Greater Charlotte Biz 2001.02

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WOMBLE CARLYLE

NEXT -GENERHTION BUSINESS LHWYERS"' www.wcsr.com ATLANTA GREE VILLE, S.C. CHARLOTTE WOMBLE CARLYLE SA DRIDGE & RICE, PLLC

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cover story

the cable guy Louis Romero got his entrepreneurial spirit from his parents. And in the ast I0 r-ars. he has grown his structured cabling business into a reg1onal a1d national presen.:e. A bo:::>ming economy has helped, but so has his commitment to bui lding lon;-term relationships wrth h s clients.

35 Greater Charlotte Biz Reader Survey Here's your chance to let us know what you t hink about Greater Charlotte Biz and how we can make 1t even more v1tal and important to you. All it takes is about ten m1nutes. and you could even win a great prize. Get those penols sharpened!

20 To Russia With Love ... Katie Tyler recently v1sited Russia to share some of what has made her a successful business owner with budd ing

departments publisher's post

4

biz digest

7

biz calendar

9

entrepreneurs there. Along the way, she learned a th1ng or two herself.

26

real estate biz: Big Boxes

Easy Rider Wilton Connor's packaging bus1ness has expanded so much in recent years t hat he needs a bicycle to get from one plant to another. His secret for success? Treat your employees right.

52 the biz interview It's not an easy JOb, and often a thankless one. but Pam Syfert has built a stellar reputat1on managing the City of Charlotte. She explains what it's like to have new bosses every two years.

New Monthly Features

44

dining biz

Where to go to impress clients, meet for lunch. have a meeting or JUst unwind. Th1s month: Brazas B1路az1lian Churrascana.

46

auto biz

Insightful review of t he latest in luxury and sport vehicles for t he successful executive. This month: Mercedes CLK-55 AMG.

gr e a t e r ch a rlotte b iz

II

Planners and developers are lo Jking !Dr solutions to the dilemma of unused retail storefronts throughout the city.

regional biz: Hidden Asset:s

IS

The City of Belmont has been : hielded from the growth that has overtaken Mecklenburg County. But not br long.

biz resource guide

51

on the cover:

This month 's cover features Louis Romero, president of Network Cabling ystem s, surrounded by the products of his trade. Photo by Way ne Morris.

cliaflotte iz fe brua ry 200 I

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cliaflotte iz February 200 I Volume 2 • Issue 2

Publisher Joh n Paul Galles jgal les@greatercharlottebiz.com

[publisher's ost l Please Complete Our Reader Survey on Page 35! As yo u may know, Greater Charlotte Biz ce lebrated its first anniversary with last month's issue. Our mission continues to be to create a quality publication reaching the most complete business circulation in the greater Charlotte community. We aim to inform, educate and entertain area

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

John Paul Galles, Publisher

business owners, managers and executives at nearly every business location with more than seven employees. Our circulation continues to increase with the magazine now being mailed directly to over 19,500 business decision-makers in this ten -county

Editor

region. Considering that each magazine is passed along to an average of four to six

Timothy J. Pa rolini tparo lini @greate rcharlottebiz.com

other individuals, Greater Charlotte Biz reaches over 100,000 readers every month.

Vice President/Director of Sales

stories to our readers about local bus iness owners and executives and inform them

Greater Charlotte Biz has two fundamental purposes. One is to del iver great Talbe rt Gray tgray@greatercharlottebiz.com

Account Executive

about the abundance of loca l business resources, products and services. The other is to provide an effective vehicle for business-to-business marketing and building greater brand awareness in our rapidly expanding marketplace . Over the past year, we have written over 112 stories, articles, columns and features about local businesses and

Kathryn Mose ley kmose ley@greatercharlottebiz.com

their management and have also been the vehicle for over 85 different advertisers of

Mi ke Shannon ms han no n@greate rcharlottebiz.com

bi z and techno logy biz as reg ular features in every magazine. With th is issue, we are

Contributing Writers Casey jaco bu s Natalie Joh nso n Bea Q uirk

goo ds and services to area businesses . In the past year, we have included real estate add ing auto biz and dining biz to help you learn about other products and services suited to your bus iness needs. Feedback from readers and advertisers has been phenomenal. One person commented that he received over 20 different magazines each month, but the only one he always reads cover to cover is Greater Charlotte Biz. One of our biz profile

N eth ea Fo rtn ey Rh ine hardt Chip Scholz

Contributing Photographer W ayn e Morri s

subjects recently called to tell me that he was incredibly impressed by the attention he had received as a result of our story about him . Another person we profiled remarked about the number of 'high caliber' people about town who had called her after the pub lication of her story. Advertisers also te ll us about the outstanding response they are getting from their ads in Greater Charlotte Biz. One spoke about t he number of

Greater Charlotte Biz is publ is hed

favo rab le responses that he has received from advertis ing in our magazine as compared

12 times pe r year by:

to advertising in other print publications . Another called to tell us about the incredible

Galles Commun ications G ro up, In c. 804 Cl anton Road, Suite B Charlotte, NC 28217- 1358 www.greate rcharlottebiz.com For editorial o r adve rti sing inq uiries, ca ll 704.676.5850. Pl ease fax subscripti on inqu iries 704.676.5853 or e-mai l the m to info@greate rch arl o tte biz.com

to

All contents Š 200 I, Galles Communications Group. Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is

prohibited. Products named in these pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. T he opinions expressed herein are not necessarily

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

4

february

200

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number of calls the company had received from people wanting to see the product advertised in our pages. As we begin our second year, we want to continue to improve and be responsive to your needs. We would value your input on our Reader Survey beginning on page 35 provid ing us with information about you, your business, your outlook for business and yo ur business needs. We hope to estab lish an ongo ing dia logue with you regarding our loca l economy. In a planned series of surveys through our magazine and on our Web site , we will make it easy for you to participate in our surveys at your leisure. And to show our appreciation for your time we will be awarding three $500 advertising certificates good for business advertisements in Greater Charlotte Biz during 2001. Thank you for your continued interest and for your feedback. We appreciate your ideas, your comments and your criticisms so that we can better serve you r needs. Please don't hesitate to make suggestions regarding pub lished issues or stories you think might be interesting. We seek to improve our content and format with every issue th at we prod uce. You are most important to us.

greater charlotte biz


We Believe

lll

ons

At Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, we develop innovative solutions for our cli ents' legal needs. vVe understand the challenges facing both emerging and estab li shed companies in today's comp lex business environment. Our approach is tailored to each cli ent's unique situation so that we provide the most effecrive advice and the most effective solutions to meet our clients' goals .

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson- a tradition of excell ence.

Robinson

Bradshaw &Hinson

NORTH CAROLINA

0 FFICE

101 North Tryon Street Suite 1900 Charlotte, NC 28246 704.377.2536

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SOUTH CAROLI NA OFFICE

The Guardian Building 223 East Main Street- Suite 600 Post Office Drawer 12070 Rock ITill, SC 29731 803.325.2900



[bizdigest]

Tech Biz from Loca!Business.com LocaiBusiness.cc;m IS a nat1onal da1ly online business news s1te with a locdl focus on the Carolinas.

CommScope buys plant site Communications cable maker L'" CommScope Inc. has complet- 'L ,c.c•-IOifleo.. ••"" ed the purchase of about 85 acres in Cleveland County, near Kings Mountain, N.C., where it plans a 200,000-square-foot coaxial cable plant. The Hickory, N.C.-based company said it has begun site preparation and hopes to begin construction within a few months and to occupy the new plant later this year. The company expects to hire about ISO new employees.

Breakfast Club Features Peter Oosterhuis Golfer Speaks at the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club

Peter Oosterhuis

December's Hood

December was Ellen Susan Abbott,

Hargett Breakfast

a senior from South Mecklenbu rg

Club, a private

High School. She was awarded a

monthly event

$1,000 scholarship to the college of her

held exclusively

choice and will

for the 34 Hood

be in the running

Hargett Breakfast

for the year-

Club sponsors

end award of an

Bank of Am erica Tops in Online Users

and their guests, featured Senior

additional $5,000

Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. said about one of e~ery five checking account BankofAmerica~ holders, or more than -...,.. 3 million consumers and small business customers. now use its online banking services.. That keeps the nation's largest bank in the lead among U.S. financial institutions in signing up online banking users.The dollar value of online payments processed through Bank of America was up 36 percent in 2000. In October, the bank handled a high of 3. I million electronic bill payments worth more than $1 billion.

PGA Touring Professional and CBS

in scholarship

Golf Analyst, Peter Oosterhuis. Beacon

money.

LendingTree Inc. to Profit Sooner The Charlotte-based online loan and financial technology firm said it .CQm" expects its cash flow to turn positive in the first quarter of 2002, five months earlier t han previously projected. The revised outlook was partly the result of improved efficiency in adding new customers. Revenue per customer exceeded customer acquisition costs for the first time in November, a trend it expects to continue, executives said.

Sykes Moving Jobs to Charlotte SYKES Tech services firm Sykes Enterprises Inc. is closing a technical support center in Tampa, and shifting those operations to a center in Charlotte. A spokeswoman said the company hopes to complete the consolidation by mid-February. With the 50 new positions, the Charlotte technical support center at University Research Park in northeast Charlotte will have 432 seats,

A r tis N amed " Pacesetter" Artis & Associates of Charlotte . .Artis & was one of 78 companies picked UII Associates, Inc. by the magazine Accounting Today as industry "pacesetters" among accounting technology providers. Artis resells Great Plains accounting software and services to mid-sized companies.

greater char l otte b i z

Paul Silas

The Hood

c.r.m., the feature product of Pharos Software, was the Host Sponsor for

Hargett Breakfast Club is held monthly

the December event.

at the Charlotte Marriott Executive Park Hotel from September to May for the

After turning pro in 1968, Oosterhuis played the tour full-time

select group of 230 guests and sponsors. Each breakfast features a different

from 1975 to 1986. Some of his career highlights included being a member

speaker from the sports world. The

of six Ryder Cup teams, capturing

purpose of the series is to encourage

19 international tournaments and

business network-

winning the 1981 Canadian Open.

ing with the ulti-

The speaker featured at January's

mate objective of

breakfast was Paul Silas, the head

initiating and

coach of the Charlotte Hornets

expanding business

NBA team. February's speaker is

transactions among breakfast sponsors

John Kasay, place kicker for the John Kasay

Charlotte Panthers

and their guests.

For sponsorship inquiries and more

Each month, a local high school athlete is chosen and recognized for

information on becoming a member of

his or her skills, acumen and leadership.

the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club, call

The Hood Hargett Breakfast Club

704-556-7330 or visit the company's

Student Athlete of the Month for

Web site at www.1stand10marketing.com.

Business Owners More Philanthropic Business owners surpass the general population in their level of involvement in philanthropy, both in money donated and tim e volunteered, according to a new survey conducted by th e National Foundati on for Wom en Business Owners (NFWBO) , in

cooperation with The Committee of 200 and underwritten by Merrill Lynch's Center for Philanth ropy and Nonpro fit Management. .. inc out of ten business own ers (92 percent of women and 88 percent of m en) contribute m oney to

charities, compared to 70 percent of all U.S. households," noted FWBO chair ina M cl emore. "And nearl y one-third of the business owners surveyed make significam personal charitable contributions of $5 ,000 or more per year. " february 200 I

7


[bizbits] BTl Telecom Corp. has announced that it has received a $20 million capital infusion from its chairman and CEO Peter T. Loftin and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe VIII, L.P., an investment fund managed by the New York-based firm ....The Board of Trustees of the Mint Museum of Art have approved the location of a 125,000 square-foot facility at 11th and North Tryon Streets, across from the Tryon Center for Visual Art. The board also approved a $68 million capital campaign, to be funded by private and public contributions .... Following the recent passage of the Higher Education Improvement Bonds, UNC Charlotte is launching a building plan that will change the look of its campus dramatically and enable the university to grow from 17,000 students to approximately 25,000. The university will use its $190 million in bond money to build seven new classroom and laboratory buildings and modernize two existing academic buildings ....First Union recently partnered with Axiom Creative Group to create an interactive CD tour of the expansive service center housed at First Union's Customer Information Center (CIC). Using live video, audio and ani mated graph ics, the tour introduces current and prospective 401 (k) clients to the Benefit Group's capabilities. It will be distributed to current and prospective Oeslgners, Manufacturers & Co"'!dtaats WRCC\E TO

clients .... Verian Technologies has

:cR HOOSE. .

announced a professional services

106JO .l::iln Price Rd. Cha1ot1E, NC 28273

'Efiren-Jfaus ~If*

fiC

uat91SJ

agreement with California-based

Phm e: I -800-257-5880 Local: 7'04-588-2887 Fax: 704-588-2888 E-ll.!lail: td m@ehrenhaus.com ~

Enabling Solutions, LLC whereby Enabling Solutions will integrate Verian Technologies' ProcureiTs system with its e-business technology and services .

8

febr路uary 200 I

greater charlotte biz


IbizcaJendar] tuesdays Bizi'';ct:wlXk. Jrg Somi:.Park This 11<:.nttx on Tuesd=41 7:30 · E.:45 a.m. Kath r~ -

rv cse.ey

704.67o.5E50, ext. ::.01 (NEekl0

Charlo.te : h:amb ~ r Sout:=-.Fark A-ea Counc il L ncheon Seco1d TLESdilV Kyle BollEs 704.3/ .3.L : 06

Business Growth Net~ork Charlotte Chamber

~ hursdays

,1£ troHua Er tr _prenC1.1ri.al C :.I neil (\1EC:

BizNetwc·rk.org SouthPark

Tt frd Th•s: art

RSVP line 704.378.1336;

-his Mont1 on Thursday

: ::::o . 7:30 :JJT.

Karyn Lindsey 704.378 1321

7:30 ·8:45a.m.

t.dam's r~a · < - ::-:el

Fourth Tuesday, 7:30

c: m.

f:athryn Moseley

Chamber Connect: 1\·t<-ov Member Orientation

1'04.676.5350, ext. 101 (weekly)

Lc:st Tuesday, 4:0C ·6:00p.m. RSVP line 704.37E .1336; Sanalli Phelps 70L.378.137E

\\' e d n e s d

2.

ys

Charlo te : h:amber East A:tea : ounci~ lu•c~1eon

Tt is Month on Wednesday

Third Le!=:cay Sana! i ~help~ 704.373. 1:·78

7:30 · 8:45a.m. Kc:thryn Moseley 704.676.5850, ext. 101 •:'"Veekl0

Firstro-:m d.org Fourt- -uegj~ 6:00. 7:3 :: p.11. The Fa .ad c: n 127 tJ. -rye.., :.t., 54:e. 3 704.3 :; 1.9.:6::

grea ter c ha - lott e biz

BizNetwork.org UpUPVn

Charlotte Chamber Ferimeter South Area Council Luncheon F rst Thursday Sanalli Ph~lps /04.378.13 78

Fc:trici 3 P:>l ad 7(•-..708.!!{:)0 Ourlott~

Cha:r.ber

•O£th·Ne5t A -ea

Co_mcil

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lli ·d Th u ·sd.:rt K•tle Boyles 7(L.3/8.41Qf.

