\1 mber FOI:;. Equal Hous1ng Lender
Co路workers
52("
Co-founders
usiness Services. Our relations,._p ba e~ have one prio'ity. Your success. Tt a "s wtty they U worl< with you o fTtd the prod .xts and services you need to stat or grow your busiless. From loansf leasing and insurance to inancial and estate pta ning, we offer the ols you and your company need o succeed. For more in -=ormation, ta . 1D one banters.!' visit fir citizens.com or call s at t路888路K 0 ECT.
Gl
~
Whvs 1ou .;'
./
se-rvice e? r:·o
r Internet
you_ b mess ha· ur iqu.e Internc-..t and etvvorkjr.f! nee ~ 1-oc..d Runner us:nes ' Clas , a ' ervice ·JfT.. r:-.e Waner Catle. provide cr tom high- _ eed, broc..dbanc Irrterre~-solU1iam tha c..llow your ~ opan:r to le\-et ~ _ ~ the ower f che Web. Dcployins te~hno ~Y tb:tt e·,olv ' ith ~c·u bus in neec.~ ' oaj - :mer u:sine ~ Clc..s wm adapt to me :t chang:ng mark~-= tr . ..r.ck .ether y<n man:tg;: a ~ rn3.l hc· m~ office :rr a large c:orpornle :11~tiu: ··::n, rd Runner Bu ire · s Class provice, cu tern S:1lu:i ms: t fi1 your need .
Smal (SO
ice/Home ) Solution
ce
Loca Area Nehvork S lotions W
From Home Sol tions
Web-
tinglE-Mail Services
Road Runner Business Class
www.rrbizclass.com 704-943-4300 A SERV!CE OF
~TIME WARNER 'CABLE
Get IT Connected
Multiple enterprise applications? Disparate data problems? Data being re-keyed? Let Pomeroy Consulting Group integrate your enterprise applications and tune your business processes for maximum effectiveness. We can provide a single, unified view of your customers, partners, supply chain, and product information across the enterprise.
Talk to Pomeroy Consulting Group today and get it connected.
Delivering Innovative Solutions
www . gopcg .com
704 . 527.3733
Charlotte office : 4301 - H Stuart Andrew Blvd . Charlotte NC, 28 2 17 Charlotte
Atlanta
Raleigh
Nashville
Wireless makes it possible. Verizon Wireless makes it powerful.
Business Solutions
Now have the connectivity of your office, without the office. As the nation's leading wireless company, look to Verizon Wireless as the total wireless solutions provider for your business. Wireless voice communication is only the beginning. We can also help you work more efficiently by giving you access to electronic information when you're out of the office. Information like email, spreadsheets, work orders and presentations. The possibilities are endless. Our wireless solutions can remotely connect you and your workforce to the internet, a VPN, or your company's intra net via laptop or PDA. And you'll be connecting on America's largest, most advanced wireless network. Talk to one of our business solution specialists today. Whether you need an enterprise-scale implementation for your entire company or a single laptop solution, we can help you achieve in-th~ffice connectivity throughout our digital service area-be it a few floors, a few miles, or a few states away from your office.
888.354.0213
Largest. most advanced network. Clai11 based en industry reports of carrier-operated population. ŠZl02 Verizon Wireless
f
a
e
u
t
22
e
r
s
r story
Behind the Wheel Anyone with preconceptions about NASCAR would be surprised to meet the man behtnd the Rtchard Petty Drivtng Experience. Whtle the office IS festooned with life-size replicas of the lanky legend in the cowboy hat, the business is machtned by a gentlemanly Australian named Barry Graham.
16
departments
Lean Green Environmental Machine Petroleum spills, overburdened landfills, hazardous waste, soil contamtnation,
publisher's post
6
real estate biz
8
and groundwater pol Iutton. These are the problems personnel at Shteld Engineenng get up every morntng to tackle. Whether It's managing a spill cleanup, assessing environmental damage, destgning a remediation plan, or engtneenng preventive measures, the 50-employee company has the expertise to handle nearly any type of environmental problem.
28 Cutting to the Chase When Herb Verbesey found htmself wasttng hours, sometimes days, waiting for a comput-
All tel Co rp. 's new Custom er Service Center was rece ntly completed and opened for business nea r Mauhews.
employers biz
9
executive gifts
13
Visions of suga r plums ... and pecans! Fran's Gifts to Go delight clients and employees alike as the gift-gi ving seaso n a pproaches.
biz digest
38
on top
42
biz resource guide
43
erized report, he knew something had to be done. On one particularly frustrating day, Verbesey turned to a colleague and declared t hat he could writ e a program in one week that would end all t he waiting. Twenty-six hours later he'd written a computer program that would thrust him to the forefront of techntcal innovatton and turn htm from a talented employee 1nt o the CEO of Deciston Support Inc.
on the cover:
32 Growing Beans "We do more than cou nt your beans; we make them grow;路 says CPA Ron Vance, who recently partnered wtth fellow CPAs
This month's cover f eatures Bany Graham in one of the Richard Petty Driving Experience shops. Photography by Wayn e Morris .
Gary Flouhouse and Fred Garges to form Vance Flouhouse & Garges, PLLC. W ith the meeting of the minds of these three highly successful and Industrious CPA's, who together amass more than etghty years of experience, came the birth of an organization t hat capitalizes on the strengths of experience, employees and partner ships.
4
oct ob er 2 00 2
cliaflotte
vw
IZ
grea t e r ch a rl o tt e b iz
ltl Consumer Choic!
ter
1
fte
1
er te
Carolinas Medical C
enter Charlotte
2002 Health care Market Guide
Charlotte's Most P
referred H . Overall Oualit &osp1ta1 Y Image
OuR
FIFTH FIRS T .
A heartfelt Thank You w
physicians, nurses, technolo-
the people of our region for
gists and support staffs who
naming Carolinas Medical
provide unparalleled service w
Cemer their preferred hospital.
our pariems. CMC was also named
For the fifth rime. on e
As a result of your vote
of
Amer ica's
Best
of confidence, we have been
Hospitals in two different
awarded the 2002 Consumer
categories
C hoi ce # 1 Award from the
World Report. For the seco nd
by
US News &
year in a row.
National Research Corporation.
We are exceptionally proud w be the
It is nor an honor we rake ligh tly. Our goal is w provide rhe finest healrhcare
region's only hospital w receive these honors.
in rhe region by providing you with some of the
When you choose a physician that practices
fin est medical professionals in the nation. We
at any of the four Carolinas Medical Cemer
humbly thank you for your confidence in our
locations, you wi ll receive nationally recognized
abilities w do so.
care. After all, you voted us
Our thanks also w the hundreds of specialists,
umber One - for
the fifth rime.
(~ Carolinas Medical Center www.caro linashealr hca re.org
CAROLI NAS MEDICAL CENTER • CAROLINAS M ED ICAL CENTER-MERCY • CNl.Ol INAS M ED ICAL CENTER-PINEVILLE • CAROL! AS MEDICAL CENTER-UNIVERSITY
cliaflotte
w;
IZ
Octobe r 2002 Volume 3 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue I 0
[publisher's ost] The Prescription for the Prescription Drug Predicament Containment of prescription drug costs is and will continu e to be an increasingly important issue across the country. According to
Publisher John Paul Galles jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in the Uni ted States, prescription drug spending doubled between 1995 and
2000 as expenditures reached $122 billion. By compa ri son, spending for physician and clinical services grew by about one
Associate Publisher/Editor Maryl A Lane maryl.a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com
john Paul Galles, Publisher
third, and expenditures for hospitals increased by one fifth. Workers today realize that their econom ic stabi lity and their quality of life, as well as that of those who depend on them, could be sign ificantly diminished not by the onset of old age and its "accompanying maladies," but by the cost of th e drugs and devices necessary for their very salva-
C re a tive Dire ctor/Asst. Editor
tion as a result of a random accident, hereditary condition or inopportune disease. In a day and
Brandon Jordan
age when insurance compan ies are not contractually bound to be as faithful to you as you have
bjordan@greatercharlottebiz.com
been to them in paying premiums, the su dd en need for diabetic medications, life-saving ope rations, artificial valves or other life maintenance drugs and devices, most often results in substan-
Account Executive Wanda Gorges wgorges@greatercharlottebiz.com Lindsey D. Trausch ltrausch@greatercharlottebiz.com
Contributing Write rs Susan Benedict Susanne Deitzel Heather Head Mary Marshall Bryce M. Nielsen
tial premium increase s, often unaffordable, and cancelled policies. Reasonable insurance coverage may not exist at premiums you can afford; as a consequence, you may not be able to obta in any cove rage at all. Whe n new drugs are introduced, they are generally protected from competition for a period of seven years before lesser-priced "generic" alternatives can be introduced to the market. Drug companies argue that the patent protections are necessary for them to recover their costs of research and development and are justified given the costs of regulation that are imposed upon them. They also claim they need those prices to support continued research and development of new drugs. They point to new and better drugs that the present system enables them to develop for improved quality and length of life to those already taking their drugs. Consumer advocates wan tin g to control prescription drug costs counter that drug compan ies spend almost two and one-half times as much on marketing, advertising and administration as they spend on research and development. Th ey point out that prescription drugs cost less outside the U.S. than withi n our borders. They want increased competition and limited patent protection
Contributing Photographers Wayne Morris
in order to lower drug costs. It is clear that prescription drug costs are a sign ificant factor driving up the costs of healthcare. With the expensive pharmacautical and technological advances in health care treatment,
Greater Charlotte Biz is published 12 times per year by:
Galles Communications Group, Inc.
com bined with the significant aging of our population base, not to mention the comp lexity of our present health care delivery system, this is truly one problem that we had better attack sooner
560 I 77 Center Drive, Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 28217-0735
rather than later.
www.greatercharloccebiz.com 704.676.5850 Phone 704.676.5853 Fax
instead of fend ing for ourselves and allowing the inequities of the delivery system itself provide
Eventually, we will need to decide the extent to wh ich any individual is entitled to health care, for others. We all may have to pay higher premiums for someone else's child's need for a lifetime of maintenance medication for a condition such as asthma or diabetes. As a result, we may not be
Press releases an d other news-related information, please fax to the attention of " Editor" or e-mail: editor@greatercharlottebiz.com Editorial or advertising inquiries, please call or fax at the numbers above or e-mail: info@greatercharlottebiz.com Subscription inquiries or change of address, please call or fax at the numbers above or visit our Web site: www.greatercharlottebiz.com All contents Š 2002. Galles Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is
prohibited. Pro ducts named in these pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. Th e opinions expressed herein are not necessarily
able to eat out as often as we like, to have a new car every five years, or maybe even to pay off our home mortgages sooner or finance our own child's co llege ed ucation . We have tough choices. And inevitably they have tough consequences. We are just beginnin g to realize the actual costs of health care- a benefit that has heretofore been provided to us mainly through our employers. As fewer employers are able to offer it, copays increase, and the labor force itself becomes increasingly transient, the question becomes, "How much of current income is necessary to provide for reasonable health care protection?" What if th at is an outright 20% or 30% of income? That may mean a lifestyle change for much of America. We need to educate ourselves about the issues. We need to learn about the diverse stakeholders and consider what is to be an individual's entitlement. We must seek the most fair resolution of competing interests. The resu lt will be a comp romi se; not a simple solution, but a fairly complex resolution. As business owners and executives, you may have a vast amount of experience and knowledge to draw upon and to share with others. Th e prescription for the prescription drug predicament wi ll be written by those who are informed and choose to participate in the debate for reform . Start now!
i
those of Greater Charlotte Biz or Galles Communications Group, Inc.
6
octo b e r 20 0 2
greater char lotte biz
Monday, December 9, 2002 ·Adam's Mark Hotel
The Charlotte Touchdown Club and Football Writers Association of America Present the
2002 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Awards Banquet Sponsor's Reception 5:30pm • General Reception 5:30pm ·Awards Dinner 7:00pm (Black Tie Optional)
Proceeds benefit the Charlotte Touchdown Club Scholarship Fund
2002 Touchdown Club Corporate Involvement Super Bowl Sponsors Adam's Mark Hotel Bojangles' CT Communications Greater Charlotte Biz Jim Myers & Sons Meineke D1scount Mufflers New York Life Insurance Company
Presbyterian Healthcare RBC Centura Reznick Fedder & Silverman Sonny Hancock Automotive Group The Belk Foundation Time Warner Cable WBT News-Talk Radio 1110 AM
Pro Bowl Sponsors Alphagraphics Campbell Soup Company Downs & Associates FedEx Ground First American Title Insurance Co. Hooters Restaurant Kraft Food Services Landstar Logistics
Rae Creative Rehab Solutions of America Royal & SunAlliance Salomon Smith Barney Scurry Construction Sports Ventures Street & Smith's Sports Group Webserve
Gridiron Sponsors Sprint PCS The Sunset Club High Grove Partners
Lincoln Financial Group Meineke Discount Mufflers Napa Auto Parts
Celebrity Golf Classic Vance Flouhouse & Garges
WBT News-Talk Radio 1110 AM
To order tickets contact the Charlotte Touchdown Club 704-347-2918 or for more information, go to www.touchdownclub.com • $150 Per Individual ticket· $1,500 Per "Gold Gridiron" Sponsorship Table of 10. Benefits include: One table with seating for ten, preferred table location, corporate identification inside Ballroom, sponsor recognition in the event program, invitation to General Reception.
[realestatebiz]
New Alltel Customer Service Center Opens Completed Matthews Office to Hold Up t o 700 Employees Alltel Ccrp.'s new Customer Service
services that include phone number
Center was recently completed and
management, provisioning fo r competitive
opened for business . Located at 1720
local telephone service , and special and
Galleria Boulevard near Matthews , the
switched access provisioning and billing.
I 05,000-squ ar-e-foot building was built by
These services are being provided for
Titan Constr Jction at a cos t of approxi-
fourteen states in Alltel's network.
mately $10 million and has a capac ty of
Donna Andrews is the director of
700. About 6 70 employees have complet-
access services.
ed the move -in process and have c:Jmmenced operations . The facility was created to hoLse all of Allte l's customer service group which
Outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, Alltel 's new customer service center is supported by an ASPECT SOOR Call Distribution System with 33 T-1 high-
handles in-bcund calls for billing and
speed data lines connecting the center to
order entry tor 1.6 million Alltel tele-
the outside world . These facilities enable
phone custoners in si x states . It also sup-
the center to support nearly 900 simulta-
ports local and long-distance telephone
neous conversations between Alltel's cus-
service, telepfione features c. nd eq uip-
tomer service representatives and cus-
ment, as well as lnternet/DSL and paging
tomers . In addition, the call center is capa-
products . Service is being provided to the
ble of assisting customers with automated
states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
account information 24 hours a day, 7
Kentucky, North Carol ina and South
days a week.
Carolina. Customer service operates fro m
Alltel has more than 3,000 employees
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Both Judy
in North and South Carolina with a com-
Abernethy, regional vice-president for cus-
bined payroll of over $140 million . They
tomer service, and Rick Baum . director of
provide service in both states to over 2
customer service , manage the operations.
million customers . Alltel was the first
In additicn , this new building also provides inte rconnecting company access
company to bring wireless service to the Charlotte marketplace . biz;
We. of-f-e.r.
