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[publisher’spost] Is Our Political System Quacking?

One year from now we will know who has been chosen to become the 44th president of the United States. With the present eight candidates on the Republican side and eight candidates on the Democratic side, we can expect to be exhausted from campaigns, television commercials, fund-raising letters, bumper stickers and signs as well as events, speeches and debates over the next year. The current consensus of political speculation is that the Republican and Democratic candidates John Paul Galles will be substantially determined by early February after primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Then we must endure the battle of the next nine months until the general election on November 4th.

To a large degree, our political system seems to work. But, does it? We successfully change leadership every four or eight years in a democratic process without violence. This year is especially unique because we do not have a candidate who has been serving as vice president to a sitting president that might be expected to succeed that president. That is why we have so many candidates vying for the nominations this year.

It would be incredibly disconcerting if our next president were chosen by the Supreme Court as happened eight years ago. It should be equally troublesome that the Electoral College system causes campaigns to be focused upon a limited number of states with a majority of electors while a significant majority of states are virtually ignored.

Furthermore, the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution setting a term limitation on anyone holding the office of President of the United States to no more than two terms or eight years in office has given us lame duck presidents practically the moment they are reelected to a second term. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan all became lame duck leaders upon being sworn in for their second terms.

In the history of the United States, only one person has been elected to serve more than two terms. That president was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served from 1933 to 1945. The 22nd Amendment was passed by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the requisite number of states by February 27, 1951.

Since that time, President Eisenhower expressed his strong opposition to term limits. He was quoted saying, “The United States ought to be able to choose for its president anybody it wants, regardless of the number of terms he has served.”

President Reagan was also public in his support for repealing the Amendment. While President Clinton was opposed to repealing the Amendment, he supported modifying it to prohibit former presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms…permitting them to seek election after an intervening term.

In essence, the 22nd Amendment has weakened the second term president’s power and influence. President Bush has become weak and ineffective. Even he admitted his weakness after winning his second term, telling the media, “I am going to come out strong after my swearing-in. We have to move quickly, because after that I’ll be quacking like a duck.”

Bush’s recent approval ratings of 33 percent are further evidence that he was correct and that his effectiveness has been severely compromised. While some would say that his ratings are from his own ineptitude, I would argue that his effectiveness is substantially diminished because of the 22nd Amendment. Neither he nor members of Congress view these waning years of his presidency as a time for making change.

The United States needs capable, qualified, intelligent and affable leaders who can effectively communicate the ambitions and interests of our country to our citizens, our allies and our enemies. We need strong, competent leaders who are not weakened by the 22nd Amendment of our Constitution. We cannot afford weak leadership in these increasingly trying economic and military times.

Our future is too important. biz

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december 2007

December 2007 Volume 8 • Issue 12 Publisher John Paul Galles jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com

Associate Publisher/Editor Maryl A. Lane maryl.a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com

Creative Director Joanna L. Davis jdavis@greatercharlottebiz.com

Editorial & Sales Assistant Janet Kropinak jkropinak@greatercharlottebiz.com

Business Development Sandy Rosenfeld srosenfeld@greatercharlottebiz.com

Account Executives Locke Burnette lburnette@greatercharlottebiz.com

Kim Nees kim.nees@greatercharlottebiz.com

Contributing Writers Ellison Clary Casey Jacobus Janet Kropinak Renee Roberson Contributing Photographer Wayne Morris Galles Communications Group, Inc. 5601 77 Center Drive • Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 28217-0737 704-676-5850 Phone • 704-676-5853 Fax www.greatercharlottebiz.com • Press releases and other news-related information, please fax to the attention of “Editor” or e-mail: editor@greatercharlottebiz.com.

• Editorial or advertising inquiries, please call or fax at the numbers above or e-mail: info@greatercharlottebiz.com.

• Subscription inquiries or change of address, please call or fax at the numbers above or visit our Web site: www.greatercharlottebiz.com. © Copyright 2007 by Galles Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved.The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

However, Galles Communications Group, Inc. makes no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this information.

Products named in these pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies.Views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Greater Charlotte Biz or Galles Communications Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. For reprints call 704-676-5850 x102.

Greater Charlotte Biz (ISSN 1554-6551) is published monthly by Galles Communications Group, Inc., 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250, Charlotte, NC 28217-0737. Telephone: 704-676-5850. Fax: 704-676-5853. Subscription rate is $24 for one year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Greater Charlotte Biz, 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250, Charlotte, NC 28217-0737.

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[bizXperts] Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

where are the referrals?

For many high performing salespeople, their continued success can be directly attributed to a steady stream of referrals, introductions and leads.

Peers trying to duplicate that success often put hours of effort into strategies like networking and strategic alliances only to receive very little for the hours invested. Or, they resort to the “Do you know anybody who needs…?” style question only to hear back the “I can’t think of anybody now, but feel free to ask again” unproductive response.

If you need a more structured approach to getting referrals, there are several Sandler techniques: • Inner Circle/Outer Circle—a method to obtain several names quickly; • Magic Cross—a way for you to direct the help of your referral source; • Referral Tree—a system to help you nurture good sources of referrals; and • Ideal Prospect—creating a precise profile of your best potential clients to guide your source in identifying higher probability leads.

However, the greater problem is that salespeople simply aren’t asking. They keep holding off asking for referrals, waiting for the “right moment.” Successful salespeople comment that they ask for referrals all the time. Can that really be true? At some point can’t asking for referrals start to sound needy or pushy? Sure it can, so the next question is, what allows the effective salesperson to ask so often?

At Your Service!

Providing superior service and working to develop long-term customers have concrete financial benefits.

A satisfied returning customer will buy more than a new customer, be enthusiastic to learn about more of your products and services, and will give them a try. Long-term customers will recommend your company to others more often than new clients; new clients want to see consistent results before they will recommend you.

The cost to see to long-term customers is generally lower, particularly in the use of marketing time and materials. And, longterm customers are more likely to let you know when they’re unhappy. They have a stake in maintaining the relationship, and you have the opportunity to win them back before they’ve gone.

Providing outstanding customer service creates a positive atmosphere in your dealings with your customers, and creates long-term relationships that are the foundation of a successful business.

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One attitude seen repeatedly is the belief that what salespeople provide—their product/service along with their personal care—has greater value to the customer than the price that was paid. Or, another view is they see their price as greatly undervaluing what the prospect receives in return. They feel as though they are “owed” something else for the Bob Henricks gap in value. But they know that unless they bring it up for discussion, the prospect will presume that money alone was a fair exchange.

To make sure that asking for referrals avoids the “begging” label, you need to have established high personal and ROI (return on investment) value in the Pain Step (reason for doing business…along with the personal impact your prospect experiences). At the completion of the sale, during the Post-Sell Step, you can use the client’s perceived value to more comfortably discuss the conditions for receiving something of additional value, and customers like that it’s not monetary.

The salesperson may ask permission to pursue referrals while the ink is still drying on the sales agreement, and may succeed. In other cases, the discussion establishes the conditions under which the salesperson could ask, like the successful completion of a particular task in a complex project, or any time the client appears to be satisfied with the service. Many times this results in an open agreement that it’s okay to ask any time.

Salespeople who are uncomfortable having the referral conversation hope that the prospect sees the value of his or her products/services and from that “some day” referrals will be shared. This salesperson is stuck waiting for some type of signal (not yet defined) from the prospect, and if never received, never asks.

Stop waiting for your contacts to give referrals and establish the ground rules for when you can ask and you just might be pleasantly surprised. Maybe you will hear, “Now that we’re talking about it, I was wondering if you would want to talk to...” And together you can set up a great introduction.

Bob Henricks is president of Henricks Corporate Training and Development, a company dedicated to helping business owners, managers and salespeople succeed. Contact him at 704-544-7383 or visit www.henrickscorp.sandler.com.

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Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

[bizXperts]

owners “at risk” – part II In last month’s article we discussed the basic “transitions” a business owner faces during the life cycle of his business, some of which are as described by Kathryn Catlin and Jana Matthews in Leading at the Speed of Growth. These “transitions” present great challenges in the form of constantly changing legal, tax, accounting, and risk management issues which face the business owner.

As we discussed, just as the owner must adapt his leadership role with each “transition” in the growth of his business, likewise, he will face increasingly difficult and different issues in the legal, tax, accounting, and risk management environment.

First “Transition”: From Business “Idea” to Business Startup and Initial Growth.

Once an owner decides to act on his “ideas” and start up his business, he should seek competent advice as to the type of business entity he should select. From proprietorships and general partnerships to limited partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations and C corporations, there are many different characteristics of each which can be extremely important to the owner’s ultimate success.

Each entity type has different characteristics, including, to name a few: (1) ease of formation; (2) owner’s personal liability for business debt; (3) how the entity is taxed (at entity level or owner level) as well as other specific tax issues (tax rates, deductible expenses, fiscal year, etc.); (4) flexibility as to ownership eligibility and distribution of income and cash flow to owners (including investors); and (5) accounting method (cash or accrual). An owner should understand all of these differences between the various entities not only at startup, but through the growth of the business and its ultimate sale through sale of “ownership interests” (such as stock or membership interests) or “assets” of the business.

Other significant issues at business startup include: (1) appropriate planning for asset protection, including whether multiple entities and/or different types of entities should be used for different types of assets; (2) employment issues, including appropriate initial employment policies/manuals and confidentiality agreements/non competition agreements and understanding which employees are exempt from overtime and when can workers be treated properly as independent contractors versus employees; (3) the need for appropriate ownership agreements if the business has more than one owner; (4) the need for appropriate insurance cov-

greater charlotte biz

erage, including casualty and business interruption insurance as well as life insurance for key employees; (5) the need for appropriate contracts for vendors, customers (with appropriate warranties) and employees; (6) the need for appropriate securities documents and processes for raising Robert Norris money (i.e., private placement memorandum and disclosures) if outside investors are brought in; (7) the need for adequate protection of intellectual property (including business name, logos, etc.) through applying for copyrights, trademarks, patents, etc.; and (8) if applicable, how to properly calculate sales and use taxes.

The issues set forth above due by no means constitute all of the important issues an owner should consider at startup.

Depending on the nature and type of business, there are many other issues which should be addressed. For instance, a business which is regulated by either state or federal law must be organized and operated in accordance with these laws. No two businesses are exactly the same—which is why many of the issues described above include the word “appropriate.” Owners should be careful when using other owner’s “forms” when organizing their entity. For instance, there are major differences between a limited liability company (“LLC”) in North Carolina which is organized as “manager-managed” versus “member-managed.” An owner who checks the wrong block in an “Articles of Organization” form for an LLC can cause confusion going forward in terms of who exactly has the authority to manage and control the LLC. Many of these issues are best addressed at startup rather than 30 years later when the owner is attempting to maximize his “after tax” return on the sale of the assets of his company. Some owners who have extremely valuable real estate which has always been owned by a C corporation are surprised to find that upon sale of the assets of the C corporation, the appreciated real estate is “double taxed”—first at the C corporation tax level and then at the owner’s level. This double tax could have been avoided had the owner initially placed his real estate in a separate LLC and leased the real estate to the C corporation.

We recommend that an owner starting a business seek competent legal, tax, and other “appropriate” advice in order to educate himself as to all of the “issues” his particular company is likely to face and then, with the help of these advisors, plan accordingly.

Next month we will discuss other “transitions” and the corresponding issues an owner faces after startup.

Robert Norris is managing partner of Wishart, Norris, Henninger & Pittman, P.A., a law firm which focuses on helping business owners define and achieve their business and personal objectives. Contact him at 704-364-0010 or visit www.wnhplaw.com.

december 2007

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[bizXperts] Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

strategic planning: a waste of time?

Year-end is a time for resolutions. In the business world, it seems like the perfect time to think about cleaning out the corporate closets, scheduling a retreat and venturing into some bold strategic planning.

A word of caution: with the wrong conditions, strategic planning can be a huge waste of resources. The process takes time to develop, and the event takes time to attend; it can affect revenue generation, and can be expensive to produce. We should take a hard look at what the process delivers.

Strategic planning is calculated action to achieve desired, longterm results. By design, a strategic plan is based upon assumptions about how an organization works. However, it is likely that any number of these assumptions is false or outdated. A lot can happen in a year.

For example, people develop opinions about what their company is capable of accomplishing. Others are resigned to believe that things can’t change. And sometimes, for various reasons, the company and its employees can start to see the corporate vision differently.

