Greater Wilmington Business Journal - Dec. 4 Issue

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December 4 - 17, 2020 Vol. 21, No. 23

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RETIREMENT SPECIAL FOCUS

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ON THE COVER: How some people age, retire

RETIRE SMART: Planning is essential CHECK-IN: How Plantation Village is faring

Index Health Care ........................................4-5 Economic Development.......................... 6

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER

Center of attention: Amber Smith, director of the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center, meets residents with all types of situations, from those who are working at retirement age to those trying to stay at home versus moving to a retirement community.

SPECIAL FOCUS: RETIREMENT

The List ............................................7, 16 Banking & Finance .............................8-9 In Profile...............................................10 Real Estate .................................... 14-15 Business of Life.............................. 22-23

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RESOURCEFUL AGING Navigating trends, needs in retirement and beyond

BY CECE NUNN

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mber Smith and Andrew Zeldin meet people in their 60s who have continued working past retirement age for a variety of reasons.

“We have some folks that have been fortunate enough to have saved and been able to plan for their retirement, and then we have some individuals that unfortunately for whatever life circumstances, they either weren’t able to save or they had a life event that took a good part of their savings, so they are continuing to work,” said Smith, who is the director of the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center. “We have some individuals that just want to continue to work. They still feel that need to contribute to the workforce.”

Adding on to that, Zeldin, social

work supervisor for the SRC, said, “We get a lot of people who, regardless of age, don’t have the ability just to retire because they have to bring in additional income to pay for housing or medications or phone bills, electric bills, so they’re kind of wanting to retire, but they don’t have the capacity to do so.”

Working through retirement, opting to stay at home or choosing a retirement community are just a few of the trends and issues facing retired and aging Wilmington-area residents.

Ann LaReau, 75, falls into the category of someone who wanted to keep working. She started her own Alzheimer’s consulting business at age 72 and has worked for 25 years caregiving, teaching and training in See AGING, page 12

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

Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com.

Mayfaire loses tenant on Town Center Drive (Nov. 24) Signs on the facade of The STEM Labs at Mayfaire Town Center were gone before Thanksgiving.

Tina and Brad Catalone of The STEM Labs announced the closure of their educational center at 820 Town Center Drive in a recent email to customers.

The Catalones had no further comment on the closure Nov. 24. The doors were locked and a “closed” sign was hanging in the window at the storefront.

Explaining the closure, the email from the Catalones said, “This year has raised a new challenge for STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] education, and the educational sector at large. This is especially true with hands-on, activity-based learning models.”

The STEM Labs opened in 2018 at Mayfaire Town Center.

Of the space, Mayfaire spokeswoman Paige Coniglio said in an

email, “Our leasing team is working with a number of potential tenants, but I can’t make any announcements until leases are signed.”

Firm launches Kickstarter for poultry product (Nov. 20) Wilmington-based CoopWorx, a new firm making its way into the poultry industry, started a Kickstarter campaign recently to help push out its first product.

CoopWorx, a subsidiary of Wilmington-based EXPOGO Inc., a tradeshow display and product development company that has numerous patents, aims to manufacture the first round of its newly developed portable, multi-port gravity-fed chicken feeder in January, said Tom Carter, founder of EXPOGO Inc., a business started in 1988.

The patent is pending for the firm’s CoopWorx Feed Silo, according to a news release.

“We’re spinning off this separate company called CoopWorx to produce this feeder and a line of products for the poultry industry,” Carter said. “So this is the first of what will become several products.”

For this first product, the firm aims to raise $10,000 in a Kickstarter campaign that will start Sunday, he said. The campaign will run until Dec. 31.

Carter founded the subsidiary business with his daughter Kate Stinson and is working with industrial designer and innovator Brad Forrest, of Idea Logic, based in Cary.

$1.8M loan helps Harrelson Center (Nov. 17) In a place where jail cell doors used to clank shut, space for more nonprofit organizations is taking shape in downtown Wilmington, aided by a $1.8 million construction loan.

The Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center Inc. has received a loan from South State Bank to complete renovations to the former law enforcement center and jail tower, helping it to go from 30,000 to 60,000 square feet, a news release stated.

The loan funds construction of an event venue and renovation for nonprofit office suites, according to the release.

TOP-READ STORIES ONLINE Here are the most popular stories for Nov. 16 - 27 from the Business Journal’s website.

1. In downtown Wilmington, Ruth's Chris Steak House plans to open in River Place 2. What would more COVID restrictions mean for Wilmington businesses?

3. Mayfaire losing Town Center Drive tenant 4. A partments on Randall Parkway sell for $36.5M 5. W hat's next for more than 500 acres of Trask land?

6. C ommissioners to consider rezonings for more than 500 acres 7. Q &A: Michael's Seafood 8. $ 1.8M loan means more space for Wilmington nonprofit campus 9. E shelman Foundation steps into spotlight (published in 2011) 10. W ilmington firm, new to the coop, to launch Kickstarter To read more, go to wilmingtonbiz.com

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| HEALTH CARE |

Area so far immune to worker shortage

BY SCOTT NUNN ince the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital capacity has been a top concern for officials plotting a response. And capacity is not just the number of beds – hospitals need adequate equipment and supplies and, most important, they need the workers who provide the care.

While certain areas of the U.S. have experienced both space and staff shortages during the pandemic, the current surge in cases is beginning to strain hospitals nationwide, federal health officials say.

Wilmington-area hospitals have not had any major worker shortages during the pandemic, officials said.

But the situation is different elsewhere. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported recently that more than 1,000 hospitals across the nation are “critically” short on staff. That is about a fifth of the hospitals that report staffing levels. And with cases still spiking, some hospitals that so far are getting by have reported that they expected to

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face similar shortages in the coming weeks.

There are many factors behind the shortage, officials say. Heavy patient loads directly related to the virus, workers who are infected or have been exposed and those needing to help children who are out of school are a few.

Even before the pandemic, staffing already was challenging in some areas. Not only does the aging population require more care, the healthcare workforce itself is aging.

The most critical shortages are in hard-hit North Dakota and Wyoming, but Virginia also is struggling to keep hospitals staffed.

The news is much better in North Carolina. While 51% of hospitals in North Dakota report a critical shortage of workers, that number in North Carolina is 4%, nearly equaling the 3% in Kentucky – the state with the fewest hospitals reporting shortages.

Locally, there have been no worker shortages at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, according to West

Paul, chief clinical officer.

“So far, NHRMC has been fortunate in that we have seen lower infection rates among staff compared with our peers statewide and even nationally,” Paul said, adding that leaders closely track staffing trends and can respond as necessary.

“I commend our staff and providers for diligently following safety precautions, not just at work, but outside of our four walls,” he said.

“We continue to stress the importance of masking and other safety precautions to limit the spread, particularly as we expect the numbers to increase over the winter months.”

Like many other large health-care facilities, NHRMC regularly employs temporary workers – some known as “traveling nurses” – to ensure staffing levels are met. NHRMC also offers sign-on/incentive bonuses as needed for hard-to-fill positions.

Rural areas across the nation have had a harder time keeping jobs filled.

Pender Memorial in Burgaw, which is operated by NHRMC, has had some periodic shortages on some shifts

since the start of the pandemic.

“The hospital has turned to travel contract staff and offered overtime pay to existing staff to fill the gaps,” Paul said. “Managers have also helped provide staffing coverage.”

Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia also is faring as well as its owner, Novant Health, which is expected to finalize its purchase of NHRMC in early 2021.

“At a system level and at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, we have not and are currently not experiencing any team-member shortages,” said Novant spokeswoman Kristen Barnhardt.

