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cover story
Curtiss-Wright Controls The celebration of I 00 years of manned, powered fiight 1s only one among many reasons for the North Carolina employees of Curtiss-Wright Controls Inc. to po1nt wth pnde to the wild blue yonder. These mechanically profic1ent Tar Heels count :he most technologically advanced aircraft in the U.S. military among the recip1ents of the parts they make an•j refurbish.
12 goodmortgage.com e - business success Through his online mortgage lending company, goodmortgage.com, Keith Luedeman has brought new-fangled technology to the old-fash1oned American dream.
•
16 Shogren Hosiery Manufactures Success Shogren is a bright comer in the dimming field of textiles in North Carolina. In the wake of the Pillowtex bankruptcy and subsequent loss
publisher's post
4
charlotteUSA biz
6
Regionalism is seen as key to sus ained economic growth.
employers biz
9
Legislative and regulatory highligh::s for area employers.
of 5,000 jobs, heads are tuming to see who is still making it in the industry - and how.
•
28 Ballantyne Dentistry A Spa and a Smile
biz digest
38
biz resource guide
39
on top
40
Drs. Yaste and Hufanda deliver 5-star. VIP service to every client who walks in
on the cover:
the door. Spa-like surroundings and pa1n-free dentistry ease common dental office phobias.
32 C.A. Short Not Short on Recognition
This months cover features George]. Yohrling with Boeing 737 au tboa rd J1 ap caniage assemblies. Photography by Wayne Morris.
Chuck Dav1s shows compan1es the importance of recogmzing employees; a model he follows with his own staff, as they work together to create remarkable
•
special events and employee recognition gifts .
2
november 2 0 0 3
clraflotte z grea t er char lotte biz
Lat Wi lliams, Mike Monk and Andrew Chambers, Scott Insurance
Scott Insurance: Over 138 Years of Results "Scott Insurance came to us with better ideas that improved our coverage and saved us money. Frankly, I don't know what else we could ask for." - Champion Industries, Winston-Salem, NC "First, Scott Insurance helped us cut our Workers' Camp costs. Then all kinds of good things started happening."- Hooker Furniture, Martinsville, VA "A lot of people make promises and then don't deliver. Scott Insurance delivers! "- Environmental Air, Greensboro, NC
Employe e Own e d
"Our Insurance firm has done what they said they'd do. And they've kept on doing it!" - Mickey Body Co. Inc., High Point, NC Find out how you can benefit from the knowledge and service that have made Scott an exceptional Insurance firm ince 1864. Call Andrew C hambers, Mike Monk, or Lat Williams in our C harlotte office at (704) 556-1341.
I NSURANCE, BENEFIT SERV I CES , BONOS AND FINAN C I AL MANAGEMENT NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE CAPTIVE INSURANCE OPERATIONS IN BERMUDA AND GRANO CAYMAN
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cliaflotte
[publisher'spost] WI
IZ
November 2003 Volume
4•
Issue I I
Publisher Joh n Paul Gall es jgalles@great ercharlottebiz.com
Associate Publisher/Editor Mary! A La ne maryl.a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com
Creative Director/Asst. Editor Tara Miller tmil ler@greatercharl ottebiz.com
Account Executive Ke n Bilt cl iffe kbiltcliffe@greatercharl otte biz.com Be linda Ke ndall bken dall@greatercharlottebiz.com Emily G . Lu nde ll elundel l@greatercharlottebiz.com
Business Development Bill Lee blee@greatercharlottebiz.com
Contributing Writers Ellison Clary Andrea Cooper Susanne Deitzel Heather Head Lynn Mooney
Contributing Photographer W ayne Morris
Greater Charlotte Biz is pu blished 12 times per year by: Galles Communications Group, Inc. 560 I 77 Center Drive , Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 2821 7-0735 www.greatercharlottebiz.com 704.676.5850 Phone 704.676.5853 Fax Press releases and other news-related information, please fax to the attention of "Editor" or e-mail: editor@greatercharlottebiz.com Editorial or advertising inqui ries, 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 2003, Galles Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Products named in these pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. The opinions expressed herein
are not necessarily those of
Greater Charlotte Biz or
Galles Communications Group. Inc.
4
no vember 2003
Many thanks for many blessings in Charlotte! As days grow shorter and the end of 2003 draws closer, before we are fully engaged in holiday preparations, it is appropriate to stop to reflect on our blessings in life. Sure, there are still lots of things that we would like to change in our lives or ways we would like to perform more successfully, but without engaging in some introspection and evaluating our performance, we cannot appreciate what we have been through nor determine how to do it more effectively in the future. As convenient as it is to celebra ~ e Thanksgiving formally once a year and make a special effort to draw close with fam ily and friends, it should not be relegated to a Hallmark"' event. The wise person will take stock much more often to express thanks to those who have helped them grow and learn and reach to their greatest exte nts every day. Here, at Greater Charlotte Biz, we want to first say thanks to our investors, family, friends and lenders that helped us launch this publication four years ago. Without their support and perseverance, we could not have even started thi s magazine in Charlotte. In late 1999, with the economy booming, it seemed that a new publication would achieve instant success and be warmly received by Charlotte's business co mmun ity. Y2K spending supplied many companies with sales and revenues that most expected could be turred to even greater business growth in 2000 and beyond. Dot-cams and telcoms were growing quickly and ambitiously advertising. Greater Charlotte Biz was launched in january 2000 and has been published each month since then. Little did we suspect that an economic downturn would occur so rapidly and affect advertising so dramatically. At the same time, we understood that we could support business growth and survival for those firms refusing to be defeated by t he depressed stock market, terrorist attacks, corporate greed and unethical management, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq . We are so impressed by the entrepreneurs in the Charlotte marketplace who have performed each and every day with such resilience in sp ite of all the bad news over the past three years. Successful publications rely on two sustaining forces: rea oe rs and advertisers. Readers attract advertisers. Advertisers attract readers and support the publication of the issues. They are of equal importance and value because one supports the other. We are incredibly proud that we have grown our circulation to approximately 20,000 business decision-makers at nearly every firm with more than seven employees in the 16-county Charlotte region. Beyond our direct circulation, our readership expands to over 100,000 business executives each month. It is our commitment to produce valuable feature articles that help you learn about area enterprises and new business oppor.unities. Your feedback has been extremely valuable. We work hard to earn your trust and res pect your time and attention . In four years, we have delivered over 200 biz profiles that are instantly available to you and your staff at our Web site, www.greatercharlottebiz.com . Thank you, readers. We are also immensely grateful to our advertisers for their co ntinuing presence and participation. We are so pleased to exh ibit their goods and services in full color within our pages. Their presence pays for the printing, the postage, the creativity, the time and the talent behind each publication. It is our promise to continue to do all we can to enhance your brand, your image and your identity in this marketplace . We are privileged to serve you. Thank you, advertisers. Furthermore, we would like to express our sincere thanks to our staff, our writers, photographers and vendors who contribute their time and talent and spirit to each and eve ry issue. In this year, we have also produced two new publications. To gether with t he Charlotte Regional Partnership, we have produced the 2004 Charlotte Regional Economic Development Guide. And, with the Union County Chamber of Commerce, we have produced the Union County Newcomers Guide . We are especially pleased to apply oJr skills to these new publications. Thank you, Charlotte Regional Partnership and thanks also to you, Union County Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to serving you and producing other custom publications in the new year. The Charlotte business community provides Greater Charlotte Biz with an abundance of great stories to tell and an impressive and diverse business community that appreciates reading them . We promise to continue to perform and produce new publications to the benefit of the Charlotte business community. Thank you, Charlotte businesses . Keep up the great work!
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Charlotte Regional Partnership a National Model for Harnessing the Power of Regionalism Commentary by Michael Almond , Pre sident & CEO of th e Ch arl otte Regi onal Partnersh ip
President & CEO, Charlotte Regional Partnership
T
his is a time of great opponunity for the region we call Charlotte USA. Never before have our 12 Nonh Carolina and four South Carolina counties been better positioned for sustainable economic expansion and long-term prosperity. just as the world economy has evolved, so too has our region. With growth, boundary lines have blurred between towns, cities, counties- even the two Carolinas. Our leaders now understand that planning for the future can no longer be done in a vacuum. Decisions made in any one community aiTect its neighbors in terms of growth, transponation and the environment. lt is now clear that major public policy issues are regional in scope and require regional solutions. The same is true for economic development. Histmically. Charlotte U A's 16 counties competed against each other for the jobs and opponunities that came through corporate relocations and expansions. However, in 1991 , a group of visionary leaders concluded that regionalism is the key to our economic future - that by working together, Charlotte USA's 16 counties can collectively accomplish more for the benefit of our region than can any single county acting alone.
6
november 2003
The result of that vision was the Charlotte Regional Partnership (CRP), a publidprivate non-profit cooperative that has acted as an eiTective catalyst for meaningful economic growth in Charlotte USA by aggressively seeking and identifying prospects, and promoting the area as a highly competitive, vibrant regional economy. What the CRPs forward-looking founders understood was that a corporate relocation to Charlotte USA benefits the
"It is now clear that major
public policy issues are regional in scope and require regional solutions." -Michael Almond, President
entire region, because the revenue generated by a company - worker pay, vendor purchases, utility costs, and so forth - does not stop at a city or county line. or do employees, who increasingly live and pay taxes in one community while working in another. Instead, it is the collective power of our entire region, and our ability to demonstrate and aniculate the many attributes of Charlotte USA, that bring prospects here in the first place. The CRP has played an important role in attracting $20 billion in investment and more than 200,000 new jobs to Charlotte USA over the past decade. However, if we are to maintain Charlotte USA's momentum and create still more opportunity for our people, the CRP must grow and change along with the region we represent. Through a strengthened organization,
the CRP is aggressively and e[ectively positioning the Charlotte region for the economic and business opponunities that are, with increasing frequency, available to us. We also have committed the CRP to work in even closer pannership with local economic developers and pt:.blic and ptivate sector allies to see to it that Charlotte USA- as one of Americas mcst economically viable and attractive regwns- realizes its full economic development potential in the years ahead. The CRP will continue to build on the momentt:.m of its national "Charlotte USA" advenising and marketing campaign, which kicked orr in mid-2002 and already has boosted the number of inquiries from companies interested in relocating to the Charlotte region. The eiTort has included national telev.sion commercials on C N, and C BC, and on CBS and the USA network during the inaugural Wachovia Championship golf tournament, as well as targeted pnnt advenisements in Fortune and Ii'avel & i..eisure Golf magazines. While the CRP focuses on the future with a regional scope, past and current efforts to market the region are clearly gaining tracticn. In a recent benchmark study of regional competitiveness commissioned by the CRP, most companies surveyed had a strongly favorable impression of Charlotte USA, moving the Charlotte region past Atlanta and putting it ahead of all competing outheast regions. That recognition is a direct result of a regional app-oach to defining Charloue USA and the many attributes it oiTers as a region rather than as a single city or county. In addition to recent relocations to Charlotte USA. dozens more companies >
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are currently considering the region as a future home. And, in a continued signal of Charlotte USA's global strength, more than half of those prospects are from outside the US As those leads and prospects tum into corporate relocations and expansions, it will be the people of Alexander, Anson, Cabarrus,
Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln,
to the world through the CRP's leadership
Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanley and Union counties in North Carolina, and Chester,
in establishing a regional approach to economic development. And it is for them
Chesterfield, Lancaster and York counties in SoULh Carolina who will benefit most.
that the Charlotte Regional Partnership will continue to bring a world of opportunity to
lt is for them that Charloue USA's balance of business strength, accessibility
Charlotte USA.
and quality of life have been introduced
Charlotte USA Becmnes a Magnet for German-owned Companies 168 companies now call the 16-county region "home"
C
lose transatlantic ties, aggressive
has evolved, so too has our region. "
European marketing and an increasingly hospitable business
Here are just a few examples of Charlotte USAS dramatic evolution into
climate have led 168 German-owned companies to call Charlotte USA home , according to the latest figures from the Charlotte Regional Partnership , which
Charlotte USA also boasts the largest consolidated rail system in America ,
one of North Ametica's most dynamic
linking corr_panies to distribution points nationwide , including easily accessible
regions and a prime destination for German companies looking to locate in
deep-water ports in Wilmington, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Savannah, Ga.
the U.S.:
Quality of Life
promotes economic development in the 16-county region. "The Charlotte region is home to one
Business Strength
Charlotte USA leads the nation in fundrais-
Charlotte USA has become the nation's
of the largest concentrations of German investment and immigration to the United
second-largest financial center, with more than $1 trillion in banking resources.
ing for the uts, a testament to the region's commitment to making life better for its
States," according to Hugh G. Hamilton Jr. , president of the American Council on Germany, which for more than half a century has worked to foster closer relations between the U.S. and Germany. 'The Gem1an presence in the Charlotte region is unmistakable ," affirms Kurt Scholler, CEO of American Truetzschler Inc , the U.S. subsidiary of one of Germany's leading makers of textile machinery. "The Charlotte region's unique mix of accessibility, business strength and quality of life is a powerful combination that no area in North America can match." Michael Almond, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Partnership and director of the American Council on Germany's new Charlotte chapter, agrees that the 1,800 foreign-owned firms employing more than 350,000 people in North Carolina is just the beginning. "Never before have our 12 North Carolina and four South Carolina counties been better positioned for sustainable economic expansion and long-term prosperity," touts Almond, who leads the Partnership's recruitment efforts in Germany. 'just as the world economy
8
november 2003
While it ranks 21st in America in
citizens and JUSt one reason Money magazine rated Charlotte No. 2 on its 2002
terms of population, Charlotte itself is home to the headquarters of more Fortune 500 companies than all but five U.S. cities.
list of "Best Places to Live in America. " Pro sports , outstanding entertainment and a wide variety of cultural offerings give
Charlotte's eight Fortune 500 companies include two in the top 100 - Bank of America and Wachovia - and soon will include a third, when Lowe's moves its corporate headquarters to the region.
Charlotte USA residents a diverse choice of after-work activities. Urban, suburban
Accessibility Even the most distant cities are easily accessible to the region. Charlotte USA offers more commercial Oights per capita than any other U.S. region, connecting its people and companies to locations and customers in Europe around the world. More than 130 million people can be reached in two hours or less by air, and in one day by car or truck. More than half of the U.S. population and 62 percent of the nation's industry are within 650 miles of Charlotte. Two major interstate highways intersect in the heart of Charlotte USA, providing a trucking lifeline for companies shipping goods and materials in and out of the region.
and rural settings give Charlotte USA residents a t!Ue choice of lifestyles - from traditional residential neighborhoods to high-rise lux-ury condos. From rolling farmland to lakefront resorts. The wholesome diversity of Charlotte USAS people is matched by the rich variety in our communities and landscape. For quick excursions, the Carolina beaches are just a short drive away and the Blue Ridge Mountains are in full view from Charlotte's rising skyline. And the region's temperate climate still offers four distinct seasons without winter's bitter extremes. Nationally recognized schools have made Charlotte USA a model for excellence in pub:ic education, and the region's wide variety of excellent colleges and universities allows students to get a quality education close to home, and ensures a highly skilled future workforce in an ever-evolving economy. iZI
greater charlotte biz
Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employee Full-Time/Part-Time Employees Most companies have a rule that if an emplo,.-ee works a certain number of hours per week, then the employee is "full-time" and should be oflered benefits. Many employers do not realize that the classification of part-time and full-time statu! is 3 matter of individual company policy.There a: no federal requi rements that specify that ful ~tatus
·tin~
~
paid at straight time.
occasioned by the errployer or by the ope-:J:ing
However, many employers choose to
~
r~uirements
c osed for an entire week. an :1 an employee per-
rr ::>re generous c.nd include the holicay hour:s in computing weekly ov=:! rtime.