Charlotte Chamber L niversit? City Area Council luncheon

Clurlottc CJt:u.ber A..irport .!.re:t

r o'lncil L mcbum

C1arlotte Chamber C ~nter City Area C.Juncil Luncheon

:econd Thursday krle Boyle:;

_3:;: Thursday

11-ird Wednesday Kyle Boyles 704.378.4 106

7:14.3 78 .41 06

:ia-alli Prelps: 71}L .3 78. ::. 37E

f e :J u ar} 2 0 C I

9



[realestate biz ]

by bea quir •.

Thinking

Otl tsi

e the (Big) Box

P anners ard deve opers loOK for :;:Jiu-::ions to th:! groNi ng number of ' C.·:::mt

;:or·efront~

Charlene planners, residents, electec officials, architects , retail brokers and developers are beginning to think outside the bo · when it comes to dealing with 'big boxes.' Big boxes ere those large singleretailer "tores -

usually defined as

3C,OOO ~ qLare h::e t or larger - tha t

have SJ:: rung up like mushroo ms in Mecklerb·Jrg C:mnty and aLl over the nation .•\ l.:Jo J gh some criticize them because of theit deleterious effects on neighbo ·:1oods, smaller retailers and the en vi ·onmerrt, most agree that the real problem wttb big boxes occurs when trey're enpty. Tb c. t ~ happening with increasing frcquer.cy. Retailers want :o be close tc where tile xo ple and the money are, and thn mec.ns movin g oJt of locatior,.

"Th-=!re are too many of the same kind of stores, and some are going los~.

to

Some will declare

bankruptq~

end others will close stores." -

Debbie Currier, Curr:er Properties

greater c 1arl otte b i z

~BiErs are cband::u•ng oldff sit.:-s like the <mart en

:;=.rtl E.c u ~vard (L.pper left! ir oi ones : loser to ti-e 1-LBS O t terlJelt, suer as -::- e b.Ne'; :rtWh1teraJI Commons ,- s:>u•.hv;est Char ott= (_bov:!).

~or

a

2

ty's core to ne ,•; si tes at tbe sub ur-

n dg~s. f.lthCJgt t.hat u erd ~; ill

o nt a·Je, thne's ~o i.J 1g to~ a sJ.u.keout the re tail i.J1d u:otr;- an J so::mlr aJ. r ll cre=-e rr•J rc v·can big boxes. -\..1.d uey won't just be ir inno d ty rei?;h-Jorhoo _s. :)bserve~ Debb e Currer, •·v, ncr of ( urnc r Pro pertie:: , c. rc.1lLy :md losing !In spccializ:ng in -~ t.: il ." n Ll e expand-

i~ ~X:J

on > of L1.e ~ 990s, pcor le vv t-::

sre

-ing Lc . · of mor ::;, an:! il made 5ert::C [(>4.. r::t<.i crs to _d::l locatio1.s and o ~ th.:tr sto·cs sc the> eke. -rorc n oncy.

cb _ -,J : · he s.z.. C.• ·uk

. "';u tl-.z:y ex :x:ud:d WlY tOO f~1s .," <-·Jds ·-·_n· c:r whJs ~ ienLo ircludc C rau :::: t,r -:rgel LrJ :='ood Lion. "ll1ct-c z::: to· .- Tail) of th e sTile kind c•f ~ t L •'CS , cr d l r:lC :rrc goi1g tn _ose S·1rre 'Nt I >-

februar> 200


Many of these sites are on urban business temporary office space for the coumy's declare bankruptcy, and others will close Department of Social Services, and the corridors that the city is trying to ecostores." For example, Office Depot and old Lowe's on Freedom Drive , which Sears have both recently announced they nomically revitalize. ln response , the will close dozens of sites across the U.S. once served as the mother church of the Planning Commission has assembled an To some extent, this is represemative United House of Prayer. ad hoc commiuee of five Commission of the cyclical nature of real estate. But Longstanding vacant big buildings members to explore whether governmem the sheer number of potentially empty with large empty parking lots negatively has a role Lo play in revitalizing these impact their surrounding areas. "Often buildings. At the committee's first meetboxes is dauming. About 12 percem of the anchor stores at Charloue-area these sites get broken into , so they have ing in December, it invited represematives from the real estate industry to to be boarded up , and it begins to look shopping cemers are vacant, according to Karnes Research. That's compared to like a war zone. They may also become brainstorm with them; at future meetabout seven percent of the smaller shops. centers for criminal activity," Williams ings, architects, comractors and members says. "The perception becomes that the Dave Anderson, chairman of the of neighborhood groups will be invited. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning whole community is rundown. The Mary Hopper is one of the planning building is usually on a main road, so it's Commission, describes the alternative commissioners on the ad hoc committee. fates of such sites. "The marketplace will often the first- and only- thing "Basically, we're telling the big box owntake care of some of them, and they will people see . They don't realize there are ers, 'G ive us your dogs. Tell us what the become re-used problems are and how we in time , either by can expedite them so we another big box can turn them into AKC retailer or renovated champions,'" she says. for other uses. For "The time is right Lo example, the former tackle this. Even if governPace Warehouse mem can't actually do and Lionel Toy anything, we are bringing Warehouse, both on people together to the table South Boulevard, are to discuss it. " now storage centers; One of the first things a vacant Lowe!> in committee members realMauhcws has been ized was that an inventory convened into a of big boxes was needed so bowling alley; and there could be an objective the long vacant picture of the scope of Opened in September 1999, Sugar Creek Charter School on North Tryon Street Target on Tyvola at the problem. Currier, who was once an abandoned Kmart site. l-77 is being renojust recently left the Charlotte vated to house another retailer, Cosco. neighborhoods behind it. Zoning Board of Adjustmem after a six"The empty box becomes an eyesore year stim, was gathering that data as this Empty Boxes and an obstacle," continues Williams. issue went to press. "But there are other sites," Anderson "The value of the homes in nearby neighCurrier!> initial research found 33 continues, "where economic realities will borhoods goes down . Small businesses empty big boxes totaling approximately not address the needs of the property in that thrived because of traffic from the 2.2 million square feet , figures in cona timely fashion." Or, as District 3 big box suffer or shUL down. People in stam flux as additional properties County Commissioner Darrel Williams the neighborhood still need services, but become vacam and others are re-leased. puts it, "There are places where people don't have access Lo them or have to travel. A few of the included properties, she keep hoping another store will come in, often on public transportation, to distant says, are as small as 20,000 or 25,000 but it's not a place retailers want to be. " places" Williams is a registered architect square feet, but most are over 35,000. That means the structure has to be and a founding partner of eighboring The largest is Freedom Mall's 188,000 rehabbed and refitted so it can serve Concepts, a firm that works to revitalize square feeL ; she also included the other purposes. The most shining examurban neighborhoods with the involve114 ,000-square-foot Wal-Mart on South ple is the conversion of the former Boulevard which, although still operatment of community residems. 110,000-square-foot Kmart on North ing, is scheduled to be closed. Tryon Street to the Sugar Creek Charter "Give us your dogs .. !' Not surprising, the three areas School, which opened in September This kind of situation creates with the most vacam boxes were the 1999. Other examples: Freedom Mall, headaches, not only for neighborhood North Tryon/Sugar Creek Road area, which once housed a call center and residents, but also for local government. including the Eastway Driveffhe Plaza

12

february 200 I

greater charlotte biz


intersection, Freedom Drive , and Wilkinson Boulevard. Independence and South Boulevards will see more \'acancies in Lhi: coming year, Currier says, but she amicipates those areas will be self-correcting. While the comm ittee did not have those figures JL its first meeting, a broad range of partkipam discussed possible solutions LO the big box problem. One suggestion that h:.1d developers concerned was stopping the constmction of big boxes. However, that option was nm seriously considered. " ~o one is talking about a

'There are places where people keep

hoping another store will come in, but it isn't going to happen. It's not a place retailers want to be." -

Darrel WiUiams, County Commission

moratorium on .::>ig boxes," Hopper says. 'That is not t!-.e Charloue way " Charloue City Council member ara Spencer, who represents District l , agrees with that assess-nent. "Council could vote to not zcne them up , but it's hard to vote those requests down," he comments. "How m ch political will would it take for that L:> happen7" But while it's un likely Council will make any strategic changes in what it approves, there are those who, nonetheless, recognize L·re body's role in creating the problem. Notes Tom Warshauer, business services manager for the City's eighborhood Cevelopmem, "We have big vacant boxes tecause we allow people to locate further ou., creating a vacuum that sucks the vitality om of the city's core." Another op_ion - again, not met with much en.hJsiasm at the committee's initial meeting-- was placing design restrictions on the boxes when built. Big boxes, especially grocery stores, are difficulL and expensive to renovate and adapt to new uses, S•J some suggest that if they were designed dlfferemly at their inception , the adaptation wouldn't be so costly or prohibitive Currier says such restrictions are a bad idea. "l suspect retailers feel it's an example of government sticking its nose in their bu iness." she says. " errainly, it would make upfronr costs more >-

greater charlotte biz

lN

Th:: Univc-~ t:r ofNo-rh Car«>T.la at Cha-l(•'le The Office cfCootinui-,g Educc.~ion

"SUCCESSFUL MM:.AGEMENT: A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPME ;-r SEFJES FOR MANAGERS r_ND SuPERVISORS"

Picit and clu: ose fr.-m 1& li_fferent dasses offert:J from C all

Mt~r:~}une..

(704-} 687-4451 C::f

_ bro.:!-·_ -c

o r visit ·~ww.un : c. tod ." conted ::

fe-bruar;-- 2CO I

13


expensive, which would hurt Charlone's growth. And by making design too restrictive, it would just push everything out of Mecklenburg County Our industry would prefer concessions when we are trying to sell or re-lease a vacant property " The concessions Currier is referring to are variances in zoning regulations and other requirements regarding conditions such as parking, landscaping, tree ordinances and sidewalks. She says the costs of refitting properties is a major hurdle in gelling them back in use , so anything that could help reduce that would be helpful, including financial consideration or incentives of some kind. However, the market may take care of that , as well, she points out - some firms are already redesigning their big boxes for easier rehabbing, and Food Lion has paid for refitting in some cases.

Location, Location, Location Government- and the nonprofit sector- can play another kind of role as well. "Businesses have to go where the customers are, but the public and nonprofit sectors can think about relocating to areas to help a neighborhood and address social problems," observes Frank Martin , a residential developer and chairman of the Sugar Creek Charter chool, who attended the first ad hoc comminee meeting. "And moving into pre-existing structures is cheaper than building new facilities. " He mentions such agencies as the public library, the school system, the ABC board and county departments. Although there has been no official announcement by Mecklenburg County, rumors abound in the real estate industry that it is considering purchasing Freedom Mall , either to use for county offices or to re-sell to a private developer. There's also a third force , besides the government and the private sector, that can do something about the big box problem - neighborhood residents and business owners. "Residents and business owners have to come together to decide what they need and to positively change the environment," Williams says. "Government can't do it alone. lf the

Big Box, continued on page 50. 14

february 200 I

greater charlotte biz


regional biz]

JY chip scho: t:

idden i\ssets /V~h its

=JU=. 1t dc-:;rtOvYI\ major tourist a-::tncticn and lak-:=s de setting, Belncnt

i~ poised fer grovvth.

to :a-:~italize c n :::1e fu:ure

grc--..vth eof tr_:= Ct a::-~ o tre rr.:gi:m bv di=:-eren:ialin~ ir:.=d ..:: froo o tl.~ r :it~es :::- :ie a ea. j

'-

ln :he Ct.a1lotte

il -35l:~·: OT.e

il.P-0:,

in·::J"eas:.ngl y :::liff.:ult -o- ::oo-nun2il:s w "stood ._JUt' from thz : r•Jxd ~d =·=·mt=ete. TJ:·_ ae

~ :e

mili

'JJ th ~ mc ~o

th~

SOTe J.0

- •::MT"G

and citi;:3 tJ:-at

Olc.L.:>ue

-e~-.n. _:~,_,

sul:_ rban s:r:r.,.,,l ::~ie~- is w_·r:::s cf

bi_s bo~ retoil, c:::okie cc

L~ r ~b::.

q;ions

and m;; .ntc.inec -c.n::~cc. ~oes :::....."lwci-d, t is har ci tC• ~ell \.lfle:"t yoL r ?.-e :-•JS.>C:i :rom or.e to--.-:1 ictc

t~'le

ne·ct ::::ne ci~:,;- :>::Jking

fo~ :i irr :er_t:B ~e il.s~E is

Be lmorJ:

t::"_e

:::ie~7

::::

<YI~NVr' ci. b Elt:urr:.:u:...a.s>.

Belman:

i5 5d

apa: t ·J)'

·;-_r:_~

cf

loc_ i::-: lt s lo::ated jLS

v\~;.

Cauw1: ~ Rl·P--, ;.ltinb c

a -:::::::lin:...t!a

fo~-r.ec · y d1e .:OU u-_F o

o - tr.z

1~

rr c th::: k ·c_j.x , COI:Jl.m::·:J.ly -derr d tc• <OS -T -e P(•Jr~" ser.-~ d to l<eep the :>Lll< .::f 3clmo L unL storbec. t:1 = Jgh·Jut the J"eJ.l.-' m:i th~ co:: ]uen;:~ of the. tY.r::J L\":' 'S :_•r:Canwb: it 3::l f.

