Greater Wilmington Business Journal - July 2 Issue by Greater Wilmington Business Journal / WILMA magazine

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July 2 - 15, 2021 Vol. 22, No. 13

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REGION IN FOCUS

PENDER COUNTY

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PARK PLACE: Officials update Pender County Industrial Park’s master plan

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BURGAW BIZ: Chamber of commerce head helps guide members through pandemic effects

Index Banking & Finance .............................4-5 Health Care ........................................6-7 Economic Development.......................... 8 In Profile...............................................11 Real Estate ..........................................12 The List ..........................................13, 14 Business of Life.............................. 18-19

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Landing deals: Allan Fox (left) and Glenn Imboden, commercial real estate brokers with Coldwell Banker Commercial Sun Coast Partners, were recently involved in the sale of more than 1,000 acres in southern Pender County.

REGION IN FOCUS PENDER COUNTY

EYES ON GROWTH EXPANSION ONGOING, ON THE HORIZON FOR SOUTHERN PENDER COUNTY BY CECE NUNN eal estate brokers Glenn Imboden and Allan Fox know firsthand the growth that has emerged and is on the way in southern Pender County, particularly in an area just over the New Hanover County line. “When I started in commercial real estate in 2012, I lived in Surf City, and still live in that area, and had to drive the commute to Wilmington,” Imboden said. “Porters Neck [in northern New Hanover] was starting to get filled up. The new NHRMC emergency room and Atlantic SurgiCenter were reasonably

new in Scotts Hill, and I knew that a group of doctors owned all that land there and that it would be an area of future growth. When you drive past it twice a day, every day, you see things that others may not see initially.” These days, present and future growth in southern Pender County is evident to most real estate professionals, residents and local officials as they anticipate how to accommodate expansion and the inevitable need for more infrastructure in Scotts Hill and nearby communities, including Hampstead. “I think the demand being there is obviously the location,” said Fox, who along with Imboden is with Wilmington-based Coldwell Banker Commercial Sun Coast Partners. “You’re close to the Porters Neck area. You’re in the coastal part of Pender, which also gets you into

Topsail school district, which I know is a highly sought-after place to be for education.”

SCHOOL FACTOR

In a major example of a growth factor, overcrowded schools could continue to impact some proposed Pender County development in the short-term. According to a recent missive from the county’s planning staff recommending denial of a project’s zoning request, “the school system does not currently have the capacity to serve the proposed development, nor are there any plans currently adopted to increase capacity in the system at this time.” The statement refers to a Wilmington-based developer’s request for a conditional zoning map amendment for a mixed-use project on about See PENDER, page 10

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| FROM WILMINGTONBIZ.COM | This is a sampling of stories from the Business Journal’s Daily Update. Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com.

With gift, Wilson Center to undergo expansion Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center will undergo an expansion with a new addition accessible from its lower lobby, according to a recent announcement. The expansion project will be initiated thanks to a $500,000 donation from lead donors Henry and Roya Weyerhaeuser. The preliminary design of the project involves expansion into the existing lower lobby space and into a portion of the existing courtyard. A timeline has not been announced. The expansion was designed by LS3P, the local architecture firm that designed the Wilson Center, which opened in 2015. Among the new features of the addition include a special event space and donor lounge, expanded student office space and Guest Services facilities, lobby support space and the relocation of Ticket Central to a more visible and accessible location, the release stated.

Businesses moving to new Autumn Hall buildings Three more businesses are joining the mix at Autumn Hall in Wilmington, where work is underway on new buildings and future development plans include office space, apartments and a hotel. Wilmington-based commercial real estate firm Cape Fear Commercial announced three leases totaling nearly 18,600 square feet in the latest phase of Autumn Hall. Union Bank, Bill Clark Homes and SEPI Engineering & Construction have signed on to be the first tenants in the 25,655-square-foot, class A office building dubbed “Building 2” by developers. “Union Bank and Bill Clark Homes will occupy the first floor of the building while SEPI has leased space on the second floor,” the Cape Fear Commercial news release stated. “All three tenants are well-established businesses within the region and are relocating from their current locations on Military Cutoff Road, Racine Drive and New Centre Drive, respectively.” Site work has begun for Building 2, which is expected to be complete

in spring 2022, the release stated. The project is across from Building 1, a 19,000-square-foot structure under construction at the corner of Autumn Hall Drive and Eastwood Road, according to the release.

CFCC gets $4M grant for inmate workforce training Cape Fear Community College has received a nearly $4 million grant to ready prisoners for the workforce. The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that the college was among several recipients in a round of grants totaling more than $85.5 million. “For Cape Fear Community College, this is our largest grant ever that we have received,” CFCC President Jim Morton said. The three-year grant will help support education and training for at least 400 inmates in correctional institutions in New Hanover and Pender counties, as well as pre-and post-release case management, administrative support services and instructors for the grant program, Morton said.

TOP-READ STORIES ONLINE Here are the most popular stories for June 18 - 25 from the Business Journal’s website. 1. Couple plans restaurant at former Booty's Soul Food property 2. Oleander Drive office and retail complex fully leased, sold out 3. $1M donation to GLOW announced 4. T hree businesses moving to Autumn Hall as more development planned 5. Senior living apartments under construction in Leland area 6. W ilson Center to undergo expansion 7. F ormer Vertex CEO files for bankruptcy 8. H omebuilder to share plans for South College Road property 9. W ith $500K donation, Wilson Center expansion to include special event space, donor lounge 10. A merican Airlines adds more days to Boston nonstop To read more, go to wilmingtonbiz.com

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| BANKING & FINANCE |

Costs impacting construction loans A re uncertainties in construction materials costs, supply chains and the labor market putting the squeeze on construction loans these days? “While it’s important to call out that prices have started to come down, material costs and labor challenges have factored into the lending landscape for residential and commercial construction,” said Spence Broadhurst, regional market executive and president JENNY of FNB’s Eastern Carolina Region. “Some estimates indicate that lumber prices alone have added between $10,000 and $15,000 in per-unit costs to new multifamily construction projects. “At the same time, we are in an extremely active market that is flush with excess capital and liquidity, and

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many businesses are ready to take on construction projects to expand,” Broadhurst added. “In Wilmington, this is especially true in the industrial space and for both multifamily and single-family housing, where high demand for inventory has been accelerated by the pandemic.” Mark Johnson, Wilmington market executive with Dogwood State Bank, said that while most of his bank’s commercial borrowers are moving ahead, there have been some setbacks. “I spoke with somebody today,” he said recently. “There is a piece of property they were going to purchase three or four months ago, but somebody else bought it. The broker called him back today and asked if he was still interested because the cost of construction had made the other party back out. “We’re beginning to hear of some projects that are perhaps delayed, or people who are backing out of capital improvement projects,” Johnson continued. “However, on

the industrial side, the material [of concern] is usually steel, not lumber. Many buildings going up now put their steel orders in months ago so, fortunately, they are moving forward with their projects.” Johnson pointed to recent news that the cost of lumber and some other materials is declining. “I read today that those costs are going to come down a little more. If that information is accurate, then great,” he said. “Things will turn pretty quickly.” In the meantime, FNB is looking for solutions for borrowers, according to Broadhurst. “We are working with borrowers to structure deals that account for fluctuations in materials costs. Many borrowers are sitting on pent-up equity that they may inject to cover the added expenses, or we may look to build in contingencies if costs even further exceed expectations,” he said. “To counterbalance uncertainty, we also advise clients to take steps to control what they can – and right

now, that could include locking in historically low interest rates with a swap to make the cost of financing more predictable.” Those low interest rates may be a factor in keeping area construction in a “boom stage,” said Bill Scott, a mortgage specialist with Corning Credit Union in Wilmington. “The cost of building is mitigated [by the low rates],” he said. Scott also believes that builders are giving their customers good information. “I think the builders have got a pretty good handle on what’s been thrown at them; circumstances that are sometimes changing every day. They are telling folks up front [about possible delays], so people are aware in that respect. If a home is already under construction, there usually are not too many delays because of inability to get materials.” Scott said that Corning’s construction borrowers are seeing their homes completed well within the standard 12-month loan period. As to spiking

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| BANKING & FINANCE | costs, there’s nothing the lender can do to increase the amount of a loan once it has closed, so the borrower must be responsible for additional monies in the short term, he said. But that changes once construction is complete. “Once everything is settled and done, we can help [address the cost overrun] with a personal loan or a home equity loan,” he said. It’s not just low interest rates that are helping borrowers weather higher costs and keep the project cost within the original appraised value. If a borrower already owns the lot, the increased value of that land can give them more financial leverage, says Ashley Weninger, a mortgage banker with South State Bank in Wilmington. “We [finance] a lot of custom home builds,” she said. “Most of our customers already own their lot and have a lot of equity in it. The value of the lot is boosting the value of the home. Appraised values have held up pretty well; so far we have not had any appraisal issues.” With higher-end homes, price is still a concern, especially with the high cost of lumber, but, says

Weninger, most builders are good at including in a contingency reserve and cost cushion, and most custom-home borrowers expect cost overruns and have made provision for those. “We have had some borrowers ask if there is any way we can increase the loan amount, but we’re not seeing people say ‘We’re just not going to build.’ Most are going forward anyway.” Broadhurst noted that creativity and flexibility on the part of bankers and borrowers is essential. “As an example, our Builder Finance division is seeing clients get creative by using more efficient floor plan designs and by waiting longer in the project cycle to list and price homes to be sure they have an accurate gauge of their cost and margin,” he said. “With continued high consumer demand for homes, we may allow homebuilders in this type of scenario to finance additional new homes that are not yet under contract, enabling them to continue growing their business while mitigating risks associated with the current high volatility of material costs.”