Barnhardt said Novant is taking extensive steps to ensure its workforce is taken care of during the pandemic, including donating $11 million to establish a disaster relief fund for employees, offering free and subsidized emergency child care and providing overnight accommodations for nurses who have dependents living at home who fall into high-risk categories.

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| HEALTH CARE | New foundation will be one of state’s largest It won’t be fully funded until Novant Health’s purchase of New Hanover Regional Medical Center becomes final, but the board that will oversee a $1.25 billion endowment is already getting the foundation going.

Although as of press time it was waiting for the appointment of six of its 11 members, the New Hanover Community Endowment Inc. is up and running. The five board members already appointed are working on administrative tasks for the newly formed organization, which, overnight, will become one of the largest charitable funds in North Carolina.

(The $3.8 billion Duke Endowment is the largest).

Five of the board’s 11 members were appointed by the New Hanover County commissioners as part of the Oct. 5 vote approving the sale. The remaining six will be appointed by a new 17-member board of managers that will oversee NHRMC under Novant’s ownership.

If the $5 billion deal passes regulatory scrutiny, it is expected to close in early 2021. When it does, $1.25 billion – the bulk of the cash

proceeds – will go into the endowment meant, which, according to its articles of incorporation, was established “exclusively for charitable, scientific or educational purposes … including supporting public health needs and social welfare projects in New Hanover County.”

To bridge the gap, the county commissioners approved a $100,000 loan to the foundation to cover expenses prior to the closing.

Novant Health raises minimum wage to $15 More than 2,000 Novant Health employees will get a pay raise in January when the Winston-Salem-based health care system raises its minimum wage from $12.50 per hour to $15 per hour. North Carolina’s minimum wage is $7.25.

The private, nonprofit health network has 30,000 employees at its locations, most of which are in North Carolina, including Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia. With its pending purchase of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Novant will be adding 7,000 employees to its workforce.

“Novant Health is dedicated to

caring for our communities, starting with our own team members,” said Carl Armato, Novant Health president and CEO. “Though we’ve adjusted our living wage over the past several years, we recognized an opportunity to further invest in our team members to ensure they have the resources they need to live and thrive in the communities we serve.”

“This update to our living wage represents a $4.3 million investment in our team members,” said Carmen Canales, senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “We believe that offering a living wage improves the economic mobility of our team members and reinforces our commitment to attract and retain the best people to carry out our mission to improve the health of our communities, one person at a time.”

Popular UNC partnership expanded to elsewhere Novant Health is expanding its alliance with UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine, a partnership the health-care system first entered as part of its successful bid to purchase New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

The UNC addition appeared to be an important factor in helping Novant edge out Duke Health and Atrium Health, the other two finalists. Several members of the group that guided the sale exploration said pulling in UNC was a deal-closer for Novant.

Now Novant is expanding the partnership, with UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine expanding medical education, research and clinical services to other North Carolina locations, including Novant facilities in Mecklenburg, Forsyth and other counties. The new partnership also will focus on finding innovative solutions to enhance care in rural areas, according to a joint news release from the three organizations.

The partnership will initially locate a UNC School of Medicine branch campus at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte. In addition, expansion of UNC School of Medicine’s Kenan Primary Care Medical Scholars Program will train more students to work in rural and under-resourced communities with enhanced training for care in those communities across North Carolina, the news release said.

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| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |

COVID highlights cold chain needs

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harmaceuticals and agriculture are heavy players in driving some of the state’s cold chain business, said panelists during N.C. Ports’ virtual Cold Chain Summit last month.

And more opportunities may come with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with grocers and vaccine distribution.

The industry leaders spoke on a range of topics and possibilities for growing business CHRISTINA HALEY and bringing more options for moving and storing goods in cold transportation, warehouses, logistics and at the Port of Wilmington.

N.C. Ports has grown its capabilities in this segment in recent years. A developer has added the 101,000-square-foot, privately owned Port of Wilmington Cold Storage facility. And then this year, in the midst of the pandemic, work wrapped on the new $14 million refrigerated container yard at the Port of Wilmington.

That move has positioned N.C. Ports to become an even bigger player in the global cold chain network, officials said.

Refrigerated space from either an agricultural perspective or a pharmaceutical perspective is similar, and businesses in those segments are finding North Carolina attractive, said Gary Salamido, president and CEO of the N.C. Chamber.

“In the agricultural food processing business, we are feeding the world through a lot of the agricultural products here; it’s our No. 1 industry. In manufacturing, there’s over 10,000 manufacturers in North Carolina, and it’s been our backbone for a long time and it continues to be our backbone,” Salamido said.

“And when we look at the health care sector, in particular the pharma sector … the way that North Carolina [and] the ports have grown, innovated and developed, and having a unique cold storage facility located where it is, and having a single building, having an interchange point for pharmaceuticals, particularly now that our vaccines are going to require significant cold storage, people are noticing,” he said.

There are several coronavirus vacine candidates working toward

O’NEAL

PHOTO BY CHRIS BREHMER

Cold chain opportunities: Chuck McCarthy, president and CEO of the Port of Wilmington Cold Storage, stands among goods stored inside the facility.

approvals and distribution. When they are manufactured for distribution, global logistics firms and transporters will need to be ready to activate a network of cold chain opportunities to move and store the billions of highly-perishable vaccine that will be needed around the world, panelists said.

Overall, growing that cold network is important, through options such as additional cold storage warehouses and distribution centers.

The value of the system makes sense for bringing in companies on the food side, especially as prepackaged meals and imported food grows as a subsector, said Joe Melvin, business development director at North Carolina’s Southeast, an 18-county regional economic development organization.

The grocery sector is a big growth area for N.C. Ports. An area of opportunity in that sector N.C. Ports is targeting is its location to about a dozen large refrigerated grocery distribution centers within a half-day truck drive of the port, centers for big name grocers such as Walmart, Food Lion and Publix, officials said.

William Duggan, North American cold chain adviser for Eskesen Advisory, said, “North Carolina has made a dedication to focus on this segment of the business,” he said. “I think North Carolina is clearly on

the right track. The key is to continue to attract the carriers, get the carriers in there and make that, both on import and export part, make it accessible to the world.”

Genesis Block opens with big goals for future Genesis Block, which officially opened its doors in November, has a jobs and investment plan to help grow the minority-owned and women-owned business community in the Cape Fear region.

The community collaborative is focusing on a three-year goal to help spur companies to create 400 jobs and add $13 million in investment in the area, said Tracey and Girard Newkirk, co-founders of Genesis Block located at 20 Wrights Alley in Wilmington.

The Newkirks, through the firm, are taking on an economic development role for the advancement and enrichment of the local minority business community, launching Genesis Block as a business development company.

“We have three very clear strategies as far as our three-year goals, and that is to graduate 120 minority and women-owned businesses, through them create 400 jobs, and drive $13 million in revenue for the community through those business-

es,” Girard Newkirk said.

The Newkirks aim to take a three-vertical approach to Genesis Block through its new co-working space, entrepreneur academy and minority accelerator and the developing ANZA technology platform, a mobile application and website that will be built to promote minority businesses in the Wilmington area.

The business aims to launch the ANZA application in early 2021.

Manufacturer eyes expansion project A state grant has been awarded to a Brunswick County manufacturer in the aviation and aerospace business, to help the firm expand and create more than a dozen local jobs, according to a news release.

The N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority approved a $100,000 grant to support development at the HSM Machine Works site, 2613 Mt. Misery Road.

The funding is for infrastructure improvements to provide public wastewater to a building occupied by HSM Machine Works, stated the release. The firm, which manufactures landing gear for the aviation and aerospace industry, plans to create 17 jobs and invest $150,000.