Ac cord · n~
of th e business " If the business s
to
fo rms no work, then the employer does no: hav=
The Employers Associaticn 200 I Benefits 5ur,er, 60 perce1t of CC·Tipanies COIJ'ted
tc pay for that week. In both cases, it woul:l be
~proximately
Fermissible for a compan;f to require a salaried
~ ::>liday
employee to exh:lUst days of paid vacation '
hours toward computing weekly •::>vercme
sick/personal lea-..e fey the number of days the
f.::>r nonexempt employees.
business was clo!ed."'et if the employee hc.s
will be achieved upon completion of a.
;pecific minimum number of hours of work
Inclement Weather-To Pcy or Not Te· Pay
: > er week or per year.
"Vith upcoming icy and snowy weather; emp ey-
I::ave, it is not Fe-mis:sible to dock the sala- ed
ers should specly in t:l-1eir inclanent wea..:hu
employee's pay, lrl es; the enployee misses the
Folicies how they are g::>ing to notify emplooees
e1tire week.
However, the Employee Retirement lnome 3ecurity Act re=Juires, in general, that
emplo-~e ;
i~
::>ecome eligible for pension benefits t.if the >::::>m-
il the business
pany offers them) upon reaching age 21 and ccn-
how they will pay empbyees il the
pleting one year of service - defined as any 12-
c osed or partially closed. The method of p<tfment ·o r hourly er.pby:es when they miss w:::•rk due to i n:lem ~ nt ueather is quite simpl ~. l f a ncn-exempt hcurly Faid employee does net work the con~arv i:;
month period in which an employee complEte; I,000 hours of service. Thus, part-time employees who regul<rly work 20 hours a week and have done so for
exhausted all ava lable vacation/sick/persorc.l
open, closed cr celayed ard
If the busine:ss
bus i n~ss: IS
emFioyee.Th ~
i~
open, and a salaried
e><emptlnon-exeTpt employee does not report lor work and peior11s ro work at home then -.he company may reqLire the employee to -=xhaust a day of paid vacation/sick/persora lea\ e. n this case, if che employee has no availat:le Yacation/sick/pers::>mlleave, it is
permissitl~
o
dock their pay for the day, because work !"as
more than a year would be eligible for pen:; on
under no obligztion to pay the:
plan benefits.Also, under North Carolina law, c.r
true regardless of whe:her the compan> is open
available and the employee voluntarily chose net
employee who works more than 30 hours oer
f.::>r business or if it is dosed due :o the Heather.
to
week, and is not classified as a part-time, SEase ral
-he Fair Labor Standards Act says that em::>lcyers
between an "errploree being available for work"
is
or temporary employee, must be offered t-ealt:l-
11ust pay non-exempt emplo}'2eS only for :ime
insurance if all other employees are offered
·'actually worked:' The same
health insurance.This applies only to
healt~ in~Lr
ance and not co any other benefits.
Holiday Pay and Overtime With the upcoming holidays, it is importart to know whether or not holiday hours count as hours worked when computing weekly o-..ertne. This year many employers will close their fucilijes on Thursday and Friday, November 27th a, d 28th and again on December 24th and 25th. A3 a result, many employees may have to work on~r hours than usual earlier in the workweek to complete their assignments before the hd d~. The federal Fair Labor Standard; Act e:jui"es that overtime be paid on hours worked in exces;; of 40 in a workweek So if an employee worked three 12-hour days, then had two paid holidays, nre were only 36 hours worked in the week nus, employers would not be required to pay th~ employee overtime for that week The 52 hours (36 worked plus 16 holiday) coulc
greater charlotte biz
~::>Ids
when a1
report to wa-k. The l3.ws make a distirction
and a "company prcviding work:' If the sc.laried employee reports for part of the day, the:' mus: ~ ntire
hourly, non-exempt employee comes in lac= or
be paid for the
leaves early due to th E weath =r- employe-s only
to dock a sala -ied e><empt employee for a part:al
have to pay for actual :ime worked.
day absence.
For salaried exempt and >alaried non-
day. It is not permis:sib e
Companie:; should balance the legal
exe11pt employees, th ~ method of payrnert i;
-equirements u1der t1e FLSA as compareoa
more complicated. Fo~ salariEd, no1-exem::>t
to the "employee relations" issue of payinginot
employees, the method of pa:,ment deperds on
paying employe:s for inclement weather
what has been communicated. If t:l-ey are pai:l a
days. (More infocmafon en docking the pay of an
set salary based on a ; et schedule (i.e. S4CO 'or a paid by the hour.ThE> can be treated li<e 311
exempt emplo~ ard a sample inclement weather policy is available for TEA members at www.employerscssoccom; Members Only;
hourly employee as o.Jtlined above.Yet, if :hey
HR Fast Facts; docui'Jlents I0 I0 and 3005.:
40-hour workweek), they arE essential!:- l::eir.g
are paid a set ;alary for all hours worked;th:n they are treated more like a salaried e>.empt employee. Salaried exempt emplo)'EeS must ::>e paid it they miss work due
tD
weatt- er, if the conp1ny
is closed a da)' or so for bus ness.The -=t...:A sta:es that "an employee wi I not b: considered tc be on a salaried basis if deductic ns fro m hs :>redetermined compensat'on are made fey 1b!"E!rces
Holding Paydlecks for New Hire Pape rwork Frequently com paries have a difficult tirr e getti~ newly hired empiOfees to return their r;quired "new hire pa::>erwork" and would ike to withhold the employee's paycheck until all comple:ed forms and signe:l paperwork have been 1J.Jrne.:l ~ . Unfortunately, it is not legal to have a policy
november 2.0 0 3 9
d
designed to "hold" paychecks. The Fair l..Dor ';.. Standards Act requires that employees bE pad
A Breakthrough Strategy to achieve Quality in your organization...
Six Sigma
Green Belt Certification
for all hours "suffered or permitted" to -rJrk en the regular payday. In addition, both Nort • ard South Carolina have wage payment regul<:ion;
Six Sigma, the powerful management program th at has revo lu tio ni zed
stipulating that employees be notified in a.::lvaoc:=
top corporations, is now offered in a bl ended fo rm at (both classroom instruction and on-line activ ities) through Corporate & Continuin g Edu cation at CPCC.
of the terms and conditions of employma1t-
Benefits of implementing Six Sigma
Learn
in their paperwork in a timely manner mcy
How to implement the DMAIC process • Defin e • M easure • An alyze • Implement • Control
be disciplined for not fol lowing instructiors.
• Proven strategi es for lowering cost • Improving profitability • Increasin g market share
Other Quality courses
including the regular payday. Employees who fail to complete anc turr
However, employees shculd be paid for af hours worked on the regular payday. Monitoring Premises by Video Camera
A number of employers 1ave decided to nollitor their premises by video camera to
Project Management Program Process Management Lean Manufactu ring
en~ a 1ce
the security and safety of their facility; hov.e·fer, :hey are concerned about installing camer.IS nside the plant to monitor the productior flo:J-
For more information contact Robin 704. 33 0.4666 or e-mail: robin .jenest@cpcc .edu
Aithough some states impose restrictions, the
fj ~~~rW~
eras (without audio} to monitor the workplace.
law generally allows a business to use videc· camBut the employees' expectations, if any, anc the
Corporate & Con~ nui ng Educafion
impact on employee morale should be careful!)
www.cpcctraining .org Central Piedmont Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action instituHon.
considered and balanced against the
empl~er's
duty to provide a safe workplace. In the ab;el"le of a union or union organizing activity, em[Jcye-o~
IMPLEMENTATION • TRAINING CENTER • SUPPORT • SERVICES
may be videotaped to promote legitimate ::-usi-ess interests, as long as t1e surveillance doesn't =xceed reasonable boundaries and intrude into Yeas in which an employee might have rea.;onable expectation of privacy, such as a restrrom. ot
locker room, or another private area. If installing surveillance cameras, emplqers
~hould
establish, maintain, and set forth a clear
p::>licy to all employees and have them sign
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employers have virtually unlimited d ;ere-
lion to establish privacy levels, if any, in the workplace. Extra caution is required, howev:r, if the video camera also records audio. Feda-al ~d
state wiretapping laws put strict limits
en recording another
pers~m ·s
conversatiort
Recording only video and not audio may be fn!dent in order to avoid the legal risks. (H~ ~port)
High-Tech Workplace Presents Problems
E11ployers should be concerned with the griJW· irg use of the Internet in the workplace. lnta-net ad::liction is one way that technological adva.cerr ents have altered the workplace.The Sociel)' fer Human Resources Management recentlr
10
no ve mber 2003
greater charlotte biz
pJblished an ar:icle anaJ)'zing when ex::ES~ive
tion tirr e ms )'ear &an t1~ d.d I:?. m:llltrs <;go.
omnerdation. Ovenll.only 55 percenr said
Interne: LSe might Jeccme a disxd~r.T1e
Additioul!r. c ne in fi·te sa~ : hey
ti-e~
Illinois klstitute for .1\dd abn Reco"er;t nct=:s
va::ation T•Jll we -k. lrd 11
fi·te waning signals of a pc-ssil:le
pr-::b l ~r11:
~l: glil:y
J~rcen:
ta c ns a
repor:
would J-:! lkelytc recommer::l :h ::ir
orgcr izatior
taki ng r: \ acatior t me ~ cll '(et 8.1 percer-.:
•
goJd pl•ce to w:rk
dS l
:on~equently, 5 5
perce1t of loycl E:11J ioyees
( ) noti::eable d€cline in ......:)rk perfo -mar,ce;
of survey respo1cen:s rep::rt=d -'e:ling re!teJ,
!cid <hey would resi; t
(:?.) an ire-eased nullbE- c:= erTo-s 11c ni ;tzke;
rejuvenct-:!d a 1d rea::on1e::::ed "\ifl -'amiy and
fi rm while crly 26 FEr:ent of "r igt-rist:''
frie nds ab :r a vacat ort. Adc:i:i:•llallr. 8C pen:e-.:
e11Fioyee! ""•JU d
rE:!pO rtE :I ~aving
corr n itme~ tc
in work (3) preoCCJplt or with the (4) stay1g late ll.t v.ork
t:J
Jse ti-e
a1d (5) ;udden withd'aNa frcrn Ad:bction
exp~r.s
l ~e:-nEt;
lrt~:rret;
cc-w"Jr-<:er~ .
dis:1gree on .vhed-er
c. mor; pe»[t: ve .: > Ltlcd< ab ::Jt
rem:~. in
steadfis: in neir
ther conpany.
::>.era , nearly
their jo J~ v.h-:!n the( uke ~ :. en: time aw37
20
from tile vtorlolc...::e. (H.rncsn Resocrce;
sear::n "or job c ppo-t:Lnities at ct-er cnmpa-
N\Jnagc.-r.efl( D:=ily LpdJ:e/ 'eKJdc .tssocicrti~
excessi·..e Internet use i::i truly a dis:>rce~ loe
ot offers fr"Jrn <.nomer
~ e rcen: ~cid
tile} are ikely to c...::tvely
nies.
of Empb;=•s.)
• :::>ol} 50 perc em say ·n : y work for strc ng
excessi.-e Internet u~e :::ar lec.d to workp2ce
Emplafl!e LcyG.Ity Up. i! ut Stil Not
• :::>te -all, 48 pe·c: nt of ~lll'loyee ; SOlie t1eir
p-oblems such as lost r:--o:luctivil:y, 1-arasrnEnt
t he Majo' it:f
etc. Elll'loyers she Jld l::e ~re to ha{e a 1
A·: cordi-~ to a st JC}. br ·: ft loer nb rmatioc ,
acohol .on (anc thus st.:jE:t t.J the ADI-..)
c~pc.ble
I'JonetiEiess, trere cc.n be little dou Jt tra:
corr panies ! -o...,ed
Internet policy to avcic problems >t.ch c:s loss o:
employees ar= mor= lo:-o•l i-an the·t '<"ere t¥.0 :<Ears
Minneso:ta)
(Sar.-~ple ~I
cvai/ab/.o fOr TEA
1nd lnlfrnet !>Cidt!
ai~
a~c.
-lcv-ev=r or Ir ~ 0 Fe-cert d all L.S..
em ploye ~~
ar; lo;-al -
ll~ll.lli"lg
:ed, meonated ar::l -n-.e 1 :::
me'TIDer!" Gt
the:- are CO'rllt-
rte~i:lns
of s: e::ing
www.er.j:Joyerscssoc.corr.; /'.'em 'Jers <Ally; HR. Fcsr
•Jmer eTpi•J)Tlelt in :he f.yeszeable futu <e.
Facts; document! 30'J2 c-.d 3003.1
T1is nL T t er
i~
:mplo~~~
PutVa:ations o n Ho ld
:ion and vvi I 1 Jt -e::orr m:x toei- enob ..et
One w:;,y to develop h<-PF er 1nd 1- eak:ll er
.:>:hers, ,.,.::1 mc:y be c.cd t: i)- se:kinJ in:ervEv. 5.
c.nd disecse prevem:ion progr.ms - simpl;encoUr.lfe them to LSE
t~.eir
va·:ation til e.
Despit= ll gro'v"ing desi: to spend -nor= the with f<m ly anc friends ~till
6~
pe-cent of A11e- ca1s
wed: more than 4J hoJurs per wee"- a - d
as a ccuntry, h•nd beck rr ::>re t~ an $:;.1 b llioo in
unus~d
vaca: ion d1y:; tc• emp oyers e:~cr )'€<-r.
