Greater Charlotte Biz 2006.09 by CLT.biz & Charlotte Biz & Greater Charlotte Biz

Bank of America can offer truly personalized financial services to your business. We take the time to understand your need while giving you the resources neces ary to make your business strong. Our mutual success is built through one-on-one relationships 'vith dedicated business banking client managers. So whether you need checking accounts, working capital or real estate financing and experti e for your business, you are only a phone call away from a response. Please call Susan Bush at 704.387.5344 today for more information on how Bank of America can help you grow your business.

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UNC President Erskine Bowles

Erskine Bowles had the opportunity to tour a variet y of businesses and educational institutions across Southeast Asia w hile working on Tsu1am1 Relief. What he learned as he toured those facilities d isturbed him almost as much as the flattened homes, twisted trees and upended boats he'd seer scattered along the coast. "What I saw in Asia changed the way I think, t he way I act, what I think is importan:, how I will do my job, and what I will focus on," Bowles explains. "I came back knowing that i' we don't get more of our own people better educated, the jobs of the future are not going to be here, they're going to be over there. There is an economic shift coming at us like a tsunarri."

Skanska USA Building When Charlotte's Beers Construction Company melded with I 5-plus entities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the result was Skanska USA, a company that enjoys

resources and expert ise befitting a $4 billion behemoth - part of Skanska AB, a publ ic company traded on the Swedish Stock Exchange that scored $17 billion in sales for 2005.

Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers

b1 Xper In recognition of the evolving global economy, Wake Forest University's Babcock School of Management offers an international study trip for a cultural, economic and socio-polit ical immersion in the global landscape. Dean Ajay Patel recently led such a t rek to India, a rising superstar on the world stage.

Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

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bizview

The Charlotte Region : The View from Another Perspective

workforce biz CPCC Offers New Financial Services to Meet Growing Demand

Liberty Homes Homeownersh ip may be the American Dream, but for many peop le it's just that - a dream. High prices, cred it proble ms an d the lack of a down payment make it nearly impossi ble to buy a house. Enter Li berty H omes, offeri ng modest homes w ithout having to settle for cookie-cutter models with ho-hum amen ities.

executive homes

IBC

Luxury Homes above $350,000 on the cover: Erskine B. Bowles President University of North Carolina

Shelton Vineyards The Shelton brothers were not about to retire after selling Shelco, Inc. They were already deeply involved in their next project: creating a state-of-the art winery committed to the production of worldclass wines. Today, just seven years later, Shelton Vineyards is the largest estate winery in N orth Carolina and one of the largest estate wineries on the East Coast.

se ptemb e r 200 6

Photography by Wayn e Mo1Tis .

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Two School Administrators, Two Systems Inextricably Entwined In the last six months, I have had the privilege of hearing two school administrators address constituents regarding their principles, their goals and their ambitions: in April, Erskine Bowles delivered his inaugura l address as the 16th president of the University of North Carolina (UNC) system; and in August, Dr. Peter Gorman introduced himself to th e Charlotte Rotary Club as th e new superintendent of th e Charlotte Mecklenburg School system (CMS). In our interview this month with Erskine Bowles, he expands on his inaugural address demonstrating his comm itment and facing up to he confronts in his administration . Having grown up in North Carolina and Erskine has a tremendous advantage knowing the state and its people. He first 100 days to listening and learning. It is clear from his presentation

Volume 7 • Issue 9 Publisher John Paul Galles jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com Associate Publisher/Editor Maryl A. Lane maryl.a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com Cre ative Directo r Rebecca G. Fairchild rfairchild@greatercharlotteb iz.com Acco u nt Executives Maria Abate mabate@greatercharlottebiz.com

the challenges atten ded UNC, committed his that we must

Michelle Kill i mkilli@greatercharlottebiz.com

improve our school systems dramatically on all levels. Dr. Gorman is brand new to Charlotte having assumed his position only two months ago. Having working previously in Florida and California, he brings experience and education pertinent to the task of leading CMS. In his address, he provided a well-balan ced overview of himself and the school district as he sees it, articulating three simp le tests that he applies to all of his school programs : Are they sound educationally? Are they good for kids? Are they fiscally responsible? He has also committed his first 100 days to learn about the schools, the community and what the public has to say. Given his extremely political position, the new superintendent is walking a straight and narrow path, emphasizing his interest in learning about CMS, its promise and potential. It was too soon for him to layout a set of plans and ambitions. He did, however, remind people that, "There is value in compromise," and that, "We have got to get all working together." In his remarks, Go rman described Judge Manning as "brilliant" for having been able to force so much change without having issued a rul ing, prompting change through statements, letters and press conferences. Gorman did say that CMS must "step up to the plate" and focus seriously on ensuring good resu lts in its high schools . As a new superintendent, I would expect Dr. Go rman to be cautious and not promise more than he can deliver. I wou ld also expect him to demonstrate support and enthusiasm for projects already underway that have potential to improve our schools, as well as a desire to pursue every potential project that might offer prom ise to our failing high schools. We know that Charlotte has low performing high schools that are not working. Most recently Judge Manning threatened to close Garinger, Waddell, West Charlotte and West Mecklenburg high schools. He ultimately opted not to close them, commenting that strategies at each of those schools appear to be moving in the right direction. Among those changes, Garinger is being broken into two smaller schools and new leadership has been provided at th e other schools. Within the next year, it will be important for Dr. Gorman to step up to these challenges with his own set of recommendations for change and improvement. At that point, we will learn what kind of leader he chooses to be. What will be his analysis of the problems? What solutions will he propose and what risks will he take? What kind of leader and man ager will he be? Leadership is paramount to bringing change that makes a real differen ce. We have two very capable administrators guiding our schools. In large measure, their success will depend upon their own strength of leadership, level of commitment, and ambition to succeed . Their direction must be clear: their choices of courses to pursue as well as not to pursue must be made with conviction and resolve, so that others can draw strength and commit resou rces in unity behind them . The future of our students' edu cation an d eventually our own economy will reflect how well we have been able to coalesce common ambition s and plans fo r execution .

september 2006

Janet Kropinak jkropinak@greatercharlottebiz.com Mimi Zelman mzelman@greatercharlottebiz.com

Contributing Editor Susanne Deitzel Contributing Writers El lison Clary Susanne Deitzel Li sa Hoffmann Casey Jacobus Contributing Photographer Wayne Morris Galles Communications Group, Inc. 560 I 77 Center Drive • Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 28217-0736 704-676-5850 Phone • 704-676-585 3 Fax

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2006 by Ga lles Communications Group, Inc. A ll rights reserved. The infor mation contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, Galles Comm unica tio ns Group, Inc. makes no warranty to the acc uracy or re liability of t h1s information. Products named in these pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. Views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Greater Charlotte Biz or Galles Commun ications G roup, Inc. No part of th1s

publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without w ritten permission from the publisher. For reprints call 704-676-5850 xI 02

Greater Charlotte Biz (ISSN 1554-655 1)

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Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers

THE HIGHER COST OF DOING BUSINESS- North Carolina Increases Minimum Wage Governor Mi ke Easley signed into law

employers must actuall y pay li p ped

Carolina minimum wage

the other n uances of the North Carolina min-

empl oyees) of $2.13 ($5. 15 minus $3.02).

recentl y a bill that increases the Nonh

The Nonh Ca rolina Wage and Hour Act

$6. 15 an hour,

adopts the FLSA "lip credit" rather than the

effective j anuary 1, 2007. The law specificall y

imum wage laws.

Will This Law Affect My Overtime Obligations?

provides that the state minimum wage will be

resulting cash minimum wage rate. Therefore,

the higher of $6. 15 pe r hour or the min imum

effective january l , 2007, the FLSA tip credit

probably not much. Technicall y, employers

wage provided by the federal Fair Labor

of $3.02 will be subtracted from the new

will now be subject to the NCWHA, rather

Theoretically, yes, but as a practi cal mauer,

Standards Act. Because the FLSA minimum

onh Carolina minimum wage of $6. 15,

wage remains al $5. 15, the effect of the new

resulting in a $1 an hour increase (to $3.13)

law is to set the minimum wage in Nonh

in the hourly wage that employers must pay

Both the Nonh Carolina law and the

Carolina at $6.15 an hour- even for employ-

their tipped employees. Co nstangy has spo-

FLSA provide for the payment of time-and-

ers who are covered by the FLSA.

ken with the Nonh Carolina Depanment of

one-half of the employees regular rate of pay

What Should I Worry About?

Labor and the No nh Carolina Restaurant

for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in

Association about th is. Based on those discus-

a wo rkweek.

The most obvious effect of the law is to

than the FLSA, ove nime provisions; however,

increase the minimum wage to $6. 15 an

sions, it appears that the increase may have

hour, effecli ve j anuaty 1, 2007.

been an unintended consequence of the new

Although most employers are alread y paying that much o r m ore, emp loyers in

there are not many significant differences.

Fu rthermore, although the

onh Carolina

and FLSA exemptions from ovenime require-

law and that measures may be taken before

ments are not identi cal, empl oye rs were

j anuary 1 to maintain the status quo.

already required to pay ovenime to Nonh

th e res ta ura nt indus try shou ld be awa re

Finall y, the NCWHA exempts most

that the law will have an effect on lipped

employees covered by the FLSA as long as

exempt under the FLSA but not under the

empl oyees. Under the FLSA, which curre ru-

the FLSA m inimum wage is not lower than

staLe law.

ly co ntrols in No nh Carolina, empl oye rs

the stale minimum wage. Now that the

may take a "tip cred it" of $3.02 an hour

Carolina minimum wi ll be higher than the

Labor has regu larly relied on FLSA interpreta-

towa rd th e minim um wage req uireme nts of

FLSA minimum, that exe mption will no

tions when enforcing its own minimum wage

ti pped employees, assuming various condi-

longer apply Thus, employers who

tions are mel. This results in a cash mini-

ly focused only on the minimum wage

mu m wage rate (the hourl y wage that

requirements of the FLSA will be subject lO

2006

TEA

Carolina employees who may have been

onh

p re,~ous

WAGE & SALARY SURVEY lO

other orgamzauons through

)cnchmark sUf\'C\'S. The foliO\\ mg chan mcludes data extracted from the 2006 Wage & )a!ary surconJucteJ h) The Employers Assoctallon. Over 300 companies parltcqxlle JS

vte\\'ed as one of the best sources of local compensauon data

111

thts annual SUf\'e),

the area. The full repon

ncludes data breakouts for compan} stzo?, mdusll") t)p~ and geographiC area for

0\'Cr

300 JOb utles.

If the U.S. Congress increases the federal

Job Title Janitor Material Hand ler, Level I Shipping/ Receiving C lerk

#of Companies 63 100 53

#of Employees 1,245 33 1 433

Average $11.25 $14.08 $12. 14

Weighted Average $9.85 $13.83 $11.66

Median $10.62 $13.50 $11.66

Weighted Average $40,876 $30,308 $30,756 $44,088 $31,329

Median $39,000 $29,583 $30,365 $43,627 $35,280

SALARIED JOBS (reported on an annual basis) #of Companies Accountant, Level I 45 Admin . Assistant/Secretary, Level I 84 Human Resources Assistant, Level I 28 Tech nical Support Techni cian 54 Sales Ass istant 30 Job Title

#of Employees 65 723 55 120 99

Source:The Employers Association 2005 Wage & Salary Survey

september 2006

Average $40, 139 $29,848 $30,288 $43,932 $35,307

applicable minimum wage would return to the status quo. In other words, the FLSA minimum wage and overtime provisions would again override the

CVv'HA

sions. But in an clecuon year predict

\\~lh

prm~

is difficu lt to

any certai nty whether that will

happen.john Doyle, Maureen Knight,

WAGE JOBS (reported on an hourly basis)

Where Do We Go From Here?

j anuary 1, 2007, then everything exce pt the

make sure your company stays cunem ts to compare your wages

.vhtch

and overtime requi rements.

minimum wage to $6.15 or more before

Employers need to pay eompeum·e wage to rectui t and reta m the hest employers One wa) to

•'C)

Finally, the North Carolina Department of

Consta ngy Brooks & Smith, LLC, www.co nsta ngy.com biz

The Employers Association is a nonprofit Charlotte organizatiOn provid111g comprehensive human resources and tra111ing serv1ces. Founded 111 1958, the Assooation ma111tains a broadbased membersh1p of over 700 compan1es from all 111dustries 111 the greater Charlotte reg1on. The above excerpts were taken from The Management Report, the AssoCiation's monthly newsletter. For more informa tion, please call Laura Hampton at 704-522-80 I I or visit the Web site at www.employersassoc.com.

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Awards & Achievements Patricia Pollach , president of My Team of Experts, lnc. , Lindsay Daniel ,

Patricia Pda·:k

and Lynr1r0 P Fenetti , vice president d ::rerations for Tyler 2

Business journal's Women ln Business Lynne

Ferretti

Achievement award.

