Capital at Play July 2018

Graham and Andrea DuVall Mother Earth Produce p.18

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Coworking Spaces in Western North Carolina p.39

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n

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The Wine Column: John’s Local Wine Top 10. p.34

in Western p.57 North Carolina

Gaining

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Editor’s Thoughts

T

his will probably seem self-evident to anyone familiar with our magazine, but it’s still worth reiterating: Capital at Play is a business publication. While we may have featured a close-up of a bison on the cover last month, a young woman working out in a gym another month, and a festive-looking gift box tower another—not specifically “business” images, admittedly—the contents inside are what tell the actual tale.

In each issue we profile entrepreneurs, risk-takers, and business owners, and we also publish columns written by area experts who draw upon their own experiences to offer business-related insights and advice to the readership. With our “Local Industry” monthly features we delve deeply into Western North Carolina business sectors, from regional manufacturing and real estate analyses to reports on area internet service providers and the industrial hemp industry, with accompanying charts and data points. And our “Leisure & Libation” section takes a related approach by looking at numerous area businesses that provide services or activities for people—people like you, and like me—who want to relax and have fun after that 5PM work whistle blows. And don’t forget the numerous business news briefs that appear throughout the magazine.

So even if the magazine’s cover photo depicts something that doesn’t automatically bring to mind dollars, cents, and stock offerings, it still relates directly to one of our profiles or reports, and it’s intended, bottom line, to simply catch your eye and get you curious enough to make you pick the magazine up. A bison on the cover, you ask? We want to make “business” seem as unique, interesting, and exciting for you as it is for the people who are doing it.

In the months to come, I think you’ll see even more emphasis on the business side of our content, particularly the local people who help make Western North Carolina such a unique and progressive place to live (and play in). Some of this may come visually, in the form of more charts and graphs accompanying the actual text. Look, too, for additional reporting on our entrepreneurial subjects’ financial journeys alongside their personal ones, including how they initially put their businesses and teams together, how they managed growth and expansion smartly, and how they envision structuring things in order to keep moving forward.

We’ll also be looking to report on events and trends while they are still emerging and fresh, so plan on visiting the CapitalatPlay.com website during the month, and definitely subscribe to our email newsletter and follow us on social media in order to keep abreast of new content we post.

And if you learn of a relevant event/trend you think we should know about, have a friend or client with a compelling business story, or know of an expert who wants to share his or her expertise, we’re ready to hear from you.

For over eight years we’ve been the only business publication serving this region, and we see it as our job to present that valuable information to our hyperlocal, hard-working, 30,000+ (and steadily growing) readership.

Sincerely,

Fred Mills

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Capital at Play has partnered with Bclip Productions to bring the pages of each edition to life, just for you. Featured at Capitalatplay.com and our Facebook page, we give you exclusive interviews and insider info on the people, places, and faces of Capital at Play has partnered with Bclip Productions to bring the pages of each edition to life, just for you. Featuring a new enterprise throughout Western North Carolina. Visit us on social media or at our website to see the latest 60 Seconds at Play.

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At Bclip we do more than tell your story. Our business-first mentality and c creativity set us apart from other video production companies. It’s our mis help our customers sell their products, train their staff, and entertain custo video. We strive to eat, sleep, and think like the wonderful companies we w

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THINK GLOBALLY, EAT LOCALLY GRAHAM AND ANDREA DUVALL

ed. vii

76 GAINING TRACTION

MARSHALL GRANT

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C ON T E N T S j u l y 2 018

.photo courtesy Megan Gielow photographer

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

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Coworking Spaces in Western North Carolina

l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n

Hand in Hand Wedding Industry in Western North Carolina

colu m ns

insight

14 B irchwood Hall

Southern Kitchen Chef Nicolas Peek

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nsight

Preserving History Through Food “The idea of ‘authentic’ Southern food has become muddled,” says Chef Nicolas Peek, of Waynesville’s Birchwood Hall Southern Kitchen.

He’s aiming to correct those misconceptions.

W

hen Birchwood Hall Southern Kitchen opened in April of 2017 in downtown Waynesville, Executive Chef Nicolas Peek already had a clear vision for his farm-to-table restaurant: To bring a collaboration between the chef and the farmer and create a menu that celebrated the best of Appalachian and Southern cuisine, utilizing the highest quality possible local and regional ingredients. Now, in 2018, having recently passed their first major milestone of being open for a full first year, Birchwood Hall—the name is an homage to a historic Civil War-era home that had also been on Waynesville’s Main Street—is steadily amassing a regional reputation for both its true (as in “non-stereotypical”) Southern authenticity and its consistent support for local farmers and food suppliers On that first point, explains Peek, “The greatest hurdle that we have overcome is the thought of Southern cuisine in our area. We knew that we would be battling the preconceived pretentiousness of our chef-driven concept, but we faced more adversity in the way that the population was under the impression that Southern foods are those greasy, diner, deep fried dishes that we all enjoy from time to time. The idea of ‘authentic’ Southern food has become muddled.”

Still, he adds, the actual person-to-person expectation of Southern food isn’t necessarily muddled. “Most of the ideas have come from [people’s] own families and experiences. We just want to take the opportunity to celebrate the Southern ingredients from our neighborhood and create a warm and comfortable environment.

We try to provide the bridge for the gap from farmer to chef to the customer to truly showcase the Southern history of ingredients in our food. Making history-based choices to add to our food-forward and cocktail-forward focus helps set us apart. In Asheville the farm-to-table focus is everywhere, but in Waynesville, we aren’t the majority, we are the minority.”

And regarding the locals-centric ethos, Peek notes that one thing setting Birchwood Hall apart from other establishments is their farmer-first mentality, and says that he’s particularly proud of the relationships Birchwood Hall has forged locally. Fairview’s Hickory 14

| July 2018

A BIRCHWOOD Hall signature pork chop dish.

NICOL AS PEEK & MANAGER MARY GR ACE SAMARDZIA

Nut Gap Farm, for example, provides them with premium pork, which is then cured in-house. (Peek: “House curing our bacon, pork belly, and tasso ham, cured and smoked, adds homage to the artisan style of the past.”) Waynesville’s Iron Duff Farms provides them with much of their summer produce, while local condiment makers Lusty Monk Mustard and Firewalker hot sauce, both of Asheville, are also key Birchwood Hall partners. Casting regionally, Winston-Salem’s Joyce Farms and Columbia, South Carolina, based Anson Mills supply them, respectively with top poultry selections and historic heirloom grains such as Carolina Gold rice and benne.

“I always say jokingly that the mark of a farm-to-table chef is buying the best of ingredients and respectfully try not to mess them up,” laughs Peek.

Pe e k ’s a n a t i ve S o u t h e r n e r, incidentally, having grown up in Fairview and spent time working on his grandfather’s farm growing vegetables and raising chickens, cows, and bees.

He got the cooking bug early. Now 30, he’s got 15 years’ worth of restaurant experience, having apprenticed under award-winning Chef Jean Claude Mille, later becoming a member of the American Culinary Federation and studying under such acclaimed chefs as Scott Conant (of Chopped fame) and Eric Levine. Locally, he has cooked at a number of top locations, including Nona Mia, the Chef’s Apron, Bocelli’s, and Crowne Plaza Resort.

Just recently, Peek made an impressive addition to his list of achievements when Birchwood Hall placed high in every judged category of Haywood County’s annual “Mélange of the Mountains” competition that showcases Western North Carolina cuisine: Their pork belly and grits appetizer took 2nd place in the Appetizer division; their roasted corn and crawfish chowder was 1st in the Soup Or Salad category; their apple cider brined pork chop also snagged top honors for the Main Course; and their banana pudding was 2nd among

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insight

Desserts. “Those wins for us,” says Peek, “meant that we could expose our area to the local farming practices, and truly get customers excited about the wonderful ingredients growing and happening all around us.”

He’s justifiably grateful for his restaurant’s first-year growth and acceptance among the local dining community, but he now has his sights firmly fixed on the upcoming year, explaining that his number one goal “is to really dive into what we are and who we are as Birchwood Hall Southern Kitchen. Our largest goal within that is to continue to celebrate the local farms and ingredients here in Haywood County, and help the locals to feel like they don’t have to travel to the larger cities to enjoy farm-to-table, chef-crafted food. We want to expand our cocktail program to really be the forefront of Waynesville’s scene, and we would also like to offer community events such as beer dinners, paired chef events, and guest speakers.”

True to his restaurant’s name, he intends to keep the focus fiercely— proudly—Southern.

passion deeply rooted in Birchwood Hall is only accentuated with our use of heritage and heirloom grains and only using the local farms that grow their crops with the same mentality, preser ving Southern history and educating customers.

“We are a humble gathering place for people who want that proper Southern

“It is known amongst the South that Appalachian and Southern style cuisine is growing and changing to preserve the history of our roots.”

“It is known amongst the South that Appalachian and Southern style cuisine is growing and changing to preserve the history of our roots, but we want to really educate the public to care about the stories behind the menus. What is Southern and Appalachian style food?

What are the stories that influenced it, and how do we share them? I am well-versed in proper Southern cuisine, but what many may not know is that I write my menus based on my personal childhood and how I grew up in Western North Carolina. The background and 16

| July 2018

meal and a crafted cocktail, and to feel good about everything they’re consuming. As our popularity grows, and as we cook and serve our way through Appalachian history, we hope to define what Birchwood Hall Southern Kitchen is to the community and be able to continue telling the stories of our Southern forefathers.”

Birchwood Hall Southern Kitchen is located at 111 N. Main Street in Waynesville. Learn more at: BirchwoodHall.com

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com

17

Th P r o e fo l k s d eat i uce b at Mo a r e n g a n d e l ie v e t h e r E th se a you l f- ev id suppo e mer i r th rt r bo ts e dy, nt: It ’s ing loc of and your c good a l you omm for r pl ane unit y, t.

18

| July 2018

Think

Globally,

Eat

Locally

written by emily gl aser photos by anthony harden July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 19

GR AHAM DUVALL packing up a customers produce box.

D

espite farmers markets and co-ops, in spite of CSAs (community s up p or t e d a g r ic u lt u re) a nd home gardens, only a negligible percentage of the food we eat is grown locally. Graham and Andrea DuVall, co-founders of local grocery delivery service Mother Earth Produce, are on a mission to change that.

“The research that we’re doing is that the most dynamic way, right now, short-term, to scale local food is through really innovative food hubs,” says Graham. His hand rises to adjust his hat brim as he surveys the bustling scene of his business, a half-dozen sets of hands packing fresh, butter yellow summer squash, pints of crisp sugar snap peas, and dirt-dusted roots into cardboard boxes.

Those boxes, loaded with summer’s abundant produce, will be loaded into vans and deposited on doorsteps across the region.

This is an innovative food hub in action.

“These are the kind of pioneer businesses that are beginning to bridge the gap to get those local food sales,” he continues, noting the shockingly low percentage—he estimates it to be only about one percent—of total national food sales that are actually local. “It’s businesses like us and cooperatives, innovative food hubs, that are the ones that are starting to try to push that number into two, three, five percent. That’s what we’re all about: The more that we can create a resilient model, the more that we can scale and expand, which is a part of our vision. I feel like we have created something really smart. Not all food hubs can be the same; they need to be very authentic for the community that they’re in; but we are 20

| July 2018

creating a really strong template for scaling locally grown food.”

For the Good of Mother Earth The template of Mother Earth Produce, founded

by Graham and his wife, Andrea, in April 2012, is not only replicable, it’s increasingly necessary, as science proves again and again the benefits of eating local, and the existing systems prove again and again that they are incapable of serving as a viable marketplace for local farmers.

In a community as conscientious as Western North Carolina, the merits of eating and supporting local are self-evident: It’s good for your body, your community, and your planet. Eating local means eating in-season, which our bodies have evolved to do; the hearty vegetables of winter ward off colds, and the juicy fruits of summer keep us hydrated in the season’s heat. It also means eating whole foods, free of the questionable preservatives and additives pumped into much of grocery stores’ fare. Plus, local foods are fresher, so they retain more nutrients, and with a shorter travel itinerary, they have a lower chance of contamination— think: the recent egg- and melon-borne salmonella incidents—too.

Graham recognizes that the cost associated with eating fresh, regional produce dissuades many, but argues that it’s less expensive when you consider the long-term effects. “Americans spend the least amount on food of any country in the world. That’s something that we really want to change,” he says, suggesting we replace the cost of pharmaceuticals with high-value, fresh foods instead. Not to mention, the extra pennies spent

GREENHOUSES old and new scatter the proper ty.

on local food fall right back into your community’s economy.

By investing in local farmers and their products, you help circulate capital in intercommunal channels, rather than pouring dollars into the industrial food complex, and help to create a strong economic foundation for our region.

Choosing to buy local also has a positive impact on the environment at large. “It’s four calories of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of food in the industrial food model,” Graham continues. “Our model is probably more like one calorie of fossil fuels to four calories of food because it’s all supporting the local economy, the local infrastructure, and it’s locally driven.” Rather than shipping genetically modified and disconcertingly pretty produce back and forth across the continent, wasting gallons and gallons of fuel in the process, eating local disseminates products and their revenue in a tight radius for a much smaller impact.

Though eating local inarguably matters, it’s still an insurmountable challenge for many of us, even the health- and environmentally-conscious. We may shop at mindful grocery stores like Whole Foods or Earth Fare, but probably only one to two percent of their products are sourced locally. We may go to a farmers market (when it’s convenient, which often it’s not, depending on one’s work or school schedule), but only spend, on average, $35 or less per visit, by Graham’s estimation—a mere mite of our grocery budget. Even if we subscribe to CSAs, we’re only finding a solution to the local-foods problem during our region’s short growing season; plus, we have no control over weekly selections, driving us to the stores for necessities that can’t be harvested by our favorite farmers.

Eating local simply isn’t easy—or at least, it isn’t in the existing system, which is as pockmarked as old produce. That’s where ventures like Mother Earth Produce come in. “I feel like there is a great responsibility and a great value to our model because people can really spend a lot more of their food dollar right back into the local economy. And we make it so easy that we drop off on their front porch,” Graham says. Mother Earth Produce has found a way to take our best intentions—for eating local, for supporting farmers, for being kinder to our earth—and make them utterly realizable: practical, affordable, and, best of all, easy.

From Farm to Table “Farmers put blood, sweat, and tears into their work every single day, and they do it because they love it. That’s been the same thing with us. Anybody that’s in the local food movement is doing it because they love it,” Graham says, as he plunges into the narrative of Mother Earth Produce, a tale not curved and branching like squash vines, but instead as linear and straight-rooted as a late spring tomato sprout.

When the duo moved to Asheville, Graham leaving a position as a horticulturist at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Andrea transitioning out of corporate publishing, they knew July 2018 | capitalatplay.com

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they wanted to find a path that dug deep into their new community. Buoyed by their mutual passion for local food, the DuValls began to devise a model for purchasing and distributing food from farmers that didn’t involve early morning trips to the market. After brainstorming with a D.C. area consultant with a similar venture, they committed to their idea: Andrea cashed in her 401K, Graham sold his house, and the two started Mother Earth Produce.

The premise of the venture was, and remains, simple: Mother Earth Produce serves as an aggregator and distributor for local farms, collecting fresh produce and distributing it to homes around the region. The online platform features some 200 products, but they specialize in local, organic produce from nearly 40 different local farmers, and 70 to 80 percent of their sales are produce (make that 95 to 98 percent in summer’s peak growing season). Customers can buy a box of weekly produce picks, which come at varying sizes and with free meal plans designed for the box’s current contents, or pick and choose their products for completely custom orders, filling their digital cart with a range of products from prepared foods like Bee Tree Bone Broth, to staples like eggs and milk (also locally-sourced), to consciously-sourced goods like bananas and avocados. The only requirement for shipping is that their order reach the $27 minimum.

Farmers from across the region deliver the fruits (and vegetables) of their labors every Wednesday to the Mother Earth warehouse, where they’re divided into individual portions. On Thursday, the produce is divided into delivery boxes, topped with order additions, and sealed for delivery. Then commences a fourday delivery cycle; boxes are distributed in Asheville on Thursday and Friday, then to the Upstate and Greenville through the weekend, over the course of long, 12-hour days spent on the curving backroads of our region.

Though Mother Earth isn’t an on-demand service like other grocery

photo cour tesy Mother Ear th Produce

delivery models, it offers other advantages. “It’s a really efficient, strong system, but also gives us really good quality control, and that’s really what we’re known for: We’re the absolute best quality in Asheville for food,” Graham says of his retail cycle, in which fresh produce is meticulously packaged and hand-delivered to eager customers. He also argues that without the temptation of end cap displays or one-day deals, it’s more cost-effective than traditional grocery stores. “It’s a really great way for people to save money because they don’t impulse shop. They can plan accordingly, so they can have the premium organic food at an affordable price.”

Six years in, and the DuValls feel they’ve finally found their stride, a sentiment made evident by their growth. When they began, working out of a small warehouse in Arden, they were distributing just 50 orders a week. Now, their team of eight packs up boxes for some 400 deliveries weekly from their 3,000-sq.-ft. warehouse on the campus of Smith Mill Works, a WWII-era food hub, located in a rural section of West Asheville, that has been turned into a business incubator for Asheville growers. And with 600 square feet of cooler space, they have plenty of room to continue on their trajectory; Graham estimates the space could accommodate some 1,700 to 1,800 deliveries a week, a capacity that would generate some $3 to $4 million in revenue to drip back directly into our local economy.

The company’s growth has occurred not just vertically, in terms of scale and volume, but horizontally, too, as their list of products and growers expands. There’s a direct correlation between an increase in selection and a surge in customers, as the platform becomes a more viable option for a one-stop shop where folks can buy all their groceries and have them delivered.

Mother Earth’s growth has also been spurred by the expansion of an entire industry and marketplace. The DuValls founded their business at the outset of a new aeon, a time when digital

NOT JUST PRODUCE: Mother Ear th includes local providers of food goods.

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 23

GR AHAM & ANDREA DUVALL

agoras and quick-draw deliveries became the norm, and when grocery deliveries began to gain ground in the food industry. “In time, grocery deliveries are supposed to continue to be a greater part of the grocery industry; I think it’s supposed to be up to 22 percent in the next decade or so,” explains Graham. “As the consciousness changes with grocery delivery, that will make our service more and more valuable.”

Do it for the Farmers The truest roots of Mother Earth Produce, as mud-caked and sun-drenched as their metaphor, are farmers. Through the DuVall’s rapidly escalating venture, local growers find a platform to accelerate their own growth.

