consists of the county seat of Columbus, Tryon, Saluda, Green Creek, Cooper Gap, and White Oak. Conveniently located to Interstate 26 and Highways 74 and 176, residents are only 30 minutes from Spartanburg, an hour from Asheville, and an hour and a half from Charlotte. For this reason, 53 percent of Polk County’s employed residents work outside of the county. The average commute time is 26.8 minutes.

BLOCK HOUSE Steeplechase

The Economy 1.0

As with many other areas of Western North Carolina, growth in Polk County was slowed by the Great Recession, but growth signs have been emerging in recent years.

“The east and southeast areas of the county—Mill Spring and Green Creek—have seen the most property sales activity of late,” says Jim Edwards, Polk County interim economic development director. “Much of this activity has been driven by the development of Tryon International Equestrian Center, located on U.S. Highway 74 and Pea Ridge Road.”

“The standout change in Polk County, with greatest direct and indirect economic impact, is, no doubt, the implementation and startup of the Equestrian Center,” agrees Armbrust. “The expansive, 2,000+ acre facility, nestled in an impressive Blue Ridge setting, brings world-class, competitive equestrian sports to our region. Beyond its local and regional impact, the facility continues to grow as an acclaimed international destination, and will, in fact, serve as host of the 2018 World Equestrian Games.”

History 1.0: All That is Equine

To understand the impact of the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), one must look at the important equestrian history of Polk County.

In his 1977 book, History of Old Tryon and Rutherford Counties, author Clarence W. Griffin explains that around 1836, “a group of sportsmen from lower South Carolina established a race course from near what is now 42

| April 2017

COLUMBUS Curb Market, photos courtesy Melinda Massey

20,846

Polk County

2014 projected total popul ation

$56,690

map

9

2014 estimated median family income

238.53 square miles are a

* from

accessing polk co profile

-

jan

2017

MILL SPRING

and

understanding polk count y, north c arolina sept

2016 74

26

COLUMBUS

SALUDA 176

TRYON

26

GREEN CREEK

SOUTH CAROLINA

known as the Dick Owens place in Sandy Plains, about three miles along the route surveyed for (this) railroad.” Many coming to the area during that time brought fine horses with them to travel from resort to resort.

The area’s modern day connection to all that is equine began in 1917 when a horseman named Carter Brown arrived in Tryon and, according to Griffin, “put Tryon on the horse map.” He was the founder of the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club in 1925.

He also started a fox hunt, the Tryon Hounds, in 1926, and was the “guiding light” of the Tryon Horse Show and the father of steeplechasing in Tryon.

When Mark Bellissimo looked for a location to complement his Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Polk County was a logical choice.

“I had been evaluating creating a spring/summer/fall circuit along the East Coast for a couple of years as a complement to our Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, which is the world’s largest horse show,” says Bellissimo, the managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners. “The goal was to create an equestrian lifestyle destination centered around a resort that would serve a broad range of demographics and equestrian interests. The area had to have great weather,

central location on the East Coast, a strong equestrian infrastructure, supportive local government, ability to aggregate horse show events (geographically constrained by licensing requirements of various governing bodies), a strong lodging and hospitality infrastructure, and a large property footprint, i.e., approximately 1,500 acres which was both affordable and accessible from a highway network. Those are challenging requirements [that narrowed] the options down considerably.

“Roger and Jennifer Smith, who are business partners in Wellington, and dear friends, live in Polk County and have a great passion for the area. Over the years, we attended the Block House Steeplechase with them and we were enchanted with both the locale, the equestrian heritage, and the energy of the people in the community. The area had been hit hard with a combination of the Great Recession and the loss of the textile economy. While we viewed this as a business opportunity, we were equally inspired by the prospect of trying to re-energize a community with a vision and a business strategy that could be a strong driver of economic activity and stimulate interest in the area. It is not often that one gets an opportunity to be part of such an ambitious plan.”

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 43

local industry

GROUNDS OF the Tr yon International Equestrian Center, photo by Erik Olsen

Bellissimo acknowledges that this is all a work in progress, citing, for example, the current lack of lodging and hospitality infrastructure as a “major constraint in the short term.” But, he adds, “Our passion for the area and the people drove us to invest our way out of that problem. I believe we are well on the way to becoming the premier equestrian lifestyle destination in the world that will have a broad impact on, at the very least, a six-county area.”

A soft opening of the TIEC was held in October 2014. Actually located in the Mill Spring area of Polk County (4066 Pea Ridge Rd.; Tryon.coth.com), it is a stunning facility that brings many of the world’s top equestrian athletes to the area. The TIEC welcomes guests “365 days a year to watch, dine, shop, and experience one of the premier riding facilities in the world built for the love of horses and our sport.”

To invite more people to experience the sport, there is free admission and parking for most events. “Saturday Night Lights” is a Grand Prix equestrian event featuring food, live music, and the highest level of competitive show jumping on select Saturday evenings throughout the year. It is a free, fun, festive, family-oriented event.

The news that the TIEC will host the 2018 Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games was announced last August and brings a global event to Polk County.

44

| April 2017

Seventy nations will be represented, with an estimated overall attendance of 500,000. Four new hotels are in the works for the TIEC, which currently has the Stable House Inn, over 100 RV spots, and cabins on-site.

The TIEC currently employs 169 individuals in the off season and that number will grow when the season picks up in April. Several hundred have been involved in construction of the property alone. A preliminary economic impact study of visitors at TIEC, prepared for the Polk County Economic Development Office in 2015, showed the Center responsible for over $9.2 million dollars injected into the economy. Longrange plans include developing a 47-acre Tryon Village with a hotel, condos, apartments, fitness center, water park, and retail spaces.

“TIEC has brought opportunity to the area while maintaining the scenic beauty and southern hospitality that attracted us all here to begin with,” says Bellissimo. “We’ve employed over 700 construction workers alone just to develop the first phase of the facility, not to mention additional hospitality and operations staff, and that number will only grow as we prepare for FEI World Equestrian Games 2018. In addition to jobs, we are attracting new visitors to the area who are quickly becoming repeat visitors, which is also stimulating the local economy.”

The Economy 2.0

Polk County’s Jim Edwards says the county has a “fairly diverse economy,” with healthcare and education being the largest employment sectors. If seasonal and part-time employment is counted, the TIEC now has the largest number of employees in the county. Small businesses—retail, services, trades—are relatively numerous in relation to the county’s size. Preliminary numbers from the Polk County Office of Economic Development put the count of businesses at over 800, again, high relative to the population. Businesses run the gamut from agricultural enterprises, to small and medium tradesmen operations, to professional and financial services and retail. Polk County has no “big box” retailers—a fact which local residents are proud to tell you about. Manufacturing is generally smaller-scale than that found in the surrounding counties, with fewer than 50 employees in the sector for the county. Polk enjoys a strong history of small entrepreneurial start-ups that are experiencing success. ( To see the January 2017 Capital at Play list of manufacturers in Western North Carolina counties, go to CapitalatPlay.com/resources.)

An example of one such business is Mg¹², whose current CEO, Tom Strader, bought the company in 2014 from Dave and Drew Banks, who had originally marketed it under the name Magnesoothe, and set up operations in Tryon.

John Marino, vice president of sales and operations, explains that the company’s all-natural magnesium-rich topical supplements are developed from Dead Sea salts that are sent to them in raw form from Israel. “Most Americans are deficient in magnesium,” says Marino. “We supply magnesium products that you apply transdermally. No pill form. We sell mostly to people who are having some pain.

We make everything here in Tryon and send them all over the country and even internationally.”

Last year, Mg¹² (Mg12.com) sold to 56 health food stores regionally. Today they are in 350 stores nationwide.

Last year’s sales were $500,000 and they are looking at a million dollars in sales this year.

Their products are available at retail locations in Polk County, as well as a small brick and mortar location at their Tryon facility. They offer a full website and a presence on every social media platform. The products ship to Southeast locations within two days; West Coast, within a week.

“The community has really rallied around us,” says Marino.

“We are one of the few manufacturers in Polk County. We have a total of seven employees—some are part-time. As we increase our production, we can double in size and not have to add anyone onto the team.”

Revitalization

The downtown areas of Columbus, Saluda, and Tryon are charming and unique. Tryon in particular has recently seen significant revitalization in its downtown area.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 45

The Polk Population In 2016, 14.0% of the population over 25 years old had earned a masters, professional, or doctorate degree.

SPRING IN T YRON, photo courtesy Melinda Massey

In 2016, 17.6% of the population over 25 years old had earned a bachelor’s degree.

POPULATION GREW 5.3% from 2010-2016

Number of households increased 3.3% from 2010 to 2016

The graduation rate for this county was 89.7% compared to the state rate of 85.6% in 2014. 15 * from

accessing polk co profile

-

jan

2017

and

understanding polk count y, north c arolina sept

46

| April 2017

2016

“The present surge in downtown Tryon’s economic growth is based on an economic development strategy involving focused, public-private partnerships to accomplish projects both great and small,” says Mayor Pro Tem Armbrust. “The endeavor has been ongoing for a number of years and involves the proactive efforts of numerous individuals and organizations. The specific end goals for the Tryon community have been: 1) to build investor confidence; 2) to diversify business opportunities; 3) to enhance consumer experience; while, at the same time, preserving the architectural fabric of the historic downtown, creating downtown destination events for residents and visitors alike, and celebrating the unique artistic and cultural history that makes Tryon an exemplary place to live, work, and play.”

Armbrust served as Tryon’s economic development director for seven years, during which time the foundational groundwork for much of the revitalization presently occurring in downtown Tryon took place.

“That work has been greatly assisted with collateral fiscal support by both private investors and successful bids for grant funding from the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s (Small Town) Main Street program,” continues Armbrust. “Core grants have included a (former) Rural Center Economic Innovation grant and two Main Street Solution grants. These grants have resulted in the rehabilitation of the historic 1906 Tryon Depot and the creation of two public gathering spaces in downtown Tryon: the St. Luke’s Plaza and the Depot Plaza. The 1906 Depot project, in 2012, and the St. Luke’s Plaza project, in 2014, each received the Department of Commerce’s singular (Small Town) Main Street Economic Restructuring Award.”

Scott and Gayle Lane have completed renovations on the Missildine Drug Store building along with Tryon Federal Bank and the Jackson building. New businesses have moved into the

spaces located on Trade Street and joined the collection of established businesses in the area. The Lanes also recently purchased the local movie theater and plan to renovate it as well.

Vines of Tryon Gift Shop and Boutique (VinesofTryon. com), owned by John and Ann Gargiulo, is one of those established businesses. Their store has been in business for 22 years, and they purchased it 16 years ago and expanded.

Eight years ago they moved into their current location at the Shops of Tryon center, 112 North Trade Street.

“My husband and I retired from New York City and we came directly down here,” says Ann Gargiulo. “We discovered it because of horses. I was involved in horses even though we lived in Manhattan. We read an article about small horse-friendly towns in the South, and Tryon was one of them.”

Their store caters to local retirees by having a good variety of things so they don’t have to travel to a big city, and also to tourists that can come and see unique things they don’t find in their towns.

The Gargiulos have seen Polk County become more upscale over the years. “The median age continues to grow so the retirees are continuing to come, although we get a lot of families who commute or work from their homes on the computer,” says Ann. “I think the TIEC has made people aware of Tryon that didn’t hear about it before. They had heard more of Saluda. That, and other things like the renovation of the buildings, new businesses. People from the larger cities want to come enjoy a smaller town and shop and have nice restaurants and find unique things— have a nice experience.”

K AND SCOT T HOOPER with Xena the Warrior Princess and T-Bone. photo by Jennifer Fitzgerald

come and go. What we carry now and what we carried 10 years ago is totally different. You’ve got to keep evolving.”

Just across the way from Vines, at the Shops of Tryon, you will find Karolyn (who answers to “K”) and Scott Hooper. This husband and wife team opened Hoop’s Antiques and Vintage Collectibles (HoopsAntiques.com) last November. Both had recently retired from the Army—K with 23 years of service and Scott with 26 years, and they were aspiring entrepreneurs looking for a place to start a new business. They say they began to wonder “what are we going to do when we grow up” and subsequently “got the bug” to launch a business of their own.

When stationed in Fort Bragg in 2009, someone told them they needed to visit Asheville. They stayed at the Grove Park Inn and fell in love with Western North Carolina. K was going to Afghanistan, and a few months later Scott was going to Iraq.

They wanted to retire on a lake and discovered Lake Adger in Polk County. With the assistance of a realtor, they bought their home sight unseen while still in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Upon returning to the States, they looked at the area known as the “String of Pearls”— Tryon, Columbus, Saluda, and Landrum, South Carolina—as possible locations for a store.

They came to Tryon and saw the newly renovated Missildine

“Keeping up with the times, particularly in products and services. What we carry now and what we carried 10 years ago is totally different. You’ve got to keep evolving.”

Most tourists that visit their shop are from south of Polk County—Greenville and Spartanburg, Charlotte, Charleston, and also some from Hendersonville and Asheville.

What’s the biggest challenge the Gargiulos face as small business owners? “Here or anywhere, it’s labor intensive; as a small business owner we are kind of doing everything. We don’t have the advantages of a big corporation and having a tech guy on hand and a marketing guy on hand. Also, keeping up with the times, particularly in products and services. It’s constantly evolving. There are trends that

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 47

Don’t miss special moments.

Don’t miss life’s special moments.

If knee or hip pain is keeping you from experiencing the joys of living, it’s time to seek professional medical help.

Board-certified orthopaedic surgeons Brian Rosenberg, MD, FAAOS, and Thomas Cadier, MD, FAAOS, as well as the team at St. Luke’s Hospital, have the reputation for getting people back on their feet in record time.

With advanced procedures like direct anterior hip replacement and customfit knee replacements, you’ll experience less pain, a shorter (but impressive) hospital stay, and a quicker recovery.

Some moments are too special. Choose exceptional care close to home.

Rosenberg

48

Cadier

Rosenberg Bone & 2017 Joint | 89 W Mills St, Columbus, NC 28722 | (828) 894-3718 | www.SaintLukesHospital.com | April

local industry

CLOCK TOWER in Downtown Tr yon, photo by Jennifer Fitzgerald

building, but learned that all the retail space was taken. John Gargiulo introduced himself and showed them the space they now occupy in the Shops of Tryon. Instead of taking a year off and enjoying Army retirement, they jumped in and opened last November.

“We didn’t have a clue,” says Scott. “But I think it was our Army experience, and Jamie Carpenter, with the Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA), was phenomenal.

She was one of the first people we met.” Carpenter provided them, along with other potential business owners, an “Opening a Business Checklist.” SCORE Western Carolina (Service Core of Retired Executives), which serves eight area counties, was also a great source of information for the Hoopers, as well as an Army-sponsored program called Boost a Business, which helps determine if entrepreneurship is the right path for you.

Most of their furniture is from Europe. And they carry a full line of Polish pottery.

“We want there to be something for everyone,” says K. “The store is a mix of antique, vintage, and contemporary. But we think it all kind of fits together—where the old and new world meet. All of the businesses here are awesome. We love working together. We are so excited about being part of the revitalization of this town.”

“We love the people,” agrees Scott. “K says she has the best job in the world—she gets to buy things, then decorate, and spend the day talking to nice people.”

The Hoopers, along with their “Community Outreach Section” of dogs, Xena the Warrior Princess and T-Bone, look forward to the future.

