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PHOTO BY TERAH HOOBLER
Propped up: Matthew Sullivan is co-owner of the props and set decorating company SouthEast PROPS, one of many local vendors catering to the uptick in film activity in the region.
Index Banking & Finance .............................4-5 The List ........................................6, 8, 20 Health Care ........................................... 7 Economic Development.......................... 9 In Profile...............................................12 Real Estate .................................... 14-15 Business of Life ............................. 22-23
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FILM INDUSTRY’S
SUPPORTING ROLES
BY JENNY CALLISON trip away the glamour and the mystique, and the film industry is about people from a wide variety of crafts collaborating to create a product that the public will want. Since Dino De Laurentiis planted his studio in Wilmington about 40 years ago, the area has both attracted experienced film veterans and inspired locals with relevant skills to become part of film crews in this region. There have been ups and downs over the years, but 2021 was the best year ever in terms of money spent in the area by movie, television and ad projects. That estimated $311 million in spending – for lumber, paint, props, transportation, on-set meals and a host of other necessities – translates into business for any number of local companies. Some of those companies cater exclusively to
S
film projects; others see their bottom lines boosted by serving film projects as well as their regular customers. “We’ve had our best year at SouthEast PROPS in 2021 directly because the state has finally figured out the incentives program and reinstated it,” said Matthew Sullivan, co-owner of the props and set decorating company (read more about the business in the Business Journal’s new monthly series Film Focus on page 10). “There have been more films filmed here than in many years. The incentive in place has bolstered the industry across the state.” Sustainability is key if the film industry is to remain an important part of the region’s economy, says Susi Hamilton, the interim board chairwoman of the newly formed Film Partnership of North Carolina. That means the involvement of more
local businesses since a film project needs a vast array of everyday materials, and if purchased from in-state providers, that ups a project’s qualifying expenditures for the North Carolina incentive. Companies interested in learning more should contact the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, director Johnny Griffith said. Sustainability also means ensuring there will be enough trained and experienced people in the future who can do everything from building sets to rigging lights to performing stunts to accounting for every penny spent. “A talented crew base is a factor in where productions, studios and their streaming subsidiaries choose to shoot their content,” said Darla McGlamery, business agent for Wilmington’s Local 491 of the InterSee FILM, 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.
CB Fishing Pier, tiki bar under contract The family-run Carolina Beach Fishing Pier went under contract for an undisclosed sum last month. Listed for $2.7 million in August, the deal could close by April. The 1.7-acre parcel includes a fishing pier, a two-story building that holds the second-floor High Tide Lounge, first-floor Pier Grill, the Low Tide Tiki Bar affixed to the pier and a parking lot sized to fit up to 100 vehicles. The business has been in the Phelps family for decades, owned by Betty Jo Phelps and operated by her adult children. Eric Knight, broker in charge at Nest Realty, is representing Phelps in the transaction. The prospective owners, whose names were not disclosed, intend to infuse new capital and management to give the business a boost beginning this spring. Amber Harris, a broker with
Intracoastal Realty, said the potential buyers are a local family that purchased a home in Carolina Beach last year. “Their plans are to make it a family-friendly spot that people can enjoy,” she said, “keeping the history alive but enhancing what is there.”
Retailer coming to former Earth Fare space A Wilmington location of Total Wine & More is expected to open in the former Earth Fare grocery store on Military Cutoff Road. The beer and wine store is coming to the nearly 23,000-square-foot space in Renaissance Market, 943 Military Cutoff Road, with an opening expected this year. Online building permit application records show a commercial interior demolition review was scheduled for Jan. 31. Founded by brothers David and Robert Trone, Total Wine & More operates at least 229 superstores across 27 states, according to its website. The chain has 12 stores in North Carolina, but the closest location to Wilmington is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the website shows.
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Crews for Total Wine & More, which is leasing the Renaissance Market space, are expected to start working on transforming the former Earth Fare into a Total Wine this spring, with its doors set to open this summer.
Live Oak reports earnings for fourth quarter While several aspects of Live Oak Bank’s fourth-quarter performance showed evidence of continued growth, its net earnings missed expectations. On the plus side, FY 2021 fourth-quarter revenue of $111.4 million exceeded that of third-quarter revenue by more than $8 million. Loan and lease originations were also up quarter-over-quarter by about $20 million: $1.08 billion compared with $1.06 billion. Net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2021, was nearly $30.2 million, down from that of $33.8 million for the third quarter of FY21. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) for Q4 were $0.66 compared to those for Q3 of $0.76.