“We’re the extension for the local farming community to be able to scale past the farmers market,” Graham explains. “There’s a big gap between the [farmers] market and selling wholesale at a type of scale that [farmers] can sell at grocery stores. And the standards and pricing at the grocery are getting more and more challenging 24

| July 2018

for any local farmers to be able to work for them.” The solution then lies in the innovative food hub fostered by Mother Earth Produce; farms with production capacities

“We try to promote as much local food and local farmers as possible, and then try to build a reputation of giving fair value to our growers.” too large for the farmers market but too small for grocery distribution—as he mentioned, a wide margin—can access a larger customer base through Mother Earth, and make a healthy living, too.

“Over this last seven years, we’ve cultivated relationships with growers that have and want to have their business plan at more of an economy of scale where they have more room to grow,” he continues. “We’re purchasing their product for

basically 50 cents on the dollar; the grocery store is basically giving them 30 cents, or possibly less, because it’s still got to go through one or two middlemen. But since we’re a direct connection from farm to customer, they can get a good price for their [produce], and so if they’re growing on a scale, they can make a really great income for themselves.” He adds that currently there aren’t many farmers in Asheville producing at that sweet-spot scale, primarily because they were lacking the platform from which to sell—a platform like Mother Earth.

In their seven years, Mother Earth has already proven to be a profitable marketplace for the farms they partner with, fostering the farm’s growth as well as their own. The first farmers they partnered with, for example, were Steven Beltram and Becca Nestler of Balsam Gardens. “We worked with him for a few years, and we were their main customer because of the scale of what they were able to do with us,” Graham says, of the family.

“They were actually able to move their farm into Asheville and scale what they are doing exponentially. A huge part of that was because of us and our work with them. We are kind of a long-term strategic partner, and so that’s a beautiful example of Mother Earth being a direct proponent in helping to scale a local farm.”

For farmers like John Rowland of R Farm in Weaverville, the partnership allows him to continue to do what he has always done: farm organically. “He’s been doing organic farming probably longer than anybody or as long as anybody in the region. He’s an old school organic farmer,” Graham says, with a laugh. “And so we’ve really been able to be a key [partner]. He doesn’t even do market. He’s been reliant upon Mother Earth over the years to be able to continue to do what he’s doing and be rewarded for that.” As for the smallest growers, partnerships with other aggregators like New Appalachia gets their hardearned bounty onto local tables, too.

While some might worry that Mother Earth’s model competes with farmers trying to sell directly to consumers through CSAs or farmers markets, Graham points out that their demographics are just different enough to access a new market, rather than tug at either ends of the same one. “How we’re different is we’re a year-round service, and that our customers are able to customize their selection,” he explains. “We try to promote as much local food and local farmers as possible, and then try to build a reputation of giving fair value to our growers, and so basically trying to build a strong reputation with that.” He July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 25

encourages folks to go to market when they’re able, to give the farmer the maximum dollar for the food they’re growing, but also recognizes that many people don’t have the time or luxury to do so. That’s his market.

“The demographic that we’re going after are young families that are not going to be necessarily going to market every week, and we support that, but it’s not necessarily a part of what we do.”

As for CSAs, Mother Earth fills the gaps left in the market.

“The CSA model is, you get what you get throughout the season. In the middle of summer, you’ll have a tremendous amount of selection, but there’ll be certain times of the year that you won’t have a lot of selection, or maybe there’s certain products that you don’t like,” Graham says. “With our model, people can customize. They want bananas and avocados to go with all of their local veggies, then they can do that.”

It’s Not Easy Being Green At first glance, Asheville might seem an ideal incubator for a business like Mother Earth Produce; upon closer inspection, the city turns instead into a tepid hatchery kept afloat by more urban, youthful locales like nearby Greenville, South Carolina.

“Our model works really well in high-density, metropolitan areas where there’s lots of people, so they can send a full truck out and do the route in six or eight hours,” Graham gestures widely to the mountains around the warehouse and continues. “But because we’re in a small community, we’ve had to really scrape and hustle to make it work.”

Rural routes are far from the only problems posed— and ultimately, overcome—by the business. As Graham mentioned, Mother Earth’s ideal demographic is young, employed families, a population that’s particularly low in Asheville compared to neighboring Southeastern cities.

That’s why the company expanded their reach into Greenville and the Upstate in 2014; as this magazine was going to press they were also slated to begin deliveries in Charlotte by June 30.

Marketing has also proved challenging for the start-up, which relies primarily on word of mouth. “Over time, I know that Asheville can be a viable market with a strong marketing imprint, but that’s been our biggest challenge: Consistent, strong marketing in the community, and we haven’t had budget for that,” he adds. Without a strong marketing presence, the company is sometimes unable to hold the fickle attention of consumers, who easily fall back into their old buying habits.

Then there’s the challenges of the model itself; food delivery services have historically failed. “Delivery services have tried and tried for years to stay in business and make profit, and all of the big ones, almost all of them, have gone out of business, because what we’re learning is that the whole 26

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grocery store industry, the margins are so slim on food that when you add in the cost of delivery, there’s no profitability, almost zero,” Graham points out. But when you take the model outside of the industrialized food complex and place it squarely in local communities, it becomes more viable.

Mother Earth has prevailed through industry caveats and Asheville’s eccentricities, and they are arguably a stronger business for it. “It would have been easier to begin with a strong knowledge of marketing, and a budget for marketing, and have kept that brand presence consistent,” he admits. “At the same point though, it’s made us run a much smarter business… If we had not had [those challenges], I don’t think we ever would have been pushed to work as hard as we have to have such a strong, scalable, and viable model now.”

Food of the Future With that very strong, scalable, viable model in tow, the DuValls are planning even bigger operations for Mother Earth produce. With Charlotte in their sights, they’ll soon be able to bring fresh, local produce to an even larger market, sourcing from Raleigh-Durham (already a hub of growers they utilize) and our own Asheville as they foster connections with the area’s

artisan producers. Once they’re established in the Queen City, they plan to add a second hub like their Smith Mill Works location closer to Charlotte.

Graham says he also hopes to reach a new market within these existing Southeastern markets next year, when the USDA approves EBT for online purchases. “When we’re able to do that, we can start reaching at-risk communities a lot better, because that’s kind of a wide range of our mission: reaching everybody in our community and making the food affordable and accessible.” Food deserts could become a thing of the past, a fire doused by the availability of good, healthy food shipped to the doors of at-risk communities.

The projected impact of Mother Earth Produce isn’t just regional—it’s national. There are roughly 180 businesses similar to the DuValls’ scattered across the country, and the duo believe the key to success for them all lies in collaboration. “We have a larger plan of helping to collaborate and connect with more of this network to create kind of an entire ecosystem for local food,” he smiles, at the futility of such a plan, or perhaps at the potential of it. “What seems to be the disparity that makes it so challenging for us to compete in the market is that we’re disconnected. And so our idea is the more that we can connect in the food chain, the more that we can support each other to

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| July 2018

be able to compete strong with pricing, with marketing, with technology, with all the pieces that we really need to be able to compete with the industrialized food system and in the grocery industry, which is just like mass volume, cheap food, flashy, all that stuff.” He predicts that by banding together, the smaller co-ops and food hubs will finally be able to truly capture and keep the attention of consumers.

The more customers they can catch, the more accountability they can establish in the American food model—an attribute long absent from the American food complex. “Part of our longer-term vision is bringing technology and accountability for the entire food chain,” Graham says.

“What we’re really wanting and are concerned about is we want people to grocery shop locally, to start putting a huge percentage of their food dollars right back into the local economy. We feel that this model is making it convenient and

easy to order online; it’s dropped off on their doorstep. We do recipe planning for them. We’re doing tons of video footage on the local farms so they can get to know the local farmers. We’re trying to keep everything accountable in the food chain, where things are traceable and trackable, and they know exactly what they’re getting, and they know what their farmers are putting into the food, and what’s happening on the farm.”

Like the farmers he supports, it’s a venture of passion, but it’s also one of sensibility and innovation: “We feel like this is the modern way. We’re betting on this. We really feel strongly: This is the modern way for local food to get scaled.”

The entrepreneur’s eyes light on the boxes full of fresh, local goods, ready to be delivered around the region. “It’s not the only way, but it’s a really good way that we can do in both large scale metro areas and rural areas.”

“What we’re really wanting and are concerned about is we want people to grocery shop locally, to start putting a huge percentage of their food dollars right back into the local economy.”

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 29

CAROLINA in the

WEST [

news briefs

The Healer’s Art haywood county

The Arts in Medicine Project has launched in Haywood Regional Medical Center. The international program was introduced by Elizabeth Garlington, who has served as a visiting artist at two other hospitals, and her husband, David Hegerich. The program is promoted by people who see connections art can have on calming trauma, triggering memories, and getting people to share their emotions.

The fourth floor was selected because it houses the hospital’s progressive care unit, where patients who have experienced trauma are stepping down from intensive care and workers are prone to experience “compassion fatigue.” Already, persons undergoing physical therapy have been observed walking further to look at the pictures, and patients suffering

]

dementia now have vibrant images to jog long-forgotten memories and create new ones. Photographs by David Gardner of Canton, featuring the natural beauty of Western North Carolina, were selected to inspire and soothe; while quilts by local enthusiasts Jane Cole, Wendy Bowen, and Dr. Frances Owl-Smith are hoped to stir feelings of nostalgia. Chris Kuhlman at the Print Haus processed the photographs in giclee to make sure they met fire codes and could be repeatedly sanitized without deterioration. Collaborations with additional artists are in the works for other areas of the hospital.

Battery Boatery burke county

Christian Williams and Neil Saunders have founded VIS Boats. The effort began

unfolding as Williams, who has a master’s degree in sustainability technology from Appalachian State University (ASU), tried to find an electric boat for his own family. Unable to find what he wanted, he began working with engineers from ASU and another engineer in Miami who had previously prototyped electric motors for boats. VIS decided to use a fully-electric, 384VDC, 180hp outboard motor design, which had already been tested on cars in Europe. The ratings mean that, unlike other electric boats on the market, this one will be able to travel up to 33mph and pull a water skier. The lithium-ion battery, similar to those used on the Tesla Model S, will allow the boat to cruise eight hours on a full charge.

In other words, the boat is adequate for the recreational needs of a typical day on the lake. The first model to be released is a 22-foot triton pontoon. Its all-around environmentally-conscious design includes a recycled aluminum frame, decking made from plastic pulled from the oceans, and recycled woven vinyl flooring and upholstery. With sufficient financing, Williams hopes to build six boats in the original design that will retail for $92,000 each, before settling into building less-expensive, smaller models.

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Free Marketing buncombe county

Mountain BizWorks has launched another program to help entrepreneurs.

This one is to help people with pre-revenue concepts, or businesses that have been incorporated for no more than two years and earn no more than $20,000 annually. Called Test Drive, the program invites fledgling proprietors to test-market their ideas at up to three area festivals.

With free space provided under the green Test Drive tent, people behind the startups will have an opportunity to give their concepts some exposure while gauging market interest. In order to participate, an entrepreneur must first participate in all requisite Mountain BizWorks programs. These include a Prep Workshop, where a cohort of proprietors will work with a business coach to learn about managing festival logistics, preparing an exhibit, marketing at festivals, and collecting consumer data. Each participant will then be matched with the best-fits from among over fifty area festivals.

Following the festivals, participants will be debriefed. The process serves to help exhibitors analyze the data they have collected, but also to supply Mountain BizWorks information for advising future cohorts. Test Drive is a collaboration of

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the old north state

national & world

Mountain BizWorks, the City of Asheville, and festival organizers.

carolina in the west

investors. He plans to start earning money by running a preview season, with buses taking families on a sightseeing tour of the renovations as they’re underway.

Ghost Town Sans Ghosts haywood county

For a decade, Alaska Presley has been a standard in local news, trying to bring new life to the defunct Ghost Town in the Sky. Unable to overcome the park’s disrepair in spite of the millions she invested, she has now executed a purchase agreement with the newly-formed Ghost Town Adventures. The new company is led by chair and CEO Lamar Berry, who is founder and CEO of International Marketing Systems, whose clients include Disney and Warner Brothers. He is partnering with Spencer and Valerie Oberle, both former high-profile resort executives.

Berry says he was convinced on his first visit by the breathtaking views and current demand for adventure attractions.

He plans to revive the Western shootout re-enactment, open the church on-premises for location weddings, do something with the old roller coaster, and definitely repair the skylift that takes patrons on a 3,500-foot vertical ascent to the village on top of Buck Mountain. It will take millions of dollars to fix the 250-acre park, and Berry is currently cobbling together

Summer Mountain avery county

Sugar Mountain Ski Resort’s summer season is now underway. Improvements undertaken in anticipation feature changes to the bike park. Trails have been rebuilt and expanded to include an Expert, Advanced Intermediate, an Easy bike trail, and an Intermediate and Easy hiking trail. The bike trails are wider, and treks from the summit to the base have been enhanced with rollers, pumps, jumps, small dips, tabletops, and more.

The Magic Cycles shop at the base lodge rents bikes and has other items for sale like helmets and body armor. Skilled staff are adept at repairing bikes, too. Trail maps for hikers and bikers are available online and in a mailbox at the base of Flying Mile slope. The Summit Express will carry people, with or without their mountain bikes, to the summit. And, starting July 4, the chairlift will give visitors scenic views just for kicks. A blowout that includes views of fireworks from the mountain will also commemorate this

H Y DR A NGE A S I N L I V I NG COL OR!

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com

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MIKE

carolina in the west

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special day. Tubing, rafting, caving, golf, and tennis are other amenities the mountain offers. All the summer fun will culminate in Oktoberfest, when it will only be months until the skiing begins all over again.

MARV-y buncombe county

Mountain Area Restaurant Vendors (MARV) is looking for more members.

MARV was formed in 2010 as a collaboration of National Restaurant Properties and Leslie & Associates, in an attempt to create a one-stop-shop for the problems local restaurants were facing. The idea was to create a group that covered all bases with no overlap. The group would be a network for support and information on anything from tax law to advertising to payroll to recycling. Some members serve the restaurant industry exclusively, while others may only do about 25% of their business with restaurants. The group meets twice a week for lunch in a local restaurant. Unlike other associations, MARV meets intentionally, to solve pressing problems; most of the issues MARV handles tie back to containing the costs of operating a restaurant.

Because a key element of MARV is trust, new members are vetted carefully. They must attend a meeting and then get the unanimous approval of members before they may join. If a member is found not to uphold the group’s standards, they will be asked to leave the alliance. Before its recent membership drive, MARV had been a collaboration of 19 businesses.

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| July 2018

Grammanophony buncombe county

Moog announced the release of its Grandmother synth, a retro-inspired keyboard that will be sold exclusively through Guitar Center. For a company that cultivates its brand as carefully as Moog, the move is, to say the least, unexpected. The Grandmother was

unveiled at this year’s Moogfest, held in Durham May 17-20. The festival is a coming together of musicians, sound engineers, futurists, and others to talk shop and share philosophy. Live performances featuring Moog synthesizers are also a big part of the long weekend.

The first 500 Grandmothers sold would come with a Moogfest 2018 badge and a custom Moog denim jacket, but those were already sold out as of May 17. The Grandmother, as analysts note, looks like something a hippie chick would have used at Woodstock. It can be played as-is by beginners or patched by pros for designing custom timbres.

Truly retro, the synth comes with no presets and no recall; but it does have two oscillators and an onboard arpeggiator, sequencer, and spring reverb tank.

While Moog synths are normally all handmade at the company’s Asheville factory, Grandmothers were being made on-location at the fest.

The Joey Way haywood county

Joey’s Pancake House had become a standard in Maggie Valley. When Joey died in 2001, his wife, Brenda O’Keefe, wanted to keep their goal of staying in business 50 years. Then, in 2017, Brenda finally felt the need to follow her doctor’s orders and quit. O’Keefe was committed to continuing to serve the restaurant’s loyal following with quality food and great customer service in a clean environment, but the 12-hour days were taking a toll on her. Following her announcement on Facebook, Brenda received numerous offers from potential buyers, but none were a good fit. For example, one wanted to lay off the 50 employees, and a former employee who shared the O’Keefes’ philosophy of running a restaurant couldn’t get financing. Brenda finally found a good match in Roy and Sandra Milling. Roy was the brother of Christine Chamberlain, who was hired to work in the restaurant for extra income while she was caring for her mother, who had

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cancer. Chamberlain would use Joey’s as a gathering spot for family members who came to visit, among whom were her brother, Roy, and his wife. They ran a restaurant with similar family values in Lexington, Kentucky, and they had discussed the eventual sale of the restaurant. Now, the Millings are delighted to own Joey’s, its proprietary information, and its philosophy. Along with one of their top cooks, they’ve relocated to Maggie Valley, where they work in the kitchen to ensure things continue to be done “the Joey way.”

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One of the More Accurate Among Them buncombe county

Elite HRV is one of seven companies to receive seed funding from the latest round of the NC IDEA Foundation.

Elite HRV developed an app that uses a finger sensor to measure changes in heart rate, data that used to require an electrocardiogram. Other products making similar claims are on the market, but Elite HRV’s app is recommended by professionals as one of the more accurate among them. It also rates well for value, simplicity, and connectivity. The app only measures heart rates, and it can show trends or aggregate data for sports teams; but it leaves prescription to professionals. While Elite HRV has only been in business four years, the app is now used by over 200,000 people worldwide. Managers Jason and Alyssa Moore and Chief Commercial Officer Vivek Menom have considered using the $50,000 NC IDEA grant to get more hospitals across the nation using the app. Elite HRV competed against 185 applicants in this grant cycle, and it is one of only 125 companies to receive an award in the program’s 13-year history.

NC IDEA is an independent, private foundation whose mission is to support entrepreneurs in the state. Grant recipients are selected on the basis of their ability to grow rapidly, create jobs, and impact the economy.

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John’s Local Wine Top 10

Asheville has its own secret stash of outstanding wines—here are the ten favorites for around $20.

J

john kerr

is the co-owner of Metro Wines located on Charlotte Street in downtown Asheville.

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L

IFE IS TOO SHORT TO DRINK bad wine. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s quote did not become famous until the 1970s when winery gift shops slapped it on posters and refrigerator magnets. During Johann’s time in the 1800s, drinking good wine was a financial commitment. Only the aff luent could afford a great bottle of wine.

Not so today. The good news is that everyone can afford a decent bottle of wine and a few more dollars will fetch you something remarkable. There has never been a time when so much good wine was available in the world. Modern wine making techniques have raised all boats.

You can get an okay wine for about $10 or less. But if you’re willing to spend a bit more, you will be well rewarded. For every dollar more there is a noticeable increase in quality until you get into the $20 to $25 range. Yes, bottles that cost more can taste better.