HSM Machine Works employs about 18 people locally.

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Greater Wilmington Business Journal

December 4 - 17, 2020

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| THE LIST |

Assisted Living and Independent Living Facilities

Ranked by number of residents RANK

PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE

NAME ADDRESS

NO. UNITS/ NO. OF NO. OF FULL-TIME RESIDENTS EMPLOYEES

TYPE OF RESIDENTS ACCEPTED

SERVICES OFFERED

fine dining; leisure and concierge services; weekly housekeeping and linen service; 24-hour security staff; transportation to shopping, grocery stores and doctors’ appointments; a 24 hour Resident Care Center; fitness center Independent with indoor pool, salon services, community auditorium, discounted green fees at neighboring golf courses, all utilities; complimentary high-speed Internet, craft & card room, woodworking shop, and meal delivery service.

Rental-based active retirement community offering studio, one- and twoActive adults 55+ who want to apartments, each with granite countertops, stainless appliances maintain an independent lifestyle bedroom and washer and dryer; flexible dining program, housekeeping, with conveniences such as Mayfaire transportation, valet parking, Wi-Fi, Wellness Center including a new and an on-site Wellness Center MedSpa, heated indoor pool, pub; on-site supportive care available

MANAGER OR ADMINISTRATOR/ YEAR FOUNDED

1

Plantation Village Inc. 1200 Porters Neck Wilmington, NC 28411

686-7181 lpolanski@plantationvillagenc.org www.plantationvillagerc.com

302

248 105

2

Cambridge Village 75 Cavalier Drive Wilmington, NC 28405

239-9500 bsykora@cvsliving.com www.cambridgevillageofwilmington.com

240

220 N/A

3

Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall 630 Carolina Bay Drive Wilmington, NC 28403

769-7500 www.carolinabayatautumnhall.com

182

146 28

Planned continuing care retirement community with flexible meal options, Independent living, assisted living, 24-hour emergency response, weekly maid service, on-site health care and memory care and rehab rehab, life enrichment programs, wellness center, scheduled transportation and spa/salon

Bill Piper 2015

4

Champions Assisted Living at Davis Community 1007 Porters Neck Road Wilmington, NC 28411

686-6462 marshat@thedaviscommunity.org www.thedaviscommunity.org

121

123 N/A

Offers assisted living and memory Continuum of care in an all-inclusive community that includes private care to seniors in a community suites and private bath, personal care, medication administration, 24-hour environment with the look and feel nursing professionals, meals and snacks, housekeeping, laundry services, of home; campus offers a medical transportation, activities, church services and wine socials, continuum of care membership to Wellness Pavilion, Wi-Fi and direct TV

Marsha Taylor 2000

5

Glenmeade Village Apartments 1518 Village Drive Wilmington, NC 28401

762-8108 glenmeadevillage@druckerandfalk.com www.glenmeadevillage.com

100

104 2

All; 80 percent of residents are 55 and older

24-hour emergency maintenance, indoor heated pool, tennis court, dog park, garden, book exchange, socials

Pattie Jacob 1969

6

Arbor Landing at Ocean Isle 5490 Arbor Branch Drive SW Shallotte, NC 28470

754-8080 smccumbee@ridgecare.com www.ridgecare.com

90

99 40

Seniors aged 55 and older

Villas, independent living, independent with assisted services, assisted living, memory care

Amy Causey 2010

Zane Bennett 1988

Katie Manning 2015

List is based on voluntary responses to a Business Journal survey.

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Greater Wilmington Business Journal

SPECIAL FOCUS: RETIREMENT

BANKING & FINANCE

N

Planning proves key to retirement

o matter the amount of your assets, the key to funding retirement is planning – ideally, starting in the years before you clock off the job, according to DaJENNY vid Shucavage, president and investment adviser representative at Carolina Retirement Planners in Wilmington.

“I am shocked at how many people come in with investments but no income plan,” he said, pointing out that new retirees need to shift their focus from earning money to managing it.

Wilmington residents Duncan and Laura McCabe have had a plan since they married 40 years ago.

“We lived on one paycheck; lived below our means,” Laura McCabe said, recalling the couple’s decision to be frugal for the first 10 years of their

CALLISON

PHOTO C/O DUNCAN AND LAURA MCCABE

Active retirees: Duncan and Laura McCabe began planning for an active retirement early on in their 40-year marriage.

careers as engineers at DuPont. The McCabes slept on the floor, and then on a hide-a-bed, for a year before buying bedroom furniture. They brown-bagged it for lunch at work.

The McCabes started their planned 10 years of frugality when they were still in graduate school.

This front-loading of their savings, and a habit of careful money man-

agement, allowed Laura to retire when she was 51 and Duncan to follow suit five years later, at 56. These days, they vacation internationally and pursue their many interests locally.

“We knew exactly where our money was going, and so we figured out how much money we needed to live on,” Duncan McCabe said. “That’s a comfort in deciding when to retire: You know how much your lifestyle costs.”

Even though the couple eventually relaxed their spending, intentional frugality and tracking every expense became part of their pattern. For example, Laura McCabe says she can tell you exactly how much she and her husband have spent on wine since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown.

“One of Duncan’s sayings is that there are three steps in your financial life,” Laura McCabe said. “The first is wealth accumulation, saving early as much as you can so that it has years to grow. Then it’s wealth

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SPECIAL FOCUS: RETIREMENT

BANKING & FINANCE preservation; some people struggle with that. The third step is wealth distribution.”

Shucavage says it slightly differently when advising his clients.

“While you’re working, your goal is accumulation, building a nest egg: return on investment. When you are retired, that ROI means ‘reliability of income.’ It’s not how fast your growth is; it’s do you have a steady income? Many things you have been doing have to change.

“You need a plan that says, year by year, ‘How much money am I going to take out of my nest egg, and where will it come from?’” he said, adding that drawing from that nest egg should be integrated with other assets, such as a pension and Social Security. “The income plan puts together your nest egg, your pension and your Social Security income.”

He advises clients to think about how and when to start drawing Social Security. Taking it earlier means more years of benefits. Taking it later means bigger monthly payouts (and possibly a more advantageous calculation if a worker’s highest-earning years are at the end of his or her

career).

A married couple can have it both ways. The spouse who earns more can continue working, while the other begins drawing Social Security to supplement the family income or to invest, Shucavage points out.

For those lucky individuals who still have workplace pension plans, there’s another pre-retirement decision to make, Shucavage says: whether to take the payouts over the worker’s life only, or over the lives of the worker and the spouse.

Duncan McCabe said he and his wife are very fortunate that he worked for 32 years for a company that offered a defined-benefit pension plan. Not having children and staying in a stable marriage also benefited them financially.

Shucavage emphasizes the importance of developing tax strategies as part of an income plan.

“Most people have large amounts of money in their 401(k) or IRA; money that’s never been taxed,” he said. “It is a sitting duck for the tax man. There are strategies you can use to reposition that money. Properly managing and diversifying among

tax strategies is just as important as earning a bit more in the market.”

The adviser helps his clients understand that an income plan should consider the different stages of retirement.

“From age 60 to 74, you’re in your go-go years,” he said. “Your knees and hips are probably still original.

Your grandkids are young and want to see you. You have friends to travel with. You don’t mind being active.”

Beyond that is are the “slow-go” years – from age 75 to perhaps 85.

“You have more doctors’ appointments, more funerals to attend,” Shucavage said. “The idea of flying to Australia is not that attractive. Your grandkids are taller than you are and you have lost your luster.”

Beyond the slowdown is the probable “won’t go” phase, he added.