TOP-READ STORIES ONLINE Here are the most popular stories for Jan. 19 - 28 from the Business Journal’s website.
1. Carolina Beach Fishing Pier, tiki bar under contract 2. National retailer coming to former Earth Fare space 3. Officials: Ice storm delayed but still on way 4. Joe Loves Lobster Rolls closes, sandwich shop filling BSL store 5. Monteith Construction announces new CEO 6. Ice storm expected to cause power outages 7. Novant unveils capital project expansion plans 8. Wilmington startup signs on former NFL player 9. Firm to convert student housing; area racks up more apartment sales 10. Finalists announced for commercial real estate awards To read more, go to wilmingtonbiz.com
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Greater Wilmington Business Journal
| BANKING & FINANCE |
F
Markets prep for fed rate hikes
ederal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s much-anticipated announcement Jan. 26 about the Fed’s intention to raise interest rates in 2022 rippled through the credit world. Observers opined on whether the news would inspire a rush of applications for mortgage and small business loans. As of Jan. 27, mortgage rates were already at a pandemic-era high, with the benchmark rate for the 30-year fixed-rate mortJENNY gage averaging 3.56%, MarketWatch stated in a news report. That was a rise of half a percent in four weeks. The Cape Fear area could see more people hurrying to buy or sell homes, but there’s limited supply for buyers, said Ea Ruth, president of Cape Fear Realtors.
CALLISON
“Buyers that are sitting on the fence and new entry buyers may try to take advantage of the current rates in anticipation of other rate hikes anticipated for this year,” she said. “It is a Catch-22 as we still have limited inventory, which can be a hindrance to those buyers wanting to be at the lower rate. Ruth “This anticipation may also encourage sellers to list if they too have been waiting so that they can capture these buyers getting in on the current rates,” she continued. “Sellers and buyers – unless they are investors – tend to be in the market when they have a need to buy or sell, so I don’t foresee a huge reduction in buyers buying because of the interest rates’ projected increase this year.” In a report Jan. 26, MarketWatch noted that the Fed’s upcoming rate hike has already been “baked into”
mortgage rates. “The Fed manipulates short-term interest rates, while mortgage rates are long term. Consequently, expectations of the Fed’s actions are already being factored into the rates lenders offer applicants,” the report stated. MarketWatch analysts think there will be increased demand for mortgage loans at current rates. “Economists expect that the rise in mortgage rates in recent weeks has already triggered an unseasonable rush to purchase homes well ahead of the typical peak spring home-buying season,” the report continued. “These buyers are aiming to lock in cheap financing while they still can. Real estate experts believe that mortgage rates will continue to rise throughout the year.” Cape Fear Realtors’ Ruth pointed to an upcoming rule from the Federal National Mortgage Association that could have an impact on some homebuyers, including in the region. “Fannie Mae announced Jan. 5, 2022, that it is evaluating and
making adjustments to its loan level for second homes and high balance loans, which basically means it will cost a buyer more to finance a second home or higher-priced home than previously,” she said. “This does not include first-time homebuyers.” The new rule, which has not been broadly publicized, becomes effective April 1. Ruth believes it could affect buyers in coastal communities that attract high numbers of second home buyers and whose properties carry a heftier price tag. What is the nation’s top SBA lender expecting from prospective small business borrowers? “We have not seen accelerating plans to borrow in the face of rate hikes,” said Live Oak Bank’s chief credit officer Steve Smits. “We will, Smits however, see more demand for fixed rather than floating rates. Govern-
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
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February 4 - 17, 2022
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| BANKING & FINANCE | ment programs such as SBA loans tend to be attractive alternatives in inflationary or raised-rate environments. They have more flexible terms. For instance, a conventional loan can be structured for five or seven years; with the SBA, it can be 10 years. The lender is okay with this because the government guarantee takes away some of the risk.” Smits said Live Oak’s application pipeline is still “pretty robust.” “Our lenders feel there will be continued demand throughout the year and are not pulling back. We use the SBA program to finance a good bit of change of ownership, acquisitions and successions,” he continued. “We feel that is going to continue as founders/owners are looking toward retirement. In particular, when you go through an economic cycle like we’ve been experiencing over the past nearly two years, you typically see business owners accelerating their plans to retire. Demand is driven by that, coupled with more folks looking for nontraditional ways to make a living. Business ownership seems to be gaining momentum: There are more businesses available for sale and more people looking to buy a business and work for themselves.”