~he ~r:ISLL

tri::.ute:. to :rs <t:--:e: O-:Jr. ~ :1L <E a :::x:tik great2r chc. - lct=E biz

w·.h 1..s .rHqJe perulS-Jia lc atu' 'The P'J1nt' Be1 nor t<o l ere IS •he 1- ol nc .:bwn .0\ .'fl ~r=~ of LhE c. ty 1n t 1e I

powerhot. se at the end cf the _800s

::lt vebFo::::. no-e slo"¥l:; ri-a -

throug • tod >y. In the ead :: l9CIC)s, the

tits i n

creation of La •.E. 'ilr l e

-~..llete:i

the

LV\ C

u- ~

o th ~ r

cc•UJ.-

1·ea, :1nd Belm:·nt is n:> o.ctp-

ti on. Ac:::•tO ins to F obert Lee St -we ll ,

ri vers ar.d cre;Ued c. reccaicn3l hc.ven

cl-_ai t"11a::- Jf F.. L

adj acent D th ~ cit y. The :.=a·a,;;' a P.j•,er

d o::scen d cr - of Ole cf me bmding famiU3 :tl~:1

served

as " psycr.cbgical barrE' :::J ~cvance­ ment. Ga=.ton Co ; nty as c. wt.cle has

IA:lwe U ' ls, Inc nc "

lit:s of Beln::m_, the bi 3ge~ barrier growth :n 3doont -

p e rc~tiorL

LC

''The

tc-w=1 is n:::ot : eally \vell-'cmC\\.TI, an.: trcre

> 1.)


is con -nsion over 1be location of the Cit~ · of Bel~:,.om nne. tlr: Belmon _neighborhood

D

Charlcme. Unfortuna:ely the

me:lia JOCS not c. ".0\YS rna~ :he cistinction " 1uch of tlBt. could change due to a rurrber of re::eal developm;:nts. l 1991, tl:-e -x-esident cf Beln-_ont Abb'::)- ::=o.tege, Dr. Joseph Btcsnan am nck:d " serie3 ::: f lectures by UNC Ch:ulc ke's Urbn lr:.3titute. ~bequemly, he Jra..gh: Michael ::;allis C•- th;: lnstitu _e to Bel11ont :o eoJn:IJCt a sLc.y to determine uw - not f - Belrr_o::l: shoul d grow. The railroo.d .:.nd 1-85 h~d narrowly foc.1s developn~"lt at the point where these .No a:ter~. crossed 1he mail nonh-~outh roJi. From th..u point, grcwt ,_ had taker (ace upg::-eam , toV"ar·ls Mount ro y. The natural geografhy •Jf the Po t, shaped 'j,r the two rivers ,<ept the so _h em enc of Be ~mon_ and ll ("Point it3o:lflargely n:listurbed

n

e ~ tLd y :.L3:: identified Belmont's sev:!ral potential a;:.;:ts. lt h E a distinct gecgr<.. "Jhi:: sett ir_ ~ :nd a sclid eco:JOoi·: ba5e. 1 is on a U13jJr trans::c·rt3ticn artery :mel is dire::t y adjacett to the reg10r'o- airpor t - ·=harlottE. Douglas lnte:n:tionc.l Airprt. It is -erne to a rna_ or 10urist at rr-ion, Dc.n .el Stowe Botan c.al ::;ard~-' - It is one o: only a fev.• col eg~ towns ir ·h.:: area (the others beilg Davidson ar_c. Rock Eill) . And, it; his-or c building~ re amon?, tr_e best presen.ed o ~ an? i1 the regiJL

Pct-:rtial for De\'eloprrent Crescent Resouces, tre real estate ann of "Juke Energ:', has p-ovided ·or tr :: ::r:proximat=ly 1,200 aces it ovms ah"lf the Soutr Fork to be :mnexecl by Be m: nt. The property is s.ill unde,•eloped but plan' are being d scussec! for dCJdorment a~ a traditional resid ntial proj=:::t. As mar_y as 2,500 rew hot.sing urns ::nay be a part of the -::Jlan. Wilh a gc f course con_emplated ar.d its Wltersi: e location, d=velopment :ould add SLJ,tEIU.ially to the quantity and value of tr :: c::•using sto::k in the ci:y

Se;c -al of _he rrill propenies c.t-d mill hoU£1.15 =tcck c.:e ::>ei::g developed f r cc•nto::rr.p:::>r:lry h•Jusin-3. Tr = : nperal Mill projc:t 11!:-'::S o le. rd ll pr·Jpol:" to ccr truct a ::ni -ed-us~ de,-elopccnt wLh as many a.o

117 .111..= tcgir:thg b ear:y 2001. -he Eagle: Mi.. propcrr:; i; non:= tc ano.:1e100 :IO -:- <:S anc ~ ::ni:<ed u:.e develo::>ment. Othe- r;:.;_dcntil c.e\-dopmem ruruL•red ar::>u- d Eo:l<lO!Tl inclt:d=s prc•perti~ ownoo ~- tl-e ~to·.ve Fcurcla.ion a c:ng SouL Pc • - Rorl. Sco_th Fidg= Pr t=elly ar_d 2\-£"3ltTacl3 ::>n 1:,= P::>int. Col~geTown

3e root fobt=y College has a ,,..,ays been a=~ -icmt fo:·::e or the pecrle, polit.i:::s. nd soda: li ~e of De town The cell e i~ a full)" a::cedited 'chool, =cucatin.,g ~ :i''erse relit.bns, eth<ic a1J ::ultural grour Jf s.u:le::ns in the libn:l :.ms traditico J' .nSfired t } it' &:-tedi jne h riLg-. It is loca~ed Jn a::Jp:Jxitrat.e ly 5 50 _c. = h the r_on -_ern pc.n o [ the city. '¥- -e the coJeg: tse.f J:cupit.s a portioJn of .:tcreJse, tre Ab-Jey has Lased portioms -or retzil de~lor:-no::nt. IV Lch of t~t op~n:; is snJ un::Je,eJopcc. , md reprc:3e"L:. 1 si§ni kc.r.t opxnunit)' for c_on _re-cial .?,r•Jwh

-he _e'Cile ::nil!~. ''=ry rrn;ch a ran o[ the g-o - 1 d &:lrJ.o::Jt anc the regm, are still a v t "J:Irt of ~he d::v~op::nent :>i Lure in to...vr. n ajci'lt venure. F. :.. SLCMC

16

--ebrua --, 200 I

greater charlotte biz


Mills and Parkdc.le Mills are in the process of developing th.:: Oaks Commerce Center on approxima:ely 300 acres just north of l-85. Coopera.ive partners in the project are the City of Belmont, Gaston County EDC, Gaston County and Belmont Abbey. Tenants include Thermoform, Baxter Haniss, Dixie Industrial Supply, LVD and Calciquest. The "Jark currently has six buildings with total space of approximately 700,000 square feet. There are 10 parcels available to be d~veloped within the park, ranging in size from 5 to 40 acres. Access tc Belmont is primarily from 1-85, which c ts through the north end of the City. Construction of l-485 , the Charlotte Outerbelt, is expected to be completed within the next few years providing more rapid access to Charlotte area. Eventual completion of the Outerbelt to l-77 n.::a~ Harris Boulevard on the north wil l expand the ease of access.

Toll Road to Connect ln August of this year, North Carolina pass::d enabling legislation for the creation cf a toll road to be built in the state. Although the location is not specifically stJted, discussion focused on creation of a pnrately funded toll road connecting US 321, l-85, U 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) and eventually connecting to West BoLievard in Charlotte. This would necessitate building another bridge a ross the Catawba well south of l-85 further opening access to Belmont, and the cities in Gaston and Lincoln Counties. Bob Cook, a senior planner with the Gaston Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, feels that development of the toll road and other arteries is vital to continued expansion of the region. "Depending on whose figures you look at, we v-ill be experiencing growth in the 10 to 15 percent range over the next several yec.rs. Planning for that growth and de\-eloping the infrastructure necessary to handle it is vital." The community is developing as a residential and commercial center and is becoming a tourist draw as well. Several of the buildings downtown and the central district o - the Belmont Abbey campus are named on the ational Register of Historic Places. The North Carolina ~

greater charlotte biz

1;.- =.lr- . . cun Z .,.wv. . • drf omz

<60)

L~>i

ton Ave . Suite 200- Clorlotte

-K 28"203

,tcre:

7o• . ~u

J.u o fJ> . 7o .. . ;: t.3401>

feb~

Jary 2:=0

17


Beer & Ice Company

Department of Commerce has named Belmont one of its North Carolina Main Street Cities for its guiding vision of the downtown district. ln mid-1999, local voters approved an alcohol referendum allowing sale of liquor by the drink in the formerly dry town. This has helped attract fine dining establishments to downtown to complement the shops and offices that are already there. Also in 1999, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens opened 100 new acres, becoming a 110-acre facility featuring an array of classic gardens, water features and a collection of plants from around the world. Plans call for eventual development of a total of 450 acres over the next 20 plus years. According to the orth Carolina Department of Travel and Tourism, the Gardens are expected to generate visits from more than 100,000 people each year, representing enhanced revenues of more than $10 million to the regional economy. The Gardens are adjacent to the city, and a primary access route is through Belmont.

Bar y Webb , the nty 'Tlanager of t'"le grow1n C1ty of Belmont All of this adds up to a lot of work for city officials. Belmont city manager Barry Webb doesn't spend much time in his office. He is the chief operating officer of a full service operation tasked with providing a diverse set of services to a growing number of customers. More than 90 employees look to him for guidance and direction. His board of directors trusts him to carry out their policies.

Business is rarely conducted by the book, so why learn it that way? Not all MBA progratT\f are alike. Marly are fine, if all you're after is a resume line. But to truly excel in your :areer, you must e)<pmd your knowledge ar\d abilities in ways that will be noticed by your superiors. If you :ar\ go beyond the textbook theories ar\d fonnulas by offering real insights into your company's challenges, ; ou will be valued. Thafs what we war\t to help you achieve at McColl School of Business. Our MBA ?rograms offer more thJn classroom lectures. You'll be immersed into critical :hinking situations t:.at will prepare you for a better life back at the office. Whether you're interested in executive business programs, an MBA or an School of Business Executive MBA, gi路;e us 1 call at 704-337-2224. Or visit www.mccollschool.edu. Quee11s College of Charlotte

McColl

1900 Selwyn Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina 28274

18

febru..uy 200 I

greater charlotte biz


His job is to find ways tc• ~r,.OJ.te a competiti\'e advantage fer trt ~i t y

chn..se with the population. They will hzve to be more highly trained and be

of Belmont. Barry and :liS sta:I are u;ked wi

acap able to changes in the work and

r

keeping up \.Vit:l. the der-.an·l3 cof a gto...v-

ccmnunity .::nvironments. Wit:l the la JOT marke in the Carolinas, ~ he city

ing populati cn and busines::- JJ3C. He recently came toJ the Cit; oltelmont after serving m similar p:)3inom in

priva.e sectCT for those employees. ·Nebb's .1genda for his staff inclu:ies:

Cornelius and Mauhews, l' .C

dc.ve:<Jping them to be the best in the

wJl be direaly competing wit!-. the

Ill! rhe be:"lut ft lly blendec

J.r h1t:'!cty e of th::

R.L St::>we M Is headquarters build1ng.

Both towns expetiencecl ~:;: p t si•1e grO'Wth on his watch, and this e g:er mce has helped him to have a ·:m:ad TeVJ •Jf

rcgicn. Tc fc.ce the challenges posed

growth and the oppmnr.i_i:::3 ard challenges that come with it.

tbt twas i11ponant to take what wJrks fom busimss and apply it to a gove:-r_rren sen>i.cr delivery model," he said. "I wc.nted a different perspecti•;e on

A challenge that an,• gtew ng cc-mmunity faces is the clernnd on city otaff. Estimates for Belmont fc:\C·~ ;rr::mg future growth, with a populati•JI b01sc ex pee eel to grow frorc the cucea. l J.OCtO people to more than 25,000 pe pl,. in ue re'<t ten years. Besides th ~ e'{Jc___ eel :1eed for ho~e

infrastructure cleveloprre:tt

pec ple

are going to be demar.d ng nore and different sen·ices and JELet ]~livery cf them. The population wiJ b_ more ct1nically diverse younger \\i:h sn.1ll ch 1dren , more affluent ar.d me-r.:: tTansicrt. In Belmor.t , many o' ~ b~ J..ey m lDagers and department h.::.1d3 :ncludrng the city manager, ha,-e cc·m::- to the ci·y in the last two years_ Al Jf :1ese charges add up to the need for c1~ r.g lead ~ Js and for finding new wa •s cf managin.s a growing and changi:lf ;t8. The demands on staff will recu~ ditTeren_ kinds of employees with d~~r~ nL sl< ill sets. They will need to be tct~er edt.clted with a more diverse set cf ol-.ills. The ethnic diversity of the e:np L·)-"Ce3 will

greater charlotte b

~

b · change a:td to build his staff, Webb lok ~ d to tl-e private sector. "We felt

h.Jw to do cur jobs beuer". Scholz ::mel Associates, a Cornel.usbJse:lleacle-ship development firm, was sc:lea.ed

to

"'lork with the executive stat.

"'Ve chose o work with Chip Scholz (Fe: iden~ d Scholz and Associates) p.:-i1rarily b(cause of his blend of busin.::ss acumn and his knowledge of the \\orl:ings o[ government," said Webb. The initial fro up included the chief o- police, fi-e chief, city clerk , and ckpc:rtment heads of public works, [Xlrks anc: Ecreation and planning.

P. gnup of

~ mployees

from pLblic

worh are g:Jing through a leadership p-ocss nO\\, and future plans call for o..he· deparrments to participate. The be5inning stage of work included ~ve.loprr.e u of a vision, a set of core VJlu~s and <. working set of goals for staE g:Jifl3 fonva:-d. They worked on basic Belmont, continued on page .50.

-=-ebru :tr)' ?.OC I

9



b)"

caser jac.OOus

[bizprofile '

Katie Ty er's entt-·e peneurial spirit helped her build

a sLccessfLi constrw:tion comp:my in t 1e Queen City. She recently visited Charlotte's 3ister c t >in Russic to 1elp entrepreneurs there d~ the _a'l1e. :=.:;:tic T-1~zr, Jv,-:ler •J f T:;ler II Constructi::m C:Jmpny, bcl1::ve-; he p ..ITpcse in .ife: is to inspire others. Last ~-::pte:m"'::er -::-yJer .cck h :::r m essag.~ to Russ ia . .31-e \v::IS J:-<1It d::. tom that weru. t.::• Cbaloucs sistrr :Lty, 'Jer:Jrez.._l. w &.:ling to ~n3:=ia v.:ts imp .J:talt persorally tc Ty.n 9E had ~ch.)ol i:1

A_tlJJ.ta in thr d;;ys J [ the (<J

attack d-ills. Ther -1er :·cr:-_c t=ol:: the family

1963 wbzre

T{i ~r

to

..

Ill

·;:

ja"Ja:J. .n

0

E

-.vent Lo.s:::1o: l [cr bur years. On de w::.y

II)

t:

i·ome .n 1957, :h~;· :rav::: e::. tlncugh Russia.

i;'

"l realized :ho:r;, that t ~se- 3e jus people ," says T;'ler. "Cur

hclp co<.·:h s::>ne -::ucJding y•1_r.g ~ussian rntreptcneJE g:>n;:: :.:• d crcnW;'

anc remcm-Je·s tic<in§_ re.fu ~ e ·.:nde: her desk durin" ruclear

L

War

govcrr.m::ms -:ruy he alwa y~

wan.ed

IC

d L:~u.L

but they're people jLst like uo:

.s:: c.

;p bc:k.'' ~ februau 2JO I

~

...00

21


or:r LassitLL, lJLOjca director of tl-.e Chadollc: CJmmurity Connccliors Progtal1, sars she w&s look in~ f•)r a s rong earn to reconnect "'i-t J ·_ e Rus;:;ian 'Lsint:ss mJ non-pn -i_ 2adus wk:·

1a:l studied in the Ur:ited 5.:ctes as pan )[ Tbt Con-ITUiity Cline·: i•Jns/ 3Lsincss fo1 f.:u;sia p:Jgn.rr. launched n 1uc:.4 dtcr a ;umn t r.:eetbg betw ~en Jr=sidem Bill Gimon an:l Fussian -:JrestJmt [.oris Yelts:n , tl- t pr::>&-zm furds

weaknesses

n crlbhi-:Js fn Russi..113 to :;udy ir one

and opportu-

1f tci Uritnl States .=ba Iloue. Si.ncc its ~LSS

:1.

c.c, hcludi~

i.:J. ~ cp _io:J.

99

ms have oome _o the U.S. to 'tudy

..a;sitcr wanted the

~il

RLs~ia

to \'!Sit

nities in your city." Looking for a woman to

o put on a two-day :::r•Jgrall1 of wok-

round out the team.

ch..lps anJ bu;iness SCininc.IS for as many

as well as a small

~~,;,,.~,;..~~

business owner,

.. ~~;~I'H~·

for11 ~ r

1f tfu3e

The tear

interr.s as :>.J.;si.ble.

