Greater Charlotte Biz 2009.05

PIT Performance Instruction & Training

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Rowboat Dock & Dredge

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CPCC Culinary Arts

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Woolpert

may 2009

Draft Earnhardt Ganassi Partnership Vies for Position

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250, Charlotte, N.C. 28217

(l to r) Felix Sabates Chip Ganassi Owners Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, LLC

Banking on the

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Forensics

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in this issue

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cover story

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates The country’s marquee automobile racing circuit is facing financial pressures as disposable income shrinks along with crowds at the tracks. As the NASCAR industry wrestles with escalating costs and decreasing revenues, this team of long name and a short history, believes it is uniquely situated to ride out economic hard times.

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departments

PIT Performance Instruction & Training Executives looking to make their companies leaner could take some notes from stock car racing. Methodologies employed by pit crews can be applied to many corporate cultures to improve efficiency and productivity.

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publisher’spost

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bizmarketing

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bizxperts

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Rowboat Dock & Dredge As an advocate for responsible development, and the balance between environmental protection and economic development, Bob Wilson has spent over 30 years creating beautiful waterfronts that developers, homeowners and the public can enjoy.

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CPCC Culinary Arts With a new building, national accreditation, and a hands-on faculty, CPCC is at the forefront of work force training in the region. They have established themselves as the affordable alternative to students looking to enter the growing hospitality industry.

employersbiz

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biznetwork

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ontop

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bizbits

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on the cover:

Woolpert seeks opportunities that will support the surrounding community and keep the company thriving. It’s an ability that Gary Stewart credits to diversity, flexibility, and understanding of how to read market conditions during any period of time.

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Rowboat Dock & Dredge

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CPCC Culinary Arts

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Woolpert

may 2009

Felix Sabates, Chip Ganassi,Owners Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates,LLC

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Woolpert

PIT Performance Instruction & Training

(l to r) Felix Sabates Chip Ganassi Owners Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, LLC

Photography Provided by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates,LLC

Draft

Banking on the

Earnhardt Ganassi Partnership Vies for Position

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p u r s u i n g a b a l a n c e o f b u s i n e s s a n d l i fe

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[publisher’spost] 704-676-5850

A Flawed Funding Formula for Community Colleges!

Our biggest and most essential weapon against the current recession and unemployment levels is our community college system. North Carolina is blessed with 58 community colleges providing a broad menu of educational, vocational, economic development and community services to help those entering the work force as well as those who have been displaced or are seeking new and/or alternative job opportunities.

These two-year institutions provide educational offerings to over 800,000 students across the state. Here in Mecklenburg County, we are proud of Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) with its six campuses, 286 full-time and 1,500 part-time faculty and over 70,000 participating students.

Unfortunately, community colleges are funded through a system that stands in the way of serving the increased demand at the time they are needed most. Basically, funding comes from a state-local partnership similar to the way the state funds public schools. State appropriations support instructional expenses, and local governments finance facility costs. Tuition revenues supplement public funds. Still, the objective is to keep tuition low so working adults can enroll and participate.

In 2007, 69 percent of North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) funding came from the state, 13 percent came from local counties, and 13 percent came from tuition, with six percent coming from other sources. In 2008, that funding amounted to $1.1 billion from the state and $186 million from local governments, along with other federal and private funds. Our current state budget deficit forces even more budget cuts when they are most needed.

Most state dollars are allocated to local colleges according to a formula measuring the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) students enrolled. In other words, a college earns one curriculum FTE for every 32 credit hours completed over a two-semester period. A college also earns a continuing education FTE for every 688 hours of instruction over a threesemester period.

The cash value of each FTE changes from year to year, but it was $3,686 for a curriculum FTE in 2008-2009 and a continuing education FTE was $3,519. This system may have worked since the founding of the North Carolina Community College System in 1963, but it is wholly inadequate, out-dated and inappropriate in our current economic marketplace and the demands of our urban centers.

There are three critical flaws that have been identified within this funding system: 1.The FTE formula does not accommodate rapid enrollment growth.

In this economic downturn, community college enrollments rise more than ever. As open door institutions, colleges are obligated to take students as they come, but the FTE formula is based on the previous year’s enrollment. So, now when more students need more help, increased funding is simply not available.

2.Community colleges have a higher bar to clear to earn FTE credit.

Universities are also funded on an FTE basis, yet they qualify for an FTE based upon fewer hours of instruction. Since community college students are more likely to be part-time students, substantially more students must be served to generate the same FTE credits.

3.The FTE formula fails to take into account the high cost programs like allied health.

Health programs generally cost about 150 percent more than the standard allotment per student. And so, high-cost programs are capped and funds are shifted or programs are eliminated.

State legislators believe that county governments can pick up the difference in the number of students and their demand for curriculum. With more students and more part-time students, CPCC and other urban community colleges suffer more than rural community colleges.

This flawed funding mechanism cannot be fixed overnight. It will take several years to accomplish systemic reform in North Carolina. That will not likely occur until the legislature is reconstituted after the census results of 2010. Population growth and shifts will create greater representation from urban areas like Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. Expanded representation from these urban areas will likely shift spending formulas in more equitable ways. In the meantime, we will have to make do with what we have. It is a shame. biz

Let me know what you think - jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com

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May 2009

Volume 10 • Issue 5 Publisher

John Paul Galles x102 jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com

Associate Publisher/Editor

Maryl A. Lane x104 maryl.a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com

Creative Director

Trevor Adams x103 tadams@greatercharlottebiz.com

Editorial & Sales Assistant

Janet Kropinak x109 jkropinak@greatercharlottebiz.com

Account Executives

All Advertising Inquiries x106 sales@greatercharlottebiz.com Marsha Bradford Sandra Ledbetter Dave Cartwright Bradley Jackson

Contributing Writers Sam Boykin Ellison Clary Casey Jacobus Janet Kropinak

Contributing Photographers Janet Kropinak Wayne Morris

Galles Communications Group, Inc. 5601 77 Center Drive • Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 28217-0737 704-676-5850 Phone • 704-676-5853 Fax www.greatercharlottebiz.com • Press releases and other news-related information: editor@greatercharlottebiz.com.

• Editorial: maryl.a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com.

• Advertising: jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com.

• Subscription inquiries or change of address: subscriptions@greatercharlottebiz.com.

• Other inquiries: please call or fax at the numbers above or visit our Web site www.greatercharlottebiz.com. © Copyright 2009 by Galles Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, Galles Communications Group, Inc. makes no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this 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 Communications Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. For reprints call 704-676-5850 x102.

Greater Charlotte Biz (ISSN 1554-6551) is published monthly by Galles Communications Group, Inc., 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250, Charlotte, NC 28217-0737. Telephone: 704-676-5850. Fax: 704-676-5853. Subscription rate is $24 for one year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Greater Charlotte Biz, 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250, Charlotte, NC 28217-0737.

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Maximize Marketing; Magnify Impact

magazines strengthen brand awareness “Magazines hit on all cylinders!” Marketing Evolution’s analysis of 20 aggregated advertiser funded cross-media ROI studies found magazines were the most consistent medium, positively influencing brand performance at all levels of the purchase funnel including total brand awareness.

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Magazines supply credibility: Consumers trust and believe magazines and magazine advertising more than other media. Simmons’ Multi-Media Engagement Study shows magazines score higher on being “trustworthy” than TV or the Internet. Multiple other sources also indicate that consumers place significant trust in magazine advertising. ! ! !

drive web traffic and search “Magazines create traffic jams!” Based on a major study

by BIGresearch that included 12 media, magazines ranked #1 in influencing consumers to go online to search for more information about a product—and ranked at or near the top across all gender and age breaks.

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Magazine advertising performs most consistently throughout the purchase funnel: Magazines generally contribute more than other media when looking across the purchase funnel. As a result, magazines boost other media’s effectiveness at all stages of the funnel.

Magazine advertising sells and influences: Several studies show that magazines are generally the strongest driver of purchase intent.

Perhaps this is because more than half of all readers act on magazine ads, according to Affinity Research. Data also show magazines are a leading influence on word-of-mouth.

Consumers Trust Magazine Advertising the Most Magazine advertising is more trusted than advertising in other media, regardless of age

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Magazine advertising drives Web searches and visits: Numerous studies prove that magazine advertising influences consumers to start a search for merchandise online or to visit a Web site more than any other medium, ranking at or near the top by gender as well as age. In addition, magazine ads build Web traffic overall and throughout the purchase funnel.

Percent of Adults Age 18 to 54 Who Trust Advertising in Medium 21% 12%

Internet

7% Source: Hearst Magazines’ Engagement Factor Study, 2005

Percent of Millennials* WhoTrust Advertising Magazines 13%

Radio

11%

Internet

6% *Consumers born between 1977 and 1996 Source: MORI Research, 2006

Magazine advertising is relevant and targeted: Consumers consider magazine advertising more relevant than advertising in other media.

With a range of titles that appeal to a wide variety of demographics, lifestyles, and interests, advertisers can hone in on targets that fit their needs.

Magazine Advertising Motivates Readers to Action More then half (54%) of readers took action on magazine ads or had a more favorable opinion about the advertiser because of magazine advertising, according to a recent study from Affinity’s VISTA Print Effectiveness Rating Service. Similarly, 55% took action based on editorial content. The research shows that magazine engagement goes far beyond just “feeling”— it prompts consumers to act.

Actions Taken as a Result of Reading Specific Features/Articles Passed article along to someone

24 %

Saved article for future reference

23

Gathered more information about the topic

13

Visited a related website

13

Took any action (net)

55 %

Actions Readers Took or Plan to Take as a Result of Exposure to Specific Magazine Ads Consider purchasing the advertised product or service

19 %

Have a more favorable opinion about the advertiser

11

Gather more information about advertised product or service

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Visit the advertiser ’s website

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Purchase the advertised product or service

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Vi s i t a s t o r e , d e a l e r o r o t h e r l o c a t i o n

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S a ve t h e a d fo r f u t u re re fe re n c e

6

Recommend the product or service to a friend, co l le ag ue o r f am il y m e m be r

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To ok any ac tion (net) Base: Actions taken based on respondents recalling specific ads Source: Affinity’s VISTA Print Effectiveness Rating Service, 2007

Base: Actions taken based on respondents reading specific features/articles Source: Affinity’s VISTA Print Effectiveness Rating Service, 2007

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Magazine advertising improves advertising ROI: Multiple studies have demonstrated that allocating more money to magazines in the media mix improves marketing and advertising ROI across a broad range of product categories.

20%

Television

Magazine and magazine ads garner greater attention: BIGresearch studies show that when consumers read magazines they are much less likely to engage with other media or to take part in non-media activities compared to the users of TV, radio or the Internet.

According to new research from JackMyers, when consumers were asked to rate media based on how likely they are to pay attention to the advertising messages, magazines ranked at or near the top of the list.

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“Magazines ring the register!” In the aggregation of those same 20 studies, plus 32 more from Dynamic Logic, magazines were by far the most impactful medium in driving purchase intent. TV ranked #2 and online #3.

Television

1

10 Reasons to Advertise in Magazines

Magazine advertising is valuable content: Consumers value magazine advertising, according to numerous studies. Starcom found that when readers were asked to pull 10 pages that best demonstrate the essence of their favorite magazines, three out of 10 pages pulled were ads.

Consumers told Dynamic Logic that magazine advertising was more relevant or useful than ads in other media.

increase purchase intent

Magazines

Top

[bizmarketing]

54%

Magazines deliver reach: Across major demographic groups, the combination of the top 25 magazines delivers more rating points than the top 25 TV shows. In addition, consumers are more likely to turn to magazines to search for information across a variety of categories at least once a week compared to the Internet, based on research from MediaVest.

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Magazine audiences accumulate faster than you think— and with lasting impact: The average monthly magazine accumulates approximately 60% of its audience within a month’s time, and the average weekly magazine accumulates nearly 80% of its audience in two weeks. In addition, consumers refer to magazines multiple times, even saving them, giving advertisers the opportunity for multiple exposures.

Content from MPA’s The Magazine Handbook 2008/09 published by Magazine Publishers of America, Inc., 2008; www.magazine.org. Sources of information cited.

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[bizXperts]

Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

"#$!%&'#

building an “instant” customer communication channel !

With over seven million Twitter.com users in the U.S. and climbing fast, businesses are rushing to find new and innovative ways to tap into this emerging instant communications channel. The basic premise behind the use of Twitter revolves around the posting of 140 character-length text responses to the question: What are you doing?

Surprisingly, answers to this seemingly simple question can be remarkably diverse and impactful to a business’s bottom line. With each new “micro blog” (called “tweets”), customers may actively monitor your postings and encourage others in the busy Twitter social network to follow along.