Apiture platform aims to help underserved market Apiture is involved in an effort to provide banking services to reach an underserved market. In February, the Wilmington-based financial technology company announced a partnership with ALTA Banking Services to launch ALTA’s new banking platform and the ALTA Prepaid Mastercard. The new package uses Apiture’s Xpress digital banking platform. Based in Rancho Cordova, California, ALTA Banking was founded in 2019 by financial services administrators with expertise in social needs. ALTA is “on a mission to make banking services available to everyone by offering Apiture’s online and mobile solutions to consumers who traditionally may not qualify for a bank account,” officials stated in a news release. Co-founder Jack Fargen cited a CNBC report that 25% of U.S. households are un-banked or under-banked, and that for more than half of those households, a lack of money to open an account was the main obstacle. “There are millions of Ameri-

cans who have situations that make opening a bank account a difficult or impossible task,” he said in the release. “We believe that every person should have the tools to access, save, and manage their money, so we decided to partner with Apiture to create our first banking service for this under-banked community.” Thanks to Apiture’s platform, ALTA has been able to launch banking services that don’t require minimums and have no fees for direct deposit customers. For no cost, customers can open a new account and have access to the online and mobile channels that allow them to manage their money. Since the launch, Apiture has continued to work with ALTA to understand the unique needs of banking customers who don’t have access to the traditional banking system, Apiture COO Chris Cox said recently. “Apiture’s Xpress banking platform is designed to be flexible to support new and innovative business models, and we look forward to continuing to work with them, and others, to ensure clients are well served through digital banking channels.”

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| HEALTH CARE |

Novant on transparent pricing mandate BY NEIL COTIAUX n Jan. 1, hospitals across North Carolina and the rest of the country began adapting to a new federal pricing transparency rule designed to provide the public with a clearer picture of what they might end up paying for their medical care. The rule, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), requires all U.S. hospitals to install on their website a “comprehensive machine-readable file” containing a list of standard charges for all items and services and also to display at least 300 “shoppable” services unless the hospital offers fewer than that amount. The rule intends to help individuals and families avoid billing surprises, better manage household budgets and spur comparative shopping among consumers. The agency told hospitals that it would monitor their websites, evaluate any complaints it received, request corrective action if needed and impose a civil penalty of $300 per day if a hospital failed to

PHOTO C/O NHRMC

Price check: Individuals in NHRMC’s service area who want to use the price estimator should access the NHRMC website.

follow the new directives. In a backstop to federal regulators, the state attorney general’s office shared an open letter with hospital administrators on June 2, asking

them to provide proof that they have taken the transparency rule seriously. Hospital responses were due by June 30. Some health care providers,

including Novant Health, believe the transparency rule was well-intentioned but could prove counterproductive for consumers. “While this rule is meant to make health care costs easier for patients to understand, some components of the rule actually make it more confusing,” said Melonie O’Connell, Novant Health’s vice president of pricing strategy, in a company podcast. Standard charges to be posted are based on the rates that a hospital negotiates with third-party payors and include five types of charges: the gross charge; discounted cash price; the payor-specific charge that a hospital negotiated with an insurer for an item or service; and the lowest and highest charges that a hospital has negotiated with third-party payors. “If you used the file required by CMS to search for a common procedure, you’d find data that breaks it down by CPT code and charge by payor. But none of that information is what a patient will actually pay to receive care,” O’Connell said.

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| HEALTH CARE | In the lead-up to CMS’s adoption of its rule, the agency received “many” public comments saying that disclosure of negotiated rates reached by hospitals and third parties “could encourage price fixing and facilitate hospital collusion, causing prices to rise and thus harming consumers.” Still, the agency said, its new rule would provide “particular benefits for consumers who we believe have a right to know the cost of hospital services before committing to them and to be able to shop for the best value care and for employers who purchase healthcare for their employees.”

COST ESTIMATES AND NAVIGATORS

In addition to posting standard charges, Novant Health chose to take advantage of a provision in the rule that allows hospitals to forgo posting hundreds of shoppable services in favor of providing customers with an online cost-estimate tool. That web-based tool helps individuals arrive at a tentative out-of-pocket cost for the specific care they will receive. Estimates are available free to both patients and other members of the public at NovantHealth.org/

CostEstimates. Because the Novant Health and New Hanover Regional Medical Center websites have not yet merged following Novant’s February acquisition of the Wilmington hospital, individuals in NHRMC’s service area who want to use the price estimator should access the NHRMC website at nhrmc.org/patients/insurance-billing/pricing-information. “You do not need to be an existing Novant patient to take advantage of the information offered by the tool,” a Novant Health spokesperson said. “The online price-estimator tool is powered by a handful of different data sets, including the lists of negotiated rates with insurers for each of our facilities,” a company statement said. “It also takes into account an individual’s insurance coverage along with other factors that may impact the cost of their care like where they are during their plan year, whether or not they’ve met their deductible and what their out-of-pocket maximum is.” FAQs posted on Novant Health’s website underscore the message that the price estimator does not provide a firm and final cost of service. “The price estimator uses a Real

“

The best way for patients to understand what they will pay for care is to work with their insurer and with our dedicated financial navigator team.” - NOVANT HEALTH FAQS ON ITS PRICE ESTIMATOR

Time Eligibility check using your current insurance coverage,” one entry says. “However, this information can only provide the Novant Health facility fees and does not include physician or ancillary fees – like anesthesia. The best way for patients to understand what they will pay for care is to work with their insurer and with our dedicated financial navigator team.” Novant’s navigators are prepared to answer questions regarding use of the price estimator, how patients can work with their insurer prior to any service or procedure and what

financial assistance may be available to them. In 2020, Novant navigators assisted about 5,800 customers. As of June 15, 3,400 had been assisted, on pace to top last year’s count.

BARRIER TO ACCESS?

A March 22 story in The Wall Street Journal identified Novant Health as one of hundreds of hospitals that embedded code in their websites to prevent search engines from displaying the raw data found in their lengthy standard charges lists. In its final rule, CMS does not explicitly bar hospitals from using such code, simply saying that pricing data must be “prominently displayed.” “Our initial use of this code was to help ensure that when a consumer conducts a search to estimate their cost-of-care, they land on the more useful, accurate price-estimator tool versus the complete charge list. Unfortunately, that has been misconstrued as an attempt to hide price information from consumers. This was never the intent. As of April 2, this code has been removed from our website,” the health system said in response to an inquiry from the Business Journal.

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REGION IN FOCUS: PENDER COUNTY

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Industrial park gaining momentum

conomic developers are working to bring more business to the Pender Industrial Park. An update to the master plan for the park, located in Burgaw, was completed in February, said Scott Satterfield, CEO of Wilmington Business Development (WBD), the economic development organization serving WilmCHRISTINA HALEY ington and New Hanover and Pender counties. WBD and Four County Electric Membership Corp. started working with engineering firm Thomas & Hutton late last year on the update, he said. Now that it is complete, economic developers, along with Pender County, the town of Burgaw and other corporate partners are using the plan to continue to market the Pender Industrial Park to generate jobs and investment in the region, Satterfield said. “Light manufacturing and food processing are amongst our targets for the Pender Industrial Park,” he said. “The proximity to major players in the ag industry differentiates this park from other regional product that we market.” Pender Industrial Park, different from Pender Commerce Park, currently has about 115 acres available to build on. Land within the park is all privately owned, and there are various tracts located at the site. “All existing buildings at the Pender Industrial Park are occupied, but there is significant acreage available for new industrial development,” Satterfield said. Existing industries there include American Skin, Packaging 151 Co., Phoenix Molded Plastics, Mojotone, Wilmington Box Co., Niels Jorgensen Co., Windsor Fiberglass and Cardinal Foods. Earlier this year, Cardinal Foods announced that it would expand its facility, 201 Progress Drive, by 56,000 square feet to grow its food processing business. At the time, officials said the investment would make Cardinal Foods one of the largest sweet potato fry manufacturers in the world. “It’s very exciting to see the industrial momentum in the Burgaw market. It’s not limited to the Cardi-

O’NEAL

MAP C/O WILMINGTON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Marketing tool: An updated master plan helps sell Pender Industrial Park.

nal Foods expansion announcement either,” Satterfield said. “There are fantastic niche manufacturers in Burgaw … really some of the Greater Wilmington region’s most interesting and unknown success stories … this is really becoming a strong industrial cluster and destination for worldclass operations.” Another key to this park is having the availability of sites that have the infrastructure needed to attract industry. The Pender Industrial Park meets several checkmarks, including water and sewer and electric and fiber lines, Satterfield said. “We feel that we are in the best position we’ve been in many years on that front,” he said. The park and the updated plan adds to a growing network of available sites and buildings that are in the region for industry recruitment. “The name of the game is providing multiple options,” Satterfield added. “Each client/prospect has specific needs and specific interests. Some may be attracted to proximity to downtown Wilmington, the port, airport, etc. For others it’s about a workforce that can support a niche manufacturing base, the desire to be near business partners, or competitively priced land. The list goes on and on of potential influencing factors when making a relocation or expansion decision.”

American adds to Boston nonstop; travel rebounds The Wilmington International Airport’s new nonstop route to Boston has taken flight and is on an expanded schedule. The American Airlines’ nonstop service between ILM and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is running five days a week, a change from the airline’s original plan to run a Saturday-only nonstop service, according to a news release. The BOS nonstop flights do not run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, said Gary Broughton, ILM’s deputy airport director, in an email. The nonstop flight began last month, adding to a growing number of routes and flight capacity by ILM’s three commercial airlines, American, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Many routes have been reinstated this year following an uptick in demand for flights, which are growing the number of travelers through ILM. “It does appear that due to pentup demand, our leisure travelers are anxious to return to normal vacation travel,” Broughton said. “The return of full business travel as well will certainly improve our passenger numbers. We are excited at this earlier-than-expected rebound.” The most recent passenger figures

for May show a stark increase in passengers year over year. Travelers in May totaled nearly 78,900, an increase from the nearly 14,400 passengers flying in and out of ILM in May 2020 during the early months of the pandemic. The May figures, however, are still down 21% from the more than 99,700 people traveling through ILM in May 2019. Airport officials say those figures are creeping back up to normal levels. “According to June trends, ILM’s passenger counts are hovering around 95-99% of 2019 levels,” the news release stated. “Passenger numbers are back to pre-COVID levels.” And to handle the extra foot traffic at ILM, the airport recently added a third TSA lane at its terminal that can be “opened at the TSA’s supervisor’s discretion,” officials said. The additional lane will help accommodate peaks in passenger screening demand at ILM.