But it’s a little like car racing. You spend 80 percent more to go five percent faster. And above $25 much of what you’re paying for is the prestige or popularity of the grape, region, or winery.

The sweet spot for value is that $15 to $25 range. The best wines that fall into this price range are generally small wineries where wine making is as much art as it is a business. Their care in overseeing the harvest from a few acres is what you taste in the bottle.

| July 2018

I’m sure you’ve seen the lists of top wines for around $20 from New York. You often can’t get these wines in Asheville because there is only enough for the New York market. But thanks to local importers and distributors, North Carolina has its own secret stash of remarkable wines that are often hard to get in New York. The New York Times wine critic, Eric Asimov, recently lamented how difficult it was to find Aglianico in his city. Not so in North Carolina, where you can find several quality Aglianico, one of Italy’s great reds.

I think it’s about time that Asheville had its own top list for around $20. Trying these wines will not only introduce you to another world of wine, you’ll also be supporting the local economy. Your wine dollars stay in North Carolina since the retailer, distributor, and often the importer are all in the state. Many are right here in Asheville.

For what it’s worth, here is our first list of 10 top values for Asheville.

J I must say this Domaine Blanc et Fils Apremont 2017 ($16) Wines from France’s Savoie region remain unknown except among those who accidently discover it in a wine shop or on a meandering trip through Southeast France. The most famous grape is Jacquere, which has a purity of fruit unrivaled in other white wines.

For 100% Jacquere you’ll taste yellow apple, fennel, and lemon zest, while intense floral and quinine aromas stretch the finish. Not imposing, but with an attractive structure and purity. You’ll want to pour a glass to enjoy on the porch or serve with the lighter fare of summer.

Chapter

OF MY BOOK... ...is the most challenging, but I am enjoying most of it and learning new things, which I love. Am I successful at it? I do not know, for there are still more pages to write.

— Beverly Sgro Former Headmaster of Carolina Day, Widow

Rolly Gassmann Pinot Blanc 2014 ($21) Don’t let the vintage of this white wine chase you away. The current release date is 2014. Many of the highest quality white wines can be aged for a few years, and this winemaker took the time and expense to cellar this white until it reached its peak.

Pinot Blanc is all about texture, and this one shows it off well. Expect a delicate, crisp, and refreshing wine wrapped in a creamy texture with notes of almond, apple, and spice. The wine holds up to firmer fish.

Tendu White Wine 2015 (one liter) ($23) For most summer parties just about any wine will do. But when your gathering is a little more special, this is the wine to make it a memorable event.

Tendu is made by Matthiasson, a Napa cult winery. An unusually tasty blend of Vermentino and a bit of French Colombard, Cortese, Falanghina, and Loureiro added give it complexity.

Everyone loves this wine because it’s right down the middle with moderate acid and tannins. A refreshing wine that’s lower in alcohol so that you can enjoy a little more at your event.

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July 2018 | capitalatplay.com

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Poco a Poco Mendocino Chardonnay 2015 ($23) Chardonnay has become a divisive grape. One group loves the oaky buttery style of California and the other drinks nothing but the crisp, green apple Chardonnays of France. Now, several shrewd vintners are walking the line between these two styles.

Poco a Poco leans more towards the European style, but has enough fruit to keep the California style lovers reasonably happy. The vintner makes the wine poco a poco, little by little, to ensure time-honored methods shape this wine. The wine is aged in neutral barrels, adding structure and complexity without imparting much oak flavor.

This wine offers aromas of lemon, minerality, orange zest, and honeydew. Expect good acidity, but with enough richness to provide a seamless palate and clean finish without being shrill. Serve with richer fare.

Montenidoli Canaiuolo Rosato 2017 ($23) Americans have finally discovered rosé. Sales increased a phenomenal 65 percent last year on top of an already growing popularity. For many years, the focus was on Provence rosé with its delicate, wispy weight. But rosé lovers are increasingly turning to rosé from other regions and grapes.

Montenidoli has been an Asheville favorite for three years running. Its texture is unlike any other and the fruit is sublime.

Canaiuolo is one of the grapes blended into Chianti to add complexity. This is a rare opportunity to taste this enhancing grape on its own. As good as it is now, you’ll be rewarded with a year of cellaring.

Franck Besson Rose Granit 2016 ($24) The glut of cheap Beaujolais Nouveau twenty years ago chased many away from the Gamay grape. I think you will be enticed back with one sip of this Beaujolais rosé. And you’ve got to have one sparkler for your summer celebrations.

It is in granite that Gamay has its best expression. The rocky soil makes this sparkling rose fresh and lively, mingling sweet red cherries and minerals—deftly balancing sweet and sassy.

The wine finishes clean and dry. A versatile wine that’s perfect for appetizers and any lighter fare.

J Mourat Rouge 2016 ($16) When summer weather heats up, lighter reds are never far behind. Put a very slight chill on these reds to make them even more refreshing.

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This Asheville favorite comes from an obscure region in France’s Loire Valley not too far from the ocean. A kitchen sink blend of Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and two unknown indigenous grapes, this red is fruity (for European standards) and light but not thin. Serve with medium weight dishes like grilled chicken and potato salad.

Domaine Fichet Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2016 ($21) It’s hard to buy a solid Burgundy for $20 these days. Burgundy lovers and shop owners alike are constantly on the hunt for one that can stand among those selling for $30 or a bit higher.

Domaine Fichet is one of the rewards of the effort.

Oliver Fichet is one of the only three wine producers in his tiny village. The vineyard is located in one of the oldest and most reputable terroirs in the Maconnais – a terroir with unique white limestone blended with chalk and clay, and a microclimate that envelopes the grapes in morning fog.

You’ll need to give this Burgundy several hours of air to get your money’s worth, but it’s worth the wait. This wine is a little fruitier and softer than a classic Burgundy, but shows complexity beyond its price. Serve with lamb or fresh grilled salmon.

Idiot's Grace Barbera 2015 ($21) The vintner named his vineyard Idiot’s Grace due to its beauty and the relentless toil it takes to work the rocky land.

This small, family-owned winery is tucked into Columbia Gorge along the Oregon and Washington border—one of America’s newest wine regions.

Italy’s Barbera seems quite at home in this warmer corner of the Gorge, where the strong diurnal swings in temperature help this wine retain fresh acidity beneath a veneer of fresh red fruit. This is a lighter version of Italy’s bold grape with acidity that helps it cut through the fat of red meat dishes.

Fontanavecchia Aglianico 2012 ($18) You’re going to need a bold red for that grilled steak. If you’re looking for something other than Cabernet Sauvignon, Aglianico has got you covered. Aglianico grows on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and nearby volcanos. The volcanic soil adds minerality and complexity to this wine.

Fontanavecchia opens with aromas of tilled soil and black plum with notes of dark spice and brown tobacco. A balanced wine that is full, deep, and complex with a long, persistent finish. Aglianico needs several years in the bottle to enjoy. This wine maker cellared it for you, so you don’t have to wait.

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photo cour tesy of The Collider

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A Quiet Explosion Coworking spaces have taken off across the country, and Western North Carolina is no exception. For people who need to get some work done but aren’t particularly keen on doing it from home or spending eight hours a day at a coffee shop, and don’t necessarily need a full-blown office, coworking has turned out to be an ideal solution.

written by jim murphy

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 39

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photo cour tesy Hatchworks

MOJO COWORKING, photo by Drea Jackson

“I have two young girls at home so it’s impossible to work there because they like to play with my computer ‘buttons’ — a lot.”

“My cat was driving me nuts. It was all over my keyboard or scratching on the door to get out. I was always having to deal with the cat.”

T

he term “coworking” presents a modern, 21st Century concept, but as those two coworker statements reveal, the word is nothing more than a fancy euphemism for a much older impulse: escape. Once digital technology opened the path for people to work from home, they soon began to realize that the so-called “freedom” was not really free at all. They found themselves fighting domestic distractions and social isolation. To get any work done—and to preserve their sanity—they simply had to get out of the house.

Coworking spaces were created to fill that need, starting up in San Francisco in 2005 and quickly spreading to other major cities. Studies have shown that, beginning in 2006, the number of coworking spaces has roughly doubled nationwide each year.

Brad Neuberg, who is credited with creating the concept, having 40

| July 2018

originally founded the aptly-named San Francisco Coworking Space, also coined the word “coworking” (with no hyphen).

It has struck like a quiet explosion. Without attracting much attention, coworking facilities have blossomed and are thriving here in the mountains, offering entrepreneurs, freelancers, and telecommuters a workspace with a lively vibe.

Asheville-based web designer Steven Slack, who previously operated from the recently-closed coworking space Craftpeak Collective on Walnut Street in downtown Asheville, notes that he was drawn to coworking not only as a means of getting out of his house, but also as an alternative to coffee shops that offer free wi-fi. And there is a utility factor at play as well. “I had some colleagues in town who were doing the same thing,” Slack says, “and we wanted to be around each other because when you’re doing something, you might have some questions, like, ‘Hey, have

photo cour tesy Focal Point Coworking

you ever encountered this issue or this problem?’ and there’s someone right beside you that you can turn to for an answer.”

Capital at Play first examined this new working arrangement four years ago, in the July 2014 issue, when it was still in its early stages. Since then, coworking has grown to the point that we are revisiting it—both as an option for potential members and an informational update on a noteworthy trend. Considering both the local and national growth of this new business model, there is only one possible conclusion: Coworking is working.

Get Your Mojo Working The concept arrived in Western North Carolina seven years ago when Craig McAnsh opened Mojo Coworking. Within a year his waiting list was so long that he had to move to a bigger space.

He settled into a two-story spread located on Market Street in downtown Asheville, where the Mojo is still flowing.

“We’re meeting with architects to plan what I’m calling Mojo 3.0,” McAnsh says. “Asheville is changing. We’re seeing a lot of new people, including transients. We want to make Mojo a lot more fluid.”

The coworking concept has become a lot more fluid since Mojo opened in 2011. There are now more than a dozen coworking

spaces in the greater Asheville metro area, with two more in the planning stage. And several of them specialize in specific occupations. Since one of the coworking selling points is social contact, the specialty spaces ensure that the workers chatting at the water cooler are speaking the same language.

McAnsh plans to keep Mojo as a general-interest operation, where anyone from programmers to designers to marketing people, and anyone else, can all have a home. “The beauty of Mojo is we didn’t specialize and probably won’t specialize,” he says. “Our goal is to increase a member’s creative, social, and entrepreneurial energy.”

The Mojo facility is typical of most coworking spaces, providing an office or a desk in an open area, reliable internet, and whatever electronics a member might need. A kitchen area is a must, with a refrigerator, plus coffee that’s always hot.

The kitchen is an important element of any coworking space.

If the goal of members is to get away from the house, one of the things they’re trying to escape is the isolation of working alone. A few words with a colleague over a cup of coffee can go a long way toward a pleasant work day. Several of the cowork spaces take the social angle a step further, offering occasional happy hours or outside events for their members.

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 41

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The Nationals’ Presence Before the coworking boom hit Asheville, McAnsh had the market to himself—but only for one year. In 2012 an international company named Regus opened an upscale space in Biltmore Park.

It includes about 100 private offices, two conference rooms, and all the electronic accommodations a business might need.

Regus proclaims it has 9,000 offices in 190 countries, selling itself as a “home away from home” wherever a member’s business may take him.

Here in the United States, it has multiple spaces in major cities; for instance, no fewer than 54 in Atlanta. The Biltmore Park space is Regus’ only location in Asheville. General Manager Martha Combs says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Asheville were” the smallest market in the company’s portfolio, adding that she calls it “the tiniest gem.” (There’s also a Regus in nearby Greenville, South Carolina.)

The marketplace for coworking facilities includes independent contractors (a/k/a 1099 workers), small entrepreneurs, start-ups, and freelancers, as well as remote workers—telecommuters.

These coworkers are employed by a company, but they work mainly from home instead of going into the corporate office every day. In this digital age, the employer may be in a city several hundred miles away from the worker. And in many cases, it is the company that rents the coworking space for the employee.

No matter who is paying for the space, it’s cheaper than renting an office, where rates can run from about $12 to $40 or more per square foot, depending on location, condition of the building, length of lease, and other variables; do the math on an office space that includes two small offices plus a reception area and meeting room, and you’ll quickly understand how such an option is not necessarily a viable one for many people. Rates also vary among the different coworking venues in our area, but generally a prospective member can expect to pay around $20 to $25 a month for a desk in an open room, $15 to $20 a day for an occasional user, or a private office for about $500 a month. The memberships include perks such as free internet, use of a printer/scanner, reduced rates for a conference room, free parking in some cases, and the all-important opportunities for networking.

Members who do a lot of face-to-face meetings with clients may function better—and get along better with their fellow members—if they were to work in one of the private offices that are part of most coworking floor plans. Those members might also prefer a space that includes a welcoming lobby and a receptionist.

MOJO CONFERENCE ROOM photo by Drea Jackson

photo cour tesy of The Collider

Environmental Innovation One specialized coworking space is The Collider on Haywood Street, opposite Pritchard Park in Asheville. CEO Josh Dorfman describes the Collider mission as “finding innovative solutions 42

| July 2018

photo cour tesy of The Collider

Professional

GLOBAL COWORKING TOP PROFESSIONS

Collaborative

Coworking

www.focalpointcowork.com

Flexible Workspace for Business Professionals

OTHER

7% 15% 3% 3% 3%

ART Filming, Painting, Photography, Music

ACCOUNTING 3% 3% 3%

5% 2%

4%

9%

5% 5%

7%

6% 6%

18%

TRANSLATION HIGHER MANAGEMENT

• Office Suites and Desks Available • Meeting Rooms and Event Space • Monthly Networking Events

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

OUR SPACE: • Access to several meeting rooms, 600 sf event space, kitchen and • Located in downtown outdoor seating area Asheville within walking distance to restaurants, shops and • Membership includes use of breweries business class printer, high speed fiber optic internet and • High ceilings and large windows complimentary coffee, tea or water with plenty of natural light

Events, Community, Culture

125 S. Lexington Ave, Suite 101, Asheville | 828-407-0357

EDUCATION Coaching, Training, Teaching

RESEARCH Science, Data, Analytics

DESIGN 9%

Graphics, Web, Products, Gaming

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

12% 14%

Including Founders

CONSULTING WRITING

9%

Journalist, Writer, Copywriter, etc.

22% 19%

PR, SALES, MARKETING, ADVERTISING, COMMUNICATIONS

IT

2014

2017

Programming, Software Engineering, Web Development

Please Note: A decreased percentage does not indicate a decrease in absolute numbers. Rather, it indicates a decrease relative to other professions.

The 2017 Global Coworking Survey from DeskMag July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 43

DREAMS. Can we help you get there?

local industry

photo cour tesy Focal Point Coworking

CONTACT JPS

and helping cities, businesses, and people adapt to the impact of a changing climate.”

Established two years ago as a nonprofit, the Collider has 80 members working in a 6,000-sq.-ft. arrangement of offices and open space. The members are concentrating on the various aspects of the climate-change issue. Dorfman offered an example.

“One of our companies, Fernleaf Interactive, is developing a product that will enable cities to understand the linkage between rising sea level and continuing development in vulnerable areas. It will give city planners the data they need to determine whether a development proposal would be in an exposed area and how its presence may impact other nearby properties in the event of rising seas.”

The Collider space is quietly busy, with member companies each working to fill in their own small piece of the climate puzzle.

Dorfman says Asheville is the perfect place for a project such as Collider. “We’re a short walk from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), which has the best database in the world of climate and weather data and the largest concentration of climate scientists in America.”

Indeed, people at the Collider have taken to calling Asheville “Climate City.”

A Range of Business Interests www.jpspa.com ASHEVILLE | 828.254.2374

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44

BOONE | 828.262.0997 ASHEVILLE 828.254.2374 MARION | |828.652.7044 | July 2018

BOONE | 828.262.0997

The range of coworking spaces covers just about every corner of the business world, and digital communications takes Asheville coworkers to just about every corner of the real world. Hatchworks, in the same building as the popular Grail Movie House on French Broad Avenue, hosts a wide variety of interests. Its open space is flanked by six private offices and

LEF T: Catering By Corey owner Corey Marino and her staff prepare food for a wedding reception. photo cour tesy BRFV; BELOW: BRF V staff member Chris Keeley stirs kettles of salsa. One kettle can cook up to 900 jars of retail product. photos cour tesy BRFV;

a conference room. On a recent weekday, more than a dozen workers sat facing their monitors in a room that was as silent as a library—or even a mausoleum. But it didn’t need to be so quiet; everyone was wearing earplugs.

Allison Francis is lead communications specialist at a national nonprofit called The Recycling Partnership. Standing

Across the room, Nan Norton, a freelance researcher, talked about her cat and her problems with the coffee-shop circuit.

“A lot of times I work with a second monitor, and it’s like, I can’t take two monitors into a coffee shop. Here they have a lot of second monitors, you can just plug your laptop into it, so that was a bonus.”

Coworking has taken off in major cities, but Asheville and the surrounding cities in Western North Carolina don’t have as dense a population to draw from compared to other urban locales. at her computer, she talked about her experience once she decided she could no longer work at home.

“I was hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop, trying to conscientiously buy something every three hours. I couldn’t drink that much coffee; I had to switch to decaf. When I couldn’t stand another cup of coffee, I would get sandwiches or bring home muffins for the family—and I was, like, exhausted.”

But with coworking, she notes, “I love the high-speed internet, I love the quiet—and it’s so much easier not to have to travel all day to all the coffee shops.”

Commercial Kitchens It is not surprising that coworking spaces are found in heavy downtown commercial areas. But one such space is in a surprising location—and is full of other surprises as well.

Haw Creek Commons sits in a quiet residential area of East Asheville. Its coworking space will be in the remodeled version of a United Methodist church. And it will combine its coworking function with a neighborhood community center.

A nonprofit called the Missional Wisdom Foundation bought the declining church and its surrounding property two years July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 45

local industry

ago. They went through the process of getting permits and zoning approvals and began their remodeling project with an eye toward opening sometime this summer.

“We already have 15 people on our waiting list,” says Katey Rudd, the “cultivator” of the project. In addition to 20 standard coworking spaces, Haw Creek will include an artists’ studio, an event space, and a commercial kitchen. “We have food trucks, restaurants in the area, catering companies that have already contacted us about the kitchen,” she says.

A pre-opening tour of the kitchen reveals two six-burner stoves, two convection ovens, a standing mixer, and a floor-toceiling refrigerator and freezer.

The Haw Creek Commons commercial kitchen leads the conversation to an area of shared work spaces that predates the idea of coworking. Call it, “cowork cousins.” Commercial kitchens have been the backbone of small food businesses for many years. Nonprofit “kitchen incubator” Blue Ridge Food Ventures (BRFV), for example, began operating in 2005, six years before Mojo got the coworking ball rolling. (The company was profiled in the May 2014 issue of this magazine.)

