Profile 2018 by Washington Daily News

PROFILE 2018 MADE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

For more information: 252-947-1487 or www.whda.org

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

Nutrien

Iconic

Vidant

Coeur, Inc.

Carver Machine Works

Megalodon

Pacific Seacraft

Alice Stallings

Earl Shepperd

Downtown

Radcliffe Boatworks

Spoon River

VT Hackney

BoCo Athletes

Pamlico Rum

Griffin Farms

iDX

9 10

18 14 12

24 22 20

34 32 30

42 39 36

48 46 43

Publisher Ashley Vansant

MADE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY

Editorial Michael Prunka Vail Stewart Rumley Joe Corley

A wealth of creation, from artists to industry

Marketing & Sales Theresa Futas Cecilia Prokos Dave Singleton Distribution Sylvester Rogers Art Direction Elizabeth Reed Amy Whitaker

WITH A WORKFORCE OF NEARLY 20,000, there are plenty of people working within the Beaufort County lines. We encounter them every day — in grocery stores, banks, schools and more. Look a little closer, however, and there’s another workforce creating a wealth of things that aren’t necessarily common knowledge. In this issue of Profile, we’ve gone behind the scenes to take that closer look at what’s being made in Beaufort County. Some of these businesses employ hundreds of people; others, just a few. Some have made a mark on international industry; others are quietly successful. From casings fabricated for U.S. Navy submarines at Carver Machine Works to

major retail store displays crafted and shipped worldwide from idX, Beaufort County products make a global impact. The county’s rich maritime history can be seen in boat-building enterprises in Belhaven, Chocowinity and Washington — vessels that are built to circumnavigate the world and break speed records. There are those who’ve honed their skills on the courts and fields of local high schools and made an impact on professional sports, as well as those who’ve dedicated their lives to a different kind of creation: art. Whether it’s a person, a product or an experience, this Profile holds just a sample of what’s being made right here at home — made in Beaufort County.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

Because you deserve exceptional health care Right here, close to you Being a true system of care means more than simply providing health care services. It means bringing better health and wellness directly to you, close to home. At Vidant Beaufort Hospital, we’re delivering access to specialty services like gastroenterology, oncology, orthopedics, outpatient rehabilitation and urology where you live. Because our goal isn’t just to treat disease, but to prevent it in the first place. And that improves the lives of everyone in eastern North Carolina.

Call 855-MYVIDANT (855-698-4326) for an appointment with a doctor near you. VidantHealth.com

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

For the Love of Learning Washington Montessori Public Charter School 2330 Old Bath Highway ay Washington, NC 27889 252-946-1977 www.wmpcs.org

Kindergarten through 12th Grade - Public Charter School 6

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

CREATING, EXPANDING, MAKING

WRITTEN BY JOE CORLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY In an ever-changing business climate, idX not only is surviving, it is thriving. The plant on Springs Road in Washington produces things most people see every day, but probably don’t even think about. “We are the No. 1 store-fixturing company in the world,” plant manager Randy Roark said. “We are a $350 million company. We manufacture the display shelving that goes into stores. For example, if you go into Tractor Supply and see their knife display, we built that. Their checkouts, we built that. We do all the CVS stores.” idX operates 15 plants worldwide, with eight in the United States. In the last 15 years, the Washington plant alone has gone from $8-9 million per year to $30 million. Out of necessity, idX is now branching out into areas outside of retail. “We’re going through a big learning curve right now because we’re gearing up our work force to change our strategy on how we build things,” Roark said. “Amazon.com has taken over the world, so you see a lot of brick-and-mortars slowing

down. You see Macy’s stores closing left and right, JCPenney’s closing left and right. Toys R Us is closing 800 stores. “What we’re doing now is gearing ourselves to build more toward the hospital industry. That’s not going away. We’re looking into churches, restaurants. We’re past the planning stages and are bidding on some stadiums and coliseums. Our plant in California was bidding on a $30 million redo of the stadium where the L.A. Rams play.” The Washington plant employs 181 workers, with a 70-30 mix between skilled and unskilled labor. It brings in students from local schools who are in a woodworking curriculum or in drafting or AutoCAD for tours to give them an idea of what they need to be working on to get a job there. “If you don’t stay up with the times, you’ve got all these little mom-andpop shops just waiting to come in and underbid you,” Roark said. “We’re constantly rearranging, buying new equipment, doing new layouts and methods, just to improve our times, keeping up with what’s coming.”

NAME: IDX ESTABLISHED: 1998 LOCATION: 234 SPRINGS ROAD, WASHINGTON EMPLOYEES: 181 JOB TYPES: CNC MACHINING, LIGHT ASSEMBLY, PACKING, CONSTRUCTION, SKILLED CARPENTRY, SHIPPING AND RECEIVING

WASHINGTON

idX is building in the industry, No. 1 in the Country

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

ON THE FARM Agriculture taking one local farmer around the world WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

NAME: ARCHIE GRIFFIN, GRIFFIN FARMS LOCATION: AVENUE ROAD, WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1996 EMPLOYEES: 4 FULLTIME, 20-25 SEASONAL EMPLOYEES JOBS: FARM MANAGER, ASSISTANT FARM MANAGER, ASSISTANT OPERATIONS MANAGERS, SEASONAL EMPLOYEES

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

You get a little bit of joy when you plant that seed, and you keep tending to it, and you can see some kind of progress and outcome when you harvest. When Archie Griffin left to go to college at N.C. State University, he had no intention of returning home to the farm his father, Steve, started in 1996. But things have a way of working out differently that one expects. When he did come home to help run Griffin Farms, he came with purpose. “When I stopped and actually saw the farm as a business and not just a farm — not playing in the dirt, so to say — and I actually saw it as a business, I really came to appreciate it then,” Griffin said. These days, the 28-year-old is immersed in farming: during harvest, working from sunup to sundown every day of the week; in the off-season, prepping, planning, accounting, reviewing harvest, yield and soil-sample maps. “The way I look at farming is each year doing a multitude of experiments on each field to see what works best,” Griffin said. “Dad has always stressed to me it’s not the size of the operation — anybody can farm — it’s the efficiency. Quality over quantity. I can’t tell you a week that goes by since I came back to the farm where it doesn’t come up — anybody can farm, but not everybody can make money.” At Griffin Farms, they grow corn for feed, tobacco and sweet corn; harvest wheat and soybeans for seeds, which, in turn, are sold to a local seed company. “Most of what we grow is sold locally,” Griffin said. Farming has also given this avid traveler the chance to see the world. Selected as a Nuffield International Farming Scholar, Griffin will spend four months this year in farming communities around the world — The Netherlands, Ireland, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand and many more — exploring technologies he can share or bring back to use in the U.S., crops and species that could be grown here and meeting people from all walks of life. Ultimately, the farm is about growth, and a hands-on achievement. “You get a little bit of joy when you plant that seed, and you keep tending to it, and you can see some kind of progress and outcome when you harvest. I guess, farming, you get a sense of accomplishment, a long-term sense of accomplishment,” Griffin said. “Not many people that are younger are coming back to the farm, and I kind of want to give that to my children, if I have them.”