Advertising & Media

Patrica P-:: pst

GET RESUlTS IR t 00 6 R•ntall· · G1aphic1 • Sup•1io1 S•rvic• Linda

Roger joT1,on

september 2006

Lindsay D•niel

Construction , have been named among 25 winners of the Charlotte

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president of lindsay Daniel Architectu re ,

Wray Ward Laseter , a creative m arke ting co mmu nications firm , has hired Patricia Pro pst as vice president and director of operatio ns. Luqu ire George Andrews has p romoted Pa ul Co tter to senior vice preside nt/c reati ve director and has hired Christop her Cannon as an associa te creative directo r and wri ter. Walker Marketing, lnc. has appointed Barry Campbel l as its creative di~ec tor to spearhead the firms conceptual development and design work for a vvide variety of diems. The Marketing Consortium has added three new members to it5 staff: Linda Safir as co-creative director, and Yolanda Rhodes and Erica Wrigh t as account coordinators. New Wa y Media , LLC has become New Wa y Media Corpora tion an:! has filled the following key positions: vice president of tec hnology, Roge r Johnson ; vice president of

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marketing, A ngela Pitre;

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Tribble Creative Group has received a Bronze Telly award for the first video project

Exit Surveys

produced by the firm as pan of the third annual Celebration of Hope, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolinas annual fundraising event. HMH , a marketing communications finn,

has added Mary A nn Giles as production manager and Michael Gurliacdo as a copywriter. ··carolina Traveler" feature reporter Mille

• • • • •

Outplacement Acquisitions Consolidations Plant Closings Downsizings

R~ecutive

Recruiting

• Lay-Offs • Career Transitions • Training and Leadership Development • Search & Recruiting

Redding and photojournalist A ndy Benton

of W CNC-TV have received the 2006 National Gabriel Award from the Catholic Broadcasters Association.

Business & Professional

OI.Partners~~For information call: 704-849-2500 • compasscareer.com 8509 Crown Crescent Court • Charlotte, NC 28227

Keith Aldotts, formerly

corporate comroller for MP Business Technologies, lnc. , has joined Ch arlotte Copy Data as chief financial officer. Dixon Hugh es PLL C , has received two first-place Marketing Achievement Awards from the Association for Accounting Marketing. Clarence "Ace" Walker, a Kennedy

Covington attorney, has been recognized \vith the Nonh Carolina Bar Associations highest honor, the john]. Parker Memorial Award. The lmernational Federation of lmellectual Property Attorneys has elected Charles Elderllin, partner in the Charlotte office of Alston &: Bird , as its president. Hedrick Ea tman Gardner &: Kincheloe.

L.L.P. has hired Kelli Burns as an associate in the Workers Compensation area in its Charlotte office.

Construction & Design Carpenter, Cammack &: Associa tes, Inc. has announced that the firm has been named the Associated Builders and Co ntractors of the Carolinas Associate

Member of the Year for 2006. LandDesign, an urban planning, civil

greater charlotte biz

september 2006

;

Russian Proverb:

Ao6paH cAaBa Ae)KHT, a xyAaH 6e)KHT. Translation:

A good reputation will lie around, while a bad one will run around.

The Lesson?

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september 2006

engineering and landscape architecture company, has promoted nine associates in it harlotte office: Matthew Roper, Regina Cze rr, Chris Donald , Ed Dickson , David Klausman , Linelle Matheny, Matt McLaren , Scolt Ox ley, and Will Presson. Tyler 2 Construction has appointed Casey Kee\-er as a project manager, Barbara 5. Atkinson as director of marketing, and Attdra L. Toussaint as executi\路e assistant. Bonsai American , one of the largest producers of packaged building material products ic the United States, has expanded its sales team with the appointment of Mary Hernandez to area sales manage r fo r Bonsai Tile Products and Ferdinand Muniz to international sales manager.

Ruth Burn ett has been named the acting director of the Office of Technology Transfer at Th e Unive rsity of North Carolina at Ch arlotte. The U C Charlotte Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Niles Sorensen as vice chancellor for de\路elopment and alumm affairs; Sorensen also will serve as president of The Foundation of the niversity of North Carolina at Charlotte, lnc. Ca th erine L. Hic ks has joined the Charl otte Research Ins titute o f Th e University of North Carolina at Charlotte as director of life science ventures. Preiffer University President Charles Ambrose has announced the appomtment of David Olive a the university's first-ever chief David Olive operating officer. Russell Crandall , an associate professor of political science at Davidson College, has accepted an invitation to join the international Council on Foreign Relations. Engineering

Stephen M. Aldrich, Thomas P. Duffy, and William C. Fox have been named associates, and ]a mil L. Baines and Andrew McClellan have been appointed to the architecture department, of Peterson Associates Architecture/ Engineering Firm.

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QORE Property Sciences, an engineering consulting firm, has opened its Charlotte office; Colin Davis P.E. will serve as the branch manager.

Financial & Insurance Grant Thornton, one of the sL'>: global accounting firms, has announced that Bruce Benesh wi.lllead Grant Thornton's compensation and benefits practice area. ]. William Deuinll]r and Gregory I. Hinrichs , principals with Hinrichs Financial Corporate Benefits, LLC , have been named to the 2006 Million Dollar Round Table Top of the Table, the highest level within the Premier

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Accountants First, Advisors Foremost Jeff Howard of Consolidated Planning, Inc. has been recognized by the Million Dollar Round Table as a 2006 Court of the Table and Top of the Table member. Jeff Howard Jefferson Wells, global provider of accounting and finance-related services, has hired Dean Doolittle in its Charlotte office as business development manager.

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Government & Non-Profit Steve Partridge , senior vice president of Member Value at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed to the SBA's ational Advismy Council. Linda Hudson, president of General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products , and CLaude Lilly, Ph.D., dean of the Belk College of Business at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , will co-chair the 2007 Arts & Science Council Annual Fund Drive . G. Deon Bradley has been appointed as the Charlotte Afro-American Cultural Center's president and chief executive officer. The Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross has announced the addition of three new employees: Rebecca Klein and Nakia Isreal as Major Gifts officers for the department of financial development

greater charlotte biz

september 2006

and Elain e Spallone as the marketing and communtcations manager. Ela ine Lyerly , chief executive officer of Charlotte-based Lyerly Agency, Inc., has been appointed vice chair of the American Red Cross auonal Board of Governors. Cha rl otte City Council has named Rai

Glorer, senior \1Ce president and market development manager for Bank of Americas m1h Carolina headquarters, to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority board of directors. Rurh Crowley, president of Moto rsportsAuthe ntics of Concord, N.C., Fred ItS amaztng how much one ptece of eq.JDrr:ent can do to tmprove productiVIty. Increase office effioency and save money But that5 exady "Nhat our color copier/pnnter does. Because itS networked With all your office compute;s, it elimnates the need for fax machtnes. scanners and personal pri1r=rs And its cost per printed page is less than you pay With personal ,:;-tnters. At Charlotte Copy Data. the largest hdependent office equtp- COPY~ ment dealer around. we have a full line cf color copier/pnnters wtth names like Canon. Sharp. and Kono Minolta. They're available for sale, or through a very low cost-per-pr nt program called POP oFFicE AuToMAT oN v DATA NETWoRKING And OUr COlOr DiVISiOn SpecialiSts Can hel~o YOU determine the equip- INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ment thats right for you. q4lJ4..A • HtAr o ew Bwlev, a. So give us a call. and find out more <tbout the single piece of j ' FAX 104 5'5 150 equipment that does it aiL "MNwct 1nc ;pydara om

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Morgan tltal , president of Harris Teeter of Matthews, and Alan C. Simon ini , president of Simonini Bui ld ers , ha,·e been elected to the national leadership of the Muscular Dystrophy Assoctation. Sim onini was also re-elected to another term as an MDA vice prestdent. The Ben Craig Cen ter has announced that Ca ly ptic Security, a cyber security company, and Appian International Research, a pharmaceutical company, have recently joined its incubator program increasing the total number of companies at the Ben Craig Center to 17. Health Care

You have enough on your plate without having to keep your people hydrated or your break room stocked. Let that be our job. We provide bottled water in a full range of sizes, from 16-ounce to s-gallon, water filtration,

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The Bariatric Center at CMC-Mercy has been designated as a Center of Excellence f or Ba riatric Surgery by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of No rth Carolina. Charlotte Radiology has been named the radiology sen rices provider for Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville, and the practice has added three new radiologists: j oel A. Hedlund, M.D., Nirav P. Shah, M.D., and Kev in S. Stadtlander, M.D. Hearing aid retailer and hearing services provide r Ear Rx has h ired Yield Belthoff as patient care coordinator for its new Charlotte location. Real Estate Commercial/Residential

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september 2006

~t deat th fade{

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Bill Ranson has been named broker-incharge of Prudential Carolinas Realty's Lake Norman/Denver sales office. Marian Padgett has been promoted to bro ker-incharge at Prud ential Carolinas Realty's Lake Norman/Huntersville sales office. Beacon Partners , a commercial real estate

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de\路elopment firm, has hired Se lma Inman to jotn rts team as a senior property manager.

Retail Sports & Entertainment Bobcats Sports &: Entertainment has named Fred Whitfield as its president and chief operating officer to oversee operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte Sting and Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Local business leader,

Mac Everett , has agreed to serve as a member of the executive board for the club.

Technology ouvEON Technology Partners , a management consulting and technology services firm headquartered in Charlotte , has announced the opening of an office in Jacksonville, Fla., to be lead by David Henley , director and general manager. Peak 10, data center operator and managed services provider, has announced the opening of a seco nd data center at its headquarter location in Charlotte. Wynncom , an award-winning telecommunications company, has expanding into the Hickory market and surrounding counties to offer 'vVestem North Carolina customers access to new products and expanded support ser\'ices.

Tourism & Travel Tracy Aldridge has been hired by Visit Charlotte as its new tourism manager. Dee Grano , forme rly with Discovery Place, has been appoin ted director of marketing and special events at The Light Factory, the Contemporary Museum of Film and Photography in Ch arlotte. Charlotte Arrangements, a leading event, design and production compan}; as been named Visit Charlottes Services Partner of the Year. The Community Fou ndation of Gaston County has awarded Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden a $2,700 Harold T. Sumner Professional Education Grant. biz

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

g reater c h a rlotte b iz

september 2006

SKANSKA

SKA SKA

BUILDI G So ID Fo

Skanska Melds Local Approach with lnternationa Stre gt

ON A DA D

directl~ :iJ~.-e; Lo.ve's Customer Servi c~- One part of the building aco.<.lly s~an~ the man-made, I0-c..cre a~ e. r=qui-ing

(pictured

~,~~~zL an innovative te-11 ; iC11E<l s.ab and ~>< beam system fer su;,rx:;rt.

If you ran a Carolinas constru:tion company wl h $300 million ir reve1U2 that had sister finns whKh, .vhen tak~n •J 1zr, were piling up billions, wr<Jt would you do? You IT ·ght devise a pia ""I ~Lch a3 the one that produced Sii:JJ~kc USA 8[jl : i~ oc. That blueprint took wh:~t had been known in C1arlota: as Beers Const:-uctioa Company and meldei it ·.vi:h at le35 t 15 ~ jties that bad op~rated under diff~nt names in tl-12 United States and Puerto Rico. T ._ res It ·.vas Sk.l.=l-c L~.C. Building, established in 200.2. Head:juartered • P:lr~ ipoan t', N.J., Skanska USA i~ a rnnpc:ny lha t e -.~ • resources and expertise comm ; nsuraie with wh3: might be expected from a $4 bi on b~hemolh - ...:J mere:. That s because it, in turn, is part of Skanska t\3, :1 public r:ompany traded on the ;)wedisl- Steck f'xnarg e: tha t scor:;:d .$17 billio n in sales far 2005. from h _mb e Jesinnings making cement ~·~dues i 1 1 E$7 ~ H15 3 AB quicklv diversified into con truction c.Jd, as the end of the 20th century neared, had grown about as big as it could get in Scandinavia It th e1 expanded into Western Europe. Easte11 Eur~e, Latin America :md the L nited States.>

It acqui red local companies in America an d ran them as separ;;.te en tities. These included Beers, headq·.1artered in A.lar.ta but boasting a significan t presence n Raleigh and Winston-5alem , where its roo ts go back a century, as well as Charlotte, where Beers expa:-tded ir 1994. Today, Skanska USA Build ing still nms its Carolinas operatiorJ.S from Raleigh , ':mt three of its top executi ves are based in Charlotte. O ne of those executi ves, Chief Development

"The service n entality hee makes my job easier," adds Sto::kley, whose unit :;up-

A Two-Pronged Business Approach

ports 23 offices and 2,600 p rOJects. Skanska USA Building makes a p ::~int of getting involved in community causes in eacl-. city where it operates, .:;ays Brewer.

has hewn to the basic two-pronged business philosophy of its mother in Sweden, which is to use locally based people to drive local business while leveraging the

In :=harlott.e , that includes support for a long liot of projects such as the Arts & Scil:nce Council, the Charle ne Chamber

strengths of a national and international company - which it has - to fuel growth. Brewer emphasizes that Skanska USA

Since its creation , Skanska USA Building

Building can call in specialty expertise of its own or of its corporate mother, Skanska AB, fo r any specific local market need . "We can bring

0 fficer Jessie Brewer, says thats easy to explain . Charlotte Douglas International Ai rport, a hub for US Airways, simplifies travel to offices spread from San Juan to Seattle. Brewer says he and the other top execuLives spend about three-quarters of their time on commercial jets.

in an expert in, say, hospitals, for a short Lime and • transfer that knowledge to a local project," Brewer says.