Lassit,. ~ 1~.:;crnled

wluccd Willy Rate!- bnL ~'ccutivc Ji-ectnr t~f the Char! 1 te ~elations

CnniiilLce and G1ry Fenaro,

;3~\n· po o~ig_ ~L ss

mltural

1

at Ut'- C-OlJ -I Jtte. 1hc

zrns Jclually recp.;e;tcd these tvo

-,~a nse ·~]

:::cu muni y

husband, \o\ J-c. is

~-os itcr's

Lhc ,r 1acl wCI·-ed

\viLl

the

arc LLe in·crns be fa:: F-a .diord g_·.'es a

:;eminar cmilled "Strc15=h ard Diver=;ity ' -:;~Tam talk~

, .. _- :loi.og

about t!-ecuitu-

bu~ires

dimrnsions

into--uroca ly

T•lm FI>T n. assi:;tant tc tile Crnrlott<> cit,- m.Jnzger ·o- smal- xs~ness de\.t:bpI:Klll,

to k·o < at L~

Tyler was deliberate.

~ll#;lte~ .. M~ti~

"She was the perfect ch:Ji::e.'' S<l?S Lassitor. "She's great." Tyler has not jt:sl bLilt

1 succe~fLl

-=- he grou-:J llew to Mo~cl)..v on

company, she has done it in a mlledominatcd industry. Her s:ocy is one

-3C1Jlcmber 7, 2.00•). They tx!:: the

of believing she can do a1.ything sh~

.)\ei- ght train to Veronezl-, 1:::c ut

sets out to do. It's a story an.:l a

me~::age

she's willing to share.

;!:St)

-nile:. -ou th o£ M03cow, on Snt:mbn

y

;Jth, ..l:-riving i"1 tLie to cekb-att "

"Something about n-y s....ory of llrn-

D:~y

~

• with a Sl3ter Cities to .Jr. A -ter

big

ing $250 into a $15 milhm corrpany-

.xn> Jn Monflay, Septemb~r _lLh, Lie;

helps others believe they can also achkv.::

icld r-vo full days of workthJpo.

what they set om to do," she oays.

vJhile there, Tyler had a1 :JJpo-tuoi-

Tyler, age 49, grew .1p in a fan:.l)

srren~;ths,

with three brothers and c. .-a h,o:r wh:J

y tc· visit several construct o• s tes rd .v:~s ;~.ppalled <:.t w:1at she sa\o\. '-he-c s

#~~

was a professional with 11e 3cy 5cO"_t5.

IC•

Since her family moved <r·Jun:l a Io- .

1rc condo prcjecl they

her brothers became her beg -ricnds

.JI,d~.sround

and she learned to play tl.ei- ganes.

.v:~s

joined the Lean to giv-e a sen inar

c-1 "li•1W

~ N M--I:H-~~~If*

Lassitor's choice of

/FHe- MH~.

~

?f.w. . cl . .. Mo9-

~~Afl.p­ ~!J1.~;if.

~ ~~

1'4~

II!Hii*HM;:~

A self-professed tomboy, 3he rJd~

code systeL1. at all," she rq:o-Ls. de:id~c

~A

to _•ut in

;arl-dng after tl-c tuilu..ng

"n ishcd . ..Jew· buildine-s lo:F lik l~y'.·e been t1ere for 50 y-:a~s.'-

motorcycles and loved tc sa· I.

Iyler stay::d •rith a Ru.;s-cr1

"l was never raised u think 'girls

.:cupc with a six-7ear old dat:ghter n

don't do that,'" Tyler say;. " Lne,•er

1r apartment JroJ xt that ?a3 oily~

crossed my mind that l ·=t•uldn't do c.ny-

..:cu pe of year:; old. The e!E.vJ o- hd

thing I wanted to do." Tlut ·~ an do' Jtl -

lt· Sl:)ps on it although tht:re w::re

tude took Tyler from a se:::~e a-la pcsitio::J.

Jr I]

in the Ivy Department 5ures corporate

Jr I] mechaniffi1 a.railable.

office in 197 4 to head of l:er

.ven... om seve-altirnes a day.

C•W-::1.

C•Jn-

11 lloors because tha

\V:lS

Tb~

the.

pO\\ H

-~-e

aput-

struction company in [;):33. Today she

11..:nts were hcate.:: througr a 1ct \Yacr

leads a 25-employee corr-rany tl-at ,:;x-

;y;tc11, and tl-c g( vernmen _uned J!f

cializes in interior reno,·O{iOis. Tyle- sc;yo

re l-eat

her greatest professL:ma: ;c.ti.3faction .s

led no hot wner

taking an existing build1r g end turci.ng it into something beuer.

in the sunmer, so re9-:Enh 11

the su.:nrr e~.

{ct, they co1=e," says -)' cr, wh<. 1\so :.;aw some- en·.iable thi11g:; f. Lti- 2 ~relter crarlrJtt~

tiz


high school or "gymnasium" she vis1 teJ, there was a 10: l

teache ~/s LUd ~ nt

rat.o. as

well as a doctor and a nurse on staff. Students were neatly dEssed and ther:: were no discip.ine problems. "So, they have no hot Wcter in .ht summer, but their school sy,tem is fa: supe1ior," says Tyler. Team members stayed w- th Rt:ssian families, and after a ::hon tastf of Russian life, Tyler says she rewrote her talk a half dozen times. "l was gJing to cover subjects such as w-riting a tusi-

ness plan, hiring staff, torrowing m•)n ~y and growing your business," she says.·' [ realized that the concept of fr::e thirki<g was completely foreign to the Russiano. Tl-.ey were so Lsed to people .elling th ~rr: what to do , they had no idee. how to make decisions for themselve:;. " Tyler said she couldn't ta"k about borrowing money to p :ople who don't trust banks , or abcut hov; to imerview employees in a cJlture where people are told what JC•b they are going to held. "You can't talk abJ u_ marketing becc.use they wan . to keep their business a secret," says -yler. ": f the Russian mafia finds out you're io business, they'll want a cut c[ it. " Instead , she talked abou persona aLti tudes and how to believe in yourse f. One woman, who had just sr;~.rte d her

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Tyler almcst ne\·er turns down an OJ=ponunity to talk to people especial -; young women. She has appe<: red before Rotary lubs, Girl ScoJ t Troop:-, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schoc Is' Gds in cience program , the Mecklenburg Entrepreneurial Co unci., and spoke 1 wi th countless indi\•idmls. " everal years ago, when I was jL>t starting to be i::lvolved in the commurri.:' Katie encouraged me to go through th ~ Leadership Charlotte program," says janet Fonner, president of Hospice Jt Charl otte. "Her arm was alway; out to me.~ A graduate herself of Le<Xlership Charlotte and now a member of the

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23


annua _.chley R. Lyons Circle of

and still correct it," Tyler says

Excelle-·:::e Award. Tyler has also been

list and finish all the lasL-minJte details,

each

orr~r. Ty~t:r's

ability LO understand other

people, =.s well as herself, has contributed Lo her ,.£-ccess. Fonner says Tyler is knowr. 1-Jr being willing to help her emplo,-E~s