The result that we encounter is executives wondering why their teams aren’t “getting the job done” with regard to its great, new, expensive strategic plan. Why aren’t employees behaving tactically and holding up their end of the deal? The simple answer: because there is no deal.

Strategic planning is about what a company is doing and where it wants to be. To create commitment, we need to address what the company is being and who is part of the mission. We refer to this as strategic visioning—and it is the vital prerequisite step to any major initiative.

Mike Whitehead We don’t take a race car to the track without tuning it up. And we shouldn’t load up our people with an ambitious new plan without paying attention to each individual responsible for implementing it. Creating alignment between a company’s vision and its people is the keystone to success.

If we want our people to show up for the mission, they need more than a task list and targets. Address what they need to personify the mission. Then together fashion a list of bold declarations about what the company is being to create the vision.

There is a time and a place for the strategic planning process.

However, when a company is being its vision, then more often than not the action to support its goals occurs very naturally.

Mike Whitehead is president of Whitehead Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in leadership and culture development. Contact him at 704-366-5335 or visit www.whiteheadassociates.com.

staying in touch with the mobile work force How often do your coworkers or customers call you only to get the message saying, “I am not at my desk right now…” You could be at a client’s office, a branch office, off-site meeting, at home, or en route between any of these places. Even if you are in the office, you may be away from your desk—in a meeting room, in the hallway, conference room or any other part of the building. At this point, your caller may leave a message only to hang up and call you on your cell phone.

Mobility features can make it much easier for both colleagues and customers to reach you. By publishing one number (your office number), it will not matter to the caller where you are or what device you are using. The caller simply dials a direct number, or is transferred to an office extension, and that device simultaneously rings your cell phone. With the ringing of both devices, the office phone system maintains control of the phone call offering you the option to seamlessly transfer the call to your desk phone or to another person in the office.

If it is a business call that can be handled by someone in the office, you can now transfer that call to any of your staff who are in the office. You can also have the option of toggling between a cell call and your desk phone as you enter and leave your office. By switching calls from wireless networks and cutting down on cell

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phone use, this integrated communications solution helps reduce costs considerably, and also helps to improve the business processes for managing communications.

Rhonda Morgan People can and do communicate with their colleagues and customers while they’re out of the office using multiple devices. In many cases, they have to call many different numbers to reach them only to leave messages in multiple mail boxes. Mobile workers are constrained by the fact that their cell phones are on a separate network from the office phone system, so they don’t have access to all the calling features and productivity tools that are available on the office phones. It is essential for any business to provide its mobile work force the best communication tools to get access to the right people at the right time.

Rhonda Morgan is vice president and general manager of ATCOM Business Telecom Solutions. Contact her at 704-6022902 or visit www.atcombts.com.

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Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

[bizXperts]

and, why are you asking me that?

It’s 8:55 a.m. and you were just reminded that you have a 9:00 a.m. interview. Where’s that resume, you wonder as you shuffle through the papers on your desk.

If this has happened to you, and it has to most business owners and managers, you’ve got a problem. But, you already knew that, didn’t you?

If HR isn’t your main responsibility, you’re juggling your “real job” with the task of interviewing and hiring a new employee, something you probably weren’t trained to do.

Developing a plan will help you do a better job and save you time. Follow these steps: Review the current job description and amend it as needed. If you don’t have a job description, write one. You can’t know what you need to hire if you can’t articulate the job on paper.

Use the job description to develop a standard set of interview questions. This helps you ensure that your questions are job related.

For legal reasons, you want to stick to job-related questions. Use the same questions for each candidate, both for fairness and to allow you to compare more easily.

Decide what correct answers to your questions should sound like. If you don’t know, don’t ask the question. If you’re looking for someone

who is organized, for instance, what does “organized” sound like? What description would indicate to you that they are organized?

Develop exercises based on job duties and administer them consistently to candidates. Instead of asking if they know Excel, for instance, develop an exerDenise Altman cise that would typify an Excel challenge on the job and have them perform the task. Actions DO speak louder than words.

Use appropriate behavioral assessments to profile what temperament is most needed for the job and to see if candidates will be a fit to those requirements.

Finally, develop a scorecard to help you score each candidate at the conclusion of the interview. Again, it will be easier to compare candidates this way.

If you have all of this ready ahead of time, you won’t stumble into an interview without knowing your next step. Your candidate will appreciate it, and you’ll have a better chance of making a good hire.

Denise Altman is president of Altman Initiative Group, Inc., helping companies hire and retain productive employees. Contact her at 704315-9090 or visit www.altmaninitiative.com.

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december 2007

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[employersbiz] Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers MRSA in the Workplace Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as “staph,” is a type of bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Sometimes, staph can cause an infection. Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these skin infections are minor (such as pustules and boils) and can be treated without antibiotics. However, staph bacteria also can cause serious infections (such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) refers to types of staph that are resistant to a type of antibiotic methicillin. MRSA is often resistant to other antibiotics, as well. While 25 percent to 30 percent of the population is colonized with staph (meaning that bacteria are present, but not causing an infection with staph), approximately 1 percent is colonized with MRSA. Can I get MRSA from someone at work?

MRSA is transmitted most frequently by direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else’s infection (e.g., towels, used bandages). MRSA skin infections can occur anywhere; however, some settings have factors that make it easier for MRSA to be transmitted. These factors, referred to as the 5 Cs, are as follows: Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness. Locations where the 5 Cs are common include schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers.

If I have MRSA, can I go to work?

Unless directed by a healthcare provider, workers with MRSA infections should not be routinely excluded from going to work. Exclusion from work should be reserved for those with wound drainage (“pus”) that cannot be covered and contained with a clean, dry bandage and for those who cannot maintain good hygiene practices. Workers with active infections should be excluded from activities where skin-to-skin contact is likely to occur until their infections are healed.

If I have staph, or a MRSA skin infection, what can I do to prevent the spread of MRSA at work and at home?

You can prevent spreading staph or MRSA skin infections to others by following these steps: Cover your wound. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the wound.

Bandages or tape can be discarded with the regular trash.

Clean your hands. You, your family, and others in close contact should wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.

Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal

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items such as uniforms, personal protective equipment, clothing, towels, washcloths or razors that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage.

Talk to your doctor. Tell any healthcare providers who treat you that you have or had a staph or MRSA skin infection.

What should I do if my uniform, clothing, personal protective equipment or workstation becomes contaminated with MRSA? Wash uniforms, clothing, sheets and towels that become soiled with water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes. Clean contaminated equipment and surfaces with detergent-based.

What can my boss (employers) do to prevent the spread of staph or MRSA at the workplace?

• Place importance on worker safety and health protection in the workplace • Ensure the availability of adequate facilities and supplies that encourage workers to practice good hygiene • Ensure that routine housekeeping in the workplace is followed • Ensure that contaminated equipment and surfaces are cleaned with detergent-based cleaners or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE COSTS INCREASE Employer health care costs are expected to rise 8.7 percent in 2008 according to the Lincolnshire, Ill.-based human resources consulting company Hewitt Associates. In 2007, costs rose only 5.3 percent, although in 2006 they rose 7.9 percent.

Hewitt predicts that the average actual dollar cost per employee for major companies will rise to $8,676 in 2008, up from $7,982 in 2007. Employees’ total health care costs are expected to rise 10.1 percent to $3,597 in 2008, from $3,266 in 2007. The amount employees will be asked to contribute toward premium costs will rise to $1,859 in 2008, up from $1,690 in 2007.

The employee contribution will represent about 21 percent of the overall health care premium according to Hewitt.

Average employee out-of-pocket costs, such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles, also are expected to rise to $1,738 in 2008, from $1,576 in 2007. The average cost per individual for major companies is expected to rise from $9,277 in 2007 to $10,112 in 2008 for indemnity plans; $1,957 to $8,673 for HMOs; $8,573 to $9,302 for POS plans; and $7,790 to $8,452 for PPOs. Bulletin to Management, 10/2/07

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Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers [employersbiz] THIS ISN’T LAS VEGAS — What happens at the office holiday party often does not stay there!

While office holiday parties can help spread camaraderie and good cheer, employers are well advised to remember that what happens at an office holiday party often does not stay there. Holiday parties can be the source of employer liability for sexual harassment, alcoholrelated accidents, or even workers’ compensation for injuries sustained on the dance floor when normally sedentary workers attempt the “the Electric Slide.”

• Ensure that the company’s policy against harassment is up to date and that the policy mentions that the rules apply to all company functions, even those conducted off the premises.

• Instruct supervisors that they are expected to set an example at company social functions and to respond appropriately to improper behavior by employees or their guests.

• Consider inviting spouses and/or partners since their presence can have a “leveling” effect on conduct.

If serving alcohol consider the following tips: • Serve foods that slow the absorption of alcohol, such as those high in protein or starch.

• Avoid greasy and salty foods, which tend to encourage more alcohol consumption.

• Review your insurance policies for alcohol-related exclusions.

• Offer nonalcoholic beverages.

• Provide employees a limited number of drink tickets.

• Do not use employees to tend bar or provide alcohol.

• Make sure that bartenders have been trained not to over-pour drinks and not to serve those who appear to be intoxicated.

• To limit harm and liability, make sure bartenders have been trained to handle rowdy guests.

• Hire an off-duty police officer or security specialist to work during and after the party.

• Do not serve alcoholic punch or other beverages that make it difficult to gauge how much alcohol one consumes.

• Designate someone, preferably a supervisor, to refrain from drinking to monitor the party with event staff to curtail excessive serving of alcohol.

• Provide enough food and entertainment so that drinking is not the party’s focus.

• Close the bar an hour or so before the

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party ends.

• Arrange for designated drivers, reduced cab fares or hotel room rates, or offer to pay cab or hotel expense if employees obviously are alcohol-impaired.

Excerpts taken from BNA and SHRM biz The Employers Association is a nonprofit Charlotte organization providing comprehensive

human resources and training services. Founded in 1958, the Association maintains a broadbased membership of over 800 companies from all industries in the greater Charlotte region.

The above excerpts were taken from The Management Report, the Association’s monthly newsletter. For more information, please call Laura Hampton at 704-522-8011 or visit the Web site at www.employersassoc.com.

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[bizprofile]

by ellison clary

Suds Above The Rest DEB sanitizes the market

T

he hygienically correct hands of 75 workers at an eastern Gaston County factory figuratively touch millions of grubby paws throughout the United States. These 150 hands help manufacture hundreds of cleansing products for institutions such as airports, hospitals and schools.

Their Stanley plant (Food and Drug Administration-approved) is U.S. headquarters for DEB SBS, Inc., part of a privately held global handcleaning concern called DEB Group based in Belper, Derbyshire, U.K. DEB SBS traces its roots back a century to Saginaw, Michigan. The DEB Group bought what was called SBS about 20 years ago and a decade later moved it to Gaston County. Shortly afterward, President Allen Soden signed on, having built a career as an executive with a hand-care products manufacturer in Atlanta.

Soden studied marketing at the University of Florida and, at 60, remains a rabid Gator fan. He earned an executive M.B.A. at Emory University in Atlanta, where he still maintains a home, in addition to his Charlotte residence.

Cleaning Up Soden is an unabashed missionary for better hand hygiene in the workplace and other institutional settings—actually anywhere outside the home, which is where his company’s products are used.

“There’s a real connection between proper hand-washing

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and the reduction of infections,” says the ebullient Soden, who professes to cleanse his hands at least 10 times a day.

How much does the average American wash his or her hands? Soden shakes his head. “Not nearly enough,” he says with a sad smile. Then his eyes widen as he mentions that 40 to 50 percent of Americans don’t wash their hands after they !

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Allen Soden President DEB SBS, Inc.

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Foaming With Ideas Just before Soden arrived in Stanley, DEB SBS created and patented a foam cleansing product. It also patented a protective dispenser that keeps bacteria out.

With that, as Soden puts it, “Our little company changed the industry. There’s not a single competitor that doesn’t use foam, and they had avoided it, because they had all their machinery based on gel-type products.”

Risk management executives, such as those who work for supermarket chains, quickly see the advantage of foam, Soden continues. If gel spills on a floor, it is slippery and can cause falls. But if the

“Five years from now, this plant will be a third bigger, we will have a bigger piece of market share and we will have a reputation of being the leader in this category.”

- Allen Soden, President visit the restroom.