Michael McDonald, the client services manager, says BRFV has around 50 clients who create the products for their small food businesses at its kitchen on the A-B Tech campus in Enka.

Blue Ridge provides the commercial kitchen and packaging equipment that would represent a staggering investment for a small entrepreneur, as well as the expertise to navigate the maze of health regulations and business pitfalls the entrepreneur is likely to encounter.

ASHEVILLE MAKERS 3D printing station, photo cour tesy Asheville Makers;

The Ref iner y Creator Space, photo cour tesy Asheville Area Ar ts Council

Arts Spaces Another category of “cousin” is art studios. Many buildings in the River Arts District rent cubicles to various artists who use the space both for work and display. One of those is the Refinery Creator Space managed by the Asheville Area Arts Council.

The space on Coxe Avenue in Asheville’s South Slope district is home to 10 resident artists, including painters, sculptors, jewelers, photographers, fiber artists, and filmmakers. The tenants have 24/7 access as well as monthly receptions in the galleries.

One of the Refinery tenants challenges the concept of art studio. Asheville Makers is certainly a creative space, but most of the members wouldn’t call their projects “art.” However, one of the founders, Avi Silverman, points out that art does play a part in the Makers’ program. “We have two artists among our members,” he says, “a jeweler and a ceramicist. They both use the equipment here.” Silverman notes that the group includes 25 to 30 members, adding, “At the beginning, I didn’t know if this was going to work. Asheville is a decent-sized city, but it’s a lot smaller than cities that have thriving Makers’ spaces. But we’re doing better than I expected.”

When Silverman refers to other cities, he explains that Asheville Makers is part of a nationwide network that describes itself as a place “where people share their interest in tinkering 46

| July 2018

The Ref iner y Creator Space's front entrance, photo cour tesy Asheville Area Ar ts Council

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MEETING/LECTURE ROOM photo cour tesy of The Collider

local industry

Where The Wild Spaces Are Coworking spaces rely on nearby population density to draw their clientele. Large stretches of our mountain region do not have the necessary population, and consequently they have no coworking opportunities. The Asheville area hosts the lion’s share of them, but we did find several elsewhere in Western North Carolina.

ASHEVILLE

> >asheville coworking offices

304A New Leicester Hwy. 828-367-1109 Ashevillecoworkingoffices.com

> >focal

point coworking

125 S Lexington Ave., #101 828-407-0357 Focalpointcowork.com

> >hatchworks > >asheville

makers

207 Coxe Ave., Studio 14 Ashevillemakers.org

> >base

camp avl

56 Ravenscroft Dr. 828-214-7820 Basecampavl.org

> >the

collider

1 Haywood St. 828-254-6283 Thecollider.org

coworking

45 S French Broad Ave., #170 828-333-0367 Hatchcoworking.com

> >haw

creek commons commercial kitchen

311 Old Haw Creek Rd. 828-412-0949 Hawcreekcommons.com

> >mojo

coworking

60 N Market St., C200 828-398-1840 Mojocoworking.com

48

| July 2018

> >the

CANDLER

r amp studios

(includes the UNCAsheville STEAM Studio) 821 Riverside Dr. 828-548-0090 Therampstudios.com

> >blue

ridge food ventures

1461 Sand Hill Rd. 828-348-0130 Blueridgefoodventures.org

> >regus 2B, 28 Schenck Pkwy., #200, Biltmore Park 828-771-0700 Regus.com

> >the

refinery creator space

207 Coxe Ave. 828-258-0710 Ashevillearts.com/refinery

NORTH ASHEVILLE/ WEAVERVILLE

> >the

purpose collective

101 Stone Ridge Blvd.

828-545-3853 Thepurposecollective.org

WAYNESVILLE BOONE

> >jellyspace 240 Hwy. 105 Extension, Ste. 202 Jellyspaceboone.com

> >hay wood

rentals

828-452-1688 Haywoodrentalsnc.com

MOJO LOBBY photo by Drea Jackson

with technology.” And the space has all the hallmarks of a tinkerer’s dream. Work benches are covered with a dizzying array of electronic and mechanical paraphernalia. Tool boxes share space with a scroll saw, a metal engraver, laser cutter, a 1950s era radio, and the clutter of busy workshops everywhere. The space also has no fewer than three 3D printers. When Capital at Play was there, a father, his son, and his daughter were busy creating 3D images of Bart Simpson. The kids seemed to know what they were doing.

As Asheville has grown over the past five years, the coworking market has grown along with it. The area’s newest entry in the coworking scene opened on April 1.

Focal Point lists its address as 125 S. Lexington Avenue in Asheville, but its entrance is around the corner on Hilliard. The space includes a small audio/video studio for podcasting, a feature that separates it from other coworking ventures. Alison Pages, who owns Focal Point, says the space will also host an ambitious program of workshops and networking events.

“I feel like the best way to bring people is to give them a value-added [program],” she says. “So we’ll offer small business development classes geared towards the independent contractor and small business entrepreneur. We’ll have programs in financing or how to buy a business or how to create a podcast.”

Warming to her subject, Pages expands on her “value added” angle. “We’ll offer a variety of different programming. I want to do some HR classes, some tax law and how that’s affecting small businesses. So, it is really getting to what small business owners need.” She also plans to host weekly happy hours.

The Focal Point office appears both professional and comfortable, with the obligatory desk spaces in an open room, an adjoining event space, and a few private offices.

It also has a full kitchen and a terrace complete with patio furniture.

Her exposure to coworking began as a client. She is a commercial real-estate broker who was relocating from Miami.

“I originally worked from home, but I found it kind of isolating. So, I tried different coworking spaces, and I liked the concept.” She liked it so much, she decided to open her own. “The moment I saw this space I said, ‘This is a coworking center.’ This is my baby right now.”

Coworking has taken off in major cities, but Asheville and the surrounding cities in Western North Carolina don’t have as dense a population to draw from compared to other urban locales. Regardless, Pages is bullish on the mountain area.

“This is a city that, maybe five or seven years ago, was not on the radar, and it is now on the radar. The demographic here in the past has been a lot of retirees.

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 49

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Now it’s people who are changing their quality of life, semi-retirees. Perhaps this is their second home; they have businesses and when they come here they don’t want to be just at home twiddling their thumbs. They want to network;

Kith and Co. is planned as a coworking space specifically for women. Micah Pulleyn and her partners are searching for an appropriate space, and they hope to open the doors sometime this fall. “We are creating a sweet spot between warmth, fellowship, community, and professional, bold, forward thinking,” she says.

“As women, we want a connection in community and fellowship, but we also crave business development.”

Pulleyn adds that her vision is inspired by several existing women’s cowork spaces around the country.

“It’s not anger; it’s not reactive. It is leaning in to full membership in the business community.

It’s giving women a sense of ownership. I want to do whatever I can to shift our culture so that young women feel elevated in their work and passion.”

She has what she calls “a pretty robust” business plan that includes both working and affiliate members as well as educational programs. Even at this early stage, she says, “We have almost 200 women who have said in one way or another they want to be part of this.”

In early May representatives of the different cowork spaces held their first meeting to explore common interests and ways they might cooperate with each other. they want to be part of a community; they want to mentor others. I think that could be a market for this kind of space.”

Delightfully Distaff Focal Point is currently the baby of the area coworking scene. But not for long. In addition to the Haw Creek venture, two more new projects are on the drawing board.

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Let the Music Play Another project still in the incubation stage falls into the category of those so-called cowork cousins.

SoundSpace, a music rehearsal studio, is the brainchild of two Asheville musicians who have both struggled with the ordeal of finding a place to practice. Music producer and bassist Brett Spivey and Claude Coleman Jr. (drummer for national band Ween) hope to open what Spivey calls a pop-up studio at the old Rabbit’s Motel on McDowell Street near downtown Asheville.

Once it is opened, they will continue to pursue a much larger venue with as many as 40 rehearsal studios.

Spivey says there is room for all that—and more. “We have tons of musicians that need space,” he says. “There are 80 bands in Asheville that just got kicked out of the storage facility they were using to rehearse.” He expands on the problem with a personal note. “I tried rehearsing at my house a couple of times and the cops were called.”

SoundSpace will include two types of studios: “Lockouts,” where a few bands will rent the space on a monthly basis, so they can lock the door and leave their instruments inside; they will also have studios to rent by the hour. Brett envisions travelling bands using the hourly rentals to work on new material.

Spivey and Coleman are raising funds for the first phase of their project: the smaller Rabbit’s facility. They are producing music events at popular Asheville venues and an online crowd-funding effort at Indiegogo.com (go to the Indiegogo site and search for SoundSpace). Their goal is to raise $70,000, and Spivey says they are getting close to making it happen. They hope to open the doors later this summer.

*** As the coworking community continues to grow, it has taken the first step toward institutional status. In early May representatives of the different cowork spaces held their first meeting to explore common interests and ways they might cooperate with each other. The meeting represents a small beginning to a cooperative alliance, but seven years ago Mojo was a small beginning to the coworking scene—and look where we are now.

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com

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THE OLD

NORTH value. As a result, 10% of patients lose vision following glaucoma treatments.

The shunt addresses this problem by draining as much fluid as is necessary out of the aqueous humor. Results from the first clinical study, begun in 2016 in the Philippines, have been “encouraging,” and the next in-human trial will begin in the Dominican Republic in 2019.

Studies following that will be performed in Europe and the United States.

in the Virgin Islands, invested $30.6 million in the purchase of 925,000 shares, giving it the fifth-largest stake in Unifi.

To date, ValueAct’s Spring Master Fund has raised $250 million for investing in socially- and environmentally-conscious businesses. Other investments include power company AES, Strayer Education, and wood pellet manufacturer Enviva. Eva Zlotnicka, formerly of Morgan Stanley, was hired by ValueAct to search out strategic investments in reusable utilities, agriculture, education, and the defense of human rights. Ubben is viewed as an activist investor, and representatives from ValueAct have already discussed the possibility of getting a seat on Unifi’s board of directors. Other matters of discussion have concerned the company’s business model, financial position, dividend policy, executive compensation, and merger-and-acquisition strategies.

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ValueAct Capital Management has purchased a 5% interest in Unifi, a manufacturer of yarn from recycled plastic bottles. Jeff Ubben’s hedge fund, based

ThreatSwitch has raised $478,000 in private-equity funding toward its $1.15 million goal. Five investors participated, each meeting the mandatory minimum

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Camras Vision just completed a $5.7 million funding round, and it intends to raise another $15 million next year.

The company is attempting to shepherd the Camras shunt through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process, after which the business will probably be sold. The Camras shunt was invented by the late Carl Camras and his daughter, Lucinda. Carl, celebrated for his ophthalmological research, was one of the inventors of Latanoprost, a pharmaceutical treatment for glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness expected to affect 80 million worldwide by 2020. It is treated by reducing pressure in the eye, but to date there has been no way to “dial up” a treatment to adjust pressure to a target

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of $25,000. If the company meets its goal, $50,000 of funds raised will be used to pay founder and CEO John Dillard, who worked as an officer in the Navy and the CIA before founding the company in 2016. ThreatSwitch provides software to help enterprises maintain compliance with federal regulations. The platform includes programs for building compliant programs, managing and reporting, tracking employee training, and preparing for inspections.

It pays for itself by staying up-to-date with changing standards, two current concerns being new insider threat rules and changing inspection requirements.

The platform also provides cybersecurity compliant with federal regulations.

It is designed to be easy-to-use, ready to run, “out of the box,” with no training required. Even so, a support team of security managers is retained, just a click away, for consultation.

Not so Express manns harbor

The motor vessel Ocracoke Express will not launch as-scheduled this summer. The $4.15 million, 98-seat catamaran ferry is intended to reduce vehicle congestion in

30

72

carolina in the west

national & world

Ocracoke Village by transporting people and their bicycles between the Hatteras Inlet ferry terminal and the Silver Lake Terminal, bridging slightly less than two miles between the state’s barrier islands.

The delays are construction-related and stem from a shortage of skilled and certified labor; particularly, in the field of marine welding. Three major sections of the boat, the hull, passenger cabin, and wheelhouse, remain under construction at the United States Workboats shipyard in Hubert, North Carolina. The boat should be completed in the fall; then, it will undergo tests for seaworthiness.

While it will miss the heavy tourist season, it should be running before the end of the year. The four trams, which will provide free shuttle service between the ferry and Ocracoke Village, are expected to begin running by August.

Upgrades for handling the additional pedestrian traffic at the ferry terminals are almost complete.

It Takes a Village wilmington

National Gypsum will reopen its manufacturing plant, which was idled in 2009 after a 30-year run. National Gypsum is

the old north state

a manufacturer of drywall boards, and it was adversely affected during the construction slowdown. The company has already pulled its management team and engineers together to discuss how to get the plant operational by the end of the year. Lance Davis, from the company’s Long Beach, California, plant, will be plant manager, and operators and supervisors are now being hired and trained.

Over the next five years, management expects to spend $25 million upgrading and replacing manufacturing equipment; they will also oversee construction of a rail spur. CEO Tom Nelson thanked Wilmington Business Development, the New Hanover County Commission, Wilmington City Council, the North Carolina Railroad Company, the NCDOT, the Port of Wilmington, and Duke Energy for making the reopening possible.

The city has promised National Gypsum up to $230,000, and the county has promised $350,000 in economic development incentives.

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Plate Recognition (ALPR) developments at the 2018 International Association of Chiefs of Police Technology Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. An add-on to its existing software will allow investigators to search for cars involved in a crime on the basis of general color (red, blue), general body type (hatchback, box truck), make, and nine additional descriptors. The latter category includes accessories like an airfoil, roof rack, spare tire, or bumper sticker. The software, dubbed ELSAG MTC, will be useful when eyewitnesses are unsure of a license plate number. The second release is a cloud-based storage option for ELSAG data. For departments too small to justify investing in the software, ELSAG’s IT team is compliant with codes and open for outsourcing. With manufacturing and development facilities in Greensboro and Brewster, New York, ELSAG ALPR is used by 4,000 law enforcement agencies in 25 countries.

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Jimmy and Tiffany Niles hope to open Fayetteville’s first indoor axe-throwing range this summer.

This will be the bricks-and-mortar version of their mobile service, Axes & X’s. Tiffany described the concept as “way cooler” than a bowling alley.

Participants can, singly or as a group, rent a lane for half an hour to 2.5 hours and throw axes as they please at two targets. Sessions will cost between $15 and $38, depending on how long they last. The venue may be booked for private parties, like office teambuilding exercises, or the mobile unit can travel on-location with all necessary precautions. The operation will also sell beer.

The couple had been talking about the business for about eighteen months, first gaining an interest when there were only two axe-throwing ranges in the United States. Now there are over 60, with at least four in the state. The couple would like to start at least one

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Results of an audit just released show the State Board of Community Colleges recommended onsite monitoring of Roanoke-Chowan Community College.

The report from the state auditor’s office found leaders excessively involved in daily operations and “uncooperative, belligerent, and argumentative” during its investigation. Investigations were instigated by complaints that the brother of the chairman of the board was serving as the acting director of facilities and maintenance, demonstrating nepotism likely in violation of accreditation standards set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges.

The investigation, then, uncovered $62,000 in unbilled receivables for school sponsorships. The auditors were not in a position to verify claims that overreach by the board had led to excessive turnover. The school has had four presidents in five years, and almost all administrative staff members have been working at the school less than a year. President Stanley Elliott, who learned of the audit a week after he was hired last year, says the issues have now been addressed.

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Carolina Beach leaders decided they didn’t want a pedal pub after all. Tina Bell and Matt Hamlet came before the town council in February, asking permission to operate a tourist vehicle that would be powered by sixteen pedalers. Bell explained the vehicle would intercept tourists who would otherwise

leave the island to enjoy similar vehicle tours in Wilmington. While the Pleasure Island Coastal Cruiser wouldn’t be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages, people would be encouraged to bring their own or stop at any local establishment to stock the onboard bar. The council approved the concept, and in March they approved an ordinance that would govern pedal pubs. It created two permits and spelled out how they were to be issued, imposed safety regulations for headlights and vehicle inspections, and specified which roads the vehicles would not be allowed to travel. Then, in May, council denied Bell’s application for a permit, citing concerns about traffic, bar hopping, and catering more to tourists than residents.

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Zhi Hong, having led a successful 11-year career at GlaxoSmithCline, is launching a new company, Brii, to get more new medicines to the people of China. Brii currently has no drugs in its pipeline, but it has $260 million in financing, largely from San Francisco-based Vir Biotechnology.

Hong’s agreement with Vir includes marketing rights in China for up to four drugs that could enter clinical trials very soon. Hong is also working on a contract with AliHealth, the healthcare arm of Alibaba Group. He intends to use Alibaba’s outreach and data not only for commercialization, but also to help patients take medications as prescribed. After all, the real objective of the business is better patient outcomes.

As the company grows, Hong will charge his United States operations with identifying partners, while drug testing, registration, and commercialization will all take place in China. Hong is looking for partners who want help advancing breakthrough, standout drugs backed by strong science; he wants nothing to do with abandoned drugs.

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| July 2018

.photo courtesy Woodward & Rick Photographers

leisure & libation

Western North Carolina and Weddings go

Hand

IN

Hand

written by emily gl aser

In 2018 wedding bells are ringing in Western North Carolina more than ever, and as a result, the accompanying wedding industry is booming.

F

Fairytales are oddments of the past, with one notable exception: weddings.

The world over, a wedding is a ritual exalted and idealized, a day purportedly fantasized and devised since the earliest days of Disney-tinged childhood. As the recent royal wedding in England proved, people will always hold out a certain degree of fascination for the event, with more than a few observers using the word “fairytale” to describe it. And in our own United States, it’s a day that takes the weightless, alabaster shapes and shades of dreamlike cloud-things: pillows of rich cake icing, layers of ivory taffeta, delicate lace, bushels of cream-colored petals.

Yet, despite its romantic leanings, a wedding is a ceremony built not on the gossamer filaments of dreams, but the sturdy, if homely, balustrades of capitalism.

Fairytale be damned—weddings are an industry.

And a prosperous and progressive one, to boot. On average, American weddings cost more than $33,000, a price tag accumulated from a range of goods and services spanning from winking diamond rings to winsome performers. Some 300,000 wedding vendors across the country are cashing in on it, gleaning $72 billion in revenue from the happy couples in 2016 alone.

In Western North Carolina especially, the wedding game is flourishing. Spurred by a profusion of good press, a rapidly swelling market of attractions, and the unerring beauty of the landscape, more and more couples are choosing our mountains as their destination. In 2017 the Buncombe County Register of Deeds issue 2,751 marriage licenses—a number that nearly doubles its correlative 1997 statistic of 1,813.