8
october 2002
[employersbiz] The
EMPlOYERS ASSOCI A TIO N
=--.egislative and Regulatory Highlights for ATea Empl:::yers
• 2002/2003 Wage and Salary
·Hage increases, the average pay increase
Hewitt h$~Ociates . md William
Adjustment Survey
~Jr
;~II
Pay increases for Charlotte and
~ur
2002 is 3.3%, and it
i~
estimated that
t-:.. Mercer,
profe55ional cr oonsulting crpniza-
:·ay increases fo 2003 will be 3.2%. In
r: ions specic.lizing i1 compensation :and
:>rder to facilita: e the reporting of the
bene"its_The Emplo:ters AssociH :n's
the second consecutive year. A total of
results, we have provided base pay
-esul:s are most co1sistent wi:h the find-
149 companies responded to The
n crease budget statistiC$ fo- all respond-
ngs of William M. '1ercer. Of the compa-
Employers Association 's 2002/2003 Wage
h g companies {"Nhich include ..vage
lies prO>{ d ng pay increases, t1er:er
& Salary Adjustment Survey. Of those
freezes/cuts), as well as lOr
who responded, 35 companies either
compan ies who gave, or plan
froze or cut employee wages over tre
wage increases.
rounding areas have dropped in 2002., for
past year. In addition , 18 of the respond-
~nly to
those
-epo -ted that th::- 1re projecOni :he fcl-
give ,
owing inc-=ases for ::.'. 003: 3.5% -:,- 1ou rly 1onunioo :mplo;-e::s; 3.8% fo - ncr-
These results are appraxi'llately 0 .5%
:xempt derical c.nd t.:!chnical erro oyees,
ing companies reported they plan to
to 1.0% lower than the find n&s of other
exempt t-:::hnica ar,d profession=.!
either freeze or cut employee wages for
published wage and salary adjustment
employees and mc.na&ement; 3
the year 2003. For com
'v"YorldatWork,
9~
for
execJti>es.. Worl :bt:VVork and rl -::witt Associate:~
reported
~imilar,
bLt ::1ghtly
higher res_lts.
• Maximum Unemployment Benefit lncrea5ed in North and South Carolinil Unemployec ·H"Orkers filin; - f:·w claims in t orth Carcolina on or c.f:er August 4, :;.oo2, .,.,11 te eligible fer slightly larger V"ee,<ly bene"its following 1 statu:ory re-determina: io n by the s:c.tes Emp oyrrent Security Commissi :•r (ESC). In Augu;t, :he ma:•.imum weekly
~:nefit
amoJnt increased to $408 froo11:1e previou; rraximum of $396. The S I:?. ircrease is the srr c. II est s nc: the earl ( I ~90s. Each year. the Labor Mark:t lnformatocn (LMI) Division o" the ESC calculates t - e maxmum weekly
un:m)l~yment
benefit using
a formLia :stablish:c by the Ge eral Assemt l:t. It is l::ra!>ed on the a·terage wee<ly wage of Nor:h Caro ina V"orke rs. That fiEl.re greY" o11·1 slightl:;-, fr:>m an average "Aeekly wa.;e of $594.7
ast year
to $61 :!_CJ this year. (NC Errf:lo;.r.Jent
Secuity
•:t:mmis~icr)
Th-: S )Uth •: =. ro lina Empl )>Tent Securitt L1w pro .-i:::tes for a flel< t:le,
greater charlotte biz
>-
october 2)02 9
naXimum weeki;- benefit amou nt cetEr-
DO 'OU VIASTE VALUABLE TIME INTEiVIEWING INAPPROPRIATE CANDIDATES? WE CAN HELP.
nin~d
eac1 year by the
Employm~nt
~ecurity Ccmmi ~ sio1. The
maxi-num ben-
Efit otmourt is ecuivalert to 66 2!3 pe -cen( of the aver2ge wag~ .
An
i1~ured
~tatewide
vveel: l)·
errplcyee's weel::.ly ben·
Efit 'lmourt is SC pe -ce t of his or he <Wer3ge weekly wage. Individual.; w1o file a neoN uneTploymerrt claim in So th Carolina on or a=ter Jul:' 7, 2002, -.-.ill be eligiJie for c. slig1tly larger max m.J-n \"'ee<ly benefit of $278, a $10
ircr€a~e
eve r last y:ar's $268 m;aximum.Tile minimur.
wee~ 1;-
(:=mployme1r
benefit is 520. Sec~rity
Commissior oF SC)
• Enployers to be Fined for Mismatc ed Social Security Mumbers The Internal
Re~.oenue
Service (lRS)
wi ll Jegin tc assess r:enalties on eT p eye - s Fling Forms W-2 with m ismached n'lm~s
and
~ocia l
Securi:y
Numbe - ~.
an
IRS official a.nnoun.:e::l a: an Ame n c:a n P'otyroll AsD:iatic n conference . Ac·Jrcing to d-e IRS, t1e in: ent of the directive i; to ap ply the penalty xogram to
T e view from above.
V/-2 filed fo tax
yea ~
F .::>-m ~
2002 and tl-ue-
atter Notice of t e pror:osed pen c.l: y, v.hic1 can :Je calculated at a ma:<in.Jm rc.te :)f $5C per hcorrect form, Ni I be
On the hi t te levis ion show E.R ., t her i~ ra rely a break in t he act ion. But when these bri ef 11oments occur, t he pri ncipa l cha racte r ~ J to the tc·of. Upsta irs, t hey a re able to look out O!l the · y Iights and regroup. They use the roo" :o Ia 1k t l'i ngs over, to cope, to connect, and to drt c. m.
is3ue::l star ring in June 2004 for : a::: ye a r 2002 W-2s , said che I=I..S. (Capital A!!SJdcted
Industries) • O...er-the-Countel" Claritin Cou ld Reduce Prescription Benefit Costs -he pat ent on tne a lergy rElief med-
-'' visit to Hilli ard Lyo ns ca n be like t hat. J..n c.pp oi ntme nt wit h your ft nancial co nsul ra l'lt cou ld t e j ust what t he doctor orde red.
icotticn, Cia - itin, is set to expire n
E ~ p ec i a ll y
Schering-PI ·J Jgh , to sell c.n
if you need to get a g rip on t he big
J:il:t ure.
December 2)02. Plans b:' the dr Jg maker over-th~
coun: er (OTC) version could re::luce O"'erc.ll drug bene=it s:>ending by as. much asIa%.
5S25 Ca -r~gie Bl•td ., Suite 101 Ct <W"Io"·ce, NC 28209
Scheri11g -Piou-gh nas received 3.J=pro val fron the Food 1nd Drug
7Cl4. 55 6.9000
A.dmi'listration to market an OTC
e.oo.444_1337 A PNC ADVISORS COMPANY -t-.o RliCh; tred
-1.1.., IIJse ..,...., -11D ban <guaro ntee 10
oc t ober 2 J02
J.J.B. HILLIARD, W.L LYONS, INC.
ME1'41:£1 HY!E AND SIPC
www.hllllard .cc ..
~.oer
;ion of Claritin . H:::>wever, no timeuble 1~
b:en aroounced. The switch tc an
:::>TC status coula caLse prescrip:ion drug
greater chc.rlotte biz
plans to drop coverage for Clarit in ar :l competitors such c.s Allegra and Zy -c: c. "When Claritin goes OTC , tlere'= no reason for drug plc.ns to cove r that ci-ug or its competitors," says Debbie Ste n, Vice President of Rxperts in lrvi 1e,
C.~ .
"Some plan sponscrs may contiooe to ups~ t
cover this class of drugs to avoi
Blair, Bohle & \Xlhitsitt PLLc
ting the ir member5hip, but would li<ejy increase patient ccst sharing."
"'erofieJ. Public A c::ountar.t3
Claritin accounted for an es: imat<ed $1 .94 billion in sales in 200 I, wljle s;o es
of Allegra were ab:>ut $1 .3 billio1 acc o rding to Express Sc rrpts 200 I Drug Tre - d Report. (www.benefitnews .com)
• A i~ & ,t,cc(]Jnl r•; Se lien • Re r3rr1ent :an •=Dm~·liJlc:: &. De3ign • Re31Estate [13~ c: meri SIJJteJies •
• Employee Overtime Hours
Unchanged in IS Years A study released by the Emplo:n-nent
~'E ·ge · 31d ;.cqJ :
tier Pl<.-ni•g
• -a>: CorrpliancE u Plcn1ing • CJll prooensi·reT~ F:3\·i3lll • r,t _:-StateTa:<3-:lJC:Jri T;J • CJTl)any Fom:~to n ~.trzt:;g i ?s
Back to Basics: Relationships, Value: G'J'(jwth
Policy Foundation (EPF) found that I ::. 3 percent of private-sector non-exempt employees workec overtime each we .:k
NO'V XJC:S '!>j in ProviLffice P:uk at l-4a5 ffiC " r<J'I'ide1ce
1370) ,i bs Pi ac ~
~uitf
100 •
704 . ~ 1. 89
~.b
wpllccam
• • Fa
ro
704.:341.9:~
last year. The stud)' found this fiEure essentially unchanged since 198.': . "In 1985, 19. 1 percent of all hour y workers and 28 percent of all
f~l-time
employees worke d overtime," sc. id EFF president Ed Potte:r. "This numbe r s c onsistent with f gure ~ today, even th o ugtl anecdotal evidence from specific emftloyment fields have ir correctly sugges: e:l that mandatory 0\ertime may be a1 increasing problem in today's worbiKe. " The study, "Y"vorkplace Trends : Overtime Hours ere Not Inc reasing,' also analyzes the charaocteristics of workers and
indu ~ try
oo~erti 1e
difference5 in work-
ing overtime . Additional findings inclde: Overtime demands in the tran ; portation industry have actually declinec since 1985, while t ose in some other irx:IRS-
tries, notably healthcare , have in::rea! .:d. Overtime pay. on average , ir crea5 ed the pre-tax earnings of those w1o worked it by some 24.8 percent, a v..elcome addition fo r many family f na lCES . Jobs in which overtime is likelr ro be an expectation ap:>ear to be better c :>mpensated , with
ba~e
wages for sJCr j:> bs
paying about $2 more per hour
greater charlotte biz
th;~.n
>:)::ober 2C)2 II
wag'!'> for jobs i1 whic 1 oy.ertime is
ot
thei - cc.rer; fot marriage aoc Jarenting.
likel·t :o be an expecta:ion. T 1e Employers
ence is relec:iv!! of women i"t-"!rrupting
As~ oci:itiOfl
2JO I
The gap i!
~Yin~
Policies, Practices, and Ben:fit; Surve)·
wo-.en hOld S.l
indica:es a hit;her perc':!ntage of employ-
rien:::e
ers reporting re.sular cvertime wxk Of
years.
:~-,d
ng, howeve -- h 1993,
~ars
less cunulative expe-
i1 I9"57 the differe1ce was 3.2
Edu:c.:ion levels affect ti-e :arning dif-
the J ~· 0 piJs companie; re;pOflding, appreo:<imat el) 3J percent rep•::>rt that
fere--.::e :Ja.,...eer men and worren. Women
their iul l-time non-exeTpt errployee;
wo-i<:ing ful -t me are less like I.- than men to
routinely wor< more can 40 hoLrs p:r
hav;o
wee <.. (ww!V.epfcrg)
ver;w
pc~t- _5ra:lu01.te
degrees (L5 percent
4::> Jerce11:.)
VVo-,.er de-.cte significan: lr more time
• Un ons 'Nin Greater Share of
to hcu~eool:l ch::: res than me• - 14.2 hours
Fewee Elect ons
per "'ee < i1 1997 compared
t appear~
that sor11e af ti-e tacti.:; of
John .Yvveeney. preside~ of the AFL-C 0, are p:tting off. D:spite
~
DuNHrrl f-OTEL
ttJ.uk/~ ~279* .o..a&~_,
• (},.,A-j.£t~~~_u, .Qek:-~~
• 4~~/6'//~P44uAYZ~ •
8-~~,{~~_a
· ~Z~~ • ZJAMd~2d4~@~ 1!!~~~
• t!}_;vA~Kr.auM~M-<1
tkeu,
s~~
• 4~~//6'//~P-4"~~/ - ~~~ · ~p&,., · 8-~d~~ ~.......
73u.l
•,4;;ta-~~~~A#~
12
~ ignificantly
...,omen have
meted forN3.rd
marbt oV'!!r the l'!st 20
cent - P frcm 527 percent the year
wom-"!n at:•:cunted for 38 percent of job-
befo -::. In recent years. uni ·:>ns have t:een
holders in rraila&erial, profess:i:nal and tech-
in t1e labor
year~ .In
1981 ,
more :reative in their ·Jrganiz ng effcrts,
nical :xx:u : a:i·Jn:. ln 200 I, women in these
enlis t ng the ;c;si;tance of students, se1ior
field$ acccsJrt:d fx 51 percert of the jobs.
citizerrs, a1d C1u -ches. (TEA)
In additor
.,...0111131
between :1e ages of 25
-39 workilg full -time in 1981 e1rned 88
• Women Making Significant
per·:e.nt ·JI r-.en's: 1ourly wage t. n 200 I,
Financial Gaim
women il : 1-i! group earned
~
the amourc : hat s: imilar men
E<~ - ned.The
~ccordinl
to an ar41ysis cf ti-e !'-larch
200 I Cur-ent Population SJrv:y by t"le
gle vwame1 alone than
:~nd
w~ o
Fo~da: ion
(E"F), $in-
have n':!ver m:arri'!d, ive
have full-time jobs earn more
~imila -ly
feren c e~
percent of dif-
a"E like y attributable o differences
in vw-::::rk e:q>-:!rience, occupational choice, and -nari:c ttltLIS (Employme.-t 0 o/icy Foun:iatiCJI:
biz
;iuated males. The stud:The E.71t!Jr<r; Asn:iarion is a n.:npro(it
women earn I 01.6 percent of single
Cha:att or:;aJ·za:iJn providing -:Jmprehensive
men'; 1ourly eamings. kl l'tirc1 1981 . sin-
human r=;C>IIr:ts crd training se-•ices Founded
gle women earned only 93 certs corr-
in I ~.58, the Jlosrocaion
pared :o everr dollar d houri:-
wage~
'Com::Brirg the
earr ing~
maintair~
a broad-based
mem'Jer:hi(' cf ovu 700 compaoe; from all indu'>toie: ir.
earne : by nen.
As one
of women and
t.~e c~
gr=Jter Charlotte
r~gion.