“If you have a good income plan, give yourself permission to spend more in the go-go years,” Shucavage advised. “One thing we will often do is set a limit for each year, depending on what phase you’re in. We’ll design a plan that makes sense to you.”

Of course, sometimes life just doesn’t go according to plan. Take

the major disruptions this year caused by a certain virus.

“The global pandemic is the perfect example as to why someone’s financial plan needs to have some room for flexibility,” says John Zachary, a certified financial planner at Pathfinder Wealth Consulting. “Life is dynamic, and that won’t change in retirement.”

Zachary notes that it’s important to test your plan with financial uncertainties, to make sure that even when things go awry, you’ll still have the resources to carry on.

“We call this ‘scenario analysis,’” Zachary said. “It’s where we throw many scenarios at someone’s financial plan: a market crash (which we saw in March); an untimely death (to make sure survivors are protected); high inflation, especially in the case where someone has a pension that doesn’t have cost-of-living increases, typical of private-sector pensions; and probably the most talked-about: rising health care costs and long-term health care expenses.”

That’s why it’s important to revisit and update a financial plan on a regular basis, Zachary said.

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SPECIAL FOCUS: RETIREMENT

IN PROFILE Plantation Village continues to cope

BY CHRISTINA HALEY O’NEAL

P

lantation Village is continuing to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lessons have been learned and changes made at the retirement community of just over 300 residents, ranging in ages from 62 to 100 years old, said Zane Bennett, executive director of Plantation Village, 1200 Porters Neck Road.

Bennett oversees the community’s day-to-day operations, and more recently, everything that has to do with COVID-19 prevention, education, risk management and health and well-being, he said.

As of November, there were no resident cases of the coronavirus at Plantation Village, Bennett said. But the community is still taking preventative measures, installing equipment and implementing new tactics to keep residents safe, while also focusing on their wellness.

GWBJ: How are things going, and is Plantation Village monitoring the surge in cases happening across the nation?

Bennett: “We’re proceeding with caution. Coming out of a holiday weekend, we have taken some preventative measures. So we’re shutting down some of the things that we had opened up like dining; we opened up the modified dining. And some of the meeting spaces, we’re temporarily closing those for 14 days. That started on Nov. 27, just because we know as increased travel and a possible spike are on the horizon, we want to do our part to make sure that there isn’t a spread through those indoor areas. It’s a targeted approach.

We’re not shutting down the entire community like we did early on, but reducing the indoor meeting spaces, indoor dining for a period just allows us to monitor, allows us to do another round of testing for our associates, and make decisions based on that information.”

GWBJ: With Christmas coming up, do you have an action plan?

Bennett: “What we have done for Thanksgiving and what we’ll do for Christmas and other holidays is we’ll provide a lot of education on the front end; we will provide education on the CDC guidance. And as an independent living community, we want residents to make decisions independently, but obviously those

PHOTO C/O PLANTATION VILLAGE

COVID changes: Plantation Village directors Susanne DelGrosso (left) and Johnna Glick retrieve grocery items from Harris Teeter as part of the community’s new weekly grocery delivery service for residents.

decisions could have [impacts] on others, so our community, as residents and our team members, have been really good about making those tough decisions that benefit themselves and others. And depending on what happens in the next threeto-four weeks, as we get closer to Christmas, we could look at more restrictions. But right now, it’s really targeting those indoor areas. We want to do what we can in a safe environment.

“And when I think about the next 30 days, I think about the FDA’s pending approval of the vaccine and Plantation Village will be part of that phase one rollout, because we have residents over the age of 65 living in a congregate setting [and] we have health care workers.”

GWBJ: What has been learned since March?

Bennett: “We’ve learned that there’s things that we can do differently; services that we can provide differently.

When I think back to March, we didn’t know what this virus was going to look like. We’ve learned a lot over the last nine months about how it spreads, what are the high-risk sce-

narios, and we’ve been able to adjust accordingly. So, I think that’s why you won’t see at Plantation Village this complete shutdown where everybody stays in their home and there’s no interaction. We just learn how to do things differently. You can still have face-to-face interactions, but they need to be spread out; they need to be outdoors. Everyone continues to wear a mask, both associates and residents. That’s helpful.”

GWBJ: What other investments has Plantation Village had to make since this started? And have rates increased?

Bennett: “Thankfully, no. The rates didn’t go up this year … As far as the spend, I estimate the investment just on equipment to date is probably in the ballpark range between $75,000 and $100,000. “[Some] of the [capital] investments, as it relates to COVID-19, we’ve invested in what are called needlepoint bipolar ionization units, which clean the air and eliminate COVID risk in the air, or substantially reduces the risk. And we’ve installed touchless water fountains.

We’ve changed out our handicap accessible doors – the push buttons – to motion detectors where you

just wave your hand and that opens the door. And then through about 12 different entry points we have touchless, self-monitoring thermometers so residents and associates can go out, they can stand about a foot away from the device that’s mounted on the wall, and that quickly gives them a reading. And if it’s outside of normal limits – it’s 99.9 and above – the device actually alarms and flashes red. Thankfully, we haven’t had that happen yet.”

GWBJ: How are you able to keep your residents active and engaged?

Bennett: “Each phase has been different. But where we are right now, we do a lot of what we call ‘physically distanced.’ So, we got rid of this socially distanced nomenclature, and switched to physically distanced. We do a lot of things that we were doing before; we just do it outside or 6 feet apart. Walking groups have been a big hit. We spent a lot of money on outdoor meeting spaces – temporary tents, some permanent structures, pockets of chairs and umbrellas outside – so that residents and associates have a space that’s conducive to having conversations, meetings and dining outside.”

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December 4 - 17, 2020

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| FROM THE COVER | 219 Station Road, Suite 202 Wilmington, NC 28405 (910) 343-8600 Fax: (910) 343-8660 wilmingtonbiz.com PUBLISHER Rob Kaiser rkaiser@wilmingtonbiz.com PRESIDENT Robert Preville rpreville@wilmingtonbiz.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Judy Budd jbudd@wilmingtonbiz.com EDITOR Vicky Janowski vjanowski@wilmingtonbiz.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Cece Nunn cnunn@wilmingtonbiz.com REPORTERS Johanna Cano jcano@wilmingtonbiz.com Christina Haley O’Neal chaley@wilmingtonbiz.com VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Maggi Apel mapel@wilmingtonbiz.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Craig Snow csnow@wilmingtonbiz.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Courtney Barden cbarden@wilmingtonbiz.com KEN Ali Buckley abuckley@wilmingtonbiz.com Marian Welsh Mwelsh@wilmingtonbiz.com

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From AGING, page 1

the realm of Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

She was forced to retire somewhat in March when the coronavirus pandemic shut down the kind of in-person training and support groups she conducted. “Everything requires a group of people, which we’re not allowed to do,” LaReau said, adding that virtual meetings on the subject don’t translate.

“After my husband died, I thought, ‘Well, shoot, why don’t I just keep doing what I’m doing,’ and when I started my own business, I had a decent income and this whole thing has reduced all of that,” LaReau said of the pandemic. “All I’ve been doing now is some private duty work, caregiving. I just have one client right now, but I do love teaching and I miss it horribly.”

People like LaReau who have chosen to continue working, “they’re just active people that want to keep busy, who enjoy their jobs and whose kids are gone,” said LaReau, whose children and grandchildren live elsewhere, in some cases far away.

LaReau is also an active volunteer, including participating in food drives and raising funds for Alzheimer’s research.

But not all people of retirement age and older are working because they want to but because they need to.

Zeldin gave the example of housing.