Climate Control

Due to its location in the Thermal Belt, Polk County sees milder temperatures than other parts of Western North Carolina. The warmer temperatures contribute to longer growing seasons than in the surrounding region. The average annual temperature is 59 degrees, and average annual snow fall is nine inches. The Thermal Belt refers to a mountainside zone where frost or freezing temperatures are less likely to occur than they are at either higher or lower elevations.

Scott Welborn, Polk County extension director with the North Carolina State Cooperative Extension, shares that in order to have a thermal belt, you must live in the foothills or in a mountainous region. A typical thermal belt is formed on a mountainside and not on flat land. Heat absorbed by the soil during the day radiates from the soil surface of the mountain at night and rises into the free air. This radiation of heat makes the air closest to the soil surface colder than the free air. The cold air situated near the ground then moves downward into the valley below (cold air sinks). The movement of cold air to the valley forces what warm air there is in the valley upward. During the night there is a continuous interchange of cold air from the mountain surface and warmer free air from the valley.

Meanwhile, there is a continuous movement of air above the mountain ridges. This rapidly moving air traps the rising warmer

OVERMOUNTAIN VINEYARDS, photo courtesy Melinda Massey

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 49

local industry

free air. Thus, a band of warm air is created with colder air both above and below it, forming a thermal belt.

In Polk County, the Tryon-Columbus area is protected on the north and northwest from the cold winds of winter by a crescent of 2,500 to 3,000 foot mountains. These same mountains are what help to form the Thermal Belt. According to a United States Weather Bureau Report, there are some “peculiar topographical features near Tryon that affect the flow of air” causing some remarkable variations in temperature.

Agri-Culture

Polk County has been steeped in an “AGRI”-culture since before its creation in 1855. The fertile soils of the stream/river bottoms and rolling foothills, along with the Thermal Belt, make it prime for farm diversity. Dawn Jordan, agricultural economic development director for Polk County, says a variety of livestock, including cows (beef and dairy), bison, alpacas, goats, sheep, equine, and poultry can be found throughout the county. Bees and aquaculture are also farmed in Polk. Vegetable crops, fruit crops, hay, and forage crops, as well as hydroponics and aquaponics, can be found here.

“The demand for local food is continuing to rise,” says Jordan.

“We have a lot of transplants who come down to enjoy a similar life at a cheaper value or even a better life for a lot of people.”

“This creates an opportunity for new farm businesses to develop and current operations to diversify by adding niche products such as making blueberry syrup from local blueberries along with offering pick your own days. Growing trends in agriculture we have seen include intensive orchard production, year-round greenhouse production, and trout farms. We are also seeing an increase in more ‘homestead’ models of farming, particularly among retirees moving to the area.”

Jordan also sees a marked interest from the 25 to 35 year-old demographic looking to make agriculture a career. She finds this encouraging as current farmers move into retirement age and want to see the continuance of farming as a career and lifestyle.

Living the Good Life

As suggested above, the call of a mild climate, combined with all the amenities of living in Polk County, brings many retirees to the area to live. In fact, 53.8 percent of Polk County’s 50

| April 2017

residents were not born in North Carolina. Many visit and even retire from the Columbia and Charleston areas to escape the summer heat. Thirty-five percent of the county’s population is age 60 or older. The average annual retirement income is $30,490.

“We have a lot of transplants who come down to enjoy a similar life at a cheaper value or even a better life for a lot of people,” says Tryon Town Manager Zach Ollis. “We are in the Thermal Belt, so geographically the climate is more ideal year-round. A lot of people, when they get to their retirement age, don’t want to deal with 40 inches of snow that you get up north. They want to come down here, see it once, and be done with it. Still in the mountains, but a better climate.”

There are several retirement communities, including White Oak Village in Tryon and Tryon Estates in Columbus, which offer many levels of care, from independent living to skilled nursing care. Tryon Estates, owned by Acts Retirement-Life Communities, has approximately 400 residents and 225 employees.

Raising a Family

Just as the quality of life entices many to retire to the area, it also plays a role in young families moving to the area looking for a great spot to raise their children. Real estate is priced more affordably than in nearby larger markets, with the estimated median value of owner-occupied housing at $173,600.

“I’ve been in Tryon for 15 years and raised four kids here,” says Marino of Mg¹². “I was in a corporate environment for most of my career and moved around a lot. I was looking for a small town to raise my kids in, and I found Tryon and really fell in love with it. It’s a great little small town, but it has a great arts community—the theater, music—[and] school systems are great. It has a lot of outdoor activities. Within 10 miles we have over 20 hiking trails.”

“People really look out for each other and come together,” says the TDDA’s Carpenter. “People create their own family here. It’s like a big extended family.”

The Polk County School System serves approximately 2,300 students in grades Pre-K through 13, and consists of seven schools: four elementary, one middle, one traditional comprehensive high school, and one early college.

School Superintendent Aaron Greene says he “is passionate about our district, community, and, most importantly, our students and families. When taken as a composite, our performance on accountability measures (assessments, graduation rate, etc.) placed us second out of the 115 traditional public school districts in the state for 2015-2016. We have been recognized and have won numerous awards for our academic achievement, but would rather tout our student-centered culture and working to educate the whole child rather than just list our test scores.”

The Polk County Community Foundation is recognized as a large contributor to the quality of life in the area. The

GREEN RIVER ADVENTURES, photo courtesy Melinda Massey

DOWNTOWN SALUDA , photo courtesy Melinda Massey

Foundation’s goals of advancing philanthropy and improving that quality for all citizens are accomplished through charitable donations of all sizes, received from community members and then distributed as grants to area nonprofits and scholarships for local students.

Also adding to the quality of life in Polk County is St. Luke’s Hospital. For more than 85 years, the individualized attention and teamwork St. Luke’s staff displays in caring for patients has helped dispel the myth that bigger is better.

The hospital has been recognized by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Joint Commission, the American College of Radiology, the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment, Carolinas HealthCare System, and, of course, by their patients. The hospital is home to a 24-hour physicianstaffed emergency department, a new patient care wing that opened in 2013, and a new 5,500-sq.-ft. rehab center. Patients receive attentive and professional care in all-private rooms, including a six-bed intensive care unit, a 19-bed medicalsurgical unit, and a new six-bed orthopedic unit. St. Luke’s Hospital is a private, nonprofit community hospital with an all-volunteer board of trustees who live in Polk County.

History 2.0: The Name Game

Years before the Revolution, families had settled amid the Cherokee hunting lands. Conflicts between the settlers and the Cherokee brought Royal Governor William Tryon to the area to negotiate a boundary line with the Cherokees—from a point near Greenville in South Carolina to the highest peak on White Oak Mountain. Polk, named to honor Revolutionary War

hero Colonel William Polk, did not achieve county status until 1855. Columbus, the county seat, was named for Dr. Columbus Mills of Mill Spring.

Polk County and Saluda are infamous among railroad enthusiasts for the Saluda Grade, the steepest standardgauge mainline railway grade in the United States. Norfolk Southern suspended freight traffic indefinitely along this route in December 2001. (The April 2016 issue of Capital at Play had an in-depth look at the history of trains in Western North Carolina.)

Tourism— “It’s What We Don’t Have That Makes Us Special.”

Tourism is key to the local economy as visitors to Polk County spent nearly $24 million in 2014, supporting a payroll of $3.37 million for 180 employees in local travel and tourism related businesses. These visitors discover Polk County as “The First Peak of the Blue Ridge” known for its small towns, scenic beauty, outdoor recreation, and equestrian history.

“Over the years, we have been blessed with new tourism businesses centered on those themes, which help to preserve our rolling farmland and scenic mountain views,” says Melinda Massey, travel and tourism director for Polk County. “Five wineries, The Gorge Zipline, and the Tryon International Equestrian Center are just a few examples of attractions that make the most of our strengths. We like to say ‘It’s what we don’t have that makes us special.’ You won’t find big boxes here, but you will find an original mix of local shops, mom-and-pop restaurants, galleries, farmer’s markets, and events.”

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

51

local industry

Area Events & Festivals APRIL 15, 2017

71st Annual Tryon Block House Races The historic steeplechase of the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club blockhouseraces.com

APRIL 22-23, 2017

Tryon Arts & Crafts School Spring Festival tryonartsandcrafts.org

MAY 20, 2017

Saluda Arts Festival saluda.com

JULY 8, 2017

Coon Dog Day Festival saluda.com

OCTOBER 28-30, 2017

Tryon International Film Festival

tryoninternationalfilmfestival.com

EARLY NOVEMBER 2017

Annual Tryon Beer Fest tryonbeerfest.wordpress.com Additional note: Tryon’s annual Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2017, which would have been in its 24th year, has been canceled, according to the Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce.

52

| April 2017

Mindy Wiener is director of Our Carolina Foothills, a nonprofit that came about to promote tourism working with local chambers of commerce. The organization is a marketing arm for Landrum (South Carolina), Tryon, Columbus, and Saluda.

Wiener moved to Polk County from Los Angeles 10 years ago to raise her children. She most enjoys the quality of life she found.

“As small as the towns are, you can always find someone that you don’t know that has an interesting story,” says Wiener. “The diversity is amazing.

For me to have been able to simplify and spend time with my children has been really lovely—in a place that is gorgeous. The safety, clean air, clean water—the things you can’t find in big cities—and the friendly people.”

Wiener cites the location of being right in the middle of so many larger wonderful markets and having the option of airports and big cities as a plus for tourism. And, of course, there is the long list of outdoor activities in the area— The Gorge ( featured in the June 2016 issue of Capital at Play)—kayaking, tubing, hiking, fishing, and golf.

“People are amazed at how beautiful and pristine the area is,” says Wiener.

“That’s our diamond in the rough—there are so many facets. Green spaces are really important to us in Polk County and in the foothills.”

The Tryon Grape

Wineries are a gateway into the area for many visitors. They play such an important role in the local economy that one business, Limo Zen, offers Tryon Wine Tours to encourage visitors to travel safely from winery to winery. Agri-Tourism is gaining ground in Polk County through its five active wineries— Overmountain Vineyards, Parker-Binns Vineyard, Mountain Brook Vineyards, Green Creek Winery, Russian Chapel Hills Winery—and multiple vineyards that support the growing North Carolina wine industry.

(Mountain Brook was discussed in the September 2015 issue of Capital at Play—and Russian Chapel Hills in September 2016.)

Wiener works in the tasting room of Over Mountain Vineyards and has a good feel of where tourists are from.

“Tourists come from all over,” says Wiener. “At the winery—Upstate Greenville/Spartanburg, Charlotte, Asheville, Charleston, Atlanta, Columbia, a few from Tennessee. A lot of weekenders. What I love is that all our wineries are completely different. There is often a predetermined thought that you are in the South and wines are going to be sweet and simple, and when they get the complexities that stand up to wines around the world they are amazed.”

Mountain Brook Vineyards share with their guests the history of the Tryon grape that dates to the 1800s: “In the 1860s, Jacque Alexus Lemort was brought over from France by George Washington Biltmore to the Biltmore Estate where viticulture proved unsuccessful. By 1865, Lemort had made his way to the Tryon Foothills and discovered that with the more temperate climate, good drainage and better air circulation, grapes would thrive…

Starting in the 1890’s, the ‘Tryon Grape’ was sold to passengers on trains that came through the Tryon Depot. Between the months of July and August, “Tryon Grapes, Tryon Grapes, Tryon Grapes” was a cry that was echoed around the railway station as trains passed through.”

In addition to the wineries, Winding Creek Brewery has opened in Columbus, and The Tryon Back Door Distillery and Gallery is the first legal distillery in Polk County. It produces bourbon and moonshine. A brewery is on the wish list for many in Tryon and something that the TDDA’s Carpenter is actively recruiting to join the downtown scene.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

53

local industry

Patrons of the Arts

Residents are quick to mention the arts community as an advantage of living in Polk County. It is a key reason many move to the area and others visit. The history of the arts goes back to the 1880s, when the railroad brought writers to the area and a library and literary society were formed. Years later, artists came to the area fleeing Europe during World War I. “Historically, the writers, musicians, actors, and visual artists who have chosen to make their home here do so because of the unwavering support of local residents appreciative of the ways in which the arts enrich their lives and bring a unique quality to the region,” says Michelle Fleming, marketing manager for the Tryon Fine Arts Center (TFAC; TryonArts.org). She explains that this legacy lives on in the number of people continually drawn to the area to find and express their unique voice, and to spend their time and energy doing what they have always wanted to do, knowing they will find the encouragement and acceptance they deserve.

“This rarefied atmosphere gives both visitor and artist alike the best of big-city opportunities in the friendliest of smalltown settings,” says Fleming. “Historic luminaries such as the novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, poet Sidney Lanier, portraitist

George Aid, actor William Gillette, and musician/singer Nina Simone have found inspiration in Tryon.”

The TFAC has long played a key role in the area’s arts community. It was founded in 1969 as a performing arts venue and umbrella organization for many local arts groups, thanks to original patron, Violet Erskine Parish-Watson, who left $25,000 (approximately $200,000 in today’s money) provided her gift would be matched within one year. She further stipulated that the gift could not be matched by one large gift, but must be matched through “public subscription on a broad scale,” which she defined as at least 100 gifts.

TFAC has hosted high quality performing arts events, visual arts and historical exhibits, independent films, arts education programming, and community events. They are funded through grants, including those from The Polk County Community Foundation and North Carolina Arts Councils; fundraising that includes donations and business sponsorships, an endowment fund, and revenue from programming.

“Community members will attend a gallery opening for an unknown artist, a play they’re unfamiliar with, or a concert outside their usual genre just to support TFAC,” says Fleming.

“Tryon residents seem to value art for art’s sake, and I think

SATURDAY SATURDAY April15, 15,2017 2017 April PRESENTS- - -PRESENTS

71 71 Tryon

The The

stst annual annual

Tryon BlockHouse HouseRaces Races Block TheHistoric Historic The Steeplechaseofofthe the Steeplechase TryonRiding Riding&&Hunt HuntClub Club Tryon 54

| April 2017

6881South SouthNC NCHwy Hwy99 6881 Columbus,North NorthCarolina Carolina Columbus, TICKETSAVAILABLE AVAILABLEAT ATwww.tryon.com www.tryon.com TICKETS

it shows in the level of support we receive. The region is filled with true patrons of the arts.”

The uniqueness comes from the residents, the natural beauty, and the many facets that make it a wonderful place to live and a special place to visit.

The Tr yon I nt er nat iona l F i l m Fe st iva l (TryonInternationalFilmFestival.com; see our article on film societies in this issue) and the Tryon Little Theater (Tltinfo.org), among many others, also add to the vibrancy of the local art scene.

The Future

Polk County is poised to move into the future continuing to offer a blend of what locals want and tourists yearn to find. The uniqueness comes from the residents, the natural beauty, and the many facets that make it a wonderful place to live and a special place to visit.

“The greatest challenge for Polk County, and its constituent municipalities, in my opinion, is to make adequate preparations for future growth while preserving our rural quality of life,” says Tryon Mayor Pro Tem Armbrust. “It is a balancing act no doubt, but one that can, I believe, be accomplished with proactive, forward-thinking, community-building dialogues.”

Tryon Town Manager Ollis sums it up well when he says, “It’s the best of both worlds.”

Special thanks to Kelly Marshall for her input on this story. Also to the Polk County Office of Economic Development for sharing statistics and data.