“Right now there is a lot of attention to MRSA and the antibiotic resistant super bugs that cause it,” he continues, touching on the growing concern about sanitary conditions in hospitals and medical centers as well as in schools, including secondary classrooms in the greater Charlotte region.

“The soaps we manufacture are important in preventing the spread of MRSA, as well as colds, flu and other common infectious diseases,” he says.

Certainly, Soden wants Americans to use the products produced in his unassuming plant with 70,000 square feet on Highway 27. And increasingly, they have that opportunity, as DEB SBS continues to grow its share of the $1 billion institutional hygiene market.

“We’re probably the fastest-growing company in the entire category,” Soden says, adding the company ranks third in

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the United States where the leaders are Georgia Pacific and Kimberly-Clark. DEB SBS does less than $50 million in U.S. sales annually, but that number has been increasing by about 30 percent a year, he adds.

Health care is the fastest growing sales area. Besides airports, hospitals and schools, the market segment in which DEB SBS operates includes nursing homes and food processing facilities.

Soden can’t help emphasizing his firm’s reach. “If you take an airplane to Alaska, you’re using our products,” he says. “If you go to a football game in major stadiums in the United States, professional or college, you’re going to wash your hands with our products.”

foam that DEB SBS makes should fall under foot, it turns flaky and dissipates.

“Foam is great because it uses less water,” Soden adds. “It activates on the hands much quicker. People enjoy using it. The entire foam process encourages better hand washing. You want someone to use something not because they have to but because it’s enjoyable.”

At other locations, the company makes dispensers featuring cartoon-like illustrations that appeal to children and help instill hygienic habits.

Making More Than Bubbles Soden’s missionary zeal extends to leading visitors on plant tours, a fairly regular occurrence. Busloads of customers and

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prospects show up to troop through the facility. Soden says he never announces tours in advance because he wants people to see the factory in its everyday mode.

Visitors first must take off jewelry for sanitary purposes (it might fall into a soap vat), and of course, they must wash their hands. On entering the production area, one of their first sights is a counter where employees go through a three-step skin care process daily. They use DEB SBS products—liquids, lotions, gels and foams—to protect their skin from chemicals, contaminants and irritants; they cleanse their skin of dirt, grease and germs; and they restore their skin to its natural state. If people in the workplace and in health care as well as those who teach children followed these processes, Soden

preaches, there would be less absenteeism at work and in schools.

Next, a visitor is likely to encounter plant manager John Campbell, a Gaston County native who’s quick with facts.

There are seven highly automated production lines. The company works two shifts daily, starting at 7:00 a.m. and ending at midnight. Saturday shifts pop up at least once a month. Between 700 and 800 one-liter cartridges cross each line daily. The plant produces soap and sanitizing-related products in sizes from 50 milliliters up to one gallon bottles, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Campbell’s crew churns out 1.5 million to 2 million pounds of product monthly.

Campbell says he could produce 6 million to 8 million pounds with a 24/7 operation and possibly 90 employees. !

“We manufacture in America and we can compete because what we make is the right quality – people really want quality.”

- Allen Soden, President

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that makes things in “This area has a the U.S.A., and we high quality worker,” grow every month.” says Campbell, who Soden picks up on joined DEB SBS two that. “We manufacture years ago. “People in America and we can have a great work compete because what ethic. It’s bred in we make is the right their families.” quality—people really Campbell catches want quality,” he says.

Shane McGinnis of Innovation and a Lincolnton. The fornimble bent help, too. mer landscaper found As Campbell and techDEB SBS after he marnical director Mahen ried and children Mehta list the compostarted coming along. nents of soap, they He was looking for mention the main insurance and other ingredient sodium laubenefits. Soden brags reth sulfate as well as about the benefits tallow acid, which is package and McGinnis animal fat. readily calls his That reminds employer a “great Soden of a new prodcompany.” uct line. “We had a Campbell, who rabbi in here a few earned a Chemical weeks ago,” he Engineering degree at smiles. “Some comClemson University, panies are asking us comes from a textile for kosher soap. We family, and he hires substituted some of lots of folks who have the livestock ingredispent time in mills. ent with synthetics.

“You get somebody We got passed as that’s worked in the kosher, which is a textile industry and growing market.” you know you’re Climbing metal going to get a great steps, visitors stare worker, because into 5,000-gallon they’re used to worktanks where various ing hard,” Campbell Plant Manager John Campbell and President Allen Soden inside the Gaston County facility. products are created says. with a mix of ingredients. One tank holds Education is important, too. Campbell a white, waterless hand cleaner for says the education level in the western “The great thing about our mechanics. It’s favored by NASCAR Piedmont is improving rapidly. process is we have very little because it works on really grimy hands. It “We pride ourselves on quality, “he uses corn meal as an abrasive to emulsify adds. “You’ve got to have some brains to waste. Most of the leftover grease, which is another patented product work here. You have to have a high school water is okay for regular according to Soden. diploma and any college helps. A manufacdrains and the fraction with Again with an eye to quality, Soden turing background helps, too.” says he decided a few years back to desoap in it goes to a nearby ionize the water the plant gets from the Plant Manager Finds chemical company for recyCity of Stanley. That makes it softer and Growth Exciting cling. We have no issue with further filters contaminants.

The 41-year-old Campbell says he likes “The great thing about our process,” the challenge of his position. “I’ve never been emissions.”

Campbell chimes, “is we have very little with a company this exciting, with this kind waste. Most of the leftover water is okay of growth,” he says. “You work for a company - John Campbell, Plant Manager

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for regular drains and the fraction with soap in it goes to a nearby chemical company for recycling. We have no issue with emissions,” he adds.

Soden and Campbell stress plant cleanliness because it equates to safety. “If soap hits the floor, we clean it up right away,” Campbell says. “To my knowledge, we’ve never had a serious accident here.”

Last year, Soden says, he took safety a step further and installed a defibrillator, then trained employees to use it.

A safety measure for customers is the quarantine area that all raw materials pass through when they reach the plant. They stay there until the DEB SBS lab can test a sample. “The lab makes sure it is what it’s supposed to be,” Campbell says. “Then we use it.”

Another room houses samples of every product—several hundred—the plant produces, for purposes of reference on its contents.

The huge product line leads Campbell to what he calls the hardest part of his job. “If a customer wants something, we’re going to make it for them,” he

smiles. “In manufacturing, that causes problems. We make many different sizes and products. But this is America. We want what we want. So at the plant, we have to be flexible.”

A sales force of 45 spread across the country keeps the orders, standard and oddsized, flowing in. Campbell says the plant ships 1,200 to 1,500 orders a month.

Soden sees that number continuing to rise. “Five years from now,” Soden says, “this plant will be a third bigger, we will have a bigger piece of market share, and

we will have a reputation of being the leader in this category.”

Unlike other companies that make products besides hand-cleaners, Soden says DEB SBS will stick to one area. “We don’t do anything else; this factory produces strictly hand-care products,” he says.

“We want to really show that an improvement in health and wellness in the workplace can be accomplished through proper hand-care systems.” biz Ellison Clary is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

DEB SBS, Inc. 1100 Highway 27 South Stanley, N.C. 28164 Phone: 704-263-7190; 800-248-7190 Subsidiary of: DEB Group based in Belper, Derbyshire, U.K. Principals: Allen Soden, President; John Campbell, Plant Manager Established: As SBS in Saginaw, Mich., a century ago; DEB SBS headquartered in Stanley in 1997 Physical Plant: 70,000 square feet Employees: 75 Annual sales: Less than $50 million Business: Manufacturer of soap products found in dispensing systems in restrooms and bathroom areas of schools, airports, office buildings, hospitals, universities and other institutions throughout the United States. www.debsbs.com

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(l-r): Patrick Fowler, President Ken Garcia, Co-founder and CEO Carrie Garcia, Co-founder and Office Manager Jeffery Collins, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Halo Technologies, Inc.

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by casey jacobus

[bizprofile]

THE SCIENCE OF CLEAN Halo Makes a Clean Sweep of the Competition

H

alo Technologies is an amazing success story in which a couple of entrepreneurs combined what they knew with what they wanted, and brought an entirely new product to the marketplace.

About five years ago, Ken Garcia and his wife Carrie had the idea of combining the powerful cleaning and germ-killing ultraviolet light technology with the latest innovations in lightweight vacuum cleaners to produce a revolutionary new machine. The Halo Ultraviolet Vacuum kills dust mites, mold, bacteria, lice, fleas and viruses, including influenza, without using chemicals, at the same time it delivers top vacuuming performance with powerful suction and a high-output motor.

In an incredibly short time, Garcia was able to find the people who would design, engineer and build the Halo. He recruited two partners, Patrick Hurley and Jeff Collins, who complimented his own set of skills and experience, and together they chose Charlotte as the place to launch their new business.

Two years after incorporation, Halo Technologies is selling over 50,000 Halo vacuums a year through distributors like Sears, Best Buy, Amazon.com and Bed Bath and Beyond. Good Housekeeping magazine has pronounced the Halo “the most innovative vacuum of the year.”

“There were hundreds of issues along the way,” laughs Garcia. “Every

greater charlotte biz

time we came to a ‘full stop’, we always found a way around it.”

An Idea is Born The Halo story actually begins with the birth of the Garcias’ triplets seven years ago. Addison, Bennett, and Carson Garcia were premature, each weighing just over two pounds, and they faced compromised immune systems. The boys spent almost three months in the sterile environment of a neonatal hospital nursery. Ken, and wife Carrie, had to scrub in and don hospital gowns to visit the tiny babies. When the babies were ready to come home, their parents wanted to be able to provide them with the same clean environment to which they were accustomed. !

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“Even small doses of UVC seem to have a fairly significant effect on American house dust mite reproduction. We have found that as little as one second of UVC results in the death of American house dust mite (AHD) eggs, and 5 seconds resulted in nearly 100 percent mortality. UVC has the potential to break the life cycle of the American house dust mite by killing the embryonic stage, thus stopping the production of allergenic proteins in feces and exuviae (cast skins).” ~Dr. Glen Needham, Ph.D. “Ultraviolet C Exposure is Fatal to House Dust Mite Eggs” “We were advised to rip up all the carpeting in the house,” says Ken. “Surprised, we did research that showed us just how dirty home carpeting really is.”

The Garcias discovered that a square yard of carpet can contain more than 100,000 dust mites. Dust mite waste and fecal matter can create forty pounds of dust a year in a 1,500 square foot house.

Exposure to dust mites in the first year of a baby’s life can trigger a lifelong allergy or even asthma. Multiple studies have shown that successive vacuuming with traditional vacuums can not significantly reduce dust mite populations.

Bacteria also thrive in carpet, even new carpet. Indoor levels of many bacteria can be two to five times that of outdoor bacteria and can lead to bothersome smells and even salmonella infection.

Fleas, as well, can thrive in pile carpeting and ticks can live in carpets for months in

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a dormant state without food.

“We knew that dust mites are the number one cause of allergies,” continues Ken, “and they are a factor in 50 to 80 percent of all asthma cases. Also, asthma in children has more than doubled since 1980.”

The Garcias were reluctant to tear out their carpeting. But, with three small babies, they were spending most of their time on the floor. Here they fed the boys, played with them, and read to them. As infants, the triplets enjoyed “tummy time” on the floor and soon they were crawling and could no longer be confined to quilts or blankets that could be washed.

“We realized that even though we vacuumed our carpet, it was still not clean.

We needed to be able to clean beyond a traditional vacuum cleaner,” says Carrie Garcia. “Short of removing the carpet completely, we needed another solution.”

Seeing the Light Having triplets was both a humbling experience and one that changed Ken Garcia’s life significantly. Garcia, now 38, grew up in Houston Texas. He graduated from Cornell University in New York State, where he met Carrie, and then the University of Texas Law School. He was a practicing attorney before the children were born, but he soon went to work for Ecovation, a water treatment company in Victor, New York, just outside Rochester.

When he started working for Ecovation, the company was in “a world of trouble,” according to Garcia. “They had 14 employees and couldn’t make payroll.”

Garcia revamped the management system of the failing company and grew the business, which was recently named the number one fastest growing business in Rochester and the fourteenth fastest growing business in the country.

Ecovation advised its clients to use UVC light to disinfect water. Garcia knew that hospitals also used UV light to disinfect surgical rooms and equipment. It occurred to him that perhaps this technology could likewise be used to disinfect carpeting.