Jver 70 nonpra(f! HP. associa-
men i! com.:>licued by ti-e drnamics of mar-
tionr nationly pn•iding HR se·•ices to region-
riage and fa 11il) responsi:Jilities," said EPF
al
presid;ont Ed Pott'!r. In asesSing the diff=r-
ticip ~t!!s
ence~
between th: pay cf men ..,d wonen,
EPF I:JOked at dat3 in relltionshiJ to marital
_.,./~,.~ n
statu~
~3 7 N. Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202 704-332-4141 WIVH-Iiunhillhotel.com
difference~
num.Jer of un or electbns held ir 20C I,
';4.//.&4&~~1' ~u.e-//_b
.$uul'/P..t--<1/ ,:t~(J
Despf-e tfle;e
decrease in t e
found that at $17.26 per hour, sin.sle
fl/d ~At~ ~/79 *
men. TI-e ·,ouseonork effect" wny contribute to th-:! e01.r-.ings advantage of 1arried men.
the u ion win rate increased to 53.6 per-
Emp lotment Folicy
~73u.l
'i
7 hours for
b
the fo der
and gencer roles.-he :late. sh:Jwed bwi~
dfferences affecting the gen-
rr;e~ntu!""l .':J:, TT!
i1
unde · th'e c Jspice; ?(the Natiifcr Association
of M-Y tufautrers. Pte
ub~
e>e=rpts were ta (t n from The
Mara:en-:e · t Rep .. rt, the Associ.X:ion's monthly
m:
new:;.Etter.•=o.-
\1\I:Jmen hcve less CLJ11ulative work
Laure
experir=nce :JY age 45. Mwch of the ciffer-
Employers.< s;ociation par-
<uticr a/ informaticn exchange
.710- f
Hu.71!otJn
Wet site
:Jt
irformatior, pJecse call
a 704-522-80 II or visit the
v.ww.emp!oyersassoc.com.
greater ch <e r lotte biz
-:1y sJsan benedict
-gifts]
\lisio11s of Sugar Plums _.. and Pecans! F路路:1n's G fts to Go Delight Clients ald Employees Alike
g路::a-:er charl:::>-:te biz
oct::Jbe路 20{)2 13
Imagine for a moment. . .
mail-order division of a family-owned ,
How does it feel to receive
Georgia-based company that since 1937 specialized in growing and shelling pecans. This
a "Thank You" card with
mail-order business had been operating for
a basketful of luscious chocolate-covered pecans?
loyal customers. McCraw moved the compa-
Special? You bet.
joined him in this new venture. Then, in
Making people feel special is what Carl
more than IS years and had a mailing list of
ny's headquarters to Charlotte and McNabb
1999, came an opportunity to purchase Gifts
McCraw, chief executive officer, and Mike
to Go, a gift basket company. The two busi-
McNabb, president, of Fran's Gifts to Go do
nesses were combined and thus the new
every day.They specialize in creating delicious
name, " Fran's Gifts to Go." With the abili-
edible gifts for individuals or businesses, whether it's to say " Best Wishes" to an employee, 'Thank You" to a customer, or "Happy Birthday" to Aunt Mabel. Fran's Gifts to Go can provide a perfeet gift that reflects care and appreciation from a selection of hundreds of high quality items they package and send directly to a home or office. Despite its warm and fuzzy name, Fran's Gifts to Go is a thriving business-to-business operation and the result of a savvy combination of
"We offer our customers the convenience factor. We make it easy for companies to do business with us. They can fax or send their customer list by e-mail and we can do the rest. Or, they can go to our Web site, [which is] designed so that an individual or business customer can order catalogs or gifts, be put on an e-mail newsletter list, or register a date for an especially convenient gift reminder." -Carl G. McCraw, Jr.
Both Carl McCraw and Mike McNabb have years of experience in the specialty food business. McCraw is a Charlotte native and former banker. Driven
â&#x20AC;˘ ~~
-
lNCCHARIDTIE CCNID4UH -G EDUCATIOI /isit o _r website,
1
www.uncc.edukor teduc or c:l 704-6!!:7-2L24 fc 11ore informc:ti:m on th~s.:: pr.lgrzms a ~d fer a ccm?l::te lisj ng of :-her ~ro~a1s. 14
oc t ::>be - 2JJ2
baskets, a source for fresh pecans and a national list of individual and corporate customers from each company, McCraw and McNabb were poised to offer a unique service with what they had. But they had a vision and a desire to offer much more. McNabb explains, "We really operate on 3 different levels. We produce and distribute
timely acquisitions and visionary talent.
ty to produce gift
by a desire to own his own business, he left banking in the 1960s to buy a food distribution business that provided specialty items to grocery stores in a IS-state area. McNabb, a native of Birmingham, joined him to head an Alabama-based division of that company. He had worked in grocery stores while still in college and later as a broker for a distributor of gourmet foods . In the early '90s McCraw sold that company and purchased Fran's Pecans, Inc., the
a 32-page color catalog with nearly I00
gift baskets, nuts, prepared foods , snacks, cookies, chocolates and other sweets, ranging from $1 0.00 to $200.00 per item. Customers can order from this catalog and we will package and ship anywhere . "Secondly, we have a wholesale division that provides gift baskets or individual products to other catalog companies and retail stores such as grocery stores and department stores. "And finally, we make and package some items under our own label, most notably our chocolate-covered pecans from Georgia and our home-made cheese tidbits, called Queen Charlotte Cheese Crowns, freshly baked
greater charlotte biz
·i6ht here in our
w~reh ouse."
their customers whose leases are coming to
McCraw and 1'-cNabb head a sta1 of ~pproximatel y
20 at :heir southwest
an end. We work with some companies to send greetings throughout the year, including
:::harlotte warehou; e and office, where gift
acknowledging employment anniversaries and
xoducts and baske:s are assembled end
birthdays, as well as year-round holiday greet-
shipped directly to :he recipient. Ab .Jut 60
ings." What sets Fran's Gifts to Go apart from
percent of their cu rrent business corwes f om the corporate marl-et and the balance is dvided betv.een wl10lesale and indivi:ual customers, primaril-( via orders
place~
its competitors? "There are many companies who make gift baskets;' McNabb explains, "but we are able to provide a personalized
through the catalog. From this selecton, gifts
service to our corporate customers by
c~n
quickly and efficiently handling a large volume
be sent to one person or to a m iling li! t
of customized gifts."
o ' hundreds. McCraw
adds, ' 1Ne
have a numb =r of
"We offer our customers, individuals as
suppliers. We buy pecans from Geo15ia,
well as corporate clients, the convenience
p:anuts from Nort.l Carolina, bacon =rorr
factor," says McCraw. "We make it easy for
Company nam.:!: Fran's Gifts To Go, In :. Chief Executi~ Officer:
companies to do business with us. They can
fax or send their customer list by e-mail and we can do the rest. Or, they can go to our
Carl G . McCraw. Jr.
Web site, <www.franspecans.com>.The Web
President: Mike A McNabb 4733 Dwight Evc.ns Road Charlotte NC 21!217 Number of employees: approximately 20 Business office phone: 704-561-0070 OrderToll Fre:: 300-4 7 6-6887 Fax: 866-476-6f87 www.franspecans.com
site is designed so that an individual or business customer can order catalogs or gifts, be put on an e-mail newsletter list, or register a date for an especially convenient gift reminder via e-mail, be it for a boss or for a spouse." Heading a small company, McNabb and
In addition to the Web site, catalog distribution and direct sales contact, they have found
l<.entl.cky, smoked 111eats from Texas lnd
that many of their new customers come
Cleeses from Verrrom. Our cheesec<: kes 1re
from referrals from current customers, or
made fresh for us il Georgia and our pie>
those who have received their gifts. They do
orne from a scratch bake ry in New To rk.
little advertising; they are listed in the Yellow
Every year we add new products. Ard, we
Pages and participate in national and
cesign and produce our own gift pac.<aging
regional industry trade shows . Although Fran 's Gifts To Go is a
for e<:ch of these fYOducts. uMany of our gift bas Kets can be cus-
year-round business , the holiday season
Dmized;' says Mct-Jabb. " For examp e, one
is naturally the busiest. The earlier an
cf ou r clients in the construction bu! iness
order is placed the better. As a reminder,
d10se to place a licle toy truck w th 1:heir
deadlines for ordering holiday gifts are
logo on it in their .. oliday basket sen: to
approaching. McNabb is quick
dients. We're also able to print a
cu ~ comerrs
logo on a package x to p ace a corroany's literature in our gil: ~fts
b~skets .
to
volun-
teer, " For T hanksgiving, orders must be placed before November 19; for Hanukkah, before November 22; and for
"Our serv1ces can be more than sendirg
the Christmas Holidays, before December
for special ocasions, "continues McNatb.
1
a, 2002." biz
'·For example. we work closely -vith local automobile d: alers to send a se ries of
Susan Benedict
cads and gifts beg11ning one year Ol.1: to
freelance writer.
ueater charbtte biz
The
McCraw carefully cultivate new customers.
IS
a Charlotte-based
EMPlOYERS ASSOCIAT!ON Providing hmnan r esources and training services to build a b etter bu smess climate.
• • • • • • •
Managemelt and human resources traning Wages, benei ts an.J poll:ies b=nchmark surve•ts P3yroll and bm efi: s adm ni:;tration Human res:nr ce advice hotline CJmputer traning Aiirmative
a~ior
plans
P'ofessionEI · uman reso.r ce consulting and ou:smr cing
Serving Employers Since 1958 The EmploJers Assecia1ion 3020 WeE! ArrovJOOd fb3d Charlott~ . NC 2E27::
704-522 -BJ' 1 www.empi.Jyersassoc.CDm
october
200~
5
Shield Engi neerin s-, In•:. Jim Smith approximately ~· 0 4301 -ag:1art Creek Road Charlo: te 'JC 28208
Jof he<:ther hEt~~d
[bizprofile]
mental P:::Julo:>uT 'lJills, aver: 1r:ier e ~ lndfills, b:e:ardouo ·-aste ~I)]] C•1r:tanu-ati)n, and g-ounJ\Patcr pollt;'ioo.. The~e a-e the prob-
L
1.:;
peLSr)l}tl ct Shid:i Engheering get
ur; eve!) n: · rn::r:g o ·ad lc. \'lhether its managirg:. ;pi l c rcrmenra
~an_p as..;~ing
..3IDa?,E
envi-
dc:lg:1ing c. remedia-
t:bn plan, w ergir.xti 1g pn:v::oti,•e measuno., rhE 5--e nplcyee :cmpa -r;: l-as the C.•."J2rtise 0 hand[r' llt:arJ:' any cf!=C of cmircn:nenla pt"L bier..
S1idd .:rgi<e ~ rr-g has l:vn scn·ing C nal:me ~ <C( 1ggs, w1en it fo:used a mo~t cxdusivd:;:' on petrclcum issues. Sir cc l QIJ(), i· has br:. .1dcnec its focus <DU nov !:-':-ve:; industri31, :o 1mercial,
About 1,500
gallon ~
of licuid asp1alt was spilled n3 h of Charl)tie
arou nd High'Vay 16 in
2
homeowner's yard. Smeld's Actio n
Envi-onment3l group responded immedi3tely and coordi1ated the cleanup with local cant-actors and fire Jffi:ials. An asp1alt recycling plan handlec the di;posal of the _iquid asphalt. Ac:ion Envi -noment3l had t he ;pill site cleaned up ir 24 hours.. ~reater
charlotte biz
lxmkmg, ]::gal, lar:d .Jcvolo:Jm=nt, and C.)f)tracroo~:
.lio1..s incrudinb Cuke Power,
)l::•)a., HariatiT1 ip.: inc, m_ Thomas
an Eers, '-nd boosts JrmuJl - et rcven.es in ~-<.:es; o $'- :n.llior. hicU Er );hczrir s s ro ..u:u. ual in n;:r,'ing st.1r.ed cut wi·:-1 3 narrow industiia bcJs 1n tl e 197•)~ as federal ,...
octote- 2002 17
pany ombine 125 ;rut.s ot engineering nd gologi : exp.::ricn._e, and over 50 percen_ of t:1.:: techniG: rstaT boasts more than fi~e yers..of ~xpci::n:e. In 20·)1 tbe c0mpa1y built ito {:Ur~ b : ilding Nith capacity for up tC• 80 ·.:m.ployo>es, v.-1ich in corrilinati0n w tr
0
l.er :!funs has
upgraG.ed th: cor pa~ o ir age. ~n--th
In 1971 ,vhe::-
corrplete:::. his
p0St -gr:adua:e .<,eo echn _cal er ginec:ring <kgree at Nt.rt 1 CJn -a Stace Uni '-'Crsity, nvironmcmal en irceting di.:l not ~xist as sud. To neet thE ;::cJ<vi.ng dema1d for special StS :o n .:mcle
St-:il
and <,rourJ
\'l.ater cor.:ta-r inati:>r T-:·;ent:Dn and control, ecvircrmen!Ll n ~ ers
-~rs
ltl.d en.<,i-
entcre::l the ·i eld fror:- -nany angle;,
iuluding. tbe: ~e(){2c.hrL::al -ie .d Srrith "'orkec. in. 3Jth the c-.nc.,mental ~nd enginec:ring f eids ar~ : -.:·ac.. 'Whe~ someoae sa~o- , Tr:- cc r.g envrronmental work,"' says Snit.-, "yn1 alw~ys ha.~ to rcg-.J8Uons began to cevelop for pollu-
aoo
~.?,an looking
~t- - elc
is wo·H19 closely with EJ>A ~vironment
~~ · or
~.~sJ
kr ways to
DeJartment af
vvh0oe business invoked these materials
e::;:pand their
Carolina's DEpc. · mert of Health and Erviunrne1tal •:::Ontrcl on
bcgaD.IC lire consultmts and form off-
c,cnt ·Jase and
;;-_octs to handle their specific environ-
in::lro•1e their
men3.l ccmpliance issues. In the mid-
p-ofit :nargins.
SJ~. ,
CJ:::arged with
ti·Jn
1azardous w:tste, companies
peuoleum was added to the list of
~:-.Vlnrrrental
~6
and N3tu·al
4. t-.e N:J r:h Carolina -:es ard So . th
metal con:ninated s.it2s. Silield's. ~ tre3ml- led 3pproach
aLowed simult:neous
c;s~e.;sme
t of c. ll 1:
si~~.
oo you
t1 i; m.ssion, Jim Snuh 'Vas. brought cr
a~ k
:::Jpit3ll-bldings, a firm dating from the
b)Jrd in 1999 as Ptes.:ifnt. Smith, lOr
rlo?"' T1e ar5\o\-er can -:Jnge fum habitat
l92{l; -.vi.!h interests in petroleum distriJULO:-t, fcrmed the beginnings of Shiek
tn"iro1mental en.sm~.:r =rom before e:a::i-
restoration L:> necical :r,earch to s::rubbing smoke~ucks. L ~3\-.se, t1e c~i ncerin§ si:le of th :: bus ness com inc-ude
hazard::;, and Cleveland
::n§lce~ring.