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

PIRATE COUNTRY Bath distillery home to Pamlico Rum WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY It’s a place that doesn’t draw notice: a nice house, a barn, a few other outbuildings surrounded by countryside. While it may not look remarkable from the outside, one outbuilding is home to Scotts Point Distillery, makers of Pamlico Rum and the smallest distillery in the state. “We wanted it to blend in with what else is here. It’s really built so that it doesn’t stand out on the outside, but the inside is a good working space,” said Toni Jenner, distiller of rum along with husband Robert. Inside, a small raised-ceiling area with cathedral windows shines light down on a still, work tables, empty wooden barrels and bottles of rum. Behind a closed door, barrels of aging rum line a narrow room. The clean space has the feel of a lab, which is appropriate considering distilling liquor is all about chemistry. “I never really understood chemistry until we launched this and started having fun applying the chemistry,” Jenner said. That translates to time and temperature, fermentation and evaporation, knowing the point at which wood alcohol (methanol) transitions to sugar alcohol (ethanol) and making “cuts” to collect the “hearts,” or the best, drinkable portions. “The hearts are the heart of the distillation,” Jenner said. “On the tail end, just before you finish distilling there are some different flavors. … We are small. We are craft — each barrel is different.” With an annual production of a couple of thousand bottles, the Jenners are making their way onto ABC store shelves one county at a time — 20 counties, so far. “We’re growing, but we’re slow, and that’s OK, and that’s on purpose,” Jenner said. Their goal is to use local goods, and if not local, then made in America. The still came from Maine; molasses is domestically sourced. Their barrels for aging came from Missouri and Kentucky — from the Jim Beam distillery. Bottles are made in the U.S.; labels, by a North Carolina company. “We’ve search for a North Carolina molasses source. There are small farmers here and there but for the quantity we need — we buy it 250 gallons at a time,” she said. As for the choice of liquor, well, Bath’s history played a part. “Rum was just natural for this area, being pirate country,” Jenner laughed.

ATH

We are small. We are craft. Each barrel is different.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

NATIVE SONS Athletes among area’s most notable exports WRITTEN BY MICHAEL PRUNKA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY One of Beaufort County’s most notable exports isn’t phosphate or boats or machine parts. It’s professional athletes. A few times a generation, a child will be born with an innate athletic prowess. It’s the combination of that and the way the area’s first-rate coaches teach the talented youth that has competitors earning a chance to represent the community on a national — and sometimes international — scale. There’s a sense of pride in it. Basketball has deep roots in North Carolina. Friday nights watching high schools compete on the gridiron is a highlight of the fall, and baseball games are a harbinger of springtime. Friends and family get to go from watching these standouts in small gyms to seeing them on ESPN. “He came from here,” Beaufort County residents can brag. Many of the superstars who learned their craft in Beaufort County often return. They come home to put on clinics and other events for the local children who grow up idolizing them. It’s a way to give back to the community that gave so much to them years ago. Moreover, they’re a beacon to young athletes in Beaufort County. The area doesn’t have top-notch facilities. There aren’t sports academies with experts running drills and teaching training and nutrition habits. Instead, those who have risen to the peak of their respective sports have done it through hard work. Determination earns these athletes a chance to earn a comfortable living and see the world beyond Beaufort County — all while doing what they love. These athletes may not come around all that often, but there’s no mistake that they were made right here in Beaufort County.

C.J. WILSON

DOMINIQUE WILKINS

TERRANCE COPPER

DOMINIQUE WILKINS Dominique Wilkins was tearing up gyms in Beaufort County long before he earned himself the moniker “The Human Highlight Film.” The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member is a Washington High School product, and the most notable athlete to emerge from Beaufort County. Wilkins was born in Paris while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Air Force. His family lived in Baltimore and Dallas before settling in Washington. The Pam Pack won back-to-back 3-A state championships with Wilkins leading the charge. The All-American went on to play for the University of Georgia. He averaged 21.6 points per game over his three seasons with the Bulldogs, and was the SEC’s player of the year in 1981. He was drafted third overall by Utah in the 1982 NBA draft, but was traded to Atlanta before ever playing a game for the Jazz. He never averaged fewer than 20 points per game after his rookie campaign, and earned the NBA scoring title in the 1985-86 season. Wilkins cemented himself as one of the best to ever play the game. His 26,668

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

career points rank 13th in history. The Hawks retired his No. 21 jersey and unveiled a statue of him in 2015. C.J. WILSON Visitors to Belhaven are greeted with a sign touting the small town’s prized son: Super Bowl XLV champion C.J. Wilson. He did it all — linebacker, defensive back, full back and lineman — for Northside High School. Wilson helped guide the Panthers to a meeting with rival Southside High School in the 2004 1-A regional championship and a 13-win campaign. However, his 6-foot4, 218-pound frame led to him being overlooked by college scouts. The Belhaven native’s only offer came from East Carolina University. He went on to appear in eight games as a true freshman, notching at least one sack in five of them. He eventually became a mainstay on the Pirate defensive line as he started all 28 games in his junior and senior seasons. Wilson was a seventh-round selection by Green Bay in the 2010 NFL draft. He signed a contract, and at the end of the season, started in the Packers’ 31-25 Super Bowl

win over Pittsburgh. Wilson went on to play in Oakland, Detroit, New Orleans and, most recently, Chicago. He has 123 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his seven-year career. He returns to Beaufort County and has organized an Easter event for children in Belhaven for the past few years. TERRANCE COPPER Terrance Copper’s football career took him from Washington to Greenville and then all over the United States. He has since returned to eastern North Carolina and currently operates the Premier Sports Academy in Winterville. As a Pam Pack receiver, Copper was named an honorable mention on USA Today’s All-American honors. The 2000 graduate finished his high school career as Washington High School’s all-time leader in catches (159) and receiving yards (2,826). Copper went on to enjoy a four-year career at East Carolina University. As a senior, Copper hauled in 87 receptions for 897 yards — leading Conference USA — and a pair of touchdowns. He had 139

