Greater Charlotte Biz 2000.09 by CLT.biz & Charlotte Biz & Greater Charlotte Biz

TTH TECHNUlD,-Y, SC,I.lAB ITY A 0 SUPPORT YOU ~ 8=1=·i - g _ J ~~. "It to:ia ·1 ~ ia sr -~ oc.ed

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CARLYLE NEll -GENERATION BUSINESS LAWYERS ATlANTA GREENVILLE, S.C. CHARLOTIE WOMBLE CARLYLE SA DRIDGE & RICE, PLLC

WI STON-SA.LE

RESEARCH T U

GLE PARK

RALEJGJ-1

WAStllNGTON, D.C. WWWWCSR.COM 0 1000

the magazinE fer the su cces.>ful bu sh es:s ~ x ~ cutiv ~

"'"'"'·5rsc ~rchr lot:ei:Jiz..co l'l

News Release Tuesday, August 8, 2000

Business Life-Charlotte Joins Forces with Greater Charlotte Eiz Ciarlotte, NC - Business Life-Charlot;;:e magazine, a 5ister pub_i ca::.o n of Bwir.e,[i Lje magc_zine in e Triad, has jcined fe ces with Greater Charlotte iz :.n a::1 effort t·J l:etter serve the 10-count:y Charlott e region. wit: a resulting c:rc lation 3.pp:.-oachin g 2tJ . :X)O businesses and ~Ecut1Ves . The move is pa:.-t of a joint marketing .::rategy fe r t he th:.-~e prirru.ry marketp l.ac~ 5 in North Carojna: G.1 arlotte, the Triad a:1.d t: e Triangle. As a r~sult Greatt:"7 Charlotte Biz will be the singular monthly b s· Ess-to-busine:.;s :;:mb licatio:l in the Ch arlotte region. Business Lif? spans the 13-county ~riad region _ndu.:.ing G:.-eeruboro, Vvin.stc n-Salem and High oint wit an a pprox.iJna: e :ccJlatio n of 13 .:100; and 5 u~ in ;:ss Leaa·er spans the 13-county Triangle regk ·n includi ng F le:gh, Durh am and Chapel Hill with an ap?Dximate circulatior_ of 12, 000 Together. th ese three 4-col or :~O !BY pubLca:io11s will reach a co11trolled circul3.tion of nearly 50,,X t::) business ownus, mana.5ers and exEcutives in the primary busme ' s sectors of the ~ ta te:. John :?aul Galles, pu lisber o: Create;- Char! Jt:e Eiz, sees tt_e joi:1.t o.a r1:eting effo:.-: ~ "c..n integral step towa:.-d exp anding business gw·..vth nd d Evelopmen: in th e Charlotte reg:i·=·n ar_d broadcast:ng its potential to an even larger business commurr.t}" 1l::m g the P:ed c::tc nt crescent." ·And th::.s arrangement will also serve to highlight the ;ize D d importan::e :·: the North Carolina business corununity as a '.vhole." according to Bo:J K·::: ber. pub_iE h er of Bt.:sim. s L1_fe. 'This jc int mad:eting strategy is the strongest and m e~-:: powE ~- 1 l: mirt ~3S to-business effort in this state." n

Readers of B ~.;.sin ess L1je-Charlotte ma5azine will beg ~ n receJ.\'lr_g r~ re.t;ter Cha r'.o ~w Biz magaz ine as o: th ~ September publication t·::> insure continuity o:: •: rn e:::-ship. b l.dd itic , all advertising and insertion orders p laceG. with Busir;ess Life-Cr..G.r:ll.-u: will be hon:n;:d by Gre~ter Charlot:e 3iz. For rr_m-e bformatio11, please call John Pa

Galles/Grt..ater Charlcztr: E"iz at (704)

6 7 E -5 8 ~ 0

sepernter

:.coo

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

•

• • •

•

cover story

heart and soul

• • • • • •

Dr. Harry Nurkin has been the heart and soul of Carol nas He;llt Cere System's SLa:ess . And despite the current health care crisis, he's optim stic cbJul hi3 organi ~c. tion's futur~

36 k eeping your best employees

•

Wi th the local unemployment rate at two percent, em pl oye rs are looking for creat ive ways to attract and retain qualified employees. And money isn't always the answer.

• •

roun d tab le :

an ounce of prevention Legal conce rn s may not be the sexiest

• •

aspect of starting a new business, but t hey are crucia l, a~ Bob Bryan and two

de art e t publisher's post

editor's letter

other partners of Robinson, Bra dshaw

• • • • • • •

& Hinson po int out in this discussion .

24 touched by a n angel As the fund executive and an investor for Charlotte Angel Partners (CAP), Brent Kul man is steering Charlotte into a wo rld once reserved for Silicon Va ll ey: high net

biz digest

I I

regional biz:

sweet union coiXl ty

In the mid-1990s. Un:on .:::o nty develo ped a wa t~g i c pl:m cal led "Sweet Union 20)0 ." A.1 d now that 2000 is here, res ide nts. ::>U3ir:ess o·NLers and officials ag re~ : how sweEt it is

wort h indivi duals investing the ir own money in local startups.

• •

p erkins & w ill

In a fie ld that's no torious for huge egos,

u merous lo :al inte ri or ces is ners. lan dscapers and ga rden ~ rs aP- co ntcb uti ng their skills to the Charlo ttr: S·,rmphcny

the arch itectural fi rm of Perkins & Will

Gu ild's ASI D .ouse chc.rity.

bu i ld ing on su c cess

• •

community biz

t he hous e o n che hill

is a clear exception . Led locally by Phil

• • •

Shive, their empha sis on tea mwork has led to so me of t he fi nest bui ld ings not only in Charlotte, bJt across the country.

•

inter netsoccer. com

on the cover: This month's coYer fea'un s Dr. J-Janr Nurll ·n 'lt the Carolir as M eJ.in l Center emergency raon. Photo by Wa vne MC'rns.

This month's e-bi z profile takes a look at

•

Charlotte-based internetsocce r.com . Led by Mac Lackey, the dot-com recently sold its business to a British -based

• •

co mpany for $15 million. Learn how they ho pe to compete in the highly compet itive world of sports marketing.

g - eater char lotte b iz

cliaflotte 5Ep : e-nber 20CO

cliaflotte iz September 2000 Volume I • Issue 8

Publisher John Paul Galles jgal les@greatercharlottebiz.com

[publisher's

stl

growth and opportunity We are pleased and proud to welcome the readers and advertisers of Business Life-Charlotte to the pages of Greater Charlotte Biz. Wi th this issue, we have incorporated

their circulation and advertisers into one monthly business-to-business magazine serving the greater Charlotte region of the Carolina states. Greater Charlotte Biz is now the

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

Editor Timothy J. Paro lini tparolini@greatercharlottebiz.com

john Paul Galles Publisher

singular premier month ly magazine with the most complete

business circulation in the ten-county Charlotte region. As a result, we have grown and expect continued expansion for several months, providing more quality content for readers than ever before. At the same time that we are growing internally, we are coalescing externally with other independently owned and operated business-to-business regional publications to expand our marketing reach throughout the Carolinas and Southeast region. Charlotte

'ice President/Director of Sales

and Greater Charlotte Biz sit at the center of the Piedmont crescent of business activity.

Talbert Gray tgray@greatercharlottebiz.com

This location affords Charlotte the opportunity to serve as a central headquarters and

Account Executives

Greenville-Spartanburg and Columbia, Greater Charlotte Biz can offer advertising oppor-

Breon Klopp bklopp@greatercharlottebiz.corr

tunities to more than 75,000 businesses throughout this rapidly expanding and vibrant

distribution point fo r many area firms seeking to serve the Carolinas and Southeast USA. Now, in cooperation with other business publications in the Triangle, the Triad,

Kathryn Moseley kmoseley@greatercharlottebiz.com

economic corridor. Greater Charlotte Biz can now serve the marketing interests of businesses seeking to promote and advertise their products and services in Business Leader magazine in the Triangle and Business Life magazine in the Triad of North Carolina, and Business Monthly in Columbia and other areas of South Carolina. Collectively, these

Contributing Writers Casey Jacobus Bea Quirk Nethea Fortney Rhinehardt

publications reach more businesses than any other network in the Carolinas. In addition to the acquisition of expanded advertising in Greater Charlotte Biz and the expanded marketing opportunities resulting from this coalition with other Carolina pub li cations, we are also pleased to announce that we have recently formed a business network group support organization, BIZ NETWORK.org. This not-for-profit organization

Contr ibuting Photographer Wayne Morris

has been created for several reasons: • to support local business networking groups throughout the ten-county region

Greater Charlotte Biz is published

under a common umbrella, providing expanded opportunities for the groups

12 times per year by:

collectively while respecting their autonomy individually;

Galles Communications G rou p, Inc. 804 Clanton Road, Suite B Charlotte, NC 28217- 1358 www.greatercharlottebiz.com For editorial or advertising inquiries, call 704.676.5850. Please fax subscription inquiries to 704.676.5853 or e-mail them to info@greatercharlottebiz.corr All contents © 2000, Galles Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprodu ction

• to provide a continual source of referrals to individual groups to maintain their size and capacity for interaction and marketing effectiveness; • to serve as a centralized communications and adm inistrative center to disseminate information about activities and for communication among member groups; • to provide an internet identity and maintain communications at the Web site <www.b iznetwork.org>, hosting information on the various BIZ NETWORK.org groups with the capacity to include individual photos and presentations; and • to provide monthly coverage of group activities in affiliation with Greater Charlotte Biz and provide a direct link to the BIZ NETWORK.org web site from <www.greater-

charlottebiz.com> .

in whole or in part without permission is

We recently had the privilege of listening to Ty Boyd at the kickoff of the BIZ NET-

prohibited . Products named in these pages

WORK.org program . An eloquent speaker, he quickly identified seven key elements in

are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. The opinions

effective communication- confidence, passion, grace, trustworthiness, energy, listening

expressed herein are not necessarily

and eye contact. We intend to pursue those same elements in the conduct and content

those of Greater Charlotte Biz or Galles Communications Group, Inc.

septem b er 2000

of Greater Charlotte Biz and BIZ NETWORK.org. biz

greater char lotte biz

-Je ·E s ~:;being 1 r:;t. Heres tc• le3di 1g. -le -e's to a ~tring the ' ace Jf x si 1e;s by ·.::voluti ::>n ;:in§ every sin~le f3ce1 o" your c.ompan~. :all

: r ::.harlotle office a:

704.32~.4611.

A new w·xld A nEVI way.