Northlake Mall - Skansl.a hc.d to ens ure t hat all 136 inline tenant spaces in Northlake Mall were turned over to tenant contractors six months prior to g rand oJening. No small task, but Skanska met this ahead of deadl ine .

Nodding thm heads along wnh Bre•,..cr ar~ A.B. Robinson Jr., corporate sen.or vice president for health , safety ar'. d environment and Ch ri s Stockley, c:1ief in forma tion o[icer. But the re are other reasons these Lop corporate executives keep offices h Charlotte, where only about 50 of the firm's 275 salaned Carolmas cmp loyc ~ s are based . Brewer qu ickly list5 them: "Charl otte is a real commercial cent ~r. one of the biggest banking centers in the world," he says. "Further, Charlotte is;: p~ace emplcyees like to live." Brewer is SkJnska USA Bui ldings top officer in the Queen City Rick Ruby, vice presicnt of operation', manages Charlottes dz.ily activity. Chris Stockley, chief information off1cer, adds to the list of attr:butes: 'This aea provides great technical resources and an nfrastructu re cost basis that bea.s most cities." says Stockley, who mc•ved his function and its $20 million in assets to Charl otte durin g the 2005 Labor Day wee,<end.

"So that project benefits from the national and international knowledge we have. "

september 2006

Div _rsty Con:erence and tr.e N Jrth Car:Jlina Blumemrul Perform:ng Arts Ceme Capital Campaign Committee. \1ean·,vl.ile, ·mernatioml ceontributions have 2-pprcached $1.4 rr il hJn .n the last 18 months, s·- pportins victins of the Southeast

[Skanska USA listens] to the project owner, and you don't always find that... They finish on time and within budget. They also make sure outstanding issues are resolved before closing out a project. -Mike Moukalian,Taubman

VP overseeing the Northlake project

Asian tsunarri, th Pakistan eanhqmkc and r urricane Katr_na on the Gulf :=oast.

Brewer toms his companys Carolinas prowess. "We're pretty dominant in higher education , research, corporate office and retail," he says. For examples, Brewe r points to Skanska USA Building projects such as Charlottes $80 million Nort hlake Mall , con5 tructed for Taubman Centers lnc. and opened in 2005 Mike Moukalian, who, as Taubmans vice president of engineering and construction, was responsible for overseeing the Northlake project, praises Skanskas professionalism. 'T hey listen to the project owner, and you don't always fin d that," says Moukalian , recemly retired and living in the Detroit suburbo. 'They finish on time and within budget. They also make su re outstanding issues are resolved befo~e closing out a project." Skanska USA Building also constructed the $90 million fi rst phase of Lowe's corporate headc uarters near Mooresville. That structure emp hasized enviro nmentall>· friendl y CO'lcepts, an area where Brewe r says Skanska USA Building can !lex co nsiderab le muscle. )>-

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"We help clients design environmental consciousness into buildings," says Brewer, who adds hes confident his company is a frontrunner in construction adhering LO guidelines from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. "We can help with documenting and obtaining a LEED certification," Brewer says. "We make sure the performance items in the accreditation are actually done. We've got over 50 LEED-accredited professionals with Skanska USA Buildmg." The firms numerous higher education projects include significant projects at Duke University, all of which are LEED certified.

UNCC's Robinson Hall Theater :eatures special "cloud" acoustical panels on the ceiling.

Among other campus projects are the $120

Hall of Fame for the Queen City For Carolinians unfamiliar wi,h the

Carolinas uni~ seeks to achieve what he

Center at the University of Nonh Carolina

Skanska name , Brewer has an explanation.

characte1izes

at Chapel Hill and a biotech facility on

"What helps you be known in the business

won't forecast financial numbers, but proj-

North Carolina State Universitys

community is if you participate in corporate and commercial work," he says. "In the

lion annual revenues for the C1rolinas can

Carolinas, that probably is 1-0L our strongest

soon approach $400 million.

million Lineberger Comprehensive

ancer

Centennial Campus. The company has been active at the

Brewer says thats a big point as the ::JS

"sustainable grov.'l.h." He

ects in the pipeline show that the $300 mil-

niversity of onh Carolina at Charlotte as

market segment. We' re strongest in aca-

well. Its projects include an expansion of the

demic and research. In that circle, we're

our subcontractor partners." The company

james H . Barnhardt Student Activity enter,

really well-known."

att racts solid subcontractors because of its

the schools performing arts center kn own as

Indeed , Brewer adds that he a:1d Skanska

Still, Bre~r says, "We are c路nly as good as

capacity for work and volume of projects.

Robinson Hall and the Motorspons

USA Building have long enjoyed a solid rela-

His finn also makes it a point to mentor

Engineering Research Lab that opened late

tionship with the University of North

minority-owned subcontracwrs, Brewer says.

last year, in Lime to help win the

Carolina System , first with former president

ASCAR

Molly Broad and currently with new president Erskine Bowles.

Skanska USA Building, Inc. 21 18 W ater Ridge Par~a~Ste. 250

SKANSKA

Charlotte, N.C. 28217 Phone: 704-409-2200 Principals: Jessie Brewer, Chief Development Officer; Rick Ruby,Vice President of Operations; Chris Stockley, Chief Information Officer;A.B. Robinson Jr., Corporate Senior Vice President for Health, Safety and Environment Established: 2002 (Parent company, Skanska AB in Stockholm, Sweden, established in 1887) Revenues: $4 billion in United States, Skanska AB: $17 billion Employees: 4, I00 in the United States; 275 in the Carolinas; 50 in Charlotte Business: A leading national and local provider of construction, pre-construction consulting, general contracting and designbuild services to a broad range of US industries including life sciences, healthcare, education, high-tech, aviation, transportation and sports and entertainment. www.skanskausa.co m

s eptember 2006

Skanska USA Building ranks third nationally, behind Bovis Lend Lec:se and Turner Construction Brewer admits th at, since its creation ,

kanska USA Building als::J emph asizes safety on the job, says Robinson, who al o maintains an office in the 12.000 square fee t the fi rm occu pies on Wa:er Ridge Parkway, in the same buildin g \vi th Ge neral Dynamics. "At Skanska, safety is a value as opposed

Skanska USA Buildings revenue has been flat, hovering around $4 billion annually But he pins that on the com olidation

to a priority," Robinson explains. "Priorities change, values don't. We have embraced the injury-free environment. "

process that produced inevitable market

Besides actively coaching em ployees, Robinson says, the company emphasizes that each individual must take personal

shifts in the Sou theast, Midwest and West Coast, the growth markets wher;: the company is stro ng.

StrongTrack Record and Finances Brewer sees the companys track record and financial strength as selhng points. "If it comes to a large research ce:-tter or a corporate headquarters, a client might rather not have their project be the first on the selected company has built," he says. 'Skanska can bring large project bonding, financial strength and resources that have built that type of facility before. We otTer predictability of performance in addition :o a track record of strength."

responsibility for working safely Recognition that the approach is effective ha!: come from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration , the Associated Builders and Comracwrs and the Associated General Contracwrs of America. A practice that contributes tc morale as well as safety is what Skanska USA Building calls "stretch and flex." At most of the companys projects, crews stan each day -with 10 minutes of loosening-up exercises. "From a practical perspective, it has reduced the sprains and strains that typically would happen on a project," Robinson says.

w ww .g re a te r ch a rl otte biz . c o m

The program has another big benefit: "It brings everybody together as a team at the beginmng of the day," Robinson says. "You tell them this is whats going on today And you do that all m lO minutes'' That builds a certain camaradene that aids Brewer in dealing with what he calls his b1ggest challenge: keeping good employees. "We make the work environment happy and conduCive to them feeling good about working for 'ikanska," Brewer says. "And we hsten to them." The companys research and survey mformation shows what the best performers and the up-and-comers want from their job. Staying put rather than moving frequently

important, Brewer says, and so is communication. Appropriate praise from a boss and deta1ls about project plans often mean a lot. "Surprismgly," Brewer adds, "money IS

not very h1gh among their prionues.

It's normal!} not the reason you lo e a key performer. " )eemg young people learn and gro\\ under proper leadership is a big reward,

At Skanska, safety is a value as opposed to a priority... Priorities change, values don't. We have embraced the injury-free environment. '

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One-to-One Marketing Direct Mail

sm1les Brewer, who adds. "\Ve are an auracuve employer ..

raditional Offset Printing

Somethmg else that can make Brewers da) ts pra1se from a client '" Its heanng the

Display Graphics

client say ·you did a great job,' or a client telling you 'we want you to do the next projeCt,"' he says.

Point of Purchase Materials

Skanska USA Butldings repeat-customer rate 1s strong. Brewer says, because the company places high importance on client satisfaction. "We're not gomg to go out and wm work just to create volume." Brewer adds. "\Ve want to get the nght work and make sure we can support it. We want the customer to be a repeat customer."

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704-529-5044 www.integraphx.com

Ellison Gary 1s a Charlotte-based freelance wnter.

greater charlotte biz

september 2006

bw susanne de tzel

Since Thomas Friedman penr.ed his oft-quoted Lome '路The World Is Flat," more and more heads are bobbing in agreement that the fate of United States econo:r:ics lies in ac:ions far broader than what goes on between its own borders. When it comes Lo the su :cess of the U::-tited States economy, Doroth y said it best: "We aren 't in Kansas anymore . . " 1n recognition and deference :o this mi::-tdse , Wa.:<.e Forest University's Babcoc~ School of Management offers, and in some cases requires , an international study trip for a cultural, economic and soc:o-political immersion in the global landscape. In Jl.ay of this year, one such trip , lead by Babcock's dean, .Cr. Ajay Patel. took 14 students on the MBA track to India , a rising superstar on the world stage. The 路:msiness school offers several international study trips to such places as China, Japan, Latin America and Central Europe. But when Patel came on oard as dean in April of 2004, the absence of India , an emerging economic p owerhouse and destim.tic n for much American business and IT out:;ourcing, was glaring. Patel was raised in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) India and, after graduating from St. Joseph's College :>-

greater charlotte biz

\~lake

Forest rv1BA Students E.xperience an Indian

Immersion

september 2006

The Wake Forest group is with the Dabbawallas, men who deliver hot home-cooked meals from wives to their working husbands. The system has been in operation more than I00 years. It is done withou: addresses or names because of the illiterate peasants who perform the work. Ins tea j they use a series of colors and codes. This service costs about $6 per month.AboJt I million lunches are delivered each day, and they average one missed delivery e.tch day. People from FedEx and UPS have studied the technique of the Dabbawallas, along with Ivy League researchers.

Bangalore, he cJ.me to the Unite:::! ~.taLes to pursue business and an N.BA egree. Since that time, he has served as ;; professor, assistant dean and interim ean, has done heaV}'Weight consL lting br maJOr corporations, has been 2 pro1 fie researcher and has received e\~ry award possible frcm the Babcock ~chool, mcludmg winning its Eduo~ator c·f the Year award seven times. Put simply, Dr. Patel knows his stuff. A.nd everybody kr.ows he knows h:s stuff. So adding the trip to India didn't t..1ke a lot of convi:-tcing. After all, ·...rith a J=Opulation of 1.3 billion and grcV\ing, what has been coined as the "world's largest free market democracy" is a pretty happening place. And, desp.te the latest swooning over IT and cal center outsourcing. India was also the r=cipient of approximately $8 billion collars in U.. exports, doubling iG e:xpon figures from 2002. 11