Despite the current demand for business acquisition loans, borrowing will become more costly as interest rates rise. “When borrowing becomes more expensive, a big consideration for a lender is the borrower’s ability to repay,” Smits said, adding that a buyer might need a bigger down payment and increased cash flow to support the loan payments. Ultimately, that might mean fewer potential buyers for a company, which could lead a seller to lower the asking price. “These are just things we watch,” Smits continued. “At Live Oak, we think loan demand is going to be healthy, even with the raising rate environment. I call it the gray-hair tsunami: Aging people who are ready to retire. It seems to be happening all at once.” Financial advisers nationwide are counseling people to whittle down their credit card debt as quickly as possible before card companies raise their APRs to align with the higher Fed rates. But there’s not such a sense of urgency if you’re in the market for a new or used car. “A rise in interest rates has a minimal impact on auto loan rate
affordability,” Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com told MarketWatch recently. “The difference of one-quarter percentage point amounts to a difference of $3 per month for a car buyer borrowing $25,000.”
FNB completes busy month It was an eventful January for FNB Corp., which maintains seven bank locations in the Wilmington market. First, the Pittsburgh-based banking company announced the launch of Physicians First, a fully digital program for specialized loan and deposit products for physicians, dentists, veterinarians and other health care professionals. Available online, in branches and via mobile device through FNB’s proprietary eStore, Physicians First “provides a bundled suite of digitally accessible solutions that address the personal and professional financial needs of the medical community,” the company said in a news release. The eStore enables customers to conduct banking transactions, complete applications, upload information and schedule appointments with
financial professionals online, the release stated. FNB officials introduced Physicians First based on its “significant potential to improve financial outcomes for members of the health care industry,” according to the release. The program includes commercial loans, deposit products, mortgages and consumer loans and wealth management services, as well as a new Physicians Education Refinance Loan to pay off medical school loans. Later in the month, First National Bank, a subsidiary of FNB Corp., announced it has been named a 2021 Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania winner in the category of workplaces of 150 or more employees. FNB was the only bank out of more than 70 companies overall that were named to the annual ranking by the Pittsburgh Business Times, according to the release. On Jan. 22, FNB Corp. also completed its planned merger with Baltimore-based Howard Bancorp Inc. The merger gives FNB about $42 billion in total assets, $27 billion in total loans and $33 billion in total deposits.
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Greater Wilmington Business Journal
| THE LIST |
SBA 7(A) and 504 Loans
Ranked by loan amount RANK
BORROWER NAME
ADDRESS
LOAN AMOUNT
LENDER NAME
COUNTY
1 2
Third North Construction LLC
6821 Market St.
$4,453,000
First Bank of the Lake
New Hanover
Ocean Hospitality LLC
4926 Market St.
$4,390,000
Centerstone SBA Lending Inc.
New Hanover
3
7twenty6 Brewing Co.
133 Old Fayetteville Road
$3,972,400
Citizens Bank
Brunswick
4
Three Guys Car Wash LLC
3819 Carolina Beach Road
$3,650,000
Live Oak Bank
New Hanover
5
Q-II Wilmington LLC
4416 Castle Hayne Road
$3,532,000
Live Oak Bank
New Hanover
6
Dr Panchal PA
3901 Oleander Drive
$3,402,000
Citizens Bank
New Hanover
7
1535 Holden Beach Rd SW LLC
1535 Holden Beach Road SW
$2,715,000
Live Oak Bank
Brunswick
8
MAAT Holdings - Ploof Road LL
9550 Ploof Road
$2,565,000
Live Oak Bank
Brunswick
9
Lou Wil II LLC
244 N. Water St.
$2,425,000
IncredibleBank
New Hanover
10
Beach House Partners LLC
412 Carolina Beach Road
$2,316,000
Dogwood State Bank
New Hanover
11
WALO LLC*
5625 Barbados Blvd.
$1,964,000
Self-Help Ventures Fund
New Hanover
12
Cape Fear Regional Tax Consult
2642 Carolina Beach Road
$1,915,000
HomeTrust Bank
New Hanover
13
274 Construction Group Inc.
420 Raleigh St.
$1,850,000
Newtek Small Business Finance Inc.