[editor's

tter]

building a high tech future Charlotte's much-hyped prominence as a financial powerhouse is well deserved, as is our region's reputation for manufacturing and transportation. But as we have seen with other locally dominant industries- textiles and tobacco come to mind- being an industry leader today is no guarantor of prosperity tomorrow. A significant

Tim Parolini

Editor

downturn in the financial sector or a buyout of a local bank could quickly slow : he growth we currently enjoy. That's why it's important to continue diversifying Ch arlotte's economic base. Developing the right industries is the crucial part, because regions are becoming increasingly specialized . One reason so many financial service companies are moving to Charlotte is simply because we already are an important financial center. Companies like to move and expand to areas that already have the infrastructure and the resources to sustain their industry. So we must carefully decide which business sectors are best-suited for Charlotte in the long term . Developing a world class high tech industry- from dot-com startups to high level research facilities makes the most sense, but it won 't be easy. Charlotte' s burgeoning dot-com community is vibrant and innovative, but competition between cities f::Jr investment dollars and programming talent is fierce. Cities like Austin, Texas and even our

1-85 neighbors, Atlanta and the Research Triangle, have a huge lead in establis hing themselves as high tech centers. As such, they also have an easier time raising investment capital. Despite our lofty position in the world financial market, local

hig~

tech

companies have struggled in getting the dollars to flow from Tryon Street. For Charlotte to catch up and and surpass rival cities, two things must take place. We must develop the infrastructure that supports dot-com startups and helps them become successful, established enterprises . And we must improve our high tech educational opportunities. Fortunately, both ingredients are starting to fall into place. As you will read on page

24, a group of local businesspeople has formed Charlotte Angel Partners, an angel investment concern that is focused on the local market. A drive through Charlotte's South End reveals a growing number of Internet startups, including internetsoccer.com, which is profiled on page 48. And local dot-com entrepreneurs are networking regularly, whether at Metrolina Entrepreneurial Council meetings, through the Charlotte Chamber's Technology Council or by serving on each others' boards . The key now is to build on those relationships and expand the circle of entrepreneurs who can contribute to the local dot-com scene. The other crucial missing ingredient is now also in the works. Thirty five years after becoming a branch of the state university system, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has finally been designated a doctoral university. While this step may not seem like a big deal to those who discount academia's role in the real world, try to picture the Research Triangle without UNC, Duke and N.C. State. Not only will the doctoral programs help attract better students and faculty, they will bring milli ons of dollars to UNC Charlotte. Doctoral programs will play a key role in developing high tech research facilities and attracting high tech companies to Charlotte. And they will bring something to Charlotte that even successful businesses can't deliver on their own: prestige. As one of the largest metro areas in the country without a medical school, a law school oruntil now - a doctoral university, Charlotte has lacked the gravitas that such institutions accord. Not anymore. Congratulations to the folks at UNC Charlotte and the community leaders who helped push this initiative through . It's only the first step in a long journey, but the commun ity is already the better for it.

;~pten- ber

::_ooo

biz greater charlotte biz

~YOUR

TECHNO OGY SCALE?

11\'h-::r pla'lning computing .>-ra1?;JiEs, snail t: n-i c-sized cmrpanies bee many diffi •: l.lt :md :::·:· s11y doc rsions r:egar : ing i 'lfrastr _cture, m:;in1e1ance, ~n : = ~ra::e::. J'Jli/ ro~. iRe31111)'1\cJrld ~ is •)re e~pert ::;oro: e that :Je iY€rs fLlly-11ana-;Jed erte-rp-ise t:.::hnolo ;r. soluHon:!: f·) j J s c·n-= loN, mon hly f i x:ed 1e-=. Now you Je: the col j: .rt '1Q pc•wer and Eec rii~ of a Fc-b.Jr? 5)0 company v1ithoJi ~e upfron- in1es tme 1t. l!. s a r::-sLI:, )>:u're no\\' a:J e to fo :u ::: c•• what'E really irrportart : Gn"''i.- r; y-:Ju.- busjness.

'Ne prcvi cE- 5calabl:: so uiions f ·:>r hard.,..c':!, netV"orki " J, bus ness a:>p i.::c: ti o s, 1teme: cc r nec tivi t'; :trd IP teiej: c~. all backec :>y 24•7 ::;q:p:~r: To arra1ge ;our free :m-site sun.~, ca I (877) iR eld:t 'Notlcl ·:·r 'Jisit us at i Read)"W:~rld.com .

Eecause YoJ '+:J;e To C.ampure "i:) Compete.

2.9tk

G9tn-n-t-?t"fi

c?~JI ,!jff:~ild ASID 6JhfX!_./tou:Je, September 17th -

eta -oer 8

1 .....

"The House an th Hill'' 3545 Sharc•n Rc d

"House on the Hill" Previe\ Party I

Friday, Septerr_b er 15, 20CC•

Souf~Park

• - ---

\i'>'JivER~'\RY

A Symphony of Din"ng-Afte s ~ turday,

Septe

1b ~

oon Tea

16. ~ o oo

House Open to the -ublic Sunday, September 17- Suncic:.y, O:tnber 3, 2COO

.. . . SouthPark T ,.~STAFF"

Shn-vh·Jus= e~e::-1115 SUJ=':xrt m usic outreach programs for the youth

Call (704) 362-3545 for ticket iniormat~on or go to

•

iii'

~ ED I ~O:-.l

.E..J S ECU ~ IrY "

SU NAL LIANCE

"Yachta Yachta Yachta" :l~

<r e ctharlcttt :®bserve-

BRIT ISI- AI ~ 'S

ROYAL &

(Sorry, no infants or =.'likir-=r. ·..tree: & )

Proceeds trom

-~ E

j..VfNGIN'

P•••;trH

lleriZJ81wireless

IK O tCKSON \ 3 R -H Ell J.IY, INC.

.,j'Vi

~1i:;

of~ :=;~o - .

www.symphony suildc~rlotte.org

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . biz bits The roll~~ iltthe

Ca110 iras =>;;rtnemb <Wl""H.tha1otte n!~n.c0111>

ha.E

tefn bu~'!"- 't their anrual rreeling, : ~ ev

dl..-.ged ti~ir ne;Tte

[biz igest

Charlotte's Hot Growth Companies Every quarter, dbusiness.~o• a 1atio na daily online business news si te with a local focus on : he Ccr·:lli r as <www.dbusiness.com/City/ 0,1123,CLT,OO.html> , e·rawt~ the hct ~rowth companies in the region to find the ones V'I Ct rt l w=: ch ng. T1 is report focuses on the private and small to mid-cap c c.n~· a niE S tha: are changing the economy. Private Companies

Capital Raised

1.0

LearningStation.com

to tt e Cha:lllltte

FairPoint Communication ~

445 .0

NeoModal.com

Re€i()r.al Fartnershit

Carolina BroadBand

402.0

Advanced Inte rn et Technologie5

to b;:tt:r .,evera~e

NewSouth Communicatio•s

162.0

123hire.com

HomePoint. com

72 .0

Baker & Taylor/ lnformata.com

TriVergent Communicati o r ~

67.0

Elogex Inc.

Premie r Systems lntegral ors,1 1-td dg€

50.0

lnternetsoccer.com

YOUcentric

39.0

Metagon Technologies

DNI Holdings Inc.

37.0

pesident 3rd chef

Accordant

30 .0

exec•t ve.The

Channelinx.com

24.0

Osprey

21.2

also 1Fned local

Digital Optics Corp.

15.0

CommScope Inc.

de"e o:erlahn lA.

Verian Technologies

13.0

CT Commun ications

t1e i)lace h t he:> t1e ~eates;: awatene~s

" acWtding to

Mich3e Aloond .

Fart~e ; ;hiJ

llas

*In Millions of dollars. lnformat,·OiJ Public Companies to watch

:JS

o_f;u/y- 1. ricker C1V CTCI :;EMS

'1ohr nj;" iarris CIS

Healthlink Inc.

11.0

Glenayre Technolo gies

chai~;:r . T1e

Titan Technology Partners

10.0

Global Capite: l Partners

GCAP

Access CoverageCorp Inc.

10.0

Informati on Architects

:; EMS KEQU

1Jn(il1n Harr s LL:

VideoGate .com

6.0

Kewaun ee Scie ntific

Healant

5.0

Lendi ngTre e

SoDeog Technologies

5.0

MindBlazer.com

4.7

AutoPact Car Service Inc.

4.5

TeamVest

4.2

Entegra (formerly E I ServE)

3.0

1amed de.n of the

Adhesion Technologies

2.5

\CcC::II Scra·JI of

Multi Net Connections

2.0

3llsir ei5 a Quei!"''S

Westar Technologies

2.0

US LEC

CLEC

2.0

Xpedian

XPDN

rea es:.3te> services

firm ex.Ecu:::i.,e's ten .1re will c'Jnti11:.1e

!hnug :; }IL~

2'0C•L. Oc. ·P.ame:;a

l2v.E has

:~ .:> en

Cotle~:e. S ~ e com:!s

Awelo

TREE V1NZN

Mon eyZo ne.com Network Sytem s In te rnation al

NESt

Person nel Group of Ameri ca

PGA RFMD

RF Micro Devi ces Soni c Automotive Grou p

SAH

Speedway Moto rsport s Inc .

TRK

:o Q<.~eensfr:>m Jre-Q:I Jri-rersity i n :JtiiladE:j::tia. ..

T1onas H. Wilso~ Jr , •J:ce pesi<te.Jt at •)Spey. n3nt~

riiS beel1

as dwair cl

the tl:>rth Carolirll

Dar.ce n~t ;e bo3rd

o' trllstl?es.. .•Ron Hins::n na! been n3mad pres jent3n:: cEO

:Jf Con.JOrd-basej

S!l.D Ccffee.

5reate-r ::::1ar l o:te biz

septerrb.::c- 200(

mo r e

[b"z igest] e-commerce investments decline

MEC Capital Access Conference Businesi pecpiE are nvit~d to Charl:tt:'s largest

• Funding a Star:·Lp

annLal gathering mf enlrepreneurs ar d ir.vestors.

• Venture Capite!: -hE Viev.. =rom EC!h Si:les

as ArthLr An:t:rSE1, [•igital ?roceedings,

• Strategic

Emergert La·.J, zn..:l Sza·tUpStreet.corn pr:se:nt th;:

• Angel Investors

Metrolira Ellil!rep·~ra.Jria ·. C·J Lncil's (MEQ fcurth

• From Exhilarat Gn t: De1.cstatio1 nd l!ac~:

annual Cc:pit.JI ~c :es: Conf::rence.

Part~Ghips

in the second quarter as venture capita ists shifted attention to tech1ology and software, especially

What Entrepre1eJr5 .C.re II::VER TJ ,j at

ThE conlerEnot:E •1ill be neld September 19 from 7:1C• a•.-. to 2:::0 p.m. at the

Investments 1n e-commerce start-ups declined sharply

~~dam ' s

l\1ark

Internet and corr munica-

Conferences

tions infrastruct~re firms,

• The Reality of IU11di1g YoJ Start-~

a survey by Venture

Hotel in doWI1tO.N8 ;::,arlGtte.

Economics and the

The cost for the

Conf:re•::: a:te~~:dees wi l recei'.,-e 3 =ree

a: oRfe ·enc~

audio-vi:leo 1ecoAlin~ of the entire <onfererce

is $75 if registeP-I:l bEfore S:ptemJfJ' 5. .\fter

on Cl>, coort~S'/ ot Digi:al Fro.:eedil~s.

September 5,

'n acdioon tc a i.Jnch/roundtable .:Jiscussior ,

t~ CQS:

National Venture Capital

l>r ME{ 1embers

Association (NVCA) shows. Venture

to IVEC menX!·s s

mve~tors

put

$2.9 billion into e-com·

$100. Non-memJers may r ??;ister =c: $1~5.

merce firms, or about 14.5

attendeEs w J be 3be to ch::>ose from the

percent of the quarter's

followirrg w::-<shcps:

at 704.708.405•:•.

total, the survey found. That was 44 percent less

Crarlotte-bc.~ed

:OYe-ageCorp.com and srnf support arc administration speci;j ist~ l\;scci3tion \lc: 1agernent

than the first quarter, when e-commerce Investments

Systems ha'le agr:ec :o o-bnnd insura1ce products anG services to the 300,(00 ne11bEr:; of 1 :> cle:nt organizatio1s th oug- a r ew \VeJ ; ite-

~wN.as~ociatoni1;urance.com.

totaled $5.2 billion, or

SincE t.; f:und 'r g Covera.~:::o'J has

27 2 percent of the total.

signed co-b -andi' g :::o:als v.itr 1 J other trade groups, fnc.ndal institutions and i1.>unnce b·oke~ 3D:l ag-2nts.

source: dbusiness.com

In Chart tte, 's How You Get Ahead In Business. At the McColl Sdrool, aM

coul'3~

are relevant to the needs of

taday's organizations a d itf-synch w;- what is happening in business right now. This means t at stud~ts and new ways of thinking in

tm re~¥arded

virt..J~JI/y

with useful insights

c\.Zry classroom experience. In

short, participants fina' value in the .\kCo.'/ School programs immediately, not just w~en they recei11e the· degrees.