“For someone to rent an apartment here, at least in New Hanover County, you have to be able to show that you can pay three times what the rent is,” Zeldin said. “For someone who is getting Social Security and they only get $1,300 a month, and the rent’s $1,000 and they have to show they can bring in $3,000 a month, they’re not going to be able to find affordable housing.”

The need for housing for retirees and seniors is one of the reasons New Hanover County is developing its first Master Aging Plan, with the help of a survey that wrapped up Dec. 2.

“Our goal is to have an age-friendly community and a strategic plan that will meet the needs of our residents, promote healthy aging, independence, and community engagement, and provide a coordinated system of service delivery,” Smith said in a letter to the community regarding the Master Aging Plan survey.

The Senior Resource Center, at 2222 S. College Road, opened in 1992 and was recently renovated

to meet the needs of seniors today.

For example, the exercise room at the SRC was upgraded, Smith said.

“We’ve kind of scaled back on those lounge type of areas because what’s important to seniors today is much different than what it was 30 years ago; there’s more of a focus on wellness and activity,” she said.

Because of COVID-19, the SRC is closed for now for group activities.

But other services continue, including its meals program and Medicare counseling. Some of those services help seniors and those of retirement age to stay at home rather than moving into a retirement community.

Aging in place has numerous benefits, said Jennifer Selden, owner of Right at Home Wilmington.

“We’re talking about being able to remain in a familiar, comfortable environment, where you have your cat and you have your favorite blanket and your recliner and you know where everything is, so that familiarity I think is really important and comforting to people,” Selden said.

Companies like Right at Home can provide a higher level of support in someone’s home.

“Most of the time they’re needing help with their activities of daily living, with bathing, dressing, some meal preparation. There can be some level of cognitive impairment going on that requires different types of care,” Selden said.

Meanwhile, retirement communities are a popular option for active people.

“There are amenities, there are activities there. It’s going to be easier to meet with your peers who have the same interests, and so you kind of have a ready-made social group,” Selden said.

The Wilmington area has a number of options for retirees who want to live in a retirement community, with more on the way.

In August, the W.M. Jordan Co. started building Trinity Landing, a senior living community being developed by Lutheran Services Carolinas at 4915 Masonboro Loop Road.

“Located just south of Wrightsville Beach on the Intracoastal Waterway, Trinity Landing will consist of 184 units built in the initial phase of construction, followed by an additional 24 units in the project’s second phase,” stated a news release on the start of construction. The community was nearly 80% reserved as of press time.

“Located near Trinity Grove, an LSC skilled nursing home, Trinity Landing will join Trinity Oaks in Salisbury, Trinity View in Arden,

SENIOR SNAPSHOT In New Hanover County, there are MORE

RESIDENTS OVER THE AGE OF 60 than UNDER THE AGE OF 17.

In the United States, OLDER ADULTS are projected to OUTNUMBER CHILDREN UNDER 18 by 2035.

By 2030, all BABY BOOMERS who were born 1946-1964 will be AGE 65 OR OLDER. SOURCES: NEW HANOVER COUNTY, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

and Trinity Elms in Clemmons as an independent living option for seniors offered by Lutheran Services Carolinas, based in Salisbury, North Carolina,” the release stated.

Trinity Landing and Trinity Grove are forming a Continuing Care Retirement Community, offering independent living and nursing home care but currently no assisted living component.

Karen and Charlie Reap chose to reserve a spot at Trinity Landing as a way to plan for the future. The Carolina Beach residents currently live in a waterfront community called Forest by the Sea. Karen Reap, 77, cracked her femur during a fall a couple of years ago and she and Charlie moved to a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Winston-Salem.

“It was a nice place and everything, but it just wasn’t us. Charlie [who is 89] decided that he just didn’t like being around all those old people who were sitting around waiting to die,” Karen Reap said.

But they recognized they’re getting older and need to plan for the future.

One of the things that clinched their Trinity Landing decision was that the people they met who also plan to live there were more active.

“They seemed to be the kind of people we wanted to be around as we age, people who thought young and were interested in life and so forth,” Karen Reap said.

Retiree and senior issues will remain a big part of the conversation in New Hanover County and the Wilmington area for many years to come, officials said.

Smith said in her Master Aging Plan letter that “this first Master Aging Plan is more important now than ever. It will be our roadmap and foundation to ensure we have the right and best services in place, and are prepared to meet every person’s aging needs.”

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December 4 - 17, 2020

WILMA’S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE gives up-and-coming leaders a unique opportunity to learn from top leaders in the region, visit a range of local companies and serve as each others’ personal board of directors.

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2020 Class graduates

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December 4 - 17, 2020

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Greater Wilmington Business Journal

| REAL ESTATE |

Making history work for the future Homebuilder to transform former church property

BY CECE NUNN he last service at Pearsall Memorial Presbyterian Church, a Wilmington house of worship built more than 100 years ago, took place in June 2019. On a recent weekday this year, the whir and pop of saws and nail guns by crews working for a local homebuilder emanated from the 3-acre property on Market Street.

Wilmington-based PBC Design + Build’s creations typically provide custom spaces for other people, but this time, the church project is transforming part of local history into the firm’s future home.

Crews are working on making the former fellowship hall at Pearsall Memorial Presbyterian Church, 3902

T

Market St., into a new office for PBC Design + Build. Unlike the church sanctuary, which dates back to 1913, the fellowship hall was built in the 1970s.

“We’ve built hundreds of amazing custom homes for our clients, but we’ve never really had the opportunity to build a space for ourselves, some place that allows us to work for us for the next 20 years,” said Dave Spetrino, president of PBC. “For years we’ve been saving ideas and imagining ‘what we would do’ when given an opportunity to have a clean slate like this. So while we won’t modify the footprint or exterior walls, we’re doing everything else.”

That includes opening up the steel truss ceiling, bringing in light through a clerestory (a kind of raised skylight) at the ridgeline and then creating workspaces, Spetrino explained.

“The rectangular space with its high ceilings is wide open, complete-

ly barrier-free,” Spetrino said of the fellowship hall. “Designed by Leslie Boney Jr. in the late 1960s, it has this terrific mid-century modern feel without becoming a distraction to the adjacent historic sanctuary.

“It’s also probably one of the bestbuilt concrete and metal buildings we’ve seen locally – the guys who built this weren’t messing around.”

Other parts of the building will also be reused.

“There is a stage inside that will be fun to repurpose and having this high, clear span of open space is like a blank canvas,” Spetrino said. “We can showcase our work but also establish a space that not only increases our efficiency as a team but also encourages more creativity across our projects.”

The sanctuary and other buildings that were added to and grew up around the church over the years will be preserved, Spetrino said.

Giving a tour of the sanctuary,

where pristine original pews are wrapped in plastic, Spetrino said he could see the structure one day becoming an event venue or destination restaurant like Indochine, a popular eatery north of the Pearsall property on Market Street.

So while the firm plans to fully use the 4,200 square feet in the fellowship hall, “we have no concrete plans for the sanctuary and other gathering spaces within the main church areas. We have some ideas but no clear path other than to ‘preserve and protect,’” said Spetrino, who also said he’s not in a hurry to make plans for the space other than preservation.

PBC Design + Build is moving from its current home of 314 Walnut St. (since 2012) in downtown Wilmington, likely in April or May. “We’ve been downtown since 1994,” Spetrino said. “It’s nuts to think about it in terms of not years but decades. I don’t know that we

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December 4 - 17, 2020

Page 15

| REAL ESTATE |

PHOTO C/O PBC DESIGN + BUILD

RENDERING C/O PBC DESIGN + BUILD

Creating a new use: A rendering shows what the former fellowship hall (shown above before construction commenced) at Pearsall Memorial Presbyterian Church is being turned into, an office for Wilmington homebuilding firm PBC Design + Build.

look at it as moving out of downtown, more of a transition to a slightly more centralized location.”