meet their goals, for nurturing

them ;::.rd ensuring their personal

succe~

along ·,-, :h the company's. "~ h:..'s

a very spiritual person," says

Fonne:r. 'She lives by her values." T{c promoted one company secre-

~~

again

group o- women in senior business posiwork ;o-..:1 provide personal support for

1Wft11'~ ~kNb'<IN-~~

cl~nt

when its Lime LO go through t:1e punch

tions, -Jn o meet once a month to net-

~~~~~HHf-~

The manager calls the

presider_ of 'vVomen Executives, a diYerse

then, again 3 months and 6 months later, and finally, a month before Lre warranty expires. Tyler believes this ki rd of attention to details and to relationohips is what distinguishes her company from its many compeLiLOrs. "lL's what

;'OU

do

before and after the job that eally makes the difference," she says. Six years ago Tyler became acth·c with a group that rescues Sch l.auzers, her "breed of choice." She has a section of her home kenneled off where she keeps

tary to 3. newly created position she callo

dogs she is nursing back to health or

"Lastir:g Impressions Manager." lL is this

who are wailing for a new ho-ne. She

persor:s ·esponsibility to manage client

also has four Schnauzers of her own.

Board of DirecLOrs fc- Hospice, Tyler has

relatio::.' She calls the client at the very

stayed active in the Leadership program

beginr:~

of the project and again in the

Tyler has also been active on the Charloue Chamber's Board of Advisors,

wbch helps LO develop civic and com-

middle d the project. "That's when we

its highest level of membership. She is

munity leaders. ln 1998 she won its

can ca:c:1 something that's going wrong

the only volunteer LO actually chair

24

february L.OO I

greater charlotte biz


the ::::hambcrs fL -,d u:ioir.?, efforts,

m I fe These

anc she d id it tw J p:ar~ in a row, selling

nJucied l2arr -

Jll <inds ::~f record~.

n.~. to play t~

Under

Tyler~

l::x:kr:;hi.p , the

::::ha'Tlber c;.ceedcd its $3"i0,000 mem··e rsbip g.Ja in l9C:: 7

-:>-.e next year,

.Jimo-.:nd to 3pcak Sp;.~1ish, ·ici:1g a horse

_t d:cidec. to rev;.~.mp tbz ""~1y it raised

Jr a hach, a- c.l

llo-ey, b:' szlling net cnh nemberships ,

1) ng :m

l:: ut 3iso prcduct> such

: u:;

:'lS

a:lvertising

<: cir-

trz pez~.

and sponsorship'>- '.'-1i', :m ambitious

)h '3 §Taduall>

goa of $ 1 ,SDO,o=o (w 1S1-3, it needed

·~ rc.~sin_s

:m c-.;pcrien•:ed chair"l1.D nd turned ,

•)ff the list . h<r"-

Jgain, to Ty\er. "My b ig buu.Jn is Jut .. ,' " ~ays

then-

n§ ju:t l::ough ·~ t c<n't

be done ,

Ty!.~.-.

;1

Harl ::y-

:=>a.rid:.on

Bob Co)nfoy, gr::up ,. ce president

llCtor-:yc le ar _ blazer for women i:-

·or :;ales end mar<eti1g at the Chamber,

-eurrccl

;ay~

·icLng but th-::t-e':. s·iJl <: lot left. She sti I

"Katie$ successfu. b ~ause she's

::xuemel) e Ticieri .:wd

·'CT)

goal-orient-

;:d. Shes alsJ a \'Zry n .c --erson who ~eople like o be Jtcurd... )<es good at

mot vating volurteers When Tyler tu -red 40. she made a list of all .he thin.?,S s 1e :.till wanted to de

to

an ::arl) k>\ e for ho -~b:k

,-~<er::s

arn~n

tcrcor: .-r 1s

business woman of .Je yer. "l want to be k- Jwn

·Na: ts to try sc.: oli\i.tlb go on a :;af:ti,

and \i.3it Soutb

:on~rr

who is easy to lm e .:11Jcl

Am ~ ric:a.

J.' :··m~o,c

fl.Il LC

be\', t'l,"

Tyler says. "l wan· ?=.Jple t•• 5')-, Sh:

ju.ot not enough titre ,' :.he

made a difference ir llY li'e.'

s. But, a~ : he nc:ars the 5::-ye<rr

biz

11mi<, !':he kncr\.:s she -,..,ants to he rene:rr.-

Casey Jacobus is a G: r/ottE- 'Ja~ '= j

~eJEd

free/once writer.

cor mote :hm having ben a

lL..li

-

T

::;.de

show

eXhil:i~s

ivluseums

Sales

~nvironmen~s

Corpcra.te

Showr.: oms

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gre:1ter charlct-:e tiz

feb uary

2:::c

25


[bi~profile I

by nethea fortney rhinehardt

•

I Wilton Connor is a down-to-earth guy. He built his successful packaging company by finding innovative ways to take care of his employees. Now he's getting ready to expand again , and he'll probably find some new ways to keep them happy.

"We nearly went bankrupt three times," says Wilton Connor of the early days at his eponymous packaging company. He and wife Catherine refinanced their home, sold stock and cashed out their lRAs to keep the nascent company af1oal. The company's then-seasonal business made banks wary of loaning Connor much-needed funds. Desperate , he convinced his father to advance land as an early inheritance. "We mortgaged that to make payroll," he remembers. He kept the company alive wi th money from investors while juggling 36 credit cards. Despite mounting financial difficulties, Connor never had a supplier deny him credit. "We called our credi.tors before they could call us. We were honest about our position, our intentions and never dodged a phone call. " With estimated sales this past year of $70 million, the company has come a long way from its difficult beginnings, but one thing hasn't cha nged. Connor always takes care of his employees.

26

february 200 I

>g



ilt Jn Connor Packaging, Inc. , z :::.:iarlotte-based cc•mp:my, is riding a wa" ~ of expo uncal growth

Wal-Mart, Home Depot or the Circle K,

wth Se-es ooaring (:fJ per::ent from $48

product and put it in anything else that would contain it ," Connor explains. "That could be a box, a tray or a stand."

of them want the prod-

Consumer buying behavior contributes to Wilton Connor's growth. "Studies show that over 40 percent of the expenses

ucts to look different. "

millior. in ~ 999. W:.:t t·J,o new buildings at its V.esthke Corporate Campus , the ccmpa ::..~

has planlli:c at least four more

for a tc· al of 2 milli::m square feet of light manufa::turin;; and di.<:tr:bution space. Wilton Connor emrloys 600 full-time WJrker:; with the C:oU:-.t 5Welling to l ,200 during :ms.er seaso:t&l periods. Connor expects to

~1dd

400 ~ore full-time workers m the next three to five years. Eleven year-old Wilton Connor Packaging supplies value-added turn-key packaging solutions that assist product manufacturers in retail marketing and distribution. Specific

end services include pJint-ol'-purchase corrugated display:;, su·uctural ;md graphic design, ccntrac: pacluging, inventory management and transpor-::.tion logistics. w --etter you sho? zt Food Lion,

'v\'ilton

28

~ o n nor

you've seen Wilton Connor Packaging in action. The company designs and fabricates free -standing displays parked at the end of store aisles and on-shelf trays that make products stand out. "We receive the

on an average shopping experience are unplanned," says Connor. "If the product is placed off-the-shelf, there is an immediate boost in sales." Consumer product manufacturers are eager to alert shoppers to special deals and encourage purchases through these eye-catching containers. They tum to Wilton Connor for expertise in graphic arts and structural design, as well as managing inventory and transportation of both products and displays to stores. The manufacturers of Pringles Potato Chips, ]iff Peanut Butter, Energizer Batteries, Tide Laundry Detergent, Dawn Dish-washing Liquid and Black & Decker Tools are among Wilton Connor clients. According to chief financial officer Guy Forcucci, complexity is the rule , not the exception. "Generally, retailers have small, medium and large stores. There's a different inventory amount for each one of those stores. The shelving will be different, and the amount of inventory they want to receive at any one time will be different. " He continues, "Even when you have stores of similar sizes, the demographics are different. Which means that

one large store may ask for df:'erem things than another large store at another location. The rules for each retailer are

Consolidation Sparks Growt1 The consolidation among rna's retailers over the years has fue ed the drive for differentiation. onn::JI points out that while Home [•ep:J ~ md Lowe's are both home improv.:ntei chains, their store layouts anc cor..:: c?·s are completely different. "They ha"" a very different feel yet sell the ~me types of items. They are trying to be -_ret~, di'Ttinctive, carving out their own nice " That requires different displa~s ano: varying inventory dependent up:J:t 3 ~0T location, demographics and s.::~ c::msderations. Wilton Connor Pa::kgin~ transports both products and ·lis~ l:rys. economically and safely to rerc.:lers at the best value for manufactur=:rs Over the years, retailer5 ·--eve El.:x:d their might, shifting expens::s ike pro::..uct displays back to the ma:J.L ·acur~r. Manufacturers focus on their ::ore C•)mpetency- making products - iT; •)illsourcing display and logistica.. issue3 t::• packaging companies like Wi 10n Connor. "Our strength lies in ho'A- _J g:::t this product reconfigured anc prop:rl-'" stributed," Connor says . "Vv"e l-ave _J understand the difference betJ"een :o

Pad :ag ng has outgrown its existing warehouse space (shown here) and plans to have 2 million square feet in the fu tu<. .

"e b r u a r y 2 0 0 I

greater cha-lott'2 :Jiz


0

E Q)

c:

~ ~

....0

0 ..c:

a.

:;uy F=rcucci, Catherine Conner ard Wilton C.:nnor (left to right) show off

.;mall town store nd a Super

< ard

the

.ldvaoce shippir.g notice comJ=uLe- sysem it .akes to get it into that star::."

1

ne'¥" :!ight-color p·:!s; r their new .va ·eh::>ue

Co1not is .he first to

Employee Perks 'WC•-

Wilton Connors [Xlencrre:rul

Th1s o:pen se has earred Wilton =onoor -:>acka~ng t lod.bt:ster diems like

Sllccess is only superseded b. - cr :-J.ayJe a re3ult of - his unon:1odc. mangerr.ent sty!~ and human resources phih.cphy TI-_t

-:>roctc·- & Gamble, Kcx:lak anc Keeble -al ·Ji'ithc-JL the benefit of adver ·sing

company experiences

\~rtual~,- I•J

.umo\.IT

•Jr ::ol: -call ng. T~ company :ml: has

and the degree of workzr lor :liLy i~ LnJ=Iecedemed. Season 1l empleoy-~ts Ietu~n

1hree >Jiesreople because most nC"-V diem,. are ty refer:-al.

year-after-year clamorirg fm

gre3. t er

cha~lotte

biz

come aboard full-time .

.1

cbnc: w

~dr__ : Lh~­

nunnfactthn~

:ing ir a

p. ;rr t i -. l.L

g'::n::orcJs "Thts i3 tur::l w·X<,' l.e oay. "Sc-rne c•f em ~mpl.o~es m~ Lr .>kilkc an::. her pay ts lCMI. " BJt the bcncfns h~ : Jer- g•J aJeove an:\

e:ron:l :nec.iol, nd ret remem r:hns. "}, I cr Ccmor has imprcved h:s e:m~krcb'

d ~L-:al

q .d Ly ,_,[ hfl> Co1nor

s~cs pann~ ·sb.ipo

februH~

"-tl.l.

2(0 I

~

29


com::uuing o get :c· work only to forgo

house," says Connor. "This was the next

prec.oLs e\>er:.ins tours with her children

best alternative. "

in Jrdcr

~o

dJ laur.cry at a coin laundro-

m3t . .'\s pa re-ns of three young children, !he Co:-rr_o ~s symp3.thized with her situario:::J.. 'h.~ fi~st l wanted to go out and buy her a washer-<ir-,'et," says Connor. "But Ca .h.rn.o: said, W.o: still have credit on ou ~ .3ec.ro. car:l. -Nhy don't we buy a >:VJ3her'±ryer and put it in the plant7'" -=-t-_e Connors set up an on-site laundry hc-t ·.vasl-.es, d ri~s and folds laundry w_th 3. rex:-clay pi::k-up for full-time eop!·Jyees- 'While they work. The fee

clients, suppliet~ an·=- ~m?lo·,'.o:es as the keys LO his ,-uttu. A[ll.ong the many services c[ecl w

cmp~oyees

is nom_rul ar:.d .roxng is extra. Enployees who once wasted hours

are

bu~s "10'N

;a

.: a·{ en

care subsidy, a h::nre tep.cir service at

;a

.::o-upany-pic

cost of materials O'l.C.--on--one language

Tuorial eduoti·J n including Spanish-

skills training, c.ud n "Angel Fund" for

":ngh3r. in:tuction :s available for both

an on-site laur_d--y,

3

\ar. j)OOJ, a child

:~c.ult3

emergencies These ber.d ico 'l"E:re Jorre out of need, not by de:9g:-. Earb and his wife,

ca~hcr-Ile ,

0:1.,

Connor

·..ree disturbed

ll:d

tl-~ir

ride a van driven by

d~i-;er

for a nominal fee.

cbldren. A company-

-:>c.:d 1.atd;']T.an does home repairs for ecpbyees Employees pay for materials; ·he corr.pa:ry pcys t-l.e handyman's salary.

by the plight cf :.m ::::r.plcyee - a single

·Fact::ny woL.<ers jU3t can't take time off

mother who spe:u .:-:> tc ·our hours daily

:-ro1r. "\o\-o~k te> meet a handyman at their

C

N\lE~-

ENT

LEX IBLE AF ORDABLE

As parents , the Connors were very aware of the need for quality child care . Catherine Connor contacted Child Care Resources to help devise a program where the company could pay a subsidy directly to the caregiver to assist employees. For the Connors, their unconventional initiatives aren't simply a matter of altruism; after all they had a business to run. But

w Wilwn Connor, it is a reflection of their humanness. "What are the things we can do as a group that would make our payroll checks go further7" he asks. "It just made sense for us. "

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30

february :.oJO I

greater charlotte biz:


What's in it for the company to offer such unusual benefits7 "We have highly motivated

emp~oyees,"

roject Manager

Connor insists.

"We always get quality work from our

~c:c.

people. " He believes that his small investments in his

~mployees

We provide consulting resources with project management expertise and industry experience. Specializing in banking/finance, governmenl andtextile industries.

have reaped an

enormous return. While Connor admits the total cost isn't insignificant, he notes, "It's small percentage-wise. We do most

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of it on a breJk-even basis. "

(704) 332-661 I

The employee base reflects a rich diversity that most companies can only strive for. Wc•men make up over half the experience are trained and skills are

degree program. Graphic artists , both

supervisory positions. Minorities, includ-

developed. What's more, Connor actively

experienced and fre5h-out-of-college,

ing immigrar ts, are well-represented

seeks to promote promising employees

throughout t <e firm. In fact, minorities

from within to supervisory positions ,

handle major accounts. juan Marin , an immigrant from Ecuador, was plucked from the packing floor once Connor learned he was interested in graphic design. Now an art student enrolled at U C Charlotte, Marin works in the company's an department, while going to school at night. "I started out as a packer and now through Mr. Connor, I work in the art department," he beams. 'Tm learning a lot. " >

workforce and account for a number of

earn half of the firm's top twenty salaries.

giving them an opportunity to shine.

"We speak nine different languages here,"

Wilton Connor Packaging has a track

shares Connor. Wilton Connor Packaging

record of identifying and polishing

has also lureJ many older employees out

"diamonds in the rough."

of retirement and has a surprising num-

Structural engineers are groomed from the workforce to learn how to con-

ber of disabled workers. While the company does recruit highly skilled personnel, those with no

ceptualize displays using computers -

a

trade not offered in a college or vocational

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greater charlotte biz

february 200 I

3[


Coup d'

W •

ilton Connor is a native on of Charlotte. His father was a music director at Myers Park Baptist Church and at Charlotte Col lege (now U C Charlotte), and his mother wrote book reviews. Connor earn ed a degree in sociology from Hiram College in 1970 and went to work at Container Corp. of America in Ravenna, Ohio. Connor was promoted to positions in Cleveland, Philadelphia and then Baltimore. His wife Catherine was a CPA,

running her own accounting practice. The two wed and seuled in Charl otte where Connor took a position at Western Craft in 1983. The couple had three chi ldren in three years.

Launching the Biz Connor is a born salesman and was

responsible for 60 percent of Western Craft's business in the unenviable

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sales territory between Charlotte and Asheboro , N.C. Energizer Batte1y in Asheboro asked Connor to fashion a packaging solution for their batteries. He devised a prototype that contained several battery "blister cards" in a canon sealed with shrink wrap. Western Craft wasn't interested in the project ; their forte was co rruga ted paperboard. Energizer Battery, however, felt the package would be ideal for a new "Real wealth is doing what you want to do when you want to do it. I can't imagine wanting to do anything else." -Wilton Connor

