Fun inside
Board games gain in popularity Page 23
November 20 - December 3, 2020 Vol. 21, No. 22
wilmingtonbiz.com
$2.00
WEB EXCLUSIVE Big transactions
Find out about the latest apartment sales wilmingtonbiz.com
Veteran-owned
Fire and security firm in growth mode Page 10
Sweet stuff
Candy company has good taste Page 11
Index Economic Indicators .............................. 2 Technology ............................................. 3 The List .................................................. 4 Hospitality ..........................................8-9 In Profile...............................................10 Real Estate...........................................12 Business of Life.............................. 22-23
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PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER
Light entertainment: Lucas Barnes (from left) and Emanuel Davis adjust strands of lights for the upcoming Enhanted Airlie event at Airlie Gardens, which will include changes this year because of COVID-19.
DISTANT HOLIDAYS I t’s beginning to look like, well, no holiday season we’ve ever seen seen – Santa’s donning a mask, Black Friday is now the whole month of November. Even Wrightsville Beach’s popular Holiday Flotilla has been grounded.
Since it began circulating here last spring (the first local case was reported on Friday the 13th of March) COVID-19 has roared through the area like a giant bowling ball, taking out major events and disrupting holidays and major events – including the Azalea Festival, Easter services,
Fourth of July festivities and now Thanksgiving and Christmas, perhaps the virus’s biggest targets yet. With COVID-19 cases already surging nationwide, health officials are urging holidaymakers to not let down their guard. As much as people want to see family, attend parties and other gatherings, or hit the sales, the best gift you can give – and receive – this year is to take safety guidelines seriously, providers warn. On the immediate horizon is Thanksgiving. Although not always the busiest air travel day of the year – a handful of summer weekend days are busier – the day before Thanksgiving is consistently in the Top 10. After the bottom fell out in the early days of the pandemic, passen-
ger numbers at Wilmington International Airport have risen slowly but steadily. Levels are now at around 50% of normal. The pandemic also has affected the number of destinations and daily flights. “Last year we had seven destinations and over 20 flights per day each way,” ILM director Julie Wilsey said recently. “This year we are at five nonstop destinations and 1417 flights per day each way due to COVID.” The numbers won’t be anywhere close to typical, but Wilsey still expects heavy passenger loads this Thanksgiving, especially on Wednesday and Sunday. The airport’s carriers, American, See HOLIDAYS, page 14