Port to link to future Rocky Mount CCX terminal Port of Wilmington officials look to link to the Carolina Connector in Rocky Mount this year, opening the port’s rail connectivity to the Midwest. N.C. Ports officials are in the planning stages with Florida-based CSX Transportation to connect to the Rocky Mount facility this fall, said Hans Bean, N.C. Ports’ chief commercial officer. That connectivity could help provide more logistics options for exporters and importers. The Carolina Connector, or CCX, is under construction and is slated to be operational later this year. The CSX project, previously estimated at about $160 million, is being funded in part with up to $118 million in NCDOT funds for site development and roadway construction. “The details of the model and the product, those are still in a sense a work in progress with CSX. So, all that is not completed yet,” Bean said of the port’s CCX intermodal service, which will offer N.C. Ports another inland capability. “It will function as a gateway to the Midwest and an inland port for us for that northeast part of the state,” Bean said. “It’s twofold; one of the larger facets is that inland connectivity and to be able to also serve that region of the state with a new inland gateway like the Charlotte Inland Port.”

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Making a lasting impact in Coastal North Carolina At Bank of America, we have long been committed to advancing racial equality and economic opportunity in the communities where we work and live. Recognizing the urgency of the moment, we’ve expanded our longstanding efforts to drive progress by committing an additional $1.25 billion over five years to create opportunity for people and communities of color. By partnering with organizations here in Coastal North Carolina, we’re continuing to align our resources to help drive sustainable progress locally. Our investments and partnerships will help address critical issues and long-term gaps including: • connecting workers to new skills and enhanced job readiness • expanding affordable housing options for more people • ramping up lending and support to local small businesses • increasing access to healthcare and addressing food insecurity

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From PENDER, page 1

20 acres on the east side of U.S. 17 across from Christian Chapel Road. Being able to keep up with the pace of school enrollment is a big issue for Pender, officials said. “We’re over 10,000 students in our school system in Pender County now, and it continues to outpace our physical facilities so we’re continuing to look for land and we will be building schools as needed as indicated by the board of education,” said David Piepmeyer, a Republican who represents south Hampstead and Scotts Hill on the Pender County Board of Commissioners. A bond referendum could be in the county’s future, and new facilities could be situated on land in and around Scotts Hill that was recently purchased by Wilmington-based McAdams Homes, in a more than 1,000-acre deal where the seller was represented by Imboden and Fox. Adam Sosne, who owns McAdams Homes with Joe McKinney, said in June in a story about the 1,000-acre deal, “We have spoken to Pender County about potentially helping them with their future needs, whether or not that’s a school or school sites.”

RENDERING C/O JOHNSTON DESIGN GROUP

Adding options: A new commercial building on the Blake Farm site in Scotts Hill is expected to hold restaurants and offer outdoor music.

Schools aren’t the only issue facing southern Pender County when it comes to growth challenges. “We are transitioning from a rural, agricultural county into a more urbanized county even though we don’t really have a major metropolitan area,” Piepmeyer said. “But we have people living in close proximity to one another and that has growing pains associated with it too.” In another area of need, supplying the growing demand for health care in the Scotts Hill area, which is in both northern New Hanover and southern Pender counties, is getting a major boost. New Hanover Regional Medical Center, a part of Novant Health, plans to build a $210 million, 66-bed acute care hospital in Scotts Hill on the New Hanover County side. Construction is expected to begin in 2022, with an opening around 2024, a news release stated. The new facility will be on the same site as the NHRMC Emergency Department-North, an existing free-standing emergency department and surgical center.

ington-based Trask Land Co. are moving ahead on a 100-acre section of Blake Farm in Scotts Hill. A dispute between Trask and its former partner in the Blake Farm development, which at one time had involved a total of 1,300 acres, was recently settled out of court, said Raiford Trask III, president of Trask Land Co. The other development partner involved, NDCO LLC, is now currently the sole owner of 1,164 acres of the Blake Farm site, Trask said. Efforts to reach a representative of NDCO to comment on this story were not successful as of press time, and Trask did not disclose the details of the settlement. For the remaining Trask Land acres, a self-storage project built there is about to be followed by another. Additionally, Trask Land and its multifamily partner, Chaucer Creek Capital, are working on a 240unit market-rate apartment complex, The Reserve at Blake Farm is expected to go vertical this summer, Trask said. Chaucer Creek is also Trask’s partner on 136 townhomes on the property. “Southeastern Pender County has a really good school system, favorable tax rates compared to New Hanover, and it’s a vibrant community on the growth path with a high quality of life,” Trask said. At the front of the Scotts Hill land along U.S. 17, Trask Land is developing a 12,000-square-foot commercial building that is expected to include restaurants owned by popular names in the industry, Trask said. Another aspect of the commercial space, he said: “We’ll have an outdoor music venue to go with it.”

BLAKE FARM

THOUSANDS OF HOMES

OTHER NEEDS

More amenities, along with housing types, are on the way to Scotts Hill. Plans for commercial and residential development by Wilm-

In recent years, Imboden and Fox have marketed several different pieces of land in the Scotts Hill area to developers, representing some large landowners.

In one of their most recent deals, Wilmington-based McAdams Homes and partners bought 612 acres on Island Creek Road for $5.8 million and 411 acres on Sidbury Road in Scotts Hill for $6 million. “The last thing you want to do is just dump a bunch of lots all at one time and have it be all the same,” Sosne said. “Our investments were geared toward, on those two tracks specifically, more of a longer-term approach. “We want to see how things progress, where the needs are, and obviously market conditions and what the market dictates. And then we’ll put our plan together from there.” Sosne has said he envisions his company building up to 5,000 homes in southern Pender County over the next decade. The plan for the latest purchases could include a large master-planned development like what had been in the works for neighboring Blake Farm land. But for now, for McAdams Homes’ holdings in Scotts Hill, the firm is focusing on Silo Ridge, a 75-acre community with 315 lots for homes and townhomes. Silo Ridge is about a quarter mile from U.S. 17 on Sidbury Road, also next to the Blake Farm site. Sosne said he expects to break ground on Silo Ridge in the fourth quarter of this year and start building homes in the first quarter of next year. Piepmeyer said there are numerous reasons why southern Pender County and the county itself is popular among potential residents and developers. “Most of the people that we have coming here to live probably vacationed here and their kids grew up on the Topsail beaches a week or two weeks out of the year at a time and so it’s a good lifestyle,” he said. “But we’re also a bedroom community for New Hanover County and Onslow County,” he said.

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

wilmingtonbiz.com

July 2 - 15, 2021

Page 11

REGION IN FOCUS: PENDER COUNTY

IN PROFILE

Burgaw chamber chief carries on BY JOHANNA CANO rwyn Smith’s personal connection to Burgaw began as a kid growing up and playing in the small town.

“A lot of the buildings and a lot of the different streets are familiar to me,” Smith said. “I definitely feel like there are strong ties because it’s part of my history and my family. I grew up playing around the town. So it’s a personal tie.” Smith, who has been serving as director of the Burgaw Area Chamber of Commerce for two years, has deep family connections to the town. Her grandfather Charles Harrell once served as the town mayor and fire chief and also ran Harrell’s Department Store and Harrell’s Funeral Home. The department store, founded 117 years ago by Chauncey Harrell, was named then C. Harrell and Sons and sold items such as clothing and footwear. The store, at 107 S. Wright St., remained family-owned until it closed in 2020 due to changing retail trends and largely because of the effects of the pandemic, according to Vernon Harrell. The changing business landscape brought on by the pandemic was something Smith had to navigate as a chamber director. Smith’s role at the chamber started a few months before the peak of the pandemic in 2020, which prompted her to not only learn a new role but soon after, learn to adapt. “I consider myself a ‘jack of all trades.’ Since I started working at a pet store at 14, I have held all sorts of jobs from waiting tables to retail to teaching. Even as a teacher I had to have a second job in order to pay the bills,” Smith said. “I was actually approached [for the director role] by the previous director [Emily Baker], and she said ‘I’ve heard your name being floated around town. And people have told me you’d be a good match for this.’” Coming into her position, Smith’s first goal was to learn the different roles the member-based nonprofit had, from its mission to help the Burgaw-area business community prosper, to its services including hosting community events such as the Burgaw Christmas Parade, resources and marketing for businesses, networking events, business expos and more. “My first year I just felt was like

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER

Business boost: Arwyn Smith began serving as director of the Burgaw Area Chamber of Commerce about two years ago.