retailer from Arkansas called Sam's Club. The year was 1988, just before the warehouse club craze took over America. Sam's Club targeted two different trade - the individual consumer and those buying products for resale. "The package had to meet the requirements of both custome rs, ye t could only have one KU -store keeping unit," Connor explai ns. "That's why it was perfect for club stores." Sam's Club offered to buy five and a half million units a year. Connor recommended the automatic equipment to create the boxes to Energizer, but company officials had other ideas. Energizer was willing to buy the equipment, but did not want to install it in their plant. They made Wilton Connor an

32

february 200 I

greater charlotte biz


offer he couldn't refuse. "They said they'd lease the equipment to me for a dollar a year," he recalls. "Sol quit a perfectly goo:! job and gave them three dollars. " Wilton Connor leased 17 ,000 square feet of warehou.:;e space in 1989. With his wife, he lc.unched the company as a contract packager. But the going was rough from the very first day. Catherine worked two part-time jobs- one as controller of Wilton Connor - to make ends meet. The two were of modest means and w_th a young family to feed , money was ti,Sht. Wilton Connor admits, "There were honestly times when we didn't have any money. "But Catherine was always very good with money. " He pauses, "She handled all of those troubled financial times very well and raised three children. " Guy Forcucci, then a partner with an accounting f:rm, was willing to take a chance on the struggling enterprise. He reviewed the business plan, made suggestions and invested his own money. "They needed a ban~< loan," he says, "but it was a small company with a seasonal business- all the reasons why bankers say, 'You're going to faiL ' " And they nearly did, as cash flow cou ldn't keep u:J with the demands of the company. Despite the problems, Forcucci came c. board full-time as CFO in 1991. The ycung company established a relationship with the Bank of Canada and the tide urned in their favor. By 1996, sales reached $26 million. Competitors include Chesapeake Display & Packaging and Alliance Display & Packaging Company, both in

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Connor, co ntinued o n page 50.

greater cha r lotte biz

february 200 I

33


cllailotte Greater Charlotte Biz Announces Quarterly Reader Surveys Dear Readers: As you may know, Greater Charlotte Biz celebrated its first anniversary with last month's issue. As Charlotte's only monthly business-to-business magazine, its focus on local business content and its full-color format keep business decision-makers informed about other area businesses, executives, resources, and local products and services in an attractive and easy-to-read style. The magazine has the most complete business-to-business circulation in the local marketplace, being distributed monthly to over 20,000 business owners , managers and executives at nearly every business location with more than seven employees. As a publication serving the greater Charlotte area, its circulation reaches business decision-makers in Mecklenburg County and also in Iredell, Catawba, Rowan , Gaston, Cabarrus, York, Union and Lancaster counties in North and South Carolina. In this new year, we are even more resolved to provide our readers with timely and informative content. To that end, we are asking you , our loyal readers, for a small favor. We want you to participate in our first Reader Survey. Our survey will serve two purposes. One is to learn more about you in order to present information and services in Greater Charlotte Biz that meet your needs. The other is to create an ongoing dialogue between Greater Charlotte Biz and the regional business community at large. This dialogue will help us better understand the important business issues facing you and, perhaps, get a glimpse into what you are doing to address them. This survey has been developed with the assistance of Lynn Daniel and Mike Duncan of The Daniel Group as part of a planned series of surveys in an ongoing research process designed to learn about the attitudes, expectations and ambitions of business decision-makers in this region. A strategic planning and market research firm, The Daniel Group will contribute expertise to the design and analysis of the data that is gathered from each survey. Together, we will be able to provide you with an accurate picture of local business-to-business activity, trends and forecasts that will be helpful in your business planning. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey on the facing page. You may want to tear out the page and fax it to our office at 704-676-5853 or go to our Web site at www.greatercharlottebiz.com to complete the form online. Simply click on the Reader Survey button. You may also snail mail your completed form to Greater Charlotte Biz, 804 Clanton Road, Suite B, Charlotte, N C 28217-1358 . Results of this and subsequent surveys will be reported in future issues of Greater Charlotte Biz. This survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. As a token of our appreciation, we are awarding $500 advertising certificates to the 50th, 250th and SOOth respondents to the survey good for business advertisements in Greater Charlotte Biz during 200 I. To qualify, you must fax, mail or complete your survey online before March 3 I, 200 I.

Thank you for your input. We value your time and attention in completing this survey.

Sincerely yours , John Paul Galles Publisher 34

fe b rua r y 2 0 0 I

Lynn Daniel The Daniel Group greater char lo t te b iz


cliaflottel

reader survey

Please complete this form and fax back to 704.676.5853. Name ________________________________________________

Title ____________________________________

Company _____________________________________________

Phone Number____________________________

Address ______________________________________________

Fax Number_____________________________ E-mail Address, ____________________________

Corporate Web Site -------------------------------------

tell us about yourself! I. What is your area of responsibility? 0 Senior Executive Mgmt. (Owner, President, CEO, Principal) 0 CFO, Treasurer, Controller 0 CIO/M IS Mgmt. 0 Executive Mgmt. (VP, Director, General Manager) 0 Business Development/Sales/Marketing 0 Purchasing 0 Production 0 Research and Development 2. What is your age group? 0 Under 25 years 0 45-54 years 0 25-34 years 0 55-64 years 0 35-44 years 0 65 years plus 3. What is your level of education? 0 High school graduate 0 College graduate 0 Post-graduate

tell us about your companyl 4. Approximately how many employees are at your company? 0 0-5 0 5 1-1 00 0 101-500 0 6-10 0 501-1,000 0 11-25 0 I ,00 I or more 0 26-50 5. What are the annual sales of your company for the most recent year? 0 Less than $500,000 0 Between $500,000 and $1 ,000,000 0 Between $1 ,000,000 and $2,000,000 0 Between $2,000,000 and $1 0,000,000 0 Between $1 0,000,000 and $50,000,000 0 More than $50,000,000 6. What is the primary business conducted at your company? 0 Healthcare/Medical 0 Manufacturing 0 Professional 0 Const ruction 0 Transportation 0 Distribution 0 Real Estate 0 Financial Services/ 0 Technology Banking 0 Retail/Wholesale Trade 0 Other greater charlotte biz

7. How long has your company been in business? 0 2 years or less 0 I I to 20 years 0 3 to 5 years 0 More than 20 years 0 6 to 10 years 8.

Do you have Internet access at work? 0 No

0 Yes 9.

If you have Internet access at work, for what purposes do you use it (check all that apply)? 0 Receive orders from customers 0 Place orders with suppliers 0 Send e-mail 0 Research new markets 0 Track competition 0 Conduct surveys with customers and/or suppliers 0 Provide information for customers/supp liers 0 Other

I0. If you have Internet access connection do you have? 0 Less than 56K modem 0 0 56K modem 0 0 Cable modem 0 0 ISDN connection 0

at work, what type of DSL connection Tl connection Don 't know Other

I I. Does your company have its own Web site? 0 Yes 0 No 12. If your company does not have its own Web site, is it currently interested in or planning to establish a Web site? 0 Yes, within I to 2 years 0 Yes, within 2 to 5 years 0 No

tell us about your sources for business information! 13. Which "online sources" of business information do you check fairly regularly, if any (check all that apply)? 0 New York Times Online 0 Bankrate Monitor 0 The Business Journal 0 CNN of Charlotte 0 CNNfn 0 Greater Charlotte Biz 0 The Charlotte Observer 0 Other 0 Localbusiness.com 0 MSNBC 0 Network News Sites (ABC, NBC , CBS) februar y 200 I

35


cliaflotte

reader survey

14. Which newspapers and periodicals do you read on a fairly regular basis (check all that apply)? 0 0 0 0

Business North Carolina Business Properties Charlotte Magazine Charlotte's Best Magazine 0 Creative Loafing 0 Greater Charlotte Biz

0 The Business Journal of Charlotte 0 The Charlotte Observer 0 The Leader 0 Ventures Charlotte 0 Other

20. Over the next 6 months, is the total employment at your company likely to (select one): 0 Increase 0 Decrease 0 Remain the Same 21. From your perspective, what will be the three most significant issues facing your business over the next 12 months? !. ________________________________

2. ________________________________ 3. ________________________________

IS. Select the business print media in our area that is: Most Readable

Business NC Greater Charlotte Biz The Business Journal of Charlotte The Charlotte Observer Ventures Charlotte

Best Ad Vehicle

Most Interesting and Informative

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0

0

0

0

0

0

16. In a magazine like Greater Charlotte Biz, what types of articles are of most interest to you? (Please rate from I to 6. One is least, six is most interesting.) Stories about successful companies in the area: Stories about small companies in particular: Interviews with leaders of large companies: Economic outlook stories: Articles that focus on the latest technology: Guest/Expert columns:

I

2

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

5

4

6

17. On average, how many other people read or see your copy of Greater Charlotte Biz? 0 1-3 0 4-7 0 8 or more 18. Approximately how long do you keep each copy of Greater Charlotte Biz? 0 Less than I week 0 2 months 0 2 to 4 weeks 0 Longer than 2 months

tell us about your company's economic outlook and future purchasing plansr 19. How would you characterize the business outlook for your company over the next 6 months? 0 Stronger than the previous six months 0 About the same as the previous six months 0 Not as strong as the previous six months

36

feb r u a r y 200 I

22. How are you involved in purchasing decisions for your business (check all that apply)? 0 Determine need 0 Select vendor/source 0 Select brand 0 Approve purchase 0 Evaluate supplier 0 None of the above 23. Do you influence your company's purchase/use of (check all that apply): 0 Building/contracting services 0 Accounting services 0 Long distance services 0 Advertising/PR firms 0 Fleet leasing 0 Health care services 0 Legal services 0 Employee benefits 0 Staffing services

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Computer hardware Banking services Printing services Office equipment Office furniture Travel services Computer software Utilities Data/Web site/Internet

24. Over the next 6 months, do you anticipate buying any of the following products or services (check all that apply): 0 New computer equipment 0 Other office equipment 0 New or used office furniture 0 New office or services manufacturing building 0 Automobiles or trucks 0 Accounting services 0 Staffing services

0 Banking services Legal services 0 Marketing se rvices 0 Advertising services 0 Managing consulting (incl. information technology consulting) 0 Telecom services 0 Web site development services

Please fax completed survey to our office at 704-676-5853 or go to our Web site at www.greatercharlottebiz.com to complete the form online. Simply click on the Reade r Survey button. You may also snail mail you r completed form to Greater Charlotte Biz, 804 Clanton Road, Suite B, Charlotte, NC 28217-1358.

Thank you for your time! g r ea ter ch a rlotte biz


le

0 otn.e Er~joy arwther lrcTediblt Da} at the Races .1

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cc;./l (704) 423-3400. u. ww. q ueens;;up. :Jrg

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200 1 QUEEN ' S CUP STEEPLECHASE



by natalie johnso1 -

-

[~iz profi_le I -. :--

LoJis Romero has butt etvvGr ..· Cabling Systems into a successfu enterpris2 t:y focusing on long-term client relationships.

f:o:r--=:to,

h ts is - year of ·:::e~eb rations for -=__::n.:is

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:;_a-year high s-:hool r;:u::1ion ~ith ffllov.· vlyers High School

c:igh ~

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Cabling Systems <www.n.etwc·rb:c..blill!Jsystem~.eom>, sicdtaneousl)'

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_ts teml- yzn in business.

greater- charl:)tte biz

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started working a a

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kves. slrn. tued cabling His best g rates:,· sc br ha;; been tc l:·Jild

5'l TO§.

'e2tionships wi:h his clier s_

>-

fe:Yuary 200 I

39


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l. L•-uis Rc Tterc .:; p.u~n~ c :m:.: tc :::::-t:irk•.te f-om thEir :w.ti\'c ~caador il. 3t~rch of Jppo-umty. p ·c3:::c n:. Tr :l t.·e _A_ ...... erion dre:arr_

WEBdirectory it' s business , as usual ...

www.panoshotels.com Visit the Panos Hotel Group Website for information about Charlotte's newest uptown hotels and meeting facilities. Opening in late November, the H1lton Garden Inn (181 rooms) and the Hampton Inn (149 rooms) are both within one block of the Charlotte Convention Center, with other uptown destination spots such as Ericsson Stadium, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Spirit Square located nearby. You'll experience our s1gnature "Silver Bell Service ," at each of these quality Panos Group Hotels: Hilton Garden Inn (North Charlotte), Hampton Inn & Suites (SouthPark), Hampton Inn (Concord), Hampton Inn & Suites (Speedway) , Comfort Suites (Gastonia) , Hampton Inn (Matthews), Hilton Garden Inn (Pineville) , and Hampton Inn & Suites (Pineville).

704-532-6747

.. L

EVENt$

www.partyreflections.com

banks and insurance companies, manufacturing plants, heahl-core facilities and educational ins:iLti·=·ns. By concentrating on specdc industrie >, Romero reasons that his

tecl:-_n.ic:on~

and designers can approach ea=h project with a better undcrsrarc.l:.r:?

"Z'or 3) y:ns, l :o.:is' ?:'!rents lEv:: ::-,H_erl

of the clients' needs. Better cath...•.~;

:me oper;;:te:l c.

~-cCE.s3fu~ 1~-:J.

3ervice lx:s-:1.e~s i:J

Cha:-lott~.

cc.re ;~~_ ::]

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design upft·ont ensures a bece1

pc~o:--n­

ing network with fewer he;ss_eo and

:or Rc•mero, he: .=bc:te::l th~ir sn:n,g

lower costs in the future. As Ramen

.vork eth::, h:::r. ey::s for 1~-t~ ro

says, "Like many aspects of c. n:.._·

.)pport.m:l:' a ,.:_ oe:'l.l"!~:p~eneu rial sp:ri :

building, you get only one nance

Hi.; l:usi~-o ]\- ::tlvC· ~k C ~b.iJ.~

3ys:eiJS :' :lat;J 3.S

to build it correctly."

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d:oo gr. an:i inst=. Jc.t..on_

we_! a~ lcx:3.- ~P-a d~.ig""l

_nc:·Jde o:r.a.ll Pf!:!!!j 1<f.(fections,

systems for financial instituroiE,

ThEy fcur1•~ w =la": tocy 'v=re k ·Jl.:i.ng ::or.

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The company installs cc.bbng

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Getting Started Following graduation fnm \1y~~ Park High School, Romero

ooplet~d

an electronics apprenticeship t·rougl-. Central Piedmont Comun:ty C::d-=?~· His training led him to a position

Big parties, small meetings , weddings, corporate events .. . Party Reflections has the consultant experience to help ensure all will be a success. From the largest of outdoor tents to the smallest piece of china, they deliver all to you. Quality service has been the centerpiece of the Party Reflections philosophy since 1958. Their experienced staff knows that each event is special and must be handled with great customer service , quality equipment and reasonable pricing. Check out our online catalog and helpful party planning tips for your next special occasion or event.

704-332-8176

DUNN ENTERPRISES Affiliate of The Sandler Sales Institute