Nevertheless, Spetrino is in for an adjustment, he said.

“My existing routines are fairly well set,” he said. “I walk to lunch daily, our attorney is next door, our surveyor across the street and the city offices and council chambers a block away. So the idea of ‘not’ being downtown really hasn’t hit me.”

At the same time, Spetrino said, the opportunities and reasons for PBC to be located downtown have evolved.

“Much of our work is no longer downtown like it was in the ’90s and early 2000s. For many years I think we felt a sense of loyalty or almost an obligation to be downtown,” he said. “Thankfully – and gratefully – there are a myriad of other players who’ve invested in downtown and will continue to do so.

“That wasn’t always the case. Today, and really no point in my own history has downtown been more stable and energized. The amount of attention and investment within the central business district cannot be understated.”

A number of other factors led

to the decision by PBC to buy the church site in June for $745,000.

“We’ve always liked the church.

It’s so out of place along that street that it’s like its own time capsule.

When the opportunity came up to acquire it, it was an even easier decision based on our adjacent ownership of the 10-acre site,” Spetrino said.

A portion of the 10 acres is expected to eventually hold apartments in a community called Switchyard under development by Spetrino.

“We have some long-term plans to invest within that general area and being able to control the church site made sense,” he said.

Spetrino added, “Another big reason, and while I don’t always recommend it, was emotional. Certain sections of Market Street have really lost their cohesiveness with the surrounding growth in our area.

The ability to acquire and preserve a cultural resource, especially one with such character and historical significance, is rare.

“We believe that protecting the church can only help in creating interest and a destination or ‘place’ for our future work – and residents – within that area.”

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Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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| IN THE NEWS |

Downtown iconic restaurant on the move

BY CECE NUNN prominent restaurant in downtown Wilmington has ordered up a new location.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House is moving south down Water Street from the Hotel Ballast to River Place, a 13-story mixed-use project overlooking the Cape Fear River.

Officials with River Place developer East West Partners and commercial real estate and development firm MoMentum Companies announced the upcoming move recently, saying, “With sweeping views of the Cape Fear River and the historic Battleship North Carolina, the restaurant will occupy a 7,000-square-foot indoor dining room and banquet space as well as 2,328 square feet of outdoor ‘al fresco’ mezzanine.

“The restaurant will seat up to 320 people, accommodating both intimate dining and large gatherings alike, filling an important need for Wilmington’s growing residential, tourist and convention populations.”

The interior upfit for the new restaurant will begin immediately

A

PHOTO C/O TERRY ESPY

New spot: A popular downtown restaurant is moving to River Place (above).

with plans to open by June 2021, according to the news release. In the meantime, Ruth’s Chris will continue to operate out of the Hotel Ballast.

Terry Espy of MoMentum Companies represented Ruth’s Chris; Cape Fear Commercial represented East West Partners.

Espy, president of MoMentum Companies, stated in the release, “We are thrilled that owner Steve de Castro and President Jim Mitich have reinforced their commitment to downtown Wilmington. Considering the challenging times we are currently facing, their decision to remain in downtown Wilmington and create one of the most spectacular restaurants in the area makes a tremendous statement.”

The owner of the Wilmington location de Castro also owns several others, after starting in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher at age 14.

He met Ruth’s Chris founder Ruth Fertel in the 1970s at a restaurant he managed at the time. Later, she made him an offer he couldn’t refuse to manage her restaurant in Washington DC. Of River Place, de Castro said, “It’s a newer location. It’s a lot more visibility. Where we are right now, we’re kind of in the back of the hotel and we don’t have our own entrance, so I think this location is going to be a much better location.”

Ruth’s Chris Steak House was founded by Fertel more than 50 years ago in New Orleans and has grown into one of the world’s most wellknown steakhouse franchises. Signature steak dishes include its filet, cowboy ribeye, tomahawk ribeye and New York strip, among others.

“East West Partners is delighted to be welcoming Ruth’s Chris Steak House to River Place,” said Lucien Ellison, senior managing partner, in the release. “The restaurant’s signature fine dining atmosphere and capacity to satisfy residents of and visitors to downtown Wilmington make it a perfect fit for our central location, riverfront views and the high-end style that defines River Place.”

River Place is a mix of commercial space, apartments and condominiums on Water Street between Chestnut and Grace streets. The commercial portion of River Place also includes recently opened businesses DGX, a high-end urban market; Mellow Mushroom; and Axis Fitness, among others.

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

Williams appointed to broadband task force

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Brunswick County Commissioner FRANK WILLIAMS has been named to the National Association of Counties Broadband Task Force.

Williams is part of the task force, which is comprised of nearly three dozWilliams en county government officials from across the U.S. The task force will “study the lack of reliable broadband with a particular focus on the challenges facing underserved communities,” officials said.

“With more people working from home and more students studying from home, reliable broadband connectivity is more critical now than ever,” Williams said. “Additionally, reliable broadband is one of the keys to bridging North Carolina’s rural-urban economic divid.”

McKim & Creed hires chief people officer McKim & Creed has added JENNIFER CICCONE to its Wilmington office.

Ciccone joins the firm as its chief people officer, a role that oversees human resources, talent acquisition and retention, as well as “the people initiatives in Ciccone McKim & Creed’s 2025 Strategic Plan,” officials said.

She has nearly 20 years of experience in the human resources field.

Ciccone most recently served as vice president of human resources for a large engineering and geomatics firm in Pittsburgh.

Ciccone earned a bachelor’s degree from William and Mary and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She has a professional coach certificate from Duquesne University.

CFCC Foundation has new board members The Cape Fear Community College Foundation has welcomed several new members to its board of directors, according to a news release.

KYLE BULLOCK, JANIE CANTY-MITCH-

ELL, CHRISTOPHER DUNN, JACK FULLER, TERESA HUFFMON, JAMES MAYEW and MARGARET WELLER-STARGELL have joined the board, stated the release.

“Members of the CFCC Foundation Board of Directors serve as active advocates and ambassadors for the Foundation. They take an active role in special events and the cultivation of resources necessary for the Foundation to advance its mission of helping the college and its students,” officials said.

Abugideiri joins NHRMC Radiation Oncology New Hanover Regional Medical Center Radiation Oncology has welcomed MUSTAFA ABUGIDEIRI to the practice.

Abugideiri joins the practice, which offers radiation therapy treatments in Wilmington and Brunswick County for all types of canAbugideiri cer. The team at the hospital’s radiation oncology practice works closely with other cancer doctors to develop a treatment plan, and also sees patients at NHRMC Zimmer Cancer Center.

Abugideiri received his Doctor of Medicine from George Washington University, and completed a radiation oncology residency at Emory University in Atlanta, where he served as chief resident.

Human Capital Solutions adds Fraser to its team Human Capital Solutions Inc. has welcomed KEITH FRASER to its team.

Fraser joins the firm as vice president for client relations and recruiting, and serves as a senior business developer of top executives with key Fraser relationships in the life sciences, health care, industrial and technology business sectors.

Fraser was previously a recruiter for the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He also worked in fundraising at the university, raising more than $2 million in funding that supported scholarships, programs and research, stated the release.

He is a former member of the UNCW Board of Trustees and is a current board member for the UNCW Alumni Association.

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TURN CHALLENGES INTO TRIUMPHS. Your challenges are our challenges. Your victories are our victories.