**All references to Capital at Play past stories can be read in entirety at our website www.capitalatplay.com.

Use the handy search bar at the top of the page. **

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

55

column

The Perseverance Equation Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? It’s a finesse thing, really.

D

S

dawn starks

Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner and financial advisor at Starks Financial Group.

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/ SIPC.

56

O YOU T H I N K YOU WA N T T O RU N YOU R

own business? You are clearly an expert at your craft, so going out on your own is a no-brainer, right? This is where too many folks with a dream go awry. Clearly, being good, being great, and being the most awesome at what you do is a prerequisite for taking your act solo. But there are many other elements that need to be cultivated to assure that your self-employment dreams can be made reality.

As an entrepreneur for the past eighteen years, I can tell you with authority that perseverance is the single most important characteristic needed to succeed in running your own business. There will be many ups and downs as you launch your venture, so having an iron will is a must. Bankers will tell you “no”; customers will tell you “no”; and your loved ones will tell you “no.” You must have the fortitude to continue moving forward against the tide. Belief in yourself is part of the perseverance equation.

Some people, and I am one of them, are just hardwired so that if you tell them, “You can’t possibly do that!” they will ignite the fire under themselves just to prove you wrong. If you are not that person, then you need to develop a deep and abiding faith in yourself. Believe that your product or service is worthy and marketable; believe that you have what it takes to make it to the end of the race; and learn to dismiss self-doubt. Those moments of doubt will creep in, and you will need to be strong to talk yourself off the ledge of quitting.

The first year of any business is challenging, and I expected that. What I didn’t expect was to follow that with three straight down-market years. It took

| April 2017

all I had to keep coming into the office day after day, finding the right words to assure clients that we would get through this together. I spent my days talking to clients and researching in my field, and I spent my evenings reading self-help books. Positive thinking is what pulled me through, to be blunt. I told myself it was doable, that I could make it through this with my team. I knew I was right; sticking it out through the market tumble was the best strategy. I created positive-statement mantras, which I chanted to myself every morning and every evening before bed. To this day, when the chips are down, I revert to my mantras, which have changed over time, but still get my head screwed back on straight.

You also have to have faith that all will be well—to the point of developing undying optimism. I don’t mean to say you have to become one of those, as I like to call them, “perpetually perky people.” But when things are not going all that well, optimism is going to help you get yourself out of bed in the morning to start anew to make things better. I am fond of saying to myself and to others, “Things happen for a reason.” It is not always immediately apparent why a certain thing happened, but with

D time, rest assured that you will know why. A key employee leaves? While this might be a shock, I bet if you put your mind to it for a bit, you will conclude that better things will come as a result.

Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart. Maintaining the discipline of optimism—and I assure you, it is a discipline—will help you through the rough patches. This is where bravery, another trait of successful entrepreneurs, comes in. My husband and I joke all the time because he really likes risky hobbies and activities. He enjoys the adrenalin rush the activity provides. I tell him that I get enough of an adrenalin high from my day-to-day work—I don’t need to pursue high-risk hobbies, too! There is inherent risk in being 100 percent responsible for making sure your employees get paid.

I BELIEVED IN MYSELF; I BELIEVED IN MY CONCEPT; BUT THE RISK WAS REAL.

To be a successful entrepreneur, you must be comfortable with risk. Not everyone is cut out for the job.

As those three down-market years were coming to an end, so was my cash flow. It was apparent that the best thing to do would be to lay off one of my team. Academically, I understood that to be the best course of action. However, my whole premise, my competitive advantage, if you will, was a high-service model of providing financial advice. Having a larger team to increase response time was crucial to that model. So I told myself to hang in there, give it another six months.

Surely the market would recover, and therefore, so would revenues. I believed in myself; I believed in my concept; but the risk was real. Sticking it out paid off, in that the market did indeed turn

HANDMADE

RUGS Asheville, NC Since 1977

Direct Importer of Wholesale Oriental Rugs & Kilims CELEBRATING

40 YEARS YEARS IN BUSINESS!

562 Long Shoals Rd. Arden NC 28704 828-687-1968 TogarRugs.com April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 57

column

around, and our high-touch service style won us a considerable amount of new business over the following year.

By now it might sound like I’m advocating for a “charge-ahead” sort of personality. “Be brave! Be persistent no matter what!

Look on the sunny side of life!” But actually, discernment is

I HAVE OF TEN SAID OVER THE YEARS THAT BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE PR ACTITIONERS NEED TO BE TWO PEOPLE IN ONE—YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE KNOW-HOW OF YOUR PROFESSION, BUT YOU MUST ALSO HAVE THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO RUN A BUSINESS.

also quite necessary. It is important to be brave and optimistic and to persevere. But all of those things need to be tempered

appropriately. You must be able to judge whether your concept (the product or service you have to offer) is worth pursuing. If no one wants your product or no one needs your service, then all the optimism, bravery, and perseverance in the world is not going to make you successful.

It is a finesse thing, really. As negative feedback comes in, such as a bank refusing to loan you money for your project, you must consider the feedback seriously. Seek counsel with others if needed, but determine whether your continued perseverance is merited.

I lost count of the number of bankers that initially acted interested in my start-up, only to dash my hopes when they realized I had no big pot of money of my own to invest in the project. (Honestly, if I did, would I need a bank loan?) I had to meet each and every one of the rejections with a serious look at my plan. Was I crazy? Would my concept work? As it turns out, my faith in myself and my abilities, and my unbending belief that my concept was a good one, led me to press on. But I did revisit, and revisit, and revisit my plan to discern whether I was delusional or sane.

I also had to spend countless hours trying to woo bankers to help my fledgling company. It should go without saying that, ideally speaking, an entrepreneur will have money to infuse

Cherry Cherry EXPERIENCE

NEIL DIAMOND’S

MUSIC LIKE NEVER BEFORE!

MAINSTAGE • APR. 21 - MAY 13

MAINSTAGE • APR. 6 - 9 MAINSTAGE SERIES SPONSOR

DOWNTOWN SERIES SPONSOR

OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR

BMW of Asheville VisitHendersonvilleNC.org

58

FLATROCKPLAYHOUSE.ORG 828.693.0731 | April 2017

into the project to get it going. As I mentioned, though, that was not my case, so to be honest, it was both a time-consuming process and demoralizing. But if you don’t have money for your project, be prepared to do what needs to be done to procure the investment you require to get your business started.

For me, this meant spending hours I did not have talking to everyone I knew to find good bank connections. Once I had a lead, I had to call and introduce myself and set up a meeting.

Every banker wanted to see the numbers, of course. So, I had to produce packets of information that included my financials, as well as my cash flow projections. I wrote and rewrote summaries of what my game plan was—exactly how was I going to generate more business? I spent a considerable amount of time trying to convince the local banks that supporting another local company made perfect sense for them. The banks saw risk—an undercapitalized project with no real collateral to fall back on. I saw my future successful firm.

What worked finally? Nothing really, no magic bullet. It was a simple matter of giving my spiel to enough bankers until one finally decided to take a chance on me. After that one success, I later had subsequent successes with a couple more banks in those early years. It helped to have a track record of never missing a payment on the first loan.

I have often said over the years that business owners who are practitioners need to be two people in one—you have to have the know-how of your profession, but you must also have the skills required to run a business. It is sometimes the case that people become expert in their craft and then make the logical conclusion that they should, naturally, be able to do it as “their own boss.” But when I learn that someone is considering entrepreneurship, I will chime in with the recommendation that they first gain some business skills. Fortunately, these skills can be easy to come by. College courses, online courses, books by the million—resources abound for gaining some proficiency with things like marketing, accounting, and management. The main point is not to assume that just because you can do your craft, you can run a business.

Ultimately, if you want to be in business for yourself, know that you can do it, but it is not easy. I sometimes think it takes a special kind of crazy gene to make people want to risk it all to see their “baby,” their pet project, come to life.

You can learn what needs to be learned, so take heart—just go into your project with your eyes open, and find the places and the people that can help you develop the traits and skills you need. Then be sure to pay it forward to help others on the entrepreneurial path.

LILLY LOVERS S I M P LY

TRADITION

One All Souls Crescent • Historic Biltmore Village Asheville, NC • 828.505.8140 • www.shoppalmvillage.com www.facebook.com/Palm.Village.Asheville April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 59

THE OLD

NORTH

STATE [

news briefs

Why Pay More? charlotte

Premier, Incorporated, has launched an automated data analytics system to rapidly evaluate clinical costs associated with patient outcomes. The ability to identify opportunities in an efficient manner for savings on high-cost practices is in great demand, as cost burdens are rising faster than reimbursements.

Premier serves 3,750 hospitals and over 130,000 organizations with data analytics, supply chain solutions, and other services. Its PremierConnect ® performance improvement platform processes data from 40% of hospitals in the United States and over $50 billion in medical expenditures. Features quickly link data from purchasing departments, pharmacies, and operating rooms, thereby empowering clinicians to

]

evaluate alternative therapies, examine long-term cost analyses, and compare expenditures, with benchmarks established by peer groups. Cost-efficient variations in treatment that will be of greater than or equal efficacy for the patient’s health can thus be identified with a couple clicks of a mouse.

Because No Two Are Ever Alike

engineering degree from North Carolina State University. That was five years and 15 prototypes ago. The learning curve was steep, both from a technological and entrepreneurial angle, but Bunn taught himself as he went. Thanks to 3D printing, he did not have to spend $10,000 on casts and molds as he would have a decade ago.

The first models had too many moving parts and they were very hard on washing machines. The current model consists of parallel cords joined by a series of cord locks, the user slipping the pair of socks between the cords and clipping it with the cord lock. A plastic hook allows convenient storage in a closet or on a hamper.

The new design washes silently and holds the pairs together. Bunn began selling the items before Christmas, has sold 500 to date, and is going to the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago to try to capture the attention of Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond.

clayton

Losing socks in the wash was aggravating Kevin Bunn as a bachelor. Then he got married and had two children, one of whom had no two pairs that matched.

He had been in the real estate business selling gyms, so he looked forward to an opportunity to use his mechanical

Kids Can’t Believe They Made the Whole Thing durham

The Durham Nativity School is taking seventh and eighth graders to local businesses in order to demystify the

your complete

Valuable Coupon

Fabric center Largest selection of upholstery fabric in WNC

Fast, friendly service

Estate Sales Thursdays–Saturdays

APRIL 6 thru 8 APRIL 20 thru 22 9am–5pm

Drapery material/lining | Comforter and bedspread material

AT OUR NEW LOCATION! 75 Fairview Road

Asheville, NC 28803 Next door to our old place

828-575-2509 U.S. 25 North 60

|

Fletcher, NC

| April 2017

|

684-0801

ESTATE SALES

SPECIAL THURSDAY COUPON

20% OFF a single item One coupon per customer.

May not be combined with any other promotion.

Offer valid THURSDAYS ONLY 4/6/17 and 4/20/17.

GET EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS OF UPCOMING ESTATE SALES CPESTATESALES.ORG

36

80

carolina in the west

national & world

entrepreneurial process. The school offers an 11-year program for about 60 low-income boys. After graduating from the middle school, the students are placed, tuition-free, in private high schools and then mentored through college. The entrepreneurship club, with eight members, is new this year.

It was the brainchild of James Gray III, who tried to set up a similar program at North Carolina Wesleyan College while he was president. So far this year, the children have visited a furniture manufacturing warehouse, an energy drink facility, and a coffee shop. Comments from the children include amazement at how one or two people can do so much, wonderment at how anybody could get so much money, and a realization that entrepreneurship will require them to work hard to learn a lot. The club is supported through mentoring from the downtown Durham technology incubator American Underground and students from Duke University’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative.

remained vacant since Wal-Mart moved across town in 2013. The big box was purchased gutted; Rural King subsequently remodeled, repaired, and installed all new fixtures. Rural King operates 93 stores in 11 states now, this one being its first in North Carolina. Founded in Mattoon, Illinois, the retailer has been in business for 57 years. The outdoor and farm supply retailer is described as a combination of Tractor Supply, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Wal-Mart. Offerings include hardware store items like feed and seed, paint, tools, outdoor furniture, and pet supplies.

Rural King is a certified Stihl dealer, and its stores feature special plumbing and garden centers. Shoppers will also find clothing, like Carhartt workwear and Justin boots, the store additionally boasting an inventory of over 500 firearms, including long guns and handguns. The store intends to feature locally-made merchandise both through regularly available product lines and standalone events.

Tack In the Box

chapel hill

morganton

Rural King opened in Morganton’s 89,000 -sq.-ft. big box, which had

Political Science Public documents, 350 pages’ worth, released at a records request from Raleigh’s News & Observer, showed UNC-Chapel Hill faculty were concerned

the old north state

about a legislative mandate to create an environmental think tank. Instructors requested permission to participate in meetings administrators were planning to hold to set up the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory. The think tank was established with $1 million in annual state funds, with another $3.5 million being offered if the university could match it.

The authorizing legislation required a study of shellfish aquaculture and pollution controls at Jordan and Falls lakes.

Other projects included informing the overhauling of the university’s power plant to run on natural gas instead of coal, and converting its fleet to run on alternative fuels. The organization’s mission is described as utilizing academic expertise to advise policy, but environmentalist organizations raised concerns that politics would taint the science. Stephen Leonard of the school’s political science department argued the Collaboratory’s involvement in matters of public interest require public accountability.

Because In the End, It’s All About Relationships high point

Apple co-founder and High Point University’s Innovator in Residence,

Protecting your assets, while providing the responsive service you deserve.

Business Home

Auto Life

Health Boat

Hometown Friendly. Multi-State Strong.

(828) 253-2371

77 Central Avenue, Suite C, Asheville, NC 28801 www.BankersInsurance.net

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 61

EILEEN FISHER

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS

2onCrescent

828.274.1276 • 2oncrescent.com Open Everyday 11am - 5pm 4 All Souls Crescent, Biltmore Village

$799

with Free Sewing Classes For ForThe TheLove LoveofofSewing: Sewing:

FABRIC • SEWING MACHINES

BERNINA • BABY LOCK • HORN 1378 Hendersonville Road, Asheville (next to Fresh Market) 828-277-4100 • Mon-Sat, 10a-5:30p

www.ashevillecottonco.com www.ashevillecottonco.com

62

| April 2017

the old north state

Steve Wozniak, returned to campus to hold a series of workshops with students, faculty, and members of the community. In one session he spoke with pharmacy students on software applications for streamlining patient care. He next discussed pertinent technology with exercise science students.

Lastly, in a Growth Mindset Forum, he met with computer science students he’d begun mentoring last spring as they attempt to build a self-driving vehicle.

They worked on developing optical sensors, hydraulics, and global positioning systems. Wozniak encouraged students to find partners of dissimilar talents they would enjoy working with.

Students were encouraged to reach out to experts and dare to ask them for help, to develop multi-disciplinary thinking, and to write “your own textbook” in the sense of asking questions that haven’t yet been considered. He also cautioned against mission drift. Lastly, he counseled audience members to keep asking what their work will mean to people.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough durham

People have been willing to wait in lines about a third of a mile long for some Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen-style fried chicken. This problem persisted the entire week after the Durham store opened. Congestion outside the store was so bad that the city had to issue a traffic advisory, and the owners hired personnel to direct traffic. The problem is not unique to Durham; when Popeyes opened a store in Calgary, Alberta, people reported being trapped at their homes, unable to find a break in traffic. Popeyes was founded in 1972

by Alvin C. Copeland, Sr., who sold spicy, New Orleans chicken in a shack named after a character in The French Connection. The store now runs 2,600 locations, serving “fast” favorites like Cajun chicken, red beans and rice, and buttermilk biscuits. The business had

been family-owned and operated, but within days of opening the Durham store, Restaurant Brands International, Inc., the parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons, announced it would be acquiring Popeyes for $1.8 billion.