R.=SJondents tc a re::en: s Jrvey fr"Jcn Expedia.com repc-t taki~ I0 ~rce~
~~s ·nca-
in · her J l::s, lack m::ti·ta-
sonal :o.ttac111ent :c :her deprtment, wh le 5J d tile~ fe t a s::-org
~rsor,al
a:each-
men. teo tre ccrr pa1f <.!:a "'·oo e. • At le<JSt 7J ~ r:en: o" O}<.l e11p oyees sJi:i rnc:woul:: recomne ld t:1e ~ J ;~o:e: d e11plo,en: as a good Jlace to ''><rl<. ,..,..,le ·:.nly 36 pe-:-:!n: of " ~ ~ri~k"
I ~ ~r-n
and
less than 5C percen· s;.id me ccr- Jan)' solicited
o- CJ= precic.· e<J :hei r irea;. .l.lth::>ugr thE reszarchErs fou n: nac fairness
e:-nplcyees w-c.s consiS~:e•tlr listed as o1e of the top-two facto" o' em.:> cyee loyalty. H<. -lext)
biz
T1e ET pbye~ ,-.s3Jcio<Jor is a nonprc'it C:rorlotte crgcml'!:otion p-::v1c 1ng ccnpl'ehenSI\·e 1u n.:rn r.,scur:es and nir ing ~ErJiCo>S. Found=d n 1958,
manton.; !.1 vrood-tc:.<:d r.emberompJ.12S from dl • dusJ·Ies 1n t~e gr=oter O.:rlo:te r.,gi•m. 1.~ one o •JVEr 7C n"nf>ro(tt /-1'; JS5a:iotions r:Jtor:JIIy pror·:int H~ SE>Yi:es to ··ee.ora. member51 t s, "'he Emc 'oyus kso:iclion pcn:i'.Jp Jl-=s 1n a r:;tor:JI in(ornoct1cn eK 11Jnge unde• LIE c;;spices d t'le Nction:. 4s;ociam c f Monu r~:tuas. -he abo..:: e~ cert:ts N~e tokEn ~orn The M7lq=ment ~pJrt, tle-'\s;ocioticn':; rro·:hly r€'r'SI.ette~ Fo~rro·e mor~aion, pie= :a1 Lauro Ho'Tlf•Wr at ; : 4-522~·c I I or visi: tJ e 1/1-eb site c t 'VV.v>:emplr:.'<:rs:Jsso -nrr: t~Ue 1\sooatJo.-
~,xn:
• Less :hn TJ perCE n: saic they fe t a 5tro-g ~ -. perc~rt 2
v.er; devei:::·Fin5 them foc the
~mp::>yers
t.J
He fc llowirg <re r=5•k::i rom Wc.lker lriorm:o.tcr 's 20t:.3 Loraf:y
care <WJC cor::ern.
di-.er:; o" emF bree lo)'<lllty care <WJC corcern for
- Jr are "hiJh r i:;k"
Employees Work Lclflger and
emplor=es mig1t be ll::ll'e basic than ..velh:!s
trl~·e::l
:h~m
a: wo-k, inciLclhg fair pa:t, was one cJ th"' top-five
up lr:l1r 24 per::ert in :?.OC I
Tllos: 'v"ho are ret I_
:ee
~aders .
• BLt ·Jn ly 45 J-:!rcent be.ie.,ed the:i-
~rodudi>ity.
(Emplcyers.1srxicZio1, l>c. ::~f
ser i::::r
E:fll:IC}EES v.oJld ma<e th lC : c-
Slrt o~ over 7(1(!
SOUTHERN REE & I.Pl-JDSCAPE CO
A TRUGRE'l tan«clre Company
:ro4-3:rs-7sss
www.southe tree.com greater chHI·::>t-::e t1z
lov embe r 2. 003 I I
[biz profile]
Bcrron'; Mortgage Group, Ltd. d/ b/a
goodmortgage.com T1troug.~
ri onlirie rr..o:-tgage
!.t7Ldir'{ ;::rnnpany,
gx d.--n'J~rg;;ge. ~vm,
Keith 1 TJ.ed~m'ln .1zcs bro1:tglzi -:t~w-J·11:~led :er:hr.ofiJl) t 'J the
c·!dja;.\:Ontd Am~r~·c!l':'l d'!'aJ::m.
~fRel :nce
[Lirgt c Kern: bc•Jrtof· --e 'uOs., _ue c11an V.<.:.J::u:· rrc.v:: lir~
v.o·king :'ir£ u~•fXJTi...~.
I
hom.:>. ~-;h:p t--eALien:.Jn :ircaT Cl-.atl:..::::-h:.scd gc·o-:m:·TI~se .con ocbs
~i\'iCLI:lis
ccJ-ie,-:- both, w1.il2
e cor:T ::11
itoclf acbc:s th: 'ureron :umes; ide~- -
~a
::t:r:>ss th~ (.occ:a:
or IR· nc 11cn for sm;:.O.o:·
1U of .• h.ct ~er
-_4,-,e:ican
>\cre ~-;( rtua ~
1~
cb.aiCl~c
1:rl r::ad>
LkiPn<.ns c:::.p:-ien_: te png <:: 00 er.JrqJ
~CLr..:[
<.•:::-Jp<JTL:
i.oo gi:::r
-n
~
c
=
ci'--isi.•'l:5'
DeSfiK ilS -.::ue, 1. ber :.:ei:h _ued_n:c.n s..:uted g·):•iJ!Oneage.com
r:1
1919 1 cicn'_
o-
J-~ Lf~ "l-intact
-:1-~
i111prov:ments." says Luedeman. "We rare ly meet : Jstotrers in cur offices, so it really didn't matter
b
ciLy h·rr= nd :,..,,_; :~ar::nc:s
Lt..Lr~,l.Joke:..
.il"t·::. -J -n.i.llre
LJednl<IJ sa:,_, r
But i- pan due ~·-:J t:Jach,
L1f
.2
_:-is ;..CY!S!f\:o.ti\e
tl-e co-:IJJT.f l-as
lnt~n.:. :
-~d
t1rCJ.-~-
:;ocm a-:d :usL a,,__ gro"V'l Sic<: di f
inD a m·.1 i-1-T·rn del :u· t B"l.;:ss, em pl.-~ng
15 and n: - . .t:upyt-tg coc re:;.., .~_therton
-,- I L"l S:u-u:nJ.
gr-eater c1 :..r c::e b z
.sa: O"~
~N"
ca.~~- -
rifi!t
lo:ked mo.:-: I ·<- a b•_U:;en.
-:~,
v- hat
T
in.:>.
L•J Sl ::>:R.o:rt b)' .bE ;-ear :.o:; lll
r _mY-tslv1.h<.
1 _ loo~allike
1• ire
art:! cab 5." C•mple Ely funded from personal savings,
tile coopany relied on profil5 for grol\th from cby on.-. Because of their low overhead and savvy
e-Li-
_t JPcid.:-1 L1 i- f-Ey were •"-m '1<11f
it ·- ::.s a• a r-:tcti·:.e liDL-tt. ::;,- li..eJemo:.r p3mP<d -1..5 LPc- -,::> o~, ~a.es
~lesm
nship., the company achieved profitability
i11 mort.h thr::c. Sc wher he Internet bubble burt in 2000, g;:>odrr xtga~ com was barely affected. In fac t,
Ft::. c_g_ 111~ r seJ"'"i::, c:zp:.lie:-<.e \With _1.:'. IC·-l-
s.ays
!;3? Ju ..i"'lg; oq:c ClCf'
rllong~e.con
lllrS. ar :1
ogetb,_-
o)
• V'•)
ctbe· ::::nq>r::-
th_y f:uD·J~d
on the mside at first. lt was
fan, wt used u joke that you actually fel t the :Dirit c- entrcp-eneurship exuding from the
e·+.ncl.::sy tub::>le Lt >...r•l"<i
p:J=ct _.- r. m~ c.cru L"lt:il c:nc: n:d
ex:uipm
·e
:r_ .• - a•rlyss ,~r: p<clctin§ tha 1h o·e
v.o..rl.::l
from the walls. "We were on a
gn;UJ
oJ_k rr.\.1>:'- 1::= :1 h<c·m. .:-!~:p.l<.rtErc.. h ;1 :are-bJoe::' r:::r:cc !'-:a:c en -:o ~ k '=_o .,, th rns brg.-in
bo~s
r. onth-to-mcrth basis, so we really didn't do any
:i ;_ -gcr
.,.._-_ul =•stan s·na.lrrull: <Aool:i ·c·l
1= IOfitaJili--.
tue, st•ngin;~ cables from the ceiling and hangillg sw ch
v::1k.b o-<e"f·<-cnce
oJ~ aiL s:J·~-tb t:lo..IlJ~e:n~
I'ZC -
'~as
J..:
L:
Jf orrcpr:r.::t..~::.r.J.
C•:::""'J='!TL~
i.."l
""'w.goodmortgage.com
s. d
m i .£:. By l9Q:J h
a1d sd- d;
c:ca-..s.:::i
i3 tl-;: _t.rnerx:::~~ op rit ::DJ
fDn 0"12 !-.:1 cf lrc: CO n)
t:> tie :t -er a1d :;::JTC:i!Tc:-
o·-up ?ith ndepr~e"lcc
2CCO South Bl vd., Ste. 540 Charl otte, C 28203 FCJ.mder & CEO : Keith A. Luedeman N n1ber of empl oyees: 25 kldilicral locations: Greenvi lle, SC ':ear of inception : 1999
;;cahot-
5:1?-=r- Th~ tl- r:-e to)l- s:x..run :>fico s-::F.C~ ;: fun.3"l<:C it ,_~ L3C<- x:u puer :..n~ fumi-
the
Lt.edem~n ,
ste~otyp
/<-test
right after the bust the good-
offices finally began to look like
Gll dot-com setting: Suddenly, the
~ctro1 i:
equipment and the htppest office
fu nitu-e cotid be purchased cheap from
>-
november 2003 13
companies that had gone under. The technology recession had another
competing for a piece of the same Ame1ican pie. To keep up \~th the game,
known (and also Charloue-based) company they are not tl)ing _o compete against- Lending Tree.
positive effect for good mortgage. com -interest
goodmortgage.com has relied on two all-
In a nutshell, says Luedeman, "We're like an air-
rates dropped, making new mortgages, refinance
American fundamentals- offering the best deal
line and they're like a travel agenC): Sometimes
prm~ding
out there and
consumers. Business boomed. So much so, in
and education that allows consumers to make
line and somejmes )'OU get the best deal by gomg
fact, that Luedemans plans to expand into addi-
educated, independent decisions.
directly to the travel agenc):" In other words,
tional states had to be put on hold while compa-
the kind of infonnation
you get the be3t deal by going directly to the air-
loans and home equity lines more attractive to
The home page for goodmortgage.com offers
Lending Tree allows different lenders to offer their
ny resources were redirected to serving cus-
a menu item titled "Learn," containing more than
products to ccnsumers, whereas
tomers.
40 articles for consumers, including infom1ation
goodmortgage.com 1s a direct seller, prmiding
hard to find elsewhere -secrets for cleaning up a
only their own products.
Manifest Destiny
damaged credit report and the mechanics behind
Luedeman:S comer office abm路e Atherton Mill
determining a fair interest rate, for instance.
sports a breathtaking '~ew of the Charlotte
Di,~ded
skyline, panoramas of the quaint Southend area,
tion guides consumers through all the steps of the
into chapters and sections, the informa-
"I don't think what Lending Tree has done could be dupLcated," says Luedeman, "because it took an cnomous amount of money to create that brand." ot only
IS
goodmortgage.com not
an ergonomic desk chair and solid wood furni-
mortgage process, helping them choose the best
in direct competition with Lending Tree, he says,
ture. Exposed brick characterizes the interior
tenns, rates and lenders, and teaching them what
but they arc cunently in the process of becoming
walls of the entire office space, and the ceiling
to expect at every step. As good as it is,
a Lending Tree customer, so that they can jom
boasts exposed ductwork. The central portion
Luecleman says the infom1ation is clue for an
other banks and lenders in making offers to
contains a system of cubicles lit by skylights,
update soon, and he expects to quadruple its size.
surrounded by additional offices for key employees, a well-equipped break room, storage closets,
In addition, the site contains more than
Lending Tree consumers. Luedcman is so confident that their mortgage products arc the best out
25 calculators for everything from clete1mining
there that he expects to be highly successful in
and a modest reception area displaying the com-
how much house you can afford to whether a
the new
pany:S numerous awards and media coverage.
consolidation debt or refinance makes sense in
Although reluctant to discuss exact figures, Luedeman says the company:S revenues are in
your situation. Luecleman says many mortgage lenders
pann~rship.
United We Stand Although the compan) has been profitable almost from the beginning, Luedcman has always
the multi-millions, close to a thousand percent
benefit from consumers not being educated and
increase from the first year of business. Yearly
not shopping around, because the lenders can
refused to rest on his laurels. He describes his
growth the past two years has averaged over
make a wider profit margin on higher rates and
entrepreneuric.l drive as a "fire in the belly," and
more expensive te11115. Gooclmortgage.com, how-
says that to su::ceed he believes in "proceeding
40 percent.
ever, invests in educaung consumers and encour-
\~th
to numerous factors, including timing. Although
ages them to shop around. This is because
company as markets change ... almost
1999 was an unfortunate time for many compa-
Luecleman is confident that gooclmortgage.com
that we could go out of business tomorrow if
nies whose business was based entirely on tech-
offers the best deals. '路There's a little known secret in the mort-
we don't deliv~r on our \ision."
gage business," explains Luecleman. "There really
Luedeman auributes the company:S success
nology, it was ideal for a company such as goodmortgage.com that was relying on a solid profit-
urgency. re-inventing and nnprming the belie~ng
Recently, the company has won several
based business model, using technology as a tool,
is a lowest rate out there, and we can provide it.
prestigious awards fm entrepreneurship and technology usc. Luedeman lists the 2002 Charlotte
and selling a product that was quickly entering
For anything below [that lowest rate! you pay
Chamber Entrepreneur Award, the 2003 Blue
a growth phase.
discount points, anything above that the mort-
Diamond Award for Top Growth Company, and
gage lender makes extra money called yield spread. We've don't need that extra spread given
the De!Ottte & Touche Rising Star Award for 2002 and 2003 among h1s favome achievements.
the lower costs associated with doing business
The company was also a finalist for the Ernst and
over the Internet."
Young Carolinas Entrepreneur Award of the Year in 2003.
of America." Primarily, though, Luedeman sees
The company:S products include residential mortgages, refinances, home equity loans, and
their future competition as being companies like
commercial loans for office and apanment space.
eloan.com and etrademortgage.com. &cause
&cause goodmongage.com deals \~th mongage semcing companies across the nation, they are
been easy, and it hasn't always been about pure was the hospitalization and then death of a key
infrastructure, and have liule or no experience
able to offer mongages to meet eve!) need whether it:S a conventional mortgage, a no-closing
employee at their Greemille, South Carolina,
in technology, Luedeman believes most of them
low-down payment loan, an ARM or fLxed rate,
office.
\~ll
or any other available mongage.
in a coma for about 30 days. Her prognosis was
With all the elTon goodmongage.com exerts to surpass the competition, there is one well-
coming back to work.
But timing isn't everything, especially in a market as competitive as the mortgage lending business. Says Luedeman, "Right now, we're competing against the mortgage bank down the street from our customers, competitors as large as Bank
most traditional local mortgage lenders rely on face-to-face interaction with customers, local
have a hard time making the transition to
the online market. Companies like eloan and e-trade, on the other hand, are most certainly
14
november 2003
But although a sense of urgency and determination has dri\Tn the company, it hasn't always profit.
ne ea"ly challenge the company faced
Follm~ng
a car accident, the employee was
bad, and they knew she would not be
greater charlotte b1z
Pure business logic said that they should te1minate her employment, ending her benefits and the salary that her family was depending on. The young company could ill afford to pay an employee who was not producing. But Luedeman and his partner, Bill Judy, felt they needed to take care of employees and their families even when they couldn't return the favor. So the company continued to pay her salary and benefits until her death a month later. This commitment to people and doing the right thing is a theme that runs through the company$ mission and work. &cause of another employees struggle with, and death from, cystic fibrosis, the company maintains an ongoing commitment to the cystic fibrosis foundation, sponsoring their bachelor and bachelorette auction each year. In addition, the company supports the Susan G. Kamen Race for the Cure which, incidentally, is chaired this year by Luedemans fiancee Gigi Smith, who personally faced a breast cancer diagnosis three
HASLER
Now you've got a be::ter c'Jo;ce. '"
../Rated #1 by Buyer's lab customer satisfaction survey! ../Guaranteed 4 hours written service response time or we pay you! (remote areas not applic able)
years ago (all seems to be well for her now). Taking good care of employees and supporting charities doesn't always seem to make the most business sense, but Luedeman says, "I have to be
../ Many customers save 20-40% off of current costs !
