19 minute read
NWO Business & Real Estate
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20 Getting ‘back to normalcy’
Adobe Stock photo Although some business owners in northwestern Guilford County continue to face the challenges of labor shortages, many express optimism as gasoline prices tumble and pandemic-related disruptions ease.
18 For sale: Wilson’s Grocery property – $2 million 22 Fidelity Bank gets new branch manager 22 DeVaney attends guided surgery training
The iconic store’s convenient location at Carlson Dairy and Pleasant Ridge roads has attracted more than 20 prospective buyers, according to the listing agent
by CHRIS BURRITT
Photos by Chris Burritt/NWO
SUMMERFIELD – The oneacre tract that contains Wilson’s Grocery and an adjacent home is going for an asking price of $2 million, according to listing agent Keller Williams Realty One in Greensboro.
Realtors Mike Carter and Andrea
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of deceased owner Harold “Shorty” Wilson, provided the real estate agents with a list of prospects who had contacted her in the months before and after her father’s death on Aug. 6.
Coupled with its history and convenience, the store’s location at a busy intersection in northwestern Guilford County makes the property attractive to buyers, according to the real estate agents. They said prospects want to continue operating the store and gas pumps, with some considering the possibility of adding food service.
“When you say ‘Wilson’s,’ everyone knows where you’re talking about,” Carter said in an interview last week after he and Blake showed the property to one of the prospective buyers.
The store consists of 1,832 square feet, with a walk-in cooler and dry storage, as well as two gas pumps, according to the listing. Next door, there is a manufactured house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The real estate agents said the new owner will refurbish the interior of the store, which is largely vacant except for shelving and coolers for beverages and
The 1-acre tract that contains Wilson’s Grocery and an adjacent home at the corner of Carlson Dairy Road and Pleasant Ridge Road in Summerfi eld is listed for sale for $2 million, according to listing agents with Keller Williams Realty One in Greensboro. Several interested buyers have indicated they want to remodel the building and continue using the property as a convenience store and gas station, possibly adding food service. Blake are contacting more than packaged foods. 20 prospective buyers of the property at Carlson Dairy and Pleasant Ridge roads. Pam Fox, a daughter “A lot (of the prospects) are very serious,” including many individuals who already own convenience stores, said Blake. “ ey want to continue (it) as a convenience and gas store.” The new owner won’t be able to continue using Wilson’s name, a stipulation imposed by the family, according to Carter. Fox, Wilson’s daughter, didn’t reply to a request for comment. Wilson became co-owner of the store with his wife, Geneva, in 1972, according to his obituary. She died in 2016, at age 82. Wilson was 87 when he passed away this summer. After Wilson’s death, Bruce Petersen, chair of Summerfield’s Historical Committee, and member Heather Buttonow interviewed Fox about the history of the store. The committee plans to edit and post the oral history in the next two months, Petersen said in an interview earlier this week.
Getting ‘back to normalcy’
Business owners in northwestern Guilford County express optimism as gasoline prices tumble and pandemic-related disruptions ease
by CHRIS BURRITT
NORTHWEST GUILFORD – A year ago, Tammy Cobb was struggling to stock her Pineapple Porch stores with holiday merchandise and home décor. Earlier this week, shipments were coming in so fast she temporarily stored chairs in the back of her pickup truck.
As merchandise shortages and shipping delays spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic have eased, northwest Guilford business owners said in interviews earlier this week that business conditions are showing signs of returning to normalcy. Though still hampered by staff shortages and spotty deliveries, they’re also heartened that falling gasoline prices are encouraging some consumers to spend.
“My holiday inventory has been coming in since the summer, like normal,” said Cobb, surrounded by boxes of gingerbread cookie mix and shelves laden with pillows, greenery and miniature Christmas trees.
Over the past year, Cobb has shrunk her Pineapple Porch footprint, closing her Stokesdale store and selling her Summerfield outlet. She’s now focused on her Oak Ridge store.
In an encouraging development earlier this week, Cobb said she placed an order for home décor from a Pennsylvania supplier. She expects to receive the merchandise in a day or two, whereas last year similar deliveries took as long as two weeks.
“I think the supply chain is returning to normalcy,” said Cobb, explaining that the steady ow of merchandise is critical for her business.
“People love coming in and seeing what I’ve got that’s new,” she said. “I’ve been able to keep putting new product out.”
In Summerfield, Jason Cockman opened Village Beverage Co. in October 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Take-out sales of cans and bottles of craft beer – some labels selling for more than $20 a six-pack – benefited from the temporary closing of bars and restaurants. His business has gained with the addition of beer sales inside his establishment and an increase in outdoor events.
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Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO Pineapple Porch owner Tammy Cobb said supply shortages and delays have eased over the past year, enabling her to stock her Oak Ridge store for the holidays.
Nationally, some economic signs are improving. The U.S. inflation rate was 7.1% over the 12 months ending in November, easing for a fifth straight month. The November increase was also the slowest pace in nearly a year, according to figures from the U.S. Labor Department earlier this week.