The Other Side of the Rupee Charlotte Cros~vell, head of NA3DAQ International. said in a 2005 s:>eech in New Delhi, "Companies from e:onomies like India are on the in-_·estment radar of investors worldwide c:1asing new grow:h opportunities. In terms of market capitalization, led a

september 2006

now stands at about $510 billion." While there is a lot of understandable resentment out there in terms of people who have lost or stand to lose jobs due to outsourcing of, say, manufacturing or IT services, the news isn't all bad. First, by formulating a cooperative a-rangement with emerging economies like India's, U.S. businesses can b:::tter identify its strengths and opportunities and leverage its entrepreneuria Dindset and creativity. Plus, as India grows, so does its ability to purchase, and as a result there is a rising nidd~e class in India ripe for plucking. Comments Dean Patel, "Forty-five to 48 percent of India's population is Lnder 20 years old. That is a huge labor force :::oming down the road. We are talking about 550 million people creating a powerful consumer market, as well as an enonnous base of human talent." In other words, there is more than one side to any story and what Patel hoped tc do was present the most complete ·v:::rsion for his students to digest. "Overall, what we wanted to be able to do with this trip was get a sense of the role of India's transitional economy in terms of how it shapes global competition: ·vvimess the socio-political dilemmas of a large and diverse culture;

and begin to understand the cultural, economic, political and legal constraints of a developing market. \Ve wanted to be able to see the broader picture, the opportunities as well as the challenges," says Patel. These objectives :::onsidered, it was challenging to formulate a trip package that would give maximum impact for 12 days on the grou<d. Patel outlined an agenda that wculd include 2 look into large corporations, medium-sized businesses and familyowned operations. The first component of the trip was to Mumbat (fonnerly Bombay), "'·hich is the financial capital of India. Patel compares Mumbat most closely to ew York. Mumbai hosts the Bombay tock Exchange, the Reserv::: Bank of lndta and multinational consultmg powerhouse the Tata Grour:;. Student Andy Patel (no relation to Ajay Patel) descnbes this section of the journey as "very metropolitan, and very sennce onented. There are high rises everywhere. lt is here that we saw a real emergence of the new upper micdle class." Another student, Ryan Atienza, charactetizes the old Bombay as having "incredibly interesting demographics. You can see the filthy rich and the dirt poor, walking down c. venues of some of the most expensive real estate in the world." But Atienza, too, testifies to discerning a shift in these extremes, "You can definitely see that the boom economy is altering the classes." After Mumbai, the sn.:dents encoumered Delhi, India's political center and home of Apo:lo Hospital. A prime example of medical tourism, Apollo is a case study in one of the country's fastest growing industries. The wards and operating rooms of this hospital have been filled with patients seeking to avoid the waiting lists and sub-par equipment and facilities of countries with government subsidizec health care programs such as Great Britain and Canada. However, recently, more and rr.ore Americans are packing their suitcases and heading to l nd ia for treatment, parallel to that they receive in the United States,

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for pennies on the dollar. Offers student and healt!-_care-IT ::onsultant Andy Patel: "Organizations like Apollo offer a real wake-up call. A $1,500 hospital stay in the United States might cost $50-75 at Apollo. Yet they offer real-time, high-quality care with state-of-the-art equipment." Concurs Ryan Atienza, who sells surgical ophthalmology equipment for BD Medical, "A cataract surgery at Apollo :::osts between $20-30. To get that same operation in the United States will cost the patient $2,000-3,000." Since both Patel and Atienza have significant experience in the medical industry, they have their own questions about just how hospitals can offer such a huge cost savings, provide a high standard of care and stay in business. Comments Atienza, "It is ce::-tainly not by cutting corners, I can tell you that up front. The doctors are highly educated and the equipment is top-of-the line. " Says Andy Patel, "I was very impressed with their operations processes. They were very eJicient in

sreater charlotte biz

terms of delivery and supply They house patients with similar conditions in the same area of the hospital, and their specialists are centralized, rather than having admitting rights to several different sites." He continues, "And it seems pretty logical to me that, as yet, they don't have as many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to administration. Services are billed from provider to patient, rather than being routed through several different organizations like commercial health care stmctures. Finally, India is not a litigious environment, relatively speaking. Without having to deal with medical malpractice lawsuits and insurance- that takes away a major cost." Ajay Patel suggests that in India the doctors are willing to get paid a little less and the facilities cost less, but agrees heartily that absence of legal and insurance issues is certainly an important part of their successful formula. So far. Patel concedes that it is very early in

the game to stop keeping score. Apollo and hospitals like it are actively promoting their benefits, and as demand increases, so -will costs. As more litigious tourists visit , one might assume that there will be come trickle down effects there as well. "This is a conundrum that a lot of developing economies see in many different ways- avoiding the same pitfaas that made you the better alternative to begin v:ith," says Patel. Having the Will, Finding a Way

Both Atienza and Andy Patel claimed that their visit to Saathi, a nonprofit organization formulated to help runaways and orphans who find themselves in the streets of Mumbai, offered the greatest ~mpact. Many of Saathi's beneficiaries are kids seeking fame and fortune, or just a way out oÂŁ where they came from. ot unlike the seedier transit stations in the United States, the Mumbai train stations are fraught with unsavory characters such as drug dealers and pimps looking to exploit wayward kids .)--

september 2006

"The kids were between the ages of eight and18 years old," shares Andy Patel. "They were shy, but seemed in pretty good spirits. It was enlightening to see how hard these kids had it, and to see them talking about cricket and getting an education." Atienza says he is grateful that Wake included this stop on his visit. "l went over with an understanding that I would be seeing the shiny buildings and multinational corporations in Mumbai, but the truth is 60-65 percent of the population lives in poverty. Wake did a great job of taking us into

Wake Forest University's WAKEFORFST Babcock Graduate School ........ ., ...... of Management International Studies Program P.O. Box 7659, Reynolda Station Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109 Phone: 866-925-3622 About the School: Offers MBA, joint degree and MA in management programs. Takes a unique approach to MBA education by nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship and appropriate risktaking. Provides an experiential, hands-on, transformational learning environment emphasizing teamwork and collaboration. Interviewees: Ajay Patel, Dean of Babcock Business School; Ryan Atienza, graduate student; Andy Patel, graduate student www.mba.wfu.edu lAI<:a<;o; C u O..Aft

~ ·--r

Private industry funds a lot of educational needs, and industry provides rural expertise to develop more rural areas." These factors , combined with the hunger for growth, a growing sense of national pride , and a marketplace that is reportedly well regulated , arc colluding to produce some considerable talent. Th e Wake For=st MBA group poses in front of the If we want to compete with that Taj Maj3l c.t th :! end of a 21 -hou r day. The temperatalent , says Ajay Patel, "We need to tu re peaked at I06 degrees Fahrenheit. focus on improving our K-12 educathe cultue, rather than having us sittional system and bring a spirit of ting 0:1 the sidelines th inking we knew cooperation to the global marketplace. wh:tt was going on. " There is a.so a lot of room for collaboAjay Patel says that on the bus ration in terms of small and returring ~rom a 5ite visit a student was family-owned businesses between the flabbe:rgas:ed at young children circling two countries." the gn.d SL.udents and hawking small "It's un fortunately true that some wares "ln essence, these are 10- and industries are leaving the United 11-year-o d entrepreneurs. They have a States for good. But there arc also a lo·_ hunger fo- a better life and the will to of opportunities in the global marketdo w-1-at il takes to get it. It was great to place if ycu are looking for them. By hear L.lat .;rad s:udent say, 'People taking trips like these, we open the shculdn 't have to waiL to get this lesson door to cooperation and inspiration ," in gradua·e school- we should beta:-<summarizes Patel. ing hi.sh s::hoo kids here so they can Ajay Patel says that with American really get .__, enterprise and intellectual property There ;ue 20-25 different languages strengths , the fields are very fertile on in India, :o most educated people the global horizon for new and prospe;::.k English as a second language. ductive vemures. And t'l.en: is a r.otable emphasis on The qu estion remains: Will we edLcalion Says Andy Patel, "O ne of choose to rea p from them? biz my a -<eaway5 was that as a whole, India is very 5ocic.lly conscious. Susanne Deitzel is a Charlotte-based (reelance wnter.

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T-e 1ewt1 nau.5u·a:ec Umver~it~ of Nort h Caro .inc. :LNC; P·es derrtErskine Bowles '"1l06t recently ser~d a5 U.N . DepJty Specie! ::rvcy for Ts~.r~arr i R.elie.. - :J...-1ng 2.J:·5. -iE' des·:ribes :he devastation he saw a; he .:lew loo'l ·:>ver the Asian co:tstline :1s "a 1orro- ~ r ow that ~s: 'NOJdn't end."

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of b~w; ldere: r.a:i,·e-s ar:l to r 1rts,

ar :l the destru:tio n ] eft ntr E 'hake afthe rtron.3 est t;_ 1ami in ceodes.. Whi .e wcrk ng ~i n former Pres dents :1 nteor c.nd eush on Tsram1 Reli ef, eo :oy (es had :he CJ=po·t unity t o txt a vc.riet) c·f t:us i,esses ;;nd :dl.cational ~

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institutions across ~o uth east Asia "Nlut he lea~nerl as h~ tou red those facilitie5 dis ~urbec him almos t as much as t:"1e flanened h::m.e~. twis ted trees and upended b::>ats ::--.e'd seen scattered alo::1g the coast "W~_at 1 saw ~n A3ia changed he wa} I thick, the way I a.:t, what I think is imr;ortan t, hc•w l wil do my job, a:1d wut 1 wiU focus on," Bo'A ies says seriously. ": caCJe back knmving that if we do:1i: gEt more of c•ur cwn people better educated , the jobs of the futu-e are not going to be here, the:'re go~:1g · o be over there. There i.s an eco:1orrtic sh ift comins at us like a tsunami .··

-he Education Equation In bis UNC inaug1ral speech, Bowie~ rdlectec UIXJ:l the irrpact of global omE•etitio:J. on :\Tort1 Ca~ol ina '~ econom;'. A3 tt.e fa rming textiles, apparel and furnire industnes lc·se g·ound , unemployc:ent ~ong ·1n8<illd workers rises. t.:co rci ng t•J the onh Car.:olina Rur:tl Econoo ic Cevelopmmt Center, onl y 55 7 rerceru of 1'-"crth Car.Jlinians have a higt s::hool diplcma c.nd j..1st 22.5 percent ~old a bac h ~ lor 's deg-ee or ::-.igher. The Inter crops to 15.1 rercent in rural creas. "I s· w MIT-educared manage rs in !=I ants ·.n Scutheast ! sia," E.ow les sa~s. ' 1 gw th~ mo~t high-speed equipment

North Carolina , like every other state in the union, has to wake up and start valuing teachers ... I think it's the most important job in the world and you pay for what you value. - Erskine B. Bowles

that money can buy on the fac to ry fl oor. I saw people with great work ideals, stron g math and science backgrounds, and productivity that you just could not believe. And it scared me." Clearly, North Carolinians aren't just competing with surrou nding states for jobs. A knowledge-based global economy means American workers are going toe-to-toe wi th workers from China, Russia , India and the Philippines. Not only do we have to educate more young Americans, but we must emphasize math and science to develop our knowledgebased resources, Bowles emphasizes Bowles discovered that, in Singapore, 44 percent of eighth graders scored at the most advanced level of math and science. Only seven percent of American eighth graders score at the most advanced level and less than 34 percent of students in North Carolina are even proficient in reading, math, science or writing, according to ational Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores. Statistics state that for every 100 eighth graders in North Carolina, approximately 58 will graduate from high school, 38 will go to college , 28 will return for the second year, and only 18 will graduate. "That was fine in my day, because there were p lenty of moderate-income , low-skill jobs out there ," Bowles explains. "But those jobs are gone , and they're not coming back. " Despite his position in higher education, Bowles believes that the key to overcoming this crisis in education is to start in kindergarten. If we don't fix kindergarten through 12th grade , garner

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more interest in math and science, and keep more kids in school th rough graduation, we won't have more candidates for university education .

The University's Role President Bowles believes that the place to start fixing the problems in elementary, middle and high school is with the teachers. They're not paid enough, they work in poor conditions, and there just aren't enough math and science teachers coming down the pike. As the chief administrator of a 16-campus public university dedicated to the service of orth Carolina and its people , Bowles is uniquely positioned to address these concerns. His first order of business is to make the university system more efficient and effective so that more funds can be directed into the classrooms. Bowles enlisted Krista Tillman, president of Bellsouth in onh Carolina, to head a commission to examine operations and see how each

We've got to take a whole new view of K-12 education and it's common sense that we have to attract the best and brightest to the most important job in the country: teaching.

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- Erskine B. Bowles

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september 2006

camp us and organization can run more

years in

efficiently. Bowles is also cutting admin-

staff have also requested scholarships

istration costs and funneling that money

for 800 lateral-entry teachers already in

into ways to get more and bet-

onh Caro lina. Bowles and his

the classroom so that they

ter teachers into K-12 class-

may become fully licensed

rooms.

without cost to them.

"In 1931, former US. Senator (N.C.) and UNC

In addition, Bowles hopes to get differential pay for math

Professor Frank Porter

teachers in some of the states poorest

Graham said , 'The pub-

counties so that they can make as

lic schools are resourced

much teaching as they might make in

in the university and the

the private sector.

university is

"North Caro lina, like every other

resourced in the

state in the union, has to wake up and

publi schools.

sta rt valuing teac hers," Bowles asserts. "I

They go up or down together, "'

think it's the most impo rtant job in the world and you pay for what you value."

Bowles says. "That's

The university introduced an inten-

just a fact and it is

sive program this summer for the princi-

still true today. "

pals from 18 public high schools that

From 15 schools of education throughout

down those issues one by one. In order to widen the pipeline of students interested in math and science, the university is seeking to expand such

judge Manning threatened to close

programs as "Summer Ventures in

due to underachievement. U C-

Science and Mathematics," a program available on six campuses for academi-

the University of orth

Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business

Carolina system, only three

School is teaching them manage-

cally talented students who may pursue

physics teachers graduated

ment, leadership, finance and budg-

careers based in math and science.

during the past four years. "There's a good reason for

eting skill s.