Within this framework, your content is rapidly exposed to a highly receptive, prequalified group of “followers,” who tend to read and react to new messages almost immediately. Tweets are short, simple and to the point.

Moreover, Twitter postings avoid the clutter that typically clogs today’s more common e-mail correspondence. There are numerous ways you can move your business onto the fast track with Twitter…Think “MICRO”.

A simple idea with lots of small but powerful uses, consider some of these uses for Twitter. Sales Promotion: Announce exclusive VIP sales events, promote just-in-time service opportunities, post discount codes that can be redeemed within your online store, link to printable coupons, offer incentives for sales referrals, advertise “sneak preview” events. Public Relations: Distribute micro “news releases,” describe ways customers are successfully using your product,

post customer testimonials, promote community events that your business endorses. Customer Service: Welcome new customers, post answers to frequently asked questions, present day-by-day countdowns leading to the launch of new services. Human Resources: Announce new job openings, congratulate staff members on professional accomplishments and milestones, acknowledge team members Kip Cozart who go beyond the call of duty.

Keep it simple. Determine what single, specific type of information would interest your audience members most, while also benefiting your organization’s bottom line. Clearly define your content with a strong Twitter “user name” (Hint: Your 15 digit “user name” also serves as the “title” of your micro blog).

Keep it timely. Post tweets with offers and announcements that are extremely timely and pertinent to your group’s primary interest. Incorporate a strong degree of urgency within the message, leveraging offer expiration dates and limited quantity statements.

Kip Cozart is CEO of CC Communications, a Web design, programming and Internet media company. Contact him at 704-543-1171. For more Twitter suggestions, visit www.cccommunications.com/bizXperts/, or join our Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WebDesignDeals/.

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(#)*+

Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

[bizXperts]

so your company has been sued? uh-oh! !

Last time we focused on a company which filed suit against its competitor for trade secret violations. Now let’s assume you are the competitor which has been sued. What are your company’s document retention/destruction policies? Do you know what documents, e-mails or even voicemails to which your company currently has access? Is this data being stored in your current system or was it previously stored on out-dated software or computers as a backup? If your company were sued for trade secret violations, how many years of old e-mails would you have access to? If so, would that even be desirable?

What does all of this mean? It means that in our technologically dependent world, every company should have a formal written document retention/destruction policy in place which limits the ESI retained by the company.

Document retention and destruction has changed, for better and worse, in the last two decades with the advances of the electronic age. While documents in the past have been destroyed with no further thought necessary, many companies now have electronic versions of paper files which have been destroyed—in essence an electronic trail of documents. Our legal system has slowly but surely caught up to today’s technology and in the event of litigation having these electronic files can be less than ideal depending on which side of the courtroom you are sitting. Extensive electronic files often lead to onerous discovery requests, as well as disputes, and at times may require production of tens of thousands of documents not to mention increased legal expenses as well as costs for computer forensic experts.

As a result, many larger companies have adapted by developing document retention and destruction policies. These policies typically dictate how long electronic documents or files are to be kept and should be treated as living documents as we all struggle to keep pace with the seemingly daily changes in technology. However, what companies don’t know about their document retention policies and their own practices of keeping outdated disks or back up tapes can be quite costly in the event of a lawsuit.

As the defendant in this lawsuit, your company is required to preserve all “electronically stored information” (ESI) for the pending litigation in the form in which it is ordinarily maintained and this duty may even begin from the date you became aware of the dispute, not just the date the lawsuit is filed. This ESI, which may include

p u r s u i n g a b a l a n c e o f b u s i n e s s a n d l i fe

current and former computers, online repositories or portable devices, along with tangible things like documents and photographs, then becomes the information exchanged via the discovery process.

However, with the advent of ESI many companies have the equivalent of thousands of pages of discoverable information—at times stored as different types of Bob Wishart files (i.e. .pdf, .jpg, .tif, or .gif). This is where things get expensive—let’s say you have two old laptops with information relating to the pending trade secrets lawsuit as well as several bankers’ boxes full of paper documents and over 1,000 e-mails saved on your server—does all of this information have to be produced to the plaintiff?

The short answer is that it must be provided to your attorney to review and determine whether it is responsive to discovery requests posed by the plaintiff and/or subject to being withheld as privileged.

Additionally, the laptops will need to be examined by a forensic computer expert, which will be as expensive as it sounds, and information on these laptops may also have to be produced.

Oftentimes this information may ultimately prove to be unnecessary or may even be embarrassing to your company—(do you really need to save every e-mail that comes across your desk?) but it may still be discoverable through an e-mail chain or cookies automatically saved on a company laptop if this information is likely to lead to discoverable information.

What does all of this mean? It means that in our technologically dependent world, every company should have a formal written document retention/destruction policy in place which limits the ESI retained by the company. This policy should be reviewed at least annually to ensure that appropriate amounts of ESI are being stored (not too little and not too much).

Additionally, once a dispute arises, even before litigation is resorted to, your company should contact its attorney to discuss data preservation and, if possible, arrange a sit-down meeting with your IT folks. In the long run, these steps will help your company keep from running afoul of discovery rules as well as limit the costs of discovery in the event your company becomes a party to a lawsuit.

Bob Wishart is a founding partner and head of litigation of Wishart, Norris, Henninger & Pittman, P.A., a law firm which focuses on helping business owners define and achieve their business and personal objectives.

Contact him at 704-364-0010 or visit www.wnhplaw.com.

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[bizXperts]

Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

,--./0'&0)!

the accepted principles of accounting, generally !

Today’s financial headlines contain disturbing references to “distressed,” “toxic” or “frozen” assets intended to grab your attention. However, these ominous terms do little to inform the readers about current economic conditions or provide a context for reported financial information.

Current economic conditions aside, the critical context in which the financial performance of any individual enterprise should be assessed is with an understanding of the principles underlying its reported financial results, commonly referred to as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). So what is GAAP and how has it evolved?

Throughout time, the exchange of goods and services in the marketplace has necessitated a financial “language” to communicate the financial activities and position of buyers and sellers. Logically, as is required for any language to flourish, rules and conventions have developed to enhance those communications, similar to the way grammar and syntax enhances written communication.

GAAP consists of these rules and conventions (not a lexicon) for reporting a particular financial transaction or series of transactions. Many of these rules and conventions were developed over time by organizations that were designated to define GAAP, while other rules and conventions were developed as needed by various industries. Largely because of that, GAAP cannot be found in a single reference source.

Today, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is the main organization responsible for interpreting GAAP. Its accounting pronouncements provide the rules which issuers of financial statements are to follow for the particular accounting issue they address. The FASB, in recognition that there has been “no one single reference source” for GAAP, is in the final stages of codifying GAAP to a single reference source.

The FASB is a non-governmental body that uses an open decision-making process to develop its pronouncements. This requires it to identify new and existing accounting issues where the reporting conventions being used do not meet the needs of the users of financial statements. After it conducts a study of the identified problem, public deliberations about the issue are conducted and a pronouncement is drafted to address the problem. Requests for comments on the pronouncement are then solicited from the public, another public hearing is conducted and, after additional deliberations, a final pronouncement is issued.

GAAP’s primary purpose is to promote the comparability of financial statements through the consistent treatment of similar transactions, thereby enhancing the flow of commerce, improving the allocation of resources, and hastening the decision-making process.

Consider GAAP as analogous to the rules for driving a vehicle on public roads. While always driving on the right-side of the road is not a universal absolute based upon the laws of physics; it is a choice we have made to

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ensure consistency among the driving public. Doing so increases safety and improves the flow of traffic. Consider the consequences of one driver careening on public roads in any manner he or she wished; at a minimum it could cause instances of stymied traffic, or worse, a serious or fatal accident.

Investors, creditors, and vendors use financial stateJohn Blair ments to make decisions. If each set of financial statements were prepared using criteria unique to that issuer, users of financial statements would expend inordinate amounts of time attempting to understand the circumstances of a particular issuer. This additional time would slow the decisionmaking process to a crawl.

GAAP is constantly evolving in response to the business world—both nationally and internationally. The GAAP of today will not be the GAAP of tomorrow. Ultimately, accounting standards, however defined or established, must benefit the users of the financial information.

GAAP makes communication more uniform, thereby enhancing decision-making.

We frequently hear the term “toxic assets.” This term refers to assets that are not worth as much as the debt they guarantee. Within the context of GAAP, “toxic assets” are not defined.

GAAP, however, does establish rules related to the reported value of an asset.

Consider this scenario: One business places its surplus cash in an FDIC-insured money market account.

Another business places its surplus cash in publically traded U.S. Treasury notes. In both cases the cash is required to fund the business’ operations. How does GAAP require the value of the two investments to be determined? The former is valued at the initial investment in the money market fund plus any accrued interest; the latter is valued at the market value of the U.S. Treasury notes. In the latter case, if the value of the note decreases, the business must reduce the reported value and also report the associated loss in value.

Finally, GAAP is constantly evolving in response to the business world— both nationally and internationally. The GAAP of today will not be the GAAP of tomorrow. Ultimately, accounting standards, however defined or established, must benefit the users of the financial information.

Co-written by John D. Blair Sr., a managing partner, and Steven J. Johnston, audit partner, at Blair, Bohlé & Whitsitt, PLLC, a CPA firm that provides accounting, assurance, tax compliance and planning services, in addition to strategic planning and tax minimization strategies to privately held businesses. Contact them at 704-841-9800 or visit www.bbwpllc.com.

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[bizXperts]

Smart Salvos, Select Strategies and Succinct Solutions

1#-20.+.)3

leveraging stakeholder management and communications

BONDING & SURETY

FINANCIAL SERVICES

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EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

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PROPERTY & LIABILITY

leverage communications as a tool for successfully managing change, you must return to the stakeholder analysis.

A strong analysis of your stakeholders will guide you in the development of targeted strategies designed to inform, influence and prepare. Once you identify the strategies for each audience, you design specific communications activities (e.g., e-mails, meetings, handouts, etc.) and timing.

T.J. Eberle Stakeholder management and communications go hand-in-hand. To successfully deliver sustainable change, you depend on the acceptance of your employees. Stakeholder management identifies the issues and impacts for each stakeholder to help you mitigate the risk of resistance.

Leverage your understanding of your stakeholders to over communicate, thereby decreasing resistance and increasing acceptance.

Stakeholder management and communications are not about making everyone happy; they’re about providing employees with the awareness and information to prepare them for the change and ultimately, enable them to make the decision to change.

“Know” your stakeholders and implement effective communication strategies to instill the change you seek.

T.J. Eberle is president and CEO of NouvEON, a regional business and technology consulting firm. Contact him at 704-944-3155 or visit www.NouvEON.com.

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!

Stakeholder management and communications are two of the most important components to any successful change initiative. These activities form the foundation that facilitates the integration of people, process and technology by effectively managing change to deliver results, strengthen your organization or help you survive during challenging times. Most will acknowledge that, without communication, major changes (or even minor ones) cannot occur; but why is stakeholder management important?

Stakeholder management is, simply stated, knowing your audience. To effectively manage and deliver change, it’s critical to understand your stakeholders—how they will be impacted, how they are rewarded, what they will gain by the change, and what they will lose. These answers help identify resistance issues to build a profile of each stakeholder. This information is critical to the development of change initiatives because one of the most successful and effective means to manage and deliver change is to use targeted communications to address resistance issues proactively, while mitigating the rumor mill.

On the surface, “communications” seems like an easy concept in which we all participate daily through e-mails, meetings, and hallway conversations.

Many of us believe we communicate frequently and clearly, and that our message should always be understood. However, often, we are left baffled when we learn of communication gaps or miscommunication issues. Where do these non-value communications end and effective communications begin? To

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by casey jacobus

[bizprofile]

It’s Not Racin’; It’s Not Racin’; It’s Not Racin’; It’s

Performance

What companies can learn from NASCAR

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Many corporate executives looking for ways to make their companies leaner during an economic period of layoffs and higher costs could take some notes from stock car racing.

The same methodologies employed by pit crews at NASCAR events can be applied to many corporate cultures, improving companies’ efficiency, productivity, and their bottom line, according to the team at Performance Instruction & Training (PIT).

PIT is the motorsports industry leader in pit crew training and has trained top pit road talent since 2002.

But, it’s the company’s corporate training programs that have won it as much acclaim.

“Motorsports has been very successful,” says Breon Klopp, senior director of development at PIT. “Businesses can learn a lot from the racing industry.

In these bad economic times, companies that invest in better training and give employees better tools will become both more productive and more profitable.”