BAM ADEBAYO

RYAN ZIMMERMAN

catches for 1,683 yards throughout his career with the Pirates. Even though he went undrafted, Copper’s career would continue when he signed a free-agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys. He went on to play in New Orleans, Baltimore and Kansas City before hanging up his cleats in 2013. Copper amassed 1,018 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 84 catches. He regularly returns to Washington to give speeches to Pam Pack players. He was spotted on the opposing sidelines at “Choppy” Wagner Stadium cheering on his son, North Lenoir running back Terrance Copper Jr., this past season. BAM ADEBAYO Edrice “Bam” Adebayo has some work to do to catch up to the accomplishments of Dominique Wilkins. He spent three years tearing up courts across eastern North Carolina, and can now be seen on ESPN terrorizing opponents in the NBA. Adebayo was the key component on the Northside High School team that reached the 1-A regional championship his junior

season. The five-star prospect finished his prep career at High Point Christian Academy before committing to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky. He averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 38 games for the Wildcats. He declared for the NBA draft shortly after his freshman season ended in the Elite Eight against North Carolina. The Pinetown product’s draft stock rose as the day approached. His dream was realized when he was drafted 14th overall by Miami. Adebayo is averaging just shy of 20 minutes per game in his rookie season. He’s contributing, on average, seven points and 5.4 rebounds each time out. He’s shown plenty flashes of brilliance with the Heat: his ability to guard many positions, athleticism and creativity on offense, and had seven double-doubles on the year as of press time. This is just the start. RYAN ZIMMERMAN The scoreboard in Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., shows the original Washington as the birthplace for Ryan

Zimmerman each time he steps up to bat. However, Zimmerman has never been to Washington. His parents lived in Plymouth in 1984 when he was born at Vidant Beaufort Hospital. He went on to live in Edenton and Virginia Beach before settling down for an MLB career in the nation’s capital. Zimmerman was a three-year starting shortstop at the University of Virginia. He went on to be the Nationals’ fourth-overall selection in the 2005 draft, making him the first pick after the franchise moved to D.C. The big leagues came knocking shortly thereafter. Zimmerman made his MLB debut in September 2005. He boasted a .397 batting average with six RBI and six runs in 20 games that year. Zimmerman has been a cornerstone for the Nationals since. He broke out as an elite player in 2009 when he earned the Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger Award and was selected to his first All-Star Game. There have been ups and downs over Zimmerman’s 13-year professional career. He enjoyed a resurgence last season, batting .303 and cranking a career-best 36 home runs.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

TRANSPORTATION TITAN VT Hackney a worldwide trucking industry WRITTEN BY JOE CORLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

VT Hackney, which has had a presence in Washington since 1946, long has been known for its production of truck bodies for beverage delivery and service vehicles. It also has a hand in a more vital transportation industry. “We’ve actually been building a version of emergency vehicles since the mid-1980s,” said John Thompson, the company’s vice-president for engineering. “We’d been building the body and then having someone else outfit it, and then we decided to move into the outfitting ourselves, probably in the early 1990s. “The percentage of our business that’s emergency vehicles changes some year to year, depending on how much money government has to spend on them. But we’ve been fairly consistent as far as the quantities from the mid-1990s to today, unless we happen to get one big contract from a state or something. Literally, we’re building probably an average of two to three a month.” All businesses are always looking for ways to diversify, and VT Hackney, which still does the bulk of its business in truck bodies for beverage delivery, is no exception. But the company, which also has facilities

NAME: VT HACKNEY LOCATION: 911 W. FIFTH ST., WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1946 EMPLOYEES: 200 JOBS: ACCOUNTING, IT, ENGINEERING, SALES, PRODUCTION

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kansas, wants to diversify in ways that make sense. “The key to your success is not deviating significantly into some totally different area,” Thompson said. “If it’s transportation-related, if it’s something we can do to help in that business, that’s what we’re looking to do.” VT Hackney, which has a fairly skilled workforce and also builds Kidron products at its plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, is a well-known name nationwide and worldwide. It has licensed assemblers in more than 30 foreign countries and sends kits to those locations for local assembly. “Wherever you go, you look at every truck to see if it has the Hackney brand or the Kidron brand, which are both under our umbrella,” Thompson said. “And there are some features, particularly on the Hackney, that differ from the competition, so it makes it easily recognizable.”

BEHIND THE MASK: One of VT Hackney’s longest-serving employees, Sam Blount has worked as a welder there for the past 40 years.

WASHINGTON PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

FARM TO TABLE Spoon River the place for artful dining WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY It wasn’t meant to be a destination dining experience. When Teresa and Mark Van Staalduinen opened Spoon River Artworks and Market, the focus was on art and local goods. But that didn’t last long. “The first month, I was thinking breakfast, lunch, some wine and cheese. … It was more a café-style restaurant, but before we knew it we were full on into this artful dining. I didn’t choose it. It chose me,” Teresa Van Staalduinen laughed. Now diners travel from great distances to have a meal at Spoon River, often staying overnight at one of Belhaven’s bed and breakfasts, then returning the next day for brunch. They come for excellent food and wine, local goods in its small market, to be immersed in the artful dining arrangements. Van Staalduinen’s arts background makes it a beautiful place to linger over a meal, filled with plates and cocktails that can be called works of art in their own right. But Spoon River also serves another purpose: if it can be bought from local growers, Spoon River is serving it. “Agriculture is dear to our heart. The concept of using what’s local and fresh is just so important to us,” Van Staalduinen said. “I don’t know why restaurants wouldn’t do it. I don’t know any other way to source our products. The money I spend with the local community, it recycles back into other businesses. The money is staying in your community.” From Petals and Produce in Pinetown to Captain Neill’s Seafood in Columbia, from Mark Van Staalduinen’s Terra Ciea Farms to Lane Angus in Raleigh, Van Staalduinen makes every effort to provide a local product and, if not, then North Carolina products. “It was always drilled into my head: ‘You’ve got to shop local,’” Van Staalduinen said. She’s counting on that as Spoon River expands to include event space and, across the street, a market that will make the local products Spoon River uses in its culinary creations available to the public.

NAME: SPOON RIVER ARTWORKS AND MARKET LOCATION: 263 PAMLICO ST., BELHAVEN ESTABLISHED: 2012 OF EMPLOYEES: 24 JOBS: OPERATIONS MANAGER, CHEF, SOUS CHEF, SERVERS, HOSTESSES, DISHWASHERS

Agriculture is dear to our heart. The concept of using what’s local and fresh is just so important to us.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

BELHAVE MEET THE CHEF: Two and a half years ago, Jullio Andre moved to the area from New Jersey to take on the role of executive chef at Spoon River Artworks and Market, where his culinary creations draw diners who appreciate the “artful” in artful dinings. PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

CROSSING GENERATIONS NAME: RADCLIFFE BOATWORKS LOCATION: US HWY. 264 EAST, BELHAVEN ESTABLISHED: 1984 NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 5 JOBS: BOAT FACTORY STAFF