)\~x--aOi!:_"·,JL~'UO . . ./__ l Queens 11 ofCharlotte

ofm&r~SJ~ Couege

1900 Selwyn Avenue. Chgr/otfe, NC 28274 www.mccollschool.edu MBA (704) 337-2224 E~ (704) 337-2248 12

5ej:teMb:o r

~00)

greater charlotte biz

[regional

....................

sweet union county fast-growing county shows no signs of slowing down In the mid-1990s, Union County developed a strate._,___ gic plan called 'Sweet Union 2000.' And now that 2000 is here, residents, business owners and offi ~ ials agree: how

â&#x20AC;˘ 1

.t ' â&#x20AC;˘

mute is to M~cklenburg. "We're hoping we can

million of capital investment

recruit enough companies so they will turn their

was announced i1 Monroe alone,

cars around and stay here and work," Plate says. Both the City of Monroe and Union County

$169,263 in net new tax dollars.

have economi c development commissions that

Chris Plate, director of

work to recruit new companies and encourage

business and economic devel-

existing ones to expand. Those efforts are focused

opment for the City of Monroe,

and carefully tailored to meet the needs of the

the county seat, can quickly

county's residents for both economic opportunities

list the reasons for the good

and a good quality of life.

access to Charlotte/ Douglas Airport; easy access to the benefits L-_ _....;..........,;;;;:B~- of Charlotte without its drawbacks; our quality of life; our schools; affordable housing; and a lot of golf courses. And we're

"About one-third of our workforce is employed in manufacturing, and that's what we are continuing to recruit," Plate explains. "We want manufacturers that are clean and 1-igh tech. With an unemployment rate of about 2 percent, that's what we can handle." One of the specific areas Monroe is recruiting is European-based medical equipment manufactur-

pro-business, where planning and zoning work

ers. Those efforts paid off last year

with companies, not against them."

when an Austrian firm, Grenier

In terms of population, Union County is

Vacuette North America , selected the

among the fastest growing in the state. In 1990,

city-owned N,onroe Corporate Center

the population was 84,210, and it is now at more

for its U.S. headquarters. The 100-

than 115,000. By 2019, it is expected to jump by

year-old firm just recently began oper-

another 53 percent, to about 142,000.

ations at the Monroe facility. Grenier's

"The strategic planning process we went through has helped us tremendously, and we are now embarking on another one called Vision 2020,"

investment totalled $11 million and created 40 new jobs. At the time of the announce-

says Union County Manager Gary Smoak. "The

ment, Boris Grenier, the company's

biggest changes are growth, growth and growth .

project manager, said, "There are

We have great needs, but we have done well. The

many reasons we are attracted to

biggest challenge is building schools fast enough."

this region, primarily the easy

Like many of the counties surrounding

access to over two-thirds of the

Mecklenburg, much of Union's growth can be

U.S. populatio1, the growing inter-

attributed to its proximity to Charlotte and it has

national cultures in the Charlotte

become, in large part, a bedroom community for

region, the ext reme growth of the

the state's largest city. The town of Weddington,

region, and the large number of

now one of the wealthiest cities in the state in

plastic manufa cturers."

terms of per capita income, grew 53 percent from 1990 to 1998, as Mecklenburg's high-end expan:1arlo::~

About 28 percent of Union's workforce of about 58,000 workers commutes out of the county

ended on June 30, 2000, $48

news: "Low taxes; easy

gr e ;:.1e-

1999's record amount of $253 million.

for jobs, and rearly 90 percent of that out-com-

Union Count'{ were valued at $145.1 million in the first six months of 2000, outpacing the rate of

sweet it is. In the fiscal year that

creating 345 new jobs and adding

....

sion moved further south. Residential permits in

b iz

The Monroe Corporate Center has been an unqualified success

>--

september 2000

the criteria have been met. A conplex for-

since its first tenants began moving in about

an expansion that is expected to reach

four years ago. It's a 365-acre Class A

$10 million. Also announced in the past

mula is used to determine the actual size

industrial park adjacent to the Monroe

year was the $12.1-million expansion of

of the grant, and Monroe and Union use

Airport, of which 160 acres remain available.

Consolidated Metco, Inc., a producer of

different ones. If located within Monroe, a

In addition to Grenier, tenants include

high-strength aluminum alloy products.

project may qualify for grants from both

Coco-Cola, Coresco, Inc., Delavan/BF

Both Union County and the City of

Goodrich and American Wick Drain, which

Monroe offer incentive programs for firms

together have invested $40 million in the

relocating to the area and for expansions

the city and county. Last year, Ur ion County paid out $722,000 in grants . Transportation and access are other qualities that Union County and Monroe use

local economy and created 228 new jobs. Coca-Cola broke ground last year on a

to recruit business. "We tout our proximity

70,000-square-foot warehouse and office

to Charlotte/Douglas all the time," Plate

building, now in operation. Also last year,

says. "It's among the top three recruiting

Coresco completed a $2.5-million expan-

tools for everyone in the region ." "There are no words to describe the

sion that more than doubled its space to

value of 1-485 to us . Now you don't have

138,000 square feet.

to go through Charlotte to get to the air-

Plate says, "Balanced residential, commercial and industrial growth is

port, Highway 51 or other access points,"

important for a community to succeed.

Plate says. "We can't wait for it to keep

Industries need room to grow and people

Monroe Corporate Center

going and connect to 1-85."

to emp loy. The city needs a growing tax

of existing companies. "Incentives are

base to provide first-class services at a

one of the things companies look for

payoffs with better access as well. But it

reasonable cost."

when making a relocation," Plate says. "If

also promises to be a long wait. The

you don't offer them, they take you off

Monroe, or 74, bypass, which will loop

Another area with a significant industrial presence is Sutton Park, home to Tyson Foods, Inc. With 1,300 local employees, it is one of the largest

their list for consideration." Both the city's and county's pro-

Other planned roads promise big

around the city the way 1-485 does around Charlotte, isn't expected to be complete for

grams are similar in that they are per-

another 10 to 12 years. Improvements to Providence, Rea and Monroe roads and to

employers in Union, and also contracts

formance-based grants paid over a period

with 285 poultry growers in the county,

of time, three years for the county, and

U.S. 74 appear to be closer to lessening

accoun ting for $17.4 million in wages and

three to five years for the city. To qualify,

congestion between Charlotte, but every-

contracts. About a year ago, Tyson, with

a new project must be at least $3 million

one wishes it were sooner.

headquarters in Arkansas, began construc-

in size, and an expansion at least $2.5

tion on a 70,000-square-foot addition to its

million; plus offer wages 10 percent

Plate observes. "We're among the fastest

Monroe plant with two new poultry pro-

above the county average; and create

growing counties in the state, but we

"We need more and better roads,"

cessing lines, a $15-million investment

at least 10 new jobs. Bonuses are also

rank last in terms of money rece ·ved per

that will create about 200 jobs.

available for meeting certain other

capita for roads ." biz

criteria. Grants are paid annually after a

Bea Quirk is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Nearby, Gold Signature Foods, which specializes in frozen foods, has started

company provides documentation that

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[ expertopi n ion ]

irte rv iewed by nethea Fo rtney rhinehard t

biz info NTORNEY PROFILES I!Db Bryan received h s undergraduate a1d law degrees fr:>m the University 0° Virginia. He has represented software

roundtable: an ounce of prevention ad dessing lega l issues can help prevent biz failure O.K., so you've written a business plan and now you're ready to seek your fortune. But have you covered all the bases? If you don't have good legal representation,

atd high technology ccmpanies for more

you may be in for a surprise. Intellectual property,

than fifteen years

non-compete agreements, institutional investors,

atd has extensive

hiring practices and a host of other complexities

e;::perience in negoti·

can thwart promising ventures.

How does a business owner find the most appropriate counsel for their type of business? Bryan : If you already have a good lawyer that you have confiden ce in, and who is knowledgeable and competent in all the aspects of your business, then there's no need to change lawyers. But if your busi ness is in an area outside of your attorney's comfort zone, you might consider a change.

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson. P.A. <www.rbh.com>,

aling a wide range of

the business.

Haynes Lea: suggest getting referrals from other

software-related

is no stranger to growing businesses. This 40-year old

a~reements.

firm serves as counsel to some of the area's most

law firms. lmJortant questions to ask are : How will

also has particular

successful public and closely helo corporations, limit-

my work be done? How will it be executed within

e>perience in negoti·

ed liability companies, partnerships and more. This

your firm? What is the way in which you operate

breadth of experience has equipped the firm to

with in the firm to see that my work gets done timely

Bryan

ating e-commerce a&reements. Hilynes P. lea

reteived his under· gr:~duate

degree,

and cost efficient-

anticipate and respond to the

ly?

needs of emerging

Mark Merritt: It's important to inter-

companies.

Greater

view different firms

Charlotte Biz

to find lawyers you

M B.A. and ].D. degrees, with hon·

business pee ple and meeting with two or three

or:;, from the

recently met with

have a good rap-

University of North

three Robinson,

port with . Ask them

Ccrolina. He prac·

Bradshaw & Hinson

hard questions

ticoes in the areas of

partners, all experts

about their expert-

in their respective

ise. What deals

c<X"porate, commer· ciiillending, mergers & 3cquisitions and

pr vate equity and ve-1ture capital

fields: Bob Bryan -

have you done in

intellectual property,

this area? What

Mark Merritt, Bob Bryan and Hayn es Lea.

kind of financing

technology, computer, corporate and international law; Haynes Lea - pri-

have you done? What anti-trust problems have you

vate equity financing, private placements, taxation,

taken a look at? Tell us about your experience and

Milrk W. Merritt

corporate and commercial lending law; and Mark

how you have moved your clients down the path to

re,eived his B.A.

Merritt -antitrust, securities, co-nplex litigation,

success. People shouldn 't be shy about asking

degree from the

and employment law. This legal dream team offers

those kinds of questions .

Uriversity of North

their perspective on issues facing early-stage com-

Carolina and his law

panies .

trEnsactions.

Do businesses hire a law firm or do they hire a lawyer?

degree from the U11iversity of Virginia.

What's the most important thing for an

ME-rritt's practice

emerging business owner to be aware of?

particular expe 1:ise who does the job well and gets

Bob Bryan: The most important thing is to

the law firm's foot in the door. But I have found that

have a good solid business plan first, then decide

if one lawyer is doing a good job in the firm, it ends

covers a broad range of :JUsiness-related litigation, antitrust litigation and coun-

how the Web ore-business can help implement

Merritt: Often the entry point is a lawyer with

up expanding t f] e relationship to meet the broad needs of the client.

se ing, corporate and

that plan. There are a surprising number of people

sewrities litigation.

who skip that first step . Technology itself is not

Bryan : I think most people hire a lawyer, but it's

the business, but simply a means of implementing

the firm that retains the relationship. I have

greater char lot t e biz

september 2000

>17

found that most owners of emerging busi-

weve qot t]}e arrswers t~) all

Yot1r "dot

gt1estiz)rIS!

nesses are not interested in having the traditional kind of legal relationship. They

C()tn"

want a core group of people who are part of their team, who understand their business and are interested in their success.