Rules Are For People Without Legal Teams raleigh

Cypress Creek Renewables, one of the nation’s largest solar developers, filed a complaint with the North Carolina Utilities Commission against Duke Energy. To date, Cypress Creek has constructed 767 megawatts of solar infrastructure in North Carolina, and the company has 2,200 megawatts more under construction.

Historically, the company has worked well with Duke. But last fall when the company approached Duke with power purchase agreements for six new solar farms with a combined capacity of 400 megawatts, Duke said it would not enter into contracts with terms longer than five years. Duke is trying to avoid paying too much for hardware and installation in an industry where prices are falling. Cypress, however, has been unable to procure financing for the projects with the short-term contracts.

Duke has appealed to the utilities commission, requesting the ability to solicit bids for new solar farms, instead of using the current waiting list, which has given Duke a backlog of inconvenient projects.

Cypress argues the short-term contracts are Duke’s way of enforcing the change before the utilities commission approves it.

Furnishing the Portfolio asheboro

Klaussner Home Furnishings, Randolph County’s third-largest employer, was acquired by the private investment firm Monomoy Capital Partners. Monomoy is based in New York City and employs more than 10,000 on four continents.

Raymond James & Associates acted as exclusive financial advisor, and terms of

the deal were not disclosed. Klaussner was founded as Stuart Furniture in 1963 and purchased in 1979 by Hans Klaussner. With 1,001 employees, it is one of the nation’s largest furniture companies, having showrooms in High Point, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Brands include Enso Sleep Systems, Comfort Design, and Klaussner Outdoor. The deal provides instant capital Klaussner was seeking for expansion, and allows Monomoy to grow its furniture company portfolio. Klaussner’s management team will remain in place and hold a minority stake in the company. Since its founding in 2005, Monomoy has successfully invested in 40 companies, with $1.5 billion in committed capital.

Stay Out of the Water

Your source for Hearth & Patio needs

chapel hill

An outside consultant determined human error was responsible for setting off a recent water crisis in Chapel Hill in early February. At first, fluoride levels 50% above allowed tolerances were detected in water produced by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority.

A technician had been operating the plant solo, his partner being out for the day for training and a dental appointment. Furthermore, the technician was overseeing contractors at the plant, so when he accidentally hit a button that started pumping the fluoride into the treated water, the problem went undetected for three hours. Adding insult to injury, a 12-inch water main broke the next day, spilling between 1.2 and 2.0 million gallons and draining the system to dangerously low levels.

The county health director ordered all restaurants served by the system closed, and the county emergency services department instructed citizens to use only bottled water. Over 80,000 customers were affected, with schools and restaurants closing as well. A consultant concluded the two incidents were likely not related.

264 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC | 828.252.2789

“When I Look in the Mirror Now I can Smile More!”

- Another satisfied patient of Dr. Robinson

BEFORE

•

Advanced implant treatment from an experienced oral surgeon

•

The closest thing to your natural teeth

•

More comfortable & secure than dentures!

•

Giving you a new smile in one day!

AFTER

Hear more from our satisfied patients by visiting

reviveasmile.com 828-277-7770

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 63

64

| April 2017

In Western North Carolina, cinephiles of all stripes regularly gather in film societies to bond over their collective love of the cinema.

E H T

Ree

leisure & libation

l a e D l

written by toni sherwood photos by anthony harden April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 65

leisure & libation

HO AMONG US HAS NOT BEEN AWED by a film? Whether we are touched by the story, or blown away by the cinematography, or swept up in an unforgettable performance, films inspire us. Films allow us to experience things we may never get to do and visit places we may never get to go to. Through film we can explore the limits of our imaginations.

For cinephiles, watching films is the spice of life. But sharing their reactions with fellow film lovers, the type eager for conversation and debate after the credits roll—that’s heaven.

These days we have numerous avenues for film watching.

With television networks beginning to produce original content, some films skip the theater altogether to debut on Netflix or Amazon. Many films get lost in the barrage of content.

That’s where film societies make a difference. They curate films and select titles for their audiences. They encourage discussion and debate. They offer a place for people to come together over a love of cinema.

A Room With A View: The Grail Moviehouse As host to four local film societies, The Grail Moviehouse (on South French Broad Avenue in downtown Asheville) is devoted to providing a screening room for these audiences. In fact, it was part of their initial plan.

Grail co-owners Steve White and Davida Horowitz knew they needed a third screening room to make it possible. “Our first screening room was going to be big films, the second we could experiment with documentaries and independents,” White explains. “The third screen would be classics.”

Before The Grail opened its doors in the spring of 2016, White recalls sitting in their unfinished theater, talking on the phone with Ken Hanke, the face of the Asheville Film Society (AFS).

Hanke was looking for a new home for AFS when their previous location, The Carolina Theater, on Hendersonville Road, changed hands. “Basically, he was interviewing us to see if we knew what we were doing,” Horowitz quips.

There had been technical issues at times at The Carolina, such as aspect ratios not calibrated correctly, or placement of subtitles, and Hanke wanted to avoid those situations in the future. With his immense film knowledge and experience, he could be demanding because he cared so much. “Basically he gave me about ten thousand dollars’ worth of free advice,” White says. Somehow White passed the audition, and Hanke relocated AFS to The Grail. Their first screening was a 1962 Mexican horror film, Brainiac.

“The fact that Ken came to us and decided we were the right fit meant so much to us,” White says. “It was very meaningful to have the confidence of Ken Hanke.”

66

| April 2017

The Godfather: Ken Hanke & the Asheville Film Society KE N HA N KE & JU ST IN SO UT HE R

photo cour tes y Mo

untain Xpres s

SC OT T D O UG L AS

ST EV E W HI TE

CH AR LOT TE TA YLO R

Hanke began reviewing films for Asheville alternative weekly Mountain Xpress in 2001. A mastermind who could rattle off film facts like an encyclopedia, Hanke was a wry observer and wordsmith, entertaining readers for years with his incisive reviews. He also curated and introduced films for the Asheville Film Society.

On June 28, 2016, he sent his week’s reviews to the editor, as usual. By that evening, the godfather of the local film scene had passed away, at 61.

“Cranky” Hanke, as he was fondly nicknamed, mentored and befriended young movie buffs, some of whom went on to become professional reviewers. If there’s one thing his fans and friends tend to agree on, it’s that Hanke’s talent and immense knowledge could have commanded a much bigger stage.

In 2002 Justin Souther got a job at the Carmike Movie Theater in Asheville, where Hanke was an assistant manager at the time. Hanke struck up conversations with the shy and introverted teen, and began teaching him about film, loaning him DVDs, and screening movies together after hours.

Grumpy. A curmudgeon. Cranky Hanke was known to be prickly. But some saw beyond the cantankerous persona.

The AFS screenings have a loyal crowd of regulars, but new people show up all the time. Still, Hanke is irreplaceable and will be missed among the film community for years to come.

“Even at his grumpiest, Ken was always patient with people,” Souther recalls. “He approached movies the same way. Even if he was sure a film would be terrible, he gave it a fair shake. Cinema, he felt, required this of him.”

Years later, Hanke and Souther started up the Asheville Film Society.

And in 2006 Hanke invited Souther to join him writing reviews for Mountain Xpress. Souther saw this as the ultimate gesture of respect and trust.

Similarly, Asheville Citizen-Times movie critic Edwin Arnaudin credits Hanke for helping him achieve his current position. Arnaud met Hanke in 2011 when he was an up-and-coming reviewer looking for an “in” to the local movie scene. He emailed Hanke, whom he had never met. Hanke read some of his critiques and decided to help him get into press screenings.

“As time passed, I remained incredulous why a figure of his knowledge and reputation was invested in helping a nobody like me,” Arnaudin says.

“My best theory was that when Ken saw someone else loved film and was April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 67

leisure & libation

dedicated to joining the critical ranks, he did what he could to foster that interest.”

Scott Douglas met Hanke not long after he arrived in Asheville from New York, where he had studied film at Columbia University. A native of Waynesville, he was happy to be home and immediately sought out fellow film lovers. At the time, Hanke was hosting the Asheville Film Society at The Carolina. Douglas loved talking film with Hanke, but that’s not what solidified their friendship.

“I drove his wife Shonsa to Tennessee to get a dog,” Douglas quips.

Since Hanke passed on, Douglas has taken over as head movie critic for the Mountain Xpress, with Douglas and Souther writing weekly reviews of the latest films and the film society selections. Douglas also curates the AFS screenings. He attributes his success to the relationship he had with Hanke, explaining, “The Asheville Film Society kept me here, and those contacts got me the jobs I have today.” This year he aims to institute more discussions after the films and up their social media presence.

Douglas can be found at the regular Tuesday night AFS screenings and the Thursday night horror flicks series, introducing films and chatting with members. The AFS screenings have a loyal crowd of regulars, but new people show up all the time. Still, Hanke is irreplaceable and will be missed among the film community for years to come.

“People don’t understand how lucky we were to have Ken,” Douglas says.

“He could have been writing in a major market, like a much bigger city. He was that good.”

Souther agrees, noting, “It was during those after-hours screenings—and, years later, when we started the Asheville Film Society—that I gradually figured out what film meant to Ken. For him, movies were communal, something to be shared with friends and strangers alike, and he respected the opportunity he was given to do that.”

Asheville Film Society www.AshevilleFilmSociety.com

68

| April 2017

GET

L, A LOCA ED OWN FAMILY ITH OVER SS W BUSINE

The Iron Giant: Mechanical Eye Microcinema If you’re looking for films that challenge the Hollywood blueprint, you might want to catch the monthly Mechanical Eye Microcinema screenings at The Grail. Featuring experimental films, documentaries, and shorts, this group might spend as long discussing the films as viewing them. Guest filmmakers are often in attendance for question and answer sessions.

Mechanical Eye Microcinema has its headquarters in The Refinery Creator Space building (on Coxe Avenue, also downtown Asheville), which also houses the Arts Council. The first thing you notice walking into the small enclave is a monstrous machine with a massive metal plate suspended in the middle and poles stretching up twelve feet. It effectively dominates the room.

This machine, an Oxberry Animation Stand, weighs a literal ton. Adjacent is an eight-plate Steenbeck flatbed for editing 16mm film. A nearby table is littered with gear: Bolex cameras, lights, and reels. It’s a filmmaker’s dream.

Charlotte Taylor, co-founder of Mechanical Eye Microcinema, is an affable, energetic young woman with a love of everything film. Taylor has focused her immense energy on helping others make films by providing the equipment and the know-how. She is a go-getter who has scoured the Internet to rescue abandoned film equipment from people’s basements.

“I’ve been collecting gear for years,” Taylor admits. Her efforts have paid off well, having garnered donations of the Steenbeck table (which she drove to Pittsburgh for) and a Movieola (a vintage editing device she picked up in Chicago). But the big score was definitely the Oxberry. She drove to the University of Kansas to pick up the donation. She took it a step further and arranged to meet the man who had originally donated it to the university, an animator who gave careful instructions on working it.

OUTSIDE!

RS 44 YIENECA THE IN E !

EXPER DUSTRY LIFT IN

DON’T LET STAIRS KEEP YOU FROM ENJOYING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.

At Precision Stairlifts we make access challenges a thing of the past. Our indoor and outdoor stairlifts are custom built, safe, reliable, economical, and powerful.

828.696.8005 | liftguys@gmail.com www.precisionstairlifts.com

YOUR WHOLE WORLD IN

EXPERT HANDS

We do Estate Planning. We do it Well.

Estate Planning/Asset Protection and Business Succession Planning Lawyers Licensed in North Carolina, Florida & South Carolina 77 Central Ave, Suite F Asheville, NC 28801 828-258-0994

104 N. Washington St Hendersonville, NC 28739 828-696-1811

9 West Morgan Street Brevard, NC 28712 828-696-1811

ESTATE PLANNING | ELDER LAW | TRUSTS | WILLS

strausslaw.com

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 69

It’s time for a more rewarding business card.

The First Bank Business World Credit Card makes every purchase more rewarding—from travel expenses to utility bills and insurance payments. When you add in free balance transfers and no annual fee, there’s never been a better time to get started.

No Annual Fee

Pay Only for Authorized Purchases2

0% Introductory APR for Six Months1

Travel Assistance for Trips Over 50 Miles

Earn 1.25 Points for Each $1 Spent

EMV Chip for Added Security

To learn more visit

LOCALFIRSTBANK.COM/BUSINESSWORLDCARD DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE | 828-252-1735 LEICESTER | 828-251-9254 SOUTH ASHEVILLE | 828-687-7450 1. New card holders will enjoy our 0% introductory APR for purchase and balance transfers for the first six months. After six months, a competitive variable APR currently between 12.65% and 22.65% will apply. 2. Cardholder not held responsible for unauthorized transactions if you use reasonable care to protect card from loss or theft, and you promptly report when you know your card is lost or stolen. Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC.

70

| April 2017

AT THE GR AIL, movie goers check out Taylor’s experimental work.

Taylor fiddles with two projectors as she talks, rehearsing for her “performance” at tonight’s screening at The Grail.

She will be changing film loops on four projectors for this live performance/screening of “expanded cinema,” as she calls it. “She’s a mad genius,” Steve White says. “I’ve never seen somebody so committed to experimental film and supporting others.”

Taylor currently teaches film at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. She co-founded Mechanical Eye with Lisa Sousa, and they had their first screening in 2012. “We used to show films at the BeBe Theater, coffee shops, libraries,” Taylor says. “The Grail has been a huge supporter and very open to helping us.”

On the third Thursday of every month, Mechanical Eye screens a program at The Grail. Tickets are five dollars, but no one is turned away for lack of funds. Twice a year they hold a screening of community films, each with a ten-minute cap.

“Anybody can show anything,” Taylor explains. “It’s like an open mic, but for film.”

Past screenings have run the gamut from student work to films made years ago on VHS. There is an opportunity for conversation after each film. “We hope to get filmmakers

to talk with each other and audiences,” Taylor says. “It’s about building community.”

In 2015 Mechanical Eye Microcinema became a nonprofit and soon moved into their new space in the Refinery Building.

Taylor now serves as president with a four-person board. They will be offering classes to people of all ages and experience levels, encouraging artistic expression and experimentation, especially for those who may not have access to filmmaking

“We want to empower people in the community to make and see films,” Taylor explains. “Cinema has power and everyone should have access.” otherwise. “We want to empower people in the community to make and see films,” Taylor explains. “Cinema has power and everyone should have access.”

Memberships are available; prices vary depending on services selected, but all levels include access to equipment and passes to their film program.

Mechanical Eye Microcinema www.MechanicalEyeCinema.org April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

71

Please: The Envelope,

Cat Fly Indie Film Festival 2017 catflyfilmfest.com

Cat Fly, recently organized by four Asheville female directors, bills itself as “created by and for local indie film artists to outlet [the] energy inherent to the Southeast region, with a focus on Asheville talent.” By the time you read this it’ll be in full swing, having opened on March 31 with a reception and screening of shor t films in the River Ar ts District. April 1 brings a program called “Comedy and Curls,” followed by a special networking/ screening evening April 2 at Trade and Lore Coffee.