RADCLIFFE BOATWORKS

thriving on family

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL PRUNKA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Radcliffe Boatworks — formerly known as Privateer Boat Company — has thrived since 1984 because of family. It, like so many other operations in the area, is small, but it earned a reputation of treating customers like the family that runs it. The boating industry is really all owner Terry Radcliffe has known. “You’ve got to love it. If you don’t, you’re just working so much,” he said. Family has helped Radcliffe stay in it. He said he would’ve gotten out of the business if not for his son, Bradley, coming to work with him. And business has been good. So good, in fact, that Radcliffe Boatworks had to move away from dealers and go to factory direct because it couldn’t make the boats fast enough. It also helps that Radcliffe Boats is the go-to destination for repair jobs with Privateer boats. Radcliffe estimated that 80 percent of the requests come from out of state. Their Privateer boats come from all over. They’re popular with government agencies

and universities. East Carolina University has a platoon of them, and the Smithsonian Institute uses them for their expeditions. “They always come back. We probably repair 15 a year that are from the '80s,” Radcliffe said. “We’ll make them look like a brand-new boat. … We’ve had some that went to a boat show. It was an ’81 model. The people wouldn’t believe it. They thought it was a brand-new boat.” Repairs can take two or three months. Radcliffe and company can make a new boat in about a month, but he said the process of rigging it can add on. His brother owns a marine parts dealership — Radcliffe Marine — and the aluminum work is done in Winterville and Farmville. “It’s a good feeling,” Radcliffe said. “You see them on TV. We’ve got a bunch in Morehead and Wilmington. One guy rides on one, and he comes here and wants one. ‘It’s the best riding boat I’ve ever rode on.’” Radcliffe Boatworks is, in a lot of ways, a model small business. It’s diligent in its work and relies on word-of-mouth.

BELHAVEN 22

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

Rely on our experts to keep you at your best Vidant Health directory for Beaufort County primary care and specialty services VIDANT BEAUFORT HOSPITAL Phone: (252) 975-4100

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Vidant Behavioral Health–Washington Phone: (252) 946-3666

CARDIOLOGY

Vidant Cardiology–Washington Phone: (252) 758-3211

FAMILY MEDICINE Vidant Family Medicine–Aurora Phone: (252) 322-4021 Vidant Family Medicine–Chocowinity Phone: (252) 946-9562 Vidant Family Medicine–Washington Phone: (252) 975-2667 Vidant Multispecialty Clinic–Belhaven Phone: (252) 943-0600

GASTROENTEROLOGY

Vidant Gastroenterology–Washington Phone: (252) 946-1573

HOME HEALTH AND HOSPICE

SURGERY

INTERNAL MEDICINE

Vidant Breast Clinic–Washington Phone: (252) 974-9256

Vidant Home Health and Hospice Phone: (252) 975-8330

Vidant Internal Medicine–Washington Phone: (252) 946-2101

ONCOLOGY

Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center Phone: (252) 975-4308

ORTHOPEDICS

Vidant Orthopedics–Washington Phone: (252) 946-6513

PHYSICAL AND SPEECH THERAPY

Vidant Beaufort Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation–Washington Phone: (252) 975-4395

PULMONOLOGY

Vidant Pulmonology–Washington Phone: (252) 974-7500

RHEUMATOLOGY

Vidant Rheumatology–Washington Phone: (252) 948-4990

To learn more, visit VidantHealth.com. Or, call 855-MYVIDANT (855-698-4326) for an appointment with a doctor near you.

Vidant General Surgery–Washington Phone: (252) 946-0181

UROLOGY

Vidant Urology–Washington Phone: (252) 946-0136

WELLNESS

Vidant Wellness Center–Washington Phone: (252) 975-4236

WOMEN’S CARE Vidant Women’s Care–Washington 1210 Brown Street Obstetrics and Gynecology Phone: (252) 975-1188 Vidant Women’s Care–Washington 1204 Brown Street Gynecology and Primary Care Phone: (252) 946-6544

MAIN STREET, MAINSTAYS

Customer service is key to a thriving downtown WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Businesses both large and small exist across the county, but nowhere is customer loyalty to homegrown businesses more evident than in downtown Washington. Like many downtowns in small, southern towns, the 1970s bid for new construction, malls, strip malls and more, decimated the traditional shopping districts. While many businesses flocked to the new, in Washington, there were several that stayed put, and today create the foundation of commerce on which a thriving downtown has been built. Started in the 1930s, in Bill Jackson's gas station, Bill’s Hot Dogs draws the hungry from across the state — even out of state. Known for their signature red hot dogs and spicy chili, Bill’s has occupied the same storefront on Gladden Street for the past 80 years. On any given day, the lunchtime line stretches out the door and down the street, as people wait their turn to order one “all the way:” mustard, onions and chili. The chili recipe remains a secret; though many have tried to duplicate it, its essence continues to be undefined. By far the oldest mainstay in downtown Washington is Stewart’s Jewelry Store, opened by Raymond Lee Stewart Sr. in 1908. The business has been passed down through the family, and today is owned by Betty Stewart, the third generation to take the Stewart reins in the past 110 years. For store manager Aaron Adams, the key to longevity is customers’ dedication to shopping locally and the personal touches that earn that dedication. “We sell a lot of jewelry because people can touch, feel it, try it on. I think you lose that in your larger stores or your mall stores. You’re just another number,” Adams said. Stewart’s is known for its beautifully wrapped gifts — Adams said he’s even had people visit the store from out of town, simply to see the place that wrapped a gift they received. “Wrapping is a thing of the past,” Adams said. “You’re not going to get that at a mall store.” The one common thread that runs in these small downtown businesses is commitment to customer service. “I’ve driven to Raleigh and delivered engagement rings. I’ve driven almost all the way to Virginia,” Adams laughed. “But if somebody wants something, and they can’t make it to the store, we’ll get it to them.” “The whole deal in a store this size, in a town like this, is

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

NAME: STEWART’S JEWELRY STORE LOCATION: MARKET STREET, WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1908 NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 6 JOBS: STORE MANAGER, BUSINESS MANAGER, SALES ASSOCIATES

NAME: RUSSELL’S MEN’S SHOP LOCATION: WEST MAIN STREET, WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1983 EMPLOYEES: 6, PLUS ONE OR TWO SEASONAL JOBS: SALES ASSOCIATES, SEAMSTRESSES

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

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PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

NAME: BIG BARGAIN FURNITURE LOCATION: WEST MAIN STREET, WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1961 EMPLOYEES: 7 JOBS: CHIEF SALES CLERK, DELIVERY EMPLOYEES

NAME: BILL’S HOT DOGS LOCATION: GLADDEN STREET, WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1928

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

customer service. People like that — ‘If we don’t have it, we’ll get it for you.’ People appreciate that. I think that’s one reason why our business is good,” said Russell Smith, who owns Russell’s Men’s Shop right around the corner from Stewart’s on West Main Street. Smith said he can’t count the number of times a customer has come in expecting to get a pair of dress pants for a next-day funeral, only to find those pants need to be altered before worn. Smith rolls with it, and with the help of on-call seamstresses, he makes sure those pants are delivered in time. “That’s what we do, and people don’t expect that — that’s just part of it,” Smith said. The same can be said of Rhonda Lyons, who carved out a section of the men’s store for women eight years ago, and has found great success. “It’s amazing the number of husbands who call, saying ‘I need a gift,’” Smith laughed. “Starting the ladies’ business has taken us to the next level, where I probably couldn’t have gone by myself. … Hopefully, in a few years, I’ll be working for her, instead of her working for me.” Though customer service is part of the sales equation, knowing his customers is equally important. “I know what I can sell. We know our customers, and I should probably say we know our limits, and we try to be affordable for people to shop here,” Smith said. There are shoppers who’ve been outfitted by Russell’s for decades; many come from Hyde and Pamlico counties where the menswear options are slim. Others, in a bid to get away from Greenville traffic, prefer to shop in a smaller town with a smaller business. Still others are visiting from far-off places. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t meet someone from out of town,” Smith said. Whether coming into town to shop from near or far, those customers know Russell’s too: “I do business almost every day before 9 o’clock. We’re open six days a week, and we’ve had the same regular hours for 35 years.” Right next door to Russell’s is Big Bargain