PIT, located about 30 miles north of Charlotte in Mooresville, trains aspiring pit crew members for NASCAR teams, but also has become an option

p u r s u i n g a b a l a n c e o f b u s i n e s s a n d l i fe

for corporate team-building with a focus on the pit crew example. Leaders at approximately 200 companies nationwide, including Intel, United Airlines, and Northrop Grumman, have already discovered that PIT’s training program can help them reduce downtime, eliminate waste, standardize the best workplace practices, develop teamwork, and provide a framework for measuring results. Employees from these companies have learned from professional pit crews how to perform multiple tasks using lean concepts that can be adapted to any business.

Pit stops are highly planned and scheduled teambased events that are scrutinized and analyzed to evaluate performance and make modifications for continuous performance. Since 1985, top-ranked NASCAR pit crews have reduced their pit stop times from an average of 29 seconds to 13 seconds.That’s a 223 percent improvement in efficiency.

Race teams have achieved these results by refocusing; they are hiring better athletes, giving them the best tools and training, establishing specific job descriptions, setting clear expectations, and carefully analyzing the results. What’s more, there has been a culture change that places more value in teamwork and shows more appreciation for a job well done.

Klopp maintains businesses can implement similar changes and see similar positive results. !

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“Too many companies have the wrong people in the wrong jobs,” he asserts. “Or their jobs aren’t clearly defined or they don’t have adequate training or the right tools to do their jobs. These are the specifics we can focus on, using the pit crew model.”

The Newest Entrants In addition to its traditional Pit Crew U and 5 Off 5 On Race Team offerings for pit crew athletes, PIT provides services to an increasingly wide spectrum of clients through its corporate training programs, Lean Performance U and Team Performance U. These programs can be tailored to meet any corporations’ or organizations’ needs and objectives. Conceptualized and designed by PIT, these programs relate success in motorsports to successful performance in business and industry. Both programs combine a customized presentation with the excitement and energy of a hands-on pit crew experience to demonstrate the high level performance of over-the-wall pit crews and how businesses can model their organization utilizing similar concepts.

Lean Performance U focuses on improving organizational processes in manufacturing, health care and office environments. Many themes and continuous improvement tools including Six Sigma, 5S, Standardized Work Practices and TPM are introduced and explained utilizing motorsports analogies from the pit crew perspective.

Team Performance U also addresses the need for and how to

improve outcome, but focuses more on the culture challenges of the people within an organization, addressing topics including communication, trust, boundaries, discipline, rewards, and conflict.

“Traditional learning programs for process improvement oftentimes involve complex concepts not easily communicated or made relevant to trade workers, front-line employees, and even supervisors and managers responsible for implementation. The pit stop analogy and hands-on experience of the PIT programs provide clear examples of how employees at every level affect outcome,” says Klopp.

Both Lean Performance U and Team Performance U programs are offered to groups of all industries, sizes and goals and half-day, full-day and multiple day programs are available.

Each event is customized beginning with a site visit and a series of conversations to decide how PIT programs can best fit the organization and their goals. Part of the customization is creating pit stop scenarios that reflect challenges within the organization. As corporate participants work through the day’s events, they are faced with situations that may actually be occurring at their job site, and through the pit stop scenarios they are expected to experiment with solutions and how to implement effectual change.

inside this box is critical to the outcome of the race and needs to be completed with speed and quality.

The idea that businesses would benefit by refocusing on critical tasks, regardless of how seemingly small and insignificant they appear, is not lost on learning and productivity experts.

When PIT received the Learning Innovation Award from The Masie Center’s Learning Consortium in 2006, it recognized PIT as being on the cutting edge of skill development in the corporate world.

Elliott Maise, chair of the Learning Consortium, commented, “Developing leadership and team work is a critical factor in the success of America’s corporations. Giving corporate leaders an opportunity to have the experience of working on a motorsports pit crew with the essentials of speed, communication, skill and collaboration is a breakthrough approach.”

The Think Inside the Box program has been highlighted on ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, NBC World News with Brian Williams, and in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and ESPN Magazine.

Racing to Improve PIT has established collaborative partnerships with several improvement organizations to provide Serious Fun expertise in implementing change and ongoing A running theme throughout all PIT programs consulting services for long-term gains. and the title of PIT’s most requested presentation The lean, continuous improvement and team is “Think Inside the Box.” Motorsports athletes building experts at North Carolina State Univerperform their very specific roles and responsibilisity’s Industrial Extension Service (IES) program ties inside a designated space on the track referred have teamed up with PIT to offer regular open to as the pit box or box. The work they perform enrollment courses at PIT’s facility. They now offer both Lean Performance U and Team Performance U programs to clients “Developing leadership and team work is a critical across the state.

Central Piedmont Community factor in the success of America’s corporations.

Giving corporate leaders an opportunity to have the College (CPCC) has also signed on to the PIT corporate training and pit experience of working on a motorsports pit crew with the essentials of speed, communication, skill crew training programs. Beginning in June, CPCC will be offering offerand collaboration is a breakthrough approach.” ing the Pit Crew U program to general enrollment students and those ~Elliott Maise The Learning Consortium within its motorsports curriculum.

PIT’s corporate training programs

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from team building to continuous improvement will also be offered through CPCC’s continuing education program.

Consulting companies including CorporateQuest, Rich Campe International and Strategic Work Systems offer PIT programs to clients in their respective industries including financial services, construction, and others.

Northrop Grumman Ship Building in Newport News, Va., sent 450 employees, deck plate mechanics to mid level managers, to the PIT training facility in Mooresville. Billy Wright, a production manager at the facility, accompanied the groups, who were divided among seven trips.

“It was truly rewarding to see the light bulbs coming on as our employees participated in the PIT program’s pit stop scenarios,” attests Wright.

“They saw how their work performance affects the next person in line or their peers, why continuous improvement is a must to maintain competitive advantage in the workplace, and that production improves by becoming more efficient—not by going faster.”

The PIT programs are also mobile. PIT transported part of its operation to Chandler, Ariz., so 1,300 employees who perform preventative maintenance on computer chip-producing equipment at Intel could partake in the handson pit program.

And the variety of industry applications are endless. United Airlines sent 45 ramp supervisors to PIT for training each week for 40 weeks, in hopes of cutting the time that United’s 455 jetliners spend on the ground. United Pacific hired PIT to help staff save time and boost the railroad’s capacity without having to invest millions on new track. Blue Ridge Paper in Waynesville decided to implement a new program with a proactive approach to equipment maintenance and process improvement, and sent its maintenance and production managers to Mooresville for a week-long training seminar.

“We offer a unique adventure,” says the engaging Klopp. “We provide a very attractive, fun, sexy event, which provides easy to understand, tangible results.”

The PIT Crew Performance Instruction & Training (PIT) is the result of several talented individuals coming

together and bringing varied and complementary backgrounds with them.

Klopp has always been involved in sport medicine and fitness. He got caught up in the fitness wave that hit NASCAR in the mid-’90s when it began hiring athletes from other fields for pit crew teams.

In 2000 Klopp was involved with the founding of a new company, 5 Off 5 On Race Team Performance, located on Gasoline Alley in Mooresville, providing pit crew training and a practice facility.

In April 2003, the company joined forces with Tom DeLoach and Jeff Hammond, and 5 Off 5 On became an active program within PIT. Tom DeLoach, a retired CEO from Mobil Corporation, was a partner, then a consultant, with Penske Racing’s NASCAR Winston Cup teams, from 2000 to 2003. He is currently vice chairman of the Georgia Tech Chemical and Bimolecular Engineer Advisory Board, a Director of Liberty Property Trust, and is the managing partner for PIT. Charlotte native Jeff Hammond has been involved in NASCAR for over thirty years as a crew member, crew chief and team owner. Hammond’s career includes 43 race wins, seven Winston Cup Championships, and an Emmy nomination as a broadcaster for Fox Sports. One of the best motivational speakers from the world of NASCAR, Hammond is a partner in PIT. Klopp heads up the operational activities of the various programs as senior director of development. During his tenure, in 2004, PIT built a new headquarters on five and a half acres in Talbert Business Park in Mooresville. The 32,000-squarefoot facility includes a quarter mile approach practice track with six pit stalls, a complete fitness conditioning center with physical therapy and medical services, small and large meeting facilities including a multi-use large screen presentation theater, a dining room and catering kitchen.

Lean Training in a Lean Economy In today’s economic climate, companies are making the most with the least. Many companies are cutting or freezing the training budgets, but Klopp argues that this is the best time to take advantage of improving your company.

“Businesses generally do not concern themselves with details when everything is going well,” Klopp says. “When businesses become lean they

p u r s u i n g a b a l a n c e o f b u s i n e s s a n d l i fe

start paying attention to everything because when percentages are down everything is important.”

“The first things that companies look for when times are bad is not how to improve the way they do things, but how they can reduce costs, which are two different things,” Klopp explains. “When businesses simply try to reduce costs that’s where we see layoffs. But, if they improved their processes to become more efficient and effective, they could utilize their processes and systems instead.”

PIT believes that for businesses to make the most of what they currently have they need to concentrate on how to capitalize on the opportunity to reduce waste in even the smallest ways.

Improving processes increases the bottom line.

Companies are operating with fewer employees, so each one is more important than ever.

Investing in their efficiency will assure their utilization during the upturn and increase morale and work ethic. biz Casey Jacobus is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Performance Instruction & Training, LLC 156 Byers Creek Road Mooresville, N.C. 28117 Phone: 704-799-3869 Principals: Thomas C. DeLoach Jr., Partner; Jeff Hammond, Partner; Breon Klopp, Senior Director of Development Founded: 2002 Employees: 10 full-time Business: Provides innovative motorsports learning programs to individuals and businesses, transforming their personal and professional goals into reality Awards: Learning Leadership Award; Elliot Massie Learning Consortium (2006); Finalist, Small Business of the Year Award; Business North Carolina Magazine (2007); Finalist, Two Year or Trade School Program Award; North Carolina Motorsports Association (2008) www.VisitPIT.com

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[bizprofile]

by janet kropinak

Dredging a Niche Rowboat Dock & Dredge

Works theWaterfront

B Bob Wilson Founder and President Rowboat Dock & Dredge

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ob Wilson says business success comes from finding a niche, learning how to operate within that niche, possessing the ability to adapt to a changing marketplace and remaining relevant over time. And he should know…his company has solidified a reputation built on quality, value and service and is considered “among the very best” in its industry.

Acting as an advocate for responsible development, and the delicate balance between environmental protection and economic development, Mooresville’s Rowboat Dock & Dredge has spent over 30 years creating beautiful waterfronts that developers, contractors, homeowners and the public at large can enjoy.

The company services the growing resort, marine and industrial markets of the Southeast. Whether you are a developer needing a marina, or a homeowner needing a custom dock, Rowboat has high quality, cost-effective products and solutions.

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Niche Business Wilson grew up on a farm in east Charlotte, but has called Lake Norman home for over 25 years. He has always felt at home on the water and enjoys the accompanying lifestyle.

He attended UNC Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar, where he studied business with the intention of continuing on to law school, but the Vietnam War changed his plans.

He became a pilot in the Air Force and was sent overseas. By the time he returned stateside, attending law school had become impractical; instead he joined his father’s contracting business in Charlotte.

customer service,” Wilson explains. “You build your business by filling that niche.”

In 1986 Wilson sold off part of the company, retaining his portable cutterhead suction dredges and the corporate shell.

He changed the name from Row Industrial to Rowboat Dock & Dredge, maintained a small work force, and began dredging for hire on Lake Norman and the surrounding area lakes.

Much of the early development on Lake Norman required the use of the floating cutterhead suction dredges, like the ones provided by Rowboat. These machines were used to remove the shoreline shoals and

It was during these years that Wilson learned the importance of building a business that stood for something more than just making money: “President Carter taught me that whether your business is big or small, you must care about the people; you must share your rewards with your community; you and your business must have a social conscience.”

In 1992, after blitz-building several hundreds of homes in major cities throughout the country, Wilson turned his attention back to Rowboat Dock & Dredge, determined to grow the business. The company has expanded its offerings over the years.

He describes his father, W. K. “Bill” Wilson, as an Irish immigrant with excellent common sense, a keen eye and a big heart.

Wilson applied his education to helping grow the business, and eventually bought it from his father in the early ’70s. He restructured the business model and renamed the company Row Industrial Service.

“It was a niche business from day one,” he remembers. Row Industrial specialized in providing heavy maintenance services to the industrial Southeast, serving synthetic fibers, textiles, power and chemical companies. The other primary service included specialized fuel piping for the major oil companies and the airlines. Row Industrial was favored with the entire concourse fueling system for the Charlotte International Airport from its initiation in 1980 through the completion of the International Concourse.