New Hanover
14
Martin Properties Two LLC*
7984 Market St.
$1,751,000
Certified Development Corp. of South Carolina
New Hanover
15
Market Street Express LLC
8128 Market St.
$1,750,000
TD Bank National Association
New Hanover
16
Art Hardware LLC
44 Darlington Ave.
$1,700,000
First Bank of the Lake
New Hanover
17
Ceviche's
7210 Wrightsville Ave.
$1,582,000
Live Oak Bank
New Hanover
18
Houser Law P.C.
3805 Oleander Drive
$1,475,000
Live Oak Bank
New Hanover
19
BNW Dance LLC
4515 Fountain Drive
$1,426,000
Dogwood State Bank
New Hanover
20
May Way LI Inc.*
1654 Village Road NE
$1,345,000
Business Expansion Funding Corp.
Brunswick
21
BlueCoast Realty Corp.
575 Military Cutoff Road
$1,304,000
First Bank
New Hanover
22
Blooms & Branches Garden Center
5523 Oleander Drive
$1,300,000
Berkshire Bank
New Hanover
23
Premier Hotels LLC
4118 Market St.
$1,300,000
First Western SBLC Inc.
New Hanover
24
TASK North Carolina LLC
5520 Oleander Drive
$1,170,000
Live Oak Bank
New Hanover
25
DAETS LLC*
2535 Blue Clay Road
$1,153,000
Self-Help Ventures Fund
New Hanover
26
JRLong PLLC
9020 Senca Drive
$1,035,000
Live Oak Bank
New Hanover
27
The Sign Company of Wilmington
428 Landmark Drive
$1,026,000
Newtek Small Business Finance Inc.
New Hanover
28
Topsail Animal Hospital PA
16350 U.S. Hwy. 17
$1,000,000
Live Oak Bank
Pender
29
Edge-Works Manufacturing Co.*
272 W. Stag Park Service Road
$870,000
Florida Business Development
Pender
30
Insight Planning & Development
3329 Wrightsville Ave.
$840,000
First National Bank of Pennsylvania
New Hanover
*Indicates a 504 loan. List information is obtained from the Small Business Administration for fiscal year October 2020-September 2021.
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 print publications: Interior Design Firms • Golf Courses • Marinas
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
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February 4 - 17, 2022
Page 7
| HEALTH CARE |
COVID update: Next phase of work plans BY NEIL COTIAUX s the omicron variant continues to rear its head locally and across the country, federal initiatives aim to make home-testing kits and N95 masks available to the public, free of charge. At the same time, talk of a vaccinate-or-test mandate at businesses with more than 100 employees has all but ceased, the result of a Jan. 13 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that declared the federal edict a “blunt instrument” that failed to account for particularized risks in different industries. At mid-January, tri-county area residents began placing orders for free, rapid at-home COVID tests through COVIDTests.gov, to be delivered to home addresses via USPS. In addition, New Hanover County had received 43,000 N95 masks from a government stockpile and began distributing them in historically marginalized communities and to county employees, said Carla Turner, the county’s assistant health director. As of Jan. 21, a total of 30,400 masks had been distributed, according to a spokesperson. Some private employers are also stepping up, with one of the region’s largest industrial employers having achieved employee vaccination rates that substantially exceed federal, state and local numbers through a mix of voluntary actions and a specific geographic mandate. With the arrival of COVID, ACME Smoked Fish plant at Pender Commerce Park upped its game, including deep cleaning its facility daily, said Brandon Sproles, the company’s environment, health and safety director. Partnering with Wilmington Health, “We had a mitigation plan early on … we had them look over the plan, make some adjustments as needed, really partnering with them to make sure that we’re doing all we can given our working environment,” Sproles said. In anticipation of the now-defunct federal vaccination mandate, Sproles invited a medical team from New Hanover County’s health department into the plant as 2021 ended. After five hours, 66 more of its 301 employees had been vaccinated or boosted. “So we are about 75%, 80% right now vaccinated at the plant, which is a tremendous amount compared
A