Garcia sent his ideas in a two to three page fax to Dr. James R. Bolton of Bolton Photosciences, Inc. Bolton is a leading industry expert on UVC technology and applications, with over 250 published works, and is currently the Executive Director of the International Ultraviolet Association. Upon receiving his fax, Bolton called Garcia almost immediately to say the concept was a great idea and to offer his help in developing the specific UVC technology necessary for a vacuum cleaner.

In addition, KEK Engineering (a consumer products engineering and design firm in Rochester) was willing to help design what the new machine would look like.

The ultraviolet component of sunlight is the main reason microbes die in the outside air. In particular, research has shown that ultraviolet rays with wavelengths of 253.7nm are optimal for killing microorganisms, such as dust mites. The Halo patent-pending UVC bulb was designed and engineered to emit UV rays at exactly 253.7 nm. This wavelength is in the range commonly called the “germicidal bandwidth”: because such wavelengths deacti-

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vate the DNA of these microorganisms and thus destroy their ability to multiply and cause disease.

In early 2005 Halo engaged Dr. Glen Needham, PhD. to test the effectiveness of the Halo Vacuum on dust mites. Dr. Needham is a professor of Entomology and Acarology (the study of mites) at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

He is one of the leading experts on dust mites in the world. After running tests on the Halo Vacuum bulb chamber, Dr. Needham presented his findings to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma

greater charlotte biz

and Immunology under the title “Ultraviolet C Exposure is Fatal to House Dust Mite Eggs.”

The study concluded that: “Even small doses of UVC seem to have a fairly significant effect on American house dust mite reproduction. We have found that as little as one second of UVC results in the death of American house dust mite (AHD) eggs, and 5 seconds resulted in nearly 100 percent mortality. UVC has the potential to break the life cycle of the American house dust mite by killing the embryonic stage, thus stopping the production of allergenic proteins in feces and exuviae (cast skins).”

Given the success of their tests on the American house dust mite, the team at The Ohio State University then proceeded to test fleas and lice with similar positive results.

Garcia now had a bulb chamber

that was proven to effectively kill germs through ultraviolet technology. But he was determined to incorporate the bulb chamber with a traditional vacuum cleaner.

The Idea Becomes Upright “Carrie was adamant,” says Ken. “Don’t give her another process to do before or after vacuuming; give her a machine that would kill germs while it cleaned. In fact, she came up with the name for the Halo, saying she wanted to feel so good about what she was doing for her family while she cleaned that she would feel there was a ‘halo’ around her head.”

The new machine had to be lightweight; it had to be as effective as traditional vacuum cleaners with the traditional above floor attachments, and its filtration had to be the very best. The Halo UVX Ultraviolet Upright Vacuum Cleaner meets all those requirements. At just 17 pounds, it is easy to use and maneuver.

With two powerful motors, one for suction and the other to drive the brush bar, it delivers top performance. Disposable dust filter bags are made with high quality !

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HEPA material to provide maximum air filtration. And, it comes with a 13-foot detachable hose, crevice tool and dusting brush that store on the machine, for cleaning stairs, furniture and fabrics.

However, Garcia ran into trouble when he tried finding a company to manufacture his new machine. Finally, after several trips to China, he found the answer. At this point, Halo went into over drive production.

Making a Clean Sweep Today, Halo is selling its products as fast as it can manufacture them, at a rate of over 50,000 thousand this year. The company has two vacuums, the Halo UV-ST, which retails for $499, and a smaller version, the Halo UVX, which sells for $399, and disposable filter replacement bags for both cleaners.

“Our biggest problem is that we can’t produce enough to meet demand,” says Garcia. “We’re constantly having to tell retailers we’re going to be late with their order.”

So much has happened in such a short time. By the time Halo Technologies, Inc incorporated in April 2005, Garcia had acquired two partners. Jeff Collins was working for Dyson in Chicago and Patrick Hurley, Garcia’s roommate at the University of Texas, was a lawyer in Dallas. Garcia was still working for Ecovation in New York.

“None of us wanted to relocate to Chicago, Dallas or Rochester, so we tried to find a common location to launch the product that made sense,” says Garcia.

“Since 73 percent of the consumer outlet stores are east of the Mississippi, we started looking along the Eastern seaboard. We discovered that 55 to 60 percent of all retail stores are within a one-day truck trip of Charlotte. Besides, the climate’s great and the people are nice.”

So they made Charlotte the new home for Halo Technologies and 13 out of Halo’s 17 employees relocated to Charlotte. Garcia says it is easy to attract good employees because the cost of living is reasonable and Charlotte is a growing and energized place.

Both Garcias, Hurley and Collins, despite different titles on their business cards, share the work of running and

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growing the young company.

“Our work is completely interchangeable,” says Garcia. “No one here is territorial.

We have complete confidence and trust in one another.”

Consequently, while Collins is “fantastic at sales” and heads up the marketing, Hurley, who is technically in charge of operations is also involved in sales, and Ken Garcia also participates in marketing. Carrie Garcia has a hand in a little bit of everything as office manager.

Garcia estimates that the development of the Halo has cost over $5 million and the marketing and ad campaign will cost another $20 million over the next year and a half. The company has about 30 investors.

Halo has paired up with Charlotte’s own BooneOakley, launching ads nationally to introduce the Halo targeting women with kids under 10. The media mix includes are a 44 foot by 34 foot 3-D billboard in New York’s Times Square, television spots on

such shows as “Today,” “Ellen,” “Wheel of Fortune” and “Entertainment Tonight,” print ads in such magazines as People, Oprah, Parenting, Real Simple and Parents, and direct-response materials.

One commercial features swirling light patterns and the words, “Just before dying dust mites report seeing a brilliant flash of light,” referring to the Halo’s ultraviolet germ-killing system.

While the company has seen incredible growth since its inception, Garcia expects much more in the next five years. He also

expects the company to move into more product development, including both floor care products and non-floor care products.

“We have determined there is a significant market for our product,” says Garcia.

“And, we have set incredibly high expectations for ourselves. Our goal is to make a meaningful impact on the lives of our employees and our customers. We really intend to make a difference; just how big a difference, we don’t know yet.” biz Casey Jacobus is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Halo Technologies, Inc. 13310 South Ridge Drive, Suite C Charlotte, N.C. 28273 Phone: 980-297-7100 Principals: Ken Garcia, Co-founder and CEO; Patrick Hurley, President; Jeff Collins, Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Carrie Garcia, Co-founder and Office Manager Established: 2005 Employees: 17 Business: Manufactures and distributes Halo vacuum cleaner which uses ultraviolet technology to rid the home of bacteria, viruses (including influenza), mold, dust mites and other health hazards that traditional vacuum cleaners leave behind; significant for asthma and allergy sufferers to help reduce indoor allergens; first vacuum UVX introduced in June 2007 at $399 and new vacuum UV-ST being introduced now at $499.

Awards/Certifications: “Most innovative vacuum of the year,” Good Housekeeping, 2007 www.halocompany.com; www.gethalo.com

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photo: Wayne Morris

Patrick (Pat) C. Riley President and COO Allen Tate Co., Inc.

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by ellison clary

[bizprofile]

Leading The Way

Allen Tate Companies Move Charlotte Forward

“We’ve just celebrated our 50th anniversary and, quite frankly, I believe we’ve only begun,” says the president and chief operating officer of the largest and most productive residential real estate firm in the Carolinas. “We have always had our sights on being the premiere, market-dominant, independent broker in North and South Carolina.

“We are now in the Charlotte region, the Triad, and the Triangle,” he continues with a calm but self-assured manner. “And we are doing very, very well in all three. Over time, we need to connect the dots and fill in the spaces between those three great regions.”

Clearly, Riley and his leadership team at the Allen Tate Company have no thoughts of resting on their laurels, even though they are impressive. For 2006, more than 17,100 people chose Allen Tate to list and market their homes. Based on closed transactions in 2006, the Allen Tate Company, also known as Allen Tate Realtors, ranked ninth among the top 500 largest real estate brokerage firms nationally and fifth among the largest privately owned, non-franchised brokers.

When prodded, Riley issues a confident prediction about annual sales. “We’re now at $6.78 billion,” he says. “It should be $10 billion within a couple of years.”

Building an Empire If Riley seems comfortable running the juggernaut that bears the name of legendary Charlotte Realtor Allen Tate, perhaps it’s because he helped build it. When Tate brought Riley into his company in January 1992, the company had five offices. In early 2008, the company will open its 50th office, this one in the Steele Creek area of southwest Charlotte. !

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CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE Family Of Companies Simplifies Homeowner Concerns Eliminating the annoyances of buying and owning a home, says Pat Riley, is the aim of the family of firms that Allen Tate Co., Inc. has created.

This hope of this altruistic-sounding endeavor is that these seven entities will entice customers to make Allen Tate their real estate company for life.

Americans are infatuated with owning their own home, explains the president and chief operating officer of the residential real estate company that is the Carolinas’ largest. Buying a home is the biggest investment most people make, he says, and owning a home is a concept that people love because of appreciation and tax deductions and other advantages.

“What bugs them is the stuff that goes with the home,” he adds, “the maintenance, keeping it insured, making sure there’s no title issues, making sure their property is what it’s supposed to be.”

So the Allen Tate Company looked at the convenience renters know—they can call someone to fix any problem. The company used that model to create a family of companies to serve Allen Tate home buyers.

And unlike some companies that call themselves full-service, Riley says, the Allen Tate Family of Companies offers choices. If an Allen Tate buyer seeks help with insurance, for instance, he or she can get quotes from many different firms.

“We own the insurance company,” Riley smiles. “When we say to our customers for life, ‘Let us get you insurance quotes,’ we’re going to make sure we can get them better coverage at a better rate, if possible. Same with mortgage. We don’t have one mortgage partner. Our mortgage company represents investors around the country.”

Lately, Allen Tate has concentrated on handyman services. It’s not for building decks or additions, but for “honey-do lists” that buyers and sellers inevitably have, Riley says. Handyman calls often concern heating or air conditioning, so Allen Tate has invested heavily in that area, he adds.

In addition to Allen Tate Realtors, the Allen Tate Family of Companies includes: Allen Tate Mortgage, affiliated with more than 40 local and national lenders that provide access to at least 1,500 loan programs.

Allen Tate Insurance, a full-service, independent insurance company representing top-rated national firms.

Allen Tate Relocation Services, which assists with individual or corporate moves to or from anywhere and provides information on a region’s schools, transportation, employment and recreation.

Allen Tate Home Services, with handyman, moving and security services exclusively for Allen Tate customers.

Builder Services Inc., which provides new home sales and marketing services to builders and developers.

Allen Tate School of Real Estate, providing pre-licensing, postlicensing, continuing education, professional development and specialty real estate courses for the general public.

Master Title Agency, the fastest-growing title agency in the Carolinas, which produced 3,883 title commitments in 2006. An affiliate, Commonwealth Title Agency, serves the Triad and Triangle markets.

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Allen Tate Company’s first location, established in April 1957, was in The Liberty Building at 112 S. Tryon Street. In 1958, the company moved to the Johnson Building. In 1961, the company moved to this location, 1522 E. 4th Street, pictured above.

Such dramatic growth isn’t new to Riley, 56. When he received his Business Administration degree from Indiana University in Pennsylvania, he decided to return to Lancaster, Pa., and help his dad grow a two-man realty firm. In eight years, he had expanded it to 150 employees.

He sold the company to B. Gary Scott Realtors, “the Allen Tate of Wilmington, Delaware,” he says. Riley helped lead the resulting firm, owned by Wilmington Savings Fund Bank (WSFB), for five years, expanding it into large swaths of New Jersey as well as Pennsylvania and Delaware.

When Scott retired, WSFD sold the company and Riley was at loose ends. He’d met Tate earlier when both were building a nationwide network of independent Realtors.

“I had and have great respect for Allen because he was and is the most visionary Realtor in the country,” Riley says. “He was not afraid to take a risk because he was a developer first, a builder second, and a Realtor third.”

To Riley, the future for Charlotte and the Carolinas was clear. “This is real estate Mecca,” he smiles.

“I could see where this “I had and have great respect for Allen [Tate] part of the because he was and is the most visionary Realcountry tor in the country. He was not afraid to take a was risk because he was a developer first, a builder going. I second, and a Realtor third.” also saw ~Pat Riley, President and COO Allen Tate Co., Inc. Allen as a visionary leader.”

Riley started with Allen Tate as senior vice president. After two years, he took his current titles.