“To be successful, it’s best to carve out a niche, and concentrate on quality, value and

provide deep water access for deep draft sailboats. By the mid 1980s, dredging had become the new niche for the company.

Rowboat now specializes in the design and construction of high-end waterfront amenities such as marinas, bridges, seawalls,

“It’s imperative to have an attractive waterfront when you are looking to sell the surrounding land, and that’s where we come in. We add ‘sizzle’ to the waterfront—because that is what sells the dirt around it!” ~Bob Wilson Founder and President

As it happened, the mid ’80s presented a new opportunity that Wilson couldn’t pass up—former President Jimmy Carter approached him to lead the Jimmy Carter Work Project with Habitat for Humanity, which he did, serving as national director for six years, while also maintaining the dredging business.

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and promenades for individuals, marinas, resorts, municipalities, golf courses and developers.

Current works include marina and dock construction, bathometric analysis of shoals, dredging, regulatory permitting and design and construction services for high-end residential and commercial waterfronts. !

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“The difference between waterfront property and property not on the water is obviously the water,” he says with a smile. “It’s imperative to have an attractive waterfront when you are looking to sell the surrounding land, and that’s where we come in. We add ‘sizzle’ to the waterfront—because that is what sells the dirt around it!”

One-Stop Shop Not surprisingly, Rowboat has evolved into a one-stop shop for developers. “We are able to save our clients considerable time and money if they need the services we offer.

There are many firms that compete with portions of what we do, but there aren’t many firms that span the complete envelope of our focus,” boasts Wilson.

While their primary market is North and South Carolina, Rowboat has worked all across the Southeast. Much of their work can be seen along the Intracoastal Waterway, with current projects in Little Washington, Wilmington, Holden and Myrtle Beaches.

A mainstay of Rowboat’s business is designing and building marinas for public and private waterfront developments. Fairway clearance standards, which create a safe

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route through a channel or between docks, are used to maximize boating density without sacrificing safety or boater friendliness.

Rowboat has worked with both residential and commercial developers to create innovative solutions for their clients while adding to their client’s bottom line.

“We’ve worked with Rowboat on nearly every community that has entailed dock work,” comments Amon McCormick of Charlotte-based Waterfront Properties.

He names Reflection Pointe on Lake Wylie, Cannonsgate at Bouge Sound, and numerous projects on Lake High Rock and Bayden Lake among their collaborations.

“In construction you are always going to run into problems from time to time but they have always been very responsive and cooperative when it comes to making changes or renovations,” McCormick attests. “Even on the rare occurrence that something is out of warranty, they’ve stepped up to the plate to fix it, sometimes at their own expense. They go above and beyond what is expected of them—simply because they want to do the right thing.”

Dredging accounts for a large sector of Rowboat’s business model and remains steady year-round. Wilson jokes that his company is given a recurring economic boost from Mother Nature as she continues to deposit silt in coastal marinas every couple of years. Repeat maintenance dredging is almost always a necessity in coastal marinas.

Dredging operations are performed for commercial, municipal, golf course, mining, power generation, industrial, and residential customers to remove sediments, shoals and shallows and to provide safe passage for recreational and commercial watercraft.

Rowboat stands out from competitors with their experience in underwater mapping, a feature not offered by many companies. Water depth surveys are completely computerized and cross referenced to satellite GPS coordinates. With this information,

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accurate cost-benefit analysis can be provided to clients.

As with every spring, Wilson says residential work has picked up. Rowboat designs and installs private docks, walkways and gazebos for individual home sites.

But he explains that while residential dock work accounts for about 60 percent of their projects, it represents only 20 percent of their revenues.

Major profit centers include commercial marinas and large dredging !

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projects—fewer in number, but more handsome in returns.

He also notes that given the current state of the economy, many homeowners are opting to repair their current docks instead of building from scratch.

“We understand that times are tough, and we are working with our clients to find

waterfront needs.

“We can commence waterfront improvements that are needed to jumpstart a development project under a revenue-sharing model,” explains Wilson. “Often, once the waterfront is developed, the entire project takes off.

Rowboat has become the needed catalyst in many recent development projects.

“Developer clients are taking advantage of the business slowdown to design and permit projects that will be ready to go when the economy rebounds. These slower economic times allow us more time to evaluate options and provide even more cost-effective solutions.” ~Bob Wilson Founder and President

the most cost-effective ways to meet their needs,” assures Wilson.

Shoreline stabilization, which includes the use of structures and/or plantings to protect or remediate an eroding shoreline, is another niche addressed by Rowboat.

Proper shoreline stabilization can prevent bare banks and mud flats, poor water quality, diminished fish and wildlife habitat, and loss of property. Because of the impact development has on the environment, Rowboat is regulated by 11 agencies of jurisdiction and is closely bound to criteria established to ensure environmental protection to the region’s waterways.

In addition to improving shorelines and building marinas, Rowboat works with golf courses building bridges and dredging ponds. Dredging increases irrigation capacity for golf courses, helping to keep sufficient water available during low-water or drought conditions.

Always attune to the marketplace, Wilson says that the recent challenges in the financial markets have provided Rowboat with business opportunities to joint venture with developers and marinas which do not have sufficient, ready capital to construct their

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Wilson has also forayed into commercial development himself with his purchase of a commercial 11-acre tract on Lake Wylie, the “Tailrace Marina,” on which he’s built a 200-boatslip marina, and designated condo space and a premium restaurant site.

“This project is unique because there is nothing like it on Lake Wylie,” explains Wilson. “We have an opportunity to help define the new ‘River District’ as a first-class, waterfront restaurant destination.”

Quality, Value and Service From the beginning, Wilson has defined his business as a “service company,” and, over the past three decades has remained committed to this by keeping true to his promise to, “sell on quality, value and service.”

Crosland’s Russell Rand attests to their service, “They provided us with creative and high-functioning designs for our Lake Davidson Park and Woods on Lake Davidson projects. They did a great job of navigating us through the regulatory process. We found them to be responsive and quite capable of delivering on all that they advertise.”

Rowboat’s company culture is one built on mutual respect and teamwork.

“Customer service and the quality of work have been crucial to our success,” he comments. “I am fortunate to own this company, but the reputation of this firm is clearly owned by the men and women who work here and have built this business.”

In regards to keeping a business going in a down economy, Wilson says their flexibility and ability to adapt is what should carry them through these difficult times.

“Our diverse portfolio of services is what has positioned us to remain a strong player even in this market,” he comments.

“We’re getting an increasing number of requests for designs and permitting,” he continues. “Developer clients are taking advantage of the business slowdown to design and permit projects that will be ready to go when the economy rebounds. These slower economic times allow us more time to evaluate options and provide even more cost-effective solutions.”

When asked how he gauges the success of his business, he pauses for a moment and answers: “We not only measure our success by the bottom line, but also by our

“They did a great job of navigating us through the regulatory process. We found them to be responsive and quite capable of delivering on all that they advertise.” ~Russell Rand Crosland

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MediaFit Greater Charlotte Biz Ad:Layout 1

• Marinas • Seawalls • Dredging • Private Docks • Commercial Services

commitment to community. We look for opportunities to contribute our talents, our funds and our time back into the community, help fuel its growth.”

As a testament to this, Wilson was appointed by the governor of North Carolina to serve as commissioner-at-large of the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). This quasi-judicial, regulatory body establishes standards, rules and regulations that control development activities in the 14 coastal counties of North Carolina.

Looking ahead, Wilson eyes retirement and looks forward to the days when he has more time to fly fish and sail, activities he says he particularly enjoys because of their engaging nature. But for now, he says, Rowboat will continue to do what it is doing and continue to try to do it better than anybody else!

“We’re comfortable with the size of our business,” Wilson says. “We’ll continue to concentrate on quality and efficiency, because these are the essentials on which this company was built.” biz

3/31/09

PUZZLED over how to

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?

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704-399-1948 | www.LarnersOffice.com 3111 Freedom Drive | Charlotte, NC 28208

The Rowboat Company, Inc. dba

Rowboat Dock & Dredge 858 Williamson Rd. Mooresville, N.C. 28117 Phone: 704-663-3478 Principal: Robert O. Wilson, Founder, President and CEO Established: 1977 Employees: 50 Revenues: Roughly $5 to $10 million Business: Privately owned company specializing in dredging, regulatory permitting, and the design and construction of high-end residential and commercial waterfronts for private individuals, resorts, cities/municipalities, industries and golf courses in the Southeast. www.rowboatcompany.com

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(l to r) Felix Sabates Chip Ganassi Owners Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, LLC

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by ellison clary

[bizprofile]

Draft

Banking on the

Earnhardt Ganassi Partnership Vies for Position

I

n true NASCAR fashion, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates may just be banking on the draft created by their two racing organizations in partnership to combat the sports and general economic malaise.There’s no doubt that recessionary signs have penetrated professional sports.Teams in baseball, football and basketball have announced measures to deal with tight revenue.

NASCAR is not immune.The country’s marquee automobile racing circuit faces financial pressures as disposable income shrinks and so does weekend attendance at the track. NASCAR wrestles with escalating costs of running a successful team.

Yet executives of a Concord-based racing team with a long name and a short history believe they are uniquely situated to ride out economic hard times and thrive in the face of fiscal stress much as they do physical stress.

“It’s about being as smart and innovative as you can,” says Steve Lauletta, president of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. “It’s about winning, on the track and for our sponsors, delivering value to them, making sure their investment pays off.”

The partnership’s moniker reflects what it is: An alliance of the storied Dale Earnhardt, Inc. with Chip Ganassi Racing, an entity that fashioned a string of successes in Indy Car racing before entering NASCAR through an alliance with Charlotte-based businessman and NASCAR owner Felix Sabates.

Teresa Earnhardt, widow of stock car icon Dale Earnhardt, continues to preside over Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) in various racing-related ventures and Ganassi still runs cars in Indy Car and Grand Am competition. But the partnership, announced late last year and effective January 1, is designed to produce more victories for both Earnhardt and Ganassi in NASCAR, the major league of racing.

“Chip and I share the same standards for excellence, by winning, serving our partners and growing our businesses,” says Teresa Earnhardt. “Together and along with Felix, we have !

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“It’s about being as smart and innovative as you can. It’s about winning, on the track and for our sponsors, delivering value to them, making sure their investment pays off.” ~Steve Lauletta President

a very strong organization that will further our goals of winning races and ultimately championships in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“We have capitalized on the synergies between our organizations,” she adds.

About eight miles from the DEI complex, the partnership operates from 186,000 square feet in Concord, in a facility that initially was Chip Ganassi Racing. The two-level structure includes a brightly lit, spotless garage where mechanics and engineers hover over dozens of high-horsepower vehicles in various stages of competition readiness.

Most of the partnership’s 160 employees touch the race cars in some way. Including pit crews, about 75 people travel weekly with the partnership’s teams.

Even with combined resources, the partnership isn’t on the financial level with NASCAR’s elite teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing. But it harbors hopes of dramatic expansion.

Growth Potential Is Strong “Our financial goal is to position ourselves to grow the company,” says Lauletta, who became president of Chip Ganassi Racing in July 2007 after a decorated career in sports marketing,

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primarily for Miller Brewing. He was close to the beer titan’s Rusty Wallace racing team before Wallace retired.

“We’ve got the ability to grow because, under NASCAR rules, you can own four Sprint Cup cars,” Lauletta says. The Sprint Cup is the prize for the driver, car and team that wins an annual competition for points based on performance.

“We’re running two full-time teams right now, and a third that isn’t fully funded,” Lauletta says.

Drivers for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates include Martin Truex Jr. in the Number 1 Bass Pro Shops car and Juan Pablo Montoya in the Number 42 Target racer. In April it was announced that Aric Almirola’s Number 8 Guitar Hero car had been suspended.

“Unfortunately we had to suspend operation of the 8 car due to a lack of sponsorship.

We knew from the beginning of the season we would need to piece sponsorship together for that car but had hoped we would be able to take it through the season. It was sure not from a lack of interest in the car or Aric, but in this economy it takes a lot of time to close deals that involve this much money,” comments Lauletta. “We are continuing to seek sponsorship for Aric and the 8 and hope to have the car back on the track as soon as possible.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not a part of the

partnership. He left DEI to join the Hendrick stable before the 2008 season.

Truex Jr. has competed previously in The Chase, the circuit’s last third of the season that decides who wins the Cup. Montoya is flirting with being Chase-eligible.

Lauletta points out that Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates has several finishes in the top 12 so far this season, but they have been split by Truex Jr. and Montoya.

“So it’s consistency we’re working on with all the guys,” he says. Ganassi, he adds, pays a lot of attention to the performance of all the crews.