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Lea : The makeup of that team is going to vary from client to client, and maybe from project to project. It's the respo nsibility of

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What type of business structure is best for a start-up? Bryan : The re rea lly are a lot of factors to consider. Early stage companies tend to be very frustrated with the amount of time and expense involved in organizing the company properly. But this is one area where if you don't do it right, it can cost you a lot of money later on.

Lea : There isn't an automatic answer that applies across the board to every situation . However, we do see a lot of deals where a company has had a number of angel investors and are now seeking

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Investors look more closely at how quickly companies generate not just reven ue, but also operating profit." - Haynes Lea

I've developed a great business plan, selected my attorney, and I'm about to seek investors and raise money. What should I be concerned about at this stage? Lea : Your business model must show hov. you're going to make money. There are a lot of companies that come forth with a business plan that doesn't really specify how the technology will generate revenue. Investors look more closely at how quickly companies generate not just revenue, but also operating profit based on realistic assumptions.

Bryan : Investors are also looking for some proprietary edge that can keep you at the forefront and minimize competition. Before you show that business plan to anyone- and this is where your lawyer comes in -you need to make surE that it's really proprietary. If trade secrets are the key to your success, then you must take necessary action to protect those secrets. If it's a patentable idea, then you need to make sure that you're not losing your chance to get a patent by marketing your idea. If it's a catchy name you're using, file for trademark protection before you present your plan. It is very difficult to protect against intellectual property theft. Every potential investor could sign a confidentiality agreement, but it is extraordinarily difficult to prove that someone really got a high-level idea from you. So you need to take appropriate steps to protect yourself before you go out and start publicizing your plan and your idea.

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~epter:::er

2000

Merritt: A trade secret is something that

can't be reverse engineered. You have to have taken appropriate steps to maintain its secrecy throughout the lifecycle of the id ea or trade secret, or those righ: s are

you RE

waived. If you're in a lawsuit over a trade

nt t

secret, you' ll be asked, 'Did you keep it locked in your desk? Within the company was it restricted as to who could see it? When you gave it out to potential investors did you have them sign confidentiality agreements and did you have them give it back when they didn't make the investment?' I don't think people understand the degree of burden the law puts on someone who's trying to orotect a trade secret.

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How important are confidentiality agreements and non-competes in protecting my business interests? Lea: As Bob mentioned , protection of ideas and proprietary information is important, but there are practical as well as legal limitations on these agreements. For instance,

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incentives like stock options to lure qualified employees. Is that an avenue a business owner should consider?

Lea: Investors like to see that a young company is not using cash to pay big salaries. Stock options encourage employees to work hard and stay with the company for a longer term .

Bryan : But there's a real danger there if you don't maintain a balance. If you're paying someone a salary well be .ow the market, often the only reason they're staying is in hopes of cashing in on stock options . This can breed temporary, disloyal employees . If your prospects suddenly take a dip, you can lose workers.

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Bryan : E-mail is a part of a company's records. In the recent Microsoft litigation, the careless e-mails were pivotal in losing the lawsuit. It's astounding the things people will say in an e-mail that they

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keep these e-mails.

Merritt: When the FTC and the Department of Justice conduct an investigation into a merger or acquisition, they always ask fore-mails. We are aware of cases when in excess of 100,000 e-mails have been reviewed .

Business Solutions 22

september 2000

biz

Nethea Fortney Rhinehardt is a Chanottebased fi'ee/once write~

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VHITLEY. BR.E -T KULj\:\AN AND THEIR F IE JD5 AR_E CIVIl C A.V\ AY $5 MILLION. But OJL Y e: arly- s~a~ :.:orrpaniE> ~ 1pply. As th fcrd ~ec ti•e and an investor for Charlotte Angel :?c.:tners :c-I.P), ulmo is n :"i:ring C.harlctte into a world of investing once reserved for '' ij .:cn \laLey. -A lot of :1e..v -ccJ:c<mieshave e"TTeJgE<i :n the Charlotte market over the last COU?LE of y?an, ' nys KLlm;m. 'The th'ling is ri pe fo ::- an angel group in this area." Wb.at exacLy is

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PJ :hc·ugh C1E word cc njuU's p in:ag of hcavmly hosts. an angel investor is someone w o b ~s enough dismti:::H'lal)- vec.i-::"1 to sigoifican.ly Il\es: in hi~h - :isk, early-stage companies; has a >trcog i:1 ter~s: in helpin5 t"l.OE corrpanie!' su=c~ed ; and ca"l wait several years before seei::lg ar. i:nves::.rnent p1y ofl ~I ir:ves _o rs lik Lsi:1g tbei1 11oney (wd sometimes their exp~ri ~:1 C"i: j to heb y:rurg on:.par:i-3 >u :ceEd. L'le-; aso ltl.:e be ng 'on the ground floor" of an

fle"' verrtt.::e a:-.d re:rpi:J:s :be temenjous returns pcssibl~ wl'len it .s sold or goes public. LlnU:e venlLtre ::::;:,pitalist:, c. r_gJ ; c. re high r.:>t >Vcr.h inci>idJals w:1o invest their own

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perso al m<mey iL sor:-ups. ,\ns - ~. "' i I irvest rron ~y at a c:rupany's earliest stages, usually beforf 3. ::>mpany ~ s ma-urc e'lough tc· ct:rc: ct venklre CC.!=·ital ir:v~stment Venture capital firms terd -::o rc.tse m0:1ey :J:om .:rs:iltii ::m:al inve tc rs - m rp o~aticns, inmrance companies, pemion f .mds, un iversi-y ~c:.cwntLLS- 3nd in.rest i· ::>n be.1 alf of tho.>e groups. Although some .-emure cc: p.:a.ists ar~ em y-~tage pla,ers, mo t .::Oo:us o n companies in the later stages of b ~~e- finncJ- g T~E cs.

gw•...rtt, ~th

'-"• iJe this :>rga:1ize:rl ange fLnj is nev to Charbt: e. it ha an 11-year old counterpart in the Triac. Tri-State lnn:;tmec ocup c r 11G, is •::AI''s sister f.llld in Research Triangle Park. Charl : ~te Angel p-, nner: is :lc<Sely mo::lclec after the "li~hty successful Tl - funds. Eill Whitle~ is th e : ha i:rrw c. n J f Ol;arlcxte .~.n;e : 'a:1:r:ers <Yij one of the fund's founders. lie is p3.ssio natE al:: ::m u :a:-t-up ~o~::>wies, :Hving Larmched se e· al succ s -ful enterprises himseE· r_is ost r~c ~ n: ·Jentu e, Hird E . ~er <Vt'WI'W.:mindh !azer.com>, is an interactive Webcast dev:-lcper A r:1emJer c " the T i-SlJle lnve::tme.nt nup, Whi :l y organized Charlotte Angel Panne..-s to address tb ~ ~o·n ir.g ::lEc: l tlo~ in his b;ach."!ald. )o-

was as to nished br L'lf"

i n ~e re~t

fo11 tb02

th~

other venture funds seeking pa rticipanG

five or six members who conduct due

in the transaction ." Kulman, however,

diligence activities. One month later, :he

doesn't rule out a more direct route.

ad hoc committee returns to th e generrl

"Occasionally companies themselves

membership to reco mmend an invest -

will approach us. Other times we learn

ment. On average, CAP's investment

about a co mpany and contact th e m ."

ranges from $300,000 to $700,000 per

investo r commu nity. ' It toe at J Lt -'"OLr mo nths fron the tim ;: v<'e g:JI

CAP then forms ad hoc committees of

r·oocept

:o th e time vve ha:l iTerefted i.rr-e::tor::

fit CAP's criteria. Whil e Kulman con-

"But we can invest two or three rouncE

firms th at CAP is seeking early-stage

in a single company. "

venture returns, or roughly ten times the

Although CAP is still in its infancy,

.>igned up," 1e shares Accord ng to 'v\ bLe7, Cha-Jeotte a::1d :he surroun:ling a re2 are bu:st :lE at :h.e -earns with inves: m.ent o;:>porLJl__tieE.

Of course, not all new companies

round of financing. Kulman points ou:,

investment over a two to five year period

Kulman anticipates members lending

there are no hard-and -fast rul es.

their expertise where it counts most.

Charlotte Angel Partners carefully con-

"Our counterpart in Research Tri a nglE

siders a company's management team,

Park, TIC, has members on the board of

its uniqueness or propriety offerings,

technology > tart - up~ 1ap ::>e.n i ~ 1-.e: e i::1 Charlotte ri ~ht now.' he :strEs>es. "Each

directors of companies, or involved aE

barriers to entry, and financial models.

month, we :set atou tv1en:y b u· es::

CEOs of new companies, and I exped

important component for CAP is the

CAP to eve ntually do the same"

value created. "The business plan

"There's got to be li :eralb no :l rcd3

plans." Ch arlotte Ans;el

advisors. I've seen them go in as

['MLI~:s

acti~

Acco rding to Kulman, venture ca i -

includes th e area s rr ::>st -cc-es::ful

As Kulman explains, though, th most

must portray a significant market

businesspecple a d i:: a savvy EOJP o:'

ta! firms are often overwhelmed proce5s-

opportunity that can grow and create

investors. TI-e ave:a~ n:e:nbeL is anyth ing but ty::> ica. KLlmm

ing the deal flow, making it tough to ~ ~

value to shareholders. There are good

involved beyond board-level strategic

companies that don't really gen rate

"Our members

aP-

CEOs,

CW?.\C.

;; hare~

a:torr~y=;.

mvestment bankers, Ge:uives.

a d e:neorstrated t.eo-e: c f

fi nancial m :ght.

~he

:lcllar ccnlllaitmo:::u

is definitely not for tile fai:lt at

h ~n

orne of OUr memberS Can add vaJ-J.c

to almost any company we invest in . ~

:etirees - a broad rarge of ~o = IE." One th . ng tl-.at i:. conrnor: i1 the group

' ...

Brent Kulman, Ch arl o tte Angel Pa rtn Ers

So you can have a co mpany that meets all the other criteria, but it's only a nice

advice. Thus, Angels can offer distincti'IE

lifestyl e business, not necessarily a goo:i

advantages for entrepreneurs. "Some of

venture investment. "

our members can add value to almost

enough value for equity investors-valuE that is worth selling or going pub lic.

Kulman, 44, form e r managing

rnEmbe:, with.

any company we invest in, " h e says. "1::1

director of investme nt ba nking a t

for ace-en i::w ESJrrento Despite thi barrier t:l eillry, tiE fir:;t

addition to the m o ney, we h ave peo p_e

Interstate/ Johnson Lane (now Wachovia

who can add value either as a tried-acdtrue entrepren eur, or they're i:1 a marl::~t that the company wants to sell to ."