Soon after he arrived in Charlotte, Riley and Tate began creating an international network of independent Realtors called Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. Unlike real estate franchises, the companies in the network that Riley and Tate forged

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PASSIONATE CHEERLEADER

Allen Tate Company moved to its new administrative offices and SouthPark sales office at Phillips Place in 2002.The buildings’s 38,326 square feet house approximately 230 employees and Realtors. and set in operation in 1997 are built on local brands.

“The most successful Realtors in America keep their independence, but they join the network for referrals and intellectual exchange,” Riley explains. “It’s a performance-driven network.

You can be asked to leave.”

50 Years Celebrated The Allen Tate Company spent much of 2007 celebrating its 50th anniversary, which officially occurred in April. The company dedicated the Barbara and Allen Tate Conference and Recital Hall at Central Piedmont Community College in memory of Allen Tate’s late wife. A huge Charlotte Convention Center party honored Realtors, “This is real estate Mecca. I could employees, see where this part of the country spouses was going. I also saw Allen [Tate] as a and visionary leader.” guests. A company ~Pat Riley, President and COO Allen Tate Co., Inc. history aired on two television stations. There was a gala for elected officials.

A sweepstakes ended with five people winning $10,000 each, receiving their checks on the 50-yard line at a Carolinas Panthers game. And each time the Panthers crossed the 50 this season, there has been an Allen Tate celebration.

At 76, chairman and founder Tate still reports to work six days a week and remains highly involved in civic life. But Riley says he feels no pressure, adding that Tate is like his second father.

“Allen has trusted me from the day I got here,” Riley says.

“There’s zero micro-managing. And he’s as cool as a cucumber.

When an issue or problem arises, he always says ‘Riley, this is an opportunity,’” Riley says, mimicking Tate’s raspy Southern accent.

Today, the Allen Tate Company boasts 1,600 Realtors and

greater charlotte biz

Riley Pushes Region, Focuses On Ways To Improve In Pat Riley, Charlotte Chamber President Bob Morgan sees a leader on a mission.

“Pat Riley by definition is a sales manager, and he is going to be the unabashed cheerleader for Charlotte,” Morgan says.

Riley agrees. He wants to share with his fellow Chamber volunteers, he says, his passion for leading the Charlotte region. The president and chief operating officer of Allen Tate Co., Inc. recently took over as Chamber chairman and will serve through November 2008.

“I look at the executive committee we assembled, and every one has a passion for the area they serve,” Riley says. He likes those who feel strongly about needs that his company sees, such as education and cultural-related pursuits.

“We know the perception of the schoolhouse at the end of the street can make or break the appreciation of those homes in the neighborhood,” he says. And an emphasis on the arts is vital to convince people in other parts of the country that an urban region in the South can appreciate culture.

He agrees with Morgan, Riley says, that Charlotte leadership should pay close attention to the cost of doing business here. Then he backs up to explain.

“There’s not one person who’s bought a residential home from us that came from somewhere else and said, ‘Boy, these taxes are high.’

Although, if you’ve lived here, all we hear about is taxes on the residents. That’s just resistance to change.”

But there is concern from a business standpoint, he believes. Business/corporate taxes and employment taxes need a closer look, he says, as do some other impediments to smooth commerce.

The red tape of going through the planning process, the approval process, permit process, the taxes coming from our state,” he clicks off on his fingers. “We are creeping up the ladder as it relates to the effects on businesses being successful when they come here.”

Economic development will remain a huge emphasis for the Riley-led Chamber, he says. He lauds the performance of The Chamber and various agencies in recruiting new corporate citizens. But he’d like to refine the focus.

“We have to be more surgical in what we’re going for,” he explains.

“We need to take the industries that are already here and go after the industries that will compliment them.”

“Look at David Murdock’s dream for food research at the N.C. Research Campus he’s building in Kannapolis,” Riley says. “There is much competition for that kind of industry so why not seek related companies that could compliment the campus if they located nearby? The same is true for the concentration of NASCAR racing shops near Mooresville and motor sports studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte,” he adds.

Transportation is also a big issue as it relates to Charlotte as well as the cities and towns throughout the region, Riley says. Leadership has to be more aggressive about local bonds for roads and other infrastructure, and perhaps champion a quarter-cent sales tax dedicated to those needs. “We’ve got to work on all moving parts,” he adds, “air, roads, sewer, water. Those are our biggest challenges, because the people are coming.”

He points to Charlotte’s short time as a sizeable city. “It’s turbulent being a teenager and creating something,” he says. “In 2008, The Chamber is going to be at the table when any major decision is being made, and we’re going to be leading it. That is a daunting responsibility.”

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400 other employees.

But Riley sees more coming.

“Our only challenge is not outrunning our supply line,” says Riley. “We have five offices in the Triangle and five under construction or in design. We have two offices under design in the Triad in addition to our 10 we already have.

In Charlotte, we have six offices on the drawing board or under construction.”

There is no timetable, Riley says, for when the company will branch into other Carolinas cities.

Yet the firm has developed and cultivated strong relationships with real estate brokers throughout the two states, who remain in close contact with Allen Tate. Sixteen such family-owned companies have joined the Allen Tate Company in the past nine years.

There’s a certain determination in his measured tones as Riley sets out this overall master plan. Ronnie Bryant, president of the Charlotte Regional Partnership,

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(left to right) Jack Regans,Manager,Allen Tate Home Services;Maia Williams,President,Builder Services,Inc.;Chris Cope, President,Allen Tate Mortgage;D.J.Stephan,President,Allen Tate Relocation Services; Pat Riley, President and COO, Allen Tate Co.; Rita Horton, Executive Director, Allen Tate School of Real Estate; Gary Scott, Senior Vice President, Allen Tate Realtors; Alex Whisenant, President, Allen Tate Insurance; (not pictured) Patrick Jackson, President, Master Title Agency

names it in a word: Passion.

“Since the moment I met Pat,” says the leader of the organization that recruits businesses to the Charlotte region, “I knew he was passionate. Through his personal actions, and the manner in which he guides Allen Tate Realtors, I’m convinced my first impression was correct.”

Riley readily agrees. If you ask anybody who works for the Allen Tate Company to describe him, Riley says, they will mention passion. “Probably the word comes out of my mouth three times a day.”

He vows to bring that passion to his tenure as president of the Charlotte Chamber, which just started and will last until November 2008.

“My message is, if you’re passionate about something, the leadership comes natural,” he says. “If you look at my Chamber

executive committee, every one of them has a passion for the area they serve.”

Cultivating Growth Good leaders such as those he’s assembled for The Chamber aren’t easy to find, Riley says, and that is perhaps his biggest challenge in real estate.

“The best Realtors, the best sales people, the best real estate counselors don’t always make the best leaders,” he says. “So there is a leadership void in our business.”

The company has formed an emerging leaders program and 15 people are in it.

When they finish, there’s a chance they will become a sales manager in a larger Allen Tate branch, then work their way up to branch manager or area manager.

“We have tremendous opportunity,” Riley says, citing the need for leaders in

THE TATEM POLE In January 2003, the Allen Tate Company partnered with the Arts & Science Council to host an “Artist in the Workplace.”

Terri Shipley, a ceramist, came on site and worked with Allen Tate Company agents and staff to create a unique piece of art representing the many facets of the company.

The “Tatem” stands as a reminder of the importance of fostering creativity in the workplace and connecting artists with employees in companies who support the advancement of arts, science and history in their communities.

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residential real estate as well as in the auxiliary Allen Tate companies such as mortgage. Riley recruited Chris Cope, president of Allen Tate Mortgage, from Florida.

D.J. Stephan, president of Allen Tate Relocation Services, came from Atlanta. Gary Scott, senior vice president and Pat’s right hand, is the son of the Gary Scott who bought the firm that Riley and the Scotts built in Pennsylvania.

The mortgage and relocation entities are part of the

Allen Tate Family of Companies that also includes Allen Tate Insurance, Allen Tate Home Services, Builder Services Inc., Master Title Agency and Allen Tate School of Real Estate. This family of firms ensures that the Allen Tate Company meets its aspiration to be a full-service real estate operation.

In 2007, the company enhanced the handyman offerings of Allen Tate Home Services, and invested heavily in providing heating and air conditioning services.

Riley looks for those areas to continue growing, and it gets him focused on the future again.

He points out that Tate now chairs a regional business transportation committee, with a concentration on regional road building and toll roads. Riley wants The Chamber to push financing for Mecklenburg County’s infrastructure needs. He agrees with Tate, he says, that Charlotte’s transit corridors really aren’t about trains, but have everything to do with stringing infrastructure such as sewer and water

greater charlotte biz

lines, highway and light rail or other mass transit along well-defined paths.

Future Direction Riley believes the Charlotte region has produced impressive results and wishes some newcomers had a better appreciation for what area businesses have delivered.

“Business runs this region,” he states emphatically, “and I’m not ashamed about that.” The eyes of the world increasingly focus on the Charlotte region because those who live here are creating something special, he adds.

“I want business leaders who aren’t afraid to make decisions,” Riley says, adding that it’s easy to run for cover when questions pop up related to transit, school bonds or transportation needs. He thinks the area’s business leaders are ready to step up, but people must be sensitive to how much time they have.

“Leaders, including Pat Riley, are much more distracted,” he says, because they preside over organizations that deal with many cities and many regions. “We have to spread the civic load more. Everybody has a lot more on their plate.”

Describing his typical work week, Riley grins and confesses: “I’ve been blessed with not being a good sleeper.” His day begins about 5:00 a.m., exercising and e-mailing; by 7:30 a.m., he’s in the office. Until 7:00 p.m., he works the business or his civic commitments, which follow the Allen Tate emphasis on public education, social services and arts, science and history.

Riley has eight direct reports and he empowers them to make good decisions without second guessing. “If they see a lot of me, that means there are some issues,” he says.

His rosy view of the future still rests on the growth potential for the Carolinas in general and for the Charlotte region in particular.

“We’re blessed to be the place in America people are turning to,” he says. “Kids are coming here to go to school and they’re bringing their friends. Families are coming here and bringing parents and grandparents.”

A big reason people are finding their fortunes here is the business climate, he adds.

It’s good for firms that have been here a while, as well as those that recently arrived or are on the way.

“Companies are growing organically— good companies that are chartered here,” he says. “The recruiting and economic development pipeline has never been fuller. The prospects for North and South Carolina are just as bright as can be.” biz

Ellison Clary is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Allen Tate Co., Inc. 6700 Fairview Road Charlotte, N.C. 28210 Phone: 704-365-6910 Principals: H.Allen Tate Jr., Chairman and Founder; Patrick (Pat) C. Riley, President and COO Established: 1957 Employees: 1,600 Realtors, 400 others Offices: 44 in the Charlotte,Triad and Triangle regions; 13 more in design/construction stages Sales: $6.78 billion (2006) Transactions: 28,550 (2006) Business: Residential real estate and real estate related services Ranking: Ninth among the top 500 largest real estate brokerage firms in the United States by REAL Trends; among privately owned, non-franchised brokers, ranks fifth in the country.

Family of companies: Allen Tate Realtors, Allen Tate Mortgage, Allen Tate Insurance, Allen Tate Relocation Services, Allen Tate Home Services, Builder Services, Inc., Allen Tate School of Real Estate, Master Title Agency, Commonwealth Title Agency. www.allentate.com

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[bizprofile]

by janet kropinak

The View

From Up There Carolina Photo Group Bears Witness to Growth

S

ome people are fortunate enough to know what they want to do with their lives, while others go at it by circumstance—and by trial and error.While the direct approach may seem the most desirable, it is oftentimes the latter that is the most rewarding.

Larry Harwell didn’t get into photography the “traditional” way. Instead, he happened upon it one summer in college. He didn’t even imagine then that what started out as a hobby would lead him down the road of self discovery and eventually a lifechanging career move.

Getting Focused Harwell started out at Appalachian State with the intent of studying business and hospital administration. “I wanted to take on the federal government,” he jokes.

Admittedly, he wasn’t excelling in his classes and was forced to spend the summer in Banner Elk taking classes.

It was this summer that he met Leo Touchet, a Time Life photographer and New Orleans native who was vacationing in the area. “I met him and I was really inspired by the kind of work he was doing. He had photographed Vietnam, Johnson, Nixon—and this work seemed a

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whole lot more interesting than hospital administration,” he recalls. Touchet soon became both his mentor and his inspiration for a career change.

After that summer, Harwell returned to Charlotte and turned in a new direction.