The numerical increase in marriages (and, assumingly, weddings), correlates not just with the growing popularity July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 57

leisure & libation

WEDDING READY photo cour tesy Omni Grove Park Inn

of the region, but also with the legalization of gay marriage. Following the dissolution of the gay marriage ban in North Carolina in 2014, the number of local marriage licenses increased dramatically (from 2,099 in 2013, to 2,692 in 2014).

The growth of the industry is then a statistic that speaks not just to our beauty and beer, like other local trade, but more widely to our regional debunking of tradition. Many local wedding vendors make a point to widen their client base not just for profit, but for inclusivity: Filmmaker Kathryn Ray, of Evergreen Era Films, for example, is dedicated to providing a welcome place for LGBTQ+ couples; Wedding Inspirations shop owner Juli Dave caters to plussized brides. “Asheville’s open arms welcome all people without discrimination, making it a beacon of hope for so many,” says Lauren Moody, of Fox and Beaux. The marginalized and unmarketed find in our market a niche where they are unabashedly welcome.

Here, a wedding is no longer a bleached, fairytale dreamscape, nor is it solely a pretentious brandishing of capitalism. Instead, it’s a combination of the two, bolstered and balanced in place by a team of passionate vendors intent on creating a memorable experience for their couple.

The Ring Before there can be a wedding, there needs to be an engagement.

And before there can be an engagement, there needs to be a ring.

As the impetus for almost all weddings and the annular, Lilliputian foundation of marriage, engagement rings and weddings bands represent a microcosm of the wedding industry in a very small package.

As such, the business of wedding jewelry is indicative of a striking motif of the entire industry regionally—namely, growth. Take, for 58

| July 2018

RING DESIGNING is more than just paper and pencil, photo cour tesy Mar thaler Jewelers

Buncombe County Register of Deeds Marriage Data 3,000

2,000

NUMBER OF MARRIAGE RECORDS

2,816 2,692

1,935 1,890 1,876 1,903 1,852 1,893 1,819 1,858 1,816 1,789 1,745

2,753 2,751

2,085 2,155 2,099

1,000

YEAR

“00 “01 “02 “03 “04 “05 “06 “07 “08 “09 “10 “11 “12 “13

*Same sex marriage was legally recognized in NC in October 2014.

example, Marthaler Jewelers: They incorporated in 2006, at which time jeweler Andy Marthaler was working out of the family garage, then after an investor helped them open a store in Biltmore Park Town Square in May of 2010, their engagement and wedding band business didn’t just double or triple, but increased an astounding 15 times. That’s a 1,500% increase in just eight years. The jewelers peddle some 300 to 400 wedding rings annually; add to that the customers who return for two wedding bands, and that number triples.

Another harbinger of growth in an industry is the establishment of new businesses like Fox and Beaux. Designer Lauren Moody has owned the company for seven years, and since opening their brick-and-mortar Fox & Beaux Boutique and Custom Jewelry Design Studio in 2016, the revenue has increased dramatically. “Our revenue has doubled every year since starting the business,” Moody says. “And when we opened the boutique, our revenue climbed 200% from the previous year when we didn’t have the boutique. Our revenue growth tells the story, but on the ground, we have witnessed a steady and significant increase in natural foot traffic into the store, as well as people setting up consultations for custom rings and other jewelry.” Moody hypothesizes that word of mouth, advertising, and the steadily rising popularity of Asheville as a tourist destination have all contributed to their sales increases.

The growth of the industry also brings a growth in competition, not necessarily locally, where specializations set jewelers apart, but globally, thanks to the internet. “The internet has made the world smaller,” Tonya Marthaler points out, adding that the growth of the industry online has its caveats: “There is a lot of information out there but not a lot of education. It’s

*

“14 “15 “16 “17

info courtesy Buncombe County Register of Deeds

very misleading to think you can pick a diamond or gemstone from the internet and have the same experience of seeing it side-by-side.” On the other hand, the internet has also forced a new level of transparency in the industry, which she applauds.

Growth isn’t the only indication of change in the jewelry biz. Both Moody and Marthaler noted an increase in custom orders in recent years. “In the last two years we have seen an enormous increase in custom engagement rings,” Marthaler says, adding that at least 80% of their engagement rings are custom designs. Customers choose from a spectrum of 10 to 15 stones, comparing the sparkle and shine of each diamond or gemstone in order to find the perfect eye-catcher.

At Fox and Beaux, custom orders are their bread and butter: Last year they sold 100 custom rings, 75% of which were crafted from the visions of customers, the other 25% of which were oneof-a-kind designs from their own team. From nebulous dreams to paper sketches to their jewelers’ bench, the four employees use rare and unique stones, often scouted from scattered gem shows, to bring custom designs to life.

Just as the rings’ design and creation has shifted in recent years, so have the price tags. Whereas grooms of the past would set aside and spend two months’ salary on their fiancé’s sparkler, today they’re advised to spend what they can afford—a number that, naturally, varies drastically. At Fox and Beaux, customers spend an average $3,500 on engagement rings, $700 on men’s bands, and $1,500 on women’s wedding bands; their prices are relatively low because of their use of alternative stones like natural or raw diamonds. In contrast, Marthaler Jewelers’ bands average $2,000 and engagement rings $15,000.

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 59

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Tonia Sheppard, of longtime area retailer Alan’s Jewelry & Pawn, which has been selling diamonds and wedding rings since opening three decades ago and has two locations in Asheville plus one in Cherokee, agrees that they’ve also seen a steady increase in the wedding ring business over the years. “We carry the largest selection of new and pre-owned diamonds in Western North Carolina,” notes Sheppard, “and our selection has grown to support demand. We meet with wholesalers every week to make sure our new selection is on trend. As far as pre-owned rings, a jeweler at Alan’s will always give them the TLC they need to make them look brand new again.”

Alan’s employs five on-site jewelers who design custom rings and settings, and Sheppard says that they can also “modify and repair family rings to create a vintage look. Timeframe will depend on design—some pieces can

As more and more brides have chosen our scenic locale for their wedding, and as our own population increases, bridal shops have popped up or evolved to accommodate them. be back same day and others may take longer, especially if we are custom ordering or designing a setting.”

She adds that since they carry so many different types of rings, the materials ultimately affect the pricing. “Wedding bands made of sterling silver could start from $20, and platinum and diamonds ring could go into five figures. We strive to carry a huge selection to meet the needs and budget for all of our customers.”

Regardless of cost, buying a ring isn’t merely an expense—it’s an experience.

“It’s a very big decision to decide you are going to marry someone, and the ring that represents that commitment deserves time and attention to detail,” says Marthaler.

The Dress Of all the fabled elements of weddings, there is perhaps none so literally robed in romance as The Dress. From internet dissections of royal apparel to reality TV shows documenting the quest for the perfect gown, the near mythological provenance of a bridal gown remains stable in the wedding canon, even as other elements fall to practicality.

For a long time, finding the ivory attire of brides’ dreams meant a trip down the mountain to more fashionable destinations. As more and more brides have chosen our scenic locale for their wedding, and as our own population increases, bridal shops have popped up or evolved to accommodate them. “Because it’s such a destination, people often book appointments while they’re visiting Asheville, and they find a gown with us. On the other hand, because so many people who get married here don’t necessarily live here, [brides] end up buying their gowns closer to their locales,” explains Margaux Weinstock of Wildflower Bridal, who opened her venture in 2014. Lured by a surprisingly large selection at an even more surprisingly accessible price point, and often the convenience of photo cour tesy Fox & Beaux July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 61

leisure & libation

not having to tote a heavy gown to their destination ceremony in the mountains, our wedding dress industry has experienced exponential growth in recent years, too.

Consider Wedding Inspirations. Though it was an Asheville mainstay for 25 years, Juli Dave saw an opportunity for growth when she bought and moved the business in early spring 2017. In her first year, Dave marked a 400% increase in sales and increased her staff from two to nine. In 2017 they sold approximately 375 wedding dresses—more than one for every day of the year (and that’s not even including bridesmaids dresses, mother of the bride dresses, or the other wedding attire they sell). Other boutiques like Wildflower Bridal and even custom sewing and alteration ventures like Sugarcane Studios claim parallel growth; Tara Nyanga, owner of Sugarcane Studios, has hired two employees already in 2018 to keep up with increasing demand for alterations and custom orders, which grew 40% in the first five months of 2018 compared to the year before.

are the foundation of her business. “From February through October, we are primarily focused on serving bridal clients with gown alterations, custom veils or other accessories, and custom dressmaking,” she explains. “In 2017 we did alterations for around 100 brides. Within that number, we probably did around 15 vintage dress makeovers, and made 10 custom dresses/outfits for brides and/or mothers of brides/grooms.”

As regional dress vendors expand their selection, so do they broaden their audience. As Weinstock mentioned, brides planning an Asheville wedding from afar are looking more and more to our local shops for their dress, but even more notably, our boutiques have begun to make a name for themselves—and the area—as a Southeastern hub for wedding attire. “Over 70% of our brides are from out of town; only some of them are getting married here,” Dave points out. In a single weekend, she adds, they saw brides from New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Jacksonville, and Lafayette. She

photo cour tesy Wedding Inspirations

Though Dave attributes her success partially to blind passion and beginner’s luck, other aspects of her story are more broadly applicable to other local vendors, like her decision to expand her inventory to appeal to a wider selection of brides. “I’ve tried to be a little more fashion-forward,” she says. Expanding her selection also meant appealing to customers often limited by traditional boutiques, like plus-sized brides or same-sex couples. “It broke my heart when I first bought the store, and the plus-sized girls were coming in and there wasn’t anything for them to try on,” she remembers. Now, Wedding Inspirations is nationally recognized in the plus-sized market, with 30 to 40 plus-sized dresses for brides to try.

Her dresses are also, simply put, affordable. “I don’t have a single dress in the store over $3,000,” she says, adding that some sale dresses hold price tags as low as $199. Her average bride spends $1,200 on her dress, and most bills only amount to $1,500, veil and accessories included.

As with wedding jewelry, the dress industry has also experienced a recent surge in custom work. Though a traditional sewing studio, Nyanga admits that bridal clients 62

| July 2018

often caters to customers from Charlotte, Knoxville, Raleigh, and Atlanta—cities traditionally considered more voguish than our own.

But demand comes at a cost, and for bridal studios that’s usually a harried timeline. “I think the biggest misunderstanding about this business in general is the timeframe,” argues Dave.

“A dress is not fabricated until it’s ordered, so a lot of people are not giving themselves enough time.” Both Dave and Weinstock recommend brides begin the hunt eight months to a year before their wedding date; for Nyanga, four to five months are necessary to create a custom dress.

Because so much weight still lies in the importance of The Dress, bridal boutiques also find themselves in a vortex of emotional brides. “There is a lot of expectation put on bridal shops and bridal consultants to create this magical experience for our customers, and anything short of perfection is not a viable option for our customers,” Weinstein adds. Yet the blushing brides largely outweigh the bridezillas, their happiness buoying the industry of their dresses, and every boutique boasts stories of eleventh hour fittings and fairytale dresses.

BEST GUEST

Tips for Wedding Attendees It’s officially wedding season, and for most of us that means gowns and tuxes, cocktail dresses and suits—or is more casual attire admissible? We asked the experts of the industry to divulge their insider guest tips so you can get through the season snafu-free.

Some brides don’t mind, but it used to be years ago, you never wore black to a wedding. Always ask the bride’s permission if you’re choosing a champagne, ivory, gold, any neutral colors, or black.

-Juli Dave, Wedding Inspirations Confidence is what makes someone look their best.

You can wear a super-simple, even a super-cheap outfit, but if it fits you well and makes you walk proud and tall, without trying to hide yourself, you will look amazing. Also, tropical prints and lots of color is in right now!

-Tara Nyanga, Sugarcane Studios I would say to make a point to sign the guest book or whatever the couple may be using as a guest book/memoir. The DJ, band, or emcee will announce this several times during the night, but make sure you actually take the time to do it. This can be easily overlooked and is something the couple will forever cherish.

-Ashley Oliver, Taylor Ranch RSVP! RSVP! RSVP! And if at all possible, avoid calling or texting the bride and groom the day before the wedding or the day of—they’re busy getting ready for the big event!

-Annie Flettrich, Omni Grove Park Inn Don’t be afraid to say something on camera for a well-wishes film. It is your chance to spread some love or some laughter with the couple—just have fun with it and be who you are!

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The Venue When asked why our region is garnering such accolades and audience on the wedding circuit, most vendors’ response included a phrase similar to Dave’s: “Every time you look around, somebody’s opened up another fabulous venue.”

Brides and grooms are saying their “I dos” on mountaintops and in caves, on hay-covered barn floors and in glassy, modern halls. No longer are couples relegated to church aisles and conference room receptions as venues of all sizes, shapes, and styles open to appeal to new, unique tastes. Oftentimes, that spectrum of venues is available in a single business: The Omni Grove Park Inn can host four weddings almost simultaneously, and Biltmore Estate will soon provide ten venues. “We offer so many different venues that brides are realizing we have different options for so many types of weddings, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations,” says Biltmore’s senior catering manager, Ashley Gardner.

Despite the number of venues that dot our hills, the market is still far from saturated. In the heat of spring and fall wedding seasons, Fletcher’s scenic Taylor Ranch still hosts multiple weddings weekly; the Omni Grove Park Inn welcomes some 70 couples annually; and Biltmore sees 180 weddings unfold on the Estate every year. Most venues are booked months to two years in advance as the wedding industry continues to boom, with tastings and plannings scheduled in the interim.

Further proof that the market retains cushioned margins for growth lies in the vendors’ proclamations of collaboration and community over competition. “I am pushing 20 years in the industry, and I think the major shift has been in the amount of venues opening in our area. Some may view it as

.photo courtesy Woodward & Rick Photographers

photo cour tesy Omni Grove Park Inn

competition, but to me it is just a sign of the growth in our area,” says Ashley Oliver, co-owner and event planner of Taylor Ranch.

“Our wedding industry is so amazing, and we all work together to make sure each bride gets the perfect location. There are only so many days in a year or wedding season, and we all work together to refer each other (when our own dates are reserved) with the end goal of all of the local venues to have successful seasons.”

The sheer number of venues may seem a disadvantage, but every venue offers something unique to their couples, like Biltmore’s striking façade, or Taylor Ranch’s Texas Longhorn cattle.

Another selling point of many venues is full-service packages.

Taylor Ranch’s full-service includes tables, chairs, linens, and decor, plus services like set-up, clean-up, and food and beverage. That also necessitates a larger staff: coordinators, event captains, catering staff, bartenders, totaling six to ten employees per wedding.

For even larger venues like Biltmore, being a full-service venue is a massive industry within an industry. “Our events touch almost every department,” explains Garner, “from our landscaping team keeping the grounds of our event spaces in top-shape, to room service assisting with welcome bags and our hotel teams caring for family and friends during their stay, our in-house pastry team that creates custom wedding cakes, to our culinary teams preparing incredible food, ticket agents helping guests experience the Estate, drivers are getting guests from A to Z, and, of course, our banquet teams who execute all aspects of the event itself.”

And all those hands and heads naturally come with a hefty price tag. Omni Grove Park Inn’s venue rentals range from $3,000 to $6,000, and food and beverage requirements from $10,000 to $25,000. An expense, most would argue, well worth

the five figures for making a fairy tale come true. “There is nothing more satisfying than a couple at the end of the evening thanking me through the glow of a sparkler exit or having the mother of the bride or groom thanking me for making the dream come true,” says Oliver.

The Entertainment Weddings aren’t just ceremonies, they’re parties—and all good parties need good tunes. For some couples that means a live band, for others a DJ, but for all, another expense.

Though wedding bands and singers were punchlines for decades, Jim Arrendell, of local wedding band The Business (profiled in the October 2017 issue of this magazine), argues that the stigma of playing in such a band is shifting. It’s a perspective he can attest to, not just as a member of such a musical troupe, but as the booking agent for EastCoast Entertainment, managing more than 100 full-time wedding bands.

“It used to be that young musicians who were very creative, inspired, etcetera, in their youth, went to retire and die in wedding bands, to tinkle their way through old standards.

That started to change 10 to 15 years ago,” Arrendell touts. “In Asheville, we’re such a vibrant, creative music town, and I know a lot of musicians that would not be caught dead in a wedding band because of that stigma. At the same time, I know musicians who five years ago felt the same way, who have gone on to start their own wedding bands. These younger, creative musicians are thrusting creativity into cover bands, and that infusion of creativity is what is changing both the market and the stigma.”

Today, Arrendell estimates that eight or nine full-time wedding bands make the rounds in Asheville alone. Like so many other July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 65

leisure & libation

THE BUSINESS per forming at a wedding, photo by Marianne Lucille Photography

vendor industries, these entertainers find success in their variety, from 13-piece bands to simple trios, with mid-sized bands suiting about 80% of Arrendell’s clients.

The growth of the industry is reflected in Arrendell’s own band, which has performed approximately 40 weddings annually since 2014, opposed to 25 to 30 in the years preceding. His rates also echo that growth: “When we started, we were going for $2,500— some of this comes with experience, some of it is the [growth of the] region, now our going rate is $5,750,” he says. Larger bands on his roster like Party on the Moon cost couples nearly $30,000. “The whole industry has become a lot more savvy when it comes to live music.

It was a DJ market almost exclusively, whereas it’s a live band market today.”

Not to say that wedding DJs aren’t experiencing their own heyday, too. Mitch Fortune, owner of DJ service Remix Weddings, has claimed steady growth since he transitioned into the wedding market a decade ago. “The simplest metric for my company is the number of inquiries that we receive.

When I started out I would get about 145 email inquiries per year. In the last two years, we have been receiving about 600 inquiries per year, or almost two inquiries per day,” he says.

Like Arrendell, Fortune’s growth is reflected in both an increase in performances and rates: He’s added more DJs to his own roster to accommodate demand and increased his rates to reflect his level of service; the company’s event fees in 2018 average $1,950, with additional add-on services

“With weddings you are trying to please everyone from the 90-plus-year-old grandparents to the teenage siblings of the bride and groom. It is a difficult balance to strike.”

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like custom song editing and ceremony music incurring additional costs. As a company, Remix Weddings performs at some 90 weddings annually.

As with the other wedding vendors, entertainers note that though the market has grown, and competition has risen to fill it, their own business hasn’t been negatively affected. “When I started out, there were about ten DJ companies working specifically in this area. Now there are too many to count,” Fortune says. “Even with all the new competition, business isn’t slowing down.”