“The number one reason we formed the partnership was to get better on the track,” says Ganassi, a fixture in auto racing for more than 25 years with a reputation for innovation. “We brought together the best people of two organizations to form one stronger team and, from the beginning, that was the number one goal.”

Long-time Charlottean Sabates likes the partnership’s chances. “I’m optimistic that one of our drivers will end up in the Chase,” Sabates says. “I don’t care who it is. I like all three.”

Sabates adds matter-of-factly that he got into the sport more that 20 years ago when economics weren’t as tight. “At one time, you could make money owning a race team,” says the investor whose enterprises include a Charlotte MercedesBenz dealership and a custom yacht builder. He’s been associated with Ganassi since 2000.

Diversity Spices Partnership With the Cuban-American Sabates and Teresa Earnhardt, the partnership’s owners are more diverse than is customary in decidedly whitemale NASCAR. Throw in the Colombian and

Cuban heritage of Montoya and Almirola, respectively, and the team becomes even more unusual.

“That diversity gives us the ability to tell a little bit different story,” says Lauletta. “And we can market our brand a little differently. We’ve

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got Dale Earnhardt and the legacy of who he is and what he built in this sport.

Nobody else has it. We’ve got assets in other motor sports that Chip brings with our Indy and Grand Am teams.”

Montoya, Truex Jr. and Almirola drive Chevrolets exclusively, a situation that reflects a conversion for the Ganassi portion of the team. Previously, Ganassi’s drivers wheeled Dodges.

Executive Vice President Chad Warpula calls the Chevy alignment significant because the General Motors division brings impressive resources to racing. “Chevrolet is one of our big sponsors,” says the former lawyer with the Charlotte office of Alston & Bird who doubles as legal counsel at DEI. “We work as part of Chevrolet to develop advances.”

Sabates agrees that the Chevrolet relationship is important. “The opportunities for promotion are strong,” he says, “and we are sponsor-friendly.”

Many close to NASCAR estimate it takes between $15 million and $30 million to run a successful race team. Driver earnings can be significant, but sponsor money is the biggest part of the financial pie. Ganassi emphasizes the importance of sponsors by giving them a warmer name—partners.

“I am much less interested in having sponsors than I am in having partners,” Ganassi says. “Partners look out for each other’s best interests at all times and, in this type of economy, that becomes even more important as everyone looks to maximize their spends. These partnerships have to work for both parties.”

Ganassi cites his two-decade relationship with Target and Warpula adds that Bass Pro Shops has been loyal for eight years.

Lauletta picks up on the partner theme and characterizes the relationship between his race car teams and their sponsors as tightly focused.

He cites his own experience with Miller and with sports marketing agencies for that emphasis.

Passion to Deliver Value “I’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars in my career on behalf of companies I was lucky to work for, and I’ve wasted a lot of money,” Lauletta admits. “I’m not going to convince someone to become one of our sponsors if I know it’s a waste of their money.”

It’s harder to entice new sponsors these days for reasons other than the economy, Lauletta says.

No longer are potential sponsors content with bragging rights related to having a car on the

track. The logos and messages on the cars have to deliver business results.

“Particularly in this economic environment,” Lauletta adds, “sponsors need to say, ‘We spent this kind of money and it paid off for us.’”

“We’re an extension of their marketing team,” Warpula says of the partnership’s sponsors. “Each day, our guys in sponsor services are talking about how we can extend their brand and deliver results back to their bottom line.”

Speaking of the bottom line, the Earnhardt Chip Ganassi partnership has to pay attention to its spending.

Lauletta emphasizes an efficient operation.

Warpula mentions being smart about seemingly small choices that can make a difference. A decision as elementary as increasing investments in and use of simulation equipment can be a real cost-saver when you compare it to the cost of some on-track testing.

“We’re thankful for our sponsors’ commitment,” Warpula says. “We’re going to make the most of it.”

Lauletta would like to see a concerted effort within NASCAR to control expenses. “What it costs to run one of those top level teams is just too much,” he says. “We need to adjust the model so we can deliver a different cost value relationship to our sponsors.”

But would Lauletta’s counterpart at say, Hendrick Motorsports, agree? Good question, Lauletta responds. An elite operation such as Hendrick might say, “Hey, its working fine for us.”

Attendance is down at NASCAR tracks, but Lauletta believes it isn’t off as much as some think.

“Attendance does affect us,” he says. “Our sponsors are active on site at race tracks.” Television viewership numbers are easy to get, as well.

Fan loyalty to sponsors, legendary in NASCAR, remains strong. Lauletta thinks it’s because fans realize their favorite drivers and teams could go out of business if their sponsors fail to see financial results.

“The interest level in this sport is as high as I think it’s ever been,” he says.

Running a racing partnership can be grueling, Lauletta says, because each Monday morning

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everyone comes to work knowing exactly how the race teams performed on Sunday.

“It’s a pretty exciting thing to have,” Lauletta says. “When you come in and you know everything went really well, you can feel the bounce in the step of everybody. Or you’ve had a rough weekend and you’ve got to figure a way to get over that. Because the next race is coming.”

Lauletta is impressed with the partnership’s success in bringing two race operations together. He praises the culture of achievement that has evolved.

“We’re focused on one goal,” he says, “and that’s on-track performance.”

He likes the passion. “Everybody around here wants to succeed,” he says. “They want Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to be that powerhouse we all want it to be.”

Five years down the road, the partnership will still be attracting new sponsorships and added driver talent, he vows.

“It’s going to be a place where our employees want to work and grow their careers,” Lauletta predicts. “It will be a place we’re all proud to be a part of.” biz Ellison Clary is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Photos: CIA Stock Photography Inc.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, LLC 8500 Westmoreland Drive Concord, N.C. 28207 Phone: 704-235-1181 Principals: Teresa Earnhardt, Owner; Chip Ganassi, Owner; Felix Sabates, Owner; Steve Lauletta, President; Chad Warpula, Executive Vice President Established: January 1, 2009 through merger of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Employees: 200 Drivers: Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1);Aric Almirola (No. 8); Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42) Major Sponsors: Target, Bass Pro Shops, Guitar Hero Business: A multi-car motorsports company which fields two full-time race teams in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup competition. www.earnhardtganassi.com

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Ingredients by janet kropinak

[bizprofile]

for

SUCCESS

CPCC’s Culinary Arts combines quality and affordability

C

PCC Culinary Arts students will move into a brand new state-of-the-art facility on its Central Campus this fall. Located on the John Belk Plaza portion of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, the building is the fruition of dedication and perseverance on the behalf of CPCC faculty and administrators, generous corporate partners and an embracing community.

“It’s spectacular,” comments Bob Boll, division director for hospitality education at CPCC. He says the facility has been on the strategic plan for years, noting they outgrew their current home in the Citizens Center years ago.

“This building is going to give us the space to do what we do really well, as well as give our students a place to learn and grow as professionals,” he continues.

And his enthusiasm is shared among his colleagues. “I have been through the new building twice to witness the progress and all I can say is ‘Wow,’” echoes Jeff LaBarge, co-program chair for the department.

The 36,000-square-foot culinary facility will feature five main kitchens, four classrooms, an auditorium, and a dining room.

The two-story building, which sits on four acres, is nearly three times the size of their current facility, and will be the new home to over 300 culinary students and nearly 100 hotel and restaurant management students.

When asked about the road it took to get to where they are, Boll is quick to acknowledge Piedmont Natural Gas for their continued support of the program. It was announced at the dedication and groundbreaking last July that a new dining lab in the facility will be named Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation Dining Room in recognition of a generous grant to the College’s culinary program for equipment for the new building and to endow a scholarship for culinary students. !

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Above: Baking and Pastry Arts students display edible sculptures as part of their final project at an April dinner hosted by the Culinary Arts department.

He also recognizes LS3P Architects and Rogers Construction for helping bring their collective visions to realization. The building, which has been under construction for a year, was funded through the 2005 bond referendum at a cost of $12.4 million.

But Boll insists the ends justify the means when you consider what they will be able to offer students and, in turn, the local hospitality industry.

“The new building will not only allow us to increase the quantity and quality of instruction, but also increase our efficiency, creating a better learning environment for our students,” Boll explains. “It reflects the changing industry and was designed to be technologically advanced, which will give our students a competitive edge as they enter the work force.”

Acknowledging that they only have a limited amount of time with students, he feels they will now be more effective in meeting their needs.

“We’ve been able to give our students a suitable learning environment, with current industry equipment, but the new building’s labs are going to greatly expand our capabilities,” explains Jim Bowen, co-program chair.

The Program Menu Currently, the hospitality industry makes up 8.1 percent of the global economy and that number is projected to increase to 18 percent by 2012, creating more than 1.6 million new jobs. Here in North Carolina, tourism has grown into one of the state’s largest industries. Annually, the state sees over 60 million visitors who leave behind more than $14 billion.

Restaurants are an engine of economic growth, generating significant sales and tax revenues for

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the state. They are also unique in that they provide career and employment opportunities for individuals of every age, background, and skill and experience level.

North Carolina alone is projected to add 78,700 jobs in the restaurant industry by 2017, which means established, full-service restaurants, hotels, resorts, catering operations, and health care facilities are all looking for educated, qualified chefs.

Responding to this growing need for training, CPCC’s culinary program is divided into three sectors: culinary arts, hotel and restaurant management, and baking and pastry arts.

The culinary arts curriculum provides the training to prepare students for careers as culinary professionals.

Students are afforded the opportunity to learn on state-of-the-art equipment in a variety of settings, including classrooms, labs and work-study programs. The goal of the program is to help students produce unique culinary creations by giving them the best tools and products available, which is made easier by the small classroom settings and individual attention from trained faculty to help each student achieve their career goals.

Jeff LaBarge weighs in on what sets their curriculum apart: “First of all, our students spend more time in the kitchens, not only being trained in the classics but also what is practical in what we call the real world.” He continues, “We want these students to have the knowledge to quickly adapt to any type of food service operation upon completion of their respective program.”

The hotel and restaurant management curriculum prepares students to understand and apply the administrative and practical skills needed for supervisory and managerial positions in hotels, resorts, inns, restaurants, institutions, and clubs. In addition

to a two-year associate degree, the program offers diplomas in hotel management and in restaurant management, as well as four specialized certificates.

During their training, students acquire real skills while training in the CPCC Restaurant. They have an opportunity to earn the valuable ServSafe Food Protection Manager certificate, which is recognized nationwide as the preferred sanitation and safety certificate. Additionally, they receive specialized training by certified instructors, and earn ServSafe Alcohol and N.C. ABC Responsible Alcohol Service Program (RASP) certificates.

On the hotel front, students get a chance to experience the challenges of front desk training in a co-op program at real Charlotte hotels.

“It's spectacular. This building is going to give us the space to do what we do really well, as well as give our students a place to learn and grow as professionals.” ~Bob Boll Division Director

On the Harris campus, the baking and pastry arts program provides the training to prepare students for a career as a baking/pastry professional in a variety of food service settings. The two-year program includes 12 baking classes covering artisan and specialty bread, European cakes and tortes,

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petit fours and pastries, chocolate artistry, and pastry and baking marketing.

In keeping up with the times, CPCC’s curriculum has evolved alongside the industry to help keep students aware and educated on the latest trends and techniques. Boll notes specifically the shift toward local foods and all things organic.

“From just 10 years ago, the shift toward organic has been huge,” he says. “It has become essential for us to build this into our teachings.”

The CPCC Advantage In addition to an evolving curriculum and their new facility, Boll explains CPCC has many advantages over other programs in the area. He begins with the biggest selling point, their affordable price.

For just about $6,000, CPCC offers students the opportunity to earn an associate degree.

“We are tens of thousands of dollars less expensive than other local programs. How come? First all we are tax supported, and our marketing budget is extremely low,” comments LaBarge. “However, just because we are considerably less expensive doesn’t mean our students are getting any less education here—in fact, I believe they get more for their dollar by far than any other programs.”

Many students take advantage of CPCC’s affordable pricing by enrolling in their two-year degree program and transferring to another program to obtain their bachelor’s degree or continue their training.

This flexibility allows more students the opportunity to pursue degrees and advanced culinary training.

Eric Greenwell, who spent 31 years in the newspaper industry, decided to try his hand at something new after he became a casualty of the current economic downturn. After looking at several local culinary programs, he decided to pursue baking and pastry arts training from CPCC. He lists cost, quality, scheduling and time frame among the deciding factors.

This March Greenwell was accepted into the prestigious French Pastry School in Chicago where he will continue his training this summer. Upon completing his program, Greenwell plans to return to Charlotte to open a bakery and is thankful for the training and platform CPCC has provided him.