Securities <www.wachoviasecurities.com>). is ideally suited to manage the fund . Hi.; extensive career in investments has given

the number of availatle s-:> ac~~-- ·v/e to :Jk investors on a first-CoJme, li.-st-.>~d basis," Bill Whitley o hi::1~. . ''and w-:>tod

Another advantage of Angels

him a rich perspective evaluating new

company usually do esn't have to give up th e huge chunk of equity a venture

companies. A m ember of both CAP a nd TIC, Kulman offers important

up having to tum same invefl:o- awa:-.~ Charlo:te Ar.gel Pc.~rs ha a unique hands-on app:o3ch to j - vcstir g. "We are a member-naruge:l el.kt!"," Kulman explains, "so every O:lZ :1-m h3s invested pl a;s a ro le ether than u::t ptr::ting up money." CA: isrr_emt -c riv-m., with formal committ=es nat ex;rlo re Each investment •Jpportuni:y: .H.e:mb~s rev ~• business plans anrl daernine vohEthe- o)[ not to furth er screen :om.::Jarri ~

capitalist typically demands. Although CAP is based in th e Queen City, "We aren't confined to Charlotte in terms of our investm e nt focus," Kulman clarifies. "But wegenerally like to do early stage inves:m e nts within a reaso nable geographic area. We've set up CAP to focus o n compan ~ es within a three-hour radius of harlot~e.'

advice for entrepreneurs seeking finan c-

~50,000

mi1imwn

J:~r

D pportuniti ~s

CAP fund lwls alread_ dc· s~c !c DO investors, with dema~ c far exo:e.ji::Jg

CAP's Execu: ive :::anmittee ;;e:le::ts two com parties tc p:ese 1 c. ::he: moo general membership -:1eeting ?d l ·Jvli~ presentatiors, th e fTli2lbersh it= ·..o ~es to

that a

Business plans land on Kulm an's d esk through a variety of channels. " I :-~

ing. "The biggest problems I find," he reveals, "are companies that focus on what's hot right now instead of wha t really makes sense as a business." Th se days, it seems as if everyone is on th e fast track to launching a co m pany , but Kulman notes, "It still takes more time than people realize to raise money and execute a business plan ." He anticipates the $5 milli o n

some cases, CAP members are already

proceed s from CAP's first fund w ill be

investo rs in the company, and th e com-

distributed within two years. And after that? The next fund: CAP II. biz

pany is doing a subsequent round of investment. " He co ntinues, "We also team about opportunities th ugh

Nethea Fortney Rhinehardt is a Chanottebased freelance writer.

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..... ....... .. ... ...... .. . .. .. . . . .. .

When Harry Nurkin first came to Charlotte Memorial Hospital, he found a dilapidated facility with a dispirited staff and a damaged reputation. What he brought was a vision for a first class healthcare operation and the determination to see it through. With the help of an engaged and talented Board of Commissioners, he transformed the old hospital into Carolinas HealthCare System, a two billion dollar, multi-state provider that today is among the finest in the U.S. And despite the current challenges confronting hospitals, he's just now getting his healthcare system where he wants it. > 28

s e pt e m b e r 2 0 0 0

arry Nurkin

..._ ..... didn't particularly want to come to Charlotte. In the spring of 1931, though, out of courteey to a headhu1ter, be took a weekend off from his job as chief financial officer at the University of Alabama at Birmingh 'lm (UAB) Hospital to rr_eet with the Bo<.ird of Commiss ioners of Charlotte ~moria ! Hospital. Althour.h it had a decent med ical staff, Charl~te Memorial lacked adequate facilities, was low on morale and was bar=ly getting by financially. Nurkin, a 36-year-old Durham native and Duke University graduate, shared his v sion of tra nsforming th moribund h.::>spital into a first class bealthcare fc.cility with a distinguished board, which would include such risi::Jg business staG as Hugr. McColl and Ed Crutchfield. They liked what they heard, and today, nearly twenty years later, Nurkin's vision is finally being fully :ealized in the fixm of Carolinas Health Cue System (CW) <WWW.caroUnas.org>, c: diversified $2 bill ion e:1terprise with nearly .5,000 hospita l beds and a reputction as a top healthcare provider in 1e U.S. "It sourded like an interesting opportun ity,Âˇ says Nurkin. "But my wife Jarleth md our boys and I had planted rootâ&#x20AC;˘ and didn't want to leave Birmingham" Before he left for the inter\'iew in Charlotte, he asked the dean at

UAB what he knew about Charlotte. "He human beings and their willingness to serve," he points o ut. Nurkin credits forsaid the medical community may be the best in America for a region that doesn't mer chairman R. Stuart Dickson for have a medical school," recalls Nurkin. much of the progress made by the hospital over the past two decades. ''No sin'They were pretty strong words from a gle individual has had as much impact guy who didn't brag too much." Nurkin took the job. "The deciding on our healthcare system as Stuart. He pioneered factor was that, for all their wonderfu l the trans"Harry Nurkin was the best thing formation parts, universities are that ever happened to the Carolinas of impossible to manHealthCare System:' Charlotte age. There are so Memorial many layers of inter- - Hugh Mc:Co/~ Bank ofAmerica CED and CHS treasurer Hospital ests that getting from a lethargic, suffering facility into something accomp li shed takes months," Carolinas Medical Center- the dynamic he explains. "Selecting people can take cornerstone of Caro linas HealthCare years. In Cha rlotte, there were teaching System," wrote Nurkin in the C S programs for physicians and nurses, but decisions could be made quickly; thereannual report. Board members are quick to return fore we could be more competitive and the compliment. "Harry Nurkin was the really see if our decisions were efficacious in the short term. What I saw was best thing that ever happened to the Carolinas HealthCare System, or as I the best co mbination of a communi ty hospital and a university hospital." used to think of it, Charlotte Memorial Hospital," says board treasurer and Bank At the time, Charlotte Memorial of America CEO Hugh McColl. "When was the number three hospital in a three the board brought Harry to Charlotte, hospital town, languishing well behind Presbyterian and Mercy hospitals. Because we had high hopes he could improve the results of our hospital. He transformed >it was losing money, the hospital had to rely on general obligation bonds from Mecklenburg County just to make capital improvements. Nurkin knew this going in, Carolinas HealthCare System but he had a few aces up his sleeves. Human Resources "We had an up-and-coming city Medical Education and Research 515 in Charlotte, a very good medica l staff, Full-Time Faculty 147 and a board that, person for person, Part-Time FacultyNolunteer Faculty 230 was- and still is - unsurpassed in Full-Time Employees I ,853 Part-Time Employees 5, I 19 their understanding of business, their source: Carolinas HealthCare System understanding of the need to care for

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it from a much maligned public fadlity into the preferred medical provider, not only for this county but for dozens of others. He brought administration which produced profits, something unheard of before. He provided more and better medical attention to the public at a lower cost. In short, he has been a phenomenal success. "What he did was bring a vision to the board. We embraced it- he executed it."

The Vision Nurkin's plan to revive the hospital was a fairly simple one that involved improving both the facilities and the morale. "I felt that if we could pump a little intellectual and emotional juice into the place and give the employees a vision of what it could be, we could decide if we could get there in a short period of time or not," he relates. "We wanted to draw more talented people and improve the facilities so when people went home from our hospital they would say, 'The people were really attentive; they were compassionate and competent, and it was a nice environment."' A complete overhaul of the hospital's facilities was essential. "This building we are in now [the Rush S. Dixon Tower] was the cornerstone for our organization," he says proudly. During the 1960s and '70s, patients were placed in different sections o f the hospital based on socioeconom ic status. "I thought that if we were ever to become competitive we had to have a wonderful environment where nobody could tell if a patient had heavy ins urance or no insurance, " says urk:n. "So we built a building with all private rooms. When we opened this building, it enabled us to treat all God's children in exactly the same way witl1out any concern for age, race, sex or socioeconomic status. It was a powerful statement that says this organization treats everybody in the same fashion." The building was also designed to appear decidedly non-institutional. When patients and visitors enter through the front lobby, for example, they encou nter a two-story atri u m full of light and space that resembles an upsca le office lobby more than a hospital. Says Nurkin, "When peop le step through the door, you can see them relax just a little because the environment is designed to be sooth ing and reassuring, no t in timidating or clinica l. "

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Building_ \J.'r;a~th Th ...oug"z Custcmized PaY"C{olio ManaQtrt?En t ~=e~-Bas,路d ~

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"When we opened this building, it enabled us to treat all God 's children in exactly the same way without any concern for age, race, sex or socioeconomic status."

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The building is also quite efficient. For example, nurses' stations are circul ar hubs with hallway "spokes" that lead to patient rooms "so the nurse has something like 39 steps maximum to any patient," reveals Nurkin. "It's better for the nurses and allows for better patient care." In addition to the facilities upgrade, Nurkin had to change the management cul ture at the hospital. He started with some underlying tenets. "We believe that there is a va lue system in almost every human being that is positive if you ca n tap into it," he says. "We also believe that people like to work but do not work at full capacity. So if you provide a pleasant environment and give employees the opportunity to Jearn more and grow, they feel very positive. "We want them to have that positive feeling when their feet hit the floor in the morning. How do you do that? You listen to them -what makes their life miserable at work, what makes it fun . It boils down to open and honest communication. If you work here, we're not going to communicate with you by memo, and you're not going to find out things in your paycheck. We're going to listen to you and you're going to become part of the organization." All managers and admin istrators are required to spend considerab le time on the hospital floor. "Basica lly we >

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Care About Protectin~ And Sen ing You.

Kna ___ _ II'.J: U R/\ _

151 0 East I\.1:Yehcad St. ::>c:J. Box 33789 Charl::tte, NC 2f2~3 phone: 704.::~5. 3000 fax: 7C4.334.f;526

sept-=mter

~00 0

are sayi:1g, "You're going to have a nice work er.viron me nt and we' re going to do eve ryth i :-~g we can to make your life pleasa nt, understa ndi ng that yo u have a very critical difficu lt and at times scary job : It sounds rather simple, bu t not everybcxly does it. We do . "Sc me co mpanies issue pink slips around Thanksgiving and Christmas when they see their end of year numbers not looking so good. We just do n't do that. The emotio nal down turn reverberates throughout the entire organization so the n.ext ti me somebody's treating a patient rn the emergency room, in the back of is o r her mind is 'Am I going to be laid off next?' I don't wa nt people thinking about that. I want people thinking about the person o n the stretcher. " It tas t3ken lo nger to create the kind of organ iza tio n Nurkin envisio ned 20 yea r, ago . "The process th at I tho ught was go ing to take five yea rs was really a 20-year process," he admits. "I was a yo ung guy- just 36 yea rs o ld - and th o ught we could do thi s in a heartbeat. 1 lea rned th:H it takes lo nge r to take p eop l e'~ hearts a nd minds and move them in a nzw d irecti o n. Even if th ey are en thusiastic. they still have to change."