“Looking back, I didn’t go about things the intelligent way; instead I got into photography the hard knocks way,” he grins a little ruefully.

He took a job at Bentley Photo System, a camera kiosk that sold camera equipment and processed film. Although this job didn’t bring with it the excitement of photography, it did provide him with !

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Larry Harwell President The Carolina Photo Group, Inc.

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some of the necessary technical skills.

Learning everything he could about the industry, he soon had the opportunity to open a specialty camera shop, Photo Systems Ltd. in the Specialty Shops on the Park behind SouthPark, with two partners, Frank Alexander and Lance Van Every.

The trio tried to make a business for themselves, but despite their efforts the shop only survived a year. Harwell chalks this up as another learning experience. It had furthered his technical skills while also giving him a realistic insight into the joys and perils of being a small business owner.

Then, in 1980 Harwell joined Aerial Photography Service as their aerial photographer. “It just kind of happened; they

needed someone and asked if I’d do it,” says Harwell. “And I jumped at it.” The bulk of the work Harwell did was focused around the real estate market tracking land development.

Combining his passion for photography and what he had of business experience, Harwell saw an opportunity to help Aerial Photography Service grow by expanding its commercial department. “I took over the commercial side of things and spent my time finding ways to expand upon those services,” Harwell explains.

Six years later with the company, Harwell again re-examined where he was and where he wanted to go. “I felt I had to decide if this was going to be my career or not, and if it was, what exactly that meant,” he says. He wanted photography

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“Having a good team to help lighten my load has really helped this business grow. I learned early on that you can’t grow if you are trying to do everything yourself.”

- Larry Harwell, President itself to play a bigger part in his life. After much consideration, he decided to start his own business in 1986, The Carolina Photo Group, Inc.

Harwell’s vision for Carolina Photo Group was to bring several photographers together, all specializing in different areas, and work with them to broaden the range of services that he was able to provide.

“I never intended on doing the bulk of the photography myself,” says Harwell. “I was looking for a way to bring photographers together in a way that could be beneficial for the community as well as from a business standpoint. Our goal, from the very start, has been to offer a good product at a fair price,” Harwell states. “I think we’ve succeeded in doing so.”

The Business of Pictures Like is true with most businesses, a large part of Harwell’s job involves maintaining positive and mutually beneficial

relationships with his clients. Whether it is protecting a company’s privacy or simply making sure the job is done correctly the first time, Carolina Photo Group is constantly striving to improve upon these relations.

“We have been blessed with a tremendous client base,” he says proudly. Much of their business over the years has come from referrals and repeat customers.

Harwell and his staff of five full-time employees and seven contract photographers strive hard to plan and execute every photo shoot flawlessly among many possible obstacles. “Of course, we are constantly working around the weather, but you have to expect that. Technology

can give you a problem here or there, but we work around those things too,” says Harwell. “Having a good team to help lighten my load has really helped this business grow. I learned early on that you can’t grow if you are trying to do everything yourself.”

Harwell also takes a moment to give credit to his photographers—aerial and sports photographer Fred Voss, interior and exterior architectural, wedding, product, and corporate portrait photographers David Iannarelli, Brian Treffeisen, and Michael Pressley—without whom he couldn’t do what he does.

Harwell fit the mold of a small business owner perfectly: concerned with the well-being of his employees more than his own, putting business interests above his

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own, and somewhat hesitant, at least initially, to delegate responsibilities. But as the business grew, he has been able to strike a better balance and that has become the touchstone for the success of his company.

Picture the Business The main focus and business for Harwell and his company is aerial and architectural photography. Their aerial services stretch across both North and South Carolina and the architectural spans the Southeast.

Helping secure these jobs for the company is Bill Plampin, who joined Carolina Photo Group two years ago and works in

sales and marketing. “Bill has really brought new life and new ideas to the company,” comments Harwell. “He has been essential in helping us take things to the next level.”

Carolina Photo Group shoots around five to 10 jobs per week on average, though that number has been known to double as demand dictates. For their aerial and architectural shots, they rent out a Cessna 172 Skyhawk plane or a Bell Jet Ranger Helicopter, depending on the job.

The charges are more reasonable than one might think. For less than $500, Carolina Photo Group can do an aerial job in Charlotte which includes the plane rental, pilot, photographer, and 12 views of a site on a high res CD. The views will include both close-ups and also higher altitude

greater charlotte biz

shots in all directions, making sure to pick up on neighborhoods, highways, schools and retail areas.

The price for photographing architectural jobs generally runs from the low hundreds for a couple of views of the building or home, and increases in price for additional views, both interior and exterior. There is an additional charge for digital clean up, should the customer prefer landscaping repair and enhancement or trees, grass or skies to be added or removed or somehow “tweaked.”

Although Harwell still enjoys participating in the shots, he has had more than his share of being in the air and generally leaves that to the staff. The thrill-seeking

such as SouthPark, Ballantyne, and of course the Uptown skyline. “We take these shots routinely twice a year, though we often are out there more than that as demand increases,” says Harwell.

Though these traditional jobs are a good source of revenue for the company, Harwell notes the importance of evolving and broadening your services in an effort to stay current. The company has recently acquired new state-of-the-art graphic equipment and personnel, necessary for handling the sophisticated graphic work that such photography inevitably involves.

“I think we are ready to grow in this area,” Harwell says. “Not only is it an

in him has given way to the necessities and practicalities of running a business.

One of the mainstays for the business has been aerial shots of popular areas

investment in making more and better use of what we do with photography, but it will also allow us to expand into the graphic design area generally, as a new source of revenue.”

Carolina Photo Group already has a few regular clients on their roster and is actively recruiting more. Believing that quality work is the best form of advertising, Harwell is patient with his company’s growth, having already acquired several high profile jobs.

One of Harwell’s proudest accomplishments has been winning a contract with the Wachovia Golf Tournament, making them the only company flying overhead taking aerial shots. They have had this position since the tournament came to Charlotte four years ago. !

“I think we are ready to grow in this area. Not only is it an investment in making more and better use of what we do with photography, but it will also allow us to expand into the graphic design area generally, as a new source of revenue.”

- Larry Harwell, President

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Going Digital and Beyond In 2001, Carolina Photo Group made the costly but necessary move to digital photography. “We were a little before the curve on this. I didn’t really see it as a choice; it was something we had to do if we wanted to be able to compete,” explains Harwell, “It was just a matter of keeping up with the times.”

The change has brought with it many advantages. “Obviously crossing over made things a great deal easier for us,” says Harwell. “Having the ability to touch up pho-

tos and digitally enhance them when necessary has taken away a lot of the timeconsuming work from the back end of the projects.”

Instead of having to wait six or seven days to have photos to show a client, the company now has a much faster turn around, which only helps to increase their marketability among their clients. One downside to the digital age of photography, however, is keeping ownership of the photographs. When a CD of images is handed out to a client, it can be hard to monitor

SUCCESS NEEDS A PARTNER

“I’m an Angela fan.

She’ll always have my business. Plus, it is rewarding to walk through the door and everyone knows you.”

– I’m Sarah McAulay, community leader, and my banker is Angela Lovelace.

how and when it is used.

Much like the city of Charlotte, Carolina Photo Group is growing and maturing into a full-service company. Looking back on how the city has changed since the company’s inception, Harwell notes, “The city has really exploded. They are adding so much business and with the commercial market being so strong, it has done nothing but help us grow. This really is a great place for us to be doing what we do.”

Noting that the subprime problems have slowed the residential side of things, he remains optimistic that things will turn around in the near future.

As for other future plans, Harwell plans to continue doing what they are doing. “We hope to continue to grow and explore new opportunities,” Harwell notes. “We’d like to work with a few more developers and hope to expand upon the graphic and design services that we are currently offering.”

For someone who stumbled upon photography by happenstance, photography has served Larry Harwell well over the years and his passion for it is more than evident upon meeting him. “I spent the first half of my life thrill seeking and now I’m focusing on surviving the new world of digital photography,” he jokes.

But it is apparent that he has found himself and a rewarding business career at the same time. biz Janet Kropinak is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

The Carolina Photo Group, Inc. 1101 South Blvd., Ste. 106 Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Phone: 704-334-7874 Member FDIC

Principal: John L. “Larry” Harwell, President Established: 1986 Employees: 5 full-time, 7 contract photographers

Cornelius/Lake Norman 704.987.9990 Matthews 704.814.1200 SouthPark 704.442.5900 Uptown Charlotte 704.945.6565

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Business: Photography company specializing in aerial, architectural and stock photography; additional services include image restoration and retouching. www.carolinaphoto.com

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HOOD HARGETT BREAKFAST CLUB

You and Your Company Are Invited to become an exclusive sponsor of the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club in 2008

H

ood Hargett Breakfast Club: The Premier Business Development Organization for Success-Minded Charlotte Business Owners.

The Hood Hargett Breakfast Club is a ‘category exclusive’ business development organization that develops and hosts some 36 events throughout the year for its members and guests. The goal of these events: to provide success-minded business owners with first-class venues to entertain their clients and prospects.

HHBC takes great pride in creating a pro-active, professional-yet-casual environment that gives members and guests the chance to meet and learn more about each other and their respective companies. These opportunities to develop new business relationships and enhance existing ones are key to the on-going success of HHBC. Call Jennifer Snyder at 704-602-9529.

January 11, 2008 Kirk Herbsteit ESPN Sports Analyst and Former Star Quarterback

NEW 2008 SPEAKER LINE-UP

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Lee Woodruff Public Relations Executive and Freelance Writer

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Press Secretary

Chief Richard Picciotto Highest-Ranking Firefighter to Survive WTC Collapse

Doug Lipp Former Head of Training at Walt Disney University

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HOOD 704-602-9529 HARGETT www.hoodhargettbreakfastclub.com To attend or learn more or to find out about membership,call JenniferSnyder at • jenn@hoodhargett.com ©2007 Galles Communications Group, Inc.

Tailored ed Hood Hargett Customizes Business Coverage

F

rom the outset, Hood, Hargett & Associates, Inc. looks like just another brick business building at the corner of North McDowell and Fifth Street. But venture inside, and you’ll find loyal employees working to find the best insurance premiums for their clients on three different floors, all under the management and watchful eye of David L. (Chuck) Hood Jr., president of the company.

Hood doesn’t believe in micro-managing his employees. He says that if you have good employees, you don’t need to keep track of their every move. His philosophy for keeping his 24 employees happy is simple. If you show your employees that they are respected and trusted to perform their duties in an efficient and timely matter, they will do the best job they possibly can for you.

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Insurance Trust is Key “I think our employees realize they are compensated well,” Hood says. “They are given freedom and flexibility. They don’t have to do a lot of reporting back to us. If you do your job and get results that’s what’s important. We’ve been blessed. We’ve got the most talented people working for us right now than we’ve ever had. I think everyone enjoys coming to work,” he adds.

Hood, Hargett & Associates is a full-service independent insurance agency devoted to serving the insurance needs of a number of highprofile companies in a variety of industries throughout the southeastern United States. Hood Hargett has agency contracts with over a dozen different insurance companies and brokerage access to many additional markets. For example, if Hood Hargett has a homebuilder client, they will gather information about the business and put together a package with specific coverages for that client’s unique exposures. “It’s our job to match the proper customer with the proper insurance company,” Hood explains.

Hood sort of landed in the insurance business by accident. A native of Charlotte, he received an economics degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971. His original plan was to work for a year and then attend graduate school in hopes of receiving an M.B.A. He returned to Charlotte and began working at First Union in their trust

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by renee roberson

department. About 15 months later an insurance agency recruited him and he hasn’t looked back.

In 1975 Hood and Dan Hargett formed Hood, Hargett & Associates. “My wife was pregnant at the time, so it was probably a foolish move to venture out on our own, but it all worked out,” Hood jokes now.

The newly formed company opened in July of 1975 and his son was born in January. While Hood and Hargett had a few existing clients when they opened their business, the two had to do a lot of cold calling early on. They started out contacting friends and relatives, or “getting all the lowest hanging fruit” first, as Hood jokingly puts it, and went from there.

Over the years the company has occupied a number of locations throughout uptown Charlotte. They started out at one location on South Tryon Street, moved to another location on South Tryon Street, and then moved to their current location on North McDowell Street in 1985.

Hood says they will probably be moving again in the near future. !

greater charlotte biz

[bizprofile]

Chuck Hood President Hood, Hargett & Associates, Inc.