“CPCC has prepared me with a skill set and added knowledge to pursue additional education from one of the finest French pastry schools in the country,” Greenwell boasts. “They will certainly be a big part in the success of my future career. Without CPCC’s culinary program and its chef instructors, I would not have had the opportunities I now have.”

“We’ve proven that we’re able to offer our students a quality education and are so proud to say we do it at an affordable price,” echoes Boll.

The CPCC Culinary Arts program is the only school in Charlotte to have received accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Foundation

“CPCC’s culinary arts program is preparing students with the right skills, for the right jobs, at the right price. And that is what truly sets us apart.” ~Bob Boll Division Director

Accrediting Commission, granted in 2007. This specialized accreditation is a voluntary action on the part of the institution that requires curriculum, faculty, resources, support staff, and organizational structure to meet or exceed quality standards.

“Our accreditation shows that we have achieved high learning standards. For more than 30 years, CPCC has been a leader in the Charlotte region for culinary education,” states Boll. “This distinction recognizes the outstanding instructors and commitment to quality education we have at CPCC.” Another advantage of being a community college, in addition to the resident-friendly cost, is that the programs are tailored to accommodate nearly any schedule, offering both day and evening classes, which is essential given the diverse student body within the culinary program.

As for what makes a good student, Boll says open mindedness and an eagerness to learn. Of course the traditional mainstays such as dedication, hard work and people skills are important too.

Bolls breaks the student mix into three sectors: those straight out of high school, those in their 30s to 40s looking for a career change, and those in their 50s to 60s also ready for a career change.

He explains that the younger students are generally pursuing a degree, while many of the older students are completing certificate training and

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learning more competency skill sets.

Teaching this diverse mix of students is what Boll refers to as an “involved faculty.” Each faculty member is an ACF-certified chef and all but one has owned their own restaurant.

“This combination positions our faculty to guide students on their professional ventures,” he explains.

“Part of their job is to assist students in being successful in their future careers and helping them make good choices for long-term success.”

Jim Bowen, who has been teaching since 1988, explains the role of the faculty: “We spend a lot of time walking students through the process. Why did the food have this texture, flavor, aroma, when we were done cooking it? What cooking method did we use? How would this cooking method work for other food products that have the same composition, different composition?”

He continues: “When our students get out of the kitchen, they are not always presented with a recipe, so they must use the critical thinking skills to achieve the desired result.”

With a new building, national accreditation, and a hands-on faculty, CPCC remains at the forefront of work force training in the region. Offering students a high quality education at an economical price, CPCC has established an exceptional and affordable alternative to students looking to enter the growing hospitality industry.

Boll sums it up: “CPCC’s culinary arts program is preparing students with the right skills, for the right jobs, at the right price. And that is what truly sets us apart.” biz Janet Kropinak is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Central Piedmont Community College Culinary Arts Central Campus - Citizens Building 1221 Charlottetowne Ave. Charlotte, N.C. 28204 Phone: 704-330-6721 Principal: Bob Boll, Division Director Program Areas/Enrollment: Culinary Arts/300 students; Hotel and Restaurant Management/100 students; Baking and Pastry Arts (Harris Campus)/45 students Accreditation: Accredited by the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission, the premier professional chefs’ organization in North America Business: CPCC is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering 100 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. www.cpcc.edu/hospitality-education

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surv

engineering

architecture

WOOL

water management

survival

of the fittest

Woolpert Seizes Opportunities During Uncertain Times

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There aren’t too many corporations around today that can claim they did business with the men who invented and built the world’s first flying machine. But just a few years after Woolpert was founded in 1911, and following the historical event at Kitty Hawk, the engineering and architecture firm supported Orville and Wilbur Wright on several projects in Dayton, Ohio, the brothers’ hometown.

This was also during uncertain times as the entire downtown area of Dayton was destroyed by the Great Flood of 1913. Woolpert seized the opportunity to help rebuild the community by designing and surveying new residential developments, which were now located on higher ground. w w w. g re a t e rc h a r l o t t e b i z . c o m

plan

by sam boykin

veying

LPERT

[bizprofile]

geospatial enterprise information management

nning and design

Nearly 100 years later Woolpert continues to seek opportunities that will support the company’s surrounding communities and keep the company thriving. It’s an ability that Gary L. Stewart, chairman of the board, credits to the company’s diversity, flexibility and understanding of how to read market conditions during any period of time. And it’s a strength that Stewart says will help the firm continue to be successful even through this latest economic downturn.

Diversity and Modernization While most people change jobs multiple times, Stewart, at 53, is a bit of an anomaly.

Since he graduated from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 1979, he’s spent his entire career at Woolpert. “When I first

started, the economy was almost as bad as it today,” he says.

But the Dayton, Ohio-based company had already proven itself quite resilient long before the economic downturn of the late ’70s and early ’80s. The company first took shape in the early 1900s when Charlton Putnam, a prominent surveyor and landscape engineer from Rhode Island, partnered with several other businessmen to develop the housing markets in Dayton. In 1916, Ralph L. Woolpert, a civil engineer from Cedarville, Ohio, joined the company which at the time consisted of a draftsman and a three-man survey crew.

During the Great Depression, when new real estate projects ground to a halt, the company expanded its focus, developing the expertise to work with the federal government

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as it extended electric lines to rural parts of the Midwest.

Woolpert eventually took over leadership responsibilities, and in 1942, the company changed names to the Ralph L. Woolpert Company. It was during this time that the firm became involved in World War II engineering and surveying work at Wright Field (now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) outside Dayton. It was a project that paved the way for many other jobs with the aviation industry.

When Stewart joined the company in 1979—a time when most companies were just hoping to survive the lagging economy— Woolpert made significant strides toward the future. The company invested in aircraft, leading the way in photogrammetry and geographic information system (GIS) !

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technology, which allows for computer-based aerial mapping. The company also expanded its work globally, including airport planning and design, as well as environmental engineering. These new advances enabled Woolpert to land clients like the Department of Defense, for which it helped in facility master planning and condition assessment of their structures at multiple military installations.

Following 9/11, Woolpert stepped up its defense and security practices, and currently assists the Department of Homeland Security with high-tech maps of the U.S.-Mexican and U.S.-Canadian borders. And after Hurricane Katrina, Woolpert mapped the shoreline of the Gulf Coast to document damage, and is in the process of completing a detailed survey of key levees for the Corps of Engineers.

Today, Woolpert has about 750 employees in 23 offices nationwide (65 work out of the Charlotte office), and works with federal and local/state governments as well as the private sector. Some of the local projects the company currently has underway include the Matthews Town Center Master Plan, the Reedy Creek Wastewater interceptor and a public-private

“That’s typical Woolpert.

We capture opportunities in our backyard, but we’re always looking for opportunities to expand throughout the region.” ~Gary Stewart Chairman

partnership for the U.S. Navy Southeast.

“We are providing design and surveying services for a prominent private developer/ contractor and are modernizing 5,500 housing units for sailors and their families at 11 different naval installations along the southeast,” says Stewart. “It’s a three-quarters of a billion dollar construction program.”

Woolpert is able to work with such a wide range of clients because it offers so many diverse services in addition to engineering and architecture. The firm also does surveying, enterprise information management, water management and photogrammetry/ remote sensing, in which aerial photographs are used to create detailed maps and models.

Some other cutting-edge services the company employs include LiDAR, in which laser pulses are beamed down from an aircraft to plot a 3-D model of the earth, enabling the company to generate contours, create water models, and map land use.

Because Woolpert is able to integrate all these different services, the company can oversee every aspect of even the most complicated project.

“Back in the ’80s and ’90s it was common for clients to have multiple consultants— architects, engineers, surveyors,” says Stewart.

“It was an administrative burden for them to manage each separately. Today, we have the capability to cover all services and provide the client with just one point of contact.”

Collaboration and Expansion While attending OSU, Stewart had changed majors multiple times as he juggled his interests in architecture, engineering, and environmental conservation. “I liked aspects of all of

those fields, but none of them enough to make a commitment, and that’s where landscape architecture came into play. It combined all the technical areas I enjoyed.”

Upon graduating in 1979, Stewart landed a job as an entry-level landscape architect at Woolpert at the age of 23.

During Stewart’s early years at the company he earned an M.B.A. on the weekends from Central Michigan University, which offered an extension program out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton.

“I was eager to get into management and a leadership position with the company, but I needed the additional business training” he says.

Stewart indicates that during this time one of his big influences was Chuck Abramovitz, Woolpert’s managing partner when Stewart first joined the firm.

“I was always impressed at how he could bring people together no matter what the issue,” remembers Stewart. “He would let people speak to the issue, facilitate the discussion, and at the end, bring everyone to a common solution.”

As Woolpert continued to grow, Stewart was tapped to help with expansion plans in the southeast, and relocated to Charlotte in 1984; two years after the company opened an office in the Queen City.

“There wasn’t much of a skyline when I first came to Charlotte,” Stewart remembers. “The airport was much smaller, and we didn’t have our large civic and sports facilities. But Charlotte has always had such a can-do attitude.

Area leaders had a vision to make Charlotte a unique and standout community. The transformation has been amazing.”

Gary Stewart Chairman Woolpert,Inc.

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And Woolpert played a part in the transformation. Stewart explains that one of the main reasons the company opened an office in Charlotte was that it had landed a major project to design Renaissance Park. The company also capitalized on opportunities to update Mecklenburg County’s topographic maps. This led to other projects with the City of Charlotte, as well as regional municipalities and developers like Crosland and Trammell Crow.

“That’s typical Woolpert,” says Stewart.

“We capture opportunities in our backyard, but we’re always looking for opportunities to expand throughout the region.”

Stewart became partner when he was 32, and helped steer the company as it continued to grow throughout the 1990s. In 1997, the firm adopted the name Woolpert LLP and emerged as one of the country’s top 100 design firms.

The firm also implemented a new strategic plan that restructured its operations according to services as opposed to geography. At the time, Stewart was in charge of operations in both Charlotte and Columbia, S.C. After the restructuring, Stewart oversaw facilities planning and design, which involved architects, landscape architects and planners.

“Individuals who were in common disciplines were placed in the same division,” Stewart says. “This enabled the company better flexibility in providing the right resources and talent to each given project.”

Stewart credits his collaborative leadership style to the influence of so many strong leaders from within the firm.

“Like my predecessors, I’m a big believer in bringing people together to discuss issues and facilitating discussions and hopefully coming out at the end of the day with a united front in terms of a solution,” he says. “I’ve found that’s a pretty effective style in today’s world. The days of the autocratic leader are over.”

Weathering the Storm Throughout the 2000s Woolpert continued to expand nationwide, and to support the growing design-build market the company created a subsidiary, Woolpert Construction Services, LLC. In 2005, Woolpert

“We do a lot of trend analysis and scenario planning to make sure we seize upon the right opportunities for the future.” ~Gary Stewart Chairman

became incorporated and changed its name to Woolpert, Inc. In 2006, at 50, Stewart was named chairman of the board. He explains that in his new role, he leads the company’s shareholders with ownership issues and the board with longrange visioning: “We do a lot of trend analysis and scenario planning to make sure we seize upon the right opportunities for the future,” he says.

Many of these opportunities are laid out in the company’s recently completed 2025 Plan.

“It’s a vision of the firm in terms of future markets, the work force and technology. It maps out the changes Woolpert will need to make along the way to achieve our vision.”

Stewart points to a couple of key areas, including globalization. As the world’s economy is expected to continue to grow, Stewart expects Woolpert to increase its role in the global market, including Europe, India, China, South America and the Middle East.

Another pressing issue is the need for sustainable natural resources and energy. To that end, Stewart says the company is making investments in water supply conservation and reuse services, as well as supporting alternative energy sources including biosolids, nuclear, wind and solar. The company is also applying some of its existing technology to support the demand for emerging energy conservation initiatives.

“We can fly over sites and assess how energy-efficient buildings are with our existing technology,” he explains. “Using thermal imaging for example, we can support energy audit efforts by helping identify areas with energy loss.”

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Of course all these long-term plans and strategies are being crafted in light of the recession. Stewart says while the company has had some downsizing due to downturns in some markets, they are expanding and growing in others.