~-t
h 1938, Shield became an independcompany under the name Petroleum
T::sti- g
~e:rvi.ces,
~lf_d tegun
Inc., md like others that
seeking bu9ness outside the
ccmpnie; that had spawned them , they ·ounc ccnpctition to be fierce. Much of
rc mental engine~riLg. rnd 3. name bihgs O" cr 2.3 years of ge Jrr·n ~orunental e:-~-·eri ence to the company 't=c:cif cally soi :;:rd \\'a.er protection, .r.c lXlB1g industnl and rn..ni.cpallandfill;, c:r:led v.i.th a s:rong rranag2ment backEfC•Ilr.d. While profit -na:~:-s had decrta<ed 01 many of the t;>pes o[ assessmenr .<~ Jrk
·he ases;:nent work ttat Shield performed
Sb eld was doing n :
at the time could as easilr and more
ce>n1pl~x
1<:1
time, oth:: ~ :rr ore
cl-eaply ::>~ perfonned :J)' smaller engineer-
types of vc 1~ =ortinued to.;:~ p-c·fitable Smith's fh:: ~tq:: was tc rxnd
;ng te:J.r13 operating oUI. of their own corr.:-
c·n· the compan/3 sl:J ;et with e}:p;:---
~Eruc Jn addition, as :echnologies imp_ ved for assessme:-lt and evaluation of
a=s. :.k immedi:a..el:< ::ired senior sa3!T,
P'-trc£um contamination issues. the firm3
aud in 2000 acql i-e:l8 stTBII engireuing
fn..rc:st:rr:ent in technology increased while
cc·mpany with a cLe11e:le a::1.d staff b . vf;)U!d form a soLe b:l3.= fo- Shield~.
tl~
nnmba of man-ho.1rs spenL on a job
d,:cre~s~d
and the chargable rates per hour
rell3L-1Ec. :he same. T~ result: steadily
shri-ili.ng revenues pai-ed \Vith rapidly in:P-"-Si •g. costs. -=-J :er:1ain viable, Shield Engineering
18
october 2002
enced personnel r fr ~ -no-e profitilio:
opanoion. When Smith joi~d the compa-c;,. he vn; th~ only licen~e·~ ~ngineer on th:: su T. Now there ae -<X~, p .us seven l:c.msed geologists Prin=ip3.ls at thr :::em-
the follovJ-Jn =tLes ·en . "Jlhat
mecharic:Jl,ae-ospacc elecJi.:al, o: civi-,
:o nam' a fe\". Tlx are<..s in vnich the fiekl.s cos~ co1stil ~Jte emironrnental ~ngineering, ard e-.·en ~has 11any ·acet~. Wl::er: S 1ield :Eng_ eerhg expa- dcd ts offerings, Snit- diFi:h::d th 2 corr "Jany nto fou mah :gro.1p~ 10 re"Jrcsent the :our me. in fa:::ts cl e !K -cnmontal engi_leering that ~hie!:. s::-..c~. !'.Clion Enviror m~n d . S!Ic-C= e TICf?Cncy ~pill -espon~ grc:LJ::: opeor~ ::1.a·iooally on a 2.~-7 sc:1e:lulc :o 1.an ~ !e spi.ls for :Lents. When < spoil c,:.c_rs• . 1is gr::up ·ets to "ock iy-mdi.lrdy, nOJrifying ocal auhori ies a 1.::1 se.__ut ir ,I; the c.ssistan=e o o=al spll ciE.< nup :::cr -Jctcrs who do he physical dean_p v••xk. .3illeld ::ngineE.ring noni:.::>G - ~ elfo-ts, en;;ur_ng that adec_uatc prec:ILjon~ are tal::en ::u:d tha. the 5p II ::; D - ""-lged in as e Ti_\'' O
.5 -e=.t=r :h.:J.rlotte b z
'\We Frcm tir rnxld, ~ngtn2cr-: nd ~-ci d=n " n;;-r.n as 11ossib e "'lthout cau5'er Sl5 czr .Jete--n 11e ·-c lir:cl; _tccuon r.g <.dc.iticr.::l 1isk to the en, ronment. ar._ '.pee-· of Do•., of antaminants Jnc. the T 1~t mJy !<:;tr scnd.ng h·-me extra ~quh-nent ;cl lab~r--s ,,.,.~ are not ·c·::al _:;;:te:r • u · t te- prn-::\;:m and · h:re~· :1 ~e- d or L r-ctirg wJrk;:rs t_ inCJ 35: :!em up Shield vtas :on-:r.: :te:l to provide 1czardous 'NastE rerroval ~len~
""er ooked 5E eric 1 of l -:: "]Jill 1:1 on
tJ-•:' -nal-na'n C•1r:r:ao:r \vit- -egulatory aolciLY1,
a.~er .lcs tc ·~n~re
deL.:mri.r.•: a re:;.sc'll..ablc tundrarre du-mg -.du.: 1 TCJ11c::lia_ or ~ffc·rLs ~ l.Oul:l be co n:J et;:ltc ~~-,irr i:::c cnYircr-nctL<i CWlL~l:. '\g:.li.n t~ to:.am I.l.intains corta..:t V.'J h _..
JJers 'ojht .: nd confirma-:cry
samplin;~
when an aba1:k ·r ed dr _m site was ncovere:l dur 19 comtructio 1 act·vities . Shield's ability to quickly mobilize -oxJer'erced pe·s:>nnel to tl"e site enabled the r:. pid remJva. of the haZ3rdJU.i waste SJ assfSsment and ro:m-=:J-a .
activitie~
c•: uld prcceec.
comrli-
and k~ ur: po~iri·,·e n::h.t:•Jns .r · h~ir di~lt::.
al.Cf
11-"' as-cesrnc"l! poup p::rf··rms -· .e c~altBticns. c I c::trng
~-1I'C.rle~.
analy.:-
;:.~·,a asse3sing e--1Yi:r-Jn!TI2l...z.i ::iamage. Onu· aga-- 'hiekl p;:-f•lrT~ mu•.:.l-t •lf the p l.y'Si..:::<: v-:orl: uti__2F.g su::ccrtrc.c
ing ·-em,
l Jr3 V./l.el'!: l1CCSS:lly tO
LOnlf=Ltc k project :<:O~)(. Or e2: dat- ;£."" -ec:ivcd, it _,
rna ,-::<:d a1d sne models ae ::re:mx:. cf~n usirg co:npucr modelhg 3oft-
From J110E lnes to online. from 11ur :OIIIlllicatiol!s ....-....-~L:
Wire esi • loca11elephone •
Ca
SL • lntunet • Business Te ephone Eqaiprurt &. Systems • Pag1 g
oday!
704-714-1400 '-A'WVU 1-ej,com Sl.rvice - c-" va labte •• all
a~eas.
:or· a..:t an ALLTEL ules representa..-tve
oct::Jber 20C:·2 15
q~.ili ..:>ry ·JTicials,
nct t>.the ~scssmc:n~. pavi::1g th£ V"'ay
in Y~inia This group, : u-2 the 13.· :~ s roen and ocmedia· ion g~oups, ox a·5
for de <- -? a•rr ::>liance efforts.
regbally.
:Jx:e <0.
o mi:'.ing their a_sr.. e-
l~rr
Buildi ng No r king re-latio nships th·o ugh c:n ...
c ·m;:lcte:d the hc.ustrial rc:r£ciatioEI ar .J CCSgfl group S.::eps in tC C"eale a
e ng aging
S•lb·
process.
C-:J .
L add ion to contatlinacioc
isfactcory 35Sessrncu hc:s
32
C ree a rerre:d..c.tion plan s
~spcnse
ces:p
prev~ ntive
C''ll:
e:m·i ro1m•2n·al sc•lL-
d;2sgnc:l , :oho::ld sends i: throu.sl-. Lle reg-
t ons For
ul i'- .C•r:- re,rn.- proce ;~ . :::>nee apprcvcd
C::::Jali:gs fac lity rebcnec to N T h
b)' .lre Teg _lator: agcoc~. Shielc: be;tLS
Caro1 R"la , S· ield as.;ist£d lh ~ rr. in
sta :=-in~
w
.•E -!""
the pro.JC •: t , l has subcontGac rs rrr cr li g, con~truction or l<:bc-
r<.t• r; -:;.;:r·vics. _ l.ield p ·ovides thr:>~out.
UY e ·sfjSht
the procE S3, as we.ll c.s _{)n-
ti< _d ::orta:: with
re.~llatory agenci~s .
'J : foolli group s~ georeo.::1r. c ~ ] en[..ne. ·mi ,;;nup, and heir wo r~: .. n aLs
a ar _ r: sd 31tial f•1nrdation :les~r . Jnc. qt.ulit; ccutr·1l fortJe clay line-s 3n:l.
.r
J th..:r e:.-vironme- tal
J
·o.ectiom .h;;:r
~o
r ~ dc s_sninE.
..,.or ..
to the
purchJsiog, c J)Sl.- L: ti)l·
j::IOCl ~SeS.
tte projeCt in: lLdt:d " v:i::: ~
T"-nf;E :Jf enzi.neering and cvcr.si.g.ht rcsJXI.sibilnes, enmr·ng t""Jat t.1-E: n .. .... fc_cilir was better, mo ·e efficient.,
!- othe - excitirg r spco::t o - S"i :1'· v\.Or<
invol\.o:S look ng fo~
·J3l
~dge
::::c'f"or:ti-
p ·otl:::nati waste managcrnenl ~st· ~o
o~ n er
in detelm ining the pt'(•ba bl= ca use of wa:er
the $4 rrillion repa ir p·oject in less : 1an o subgrac:l:
t o L:t
erwta · kmel: a~ s Jbgra:L~
se e :·~e
Motor Speedw3y tl:lck. Shiel pe!"SOnn :::l work~d hnd-in -r;;mj
tith : he Ol'.l€'.1 an:! c::::ntracto r tn develcp a1d ilpler-.?nt a total <rc N
'l! T C
cal cr::l resj:•1nsiblc so uric•:- ~ tc• -.n:rE.~f
b· ']JlCo.!uct c ·coal humin& 4a:::o -::lir. ~ tc
Te.c.a~
:crJ:.zt~d
"ll•! t:':
e TeCL "'e. ani safer .han t:-P ole ::nc
Pe as -a rr:.unicipal a1dC
S· iek as.;isted the J
Yt·tk
J. . ev>
1° Jr utancL Shielc. is Joe) it g 11 w.t~:; tc rrale 1se or " f1y ash ,'' 1 ctuk, 'JOWd. :-,-
T
TE. mo:.s ~e a ~
stance wflen
a landnl . at Oak Rie gE ,
tllc l:n::.jfi[[s -.ecntly, t:te grou::> cc mJle ~ ·-
i....
a.<d i: stali<Uon of -na<ufr.o::t•rin£
sLI: ;n!Ice ~n~ru:erin§ Ll.cludtrg :rdus-
w ·.vw . licu i dde s rgn .net
aro land m :l.e: igl., Shi.2 ld
[n¢"£erin:: someumes hdrs cl
mater'al~ ,
:ha:
days. With a vast
3hi eld integratEd an innovati·1e ;o .utio -
~rovi cej nece~sc.r~ groundwat~r s tabi.i~crtion.
L)
~oi.Jto n
: ::ntrol but
al~o
exa:lle-rt
T1is ; ol.ution uti5zec the !=test tech.no .og' es
~JC1
;t .:. bili:zation geo-te<tles and a J'jE-t~rou ng" process.
A LT /v\A. N nit at1ve group,1rc T:::IE thE- Aftf1'Wfllr.itic.Jjlie and ·::ell Denise!
Denise Altman, rwiBA 704-700..6700 wNw.al:mc..nmiativ'3..com october 20:)2
,5reater charleot:e t ;:
SmLh, ene-gy compan es re1te "mound3 and mo·mcs of Oy as:1 C07:':!:" ng acres anJ acres and xn::s," that even.J:tlly end up in lmdflls Shield is stud,ri<~ the physical pror:en es of Oy ash an::: 2oning up wirL ne-.v ways to use he -naerial such as in high,•ay construLtic:n cud as building maraLl. 'It's a wir-wi- !OCe'lario," say~ Smitb because ar ere ·t,y c.ompany ordinarily has to pay t•1 cli.DJse of the ma~ria!s, but if a use s f:Ju d for them then they ._an sell the lla ei.Jls and at the same :Int dramatt:al? P-duce their impct :n: he envirorL-ner:t. Shield'; e1gineerirg e;;::dle'lce has not gone .Ilnoticed. The c 1~ireering Ne\.JS Reccrd (ENR) li;tec.l Lem as one of the Top 2:{) Environrr en..~ Fir:ns in 20CO and 200 l, Zweif; W -:iie & Ass.xia.es {an industrJ rna ·ugemem gro 1p) recmly namec. Shi~kl as one of the "Her LJO' fastest ~ro·"~ environmental cc. suiting firms ic. "tle J .5., and the Chc:rl:ue Busine;_ jovTal recently naned StEle as one of L1t ·fast 50" gro.vth co11panies for 2C02 And certainly growth s ;; big part of S-r ith's plans for the ::c::1pany. "W~ want to grow a r1h mum of 20'lc per yea~ .. in net reverue." s'lys Smith, "anJ th1t'ssustainable .;ve tr ilk."' The compar:y is a!~ 1 pursuing §eognphi·: expansion, espet..i.ally within the Ccrolmas, Rabgh ir particular. fut Jt::7 have no interest ir 5rcwing an)- one I xru.ion be:rond tbc 7 5 to 80 e11p Oy~es for which the cur·er: building JV3S ilis-gned. "It's tough t.:> -u.anage wher you f;et ·mndred~ of peoj::le il one locati.Jn,' :;cys Smith. '"I· you are a brge compa11y, -A L can really only work on big gigantic J=Djects because it l:ecome~ scch a difft:uL:r u manage up and do.vn the hallwzy; al'l ih: many smaL to mid-si~~ projects tl-m \'vC•Lld be requir---d to 'JroJ=erh u:il ize a la-ge fD l" But while the em'Jhsis may not be 'bi5 g gamic" prcjecrs, .bee's no dJ11bt the solutions they are ellgineering tc•da) ""ill lave a "big gig:mtic" i11pact on ~ fu 111e cf our env:irorment. .\nd that's a :::>n:t7 big reason to get up in rue mornirg biz
He:1ther ~eaj is a C!cJrlot::o:-based
JOIN TODAY! • Men _ and Ladies' Locker Rooms and Sb wers • Ihe RP G:rill with Dining Pavilion (seating up to 15C)
• Golf Qub Rep air and -:orage
BOOKI\-OW! 1• r olf tot=amem/ eve:n.t bookings-, contact linda Senne!ker
Golf In...~tir.m Spxi Contact A Teadlin Professio nal, Ccwing ton. _r Summer Golf In.srrucL n peci.u s!
La>.:r:J.
Practice Ball Bonus Card Five;: Lac ~ Bucket:- o fPractice B $3C ... reg. .. 5()
=....
Get :xt-l.ir.e tips fr :-._n 3.egem Par
cade:Dty Professionals at "'I'Vww..nl>c6...a.:m and Saturday and Sunny monriag at 8:2 0am Go
0
6.
Our Bu iness is Golf! "IG4.547 .oe2:J 90l.54i . UO • SJ0 .671.5550 5055 Re-gent a way Foo-1 M I I, SC 29715 WYrwv.~ew~parkg .>IF::iub.com
freelance ..;ricer.
greater charlot-:e t iz
=
o c t o ::) r ~ •) c) 2 2 1
F.idlar Pett), partner in the pjdJard Pettr Driving Experience .