Even so, the Federal Reserve bolstered its inflation fight by raising its key interest rates for the seventh time in 2022. It also signaled that more hikes are to come after this past Wednesday, Dec. 14, increasing its benchmark rate a half-point to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, its highest level in 15 years.
“We will stay the course until the job is done,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said, adding he anticipates no rate cuts until inflation reverses course and moves back toward 2%.
For some people, declining gasoline prices are easing pocketbook worries.
In North Carolina, the price for a gallon of unleaded fuel has tumbled from its record high of $4.67 on
June 13, according to AAA. As of yesterday, the price was $3 a gallon, down from $3.11 a year earlier.
For John and Gina Childress, owners of Golden Antiques and Treasures in Summerfield, rising fuel costs crimped sales this year, until recently.
Customers “have been more cautious in 2022,” Gina said. “But starting in November, they threw caution to the wind. It may be the holiday spirit.
Falling gas prices help consumers as well as companies such as Pest Management Systems that rely on vehicles to provide services to customers.
Summerfield’s Billy Tesh, owner of Pest Management, said he’s heartened by business trends in recent months.
“I’m feeling optimistic,” he said. “I’m looking forward to 2023. I think it’s going to be a good year.”
Tesh said he believes “people are gaining a little more comfort in what’s going on in the economic world. Right now, we are seeing a little ease in the economic stress that we were seeing.
Even so, some costs remain stubbornly high. A crate of Californiagrown lettuce containing 24 heads of the vegetable costs about $80, more than twice the price a year ago, according to David Wrenn, owner of the Bi-Rite grocery store in Stokesdale.
Costs of plastic bags and Styrofoam takeout food containers have tripled, forcing stores and restaurants to pass on higher costs to customers. Some shortages persist, ranging from dog and cat food and Luck’s canned apples.
“Customers aren’t happy about prices, but they know I’m doing the best that I can do,” said Wrenn, pausing momentarily as he greeted customers and took a young man to the aisle with two-cycle motor oil.
Businesses such as Center Grove Grill in Summerfield have recovered after the end of pandemic restrictions earlier this year allowed them to reopen their doors to customers.
For two years, grill owners and sisters Rhonda Pegram and Lorie Page served customers through a window in the restaurant. They’ve battled the labor crunch by relying on family members and friends looking for work.
“Our business is back to normal, but food costs are higher,” said Pegram, explaining the restaurant recently increased the price of its daily special from $11.99 to $12.99.
As customers eat chicken pie, pork chops and collards, they talk about higher prices, according to Pegram. Despite easing of inflation, she believes prices of some items are going to keep rising, or at least stay high.
“We are going through a bad time, but we believe that it is temporary,” said Rogers, explaining that she’s hoping for a rebound next March when business typically strengthens.
Meanwhile, staffing remains a hurdle for Bill’s Pizza Pub. While the two restaurants are open seven days a week, they’ve closed early on a few occasions due to a lack of workers.
“Right now, we’re holding our own,” Rogers said. Among her efforts to find workers, she said her “pleas of desperation” posts on the business’s Facebook page have proved more effective than online and other advertising.
Staffing “is not where we want it to be,” she said. “We haven’t decided whether this is the new norm or not.”
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The boom in takeout orders bolstered 2020 sales for Bill’s Pizza Pub, which operates two locations in Oak Ridge and Greensboro. Since then, however, rising costs have hurt the business, which reported a loss in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to Donna Rogers, who owns the company with John Spencer.
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Wolff has 16 years of financial experience. Prior to joining Fidelity Bank, she worked for First Horizon Bank, at Woodforest National Bank, and was a customer service representative/loan officer for Peoples Bank. In addition to her financial background, she is active in the community and currently serves as a board member for the Salvation Army of Greater Winston-Salem and has previously served as secretary of Salvation Army of Kernersville and Next Step Ministries. Wolff lives in Kernersville with her husband, Kelly, and their three sons.
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GORDON BUILDING
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and a septic field. The bidder requested the use of parking at Summerfield Town Hall, which sits cattycornered across the intersection of Summerfield Road and N.C. 150 from the Gordon Hardware building. The bidder also asked whether he could use town property across Highway 150 from the store for sewer services. Town staff rejected both requests by the prospective buyer, Whitaker said. The prospect of a brew pub in Summerfield’s historic intersection drew more than 130 comments on the Northwest Observer’s Facebook page. Some wrote that they liked the idea, but questioned whether the project could overcome the parking and septic hurdles. Most people said they’d welcome the establishment and the business 22 DEC. 15, 2022 - JAN. 4, 2023 The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996 would be a positive for Summerfield, while a few people raised concerns
about the sale of alcohol in close vicinity to homes and to Summerfield Elementary School.
According to Whitaker, four bidders offered to buy the Gordon building. The contract price of $125,000 is the asking price, Turner said in an email.
The Gordon building and the nearby Martin house are owned by the Town of Summerfield. Over the years, town leaders have evaluated restoring the two buildings, but estimates have proven too expensive. As a result, the council decided to explore selling the properties instead of retaining ownership and risking that they fall into further disrepair.