" aturday Academies" a lso provide intensive math, sci-

"It's about lead-

this ," Bowles explains. "If you

ership," Bowles

want to go out and work in the

emphasizes. "The

career awareness training to

private sector after getting a

leaders of our pub-

children in underachieving

physics degree, you can make

ence, communications and

lic schools are

counties. The universi-

$41,000 your first year and you've got

principals and we as a university

ty owns two DE TI Y

pretty good work conditions. Or you

have to do a better job of producing

buses, mobile science

can go work in our public schools and make $23,000 and have pretty tough working conditions. "

those leaders." The university has also sought

classrooms filled with

It's about leadership ... The leaders of our public schools are principals and we as a university have to do a better job of producing those leaders. - Erskine B. Bowles

1&~---~taJ~r.l stimulating science and

pilot state funding for a mentoring program for teachers, a program simi lar

math activities. It plans to purchase

to one implemented by the University of Virginia that re ulted in a significant

at least one more in the near future.

reduction in teacher turnover rates. Bowles sees an increasing trend in people combining several educational sources to attain a degree. They may start out at a community college or with distance learning and then enroll at the university. Bowles is reaching out to community college leaders, striving to establish seamless relationships that

The university has asked the legislature for 300 in-state and 134 out- ofstate loan scholarships for prospective

"We've got to take a whole new view of K-12 education and it's common sense that we ha ve to attract the best and brightest to the most important job in teaching,"

will smooth the way for students. In the past, "turf

The Business Community's Role

teachers. The state would forgive the

issues" have stood as obstacles in the way of collaboration

loans , designated for math and science

between community colleges and univer-

business community to get involved in

majors, aft er grad uates taugh t for four

sities. Bowles and his staff are knocking

encouraging public schools to step up

september 2006

President Bowles urges the

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to the plate. He wants business leaders to insist that elementary, middle and high schools, community colleges and universities get people excited about math and science education, that they improve public schools and work to attract the best teachers and principals. He says, "Our way of life depends on it ." "We've got to get faster and better, and we've got to make smart investments in research and development," Bowles insists. "We've got to make sure we've got the best talent running our schools and companies, because leadership is the name of the game." Many of the foregoing answers Bowles ascribes to "Rtsing Above the Gathering Storm· Energ~zmg and Emplo)1ng America for a Brighter Economic Future " This l\ational Academies Press publicauon, written by the Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century, gives a full report with recommendations and states, "Without high-quality, knowledge-intensive jobs and the innovative enterprises that lead to discovery and new technology, our economy will suiTe~ and our people will face a lower standard of living." Bowles continually meets with economic development, educational and business leaders and scientists in an effort to collaborate efforts toward this end. "We've got to try to work in a more collaborative manner to produce more intellectual property, therefore attracting more venture capitalists down here to create more jobs," Bowles explains. "You look at what David Murdock is doing in Kannapolis. It's going to be phenomenal. Not only are we going to have

the equipment and scientists there, we're going to have a $200 million venture capital pool to provide the capital that these smart people will need to create the jobs of the future. " "In add ition, we've got numerous marine scientists along the coast of North Carolina. And, did you know that we have more environmental scientists at Research Triangle Park than anywhere in the world? Many of the resources are there , but we're not collaborating." Bowles believes that it is important in

this process to find ways to reward the commercialization of intellectual property "That's not a bad thing, it's a good thing," he asserts. "If it generates revenue and new businesses, it can create the SAS Institute of tomorrow. N.C. State University does a better job of working with private industry than other universities in our system. I'd like to see other universities step up like N.C State does. Let's focus on lean manufacturing, for example." Despite the adoption of lean manufacturing practices, Bowles is certain that

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America cannot compete on a cost basi.:; in commodity-based businesses. A lowcost producer in America is not a low-cost producer globally, he asserts . American companies have to move up the value chain. Manufacturers have to make great investments in brands, so that retailers will want the product, and huge investments in logistics to control costs and get the products where they need to go. A big part of staying co mpetiti ve in a shrinking world is co mmon sense, Bowles maintains. Investing in schools and other infrastructure, managing and controlling growth and making citi es like Cha rlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro places where people want to settle down and raise their fami lies, are essential. Attracting high-tech businesses is key, and that goes right back to making educational changes. "Places like Charlotte, Ral eigh and Greensboro are blessed with great

september 2006

What I saw ~n Asia changed the w~ I think, the -Nay I act, what I think is important, how =will do my job, and what I will focus on ... I came back knowing that if we don't get rnâ&#x20AC;˘:::re of our own peop l~ better educated, the jobs of the fulure are not going to be here, they'r going to be over there. There is an ea:momic shift coming at us like a tsunami - Er>kine B. Bowles

leadership ," Bowles says. "Those leaders need to embrace their community colleges and universities. They've got to focus on improving K-12 education. We can do this if we get more people better educated and make the right kinds of investments. And I'm confident that we will."

A Worldly Education Bowles himself is a native No rth Carolinian , born and raised in Greensboro. His father, Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles, was an inOuential Democratic politician and business man who served in the N.C. House of Representatives and Senate. Bowles attained a business degree from UNC Chapel Hill, served brieOy in the U.S. Coast Guard, and then earned his M.B.A. at Columbia Business School. He worked for financial firm Morgan Stanley in New York until the early '70s , when he met and married Crandall Close (now the

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We've got to get faster and better, we've got to make smart investments in research and development," Bowles insists . "We've got to make sure we've got the best talent running our schools and companies, because leadership is the name of the game. - Erskine B. Bowles

president and CEO of Springs Industries based in Fort Mill, S.C.), and moved back Lo onh Carolina. Bowles launched the investment firm Bowles Hollowell Conner in 1975. In 1992, he was approached by then-candidate Bill Clinton to work on his presidential campaign . When Clinton was elected, he invited Bowles to head up the Small Business Administration. ln 1993, Clinton appointed him deputy White House chief of staff; in 1996, he was appointed chief of staff. When asked what he brings to the table at the university from his experience at the White House Bowles responds with a chuckle: "I learned how to manage big projects like the federal budget." His tenure as chtef of staff taught Bowles how to deal with a legislanve body and work with people in a non-partisan manner. "I also learned how Important it is Lo lead

from the front," he adds. Bowles returned to his native state and the world of corporate finance in the fall of 1998. In 1999, Governor jim Hunt appointed Bowles to chair the Rural Prospenty Task Force, a statewide panel that exammed the economic challenges facmg the state' rural areas. Task force recommendauons led LO the creanon of a $30 million pnvate fund earmarked for regional high-speed Internet access and small busmess capital. "Having grown up in urban onh Carolina, heading the task force gave me a much more in-depth understanding of the needs of rural onh Carolina," Bowles says. "Any time you understand the needs of your customers you can do a beuer job, and our customers are the people of onh Carolina." Although raised with a high regard for public service, Bowles prefers to operate out of the spotlight. Even as White House chief of staff, Bowles preferred to leverage his investment banking background working behind the scenes rather than devoting time to chatting on political talk shows. His pragmatic approach paid off in 1997, when he successfully negotiated the fir t balanced budget agreement in 30 years with Congressional Republicans. onh Carolma Democrats tapped Bowles to nm for polttical office many times over the years, and each tune he grac10u ly declined. But after the September ll terrorist auacks, Bowles chose to run for office. After two unsuccessful bids for the enate, in 2002

agatnsL Republican Elizabeth Dole and in 2004 against Republican Richard Burr, Bowles looked for other avenues of public service. "I realized after the second failed election that, while elected office was clearly not going to be for me, there were other ways to do my pan," Bowles explains. 'just a few months later I was called upon to

We've got to try to work in a more collaborative manner to produce more intellectual property, therefore attracting more venture capitalists down here to create more jobs. - Erskine B. Bowles

work on tsunami rehef and tl was the mo L personally fulfillmg work I've ever done. I wouldn't have traded iL for anything. " While Bowles was overseas, he got a call asking whether he'd be imerested in replacing Molly Broad as University of North Carolina presidem. Ironically enough, he'd declined the job once before, whi le serving as ch ief of staff. This Lime, he jumped on it. "I had no idea Molly was thinking about retiring, and iL wasn't eve n on my radar screen," says Bowles. "This time I could say 'Yes.' lLwas the most wonderful

greater charlotte biz

se ptember 2006

I learned how to manage big projects like the federal budget. .. I also learned how important it is to lead from the front. - Erskine B. Bowles

opponunity l cou ld imagine." "Bill Friday's [U C President from

1956-1986] been my life-long hero, and l've admi red Dick Spangler [UNC President from 1986-1997] for many

CLI E;路~)FARM L tNC::>L.,.TO N

NO~TH

CAROLINA

yea rs," Bowles exp lains, as pictures of his smiling fat her, Friday and Spangler attes t on the s helves beh ind hi s desk. "It 's one job in public serv ice l've

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a lways adm ired. "Grow ing up in North Caro lina gives me an enormous advantage. 1 don 't have

the important ro le the university system plays in the growth of No rth Carolina and wha t ro le it has to p lay in the future of the state."

to develop an appreciation for North

Bowles is confident that the people of

Carolina or for the universi ty. l know

No rth Caro li na an meet the global c hal-

this state and 1 know it well, and 1 care

lenges a head : "''m optimistic about our

about it deepl y. l understand completely

ab ility to compete ."

The University of North Carolina 91 0 Raleigh Road Chapel Hill, N.C. 27515 Phone: 919-962-1 000 Principal: Erskine B. Bowles, President Established: Chartered in 1789, UNC was the first public university in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century. Enrollment: approximately 200,000 Faculty: 13,711 Employees: 41 ,255

Having grown up in urban North Carolina, heading the task force gave me a much more in-depth understanding of the needs of rural North Carolina ... Any time you understand the needs of your customers you can do a better job, and our customers are the people of North Carolina.

Business: A multi-campus public university composed of 16 constituent institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees in the state of North Carolina, with a mission to discover, create, transmit and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society.

educationa l institutions and demand

www.northcarolina.edu

cha nges, invest in infrastructure, invest

- Erskine B. Bowles

"If we do what we need to do - invest in research and development, embrace

in technology - if we can do that, we can compete with anybody. "

biz

Lisa Hoffmann is a Charlotte-based freelance wnter.

sept~rrber

2006

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Liberty Helps Entry-Level Homebuyers Ma e Their Dreams Rea ity It satisfies Jack Furr and Chip Shelton, owoers of Liberty Hom s in Charlotte, to see their customers cry. Horreownership may be part of the American Dream, but for 111any people it's just that- a dream. High prices, credit problems and the lack of a down payment mak it near impossible to buy a hou e. Those who can afford a modest home r ~sign themselve; to accepting a cookie-cutter house with ho-hum amenities. 3 nter Liberty Hom s. When potential homebuyers realize their dre:1m can become reality- and that maybe that reality includes granite countertops -sometimes they can't help themselves. The tears just come. That's when Furr and Shelton know the y're still on top of their game. Building Backgrounds

When Amy Moore of Charlotte decided it voas time tc buy her first home she knew she didn 't want to commit to a big mortgage. After some shopping around, she di;covered that Liberty Homes offered "a great product for the price" And now? She has "the cutest home ever!" )--

greater charlotte biz

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he sees now what his father meant when he

ing just a few homes the first year. They

told him that he'd have a hard time know-

were snatched up faster than a free lunch.

ing if a job was done right if he'd never

So he built a few more. They, too, quickly

done it himself.

sold. He realized he was onto something.

Furrs father was also in construction

Around the same time, Shelton was

and had a similar penchant for forcing hard

talking with colleagues about getting into

work on his son. When Furr decided to

entry-level homebuilding in the tradition of

take a year off school after graduating high

Fortis Homes. Howard Peabody, of Shelco,

mthu:::iasm is exactly what -:::u:- and Sh~- br :1ave aimed for since 1998

school, his father, Reese, thought that

suggested he call Jack Furr. He'd never met Furr but he decided to give him a call and

-;v:-rn they ~r uilcing homes that -ov:-uld fulfil ti-e <Uneri:an dream for most

his own house. With some gifted land , a co-signed loan and the help of his father

arrange a meeting. "We sat down together and talked about

-ln JoJne cha!;:Il3 t dov.'l_ Neither man was a

and uncles, Furr spent the summer build-

what each of us could bring to the table,"

ing his own house. "While my buddies were out partying

grounds in construction and we quickly

~hat t.yi:e d

;t::-:r1ger to

consuu:::tion business.

would give him the opporrunity to build

Furr recalls. "We had similar, strong back-

Shelton~ ~::, Charlie, and his uncle, ;;:( , are the "LL. nllers c - Fo~ Homes, one

and having fun l was working to make the

realized we both wanted the same things.