Graham ·s "'Driver Search,. ami
i~s
successor. "\JASTRACK, in the L.S., were unique learnmg expenences f w the company. '"We found after listemng to the customer, that people didn't necessanl) want to become professwn;~l
and have the same paint schemes as the race teams themse h-cs
the Experience. Our main client is one who \\ants to enJO} something out of
When asked about any problems encountered by usmg team identities competiti\·e \\ ith Petty l'nterpnscs, Graham says there are few. "It ts a com-
the ordmary, from settmg foot m the pll to getung behind the wheel." Graham also attributes RPDE's appeal m the U.S . to the American love for the automobile. "It transcends what
drivers , they simply wanted to experience dri\'lng in real stock cars, on pro-
plicated process; however, we have wonderful relationships with the teams
fessional tracks, at impressive speeds ." After discussmg the project with his long ume friend R1chard Petty. and making adjustments in the business plan, the "Rtchard Petty Drinng Experience'' was concei\cd m 1992. "Rtchard Pelt) is not just a name thn \\·e use or that we !Jccnse from him, he
and everybody benefits by showcasmg the brands on the cars. The sponsors get more \isibrhty b} thetr target market, they get information about what
is a partner in the business. and of course that is nwaluable. Nobod) n NASCt\R knew who [ was, but of
stantly ask v.. hy we are mm mg cars from competing teams on the same trailer. '\lASCAR fans are savvy to
course the Petty name is synonymcus wah racing m the L .S."
licensing and \cry loyal to their teams.·· RPDE travels among 25 d1ffercnt tracks across the country to pro\idc the
1\tch, 1rd Petty
G:i!~~t:lnl ISO pdrt time ,lnd full-time
employee~
~..&.L::I.l.I.::.LU.:.I.l.L&Jo.::L&.D
W22 Victory Lcme Concord, NC 280!7 ULLI..:..O..U.::O I 800 BE PmY 7044r,s9443
heN ed The Rrchard Petty Dnvmg Experience involves a variety of radng packages ranging from an $89 RideAlong Program to the $3000 Ad\ arced Racing Program. ln the Ride-Along. a ~ustomer rides wnh a professional ; acing instructor. while several other Fack.ages includmg the Advanced Progn.m put the customer at the wheel of a -stock car for varying numbers of la"Js .and time periods. The cars are all built by highl} trained RPDE mechanics and average a cost of $8'5,000 each. Currently th Experience inventories abollt 100 ors. rhcy arc true stock cars with engm::s of 600 to 650 horsepower. only slight y lower than those used on the racing cJrcun. The cars of many of the maJor racers are represented including Kyle Petty, Jeff Cordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ,
24
october 2002
the market is spending its money on , and we get to prov1de a vanety of cars for the client to choose from. It is mtercsting," Graham adds, "that people con-
Experience to the public. Graham explams that when a customer books a session he can choose from Lowe's Motor Speedway to Phoerm: lmernauonal, depending on his time frame. ·'The bookings for a session can be 3 or 4 momhs away depending on the track time we have scheduled and the client's personal schedule and location. Generally. people expect this." RPDE has an in-house call center of I '5 employees to man calls on the l-800-BE-PETTY booking line. However. this service started and remains not so much a sales center as an informauon line. Graham says, ·'Most people call very mterested m the racing experience but know relatively little about how it works. Our stall IS expertly trained to ask the customer a series of questions that will lead hun or her to the most reasonable and highest qualrty experience he or she can have." Some of the questions asked by the call center staff concern location, budget. and for whom the experience is bemg purchased. Generally. the demo of the average Fxperience customer is the 15 to 50year-old-male. llO\\CVer, there is a lot of di\ ersity and a fev. surprises in customer profiles. Graham remarks, "Actual thrill seekers are a minority for
they choose
to
drive daily and the luxu-
ry \'Chides they sec on TV They really \vant to experience what a high-performance vehicle ts all about."
The Richard Petty Dri\ing Experience began their mrsswn wuh four employees and rapidly grew 20 to 30 percent yearly until thm ranks numbered over 500 full and pan-time employees. Then, after the e\·ems of September 11, 2001, the bustness came to a screechmg halt. "The phones completely stopped ringing. We were suffering tremendously and had to react quickly We had to eliminate 18 percent of our workforce and streamline the operation."
The cutbacks. despite being painful, taught Graham an rmportant lesson about growth and profitability. "Prior to September llth. we were growing so rapidly that we tended to hire a new person every time we needed to mcrease performance in an area. The layoffs showed us our mistake ; the additional staff's productimy was actually very hard to measure, when the tasks were reassigned, we experienced no drfficulues at all" The grant drop m business after the disaster lasted about three months on the personal. non-corporate stde of RPDE. However Graham says the corporate side
greater charlotte biz
of the Experience is still suffering. Historically, many companies have chosen to use the RPDE as sales incentives, promotional partnering, team building and gifts. Currently, Chris ~1cKee. marketing manager of RPDE has plans in place to revitalize the corporate sector. "We are working wi.th major incenti,¡e and travel marketing companies to support sales incentives programs and have launched a new Team Building Ultimate Race Experience for groups of 36 or more.'' On plans for future growth Graham says, "Until we know what the economy is doing, and where the world is going, we are focusing on tightening up the organization and the schedule we currently have \VIthout trying to expand any further. Ideally, growth means more track time, more days for our clients. However, we are being cautious." This doesn't mean that the RPDE IS sitting idle. They arc still grossmg revenues of $30 to $40 million annually Plus, this year they will have 1,100 track dates and log over 2.5 million miles at tracks all over the country
The modest Graham assumes very little credit for the success of RPDE. "The success is directly attributable to an amazing organization of people. I came into this business as a driver and a mechanic. Other crucial items, like marketing and management, I left to a very talented group of people who really are the Richard Petty Driving Expcnence. " Graham also recognizes that a balance of individual talents and personalitieS make a stable organization. "\Ve have very effective people. Some come in at 8 and leave promptly at 5. They enjoy life apart from the RPDE , enJOY the posillon they have and do a very fine JOb for us. Then there are those who are ambitious and who live and breathe RPDE. You need both types to be effective. Everybody can't be going for the gauntlet, you need some strength at the roots too. The team at the Expenence's office IS diverse, and Graham obviously has an â&#x20AC;˘
greater charlotte btz
apprenation for potential. The president of the com pan). Rick Fedrizzi. had beginnings as a bus mechamc before Jmnmg RPD[ and IS highly valued by Graham. '·He has ah\ays been more than a ta\emed mechanic. Rick has a great head on his shoulders and has had powerful ideas o\·er the years." Plus, the company has some of the finest mstructors around, according to Graham. "There is such a huge pool of talented driwrs in this area that don't have rides, we can't help but to benefit from their expertise."
The RPDE team is a group of skilled mechanics, driving instructors, and the operations group, as well as call center specialists, marketing and administrati\·e personnel. RPDE
~ f o v 1.s.1 1 n ~
on ~
lEADING T£CHNOlOGY. lASTING PARTNfRSHI I"
44a1 Colwick Road #400 Charlottl NC 28211-2349 704.365.9077 www.infov.com
26
cctobEr 2002
Operations is an mtensel) trained group organizing the transport and set-up of each b:penence and 1s a wry powerful link in the RPDE chain. At a typical Expenence one can expect roughl) 18 to 20 employees on the track, apart from safety units generally provided by the hosting track. Says Graham, "Building the cars is the easy part. The operation - hm·ing all the nght people in place to pronde the best and safest experience for each clientis the ulnmate challenge." At the beginnmg of an Expe1icnce. the RPDE staff goes m·er safety 1ssues. track details and gets everyone into a race unifrom. In 12 years of operation the business has ne\·er bad an injury, major health problem or any blemish on the RPDE safety record. Instruction and ;mention to detail is the main reason. A RPDE \'an dnves participants around the track to school them in e\'cry consideration before anyone climbs through the lS''x 30" windm\ into their bucket scat. Communication with the student once m the car is handled only by flags, although
greater charlotte biz
a trained instructor is on the course at all times with the client. At one time headsets were used, however, these pro\·ed more distracting than useful. Therefore, instruction before getting into the vehicle is crucial. Graham still makes it to the track to watch various track days, although he has been able to confidently hand the operations over to his staff. "I like to step back from the work side of things and watch the people have the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Many people enjoy the mobile classroom mstruction so much that they think that lS all there is - before they have even stepped into a car. When I was part of operations I couldn't sec the forest for the trees, now I can hear and sec what people are experiencing."
1-0iled Machine Graham has successfully pulled back from the RPDE operation, so confident in his staff that he leaves six months every year to spend time in his native Australia. "Over the years I became aware of the kind of people it took to make a successful operation. I knew I couldn't do everything, and there were things that other people could do much better than me." When asked the secret of building his successful team, Graham has a simple answer. "l wasn't stuck back in an office getting reports. I was part of the team keeping my eyes and ears open. seeing who worked within the team and who didn't." As Graham walks through the hallways of his office, his presence commands the respect of his employees, but there is also something more. There 1s familial warmth in the office that Graham says he misses when he is abroad. "It 1s nice to go to the fax machine and to check my messages and know everything is being competently handled. But I like making my phone calls to the office, not to check up on thmgs but ro catch up with the people and see how things are go mg." And the track is a11-clcar for RPDE. biz
3n ·:~
l\'3rranty: 100"'•
rr~~
bo:k
gua ·an~ee
if ycur ;ales do not increase
What if
Charlotte's future were homegrown?
Susanne De1tzel is a Charlotte-based freelance wnter. greater charlotte biz
.:)'::t:)ber 2C•02 27
by bryce m. nie lsen
Cutting to the Specialized software weeds through data to produce real-time reports and bottom-line results Time and money. -he business world is overfiowing with countless books, gadgets, c:nd systems all prom is ng t:;,
~ave
us time and money. Yet few xoducts really man-
c:ge to deliver the efficiency we crave. And realistically, some things just can't be rushed . But when Herb Verbesey found himself wasting hours, sometimes days, waiting for a computerized report, he knew something had to be done. On one prticularly frustrating jay, Verbesey turned to a colleague and declared that he could write a program in cnE week that would end all the waiting. Twenty-six hours later he'd written
:t
compu:er program that would thrust him to the forefront of
t=chnical innovaticn arx! turn a talented employee into a CEO.
>-
october 2002 29
scien e. In a surprising twist, Verbesey chose a different path and took a liberal That was twenty years ago. Today Herb Verbesey, founder and CEO of Decision Support Inc. in Matthews, North Carolina, is recognized as an innovator in reponing and data integration software. Founded in 1984, Decision Support first made its mark by providing companies using massive mainframe systems with the technology to quickly access specialized data. Otherwise known as DARGAL (Data Access, Reporting, Graphics, and Analysis Language), this unique and innovative software eliminated the endless delays associated with generating highly detailed reports and spreadsheets from mainframe data. Now, Decision Supports DQ (di tributed query) line of products integrates data from mainframes, servers, and desktops and provides browser-based executive reports that are as quick and easy to use as opening an e-mail.
Verbesey has always had a mind for invention. Like so many of our original techies, he got his start as a ham radio operator 50 years ago. Fascinated by the increasing pace of modern technology, Verbesey was thinking about computers when most of America was still infatuated with television. In the early sixties he managed to meet up with a group of like minds to form a computer club. "We built a compu ter out of relays from confiscated pinball machines," he laughs. The next logical step, it would seem, would have been to pursue an education in a technical field like engineering or
arts education. And like so many other liberal arts graduates, he soon found himself standing at the front of a classroom. But he wasn't teaching English or history as one might expect, he was teaching math . As the wo rld of computers transitioned from science fiction to reality, Verbesey's interest in the subject, combined with his mathematical talents, led him to a position as a statistics analyst. It was during this time that DARGAL came to life and soon Ve rbesey was on his own, trying to sell his product in a new and virtually unknown industry.
"In a small company you have the luxury of organizing the company around the skills of individuals. We don't need to squeeze the pegs into the holes. We work together to find the right fit." -Herbert M. Verbesey
Ve rbesey doesn't include sales and marketing on his list of significant talents. Fortunately interest in his new time-saver came quickly and the company was able to enlist the services of a third-party sales and marketing company. With this new arrangeme nt, Decision Support had a direct link to their target market, Burroughs Large ystems, and the resources they needed to market the product world-wide. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte lays claim to being Decision Support's first customer, but it wasn't long before Verbesey found himself traveling around the glo be meeting new clients and growing his business. Over the years Decision Support's products
have been installed in more than 40 countries, streamlining data integration in everything from banking to manufacturing to governmental agencies. By the second half of the company's life, Verbesey says he was finally comfortable with building his own sales and marketing team. Today he has six people in the department who actively pursue new business directly with corporate prospects.
s By 1990, Verbesey began noticing changes in the tech sector. "I was concerned the mainframe business wasn't going to keeping growing," he explains. He took a closer look at the industry and decided that more and more businesses were heading in the direction of "distributed compu ting." In other words, smaller computer systems would be linked together specifically to suit a company's needs. Verbesey quickly recognized the glitch. Businesses were using multiple systems that weren't designed to work together. Without the centralized control of a mainframe, many businesses we re unable integrate important data. "In 1992 1 took five of my best tech people, locked them in a room and told them not to come out until they had a product ," laughs Verbesey. A year later the team emerged with a prototype of DQbroker, a "distributed query" product that would provide businesses with the "m iddleware" to quickly integrate information from va rious incompatible databases and generate real-time information as if working from one harmonious computer system. The addition of this second product and a suite of supporting tools was exactl y what Decision Su pport needed to stay com petitive and relevant in the new and rapidl y changing tech industry
Strong Products, Loyal
c Unlike so many other boom and bust tech companies, Verbesey says he has always aimed for consistency and manageable growth. "I never aspired to be the world's greatest company," explains Verbesey. "I was more interested in creating valuable products and services." And by focusing their energy on keeping cur-
greater charlotte biz
rent customers happy and the strengths of its two main products, DARGAL and DQbroker, Decision Support is weathering the economic downturn relatively well. Rather than chasing after the next get-rich-quick concept, Verbesey
active business owner, Verbesey has been rewarded with a highly efficient and knowledgeable staff that takes personal ownership in their work. "ln a small company you have the
acknowledges that it's generally wiser to stick with what you know and concentrate on being good at one thing. "We've
luxury of organizing the company around the skills of individuals," says Verbesey. "We don't need to squeeze the pegs into the holes. We work together to
continuously adapted our technology to fit the latest trends and industry needs ," he says. or course being good at one thing is important, but it takes more than a spe-
find the right fit. " And clearly the staff is satisfied. Employee turnover is less than 10 percent per year, and the average length of service is eight years - an amazing number for an IT company.
cialized product to achieve lasting success. As so many potentially viable tech companies were struggling to stay aOoat, Verbesey noticed a trend. Businesses that were in trouble quickly lost sight of their most important asset, their customers. He watched as companies drove up their prices, cut customer service, and eventually went under. "We've done our share of boot-strapping," says Verbesey, "but we've never strayed from our emphasis on strong customer support." It's this commitment that has earned Decision Support a very loyal client base and a number of awards, including the Blue Diamond Award for Customer Service. In twenty years little has changed in the customer service department. Representatives still answer the phone the old-fashioned way and training is provided on-site.
Ta
"It's important to find a happy marriage between creativity and perseverance." -Herbert M. Verbesey ... Despite Verbesey's impressive accomplishments, he prefers to remain humble about the good fortune he's experienced over the past two decades. Although Decision Support has always turned a profit, he's also up from about the handful of spin-off companies he started, four in all, that have come and gone over the years. "We've definitely had our fair share of learning things the hard way," he
Loyalty and talent are what keep the wheels turning internally as well. "l learned early the importance of surrounding myself with good people, " he says. "No one can do it by himself. " His
laments. Even with other projects in the works, Decision Support has never strayed from its core product or its most reliable target market. Traditionally, the winning formula has always been a big
commitment to an enthusiastic and productive staff is evident in the way he assigns tasks. At Decision Support the Client Services department is more than customer support. Representatives are also responsible for quality control and customer training. "The benefits are twofold, " he says. "It makes for more interesting work, and the people who are trouble-shooting the product design are the same people who support the product after it goes to market. " As a pro-
ticket, low volume combination. The company has targeted large corporations with the financial resources to invest in the product. Local clients include big names such as Bank of America, CocaCola Bottling Company Consolidated, lnserve/lCorp , and Allvac. Worldwide the list includes Bank of Finland , Barclays Bank, Canada's and Brazil's equivalent of our Social Security Administration, Koppers Industries, Global Companies, and the GSA (Government ervices Administration). But going forward ,
greater charlotte biz
Verbesey says he would like to see the company bring a high-volume product into the fold. "l believe we can also provide a useful, less expensive, distributed query product to smaller businesses," he says. For a company that has generally adhered to more conservative standards, venturing out of their secure and successful surroundings sounds unusually adventurous. But Verbesey is a man driven by curiosity. "Having my own business wasn't something I'd always wanted," he admits. "But the opportunity was there. And l knew that if l didn't try it, I'd always regret it." And it's this knack for balancing inquisitiveness and common sense that has made all the difference. "lt's important to find a happy marriage between creativity and perseverance," he says. "There are plenty so-called entrepreneurs out there who can spin off a new idea each week, but they can't follow through with the product." Decision Support all started with one man's idea to creative a useful, valuable product. And over the years Verbesey has seen his role as a leader evolve from computer programmer to sales and marketing to his current involvement in company strategy But in the end, he knows he will always be driven by a built-in desire to explore new ideas and innovations. To prove this point, Verbesey recounts that once when his wife asked him what he would do when he retires, he replied, "Probably start a new company." She hasn't asked him since. biz
Bryce M. Nielsen IS a Charlotte-based freelance wnter.
october 2002 31
by mary 11 arshall
profile]
GROWING BEANS CHARLOTTE CPAs \1\!lT GKEEN THUMB "'vJe dn more thar count yo..1r bears: we make them gro\\," sars
CPA P->11 \'ance, who recently pc.rtrerec <v!lh fellow CPAs Gal) Flo;house and F:-ed Garges teo !conn Vane: Flouhousc & Garges, PLLC The fim1 boasts of ser\ices t!-at itclude a healthy dose of innJv l!ve thinkhg. 'v\1 en Gee. G. Scott & CJ., the ugh to be the oldest CPA fim1
in the "'-arc of North Carolina ceased operations on December 31, 2001, former ranner3 Flouhcus:' and Garges teamed with Vance, who lo::d recently retired after 1~ yens 11 the helm of the Charloue office >1f Reznick, Fodcer and Si â&#x20AC;˘en1ar, to fom1 a CPA firm with a new omcept, one that travcle::l CO\\.n ad fferem road. They hit the paverr<>nt :-unning right in the r:~iddle of tax season, january 15, 2002.