The Road to Charlotte Harry Nurkin did not plan to be a hospital administrator. Growing up, he wanted to be Mickey Ma ntle. When it became cl ear that wasn't going to happen, "I wa nted to go to Vanderbilt and beco me a spo rts journalist, but our fa mi ly co ul dn't afford that." Nurkin's fa ther had died of diphtheria when Harry was just four years o ld . "As a senior in high school, I got a job at the Veterans Hospital in the summer, and got to see the enviro nment in a hea rt research lab." Later, wh ile at Duke studying po litical science, he we nt to wo rk as a ward clerk at Duke Hospital to earn so me additional money. He happened to meet Ray Brown, a pioneer in the field o f healthcare management, who turned Nurl<in on to the fi eld of hospital administration . Upon receiving his graduate degree in health administration, Nurkin headed to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memph is, Tenn . After about th ree years he went to wo rk for Memorial Miss io n, a small er hospital in As heville, N.C. Th en in early 19 80, Nu rkin came to a see

Nurkin, continued on

Carolinas HeaHhC.rre Sy ' tern

1999 Stal:s Total Licen sed Beds

4,928

Total Patie nt Admi ss on ;

!>9,805

Total Patient Days of C:: -e

S37.728

Physicia n Office Visits

1,196,796 ] )9,966

Home Care Visits

1,) 14 ,770

Ambulatory Patient Vi ~i:.: Outpatient Vi sits

.570,468

Surgical Procedures

55,969

C utpatient Surgery

43,498

All Other Inpatient

Sur~~ ries

19,894

Cardiothoracic Proceci.. res

2,422

Kidney Transplants

Heart Transplants

Liver Transplants

Kidney and Pancreas Tr2nsp:ants

CT Scans, MRI Scans

78 ,206

Labo ratory Tests

3,315,813

Dialysis Treatments

8,271

Chemotherapy Treat11e~

5, 124

Emergency Flight Missi :r s

1,958

Mobile Intensive Care T-lnnorts

6,311

source: Carolir::as Hea thCa-e System

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o rga nizati on, and there's no elitist attitude. Everyo ne's o n a first name basis." Lifelo ng loyalty to a si ngle em ployer is indeed a thing of the past. In 1995, almost 6 milli o n U.S. wo rkers quit their jobs to take better offers. I 2000, that number is exp ected to reach 17 millio n. Still, o rga nizatio ns need workers who are co mmitted to them, because employee turnover is expensive. Repl acing a worker typ ically costs half o f that person's salary plus the burden and stress pl aced o n co ll eagues and the organizatio n as a who le. So what is a co mpany to do? >-

september 2000

Strategies to Recruit and Retain Top-Notch Workers by casey jacobus Organizations must attract, motivate and retain a ti~performance workforce to succeed. Opportunities for advancement, positive r:aLionships with management, flexible work arrangements and benefit choices have an in:>tct on emFIO)ee commitment. If you want to attract qualified employees and keep then.. ;tou should:

Evaluate your benefits package. "Organizations need to take a good, hard lock at the basics before launching new and trendy benefits or other human resources practices;' advises Dave Strum, president of Aon Consulting's Loyalty Institute <www.aon.corr>. "Start by ensuring that you offer a safe, secure work environment and equitable co-.palsation a,d benefit packages. These are your foundation, and there's no sense bL ild ng upon i foundation if it's faulty:'

Give employees an opportunity to expand :heir skills and learn new ones. "If an employee is worth his salt, then his e~o}'E!r shoulc support any training program that helps enhance his skills:' says Ricflanf Price, vice president of sales for Phillips Staffing <www.sbphillips.com>. "It may be :an intemal tnlrW1g program, or an outside seminar, or a tuition reimbursement progrc.n. but every organization should support its employees' desire for personal growth and advancement:'

Pay attention to your management team. "The primary reason people leave a job is di!satiifaction ~tr their immediate supervisors:' says Price. ''While it's not a job or beoefts issue, a supervisor can have a great impact for good or bad on the employee's job s:atisfactior:.''

Create an environment that fosters a sense of pride in the organization. "Salaries and benefits have to be strong before o:her itemi c:>me into play:' says Roy Sinclair, manager of Charlotte's Aon office, "but :anything you can do to make the workplace a pleasant work environment will contri>.Jte to the eJT1)1oyee's commitment:'

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that, employers need to keep up with how employees view workplace practices that affect commitment and retention. "American companies have fueled the 'Me, Inc: attitude of the last decade because they have not given employees a reason to be committed to the organization," says Dave Strum, president of Aon Consulting's Loyalty Institute. "Unless employers build pride in their organization, emp loyees will continue to be lured away by small pay increases and glitzy benefits. " Aon Co nsulting Worldwide <www.aon.com> is a Fortune 500 company that provides insurance brokerage, co nsulting services and consumer insurance underwriting and has offices in more than 120 countries. Its Loyalty Institute was founded to study customer loyalty and workforce commitment. During the first quarter of this year, it conducted a United States@Work 2000 Study of 1800 U.S. workers over the age of 18, who worked

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A m o nth later, she is wo rking aga in . The job means relocating to Minneapo lis, but the new co mpany has agreed to fl y Morehead "ho me" every wee kend . "The mo ney was n't exactly what I wanted, but the benefits are great," says Mo rehead . She adds that two things so ld her o n the jo b: o ne was the personal inte rest Mobl ey took in her si tuation; the o th er was the welco ming attitude of the new empl oyer.

from professiona l o rganizatio ns, networking, and even from cl ients. "We devo te a lot of ti me and attention beyond placing an ad or posting a job on the Internet," says DeCamp.

employees, " says DeCam p. "Referra ls are good because the app li ca nt has already go ne th ro ugh an initi al screen ing of w rts. Someone th in ks they wo uld be a good cand idate. Plus, from talking with an em ployee, the ca ndidate already knows the good, the bad and the ugly a o utthefirm. " DeCamp says Ro bert Ha lf offers incentives fo r referra ls, someti mes as high as $3,000. She says th e co mpa ny also uses the Web extensively, often searching out people who aren't even applyi ng fo r a position, and gets referrals

something more r to attract th e to p candiand more co mpan ies are o ng creative benefits packages. Of course, fi rst th ey have to be sure their basi- benefi ts package is co mpetiti ve. "The top benefi t is sti ll medica l," says Miley Parris, di reaor of employee ~

"Mobley is so upbeat; she located this new co mpany and sold me o n th e oppo rtuni ty to get my foo t in th e door

eNough Perspective to Challenge

of a growing o rganizatio n," says Moreh ead . "They hired me sight unseen and when I went o ut fo r th e interview, I was welcomed with open arms. It's all abo ut building a good relatio nship ." DP Co nnecti o ns, Inc. <www.dpconnections.com> is a corpo rate purch asing rep resentative firm whi ch created its Peopl e Services Divisio n to extend its services to incl ude hum an resources. It offers bo th tempo rary pl acem ents and direct hire ca ndidates, helping professio nal o r techni ca l candida tes find ca reer o ppo rtunities and helping companies fill their perso nnel needs. "It's an empl oyee market: if yo u're rigi d, yo u can't attract the best candidate," says Mobl ey. Mo re and mo re co mpani es are using o utside recruiting fi rms to help fi nd empl oyees fo r them. O ne of the pio neer fi rms in specialized staffi ng services is Ro bert Half Internatio nal Co mpany <www.rhii.com> . Founded in 1984, today it has m o re th an 280 locatio ns in No rth America, Euro pe and Australi a. It operates seven separate divisio ns, each serving distinct markets. RH I Co nsulting co ncentrates o n co ntract in fo rm ati o n techn o logy p rofess io nals. Deborah DeCamp is the branch manager of co nsulti ng services in Charl o tte where Robert Ha lf has aro und 70 em ployees. "The num ber o ne source fo r attracting empl oyees is referrals fro m current

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of employee commitment.

The pyrami

Is. ~ hlerardl} cf workplac~ practices tha: m ..1st t e actiressed t:: c-eate a oon• itn! rl: and re..entior a<tJarta~. aa:on:iln;J 10 .\:m CorstJ:ing's Lnitei/ S5a ~.;@ W.:rk 2c·co 5tudy. Unless c~nles at lec.st l'"leet e,;:peaatic·r.s a 111e I::wer levels of h :! :>yramld, lwestm.ent In the hlcjler level.> o\-ll net o::::essc..•!r pa.o df. Thu~

benefits at StaffAmerica <www.staffamerica.com>, a professional emp loyer organization based in Charl otte since 1985. "A lot of employees have an attitude of entitlement about medical benefits." Along with a good medical plan, emp loyees expect a solid dental and vision care package as well. Flex-time is becoming common, and increasing val ue

-worlcforce Commitment Index

Performance Pyrar.id

WORKFORCE COMMITMENT

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upholding t;--adition ... embracing innfJv.ati.on

is being placed on vacation time. "More and more employees are putting value on getting away from the workplace,"says Richard Price, vice president of sales for Phillips Staffing <www.sbphillips.com>, founded in 1968 in Greenvi lle, S.C. "The workplace is high stress. Employees are being asked to do more with less. They need to get away." Sinclair agrees, "A lot of employees wi ll hesitate to take a new job, even at higher pay, if it means giving up vacation time, " he says. "Once the basic needs package is met, an additional week of vacation can be more important than a littl e bit more money. " With recent changes in statutes affecti ng credi t unions, more and more

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businesses are connecting with credit unions so their employees can take advantage of credit union financial services. The Charlotte Meuo Credit Union <www.cmcu.org> describes its mission as providing convenient, competiti~e

and quality financial services to

their members, while improving mem ber eco nomic and social conditions. The profits of a credit union are returned to the members as dividends and reduced fees on services.

O ne in three employees says he would leave his current job for "slightly higher pay." .,ouHt路 Lnlred ~lalc\{p路\\.Otk 10001 \on fonsuhinq

Local firms participating in the Charlotte Metro Credit Union include the City of Charlotte, Presbyterian Hospital and Health Services and Carolinas Healthcare System among others.Employees of these firms enjoy financial services ranging from savings and checking accounts to ca r loans and hom e mortgages as well as discounts on movie tickets and area attractions. Ruth LoBue, director of human

1.l1

g training

De La p says building stability in the worn rce is very important. It's 1mportant to offer training and opportmities to advan ce. TIAA-CREF, Teacher's Insurance a:1d Annuity Association and ollege Retirement Equities Fund <www.tiaac:ref.com>, is a leading finan cial services organizc.tion and th e world's largest retiremEnt system . By next year, the compa~ will have approximately ~. 500 pc:ople working at its 140-acre campus a t the University Research Park. While some of those employees will be reloca te路:! from New York, many will be hired lo:ally. )oh.r: Collins, second vice president in chal'g" of th e consulting center, says filling tl:ose jobs will be a chall enge. "While we're a very stable company, we' re : us~ starting our growth in Charlotte." be says. "We're not a known name here yet. " v\'hile he touts the benefi ts TIAACREF oFers, including competitive salaries. 3 generous vacation policy, and an exce[ent retirement plan, Collins says the co m.Jany offers many opportunities for emp' yees to enhance their skills and

put themselves on the path to advancement. Among other benefi ts, the co mpany has a tuiti on reimbursement program. The compa ny focuses on interna l training as well. Em pl oyees at the consulting center get full salary during the very co mprehensive initial four months training period. Later, they receive co ntinuous training on all th e products and services which TIAA offers. "They become fluent in all ofTIAACREF's benefits," says Co llins. "Th is makes them very m arketabl e within the organi za tion. We also give them the opp ortunity to 'test out' different positions within the company. " The Aon study shows that one of eve1y five employees beli eves the em ployer doesn't provide opportunities for personal growth. "With the market as tight as it is, most people leave for advancement rather than more pay," says LoBue. Giving employees the opportunity to learn new skills which allow th em to advance within the company helps reta in committed employees. biz

Casey jacobus is a Charlotte-area freelance writer.

resources at US LEC. <www.uslec.com>, says co mpanies in the highly co mpeti tive telecommunications industry have to be very conscious of the surroundings in which employees work. At US LEC. founded in 1996 with headquarters in Charlotte and over 650 employees, a policy of business casual dress all the time helps promote a pleasant environment. "We think about the employees when choosing the location for new offices," LoBue says. "We make sure as many amenities as possible are available and convenient." DeCamp says her company also works hard to create a flexible and pleasant work environment. "We spend a lot of effort to tell our employees they' re important," she says. "We have popcorn machines in th e kitchen and massage therapists co me in once a month . Radios are permitted. In some areas, toys are encouraged. Tossing a football back and forth helps some employees relax and refocus."