.,f Thousands of compan ies in the Carolinas includ ing Fortune 500 's have already switched !
able to get up in the morning and look at myself
.,f Why are you waiting?
in the minor."
New Frontiers Even after four years and multiple challenges and successes, the fire in Luedemans belly is burning strong. Over the next year and a half, he expects to
Power up your mail center. The fastest digital weigh-in-motion mailing system you can get/ The PowerPost system.
double employment, and in the next three to five years he expects to grow the commercial lending side of the business and possibly add automobile
Phone postage
and other types of lending. In addition, goodmortgage.com is cunently in the process of expanding into California, Fl01ida, and several other states, and hopes to expand to all 50 states within a three to
hk.et adl re::sii1YJ
See ou r complete product line at www.corpdataproducts.com
five year time frame. Perhaps most impressive from
anl t~b:R§
a consumers standpoint is that Luedeman believes they have the technology to, in the very near future, close mortgages in an impressive 3 to 5 days, using automated valuations, electronic signatures and electronic documentation and delivery And once all that is accomplished? "I've got tons of other ideas that I think it would be fun to go play with," he says, the fire glinting in his
CORPDATA P
R
0
D U C T S
sittce 1984
•
I
I
2920 Whitehall Park Drive, Charlotte, NC 28273 704-588·8882 • Fax 704-588-8886
eyes. Meanwhile, hes happy to continue building goodmongage.com into a sustainable company, something that will eventually be able to thrive without him. Building a company, giving it independence, enabling homeownership - now thats American spirit.
j.z
greater charlotte biz
noveTLJer 2003 IS
rofile]
by susan1e a ::itze'
5 OG E H SlERY ANSWERS MANUFACTURI G E ANCHOLY
· +~
~g:ees
FJ'-c:Teit, :l- _:btL's c:::l:.s. n-Jnin_;; c~::<.~ i..s c. ftL -ug 6r, to ta[· h)=· rr w; h Mark <:.n::r3, pres' ·nt of
::c_rg e fuo: he-,., anoi ¥\"]:' ;Lb=e·-·Jmtly ;"ltcha;~::. } ~cny 3'-·-g·cr h 19~5 1-'ark Z.e:c-u nm~ ::.1-J.•<.r::. n l9;t
~hJsrn
~~a r;:
H:::o e·y l\ n ·-' <.cLri:Ig C.::::-lp;Ily ;:LI Sheo.~:J mcLs::ric~. Sh•Jg-r:n H~ i e--:1 i,; a tr gbt ::xn:er in t ~1e dirm-r: .~ ·ie j d _-::;::t le: hL ·'\l.:·nh C;;-Jlira. :r .he ..vc_-:.e d tbe FiU::'»t-::X b:mln..pt::, ~nd sili~E:-"Ll~nt b~ o - '>,OJ·~ jc•b5. ~ai; rr: :.J-jiS: ·c st:e •vto i5 still m- king i in t e ioou::tl)·- anL hcv:.
1i rningT"ng> Arou""c The h•si~ 1r I' it::df N:; ~ inilizlly bJi l 'LhE m ::;-lSSCs - '! Ptil B1ngk :: f the
- <E - ~s~ OL!i -c:O'tiU:: ill
t:h_ 0:0 -!-:>'ll'}''S
MANUFACTURING
CO., INC.
pho He e:x:Jbm, '"<\..the - oe,
-le cutlcc-~ "":s. \eT; l::i~ We 'Fen: ir .he s:.ne SILL<~jon " - rurr1 ir : u [e 1d rei-:
5 H 0 G R E r~ H0 5 I ERY
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also d/b/a Sl"og"en lr dustri~s
was c•·n:::e::~tra
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Z:er·: -_1., fx-nerl,- ar - ·l a:g~ co·JX:tticr.s 11-2 _ cd~C) rr.::. -th -·:.J, lm ·~ v's tr_e n:un:.fc.:: Jriq; :m L -erail ~?De b·:rr stcn o fi-ish . ::uc. h<.s Ll:-::- Ll-a_l-J1cJ'\'l-:cge >
22 5
Wilshire At.•enue, S.W
Concord, NC P1:sident~
28a25
Muk lerona
umoe of -:mploye::!s:
40,)
111 business: sine2_ 1968
r o 'r-= rn b o::r 2 0 0 3 I 7
to carve a niche for the struggling company. "Most companies in this are1.:J work with low-margin, high volume market segments. For hosiery, that me:Jr:.s women's pantyhose. Children's and infant's wear is considered a secondar} market, and as a result, don't get much time, attention or capital to develop a!': c: viable moneymaker. Rather than ignor n.s the 10 percent of the market represent:::G. by children's goods, we developed it into our core offering and have since dominated the marketplace. We are also proud of our women's businesses. "
"A crucial question for any business ·n .hi d y and a e: 'What is our reason to exist?"' - Mark Zerona, President
Through the window behind lerom is the tiny back road that leads into the parking lot of the mill. He recalls , "Changing the business to focus on children gave us a purpose. A crucial :juestion for any business in this day :md age: 'What is our reason to exist7' If a company cannm or will not ask themselves this and answer it honestly, they will find themselves in trouble. " The transition called for more than just a change in philosophy. Shogren systematically adjusted its machines to provide a premium child's product. "We reconfigured our large machines to work at smaller specifications. People thought v.te were crazy to dedica te our resources tD refitting machinery for such a small percentage of the market. However, Tony Shogren, our owner, made the financial investment to capitalize on this opportunity. We are now able to produce these smaller sizes more efficiently, with better quality, and with considerably less waste . When you are talking the difference of p::nnies per garment, these improvements make a huge difference. " 13
no,ember 2003
The company puts emphasis on the needs of b·Jyers and retailers. "We Ncork with our retail customers closely to gJin insight into their needs. Buyers wh) are working in girl's hosiery are generaJy asked to buy large SKU intensive businesses." Continues lerona, "We work toget:ter as a team to manage this inventory, which helps them achi~ve their goals. In the process, this opens up valuable information as to how ·xe, as a manufacturer, can best address tl::e ::lient's needs, which benefits us in the long run. " Shogren also has several other fJ.cors working to its advantage, none of tl-.em accidental. Says lerona, "We have a philosophy in this business - somebody has got to hold the inventory Retaile :~ don't want to do it; it's costly and hard to manage. Tony Shogren has agreec to c:ssume that responsibility." Fortunate!~ with added burden is also a blessingby managing the inventory, Shogren ships 99 per cent complete and on une -a rarity in the industry. Plus, this approach allows the manu:acturer to 'level load' its output. Explains Zerona, "Contrary to the typical 'surge a::1.d purge' labor practices which pay nuge overtime payrolls and fire employees at the enj of the production season, -ve keep our employees working 52 weeks out of the year." lerona says th:n this increases product consistency, quality, turnaround , and, of course, the morale of the workforce. "We are loya. LJ our employees and they are loyal D t:.s. It's a win-win situation" The Big Problem which is not to say there aren't challenges. Despi.e Shogren's success, it onnot avoid the 'elephant in the room' of the textile ndustry; namely, foreigr:
C•)mpetition. "This truly is a world economy. It is n)t just the guy down the street that you have to keep ahead of, but also the guy on the other s:ide of the planet. With tl-.e ad·<ent of free trade and the subsequen. removal of quotas and tariffs, many businesses are mo·.ring overseas to keep the r ccsts low. Add to this the fact that our
greater charlotte biz
labor costs are not 3C per crt- but 3(1 ccrnp ~ ing ountries- and the threat be.:oD!'S rather ominous ," says lerona. The figures are abrmi~. According to information from the Hc:i : ry Association , industry fig...tr~ ~ how that 10 years ago the U.S m~n-_ foctured 50 per cent of all world 1prar . Now. thai number is lO per cert a1d i3 composed mainly of the hosierr ar..:l ~·c k market. plus military uniforms rr:q _' cd to be manufactured in the :Jn te:i 'tares. ln 2005 , that number \Nil! ::litir.ish dramuically, when tariffs on so: k= a1C. hosier:' are scheduled to be cmJv:::d and these facilities move overseas ;as ~-ell. lerona speaks cand dl~ Eoout the predicament. "Our peope u-: ver) ner;ous after what happe:1ec. at EliDwtex. And while we are operating ,-ery well in the current climatE:, l uoocrstand their fears. " He adds, "It is ve-y ·rustrating. These wonderful , dedicaed people keep working harder and harder, just hoping that they can ward off tle mcnsteJ. Unfortunately, it is not com:Aetely in their ontrol. " In the noisy facDry dDVl the hall from lerona's office , _wt· !::dies smile brightly as they chec < t.:te -e:;ilience and appearance of each o.oc<in& leg before it is sent to the next stq i- L'le assemt ly. One charming veteran ceL·Jlstrat.es her routine, and would nalo;e ~ fJbulo...ts Pl. lady. She says , "This .s ""h:rc it all hap-
times more than thes<:
pens This quality check is what separates us from everybody else out there. " And she is right. lerona says while China has lower labor and significant resources, its quality must be strictly monitored. "China wants to dominate the apparel industry, and it doesn't want to lose it to any other country because of cost. So often, there are sacrifices made in material, packaging, et cetera. ln order to be a source for imported products, buyers must be ready to outline in
".. .if we spend our time being upset, and not reacting as quickly as we can, we are going to - Mark Zerona, President minute detail what you expect and be ready to walk away if they don't get it. " Ironically, 20 percent of Shogren's business is sourcing imports. lerona explains, "We can compete \.vith the machines , but any business that requires sewing will be done overseas. " He continues, "First of all , we don't have the machines at our plant to make certain products that retailers request. So we locate the goods for the retailer. Additionally, our retai lers have a lot of pressure to acquire everything at the lowest possible price. ln order to do this , we have to acquire these products for
them, or they will go to a competitor. " Yet from this lemon , too , lerona say~ there is a little lemonade to be made. "By being involved in the sourcing of foreign goods, it gh·es us immed iate knowledge into what is being done in other parts of the world , and how much it costs. This facilitates forward thinking and the next innovation that will enable us to competr at the highest level possible. " He adds, "We are all incredibly upse about what's happening to manufacturin~ in this country. But if we spend our time being upset, and not reacting as quickly as we can , we are going to pay for it. " Real People lt is easy for even the most apolitical person to be moved by the crisis facing the industry and its worker walking through the 300 whirring hosiery machines , the hot drying rooms and clicking sewing machines. lt appears the manufacturing industry has become a ghostly reminder of the 20th century vision of the American Dream. Remarks lerona, "One thing tha is very disconcerting is that, with the SUI render of manufacturing as an American institution, o goes that first rung on the ladder to attaining your goals. If you remove that first step that gives people a chance to move forward , what \.vill the~ do \.vith their future 7"
To help answer this problem, Shogren offers a G. E. D. program to its
>-
It starts by laying the first brick.
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II
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e:nployees. "This industry has become very much like family, and we want each other to succeed . Education is something that cannot l::e taken away by anybody, and we have had a number of people start here and move on to great successes in their life. We are very proud of them, ar_d very proud to be a part of it. " Zerona says that he is not a protecti::mist , is not politically inclined , and firmly believes in America's ability to compete in a world market. Yet it is undeniable that businesses like Shogren could use a little help from regulators and consumers to keep the manufacturing ball in play "More and more, Americans vote with their checkbook And, what we are voting for is the lowest price. There is more an emphasis on price now than at any time I can remember. " In a nutsiell, if a product involves labor, that great low price we are seeking m~ght be voting to give a job to China, instead of Concord, N.C. Remarks Zerona, "I am a firm believer that for every person we employ, another custcmer is made . This is what keeps us on track " Zerona refers to current estimates in Industry Weekly which report that by 2C 10, there will be 4 million displaced manufacturing workers in the U.S. economy Many legislators are recommending against retraining this labor pool in a more tec hnologically-based manufacturing atmosphere, suggesting that these w::Jrkers be trained in health care or other growing fields. In fact , admission to CPCC and UNCC as well other higher learning facilities has increased dramatiolly as a result of the Pillowtex closure. Still, it is a constant worry what many of these workers will do for employment, an:i what it will mean to the economy overall . On the day of this interview, another peer fell to the increasing pressure. A&E, a subsidiary of Ruddick Manufacturing, :::losed its Charlotte yam-spinning facility, la:fing off 125 employees.
Pushing for Progress Still , Shogren continues to flourish, with
greater charlotte biz
forward thinking, innovation , and a dedication to growing its sphere of influencE in children's products. Ballet slippers , dancewear and other spin-offs of the co ~e business are added as soon as they can be conceptualized and developed. With three buildings, the 100,000square-foot manufacturing facility, a 245 ,000-square-foot folding and distribution site and a 28 ,000-square-foot satellite warehouse, Shogren is keeping busy. Says lerona, "There has been a strong paradigm shift that we have
Assu
"I am a firm believer that for every person we employ, another customer is made. This is what
" - Mark lerona, President become aware of, and embraced. Our business is no longer about selling wha: we make to the consumer, it is providing the customer what they ask for. " And, despite the emphasis on cost control and the daily attention it requires, there is a long-standing commitment to quality. One of lerona's favorite sayings is, "If you talk cost control in the morning you better be talking quality control in the afternoon. or you are in trouble. " With a significant market share in children's tights, Shogren enjoys strong relationships with the majority of majoc retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, The Gap, Nordstrom, Gymboree , and JCPenney's. Chances are anyone buying children's and infant's tights is buying Shogren's goods. Entering its strongest season, Shogren is positioned well for success, both now and in the crucial 10-year period that lerona says will determine the survival of textile manufacturing. In the meantime, the machines keep humming, and members of lerona's te::tm keep smiling, as the snowman-patterm.d and textured pink tights run through their thoughtful fingers. biz
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Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants We as!Aire safe!J. We administer comfort.
november 2003 21
by ellison clary
â&#x20AC;˘
zrs â&#x20AC;˘ Curtiss-Wright Controls Pilots its Future The spirits of 300 factory workers in Gastonia and Shelby will take
PRODUCTIVITY AND
wing with a Wright brothers replica of the Kitty Hawk on December 17th next month. Their company's lineage dates directly to Orville and Wilbur Wright, as well as to aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss. Yet the celebration of 100 years of manned, powered flight is
ADAPTABILITY 0 F CAROLINAS WORKFORCE KEY TO SKYROCKETING PERFORMANCE
greater charlotte biz
only one among many reasons for the North Carolina employees of Curtiss-Wright Controls, Inc. to point with pride to the wild blue yonder. These mechanically proficient Tar Heels count the most technologically advanced aircraft in the U.S. military among the recipients of the parts they make and refurbish. When George j . Yohrling, president of Curtiss-Wright Controls, lists the mili tary applications for his company's hydraulic and electronic parts, names such as the Black Hawk helicopter, Lockheed F-16 fighter and Global Hawk surveillance aircraft roll off his tongue. Passenger airplane maker Boeing is the firm's biggest civilian customer. Curtiss-Wright Controls is the motion control segment of CurtissWright Corporation, a multi-national provider of highly engineered products and services for the aerospace and defense industries. The Wright Aeronautical Corporation, originally fon11ed by the Wright >-
november 2003 23
brothers, merged with the Curtiss
Carolina facility in Shelby in 1985 , it
Ae-oplane and Motor Company founded
started with only 64 employees. Fueling
by Glenn Hammond Curtiss in 1929 to
Yohrling's pride is what the company has
forn Curtiss-Wright Corporation, which
become. lt is a diversified provider of high-
will be 75 years old in 2004.
ly engineered products and services for
Although the company wday consists
RTISS- ' RIGHT ONIR LS , I C. (!1 M. v /1; CJt.Vn ?.d sJs idic "':' of CuotJs5-Wfig .~ t
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the aerospace and defense industries that
of three distinct business segments, it
continues branching into new markets.