“There’s a real confidence being with a company like Woolpert that has been through everything from the Great Depression to world wars and natural disasters,” says Stewart. “A lot of the young work force has never been through a recession. But with a 98-year track record, we can honestly look them in the eye and say we’re doing all the right things to make adjustments and seize opportunities during these uncertain times. Woolpert has weathered storms like this in the past, and we continue to implement strategies and develop leadership to weather them now and well into the future.” biz Sam Boykin is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Woolpert, Inc. 8731 Red Oak Blvd., Ste. 101 Charlotte, N.C. 28217-3975 Phone: 704-525-6284 Principal: Gary L. Stewart, Chairman Headquartered: Dayton, Ohio Offices: 23 nationwide Employees: 750 (65 in Charlotte) In Business: 98 years Local Projects: Currently include Matthews Town Center Master Plan, the Reedy Creek Wastewater interceptors, and a design-build enterprise with the Navy Business: Design and geospatial firm that works with federal and local/state governments as well as the private sector; services include engineering, architecture, surveying, enterprise information management, landscape architecture, planning, photogrammetry (aerial photographs used to create detailed maps and models), and other cutting-edge services including LiDAR (laser pulses beamed down from aircraft enabling 3-D modeling for maps and models). www.woolpert.com

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[employersbiz]

Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers

gold watch or alarm clock? straddling benefits, severance and retirement realities Not Confident About Retirement Income The recession has cast a pall Of those, the vast majority (89%) say that they have postponed retirement with over the retirement expectations of the intention of increasing their financial security. Nevertheless, the median (midthe vast majority of Americans, leavpoint) worker expects to retire at age 65, with 21% planning to push on into their ing a record-low 13% this year able 70s. The median retiree actually retired at age 62, and almost half of retirees to say they are very confident of hav(47%) say they retired sooner than planned. ing enough money to live comfortably "More workers are also planning to supplement their income in retirein retirement, according to the 19th ment by working for pay: The proportion of workers planning to work after Annual Retirement Confidence Survey they retire has increased to 72% in 2009 (up from 66% in 2007). This compares of the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). Among workers, those feeling with 34% of retirees who report they actually worked for pay at some time durvery confident about retirement has tumbled by one-half in the last two years. ing their retirement.

Because of the economic downturn, many workers say they expect to work The survey includes a wealth of other findings about attitudes toward retirelonger, the survey found, and more workers say they are planning to supplement ment. For example, workers who say they are very confident in having enough their income in retirement by working for pay. money to take care of basic expenses in retirement dropped to 25% in 2009 Overall, the percentage of workers very confident about having enough money (down from 40% in 2007), while only 13% feel very confident about having for a comfortable retirement continued a two-year decline, falling to 13% this year, enough to pay for medical expenses (down from 20% in 2007). Among retirees, down from the previous low of 18% in 2008 and 27% in 2007. This is the lowest only a quarter (25%, down from 41% in since the question was first asked in the survey in 1993 and represents a 50% 2007) feel very confident about coverdecline in worker confidence since 2007. Among current retirees, confidence in ing their health expenses. having a financially secure retirement also dropped this year to a new low, with Other key RCS findings: only 20% saying they are very confident; that’s down from 29% in 2008 and 41% "Cutting back, working more: in 2007.

Among workers who have lost conThe survey made two significant findings concerning workers’ expected fidence in their ability to secure a retirement date and work in retirement.

"Workers apparently expect Confidence in Having Enough Money to Live Comfortably Throughout Retirement, 1993–2009 to work longer because of the 1993 1994 1999 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 economic downturn: 28% of Very confident 18% 20% 22% 24% 25% 24% 27% 18% 13% Somewhat confident 55 45 47 44 40 44 43 43 41 workers in the 2009 survey say Not too confident 19 17 21 18 17 17 19 21 22 the age at which they expect to Not at all confident 6 17 9 13 17 14 10 16 22 retire has changed in the past year.

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute and Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc., 1993–2009 Retirement Confidence Surveys.

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Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers comfortable retirement, most (81%) say they have reduced their expenses, while others are changing the way they invest their money (43%), working more hours or a second job (38%), saving more money (25%), and seeking advice from a financial professional (25%).

"Little planning for retirement: Only 44% of workers report they and/or their spouse have tried to calculate how much money they will need to have saved by the time they retireâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and an equal proportion (44%) simply guess at how much they will need for a comfortable retirement.

"Retirement contributions/savings: A large majority of workers participating in a workplace retirement savings plan (72%) state that they have not changed the percentage of their salary contributed to the plan in the past year. However, 18% say they increased the percentage contributed and 11% decreased the percentage. (www.ebri.org)

[employersbiz]

Largest Expected and Actual Sources of Income in Retirement Personal savings (net) A work-place retirement savings plan, such as a 401(k) Other personal savings or investments Social Security A traditional employer-provided pension Employment The sale or refinancing of your home Something else Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know/Refused

Workers (Expected) 50% 28 22 14 13 11 2 3 6

Retirees (Reported) 24% 6 18 40 21 2 2 4 5

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute and Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc., 2007 Retirement Confidence Survey.

Local Severance Survey The Employers Association has conducted a mini survey of employer severance policies in the Charlotte area. Here are some informative and timely responses.

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Which of the following does your company have: Answer Options formal severance policy informal severance policy no severance is paid

Response Frequency 33.3% 54.2% 12.4%

Have you granted severance pay in the past six months to your employees due to: Response Answer Options Frequency lack of work or job elimination 93.4% we had lack of work or job elimination situations, but we 6.6% were unable to grant severance due to our current financial condition 137 How are severance payments made?

Answer Options lump sum wages/salary are continued at regular pay dates

Response Frequency 39.1% 60.9%

CURE CHANGE PROOF HOPE

Who is eligible for severance? (Check all that apply) Answer Options Executives Managers/Supervisors Professionals Office/Administrative Staff Production, Maintenance and Service

Response Frequency 84.6% 94.9% 87.2% 88.5% 67.9%

What is severance based on?

Answer Options years of service salary level position employment agreement negotiated

Response Frequency 90.7% 15.3% 20.7% 7.3% 10.0%

For rehires, do you base severance on original hire date or new hire start date?

Response Answer Options Frequency original hire date 31.3% new hire start date 68.8%

The Employers Association provides comprehensive human resources and training services to a membership of over 865 companies in the greater Charlotte region.

For more information, please call Laura Hampton at 704-522-8011 or visit www.employersassoc.com.

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[employersbiz]

Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers

Workplace Benefits as Financial Safety Net

F

or workers, financial protection is a growing priority. According to the MetLife’s 7th Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study, market volatility has made employees more aware of their personal risk exposure, causing 56% to report that they appreciate their workplace benefits more than ever before. The study also found that 41% of workers overall, and more than half (52%) of those at larger employers (with 2,500 or more employees), strongly consider their workplace benefits to be the foundation of their financial safety net.

Over the past 12 months—with the financial downturn a significant catalyst—workers have moved from financial “intent” to “action.”

Many have heard the alarm bell and have now taken steps to evaluate their personal finances.

In fact, six out of 10 employees—and 73% of older baby boomers—say they have been motivated by the economy to review their retirement income needs. To protect against future financial risks, many have been prompted by of employees now say the current econthey live from paycheck omy to also take to paycheck steps to determine their household’s needs for life insurance (44%), disability insurance (38%) and long-term care insurance (35%). For those with children under the age of 18, those percentages climb to 57%, 49%, and 46%, respectively.

Perhaps because of the steps they are starting to take, many workers feel optimistic about their near-term financial futures. Interestingly, even though 45% of employees now say they live paycheck to paycheck (up from 37% in 2006), about four in 10 (43%) believe their own economic situation will improve over the next six months; whereas only 20% believe it will worsen. Generation Y employees, born between 1977 and 1987, are most confident, with 56% expecting their financial situation to improve by mid 2009.

Longer-term, however, employees worry about their ability to afford a comfortable

45%

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retirement. Slightly more than half (51%) say that they are planning to retire later than they were expecting 12 months earlier.

The most nagging retirement-related concern remains “being able to afford health care in retirement,” cited by 65% of employees, followed closely by “outliving retirement money,” cited by 61%, and providing for a spouse’s long-term care needs, also cited by 61%.

The need to pay for day-to-day expenses is the number one reason standing in the way of an earlier retirement, with 60% of pre-retirees ages 51-60, and even 43% of those ages 61-69, noting that they depend on their paychecks for routine living expenses. Furthermore, five in 10 workers report staying in the workplace either because they rely on their salary to save for retirement (48%) or to maintain access to benefits (47%).

Likely due in part to labor market uncertainties, employees report strong levels of workplace loyalty. About six in 10 (59%) workers said they felt strong loyalty toward their employer in November 2008, up from 53% just three months earlier. And, in spite of some employers having to make some difficult personnel decisions, employof employees consider ers feel increased workplace benefits to be loyalty towards their employees—57% of the foundation of their employers in Novempersonal safety net ber 2008 described themselves as strongly loyal to employees up from 52% in August. However, many employers are mistaken regarding some of the key factors influencing employee loyalty. (whymetlife.com/trends2009 along with a wealth of other related benefits resources)

41%

Benefits influence employee loyalty more than employers realize

83% 69%

75% 59%

72% 40%

Salary/wages

Health benefits

Retirement benefits

69% 41%

57% 52%

50% 54%

All other insurance benefits (life, dental, disability, vision, etc.)

Advancement opportunities

Company culture

Valued by employees

Employer perception of value by employee

Employees say that benefits influence their loyalty to a significantly greater degree than employers anticipated.

November 2008 Employees and employers were asked to indicate the importance of various factors of employee loyalty toward their employer.

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[ontop] Awards & Achievements The Statesville/Mooresville area has regained its number one micropolitan community ranking in 2008 for new and expanding facilities

by Site Selection magazine.

Advertising & Media The Catevo Group has been recognized with five ADDY Awards.

A3 Design has been presented with one gold and four silver Addy Awards and nominated for Best in Show.

JC Thomas Marketing Communications, Inc. has received a Silver ADDY Award for its work on the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awareness campaign.

Crown Communications has won the 2009 EVIE award for Most Creative Print/Media Piece from the Greater Charlotte Chapter of the International Special Events Society.

Creative Marketing Solutions has been named as a winner of a PICA Award by The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. Dawn Newsome and Karen Ponischil of Moonlight Creative Group have been named among the 50 Most Influential Women by The Mecklenburg Times.

Burke Communications, Inc. has hired Amy Dusseault as vice president of account services.

Amy Dusseault

Business & Professional Windstream Communications has ranked No. 4 on Business Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of 50 best-performing U.S. companies.

George V. Laughrun II and Michael J. Greene of Goodman, Carr, Laughrun, Levine, Murray & Greene have been named 2009 North Carolina Super Lawyers in the area of criminal defense.

Cogdell Spencer ERDMAN has been rated the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top design-build company by Modern Healthcareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2009 Construction & Design Survey.

International House has named Beverly Grant executive director.

Elizabeth Grimes has joined the Law Offices of Michael A. DeMayo as a litigation attorney.

Fred M. Wood Jr., C. Marshall Lindsay and Evan M. Sauda have joined Smith Moore Leatherwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Charlotte office.

Lorraine Burke has joined professional coaching firm Rich Campe International, LLC as an administrative assistant.

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Education & Staffing Sean Lew, assistant professor of the Charlotte School of Law Pro Bono program, has been recognized for his commitment to volunteer and pro bono work by the Mecklenburg County Barâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Volunteer Lawyer Program.

Sean Lew

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[ontop] Johnson C. Smith University has hired Dr. Lisa Montgomery as its new vice president for student enrollment and success.

Dr. Lisa Montgomery

Kelly Hayes

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Engineering Optima Engineering has been recognized with a Green Award for best Commercial Project by the Charlotte Business Journal.

Kelly Hayes has been named Charlotte program manager for SEPI Engineering Group.

Finance & Insurance Mike McGuire, Carolinas managing partner for Grant Thornton LLP, has been elected to the firm’s Partnership Board—the governing body of the audit, tax and advisory services firm with 50 offices and more than 500 partners in the U.S. NaviscentGroup has added David Sozio as managing director and partner to its Charlottebased team.

Elliott Davis, PLLC has added Rhyne Cannon as business development manager in the firm’s Charlotte office.

Duvall Investment Group, Inc. Rhyne Cannon has named Liza Hopkins its director of business development and commercial ventures.

Allstate Financial Services Division has hired Charles H. Grimes as a personal financial representative for Liza Hopkins the Charlotte area.

Kianga Coleman of Hinrichs Flanagan Financial, a Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) General Agency, has been recognized with the firm’s 2008 Kianga Coleman Staff Award.

Consolidated Planning, Inc.’s Andrew Brincefield, Jeff Howard and Charles Stegall have qualified for Guardian’s Executive Club based on 2008 production. Bill Brincefield, Thomas Dumas, Gary Lewis, Lang MacBain, Dennis Myers and Keith Taylor have qualified for Guardian’s Leaders Club based on 2008 production.

Josh Mayor, CPA and personal financial specialist with Charlotte-based Greer & Walker Investment Advisors, LLC, has earned designation as a Certified Financial Planner by the CFP Board of Standards in the United States.