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A Look Inside The first floor of the office is tastefully decorated with dark charcoal walls and goldaccented valances. The smell of coffee percolating fills the air, and the walls hold pictures of Hood with the various retired athletes and politicians he’s met over the years.

On the two other floors of Hood, Hargett & Associates, you’ll find cubicles covered in family photos filled with employees working industriously. Other cubicles are empty, as many employees are in and out of the office in between client meetings. The second floor also houses a kitchen for employees to use, and Hood likes to stop by and joke with employees as they eat their lunch.

The length of years many employees have worked for Hood gives insight into what kind of boss he must be. There are several employees that have been with him over 10 years, including one that’s worked there since July of 1975.

“When we started out, we hired two customer service representatives to help us, including Jean Sherrill,” says Hood. “She’s still here.” Sherrill now serves as the company’s office manager, commercial account manager and accountant.

“We worked together for a year at another insurance agency prior to this one,” explains Sherrill. “I was vacationing at the beach back in 1975 when Chuck called me out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to come work for him at his new business. I was very flattered,” she remembers.

Hood and Sherrill were in their midtwenties when Hood, Hargett & Associates was formed, and Sherrill says she started out making coffee and covering accounting, customer service, and secretarial duties. Today, she still does a little bit of everything around the office, and says she can’t imagine ever working anywhere else.

“I couldn’t ask for a better person to work for,” Sherrill adds. “He’s kind, he’s generous, and he’s thoughtful. “There’s a lot of trust, understanding and compassion here.

He’s just a good kind man. We’re just a big family. If you’ve got a problem, you take it to him, and he’ll do everything he can to solve it. I can’t imagine working for anybody else.

We’ve grown old together,” she jokes.

After Hargett retired in 1988, Hood took over the business as president. Now in his

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32nd year of business, it’s a job he clearly loves, and he’s used his position as a prominent local business owner in numerous fundraising efforts and community involvement. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for New Dominion Bank, and the First Tee of Charlotte, as well as the Board of Visitors for

one day and asked if he could bid on the group’s insurance.

“He was able to put together a much better insurance package for us and save the agency money as well,” adds Bass.

“Recently, our board asked me to get some more

Charlotte Country Day School and Board of Advisors for the Alexander Youth Network.

Previously, he has served on the Board of Directors for the Charlotte Metro YMCA and the Executive Committee of the Greater Charlotte Chamber of Commerce.

“I first met Chuck seventeen years ago when I joined the Alexander Youth Network,” remembers Craig Bass, president of the organization. “He has been an active supporter of the organization for as long as I’ve been around.”

When Bass first became CEO of the Alexander Youth Network, he wanted to avoid any conflicts of interest so he didn’t do business with any members on the Board of Directors. After Chuck finished his term on the board, he called Bass up

insurance bids to ensure that we were still getting the best deal possible. Chuck, once again, came out on top with the best package and the best price, and he was a good sport about it,” Bass jokes.

Educational Opportunities Much of Hood’s fundraising efforts revolve around the importance of education for young people. Hood’s children attended Charlotte Country Day School, and after they graduated he decided to help give back to the school in various efforts. In early 2000, Hood served as cochair of a $34 million capital campaign at Charlotte Country Day School. In 2001, he helped establish the Sammy Brody Endowed Scholarship Fund at Charlotte

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Country Day School. The annual scholarship is awarded to a deserving incoming freshman or sophomore at the school.

In 2006, Hood purchased the Breakfast Club America franchise after serving as its title sponsor for five years. Now the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club brings business owners together eight times a year for networking opportunities. Approximately 250 to 300 people attend the breakfast events. Jennifer Snyder, manager for the club, coordinates speakers for each event almost exclusively through the Washington Speakers Bureau. Hood hired her to manage the club because she had worked for the previous owner and was experienced at driving membership levels and organizing the club’s events.

Hood’s love for the project is evident as he points out past and future speakers, as well as the scholarships the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club Student Athlete Program has awarded to area high school students.

In April 2007, after listening to a moving speech by Liz Murray who went from “homeless to Harvard,” Hood decided to rename the scholarship after her.

greater charlotte biz

“The two things about Chuck and the folks at Hood Hargett that really set them apart are service and community. They are always cheerful and responsive to us when we call them for help, no matter how many times we ask them the same questions! And they are involved in supporting the community. When we need help, Chuck is there, and I know he’s involved in a number of other charitable organizations in the area. He obviously believes in giving back.” ~Craig Bass, President and CEO Alexander Youth Network “Liz’s story was so inspirational, so motivational, so much what our Student Athlete Program is about, I just knew it

was the right thing to do,” Hood says.

Each month during the school year (September through May), the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club awards a $1,000 scholarship to the Liz Murray Scholarship Fund winner at its monthly breakfast meeting held at Carmel Country Club.

Each month’s winner is invited to be a part of the breakfast, where they are introduced and recognized from the podium before being invited to sit with the guest speaker at the head table. The student’s parents, high school principal and coach are also invited and encouraged to attend.

Inspiring Employees to Give Back Philanthropy is a subject Hood is passionate about. He takes great joy in his fundraising efforts, and many of his employees, including Snyder, share in his generous spirit. She recently received the 2007 Lake Township Chamber of Commerce Community Service Person of the Year Award.

Snyder grew up in Ohio, and was moved when she learned of the plight of Blake Davis, who lost his mother and unborn sister at the age of two. She began !

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working to promote “Blake’s Bright Tomorrow,” a college fundraiser for Davis.

“This tragedy literally hit close to home for me as I grew up in this community and my parents still live there,” Snyder told Business News last month. “I wanted to do something to make a difference in this young boy’s life so that his grandmother and family can rebuild their lives

Hood, Hargett & Associates, Inc. 132 North McDowell Street Charlotte, N.C. 28230 Phone: 704-374-1863 Principal: David L. (Chuck) Hood Jr. Employees: 24 In Business: 32 years Business:A full-service independent insurance agency www.hoodhargett.com

secure in the knowledge that Blake’s future higher education expenses will be covered.”

Clearly proud of the work of one of his employees, Hood accompanied Snyder to Hartville, Ohio, when she accepted the award by members of the local chamber of commerce.

Becoming Part of Charlotte’s Growth Like any business, Hood has weathered a few ups and downs in revenue over the years, particularly after 9/11, when insurance premiums “went through the roof,” as he puts it. When he’s not servicing clients, serving on various committees or helping Snyder with the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club, Hood enjoys spending time with his family and the occasional round of golf. Hood, Hargett & Associates also recently served as a sponsor for the 2007 “Driving Away Hunger Golf Tournament,” held at the Carolina Golf Club in May. From the outside, Hood may make running a successful business look easy, but he admits there are drawbacks to

being a small business owner.

“The hardest thing for me is letting go,” he says. “I don’t believe that every business owner worth his salt is ever satisfied.”

Bass, however, is very satisfied with the level of customer service he receives from Chuck and the other employees at Hood Hargett.

“Chuck has developed a depth of knowledge about our business, which is quite specialized,” he says. “Consequently, he has become the agent for many of our peer nonprofits.”

“The two things about Chuck and the folks at Hood Hargett that really set them apart are service and community,” adds Bass. “They are always cheerful and responsive to us when we call them for help, no matter how many times we ask them the same questions! And they are involved in supporting the community.

When we need help, Chuck is there, and I know he’s involved in a number of other charitable organizations in the area. He obviously believes in giving back.” biz Renee Roberson is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

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[ontop] Awards & Achievements The following Carolinas Medical Center hospitals have been rated in the top ten in North Carolina for heart care by HealthGrades: CMC-NorthEast has been ranked 1st for Overall Cardiac Care, Cardiology and Coronary Interventional Procedures; CMCNorthEast has also been named the Charlotte region’s best hospital for Cardiac Surgery; Carolinas Medical Center has been rated 6th for Cardiology Services and 7th for Overall Cardiac Services; and CMC-Mercy has been rated 9th for Cardiology Services and 10th for Overall Cardiac Services.

Advertising & Media The Lyerly Agency, a full service communications firm, has been awarded the Best in North Carolina award by the Business Marketing Association of the Carolinas.

Strickland & Company Integrated Marketing Communications of Charlotte received the Best of Show Award in the recent Business Marketing Association ProAd Awards competition.

Barnhardt, Day & Hines has been recognized with a ProAd Award from the Business Marketing Association of the Carolinas.

Moonlight Creative Group has been awarded a Gold ProAd Award from the Business Marketing Association, and has hired Jennifer Miehle as a graphic designer.

Lou Amico, president of multimedia marketing firm LA Management Company, has been nominated for Inc.com’s Entrepreneur of Lou Amico the Year.

The Radio-Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas has named WFAE’s Scott Graf North Carolina Radio Journalist of the Year.

Corder Philips has hired Aldo Muccia as director of account services and Mike Doebler as senior public relations counselor.

JC Thomas Marketing Communications, Inc. has promoted Mandi Moracho to art director.

Heather Mayoros, president of The Mayoros Agency, has been elected to serve as vicepresident of the Rock Hill chapter of BNI.

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december 2007

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[ontop] Business & Professional Helms Mulliss Wicker, PLLC has been awarded the top ranking of Highly Recommended in the debut issue of Benchmark: Litigation, The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys.

Mason Alexander, managing partner of the Charlotte office of labor law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP, has been selected for inclusion in The Best Mason Alexander Lawyers in America 2008.

Tim Barber, a member of the law firm of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a premier legal association.

Kennedy Covington has hired Donald (Don) Kirkelie as an attorney in its financial services department.

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has hired Don Kirkelie Aretha V. Blake as a special counsel in its litigation department and James C. Lesnett, Jr. as an associate.

Rochelle N. Bellamy and Anna M. Holloway have joined Anna Holloway Hedrick Rochelle Bellamy Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo, L.L.P. as associate attorneys.

Construction & Design Clark Nexsen has been named Firm of the Year by the Charlotte Chapter of the Society for Design Administration, an affiliate of The American Institute of Architects.

Little has ranked 3rd in the large firm category in ZweigWhite’s 2007 Best Architecture Firm to Work For ranking and 1st as the Best Place to Work in the Charlotte region by the Charlotte Business Journal.

The firm has also appointed Shannon Rydell, LEED AP as national studio principal and Tomas Jimenez-Eliaeson, AIA, LEED AP as design director.

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[ontop] Stephanie Durand has recently joined the team at Bagby Lighting as their front desk and sales support specialist.

Tyler 2 Construction has hired Dave Cannizzo and Stephanie Durand Amy Gurley as project managers and Nick Willman as a superintendent, and has promoted Craig Barker to assistant project manager.

Cogdell Spencer Inc. has appointed Joshua Teague as development manager.

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Education & Staffing The Association of School Business Officials International has awarded CharlotteMecklenburg Schools its Facilities Master Award for the district’s 2006-2007 facilities operations plan.

Queens University of Charlotte has appointed Ron Veith the new associate executive MBA (EMBA) director of the McColl School of Business.

Ron Veith Pfeiffer University President Dr. Chuck Ambrose has been named the national Division II Dr.Tim Coley Dr. Chuck Ambrose Conference Commissioner’s Association 2008 Award of Merit recipient and Dr. Tim Coley has been named vice president for student development.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has named Wendy Jin, Ph.D., dean of biotechnology programs.

UNC Charlotte’s Urban Institute has named Sean Langley as community research services director and Linda Shipley as senior associate director.

Stacey Schmeidel has been appointed Davidson College’s director of college communications.

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has elected Joe Price, chief financial officer at Bank of America Corp., to UNC Charlotte’s board of trustees.

Tim Newman, chief executive officer of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority,

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[ontop] has been appointed to the board of trustees of The Art Institute of Charlotte.

Rhonda Stokes has joined Wake Forest University’s Family Business Center— Charlotte Metro as associate director.

Integra Staffing & Search has been named the No. 1 Best Place to Work 2007 in the small business category by the Charlotte Business Journal.

Sappenfield Staffing, Inc. has added Leslie Shaw to its full-service staffing team.

Finance & Insurance Bank of Granite has promoted Lee E. Williams to banking officer and has hired William P. (Will) Monroe as senior vice presi-

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dent and commercial loan officer and Andrew S. Jackson vice president and commercial loan officer at its downtown Hickory office.

Janet Rushing has been named area assistant vice president of Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc. RSM McGladrey has promoted Laura Megahee from supervisor to manager.