Asheville Jewish Film Festival ajff.fineartstheatre.com

Held annually at The Fine Arts Theater in downtown Asheville, this year’s festival will screen on four consecutive Thursday nights in April, with encore matinees the following Friday. The

72

| April 2017

Film Festivals of

Western North Carolina

lineup will begin with Mr. Gaga on April 6, followed by 1945 on April 13, The Last Laugh on April 20, and Wrestling Jerusalem on April 27.

Boone Film Festival boonefilmfestival.com/about-booneff

The Boone Film Festival is two years in the running and is currently accepting submissions. The event will take place this September in Boone, dates/ venue TBD. The regular deadline for submissions is June 15, with a late deadline of June 30. Helmed by Boone locals hoping to create an opportunity to celebrate the stories of the Appalachian region, there are three loosely defined categories: Appalachian Culture, Appalachian Adventure, and Appalachian Environment.

Footcandle Film Festival footcandlefilmfestival.com

The 2017 Footcandle Film Festival will be held September 22-24 at the Drendel Auditorium on the SALT Block

in Hickory. Sponsored by the founders and members of the Footcandle Film Society, they are currently accepting submissions of unique, interesting, and challenging films: Regular submission date is May 22; late submissions must be received by June 19. The festival will include an opening reception, filmmaker talks, and an award ceremony on the final night.

Tryon International Film Festival tryoninternationalfilmfestival.com

Now in its third year, the 2017 Tryon International Film Festival (TIFF) will be held October 27-29; screening venues include the historic Tr yon Theatre, Tryon Fine Arts Center, and the newly restored Tryon Depot. (See elsewhere in this issue for our report on Tryon and Polk County.) Presented by the Polk County Film Initiative, the festival aims to attract both A-list filmmakers and regional artists. TIFF is also dedicated to promoting female filmmakers around the globe. The

2017 season introduces a new—in a nod to the wildly popular Tryon International Equestrian Center — equestrian category dedicated to the health, preservation, and well-being of the horse, with the tagline, “It’s all about the horse.” All genres of films, including documentaries, which respectfully highlight the beauty, health, and welfare of the horse, will be considered. TIFF is currently accepting submissions, with a regular deadline of September 13th, 2017.

As a bonus, this year the EQUUS Film Festival, based at the City Cinemas – Village East Cinema in New York City, will join TIFF on their national tour stop schedule. Documentaries, shorts, commercials, music videos, and training and educational films, along with art and literature, are all par t of their annual festival. Founder Lisa Diersen and EQUUS’ chief press officer Diana DeRosa will be on hand for all three days of TIFF, and there are scheduled guest speakers during the festival.

Asheville Film Festival ashevillencfilmfestival.com

The A sheville Film Fes tival, in partnership with A-B Tech, sets out to find unique, thought-provoking films and to offer a venue where movie lovers can celebrate independent film together. The festival hopes to become a cultural hub for emerging filmmakers to showcase their works. The 2016

lineup included sci-fi, comedy, drama, documentary, student shor ts, and even horror. A 2017 date hasn’t been announced yet, but the 2016 event was held in October.

5 Point Adventure Film Festival 5pointfilm.org/asheville

The 5 Point Adventure Festival is a traveling film festival set to arrive in Asheville this fall. The program includes over 50 shor t films, many of which are world premieres, along with panel discussions, community events, guest speakers, par ties, and more. Held at the Thomas Wolfe Auditor ium, this unique fes tival doesn’t limit itself to film screenings.

It promises more of an overall ar ts experience with live performances and elements of surprise.

Banff Mountain Film Festival op.appstate.edu/banff

The Banff Mountain Film Festival is another traveling festival that screens regionally at the Appalachian State Univer sit y’s Schaefer Center in Boone, and at Brevard College. It’s a spinoff of Canada’s Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, which takes place each fall in Banff, Alber ta; for nine days, fes tivalgoer s explore mountain stories, “from profound

journeys and unexpected adventures to groundbreaking expeditions,” with authors, photographers, and filmmakers from around the globe converging on the town. The traveling ver sion is culled from audience favorites. 2017 marks the 21st year that Appalachian State has hosted the world tour; it took place March 24 and 25, while the Brevard event took place the week prior, on March 17-19.

Both sold out.

Twin Rivers Multimedia Festival twinriversmediafestival.com

The 2017 Twin Rivers Multimedia Festival is in its 23rd year. Winning entries were screened at both the Danville Museum of Fine Ar ts and History in Danville, Virginia, (January 27 and 28) and The Flood Gallery in Asheville (February 17 and 18).

Winning entries may also be selected to scr een subsequently at the year-round Classic World Cinema. This year’s festival included documentaries by two local filmmakers. Kim Best screened Every Egg Has A Story and Aaron Morrell screened Storyprint.

Among the feature films screened was Money by Martín Rosete (Spain), which follows two wealthy businessmen about to get away with millions in ill-gotten money, until an uninvited houseguest spoils their plans.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 73

PLAYING IS FOR THE YOUNG AND YOUNG AT HEART. STAY THAT WAY.

Never stop playing.

It’s always play time in Abingdon. visitabingdonvirginia.com • 888.489.4144

74

| April 2017

leisure & libation

Close to Home: The JCC’s Israeli Film Series

Is Anybody There?

Films & Fees

Rochelle Reich is the Community Life and Events Director for the Asheville Jewish Community Center (JCC).

It was a survey of their community that eventually led to the Israeli Film Series at The Grail, which began in September 2016. “I approached Davida and said we’d like to partner with The Grail,” Reich recalls. “They have been amazing. The Grail licenses all the films and provides the space.”

The monthly series intersects Israeli culture by featuring an Israeli director or topic; it could be filmed in Israel or be about the country. “The point is to have a better understanding of Israel through the eyes of their filmmakers,” Reich explains. The series is not limited to any specific genre; they’ve shown documentaries, comedies, and dramas.

“These are films you wouldn’t otherwise even know about,” Reich says.

Each film is followed by a discussion, with film curator Barbara Weitz, a retired professor from Florida University who directed their film studies program, frequently leading the discussion. Alternately, they may invite a special guest that fits well with the film. Past discussions include live Skype with directors or video clips of interviews with filmmakers to jumpstart the conversation.

Although they will be skipping their April screening to support the Jewish Film Festival at Asheville’s Fine Arts Theater April 6-27, the May screening will be at 3PM on May 14 at The Grail.

Plans are to show The Farewell Party, a funny and compassionate film about a group of seniors at a Jerusalem retirement home who decide to help their terminally ill friend. The June 11 film will be Oriented, and tickets to films in the series are $7.

Speaking of retirement homes, there are a surprising number of films that use a retirement home as a major setting. Perhaps you are too young to remember the 1985 film Cocoon that snagged an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor Don Ameche, as well as for Best Special Effects. It follows a group of retirement home residents who have been sneaking into a neighboring swimming pool, which unbeknownst to them is now owned by aliens and used as a safe place for their pods.

In Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), a disillusioned housewife, played by Kathy Bates, befriends a fascinating nursing home resident (Jessica Tandy). The film won two Oscars. Perhaps less well-known is the indie film Assisted Living (2003).

The comedy follows a pot-smoking janitor working at the senior community and won the Grand Jury prize at the Slamdance Film Festival.

It turns out a retirement home is also an interesting—and perhaps fitting—setting for a film society. Not only because they have comfy seats, but by meeting in a library or retirement home, a film society can pay a one-time annual fee to license films. Whereas the same films shown in a movie theater are subject to individual licensing fees.

So even with multiple screens, theaters must juggle their movie schedule to accommodate free or low cost film society screenings, and unfortunately at times, that leads to lost revenues.

Basically, unless a film is in the public domain, there are licensing fees required.

These can be a flat fee, typically $250$400, or a percentage of the door. No matter if the screening is for a nonprofit or a film society, such fees apply. And these days, distributors have ways to track down any unlicensed screenings.

What helps is when a film society actively partners with their host.

“Special screenings work best when they advertise,” Horowitz admits. Although The Grail markets to their list of over

Israeli Film Series www.ajff.fineartstheatre.com

photo cour tesy of the Asheville Film Socie ty

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 75

leisure & libation

two thousand subscribers, if a film society also advertises its program, this helps get the word out to larger audiences. And when people attend a free program, the purchase of a drink or popcorn goes a long way to support the theater so they can afford to host film societies.

More Coming Attractions Hendersonville Film Society The Hendersonville Film Society (HFS) is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1991 and has been showing movies at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community since 1999. Their slogan is “from the Classic to the Contemporary.”

Co-founder Elaine Ciampi serves as artistic director, and Board President Chip Kaufmann is on hand to introduce the films.

HFS meets every Sunday at 2PM except for the month of December and certain holidays. Annual memberships are $20. Screenings are open to non-members, with donations appreciated. HFS features foreign and independent films.

This group does not have a big social media presence;

they snail mail their program to members. Upcoming films are often reviewed in the Mountain Xpress, as well as Bold Life magazine.

Schedules and membership information: 828-697-7310

Footcandle Film Society The Footcandle Film Society originated in 2007 by co-founders Alan Jackson and Chris Frye. Headquartered in Catawba County, the meetings began in a conference room where film buffs would gather once a month. The screenings led to passionate discussions slipping into the wee hours.

After five screenings, and with a growing list of attendees, it was evident they had an audience for their films. Jackson and Frye decided to approach a local theater to host them.

On February 21, 2008, Footcandle Film Society (FFS) held their first official public meeting at the Carolina Theater in downtown Hickory. They screened the classic film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Now, the group meets there regularly to watch and discuss classic, art house, foreign, and even locally produced independent

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

76

| April 2017

films. The film society has, at a minimum, a standard monthly screening on the second week of each month (both Wednesday and Thursday nights), but will occasionally add additional screenings as opportunities arise. Recent screenings have included the 2017 Oscar-nominated documentary 13th and this year’s Best Picture winner Moonlight. The group boasts over 600 members, with annual memberships at $50 per single, $75 per couple, which include admission to all Footcandle Film Society screenings. On April 20 at 7PM, Footcandle will screen The Founder (2016), starring Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned McDonald’s into the fast food behemoth we know today.

Footcandle Film Society www.footcandle.org

Classic World Cinema

owner, Classic World Cinema moved into its new space at The Flood Gallery in Swannanoa.

The diverse film program is curated by Carlos Steward and includes more recent flicks, such as the 2014 cult hit Scammerhead, which details the chaotic adventures of Silas Breece, an unorthodox hustler who travels the world seeking capital for outlandish investments that go sour and get him targeted by the mob. Classic World Cinema also screens selections from their annual Twin Rivers Media Festival (see sidebar) throughout the year. The program also screens older foreign art house films, such as Band of Outsiders (1964, France), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, or My Life As A Dog (1985, Sweden), directed by Lasse Hallstrom. The uninitiated film buff will surely get an education in film with this program.

Best of all, it’s free.

Classic World Cinema 2160 HWY 70, Swannanoa www.AshevilleCourtyard.com

Art and cinema converge at the Classic World Cinema screening every Friday night at 8PM. This film program previously screened at The Phil Mechanics Studio in the River Arts District of Asheville. When the building was sold to a new

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 77

column

Ready to Work?

How can companies be open to younger generation work demands while ensuring that their businesses continue to run smoothly?

B

R

robin c . payne

is regional director for Junior Achievement of Western North Carolina.

78

R I N G I N G A P U P P Y T O A N I N T E RV I E W.

Wearing camouflage to a job fair. Answering a personal call during a business meeting. These are things that the baby boomer and X generations would never even consider. Generally accepted business decorum, congenial respect, and preparation are typically norms of those born before 1980. Many business leaders are learning, however, that these once “given” soft skills are now a thing of the past.

Why is this happening? Why has there been such a huge shift in the behavior of today’s modern worker?

Some people blame instant gratification machines (i.e. the global smart phone addiction), jam-packed schedules, or the helicopter generation of enabling parents. Most employers believe that this age group is lazy and, worst of all, entitled. Millenials, they report, are almost always five minutes late, not fully engaged at work, and difficult to manage.

“Companies today struggle to find good, dependable staff,” says Cindi Brooks, human resource director for Ingles Markets. After volunteering at a high school recently, she asked the class about their attendance and how many days they had missed. “The answers were just plain scary—big numbers! This opened the door for me to let them know employers need people that will show up and be dependable. Whether you have a good reason or a bad reason, customers aren’t served if you don’t go to work.”

Such anecdotes abound among human resource and hiring managers, as well as personnel who work with millennials on a daily basis. Typical attributes of this generation include: a desire for constant recognition (trophies for everyone!); rapid growth and advancement—the average tenure is two years

| April 2017

(average tenure for Gen X is five years, and for boomers, seven); and the often elusive search for a “sense of purpose.” While this may sound like a woefully unprepared workforce is about to take over—it was the largest segment of the workforce as of the end of 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics— there are things to be optimistic about, including their insistence on more flexible work schedules, requirement that their workplace be a good corporate steward, and time off for volunteering. For millennials, work-life balance is not just important; it is imperative.

Millennials also tend to demonstrate a much stronger entrepreneurial mindset than earlier generations. They seem more willing to take risks, cite creativity as a key job skill, and look for “coaching” instead of “bossing” from their superiors.

So where is the line in the sand? How can businesses remain flexible and open to the new—and presumably reasonable—demands of millennials, while also ensuring their workforce is presentable and good with customers, and understands that dues need to be paid?

Simon Sinek, leadership expert and author of best-selling 2009 book Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, recognizes

R that change is hard, but believes that it is companies’ responsibility to help out the younger generation. “It is up to corporations to work extra hard to find ways to teach millennials the social skills they are missing out on,” he notes.

“A great start should be no cellphones allowed in conference rooms.”

“Over 70% of our work force is under the age of 18, and we struggle with the same things that all employers of high school students do—staff being attached to their phones,” says Roger Ward, sales director for Fun Depot in Asheville. After going

create a talent pipeline from school to work; to engage local businesses as volunteers in the classroom teaching the soft skills lessons, while also recruiting potential employees; to prepare between 2,500 and 3,000 students during the 2017-2020 time frame for work in our local economy; and to ultimately grow the regional talent base of millennials who are ready to work and are invested in their communities.

Planned is programming around workforce development that benefits both the students who will immediately go on

IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE SHARE THE BASICS OF COMMUNICATION AND RESPECT THAT HAVE BEEN TOOLS FOR PERSONAL AND BUSINESS SUCCESS OVER CENTURIES. through traditional punitive routes such as writing staff up or even firing them, Ward says they are moving to something more incentive-based. “We now have a point system that employees can earn gift cards and the like for turning in their phones at the start of their shift, having their employee handbook on them, or knowing the five C’s of hospitality and customer service on the spot.”

Another way to reinforce these habits, though it is often more of an introduction, is to interact with the younger generation when they are still a massive captive audience—in high school. While many high school students are already part of the workforce, they are still malleable enough to absorb lessons that can help them after graduation. How to work in a team; how to think critically; how to communicate effectively (in person, not through a screen): These are some of the things that are taught through local nonprofit Junior Achievement’s “Career Success” curriculum as part of the Project 2020 workforce development initiative.

The four-part goal of Project 2020 is to establish partnerships between businesses and local high schools to

to college and those that instead seek employment after graduation. Business volunteers from the community come into the classroom to share their own stories while teaching critical skills in an interactive, games-based format. These volunteers are typically hiring managers or those who can also utilize the students as a potential employee audience.