Entertainers like Fortune and Arrendell still face their own unique sets of challenges. “With weddings

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you are trying to please everyone from the 90-plus-yearold grandparents to the teenage siblings of the bride and groom. It is a difficult balance to strike,” Fortune points out. “The physical demand, between the driving, loading, and four-hour performance is incredible,” Arrendell adds.

Not to mention marketing, promotional materials, and song editing before the weddings are even booked.

Entertainers also face the inestimable challenge of being a personal service, which entails interacting with the bride and groom on an intimate level. Fortune, for example, meets his clients prior to booking to make sure they’re a “good fit.”

Because, as he notes, wedding entertainment isn’t just a song, it’s an experience. “I like to tell our clients that our business isn’t music, it is air guitar, sing-alongs, high fives, and fist pumps,” he says. “It is group hugs, spontaneous dance offs, and the occasional spilled drink.”

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The Memories After the day is done and the fairytale’s final pages float closed, one set of vendors still toils away: photographers and videographers.

“People think I show up to work only on Saturdays, eat cake and dance around, then go home and relax until the next weekend,” laughs Amelia Fletcher, of Amelia Fletcher Photography. “It is much more editing work and administrative tasks than one might think. I spend a lot of time at my computer and work very long days during the busy season trying to get everything done.”

It’s a common sentiment within the creative industry.

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EVERGREEN ER A FILMS getting the per fect shot.

agrees Megan Gielow, of Morningwild Photography. She details daily hours spent covering inquiries, timelines, planning, vendor recommendations, album and print sales, invoicing, contracts, shipments, accounting, blogging, networking, and social media, not to mention the time-intensive requirements of culling and editing thousands of photos (12 to 20 hours for weddings). For videographers, the requirements of editing are arguably even more intense, as clips and moments become movies to last a lifetime. “Managing and running a business is 90% of this job, and the photography is 10%,” adds Gielow.

As a remarkably personal service, part of that 90% includes establishing an emotional connection with clients. For Kathryn Ray of Evergreen Era Films, that begins even before booking.

“My inquiry process includes a questionnaire to make sure I am a good fit for them, and it helps me get to know who they are even better. After they fill this out, I will send them my handbook and set up a time to have either a video chat meeting or a meeting in-person to answer any questions and go over any details,” she says. “This way we can get comfortable with each other and I can show up to their wedding feeling more like a friend and not just a random person with a camera in their face. Not all vendors do this, but it’s very important to me as a filmmaker to be able to get honest and comfortable reactions from my couple on the wedding day.”

As for the big day, photographers and videographers often have their hands full, literally and figuratively. Though most operate independently, both Fletcher and Gielow suggest adding second shooters when wedding attendance veers into the hundreds. Gielow’s found a unique solution in her intern program. “My interns train with me all season, receiving oneon-one mentoring weekly and many photography opportunities.

I only hire interns that have been in business for a few years, so that they are already incredible photographers and make great second shooters,” she says.

AMELIA FLETCHER behind the scenes, photo by Rebecca Reesor

MEGAN GIELOW photographer, photo by Lucy Stefani

For videographers, on the other hand, a second shooter is often necessary even for smaller ceremonies. “I typically need one other person to help with capturing moments where I can’t be in two places at once (if the couple is getting ready at the same time), for getting a stable baseline shot for the ceremony footage, and for filming Well Wishes clips of the guests while I am filming the couple,” explains Ray. “It helps having an extra set of eyes and hands throughout the day.”

The job of photographers and videographers is, obviously, expansive, lasting long before and after the last sparkler twinkles. The sheer hours invested in photographing a wedding naturally necessitates a hefty price tag. With more than a decade of experience under her belt (or rather, camera strap), Gielow’s packages begin at $4,500 for eight hours of coverage and high-resolution photo files, a number that increases with more hours, albums, and travel. Fletcher, on the other hand, in her fourth year of business, has wedding day packages beginning at $3,200 with an average investment of $3,900.

Videography, despite being more time intensive, garners a lower investment. “People don’t value video as much as July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 69

leisure & libation

photography yet, and they expect to pay less for it, even though it costs a lot more on the back end to be able to create and takes a lot more time to complete,” Ray argues, adding that a lower rate—an average of $2,600 for weddings—is a caveat of being a new business. “The kinds of couples I work with don’t get married at the Biltmore House—they get married in the woods, in backyards, on mountaintops, at summer camps. They don’t usually have the budget to drop a ton of money on their wedding, but they value the emotional memories that video can provide. As with any business, we have to set pricing based upon our ideal client’s abilities.”

Ray also makes a point to create a welcome space for couples often marginalized by the traditional wedding industry, including LGBTQ+ couples. “Finding Catalyst Wedding Co., a print and online publication discussing love, sex, weddings, and marriage for feminists, the LGBTQ+ community, and woke folk, also helped me to realize that I could come into the industry as a change-maker rather than just another traditional vendor,” Ray explains. “I wanted to create a space where all couples felt welcome, supported, and celebrated in an industry that only seemed to mainly support hetero, white, cis, couples.”

Inclusivity, she points out, isn’t as easy as just accepting clients; it means adjusting vocabularies and perceptions. “I believe that if vendors are going to be serving the LGBTQ+ CAPJuly18

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community, they can’t just do so without doing the research and doing the work on their own preconceived notions. We have to educate ourselves on the community, terminology, and inclusive language to be an inclusive vendor.”

As the photographers and videographers find their footing, they all note an increase in business (Gielow, for example, has marked a revenue growth of about 30% in the past five years). Unlike other vendors, however, photographers and videographers do note a saturation of the local industry. “The wedding photography market has become far more saturated in 10 years, especially with the influx of social media and the accessibility of online education and technology. This, of course, brings down the market as a whole because there are plenty of new, talented photographers that will undercut to get bookings,” Gielow points out, noting the downward trend of income for wedding photography as an industry.

Though it’s the capitalism and sheer workload of photography and videography that often goes unnoticed, the weight and reward of the job lies, as expected, in the intangible. “It was only once I found video and the powerful, emotional reaction it creates that I considered going into weddings,” says Ray. “I’m a big emotions junky, a peacemaker, and an artist. Creating wedding films has allowed me to express all the most honest and heartfelt parts of me while serving people.” Gielow says

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similarly, “Moments, memories, and relationships are so much more meaningful than perfectly composed images.

I love creating art for my couples, and I believe that portraiture is incredibly important. However, the moments with the people we love are cherished the most long after the wedding day is over.”

The Community The question is not whether the regional wedding industry has grown—the proof lies in the numbers—but whether or not it will continue to grow. The projections of most vendors, however, are resoundingly positive.

Many cite the continued growth of local tourism, others the addition of more and more venues, others the unmarketable nostalgia of our mountains that draws couples back to the scenes of their childhood camps.

Others raise reasons more tangible: “With the growth in the number of venues and vendors,” notes Remix Weddings’ Fortune, “it should help keep the market affordable versus other destination wedding markets, which I think is currently a draw for most of the people choosing to tie the knot here.”

If growth does continue, it will surely come on the wings of collaboration and the tight-knit community of creators

who define our local wedding industry. Nearly all these entrepreneurs find support both interdisciplinarily— Fletcher mentioned an annual holiday party for local wedding photographers—and within the industry as a whole.

“A lot of [the success of the industry] has to do with the vendor community in Asheville,” says Annie Flettrich,

The question is not whether the regional wedding industry has grown— the proof lies in the numbers—but whether or not it will continue to grow. catering services manager of the Omni Grove Park Inn. “We’re all close, even from different venues and trades, such as photographers and planners. We’ve all grown together, and there is something very appealing about that. We can look at some of the weddings that all of us have been a part of from 10 years ago and you can actually see the progression—we’re all stepping it up a notch each year.”

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UPDATES FOR

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news briefs

Stealth Cycles milwaukee, wisconsin

Harley-Davidson closed its annual shareholder meetings to the public, including members of the press. In the past, the motorcycle giant held the meetings on Saturdays, and Harley aficionados would travel in groups from all over to enjoy the big-screen videos and blaring rock and roll serving as backdrop for the motorcycles in the HarleyDavidson Museum, where the meetings are held. This year, the meeting was held on a Thursday at 3PM, and enthusiasts were invited to attend the first Bike Night of the season afterward. Analysts said it was unusual for a publicly-traded company to close its annual meetings to the public, and the decision to do so only raised alarms. Some speculated the privacy may have been motivated by a

]

12% quarter-over-quarter drop in sales as there is a general ennui about motorcycles among millennials, and baby boomers are aging out. The losses have led the company to make the unpopular decision to close its Kansas City, Missouri, factory while opening one in Thailand. Corporate spokesperson Mike Pflughoeft said the company merely had nothing new to announce.

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More Smokey Eyes

Noah Ready-Campbell was working at Google when the company took an interest in developing autonomous automobiles. To him, it seemed a good idea to use that technology on heavy

JCPenney announced the opening of Sephora counters in thirteen more of its stores. Headquartered in Paris, Sephora offers 14,000 cosmetics products from

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construction machinery, where work is repetitive and dangerous, and skilled labor comes at a premium. So, he launched Built Robotics in California, and the company only recently deployed its first autonomous machine on an actual construction site. A skidsteer, with the unlikely name Mary Anne, was put to work by CMG Construction of Billings, Montana, to grade land for The Den Bar and Casino. Mary Anne navigated with GPS and used sensors to gauge the force needed to push the dirt in front of it and how much dirt was in the bucket. LIDAR was used to keep the machine from wandering off, while human engineers on laptops tweaked algorithms and served as the last line of defense. Built Robotics has also developed a pallet fork, but engineers assure the public it will be awhile before the technology makes heavy-equipment operators obsolete.

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200 curated brands. Sephora markets itself as encouraging clientele to “learn, play, and get inspired” with its offerings.

The recent openings, advertised as “Let’s Beauty Together This May,” were celebrated at each location by handing out 700 sample bags and offering the first 100 customers gift cards of mystery values up to $100. Sephora specialists, rigorously-trained in color matching, skincare, and general beauty, were on-hand as always for consultation.

Free mini-makeovers had names like Smoky Eye, Polished Brows, and Perfect Lips. Customers could also check out Sephora’s COLOR IQ, a digital process that scans the skin, assigns a PANTONE number, matches it with a foundation, and recommends vibrant and complementary eye and lip shades. Clientele could also sign up for Sephora’s free Beauty Insider program, which offers exclusive samples, birthday gifts, and eligibility for other gift programs.

AI Summit in Boston. Dengel said FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and the U.S. Postal Service are all anticipating 15%-18% increases in shipping volumes within the next five to 10 years. The companies are all working with the same consultants, but FedEx wants its solutions to be unique. Dengel said it is easy to automate the handling of standard-size boxes; but FedEx still has to ship things like kayaks and tires.

Dengel wants his robots to be flexible enough to provide specialized handling for every shipment. Another problem is being equipped to handle seasonal rushes while not investing in machinery that sits idle most of the time. One option would be developing variable-speed robots. Dengel disagrees that automation will lead to unemployment. With shipping volumes increasing, it is already difficult to fill positions. He says robots only “elevate the level of work by humans,” making it more discretionary and complex and less boring.

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and savings institutions in the United States. The main talking point was profits were up 27% to $56 billion this year. Executives described increasing net income, loan balances, and interest margins as “exciting.” Unfortunately, $6.6 billion of the profits were due to tax law changes. The net profits were made even larger due to fourth-quarter write-downs in 2017, also attributable to new tax laws.

The write-downs brought profits down to $25 billion, an abysmal showing without parallel since the Great Recession. In addition, the number of institutions on the “Problem Bank List” is down by three; the list lost six and added three. But the assets of the problem banks, which the FDIC does not name, more than tripled during the quarter to $60 billion. This not only sets the recovery back three years, it is an increase not seen since 2008. The FDIC acknowledged increasing interest rates are spurring banks to invest in higher-risk, longer-term assets.

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moving food and medicine, Volans-i is going for the heavy cargo niche. To date, the drones have a range of 500 miles, and they can carry a payload of up to 20 pounds at a maximum speed of 200mph. The drones can take off and land vertically from any platform 15’ x 15’, and so Volans-i will not have to invest heavily in infrastructure. A test just completed over Lake Pleasant in Arizona showed the drones can take off from and land on moving platforms tugged by two separate boats.

Co-founder and CEO Hannan Parvizian, who used to work for Tesla, said he was inspired by frustrations experienced at that company, not being able to receive or ship parts as quickly as they were needed. It is hoped Volans-i will be the go-to source for saving people costs of auto rentals with same-day vehicle part delivery, fixing ailing vessels at sea before rescue missions are required, and reducing factory downtime for “processing” special parts orders.

Consolidation Blues tokyo, japan

Sony purchased a 60% equity interest in EMI for $2 billion, adding two million songs to its catalog and making it the world’s largest music publisher.

Sony’s new CEO, Kenichiro Yoshada, is working to stabilize profits from the company’s entertainment arm. While interest in physical recordings continues to decline, Sony is capitalizing on the leading edge of an industry resurgence made possible by subscription streaming. Digital streaming is expanding, and so are opportunities for songwriters to receive royalty revenues thereby. Sony, in turn, will capture a share of download subscription profits as the manager of songwriter revenues exercising contracts with Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, SoundCloud, and YouTube. In terms of recording activity, Sony is second in the industry. It owns 32% of market share as a record label,

Universal owns 42%, and Warner owns 26%, leaving all other labels trace.

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Several entrepreneurs are trying to develop devices that operate near-instantaneously with the human mind.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are pursuing the technology in secret projects, named Neuralink and Building 8, respectively. Their ideas would require brain surgery, but a company named Nuro is working on a less-invasive idea that uses brainwaves. The company plans to first develop its technology, called Nuos, for persons in hospitals who have lost their ability to communicate. They are given a screen with tiles.

Each tile has a message like, “I want water,” or “I’m cold.” When they focus their thoughts on the appropriate tile, the device relays the need to an orderly.

Now that this has been demonstrated to work, it should not be too much of a stretch to provide a person with an image of a keypad and let them type messages through focusing. Once this technology is polished, it would transfer to the automobile industry, where interest is already mounting.

The Time Value of Smart new york, new york

Smart luggage was a good idea. The concept was to equip rollaboards with tracking devices, so people would at least know where their luggage was when airlines lost it. The lithium-ion-charged tracking device used by Raden even doubled as a charger for electronic devices.

Then, in December, new industry regulations adopted by all major airlines banned lithium-ion batteries from cargo hulls. If damaged, the batteries can catch fire, depressurizing the hull, and posing

a flight hazard. Fliers are now asked to remove the batteries and stow them in the cabin where, if a fire breaks out, somebody will see it and extinguish it.

So, Raden, like Bluesmart before it, published information on how to remove the batteries. Unfortunately, that rendered the baggage no better than everything else on the market. Bluesmart gave up on its smart line after abortive attempts to negotiate an exemption, and the company sold its assets to Travelpro. Raden, unable to raise capital fast enough to retool its design, went out of business a month later.

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A unanimous California energy commission ruling that will require solar panels on all new homes will go into effect January 1, 2020. It is estimated that by then individual homes will be generating 80-90% of household needs, so they’ll remain on the grid for backup.

Sources influencing the decision are of the opinion that by 2028, battery technology will advance sufficiently to allow homeowners to fully exit the grid. They further estimate a typical homeowner investing $40 a month in solar apparatus would save $80 on their monthly electric bills. California’s progressive decision challenges the conventional model of regulated monopolies providing safe, reliable, and affordable power; clean energy advocates say that model leads to excessive capital expansions that leave ratepayers on the hook for decades. Instead of the decision leading to energy independence on the family scale, companies like Tesla and SunRun are now developing systems to network the solar generation of entire neighborhoods, for a small fee, and manage it like an insurance company.

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TRYING TO REL A X while driving through muddy tracks.

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Gaining

Traction Western North Carolina has ample opportunities for fun- and thrill-seeking off-road buffs. Marshall Grant, of Marion’s Blue Ridge Expeditions, wants to make sure the fun and thrills are accompanied by safe practices and ecological sensitivity. written by arthur treff

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T

he track ahead is deeply rutted with a mound in the center that, if I’m not careful, could strike the bottom of the vehicle. The ruts lead me through a break in the trees barely wide enough. After a slight right turn, the road vanishes; all I see is sky.

“Okay, I’m in first gear, the transfer case is set to low and locked, and the M light is on,” I say aloud. Left foot is on the brake, right on the gas.

“Good! From now on until you’re heading downhill, you can’t see the road, so ease into it,” says the man seated next to me.

He wasn’t wrong. As I turn and crest the drop off, the hood pitches up sharply, obstructing my view. As the front lowers, the rear rises, and the seat pitches me forward… way forward.

The valley floor slowly comes into view, but I still can’t see the road over the hood. I’m riding a rollercoaster that’s just about to plunge over the abyss.

When I’m about 10 feet down the hill, the track finally comes into view: It’s steep. It rained last night so, yeah, it’s muddy, too. But I’m way too busy feeling for traction to worry.

“Nice!” he says, encouragingly. “You don’t want to over brake and lose traction, because then we’re just sliding out of control.

Let the engine do the work.”

Slowly we bump down the hill and towards the bottom.

I relax.

“I wasn’t smooth enough on the brake,” I say, “but I’m sure going down is easier than up.”

“You’re about to find out. Make a U-turn in that little grass patch.”

What?! Gulp. “Wait—I’m going back up this?” I stop the car.

“Of course.” The man passes me a conspiratorial grin. “Now, let’s talk about momentum and how it affects the suspension and traction.”

That Zen-like Feeling Many of the stories I’ve told in Capital at Play have involved speed, risk, and machinery: driving on the BMW race track in Spartanburg, riding my motorcycle on the Trans America Trail, and skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel. In spite of this, I have zero off-road experience on four wheels, so when Marshall Grant of Blue Ridge Expeditions (BRE) invited me to drive with him, it was a no-brainer.

We started the day with a vehicle familiarization session, where I was looking over and under the 2000 Land Rover Discovery 2 to find any parts of the structure that could possibly hang up on an obstacle. This could impede progress THAT FIRST DROP

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MARSHALL GR ANT

or, worse, disable the Rover. Marshall and his assistant, Kenneth Chester, explained approach angle, high centering, departure angle… and exactly why a shovel and tree loppers are carried on board, and how to use them.

We removed air from the tires and talked tons about things that affect traction. I learned about the Rover’s transmission and transfer case settings and how, between the two, there are sixteen different gearing scenarios at the driver’s disposal.

In the first exercise of the day, I was paired with Capital at Play publisher Oby Morgan. I drove us through some simple traffic cones to simulate trees, performing controlled moves forward and reverse.