Rt:cognizing that there lr: h.tnâ&#x20AC;˘lrecs of local CPA firms in Charkttc . the partne~s em'i3ioncd c firm that catered to middle market eli ~nts, characteris icallr 11c foc:.rs cf J regional firm. With the meetir g of the minds of these tl ree hig1.ly successful and industrious C?As. who together amas nor:: thJr. 80 years of >-
greater charlotte biz
october 2002 33
.XfCneJ cc, erne th: birn o ;:- org~miza io:l L<::t com nnes :c sef'JC mz-y c011er
:;eo. ::;. Scott cl em:: ,11015 ·,,n
1 1calth; JSt o- n::v. clJ:::n· :>as the:; C2.):it:: ze con th. ~tr=n.,;to nf c<p.rience, emp ~~es. ard :Ja-.n~rS1ips.
h's ~l gra:s rco~--<:>re"l._o:d - -m v::rsL~ .he c.. r ..enticlal ::::::.<~, sterecr,rp=. It's a firt .h<.- t·ug_lcs. Co-d c:Ls B.C -j~ r tl-a< .xtcr>h~ .ldH· rti=:ir~ or :!:ired. ::.a1 CIS. A :Jroocti,·;: Ne 1 SL~ ":ens cL,_nt.: _c the.r "CT''i.Ce> Dot.lJlc pc -r::-teriug wl ...TI visiting prosp::_j\.e a.<d ::xi..::t r.g d crt~. ~mw-cs wilia~y wber a (hem c;;1k <cy'Ye cro.:._tcd _ ~1rcrl-:ss .ru·Jit eni·...ur...:n_ by ::val Lt.lti"l.g an::l re N it ng t 1-c:t- !;._ fr-vare ~ 1 ·I.-e assi~tal Le .-.f st<.[ ro::r Jcs, v;hf" Compan}- nc.ne:
:;cto:JEr
~00~
re"e.ed at the r.:-la!Cc L· xnd a; a tearr c;~. they dug ci..n 11w soL,'vaJe capal:; i.ties. Tl-e::>\e hi ted ..,_o ~i>r ta::: r: anzse·s, ad::ltd a fir n a::.nur.i;t-:llot Jnd arc hiring new JY-Ople tc cxpe-etKLd a1d tecent co lege gracs. ~-01. l\ arieL ng, <. Gdctte mark.Ciing _oL.'i-lting <ncJ J::sig1 frm, serves as tJ- :>i- L~a ·h_i -g ocpartmOl.L Vc:nce floli:.OU5t c"y_ G1 ·gc5 he:= <ade Jim vt.:Do~li 1 ncnb::- ot Ll~r L<.n. servmg as c..Jure;el [o- he im1. McDomld, who work: tLL of /.La·ta, is both :1 1x aunrney ar.._ 1 _P>'\., ard a~.9st5 the firm o-_ ne;sc-ti1tion and itigui.:n ci3pJtcs .vilh t~ IRS and ta): ::JLttlilig- tior . H ew;;~ J fmrrer age:-r v• th t1::- :). Oth:r vsou·c~ includ::: the Hc:oc. l b Comtru•.tion C:rcur: an:! the Enterp-i5c "- 2t:wor:-(, a nat...Jnal as~ociation A a~·~l•Ln.t.i..:-.g r m15- hlnl.?;hom the United St r rs. \Tmce, FlaL.hoL8'2 .:;r Cng~s "" •rk \vi __cli~nts in a .:c l abor;U\C fa;hil- tc tuil:J Str::mg busilles.:; re ali•lllihD.3 and r·oduce sourd resu.IJ.s [c 1 wrr micl.:.fle -na ri.EL clients. Thcr :1uture t lC cTrqxencurial sp-ri. wd cnccrag? Q JS n.:ss ~rov. ·h based ::m q JJ if (c] re:se£r :I-, cC.Lca.cd input and tmJ:nlleltd e.<rcricrce ·Wbik.
our industry specific e>..'])erience makes us unique in our ability to hone in on precise needs of the automobile, construction, non-profit and real estate indusuics and high-net worth persons, our traditional accounting and financial services help us serve all our clients," says Garges. Services also include financial statements, business ad\'isory, Lax , managemem consulting, accounting/bookkeeping, and operations management. 'Vance Flouhouse & Garges is truly more than an accouming firm," says Marty Hancock of Sonny Hancock Chcvmlet in Gastonia. 'Their personal attention and imcrest in our business and success has made them part of the Sonny Hancock family. Trying LO operate several businesses under one umbrella makes for a fmmidable accounting challenge. Rules and regulations pertaining to the indusuy change so frequently, that without the timely advice and guidance of Vance Flouhouse & Garges, l shudder to think of the position we'd be in. We feel so strongly about their capabilities that we've rejected offers from several national fim1s and continue to speak to other dealerships on their behalf." Due Lo recent tax law changes regarding cost segregation, Vance Flouhouse & Garges capitalized on this cost sa\'i.ng service for their clients. Here's how iL works. The fim1 sends in engineers to evaluate commercial property or multi-family units. They reclassify personal property items into l, 100 different categories. Those items that arc deemed personal property are eligible for a five-year Wlite-off rather than the nom1al 39-year depreciation for commercial properties and 2 7.5-year depreciation for multi-family properties. This has allowed the firm to generate net operating losses, which can be carried back five years and have resulted in significam tax refunds for their clients. lf you are a golf course owner, you may save significam tax dollars under newly clarified Lax rules dating December 2001 and modified February 2002 for additional savings. New rules allow owners to depreciate land preparation costs m the original construction or reconstruction of modem greens, tee boxes, bunkers, fairways and roughs that are closely associated with underground drainage and irrigation
greater charlotte biz
tiles/pipes. Satellite imaging of the golf courses is used to determine what costs can be written off. Internally, the group works well
side the box " Recently, Vance and Flouhouse trav-
together. "We run the firm as a committee getting more done in three hours than a large firm accomplishes in six months," says Vance. "Not many people have the opportunity to form a business by evaluating past experiences, accessing future goals and in the process throwing out the undesirable as they capitalize on the positive." Since june, they've added 100 audit
evaluated their options. They could drive directly back to the Charlotte office or spend the afternoon making cold calls. They opted for the later, followed by a quick brainstorming session - who do we know where7
clients and eight automobile dealerships; the firm is on a roll, one they see gaining momentum with expansion already reaching from coast to coast. In ten months, the staff has grown significantly and anticipates expanding to more than 35 associates by tax season. They've surpassed their revenue budget by 40 percent and recently rewrote their lease, expanding their office space by over 1,200 square feet. How this firm differs from others lies in the enthusiasm and objeCtives personified by the partners "It's all about relationships, establishing friendships with our clients, and serving them in good and tough times," said Flouhouse. "People know us; we know them," said Vance. "Our reputation in the industry speaks well for us. " Charlie Daul, vice president of finance for the greater Charlotte YMCA says, "Our relationship with Vance Flouhouse & Garges has been, and continues to be, invaluable. Flouhouse's professional manner and obvious commitment to his business and community are clear, making our long-term relationship with the firm a solid one. As one of the ten largest YMCAs in North American, we have an obligation to work with a firm familiar with non-profits. Vance Flouhouse & Garges stepped up to the plate when many firms were washing their hands of not-for-profits. lt's proven to be a successful endeavor for both of us. " " inety-five percent of our growth comes from client referrals," added Flouhouse. "We also capitalize on opportunities. For example, we'll drive by wondering what a business does. The differen e is we stop to find out. There are companies out there that need accounting work. We knock on doors, share ideas; we step out-
greater charlotte biz
eled to Chapel Hill to meet v.ith a client. Finishing up shortly before noon, they
First stop was a dealership in the Raleigh area- they left with a new client. Brochures and information were left with a builder. Vance remembered a former client in Lexington. Following a visit, they secured audits and tax services from the cl ient. CPA courses and seminars both in and out of the office keep everyone from principals to administrative staff to first year associates abreast of all the latest tax and regulatory re\isions. Relief can be found at the Thursday afternoon Bible Study Associates gather in the conference room v.ith their bag lunch as CPA Claire Wilson, whose husband is pastor of Little Church on the Lane, leads discussions. Community involvement ranks high with the firm. Vance Flouhouse & Garges co-sponsored \vith WBTV the Charlotte Touchdown Club's annual golf tournament, which funds local high school and area college football programs. You'll find Flouhouse and Garges running the lOK as the finn co-sponsors the Dowd YMCA's Outback/Outreach Family Fitness Day, which \viii include a 5K, lOK, the joey run for kids six and under, and outdoor group exercise. "We're goal driven," states Flouhouse , "challenging ourselves and all around us. We're stri\ing to be the premier CPA firm in Charlotte through growth, the people we hire, and the associations we establish. We can't get too big as long as we keep the focus on our clients, making sure we maintain our relationship with former and new clients so they know who we are and we know who they are."
IRA ~~
tJil-\
OITE.COM
~-
TlliClinC1arltte.ccm i; =ocused en keepinc; tr3ining ddlar~ in Crl!!ater CharlottE by h-:lping oL r co m1rity find all of ts tnining re!curc's rg~t here- at home. S.tve E-XJ:e1 ;es anc time by local ·)ne source st oo:> n ! T ainCharlltte..(()m -ccnnects y)u w;th Gla•l~te's best: • Training i'ro~ti:ler~ • Local 5{-rrinar~ & M kshops .. , ......... . • Faci it es • AV Eqr:ir neJJ: • ... a~d rrarel
•Wo • Web/ owser • forms l'ro.:esring/ OCR/lOt SoiL tons • Convers-ions DTI
About the Po rtners Vance served in the United States Marine Corps for four years including l3 months in Vietnam. After graduating from Benjamin Franklin University in
>-
lntegmted Busrness SolutiDns
800-753-4238 nfo ~ liltiibs.com
october 2.:)0?. JS
Washington, D.C. , he quickly climbed the
THE BEST SWING IS THE ONE YO U WE RE BORN W ITH body has always known how to hit a ball with a stick. At Ta1geted Go/f. we help you call on that natural ability to in: prove your golf game. We fows on what matters, the use of the clubface to impact tl1 e ball. With th e freedom of this singular fows and sophisticated feedback technology, you can become an accomplished player ContCJct the Targeted Golf Learning Center today, and discover the player within yo u. }our
TA R GET ED GOLF '"
ranks during his five years at Washington, D.C.'s Grant Thornwn. He then served as a managing partner in his own firm, Turner, Vance & Moss , CPAs, with offices in Virginia and West Virginia. Following that he served as principal with Reznick, Fedder & Silverman for five years in Bethesda, Mel. , spearheading the opening of their Charlotte office in 1987 where he served as managing principal. During his twelve years with the firm, he engineered the office's growth and helped Resnick, Fedder & ilverman become one of the lOp fifteen firms in the country Vance's areas of concentration include general and specialty sub-contracwrs; multi-family apartments; low income housing tax credits (LIHTC), housing authorities, office buildings and storage rentals, home construction (single family/townhouses) , land development entities, land held for investment; health care facilities , automobile dealerships, clue diligence work for lPO's in the construction industry, cost segregation sLUdies, HUD and rural housing projects and cost certification for HUD.
consultingdoesn'thavetohurt!
For a consulting experience that won't leave you dazed.
L------------------------------ e~~~~~~速 Strategy & Business I Customer Relationship Man a gement I Program Management I Application D evelopment I
PO Box 495 51 Charlotte, No rth Ca ro lina 282 77 www.exervio. com 704-759 -0964
36
october 2002
Vance serves on the board of directors for the Hard Hat Construction Group. He is a member of the Tax Recovery pecialists, LLC team and of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AlCPA), North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accounts ( CACPA) , Virginia , West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.'s societies of CPAs, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts ( ACVA), Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the Local Homebuilders Associations for Mecklenburg and Union counties. A member of the Board of Directors for the Charlotte Touchdown Club, Vance currently serves as treasurer. He is an active member of the board of directors for Restoration Ranch in Houston, Texas. Flouhouse graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1977 w1th a B.A. in political science and a minor in business. He earned a B.S. in accounting from UNCC in 1983. Flouhouse spent 18 years with Geo. G. con & Co., the last six years as partner, gaining experience in the automotive,
greater charlotte biz
non-profit, construction, wholesale and retail industries in both tax and accounting matters. Flouhouse continues to focus on the automotive industry. He is involved with the accounting and tax issues regarding the buying and selling of franchises , internal accounting reviews and analytical operations reviews. Flouhouse works extensively with non-profit clients, construction and other middle market companies. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), orth Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA), North Carolina Center for Non-Profits, the board for the SouthPark Breakfast Rotary Club and the Providence Day School Advisory Board. Garges graduated from the University of Dayton in 1968 vvith an accounting degee. He spent five years in the Army where he served as HAWK missile battery commander in Germany and a district senior advisor in Vietnam. Back in the states, Garges joined Geo. G. Scott & Co. as a staff accountant. ln 1974, Garges earned his CPA certificate, becoming the third generation of Garges' CPAs. He was named partner in 1985 and managing partner in 1997. Garges' non-profit experience includes public and private organizations and foundations. He leads the firm's efforts in determining which accounting services nonprofit clients need regarding the complicated governmental funding requirements. Additionally, his 29 years' experience with construction contractors encompasses general contractors, specialty contractors and homebuilders. He is proficient in business and individual income taxes and estate planning. Garges is also a member of the Amctican Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AlCPA), North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA), Charlotte Estate Planners Council, Construction Financial Management Association, the orth Carolina Center for on-Profits and numerous YMCA committees. biz Mary Marshall 1s a Charlotte-based freelance writer.
greater charlotte biz
Don•t be forced into reacting to change ...
Anticipate Change! As outplacement specialists, The Transition Team can help your company face the changing tides of business trends. By preparing for situations before they occur, the options for solutions will be greater and the transition smoother.