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December 4 - 17, 2020

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| 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

OCT. 31- NOV. 15 1312 SNAPPER LANE TOWNHOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC. 107 Carolina Sands Dr Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Crystal Long 209 NORTH 13TH STREET L.L.C. 901 Mound Battery Rd Wilmington 28403 Agent: Arlene Finger 413 RENOVATIONS INC. 340 Okeechobee Rd Wilmington 28412-3121

Agent: Steve Merkle A G MANAGEMENT CO. LLC 5229 Market st Wilmington 28405-3433 Agent: Aspen Jerrod Gray AB ESTHETICS LLC 916 S 17th St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Amenda Best ABBEY COLE BEAUTY & SKIN CO. LLC 7052 Trailhead Road Leland 28451-9506 Agent: Abbey Lynn Cole ACADEMY GOLF INC.

7486 Balmore Drive SW Sunset Beach 28468 Agent: Elizabeth A Granahan ACB FUTURES LLC 2105 Lee Shore Pl Wilmington 28405-5273 Agent: Adam Brown ADYSON AVIATION GROUP LLC 1213 Culbreth Dr. Suite 137 Wilmington 28405-3639 Agent: Daniel J Dunn AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS INC. 3751 Cactus Rd. Winnabow 28479 Agent: Travis J. Greise ANA MARIA RODRIGUEZ JESUSANA LLC 176 E. Conolly Ct. Hampstead 28443 Agent: Jesus S Rodriguez ANCHORED SOULS INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES INC. 1509 Maple Ridge Rd Wilmington 28411 Agent: Chris Bradley ARCHER NS HOLDINGS LLC 1401 Airlie Road Wilmington 28403 Agent: John A. Elmore II ARCHER NS INN LLC 1401 Airlie Road Wilmington 28403

Agent: John A. Elmore II ARCHER SFH LLC 1401 Airlie Road Wilmington 28403 Agent: John A. Elmore II ATLANTIC COAST MULCHING & MORE LLC 1480 Point Harbor Rd Wilmington 28401 Agent: Ashton W. Bishop ATTAIN 22 1 Banks Rd Wilmington 28411 Agent: Patrick Shannon AXEL HOLDINGS LLC 3907-100 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Samuel B Potter BAILYN LLC 1710 Barclay Pointe Blvd Apt 10206 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Bailyn Allen BAWAN HOLDINGS LLC 3907-100 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Samuel B Potter BEACHDOOR PROPERTIES L.L.C. 210 Country Club Drive Oak Island 28465 Agent: Margaret Rudd & Associates Inc. BEANS&ROSIES LLC 4718 Oleander Drive

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Wilmington 28403 Agent: Stephen Henson BLOOMS & BRANCHES GARDEN CENTER LLC 2120 Old Winter Park Rd Wilmington 28405 Agent: Will Massengill BLUE NIEMANN LLC 3414 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Robbie B. Parker BLUE WATER CONTAINERS LLC 1730 Scotts Hill Loop Rd Wilmington 28411 Agent: Andrew M. Furr Jr. BMR CREW LLC 1221 Floral Parkway Ste 104 Wilmington 28403-6235 Agent: Reiss & Nutt PLLC BREX AEROSPACE LLC 3819 Park Avenue Wilmington 28403 Agent: GM Entity Services Inc.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY SUBSIDIARIES LLC 6447 Old Shallotte Rd Ocean Isle Beach 28469-3546 Agent: Elmer Jose Garcia CANARY GLOBAL LOGISTICS LLC 15 Mercer Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Marcus D. Brown CARDIFF COLLECTION LLC 609 Piner Road Suite A Wilmington 28409-4201 Agent: Cathleen Coneghen CARING HEARTS OF NORTH CAROLINA LLC 104 N Dickerson St. Suite B Burgaw 28425 Agent: Johnny Wade CAROLE ANNIE’S LLC 3814 Marsh Hen Dr SW Shallotte 28470 Agent: Josh Reynolds

BREXETTE DINING LLC 3819 Park Avenue Wilmington 28403 Agent: GM Entity Services Inc.

CAROLINA BEACH MURAL PROJECT 1407 Croaker Lane Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Maureen F Lewis

BRONZED BEAUTY BAR LLC. 122 N. Cardinal Drive Suite 104 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Mandi Rene Meade

CAROLINA CALM HOLDINGS LLC 1306 Snapper Lane Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Michael F. Urti CARTER’S BEST LLC

482 Albemarle Rd. Wilmington 28405 Agent: Joshua R. Carter CASA DE ADORACION WILMINGTON NC 5550 Carolina Beach Rd Lot 6 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Bairon S. Arzu CENTER MASS FIREARMS TRAINING OF N.C. LLC 5157 Little Kelly Rd Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Johnny A. Hawley CHERCO REALTY INC. 9289 Heritage Dr. SW Calabash 28467-3026 Agent: Cheri S. Gibson CHRIS SNACK SHACK LLC 7485 Balmore Drive SW Sunset Beach 28468 Agent: Christopher Shirk CJ COMMISSARY INC. 1930 Castle Hayne Rd Ste 5 Wilmington 28401-2774 Agent: Marvin Spicer CLASSIC COATS PAINTING & WALL COVERING LLC 5110 Fitzgerald Drive Wilmington 28405-1536 Agent: Alex Saidenstat CLOUD VENTURE PARTNERS LLC 3414 Wrightsville Ave

Wilmington 28403 Agent: Robbie B. Parker COASTAL CHARM INC. 5201 E. Oak Island Dr. Oak Island 28465-5030 Agent: Dawn M King COASTAL COMMUNITY REAL ESTATE GROUP LLC 148 Oceangreens Ln Caswell Beach 28465 Agent: Tasha S Helms COASTAL GEOMATICS P.L.L.C. 1624 Kennedy Street Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: ChristopherStanley COFFEE IS FOR CLOSERS LLC 107 Pagoda Court Hampstead 28443 Agent: Adam Wilson COLETTE VAN HOOFT PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 250 Saint James Ct. Wilmington 28409 Agent: Colette Marie Puhalski COLUCCI TRIM SERVICES LLC 1110 Matteo Dr. Apt 208 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Coleman Colucci Cervato Laurindo COOK HOLLOW LLC 236 Old Maple Hill Rd N Maple Hill 28454 Agent: Michael B Cook

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December 4 - 17, 2020

Page 21

PRESENTING SPONSORS:

WILMINGTON’S MOST INTRIGUING PEOPLE OF 2020

CORPORATE SPONSORS:

For this year’s final Power Breakfast, seven of our region’s most intriguing people from 2020 will deliver TED-style talks about their new ideas, projects and approaches for our area.

BARB BIEHNER AND SPENCE BROADHURST

GIRARD AND TRACEY NEWKIRK

on BIG DECISIONS

on BUILDING THE ENTREPRENEUR CLASS

The co-chairs of the Partnership Advisory Group will talk about how their group reached a consensus to recommend selling NHRMC.

The Newkirks, who founded Genesis Block, will talk about creating and growing an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

DR. PHILIP BROWN

TERRY ESPY

on WILMINGTON’S BEST FUTURE: DESTINATION HEALTH

on KEEPING DOWNTOWN ALIVE

Brown, NHRMC’s chief physician executive, will talk about improving our community’s health beyond COVID-19.

Espy, who helped lead the Downtown Alive effort, will discuss lessons learned and ideas to keep downtown active.

ADAM JONES

on ZOOMING INTO A POST-COVID ECONOMY

PARKING SPONSOR:

Jones, UNCW’s regional economist, will discuss disruption, lessons and the economic structure for future success.

DECEMBER 10, 2020 at 8 A.M. WilmingtonPowerBreakfast.com Tune in December 10 at 8A.M. to the Business Journal’s Facebook Live broadcast!