www.dunn .sandler.com How effective is your company's sales process? Do your sales representatives often become trapped providing valuable information and costly unpaid consulting without a clear commitment from the prospect? Does your sales cycle run too long , requinng meeting after meeting with the prospect before closing a sale? Do your sales representatives feel that they must often drop the price to get the business? Do your prospects often avoid making a decision in order to "think it over?" Jim Dunn will help your business avoid unpaid consult1ng, shorten your sales cycle and improve your overall sales performance. An affilIate of the nationally renowned Sandier Sales Institute, Dunn Enterprises delivers the proven knowledge and skills that have helped hundreds of local professionals reach their sales performance goals . Visit our Website and hear our sample ReaiAudioTM "Sales Meeting Minutes."

704-536-3277

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40

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his parent's entrepreneurial bctst.:;:-s Romero decided to strike ou c"':n ·,is own and established his own mmparo. He originally operated the co:IJpm;from his home with a small staff ,:Jtc two years of consistent grow=h he :n•:::ve:: the business to the curren: GrCLtb ].oac location near Tyvola Road ard J- 77 started to expand NCS's oervice> and "ts

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f C<nrse._ ::.•Jt

managing corporate networJ, o bl t-..g installations. In 1991, follo"-illS i:l

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oHe ccne:-.:1 INNOVATIVE NEW MEDIA SOLUTIONS

with IBM as a network techric n

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trace tlnt io :::-J=-e "leavily tid D

proudly sponsored by CC Communications WWW.CCCOMMUNICATIONS.COM

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workforce. Today, NCS ha> LS c:-np-O)-eEo and technicians who each nullige frc n

16 to 2l cabling projects at a

L::E,

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regionally and nationally.

greater charlotte b

2


The Pcwer cf Relat·:J1ships [)JUto J ltr bee~. hi' co - sistent grow1:1:. :o ~ few ke·; foctc rs. tl- e mo;t . -r::r:o- an. of ,,·h c. s CtSLcmer sati5lzctton He and h~ enpl•:>yees have OC'/0: O:)::d 9:T•t§ re]al.OCSrups wit:1 ilieir c icms The •:J npany focuses on Tcv dm 7 a 1 ~.b le-.. el )[ customer servic:: and ::m r hc.size:: build ng longtern rcb .i.cn: hips ·.~s l:::ns as'~ <P>e be::r in this ind.Jsl) , ::<IJL:: h.<.:: 1-~:'S b~cn oble:. Coppe· a.te. flx.r o:xic vvi ·e:s :rre laz} m:.t.! .,.,. ir sl3.1 :!Er.l .mel pu. thei~ tedro.cgy wor:<' ~:'S Romer•) . ·'Wbn m ak.::s J<.: Cif.ere nt is the : lose- knit r:l<..tior.siqr.; ,;,·e m:tinuin with l.reJ <.ro:hit.:'Cl.S. CO:lStfLC ion firn,, :md lT n.u- ,.gers ' The s r.:negy wcrl-s ·;veil n a1 indu:.q ..,-te-e tedndc·g~ s cortStartly :::ha1·!i 1.s a rl ebe n o c:·ntin.l"'·ly need to hc~asc l.ieiJ. cab e yojuCLivit y "O u n.rn:x:r o-,. rela .- onship strategy is LO ~ nt ~ p::-,ona. COI11CC Li CX1S

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100 N . Mc in St. St·~ n ~ NC 28164 704-263·9085 • Fcx 70 4-- 2.63·9687 ipo Jn=<:o J-rtrJ(S)cc ro l 'lC .r c::rn

Prif> ol•~ 2101 111i ~ ;,5< n: Vcgo 1i•nl tn<. Jfe< t>OI t:::-o3 • :!IIOt ~ c~ 1 ·x1 ~od ·ec- 1ord frt11 \\o~ 10'"~ <l • ":< '0.!;-tli Plortt{l II'-' :tl oJnrne b< .ut Tv '{ rar0 ::eva. lc. <rrl - hdc b< 1/UoTY 'I• 'J'llf ~·~" d ~il·. h:. s:sc N. oalo-1r Cru!P. l 01-J lur~ &c•St '{) 12 -0 lo:l """ ;cnnJ ty cw. :x:ticDf 193:~1·1:11.

fe ::>r Jar-y 200

41


.

Economic Growth

\VHYNOT USE OUR CFFICE FOR YOURNEA"T B:J~INESS IVIEETING?

Romero also believes that the booming economy in Charlo ue and the Carolinas has contributed greatl y

QUF F CJU11ESIN<'LUDl.

to the succes o f

J8 Kok Golf Count Btrnu Gr. Fa.nwa, ('rtulttW Bat Gra.u Grttnf 7,<01 stuart root ClubliOWt Br:-nnf.d Ou~ P:n ilion Pnct:ir•R•"!;' htt • & C~pin; (;,....," F.U.S.· xt3>r& GriD C tuir ~ PocbgtS AHil It F1111:r S orktt P.ro ~110p

CS. "For years I

have en visio ned our relationship strategy to include customer projects throughout North and South Carolina . From a business networking perspective, thinking of

704.573.1000

orth and South Carolina

as a unified marketplace has been a wise move. We live and work in a very tight-knit region. l have always

When tre <ey

play-~rs

in town

know yom urrpany is really looking out for th~ IT as real pccple - in positions of o iti::al and logisti cal res pons-

and managed. :JPf'. i- a l(•caltechnology

kept my mind open to thinking

con3u lting filr.

regionall y," Romero says emhusiaslicall y.

L1aL

3pe -alizes in the

imegration of t::c h IC log:, and real estate pro_ects, incltrling Clb lhg systems.

Another comributing factor to the success of NC is overall growth in the technology industry While many technologies and technology companies are

"In th "s i ndustry, design knowledge and in:;tallat· on skill are co lie ::tively how business is won." - Leu is Romero, NCS ibility- /OJr work and service become more valuabl:: t::J them than any gold." N ha5 p-ovided :abling services on severa l la.ge

project~

that Gary

Peacock 6l A3sc·ciates :G PA) has designed

tentJy provide:; a CfUality system with zero

facing a recession in growth and developmem, CS is experie ncing quite the opposite. As the technology in structured cabling continues to improve, the need

defects and on: th3t evec looks great. N ;· customa se rvi::e Jring and after

for the co mpany's' services is also on the rise. N S has even been involved in

the project ha:> b::c:n exccllent."

some wireless projects. "Originall y the

Acording to c_ Jry P_aco::: k, "NCS consis-

c

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-No rd rr:ade me cringe, JJt it i_ ::~mazing-

e\ ery wirel~ss device neds wire end the need for ~·ur s~rvices ~ .>till there," says Romero Fir.ally, RJmero admits Lh ~ SUCCESS Jf his 10-year old compmy bcils dcv,n .o do:n.?, great work, pe6:m red by gteat Jeople. "In tin mdustry, des gn kncvl~ dge and inst' llation sh ~ arE collecti cely 1ow business is won," sEys Ro-nero. "'Ne J

"Our number one r:lationship stra-egy is to maintain personal connections in an otherwise impersonal irdus-ry." -

dela

e

Lou i s Rome-o, IJCS

1ccomr1ish this by hiri::l.~ the most e;;;pe·ienced technicians , reoe:archirg the most ·eli able technology, and by hinng ti-e :nost e?perienced techniciam . Did I -nention hiring the mo.>L expetiencd ;echnic.ans7" ln addilic•:- to cxperien:e, Romerc-'s employees h~ 'stickabilit)-. ·'They bve their job and the v\.ork is always challenging. In this im.lustry i ~ is difficul ~ to reLain good reople and even LOughe- to reLain great reople. but T respect my employees .-ery nuch aoL have been fortunate to expelience lo"l\' turnover, year after yec:r"

Focused on the Future :...coking toward th::: futu e, Rorr:ero vows to keep customer servK:e: and S3Jisfacticn the num er onE goal. Add itionally, he w-Jdd like to grow the management team and the cLent base. Tc celebrate its lCt:~ an1iversary NCS redesigneC. its logo and hvestcd in a promotional race tr xk. The nev, logo reflects the chang~s and improvements n technology, w":-.ile Ule race truck epresents the in:::-eased speed of data tr:~nsfer ·.ri2. cable. ·when asked about obsLacles Romer•) has faced in o;-r1inE hi ov.u business, he ju5t smi les. "l have beer. extre.mdy fortu:-~ate and NCi has b ~o: n such a positi\·e part of r.y li -e." beams RomeH He adds refle:tivel~. 'It has been n exciting ride ; .he highs are higher and the lows are lo\•er b.1t l wo..tldn't have it any other way. ' biz Nat01ie johnson is a Charlctte-lx!oed freelance w.-iter.

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WWW.Wilmarlnc.Com february 200 I

4:-·


reviewEd )y ..he B z Gou.·met

[ diningbiz I

Braza:: Brazilian Grill is a not3ble entry in the steak'louse revival

cod fish Brazilian-

and a Nelcome new additior to ::harlotte's ·estaurant listing. The

style, fried

restaL ·ant bills itself as a churrascaria roaic.·o, o- B·az ilian steak-

bananas, and

house and it's not orly a steak knife you' l1 eed but a seriou.;

many more

appeti:e as well. ':h ~·rrascari1 :odizio (Por:~.-gue~e) translates as sir-

mouth watering

loin ro :ation, whkh refers to the serving stye as well as the meat

spe:ialties.

sele:tbns. Waite ·s c::mstently o:i·cle the roo11 . bringing sizzling skew£: ·s of 3 variety or meats dir2ctly from tlE grill ~o your table. Tile concept, originated w·th the Sout1 .\merican gauchos (local

As if that's not enough , there is a rolling

ranch.;ys) o ·the '30s . is a conbination of ~cuth American lndi3n,

des;ert cart

Portug-Jese Gerrr ar end ltalia 1 cultures anc en integral part cf

whi:h will make yoJ wi:;-

Bratil's cult.Jre. HerE i1 Amer C3 it is a one-p ·ice Feast of unlim 'ted

seell like an appealin .~ method of transit to your ca ·.

trips t·: the :o ld a1d not b3rs and all the meJtyoJ can eat.

'IOU

hadn't eaten or at the ve·y least,

Be sure to try 1he traditional Brazilian "margarita" Vvith a kick

There's no ordering or V'la.ting. The cod and hot bars are selfserve. "GaLcho" :oaks/wa iter.; .JrandishilS skewers of sizzling

called a Caipirinha, rr aot: up o · lime ju ce, :;u_sar, Braziliar sugarcane liquor and crLshe: ice.

meat :arade ceasel=~sly, carvins tantalizin5 samp es tablesi:le, which ;ou 5rab with individuakize tongs ne rodizio includ.:!s

Be forewarned, ho1.e"er. Don't o·;erdo the cold an ::I hot bar~.

before the ser.Jicf: c= -neats- it'.; ea:;yto Fill up , an -:J there

over 20 var eties of 1eat~ sea:;cned to perlec-

a-= no doggie bags!

tion a-d slc·w-roaste::l over an Jpen flame

YJu may 1ot be al::le to face meat for

inclLdilg beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb.

d::,s after dinins in a churnscari1, but the

rabbit 3nd Brazilian-s:yle saus3ge. On occa-

q_al'ty and varieties of all·'!fOu-can-eat cuts

sion. e-<otic cuts of meats inclLding wild toor,

a-:- reason enoLgh 1o :ry it. Ard i: s relaxed

venisc 1, w2ter bLffc. lo, bi.;or, .Jstrich and c:JailarE served

a~.

well.

lfs an all out assaul t on I he senses, c: nd e world where fat i:; not fe :: red. You simJly fliJ a c3rd on the : aJ le wh ch acts a~ a traffic ight, signalins the staff when you Vl.3nt 1o begin (the "Yes, Please' " side is greo:n) and w1en you're dc•ne or nerely need a rest ~"I.Jo Thank You~ is red) T-e fresh gourmet cold b3r includes CJer .;5 different types of salajs, vegetable.; anc cold appetizers- including hearts of palm, :;~ame d vegetables, lettuces, ClEes.es and cold cuts - in a:Jdi ion to many types of seafocd items such as shimp crab IE!?, octopus vinaig·ette and calEmar' salad. The 1ct tar has over

=ebruary 200 I

make it particularly "Vel l =Lited for the business lunch or dinner.

Please be seated ... Brazas Brazilian Grill, loc3ted at lndeoefldence and Sharo1 Ami:y Road, is quite s~· adous with pa:;tel pink 'NC.lls . white linEn tablecloths, hardwood= :crs, white ceiling f3ns, ample greene'Y, and soft but lively B-a:zilian music pla·;ing in th e backgroJnd. The bar 3rea at the entrance "e3tures a grend piE no, end leads to the central area domina:ed :.•1 an island of bras~ and glass C·Jntaining [he cold bar we ls, 5L TJunded by a th ·ee-sided arrc:y of sil\·er dorres comprising he hot bar.

An

Entrep~eneur's

0 ·eam

Charlotteans al-ead\· <now George Jakow.:zuk and hi:; Nife,

:.s dif-

Sofia, as the owners Jf .~.. B·Jnrart S.A., FinE ]Ewele ·s, 1ecrby the

ferent st:•urmet dishes su:h as

restaurant lo[ated a: Independence and Sh3ron Amity Orifinally

tender chicken cooked in white

from Argentina, JakovJczuk first emigrated to NeVv JersEy sJme thiiy

wine,

44

info -mal atmosphe·e, SElfiJaced eating and wide varie~y of focds

st~amed

mussels, cala-

year.; ago to continuE ir the jev1elry trade he had apprent ced in

mari, EClflic shr mp in lob:;ter

from the age of twel•Je.

sauce, tlack bEans, jamba-

urbs were among the fir51 o:itie~ here in America to featurE Brazilian

laya, Brc.z lian-style pork loin,

rodie:io-type restaur2nts, ~,hich Jakowczuk frecuented regJI:arly.

1\ ~ vJ

Ycrk and the nea·by New Jersey sub-

gr e ater c harlotte b iz


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-=1--E:. bee11 :pe:lti 'lg h. Bonrart f:Jr lEa·[., tw::rty ~·::C~P-: 10N, :•ut finally suc: Ln· t -= d kl t he ov.er"Vhelming desire to l EIP- t-is

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1:: z

february 200 I

45


.

.

[autobizl

revi':·w:ed by Frank 0Jpo:.eJ/a E

u1c'~.C017'

luxury vehicles for the successful execut ve

2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG Trte F a s t e s t Mercedes Ever L ke all bJ sinesses, the one Hans Wener Aufrec~t

is a um inum, there'; a single cam ever every alum nurr he 3d

ar d Erha rd Melcher ccnceived in the tJwn of

operating tv10 in:ak-= val ... es and cne exhau:;1 val1.e p2r cyli1der,

Grc ·~ as~.a c1 .

Germany, 34 years ago, ~ tarted

wit1 big he pes for success.

and 2a:h Jfthose cylinders ·s fi ·E d by two spark p.ugs. Bu~ A V1G add!: a ~orged-steel cran~shc.ftVIi 1 a lo1g 92mm stroke (uJ f·om the 5.0-lit=r ver;ion's 84mm:l, i r:;: 3lls hollo\1\, lightweigh : nodu-

-3kin5 the initials of the two founders last names and their h Jme~ov1r, th~ called the com pan~ AMG. Tho :;e ho pes have

lar camshafts of longer durati•J r, aoc shapes e•tery conb_shJn chamber for maximum airflo'A. An O'lersiz:e air cleaner allc>ons tr e

c.

b=-en -=xcEeded. And excessive is exactly the wJrd tc describe the

ingEstioo of atmosphere i1 Sup=KI :·m e-size gu ps whil=

n='A IAerc~des-Benz CLK55 AMG.

inta <e plenum makes sur= that a·· i:; distribu ~Ed efficient~·. Its all

-1e CLK55 is Mercedes' smallest coupe (seen before as the 3 2-liter v'6 -pJwered CLK320 and 43-liter V8-equipped CLK~30) trailS 1ogrified :JY the insertion of A V1G's biggest and most ~· ow-

T--.e CLK5.5 A 1G is

Merced ~ s ·

·;s. l:'s c. mutant, warped

erfl

smallest coupe. but it

i~

mcd"fied

basic n :o -re~acEmert- for-<lisr:lacErEnt hot rodjinf anj i: wcrk s. The AMG \l'i3 ignites to a rumbl ing idle th3t's less mutEd ·n the CLUhan in the E55 or ME·': . and revs w th a sn c: rl tJ·af's

equipped wit"! a t-and ""-ssembled 5..5-liter engine th•t : ranks OLt 342 horse:: ov.er.

by ti-le presen :e of th': hand-

start.in5 in its ferocity. It's la:;hed to a fi"!e-s~eed autDm<:tic

as,;e-rblej 5.5- liter engine that thrcbs out 3<+2 horsepower and

tran~m

en:ugh tcrque o pull the t·uth out of the Warren Co11mission.

witr a Larger housing and had u-Juch Shift'" 3ddEd, wh i:h s the

Forget ':ve ~thing else c:bout the car; it's t1E engine that's thE sta ere. ~nd il's a familiar :;tar; the same mo:o· that's in the rv\L55 AMG sport ·ute, the E55 midsize four-joor and soon th€ forthcoming CL5~

anc .355 flll-size coup-= and sedan. Except forth~ displace-

mEn: (wh .( h, <:t 5439cc, is a stretch f:Jr AMG tc· call a :.S-liter) the gene-~[

ert5·ne specs are rather ordi11ary Merced es-stuff.

As ir ~E)' other current Mercedes VB, t1E AMG 5.5's block

46

feb ~uc.ry

200 I

5sion st·Jlen from Merc~de:; ' Vl:< pa rts bin th3t' s fort fied

company's take on herr ani a for 3r iftable autom<Jtics (it works by l:ourcing the shifter tJ the left ·o r downsh .fts 31d tc til~ ri5ht for uos 1ifts). A~ far as sriftaJie autJma:ics fO, tris cne wcrks well But ra·dcore driver5 wi l st II crave a s·x-speej manuel. Mercedes claims the CL <: 5 will bolt to 60 mph in . JSt 4.9 seconds, making it ~ he quickest :::rthey've ~·ter sold ir the great:o:r charJ.:t:E: bi:::


U1 -ec 3:at ::s. But it's not speeo itself that '"Ve .ds this car to 3 dri·

...er';;

SCL~ it'~

the overwhelming sensc: tion Jf : hrust. NltG's

and it'll take a real connoisseur to tell the two apart instantly. As in every CLK, the AMG version's innards are tastefully

l3!"ic t.y,ea~s 1ave t1is engine naking heaps of torque from just

appointed and roomier than many larger coupes. The front seats

=lfi::Jle :o a Jesk 376 foot-pounds at just 3,000 rpm. 11's mu:;cle

are snug enough for wacky driving antics and broad enough to

.3r ike: llOte 3kin to a '/0 Chevy Che~oelle 55 454 LS-6 than : his .3r _; 11D~ : o:-v'ous direct con petition, the :: 3::'- horsepJwer :2}01

accommodate even wide-butt journalists. There are maybe too

=rlf.V Ill >. Tlis ·san engine that doesr't need to rev to perform. But t "'.til rt:t r:lver Jusly urtil : he :ar 1its i:s 155--nJ::h speed limiter

tion controls need deciphering by an archaeologist versed in

Tt- :; ::: ngi n:= is

many controls on the steering wheel, and the radio and venrla-

Germanic culture, but acclimation comes quickly. In an acciden :