[a] learning experience. I only got about six months of learning experience and before COVID hit, and then that just threw everything off track,” Smith said. With events canceled – a large component of the chamber’s duties – Smith shifted tracks and began providing business resources to owners. “I saw businesses struggling, and what they mainly needed was money,” she said. “So during COVID, a large part of what I did was putting out information about how you can get Paycheck Protection Program loans and trying to help people with those.” The chamber also does advertising for its members. If a business has a sale or event, the chamber blasts out promotions on social media, she said. Now that pandemic restrictions have been loosened and vaccinations are underway, Smith is looking forward to getting events rolling again. “I think we’re getting back on track,” she said. “It’s never going to be the way it was. Life is not going to be the way it was, but I think the more people that become vaccinated the more we are able to get back to normal and businesses are opening.” Among the chamber events that are starting back up include the annual Shrimparoo, an event at the

Burgaw Train Depot in August; the Business Expo in October providing networking and resources to the business community; and the restart of the Women’s Connect group, a joint event with The Laurels of Pender bringing a luncheon to connect women in business. In addition to bringing back traditional events, Smith is working on new events including the possibility of adding a 5K run to the Burgaw Christmas Parade and Third Thursdays, an outdoor event with live music, vendors and arts and crafts on the third Thursday of every month. “We’re going to close down part of Wright Street, and we’re going to have arts and crafts and homemade goods on the street and have the businesses open. It’s kind of like a small, mini street fair,” she said. One missing event many may have noticed for this year is the annual N.C. Blueberry Festival, which brings an estimated 30,000 people to the town and celebrates the importance of the blueberry crop for the community. For the second year in a row, the event was canceled due to the pandemic. While the chamber is not involved in the planning of the Blueberry Festival – and having to field calls from people less than happy about this

year’s festival cancelation – Smith said the chamber advised vendors to promote the crop by having blueberry-flavored and -themed items. “It brings in tens of thousands of people, and a lot of the businesses rely on that to make their June month look fantastic,” Smith said. “We got together with tourism and parks and recreation, and we tried to still make a Blueberry Week. We tried to encourage our businesses to hold blueberry items in their shops and to keep that blueberry theme going … so that for next year people don’t forget that we are the Blueberry Festival.” And while some businesses and events in Burgaw struggled during the pandemic, there has been news of new businesses coming to the region. This includes Burgaw Brewing opening at 103 S. Wright St. later this year; Retro Meadery aiming to bring a meadery and taproom in downtown Burgaw through a crowdfunding campaign; and Fat Daddy’s Pizza, which opened in January 2020. “My goals now are not just to make it the way it was, but to improve on the way it was and to do additions,” Smith said. “I just want people to know that we’re still here. We’re trying to do what we can for the businesses.”

Page 12

July 2 - 15, 2021

wilmingtonbiz.com

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

| REAL ESTATE | Pet services firm expanding pawprint This is a sampling of stories from the Business Journal’s Real Estate Update. Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com. BY CECE NUNN onstruction was nearly complete as of June 25 on a pet boarding and grooming facility in midtown Wilmington, and the company involved recently closed on a purchase in Pender County that will house its corporate office. The firm, Pawville Inc., was expected to soon open Midtown Pawville at 3532 Carolina Beach Road, where crews at the end of June were putting the finishing touches on the property anchored by a new 10,500-square-foot building. “The reason it’s such a large facility is we’re trying to offer a lot of things under one roof, so we’re very optimistic about its success,” said Phil Miller, who founded Pawville with his wife, Amanda. “We’re also very optimistic because we love this market. We see so much growth happening in this area.” Midtown Pawville will also use the building formerly occupied by Bone & Bean BBQ in front of the larger facility. Phil Miller said the former Bone & Bean building will be renovated, made to look like the larger Midtown Pawville facility, and will be expanded from about 2,500 square feet to 3,000. The structure will hold Midtown Pawville’s doggy daycare program. In addition to dog and cat boarding, grooming and day care services, he said, Midtown Pawville will offer training, self-serve wash and a dog treat bakery. Continuing its growth, Pawville recently acquired Pups Play & Stay in Pender County, which will be renamed Scotts Hill Pawville and remodeled. Pawville has retained “the existing team of employees and intends to make the ownership transition process as seamless as possible for all clients. As such, business will continue uninterrupted throughout the transition and upcoming remodel process,” Phil Miller said in an email. Scotts Hill Pawville will offer increased boarding, day care and grooming capacity while adding cat boarding, dog training and a dog treat bakery.

PHOTO BY CECE NUNN

Dogged work: At the end of June, crews were putting the finishing touches on a 10,500-square-foot facility for Midtown Pawville on Carolina Beach Road.

“A portion of the front building will be repurposed for use as the corporate office for Pawville Inc.,” Phil Miller said.The corporate office was previously at the Miller home in Hampstead. Porters Neck Pawville is only a few miles away from the new Scotts Hill facility, he said. The Porters Neck location will remain open over the next year, but most of its operations will slowly transition to Scotts Hill Pawville. “It’s not optimal to have a Pawville facility in a shopping center, and we acquired Porters Neck with the intent to move its operations to a larger facility over time,” Phil Miller said. Pawville started in Homosassa, Florida, and now has seven locations. In addition to Homosassa, midtown Wilmington, Porters Neck and Scotts Hill, the other Pawville spots are Jacksonville, Sneads Ferry and Surf City. “We also have a piece of property under contract in Clayton,” Phil Miller said. “We’ve more or less covered this area, and we’re looking toward the Raleigh market next.”

Senior living apartments coming to Compass Pointe Construction on a senior living development in the Leland area is underway and expected to be complete later this year, possibly by September.

Developer Bobby Harrelson and Abe Walston, a Wilmington doctor, have partnered with Kernersville-based Ridge Care Senior Living on Arbor Landing at Compass Pointe, a project adjacent to the master-planned community of Compass Pointe, according to a news release. The community will include 100 one- and two-bedroom apartments, at monthly rental rates, with full kitchens and screened-in balconies, the release stated. Assisted living services will be provided by an on-site home care partner, according to the release, allowing residents to add assistance as needed. Amenities include dining rooms, resident lounges, a fitness studio and a movie theater.

Nonprofit agency closes on affordable housing deal Cape Fear Collective recently closed on its purchase of Driftwood, a 15-unit apartment complex off Princess Place Drive in Wilmington. Driftwood, a tax credit project developed 16 years ago to provide housing for chronically homeless residents, went up for sale in January and went under contract with CFC in March. The $1.2 million transaction, completed with the help of investment support from Live Oak Bank, was brought about by the nonprofit organization’s efforts to address the lack

of affordable housing in the region. The Driftwood deal is also part of a broader initiative called Cape Fear Collective Ventures, a social impact investment vehicle “aimed at raising capital to scale solutions in affordable housing, workforce development, small business growth and transportation challenges,” stated the Cape Fear Collective’s newsletter, The Beacon. The newsletter explained what’s next for Driftwood. “Driftwood has been around for more than a decade. We plan to renovate to make sure it will be around for a while longer,” said Patrick Brien, CEO of Cape Fear Collective, in the newsletter. “The plan is to keep the apartments ultra-affordable. The units will be at 30% to 40% of the area median income.”

Mixed-use project planned off Military Cutoff A mixed-use development is being planned off Military Cutoff Extension, and the land’s rezoning is up for review by the New Hanover County Planning Board. The applicant and property owner, TDR-HL LLC, is seeking to rezone nearly 63 acres at 1308 Crooked Pine Road from a residential district to a planned development district for the mixed-use project, county planning documents state. Within the development, commercial and mixed-use space are proposed as well as residential, including townhomes and possibly senior living or a continuing care community, according to site plans. The entire plan includes more than 370 residential units. The commercial space would offer goods, services, entertainment and dining options, the document states. The site is divided by the new Military Cutoff Extension project and a service road, both of which are currently under construction by the N.C. Department of Transportation. The potential commercial hub would also be one of the only stops along Military Cutoff Extension between Market Street and Interstate 140. The New Hanover County Planning Board will hold a public hearing on this and other projects July 8. -Christina Haley O’Neal

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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July 2 - 15, 2021

Page 13

| THE LIST |

Commercial Real Estate Agencies

Ranked by number of local licensed commercial real estate agents RANK

1 2

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE Coldwell Banker Commercial Sun Coast Partners 1430 Commonwealth Drive, Suite 102 Wilmington, NC 28403 350-1200 grayson.powell@cbcsuncoast.com www.cbcsuncoast.com Cape Fear Commercial 1051 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28405 344-1000 office@capefearcommerical.com www.capefearcommercial.com

NO. OF LOCAL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS*/ NO. OF OTHER STAFF

% REVENUE-SALES/ % REVENUE-LEASING

SERVICES OFFERED

TOP LOCAL OFFICIAL/ YEAR LOCALLY FOUNDED

24 6

72 28

Buyer and seller representation, leasing, consulting and corporate management, development consulting, property management, facilities management, and market research and analysis

Grayson Powell 2004

Brokerage (sales and leasing), property management, facilities and maintenance services, development, equity investment services, asset management and receivership services

Brian Eckel Vin Wells Paul Loukas 2001

Sales and leasing of commercial and investment properties

Jeff Sweyer 1987

Commercial sales/leasing for land, office, retail, industrial, multi-family, investment property, property management, consulting

Steve Warwick Hansen Matthews Jeff Idol Bill Maus Steve Hall Jason Windham 1987

Real estate development services, business brokerage, commercial real estate brokerage and leasing

Terry Espy 2007

Investment, development, leasing, sales, property management, consulting, tenant representation and long-term real estate holdings analysis and planning

Garry Silivanch 2014

15 15

Century 21 Sweyer & Associates 1612 Military Cutoff Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 910-256-0021 info@century21sweyer.com www.century21sweyer.com

Maus Warwick Matthews & Co. 2524 Independence Blvd. Wilmington, NC 28412 791-0400 info@mwmrealestate.com www.mwmrealestate.com

11 2

MoMentum Companies 103 S. Front St. Wilmington, NC 28401 (919) 270-1711 terry@momentumprojects.com www.momentumprojects.com

8 3

Eastern Carolinas Commercial Real Estate 4922 Randall Parkway Wilmington, NC 28403 399-4602 nick@eccrenc.com www.eccrenc.com

6 3

Carolina Commercial Investment Properties LLC 3808 Park Ave., Suite 220 Wilmington, NC 28403 297-9572 pjdoherty@atmc.net www.carolinacommercialprops.com

4 1

60 40

Full-service commercial brokerage with expertise in nearly all facets of commercial realty including land sales, office and industrial leasing and sales; syndication, entitlements and development services; involved in economic development