If there is one thing we know, it is that this is our new workforce, and in just a few years they will be the ones calling all of the shots. Businesses are becoming more receptive to their demands for improvements in areas such as paid paternity leave, advances in telecommuting, and flex-time scheduling.

These are important first steps in bridging the gap between generational expectations. However, it is critical that we share the soft skills and basics of communication and respect that have been tools for personal and business success over centuries. These are the means that allow us to not only get jobs, but advance in our careers. As with the above-mentioned work-life balance, these skills are not just important—they are imperative.

JUST LISTED www.1802EllicottLane.com www.94RambleWay.com

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE GLOBAL EXPOSURE

Jo Chandler “Creative” - “Connected” - “Committed” An Asheville native with a passion for representing her city’s treasures to markets both near and far.

828.231.5444 jochandler@preferredprop.com

April 2017 SOLD | capitalatplay.com 79 www.1ForestRd.com

UPDATES FOR

&

NATIONAL WORLD [

news briefs

Refreshingly Honest westport, connecticut

Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund manager, has announced a shake-up in its upper echelons. Ray Dalio will step down from management, a role he re-assumed for ten months to help transition Greg Jensen into the co-chief executive officer position. Dalio said he intends to remain co-chief investment officer, now serving with Bob Prince and Jensen, until he dies or his services are no longer needed.

David McCormick will join Eileen Murray as co-CEO; Jon Rubenstein is leaving as co-CEO; but being retained in an advisory capacity; Osman Nalbantoglu after nine years is being promoted to senior researcher; Carsten Stendevad has been brought on as a distinguished fellow to serve in an advisory capacity;

]

and John Megrue has been brought on as co-chair. Bridgewater manages $103 billion in hedge funds and is known for its “unusual and difficult” corporate culture. Dedicated to “radical transparency” and “radical truth,” employees rate each other in real-time on proprietary apps, all meetings are recorded, and 30% of employees don’t last two years.

There’s a Spellcheck App For That

free web storage to developers. Amazon accepts technical issues as a part of life and has thus built its system so portions may be taken out of commission without disrupting service. But this time, somebody accidentally took down a seriously large number of servers. Among affected sites were the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s, an Amazon subsystem that indexes all metadata and its storage location for the region, and a second subsystem that places new data and relies on the first.

Because even the dashboard that tells developers which Amazon services are operational was affected, updates on the outage were posted on Twitter. Amazon says the problem won’t recur. It has implemented stronger error trapping, is expediting plans to downsize data cells, and is auditing other processes to prevent analogous errors.

san francisco, california

“We’re Good,” Say Workers

Numerous websites and apps went down for several hours February 28 due to a typo. Technicians at Amazon Web Services were debugging an issue bogging down transaction times for its Simple Storage Service, which offers

Workers at Boeing’s South Carolina production facilities, fully 74% of 2,800 employees, voted against unionizing. Organizers for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace

north charleston, south carolina

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise

Join us on Social Media! f o r t i c k e t g i v e away s , e x c l u s i v e s , a n d m o r e !

80

| April 2017

Workers attempted to enlist workers while unrest flared over allegations of subjective evaluations being manipulated to prevent pay raises and promotions, and complaints that instructions changed practically monthly. Union representatives said they could make instructions more uniform and introduce a union steward to process complaints against management. Boeing leadership, however, argued there was no point in employing a middleman, since employees could now talk directly to management. What’s more, there would never have been a plant in South Carolina had Boeing not sought out, in spite of union opposition, a state less prone to labor strikes than Washington, where its other Dreamliner assembly plant is located. A previous vote to unionize was called off two years ago amid charges that management and politicians were orchestrating a misinformation campaign.

Working For a Living kigali, rwanda

Concerns have been raised about the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)’s business conglomerate, Crystal Ventures.

The majority political party’s holding company invests in furniture, milk

36

60

carolina in the west

the old north state

processing, prime real estate, armed security, coffee shops, infrastructure, and more. Watchdogs argue Crystal Ventures and another conglomerate, Horizon, which contracts construction and logistics for national defense, are subsidized from the public treasury to cover up their business failures. Crystal Ventures filled half the party’s campaign chest in 2010, and it leases two jets to President Paul Kagame for unspecified business purposes. Defenders of the practice note the party came to power after an era of genocide and exile. To gain legitimacy and save their lives, adherents had to prove they were good for the economy. They began business as a telecommunications firm, defying expectations and setting up a mobile phone network. The RPF has also nearly eliminated small-scale corruption and lightened the nation’s regulatory burden.

Supply Line Disruption hong kong, china

Hutchison China MediTech, Limited, achieved positive late-stage results for fruquintinib, a drug designed to treat colorectal cancer. Chi-Med is a company backed by billionaire Li Ka-shing.

Li invested $75 million in the company

national & world

in its first five years. Chi-Med has since raised $400 million in two rounds and entered a partnership with Eli Lilly & Company in 2013. Fruquintinib works by stopping the growth of capillaries supplying blood to hard tumors. The last test indicated the drug increased overall survival in patients. Chi-Med is now preparing an application to the China Food and Drug Administration for permission to use the drug as a third recourse by 2018. To date, investors in the Chinese biotechnical sector have seen lackluster returns, so this marks a milestone. Some of Chi-Med’s 330 scientists are now investigating applications for the drug in treating lung and gastric cancer.

A Strong Shovel jackson, wyoming

As Susan Pieper watched her young son build obstacle courses for dirt bikes and snowboards, using every tool in the garage, she thought there must be a better way. Plastic shovels would break, wooden handles on steel shovels would warp, and then a saw was needed to cut ice. Pieper, a graduate of Harvard Business School, grew up in Dayton, Ohio, when manufacturing was strong, and always wanted to invent something

YOUR KEY TO TR ANQUILIT Y TRANQUILITY POOL Private Estate U n i c o i , Te n n e s s e e

M A R K D O R S E Y D E S I G N S

Mark Dorsey Designs and Medallion Pool Company Asheville, North Carolina MedallionPool.com • 828-684-5381 April 2017 | capitalatplay.com

81

national & world news

Mountain Paint & Decorating, Inc.

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

mountainpaintasheville.com

We Build Dreams.

CUSTOM CARS & RESTORATIONS

Custom Built ’53 Corvette

RESTORATIONS CUSTOM CREATIONS CUSTOM PAINT KIT CARS

828-693-8246

www.bealandco.net 5522 Willow Road, Hendersonville, NC

82

| April 2017

and start a business. So, she invented an all-in-one, “indestructible” tool, the Stealth Shovel, and started the DMOS Collective, short for Do My Own Stuff.

The shovel features a telescoping shaft with an ergonomic handle. The scoop is made of aluminum with a serrated blade for scooping, cutting, and grooming terrains. After raising $37,000 on Kickstarter, Pieper developed the Alpha, a larger version, and raised $177,000 in the next campaign. The tool will be marketed in Asia, with hopes to one day bring manufacturing stateside.

Hello, Moon! hawthorne, california

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced space is not just for exploration anymore. Two unnamed tourists are paying for a luxury flyby of the moon. The two will be the only passengers on a weeklong round trip of about 800,000 miles that will shoot them further and faster into space than humans have ever gone, “skimming” the lunar surface on the way out. The passengers will be aboard either a Crew Dragon, a model that has successfully completed missions to the International Space Station, or a Dragon Version 2, a model that has never ventured into space. The trip could occur as early as next year. In the meantime, the voyagers must undergo physical tests before they can begin training. While details have not been released, analysts assume each person paid hundreds of millions of dollars for their seat. The voyage is aligned with SpaceX’s mission of eventually setting up a self-sustaining civilization on Mars, making humanity multiplanetary.

Noise Pollution okinawa , japan

A Japanese court ruled that 22,005 people living near Kadena Air Base could split over $265 million, to be paid by the Japanese government, for being

subject to noise exceeding permissible levels. The settlement represents the largest payout ever for United States military aircraft noise. The judges ruled the presence of the aircraft was conducive to the peace and security of the region, so no action will be taken to shut down operations. Instead, the judges admonished the national government for not intervening with noise controls. Both the Japanese government and the plaintiffs may appeal the ruling, complainants arguing they wanted quietude more than money. The case was first filed in 2011 by 22,054 plaintiffs, but some died and others were denied standing because they lived in the Philippines. It represents the third successful lawsuit against noise pollution at Kadena since 1982. Since 1990, the Japanese government has paid more than $90 million in settlements over aircraft noise, and that does not include sums in cases under appeal.

LOCAL INSTITUTE NOW OFFERING STEM CELL THERAPY

“In time, it’s our hope that this truly amazing therapy will eliminate the need for drugs and surgery.”

- Dr. Andrew Wells, DC.

Computers Adequate To Regulations santa clara , california

The advent of graphics processing units (GPU) is helping the financial industry keep pace with regulations. Following the financial crisis that hit bottom in 2008, the government unloaded a raft of regulations on financial institutions that overloaded central processing units (CPU). Whereas banks used to run a single valuation adjustment daily, they were now required to regularly update multiple, large-scale, complex simulations on billions of quickly-changing data points. GPUs were first used for sharper, faster 3D game renderings. They are capable of parallel-processing iterative functions sometimes a hundred times faster than CPUs. Some banks now employ thousands of GPUs because quants want to develop algorithms with competitive edges instead of fighting computer issues. GPUs’ capacity for deep learning helps algorithmic traders identify new strategies, asset managers optimize portfolios, and investment bankers develop more accurate Monte Carlo simulations.

Oh, Snap! venice, california

Snap, Incorporated, raised $3.4 billion in its initial public offering. With an IPO price of $17 per share, trading closed at $24.48. The company was then valued at $33 billion. Snapchat is a social media application that sends images and text that self-delete after a short time. During the IPO roadshow, concerns were raised that the number of new Snapchat users was waning and that the company may never become profitable; but analysts say that is not as important as the hype. Snap limited the supply of stock offered to 15%, and then restricted 25% of that stock from being flipped for a year. Only nonvoting shares were offered. The serendipitous timing of the IPO perhaps paid off better than strategy, with a shortage of new stocks being offered on a day when stock values reached record highs.

Superior Healthcare is now offering state-of-the-art stem cell therapy at its Asheville and Hendersonville locations. For more information on this amazing regenerative treatment, call (828) 575-6244.

This painless and safe stem cell injections are particularly effective in treating such conditions as: DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS BONE SPURS DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE

DEGENERATIVE CARTILAGE AND LIGAMENTS BURSITIS TENDONITIS

They do this by pinpointing the impaired areas, removing the swelling with powerful anti-inflammatory properties and healing them by regenerating new cells and tissue.

The practice will be holding a

FREE EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR on stem cell therapy

at the Country Inn and Suites in the Westgate Shopping Center near Earth Fare and downtown Asheville.

Please call for the date and times, and to reserve your seat, as space is limited!

Superior Healthcare | SuperiorHealthcareAsheville.com 83 2017 | NC capitalatplay.com 38 Westgate Pkwy,April Asheville 28806

DEPARTURE: THE JOURNEY TRIBUTE BAND packs people into Salvage Station.

84

| April 2017

ANY WAY

They Want It Veterans of the downtown Asheville business scene— Jimi Rentz, Danny McClinton, & Patrick Huss— team up to expand to the northern end of Asheville’s River Arts District, resulting in one of the area’s most unique event venues. written by marl a hardee milling photos by anthony harden

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 85

Looks can be deceiving. On the surface, three of the movers and shakers of Asheville’s beer, festival, and music scenes appear laid-back without a care in the world. In reality, they never stop moving, making new plans, or putting new twists on their current activities.

On an impossibly warm day in February, the three sunglasses-clad men—Jimi Rentz, Danny McClinton, Patrick Huss—sit around a picnic table situated beside the French Broad River, on the grounds of bar, restaurant, and music venue Salvage Station, to talk about their businesses.

“We set a toilet this morning,” Jimi says, with a laugh. “The first four hours of my day I was dealing with sewage.”

A testament to the fact that no job is too small or too dirty for the partners to tackle themselves.

You may already recognize Jimi’s name: He’s the longtime owner of Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria on Biltmore Avenue, now in its 23rd year. When he started, there were the three original owners of the bar; Highland Brewing was cranking out craft beer in the basement; and Jimi was running Universal Pizza Company, making wholesale pizzas in the kitchen. “Once they hit the kitchen door, Barley’s owned those pizzas and they paid me for those the next day,” he says.

86

| April 2017

Jimi became a full partner when a second Barley’s opened in Greenville, South Carolina. It was a decision that resulted in his taking a financial hit in the beginning. “[The owners] wanted to look at my books to see if I’d come in on the same arrangement or come in as a full partner. After one of the partners looked over the numbers, he says, ‘You’ve got to come in as a full partner.’” Jimi adds that he took a significant pay cut by doing that.

Jimi’s original Barley’s partners were bought out over time. Today, Jimi sits across the table from two of his newer partners. Patrick, for his part, started early on with Barley’s as a part-time dishwasher. “I was gifted a partnership with sweat equity,” he deadpans.

Danny, meanwhile, had been in college when Barley’s came on the scene, but ultimately he would buy out one of the original Barley’s partners. “He bugged me forever to get into Barley’s,” jokes Jimi. As it turns out, Danny has the most history in the Asheville area. He

DANNY MCCLINTON, PATRICK HUSS, & JIMI RENTZ

arrived in 1977 and grew up in nearby Fairview. Patrick moved to Asheville from Atlanta in 1991, and Jimi says he’s from Albany, gives a dramatic pause, and then adds, “Georgia.” He arrived from Athens in 1993.

In addition to Barley’s, they operate the annual events Brewgrass Festival and Beer City Festival. They opened Salvage Station on Riverside Drive on the northern end of the River Arts District last year, and they also own a small beefalo ranch in Marshall, north of Asheville. “Shane Clark was one of the original bartenders at Barley’s,” says Patrick. “It’s his family’s old property that was a dairy farm. We just converted to the beefalo project.” And yes, Beefalo is on the menu at Barley’s and at the Salvage Station.

A fourth partner—Matt Ragaller—joins them only on the Salvage Station project. He was Danny’s college roommate at Elon College.

(Matt was occupied elsewhere on the day of the interview and photos.)

Today, talking about their endeavors, all three men banter back and forth easily and keep each other laughing. Danny and Pat stay seated, but Jimi can’t sit still for long. He gets up periodically and paces a bit—indicative of a man who isn’t used to relaxing too long.

“Danny has the artistic touch. He’s the design person and has very good vision,” said Jimi. “Pat and I try to fulfill his vision and we all work together to do that. Matt is also a visionary; he does most of the booking. He and Danny have had the idea of Salvage Station since college. I have the business sense, but so does Danny and Pat. We all work together. We sit down and talk about it and decide yes, we’ll do that, or no, we won’t do that.”

Creating a Fun Event Space Danny was the driving force on creating the Salvage Station, and, like its owners, looks can be deceiving. Traveling along Riverside Drive amid a smattering of bland warehouses and nondescript businesses, it’s hard to imagine the magic of the Salvage Station unless one knows to turn in and explore. There are several visually striking buildings—among them, a quonset hut that resembles a giant Pabst Blue Ribbon beer can laying on its side, and a large walk-in freezer painted like an old Peaches Records record album crate (yes, that is indeed an oversized reproduction of the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album poking out of one end)—on the site, which features a stage, restaurant, beers on tap, and plenty of outdoor space with a park-like setting right beside the river. They have 10,000-sq.-ft. of riverfront space.