Furniture, which Billy Jefferson opened in 1961 with a $5,000 loan from the Bank of Washington. For many years, Jefferson didn’t have a calculator, so he tallied purchases on the back of paper bags or in his head. From its small beginning on East Main Street, Big Bargain Furniture is nearly 50,000 square feet of furniture filling up three West Main Street storefronts today. “I’ve been on Main Street for 70-plus years. I was in the fifth grade when I started with the Daily News,” Billy Jefferson said. “In the seventh grade, I came to work down here on the corner, a fruit market/grocery store, through high school. Then to J.K. Hoyt’s. I’ve been here a long time.” That longevity can be attributed to building relationships. “I think one thing really to mention, from dad’s humble beginnings, he learned how to treat people and how he wanted to be treated. Our customer service is secondto-none. He’s gathered all that stuff from being on Main Street. He’ll take the time to spin the extra story just to make people comfortable — to make them comfortable and welcome,” said Billy Jefferson’s son, Bill. Unlike chain stores, Big Bargain works with customers on orders, delivery and even billing. “We stock our merchandise; we’ll sell off the floor, and custom order and deliver it free of charge to your home,” Billy Jefferson said. “A lot of what we do is on a case-by-case basis because we’re building customers for life. We’re trying to build family and friends that will come back to us,” Bill Jefferson added. “Good feelings, word of mouth, social media, advertising — it all works hand-in-hand. We feel like that’s set us apart.” They’re the biggest mattress distributor in Washington; they pride themselves on quality products — Big Bargain furniture is better made and lasts longer than what’s found in big box stores. “The furniture you buy from us is going to be built to factory specifications,” Bill Jefferson said. And that’s made for 57 years of a good reputation, loyal customers, quality furniture and supporting other local businesses. “He really feels that helping other

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

BATH

CARVED OUT Art an outlet for Bath retiree WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

At the tender age of six, Earl Sheppard started carrying a knife in his pocket, but not for the reason one might suppose. By then, he’d already picked up a passion for carving, and it’s a skill he’s honed over the decades. “I started making a few crude things, and it started from there,” Sheppard said. It actually began with Westerns he’d watch as a boy; he saw the crude wooden spoons used to serve up supper on the trail, decided to try his hand at it and presented them to his mother for her meal-making approval. Many years later, there’s a collection of those wooden utensils displayed in the kitchen of the Post Road home he shares with his wife, Shirley, in Bath. Unlike similar ones found at the Historic Bath Site homes just minutes away, these get plenty of use in the Sheppard household. The house itself is a tribute to just how much

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

Sheppard loves to create art from wood: faces of Native Americans carved into asymmetrical slabs, remnants of tree bark making a frame; shorebirds hewn in one piece, beaks dipping into an imaginary beach; a tiny pair of boots, complete with leather laces; ducks, ranging from decoysized to those that nestle in the palm of the hand. Across a bridge spanning a spring-rain running ditch, Sheppard’s workshop is a short walk from the house. His projects fill the space — here, the hide canoe frame he’s building to decorate the stone wall above a large fireplace in his daughter’s home; there, a collection of tiny horse heads he’s carved from deer antlers. On one wall is a museum-worthy exhibit of early American farm tools; a backdrop to the table where a half-carved spoon awaits further carving. Past work, including a miniature replica of ax, chopping block

and wood pile, decorates a shelf; drawings of horses cover the wall beneath. He doesn’t build, carve or draw to make money; he gives his creations away — to family, to friends. “I have, in the past, sold a few things, but it got to be work, so I quit,” Sheppard, who is now retired from a career at Weyerhauser, said. While carving is his main focus, he does love a creative challenge. “I like to do just about anything, anything that catches my eye. … My biggest problem is I like to do so many things, I wind up doing nothing,” he laughed. The barn out back refutes that statement — it’s packed with projects, both past and future. It’s a tribute to ancient art of carving, but, ultimately, it’s Sheppard’s retreat. “It’s basically my own therapy,” he said. “I mean, I can go into my shelter, close the door and turn the world off.”

THE ARTIST’S ARTIST An artistic life on versatile display WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Pen and ink sketches. Textiles that evoke memories of mountain views. Whimsical watercolors. Bold and bright acrylics. Intricately carved stencils for printmaking and those prints. Penciled drawings of people and places. The Japanese art of Shibori. For a lifetime, Alice Stallings has been creating; her body of work a testament to someone who views the world as a canvas — her canvas. She’s always been an artist; her sister, as well. But in the 1970s, when Stallings was a stay-at-home mom of five, wife of Dr. Frank Stallings, art continued calling to her. She enrolled in art school at East Carolina University, and spent the next nine years taking two classes a semester. “I had done art all along but not as seriously until I got more training,” Stallings said. “I knew I needed it. I knew that I wouldn’t accomplish what I felt like I could. I knew I was missing something. What I did was when (the youngest) Emma got old enough to go to school, I sent the children off to school, then I would go over the East Carolina. And it was some of the happiest days of my life.” It was an artistic journey, and one that provided Stallings the quality for which she is known, and respected, among other artists. “It’s the variety of media that she uses. She really can do just about anything: pen and ink, painting. She does acrylic, oils, watercolors, printmaking,” said American Watercolor Society painter Pat Holscher. “I am impressed because she can handle so many things, so well. She’s just so versatile.” Ask any artist familiar with Stallings’ work and the same word comes up, over and over again: versatility. “Her interest wasn’t just focused on any one form. It was the principles of design,” said fellow artist Nancy Scoble. Scoble has spent the last year helping Stallings catalogue her work, for posterity, and for an upcoming retrospective at Arts of the Pamlico’s Turnage Theatre. “Sometimes we paint; sometimes we just open a box; sometimes we talk about her parents when they lived in Hawaii,” Scoble said. “It’s her sketchbooks