P.J. Doherty 2013

Commonwealth Commercial Properties 1508 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 206 Wilmington, NC 28403 256-6477 sales@ccprealty.com www.ccprealty.com

4 1

35 65

Commercial sales, leasing, site selection, exchanges, investment properties, property management

Harry Stovall 1995

Swain & Associates 1131 Military Cutoff Road, Unit B Wilmington, NC 28405 256-2211 www.swainassociates.com

4 2

Commercial development, professional consulting, third-party leasing and management, brokerage

David Swain Jason Swain 1970

Coastal Realty Co. 1608 Market St. Wilmington, NC 28401 763-5411 www.coastal-realty.com

3 2

Leasing, management and sales, acquisitions and development

Carlton Fisher Steve Hobbs Steve Wallace 1972

Commercial Realty 1508 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 204 Wilmington, NC 28403 392-9800 John@CommercialRealtyCo.com www.commercialrealtyco.com

3 1

Third-party brokerage for sales, leasing, site selections, real estate investments, advice on operating companies and some property management

John Hinrichs J. Robert Fullerton Charles Paul 1972

Creative Commercial Properties Inc. 15894 N. U.S. Hwy. 17 Hampstead, NC 28443 270-5100 mike@creativecommercial.biz www.creativecommercial.biz

3 1

80 20

Commercial, industrial and investment property sales, commercial and industrial leasing, commercial property management

Michael Nadeau 1978

Sloane Commercial Real Estate 790-1 Sunset Blvd. N. Sunset Beach, NC 28468 579-1808 chris.bryan@cbsloane.com www.sloanecommerical.com

3 1

60 40

Commercial sales, leasing, tenant/landlord representation and 1031 tax-deferred exchanges

Chris Bryan 1955

Cameron Management Inc. 1201 Glen Meade Road Wilmington, NC 28401 762-2676 hill@cameronco.com www.cameronco.com

2 9

Brokerage, development, property management, equity participation, consulting

Hill Rogers Bill Cameron Scott Sullivan 2000

14 10

50% 50%

50 50

List is based on voluntary responses to a Business Journal survey. *51% or more of business in commercial real estate

Want to be considered for The List? Request an industry survey by emailing lists@wilmingtonbiz.com. The Business Journal will feature the following lists in upcoming publications: Event Facilities • General Contractors

Page 14

July 2 - 15, 2021

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

wilmingtonbiz.com

| THE LIST |

Auto Dealerships

Ranked by number of local employees RANK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

EMAIL WEBSITE

NO. OF TOTAL EMPLOYEES NO. OF LOTS/ LOCATIONS

sales@jgchevy.com www.jeffgordonchevy.com

204 4

sales@bobking.com www.bobking.com

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 228 S. College Road Wilmington, NC 28403 791-2424 Bob King Automall 5115 New Centre Drive Wilmington, NC 28403 799-3520 Parkway of Wilmington 5920 Market St. Wilmington, NC 28405 392-4888 Hendrick Toyota Wilmington 5640 Market St. Wilmington, NC 28405 660-0761 Capital Ford Lincoln of Wilmington 4222 Oleander Drive Wilmington, NC 28403 799-4060 *Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT Wilmington 219 S. College Road Wilmington, NC 28403 799-1815 Stevenson Hendrick Honda 6720 Market Street Wilmington, NC 28405 395-1116 BMW of Wilmington; Porsche Wilmington 4920 New Centre Drive Wilmington, NC 28403 392-2700 Jaguar Land Rover & Audi Cape Fear 20 Old Eastwood Road Wilmington, NC 28403 332-3500 Coastal Kia 6115 Market St. Wilmington, NC 28405 408-0100

VEHICLES SOLD 2020

MAKES SOLD

TOP LOCAL OFFICIAL/ YEAR FOUNDED LOCALLY

—

New Chevrolet and certified pre-owned Toyota, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Jeep, Chrysler, Volvo, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, Acura, Nissan, Lincoln, BMW and Mercedes-Benz

Todd Hamm General Manager 1998

188 3

2,298

Buick, GMC, Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter, pre-owned

Martha King President 1972

mlatham@parkwaysales-service.com/ mlatham@parkwayofwilmington.com www.parkwayofwilmington.com

163 3

2,800

Volvo, Hyundai, Subaru, Genesis

Donald Latham Owner 1998

sales@toyotaofwilmington.com www.toyotaofwilmington.com

153 1

3,893

Toyota new, any brand used

Doug Thompson VP/General Manager 2000

dbarbour@capitalofwilmington.com www.capitalofwilmington.com

137 3

3,712

Ford, Lincoln, certified pre-owned

Doug Barbour Managing Partner 2003

johng@neuwirthmotors.com www.neuwirthmotors.com

115 2

—

Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat and pre-owned

Alan Thomas General Manager 1958

sales@hendrickauto.com www.stevensonhendrickhonda.com

104 2

3,554

Honda and any brand of pre-owned

Dan Dehass Executive General Manager 1990

sales@bmwofwilmington.com www.bmwofwilmington.com; www.porschewilmington.com

84 2

—

BMW, Porsche, Moke

Tommy Baker President, Baker Motor Co. BMW under new ownership 2015

aj@audicapefear.com www.landrovercapefear.com, jaguarcapefear.com, audicapefear.com

55 2

—

Land Rover, Jaguar & Audi

AJ Aliah Owner 2001

pkoballa@coastalkia.com www.coastalkia.com

50 1

2,119

Kia, Kia Certified Pre-Owned, All Makes Pre-Owned preowned, all makes pre-owned

Patrick Koballa GM/Owner 2018

List is compiled based voluntary responses to a Business Journal survey. *Hendrick Automotive Group acquired Neuwirth Motors in Aug. 2020

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Put together by the Business Journal’s marketing team, this guide will showcase our region’s assets for anyone planning events in the Cape Fear region.

G U I D E2

018 EVEN T PLANNI N

AWESOME VEN

UE 910.956.2569 • pleasureisl and.com EVENT SPACE : Ultra moder n 3,500sq ft space with botanical garde ns and floating dance floor. Accom modates 900 guests AMENITIES: Spa, gym, beach access ADDRESS: 3200 Lake Park Blvd

AWESOME

VENUE 910.956.2569 • pleasureisl and.com EVENT SPACE : Ultra moder n 3,500sq ft space with botanical garde ns and floating dance floor. Accom modates 900 guests

AMENITIES: Spa, gym, beach access ADDRESS: 3200 Lake Park Blvd

AWESOME VEN

910.956.2569

• pleasureisl and.com EVENT SPACE : Ultra moder n 3,500sq ft space with botanical garde ns and floating dance floor. Accom modates 900 guests AMENITIES: Spa, gym, beach access ADDRESS: 3200 Lake Park Blvd

AWESOME VEN

910.956.2569 G GUIDE |

• pleasureisl and.c l m i n g t o n

i z

EVENT

SPACE: Ultra modern 3,500s ft space with q botanical garde ns and floating dance floor. Accom modates 900 guests

AMENITIES: Spa, gym, beach access ADDRESS: 3200 Lake

AWESOME

Park Blvd

VENUE 910.956.2569 • pleasureisl and.com EVENT SPACE : Ultra moder n 3,500sq ft space with botanical garde ns and floating dance floor. Accom modates 900 guests AMENITIES: Spa, gym, beach access ADDRESS: 3200 Lake Park Blvd

AWESOME VEN

910.956.2569 • pleasureisl and.com EVENT SPACE : Ultra moder n 3,500sq ft space with botanical garde ns and floating dance floor. Accom modates 900

M A G A Z I N E

BONUS: Any event venue, hotel, attraction or service provider that advertises in the Event Planning Guide is guaranteed a listing in the appropriate directory, and advertisers with half-page ads or larger will have ENHANCED LISTINGS in the directory. For more information, contact your account executive, email marketing@wilmingtonbiz.com or call (910) 343-8600 x203.

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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| ACHIEVERS | Send information about company hires, promotions or awards to editor@wilmingtonbiz.com

StepUp Wilmington adds four people to its team StepUp Wilmington has hired several people to join its team. MARY ANN BROUGHTON, BECKY GROGAN, JULIAN WILLIAMS and TYLER YOUNG have been hired to Broughton fill various roles with the nonprofit organization that serves people affected by unemployment and underemployment. Broughton joins as Grogan donor relations manager. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Hispanic literature Williams and cultures. Grogan is a talent recruiter for Pender and Brunswick counties. She has more than 25 years of marketing experience with 10 years in the Young nonprofit sector. “Becky will be responsible for expanding the mission of Step Up Wilmington into Pender and Brunswick Counties and to recruit and manage talent in those areas,” officials said. Williams has joined the StepUp Wilmington team as a talent manager, officials said. He is a former high school football coach, who continues to volunteer his time coaching football and basketball in the community. Williams is a Liberty University alumni. Young joins as a donor relations manager focused on grants and business donor relationships. He is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a degree in higher education.

Halanych to lead UNCW’s Center For Marine Science KENNETH HALANYCH has been named executive director of the UNCW Center for Marine Science. Halanych was hired following a national search, officials said. His

appointment is effective Oct. Halanych will oversee programs and facilities housed in the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science, including MARBIHalanych ONC, the Shellfish Research Hatchery and finfish mariculture program, officials said. He will report to Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James Winebrake. Halanych will join UNCW from Auburn University, where he is the Stewart Schneller Endowed Chair and alumni professor of biology. He also serves as the curator of invertebrates at the AU Museum of Natural History.

Tayloe joins Live Oak Private Wealth Live Oak Private Wealth has welcomed LAURA TAYLOE to its team. Tayloe joins Live Oak Private Wealth as a client engagement specialist, officials said. “Laura works Tayloe closely with the team to formulate communication campaigns, plan events, create content and monitor Live Oak Private Wealth’s outreach efforts,” officials said. Tayloe previously worked for Mainstone Capital Management, a Boston-based registered investment advisory, stated the release. There, she was the director of client service and investor relations. She also previously held a director of investor relations role for Windhorse Capital Management, a multi-family investment office located in Boston.

