The List

Catering Companies

Ranked by number of full-time local employees

RANK COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE

NO. OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES/ NO. OF PART-TIME EMPLOYEES/ % BUSINESS-CATERING

MIN-MAX SERVED/ PRICE RANGE PER PERSON FOOD SPECIALTIES

TOP LOCAL OFFICIAL/ YEAR FOUNDED

1A Thyme Savor Catering and Market

3704 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, NC 28412 262-2962 jeff@athymesavor.com www.athymesavor.com 30

75% 2-2,000 $5-$200 Italian, Greek, American, country, Southern, French, Asian Jeff and Danielle Cousler Owners 2006

2Coastal Catering and Events

19 Clubhouse Drive SW Supply, NC 28462 842-8444 joe@coastalcateringandevents.com www.coastalcateringandevents.com 20 20 80%

2-1,500 $12-unlimited Any style of food; customized menus for clients Joe Caldropoli Owner 2007

3Diamond Food Enterprises Catering

6726 Netherlands Dr. Wilmington, NC 28403

399-3811 or after hours 392-7167 diamondfoodenterprises@gmail.com www.diamondcateringservices.com

9 12 60% 10-2,500 $9 and up American, Southern, Italian, hors d'oeuvres, Mediterranean, dietary Steve Lambros Owner 1991

3Middle of the Island Catering

614 S. College Road Wilmington, NC 28403

5Pine Valley Market

3520 S. College Road Wilmington, NC 28412 256-4273 info@middleoftheisland.com www.middleoftheisland.com

350-3663 catering@pinevalleymarket.com www.pinevalleymarket.com

9 50 100%

7 7 60% 50-10,000 $12-$90

2-900 $10-$60 Southern buffets, fried seafood, breakfast, prime rib/steamed oysters, crab legs; mobile kitchens for cooking on-site

Fresh scratch-made foods, custom Menus, certified Angus beef, local produce and seafood, paella, Southern specialties, unique appetizers, bite-sized foods C.M. Rogers Owner 1988

Kathy Webb Christi Ferretti Owner 1997

6Premier Catering

20 Paisley Dr. SW Shallotte, NC 28470 (910) 442-6318 premier_catering@yahoo.com https://www.premiercateringllc.com/ 1

50%

List is based on voluntary responses to a Business Journal survey and includes companies whose business is made up of 50 percent or more from catering services.

2-150 $30-$100 Caribbean, seafood, Italian, gourmet-style

Chimere Allen Executive chef, owner 2019

ful DISCUSSIONS

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THE RISING EXPENCE IN MANUFACTURING AND SHIPMENTS

KATIE BRASKETT Director of Marketing MegaCorp

910.332.0825 MegaCorpLogistics.com

Why is shipping so expensive? Why are there shipping delays? These are some of the questions that have become common throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. At MegaCorp, we handle full truckloads (not individual parcels like an e-commerce company), and we’ll be sharing some of our insights into rising shipping costs and delays in the following paragraphs.

The truckload shipping industry was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It resulted in 50% more freight on the road. There was already a truck shortage and the pandemic greatly exacerbated that shortage. On average, between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 truckloads that are ready to be picked are not picked up within 24 hours because there are simply not enough trucks to pick up all of these new truckloads. This, unfortunately, has been the new norm since August 2020.

How Did We End Up Here?

• The lockdown caused people to drastically change their spending habits. Consumers shifted from spending money on services, travel and experiences to more tangible items like groceries and home improvements.

• Manufacturers from industries that were not in high demand due to the pandemic re-purposed their facilities to keep up with new demand and trends.

• Truck manufacturers had to staff their facilities in accordance with social distancing guidelines, which slowed production. Also slowing production was the arrival of parts ordered form overseas. New truck equipment is hard to come by and extremely backed up. So much so that the majority of new refrigerated truck units are not expected to arrive until after produce season in 2022.

• CDL driver schools were closed and now are only operating at a fraction of capacity, thus slowing the hiring of new drivers into an industry that was already struggling to hire.

• Additionally, many older drivers took this time to retire out of the industry.

• The pandemic also halted shipments from overseas. Not only did this create a backlog of shipments, but manufacturers and companies are now over-purchasing from overseas to ensure that all items arrive and that they don’t run out of product for the upcoming holiday season.

• Ports were also short-staffed due to social distancing guidelines and struggled to keep up with the influx in shipments.

The ports are still seeing recordbreaking amounts of product coming into our supply chain, and about 95% everything we see or eat has been on a truck at some point. This will increase the gap between supply and demand, meaning that moving into the fall and winter there will be even more goods being shipped, but not enough trucks to get them to their destinations. This also means that prices will stay elevated and increase before we see any kind of a decrease.

Unfortunately, this typically means higher costs to the end consumer eventually, so do your holiday shopping early this year!

Wilmington ’ s Premier Corporate & Event Venue

Allow our expertise to guide your experience to offer an unforgettable memory while providing exception value. Send information about company hires, promotions or awards to editor@wilmingtonbiz.com Habitat names Ferris as director of development

CHRISTINA FERRIS was appointed Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity’s new development director. In the role, she is responsible for raising funds to provide affordable housing for families and individuals through

Ferris the three-county Cape Fear region, officials with the nonprofit stated in a news release.

Ferris, who has experience as a nonprofit leader, recently moved to Wilmington from Michigan where she worked in fund development, marketing and public relations.

Ferris, who graduated from the University of West Florida, is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

CloudWyze hires Pouleris as VP of Operations

CloudWyze added DAVE POULERIS to the company’s leadership team as vice president of operations. Pouleris joined the Wilmington-based IT company after a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps as a communication and information tech-

Pouleris nology professional. After retiring from service, he became the first director of programs for The Honor Foundation Camp LeJeune Campus, according to a news release.

There, Pouleris was responsible for the design and execution of a threemonth professional development cohort “intended to prepare transitioning Special Operations Marines and Sailors for their new careers in the civilian sector,” the release stated.

Wilmington resident to be EmergeOrtho’s state CEO

One of the largest physician-owned orthopedic practices in North Carolina and the nation recently named a Wilmington resident its first statewide CEO.

Currently the practice’s CFO, ALLISON FARMER will transition to her new CEO role in October, a news release stated.

In June 2013, Farmer was hired as CFO of the practice known then as OrthoWilmington after the merger of Atlantic Orthopedics and Wilmington Orthopaedic Group. In 2016, OrthoWilmington joined with three other practices across North Carolina to form EmergeOrtho. Over the next five years, Farmer became CFO for several of the regions in the statewide organization, according to the release.

Regional leadership will continue across EmergeOrtho with Stephen DeBiasi at the Triad Region and Wilmington Region.

Farmer

Galutera named UNCW’s auxiliary services director

The University of North Carolina Wilmington named GINO GALUTERA as the school’s director of auxiliary services.

Galutera’s appointment, which follows a national search, started Sept. 13.

The university department has oversight of Campus Dining, the UNCW Bookstore, parking, transportation and One Card Office, according to a news release.

Galutera most recently served as managing director of auxiliary services for Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Di Biaggio heads WCFHBA business development

JESSICA DI BIAGGIO began this summer as the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association’s director of business development.

In the position, Di Biaggio serves as the group’s team leader in “developing and implementing innovative member recruitment, as well as engagement and retention strategies for the Association,” a news release stated. “Jessica will also serve as the main point of contact for managing the Association’s non-dues revenue and affinity agreement partnerships, including the development of yearly sponsorship agreements.”

Di Biaggio has sales experience in the hospitality and tourism industry, working most recently as the Wilmington Convention Center’s sales manager. She earned a bachelor’s degree in tourism management from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.