Jf lorth Cc.ro ireS firs: entry-level home-

house payment and pay the electric bill,"

In February of 1997 we decided to team up

Jli.ders. Tl::.e "Jar late1 ran Shelco, a : om-

Furr says with a laugh. "l showed up at

in a 50-50 partnership. And we haven't

:r.crc~al

mom and dads a lot for dinner because l

looked back."

could barely make enough to pay my bills. But my house was paid off when l was 28

Filling a Niche

real ts:a~ devdopment firm. 'l grew -Jp aDlU1d .:onstruclion ,"

-he:!. ton say;. 'And m: father has a tough work ethic. : voc <ed a cons:ruction sites 3b

While selling houses wasn't difficult for

years old."

schooLrd every summer. And 1 didn 't

Furr worked in drywall for a while,

FDW Homes, finding lots cheap enough to keep costs down was beginning to be a

ge _the cuslir _obs :n <iT-conditioned offices.

looking for the right opportunity to start a

Tr ose wenl t:: m:;> frinds. : was out there

building company He felt there was a real

problem. Back then, Furr sold a three-bed-

d .~ring out f.)JITgs and sweeping Ooors. "

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but after domg two subdivisions together the developer decided swimmmg through all that red tape JUSt wasn't for htm. That:S when Furr decided to start developing the lots too. By the time he and Shelton ::egan building as Liberty Homes the smaller homes Furr had been building were becoming ob olete. Even first-nme homebt-}'ers wanted more square footage. Thetr lt:ast e>:pensive home was nO\\ up to $79.900. The market easily supported the rismg prices. What did stand in their wa) Nas the weather. Their partnership began dunng one of the worst El Nino weather panems in recent histmy "I couldn't wait to get out there and stan building but it was raining about an inch and a half every day for weeks," Shelton remembers. "Chip is like a thoroughbred raccl-.orse," Furr says with a smile. "I was thinking he was going to get discouraged waiting for the weather to break. We were watching the interest ticking on our loans, we had equipment and subcontractors lined up and we were both feeling some preswre. But I knew once we got the pipeline rolling

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things would stan happemng for us." After El Nine r:1oved out to sea, Liberty Homes took ofT. By now, there were more players on the enty-b·el home playing field. But Libert) Homes mamtamed a competitive advantage The pc.nners decided right from the star: they were going to pick up the bulk of the.r profit in the sale price of the home and rot place btg markups on upgrades and act:led features. They wanted

bUJldmg and keep it simple in areas that art hours away

to incorporate scme mteresung architectural features, such 3.~ curved archways and fireplaces, and updated fix.tures and appli-

By sta)1ng true to their philosophy of ofTenng the most they can for the least mane), they mamtain a sohd market share. They're slated to close on about 275 houses

ances into the hc•mes' base prices. "I compared LiJcrty wth other builders and found that S•Jme of the standard features Liberty offe:rs are upgrades with other bJilders," Moore s.:~ys. "You get a lot for your money witL Liberty" Liberty HomES sold 35 homes that first year. Today, Furr nd She! on have expanded throughout C:1c.rlotte:S surrounding counties and are bJilding m WinstonSalem and Charles:on and Columbia, S.C. Tiey still do a lo: of their own "dirt work" as they like to call :ieveloping, but they supplement with wail lots to expedite

this year.

Staying a Step Ahead lt:S easy to say you're going to offer more: than the competition; it's harder to actually do it. But Furr and Shelton are determined to stay true to their vision, to keep bringing tears to customers' eyes. Staying on top of costs and ahead of Charlotte's many big players requires constant communication and a lot of pulse taking. "Our strategy can change from breakfast to lunch," Shelton says. "This market is so

september 2006

3'?

"Debbie and I have worked together for 15 years. Her firm has been an integral part in the growth and success of our business, and she has been with us every step of the way ." ftmy fr,JJ Vee Pmidmt, Cassco, Inc. ofNorrh Carolina and St.bsidiary, a Tinderbox franchisee with multiple lo<Atiom.

301 S. McDowell Street Suite 502 Olarlotte, NC 28204

125 EPlaza Dri~ Suite 101 Mooresville, NC 28115

704.371 .5000

704.663.0193

it all Adds up. 40

september 2006

dynamic it's hard to keep a watch on it. We just figure we have to work twice as hard as the bigger national companies to stay m the game." The partners insist their formula for keeping costs down is simple. They run a lean operation and develop strong relationships with suppliers. "Its not some super-secret strategy," Furr asserts. "We ask our suppliers to offer us product at a price that works for us and then we, in turn, make sure they get paid on time and that there are never any issues. We try to remember that its not all about us. lts about the relationships. " Their relationship with Trane , which they've been pannering with since Libertys inception, allows them to offer top-of-the line energy-efficient hybrid heating systems that combine a traditional heat pump with a gas furnace. These systems can save a homeowner 30-40 percent a year on their energy bill according to Shelton. But Liberty takes it one step further and offers Tranes new Clean Effects air cleaner as a standard feature too. "These types of things aren't glamorous and they don't offer a whole lot of media appeal, but they're important features for our homebuyers," Shelton says. arne recognition is key to their competitive strategy Although the partners know they can offer less expensive fixtures and appliances that are comparable in quality, they want buyers - and thei r friends and relatives - to recognize the brands they use. "Buyers do their homework nowadays," Furr says. "They're more educated. A lot of our buyers solicit opinions from their parems. When they hear names like OwensCorning, Mohawk Carpet, GE and Trane it evokes confidence." The fact that homebuyers take the time to do research before they make their decisions may scare some homebuilders, but it works to Liberty Homes' advantage. "We have potential buyers come to us first and they'll say, 'we're going to go see what else is out there," Shelton says. "And we encourage them to do that. We know they'll be back. " Their focus on cost control extends to their employees. Their team is so loyal and committed that the partners say it even catches them off guard sometimes.

Li berty Ho mes was ho nored to partne r wit h Shelco, Inc. in the 2006 Home Builders Bliu, a Ha bitat for Humanity build of I ,000 ho mes across th e cou nt ry.

'Tll have someone come to me and explain a better way of doing something that may save us a few dollars and l'll think 'wow, these folks are really focused on keeping it lean," Furr says. "Chip and l laugh about it because we feel lucky to have such a great team." Luck has little to do with it. Shelton and Furr are not only accessible to their customers, they make themselves accessible to employees too. There are no insulating layers between them and their employees and they keep their doors open. The partners strive to create a relaxed atmosphere and avoid micromanaging. "We've found that people tend to work harder when they feel empowered to do things their own way," Shelton says . "And we've just got great people. I'd say that many companies our size could easily have 60 employees. We're doing well with 25. " Keeping in Touch

With a large national corporation, when a homebuyer has a question or problem they have to work through a network of coma ts to reach a resolution. And they'll never speak 0

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Liberty Oak, Inc. ~ LibertyHon'leS d/b/a Uberty Homes 6130 Harris Technology Blvd. Charlotte, N.C . 28269 Phone: 704-599-1 0 I 0 Principals: Chip Shelton, Partner; Jack Furr; Partner Employees: 25 Established: 1998 Business: A locally owned and operated homebuilder and developer servi ng fi rsttime homebuyers in Charlotte and surrounding counties as well as W instonSalem and Charleston and Columbia, S.C. www.buylibertyhomes.com

www.greate rc h arl otte biz. com

to anyone m the companys upper echelons. When a Lihcny Homes customer seeks a resolution, more often than not the) 'll fmd themsekes spcakmg directly to an mmer. "We feel its our dutv to make ourselves avmlable to our customers," helton explatns. "Vve try to respond on the cost of a change or contract acceptance on the same da;. Thats prett\ much unheard of m thlS business." _urprisingly. Liberty Homes doesn·t charge a change fee for changes made during the butldmg process. Shelton and Furr don't 'v\ant to discourage buyers from addmg then personal touches where,·er they can They pride themselves on prmidmg excellent follow-up on issues that arise. and a supenor warranty supported b; a full-time warrant) department. ''\\e build houses and run our compan) \\lth our customers in mind," Shelton says "\Ve know our responstveness and accesstbiht) to customers and the way we stand behmd our product are umque. It reqwres a lot of commumem, but lt really makes us stand out." Emerging from a rain-soaked begmning, Liberty Homes has shown steady growth 0\·er the years and expects to top 300 closmgs m 2007 and the average home sells for about $135,000. Furr and Shelton are focused on controlling growth and limiting nsk. "Our growth will be dictated by the market," Furr says. 'Too many people think iliings can't get bad. They can get bad. Really bad. I remember the jimmy Cater years when interest rates were ilirough the roof and you couldn't give a house away" "Watching and listening to my dad taught me to keep each foot firmly planted as we climb up that ladder," Shelton adds. "Its a lot easier to fall from ilie lower rungs." The next big step Liberty Homes is taking is to enter into the move-up home range. Many of ilieir satisfied customers are now ready for their next home and its only natural that they'd tum to a builder they already know and trust. "I'm ready to move up to a larger home," Moore says. "l will buy my next home from Liberty I know it will be a quality home wi.th features I'll enjoy and I'm actually looking forward to the experience." biz

Usa Hoffmann is a Charlotte-based free/once wnter.

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Shelton Vineyar Cultures W ine andthe Economy Sl::e.b:::L Vin£yanf5 ClY rlie anc. Ed Shelton oo:T•)\o\'ed $2 ,000 frcm the-.r father to §0 ir_to th-= .·wme1:t:J:_i:Jg b·Jsir.ess b 1962 and th~y've b~en workB--g t.Jgether e~r .3ince then. O?erc:;ting o·Jt of \ ··r:st.cn-3:J.leo, th....'7 bt:Lt their •xiginal busims3, Forli5 Homes in:o a very successful re,;dential Cc:L?a:-.:;: ·.vb~n tl-_e 1:oam in bu:i:-tess clevelopnerrt took place :n the la1.e '70s, t<e ~heltor_ bro:f.ers started ~1:-. elco . a cc:nmen::ial de',elopme:lt and co::13trudion company: They moved :he corporele hea::lqu.rr:ers to Cha~ot:e in 19~ ~ , in re,;ponse to lxal growth, :tnd opened additior.al cffice3 in Gr~ :nville . Ra.eigh ud E :lton &ad, S.C. SCel·::os bu9nes~ :ncP-J.sed fiv-::: fold after the m•J v'= ·_o Charlot=e. In 2003, the rothers sold the cornpa::y t:J tl:-.eir r::c:;::1agcment goup. Now uru:l::r 'he le:adership of Prescient ani C~O Edwin l:>se . She.co ~ .:ne of th~ =arge3t locall; owned cons~mctior: companies in the: Carolim.s, eam:ng ~. 3(2 millic:t .n revenu _s in 2D05. Compa::1y-wid~ employlre.nt t:Jtals 300 p~ople.

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sevemt::er 2006

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The Sheltnn brothers 1\-::re nc t <h )Ut to retire after scllmg She.co. ho'.\ e-·er. -:-hey w .rc a read) d:epk '1\'Llvd .< p·cJect· creatmg a state-of-the ar "'mery commtued tl• the produ.:tkn of '."Orld-class v..ines. "! doubt either of us wiU e;er ra. -e." says Ed, now 66. "We like 1 ev. challenges."

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No Sour Grapes The Shelton brothers gtew up r 1oulll Airy, N.C., across the stnet !rom th: schoc the,· both Jllencl:d fton first 1,\r.ldL thmugh htgh sch.:Jol. TheJr athe ·'"'"-'a barl::er and their mother:- farming .amt:y spent sUirmers workm~ 01 thLi- ;r.ndt:Hhl ':. tnb-Jcco farm Charlie, fi1·e )'•?ars older thc.n £::1, ,.nrolled in ~orth Carolina StatE Urr•crsny but ne.·er c.uended. He pt hs c< 1£&~ dL p..)Si. back and puttt mto buildm,>; is f G . house ·when he was 18. Ed spmt ;: >·ear at Lees-tJcP~ College. b..u SOl n 1' Trd hi5c l:·rcfr~t in the homebuilding busin.::ss. The; 1ade a good teatr. "We do e1ery,hing fift)<ift.'," sa~~· Charlie. "We sett.e our dis"JJte' as Lity ccme up Ou board meeti -gs <re /CIT =hon ..,

5rc,ater char lott e biz

septen :.er 2.0( 6

<43

In 1994 Charlie bought an old dairy farm in urry County at an a·J ction sale. The brothers had no im:nediate plans for the property, but they gradually added some additional l"nd until they had a total of 384 acres.

state-of-the-an facility, Shelton Viney-ards is the largest estate winery in N·:•rth Carolina and one of the largest estate wineries on the East Coast. Two hundred acres are in cultivation and the facility is capable of producing

Founded in 1999, Shelton Vineyards is the largest es:ate winery in North Carolina and one of the largest estate wineries on the East Coast .

The idea of a winery caoe to Charlie in 1998 when he was Oipping channels on television and saw a promo on the horticultural program at the University of California-Davis. After doing a little research, the :nothers decided to try growing grapes on their dairy farm. "At that time West Bend Winery was the only one in the area," says Ed, "but we had both toured a lot of wineries over the years and developed a lot of ideas. We thought we could make it fit with this area." The brothers started with 50 acres under cultivation, but quickly discovered that both the soil and the climate of the Yadkin Valley were excellent for growing a wide variety of vinifera grapes, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pi not Noi r, Petit Verdot, Pinot Blanc , White Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese Syrah, and Viognier. Today, just seven years af:er breaking ground on a 33,000 square-foot

september 2006

5C,OOO cases of wine annually. Its wines have won numerous national and irter:-ational awards.