Intracoastal Realty hires Vernon for Realtor team Intracoastal Realty has hired ELIZABETH VERNON at its Wrightsville Beach office. Vernon joins the Michelle Clark Team at Intracoastal Realty, stated the release. She has been in the Wilmington area since Vernon 2007. When not working in real estate, she works with her husband at their family-owned business in Carolina Beach.

July 2 - 15, 2021

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Greater Wilmington Business Journal

wilmingtonbiz.com

| BIZ LEADS | Reader’s Guide BizLeads is a collection of information gathered from greater Wilmington courthouses, state government offices and informational websites. These listings are intended to help the business community find new customers and stay on top of happenings with current customers, vendors and competitors. New Corporations lists firms that were recently incorporated in the state of North Carolina. All information is gathered from the North Carolina Secretary of State website. Addresses listed may not be the actual address of the business.

NEW CORPS May 3- June 12

RC POWERSPORTS AND SMALL ENGINES INC. 105 Quail Run Drive Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Steven Ray Clewis RECOVER RIGHT APPLICATION L.L.C. 6580 Towles Road Wilmington 28409 Agent: Gabrielle Kathryn Marushack

Wilmington 28412 Agent: Carl Logan Elmore RESTAURANTE SABOR HISPANO INC 4610 Maple Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Jennifer L. Vigil Solis RG VENTURE LLC 205 Inlet Point Drive Wilmington 28409 Agent: William R Stroud

RED OCTOBER LLC 852 Settlers Ln Kure Beach 28449 Agent: Josh Doshan

RHS BEAUTY ACADEMY LLC 814 South College Rd STE A Wilmington 28403 Agent: Rowena Rochelle Fleming

REEL ZINGER LLC 313 S 5th Avenue Wilmington 28401 Agent: Adrian Willis

RIEGELWOOD BAYAT LLC 6830 Carolina Beach Rd Wilmington 28412 Agent: Cahit Izci

REMUDA COMPOSITES LLC 1761 Sommersett Rd Sw Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: Kevin Crough REPAIR ALL HVAC APPLIANCE’S L.L.C. 1010 Daybreak Ct Leland 28451 Agent: Demarcus A Baldwin RESPONSIBLE ROOFER ORGANIZATION INC. 354 Rl Honeycutt Dr

RIGHT TIME REMODELING INC. 6407 Spicewood Street Wilmington 28405 Agent: Robert J. Tomaselli RIGHT TO LEFT LLC 315 S 13th St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Sierra Staggs RIVER TO SEA REAL ESTATE INC. 305 Shackleford Dr Wilmington 28411 Agent: Lauren Bowers

Dudley

Agent: Fuss Law Firm P.C.

RLM INVESTMENT HOLDINGS LLC 6811 Gordon Rd Wilmington 28411 Agent: Charles Roderick Mcleod

S&A LOVING CONSTRUCTION LLC 1309 Carolina Beach Ave N Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Anita Fiscante

ROBERT A HAUGHTON LLC 1700 Southeast Harbor Lane Wilmington 28409-4806 Agent: Robert Alan Haughton

SAFER ELEMENTS LLC 4916 Nicholas Creek Circle Wilmington 28409 Agent: Chris Nesselroade

RODRIGUEZ CONCRETE GENERAL LLC 1380 Harbour Dr Apt A Wilmington 28401 Agent: Josue E Flores Aguilar ROSS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC 254 N. Front Street 4th Floor Wilmington 28401 Agent: L Allen Ross ROYAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS LLC 1910 Murphy Rd Burgaw 28425 Agent: Justin Lee Royal ROYAL ENGAGEMENT LLC 936 Baldwin Park Dr Wilmington 28411 Agent: Karl Ricanek III ROYAL WAVE MEDIA INC. 715 Dock Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Hannibal Hills ROYALLONGEVITY LLC 516 Alpine Dr Wilmington 28403 Agent: Jahron Herring RT 8AC LLC 1051 Military Cutoff Rd Suite 210 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Raiford G Trask III S SCOTT BALL COUNSELING PLLC 206 N 4th Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Stephen Scott Ball S. BODEMANN LLC 1904 Eastwood Road Suite 315 Wilmington 28403

SAILFISH PARTNERS LLC. 802 North 5th Ave Wilmington 28401 Agent: Robert M Mccord SALT AND LIGHT SPEECH THERAPY PLLC 1005 Bay Road Shallotte 28470 Agent: Dori Faulk SALT BOX PROPERTY SOLUTIONS LLC 1282 Cedar Landing Rd SW Supply 28462 Agent: Bryan Dale Eaker SALT TREE PROPERTIES LLC 837 Sunnyvale Dr Wilmington 28412 Agent: Christopher B. Tingley SALTY LIVING HOME LLC 332 North East 55th Street Oak Island 28465 Agent: Stephen James Popichak SCARENETWORK.TV L.L.C. 1507 Military Cutoff Rd #108 Wilmington 28403 Agent: William Joseph Lewis SCONSET CAPITAL LLC 560 Avery Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Seth Moyer SEA GLASS BOOKKEEPING LLC 1276 Cherrytree Road NE Winnabow 28479 Agent: Haleigh Caroline Mcfarland SEA PINES PROPERTIES

LLC 4345 Airport Rd SE Southport 28461-884 Agent: Jessica Ann Ward

EQUIPMENT LLC 6708 Spearow Lane Wilmington 28411 Agent: Aaron D Slater

SEA TRAIL FISHING CLUB 917 Wedge Pointe Drive Sunset Beach 28468 Agent: Alan Jacob Trojan

SLEDROK LLC 122 Saltwater Landing Dr Hampstead 28443 Agent: Michael J Rokoski

SEAN-MICHAEL LLC 3333 Wrightsville Avenue #G-120 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Sean-Michael Stedman SETTLERS VILLAGE LLC 6336 Oleander Dr Ste 4 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Sheri S Smothers SHADY SHOALS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION INC. 711 Carolina Beach Ave N Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Steven Shuttleworth SHIP2SHORENC LLC 2303 Boardwalk Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Harvey Delton Mintz Jr SHOP FOR LESS LLC 218 Heartwood Drive Hampstead 28443 Agent: Caner Muharrem Newton SHORE THING REALTY LLC 306 Peninsula Drive Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Nancy M Strickland SHOULDERS BRANCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 4404 Holly Shelter Rd Castle Hayne 284229 Agent: Ikeem Graham SHP EVOLVE LOWCOUNTRY LLC 3414 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Robbie B. Parker SHP HAMPSTEAD 8AC LLC 3414 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Robbie B. Parker SIDBURY VENTURE PARTNERS LLC 3414 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Robbie B. Parker SIMPLY SHELBY L.L.C. 1304 Element Way Apt 14106 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Shelby L Morrison SKY AND CO. HOLDINGS LLC 314 N Green Meadows Dr Ste 100 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Landen Blanton

SLICK PROPERTIES L.L.C. 1133 Jordan Lake Ct Leland 28451 Agent: Matthew Thompson SMALL APOLLO LLC 4610 Blue Star Run Apt 308 Wilmington 28411 Agent: Joshua Kemmer

810 Orange Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Taquana Grant STULTZ BUILT CONSTRUCTION LLC 4941 Tanbark Drive Wilmington 28412 Agent: Ryan Thomas Stultz SUN COAST FARM INC. 124 Edgewater Lane Wilmington 28403 Agent: Sarah E James SUNRISE GARDENS LLC 718 Bayshore Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Jennifer Lyn Arcuri

SOUND HYPNOSIS LLC 15 Borden Avenue Wilmington 28403 Agent: Katina Parthemos Rayle

SUPER SMART GIRLS FOUNDATION 310 N. Front Street Suite 4-183 Wilmington 28401 Agent: Latina Sharmain Mcintyre

SOUTHERN TWANG LLC 1405 Kellum Court Wilmington 28412 Agent: Michael John Madej Jr

SWAMPY’S BACKHOE SERVICE LLC 5755 Sidbury Road Castle Hayne 28429 Agent: Kelleyd Miles

SOUTHPAW 5 LLC 56 Owens Street Southport 28461 Agent: Hammond Beverly

SWEET TREATZ BY MEEKZ LLC 411 Hawthorne Loop Rd Apt 105 Leland 28451 Agent: Tameka Highsmith

STARGAZER SC LLC 116 Sea Oaks Drive Surf City 28445 Agent: Kim S Quinn STEADFAST PROPERTIES LLC 3205 Dalton Court Wilmington 28405 Agent: Kayla Reilly STEVEN ADAMS INCORPORATED 3662 Bayedge Lane Southport 28461 Agent: Steven Mark Adams STOREHOUSE HOLDINGS LLC 315 Dawson St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Kyle Kelsay

SWELL CLOSETS INC. 6426 Windmill Way Suite A Wilmington 28405 Agent: Fuchs Finishing Touch Inc. SYP N’ SLYDE L.L.C. 313 South Smith Street Burgaw 28425 Agent: Thadius Lee T PON INVESTMENTS LLC 616 Trace Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Toth Somsnith TASTING HISTORY LLC 742 Sloop Pointe Lane Kure Beach 28449 Agent: Brinley Christner

STORM WISE LLC 3516 Carolina Beach Rd Wilmington 28412 Agent: Grant Joseph Parkin

TD AUTOMOTIVE LLC 96 Country Club Dr Shallotte 28470 Agent: Thomas Charles Burress Jr.