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

that got me, personally. I have art books on the shelves, and I pull them down and open them up — the ones by the masters. You can’t tell the difference between theirs and Alice’s. In five minutes (of drawing), she can tell the story of a person in five minutes. If we could just all have that. They’re very powerful to me.” Stallings’ work traditionally took a less prominent role in the local arts community compared to artists such as Holscher and renowned watercolorist Jeffery Jakub, but there’s a reason for that. She’s an artist’s artist, one deserving of the retrospective planned for October, according to Holscher. “She does things that a lot of people around here have not been exposed to so much. I don’t think there are a whole lot of people who can appreciate the art that she does, like her Bayeaux tapestries (prints). I think it’s probably the community’s way of recognizing her after all these years, because she hasn’t been in the public eye as much as, you know, Jeffrey and I — we do art that people relate to. For Alice, you have to have a certain degree of education or exposure, at least, to really appreciate what she does,” Holscher said. What she does is embark on every new artistic adventure, every new piece, no matter the medium, with a humble eye toward a greater goal. “I was trying to be a better artist. I knew that there was so much I could learn,” Stallings said. Those things she learned, she would gladly share, according to former Arts of the Pamlico Executive Director Joey Toler. Now Stallings’ support of other artists through the years has come around full circle, he said. “It was because of her we had the retrospective of Irene Glover Forbes, and I am so glad she got her own retrospective,” Toler said. For Toler, Stallings’ versatility — the ability to do so many things so well — not only defines her as an artist, but gives her a special place in the local arts community. “I think she’s one of the most significant artists to ever come out of Beaufort County,” Toler said.

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

ASHINGTON

AROUND THE WORLD Pacific Seacraft builds boats fit for a king WRITTEN BY MICHAEL PRUNKA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

Pacific Seacraft’s boats can be spotted sailing around the world. The luxury yachts aren’t really made to sail the shallow waters of the Pamlico River; they cost more than many homes in Beaufort County. That’s why Pacific attracts clientele from all over the world. Among its most notable customers is Jimmy Buffett. The famed musician had the Washington company build a $3 million, 48-foot Surfari last year. Buffett was quite involved in the process. Pacific Seacraft managing member Stephen Brodie said Buffett was on-site over a dozen times. Materials came from all over the world — South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Italy. “I think it was exciting for the employees to build for a celebrity,” Brodie said.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

Buffett and others make the voyage to Washington because of Pacific Seacraft’s reputation. Its vessels are built to be able to sail around the world. That product is rare, and the list of companies that custom builds these yachts from start to finish is even more so. “They’re very ruggedly built. They’re purpose built for long-range ocean crossing,” said Brodie. “We’re sort of on a short list for boats people get for long-term or even circumnavigations.” The company was founded in the mid-1970s. It relocated from California to Washington in 2007 for a number of reasons; one was that Brodie is a North Carolina native. “We bought the company and brought it

home,” Brodie said. “I’m a North Carolina boy. I grew up in Morrisville and came to school at East Carolina years ago, and just never left.” Pacific Seacraft is a relatively small operation, especially for a company that builds yachts from start to finish. It does everything from fiberglass molding to upholstery and electronics. To accomplish that with a 14-man staff, employees often wear many hats. “Most of our guys are cross-trained and do a lot of different things,” Brodie said. “One of the things that makes us unique as a company is the fact that we do almost everything in-house. The fact that we do it with 14 to 16 people is pretty rare.”

NAME: PACIFIC SEACRAFT LOCATION: 1481 W SECOND ST, WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 2007 IN WASHINGTON NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 14 JOBS: PRODUCTION MANAGER, CARPENTER, METAL FABRICATOR, ELECTRICIAN, PLUMBER, WOODWORKER, LAMINATOR, UPHOLSTER, FIBERGLASS TECHNICIAN

MANY HATS: Production manager Raul Olivares came with the company when Pacific Seacraft was moved from California to Washington in 2007. He’s been with the company for 20 years.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

MEGA-MADE NAME: AURORA FOSSIL MUSEUM FOUNDATION LOCATION: 400 MAIN ST., AURORA ESTABLISHED: 1978 EMPLOYEES: 4 JOB TYPES: DIRECTOR, EDUCATION, GIFT SHOP SALES, MUSEUM ASSOCIATE (OVERLAPPING DUTIES)

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

20 m

Carcharodon megalodon (maximum) Carcharodon megalodon (conservative) Rhincodon typus (average)

AURORA

Carchardon carcharius (average)

Beaufort County home to prized giant shark fossils WRITTEN BY JOE CORLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY People come literally from all around the world to visit one of Beaufort County’s smallest towns with a large goal in mind. There’s something visibly special about the Megalodon teeth unearthed in Aurora, and because of that, they’re a prized item on the bucket list of things to acquire for many collectors worldwide. “Most of the large teeth you find are black because they’re starting the oxidation process of breaking down, but these ones come right out of a unit that has just locked them in place,” said Cynthia Crane, director of the Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation. “They’re a tawny yellow and brown and are really pretty, and they’re in such pristine condition. You can cut yourself on the serrations.” The Megalodon plied the waters of what was once ocean covering eastern North Carolina. At an average of 60-feet

long and weighing more than 80 tons, these monsters of the deep were right at home in Beaufort County. While Megaldons no longer roam the local waters, the Aurora Fossil Museum keeps its memory, and fossils, in the spotlight. The museum celebrates its 40th birthday this year, opening a little more than 10 years after fossils first were discovered through riverbed mining for phosphate. The Smithsonian confirmed it as one of the richest fossil locations of its age and type in the world. The museum complex has multiple buildings, with the main museum showcasing fossils from the area. It was opened to share with the world the rich Pliocene-period fossil record that was discovered — the museum is the only one in the United States with a fossil park that’s directly derived from the mining

next door. “Kids just love coming here,” Crane said. “They love to run in and out of the museum and the different displays. It’s a very family and kid-friendly place.” The museum is privately owned, and admission is free. It gets funding from phosphate-mining company Nutrien, the state of North Carolina, Beaufort County, private donations and gift shop sales. Last year, 19,363 people visited, which was well above the goal of 17,000. Each year, the first visitor from each state receives an ornament with the museum logo, the state they’re from and the date. In 2017, all 50 states had been represented by June. There’s also a Fossil Festival, set for Memorial Day weekend, which draws about 12,000 people every year — many of them coming for a visit with the gigantic and extinct Megalodon.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL PRUNKA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

NAME: CARVER MACHINE WORKS

ASHINGTON

FAMILY FEELING

LOCATION: 129 CHRISTIAN CAMP SERVICE RD., WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1976 NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 38

JOBS: ENGINEERING STAFF, QUALITY STAFF, MACHINIST, WELDER, MECHANICS, STAFF, ADMINISTRATION

CMW prospering on dedication to customers, employees Carver Machine Works is no longer the family-owned operation it was when it opened 42 years ago. Still, the Washingtonbased machining company strives each day to maintain that same feeling. It’s more than a mantra. CMW puts its money where its mouth is by being completely employee owned. That detail embodies the continuing family-like atmosphere, and is the backbone of the top-notch quality of CMW’s work. “The fact that we’re 100-percent employee owned, what that drives is that people stay here for a long time. It’s more

than just getting a paycheck every Friday,” President and CEO Lindsey Crisp said. “It drives the extended tenure.” Longevity is a key to success for CMW. Employees are always on their toes because of the variety of projects that come through. Staying on board for years means that employees have the experience needed to tackle anything and everything. “The variety of jobs we see. It’s always a challenge. It’s something different every day. Also the people: we’ve got a good group of guys and women out here,” said manufacturing manager Jason McCarter,

who’s been with CMW for seven years. “They all have the same goals. We’re here to serve our customers. “I feel like it’s still very much a familyoriented business. Even though that was rolled out years ago, everybody, I feel, is still pretty close. We all look out for each other and take care of each other.” Day-to-day versatility is also one of the more enticing aspects of working with CMW. Employees across the board enjoy coming to work each day because of the lack of monotony. “It varies so much. It makes it interesting,”

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

machine shop and assembly lead man David Moore said. He’s worked at CMW for 11 years. A recent project he enjoyed was working on parts for the Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln. “There are just a lot of different things we do for government-contract work.” The future continues to look bright. Crisp says CMW anticipates getting more work from the defense industry. He’s also looking forward to growth in the industrial industry.