PtH ider t: :;eorg8 I. Yohr ing
traces its origin to Orville and Wilbur
The firm boasts 1,400 employees world-
i'I J"llber of e m plo·~es: 1,400 fn busi1es.s: ::. "'=ars
Wrght only through Curtiss-Wright
wide, including facilities in Germany,
Controls. "We were Curtiss Propeller
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and
Division in the original Curtiss-Wright
Singapore. ln this country, it has plants
Corporation," Yohrling points out, "so this
in Massachusetts and Florida as well as
entity is the only one that ties its roots
both northern and southern California.
directly to the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss." Yohrling is a transplanted New jersey
"When l took over as president [five and a half years ago]," Yohrling says, "We were about $102 million in annual
nati;e who takes special pride in running
sales. We'll pass $300 million before
the :ast-growing motion control segment
Thanksgiving this year."
'lVW'II•.wrtisswri ~trt.com
F--ocuct <::>L' s not ...-t - oJt it; pro:::·lems.
: :-wui-. - he pacs ::-;;rE;} wo~ out
nd b:d- the -r_ilio.ry an:l c1.il an c.rcraf: mark:d3 Rerc pore to cb= cyc_e.; loO ove:r.;i~. .:owe p~:;ed
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uisilions,"
YohrLn?, ~;q::"iai::-ts. C:rtarl ,; :mr :c r _ busi-
from 52,000 square feet on Gastonia's Nor:hwest Boulevard, hard by Interstate
Diversification Fuels Growth
ness i> ;av.i.l.ti_ o_\V~' re
85. The Gastonia facility, with 55 employ-
Diversification is a major growth impetus,
tl:at, t:..1.t; what ou:- r:.putaicr_ is b Jilt on.
ees, makes and repairs replacement pans
Yohrling believes. When he took the presi-
only for both military and commercial air-
dency, the company's entire business was
But~ w-:r:t.:d ~o get _ntc gr•::-uJ.d cefense in a v;;-; :::ig x cy."
crafL A larger plant- 150,000 square feet ,
in aerospace, 70 percent commercial and
So> -,E i:cJg:Jl :o
nev~-
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going c lea\'e
Lo:-:J.pany ::~at
260 workers- in Shelby produces new
30 percent military. lt primarily provided
nuke_ una :l.rve :m :. md: ~bLi:;:at.ior_
equi?ment only
aircraft parts called rotary actuators and
sy;ten::.; fo ;- ar:r:ure::l
overhauled them periodically
fo- E~n ::csto:ncs. .)t-'-c thn :ompa-
'Nhen the company opened its initial
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prir_q::ally
VVE FILL TEMPORARY, TEMP-TO-HIRE, AND DIRECT HIRE POSITIONS.
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• l r du~ rial Sa , • . Aa rk.:trng Lo .:al •1-:a!io zl • .ati c n<:l • IH.crl\ii:ional
Natbna ty Regardec Sea ct-
Consultc:.nt
704-541-8844 Fax: 704-5 4:-5c 11 1 572C :>ltD J o~ La,C) D r~ . s .lito: 3' )
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24
1ovember 2003
gre3t-=r
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nys products used electronic controls, he decided to grow that business with acquisitions in Massachusetts and California. That led LO supplying the main mission control computer for the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, the unmanned surveillance aircraft used in the Iraq War. "Electronics have to be refreshed and upgraded on a much more regular basis," Yohrling points out. "ln ground and air products, we're getting away from hydraulics and getting more into electronics." With technology, Yohrling plans more expansion such as the successful adaptation of the technology behind tank stabilization systems to tilting high-speed trains in Europe. And he wants to do more with automation, such as the equipment the company makes for the Swiss chocolate industry. Currently parts replacement is approximately 25 percent of the companys business and dropping in favor of new parts and equipment. Besides Boeing and orthrop Grumman, customers using Curtiss-Wright Controls components or motion control systems in aviation applications include Bombardier, Lockheed and Sikorsky Customers for the companys armored fighting vehicle products include General Dynamics and United Defense. Industrial products include propulsion controls, valves, industrial automation, printing machinery and position sensors. The company is building a growing busi-
ness in joystick controllers and controls for powered wheelchairs and off-highway vehicles. Major customers are john Deere, Eaton Hydraulics and MAN. Carolina Workers Produce
Important as product diversification is, Yohrling quickly adds that the productivity and adaptability of the Carolinas wo rkforce has been another key in the companys skyrocketing performance. Yohrling is proud of the arrangement the company has with Cleveland Community College to train prospective Curtiss-Wright Controls employees in special company-designed courses. That keeps the Shelby workforce technically proficient. For the Gastonia workers, there is Federal Aviation Administration training school and a good bit of in-house instruction. 'The people are so mechanically inclined," marvels Yohrling of workers in both plants. 'They come off farms where they grew up helping their dads and granddads with farm equipment. They are truly great mechanics and they learn very, very quickly They also have an incredible work ethic." "For every product line we transferred from New jersey to orth Carolina , within six months the productivity was 25 percent higher," Yohrling says. "A joy" is his term for this area's non-union environment. "Give the employees the tools and challenge them, make sure they understand
how to use the tools, fully understand the expectation and how to get there," he says. "They love to be challenged. " Curtiss-Wright Controls rewards this attitude with pay that is "probably a dollar, dollar and a quarter above most of the other high wage payers out there," Yohrling says. "Our benefits package is extraordinary " Yohrlings workforce praise is music to the ears for Donny Hicks, executive director of the Gaston County Economic Development Commission. "Curtiss-Wright Controls puts these skills to work for higher uses, making aircraft parts," he says. "They're the kind of company anybody in the United States would love to have." The company's name, Hicks remarks, is magical for impressing industry relocation prospects. He sometimes treats prospects to a tour of Curtiss-Wright Controls: "lt gives us credibility when we show prospects the people working on high tech aircraft components. It shows we can back up what we say about our workforce being able to learn new skills. " Hicks adds another reason for the mechanical acumen. The area is in the middle of textile country and mills long have repaired their own machines rather than seek service from manufacturers in Europe and japan. The mechanical background of fixing bulky looms transfers well. Gerry Poston, 29, says he draws on both the farm and textile traditions. >-
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Now a process technician in the Gastonia plant, the veteran of nearly nine years with the company recently moved up from mechanic. l::l that position, he overhauled parts for The Boeing Company's 737s and 72 7s, as well as for F-14 fighter jets. "I've been around tractors," says the Shelby resident whose brother is a crew chief in minor league auto racing. "And my dad made flGor rugs as a small family business." Poston and his wife Heather are "real excited abm.:t the 100-year anniversary," he says, add~ng that they took their first trip to the Outer Banks in May to visit the aviation-related exhibits in the Kitty Hawk area. "We came back fired up." The Kitty Hawk celebration centers on a re-enactment of the first manned flight with a replica of the fabric and wood Model B Wright flyer. Takeoff is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 2003, the same time Orville Wright first took wing. Two pilots selected for the ceremony will flip a coin to determine who operates the craft- just a~ Wilbur and Orville Wright did a century ago. Yohrling, his senior management and entire board of directors will be on hand to view the commemoration and tour the
CULP 3..l.JUTI C.. c:.-\::zJ>E...fTEI:, P. _.LC. -dUcn..-1
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Pr.-M.ding :'cc: ar_d E1usincss l.ihic to High -et \XTorth Ir~lividtds and &1~ Entreprene .rrs :Or ()r{cr 20 Years
newly built museum of flight, financed primarily with funds from Curtiss-Wright Controls. But company celebrations are happening already around the country, such as the one at the Shelby plant in mid-October that honored workers and their families and hosted city and county dignitaries. Also , the company is awarding college scholarships to deserving children of throughout the country.
Yohrling Answers Call Yohrling himsdf can point to early aerospace influences. As a 19-year-old student at New j ersey Institute of Technology, he worked for Bell Laboratories on a tracking system used 0:1 the first seven Mercury manned space missions. The 63-year-old earned an engineering degree from N]IT, then got his masters of business administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University He left the elevator unit of Westinghouse Electric Company in 1976 to join parent company Curtiss-
26
n o v e rr b e r ~ '= 0 3
greater charlotte biz
Wright Corporation, then in Fairfield, .J Along the way, he and wife Elaine raised two sons and a daughter and now have two grandchildren. Between servi.ng six years as the first-ever Democratic mayor of Randolph, N.j., and coaching youth teams in soccer, track and basketball, he 'j ust worked up through the ranks," from parent company manufacturing manager to director of operations for Curtiss-Wright Controls. Shortly after the firm bought the Shelby facility, Yohrling decided a general manager on site was essential. "When are you going7" his boss asked. His answer, 18 years ago, was "Right away" Curtiss-Wright Controls later bought the Gastonia facility and Yohrling took over as president nearly six years ago. When he moved the headquarters of the company from Fairfield, N.J, to Gastonia in 2000, it was an affirmation of what he has come to believe in wholeheartedly: the productivity advantage of the Carolina Piedmont. He says hes confident his employees' "can-do attitude" will keep the North Carolina operations up to speed with the challenges of proliferating produ t diversity For his part, Yohrling knows the future he'll pursue. He'll retire within three years, but he plans to remain involved with Curtiss-Wright Controls as an adviser. "''ve always wanted to be a teacher," he muses, "and now I can tutor the next generation of senior management." He figures he'll keep a home at Hilton Head, S.C., as well as his Gastonia house, which will be his orth Carolina base because of its proximity to Charlotte, which he calls "an incredibly great city" A Gastonia presence also keeps him close to his health support network. He has fought a hard but winning battle against prostate cancer this year. He thinks he'll volunteer in something health related and hes looking for other causes to support, possibly Habitat for Humanity He'll have help keeping busy Bob Morgan, president of the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce, says hes been hoping to get to know Yohrling better and harness his skills as a leader in community work.
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by lyn n moon ey
o won't you for the camera? Ballantyne Center for Dentistry Members of: American Dental Association North Carolina Dental Society Charlotte Dental Society General members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
Rock and jazz band Steely Dan crooned about smiling for the camera back in the
Yaste & Hufanda D.D.S., P.L.L.C. d/b/a
Ballantyne Center for Dentistry John J. Delaney Dr., Ste. K Charlotte, NC 28277 Principals: Christian Yaste, D.D.S. and Joseph Hufanda, D.D.S. Employees: 9 Inception: August 2001 15105
Spa-like surroundings and pain-free dentistry ease those phobias
www.ballantynedentistry.com
1970s when th e baby boomers were in th eir teens, 20s and 30s. And who doesn't smile
These are not your parems' demists.
rest in a massage chair and use ergonomic
when hearing this whimsical lyric. Possibly
The Ballantyne Center for Dentistry office
pillows, and warm towels are offered at the
those same boomers, who are now in their
occupies a second story suite in the
end of a visit.
40s, 50s and 60s say doctors Christian Yaste
Ballamyne Commons Shopping Center.
Hufanda sits comfortably beside his
and Joseph I-lufanda, two Charloue-area
A cozy elevator crawls its way up one story.
partner during the interview, a dental tool
dentists and owners of the Ballantyne Center
When the doors open, they reveal sunlight
in one hand that he uses to "pick" at a tooth
for Dentistry.
streaming in tall windows with a su rround-
mold resting in the other hand. He apolo-
ing view of the tony Ballantyne Resort area.
gizes for cominuing his work, but also
In 200 l, Yaste and Hufanda took a ri sk by opening their own niche dental office
The waiting room is large, but warm and
laughs for just a moment. "Just have to keep
where they could practice general dentistry,
filled with comfortable furniture. Music ush-
going," he says as he leans back in the wait-
cosmetic demistry and pain-free dentistry
ers patients into this space, where they are
ing room chair closely inspecting the mold.
using the latest technology available. Today,
asked if they would like coffee, tea, spring
Neither doctor wears dental regalia and
their patient roster numbers approximately
water or juice. A foot-massage machine rests
2,000, abou t half of a typical practice with
at the foot of a waiting room chair. "Is this a
they discuss their practice. "There is an
two doctors. But they see approximately 80
spa?" Yaste speculates. "Well , so n of. We've
emotional componem to teeth. Without a
new patients each month, mostly boomers,
decided it's important to provide a safe and
nice smile, people look and feel older; they
they nearly finish ea h others' sentences as
who want a bright smile and the confidence
comfortable environment. Based on our
are self-conscious, covering their hands over
that goes along with it. Why boomers?
philosophy, we offer five-star, VlP service
their mouths when they smile. Very often
"These people very often had a horrible
to everyone who walks in the door. We go
they don't realize how much it bothers them
experience at the dentist office as kids,"
the extra mile and then another mile, and
and they are so reserved when they laugh ,"
says Yaste. "We target people who have
another." Patients take their minds off of
says Yaste. I-lufanda sits up suddenly, drops
given up on ever feeling comfortable at
procedures by listening to music via head-
his hands, and becomes quite serious as he
the dentist office."
phones. Demal chairs are plush; paliems
discusses their philosophy. Leaning
greater charlotte biz
>-
november 2003 29
The more steps you take • o recogn1ze your employees, the higher they'll climb
forward, he says, "This s mere like: pr;rtic-
our patients and crt:l'.te an indi,•idml
ing psychol-Jgy. lt speak; to self-wath.
str.:.tegy, or pbn, fo- their dental c:t:o:"
People say, 'Now, I can inall:' smile: fc he camera.' What we do rnlly change!' p::o-
No Mere Veneer
ples' lives. We find that Jery graLify n~ •
Th-: re is liule pre:.er 5ion between the
No Pain, Much Gain
pa9. experiences hat have shaped _h r
Both dentists speak fran..cly a Jour tl-e
aprroach to dent lr'J Ore is "jJe,' the
two dentists whc• re_dily share tho;e
reputation o- their profe.::sion anc rte lEO-
Jth.::r is "Christia11," and it's been that w<..y
degree turn · hey are tryhg to make Pi•:......tre
since they f rst m,.L in high school. Fri)JT
er.tering a dmt.s.'s office - you oper tlx
the lime t1ey wndcd a small, pri,·ate
door and are hit in
th ~
boa ·ding sc1ool Ln 1\'ichigan, they
Lee with these
strong medidnal smells, ;ays
'fast~. Ih ~
fast rriend5. "Year it was prison!''
waiting roorr is dim, the sta[ resen"d :rd you're convinced it's going to 1urt. Feop
~
and we becan1e close (Tiends." B.tt
improves the quality of tl-eir 1-ves.
many high s:hool friendsl-.ips, it wanec.
de;~tal
anxie-;
tl-eir separate ways in
According to 3.n article in tl-e journal of
was Joing through mutual acquaintanc.:s.
the Amelican Dental Assoc~ton (}AL!AJ,
Yast£ went on to om.::>lete his gradtL'IlC
pa~t
'"or~
at the UniveGit: of 1\lichigan Der•:t Hu ~nda
three decades by c..doptin§ lase·s, bordirg
)cho:Jl. So did
pro::edures and other less 1ed nica 1ly
1-.0S( same muual
m ~ thods
in marin& patients ..
efforts appeared t::> I.>\ e had m
and, thanks to
fri ~nds ,
they figurec i1
out and became clcse f-iends aga n,
.t:ld
roommates, as they pursued their dcsre.::s.