Before moving on, Marshall reached through the window and handed me some fabric.

“Put this on over your eyes, make sure you can’t see anything.

Your passenger will guide you.”

We drove a circular route around a field through some mud puddles and over a couple rocks. We quickly found a way to communicate. This is a team building exercise that BRE uses for military and private classes. It’s especially useful for husband/wife students where one spouse appears to be dominating the cockpit.

I trusted Oby implicitly, and he was a good communicator.

This allowed me to relax and tune into the vehicle, feeling for traction, listening for engine and tire noises. Before Oby told me we were driving through a series of muddy puddles, I already knew: I’d heard the sound of water through the open window and I felt the tires being sucked into the mud.

With some of the basics covered and my blindfold removed, we moved down the trail to see what obstacles we could encounter.

Muddy ruts were first, and Marshall did a great job explaining that fighting the rut by turning the wheel makes the tires slice into the rut walls. This increases resistance to forward motion, which decreases traction.

“Just relax, let the steering wheel slide through your fingers, use your hands as brakes to slow the wheel’s movement… relax, don’t fight the wheel.”

Part of a student’s time with BRE is spent out of the car, looking at an obstacle, planning a successful route by evaluating ground clearance, traction, overhead/side clearance. While driving, BRE instructors use expressions like don’t fight it, relax, feel the vehicle, and breathe.

For his part, Marshall originally discovered that he was happy when he felt one with something, like a vehicle. This “tuning in to the machine” made him a better driver. Surrounding himself with others also working toward that state thrilled him.

“Entrainment” is a term he uses to describe it (see sidebar, p. 85).

“Feel the machine, feel the Zen of it,” says Marshall. “Take in the sights, sounds, and feedback through the steering wheel and seat of your pants. Be aware of what others are doing in your 4x4 convoy and, pretty soon, you will begin to anticipate what your fellow drivers are doing. That’s Entrainment. Passing this knowledge on to others is what draws me to teaching. I want people to enjoy this sport and do it safely. Watching the light July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 79

go on in someone’s eyes when they learn something new is very exciting to me.”

I thoroughly enjoy learning anything new particularly if it involves machinery in motion, and I enjoyed how Marshall used our out of the car time to immerse me in the technical aspects of getting through an obstacle.

When I was behind the wheel, however, he laid most of the tech-talk aside and encouraged me to sense the movement and vehicle while he subtly coached me through a tricky part of the trail.

Riding with the BRE team was also a lesson in trail conservation. Entering one obstacle, the Rover’s right side started to bend an overhanging hemlock branch. Marshall instructed me to stop. He rolled down the window, grabbed the loppers he carried, and trimmed the offending branch. The cuttings were then placed in low spots of the track ahead

After crossing a sizeable section of bedrock hump where one wheel was off the ground, and the deck angle inclinometer registered 15 degrees of bank, I came to a stop beside Marshall.

“Okay, that was great. Now, see that muddy track just around the corner? Follow it and then you’ll come to that long muddy part we did this morning.

Go through that and when you come to the flat, stop and we’ll join you there in the other rover.

You’ve got your radio if you get stuck.”

First solo! It felt like flight school 35 years ago when my instructor hopped out of the aircraft and ordered me to make three takeoffs and landings, alone. It wasn’t that tough because I was prepared.

I heard Marshall’s words in my head, I felt for traction, let the wheels ride the ruts, used my hands as gentle brakes on the wheels, and kept my momentum up. Entrainment—I get it!

From a very early age, Marshall would ride in his dad’s jeep on the rocky mountain roads surrounding Marion. The boy was passionate about learning, and his father, Sandy, was a patient teacher. of us. Branches were not broken off; the trail was cleared in a way that left the tree healthy. We would repeat this numerous times throughout the training.

As my confidence grew so did the size of the obstacles. We’d stop to look, and after an out of car planning session where I was encouraged to think for myself, I would get behind the wheel. Marshall would remain outside, guiding me via hand signals and walkie-talkie. I trusted him completely—all I had to do was watch his hand signals, feel the vehicle, and be smooth.

I’d never piloted a car or truck on anything other than smooth gravel. Fueled by monster truck commercials and movie chase scenes, I thought that four wheeling was all about highly modified trucks vaulting over school bus sized obstacles, or pickup trucks festooned with aftermarket lights jumping sand dunes at highway speeds.

Under Marshall’s tutelage, I found it to be a slow physical and mental game where the driver and occupants are continually strategizing about the obstacle ahead—how to cross it safely, without getting hung up or damaging the machine.

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Driver’s Ed. A thread that runs throughout training with BRE is safety, trail etiquette, and trail conservation.

“I was raised here in Marion,” Marshall reflects, “and learned to drive off-road with my dad in his Jeep. My uncle had a driveway that was harder to drive than anything you’ll be tackling today, so four wheeling was a part of life. Back then, we all drove on tracks that ran through private land.”

Today, though, things are different; fences and gates block entry to private and public land alike.

Why? As our mountain population has grown, a small percentage who seek the 4x4 Adventure Lifestyle buy an off-road rig, equip it with a rescue winch, fill their $500 Yeti cooler, and sally forth into the wooded unknown… without any formal training.

Armed with nothing more than a few YouTube videos, eventually they find themselves deep in sand, mud, or rocks. Out of traction and ideas, driver panic sets in. While trying to free the vehicle, they do extensive trail damage, which causes significant erosion. Sometimes they loop the winch cable around a tree and pull the vehicle

GR ANT DIRECTING the driver through a rough patch.

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SEATING THE tire bead with f ire.

free, often leaving the tree irreparably damaged and dying. And sometimes, in the case of older vehicles, they are abandoned entirely. Who is saddled with the expensive cleanup? Land owners, of course—who, afterwards, put up fences.

As if that weren’t bad enough, numerous inadequately trained 4x4 drivers are seriously injured or killed each year due to crashes or improper use of rescue equipment. All of this points to a dearth of quality education among 4x4 operators.

For these reasons Blue Ridge Expeditions was born in 2008.

A driving school can only stay on track if a skilled driver is in charge. Marshall’s driving and business experiences run all the way back to his childhood.

From a very early age, Marshall would ride in his dad’s Jeep on the rocky mountain roads surrounding Marion. The boy was passionate about learning, and his father, Sandy, was a patient teacher. These jaunts were to become the foundation of Marshall’s off-road driving education, something that would serve him well in the future.

Business or Pleasure Sandy Grant was a textile mill supervisor who earned extra cash in his spare time as a musician. He eventually tired of mill work and opened Silver Dollar Pawn in Marion. This entrepreneurial move provided more income as well as time to devote to his twin passions of music and off-road driving. Sandy’s rock band had achieved a large following in the Southeastern United States, and young Marshall was eager to tag along, helping haul equipment and watching music being made.

Never one to remain on the sidelines, Marshall became a drummer, and quickly started a punk band in high school. He 82

| July 2018

continued to study drumming and played with an assortment of working bands honing his craft.

His own playing abilities became significant enough to join a touring avant-garde jazz outfit, The Hibernaculum Trio. This was where he discovered the concept of Entrainment. Musicians playing free-form music rely on their talent and intuition to bring structure and dynamics to a piece. When the players mold into a cohesive unit, it feels great. When it clicks into place in front of a live audience, that can be intoxicating. Performing, however, can be a difficult way to make a living.

When asked about his work history Marshall says, “I’ve only worked two straight jobs in my life. The first, I was 16 and I was the salad bar guy at Wendy’s. I was sweating in a polyester uniform, bored out of my mind restocking the veggie bins. I lasted two days.”

The second was loading giant spools of thread into a die machine in a textile mill. It was hot, toxic work. Marshall was gone after two hours. He secured an Associate of Science in business, which he put to work in the music industry.

When he wasn’t touring with the jazz trio, Marshall was also earning money teaching music. As a consequence, he realized that his students bought online or traveled long distances to shop for musical instruments. It was clear: His home town needed a music store, so with his savings and a bank loan, in late 1995, he opened one—Marshall’s Music.

Marshall’s stocked classical, high school band, and electric instruments, as well as drums and percussion. The store also carried a full line of guitar amplifiers, speakers, and stage sound equipment. When a local YMCA called him looking for a public-address system for their building, Marshall saw yet another entrepreneurial opportunity. The music store

THE AUTHOR driving blindly.

PL ANNING THE BEST way to attack the obstacle.

expanded to install sound gear for schools, theaters, churches, and YMCAs. This musical enterprise covered all phases of business except one: a recording studio. Yep, you guessed it; Marshall opened one. He was living a musical dream—performing, teaching, selling instruments, recording, and installing sound gear. He was one busy guy.

Throughout this intense musical phase, Marshall still made time to drive his vehicle off-road and enter some competitions.

Through competing, he discovered that Sandy’s lessons had given him a really good foundation compared to the other drivers he encountered. The events turned out to be good exposure for his talents, as people would seek him out for private off-road lessons.

Too much fun can dull the shiny edge, of course. By 2003, Marshall had reached his musical Waterloo; he eventually realized he couldn’t continue the breakneck pace of his musical enterprise. Through a friend, he learned that there was an area opening for a forest ranger, so he closed the store, sold off the inventory, and lived the life of a park ranger. It was just what he needed at the time.

While in the forest service, Marshall continued to run the recording studio and his sound installation business after hours. Over time, the studio business fizzled out, so he sold off the assets. The sound gear installation business continued to provide him extra income and had now morphed into a part-time consulting gig. As for playing drums, Marshall continued to play music on the side, touring with various jazz bands.

He loved being a park ranger. Being surrounded by solitude and natural beauty was a great stress reducer, but in 2006, after three years as a ranger, Grant got wind that his position

might disappear. As if on cue, a fellow off-road driver told him that there was an instructor opening with the Land Rover Experience team.

W hen they saw his credentials, Marshall was hired immediately. Teaching in brand new Land Rovers within the pastoral boundaries of the Biltmore Estate, what’s not to like?

He enjoyed working in an off-road environment and teaching full- time. Land Rover students often asked him for more advanced instruction in their own vehicles, but there was a problem for Marshall: Land Rover employees were not allowed to moonlight. After a two-year tenure, it was time to launch a new business.

Learning Curve The year was 2008 when Blue Ridge Expeditions became full-time. Marshall had stayed in touch with his former Land Rover students, and through a massive marketing effort he started booking lessons immediately. Startup capital came from the liquidated music business assets.

He also discovered that the military doesn’t have a dedicated off-road vehicle school, they contract with outside vendors.

Marshall once again brought his energy to bear on the opportunity. The learning curve for becoming a contractor and how to bid and keep contracts was steep, but he persevered.

Concurrently, he networked his off-road contacts and existing contractors started hiring him when they found themselves shorthanded on larger military jobs.

Mixed in with BRE’s burgeoning military work, Marshall was contacted by the Boy Scouts of America. The organization was losing scouts once they reached driving age, so they wanted to July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 83

USING THE high-lif t jack to remove the tire from the wheel.

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introduce some off-roading with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to the program. Marshall’s qualifications struck gold again.

ATVs resemble motorcycles, in that the driver straddles the vehicle, and pilots it using handlebar and foot controls. They ride on four soft tires and are predominantly ridden off-road. They are used by anyone who needs to cover ground in rough environments such as hunting, farming, construction, and rough search and rescue.

Marshall designed a trial program where scouts would learn how to drive ATVs properly. It was wildly successful, so the Scouts wound up taking the program nationwide. Marshall designed the curriculum and trained the instructors. Before he was done, he also designed the instructor training program, then trained the instructor trainers. This safety program was also adopted by SVIA, the industry association representing the manufacturers of ATVs, as well as the United States armed forces who also operate ATVs. Side-by-sides or four-wheelers are another class of off-road machines that more closely resemble golf carts. They seat two or more, the occupants sit in automotive type seats, and the driver uses a steering wheel and foot controls. They are four-wheel drive. Once again, Marshall was hired by an industry association, the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, to develop a curriculum that would teach purchasers how to safely operate their rigs.

Designing a safety curriculum for any type of motorized conveyance may sound trivial until you understand the amount of research that must be conducted. Vehicle dynamics must be thoroughly explored, and you might be surprised to know how little the vehicle manufacturers’ engineers know about the subtleties of how their product operates.

Someone—like Marshall—has to conduct extensive testing. At what speed and under what conditions will it roll over? Dangerous maneuvers must be identified. Loading conditions with regard to weight and location have to be explored. Additionally, the human factors affecting the operator and passengers must be considered.

With those variables identified, then comes the hard work of constructing classroom materials and driving exercises that will educate someone who’s never operated the vehicle before. Marshall Grant’s extensive experience with the dynamics of four-wheeled vehicles has made him the one of the most qualified people in the country to design these important safety courses.

It’s no surprise that BRE’s military business took off and became steady work. As of today, Marshall owns and maintains a fleet of ten vehicles that remain close to Fayetteville, and he trains mostly special operations soldiers and contractors with very high security clearances.

In today’s operations, when SPEC ops deploys, they travel light and have to acquire a vehicle at their destination, so the vehicles BRE trains them in are what they’d find overseas: Land Rovers or Toyota Land Cruisers, with right hand drive, standard shift, and a diesel engine.

The State Department teaches their operators how to hotwire a car in less than five minutes, and Marshall takes it from there. He teaches them how to drive their vehicles over the worst obstacles imaginable. When they get stuck, they practice self-recovery. When something breaks, they learn how to fix it. They repair hydraulics, electrics, leaking coolant, and broken drive shafts, additionally repairing damaged tires in the field.

Don’t Fight It, Feel It Definitions for some of Marshall's favorite terms.

APPROACH ANGLE – the angle formed between the ground under the front tire and a line running directly to the lowest hanging part on the front of a vehicle (usually the front bumper). This is the maximum angle that a vehicle can climb without hitting the front bumper or other component.

DEPARTURE ANGLE – the angle formed between the ground under the rear tire and the lowest hanging par t of the machine, which can be the rear bumper, exhaust pipe, trailer hitch, etc. This is the maximum angle that the vehicle can descend without hitting any of these components.

DRIVESHAFT – takes the rotational power from the transfer case and transmits it to the front and rear differentials.

DIFFERENTIAL – this transfers power from the driveshaft, through the axle shafts to the wheels. There are many different types of differentials, such as open, limitedslip, locking, etc.

HIGH CENTERING – an unfor tunate situation where all four wheels are off the ground and the center of the vehicle is resting on an obstacle.

TRANSFER CASE – a gearbox that determines how power is distributed to the front and rear wheels.

ENTR AINMENT (BIOLOGICAL) – within the study of chronobiology, occurs when rhythmic physiological or behavioral events match their period to that of an environmental oscillation. A central example is the entrainment of circadian rhythms to the daily light–dark cycle, which ultimately is determined by the Earth's rotation.

ENTRAINMENT (BIOMUSICOLOGICAL) – refers to the synchronization of organisms (only humans as a whole, with some particular instances of a particular animal) to an external perceived rhythm, such as human music and dance such as foot tapping.

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 85

Most modern cars and trucks ride on tubeless tires; inner tubes (which contain the air within the tire) are seldom necessary.

The area inside the tire is filled with air, and without the inner tube, the inner diameter of the tire creates the vital air tight seal where it meets the wheel rim. The seal is formed by a very thick, reinforced area molded into the tire, called the bead.

When a tubeless tire loses air due to a puncture or other damage, this seal is broken, and the bead must be re-seated against the rim. In your local tire shop, when they mount new tires on your car, they must seat the bead against the rim. This is done by pumping a high volume of compressed air through the tire valve, something that cannot be replicated in the field by a hand pump or portable air compressor.

Instead, Blue Ridge Expeditions teaches students a safe and effective way of seating the tire bead by setting off a small explosion inside the tire using a can of engine starter fluid and a lighter. (Marshall demonstrated the technique for me, which was as exciting as it was effective. Don’t try this at home, kids!)

Part of the advanced training also happens in the dark. After a full day of driving, the team must find the vehicle that Marshall’s team has stashed (usually flipped over and disabled). When found, students have to right it, change tires, get it running, then extricate it from whatever obstacle BRE has driven it into… all in blackout conditions, wearing night vision goggles.

Goals in Life The military side generates half of BRE’s business; the other half is teaching private individuals. The company’s Linville Gorge training center is a network of private trails that BRE leases, where they operate four standard Land Rovers. Rates are approximately $750 per day in your own vehicle or using one of Marshall’s. The company teaches individuals, couples, and groups, and also designs customized team-building events.

All sales are generated via word-of-mouth.

In Linville, BRE can tailor instruction to help client’ reach their driving goals. Say you’re on the cusp of buying an off-road machine but have no experience: Taking a class will help you decide if four-wheeling is for you. Maybe you’re on the other extreme and you’re training for an upcoming trip to conquer the Peruvian Altiplano, Siberia’s Road of Bones, or maybe even motor through Mongolia. BRE can put you through everything they teach to the military and the State Department.

Marshall and his wife, Jessica, are the only full-time employees of Blue Ride Expeditions. They do it all: marketing, sales, promotion, accounting, teaching, fixing the fourteen vehicles, and interfacing with the military (which sounds like a full-time job by itself).

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In addition to Kenneth, the company has five part-time instructors. Jessica, too, is a world class off-road driving instructor, so she jumps in to teach when needed. When they’re not doing all of that, they homeschool the eldest of their three children.

*** Remember that steep uphill track Marshall told me to climb? With a knot in my stomach and a mouth as dry as the dashboard dust, I hit the gas. As the tires clawed for altitude, I stifled the fear of flipping over backwards.

The Rover pitched upward and felt like the Andrea Gail, fighting waves in The Perfect Storm. I was thinking I’m gonna make it… this is awesome… almost there…

Then the wheels spun—a solid fail, three quarters of the way to the top. For a second, I was certain the car was going to flip onto its back. Not to worry. Marshall had prepared me. I took a breath, put it into reverse (for engine braking) and gingerly backed it down, using the brakes when needed.

“Nice work. Now, let’s think about the relationship between momentum and traction for a second,” says Marshall. “This is a 6300-pound vehicle and that’s a steep hill… think you know what to do this time?”

I thought.

I nodded.

I made it.

“I want them to watch me like I did my dad. I learned that with brainpower and hard work, I can make my way right here in Marion.”

Being a father is what drives Marshall to keep BRE running, and it’s not just for the money.

“I want to show my boys that they don’t have to move to someplace like Atlanta to make money,” he says. “And they don’t have to work a dead-end hourly job. I want them to watch me like I did my dad. I learned that with brainpower and hard work, I can make my way right here in Marion.”