STORRI LABS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 944 Baldwin Park Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Stephen F. Vafier

TEAJA PROPERTIES LLC 5704 Oleander Drive Suite 110 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Regina Drury

STORRI LABS CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC 944 Baldwin Park Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Stephen F. Vafier

Team Paone LLC 1417 Village Green Drive Calabash 28467 Agent: Patricia Paone

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT TRANSPORT LLC 321 Bors Run #202 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Latonya Murphy

TERRA REALTY GROUP INC 404 B Fort Fisher Blvd S Kure Beach 28449 Agent: Michael L Teasdale

SKYCOUCH LLC 5136 Christian Drive Wilmington 28403 Agent: Alexander Nicholas Bleuzen

STRANG RENTALS LLC 217 Hargrove Dr Wilmington 28411 Agent: Andrew Thomas Strang

THE BETHELL CORPORATION INC. 68 Kensington Ct Hampstead 28443 Agent: Arlene Bethell

SLATER TOOLS AND

STUDIO 810 LLC

THE BLUE FOOTED

BOOBIES LLC 4301 Lake Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: John Samuel Baker THE CAPITOL SALES GROUP LLC 575 Military Cutoff Rd. Ste. 106 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Jennifer D. Scott Esqx. THE COVE AT MOMENTUM RECOVERY LLC 5027 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Rick Barney THE GLASS CLOCHE L.L.C. #4 St. Marys Place Wilmington 28403 Agent: Rhea Murray THE GRANITE DOCTOR LLC 225 Crowatan Rd Castle Hayne 28429 Agent: David Murray Jackson THE MHP EXPERT LLC 1316 Lovingston Lane Wilmington 28409 Agent: Cassidy L Esterson THE PERHAM GROUP LLC 1002 Natural Springs Way Leland 28451 Agent: Deborah Perham THE SENDING CHURCH INC. 810 Princess St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Edwrin Sutton THEARTWORKS LLC 200 Willard Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Elizabeth Edwards Knowles THEOS RECORDS LLC 2700 Sapling Cir Wilmington 28411 Agent: Michael Brown THORNTON ABBEY INC 306 Buccaneer Road Wilmington 28409 Agent: Steve Peterman THREE GUYS CAR WASH LLC 5520 Oleander Drive Wilmington 28403 Agent: Turner Schaeffer THREE STICKS LLC 1301 Old Foards Lane Wilmington 28409 Agent: William J Sharbaugh III TIDELINE HOME INSPECTIONS L.L.C. 34 Mallard Bay Road Hampstead 28443 Agent: Brandon Parker TIDELINE TRUCKING LLC 1979 Eastwood Road Suite 101 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Amanda K. Miars TIDEWATER BOUTIQUE LLC 160 Olde Point Road Hampstead 28443

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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July 2 - 15, 2021

Page 17

| BIZ LEADS | Agent: Stephanie Wilson TIM LONG FAMILY HOLDINGS LLC 211 Bedrock Court Wilmington 28411 Agent: Timothy S Long TOPSAIL ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF NC PLLC 16350 US Highway 17 Hampstead 28443 Agent: Jared James TREE TOP HEALING LLC 5120 Prices Creek Drive Southport 28461 Agent: Katherine Briana Snyder TRIDENT HOME INSPECTIONS LLC 6025 Tarin Rd Wilmington 28409 Agent: Samuel Parks Mcinnis III TRUE VALUE HOME SOLUTIONS LLC 1010 South Fisher King Drive SE Bolivia 28422 Agent: Mason Devon Powell TRUTH - PUBLIC INSURANCE ADJUSTERS LLC 75 Bergman St Hampstead 28443 Agent: Terry Sawyer TSAI CHUNG LING INC.

5912 17th Ave North Topsail Beach 28460 Agent: Phillip Lin UBIETY LLC 12 Queens Grant Cir SW Shallotte 28470 Agent: Crystal Renee Mcdaniel UMBRELLA AKADEMI LLC 217 Greendale Drive Wilmington 28405 Agent: Harilisha Gamble UNION PAINTING LLC 109 Dreyton Hall Ct Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Edder J Moradel UNIQUE DUO BOUTIQUE LLC 6324 Old Shallotte Rd Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: Ladranda C Reaves UNLOCKED COMPASS LLC 340 Juniper Lane Currie 28435 Agent: Marcee Mae Finn

Wilmington 28401 Agent: Valeria L. Mcelrath-Smith VENTERS CONSTRUCTION ROOFING DIVISION LLC 420 Whitebridge Rd. Hampstead 28443 Agent: Kesia Venters W. BRIAN ROBERTS CONSTRUCTION LLC 8308 Lakeview Dr Wilmington 28412 Agent: W Brian Roberts WAHHA DESIGN LLC 1106 Sheffield Ct. Wilmington 28411 Agent: Blake Thomas Baxendell WATT’Z POPPING ELECTRICAL LLC 507 South 14th Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Evelio Ariel Garcia Matute WD40 INVESTMENTS LLC 1017 Ashes Dr Ste 101 Wilmington 28405 Agent: William Beebe

Agent: Crystal Cox Peebles

Wilmington 28401 Agent: Louis Cassetta

WHIPPET GOOD LLC 1617 Landfall Drive Wilmington 28405 Agent: Susan McLean

WINSLOW AND COMPANY REAL ESTATE INC. 1999 Healing Water Lane SW Supply 28462 Agent: Leeanna Winslow

WILLIAMS ENTERPRISES NC LLC 7738 Trap Way Wilmington 28412 Agent: David Cody Williams WILLIE’S IMAGERY LLC 1392 Hale Swamp Rd Shallotte 28470 Agent: Willie Rodman Williams III WILMINGTON COFFEE ROASTERS LLC 5201 Shadow Branch Ln Wilmington 28409 Agent: Travis J Pomerleau WILMINGTON DRYER VENT SOLUTIONS LLC 98 Horn Road Unit A Wilmington 28412 Agent: Jason West

URWICK REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC. 108 Windsor Circle SW Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: Jill M Urwick

WEALTHY HEALTH TEAM L.L.C. 446 Lady Bug Lane Wilmington 28411 Agent: Loan P Nguyen

WILMINGTON MARINE CONSTRUCTION LLC 225 Marsh Hen Dr. Wilmington 28409 Agent: Charles Mills Smith

V’S MOBILE PRODUCE & MORE 1133 Carnation Court

WENDELLSTARBUX LLC 6250 Ingleside Dr Wilmington 28409

WILMINGTON NAIL SALON LLC 346 Nutt St

WOLFE FAMILY FOUNDATION INC. 4216 Dutch Cv Castle Hayne 28429 Agent: Robert Wolfe WOLFS DEN SELF DEFENSE ACADEMY LLC 438 Toms Creek Rd Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Christoph Robertson WOYWATT LLC 419 Sumter Ave Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Mark Woyner WP3 HOLDINGS L.L.C. 6668 Funston Rd. SE Winnabow 28479 Agent: Walker Powell WRAPTURE CUSTOMS LLC 1811 Savannah Ct Wilmington 28403 Agent: David Lowell Spruill WRIGHTSVILLE BUSINESS NETWORK LLC 5025-B Wrightsville Ave.

Wilmington 28403 Agent: Andrew Freiburghouse YOGA EVOLVE PRO LLC 226 Marlboro Street 1101 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Annie Thi YORRO’S CLEANING SERVICES LLC 1689 Price Rd NE Lot 1 Leland 28451 Agent: Julio Angel Sierra Yorro ZENITH MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC 2716 Ashton Drive Wilmington 28412 Agent: Stephen L. Debiasi 2 FRENCHTONS LLC 143 Middle Oaks Dr Wilmington 28409 Agent: Suzanne Smith Huggins 201 OLD DAIRY LLC 8116 Barstow Lane Wilmington 28411 Agent: Robert A. Hammersley ABOUT FACE SKIN STUDIO LLC 205 E. 8th Street Southport 28461 Agent: Wendy Lawson ABOVE & BEYOND

TRAVEL INC. 3619 Members Club Blvd. Southport 28461 Agent: Laura M Siegler ALL THE WAY HAULED AWAY LLC 1272 Porters Lane Rd Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Marquise Lewis Henderson

Agent: Martez Hill AZTEC INVESTMENT GROUP LLC 1810 Old Lennon Rd SE Bolivia 28422 Agent: Lauryn Zepeda BABYGOTBOUNCE LLC 50 S Lord Wallace Ct Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Rianna Ceren

ALLOY CLOUD LLC 1319 Military Cutoff Rd Suite CC 322 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Matthew Alexander Whitmill

BADILLO TREE SERVICES LLC 5140 Carolina Beach Rd. Lot 64 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Joaquin Villegas

ANDREWS BAIL BONDING LLC. 1530 Bluff Drive Lot 8 Leland 28451 Agent: Jonathan Andrews

BEACH BREAK SURF CONDOS LLC 349 Gaskins Ln Wilmington 28411 Agent: Thomas C Shaw

AQUATIC SAFARIS PROPERTIES LLC. 7220 Wrightsville Ave Ste A Wilmington 28403 Agent: Victor Paul Gregory Jr

BETTER HOMES RENOVATIONS LLC 1121 Midland Dr Wilmington 28412 Agent: Jorge Beneroso

ATLANTIC RX LLC 1319 Military Cutoff Rd Ste HH Wilmington 28405 Agent: Aditya M Parikh AYCE TRANSPORT LLC 7400 Ocean Hwy West Sunset Beach 28468

BETWEEN THE LINES SPORTS INC. 1296 Greenlewis Rd SE Bolivia 28422 Agent: James A Brown Sr BOUCHER MANUFACTURING LLC 4402 Gauntlet Dr SE Southport 28461 Agent: Neal M Boucher

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July 2 - 15, 2021

C OMMITTED T O H EALTHIER COMMUNI T I E S IN ALL

100

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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COUNTIES

North Carolinians should be able to lead healthier lives wherever they call home. That’s why we’ve helped expand affordable, high-quality primary and behavioral health care to our state’s 80 rural counties and provide new online programs for members to quit smoking or reverse type 2 diabetes from anywhere. By working to improve access, we’re bringing better health closer to every community.