Jack A. Heil has been awarded the Certified in Financial Forensics credential by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Jeff Karp, founder and managing principal for Karp Financial Strategies, has earned the Chartered Jeff Karp

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Advisor for Senior Living (CASL) professional designation from The American College.

Government & Nonprofit Matthews Rotary Club has awarded Town of Matthews Policeman, Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician of the Year awards to Police Sergeant David Ruby, Firefighter P. J. Cwynar and EMT Ann Williams.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation has added four new members to its board of trustees: James Jackson, Bank of America; Sallie Lowrance, Community Leader; Carter Meiselman, Eastern Federal Corporation; and Pat Riley, Allen Tate Realty.

Health Care Charlotte Radiology’s Dale R. Shaw, MD, FACR has received the Silver Medal Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Radiology.

The Premier healthcare alliance board of directors has appointed John Knox, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Carolinas HealthCare System, to Premier’s group purchasing and member relations committee.

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, P.A. has added Karl J. Kleinau, O.D. to its Belmont, N.C. office.

Presbyterian Reference Karl J. Kleinau Laboratory has been awarded an accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists.

Real Estate Commercial/Residential H. Allen Tate Jr., founder and chairman of the Allen Tate Company, has been named the first director emeritus of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Allen Tate (Leading RE), the world’s largest network of independent real estate firms.

Leading RE has presented Allen Tate Relocation Services with its Diamond Award for excellence.

Andrew Roby, Inc. has been recognized with 13 awards, including Best in Show and the Judges Award, by the Home Builders Association of Charlotte.

The Charlotte Home Builders Association has named Linda McLendon of Ryland Homes SMC’s 2008 Model Home Sales Representative and Mary Ellen Frizzell of New Homes Journal 2008 SMC Volunteer of the Year.

Allen Tate at Ballatyne has added Barbara Sheridan, Jeremiah Bridges, Michael Colo, Ted Goldsmith, Sam Redmond, and Gail Redmond as associates.

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Architectural Interiors & Exteriors Advertising Industrial Corporate Editorial

[ontop] Jillian Mazikowski has joined Allen Tate Mortgage as a senior mortgage consultant.

Peters & Associates has named Chrystal Safari community manager of Montreux Old World Estates and broker/Realtor Drew Parham a community sales associate.

waynemorrisphotography wayne@wmphoto.biz www.wmphoto.biz

Retail & Sports & Entertainment Case Handyman & Remodeling of Charlotte has been honored with four Case Awards.

Technology For the fourth consecutive quarter, NouvEON has received the Top Ten Growth Award from the Private Company Index and has been named the Top Growth Company for January 2009. The company has also been recognized as the Fastest Growing Private Company in North America by Entrex.

WebsiteBiz has hired Laura Mitchell as campaign manager.

Mariner has hired Joe Mercier as managing consultant and Derek Sanderson as consultant. 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 704-6765853, or post them to our business address—at least 30 days prior to our publication date.

In Memoriam to Mary Margaret Traxler

by Bruce Hensley The Charlotte hospitality industry lost a much-loved pioneer and stalwart on March 25, 2009, when Mary Margaret Traxler, 57, succumbed to Mary Margaret the cancer she had valiantly Traxler fought for nearly two years.

In addition to family and friends, she leaves behind a vibrant local hospitality industry that is greatly improved because of her vision, efforts, tenacity and mere presence.

Mary Margaret was a pioneer in Charlotte’s hospitality industry. In 1990, she launched TRIP magazine, carving a niche for herself in the industry by providing a slick, well-written, user-friendly, and wellreceived magazine that visitors, advertisers and even distribution points came to rely on for nearly 20 years.

Two educational funds have been established in Mary Margaret’s memory: the Mary Margaret Traxler Education Fund at the Community Culinary School of Charlotte and the Mary Margaret Traxler Scholarship Fund for the culinary and hospitality students at Central Piedmont Community College.

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[bizbits] MONEY TALKS

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Asking About Compensation Job interviewees reluctant to discuss compensation with hiring managers during tough times are getting a green light from employers, a new survey by Accountemps shows. More than half of senior executives (56%) surveyed say they are comfortable with applicants broaching the subject in the first or second interview. In fact, approximately two-thirds (66%) of executives indicate they most commonly discuss the subject by the second interview, with almost one in five (19%) saying it usually comes up during the first interview.

Senior executives were asked, “When is it appropriate for job candidates to ask about compensation and benefits during the hiring process?” Their responses: !Phone interview 17% !First interview 30% !Second interview 26% !Third interview or after 10% !Once you make the job offer 12% Respondents also were asked, “When is it most common for you to discuss compensation and benefits with a potential hire?” Their responses: !Phone interview 14% !First interview 19% !Second interview 33% !Third interview or after 9% !Once you make the job offer 22% To ensure job seekers negotiate the best compensation package possible, Accountemps advises candidates to watch out for the following five pitfalls: # Going in unprepared. Review professional journals and industry publications, search online salary sources and consult with members of your professional network. $%Over- or underestimating your leverage.

Consider the current job market, the unique expertise you offer and your experience level. &%Being inflexible. Some aspects of an offer may be nonnegotiable, but be prepared to compromise on items that are less critical. '%Fixating on base salary. Look at the total compensation package, including nonmonetary, but highly desirable components such as health care benefits, paid time off and flexible scheduling. (%Failing to get it in writing. Ask Benefits the employer to draw up a letter of Available agreement that outlines the specifics of the offer, such as the position’s key responsibilities, salary and any special arrangements that resulted from the negotiations. (www.accountemps.com)

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[bizbits] Strong Leadership Key

Employing good people is a company’s best line of defense against the competition, a recent survey of chief financial officers (CFOs) by Robert Half Finance & Accounting suggests. More than half (55%) of executives interviewed say that having solid leadership and hiring outstanding talent are the best ways to protect against threats from rival firms. Stateof-the-art technology is also viewed as a significant advantage, cited by a quarter (24%) of respondents.

CFOs were asked, “Which one of the following will best protect companies from competitive threats in the next three years?”

Their responses: ) Strong company leadership 28% )%A focus on hiring the best people 27% )%Up-to-date technology 24% )%The ability to develop and implement new ideas quickly 9% )%Up-to-date competitive intelligence and market data 6%

©2008 Galles Communications Group, Inc.

PEOPLE POWER

NETWORKING SERVICES Local & Wide Area Networks Wiring Routers Switches Servers Wireless Workstations FieldStone Networking Services: Walt Fields at 704-560-4897 or Dwayne Stone at 704-560-4900 www.fieldstonenetworking.com

In any economy, an organization’s most valuable asset is its people, but this is even more true in uncertain times when a company’s survival may depend on strong leadership and maintaining high customer service levels.

Companies must be able to quickly shift gears to take advantage of new opportunities, which requires clear vision and capable staff.

With outstanding performers now in the job market, companies have access to professionals who would not have been available one year ago. Even though managers are closely watching budgets, it makes sense to hire people who can help the company enhance its depth of skills and expertise and grow now and in the future.

Keeping current with technology also remains critical for companies to maintain a competitive edge. (www.roberthalffinance.com)

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[bizbits]

DRIVING COSTS FOR NORTH CAROLINA MOTORISTS EXPECTED TO DECREASE SEVEN CENTS PER MILE IN 2009

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orth Carolina motorists can expect to pay 7 cents less per mile to drive in 2009 resulting in an annual savings of approximately $1,050 for a driver traveling 15,000 miles a year, according to AAA Carolinas.

The average sedan in 2009 will cost 56 cents a mile to drive, compared to 63 cents last year. The decrease can be largely attributed to a drop in the price of regular unleaded gasoline from $3.59 in April 2008 to $2.02 in April 2009. The estimate is based on gasoline averaging around $2 a gallon this year.

The owner of a car would, on average, spend a total of $8,399 for insurance, maintenance, gasoline, tires, taxes, registration, depreciation and finance charges, based on driving 15,000 miles a year. The most expensive ownership cost per mile is 26 cents for depreciation based on 18 percent per year for a new 2009 model year automobile.

AAA’s annual driving cost analysis informs motorists of operating expenses and the real costs in operating an automobile.

The costs are based on typical use of a vehicle for personal transportation over five years and 75,000 miles of ownership. Fuel costs were based on $2.02 per gallon, as reported by the AAA Fuel Gauge Report (AAAFuelGaugeReport.com) in

April 2009. AAA’s 2009 analysis uses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) revised fuel-economy estimates intended to better reflect “real world” conditions as opposed to laboratory tests.

Behind depreciation, operating costs, which include gas, maintenance and tires, are calculated to cost 13 cents per mile.

AAA compared the cost of vehicles in three separate car categories, small, medium and large sedans as well as SUVs and minivans. The estimates in this release are based on an average of the three sedan categories.

AAA’s analysis covers vehicles equipped with standard and optional equipment. The driving costs in each category are based on the average expenses for five top-selling models selected by AAA.1 SUV and minivan costs dropped as well with SUVs costing $11,260 a year to own and operate and minivans costing $9,353 a year.

Annual driving costs calculations use standardized criteria designed to model the average use of a vehicle for personal transportation over five years and 75,000 miles of ownership. Actual driving costs will vary based on individual driving habits, location, operating costs and other factors.

“Your Driving Costs” brochure is available upon request subject to availability from AAA Carolinas; more information at www.aaacarolinas.com.

2009 DRIVING COSTS FOR NORTH CAROLINA Small Sedan

Medium Sedan

Large Sedan

Car Average

$16,611.00 31 $2.0280 15,000

$20,368.00 26 $2.0280 15,000

$27,565.00 24 $2.0280 15,000

$21,514.00 27 $2.0280 15,000

$29,385.00 18 $2.0280 15,000

$23,535.00 19 $2.0280 15,000

OPERATING COSTS Gas Maintenance Tires TOTAL OPERATING COST PER YEAR TOTAL OPERATING COSTS PER MILE

$0.0654 $0.0398 $0.0055 $1,660.79 $0.11

$0.0780 $0.0467 $0.0085 $1,998.00 $0.13

$0.0845 $0.0507 $0.0077 $2,143.50 $0.14

$0.0751 $0.0457 $0.0072 $1,920.17 $0.13

$0.1127 $0.0547 $0.0093 $2,650.00 $0.18

$0.1067 $0.0476 $0.0067 $2,415.55 $0.16

OWNERSHIP COSTS Full-coverage Insurance** License, Registration First-year sales and property taxes*** Depreciation (15,000 miles annually)+ Finance Charges++ TOTAL OWNERSHIP COST PER YEAR TOTAL OWNERSHIP COST PER MILE TOTAL COST PER MILE TOTAL COST PER YEAR

$615.00 $68.00 $611.42 $2,989.98 $896.99 $5,181.39 $0.35 $0.46 $6,842.18

$518.00 $68.00 $749.71 $3,666.24 $1,099.87 $6,101.82 $0.41 $0.54 $8,099.82

$623.00 $68.00 $1,014.61 $4,961.70 $1,488.51 $8,155.82 $0.54 $0.69 $10,299.32

$585.33 $68.00 $791.91 $3,872.52 $1,161.76 $6,479.52 $0.43 $0.56 $8,399.68

$584.00 $68.00 $1,081.60 $5,289.30 $1,586.79 $8,609.69 $0.57 $0.75 $11,259.69

$496.00 $68.00 $866.28 $4,236.30 $1,270.89 $6,937.47 $0.46 $0.62 $9,353.02

Driving costs in each category are based on the average expenses for five top-selling models selected by AAA.1

Cost of Car Average mpg Cost per gallon* MILES PER YEAR

SUV

Minivan

1 The models included in the study are: Small Sedans (Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla), Medium Sedans (Chevrolet Impala, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry), Large Sedans (Buick Lucerne, Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus, Nissan Maxima and Toyota Avalon), SUVs (Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner), and Minivans (Chevrolet Uplander, Dodge Grand Caravan, Kia Sedona, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna). *Price based on April 1, 2009 average NC gas price for a gallon of unleaded self-serve fuel.**Based on full-coverage policy, $100,000/$300,000 coverage with $500 collision deductible and $100 comprehensive. ***NC sales tax at 3%, NC property tax estimated at .6808/$100. +Depreciation based on 18 percent per year. ++Finance charges for 1 year based on 6% for 60 months after 10% cash down. (AAA Carolinas)

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4521 Sharon Road, Charlotte NC 28211 • 704.532.9041 or 888.400.4447 (Located across from SouthPark Mall) Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00-7:00, Saturday 10:00-5:00 www.DiamondsDirectSouthpark.com Diamonds Direct Birmingham | Mountain Brook, AL | 205-201-7400 • Diamonds Direct Crabtree | Raleigh, NC | 919-571-2881