:mpact on the problem of Jental fear n
- heir educatiJn w23 in no way limitLd 10
our society and may be w y 63. perce•t
the classroom.
pair was involved during
o
dert.al visi
c.s an adult than it was as;;- chil:l." IJA:JJ'
f,ugust 2003]
While in denta sc:-ool. Yaste wa; a
t icyc .. st. Rearing irA.o the dental school rarkic.g lot one win.er day, he hit a p3.lch
:;J ice at 30 :nph- ··lack ice·uu ~
Yaste and Hufanda .1groe th3t the
cf dentistry centers on pair -fre:! dentinry:
impos~ib~
o
3;:e, b.tt the injuries were obvious and t:te swing was irenic. J--e bd knocke:l OJl -,is
":n fact pain-free is already here " says
two u1per front teeLl. ':'aste describes th::
Y3.ste. He speaks of techno;Jgy i.1 w'Jich
accident as i1credibly p:;.inful and en· Jtion-
1
cavity is remcved using a laser whicl-
·eqmres no injectio:-t for pa n-cootrcl
~d
d.ly shocking. "Here I \,;as, going tJ b;: a :i~ntisl
and ny best
~d"'ertis.ng
wouk be
decay. They also see dentist-y fc•cusing
-ry ov•.., smile, and r ov, I had ruined m:, --om treth ," 1e s!-ares. :::ne might think
more on adult pre-;entative :are .vith
11at if :cuch an accid.m had _o take p.J•:e.
increased electi\·e procedures ;u-d tech-
""lat better r:lace to Je than the parkin,:!
-Nhich shortens the time it 3kes to rerrovc
ni.::jues that can save patient; Lho.Jsand!:
lo of a dental school "No," says Yaste "'t
c•f do]ars during a lifetime. ·The reality is
w<.sn't lle best pl::.ce to be. J::•on't get me
tllt cientistry docs wear out These :;.o, 3(1 and 40-year-old fillings brec....-< :lo-cvn, faL ap3rt and need rep3.ir. Adult pre ·~ m::.ti\.C
err.ctio1al support . T-ug me, there wc.s r.:
procedures are needed to ke ' P
-c .. en::>er 2003
\Ven~
k~
C·Jllege. Mosdy, they l:new what he otl-.£t
of adults sunreyed in 1Q97 felt .hat /e:;s
30
whe• they
1
and is well-known in the profc.ssion.
.hreatening
800-535-5690 ·.......w.cashort.com
S~}!:
or don't seek optional tre 1tme t that
~ hese
COMPANY
eve rybody kr..::w everyone else,"
HuLmda. ··o f couiSe we knew eact- o.htt
" ... Dentistry has Clanged wer . he
CA. SHORT
~nd
" o, no, it "Vas just really sm1l
understandably put off going o the Jert:Et
This behaviJr is calle::l
Fa- e-nployee recognition tha:'s c..·e· the top, call CA Short.
':'as~.
NC ~
51)~
te ~ th
v..rong. 1 rece ved ::>utsumding care, bu. r : 1-nd-h:Jlding when I reJlly needed it.' Yaste's srrik is ir_ao and quickly <va 1-
h.e1lthy and people want .o l:eep their
a-,\e as 1e finishes tht: st::Jry of his and Joe·5
tee1h. They remember a parer1t or other
jo~;ney
family member who had plaotic c icking in
fw11 dental sch•JOI in 1S96, Yaste 1r.ovcd
h , or her mouth. Nc·body V."'ntS :lentur=s
Cb1rlol' ~ to complete a 1"10-year residcr.c;:·
tccay,' says Yaste. "Our goal s to
:du-:a~
into c.entistry- After graduating 10
ir o ral Medici ne at C..-ol:inas Medical
greatEr charlot:e biz
Cente·. He erj:::<ye::l tho.: li -es yle re Tt>gbn
llf'\\
offers, so muc 1 so, th::l 1-e en t'lragcd l.is
eoccort in es:hci:: ±nti:.try w'li:h it·cll.il±3
friend
LO
e1ll~
mo\ E o Cha -.o e. "!
Jce
finaD•'ing is much easier w fix than teem. "
affmdac~.
tocrr -co]. •t o:! resto-:lti\'t materials
imrlnt::, ,·::rcr: mdtoJth-xhitening
Theil" office i3 a work in progress as
and tel::! him L• come do-vn, a--.::1 h e 3ad,
~}Stz ms
'Sure, why net., ' says 'IJs·e, as Le:· lxnh
Food lr·~ Dr15 "'..::lmin·: rn.tio• appro·~= Ll-e use (•= bs::rs :- teerh u u·~at deca;.
complete in t.hat hey are constamly lcarn-
T1.e 3a1Lrt:'IE Cen...::r fer Denristry c.n:i it3 s_.:.ff er,r _,ce est·e.ic d ~ ntiStf).
continui11g educ:a..ion. On a tour, Yastc e;;:phins . hat this room , when it is fin ished
laugh r2callin!C the sirrplLir; of h;: r fil5t days as dentists They beg;ar t.·c r c rree·s with a argc dLTta practice · n tbe ·c:,lk•n where they ren1ired x•r hree). ·;:.-,_" It ~g:
was discourag criuci:ed for
Y1s~. "~.../e .., ~ rc
say':'
S:)~njing
.oo nuc - tire ·..-it-1
our paints. 1.1-e boll·Jl.llire \l _s jn=t Llat,
Y<=..s te and
t..
u[:md:a dcciJed he-, coJld
practice. Yastc lnew
h~
r.orr. lab fac iti<..o:. As the tour continues,
Yast;o aiL --ldc.nda :ce als:: rrak:~,;
ccsmetic o- <X:Jc... iseOl
passion~ ~
d:ntistry - pre'\-entativc ,
cno:o;;e r.ct
-~
~.r-ocl<tble.
Wh e
partl•::.ratc ir_ mana.;sEd
J=refe:TeC 'J'J', clcr
Ckt l~l [
irsurance
who C•Jmed ti-e te-rn '-o:pa- dcnti ..... ry ard
gL!::.eline~ .
Dr. Tom Orent., of Ma~admsett=, wL.)
:::cr.pt::ti.li"e ar:l
w thir t}pica l.i-::r .11 i llil..nn•2~ policy Th ey :lescri
thei- prices
painless, high-:;:nice :lert.io ry. 'viL1 th s as their manm, ar d th· ai d of z haLl
"'~
Je ~ n
ab lr to El.ltark
_1~ ir
consder t•n.:c: ·;es pa..i~lll Jdvocates \' -m ::In iog; ·..rt J insun:rs. rf a patierc fe ~b that -im..r-::.a:· ·; he o- she: laces a
on thei " ,·ision tor VIF 5-:ta- ser ; ict
b<n::ier, w'I':'TI -ind a way
D
Yastc reolls \\·ho created the spaces, curvec. wal s, anJ sutlc lighting; his father who is ar arcb.nec. and carries a dreaded fear d going o t 1e cmtist. "I knew if anyone couLI cr<..ate a sec thing atmosphere , it v10u
d be him," >ays Yaste. YastE. an:: H_ianda each hm-c a
conq,t]tatior area in which they meet with lS
Ia :::trion as fonunz~. "\.\'e ma, x: .r a eson .:-n, :x...t we de not :::l-arge r:.sc-t pt .. ces," s;;~; ia:te. "In fact
pickec staff, lr'C')' have
i-g, spe-d in_;; 40 to 50 hours annually in
enjoy a ::e\'eragt, and in that room will be
pl::-s, th=y do k::u.v tlut. L.'le t prices fal
spa c.c ntis try as ccmicLJt k,
never be
de:t..istr:, "But \' c do set the toomers llCre thau an•JOr.:: o> .so::.-
the denlisll') 1h:y wan::d to pre ..r d~ H s mentor; were - If. _o rin B~rlmd C•- TexES,
d esc rib-~s
\.\~ll
\viii be a lOl:!.tion for patiems w relax and
tl~).
h1d a p-:J o.,pc fc•r
i;; tbzir p·actice. likely, it
·'Cosme· ·. s is · •L first leo •e," s1ys Yaste.,
ak· Jl
do it ciffereml ; if . her ::lp:nzC. tbc.r ovn
t:l.~
z Lh.::>ugl- -u: .s just as p3:5s an te for ge'lral
the financial b ) tom li -e. L was the Jgl est side or dentisu;. "
-=-ho: .s t:1e sam::' era in wh.cr_
mcHe our s::r..,'cE
r::atimts. bu. heu private office revea ls the fr endshi::> au::l _naraderie that is the hallrrark of the - pr::tnice. Computer keyboard3 and ~on..tor, sit ;:.tangles, and papers are [:ile::. on .hei:r dcsi<s. The remnants of a srac< anJ chink Iiller their tables. lt looks like 1 dcnn roan where two school boys de\'C ope pbrs fo· their demal practice. biz
Breaking Barl"'iers
An American D:ntal A.55o.:i<f.ior t of the r.istory
0
_T
o>li ~
do>ntimy ir.::lu<Es;...-pr::>xi-
matel) 100 cn·rieo: on 3.gnif:cc.IL. c·>.:tJts and progress in the rield. L begi.1s '-\ t -
1
n::u-
Lion on a Sumerian te;ct d.lted 5 =C•O :·.C which descrihs "t.:>otl- w•xns·· ~ .1.. c:ause of dental dec;J;. Durin; tre '-'tid _lo> Europe . monb. ao the l.1oot
.~ ;seo
Customers Count On Us For The Best Service in the Industry. When was the last time y:>u receiwed outstand ing service? Su:soine Unifo-rr custom"" e><perence asupsior le..el of service every day. W,., are we bEtte-! • 5 c:>erienced =n plcy~s -M1o understan::l you neH~. · Call; ret med t1: SA.\4Eda>•and ;,sues oesol·ced ir :A hours or less. • Fe•ibility to cuot:>mi"" prog ra-ns ·or you where ot-oers can't. •T-.e ability to(<je o re ofNATONAL ac:::>unt; thrcghout the country. · l..:lyalcustorre iS b[jlt on ::p.Jai'y re!atioroohip!i
in
cdL~acc:•- p~o
ple of the era, : ractice ·in::str:,· al t:L>U§;h a Papal edict S•J;)n pro-rib t5 mo- I.s
hoC~
perfor11ing an.., l)"Je o- snE-::r:: -nd l:::aners
If you're nct ; etting im pressi~P- unifo·m service, call us today!
assume the rol ~ As th: ti:ndin~= =n nLco:, it re\'ells ad\'<. :es in t;;(tocring ee:h_ '·eatmem o ceca},
r::>Ol
techniques, anJ e\.en
st~u:::s
"Our Business is MtJking \'ou r Bt•riness Look Better.''
~s.::cti'e
ca..ul5 and
a:
A fami'y tra::l<:ion fcrove· 54 ,.-ea-s corrmittffi to :)<Oviding the best quality service and pr:x:luct' h the i1ci.5tr)l Tr ~t was JUr philos:oohy then, and it still shows today.
~arty ~s
17-+6. Prior tC> his Rev::J urio:-~ar:, \Va fal.ll , Paul Revere atbc::rtises b is d~tLl. ~e vices
in a Boston nn-sfBper. lr 1-342 tht ·ir!'t reclining dentd cl-air .5 it >e:nte< ar.d f•:-..1r years later the ·J·st use ::>f et:Je- Jneshesa
C•• rSenices lnclL.dl! Ren'ia l · le<~se - PuiiChase ot lrcu>tri<l niforms • Executive Ur ik>rrrs • Entran.:e M~ts • CLStom Logo Mats • Linen Products R.,.~room Supplies · Cl£1om :::Orpora:e Apparel- (~.o gom :;.,broidery· First Aid Delivery Se'VC:e ·National AcoL rt 5e' .ice thr::ugh our n err bersn fC in the Uniform Supply Alliance.
for surgery is cem 1nst -:~tee. altLLtJ ir one case, it W:G ccnsidcre:l "' b-.~re _.h ~ n the pa.ient cril c o...n. f ncl\ in .. 9C'i, a local aresthet c. e\ent·.nll,< narc ed as Novocaine®, I rings p1 n rehe ~. ;:, LL· .tgl. i1 requires <. wircing injeGion. In
greater cr :trlotte
I:; z
~.:
190 )s.
llnlfo1111 Serv<ee, 1m:
704-865-6211
,,0. Box 1:::602 • Gastonia, NC2805:: =ax: 704-8E:S.fi213 • HI00-452-<1508 Aww.sunslai•wrilctrr . ~ om
Member
UNIFORM SUPPLY ALLIANCE
1ovember 2003 3 1
Charles R. na1is. p esident, C.A. Short CDilpiny
by 3ndrea cooper
C.A. Short Company: A leader in recognition,
performance and safety awards LAUGHING. DANCING. SINGING. AT AN EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION EVE NT? You're likely to see it all at the helby headquarters of CA. Short Company, a leading national vendor of recognition , service and safety awards for employees. To honor anniversaries and outstanding service, CA. Short employees create remarkable special events, from mock game shows with door prizes to "manager car washes," where managers wash employees' cars for contributions to a good cause. Employees even created a "You Rock" award for a colleague who pulled off a stellar practical joke. A decade ago, things weren't so jolly. Chuck Davis faced a grim task. The holding company he worked for owned CA. Short, then a vendor of holiday gifts for employees. CA. Short had once generated sales of $30 million annually. By 1992, business had sunk to $18 million. Everybody and their brother- Kmart, Wal-Mart, Hickory Farms, the store down the street - began offering holiday gifts or gift certificates for employers to
give employees. The recession l-adn't helped , either, as textile and o:;u er layoffs meant fewer corporations were likely to provide gifts. had to Davis' mission was clear. fire CA. Short's president, hi~ J ne\\. leader, and transform this staic inves ment into a competitor in its :':dd. But Davis never did hire a new pnc8dent Instead , he became the presidtll.t. In the process, he re-inver:~d C.A. Short. The company changed · rs focLs to recognition, service and safety o.ward3, with holiday gifts as a secondary proJuct. Today, it counts Nationwide lr.~ urance, Westinghouse, and DuPont araJng its clients. With $25 million in a:.l"lual sales, it ranks fourth nationally in ~t5 indug_ry. But unlike ten years ago, Da•.ri3 says, the sales are solid, with good prosrects for ranking second within a year o·: two To engineer the tumarour d, Da\.iS began by recruiting and hirin~some firstclass managers. His team idem fied ,.,.