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1. Lisa Bridges, Sally Shealy, Maria Hinojosa, & Kristin Ennis 2. Eva Greene, Molly Gaffner Keebler, Nicole Ferrell, & Rhea Keller 3. The Buncombe Partners in Prevention with

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Women for Women members & CFWNC staff 4. Will Joerling, Ellen Weaver, Tess Joerling, & Rosa Sickenberger 5. Carla Willis & Maria Hinojosa 6. Jennie Eblen & Elizabeth Brazas

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Presented by The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Crowne Plaza Resort | Asheville, NC | May 22, 2018 Photos by Michael Oppenheim.

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July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 89

events

july

EVENTS july 1-31

MANNA FoodBank’s Hops For Hunger

this play takes an endearing look at the third-smallest town in the state of Texas.

Two guys play the whole class.

>Tickets: Senior $22, Adult $24, Child (0-16) $12

> 828-414-1844 > ensemblestage.com july 1, 5 , 22 Broyhill Chamber Ensemble

Various WNC Area Breweries

The 2nd annual campaign enlists 20 area breweries, with the support of Asheville Ale Trail and MANNA’s sponsors, to raise money and awareness for combating child hunger in the summer. Participating breweries will donate selected proceeds, host pint nights, and more.

> 828-299-3663 > MANNAFoodBank.org

8PM

Rosen Concert Hall, Broyhill Music Center 813 Rivers St, Boone, NC Artistic director Gil Morgenstern continues his tradition of presenting a concert series featuring nationally-acclaimed chamber musicians and delightfully-challenging scores.

>Tickets: Adult $25, Student/Child $10

> 800-841-2787 your complete > appsummer.org Red, White, and Tuna your complete Fabric center Historic Banner Elk School july 1– july 6

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– august 25 abric enterReflections Glass Art The comedy visits a 4th of July Tuna Show Fast, High School ClassLargest Reunion,selection laughing 185 Azalea Circle, SE, Banner Elk, NC

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Momentum Gallery 24 North Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC In conjunction with the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Biltmore Estate, and glass events throughout Western North Carolina this summer, the gallery will exhibit curated works, some of which are rather exotic, like glass lace and freakazoidally distorted bottles.

> 828-505-8550 > momentumgallery.com july 5 & 12

Sparc VR Tournament Play

6-11PM

Better than Unicorns 821 Riverside Dr, Suite 172, Asheville, NC Virtual dodgeball and Tron in VR are the games this summer. Public Night begins at 6PM, and the tourney begins at 9PM. Members of the public are encouraged to show up, but there is only room for 20 in the tourney.

> Admission: $15 > 828-544-2340 > betterthanunicorns.com

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> 828-693-0731 > flatrockplayhouse.org july 6 -7

violin on Mills’ new Concerto for Violin, Rock Band & String Orchestra, plus selections by Barber and Debussy. Daniel Hege conducts. A free “PreConcert” recital will begin at 6:30PM in Thomas Hall.

Models will display the creations of 20 local designers competing in the categories of Hardware, Light, Paper, and Revisionist History. Both veterans and newcomers will compete, including 2016 Best In Show winner T.M. Ellis. The show is directed by Sara Fields.

8AM-5PM WNC Agricultural Center 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC

july 7, 14 , 21

>Ticktes: $75 (preferred seating), $50

> Admission: Adult $5, Child (0-11)

july 6

Costume Drama: A Fashion Show

7:30PM Asheville Community Theatre 36 East Walnut St, Asheville, NC

(standard) > 828-254-1320 > Ashevilletheatre.org

july 6 -21

51st Annual Mountaineer Antique Auto Show

This is your chance to show, sell, buy, or collect all or part of special cars and pertinent memorabilia.

FREE > 828-586-4517 > mountaineerantiqueautoclub.com

july 7

Broadway on the Rock Flat Rock Playhouse, Mainstage 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC Back by popular demand, the music of Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Newsies, and other hits will jog some memories.

>Tickets: Senior (> 59) $44 & $49,

Adult $47 & $52, Student (<26) $32, Child (<18) $17

Mike Mills Rock Violin Concerto

7:30PM Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard, NC

The R.E.M./Baseball Project bassist will handle guitar and keyboards, with BMC alumnus Robert McDuffie contributing

>Tickets: $20 and up > 828-862-2100 > Brevardmusic.org/festival

Shindig on the Green

7-10PM Roger McGuire Green, Downtown Asheville, NC In this Asheville summer Saturday night tradition, live bluegrass plays to a crowded lawn, and members of the audience are invited to play and dance along.

> 828-258-6101x345 > folkheritage.org july 7- 8

Maggie Valley Summer Arts and Crafts Show

9AM-4PM Maggie Valley Festival Grounds 3422 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, NC

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July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 91

events

The usual festival arts and crafts will be up for curiosity and purchase, as well as goats milk soap and museum-quality items. Chainsaw artist Jeremy Buckner will provide live entertainment. Proceeds will benefit Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter.

> Donations: Appreciated > 828-497-9425 > maggievalley.org july 9, 16 , 23, 30 & august 6 , 13 Street Dance’s 100th Year Celebration

7-9PM Visitor Center Stage 201 South Main St, Hendersonville, NC

It began with the joy of welcoming home loved-ones at the end of the war. Caller Walt Puckett will provide a crash course for people wanting to learn square dancing half an hour before the event.

> 828-693-9708 > visithendersonvillenc.org july 11

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

8PM Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC They’re graceful, athletic, and modern; and they’ve been in-demand globally for the last two decades.

>Tickets: Adult $30, Student/Child $20 > 800-841-2787 > appsummer.org JULY 12

Champagne Dinner

7PM The Farm at Old Edwards Old Edwards Inn, 445 Main St, Highlands, NC 92

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The dinner will feature champagne from the house of Laurent-Perrier and music

by Wirewood. Executive Chef Chris Huerta has prepared each course to pair with the award-winning beverages.

> Reservations: $165 > 828-787-2635 > oldedwardsinn.com july 12-15 63rd Grandfather Mountain Highland Games 9AM-4PM

Macrae Meadows on Grandfather Mountain Highway 221 South, Linville, NC In one of the most amazing traditions of the region, men wear skirts and throw telephone poles. Lots of other traditional Scots-Irish culture will permeate the weekend, like sheep herding, bagpiping, harping, fiddling, Celtic dancing, and a tug-o-war of the clans. Consult website for itinerary and directions and information on parking, shuttle buses, and camping. Additional fees may apply.

> Advance Tickets: Adult $75, Child $30 > 828-733-1333 > gmhg.org

july 12

La Cenerentola 2PM Porter Center at Brevard College 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard, NC Rossini wrote this operatic drama giocoso, based on the Cinderella fairytale, in three weeks when he was only 25, and it is celebrated as some of the finest work for solo voice and ensemble.

>Tickets: $35-$57 > 828-862-2105 > brevardmusic.org

july 14

West Side Story In Concert

Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard, NC Leonard Bernstein’s iconic score for the classic movie gets the full symphony orchestra treatment from the Brevard Sinfonia; Jayce Ogren conducts. This is part of a summer-long Bernstein celebration, with numerous events being staged at BMC. A free “PreConcert” recital will begin at 6:30PM in Thomas Hall.

>Tickets: $20 and up > 828-862-2100 > Brevardmusic.org/festival july 14

Art in the Park

10AM-5PM Downtown Blowing Rock, NC In the festival’s 56th year, over 300 artists competed for just under 100 spaces to show their wares, which retail between $5 and $10,000. The event recurs monthly over the summer, but the exact Saturday will vary.

> 877-295-7851 > blowingrock.com july 15

Historic Oakdale Cemetery Walk

2:15PM Oakdale Cemetery - U.S. 64 W at Valley St. Hendersonville, NC More than just Thomas Wolfe’s Italian marble angel muse populates the place, and you can learn about Hendersonville’s famous and infamous during this traipse through history, conducted by Mary Jo Padgett.

>Tickets: $10, Children under 10 FREE > 828-545-3179 > maryjopadgett.com

July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 93

events

july 17

BMC Presents: Terpsicorps

7:30PM Porter Center at Brevard College 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard, NC

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The professional contemporary dance corps debuts at the BMC in a summer packed with virtuoso performances.

>Tickets: $20-$40 > 828-862-2105 > brevardmusic.org july 19

WQXR Young Artists Showcase

7:30PM Porter Center at Brevard College 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard, NC

Wax Tailor (Solo & Special Guests)

Maggie Koerner • Victory Boyd • Free Planet Radio LEAF Funk Mixtape Allstars • Tall Tall Trees • Supatight Ben Phan & The Soul Symphony • I.Star • Brie Capone King Garbage • Nex Millen • Hope Griffin • Redleg Husky Liz Teague Band • Blue Ridge Pride Drag Show • Unifire Theater Nu Paradigm • Nuestro Centro: RAICES • LEAF International Bequia &

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WQXR, the Big Apple’s only classical music radio station, brings host Robert Sherman and crew to tape a show featuring emerging artists. Whoops from the audience might air on the future broadcast.

> General Admission: Adult $25, Child $15, Student $12.50 > 828-862-2105 > brevardmusic.org

july 19 -29 35th Annual Folkmoot Festival Multiple Venues.

The diversity and range of color, kinetics, and multiculturalism in one of these festivals is not to be forgotten. This year, in a scaled-down event, hundreds of performers from Ghana, Italy, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Cyprus, Thailand, Appalachia, and the Cherokee Nation will wow throughout Western North Carolina.

> 828-452-2997 > folkmoot.org 94

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july 20

july 20

Downtown after 5: Fantastic Negrito

The Legend of Buster Neal

5-9PM Downtown Ashevlille North Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC

2PM & 8PM Valborg Theatre 480 Howard St, Boone, NC

This month, Fantastic Negrito tells the story, through slide guitar, drums, and piano, of a man who struggled to make it, lost it all, and picked up the pieces to rebuild. Downtown after 5 is a chance to switch off and mingle after a hard week at the office. Type As, of course, will see the opportunity for networking.

In this drama performed by the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, “a fearless civil rights activist reappears 60 years after his supposed death to face his greatest challenge: his greatgreat-grandson.”

> 828-251-9973 > ashevilledowntown.org july 20 -22

Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands

10AM-6PM (Fri, Sat), 10AM-5PM (Sun) US Cellular Center 87 Haywood St, Asheville, NC Arts and crafts of all kinds fill the arena and concourse in the summer edition of the 71st annual.

>Tickets: Each Visit $8, Weekend Pass $12, Child (0-11) FREE > 828-298-7928 > craftguild.org

– august 5 Hairspray Jr. july 20

2PM (Sun), 7:30PM (Fri, Sat) Hendersonville Community Theatre 229 South Washington Street, Hendersonville, NC This family-friendly play tells the story of a girl’s ambition to dance to change the world.

>Tickets: $17 > 828-692-1082 > hendersonvilletheatre.org

>Tickets: Adult $25, Student $10,

Accompanied Child (0-17) FREE > 800-841-2787 > appsummer.org

july 21

Open Studio Art Tour at Grovewood Village

11AM-4PM Grovewood Village 111 Grovewood Road, Asheville, NC They humbly didn’t call this “meet your maker,” but the resident artisans and craftisans will open their studios to allow the curious to peer over their shoulders and engage them in lively conversation, because everybody likes to talk about their passion, right?

> 828-253-7651 x 103 > grovewood.com july 21

Friends of the Smokies Stomp Barn Party 6PM Hickory Nut Gap Farm 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview

25th anniversary bash for FOTS will help support projects/programs (notably the educational Parks As Classrooms) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Featured will be a gourmet farm-to-table dinner, live music from July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 95

events

bluegrass maestros NewTown, square dancing, and meet-ups with National Park Service officials. Did we mention that Hickory Nut Gap Farm is awesome in its own right?

> Donation: $100 > 828-452-0720 > friendsofthesmokies.org july 21-29

K-9s in Flight Frisbee Dogs

11AM, 1PM, 3PM (Mon-Sun), 7PM (Sat) Tweetsie Railroad 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock, NC

These talented dogs have entertained throughout the country and on TV. Seating is first-come, first-served and included with park admission.

>Tickets: Adult $45, Child (3-12) $30, Infant FREE > 800-526-5740 > tweetsie.com

july 21

Historic Flat Rock Home Tour 10AM-4PM Flat Rock Village Hall 110 Village Center Dr, Flat Rock. NC

The well-appointed and picturesque Mountain Lodge, Beaumont, and Saluda Cottages, all mansions built c. 1830 and listed on the National Register, will open their doors and grounds to self-guided tours to registered parties throughout the day. The homes are not ADA accessible, and no children under 10 are allowed.

> Registration $35 > 828-698-0030 > historicflatrockinc.com july 24 -29 & august 1- 5 Charity Horse Show: Hunter/Jumper Division 96

| July 2018

8AM-5PM Tate Show Grounds, Moses Cone Memorial Park 1500 Laurel Lane, Blowing Rock, NC The tradition continues in its 95th year.

Consult website for itinerary.

>Tickets: Adult $10/day, Child (0-12) FREE > 828-295-4700 > brchs.org

july 26 -29

Asheville Yoga Festival

Various venues, Downtown Asheville

The 2nd year for the event by yoga veterans Amanda Hale and Sara Levine LaStella will feature notable local and national instructors and offer a wide variety of styles at Pack Square Park (which will also host the Mountain Air Market), YMI Cultural Center, Hilton Garden Inn, the Masonic Temple, AC Marriott, and Asheville Social Hall. A portion of proceeds go to nonprofit Light A Path.

> 828-399-1588 > ashevilleyogafestival.com july 26

Listen to This: Stories on Stage

7:30PM Asheville Community Theatre, 35below 35 East Walnut St, Asheville, NC Tom Chalmers hosts storytelling by interesting local personalities.

>Tickets: $15 > 828-254-1320 > ashevilletheatre.org july 27-28

49th Annual Ashe County Bluegrass & Old Time Fiddlersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Convention Ashe County Park

527 Ashe Park Road, Jefferson, NC Fiddlers and artisans on other stringed instruments of bluegrass from throughout the region compete in various categories â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as they, and members of the audience, camp out.

>Tickets: Friday $5, Saturday $10,

Accompanied Child (0-12) FREE > 336-846-2787 > ashefiddlersconvention.org

july 28 , august 25 , september 22 , & october 27

Venture Local Fair

12-7PM 68 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC Local makers share their curiosities fair-style with food and drink. Find DIY booths, art, entertainment, and more.

> 828-216-3909 > ashevillegrown.com july 30

Spoken Word Open Mic

7:30-9:30PM Habitat Tavern and Commons 174 Broadway Street, Asheville, NC The uncensored show has no guidelines except for a 10-minute limit, and there is no competitive element. Sign-up begins at 7PM. Guest hosts this month will be National Story Slam Champion Vara Cooper and Executive Producer David Joe Miller.

> Donations: Suggested > 828-808-1150 > storytellingcalendar.com 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.

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FINEST QUALITY HANDCRAFTED MATTRESSES MADE IN ASHEVILLE

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andcrafted in Asheville, mattresses by Colton Mattress Factory at 848 Hendersonville Road offer unmatched durability, uncompromising comfort and orthopedic support. Artisan craftsmanship that incorporates the latest in mattress technology with age-old handcrafting techniques makes for the most comfortable night’s sleep you’ve had in years.

Business owner Mike Emerson has been in the mattress business for 35 years. At 13, he started working for a small mattress company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sweeping floors and helping with deliveries. At the age of 20, the owner retired and Emerson bought the company. Over the next 10 years, Emerson expanded the business to 20 stores in 5 midwestern states with over a hundred employees, Emerson still owns half the company and it is still in operation today. Emerson was semi-retired and living in Asheville, feeling bored, and decided to start another mattress factory and named it after his son, Colton.

People here in Asheville really like buying high quality products that are locally made.

Emerson says, “Business has been strong and we can hardly keep up with demand.” He said, “A lot of customers that come into our store are frustrated with the quality of nonflip brand-name mattresses that they have purchased recently that didn’t last as long as they expected. So many products today are made to wear out fairly quickly so you have to replace them. Colton makes mattresses the old-fashioned way so they last longer.”

Asheville’s headquarters for adjustable beds, Colton Mattress can build the bed that is perfect for you. It makes beds with infinite mattress positions that include head and foot massage. Create your own adjustments to relieve back pain, improve circulation, and sleep deeply. Any mattress

Colton Mattress builds can be turned into an adjustable bed.

Want a super-firm mattress, a super-soft mattress or something in between? Colton Mattress can create the precise firmness you desire. It sells a lot of beds made with latex, a natural material that naturally inhibits dust mites, mold and mildew. Derived from the tropical rubber tree, latex instantaneously conforms to the shape of your body, relieving pressure points for an uninterrupted sleep. Talalay latex used by Colton reduces high-pressure areas that shut off capillary blood flow and cause you to toss and turn all night.

Mattresses made from Cooling Gel Memory Foam conform to the body, relieve pressure points and aid circulation. Choices range from pillowy soft to body-contouring firm.

The Cooling Gel Memory Foam provides additional support and a cooler sleeping surface.

Memory foam mattresses virtually eliminate motion transfer. (you won’t feel your sleep partner move). Emerson stated, “We offer a 30-day comfort guarantee because we want you to love your new mattress.”

When you purchase a new mattress from Colton they will donate your old mattress to people in need if it is still sleepable.

There are 25 different models to choose from at the showroom. Visit with Mike Emerson or Rick Reed and they will help you select the perfect mattress for you.

Colton sells directly to the consumer, eliminating distributors and retail stores, to keep prices competitive with national brands. Colton has mattresses for every budget, prices range from $110- $5000. Colton is committed to manufacturing and selling the highest-quality mattresses and when you buy direct from the factory you save 10-50% every day. Colton builds and stocks a wide selection of mattress types and sizes.

COLTON MATTRESS SPECIALIZES IN 4 TYPES OF MATTRESSES • 2-sided mattresses that can be flipped over

(97% of mattresses sold today by the national brand companies are 1-sided mattress that don’t last nearly as long as the 2-sided ones built in years past).

• Natural Latex Foam Mattresses • Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattresses • Adjustable beds that the head and foot can be elevated for maximum comfort.

848 HENDERSONVILLE ROAD | ASHEVILLE (BILTMORE FOREST), NC 28803 | 828-299-4445 | WWW.COLTONMATTRESS.COM STORE HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 10AM-6PM, SATURDAY 10AM-5PM, CLOSED SUNDAY —

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July 2018 | capitalatplay.com 97

The journey of excellence begins here...

Co-ed • Independent • Pre-K/12 • College and Life Preparatory

...and lasts a lifetime.

From that first step on campus until the celebratory cap-throwing, Carolina Day School students are on a journey of educational excellence. Discover how your child can flourish surrounded by peers who are excited about learning and teachers who inspire intellectual curiosity and personal achievement.

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Inquire now for 2019-20.

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