In June, the Town Council voted to contract with Preservation North Carolina to conduct a national search for buyers for the two properties.
The asking price for the Martin House is $110,000.
“The goal is to get the properties into qualified, historically minded hands,” Whitaker told the council in a memo last June.
Town Park. Foy said he was excited about all four park additions and improvements presented last month coming closer to fruition: a basketball court, new playground equipment, a walking trail and an amphitheater. He then said he felt a public forum should be scheduled before the Jan. 12 council meeting, in the hopes of gaining more citizen input. 5 0 to schedule a special call meeting on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. and hold a public forum for citizen input on the four park projects under consideration. Water system, capital improvements. Foy noted that at its Nov. 10 meeting, the council discussed extending the town’s water lines. A resident of Happy Hill Road had shared he would like to see Anthony Road and Happy Hill Road, Warner Road and Haw River Road considered as a route for water system expansion.
“In my opinion, that would be a good option,” Foy said, noting the town now had two viable alternatives – a Coldwater Road, Belews Creek Road and Oak Level Church Road loop, and this one mentioned above.
Jones pointed out that a developer plans to extend a water line down Happy Hill Road and into Forsyth County.
“Are we taking into account how we’re affecting that project?” he asked. “If I was this developer, I would be sending Christmas cards to this council.”
After further discussion, Foy emphasized the developer would be extending water lines 2,000 to 3,000 feet, and the town’s potential extension on Happy Hill Road would pick up where those water lines end.
When Landreth and Jones expressed concerns about the town giving some homeowners an unfair advantage by enhancing their properties (because of running water lines past them), Rigsbee responded, “The intent isn’t to enhance anyone’s property, rather to enhance the town’s water system.” 5 0 to approve Hazen & Sawyer’s proposal dated Dec. 7, for $2,500, to run models of two options for extending water lines. Health insurance. Wagoner presented two proposals for health insurance coverage for full-time employees: one, for about $500/month through Friday Health Plans, is based on age and income, and the government supplements the cost. The cost of the second one, through Blue Cross/Blue Shield, is about $1,300/month.
Foy expressed concerns about the proposal from Friday Health Plans. During council discussion about the two policies, deputy clerk Priscilla Hunsucker, who formerly worked for an insurance company, called in and answered questions about what she had learned after researching the two insurance policies and if she was comfortable that the lower-cost policy would be adequate (she said yes). 4 1 (Foy opposed) to accept the estimate/ proposal by Friday Health Plans, and because of the decrease in cost compared to what it would be through Blue Cross/Blue Shield, to cover the cost, up to $650 each per month, of health insurance for each of the two full-time employees. 5 0 to continue contracting for cleaning services (as opposed to hiring an employee). Cleaning services. Landreth presented a proposal from Whitney Woody for $470/month and disclosed that she is the girlfriend of deputy clerk Priscilla Hunsucker’s son; Woody has agreed to work on a contractual basis and handle a list of responsibilities, including cleaning
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town hall and emptying trash cans in the town park. 5 0 to contract with Whitney Woody, at $470/month, for weekly cleaning services as outlined on a written task list, provided she carries a $1 million public liability insurance policy. 5 0 to appoint Tee Stephenson as an alternate on the Planning Board. Spending authorities. On behalf of town staff, Wagoner requested clarifications regarding spending authorities. He said the issue came up recently, when there was an emergency water leak and staff put in a request for Yates to repair it. “We just wanted clarification that town staff acted correctly,” he said. Foy said he felt Wagoner did act appropriately. “It was a $4,700 expenditure,” he said. “I don’t know another way we would have done that.” Jones questioned whether the “pre-audit certification process” had been followed and suggested the town “get back” to a system previously used, and to develop a price list for repairs. When Landreth asked what should have been done differently, Jones responded, “Follow the policy we have.” It was agreed that in the future, staff will call (versus email) any two town council members for approval before authorizing an emergency repair, at a repair cost not to exceed $25,000. Budget amendment. HVAC units were ordered last fiscal year but didn’t arrive for installation until November; consequently, Thacker requested a budget amendment to increase revenue in Undesignated Funds by $20,000 and expenses for Town Hall repairs by $20,000 in the current year’s budget. 4 1 (Jones opposed) to approve the budget amendment. 5 0 to have the town attorney draft a contract, including 12 points as outlined in a job description for a public utility consultant, per a Dec. 8 email from Jones, to hire Mike Lemons Consulting on a part-time basis. 5 0 to appoint Jones and Crawford to serve on a liaison committee to work with Mike Lemons Consulting. Crawford read announcements, after which council members recessed the open meeting to go into a closed meeting at 10:35 p.m. for two purposes: to consult with the attorney and to “plan, conduct or +4,000 copies distributed for free pick-up hear reports concerning investigations of alleged crimat 70+ locations in northwest Guilford County inal misconduct.” 26 DEC. 15, 2022 - JAN. 4, 2023 The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996 Council returned to open session about 45 minutes later. After offering merry Christmas wishes, the meeting was adjourned at 11:29 p.m. Online year-round at nwobserver.com & shared with over 15,250 Facebook fans