Unco rking the Bottle The Shelton brothers faced several challenges in starting a winery amid the r: \ling hills and valleys of Surry County. The first challenge was to put together a team to help them bring the project to fruition. They brought in Miguel Sanchez and his family from Oregon to run the vineyard. Sanchez spent 10 years working with Benton Lane Vineyards in Monroe, Ore. He and his staff are responsible for the planting, maintenance and upkeep of Shelton Vineyards and the winery grounds. Murphy Moore, another Oregon transplant, was chosen as the winemaker for Shelton Vineyards. Murphy has workd in the wine industry since 1997 and served as the winemaker for Cloninger Cellars in Salinas, Calif. until it closed in 2003. After working brieOy at Dunham Cellars in Walla, Walla, Wash., Murphy brought her winemaking skills to North Carolina . George Denka, a native of Beaufort, S.C., join ed Shelton Vineyards in 200 1 as president of the

company. Denka has worked on the distribution side of the wine business for over 30 years, holding positions with Fortune 500 companies as a distributor and importer sales executive. Denka is a past member of the organizing committees for two of the Southeast's most prestigious wine events , The Atlanta Wine Festival (now the Atlanta Wine Summit) , and the Hilton Head Wine Festival. He originated the wine appreciation course at the University of South Carolina and currently teaches a similar course at urry Community College. He now works closely with Murphy determining which wines to sell and is involved in all aspects of the business. He even helped design the new Shelton Vineyards label. Once the team was in place, the next challenge was to convince distributors to carry the Shelton Vineyard brand. "In the beginning it was difficult to convince regional distributors in the Southeast, particularly Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, to take on a North Carolina wine," says Ed Shelton. "We were able to overcome that and now have distributors in nine states and the District of Columbia. " The final challenge was to persuade people to try their wine . The Shelton brothers pay as much attention to marketing their wine as they do to producing it. The spacious visitor center with its gift shop and wine tasting bar is open every day of the week, encouraging tourists to visit for a tour and tasting. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and picnicking is encouraged. Dunng the summer months , there is a concert series on an outdoor stage. Last year, the brothers added a restaurant to the on-site attractions. In June, 2006, Chef Paul S. Lange, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with over 10 years of experience in the food industry, joined The Harvest Grill. Lange worked at Beekman Arms 1766 Tavern in upstate ew York, the Oceanic at Wrightsville Beach and Ryan's Steaks, Chops and Seafood in Winston-Salem. Shelton Vineyards offers a wine

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club , which provides ::xcbsi ve discounts and pr_vileges to ::nembers. It also off::rs a five -year Acopt-a-Barrel pro gran in which the pa ·:icipant receives a free case of wine for the first four ynrs, with a plaque · ncluding his name and city on displa·1 e n one of the vineyar::l bc.rrels during : 1ose four years. On the fifth yea, ilie participant receives the barrel itself.

' This area nee ed a

little boost. We wanted to do something to help the economy that would be fun to do and would create afew jobs.

Despite repeated warnings from management,

Milton continued to think :.nside-the-box.

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Cultivating Success Shelton Vineyards is located just a few miles from the Sheltons' grm::lparents' home. Having grown up in r:h:.s community,

Shelton Vineyards 286 Cabernet Lane Dobson, N.C. 270 17 Phone: 336-366-4724 Partners: Charles Shelton, Partner; Ed Shelton, Partner Employees: 30 Founded: 1999 Awards: Over 200 awa rd ~ including a gold medal :rom the LA County Fair Wines of the World Competition fo r ics 2005 Yadkin Valley Reisling Business: Largest fam 1 ~·-own ed estate wi nery in North Carol ina. www.sheltonvineyards.com

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september 2006

get the Yadkin Valley dec.a1ec. m f.merica Viticu:ural Area in 2003. T:1.i; c.esignation recognizes the aea 1s a disLnct grape-gw.ving re§ion ani :~.lbws §TOWers and w.nemakers to e~ta.::Jlsh \ad kin 'Ialley branding for their p-oducts, [tVing them an important rcaikctL-lg Dol. The Yadkin Valley i.s th:: first l'>.na.e ·ica \'iticutural Area in . onh Carolha. The area also has thz only ,>i_·irulture t::chnology program in the Sc•u h::ast ~urry C:Jmmunity CoLege, aboJL five niles from Shelton Vineyar:i=. offers J t.vo-year Associate ir_ S:ience ck§rEe. Gill Giese, wl-.o teaches the CJlleg.e proeram, also works with the vine:a·d s aff D ensure the bteg:-ity and qua-it' of §rape production. Charlie, wio helred crga11.i~e tl-e 'Yadkin Valley Wine Growe:-s A:;socia· icn c:td served as :ts firs: president, -1elpec §et a $250,000 federal grant to qJen a \...ine store on Concou:-se E of CJ-arlctte C•ouglas lnterr atio~a 1 Airp•Jr:. f asseng~rs ca-1 taste lccal wine; c.n.d buy G" bottle or tw::: or ha\T. the v..ine ;1-it=Ped !-orne. The store pro·;ed pnf t<iJle in iLS f rst year of O:>eration. Someday Charlie c.n.d Ed lur:e to s~e rounger members of the family :a-<e o,.rer _'1elton Vineyards in tl-.e tra::li.icn oi nany great estate v..ine:-.e~. bn ne the~ is ninking about retireme~t any:ioE sxn. D

In addition to other decorative touches at Shelton Vineyards, such as the grand opening gate an d lo ng wi nding entranceway, Charlie an d Ed Shelton pu rpo sefully planted roses at th e end of th e rows of vines.

Charlie and Ed wanted to do something that would make a difference in the area's future economy. "This area needed a little boost," says Ed Shelton. "We wanted to do something to help the economy that would be fun to do and would create a few jobs." Surry County's economy once de?ended upon family-cwned tobacco farms, textile mills, and furniture manufacturing. The Sheltons have their own visioc for the area, which includes more touri~m and more diversified farming focused on producing products for the growing number of restaurants in the area. "Eleven and a half million people live within a 150-mLe radius of here-:hat's a big market," says Ed Shelt::m. "In the ?;lobal economy of today, you have to figure out what you can do and g~ow from within." There are currently 14 wineries in the Yadkin Valley and, while they are creating jobs and attractir_g tourist dollars, Ed believes there is an opportunity for farm diversification beyond grapes. He suggests the area could provide free-range veal for area restaurants as well as chtckens and turkeys. He believes berries, particularly strawberries, would also be an exce[ent :rop for the clay loam soil and temperate dimate of the valley. The Shelton brothers are c.lso w:J~king ·o encourage tourism in the c.rea. Up to 50,000 people visit the vineyards each -year. The Sheltons are also developing an

september 2006

80-acre commercial development at Exit 93 on Interstate 77, just two and a half miles from the w:nery. A 102-rooo Hampton Inr. v,ill open there in the spring of 2007, along with a couple more restaurants and a retail com:>lex. "The winery is a positive thing for an area going thro-..tgh t:ans:tio~ , " says Charlie Shelton. "Visitors buy win~. stay in hotels, anc eat in local re;taurants. Plus, we pro'.ide some employment that wouldn't be her~ '.vithom the vineyards." Pleasing Palates

Charlie and Ed's ultimate goal is for Shelton Vineyards to become one of :he premier vineyads in the country, but they know that takes time. Tl-_ey hope the team they ha·;e put together will stay around long enough help the winery grow in stature and respect. But they also hope to see the other vineyards in North Carolina receive reccgnition on the national scene. The Shelton brothers have been in the forefront of the effort to modernize North Carolina's laws to mc.ke it a more winefriendly state. rorth Carolina currently ranks 12th for wine proC.uction and lOth for grape prodt.::tion among the states, according to :he :-Jorth Carclina Grape Council. The counci: also estimates tiat the economic impact of vineyards and wineries in tl-.e North Carolina is $79 million with 855 jcbs created. Shelton Vineyards led a two-year effort

One or the other is tl-.e:-e even '"leekenci, dking to people as they come: h, lc·adirg \...ine in custon·_er's cars, or clearirg up <iter tour grot.:ps. They are ha.1.cs-on s.1pervisors with each new project. m•.l .,_hile they don't do a::-_y seri:JLS :a-mirg, t>ey both enjoy getting thei:- hands :li-t}. "We're not ready tc tum it D,-er t:J he 1-<ds," says Ed "We.re still ha"iOS oJ nuch fun." biz

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bizXperts: Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

grow value by protecting core competence anything. However, all those optwns really make it more difficult to decide "when to hold 'e m to and when to fo ld 'em. " To pro-

Although it took place over 25 years ago, l ca n sti ll picture the look on his face when he erupted in frustration. "We're not even good at what we're best

tect yo ur co re competence , you first need to know what that is . This fall take time to rethink your bust-

at anymore! " Fred's anguish came from watching the publicly held company for which he worked neglect its core business. lt was the 1970s, and diversification was widely viewed by investors as THE way to minimize risk and build a successful enterprise. Unfortunately, Fred 's employer destroyed lots of their existing business's value by milking it to expand into poorly understood new product or market segments. And all that effort, only to retrench again after the stream or red in k got too long and too deep. As owners of closely- held companies, our clients have limited resources with which to expand their enterprises. This provides keen motivation to stay focused. However, some have fa llen into the trap of trying to do too many things . Sometimes the cause is an irresistible acquisition opportunity. Other limes it's a loyal customer requesting a broader ra nge of products and services. ln any case , the result is stretched resources and sub- par performance in the organization's co re competence- th e "what we're best at. " A blessing and curse of doing business in the 21st century is the ability to partner with others - you can outsource just abo ut

ness model. Imagine the enterprise in several different forms- each with out some key component- and note the expected impact of each scenario. By subtraction, you'll close in on th ose key value contributo rs. When you are ready to cons ider all the options, the answer may surprise you as it did recently fo r one of our clients.

For over twenty years, Sandy defined his enterprise as a manufacturing company. Then rising production cos ts drove him to explore outsourcing of several key components. In analyzing the opportunity, Sandy realized that the real value they provided customers was in the design and engineering of economica l solutions. He outsourced all production and focused more resources on marketing and engi neeri ng. By nourishing its core competence, Sa ndy has grown his company's revenues, profi ts and, most importantly, its value. Mary H. Bruce of Kaleidoscope Business Options, lnc. specia lizes in advising business owners on building the value of thei r enterprise. Contact her at 704-375-1970 or www.kboptions.com. l:lJ

it's lonely at the top Hey, Mr. or Ms. Business Owner, have yo u eve r felt isolated in yo ur position< Have you found you rself considering decisions , wishing yo u had someone to talk to who wou ld understand what you 're dealing with and address it from your perspective< Many of you may have found resources to help you through those times, and that's good. For those of you wh o h aven't, let me talk to you. Th ey say "two heads are better th an one," and 1 think that's usu ally true . Having someone you ca n bounce id eas around wi th , ta lk over op tions, and get rea l, honest feedback is inval uable. As business owners, yo u need other business owners you can talk with. obody feels you r pain like someone else who has to meet payroll every Friday, or someone whose house is on the line as co llateral for the business's line of credit. Another business owner can speak from real experience, not just about theo ry. There are a number of ways for you to connect with othe r business owners . Industry grou ps are an excellent resource.

september 2006

Many industries have regu lar conferences or owner panels that meet by phone. lf th e others in th e gro up aren't competing in your market, you can be ve ry o pen and fra nk and get excellent feedback . Informal alli ances can also be beneficial. lf you have other fr ien ds who are business owners , and there are some that yo u respect and trust, meet for coffee or lunch on a regular basis to talk over business issues. Keep each other's phone number handy so you can brainstorm as needed. There are also groups like our Business Success Institute who organize business owners and hold regula r meetings to discuss specific topics and brainstorm solutions . The relationships yo u develop in gro ups like these reach beyond th e meeting times and can be a rea l benefit. W hateve r your business , re member that you don't have to go it alone. There are others who are wi lling to share their expe riences, insights and ideas . Find a resource. Co nnect with others. lt doesn't have to be lonely at the top.

Denise Altman is Director of the Business Success Institute. Learn more about this organization at www.busi ness-success-institute.com or call 704-708-6700. l:lJ www.greatercharlottebtz.com

the succession planning process part l Successwn planning is a Process for business owners to determine

There is, however, usually an optimum

exactl y h ow a business can continue after its founders (or current

solution and Succession Plan for the par-

owners) leave through either sale of the business, retirement, disabil-

ticular business and owners.

itY or death. lt involves every aspect of the business and personal

b. l t does not matter what actually is

li ves of the current owners and proposed future owners. The typical

" fair" in the owner's mind- just what

end result of succession planning is the identification of an e.xit sLiat-

is perceived to be "fair'· by the owner

egv for cu rrent owners that satisfies their ongoing needs and a plan

and other stakeholders and,

for th e identification and implementation of the structure necessary

c. The d egree of consens us o n a rinal

for the busmess to survive and thlive independentl y of its current

p lan is directly related to the perceived

owners.

amount of input and "meaningful" par-

ln almost th iny years of represeming closely held businesses and

ticipation by all necessary stakeholders.

th eir owners, we have identified that one common theme many busi-

Consensus on a succession plan is

ness owners do not consider is that, at some poim, they will no

best obtained when there is an atmosphere that permits sharing of

longe r be an owner of the business. Whether their exit is the result of

information (especially financial data) and a clear willingness to seck

a planned or unplanned departure, and what happens to their busi-

and give input before major decisions are made.

ness and their family before, during and after that departure, can and should be posiuvely affected by what they do today through the cre-

wh ich invol ves:

ati on and imp lememalion of an appropriate Succession Plan.