The Transition Team provides the following services to assist your company and its employees: • Professional Individual & Executive Outplacement • Large & Small Group Outplacement • Strategic Analysis and Evaluations • Internet Job Search Workshop • Career Counseling/Coaching • Pre-Retirement Workshops • Transition Center & Specialized Workshops
THE FORUM GROUP, INC. Charlotte D/B/A THE TRANSITION TEAM An Oi Partner
704-845-1900 • www. tttsolutlons.com 8509 Crown Crescent Ct. Charlotte, NC 28227-7733 Fax: 704-845-2420 Email: info@tttsolutions.com
SANDirect.com® A Division of Providence Technologies, Inc.
WE BUY AND SELL SAN Solutions • Tape Solutions • Routers/Switches
}nr•
where information lives
0
STORACETEK
MCDATA
Quantum.
2019 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28206 (704) 370-0744 • fax (704) 370-6300 • www.sandirect.com
Your torage
rea
etwork and Backup Products october 2002 37
[bizdigest] Corporations Team Together to Recruit Teachers Recruitment Incentives H elp Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Attract Candidates In response to a growing teacher shortage, Charlotte businesses have stepped up to provide the CharlotteMecklenburg Schools with recruitment incentives for use in attracting candidates . Utility companies Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, BeiiSouth and Time Warner Cable have agreed to waive utility deposits for new teachers. BB& T, Carolina Tractor and Flouhouse L-R C:ack -ow: l" ;o.rcic. Merrill, Tivoli Partrers; Katb: Fowers, Dl <e Powe-; Marisa Watson, Du l:e Power; D ~ J c. me~ Pughsley, CharloL-e-Me ·: klenbur~ Schools;To±l Elliott, Cricket Commu nicaticns; Gail Pope. Fiedrr:mt Natural Gas; Stephen Bernh:.-dt, Bern1arct Executive Search. Front row. Erik Lindbo15, Be iSoJth; Ernie Dehnert, BB&T; Gc rdon Kerr, C::>lcwelll'lanker/ Fiouhouse Realors; De:: MErril~ Wachovia; Dr. Barb'lra Jenki - s, Charlctte-"1ecklen ::>urg Schools; Robertc. Farm.:ln,T me W r ne - Cable. Not ~ ictured: Ed Wes iger, Carol ire T-actor.
Coldwell Banker will serve as guarantor; for the program . The effort, initially chaired by Stephen Bernhardt of Bernhardt Executive Search, is now driven by Todd Elliott of Cricket Communications as part of the CMS
cizbits
;and new OJnibrms fea:uring the touch cf 11ationally rer.::w-.ned dothing designer
Barrilardt:,Walker & Day (BWD)
;a
Charlotte-:trel. advertising agency
The nev.-y desigrEd logo features a
apprcac1 ng it: 20:h anniversary
leaner, meaner. more colorful polar bear
an•ounc:ed thlf: it has formally c1anged its
1111ascot d ress-:d in rec and blue, a depar-
na111e tc Barnhal'dt, Day & Hines
• ure from the orange and blue worn by
(BD&H).Tilis .-arne changes reflects the
• he Checkers; since tl-eir return to
ad"'ancem=nt d agency vice president <>f
•:harlotte in 9S3.
accoLn: m:tn<li§'E:ment Alaine Hin:s to
The upd;o.ted loge and new unifcrrrs
partner . . .As i: nears opening, The
~ olidify
Westin Olariotte is now accepting
llusinessmen 3.nd CEO Carl Scheer and
re!lervalio-.s f -om individual business <Wld
•:hairman Fe x Sabates (who originally
tile ccnmitment of Charlotte
E25~
leisure :ra·. .ela:;. These groups account
I()VO.ned tile
for app -o>: mz.oely 70 percent of
hnchise from 1993-1'996 and reaquired
t~_rism
ahe team in :icy of th:S year). along with
Charlotte's
::.a
.-\lexande - Ju : <W1
traffic citywide .. .
Coasa hockey League
The thrill;;, the chills, the hills, and the
l'artner C·::>-o·... ners St:ve Luquire
spllshei a I m:o.-<e J;Oing to a thene part< a
aLL quire Gec.-ge Andr-ews, Inc.). Mark
memorc.l:le e>.::>erience, but how do
f.ichardscn (Carolina =>anthers), and
de~igner-s rna~~
~outh
it ;o exciting! T'leme
Ca-olira businessman Jerry Zucker,
Partners for School Reform teacher committee. "We have a I 9 percent teacher turnover rate in this community," says Elliott. "And urban districts face greater challenges in attracting teachers. The business community's support of this kind of effort speaks volumes about our support of public education, and that's important to teachers." Next on the horizon is providing gift certificates for meals. The committee has been working with the Hospitality and Tourism Alliance on the project. "When a candidate comes to town to interviewno matter how attractive that candidate might be-they come on their own dime. For many recent graduates, it's a real hardship to cover those costs," says Elliott.
Park The A'1 & 5cie'lce of Universd's lsla.Jds ofAd'v€n~t.re, t-e newest feature :xhibi:
ao bring rew excitement and an
functional Web site to provide clients
!!!nhanced gallle experence to energize
with up-to-date manufacturer informa-
coming to Dis=overy Place through
lt!e always-lo: al Ched:.er supporters anj
t ion. pricing and recommendations.
Jaruary I. !OC:. soows visitors h::>w . .
=.tt-act new -"ens . .. jc:I~es-McCormick.
Serving the Carolinas since 1974.Jones-
W1en n e puc< drops on a new season
::me ofthe most reliatle and reputable
McCormick counts school food service.
of Charlotte Checkers hockey at
.,anufacturer5 agents in the Carolinas
restaurant chains. correctional facility
Crcket Arena ::>n =riday. October II ,
::hose Spot Marketing. a local markec-
food service. and health care food service
2002. the :Eanr will sport an upciated bgo
ilg consu ti~ md desgn firm. to create a
among major industry clientele.
octo:::>e ·- 2)02
greater charlotte biz
Local Universities Receive National Attention Queens University of Charlotte,Wake Forest University and Davidson College Listed in i'.atio--al P.cnkings In overall rankings contained in U.S. News
to the more than 300 Charlotte-area
gram~ . ::>r :>rh~r
& World Report's list of Best American
employers who have joined with Queens
gre:tt beat :·ns ."'
Colleges, Queens University of
University of Charlotte in a strong part-
Charlotte has jumped four spots to No.
nership for education ."
20 in the South in the " Best Universities -
Wake Forest University's
It
a l~o
Oj::~or:Jn
,arquis prognms -
_a!;ec its
>~lectbns
·:>o tfl =
:}. s: hools c-ffer for corr m•nity
in vol~el'lE
:.. wt"lic:h it ca led. "a :>I Js br
Master's" category. The category includes
Babcock Graduate School of
studerrts 01.::-, i1g : o rrake a :Ji-"e ret-.ce
schools that provide a full range of under-
Management ranks No. 23 among the
pest 9-11.-
graduate and master's-level programs but
world's top 50 business schools in the
offer few, if any, doctoral programs.
second annual survey of corporate
The overall rankings are based on criteria including academic reputation , class sizes and student/faculty ratio, retention of freshmen , student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.
U.S. News & World Report has also
Th= ed : crs cite Da·tid:;on s >: r:ng ~ --o~r c_,s, ~:re c. : campJ~
aoje rr ic
life:,
recruiters conducted by The Wall Street
pri ,e: lo :.c: tio'l s, lead 1g pre-me::! xcgram,
journal.
sm ~ ll
Recruiters who participated in the
tow• ;n,csphere, an :J tre nri: )·
of 'in:i g
=v sic n I
~po-cs p "C ~:om ~lso
a: nct : d tre
survey rated Babcock's Career
a libercl
art~
Management Center No.6 in the world
str~nJth
C::: :::>av
and No. 5 among U.S. schools. The survey,
pre-gram, perr aJS in r=c :>gn itic n of tle
·: o ege .lt :Json'~
art :md rus ic
ranke d Queens University of Charlotte
which was published in the newspaper's
bLi d ir gs the : o l ege has co1 ; truc:ec
No. IS on its list of " Best Value" schools
September 9, 2002, edition, named the
fo - those :Epartmerrt>.
in the South in the " Best Universities -
Babcock School No. 7 among I 0 schools
Master's" category. This is the seventh
regarded as "hidden gems ."
consecutive year that the school has
all in
The survey, which was conducted
D:wic;cn is :a h &hly se e·: ti.,e inceperde - t li:lenl
~ rts
: :>ll:!gE br 1.600 stu-
derts . Silc eo ils : stahl isl-rnent ir
33"' , the
earned "Best Value" re cognition.
with Harris Interactive, Inc ., included
eel ege ha..: 5rad Jate :J 23 R.hcces 5cholars
And most recently, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Queens University of
responses from 2,221 corporate repre-
anc i5 co r.:;:m:err:ly ran <ed r the : op ten
sentatives who recruit full-time MBA
lit:erc..l art:: •:clleges ir the :C•Jr:ry by U.S.
Charlotte No. I 0 in the nation and No. I
school graduates. The recruiters compiled
among private schools in the South in a
a total of 3,641 school ratings, which
new ranking that recognizes schools with
were based on perceptions of the school
"ou tstanding examples of academic pro-
and the school's students (80 percent)
grams that lead to student success."
and on the school's "mass appeal" (20
This is the first year U.S . News &
percent) defined by the total number of
World Report has ranked schools based on
recruiters who recruit from that school.
specific academic programs that have been
schools accredited by the AACSB, the
joined in the Top I 0 in the internship cat-
International Association for Management
egory by schools that include Cornell
Education, and 73 non-U.S. business
University, University of Michigan, and
schools. The goal was to identify school
Northeastern University.
and student characteristics that recruiters consider most important when they make
earned the ranking in the " Inte rnships
decisions about which schools to recruit
/Co-ops" category for the career intern-
from and which students to recruit.
ship program that is a required element of
The Babcock School is ranked among
the curriculum for all students at the
the nation's best graduate business
four-year liberal arts institution .
schools by Business Week , the Financial
"We are thrilled that U.S . News & World Report recognizes the value of a
and The Wall Street Journal.
program that is truly integral to the
Times, Forbes, U.S . News & World Report The 2003 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to
unique learning experience students
Get into College" cites Davidson as one
receive here," says Pamela Lewis, presi-
of a dozen " hot colleges" nationwide .
dent of Queens University of Charlotte.
The publication 's choices include
"Much of the credit for our No. I 0 rank-
"public universities that offer strong
ing in this category, and indeed the suc-
academics at affordable prices, or private
cess of our internship program, must go
colleges with star-studded science pro-
greate r charlotte biz
( 'i!Tb.i 1. b ut: ·ze the JC:1lrrNit.<lil!ei tocls. - c e::perience :-J c- :::~!Siil\. l e•te::-~ ~ :he. potent al for tlu~ bc: ndit of your
The survey included 187 U.S. business
shown to enhance learning. Queens is
Queens University of Charlotte
'1-fT')
:·ctote-- 2C02 33
Panthers' Richardson and Celts-Tar Heels' McCauley to Speak 3.t Charlotte Touchcovm Club he attended Wofford College in
THE
bron ko=--=--=-==
NAGURSKI
Charlotte Touchdown Club
Spartanburg. A stellar college career for the Terriers led the Baltimore Colts to draft him in the 13th round in 1958. Richardson earned a roster spot as a third receiver with the Colts , and in the 1959 Championship Game, he caught a touch-
Tuesday, October I5, 2002
down pass from Johnny Unitas in a 31-16
Jerry Richardson, Owner/Founder,
victory over the Giants.
Carolina Panthers
He used his playoff check of $3 ,500 to
Don McCauley, Former Running Back,
but football remained a passion and love that
Colts-Tar Heels
he never lost. In 1993, he, as partner of an
Monday, December 9, 2002
ownership group, was granted the 29th NFL
Bronko Nagu rski Trophy Presentation
expansion team and , in 1995, the Carolina
For reservations to events for club members or non-members, sponsorship inquiries, or information on becoming a member of the Charlotte Touchdown Club, contact john Rocco at 704-34 7-2918. <www.touchdownclub.com>
Panthers played their first season in their
Jerry Richards:m was a member of one
own privately-financed stadium.
~ toried
teams, the Baltimore
Colts, and pluec a role in their 1959 chall-
Tuesday, October 29,2002
begin a successful 30-year career in business,
Carolina Pant .. ers Owner and Founder the NFL's mo; t
2002 Charlotte Touchdown Club Speakers Series Luncheons and Events
His love for the Panthers is equaled by his interest in seeing success for the National
pionship win over the New York Giants. He ,
Football League. He is one of the most active
along with Geor-se Halas, is one of two 1\.FL
owners in the NFL and is currently the
averaged 5.1 yards per carry, and currently
owners to ever play in the League.
Chairman of the Stadium Committee.
holds the ACC record for touchdowns in a
Don McCauley is a former Running Back for the Colts and the Tar Heels-
single season with 21 .
who brought '\JR.. footb all to the Carolin:as. That has beer enough to earn 1im induction
While obtaining hi s degree in Political
first round draft pick in 1971 ), he scored 60
into both the No rth Carolina and South
Science , he was a member of the University
NFL touchdowns , playing for I I seasons, and
Carolina Sports Ha ll s of Fame. However,
of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Tar Heels,
was also a professional scout for the
where he was a Consensus All-American,
Cleveland Browns.
He will aMraJS be known a; the man
h~
even before notoriety, he
g3ined that most recent
wa ~
already regarded as one of
ACC Player of the Year for two years,ACC
In his career with the Colts (he was a
In addition, McCauley is a 200 I Inductee
the best college Jlayers to play in the
Outstanding Athlete, and participant in the
Palmetto State .
Senior Bowl. He broke O.J. Simpson's NCAA
Football Hall of Fame, an ACC Distinguished
record for rushing yardage in a single season
Footbal Alumnus Awardee, and a member of
with I ,720 yards, scored 35 touchdowns and
the Peach Bowl Hall of Fame.
After growing up in North Carolina Richardson
mov ~ d
t o South Carolina w hen
of the National Football Foundation, College
First Citizens Bank Announces New Alignment in Charlotte Area New Key Leacership Positions First Citizens 3ank has announced its firs t
cantly. Under the new organizational
ing executive for First Citizens' Private
major realignmert in a decade, increasing its
structure, the bank has increased its num-
Client Group, has been promoted to
number of Ncrth Carolina regions and
ber of North Carolina regions from three
Mecklenburg area executive.
naming associ:ue ; to new key leade rship
to six. The additional regions will allow
positions.
First Citizens to better respond to and
executive, is the new regional business
meet the needs of its markets, customers
executive for the bank's Metro and West
and associates.
regions.
"Our new al ignment allows us to do what we do
b ~ st -
provide outstanding
service in our local communities," says Ji m Hyler, vice chairman of First Citizens "The strong
l e ad ~ rship
enhance~
Ban~ .
team that we 've p J:
Allen Woodward will serve as execu-
Bill Elder, former Mecklenburg area
"We've put together an experienced
tive vice president of the Metro Region. He
team of bankers with strong local ties to
will manage all bank operations in the
oversee this new region," says Frank
region comprised of Mecklenburg, Rowan,
Holding, Jr., president of First Citizens Bank.
strengthens cLstomer relationships for th "!
Union , Cabarrus, Stanly, Iredell , Catawba,
"They have an excellent understanding of
long term."