=;..
november 2003 33
the connmy'o c·re : on· f~.e nci<.>s as des &nin~ CJdrr inisterin.~, cnd -ulfilling rewgniticn pwg·ars. Eu- the; realized the com pan> •: JLid-,'t mz <e rr Xley by con:~ntr:uin.s
on holiday gifts. or really on gifts u a I. CA. :.hon 3ad D be kna<Pn fo- i .3 progEms - ils ul.ique service that helped :.mployers -ccognize empbyees i::- a meaningfl I wa:". "It was a hLge P' ·adig:n shift," D.avis -rys. Ther came t:'le painfd decisions. Mo~ of t.l-e ccmpacy"s cruploy,.es weren't wilhtg to chan;se. ["3vis e->cnu.<..lly had to let ab(•Ut ~ 00 :Jecple gJ He became the age· of 'lngry phone calls and letter:;. rk remembers it <.3 a ro1arkably unp .c:asa 11 time. The ~w te:am turntc its an.:'ntion to pr cing anJ <.:ustc:ner3. C.A. Short's
inccne v1as low panly tecause- it hadn't ra ise:d pr ceo in a decade. )orne :ustom~ ·s d dn t respond \.Veil to r rice incr~.lscs dwi.o,s a reces5icn. C.nis had D le th::-m gJ, .,:)0, rc.f::rri glowmar6 n b.tSine33 to hs cT:rpetuws.
Expanding th-e Product, Exa.rtlin · g S le-s With a new ~uJhass bu f~we· custl):ncr:; D'l'" s be.;;an T.:ll<in<: :;ales calls Hundrds of S3les cal s. l-c: was ana ural s.ale3n·an, rad · cen s· xe he begar sel ing r~1l esc1te :tt ~6. I-12 sold some $5CCt,COO v.or::h of tusin,.ss in his f l.St Y~Jr at. :A :3ho::-t, wh i <: also supervising o _h.~ rs.
But he kept running into an obstacle. MJst prospects wanted to offer employee; jewelry with their corporate logo Trey wo1.:ldn't even consider C.A. Short urless the o:npany could manufacture je\./elry. Davis comactcd Balfour, a jewelry manufacturer, and asked if Balfour would create lines LSt for C.A. Short. The owr.er was w·lling to go him one beuer. HE sold C.A. r.ort his entire book of service award customers, along with 4- million in inventOI)'· Now, C.A. Short co·..1ld offer excbsive jewelry designs ani custo:r. logos to its customers. lt wa5 a good beginning, but only tha Davis krew plemy of people didn't
"I made every mistake you could make." - Chuck Davis, President care about getting je,Yel ry plastered with a lngo, even if such gifts were standard in the industry. As the workforce became mere diver5e, employers need to offer m::uy more choices. And C.A. Short nee.C.ed to help them by providing a rarge of gifts, from Waterford crystal to tele.\isions and gas grills. The idea was to get people of all different backgrounds excited about the gifts they could choose. The new program helped CA. Short begin to dJ:Crcmiate itself from competitor;. But one key element was still a
probk::m: the sales force. 'I 1.1a::le C\'el) mist=il:e you cculd make,' D;;l\i.S says. He tr .2d to CCJ=Y ctJmpet otS ty usin,? indq ; ndent sa-les reps. r c >~o e camp~ itors· ~ps and c.iscnvered t-cy "':anted to d . >-hings tl.~ w1y the: afwa) shadcrea il::t.g no ddT.erence be.wten .A Sho·t.:tnd othz·s. Ile prcrrcted his best "-"llesma t:J rranager He made bad l-Tes. "-\~ gone thrc· J51 lCO sale~ peopk:: and at l~ast 10 rrur:;_gers to get tt grea· sa es team vrz h:l\roe now... he
S:t"'S.
lnti'Dduc
1'1 c ati
s
In 1 io 5, the compJny iru:r•Jiucccl The Marq -is Prcgm:n., a servi.:c ..IW:trd prograrr.. Jeaturing ':..A. Shon's mo;t popuk-.· item> n an orlme :atalog.JC A.3 pan d the pngram, CA. )hon ro Jld handk all atl •inistration, from o·dc:riq:, to shirping -=-he progta 11 took off, transformi 'liS the re:.ognit.on industry JIJC sp... ning man ; :opyots. Da.is kept IXJking for way~ .J pull ftam the pac < f,y investing in te : nolog;r, re C•mld tract \\r.ere ,;p L~ were- :~.... any sta&e in the crdc rirg proc ~s~. This i =stand me pr:tctice :trnng recognition : mparies today, bu in th:.> mid199(5 . it wasr'L --e combination of co1 pe.i.tivc prich~.,
range of gi 'ts, tal"TTt ~ ::i people ancl1c hnolog; impressed C::n1 e Arg'. ~ with 1-ationw~ lrsuran•.:z, whc sclcct~·l C.A. ~1on to b<.nclle Natiotr>:ic.e' sen'ic awar I rogram nat·onall)- CA. Shon
ONE FOR-HE OFFICE
0'\IE FOR OME
nove1ber 2003
ONE FOR THE ROAD
greater c-a-lotte :•i:o
\',on the <:omrac. over l3 other bidders
conpany- we saved about 25 to 30
2003. Bertha, with Heinz North America,
L1 a thre-round pr:JCess. "Chuck came
pe-cent cf what we'd been spending.
a division of the food company H.j.
bJCk to
An:l they meant more to the recipients."
Heinz, was looking for a nevv vendor to
J3
with suggestions and creative
·±as. LJ.2 led us ::>ut there on the edge," ~ :e says
c. ogn"zingYour Own
handle service awards for its 10,000 North American employees. "At C.A.
Tl-.e company had been presenting _tJts ir o.ward ceremonies, but that
As Davis b~came something of a guru in tho; recogn .tion business, he realized a
Short, they seemed to know all the ins and outs of a complicated business, and
·...'Ouldni. be possible if the employee o_clOSe a l-uge T'i or some other bulky
s .Lnning truth. C.A. Short's prior man-
they were a lot friendlier than other vendors," she says.
u:m. D.Pli.s ~•ywhcre
agre~d to
provide shipping
-the employee's home,
"' cati•Jll place , or Jdult childs home. So bat ationvide would still have s ··mcth.og to g~·"e employees at their ·:anqucr Dmis ::lesigned a presentation :ox, cn'Jossed with the honorees narre ;rnd incl.1ding a framed certificate. ·Doir g a very nice presentation became: lot e<:Sier," Argus says.
~
Did she trust Davis immediately7 :-teck, no! Are yc-u kidding7" she says
agemem h1d done a lousy job of recogrizing its own employees. So he set up a Janqu=t at which employees heard hew val:Jable they are. "Many people
Spirit from the Top If thats true, it might be credited to
<.Clually aied," he recalls. "It really rr.:>ved me. It taught me that anytime
Davis, who by his own admission is a
a -xrson i> recognized properly, they g:cw. Tl.ey become more loyal to the U>mpary Their attitude improves. They ~:Jjoy their job more, and the company n·z.kes more money." Pla1:ring events has actually become
Type A personality, theatrical and ambitious. By the time he was 18, he had obtained his real estate broker's license and sold millions in property. He earned a B.A. in two and a half years, auending night classes at Franklin University in his
s.:>mething of a plum assignment at C.A. ~'10rl. 'People want to be on the employ-
nath·e Columbus, Ohio. Over the next ten years, he was involved in acquiring, restructuring, and selling businesses with a combined value of more than $50 mil-
::lors have been over-promising and
e= relatio::1s committee, and they want more meetings," says C.A. bon's human r~sources director Susan Campbell.
under-delivering. The opposite happcnd with C.A. Short. The gifts cost less to tJ:"e
Cl::r,stine Bertha saw the same spirit ~:1en ol:e visited C.A. Short in March
·.vith a laugh. "All the vendors claimec ·1.e} could gin us a wide range of prod_.ct. M:.::lst of o·.:.r experiences with ven-
lion, while purchasing and developing more than $30 million in real estate. He later bought and sold companies as a
>
We bring more to the table than just the table. When you come to OffK::e Environments you can expect so much more than a great selection of desks and chairs. Expect guidance, expertise and a complete understanding of what makes an offics environment IM)Ii(_ We offer countless servia3s, from design and financing to installation, assetmanagement and maintenance. All backed by the training, knowledge and resourres that rome from being an Authorized Steelcase Dealer. We put everything on the table so you get a complete offt.e solution, not to mention some pretty nte fumiture.
704.714.7200 www.office-environments.com
§ OfficeEnviromnents AUTHORIZED STEELCASE DEALER
greater
~harlotte
biz
november 2003 35
venture capitalist in oil, retailing, industry, and restaurants, including Arthur Treachers' Fish & Chips. With his father, Davis took C.A. Short private in 2000. Davis is drawn to excitement. He learned how to walk on hot coals just to see if he could do it. He is certified to scuba dive with his teenage daughters, and his son is learning the sport. He has practiced wing chun, a form of kung fu, ever since a hockey team beat him up in a bar when he was a teenager. "I use it as a form of meditation," he says. "It takes your mind off everything else. If I'm thinking about Nationwide in class, I'll get my nose broken." "He's a character," says Nationwide's Argus with admiration. "I think Chuck Davis has a need to chart his own adventures in life. The more challenging, the more difficult to accomplish, the more he's attracted to it. He doesn't tackle small challenges." And that's lucky- for C.A. Short. As companies continue to cut their workforces and reduce the amount they spend on employees, selling recognition has
become more challenging. "We have to be more innovative and offer our customers more recognition for their dollars," Davis says. Fortunately, innovation doesn't scare Chuck Davis.
Davis Holdings of North Carolina, Inc. dfb/a
President: Charles R. Davis Corporate Headquarters: 13900 Conlan Circle, Suite 150 Charlotte NC 28277 Operational Headquarters: 4205 E. Dixon Blvd. Shelby, NC 28152 Number of employees: 120 full-time In business: 66 years Customers: over 3,500 Company ships: 2.5 million award packages a year to 70 countries www.cashort.com
Give us $20. We~II make change. The N.C. Children's Promise is back. Help kids across the state just by listening to a Curtis Media Group radio station. On November 20, DJs will collect $20 pledges for the N.C. Children's Hospital. You can also call1-866-9-NC-K lDS or visit ncchildrenspromise.org to donate.
the N.C.
Children's
PROMISE S20for2ohouts
36
november 2003
UNC HOSPITALS NORTH CAROLINA
CHlLDRE 'S HOSPITAL
greater charlotte biz
Recognizing Chuck Davis advises national companies how to improve their recognition programs. Here are his
Cast.:aL flegan: Settinc
essentials for a successful program : l. Human interaction is impor-
tant. Recognize an employee's anniversary or other milestone
Business Meetings
in person, not over the phone or via e-mail. 2. Recognize employees in front of their peers. One-on-one recognition works, but it's more powerful in front of a group of the employee's peers. Hold an award ceremony, banquet, barbecue , or whatever is appropriate for your company
200
路'Vines by the c=kss
Consider offering a plaque or certificate that can be visible at the employee's work space year-rou nd. 3. Family involvement. Whenever
possible, invite family members . Design the program so the family
Contemporary American Cuisine
is involved in some way. Your event will have even more impact. 4. Present a useful and functional gift. lf you're in banking or insurance, a pin might be valuable symbol of achievement. But blue-collar workers might a beautiful tool kit more.Offer a range of gifts your employees will care about. Encourage employees to review the gift catalogue with their families, so family members can select and enj oy the gift together.
5. Immediate gratification. Look for a vendor that provides gifts promptly and on-time.
o one
wants to receive a certificate of recognition a day after the awards ceremony.
i
greater charlotte biz
november 2003 ;;
[bizdigest]
Forbes Ranks Wake Forest MBA School Among Best in Nation for Return on Investment
North Carolina Business Hall of Fame
Forbes magazine has ranked Wake Forest
Babcock School, the class of 1998 earned
Sixteen years ago Junior Ach ievement of
University's Babcock Graduate School of
an average of $33 ,000 in the year prior to
the Central Carolinas established the North
Management No. 28 among top MBA pro-
entering business school. Five years after
Carolina Business Hall of Fame to recognize
grams in the world.After measuring return
earning an MBA, average annual earnings
those individuals in North Carolina who
on investment at business schools, the sur-
in that class were $1 00,000.
vey concludes that MBA schools " paid back
After subtracting the cost of earning
have made outstanding contributions to our economic development. To date , a total of
quite nicely for the class of 1998 - a class
an MBA- including tuition and two years
68 laureates have been inducted into the
that worked through the boom and bust
of foregone salary - the class of 1998
Hall of Fame.
since graduation."
Babcock students earned an average five-
Accord ing to the Forbes survey, the
year MBA gain of $91 ,000, according to the
Junior Achievement hosts the annual event and the North Carolina Citizens for
average 1998 graduate almost tripled his or
magazine. On average , Babcock graduates
Business and Industry (NCCBI) selects the
her pre-MBA salary five years out of school.
needed 2.8 years to break even on their
Business Hall of Fame laureates. Four out-
While annual income growth for the United
MBA investment, compared with an average
standing business leaders will be inducted
States has averaged 2.5 percent since 1998,
of 3. 1 for all 85 schools surveyed. More
into the North Carolina Business Hall of
for the business school class of 1998 it has
information is available at www.Forbes.com.
Fame on November 13, 2003, at The Westin in Charlotte: Annabelle L. Fetterman,
averaged I I percent since graduation. At the
Lundy Packing Company; Lewis R. Holding,
Charlotte Hosts Regional Sports Events It's a done deal ! Raycom Sports will
First Citizens Bank; Leon Levine, Family Dollar Stores: and Ed O'Herron, Eckerd Corporation.
again roll the 2003 Continental Tire
The dinner promises to be another
Bowl into Charlotte . This is another
exciting celebration of the American Free
huge win for the city. The game will take
Enterprise System honoring individuals
place at Ericsson Stadium on Saturday,
who have typified the work ethic, values,
December 27, 2003 . Over 40,000
sense of community and success that have
attendees are expected bringing in
made our natio nal great.
well over $7,000,000 in d irect
Coliseum . The Classic Outdoors Show,
delegate spending.
a giant products and activities festival ,
ates: John M Belk,James T. Broyhill, Edward E.
will take place at the Charlotte
Crutchfield,Aian T. Dickson, John A Forlines,
as the recently a nnounced host city for
Convention Center. More information
and W. Duke Kimbrell. More information is
the 2004 Citgo Bassmaster Classic tour-
is available at www.visitcharlotte.org.
available at www.jacarolinas.orgleventslhall.htm.
Charlotte reels in another big one
Also sche::luled to attend are past laure-
nament on Lake Wylie . The world championship of bass fishing event will bring
Shelco Sold to Management Group
Officefnvironments, Inc. Expands in Charlotte
in economic impact, according to Bass
A group of senior managers, led by Ed
OfficeEnvironments, headquartered
Communications .