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Staffing

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BUILDING ON SUCCESS

The Atrium Lobby of Charlotte-based BF Goodrich's new headquar:ers.

A IIELD TIIATS

OTOKIOUS rOR. HUGE EGOS, TilL'\ CHITLCTUR.AL fiiZ.M

Or PER.KI S & WILL I A CLEAR.- A D R.CrR.ESIII G- EXCEPTIO . AND THAT CMPIIASI~

ON "W(" R.ATII[R. TIIAN ON "1," liAS LED TO SOML Or T~ I[ r1 CST

BU ILD! GS, N:JT 0

LY I

CIIAR.LOTTE, BUT ACROSS THE STAT[ A 0 TilE COUNTR.Y

e don't do one-person architecture," says Phil Shive, FAIA, president of the Charlotte office. "It is the nature of being a team that everyone involved is a designer - we design the process." Perkins & Will <WWVI.perkinswill.com>, an internatio nal firn with offi ces in eight U. S. cities a nd Paris, d oesn't practice one-o ffi ce architecture e ither. "We consider oursElves a one-firm fi rm, a nd we pro bably have the o nly wo rkin g model for delivering pro jects based on teams, not on citi es or offices," 路' hi ve says. "Fo r example, the lab building we a re d o ing fo r th e Co ll ege of Engineering at N.C. State is a joint venture with our Atlanta <J ffi ce. When we marketed this pro ject, we didn't present two cities o r o ffi ces, we brought in o ne team. ~ greate r c h ar lo tt e J iz

september 2000

' ~--.r-~ he same was true for our interior design project for the BF Goodrich headquarters in

Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, the NationsBank Child Care Center in Charlotte's Fourth

Charlotte, " Shive continues. "John Lijewski of the New York

Ward and the Asheville School Library in Asheville, as well as the Fretwell

office took the lead, but John Morris in

Building and Prospector Cafeteria on

Charlotte was the co-contributor, and our Michael Hill handled construction administration . We made the presenta-

the UNC Charlotte campus. The four people who started out with Shive- Hill, Morris, Jim

tion together as a team and delivered the project together as a team."

Merriman and Karen Lyons- are still with the company. While with Clark

Although marketing efforts are coordinated so that offices don' t go after the same projects, Perkins & Will doesn 't

Tribble Harris & Li, Merriman participated in the design of Charlotte's Gateway

focus on dividing the country up by market segment or by geography. "We can deliver the expertise of any of our people from all over the U.S.," Shive notes. "If it makes sense to call in someone from

North Carolina Biotechnology Center Galleria Research Triangle Park, N.C.

another office for a project, we will. " With a staff of about 500 in its U.S. offices in Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami,

Charlotte staffers are servicing offices in

Chicago, New York, Minneapolis, Santa Monica and Pasadena, Perkins & Will can truly offer national expertise. One national account the Charlotte office is currently working on is Royal &

"II

01 I Ill Lll

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the Soutl1east and Midwest. Technology makes all this interoffice cooperation possible. Perkins & Will offers Web-based project manage-

ment so documents and drawings can easily be sent electronically across long distances. Videoconferencing is a com-

l'v\PORI 1\ <.. l IIIAI I Ill QLIALII-Y Of

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SunAlliance. The Charlotte-based insurance company recently acquired another firm , and because it is re-organizing structurally, it must also physically redesign its space in 25 offices. People in Perkins & Will's New York office are servicing offices in the Northeast, while

RJ<...IN~

& WILL

That cooperative spirit comes easily

in 1995, and then Perkins & Will in 1997, came about so easily.

"When we were smaller, everyone worked on every project, " Shive recalls. "That's more difficult now tl1at we have grown to 18 people, but many of us do work on each project. That basic discipline and approach has been maintained."

Shive Associates rolled up an impressive list of buildings to its credit from its founding in 1988 until its merger with Perkins & Will. Among

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L_______________________________

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Fretwell Office Building

se p tember 2000

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North Carolina Biotechnology Center Research Triangle Park, N.C.

for Shive, who ran his own firm, Shive Associates, tl1e same way. It was one reason why the merger of his firm witl1

mon tool , and a Web site is developed for every project that owners and staff members can access for real-time updates and information.

Atlanta-based Nix Mann and Associates

Center, which was honored with the AlA North Carolina Design Award in 1989. Even before Shive started his own firm, his reputation in the Queen City was already well-established. During a stint as director of design at J.N. Pease Associates, he designed the CharlotteMecklenburg Government Center and

them are such signature - and awardwinning- projects as the North

adjacent parking deck, the Duke Power Customer Service Center in uptown Charlotte, and the Charles River Laboratory in Raleigh. Earlier, as vice president of design with Wolf Associates, he designed the Equitable Life Assurance Society corporate service center in South Park, one of only a handful of buildings in Charlotte to receive tl1e prestigious National AJA Honor Award. 1ive came to Charlotte in 1978. he son of Presbyterian missionaries, he grew up in central Africa and came to live in the U.S. when he attended Davidson College. He earned his bachelor of architecture from North Carolina State University and his masters in architecture from the University

gr e a ter c h ar lotte b iz

North Carolina Bar Center Entryway Cary, N.C. of Pennsylva nia. He is a Fell ow in the American Institute of Architects and one of a handful of arch itects to receive the prestigio us Kamp h oefner prize. Shive Associates focused on -

and

was successfu l getting- educationa l and insti tutiona l projects. But that focus was also limi ting, and to ga in expertise in high tech labs and health care projects, Sh ive began discuss ions to m erge with Atlanta-based Nix Mann and Associates. That merger was sti ll being fina lized when Perkins & Wi ll made its proposition . Founded in 1935, Perkins & Will has the rep utation, Shive says, "as the

If this fa ll 's state bonds for the university system pass, the firm will design a comp lete renovation of the und ergrad uate library at the Chapel Hill campus. In addition, the firm is designing a midd le school in th e southern part of the cou nty for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schoo ls (CMS) and an office/classroom building for the South Campus of Centra l Piedmont Community Co llege. (Kevin Utsey, another Perkins & Wi ll associate principal in Charlotte, previously des igned the award-winn ing master p lan of Governors' Vi ll age for CMS when he was with Boney Architects.) Perkins & Wi ll has been very successful in marketing existing and previous projects to bring in new ones. For examp le, the North Caro lina Biotech no logy Center led to its contract for the North Caro lina Bar Association headquarters in Ra leigh and for the recently-completed Burroughs Wellcome Fund headquarters in Research Triangle Park. Its interior upfi t for the Coltec corporate headquarters in Charlotte led to the interior upfitting for BF Goodrich's headquarters in Charlotte after Co ltec was purchased by Goodrich. The Goodrich headquarters encompasses 100,000 square feet on three floors in the Co liseum Centre. It features a three-story atrium with conference

the company's Interiors Group is the fifth largest interior d esign practice in American Institute of Architects' (AlA) Arch itecture Firm Award. "These mergers helped us expand our markets and strengthened our finn, wh ich Burroughs Wellcome Fund Courtyard Research Triangle Park, N.C.

worth of projects on the books, a nice

greater charlotte biz

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I 9 E k:!e1 ~r~-.: · a~ C'1Jrt1 A 1e1ill! ! ·::"11 ) leli4tno:t bls ltited Stn> [..JO!') OTt? 3uioi-g. lob, Qatar OJe!ir 4~: 1 WYt)

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th e U.S. Last year, it received the

p lace for an 18-person staff to be." Much of that work is educational. The firm is designing two major renovations and two new bui ld ings at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and is deve loping a master plan for the UNC Greensboro campus. Work is beginning on a lab bu ild ing for chemica l and materials engineering at the Co ll ege of Engineering at N.C. State as the first phase of a master plan Perkins & Wi ll created.

A 1e~ill!

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I • ~ ~ Altll!'liiE ;:t:D ia;IIE!' fin lpe3• T-onp 01 ]I ·j'!fl': lo..,f tdni11!Vat*l 3uilding

12) architect in the wo rl d." In addition,

says. "We now have about $55 million

I 9 f 3 Ill

~da.

best K-12 (kindergarten through grade

has led to our remarkable growth," Shive

Per irs &. V 1 I Ti"'1eline

rooms seemingly suspended and floating in the air around the lobby. "It creates a sense of commun ity for the who le corporation," explains Morris, co-leader of the project. "And th e floorto-ce iling glass used throughout emphasizes the company's phi losophy of egalitarianism and open communication between management and staff." The headquarters opened in May, and Morris and his coll eagues are now designing an on-site emp loyee cafeteria.

t'>lSts :ca= h!fital ~e-Jt;ien ll !tal! It irte ~ (c ~ o· Elp ;., f1llter Plan II( ~t..:e • •Hs !T :1nica :n• J~'i"' i -1m'• ~"e••n Er~ueri.~ Eli~i~ r.k~ In "l:E.i:o =u1u i:~c•l ol Ls R ;s :a1111:1 )-= ce lli di -~ IJIC <i'e~ ;:..: v<Er ~ ..- Jpa

2 0 t 0 Phz.E I IIGJo~ri:lt :c lerat! IH:I'JI~rt~~ G~ote-lltc.a: r l ~ ~u-1! I lewit lca:l Hiddle School lily;.! l ~ Fftal<E 1a•>n; :!eli![ :rim account U.k1 lni-.",1) FUju ~dro i Bu:ires ll.de11 life Center

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, .K e: ?7' wed fro:n Fot=l ~ walking L"1Tough :•ru: bwd..ll{;~.~ ~.ru -.~ notes. '1 _is of L:- ut.oost ianotla .ce that the u:al it; c ~ ou~ p::::>jec~ re111.:ti-.. exceptional. QJali:y :o. :tr.t:B ::jual~y. • biz

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Ba ..ety a !fear old, Charlotte-based intemets·xcer.c::>m recently 'n1•XInced that t was eing acquired by '"itish sports inJornc.ti=n s£-rvice TeamTC!.lk.co for $15 million in cash and stock. Now the lo :al nternet company is. looking to score tig. logeth ~ ·.

t 1e ug1 b rth=- : a:>t-esarven tur? cc. pita ists have said they \· c i:J furd _;: =·,.e llJV2d to r·ewYo r< or California ." re 01d:J :; tta: \'m l= i: h a~. be :! n r L~ trati1g at times, "We feel t 1is i:>a ~ H (fi: :i n e ~o be here. 31!l we think we can have a 1=0 s ti•e imp;;.ct · tr e m 3rket

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t he tv..<:• con pa nie :; uea:e c: .:o ccer news service

wi: h a global r= ac . - eamTa lk.com •.will cr ~>'len : publi c in April

We're going to be hiring

t y th e erd of th e 'y'Gl r

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subsid .: r1 ofTeamTalk.com ,

ill:ffn:!:5.oc·: = r.m ll vi I r= mc: in re · tiveloj autonomous . The site

an:c t ·a d es •r the Lo1 don Stock ::J<cr c. 1gE und er t he symbol

ioc.s b11nt

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inttrret sJCcer con V"ill

noo1 f:.cu :;

cf 1=eor:Le" - li =.Eiy do b i1g 1he ompany's size to 60

according to Lackey-

i · ~ cu~rr er

with an emphasis on

aqui:= iti on sntefy o

exclusive, original

Ncrt 3n d L3j 1 All'le-ica.

content from over

!--.:; p3i: of th e deal,

120 contributors world·

Tea11-3l k.. cc M wi ll kEe l=

wide. "Not only do you

in j: la:::e : 1e c rre - t

get the sort of 'scrubbed'

man(l5eme nt tza rr , l ~ d

news that's ava ilab le

by cEc an:! cc- =ou- dEr

everywhere," notes

Mac Lack2 y. ~o r Le: ck=y,

Lackey, "You also get an

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is a \velc c·me r= liE=.