When asked how many buildings are on the property, Danny begins counting them off on his fingers: “1, 2, 3…” He pauses to glance around, then continues counting up to 13 and then stops. “It’s 12.

No, it’s 13…14…” Patrick cuts in to say, “Just say over a dozen.”

They’ve been creative, using giant numbers to identify the buildings and add to their eclectic appeal. Picture the type of numerals used to mark a house and then exaggerate that—the numbers used at Salvage Station are funky and, in some cases, gigantic.

As Jimi mentioned, Danny and Matt originally conceived the idea of such an event space in college, but the search for property began in earnest in 2011. That’s when Danny started looking at April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 87

THE VIEW into Salvage Station from the outside.

warehouses on Riverside Drive. “That was even before Bywater opened,” he says, referring to another popular venue, located just a few blocks away and also benefiting from having the French Broad as one of its calling cards.

“There was a warehouse beside them where the gymnastics place is now, but it didn’t make sense because of the parking, and what I really envisioned in having a piece of property in Asheville that sort of fits the scene of being an actual park, and being versatile, being able to have outdoor shows.

“I’ve been wanting to do it for many years. It was a salvage yard that belonged to friends of mine. I’d been bugging them. We just came to an agreement.

The former owners still own the land, and we’ve leased the land for 20 years.

They were ready to exit the business and turn it over to me. I get to treat this like my own little canvas.”

The property, once owned by Jerry Eury, operated as a salvage yard for 30 years. After his kids took over the business, they recycled cars, selling a good portion of the metal to China.

88

| April 2017

Danny says it was important to them to keep the property true to its history and its name.

“All of these buildings were here,” he continues. “We up-fitted them, floodproofed them, and raised one of them.

We’ve tried to be real creative about how we keep the property and how it’s able to be really versatile. We’ve left it open so we can change it up for any event. There are not a lot of permanent fixtures and furniture. We can close down some areas and cater to 2,500 people or 100 people or 15 people. It was all well thought out. The concept has remained the same from the beginning of what we wanted to do. It’s turned into a wonderful place. It’s very kid/family friendly. We don’t allow dogs here; we’re dog-friendly people, but we figure there’s a balance between kids and dogs.” He says there’s no specific reason they opted to disallow dogs, and it was simply decided by a vote of employees: “We have so many kids here, we felt we had to choose one over the other.”

They do make exceptions at times when they host dog-related events.

Coming up in September, Salvage Station will be the site of “Dog Day Afternoon hosted by Mix 96.5 in conjunction with the Asheville Humane Society and Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. Adoptable pets will be available along with doggie contests, a wiener dog race, and competition to see who is the fastest dog in Asheville. Plus, there will be beer, live music, and food trucks.

Timing, as they say, is everything, and the trio of owners believe they picked the perfect moment to launch the Salvage Station. According to most observers, the River Arts District (RAD) is set to explode, especially with last year’s opening of the New Belgium brewery; the dwindling supply of available property on Riverside Drive will likely continue to interest investors wanting a piece of the action.

“We timed it perfectly,” says Danny.

“We feel like we’re on the front end of this whole area popping. It’s like Barley’s in the early ‘90s.”

He refers to a period in downtown Asheville’s history when it was trying to rebuild after years as a virtual ghost April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 89

SALVAGE STATION boasts 10,000 -sq.-f t. of river front space.

town. The opening of the Asheville Mall in 1973 pulled many of the department stores from downtown, and as a result, smaller stores and shops either followed them or went out of business.

The late ‘70s, ‘80s, and even early ‘90s were pretty desolate in downtown, with Asheville only very slowly evolving into the thriving, must-see destination it’s become today and meriting national and even worldwide publicity. Barley’s was on the cutting edge of that growth, coming on the scene well before Biltmore Avenue boasted the Aloft Hotel, Wicked Weed Brewing, and many of the other shops and restaurants.

The R AD, likewise, saw decline from its heyday as an industrial center to abandoned warehouses that artists and craftspeople moved into because the rent was low enough to earn a living. Now that Asheville is popular, some RAD buildings have sold for millions of dollars and others are currently up for grabs. For example, in February of this year the Cotton Mill Studios, at 122 Riverside Drive, went on the market for $2.2 million dollars.

“I think with Salvage Station being on the cusp of the RAD growth, we’re just adding to the area by giving it more business structure down this way,” says Danny. He does express concern, however, about the rising rent prices. “The RAD was built 90

| April 2017

around artists being able to afford the rent. I hope they continue to be able to do that.”

Learning as They Grow The annual autumn Brewgrass Festival, started by Jimi and one of his earlier partners, has evolved from a small event that didn’t make money in the beginning to a highly coveted happening that draws thousands each year. It’s been all over the downtown map in terms of venue—it’s spent time on the CityCounty Plaza, Pack Square, McCormick Field, and MLK Park, among others. It’s now firmly planted at Memorial Stadium, located just above McCormick Field.

The first Brewgrass took place in 1996 with a meager 300 in attendance. At that time, Asheville only had two breweries to its name—Highland Brewing and Green Man. Last year, more than 4,000 people showed up at the festival to sample craft beer from a wide variety of producers, eat food (including Barley’s pizza), listen to live music, and hang out with friends. It draws a large percentage of people every year from out-of-state.

“We started Brewgrass to educate people that there was good beer being made here,” says Jimi. “It’s designed as invitational.

Not every brewery is invited. We’ve learned to keep it a little selective. The first couple years of Brewgrass were money losers.

Actually, the first three to five years were money losers, but we kept going. On the first ones, you have to figure out your budget.

“I think with Salvage Station being on the cusp of the RAD growth, we’re just adding to the area by giving it more business structure down this way.”

You can put estimates in, but you have no idea how it will pan out.

We saw the potential and as the years progressed, the loss got less and less. We knew it could be a good thing. We always made our donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters even when we made a loss—it was basically a donation from Barley’s.”

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 91

FIRE PITS are a customer’s best friend on cold nights.

Getting people in the gates quicker at Brewgrass has taken years to evolve, but Jimi feels that’s one area they’ve perfected.

“People start lining up at 10:30 in the morning for the gates to open at noon,” says Jimi. “We have scanners at the front gate now. That’s the biggest thing. Also, printing tickets online and having tickets on your phone really helps.”

The Beer City Festival came about when the Asheville Brewers Alliance asked Jimi to put on a springtime event: “We teamed up with them. That was the birth of the Beer City Festival. It coincided with the year Asheville won Beer City U.S.A. [annual national online poll, which ran from 2009 to 2014]. Beer City Festival is a little bit harder because of the space constraints.

It’s held on Roger McGuire Green downtown.”

Tickets are capped at 2,200. “That got decided the first year,” says Jimi. “I saw the crowd and said, ‘That’s it! Don’t sell any more tickets.’ Overcrowding does not make for a good event—ever.”

2017 marks the eighth year of the Beer City Festival. It happens May 27. The 21st Annual Brewgrass Festival takes place this year on September 16.

“I feel fortunate to be able to make a little money on what we do,” says Jimi. “Both events raise money for the Asheville Brewers Alliance and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina. I think over the years we’ve donated $175,000 to $200,00 to Big Brothers Big Sisters. The Asheville Brewers Alliance has just come on recently, and so far we’ve given them about $50,000.” (The partners marvel at the fact that the Asheville Brewers Alliance now contains 51 breweries.)

“I credit Jimi with getting into events like Brewgrass and Beer City,” says Danny. “We run tight ships and have found out how to make them successful and make it a good experience.”

They are flexible, compromising, and very observant— vital components to running a festival, which can present interesting challenges depending on the year. Jimi recalls a port-a-john tipping incident one year when a couple of guys were trying to be funny. They’ve learned to never compromise on safety, and they also work to maintain a laid-back vibe at the festivals, paying close attention to what works and what doesn’t. “We observe the crowds and do next events based on what we saw,” says Patrick. “If we notice people standing around longer in one area, the next time we might drop another bar where they were.”

Running the beer festivals definitely helped prepare the three men for the Salvage Station, which Jimi says is like running an everyday Brewgrass. The venue almost has a festival-like quality to it, with a constant slate of live music, special events, weddings, private parties, and fundraisers for nonprofits, and, of course, beer and food.

“One thing we knew from Brewgrass was to have free water,” he adds. “It’s the little things. If people are out, especially when it’s hot, they’ve got to stay hydrated. That goes into the public safety thing. Having control over a crowd is also important and letting them know what the rules are.”

92

| April 2017

They stress that in addition to safety concerns, a priority at Salvage Station is keeping an open feel. For example, to alleviate congestion in the bar area, it’s as easy as lighting a fire pit. Once it’s lit, people will just naturally start congregating around it.

“I can’t stand being cramped,” says Danny. “The beauty of this place is that we set limits [on how many people are allowed in for any given event]. We’re big about giving people space. A lot of bands are picking us now because of the atmosphere and the sound. It’s sort of like being at home in the backyard. They are able to mingle with the audience. We basically have the capacity to have four different stages throughout the property, but we will never run them simultaneously. We don’t want sound fighting each other.”

For Your Information

life changing situations require

specialized

experience.

SALVAGE STATION salvagestation.com Open 7 days a week beginning at noon.

Live concerts, both ticketed and free, happen throughout the month. Special events and rentals are available.

BARLEY’S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA barleystaproom.com Open 7 days a week. Team trivia nights each Wednesday, and live music Thursdays and Sundays.

BEER CITY FESTIVAL May 27, 2017 beercityfestival.com Held at Roger McGuire Green, downtown Asheville.

BREWGRASS FESTIVAL September 16, 2017 brewgrassfestival.com

When faced with life changing situations, your wealth management decisions require an advisor who understands and is specially trained to help navigate you through not only the technical side of money but also the personal side of financial change.

Webb advisors are experienced in helping you reach your financial goals and

Held at Memorial Stadium, above McCormick Field.

arrive at your new normal.

RIVERLINK RIVER MUSIC SERIES riverlink.org/experience/rivermusic The 2017 series is scheduled for June 9, July 7, and September 8, featuring live music, food trucks, and local beers.

Also, August 26 brings the RiverFest “Anything That Floats Parade” on the French Broad River.

An Independent Wealth Management Firm Laura Webb, CFP® President & Founder, WIS

828.252.5132 | laurawebb.com 82 Patton Ave., Suite 610 | Asheville, NC 28801

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 93

And it’s not just the adults who love to hang out at Salvage Station. “There are children in this town who ask friends to meet them here after school,” says Patrick. “After 4PM on a pretty day, boom, there will be many here.”

“We also allow tubers to come,” says Danny. “We will let people unload here and park here in the summer for a small fee.” He notes that the midtown Asheville location of Zen Tubing is just a short drive away on Riverside Drive.

Weddings are another big draw, as well as private parties. A number of area schools hold their recitals at Salvage Station, benefiting from the professional stage and sound systems. The venue also boasts 400 parking spaces, and they’ve acquired some overflow parking availability at nearby locations on Riverside Drive—among them, Shady Grove Landscaping, which sub-leases property from the Salvage Station owners, while several others (that Danny didn’t want to disclose) allow some after-hours parking when the venue needs it.

Making It All Come Together The trio admits they are in a unique position to help others host their own successful festivals. They provide the space at the Salvage Station for events, and they also offer expertise and advice on how to do it right. They know the best configurations

for different types of gatherings, and can advise the best placement for tables, booths, bars, etc. “We’ll step in and help people and guide them in the right direction. We’ll help look at the numbers, ask the questions, and come up with solutions,” says Danny.

The building that hosts the stage opens up completely. In winter, they have heat. In summer, they can open it. “It’s like hanging out in a really nice garage,” says Danny, who notes they already have plenty of ticketed music shows, but that outdoor ticketed music shows “are where we see ourselves in the future. In summer, we’re trying to push shows to later (10PM) so families can be here until dark.”

For those outdoor concerts, they will open up the space to more than 2,500 people, and they acknowledge this will automatically make parking the biggest challenge. Danny says they will work closely with the city and with Jon Spillman, who has done a lot of events for downtown Asheville, to come up with a safe, satisfactory plan. (Danny: “[Jon has] been a good resource for many, many years.”)

Some of the events that have already taken place at the Salvage Station include the CiderFest NC, WNC Battle of the Burger, River Valley Blues Fest, the Beer City opener, and the Brewgrass opening dinner. Just recently, in mid-March, the Outdoor Gear Builders association put on their 3rd Annual Get

Please join Laura McCue for an informal discussion for women featuring your questions about investments and finances while we enjoy drinks and appetizers.

April 27, 2017 5:30 – 7:30PM Biltmore Forest Country Club 31 Stuyvesant Road Seating is very limited, so you MUST have a reservation!

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.

94

| April 2017

In Gear Fest, a family-friendly event featuring equipment demonstrations and entertainment. The partners are also taking over the monthly RiverLink RiverMusic series, which happens each year starting in May and wrapping in October.

While the trio is extremely hands-on and involved, they also credit their staff for moving their endeavors forward.

She does bicycle seat art and includes the handlebars; she makes faux taxidermy animal heads from these bike parts. She started putting it up as decoration in the bar and immediately started selling them. It’s inspired her to get in touch with other artists to put together an art festival.

“Same with musicians. We have three on staff who are running a very non-traditional open mic on Sundays. It’s not what you would expect of having to sit and endure someone’s cover of Billy Joel. They’ve opened up to all types of performances—slam poetry, dance, etc.

It’s a unique stage opportunity. They are a month and a half into that, and we’ve watched the three of them grow as to how comfortable they are on stage.”

Regarding what’s next for the men, there are always new ideas spinning in their heads. “I have my eyes on a couple of things,” says Danny. He won’t reveal the plans just yet, but he will say that his heart is in the local area and that’s where he’s focusing his ideas.

“Well…” Jimi pauses for emphasis. “Let’s get this finished first.”

Regarding what’s next for the men, there are always new ideas spinning in their heads. “I have my eyes on a couple of things,” says Danny.

They have up to 40 employees in the summer at Salvage Station and 45 to 50 at Barley’s.

“Most of our staff has been with us five, ten, fifteen years,” notes Patrick. “They are a lot like family. We look for [their] ideas and inspiration for upcoming events and enjoy finding their talents. One of our bartenders—Lauren Kazmarek—she’s organizing a spring arts festival right now.

The new CHOICE for North Carolina employers

Innovative and affordable

GROUP HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS

to secure their future and your bottom line.

(888) 823-1315 healthystate.us April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 95

People Play at

1

2

4

5

6

7

3

1. Live auction; graffiti trash can lights by Fowler, Houla, Stutr, Huns, Ishmael, Dogman, Megan Kelly & Dustin Spagnola; lighting by Robert Nicholas at Splurge Lighting with OpenDoors students

96

| April 2017

2. Art handlers Olivia Cottrell, Jasmine Middleton, & Amber Vess 3.Musician Lenny Pateneli 4. Kora Manheimer & Mayor Esther Manheimer

5. OpenDoors executive director Jen Ramming 6. Virginie Pomeroy & Wendy Clements 7. Art Affair donating artist/OpenDoors teaching artist LaKisha Blount.