.>:J ·lex :~IE,

::o :- :=- db c:nd sc

the driver anc front passenger

·o-f v i ~ that '\I: er

"\OI_d

C:::re5~'s ~

s.

3u t ~fJ1f

c

get front, doo ',

c-as-

and side curtain

o::>ti-

airbags and

.-izE.s 1- e CLK~S

Mercedes' Tele

bJ C~ghte1ing t1e

Aid system will

( e mc:i:ns vith ~ : i-Fe r

STings,

~t- - er

-he interior of tho: CLKSS AMG t:tpifies

11erced~s·

:: rock V3lving and thicker anti·s'"Vay bar; on the double-

"\is- be 1e from and fve-link independent re3r ;uspension.

Sl. r:: ri~

1~ly,

Hr~ ~

:;oe

a~

:t-e AMG "M Jnoblock" voheels 3nd tires remain t1e those on the CLK4 30. That means the front 17x7.5-

iro:nv!l-::::ls :o re encase:J n 225/45ZR17 rubbE-r and the rear ·.7.>8.5- rche :: in 245.'4CZR17. -hat'; plent't of tire and while the ~ : eeri1g

leeks 1he instant refl2xe.; and confident commJnicatiJn

o= c Bll.ri\, thi5 is the b€st Mefcedes

t- a_; yet offered.

On c tracl:;. havinf fun in thE CLKSS means turning off the s-andar•:J ESP stabilit't control an:J AS'< :raction control :both cf -...hi::h <n uno : trusive c:n:J effective en the 5trEet). Divi1g into a

summon help by

refinement and attention to details.

transmitting the

car's GPS-determined location to the authorities. The only ~

buyers do get to choose between two Designo color and trim

ro u ·c Q)

packages. At a $67,400 base price (almost $18,000 pricier than

If -, e·e·; :: nything di;appointing aJout the CLKSS it's th:rt e·e's

10

way to easil·t d stirguish it frJm a res-ular CLK430.

E

<(

..c

a CLK430), everything should be standard.

t

Hans and Erhard's business grew so successful in both tuning and racing that Mercedes bought them out in 1999 and now

0

z

0 N

c

uses AMG as an in-house tuning shop and competition depart-

Q)

ment. With cars .ike the CLKSS wearing their initials, they've got to be happy about more than the size of their buyout checks.

biz

C•Jrner, 1-e c3r clamps do'Nn '"Vitt- mass ve 13. 2-i nch diamete r

t r d .=c: and the driver can dri-=t the t3il to overcome the car's i' h=renr ..11de"3teer with easily mana s-ed throttle. It's lfi.Onderful.

0

options are a CD changer, phone, and navigation system, though

Edmunds.com, Inc. v;as founded 1n 1966 to publish new and used veh1cle

0? V1

Q)

"0 Q)

t: Q) 2:: '-

0

gu1des. In 1995, Edmunds became the first company to establish a srt:e on the

~

Web on wh1ch consumers could ot:ta1n veh1cle 1nformat1on at no cost, and in

~::J

2000, Edmunds became the first source for vehicle pricing information for

u

0

V1

-,er= c:-cxenc1 hea dlamJs and the body bi ts are slightly

users of wu·eless Web-enabled devices. Edmunds.com continues to prov1de

~

d ff3'enr Jet•l'een thE tvJo cars, but the wheel cesign is simila ·

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Q.

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gr~;~.to::r

chzrlot:e biz

february 200 I

47

..c


Syfert, rontirued

from page 52.

rea strategies This process provides a longer-term perspective, 3ld helps to li1k one coLncil to the next. In addition, we prepare 3 t'No-year ::>ujs-et plan with the second year coinciding with the fi -~t

tern 0 ° th e City Courcil. This also provides continuity from

01 =

coun : i te ' ll to the next.

VI at does Garlotte g::>vernment do well? F nanci c. l rrar 3gement.

What

ca1.

Cbrlotte government do beuer?

Increase :• ur e-'forts and resources for communicating with c tzens abJut the needs, problems, successes and issues facing our reg on .

What are .ht: biggest c1.allenges facing Charlotte? f\.1aintai n 15 ou quality of life, economic success and civility as we cont nu e to grow into a major urban area.

\vhat role should city government play in keeping the city's ecorom.ic success going? Continue i nve ~ ting in ro c. ds, water and sewer, storm water, tran-

sit, publi :

~afo?ty,

the Center City and public buildings. Identify

t1ose s: r:: tegi c partnerships for public/private investment that t-elp attract business to •:ha rlotte, and encourage business to stay and e;:;pa1d in Char otte.

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..J8

: ebr ~ary 200 I

g r e at ~ r c h :1r I :::> tt e

t· i z


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Connor, continued from page 33 . Winston-Salem , N.C. Bu t th e com peti tion hasn't prevented Wil ton Conno r fro m garnering the best customers in

TI1e Matt C hristopher Group Inc. is a premier provider of lnfornutio n Technology permanent and contra ct placement. We stri ve

dedication to quality and expanded

to rea..:h the goal s of both our clients and o ur ca ndidates. We work

services caught the eye o f Weye rh ae user

closely with both to make sure that each fit i' the RIGHT fit !

Company, one of the wo rld 's largest

Staffing IS our business"

u

the industry ln 1998, the co mpany's

integrated fo rest p rod ucts compa nies.

MCG

Weye rhaeuse r is principally engaged in the growi ng and harvesting of tim be r; and the manufactu re, distribut ion and sale of forest products. Wilton

Big Sox. continued

Belmont, continued from page 19.

from page 14.

onn or

Packaging formed a 50-50 joint ve nture with Weyerhae use r, expanding the

neig:lbo-h ood people don't co11e toge. het at.d ad vocato:: fo r themseh es, gove m mert isn't apt .oJ do much . "Pe~··p e do not l-ave to Jc:::e pt th ngs the .vay they are, an d these ::mp ty big boxes ~ h ou ld be seen as oppor u nities, not JS a nega tive,'' W ill ians adds. " F ~1r cxc.mple, th ere's a need and a demand f01· mixed-u:e develo pments with •J ff ce reta il and residential cl Jse in to thL inn er city." Wars ha uer agree: that part of the soluti•Jn is .1 d ifferent <ind of minds~ t. "B1g l::oxcs Jon't have tJ be \'iewed c.s a problem.·· he says. "They do rep rese1t a capital investmem in the communi t:z \Vh.>tn·er you c;;U it, the ?roco::ss of fin dirg solu tio ns is on its way. "l am optinistic th at 30 mething co1crete wi ll L me fro m allth•s," Currier say's. "People nrc pay ing al'enti on and v1e've got the ri ght peopl e hvo lved ." biz

leadership skills uch as team building, time strategies and communicati on skills. Each additional group will build upon the work clone, and communicati on of the core values and vision are the highest ptiority. An other goal is to change the way the city budge t is put toge ther. The city will be formul atin g a goals-based budget for the 2001/2002 fi scal year. Webb comments, "That way we are able to look at our long-term op portunities, and put the plans in place to deal with th em. The budget will rene t goals th at are set in each individual department an d com bine them into a cohesive plan for ge tting our jobs done and se rving the pu blic." We bb is hap py with the progress of his staff and in th e way the city is developing. "We have een a real effort by all departments to look ahead and plan . We are doing th e ri ght thin gs, for the ri ght reaso ns, and are po i eel to handle the growth." biz

Bea Q.Jirk covers the rea: estate marke! each rncnt1 for &eater Charlotte Biz.

Chip Scholz is a Charlotte-based freelance wnter

capab ilities o f both companies. Wilton Connor Pac kaging gained access to Weye rhae user's national acco unts; Weyerhaeuser cou ld n ow o ffe r m ore specialty packaging services. lt was a win-win situati on. Wilton Con no r Packaging was sta rteel in 1989 as a cont ract package r, but now takes on all phases of the proce s, from manu facturing to the retail shelf, including design/marketing, sourcing materials, managing invento ry, prod ucing the package, and shi ppi ng it to th e retailer Wilton Connor has become relati ve!) wealthy. Bu t he believes tha t wealth is more than j ust money. "Real wealth is doing what you wa nt to do when you wa nt to do it," explains Con nor. "I can't imagine wa nting to do anything else." biz

Nethea Fortney Rhinehardt is a Charlottebased freelance writer

Break Through the Barriers as Others Have Done! Here is what they are saying ... "Results speak louder than words. We have engaged Henricks Corporate Training tor both sales training and private consulting. Our results were immediate and well beyond anyone's reasonable expectation. I advise businesses of all sizes to retain Henricks Corporate Training as their personal guide to a secure future." Ashley Campbell, President and CEO Midgard, Inc.

"In twenty years of professional selling and sales training, notfling has influenced my life more positively both on and ott the job as the people at Henricks Corporate Traming. Their interest extends beyond me as a client to me as a person. The attention and support I receive has made each day a stride forward in my success in lite." Bill Sykes Lotus/IBM

Sandler HENRICKS CORPORATE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, INC.

~

762 1 Littl e Ave nu e, Suite 503 • C harlotte, N C 28226

Sales lnslitule• (704) 544-7383

so

februa r y 200 I

www.henrickscorp.sandler.com

greater charlotte b iz


bi z

e

o u rc

guide

Take aava,;-age of these products and servict:-S vom Charlotte's leading business-to-business suppliers. advertising I marketing.'pr 1st & 10 Marketing, Inc. 119 Stone Village Dr. Fort Mill, SC 29715 www.1stand 1Omarketing. com 704.556 .7330 RedBaron Communicatio ns 500 East Blvd. Charl otte, NC 28203 www.redbaronusa.com 704.344.0424 autos I transportation Polaris Country 100 N. Main St. Stanley, NC 28164 www.polariscountry.com 704.263 .9085 Wilmar Leasi ng, Inc. 3336 Washburn Ave. Charlotte, NC 28205 www.wilmarinc.:om 704.377.2200 aviation I transportation US Airways 227 W. Trade St. Charlotte, NC 28202 www.usairways .com 800.428.4322 dining Atlantic Beer & Ice Company 330 N Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28202 704.339.0566 direct mail services Focus on Results, Inc. 4110 Charlotte Hwy., Ste. 104 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 803.831.6870 displays I exhibits G. M ichael's 656 Michael Wylie Dr. Charlotte, NC 28217 www.gmichaels.com 704.679.4100 Sharpe Images 704.525.7087 . Dept. 31 education McColl School of Business at Queens College 1900 Selwyn Ave . Charlotte, NC 28274 www.mccollschool.edu 704.337 .2224 Pfeiffer Un iversity 4701 Park Rd. Charlotte, NC 28209 www.pfeiffer.ed J 704.521.9116

greater charlotte bi;;:

UNC Charlotte Continuing Educati on 9201 University City Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223路0001 www.uncc.ed ul con ted 704.687.2424 events Queen's Cup Charlotte Steeplechase 815 Wood Ridge Center Dr. Charlotte, NC 28217路1986 www.queenscup.org 704.423.3400 financial services I banking First Cit izens Ban k www.firstcitizens.com 888.323.4732 golf courses I recreation Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation 7500 Olde Sycamore Dr. Charlotte, NC 28227 www.oldesycamoregolf.com 704.573.1000 Regent Park Golf Club 5055 Regent Pkwy. Fort Mill, SC 29715 www.regentparkgc.com 803.547 .1300 I 704.547.oon hospitality Dun hill Hotel 23 7 N. Tryon St. Charlotte,NC 28202 www.dunhillhotel.com 704.332.4141 I 800.354.4141

i.t.l internet services

WDAV 89.9 Classical www.wdav.org 704.894.8900

Busi ness Control Systems 402 W. Trade St., Ste. 102 Charlotte, NC 28202 www.bcsmis.com 704.333.7794 I 800.945 .2931

Tech line 4446 South Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28209 www.workspacespecialists .ccm 704.334.6823

CAl Concepts www.caiconcepts.com 704.338.9808 CC Communications 10100 Park Cedar Dr., Ste . 166 Charlotte, NC 28210 www.cccommunications.com 704.543.1171 E-dreamz www.edreamz .com 704.716.3400 lnSite Busi ness Solutions www.insitebiz .com 704.846.8121 march FIRST 2725 Water Ridge Pkwy., Ste. 350 Charlotte, NC 28217 www.marchfirst.com 704.329.4600

Staff America 6000 Fairview Rd., Ste. 1500 Charlotte, NC 28210 www.staffamerica.com 704.944.7600 The Transit ion Team 7512 E. Independence Blvd ., Ste. 105 Charlotte, NC 28227 www.tttsolutions.com 704. 532.0084 USA Staffing www.usastaffinginc.com 800.991.2367

office furniture

plastic products I design Ehren -Haus Indust ries, Inc. 10600 john Price Rd . Charlotte, NC 28273 www.ehrenhaus.com 704.588.2887

printing I pre-press Powerhouse Color 804 Clanton Rd., Ste. C Charlotte, NC 28217 www.realpages.com l powerhc use 704.523.5019 R. L. Bryan Company 7510 Hogan's Bluff Ln. Charlotte, NC 28227 www.rlbryan.com 704. 573.4946

real estate Project Managers 212 S. Tryon St., Ste.1680 Charlotte, NC 28281 704.332.6611

human resources I staffing Matt Christopher Group 4530 Park Rd ., Ste. 100 Charlotte, NC 28209 www.mattchris.com 704.338.1948

media

Ballantyne Consulti ng Group 15720 John]. Delaney Dr., Ste. 100 Charlotte, NC 28277 www.gobcg.com 704.540.0509

Stonebridge Technologies 2550 W. Tyvola Rd., Ste. 290 Charlotte, NC 28217 www.sbti.com 800.776.9755

legal services Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson 101 N. Tryon St., Ste. 1900 Charlotte, NC 28246 www .rbh.com 704.377.2536

Pruden tial Carolinas Realty 4529 Sharon Rd. Charlotte, NC 28211 www.prudentialcharlotte.com 704.366.5545

sales training I contact management

Beacon 11911 Steele Creek Rd. Charlotte, NC 28273 www.pharos-software.com 704.587.0225 Henricks Corporat e Tra ining 7621 Little Ave., Ste. 503 Charlotte, NC 28226 www.henrickscorp .sandler.co 704.566.7383

telecommunications Womble Ca rlyle 3300 One First Union Center 301 S. College St. Charlotte, NC 28202-6025 www.wcsr.com 704.331.4900

Adelph ia 401 S. Tryon St., Ste. 2200 Charlotte, NC 28202 www.adelphia-abs .com 704.357.8080

febru a r y 200 I

51


_,

intervie,;e( oy beo q..o.rk

~

[oi~t:~rv~ew I

neYl'c-makers, power brokers and personalities

Queen c· ty CEO Far1 Syfert C~ty

vou'· : I-wd i:l. Charbtte since chan ~d :;incc: then?

1~ 68 .

lV:a.r.-ager, Cr...ar1otte

How has the city

'ou c: .J id writE an enti re crticle on~ur emergence as a powerfu l fina~:ial cente·, the doublE-digit gowth we 've e:oeri.:nced, cur natio. - 31-epJtcfon as 3 signi =·cant metrc: o 1:an a·ea, 3nd so for~1. Ore ~: gri - an ~ c1a 1ge that I don't seE ment : n~d verv often is the re-Jivc.l of Ch :: ·lct:e's elder neightorroocs \vher moved to ChariJttE, D .wort1 vas ;c 1eighbo ·roo:J in de: li11e, as v.ere ::..iabEth and Pla~a fliidNood Fou · - Vv'::lrd was a scary pace of \ acar: I<.I:; anc run:Jown rousing on the ?£_ge of an unattractive ccmme ·ci31 so=.:ti:Jn. Look a ~ those ne ·ghbo ·h::JO:i:= new, an:J the SU(Cessful comr ~ rd31 areas theyadj::Jin You don't :::€E this amazing tra 1sformat on in mcry ·J lher ci t ie~. city .~ove:mmea changee ~ mc e~oJ joired it as a research 2-si:; ..-nt26 yEars ago? How

_a~

T e i::=:ues we jeal with are rrore corr piex. TherE is a much 5-reater empt-=si:; on running g:JVErnment V"ith a bu ~ e;:;-l i kE approa:h. Service man ~ G are nore focusEd an ccrrtrJIIi r ~ cJSts. Of course we us= tECl· nolo ~ tcols ur hea·d af in the 1970s. Butc:= o=the ::J iggest : halgEs, and one t - 3t J --: hin~ helps c istilguish Charl::tE :ity govenment, is ~ 1e e11pr=si; on cJstomer service and work ng n ith citizens t:J solve prob :: 11s and .:reate positive cha1ge. Tha1 r;artnership can mean a po[::e ·Jfficerwo r<:ine- wi :h citizens or tusi-ess~s to red.Jce

52

f eb r u c.. r y 20 0 I

crimE, or 3 planner vvorking V"ith neighborhood residents tJ dE.,.eloJ a vision fe-r their community. City goverrment hs awa•;s h3d succ~ssful partnerships with the busi1ess communty; that app·oach is now used in many di•l€rsE vV3.YS throughout city gOoJe-rment. You served under former city rr anager Wendell Vv-hite for : 5 years . What did yc u learn from him? \~en dell was a great mentor and teacher. He taught me t1e importarce of building teams in thE w:rkplace, of inclusion in decision -maL:.ing, cf delegation. He also demonstratec trat enjoying your work a1d finding humor in sometimes illlJOS3ible situations, are critical su rvi\·al ski.l~ .

As city manager, you .are, essentially, the CEO/COC• of the city, with City Co-_mcJ as the board of directors and the citizens as shareholders. Yet th ~ rrakeup of Council changes eveF two years. How do yau :~djust , and how does thi s impa:::: your ability to keep the clt? mnning? chan~s e-.~ery two years, there are always ·etrning members who providE cortinuity 3nj e;::perience to help man3ge change. That combination of retu rr ing anc new members usually JXOvdes a good balance for worki r g "/th the cty n anc.ger 3nd staff. \he have also developed over tre past eigh: ·~ars a successful pr•JCess f:x setting policy prior"ti€s and focus Syfert, cominuec on pa~ -48.

A though Council

great e ~

c- a- o tt e ::•i:


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