PRODUCTION FLOOR: DONALD “BURGER” KORZENIEWSKI WORKS AS THE FABRICATION LEAD/FABRICATOR AT CARVER MACHINE WORKS, A ROLE HE’S HELD FOR EIGHT YEARS.

Renee Sprink Photography

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PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

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PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

WASHINGTON

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Coeur, Inc. aleader in high-pressure syringes NAME: COEUR, INC. LOCATION: 209 CREEKSIDE DRIVE., WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1998 EMPLOYEES: 175 JOBS: INJECTION MOLDING, MEDICAL DEVICE ASSEMBLY, PACKAGING

QUALITY EMPLOYEE: Quality Inspector Sheinita Blount has been with Coeur, Inc., a medical product brand of ITW Medical, for 27 years.

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

WRITTEN BY JOE CORLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY The reach of ITW Medical is felt worldwide. From its Coeur, Inc. product plant on Creekside Drive in Washington, ITW ships its products to a sterilization plant in Richmond, Virginia, and from there to points far and wide. “We certainly have a heavy presence in North America, but we ship to China, to Europe and Australia,” plant manager Tim Barrett said. “We literally ship all over the world.” In Washington, the company chiefly makes syringes for CT scans, MRIs and angiograms. They’re not typical syringes, in that they’re not handheld. They are high-pressure syringes that are loaded onto power injectors to push dye or contrast through the body, aiding in the search for blockages, tumors or soft-tissue damage. Two syringes are hooked to a 5-foot coil, with one pushing the dye and the other pushing a saline chaser. When Barrett came to Washington in 2000, the plant employed about 50 workers and made non-medical parts, including things such as lawnmower chutes for Snapper and Hamilton Beach blender jars. “Over my first couple of years we were here, we slowly got rid of all the non-medical stuff and brought the medical stuff in,” Barrett said. “We’re 100-percent medical now.” Coeur, Inc. now employs 175 workers, with about 40 percent being skilled labor. From a sales perspective, the plant is about seven times bigger now than it was when Barrett arrived. It had a 21-percent top-line sales growth last year. “Our business is really growing, and we’re looking at plans from expansion in the next year or two,” Barrett said. Along the way, ITW Medical has worked with Beaufort County Community College, Beaufort County Economic Development and the Committee of 100, among others. “We did a national certification in plastics with (BCCC) several years ago,” Barrett said. “We’ve gotten some grants along the way working with (Beaufort County Economic Development. Martyn Johnson is very good, and before that Tommy Thompson.”

COMMUNITY CARE Medical care for locals by locals a continuing tradition WRITTEN BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY VANSANT

NAME: VIDANT BEAUFORT HOSPITAL LOCATION: EAST 12TH STREET, WASHINGTON ESTABLISHED: 1958 EMPLOYEES: 800-PLUS JOBS: ADMINISTRATION, DOCTOR, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, NURSE PRACTITIONER, NURSE, NURSE AID, FOOD SERVICE, MAINTENANCE, RESPIRATORY THERAPIST, CARDIO TECHNICIAN, PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT, MEDICAL LAB TECHNICIAN, SPEECH THERAPIST, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, SOCIAL WORKERS, MATERIALS MANAGEMENT, CLERICAL, PATIENT ACCESS SERVICES, SURGICAL TECH, RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, DIETITIAN, MEDICAL CODERS, HUMAN RESOURCES, MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, FUNDRAISING, CASE MANAGEMENT, PHARMACIST, MEDICAL ASSISTANT.

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

Two generations have been born at the hospital in Washington — it turns 60 this year. Those six decades have been eventful. It started its life as Beaufort County Hospital, transitioned to Beaufort County Medical Center in 2008, and once it became a part of University Health Systems (now Vidant Health) in 2011, it became Vidant Beaufort Hospital in 2012. In that time, the facility

has undergone eight major expansions: the largest, a 31,000-square-foot addition in 2008; the latest, a new emergency department, opening in the fall of this year. It’s become home to a respected cancer center that offers both chemotherapy and radiation, and employs more than 800 people, between the hospital and Vidant’s physician-based practices.

Vidant Beaufort handles more than 23,000 emergency department visits a year; more than 25,000 outpatient visits. Local practices under Vidant count nearly 106,000 visits per year. None of those stats are what makes Vidant Beaufort unique, however. Instead, it’s more personal: local providers caring for local patients. It’s something on which the hospital prides itself—the number of

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people born and raised in Beaufort County who come back to work in its hospital. “Providing excellent care for our friends, family and neighbors and being a great employer are our top priorities,” said Vidant Beaufort Hospital President Harvey Case. “I love that people who are from this community choose to stay close to home to work and that speaks well to our employees’

dedication to our community.” Jennifer Mitchell, manager of surgical services, is proof of that. Mitchell received her bachelor’s of nursing from East Carolina University in 2000; she’s been with Vidant Beaufort for 14 years. “I take a lot of pride in coming back home to work. I was born in this hospital, I had both of my children here and love the family-feel atmosphere that our hospital offers,” Mitchell

said. “Working at Vidant Beaufort gives me the opportunity to help take care of the community that I love so much.” She’s not the only one, as the portrait shows — pictured are just a small sample of Vidant Beaufort employees who were born in Beaufort County, raised in Beaufort County and are now carrying on the tradition of caring for the community at Vidant Beaufort Hospital.

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CHOCOWINITY

NEW LIFE NAME: ICONIC MARINE GROUP LOCATION: WHICHARDS BEACH ROAD, CHOCOWINITY

MANY ROLES: Tommy Respass has been with Fountain Boats, now Iconic Marine Group, for 30 years. Respass wears many hats as a manager, overseeing the metal shop, Plexiglas, hoses, rigging, wire and harnesses and powdercoating.