Rose, company president and CEO, have
in South Charlotte , has purchased of
purchased Shelco, Inc., a general contracting
the local operations of Atlanta-based
in over $8,000,000 in direct delegate spending to Cha rlotte and much more
The CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer faces off the
firm, from the company's founders, Charlie
Ivan Allen Workspace, LLC in order
52 top anglers in the wo r ld in an all-out,
and Ed Shelton. Shelco's corporate office is
to broaden cl ient base and continue
three-day tourn a ment to determ ine who
based in Charlotte, and the company consis-
to expand operations , according to
is# I. This will be the first BASS event
tently ranks among the top five general con-
owner Tom McAnallen .
on Lake Wylie since a Bassmaster Open
tractors in North Carolina. The Shelton
tournament in 1982.
brothers founded Shelco in 1978, but have
existing headquarters facility,
The Westin Charlotte and the Hilton
In addition to the company's
not been active in the business for the past
OfficeEnvironments will take
fifteen years.There will be no changes in the
possession of the Ivan Allen building
quarte r hotels for the 2004 classic . Daily
management or operations of the company
located uptown .
weigh- ins will take place in the Ch a rlotte
as a result of the sale.
Charlotte & Towers will be the head-
38
november 2003
greater cha rl otte biz
Web•i•fy
(we
' T-f~')
Cabarrus County Unveils New Community Logo 'The Center of American Motorsports' Cabarrus County has unveiled an all-new community logo and tagline reading, 'The Center of American Motorsports.' Together, the two showcase the tremendous economic impact motorsports has on Cabarrus County. "Cabarrus County's new logo and tagline reflect the great importance of the motorsports industry in our local economy," states Robert Freeman, chairman of the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners. "By partner-
CABARRUSCIJ W1Y THE CENTER OF A MERICAN MOTORSPORTS
ing with Lowe's Motor Speedway, Cabarrus County recognizes the huge concentration
shiners became local heroes. It was only a
of motorsports businesses and jobs in our
matter of time before they were racing each
area.We are extremely proud of the new
other for fun.The area's red clay made it fairly
look and feel as it is a true representation of
easy to turn a cornfield into a racetrack, and
the pride, respect and appreciation Cabarrus
soon local folks were buying tickets to come
County has for being the center of American
and watch the races.
motorsports.'' According to executive vice president
For decades, however, stock car racing remained a regional sport. Built in 1960,
of Lowe's Motor Speedway, Doug Stafford,
Lowe's Motor Speedway instantly provided
"Cabarrus County and its municipalities are
an exciting outlet of two racetracks for a
truly the engine inside the motorsports indus-
community full of aspiring racecar drivers.
try...Currently, more than 90 percent of racing
Then, in the early 1970s when television
teams are headquartered within 50 miles of
banned tobacco ads, R.J. Reynolds began
the speedway, helping keep the core of the
pumping its advertising dollars into the sport.
racing industry here in Cabarrus County."
More corporate money followed , and this
Cabarrus County has deep roots in the
led to paved super-speedways, skyboxes
motorsports industry. The sport got its start
and nationally televised races.The rest is
with moonshiners outrunning the law on
history. More information is available at
North Carolina's back roads.Admired for
www.cabarruscounty.us.
their rebellious spirit, these fast-driving moon-
SEA Seeks Nominations for 2004 Small Business Person of the Year The U.S. Small Business Admin-
also soliciting nominations for individ-
istration (SBA) is seeking nominations
uals in North Carolina who help
for the 2004 North Carolina Small
small businesses , including Financial
Business Person of the Year and Small
Services Advocate, Minority Small
Business Advocate awards . In North
Business Advocate, Veteran Small
Carolina, the SBA district office
Business Advocate and Women in
selects the North Carolina Small
Business Advocate . Nomination
Business Person of the Year. That indi-
packages must be received at the
vidual will attend the national cele-
Charlotte District Office on or
bration in Washington , D.C. , to com-
before December 5, 2003 . Guidelines
pete for the National Small Business
and forms are available at
Person of the Year award. The SBA is
www.sba.gov/nc.
greater charlotte biz
biz resource ~uide Take advantage of these proaas a-o:! SB"vice (-Jrr Charlotte's leading busiress-:c-~L!.in,;s sJppli=rs. Accupointe Professional Pccoll"til' s,d:em; Blair, Bohle & Whitsitt PLLC Bon terra Carolina Volkswagen C.A. Short Company Charlotte Center Cities
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click.com Compass Career Management ~c..Ltc n _. Corp Data Products CPCC Culp Elliott & Carpenter, PLLC Diamond Springs Dunhill Hotel Employers Association First Citizens FN Thompson Hilliard Lyons juba Aluminum Meeting House North Carolina A& T Universil'f Office Environments On core Regent Park Golf Course R. L. Bryan Company Road Runner Business Class Ron Snead Scott Insurance Sedona Staffing Services Sonitrol Security Southeast Anesthesiology Southern Tree & Landscape South Trust Bank Sunshine Uniform Service, Inc Total Information Source UNC College Foundation UNC Children's Promise Vance Flouhouse & Garges, FLl Wachovia Whitehead Associates
pg.30 Jg. 36 Jg. 39 Jg 41 Jg 15 Jg 10 Jg 26 Jg 34 Jg 18 Jg 40 ::>g ::>g ::>g pg
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november 2003
The Lyerly Agency, Inc. has been certified as a Women's Business Enterprise by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council-Southeast. The Marketing Consortium has been honored with two Image Awards from the United Way of Central Carolinas for work completed on behalf of A Child's Place, an organization working closely with CMS that advocates for children and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. UNC Charlotte's associate professor of geography and earth sciences, Tyrell "Tink" Moore, has been named recipient of this year's Bank of America Teaching Excellence award, the university's most prestigious teaching honor, for continually meeting - and exceeding- students' expectations. Sterrett Dymond Stewart has received six awards at the 2003 Kentucky Thoroughbred Healthcare Conference Advertising Competition for entries in various media. The William States Lee College of Engineering at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has announced the recipients of its 2003 College of Engineering Teaching Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding educators and their accomplishments within the college: Helene Hilger, assistant professor of civil engineering, has received the college's undergraduate award and Harish Cherukuri, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and engi neering science, has received the college's graduate award. Hilger also was recognized as this year's Maxheim Faculty Fellowship Award winner. T. Lawrence Mellichamp, an associate professor of biology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and director of the campus' greenhouse and botanical gardens, has been awarded the Thomas Roland Medal for excellence in horticulture by the Massachusetts Horticu lture Society, one of the nation's most prestigious awards in the field of horticulture. Walker Marketing,Advertising & Public Relations, Inc. has received the 2003 'Best in North Carolina' award given by the Business Marketing Association of the Carolinas, and three additional gold awards and a silver award in multiple categories. The Charlotte World Affairs Council has presented Irwin (Ike) Belk with
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the World Citizen Award honoring a prominent citizen with ties to the Carolinas who has been distinguished by accomplishments of internatio nal significance.The presentation of this year's award coincides with the 20th Anniversary of the Charlotte World Affairs Council. Southern Tree and Landscape, a TruGreen LandCare Company, has been awarded National Merit Awards for its management of the landscapes at Morrocroft and The Peninsula and a National Distinction Award for its work at Ballantyne Corporate Park as part of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America's 34th Annual Environmental Improvement Awards Program. E. J. Presser & Co., a Charlotte-based advertising agency, has celebrated its 60th anniversary; the agency specializes in industrial advertising. Rev. Brenda H. Tapia of Davidson College has received an education award from the CharlotteMecklenburg Black Political Caucus for her work with the Love of Learning program. Bern Beatty and Charles lacovou ofWake Forest University's Babcock
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Graduate School of Management have been named Educators of the Year for the Wake Forest Evening MBA Program in Charlotte for their out- 5 standing contributions to the educa-] tion and personal development of students. I Lee Garver, product manager, Keys and Cylinders, for YSG Door Security Consultants, has been presented with the Distinguished
Architectural Hardware Consultant Award based on technical expertise by the Door and Hardware Institute. Marian E. Beane, director of the Student!Scholar Office in International Programs at UNC Charlotte, has received the Charlotte Area
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Peace Corps Association's Peace Prize awarded annually by the Association for significant work improving social and humanitarian conditions and promoting international understanding. Simonini Builders, Inc. (Alan Simonini and Ray Killian ,Jr., co-owners), named America's Best Builder in 2002, has been ranked 2nd in the nation in customer satisfaction among custom builders, receiving the prestigious 2003
NRS Excellence in Class Award in Homeowner Satisfaction SM .
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Richard Brasser, founder of Targeted Golf, has been named the winner of the Charlotte Chamber Entrepreneur Award for companies with fewer than I I employees. Beck Imports of the Carolinas has named Kevin Young new car sales manager. Perkins & Will has announced that Jana Hartenstine, AlA and Matt Brown, AlA have become registered architects with the firm . Cynthia Jackson Hammond has joined the College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte as the assistant dean. Simon Property Group has named James "Nick" Nicolosi assistant manager for SouthPark Mall. Jeremy Icard has been promoted to team manager of the Residential Team at ColeJenest & Stone, P.A. The JS Proctor Company, a Charlotte-based real estate property management firm, has announced the appointment of Victoria P. Wolbert as CEO. Gary Shuey has been elected assistant vice president with First Citizens Bank's credit card subsidiary in Charlotte. Angela McGill has been promoted to relationship banker at First Citizens Bank. Real estate attorney Paul H. (Woody) Efird Ill has rejoined HorackTalley Pharr & Lowndes as special counsel in the firm 's Park Road-area office. Ballantyne Country Club has announced Gregory lnggs as the newest addition to its sales team. Meredith Curley has been promoted to production administrator at The Bainbridge Crew. ProfitTechnologies Corporation has named Pat Fox the new executive managing director for its Revenue Enhancement engagement delivery team in the U.S. Veteran real estate developers Judd McAdams, Hall Johnston and Doug Hammond have merged their respective companies into a new commercial development company, Real Estate Development Partners (R.E.D. Partners); RobertT. Hord has joined them to lead the commercial real estate or::eration, R.E.D. Brokerage.
greater char lotte biz
--------------------------------------------~ontop ] Stable Networks, a Charlotte-based telephony and data integration firm , has announced the appointment of Talmadge Bridges as director of technology.
Dr. Freda Nicholson has been named interim president of The Charlotte Museum of History and Hezekiah Alexander Homesite upon the departure of Bill Massey from the position. Charlotte Christian School has announced Stewart Wiley as its new director of development. Attorney Marna Albanese has joined the McNair Law Firm P.A. as a member of the firm 's litigation practice group. Barnhardt, Day & Hines, a Charlotte-based advertising and marketing agency, has hired Jane Conversano as their new Art Director. Stacey Dennis has been promoted to administrative assistant II at ColeJenest & Stone, P.A. The following area business and civic leaders have been elected as officers of the 2003-2004 board of trustees at the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Howard "Smoky" Bissell (chair), Mac Everett (vice chair), and Irwin Belk (secretary). Cindy Gantt and Dale Halton were also sworn in as new board members and Norm Cohen and William McCanless are each returning for a second term. Alice Abreu has joined The Bainbridge Crew as its estimator. Dale Kaetzel has been named vice president of marketing and assistant general manager at Paramount's Carowinds, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the field of entertainment and sports marketing. Jill Herman of regional CPA and consulting firm Crisp Hughes Evans LLP has received her Accredited Member (AM) designation in business valuation from the American Society of Appraisers. Craig Montgomery, formerly with Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. of Charleston, W .Va., has been promoted to president and general manager of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.
CICS Language Solutions has added three new full time interpreters to their staff: David Miller and Otto Zellmann have joined the staff of Spanish interpreters and Diane Dorrell has joined the staff of American Sign Language interpreters. inlingua Language and Intercultural Training has announced the appointment of Debbie Barnard as director of its Charlotte office. Bill Crigger, president of Compass Career Management Solutions, has been appointed vice president of Crown Point Property Owners Association Inc. for a 3-year term. Dan Gallagher, the principal of !Active! Intermediation, a Charlotte-based business brokerage and commercial realty firm , has been appointed as the first Gottesman Company representative in North Carolina; his firm will work as intermediaries on mergers and acquisitions.
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• T t- e C3Iolin a's -::m ly Dynamic Balance S:t sfe:m, otferin !; the most corrplste feed ba ck on got~ swing motion ar d wei~t oistribut c r , i n ~2 grc.t~d vide :• swing analysi 3 and prac:ice Jf0£rams, and t he popular 30 Oa_is to Better Gc tf P ogram .
Most Comprehens ive Toumament Services and Event Packages T r r ke}' package5 to alla N you k> spend more ti me wil h your guests.
Mo st Value Oriented An 11ual Fee Member ship Packages U--11 m ted green 8 es ana practice .. .all for o ne lew pri:e. In aci:::itio 1 to w hal our faciliti es offe ~, our Pnfessionc.l staff has more than EO y ~ars teaching expe ience, includi g 5 PGA e11d LPGA Pro~e ssi Jnals on staff. Our fLII-1i118 tourra 11ent coorcilator has he p=-d r3ise more than $500,00) k.,. local and nation.cl charities as we I c.s mana•;J3 events for p rof~sional .3ports teams and P G ~ ~ a n ctiooed events.
REGENT PARK GOLF ACADEYIY
15 mi nU:es f rom Uptown • 1-77 3ou-, to exit 30, lurn left 3 o 1/2 mile on UE; 21 , turn 13ft :rt Fegent Park
As a llw1k ~ou for your business in 2003, Regent Park is offer ing Winter Rates beginning on November 1st. Mon.:a:t-Thursdays: $37 =riday-Surdays anj Hoi days: $49 All rates include ·ax and gclf car fo' 18 hJies. Reducec rates are cr1ai able after 1 p.rr . daily a1d SE nior Rates apply 1\Jonda-1-Thursday.
Yo ur focus is on the goals of
your bus·11ess. Our focus
is on ge tting you there!
Eric Edgison , Bill Cooper (704) 571-7447 or (704) 571-7448
You klOV<. whe re you 're heading . You know what
~·cL
3nc tr at ilcludes a fina ncial pcovider as focused oo
rJeed to get there,
~,
as you a ·e
;Joe: Is. YoJ will find :hat at SoLthTrust. South-rust B8l-< will bri ng ::;tre-n£ th, flexibility and respon-::;ivene-ss . Bettef" yet,
~n
your
~iranci a l
"·=.:e lea-ned , vvtlat is
-nost irr poiant to you is most importalt to us . Pro vE -: t·J yourself. C311 on the Crcrlotte reg ion' s Corpa-ate Cash Managemer t ::E
yov o-nJany's cash ald minimize
th~
to h~p ffiOj>Cimize
costs and . rr B involved in y·:ur total
:::ash n ar agemelt prog-am .
Bank Memter
=o C © 2003 SouthTrust ww·N.southtrust. com
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Make a molehill out of a mountain. Introducing the Touareg.
Drivers
•~
wanted~ •
Caro~~~g~iJ!!~n"!agen
7800 E. Independence Blvd . at Krefeld Dr. • Charlotte, NC 28227 704-537-2336 • 1-800-489-2336 INWW.carolinavw.com © 2003 Volks,ogeo. 1-800 DRM' VW"' VWCOM