OpenDoors of Asheville’s Art Affair 2017: Urban Canvas presented by Harmony Motors

The Wedge@Foundation, Asheville | February 11, 2017 Photos by Eric Howard/Big E’s Photos & Adam McMillan/AM Photography 8

9

11

12

10

14

13

8. Tim and Trish Schaller of Wedge Brewing 9. Glass piece by Duncan McClellan, art handler Olivia Cottrill, & Scott Varn 10. Event chair Dosty Quarrier

11. Live auction items by Philip DeAngelo, Randy Shull, Megan Kelly & Dustin Spagnola 12. District Attorney Todd Williams

13. The crowd at the Art Affair 14.Live auction with Andrew Brunk of Brunk Auctions

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 97

events

april

EVENTS april 1

38th Annual Blowing Rock Trout Derby

Sunrise-4PM Blowing Rock Clubhouse 108 Lakeside Drive, Blowing Rock, NC There’s no preregistration, no entry fees.

Just go and fish and take up to three fish to the headquarters at the Blowing Rock Clubhouse by the community pool. Fish must be trout freshly harvested from Watauga County public trout waters.

Prizes will be awarded for the largest of fish in separate age categories.

> 828-295-5222 > blowingrock.com/troutderby april 4

Free Chamber Music Tuesdays 12:30PM

98

| April 2017

First United Methodist Church 204 Sixth Avenue West, Hendersonville, NC The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra and Brevard Music Center will partner to bring violist Erika Eckert and pianist Margaret McDonald, from the University of Colorado-Boulder, to perform Story Music.

> 828-862-2120 > brevardmusic.org april 6 , 13 , 20 , 27

Asheville Jewish Film Festival

7PM

Fine Arts Theatre 36 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC Each week, a special film will screen Thursday and encore at a matinee on Friday. In order, the films are, Mr. Gaga, 1945, The Last Laugh, and Wrestling Jerusalem. The movies were selected to teach significant and universal messages within a rich, cultural context.

>Tickets: $10 > 828-232-1536 > fineartstheatre.com

april 7- 23 The Nerd 7:30PM (Wed-Sat), 2:30PM (Sun) NC Stage Company 15 Stage Lane, Asheville, NC Attic Salt Theatre Company stages Larry Shue’s crazy comedy, about Willum Cubbert, an unassuming young architect, and his friends, Tansy and Axel. Their lives are completely upended with the unexpected arrival of Rick Steadman.

The popular play dates to 1981 and at one point, on Broadway, featured Mark Hamill in the lead role. Directed by Jeff Catanese.

>Tickets: $14 & $28 > 828-239-0263 > ncstage.org april 8

Carolina Concert Choir presents Only Mozart

3PM

Blue Ridge Community College 180 West Campus Drive, Flat Rock, NC This, shall we say mini-oratorio, will feature the quintessential “Requiem,” performed with an orchestra. When delivered as designed, this song will

knock your socks off like very few masterpieces this side of heaven. Here’s hoping they pull it off.

>Tickets: Adult $22, Student $5 > 828-393-5737 > carolinaconcertchoir.org april 8

Potters of Madison County Market 9AM-4PM

Marshall High Studios 115 Blannahassett Island, Marshall, NC You can come here to find the perfect gift for that perfect someone and wrap it up with a card that reads, “You look like you could use a little pot.”

> pottersofmadisoncounty.com april 8

4th Annual Boone Birding Festival

10AM-3PM Valle Crucis Community Park Broadstone Road, Valle Crucis, NC Valle Crucis Park is a popular spot for birders because of the diversity of habitats:

deep woods, the Watauga River, wetlands, suburban yards. Go on any of several hikes guided by birders from the High Country Chapter of the Audubon Society and ASU grad students, and view birds being rehabilitated by the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute and students of Lees-McRae.

> 828-266-1345 > facebook.com/boonebirdingfestival april 8

Easter Eggstravaganza

2-4PM Watauga County Public Library and Jones House Community Center Queen Street, Boone, NC I can’t believe it. Every single year, these people lose their Easter eggs, and then all the children have to drop what they’re doing to go find them. Kids 12 and under can also march in a parade, play games for prizes, and enjoy refreshments.

> 828-268-6280 > downtownboonenc.com april 9

Hendersonville Chamber Music presents Smoky

Mountain Brass Quintet

3PM First Congregational Church 1735 5th Ave West, Hendersonville, NC The chords have the beauty of experimentalists from the Renaissance era, evoking a worshipful consciousness, yet the timbre and flourishes have you imagining the Royal Family in procession.

>Tickets: $25 > 828-808-2314 > hendersonvillechambermusic.org april 10

Alternate Currents

7:15PM The Haen Gallery 52 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC This is the Pan Harmonia chamber musicians’ spring concert. Treat your ears to works by JS Bach, Paul Svoboda, Vivian Fine, and Dana Wilson, and your eyes to the quality art. Wine will be served at 6:30.

>Tickets: Door $20, Advance $15, Student $5 > 828-254-7123 > panharmonia.org

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 99

events

april 15

Roots in the Guild: 9 Women Artists Today

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

Female makers of the Southern Highland Craft Guild host a reception for their exhibition. Each will share work and discuss the influence of Guild membership in their creative journeys.

Meet Jimmie Benedict, Ellen Crandall, Bernie Rowell, Gina Anderson, Pat Herzog, Judi Gaston, Ann Hughes, Diane Tunkel Hanson, and Rosa Kennedy.

> 828-298-7928 > craftguild.org april 15

71st Annual Tryon Block House Races

9AM 6881 South North Carolina Highway 9, Columbus, NC The historic steeplechase of the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club, it will be held at the new, A-rated, mile-long course on 115 acres managed by the Tryon International Equestrian Center. Horses will go the distance, jumping over hedgerows and moats as they compete for a portion of a $150,000 purse. This is a tailgate event, with admission charged per vehicle. Consult map for pricing.

> 828-863-0480 > blockhouseraces.com april 15

En-ONE-Ment Spiritual Retreat 9AM

Center for Spiritual Wisdom 100 Elks Club Road, Brevard, NC Author Randy Siegel hosts a workshop whereby attendees explore seven selves and three psycho-spiritual paths that 100

| April 2017

help bring us into closer union with ourselves, others, the natural world, and the divine. Which path will be most relevant to YOUR life? Admission includes lunch and a copy of his book, In Search of the One.

> $75 > 828-301-0189 > robert-field-8a5p.squarespace.com april 16

Easter Sunrise Service

6:30AM Chimney Rock State Park 431 Main Street, Chimney Rock, NC Lout over the vast expanse of trees and flowers to witness earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual rebirth.

Watch the sunrise in panorama, casting dapples on Lake Lure and hues on the mountainside in the fresh spring air.

Hear the birds as they serenade, joinng in the celebration. Music and readings will be nondenominational, but in reverence of the spirit of the holiday. Gates will close at 6:00, so get there early.

> 828-625-9611 > chimneyrockpark.com april 20 - 23

Savor Blowing Rock

Downtown Blowing Rock, NC

Since being a foodie is the in-thing, you can eat amid lectures and classes and pretend you are oh, so intellectual as you analyze the elusive yet exquisite body of morsels on your eighth helping in one of the many tastings. Then, you can work it off as you run in the 5K or dance to live bands. Since libations will abound, nobody will likely complain if you want to try the karaoke.

>Tickets sold by event; consult

itinerary. > 877-295-7801 > savorblowingrock.com

april 19

WORD!

7PM Buffalo Nickel 747 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC World-class storyteller David Joe Millerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spoken word series welcomes Chuck Brodsky back for song and story. Chuck tells engaging stories, then writes songs about them. Show-goers are encouraged to arrive early for dinner.

>Tickets: Door $18, Advance $15 > 828-575-2844 > storytellingcalendar.com april 21

7th Annual Young Life Clay Shoot at the Biltmore Biltmore Estate 1 Lodge Street, Asheville, NC

Shooters in teams of five compete for prizes. Biltmore shotguns will be available for those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring their own 12-gauges. The price includes accessories, 100 shots per person, breakfast, lunch, and refreshments. The program is sponsored by Allergy Partners of Western North Carolina; proceeds benefit Young Life programs.

> Registration: $300; premium packages are available. > 828-484-1711

april 21- 23

United States Dog Agility Association Dog Agility Trials

8AM-5PM (Fri & Sat), 8AM-3PM (Sun) Tryon International Equestrian Center 4066 Pea Ridge Road, Mill Spring, NC Stupid dog tricks are a dime a dozen, and your social media accounts are probably overflowing with them. These are the smart dogs who rush through tunnels, climb ladders, jump hurdles, navigate April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 101

events

a thriving small business Start Create my own financial plan Set up the right retirement plan for my employees and me Invest in sustainable and responsible companies

a tight slalom course, and more. Speed and accuracy will be judged. Dogs not pre-qualified and enrolled in the events must be left home.

> blueridgeagility.com april 21- may 13

Smokey Joe’s Café

Consult schedule for days and times.

As a small, locally-owned business, we know, first-hand, how that top task can monopolize your time. Let us help you knock out the rest of the list.

If you’d like to work with another small, independent, local business deeply invested in our great community, call us.

440 Montford Avenue, Asheville NC, 28801 | 828-285-8777 | 877-285-7537 | www.starksfinancial.com Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Member FINRA/SIPC.

Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC The music of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller will be featured. Hits include, “On Broadway,” “St and by Me,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Yakkity Yak,” and “I Am Woman.”

>Tickets: $15-$50 > 828-693-0731 > flatrockplayhouse.org april 22

Benefit for CERF+

10AM-5:30PM Grovewood Gallery 111 Grovewood Road, Asheville, NC CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund) is a national nonprofit arts organization that helps artists prepare for and recover from emergencies. Artists Lisa Klakulak and Brent Skidmore will host demonstrations, and 10% of all sales that day will go to CERF+.

> 828-253-7651 > grovewood.com april 22

Spring Wildflower Hike

10AM-12PM

Custom pools and spas.

We create unique backyard environments 1200-C Hendersonville Rd. Asheville, NC • 828-277-8041 • waterworkswnc.com 102

| April 2017

Holmes Educational State Forest 1299 Crab Creek Road, Hendersonville, NC Tear yourself away from the violence and canned not-so-humor of your TV and run to the meadow to fill your brain

with beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. The wildflower hike is planned to catch the flowers in their colourful splendour and is only a mile—as easy on the knees as the gentle fragrances will be on the nose. Participants should pack a lunch.

> 828-692-0100 > ncesf.org/holmes april 22

The Passion of Chopin

8PM Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 87 Haywood St, Asheville, NC The sixth program in the Asheville Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks series this year features conductor Daniel Meyer and pianist Soyeon Kate Lee. The program includes Debussy’s Petite Suite, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Franck’s Symphony in D.

>Tickets: Adult $22-$62, Youth $11-$43 > 828-254-7046 > ashevillesymphony.org

61 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

april 22

J. Mark McVey

8PM Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Avenue, Tryon, NC This Broadway star sang in over 3,000 performances of Les Miserables. His tone is clear and strong across his extraordinary range. Marvin Hamlisch said, “His vocal sound is superb.”

>Tickets: Adult $35, Student $17 > 828-859-8322 > tryonarts.org april 22

Samantha Fish

9PM Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC

Touring behind her Chills & Fever, her extraordinary new album of blues and funk, the guitar virtuoso is clearly positioned for a major 2017 breakthrough. She’s usually in a microskirt, may be barefoot, and we don’t know what color her hair will be. But you’ll color yourself “amazed.”

>Tickets: Door $15, Advance $12 > 828-407-0521 > salvagestation.com

western nortH c arolina’s free sPirit of enterPrise

w e s t e r n n o r t H c a r o l i n a' s

Business Lifestyle MA G A Z I N E 12 month subscription

$15.

95

subscribe online at

C API TAL ATPL AY.C OM April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 103

events

april 27

Asheville Music School Benefit

6-9:30PM Isis Music Hall 743 Haywood Road, Asheville NC The fifth annual Sound Effects concert to benefit the Asheville Music School will feature students and teachers covering the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour album, full length and full score.

>Tickets: Door $18, Advance $15, Child (3-12)

> 828-575-2737 > isisasheville.com april 27- 30

Merlefest

Wilkes Community College 1328 South Collegiate Drive, Wilkesboro, NC The Avett Brothers, Bela Fleck, Del McCoury Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Mandolin Orange, Sierra Hull, and David Holt are a few of the headliners.

Participate in jam sessions, learn from other musicians, look about the shops, or lose yourself in the great outdoors. Pets, booze, and smoking are prohibited.

>Tickets: Single Day: $55-$75; special LOCAL BEERS ON TAP OVER 50 TEQUILAS FRESH JUICE MARGARITAS

- historic biltmore village (828)505-7682 call ahead for preffered seating OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK CATERING AND PRIVATE DINING AVAILABLE

104

| April 2017

packages available. > 800-343-7857 > merlefest.org

april 28 - 30

All Over

2:30PM UNC-Asheville Reuter Center 1 University Heights, Asheville, NC The Autumn Players’ Readers Theatre Showcase Series presents food for thought. Readers sit around as if at the deathbed of a famous and wealthy man.

They reminisce and fight in the world of woulda coulda shoulda.

> General Admission: $6 > 828-254-1320 > ashevilletheatre.org april 28 - may 14

Man of LaMancha

Hendersonville Community Theatre 229 South Washington Street, Hendersonville, NC A play about a play, used as a defense in a kangaroo court. Miguel de Cervantes, all washed up and a tax collector to boot, proposes enacting his manuscript in order to save it from confiscation by the Inquisition. Brent Schlueter and Carol Duermit will reprise their roles as Don Quixote and Aldonza.

>Tickets: Adult $26, Student $20, Youth $15 > 828-692-1082 > hendersonvilletheatre.org

april 29

Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra

7:30PM Blue Ridge Community College Concert Hall 180 College Drive, Flat Rock, NC

On the program are Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. Both are splendid and colorful composers, sure to keep your mind active if you want to follow it all.

>Tickets: $40 > 828-697-5884 > hendersonvillesymphony.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.

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 105

Saturday, 9:47 PM

thursday, 7:44 AM

Wednesday, 9:15 PM

Monday, 7:02 AM

Getting sick isn't convenient. We are.

How many times have you gotten sick or

seven days a week from 7 AM to 10 PM

hurt before the doctor's office is open or

with no appointment necessary. Plus,

after the doctor's office is closed? Now

with an integrated electronic medical

you can walk in and get the help you

record across Mission Health physician

need sooner – even lab and radiology

practices, your health information is

services. Mission Health has opened

collected and available in one place so

Mission My Care Now at the Biltmore

your providers can access your care

Park medical office building, available

updates. Why wait?

(828) 213-4444 missionmycarenow.org

106

| April 2017

BILTMORE PARK

Transformations begin here...

Lady Wildcats basketball team wins 7th consecutive state title!

...and last a lifetime.

With an emphasis on the whole student-athlete, our balanced approach creates young men and women who process, reflect, find their voice, analyze performance, and learn how to use mistakes to their advantage —as learning tools for understanding—both in class and in uniform.

We believe in love of sport, importance of competition, and passion for improvement and success. At Carolina Day School, we play smarter.

Our students graduate with the capacity, adaptability, flexibility, and agility to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Visit and apply now for school year 2017-18.

It’s the smart choice.

CarolinaDay.org/PlaySmarter 828-407-4442

Enjoy these videos about playing smarter—from Nautica ‘19 (left) and Thomas ‘18 (right).

April 2017 | capitalatplay.com 107

110

| April 2017