Lincoln, Alexander, Burke, Rutherford ,
the needs of the people and businesses in
McDowell and Caldwell counties.
these markets and the ability to provide the
in place
our market presence ard
During tile I1St I 0 years , t he bank's markets have grown and changed signifi-
40
october 2002
William Braddy, most recently manag-
first-rate service our customers deserve."
greater charlotte biz
Data Revisions Reveal Shaky Start to Recovery Revised gross domestic product data reveal that 200 I 's recession was deeper than previously thought and that the recovery is off to a shaky start, according to Wake Forest University professor Gary L. Shoesmith . The revisions show that real GDP suffered three straight quarterly declines in 200 I instead of the single drop reported for last year's third quarter. GDP growth during the second quarter of 2002 was I. I percent, but that was only because of continued inventory building. Without it, final sales of domestic product decreased 0. 1 percent. Deep interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve during 200 I have left the real cost of borrowing- the prime rate minus wage inflation - a t a little more than I percent. Those cuts also have limited the Fed's power to steer the economy out of another recession . Shoesmith says the Fed's relative weakness, with only about I .5 percentage points left to use for interest-rate cuts, poses the most serious threat to the economy. Consumer spending, fueled in recent quarters by cheap credit and incentive deals for autos, has slowed considerably. Second-quarter consumer spending dipped to 1.9 percent, down 6 percent during 200 I 's fourth quarter. Flat growth or declines are expected for auto sales and housing starts. Both sectors helped make the national downturn less severe by avoiding usual cyclical declines . Consumer durable spending, which usually combines with auto sales and housing to drive economic recoveries, also is struggling to maintain positive growth and can 't be counted on to boost a recovery. Modest increases in employment and consumption should keep the economy growing, but Shoesmith expects the pace of that growth to be slow. "The pattern of growth is very unpredictable, with the possibility of one or more negative quarters intermingled with positive growth through 2003 ," Shoesmith says .
greater charlotte biz
S :c.ke' '!'\~sc 1~1e~. 1c p·J: j~;sg3n3ral con racJng :E-rvi.:~s. ::peci;IIZin) m mr mer:i1 t;ricrs aoc ·1d to s Jit cc l::tru.::ti011'\1Jtll a hi t deg ee o1 f'E":iOilC.I 3E J ce .and :jl3Bt on !Q CEtail. \ve ha•n 3 1 cuj :.~nc3r-s:a1d n] ot·ne nn:l f<lr Jr ::tse Lpfi- VI Of petfcrm3d on ~chedu :, c:ta cOIJiefl i'Je or ce m 1im m df>-up:iol _o thE
[ontop] Providence Day School has named Donna Gilbert as director of public relations and communications. Gilbert is a business writer and award winning children's book author. Gilbert previously v.orked at the Charlotte Chamber and has over IS years of outside sales and marketing experience in addi:ion to her extensive writing accomplishments . The Bett er Business Bureau Consumer Foundation Board has Donna Gilbert named Maryanne Dailey the executive director of the Better Business Bu au Consumer Foundation . :Jailey had been serving as the :Jirector of opera tions with tr e BBB. Dailey is a graduate of the University o; 'Jorth Carolina-Charlotte where she earned 1-er Master's Degree . She has 20 years of management exper ence in the human service field, most recently focusing on the Jolder adult and Latino populations . Mario E. McKenzie has joined La -son Allen-Cherry Bekaert, LLP as a partner. McKenzie wi spedalize in strategi :., market and financial planning, mergers c. nd acquisitiors and due diligencE: analysis for senior living p-ovi:Jers . Crescent Resources, LLC has hired Chris Hack as
42
october 2002
director o: reta I development for the Carolinas. Hc..cl: h1s closE: t o twenty years' experience in real estate , mc•st n:!ceml)' '"'o" itr C e rtennial American Properties in South Card ina c.. ~ dire ceo - c{ development. There , he was responsible for anch ::>- le1S>E negociations, project financing and perv1smg construction. Prior to Centennial , he was the vice president of Hunt Fropertie~ in Dallas, where he coordinated retail developmert r -e:<as an:J O<lahoma, focusing on new construction and re1cvc.: ion; . Sus;an Harris ha :. ·oined The Bainbridge Crew as office mc..n<{;er o: the .:irm 's 1andyman Division . A native ofWinstonSa~n. 1-foa.-r is a:r:endec '1eredith College. jim -iausma1 '1S j::>ined CT Communications as chief financ al officer. Hausman's arrival coincides with other executive changes, including the company's most recent CFO, Barry Rubens, assuming a new role as senior vice president of corporate development and strategic planning. As CFO, Hausman will direct the financial and regulatory development functions for CT Communications. Hausman's experience as a CFO for telecommunications companies spans almost IS years . Prior Continued on page 44 Olris Hilck
greater charlotte biz
. b1z
e sou
u
G
.
gu1de
_-:>
Take advantage of these products and services from Charlotte's leading business-to-business suppliers.
I
accounting
film production
printing
Blair, Bohle & Whitsitt PLLC www.bbwpllc.com
Catwalk Communications pg. 11
pg. 11
R. l. Bryan Company www.rlbryan.com
Vance Flouhouse & Garges, PLLC www.vfgcpa.com
pg. 26
hospitality
recreation
Dunhill Hotel www.dunhillhotel.com
pg. 12
Fairways and Dreams www.fairwaysanddreams.com
pg. 41
Regent ParkGolf Club www.regentparkgolfclub.com
pg. 21
Targeted Golf www.targetedgolf.com
pg. 36
architectural
I design
firms
liquid Design www.liquiddesign.net
pg. 20
commercial construction services Stocker Associates, Inc. autos
pg. 41
I transportation
Carolina Volkswagen www.carolinavw.net
BC
consulting Exervio www.exervio.com
pg. 36
Pomeroy Consulting Group www.gopcg.com
pg. 2
education
www.silverhammer.com
human resources
UNC Charlotte Continuing Education www.uncc.edu/ conteduc
pg. 14
Sedona Staffing Services www.sedonagroup.com
pg. 10
The Employers Association www.employersassoc.com
pg. 15
The Forum Group www.tttsolutions.com
Bob janet www.bobjanet.com
pg. 37
Henricks Corporate Training and Development, Inc. www.henrickscorp.sandler.com pg. 8
TrainCharlotte.com www.traincharlotte.com
pg. 35
it I internet services ClickCom, Inc. www.clickcom.com
I education
sales training
I
contact management pg. 27
service group The Charlotte Touchdown Club www.touchdownclub.com
pg. 39 pg. 26
Road Runner Business Class www.rrbizclass.com
pg.
1
SanDirect.com pg. 37
www.sandirect .com
financial services
I entertainment
pg. 20
www.infov.com
pg. 27
pg. 42
Altman Initiative www.altmaninitiative.com
lnfoVision
Queens University of Charlotte www.queens.edu
pre-press
pg. 7
telecommunications Alltel www.alltel.com
pg. 19
Cricket Comfortable Wireless www.cricketpro.biz
IBC
Verlzon Wireless pg. 3
www.verizonwireless.com
medical
First Citizens Bank IFC
www.firstcitizens.com
Hilliard lyons www.hilliard.com Staton Financial www.billstaton.com
Carolinas Medical Center www.carolinashealthcare.org
pg. 10
office equipment
pg. 15
DTI lntergrated Business Solutions www.dtiibs.com
Single Office Space Available for lease Tyvola Rd./1路77 Area
pg. 5
Company has furnished, windowed office (130 sf) available immediately. $450/mon. inclusive. Tete/ data wired. 704-676-5850 x 102.
pg. 35
Subscription/Change of Address ... It's Free! 0 Yes! I wish to receive I 0 Change my address.
continue to receive
Signature (Required) Name Street Address City Business Phone
1.
2.
3.
4.
Date (Required) Company Name State
Zip
Fax
The primary business activity of your organization is:
0 Manufacturing
a free subscription to Greater Charlotte Biz.
(Please check only one box.)
0 Wholesale/ Retail Trade
0 Other Businesses
0 Service
Please check the category that best describes your title.
(Please check only one box.)
0 Senior Executive Management (Owner, President, CEO, Partner)
0 Executive Management (Senior VP. VP. Director. COO, GM, Executive VP)
0 CFO/ Financial Management
0 CIO/ MIS/Technical Management
0 Business Development
0 Marketing/ Sales Management
0 Purchasing
0 Other (please specify) - - - - - - - - - - - -
Please indicate the annual sales of your organization. 0 Under $1 million
0 $1-10 million
:I $251-$500 million
0 Over $500 million
(Please check only one box.) $26-$50 million 0 $11-25 million
Please indicate the number of employees in your organization. 0 Under 10
0 11-50
0 51-100
Please fill out form completely and either ... 1. Fax to
(Please check only one box.) 0 101-500 0 501-1 ,000
Greater Charlotte Biz
704-676-5853
greater charlotte biz
0 $51-100 million
Q
2. Mail to Greater Charlotte Biz 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250 Charlotte, N.C. 28217-0735
0 $101-$250 million
Over 1,000
3. Go Online and submit. www.greatercharlottebiz.com
october 2002 43
[ontop] Continued from page 42 to joining CT Communications, he served as CFO for three emerging telecommunications companies: American Lightwave Communications, Inc ., Crescent Communications, Inc. and Prepaid Telecom Corporation. Hausman was responsible for the financial reporting functions at each company as well as assisting with cash management, forecasting and operations . He also worked for 12 years as CFO and vice president of finance Jim Hausman and administration for Houston Cellular Telephone Company. KIRCO Realty Services Group, LLC has named Dave Heiliger as director of real estate services . Heiliger brings to KIRCO over fifteen years of commercial real estate experience, specializing in leasing and sales of industrial properties . In his previous position Heiliger negotiated and closed over 1,500,000 square feet in lease deals . Heiliger has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from Purdue University and has past experience with Eastman Kodak, Gorham/Textron, Atlantic Properties and Crescent Resources. Elogex, Inc ., has announced the addition of logistics industry expert jerry Overcash .As executive vice president, Overcash will be responsible for sales, client services, marDave Heiliger keting, product management and strategic business development. Overcash has more than 30 years of experience selling and delivering software solutions with companies including Servigistics, G-Log, Manugistics, Cullinet and Enovia. Overcash brings to Elogex his experience in the technology behind logistics solutions and the foresight on how to bring those solutions to the marketplace . J.J .B. Hilliard, W .L. Lyons, Inc . has announce that J. Todd Newton has joined the firm as director of branch development. In that capacity, he will recruit financial consultants for Hilliard Lyons employment in North and South Carolina and in East Tennessee . He brings to the position 19 years of experience and an economics degree from Wake Forest University. Formerly, Newton was a regional director at IJL Wachovia. In his community service career, he is immediate past chair of the Cleveland County Community Foundation, a division of the Foundation for the Carolinas, and also serves on the Board of the South Carolina Council on Economic Education in Columbia, S.C. Dr. Stephen Athans has joined -AIIIIIIIIIIIfj The Art Institute of Charlotte as J.Todd Newton 44
october 2002
dean of education . Athans has been with the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) since 1998, most recently serving as director for Proprietary Schools , Sponsored Program Administration and SACS Liaison Office. Athans received his Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from N.C. State University, his M.S. from UNC-Pembroke and his B.S. from Brigham Young University. Colliers Pinkard has announce that Robert A. Cochran , has accepted a position on the firm's Board of Directors . Cochran has been a leader in commercial real estate for the past 22 years . He joined Colliers Pinkard in 1998 as executive vice president and general manager of the firm 's Charlotte office . In addition to his management responsibilities , Cochran is actively involved in assignments on behalf of his corporate clients. In 2000 he achieved the SIOR designation of commerci al real estate brokers. He became a principal of the firm in 200 I. Emily L. Smith has been promoted to associate director of alumni relations at Davidson College . A 1999 graduate of the college , she joined the alumni rel ations staff as assista nt director about a year ago. In her new position Smith has Robert A. Cochran responsibility for organizing events for the college's 70 alumni chapters around the countr y. She will also manage alumni travel program and coordinate activi ties for Davidson 's Black Alumni Network. Smith is a na tive of York, S.C. Ashley M. King has been appointed assistant director of Davidson College's Annual Fund . King, a 200 I graduate of Davidson who majored in history and French , served as a Davidson Fellow in the Annual Fund office for a year before receiving the full -time staff appointment. She will work with alumni volunteers who cha ir their class's fund raising efforts, and will manage the student calling program . Community School of the Arts has announced the addition of Jay Ahuja to its staff as director of community relations .Ahuja has lived and worked in Cha rlotte since 1986 and brings more than 14 years of marketing and sales experience to the position . Prior to joining the Community School of the Arts, Ahuja worked for Charlotte Magazine and The Charlotte Observer. He is the author of two travel books and has written freelance features extensively in Charlotte . jay Ahuja
greater charlotte biz
Big news from Cricket: Now, get 500 free anytime long distance minutes. ntroducinq Cricket* Talk. • Unlimited local calling only • Voice mall. call waiting. 3-way calling and caller 10 • No annual contracts or credit hassles • month. pllatu Plus 500 anytime U s lonq d tanc minute av liable each month for FREEl
SJ999
Authorized Dealer
CricUt SoMct muot ex>ntinuo for 65 days to ........, moil1n ~ Umitad Tlmo Olfor. r._ not indudod. Tho 500 U.S. long distonot min..,.. owiloble oodl ,_v, may only bo uMd wfthin that month. lntamoticNI and dirocto.y
-.nc. colo will bo doduc:tad from available US. long dirtonot minutes at • ratAo of 21f• US. Iong dimnot minutat for-" ln1Mnotionol long d'o~~onc» minute and 12'h US. long d'•tonc» minuteo for MCh ditocto!y ......,_ all. s.."""' for do!ollo. ~1M chargod.
Call 704·504·2711 to speak with one of our sales associates.
The 2003 Upgrades.
Golf
Even more proof German engineers don't have hobbies.
GL
Our lob-coated friends hove been at it again. These 2003 upgrades reveal new stuff going on with every major model. The most common upgrades ore extra standard features on all bose GLs. And let us not forget that all 2003 models come with our 4-yeor/ 50,000-mile Limited Warranty. Lots of cor here. Lots of cor.
• • • •
Power windows now come standard. Cruise control now comes standard. Power mirrors now come standard. CD radio now comes standard.
GLS • Luxury Package, including power sunroof and 15-inch alloy wheels with anti-theft wheel locks, now comes standard.
Jette
Jette Wagon
GL
GL
• • • •
• • • •
Power windows now come standard. Cruise control now comes standard. Power mirrors now come standard. CD radio now comes standard.
Power windows now come standard. Cruise control now comes standard. Power mirrors now come standard. CD radio now comes standard.
GLS
GLS
• Luxury Package, including power sunroof and 15-inch alloy wheels with anti-theft whee l locks, now comes standard.
• Luxury Package, including power sunroof and 15-inch alloy wheels with anti-theft wheel locks, now comes standard.
New Beetle
Passat
GL
GL
• Power windows now come standard. • Cruise contro l now comes standard.
• New GL model now available. • Standard features include power windows, cruise contro l, power mirrors, CD radio, and trip computer.
GLS • Luxury Package, including power sunroof and 16-inch alloy wheels with anti-theft wheel locks, now comes standard.
GLS • Luxury Package, including power sunroof, rear sunshade (sedan only), anti-theft whee l locks, and 15-inch alloy wheels, now comes standard.
• ~ Caro~~h?ng ~~!~~'!~gen 7800 E. Independence Blvd . at Krefeld Dr. • Charlotte, NC 28227 704-537-2336 • 1-800-489-2336 www.carolinavw.net C> 2002V<Jbwogen.1·800DRMVWCYVW.COM