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vi c:int= ofthe Tarket

audio webcasts of

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lion rrund of f-an e ng

team's World Cup qualify-

line:J • P ~\itr a \lev. Yak

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r: ff=re T ryp-:: s ofir fo1rat

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In addili:r 1c en3b lirg its botSi= groMh strategy, the capital

the m-:. rket le:l:Jer 1e·e anj are rr o·e f:ru sed 01 the Internet,"

sa'!'S Lacl::ey ·sy jc· in ng fc rce s, \1\e ca1 c:c:~ lerc. te our goal to

p~i ·JI :J~e , J J I I3~eLt

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rc: l

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ser:;te11t-er L.JJO

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_n: apl= ei L~j n A11erican market. It's a natu-

for La :~-... 3 =an d Brazi icr D:cer "Vho once traveled there to

a~ crd 11eet .>cccer ege1d Pe.E Now Lackey has the chance to

::re3:e 1i~ -:Nn l eg=nc i ~ til e wolkl c·f ln t= rn et bu siness. biz; greater c h ar l o tt e bi z

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hotels I resei'G · Dunhill Hotel 237 N. Tryon St Charlotte, NC 2320.2 704.332.4141 www.dun hillho.El..oon

Perkins & Will 1130 E. 3rd St. Ste. 200 Charlotte, NC 25204 www.perk nswi .. com 704.343 .<;900

aviation services

insurance

jets To Go 12530 Mayes Fd Huntersvil.e, N( 28078-5025 704.892.€126

direct mail services

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Creative Mailing Solut ons 11107-P 5 Corr merce Blvd Char lotte, NC 2B273 704.583.S 717

Knauff lnsuran :l!! 1610 E. M oreh: ~ dSI. Charlotte, NC :<:~2::3 · 37-39 704.375.8000

investment ~r.ie2s

education Gaston Co{lege 201 Hwy. 321 5 Dallas, NC 28034 704 .922 .€ 200 www.gaston .cc.nc.us

Hilliard lyons 5925 Carnegie Il•.c., 3te 101 Charlotte, NC 23.2•)9 704. 556.9000 www.hilliard.cc

McColl School • f Busir ess at Queens College 1900 Selv.yn A.1e. Charlotte, NC 25274 704.337 .2224 www.m ccc·llschool.edL

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financial services Charlotte lllletr• Credit Union www.cmcu .org 704.375.(183

i.t./intemet sewices Ballantyne Cors.~ .H ng Group 15720 john J ~c e·1 Dr. Ste. : )0 Charlotte, NC ';.f. "E 7 704.540.0509 www.gobcg.co T In Site Busines.> S::Jiutio1s 704.846.8121 www.insitebiz.::•c r

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lnterlan Technekl~e.> 888.452.6825 www .interlan.re:

golf courses

iXL Olde Sycamore Golf Pl1ntation 7500 Olde Sycamore Cr Charlotte, NC 25227 704.57 3. 1000 www.oldesycanoregolf.com Regent Pa· k Gclf 5055 Re g~ nt Pa rkway Fort Mill, ~c 29715 803.547.1300 I 704.5 47.0023 www.yp .bellsoLih.com .'sites/ n:·gerrt

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legal services Robinson Brads~- & HinsDn 101 N. Tryon St., SI:E. 1SCO Charlotte, NC 28~5 704.377.2536 www.rbh .co m Womble Carlyle www.wcsr.com

office furnitun; MacThrift Office Flrnitur~ 4200- L South B.·-c. Charlotte, NC 28!!0~ 704. 523.6220 Tech line 444 6 South B l~d. Charlotte, NC 28!!0~ 704.334.6823 www.techli neusc:.um

personnel I s::;c.ffing StaffAmerica 6000 Fairview Rc , Ste. 1500 Charlotte, NC 28l!J 704.944.7600 www.staffameric=.com Transition Team 7512 E lndepencerce B vd Ste lOS Charlotte, NC 28:!:27 704.532.0084 www.tttsolu tion !O.x:em USA Staffing 800.991.2367 www.usastaffi ng 1c.corr Westaff 800 Clanton Rd.::: e. W Charlotte, NC 28l l 7 704.525 .8400 www.westaff.co iW

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radio stations WDAV 89.9 Clas! icill 704.894.8900 www.wdav.o rg

real estate: oommercial : re.sce1t Resources ~01) S. Tryon St., Ste. 130) :harln· te, NC 28201 ·1 )0 3 7 0~ . 3E2 . 8009

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Nurkin. continued

from page 34.

conference in Charlotte aod met a man by the name of Rush Jordan . "He offered me a job with the Baptist Hospital in Birmingham," says Nurki1. "I went for a visit and met with the head of the 800-bed university hcspital at UAB We struck up a friendship and I became chief operating officer at age 27." Nurkin was nearly fin _shed with his doctorate from the LlniverEity of Alabama in Tuscaloosa when he tocl< the job in Charl otte. He co mpleted it in 1983.

The Energizer While Nurkin loves his work, he admits, "I do worry abou: the fact that I have been CEO for 20 years. I don't want my style to become stale. I' m 56 so I've got a few years, but we w:ll be looking at a succession plan on an c ngoing basis." When that time comes, Nurkin does not have any grandiose p.ans. "We' re homebodies," he says. "I like to spend time with my famil y" which includes five boys, two of whom are still at home at ages 12 and 14 . Together the family enjoys spending time boc.ting at Lake Norman and going to the beach.

greater charlotte biz

Until he does retire, Nurkin V"ill continue to face the challenges of modem h ~althcare management. He does not n ~ed any external mo tivation, tho.Jgh, and tells this story to illustrate wh1. "There was an 18-year o ld girl who 'has brought to the emergency roo m one d ay, un co nscio us with no syllpto ms. At the tim e it seemed pretty clear that she was go ing to die, and th ~ family \'.as told as much . But one of the physi cia ns in our emergency medicine training program figured out th e problem aod talked to the fa mil y's attend ng physician. Afte r some awfully difficult surgery, we moved the patient back to tb e intensive care unit to try to ~e p her a ive. She was o n dialysis, extra corporea l membrane oxygenatio1, a ve ntilator to breath e, and multiple IVs just to mainta in bl ood pressure. "S he was here for over a month. After going thro ugh rehab, she left our institution with a coup le of scars. but a.ive and with a long life ahead of her. "I know who received that person, who diagnosed her, and w ho ca red for her in the ICU. I know the su rgeo n who was called in the 1riddle

of the night to do an awfullyclifficu lt surgery. And I know the people in rehab who ~n t her home. 'The knowledge that we -a., do those kindE of things on a routine basis would get anybody out of bed to parti ipate. My particpation is vicarious, but t's exciting to know that people w ho I know are doing this stuff every day. We fa I sometimeE, but the process of using ~chno l ogy and Ecience and people's minds and hearts is extremely invigorating. 'My job is to give them the environmz nt to do that and to recruit the right "Jeople and make th em h:~ppy. Anc to m :~ ke sure that when they turn for some:hing in th e heat ofbat: le with a patient that th e ri ght supp lie> are there, the r..sht nurse is there, th e right operating r:om is available. To me, I am assisting L-e phys icians and the nur ' es and that :~els pretty good ." It also feels pretty good to have >omeone like Dr. Harry Nurkin around, too. As Hugh McCo I . uts it, "All d the citize ns of this coâ&#x20AC;˘Jnty and this region shou ld be than kf.Jl that I larry Nurkin chose to co me here to ca rry o ut his li fe's work." biz

september 2000

.:I

[communitybiz]

the house on the hill designers contribute to symphony fundraiser The mystique of the grand estate at 3545

Heather Littlewood: Charlotte ln路Vironments, Inc.

Sharon Road has evoked the imagination of

Robbie A. Warren : Robbie Warren Interiors Gini Wash : Traditions Interiors and Accessories Barbara V. Bolz: Barbara V. Bolz Interiors Teal Michel, Teal Michel Claudia King Thomas: Claudia King Thomas, LLC

passersby for over 40 years. Now, thanks to the Symphony Guild of Charlotte and new owners Richard and Diane Siskey, the public will have the chance to see inside this 6,000 square foot home, commonly referred to as "The House on

Marilyn Cherry: Marilyn Cherry Interiors Calvin E. Hefner: Calvin E. Hefner, Inc.

the Hill" at the corner of Sharon Road and Sharon

Jeanine C. DeVaney: Charlotte ln-Vironments, Inc.

Lane in Charlotte's South Park, will be home to

Beth Ann Bridges: Designs by Beth

the 29th Annual Symphony ASID Showcase. It will

Bo Henderson : Edward H. Springs Interiors, Inc.

mansion surrounded by 10 acres of land. The

be open to the public

Melanie Cohrs

from September 17 to

Amy Martineau:

October 8, 2000.

Amy Martineau

The showcase is

Interior Design

one of the many

Joyce Ellen Shipman:

fund raisers that has allowed the Symphony

Joyce Ellen Interiors

Guild (founded in

Gaye Mitchum:

1950 as the Charlotte

Gaye Mitchum Interiors

Symphony Women's

Ann Newton Spooner:

Association) to give

Ann Newton Spooner

more than $3 million

Interior Design

to the Charlotte

This year's Symphony ASID House is at 3545 Sharon Road.

Symphony Orchestra and support the Youth and

and Junior Youth Orchestras. Charlotte Youth Symphony Orchestra resident summer camps offer scholarships for private study and coaching by members of the Charlotte Symphony. The majority of funds from the Symphony Guild ASID Showhouse go directly to this program, which is the only youth orchestra in the nation supported through volunteer funds. To prepare the house for this showcase, twenty-one members of the America Society of Interior Designers (AS I D) and area landscape architects and gardeners have joined to transform the house and gardens into an elegant showplace:

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Becky Gill: Becky Gill Interiors Karen McKinnon: Colony Furniture Shops Richard B. Stutts: Richard Stutts Interiors Betty F. Kohn : Marlboro Interiors Gail Brinn Wilkins: Gail Brinn Wilkins Interiors, Inc.

september 2000

Landscape Architects & Gardeners: John Benton: Benton Landscape Design & Irrigation Co, Inc.

John McKay: McGinnis Farms Paula Gornto: Site Solutions Brian Zimmerman : Zimmerman-Lindberg Landscape Architecture

Kevin Shally: The Shally Group Jeni Munn : Rosewood Garden Designs Jim Griffith : Jim Griffith Landscape Architecture Julia Barringer: Barringer & Barringer, Inc. D. Scott Reister: TG&R Landscape Group Stefan and Sally Luebke: Mayflower Design Studio Richard Platt: G & G Turf & Irrigation Diana Travis: Travis Landscapes Tom Young: Young's Garden Center Gigi Guyton: The Whole Blooming Landscape Jeff and Allison Nye: Genesis Landscape Co. Wendy Tate: EarthArt Landscape Construction Paul & Ann Yandle: Normandy Imports.

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