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December 4 - 17, 2020

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BUSINESS OF LIFE

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

Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com.

Multiple restaurant owner closes Bone & Bean BBQ James Smith, owner of Bone & Bean BBQ, announced via Facebook on Nov. 20 that he would be closing the Carolina Beach Road restaurant on Nov. 28, calling it the most difficult post he’s had to make in his business career.

Smith, who owns the downtown and Carolina Beach locations of Fork n Cork as well as Smoke on the Water in Riverlights, took over the restaurant three-and-a-half years ago after founders and fellow Texas natives, Pam and Chris Valverde, put the business up for sale.

Smith carried much of what the Valverdes had on their original menu, including brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey breast and smoked chicken wings. He added St. Louis-style ribs and baby back ribs to the menu and gained a loyal following with dishes such as short ribs and chicken-fried ribeye.

But despite that, Smith said the location had always been an issue, and it just didn’t get the flow of traffic necessary to stay in business.

Gregory Farms decides to launch own wine label In 1987, Paul and Martha Gregory bought a 113-acre blueberry farm in Currie, about a 15-minute drive from Wilmington.

Over the years they not only grew blueberries but with the growth of their family, the farm grew to 251

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acres, ponds were dug and an old tobacco barn was relocated and restored into living quarters. Gregory Farms became a place for family and friends to gather.

In 2012, Paul Gregory died at the age of 89, but the farm stayed in the family. His son Alan and his wife, Pam, bought the farm from the family estate in 2016 and began revitalizing it.

Now the couple has partnered with another muscadine grower in Smithfield, as well as a vineyard and winemaker in Lexington, to produce wine under the Gregory Farms Vineyard label.

The label includes several wines, three muscadines, a sangria, a rosé, a chardonnay, a merlot, a traditional cabernet and a double-barrel cabernet aged for 10 months in oak barrels and an additional six months in Jack Daniel’s barrels. Wines range from $14 to $26 a bottle.

The Blind Elephant owner partners on mobile bar Ashley Tipper, owner of The Blind Elephant, partnered with longtime bar manager Cabell Bryan to launch Vagabond Spirits Mobile Bar, specializing in customizable curbside cocktails for private events.

Tipper embarked on this offshoot of The Blind Elephant last November when she purchased a camper to refurbish as a mobile bar. Tipper said she had a surplus of income from last year which she wanted to reinvest back into the business. The process of refurbishing the camper ended up taking months longer than expected, but it is now up and running and the team is currently booking dates through the holidays and beyond.

- Jessica Maurer

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Call Nancy Wilcox 910-470-0286 nkwilcox58@gmail.com www.welcomeservicesllc.com Over 40 Years iN the WelCOmiNg BusiNess!

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December 4 - 17, 2020

Page 23

| BUSINESS OF LIFE | Cape Fear Seafood forges its own path

BY SCOTT NUNN or people of a certain age who grew up in the Wilmington area, going out to eat seafood meant a trip to Faircloth’s or one of the old fish camps like Potter’s, Gore’s and Holland’s Shelter. The settings were laid-back, even homey, and menus were pretty much limited to Calabash-style fried fish, shrimp and oysters. Well before the days of “liquor-by-the-drink,” beverages of choice were sweet tea, Pepsi in glass bottles and hot coffee.

Evans Trawick remembers those days well. When the Burgaw native decided to upgrade from the sandwich-shop business (he owned a Priddyboy’s franchise) to a traditional full-service restaurant, he thought about those once ubiquitous local seafood places.

“There really weren’t any kind of go-to places in Wilmington at the time to eat seafood,” Trawick said recently. “I felt like there was a niche in the market that needed to be filled, so that’s kind of what I went after.”

At the same time, however, Trawick didn’t want to limit his new venture to the fried fare and sides of coleslaw and fries. To be clear, those are popular staples that locals still love, including Trawick. But he wanted to offer more.

So when he opened Cape Fear Seafood Company at Monkey Junction in 2008, dishes ranged from basic to ambitious.

“Cape Fear does everything from a good old-fashioned Calabash fried platter to some really nice dishes,” Trawick said. “Back then in 2008 we started off really more, I’d probably say, on the higher end in terms of what we were trying.”

Although it can’t be compared to the current challenges restaurants face because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2008 financial collapse and the next several years were tough times for the dining-out industry, especially for those offering higher-end dishes.

“It was 2008 and so six or seven months after we opened ... the bottom dropped out of the economy and it really probably took two, three or four years to kind of grow through that,” Trawick said.

But COVID-19 challenges aside, the restaurant has flourished and is known as a go-to location. The original Monkey Junction restaurant got some company when Trawick opened

F

RESTAURANT ROUN DUP

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER

Seafood expansion: Evans Trawick started with one location of Cape Fear Seafood Company in 2008 and now has three in the Wilmington area. There’s also a Cape Fear Seafood Company in Raleigh, where two more CFSC franchises are planned.

locations in Porters Neck and at Waterford in Leland.

From the dishes that arrive on the table, to the attentive service, “I think we do it well and we do it well consistently, which is one thing that I think a lot of places just struggle with,” Trawick said.

“It’s difficult. We have a large menu when we’re running our entire menu [Cape Fear is offering a limited dine-in and takeout menu during the pandemic]. But we cross-utilize a lot of different ingredients and have simplified it to the point that, you know, I’m not hand cutting French fries, but we’re probably an 85%-fromscratch kitchen.”

The popularity of the restaurant and consistency of both the food and the all-around dining experience has transformed Cape Fear Seafood into something Trawick didn’t necessarily anticipate when he opened – not only is Cape Fear a successful restaurant, it’s become a successful brand, including in Raleigh, where one CFSC franchise is open and two more are on the way.

A review of the Raleigh location in the News & Observer praised dishes such as grilled cobia and a seafood version of saltimbocca.

In the restaurant’s early days, Trawick was the lead chef. That’s no longer the case, and daily operational duties have been turned over to Bill Scott and Jackie Foust, culinary director and front of house director, respectively. Each of his restaurants has its own executive chef.

Trawick works out of an office at the Leland location but doesn’t stay stuck behind a desk.

“I tend to hit every restaurant almost every day,” he said. He also checks in with the franchise owners in Raleigh.

“We talk weekly. They worked for me for a long time, so we’ve got a great relationship,” Trawick said. “I go up every few weeks and just, you know, stick my head in the door and that kind of thing. But every quarter I inspect their unit … make sure they’re following our standards, our recipes, you know, checking on that Southern hospitality, just making sure that they’re following the blueprint.”

With COVID-19 pounding the restaurant industry, Trawick knows that staying faithful to that “blueprint” is the best way to ensure the locations will survive the pandemic. Like other restaurant owners,

Trawick has pivoted to be able to operate in the pandemic economy – social distancing, limited menus and delivery are a few.

One of the changes that will definitely remain is the addition of an efficient online ordering system.

Prior to going that route, Trawick said, a staff member spent five minutes on the phone to take an order.

With the service sector still in such a challenging climate, Trawick often struggles to fill positions (His three restaurants combined employ 140, a far cry from the 12 he started with in 2008.) And having great employees is a key part of the blueprint that drives quality service, quality dishes and that other key piece: doing it well consistently.

It’s a blueprint that’s proven reliable and one that Trawick hopes to continue to build on through franchises (though he doesn’t personally plan to open more than his three).

But the franchise expansion won’t be rushed.

“We’re a slow-growth concept,” Trawick said, a strategy that so far has landed Cape Fear Seafood a spot among the Faircloth’s, Potter’s and Gore’s as a seafood-dining icon.

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December 4 - 17, 2020

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