• Understanding and assessing the Strategic Plan for the busmess,

Th ough every plan and strategy will vary based on the objectives

The uceession Planning Process is a complicated on e

• Understanding the currem financial condition and cash 11ow of

of each owner and each business, all succession pla ns have two com-

the business,

mon aspects: a plan fo r the transiti on of ownership; an d a p lan for the

• Understanding corporate fmance and the options available to the business,

tran siti on of management and control. The econd aspect is both the

• Understanding the relationships among the owners and their families,

most difficult and most impo rtant. Possible exit strategies available to a business owner normally include:

l. a liquidation of the bus iness: always an option, but this option is not

• ldemifying the imerests of all stakeholders (currem owners, potemial successors, management and key employees), • Understanding and assessing the leadership abilities of potemial successors,

likely to produce the highest value to the owner;

Estate planning, life insurance planning, retirement plannmg, investmem

2. the sale of the business to "insiders" (other shareholders or

and funding mechanism planning, and business valuation,

employees): a possibility, however, in many cases, no other shareholder

• Planni ng for the disability or death of the owners,

or employee wi ll have funds to provide the "cash out" price except

• Understanding organizational and entity structure as well as the tax

through the use of the assets and business operations of the business

effect of various options,

(which can create a problem of adequate financial security for the owner);

• Executive compensation plann ing (current and deferred),

3. the sale of the business to "ou tsiders" (strategic b uyer, financial

• Equity and non-equity incemive arrangements to auract and retain

buyer, foreign buyer): a possibility, but there is potemial downside if the

key employees,

market learns that the business is "for sale;"

• Owner's agreements (buy-sell, cross-purchase, redemption, etc.), and

4. creati on of a "benevolent d ictatorsh ip" (leave it to the kids): possi-

•

bility, but the children may not know the business, and children typically

succession plan which satisfies the interest of all stakeholders.

will not have the funds to provide the "cash out" price except through the

egotiation and mediation skills in order to create and implement a Over the years our firm has developed a specific Five Step Process

assets and business operations of the business;

for helpi ng business owners create the optimum Succession Plan for

5. a joint venture or merger: possibility if it can be structured to provide

their business which best meets the business and personal objecuvcs

results similar to "sale of business" to outsider; and

of curre nt and future owners and also leads to maximizin g th e value

6. an initial public offering (IPO): only possible for a small minority of

of the business. l n next month's article we wi ll discuss m detail each

closely held busmess clients due to the complex issues involved .

step of this Five Step Process.

The selection of an exit strategy and exit planning should commence

no later than 5 years prior to the desired departure of the owner. There are certain "truths" that must be embraced before embarking on The Succession Planning Process. These mclude:

Robert onis is managing partner of Wishart , orris, Henn inge r c~ Pittman, P.A., a law firm whichfocuscs on helping business owners define and achieve their btl5incss and personal objcllivcs. Contall him at 704-364-0010 or wwwwnhplawcom. IIl

a. Th ere is us ually no one answe r to t he iss ues t hat w ill arise. The answe r depends on ma ny factors , including the goals and personalnies of the own er and other key people involved in the business.

I( you are mterested m contnbutmg to blzXperts, contaa John Galles at 704-676-5850, ext. 102, OrJgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com. biz

• What does a converged Vo!P solution bring to your organization? Produaivity treamline Operations

Thank you to our ad•·erti_ms ll'ho make this publicntumawl1t< distnlwtum to u•·er wo,ooo readers possiblr! EnJOY thm pmdncts and servias as Charlotte's leading busllless to business ' uppilm IBC 08

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s eptember 2006

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Allen Tate Realtors al lentate.com Apple Rock Displays applerock.com ATCOM atcombts.com Atlantic Software Alliance atlantJcsoftwareaiiJance.com Ballantyne Center for Dentistry ballan tynedentJstry.com Bank of America bankofamerica.com Blair Bohh\ & Whitsitt bbwpllc.com Century 21 Hecht Realty - Commercial c21 hecht.com/buy/commercial.asp C Group/Cline Farm clinefarm.com Charlotte Copy Data charlottecopydata.com Choice Tran slating cho1cetranslatmg.com ClickCom cllckcom.com Comp ass Career Mgmt Solutions compasscareer.com CPCC Corporate Training cpcctraming.org CPCC Corporate Training cpcctraming.org Daniel , Ratliff & Company damelratllff.com Diamond Springs diamondsprmgscarolinas.com Employers Association employersassoc.com FieldStone Networking Services fieldstonenetworking.com Hear Direct heard/lect. com Hood Hargett Breakfast Club charlottebca.com lntegraphx integraphx.com Knauff Insurance knauffins.com Larner's Office Furniture Outlet larnersoffi ce.com Mecklenburg County Health ci.chartotte.nc.us/Departments/Heatth+DepartmenVHome.htm New Way Media wampower.com Peninsula Yacht Club peninsulayacht.com Radisson Columbia radJsson.com/columb Jasc Randolph & Sons Builders randolphbuilders.com ABC Centura rbccentura.com Santo & Josie Cafe santojosie.com Scott Insurance scottins.com Scott Jaguar Jaguarusa.com Simon Malls - SouthPark Slmong11tcard .com Sloan Financial Group sloanfmancial.net Tathwell Printing tathwellprintmg.com TimeWarner Cable - Business Cla ss twcbc.com UNCC Belk College belkcollege.uncc. edu VOYSS voyss.com WynnCom wynncom.com

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Aerial, Architectural and Stock Photography Larry Harwell 704-334-7874

Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, completed In 1996 for the start of the Carolina Pantherc' reason, scats

73,QOO fans. not mcludine the I 58 lmmry ~"'''"'路

CPCC Offers New Financial Services Institute to Meet Growing Demand services industry," states Dr. Tony Zeiss,

experience to gain the required educa-

president of Central Piedm ont

tion necessary to sit for the Certified

Community Co llege. "This new program

Bank Teller (CBT) exam, administered

m eets a growing demand for training in

by th e Institute of Certified Bankers

the Charl otte area."

(ICB). In addition, these current tellers

Research has shown that

for Bank Tellers, putting them in a poo l

"Fastest Growing Occupations

of highly sought tellers with language

by j ob Growth ," second onl y

skills

ln 2002, the

will be educated in Command Spanish

bank tellers are at top of the

customer service represen-

meet the growing Hispanic pop-

ulation needs.

tatives, and 25th on the

"Fastest job Growth by

Once certified, CBTs will need

Current Certified Bank Tellers: to

take a

North Carolina

Percentage Change ." The solid

Employment Security

growth in this field combined

units (CEU) every three years in order to

Commission esti-

with the higher turnover rate

maintain certification as a CBT. CPCC's

minimum of six

ontinuing Education

mated that by 2012,

represents both challenges

Financial Services Institute offers a wide

there will be a 70 per-

and opportun ities for CPCC

variety of courses that will allow individuals

cent increase in the

and its partners in the bank-

to gain valuable knowledge and skills while

lOtal percentage of

ing industry.

satisfying this requirement.

bank teller jobs available in Mecklenburg

In response to this growth,

The growing Latino population in

CPCC has partnered with the

Charlotte has also prompted CPCC to

County. Simply put, this translates into a

North Carolina Banking Association to offer

develop additional courses and tracks for

lOtal of 4,283 jobs. ln addition, t:1e

the Certified Bank Teller program within the

both English speake rs and non-English

Commission has estimated that t1.ere will

comprehensive Financial SerVIces lnsLILute .

speakers to bndge critical communication

be approximately 3,000 addi uoml replace-

The market for Teller Training is expan-

gaps in the highly regulated wo rld of

ment Jobs opening dunng thiS same ten-year time period. With that i1 mind,

sive, with three distinct markets including: o New Entry level Tellers: lndiVJduals

Central Piedmont Commumty C:Jilege (CPCC) recently developed the rew

seeking entry- level teller positions or those new to the f'manetal Services mdustry.

financing. As a supplement to other courses, P has cuswmized three additional courses lO prepare individuals who

Financwl erVJces lnslllute, with offerings for mortgage officers, real estate ::tppraisers,

These mdividuals need lO demonstrate

msurance adjusters, notary pJblics, secunlles, accountants, and the newesr addlllon -a Certified Bank Teller prowam. ln order to remam responsive o the large financial services sector m Charlo te, CPCC IS workmg closely With representntves from Wachovia, BB&T, First Trust, Bank of Commerce, and several professionals in the

more than JUSt basic knowledge of depositing checks, makmg change, etc. Tellers m wday's banking environment need to be comfortable relatmg to co-workers as well

Assessment

as cltents, have a thorough understandmg of rules and regulations that apply to tellers, and have a workmg knowledge of sales techmques that will allow him/her to crossor up-sell products and services. sequence of the AlB program will prepare

Institute serves as a workforce development

entry-level tellers with knowledge and skills

aid in auracting and retammg skilled work-

that will advance the banking industry's goal of hiring qualified mdiv1duals.

lllnity and the unique partnership that is forming between CPCC an d the financial

september 2006

English and non-English speakers. These courses include: o Interviewing Skills Workshop and

mortgage bankmg and real estate industries lO ensure the new Financial ScrVIt'eS

ers in this industry. "We're excited about this new oppor-

are new to the financial services industry and enhan e the communication between

CPCC hopes implemenung the

Currently Employed Tellers:

This new credential will all ow tellers who have a minimum of six months'

Command Spanish for Bank Tellers

English for Special Purposes

(Cuswmized language tulOring and lab support for non-English speakmg students gomg through the Certified Bank Teller program) biz

Th1s sect1on IS Intended to h1ghlight workforce traming and development programs and 1n1t1at1ves delivered by commumty colleges w1thm the Charlotte region. Community colleges are invited to submit substantive content 1deas to editor@greatercharlottebiz.com.

www.greate rcharl otteb i z. com

PICTURESQUE EQUESTRIAN ESTATE Cabarrus County, North Carolina Natural beauty encompasses t his fabu lous New England-style farmhouse.Situated on a 24+ acre estate, it offers a serene, spring-fed pond, maturE- hardwoods and pastures. Interior boasts exquisite architectural details soaring, t imber-beamed cei lings and a stunning stone fireplace. A nine-stall barn, arena, fenced and cross-fenced areas make this property an equestrian's dream.4BRs/3.1 BAs MLS# 606926- $1,750,000 Property Address: 11101 Robert Bost Road

Jane Connors - 704-877-9979 www.janeconnors.com

INDOOR POOL PERFECTION Monroe, North Carolina Tour t~ is home in person or online, it's simply gorgeous. Beautiful oak ha-dwood floors and cherry cabinets are featured throughout. The gcurmet kitchen offers top-of-the-line Jenn-Air grill and range. The distinguished master suite gives entry to the indoor heated pool and hot tub area. All of this rests on almost an acre. 5BRs/3.2 BAs MLS# 609108- $849,900 Property Address: 4900 Rocky River Road

Russell Wing - 704-291 -8908 www.thewingteam .com

CENTER CI1Y SENSATIONAL Charlotte, North Carolina Urban elegance is found in this new, four-level, Fourth Ward townhome.l!rownstone-style entrance leads to the impressive interior featuring llardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings &crown molding. The toplevel ertertainment room featu res a wet bar, whi le the rooftop terrace with optional gas fireplace offers views of the sensat ional Upt own skyline. Elevator optional. 3BRs/3.2BAs MLS# 612058- $725,000 Property Address: 701 North Church Street, Unit 9

Dawn Krieg -704-331-2 122 www.centercit yal lentate.com

FINELMNG Charlotte, North Carolina Offerin::J the finest in south Charlotte living, this fabu lous custom home i> located in the prestigious, gated community of Greenwood. ls style and sophistication are made known by all of t he amenites and upscale features. Enjoy the finer things, plus t he privacy of five and a half acres. Additional estate homes are available. 5BRs/ 4.1BAs MLS# 607671 - $2,400,000 Property Address: 8367 Providence Road

Sheri Decker - 704-3 67-7226 www.allentate.com/sheridecker

Join us for a event showcasing

(ore

â&#x20AC;˘

Finon(ol Se ces & the nation's second largest financial center, Charlotte is responding to the need for trained professionals in the financial services industry. Come learn about courses in accounting, mortgage banking, real estate, appraisals, insurance, notary public, securities, and the newest addition a Certified Bank Teller program (CBT). Financial Services is listed among the Department of Labor's fastest growing occupations and experts estimate a 70% increase in North Carolina bank teller jobs by 2012. The CBT program is the first partnership between a community college an the North Carolina Banking Association to offer cocrses that lead to the new CBT credential. Don't miss this opportunity to hear &om industry leaders, vendors and employers about how you c.m become part of this exciting industry. For derails about the event: www.cpcc.edu/financialcareers

October 11 , 2006 HarrisCorporate Troining & Conference C~nter CPCC's West Campus 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.