ESTABLISHED: 2016 EMPLOYEES: 130 JOBS: ENGINEERING, FABRICATION, SALES, MARKETING, PRODUCTION

Iconic Marine Group stirring up the Pamlico waters WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

The 2008 recession hit a number of industries hard, boat building among them. The demand for high performance boats sank; locally, Fountain Boats suffered and its fate seemed unknowable. But those days are long past, thanks to the investment of Fred Ross, the formation of Iconic Marine Group and its production of three premium brands: Baja, Donzi and Fountain at the original Fountain facility on Whichards Beach Road in Chocowinity. “We started to recruit operation talent, supply chains talent, various tier leadership positions. We’ve doubled our workforce in a year. We’ve developed a distribution chain of dealers around the country for the brands. We’re bringing out a new boat for each quarter for the next two years. We’re not taking anything away,” said Iconic COO Joe Curran. “It’s not just lip service, we’re

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

trying to build a world-class organization here.” Curran said eastern North Carolina’s rich history in boat building and its already existing workforce were key parts of the decision to invest here, but the tipping point was Fountain itself. “The biggest reason is the history of the facility itself and the location. I mean Reggie Fountain built a heck of a company over the years,” Curran said. “Any brand that’s been around for 30-40 years, it’s got a following, and Reggie’s part of our team. We recruited him back into the fold as a consultant. Being in the industry for 30 years, you know, he’s a celebrity. … There are probably about only a dozen people in the industry that have affected how people go boating, and Reggie’s one of them.” Iconic has adopted Fountain’s motto

through the years, applying it to each line: the fashion brand of Donzi, the highperformance boats of Fountain and the more affordable performance boats of Baja. “Fastest, safest, smoothest, best handling boats on the water — that culture is there. It’s part of the brand. Whether it’s a cruiser or an off-shore fishing boat, that’s the mantra,” Curran said. As to which is his favorite, Curran’s passion for the work makes it impossible to choose. “All boats have different personalities. They do. I’ve owned companies, and I’ve directed companies, from motor yachts to pontoon boats, and everything between. It’s hard to nail it down with me because I’m just like a kid in a candy store,” Curran laughed.

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JUNE 28, 2018 PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

FEEDING THE FUTURE

COMPANY: NUTRIEN LOCATION: N.C. HIGHWAY 306, AURORA ESTABLISHED: 1964 EMPLOYEES: 850-PLUS JOB TYPES: MECHANICAL, WELDING, CHEMICAL AND

RETAIL SIDE: Location manager Doug Black has been with Crop Production Services for 22 years. CPS is the Belhaven/Pantego retail arm of Nutrien.

MANAGERIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, APPRENTICESHIP AND PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

AURORA

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, HEAVY EQUIPMENT,

From fertilizer to the fizz in soda, Nutrien a diverse company WRITTEN BY JOE CORLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Among the items produced in Beaufort County by Nutrien is something many people consume daily and probably never think about. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted from 2011-14, nearly 60 percent of American youth and 50 percent of American adults consumed at least one soft drink per day. A key ingredient of soft drinks is purified phosphoric acid, which is produced at Nutrien’s location in Aurora. Nutrien is the for merly named PotashCorp. The merger between PotashCorp and Agrium became official in early January, and the company now is known as Nutrien. “We’re excited about Nutrien and the

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

synergies that make the merger a good fit, like with our retail location in Belhaven, for example,” said Ray McKeithan, manager of public and government affairs. “Our phosphate ore, and the products that come from it are of the highest quality.” Nutrien is the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services, playing a critical role in helping growers increase food production in a sustainable manner. It produces and distributes more than 25 million tons of potash, nitrogen and phosphate products worldwide. The operations at Aurora are adjacent to the Pamlico River and have been in use since 1964. More than 850 people work there, making it one of Beaufort County’s largest employers. The mine, along with

previously mined areas, chemical plants and other operations, encompasses 12,000 acres. In addition, the facility owns or leases another 70,000 acres, some used for wetland mitigation. For every wetland acre mined, two acres of wetlands are replaced. Thus far, 8,600 acres of wetlands have been restored or created. “Our diverse product portfolio supports agriculture and many other uses,” McKeithan said. “Local operations a re f o cused o n sa f e operations , environmental stewardship, quality products and community support. By operating in a sustainable manner, we support Nutrien’s mission of Feeding the Future.”

AURORA

Beaufort County United Way

217 N. Market St. Washington, NC 27889 252.946.2144 x248

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News

BEAUFORT COUNTY

BUSINESS HERE’S D R A C Y M

For your many sides,�there’s Nationwide®. AUTO

HOME

LIFE

BUSINESS

CAPELLI SALON

Accepting new clients Call today for an appointment 974-2112 211 N. Market Street | Downtown Washington PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

HERE’S MY CARD

LEO LEE | 252-948-2323 1212 W 15th St, Washington, North Carolina 27889

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

HERE’S MY CARD

Ryan Whitford 252-946-3904 700 W. 15th St. Washington, NC

236844

1121 Walmart Dr. Williamston, NC

The Areaʼs Largest Staff Of Local Registered Pharmacists & Certified Pharmacy Technicians.

601 E. 12th St. Washington, NC Near The Hospital • 252-946-4113 Neighbors serviNg Neighbors... siNce 1889

1 NIGHT A WEEK DEGREE PROGRAMS FOR ADULT STUDENTS 844-UMO-GOAL • www.umo.edu

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HERE’S MY CARD

LENOIR

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1-844-294-0999

CRAVEN

HERE’S MY CARD

BEAUFORT COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

5337 Highway 264 East, Washington, NC 27889 • 252-946-6194 100 NC Hwy 32 North, Roper, NC 27970 • 252-741-9090 33460 US Highway 264, Engelhard, NC 27824 • 252-925-3451

www.beaufortccc.edu

ADVERTISERS INDEX BCCC, 26 Beaufort Co Economic, 47 Beaufort County United Way, 49 Beaufort Equipment, 27 Beltone, 11 Bertie Ambulance, 47 Big Bargain Furniture, 4 Bill's Hot dogs, 38 Carryout by Chrislyn, 27 Coldwell Banker Coastal Rivers, 7 & 31 Century, 21 & 41 Coastal Carolina Airport, 27 Country Boys Auction, 49 Edwin Lewis, 47 Executive Personnel Group, 50 Feyer Ford, 56 Gerard Seed Company, 50 Gregory Poole, 27 John Tate, 27

Mauri Evans State Farm, 38 NCWorks, 50 On The Waterfront, 26 Quality Tires & Service, 49 River Forest Manor, 40 Robinson's Jewelers, 11 Ryan Whitford Assurevest/Allstate, 40 Spoon River, 6 Tayloe's Pharmacy, 41 The Rich Company, 8 University of Mt. Olive, 38 Vidant Beaufort Hospital, 5 Vidant Medical Group, 23 Washington Chamber of Commerce, 49 Washington Montessori Public Charter School, 6 Watsi Sutton, 47 WHDA, 2 Wine And Words, 47

MADE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY

You Belong Here!

PROFILE 2018 – Washington Daily News

PROFILE 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Washington Daily News