Marsh USA Inc. has added Thomas Jadelis as senior client advisor to its property practice, Larry Bowen as the Carolinas placement leader, and Gina Mati as client representative in the casualty practice.

Sherpa LLC has hired Julie Hennecy as a recruiting manager in the specialized financial recruiting division.

Hinrichs Flanagan Financial has hired Marilyn Brennan, Gus J. Leotta, John Barrier, and James E. Councill, Jr. as financial services professionals.

Government & Non-Profit Lane D. Cook and Harry K. Stillerman have joined Foundation For The Carolinas as vice president of development Harry Stillerman Lane Cook

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[ontop] and assistant vice president of development respectively.

Health Care Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) has promoted Russell C. Guerin to executive vice president-business development and planning; Dennis J. Phillips to executive vice president-metro group; Roger A. Ray, M.D., to executive vice president-chief medical officer; and John J. Knox III to executive vice president-chief administrative officer. CHS has also appointed Joseph G. Piemont as president and chief operating officer; Paul S. Franz as executive vice president-physician services group; Greg A. Gombar, executive vice president and chief financial officer; and Laurence C. Hinsdale as executive vice president-regional group.

The Premier Inc. health care alliance has named Jena Abernathy to the newly created position of chief administrative officer.

Crystal Health Care has promoted Aletha Pharr to Aletha Pharr operations manager.

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Real Estate Commercial/Residential J. David Barnhardt Jr. has been awarded the CRRA Housing Opportunity Foundation Humanitarian Award.

Keith Bell, CCIM of Colliers Pinkard in Charlotte was David Barnhardt awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation by the CCIM Institute.

Allen Tate Company has hired Karen Murray as public relations manager, Kelly

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McGowan as media specialist, and Gene McQueen as creative director for the marketing and public relations department.

Flaherty & Collins Properties has hired Paul Bradford as its vice president of preconstruction services.

GMAC Mortgage has hired Deanna

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[ontop] Valeo, Todd Croy and Ed Butler as loan consultants and Lindsay Tingler as sales assistant.

Retail & Sports & Entertainment Donald Haack Diamonds & Fine Gems has been named as one of the Top 25 2007 Best Places to Work in Charlotte in the small business category by the Charlotte Busi- Gene Balius ness Journal; the company has also hired Gene Balius as sales manager.

Rocky River Golf Club, part of the new Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Spa, has promoted assistant golf professional Dan Davidson to tournament director.

CenterStage@NoDa has been selected by the readers of Bride’s Book as their favorite reception site in the area.

Technology The Private Company Index has included Nouveon Technology Partners on its Top Five Growth Company list for the most recent quarter.

Charlotte based web design and branding firm Carbonhouse has been awarded eight Web site awards in the 2007 W3 Awards.

Hosted Solutions has been named a finalist in the Top Growth Company of the Year category for the 2007 NCTA 21 Awards.

WebsiteBiz has acquired Rebecca Zucco as campaign manager and Mattie Rebecca Zucco Mattie Grant Grant as executive assistant.

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Our Philosophy We believe we are rewarded only to the extent that we add value to those we are privileged to serve. At Daniel, Ratliff & Company, we are here to serve you, to help your business achieve its goals. We do so by learning your business and the challenges you face, then working with you to guide you toward success.

Travel & Tourism Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden has welcomed James (Jamie) Burghardt to the Garden as the conservatory manager for the new Orchid Conservatory. biz

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~ Alan Baldwin President, FreemanWhite, Inc. ©2007 Galles Communications Group, Inc.

To be considered for inclusion, please send your news releases and announcements in the body of an e-mail (only photos attached) to editor@greatercharlottebiz.com, or fax them to 704-676-5853, or post them to our business address—at least 30 days prior to our publication date.

“We consider Daniel, Ratliff & Company to be true business partners.

They have assisted in refining our financial systems, planning our cash flow, negotiating with our bankers, and reviewing our tax strategies.

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Featuring Executive Homes in the Charlotte Region NEW CUSTOM HOME WITH “WOW” Waxhaw, North Carolina This fantastic custom home is located in the very desirable area of Marvin in Union County. Enjoy the home’s many amenities, along with first-level master bedroom, office, den, sunroom, gathering room and two fireplaces.The second level has a bonus with wet bar, loft and half bath. 4BRs/4.2BAs MLS# 689859 - $994,700 Property Address: 1613 Funny Cide Drive Greg Beavers - 704-400-1892 www.allentate.com/gregbeavers

OLD WORLD STYLE MANOR Lake Wylie, South Carolina This gorgeous Old World manor features a stone and stucco exterior. The open, yet traditional layout includes an elegant curved staircase. Each bedroom has a private bath, plus there is a large bonus/rec room and huge, unfinished basement for endless possibilities. 5BRs/5.1BAs YMLS# 1039831, CMLS# 666615 - $689,900 Property Address: 157 Evening Shadow Road Mary Beth Shealy - 704-913-3233 www.marybethshealy.com

LAKEFRONT ESTATE Cornelius, North Carolina Enjoy panoramic views of Lake Norman from this beautiful lakefront estate. Built in 1995 and renovated in 2003, this luxurious home boasts Wolf, Sub-Zero and Bosch appliances, Creston Intelligent Home System, Austrian crystal chandeliers and more. A lavish outdoor area includes pool, spa, outdoor kitchen and cabana. 5BRs/7.2BAs MLS# 670670 - $6,250,000 Property Address: 20940 Bethelwood Lane Jennifer Jackson - 704-622-5721 www.allentate.com/jenniferjackson

WOODED PRIVACY MINUTES FROM SOUTHPARK Charlotte, North Carolina This beautiful executive home has European flair and many custom features, including a main-level master bedroom, three fireplaces, media and bonus rooms, den, study and walk-in wine vault.There are wonderful walled gardens and fish ponds. All of this is just minutes from SouthPark. 4BRs/3.1BAs MLS# 666843 - $990,000 Property Address: 6336 Sharon Hills Road Ann Christie - 704-904-1922 www.seetheproperty.com/22659

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Featuring Executive Homes in the Charlotte Region MONTREUX OLD WORLD ESTATES Steele Creek, North Carolina Elegance beyond description by Russo Construction at the gates of the Palisades.

Nicely appointed with stainless,granite,hardwoods,and natural stone.Features include barrel and coffered ceilings,indoor/outdoor space,fireplaces, European styling,and spacious kitchen.Two garages for three cars.Palisades Sports and Pool membership included. 5BRs/4.2BAs YMLS# 1041400, CMLS# 681966 - $1,740,000 Property Address: 14103 Rhone Valley Drive Robert Myers - 803-802-0231 www.fortmillrealty.com

CLASSIC LIVING Weddington, North Carolina A true classic—this two-story brick home has lovely features inside and out. It includes a screened porch and fenced back yard. The detached two-story garage has 448 heated square feet above with a large living area with fireplace and bathroom that’s ideal for a home office. 4BRs/2.1BAs MLS# 699301 - $449,900 Property Address: 708 Providence Oak Lane Russell Wing - 704-291-8908 www.thewingteam.com

GATED COMMUNITY – WEDDINGTON SCHOOLS Waxhaw, North Carolina This French Country home features a kitchen with granite,Viking and Bosh appliances,vaulted morning room with stone fireplace,columned dining room,two-story great room with fireplace,library with fireplace and mainlevel master suite with jacuzzi and heated floors.Master craftsmanship and rich cabinetry is found throughout.4BRs/4.1BAs MLS# 680196 - $1,200,000 Property Address: 600 Beauhaven Lane Rodney Purser - 704-579-7400 www.charlottehomeconnection.com

GATED NEW CONSTRUCTION Weddington, North Carolina This gorgeous new construction is nearly finished. Be the first to own this three-story brick and stone residence. If offers a unique plan with exceptional features. It is situated in a small Weddington community, each home is privately gated. The location offers easy access to I-485. 5BRs/6.2 BAs MLS# 699437 - $2,700,000 Property Address: 1401 Avery Court Katie Franks - 704-712-7788 www.allentate.com/katiefranks

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Featuring Executive Homes in the Charlotte Region ENGLISH COUNTRY CHARM Charlotte, North Carolina Built by Charles Strickland’s Colville Company and fashioned after the architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, this is English Country Charm in the heart of Myers Park.This home offers exceptional features inside and out.The large, private back yard and 70-foot wraparound courtyard is maintained by HOA. 4BRs/3.1BAs MLS# 699451 - $899,900 Property Address: 2616 Chelsea Drive, Unit C Michelle Creech - 704-619-0968 www.michellecreech.com

ELEGANT LAKE RETREAT Mooresville, North Carolina Design and function join with elegant results in this custom waterfront retreat. Appreciate Haas cabinetry, Décor stainless appliances, stone wine cellar, media room with wet bar and second kitchen on lake level. There’s space to relax with friends, as well as to embark on your entrepreneurial dream. 4BRs/5.2BAs MLS# 685149 - $1,950,000 Property Address: 127 Chestnut Bay Lane Patsy Wilson - 704-657-2374 www.patsy-wilson.com

FABULOUS PELLYN WOOD HOME Charlotte, North Carolina Superb architecture, outstanding millwork, imagination and a love for fine details make this a truly exceptional home. Custom built by Don Potter Builders, this 5,500+ square-foot home is situated on more than an acre, eight miles from Uptown. It features a renovated kitchen, pool, deck and landscape. 5BRs/5BAs MLS# 690454 - $2,650,000 Property Address: 5400 Stonesthrow Court Michelle Creech - 704-619-0968 www.michellecreech.com

EASTOVER LOCATION Charlotte, North Carolina Tucked away on a private cul-de-sac of picturesque homes is this Chiott custom residence. Resplendent with charm, this quaint English-style house offers 6,000+ square feet of luxurious features.This is a home for those who appreciate timeless elegance and convenience of location, close to Uptown and SouthPark. 5BRs/5.2BAs MLS# 719497 - $1,999,900 Property Address: 215 Wrenwood Lane Becky Mitchell - 704-562-9404 www.allentate.com/beckymitchell

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Featuring Executive Homes in the Charlotte Region CHAPEL WATCH IN FOURTH WARD Charlotte, North Carolina Live in Uptown luxury in this incredible condo. It features black galaxy granite and London Ashe wide-plank hardwood floors. A wall of windows in the living room allows for a view of the private garden. The lavish master suite has marble floors, garden tub and separate shower. 3BRs/2.1BAs MLS# 692736 - $998,000 Property Address: 534 North Church Street Dawn Krieg - 704-331-2122 www.allentate.com/dawnkrieg

THE RATCLIFFE IN CENTER CITY Charlotte, North Carolina Luxury, location and city lights – this penthouse has it all. It features floor-to-ceiling windows, Brazilian cherry flooring, custom built-ins, wet bar with sink, wine cooler, marble counters, steam shower, whirlpool tub, central audio/video system, custom lighting and much more. Plus, enjoy extraordinary sunset views. 2BRs/2.1BAs MLS# 707519 - $1,350,000 Property Address: 435 South Tryon Street, Unit 906 Nancie Woods - 704-331-2122 www.allentate.com/nanciewoods

SETTLERS’ PLACE IN FOURTH WARD Charlotte, North Carolina This is Center City living with rare views of Uptown and Settlers' Park.

The expansive, one-level floor plan includes a grand kitchen with custom cabinets and granite countertops, plus extras like crown molding, fireplace and surround sound. There are three terraces to enjoy and two garage parking spaces. 2BRs/2BAs MLS# 666642 - $775,000 Property Address: 229 North Church Street, Unit 402 Paul Koehnke - 704-496-7440 www.allentate.com/paulkoehnke

SETTLERS’ PLACE IN FOURTH WARD Charlotte, North Carolina Unique and spacious describe this traditional-style condo in Historic Fourth Ward. The end unit features floor-to-ceiling windows and a 200-square-foot balcony with gas grill overlooking Settlers’ Park.

Other extras include detailed crown molding, surround sound and a fireplace. 3BRs/2.1BAs MLS# 647890 - $1,150,000 Property Address: 229 North Church Street, Unit 303 Kim Pfleeger - 704-496-7440 www.allentate.com/kimpfleeger

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4521 Sharon Road, Charlotte NC 28211 • 704.532.9041 or 888.400.4447 (Located across from SouthPark Mall) Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00-7:00, Saturday 10:00-5:00 by appointment Offering 100% satisfaction guarantee & 90-day price protection. www.diamondsdirectsouthpark.com