BlueCrossNC.com/Transform

WE RESOLVE. TO TRANSFORM HEALTH CARE. ® Marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. U37817C, 5/2021

HURRICANE RATED SHUTTERS AND SCREENS AND MORE

RESTAURANT ROUNDUP

BUSINESS OF LIFE

This is a sampling of stories from the Business Journal’s weekly Restaurant Roundup email. Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com.

LM Restaurants adapts to changes in dining LM Restaurants, the Raleigh-based restaurant group that operates five restaurants locally, is taking steps to address post-pandemic issues facing the industry, including labor and supply shortages. The company enlisted the help of Top Chef alum Katsuji Tanabe earlier this year, bringing him on board as the lead for culinary innovation. Katherine Goldfaden, director of brands for LM Restaurants, said Tanabe spends several days a week in the Wilmington restaurants, particularly at Oceanic, Bluewater Waterfront Grill, Henry’s and Hop’s Supply Co., working side by side with chefs. The company also operates Carolina Ale House. With a fresh set of eyes, Tanabe is looking at each menu and assessing how to make things more efficient. Since restaurants across the board are dealing with labor shortages as well as supply shortages and rising costs of ingredients, Tanabe is looking at ways to keep costs down while still wowing the customer. In addition to enlisting the help of Tanabe, LM recently moved longtime Bluewater executive chef Jeffrey Scott to the lead culinary position at Henry’s. With Scott’s departure from Bluewater, LM recently promoted Evan Parker to the restaurant’s executive chef position, just a few months after he was hired as executive sous chef.

Couple plans restaurant at former Booty’s Soul Food

17 YEARS IN BUSINESS IN THE CAPE FEAR REGION

YOUR WEATHER PROTECTION SPECIALIST

Seacoast Systems, Inc. provides custom exterior shutters along with shading and outdoor living solutions at a discounted price. These include manual & motorized aluminum rolling hurricane shutters and screens, retractable exterior solar / bug screens, bahama & colonial shutters, dual systems, & other impact rated hurricanes & non rated traditional shutter systems.

Corey and Phallin Scott, owners of On Thyme Catering and food truck, recently bought the property previously occupied by Booty’s Soul Food at 918 Castle St. Booty’s, named for owner Linwood “Booty” Davis, has been a fixture on Castle Street since the early ’70s. Davis closed the restaurant, known for late-night eats, in March 2020 and decided to retire last October, according to Corey Scott. The Scotts have gained a loyal following since starting their catering company and truck in 2019. They felt the time was right to move to a brickand-mortar location where they can

serve guests as well as prepare food for the truck. On Thyme Restaurant will not cater to the late-night crowd but rather serve lunch and dinner. In addition to the building, the Scotts also purchased surrounding lots. According to a New Hanover County deed, On Thyme Catering & Fruit Creations LLC purchased four parcels, 912, 914, 918 and 920 Castle St., from the Davis family for $400,000 on June 17. While the Scotts said they don’t yet have any long-term plans for the lots, they hope to host a weekly food truck rodeo on Sundays once the restaurant opens. A renovation of the 1,500-squarefoot restaurant will begin shortly, and the Scotts are hoping for a late-fall to early-winter opening.

Burgaw Brewing gets green light for downtown site A brewpub that has been in the works since 2019 is now coming to fruition in downtown Burgaw, with the town’s approval of a special use permit for Burgaw Brewing at 103 S. Wright Street. The project, initiated by Burgaw Now, an organization dedicated to the promotion, restoration and development of Burgaw, will be owned and operated by Kevin Kozak, a professional brewer who has been in the industry since 2004. Kozak moved to Wilmington in 2006 and held the position of head brewer, among other positions, at Front Street Brewery for 13 years. The building where the brewpub will be housed is owned by Burgaw Now founder Richard Johnson. Another project launched by Burgaw Now is Fat Daddy’s Pizza. Owner Jay Kranchalk opened the pizzeria located at 103 W. Fremont St. in January 2020. The brewery will house a 10-barrel brewing system created by Canada-based Specific Mechanical Systems. Kozak said the system is now in production and will allow the brewery to have six to eight beers on tap once it’s fully operational. The roughly 4,000-square-foot building will also hold a full commercial kitchen, a full bar and taproom seating for around 150 guests. An outdoor beer garden and seating along the front of the building have also been approved. Kozak is hoping to open later this year. -Jessica Maurer

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July 2 - 15, 2021

Page 19

| BUSINESS OF LIFE | Luxury travel options widen BY NEIL COTIAUX n July 2, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas was scheduled to leave Miami, one of the first departures from an American port since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s pandemic-related No-Sail Order was imposed on the cruise industry 16 months ago. Freedom of the Seas’ cruise to the Bahamas marks the return of commercial vacation travel on the high seas. But as the industry returns to normal, it finds itself in growing competition with other forms of higher-end travel, much of it feeding off pent-up demand for recreation that is crowdfree, customized and a perceived step up in luxury. In late May, the 191-foot superyacht Skyfall docked at Wrightsville Beach Marina. While not nearly as large as one of Royal Caribbean’s vessels, it represents a more exclusive model in waterborne travel for those who can afford it. The yacht, with its James Bond-inspired name, is owned by Roy Carroll, president and CEO of The Carroll Companies, the real estate firm developing The Avenue, a more than $200 million mixed-use project planned for Military Cutoff Road. “There’s more and more people from North Carolina who own these boats,” said Sam Clary, the marina’s dockmaster. “There’s probably 10 or 12 with local ties over 100 feet that frequently come to visit.” When Skyfall is not being used by Carroll it is available for charter by other families, groups of friends and businesses. Carroll, who owns the Caymans-flagged vessel and uses a charter broker to book sailings, requires background checks on all his guests. The superyacht remains shipshape thanks to an international crew of 14 who serve up to 12 guests per sailing. It features a master suite and cabins, a grand salon that includes a dining area, temperature-controlled cabinets for 1,000 wine bottles, WiFi, an office for remote work, an entertainment system, an elevator, a second salon, a large open area on the bridge deck and a sun deck with two hot tubs. Other amenities include a powerboat, jet skis, seabobs and diving equipment. Skyfall plies the Mediterranean in

PHOTO C/O ROY CARROLL

Water wonder: Skyfall, a 191-foot superyacht owned by Greensboro-based real estate developer Roy Carroll, docked in Wrightsville Beach in May.

summer and the Caribbean in winter for about $500,000 and $350,000 per week, respectively, inclusive of fuel, food and gratuities. Unlike river cruising, which is growing in popularity, Carroll says chartering a superyacht enables guests to change their travel plans on a whim. “You and the captain set your itinerary. You’re not on schedule,” he said. “You get to decide what you want to do, where you want to go and exactly what you want to eat.” Prior to boarding, a preference list is submitted to guests asking questions like “What time do you want your coffee?” or “How do you like your salmon cooked?” Carroll added. “It is expensive vacationing, but it is the ultimate luxury in vacations,” the Greensboro-based real estate developer said. In June, Skyfall was headed to Croatia, Albania and Montenegro, a departure from the superyacht’s usual schedule. “Typically, the West Med is the hot place to be … but those areas have not opened up all the way,” Carroll said.

OCEAN AND RIVER CRUISES

In contrast to Skyfall, “A lot of cruise lines aren’t ready to sail yet,” observed Jeff Roberts, owner of Wilmingtontravelandcruise.com, based in Leland. With the CDC greenlighting Royal Caribbean’s July 2 cruise, the industry giant recommended that passengers get vaccinated. “Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols,” a June 4 statement said. “I think there’s going to be a slight reluctance ‘til the cruises get going for, I’d say a month, ‘til people see feedback,” Roberts said. Such hesitation may prompt couples or groups stepping away from the megaships – but who also find superyachts overly expensive – to embrace river cruising. But they may still be denied entry at certain ports as authorities continue to monitor local health conditions. Most people who take river cruises experience a number of mass-market cruises and “then they’re ready for something different,” Roberts said. While the entertainment may not be

as memorable and the menu somewhat limited, river cruises carry far fewer passengers than big-box vessels and provide a front-row seat on the scenery, he said. As river cruises and, to some extent, superyacht charters make inroads in the cruise lines business, the Royal Caribbean and Princess lines of the world are pushing back. Royal Princess, for one, added private cabanas and secluded dining options pre-pandemic. “They’re creating niches for the more luxury-minded traveler,” Roberts explained. But in the end, escaping a yearlong lockdown may still come down to cost. According to River Cruise Advisor, in October 2018 a 7-day ocean cruise cost as little as $900 per person while a 7-day river cruise rang up at $2,500, but with companies offering inclusive pricing, add-ons or specials in both market segments that determined a vacation’s final price. “That still stands as a fair assessment” of pricing during the ongoing pandemic, said Ralph Grizzle, Asheville-based River Cruise Advisor’s founder.

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July 2 - 15, 2021

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ANNUAL TERM COMMITMENT BUNDLE REQUIRED

Switch to AT&T Business Fiber—now at our lowest price ever.

Call: 844.740.FAST

Visit: att.com/businessfast

Limited availability in select areas. May not be available in your area. Call or go to att.com/businessfast to see if you qualify.

*Based on comparison of Internet 1000 w/wired upload connection to Comcast and Spectrum 1GIG svc w/upload speed of 35Mbps. AT&T Business Fiber. Go to www.att.com/smallbusiness/explore/internet.html to check qualification. Additional Fees & Taxes: AT&T one-time transactional fees and monthly cost recovery surcharges which are not government-required may apply, as well as taxes. See www.att.com/BusinessInternetFees for details. Installation: $99 installation charge may apply. Subject to Internet Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms. Prices and offers subject to change without notice. Advertised services not available in all areas. Credit restrictions and other conditions and limitations may apply. ©2021 AT&T Intellectual Property. AT&T, Globe logo, and DIRECTV are registered trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Greater Wilmington Business Journal - July 2 Issue

Articles inside

The List .........................................13

Business of Life

Economic Development

See PENDER

In Profile