to where we were just a month ago,” Sproles said on Jan. 18. “Vaccinations are encouraged, and we have held clinics to allow our employees access to the vaccine at our facility,” added Filipe Espinosa, director of manufacturing. “However, vaccines are not currently required to work at the North Carolina facility.” But at ACME’s New York City headquarters, where 218 people are employed, it’s a different story. Several weeks before the Supreme Court voided the Biden administration’s mandate, then-mayor Bill de Blasio used his municipal authority to clamp down on the city’s private sector as omicron raged. The mandate, still in place, requires employees who perform in-person work to show proof they have received at least one dose of vaccine and proof of a second dose within 45 days. Businesses must verify proof of vaccination and may not allow any unvaccinated employee into their workplace. “I think it [the city mandate] helped in the sense that it wasn’t our decision, but it was the law and we had to follow the law,” said co-CEO Adam Caslow, speaking from ACME’s Brooklyn, New York, headquarters. “We still need to hire employees,” he said. “We couldn’t afford to alienate those who choose not to be vaccinated because we need to operate our business.” By mid-January, 95% of ACME’s staff in Brooklyn had been inoculated with at least one dose of the vaccine, compared to 70% prior to the city’s mandate. At its Pender plant – not covered by the New York edict – the one-dose vaccination rate stood near 80%. Both ACME plants bested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s nationwide rate of 75%; the 65% rate for New Hanover County residents; the 64% rate for Brunswick County and all of North Carolina; and Pender County’s 53% rate. ACME also operates in Massachusetts, where 88% of its workers are vaccinated, and in Florida. “Florida has not really had any COVID-19 mitigation since May of 2020,” Sproles said. “We have followed CDC guidance in Florida and not necessarily the State of Florida, which is why we continue to require masks, etc.”
To reduce the chance of spreading COVID from one plant to another, “We have instituted a policy that if you are not vaccinated you’re not able to travel on company business,” Caslow said. “I certainly don’t want COVID to define our corporate identity, and I keep going back to those three goals: to keep people safe, keep people employed, keep operating,” he said. “So we’ve been able to do that through a variety of different combinations, both at a corporate level and then at a local level.” Paul Kamitsuka, an infectious disease physician at Wilmington Health, believes more people need to mask up as well as get vaccinated to help beat COVID. “I guess what surprises me most is the number of people I see in grocery stores and other indoor environments who don’t have masks,” Kamitsuka said during a recent WilmingtonBiz Talk. “It really is close to insanity not to mask, given how contagious this virus is. And if you mask and if you have an N95 or KN95, it provides very good protection.” In addition to distributing masks, Turner said, New Hanover County placed orders for COVID test supplies to be distributed to schools, homeless shelters and community medical providers.
Novant unveils capital project expansion plans Local Novant Health officials recently announced several major new capital projects and firmed up plans for some already underway. The new facilities are part of Novant’s requirement to invest more than $3 billion in “growing and advancing NHRMC’s services in the area,” a stipulation of its nearly $2 billion purchase of NHRMC from New Hanover County, which closed Feb. 1, 2021. Shelbourn Stevens, president of NHRMC and the Novant Health Coastal region, said an architect and design firm have been chosen for the biggest project, a 66-bed hospital in Scotts Hill, located in the fast-growing area of northern New Hanover County. The services now provided at the NHRMC Orthopedic Hospital on Wrightsville Avenue will move to the Scotts Hill hospital, Stevens said.
“It will have an orthopedic focus, but it will be a community hospital, as well, taking care of other needs for that community,” Stevens said. “We’re hoping to break ground this spring or summer with an opening toward the end of 2024,” he added. After damage by Hurricane Florence in 2018 caused a setback in construction, the new patient tower on the NHRMC main campus on 17th Street will serve as the 108-bed Neurosciences Institute. “It’s going to bring a brand-new neuro ICU as well as a dedicated stroke unit to the region that we haven’t had before,” said Laurie Whalin, president and chief operating officer of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, who is playing a role in expanding neuro services in the health system’s Coastal market. Elsewhere, Philip Brown, chief community impact officer with Novant, is leading the effort to find a location for a community clinic, one of two funded by a $10 million donation from retired NBA and UNC basketball star Michael Jordan, who grew up in Wilmington. Jordan has funded similar Novant clinics in Charlotte. One will be at 15th and Greenfield streets on land donated by New Hanover County. “We are undergoing due diligence in purchasing land for the second location, also in Wilmington,” NHRMC spokesperson Julian March said. Although Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia was not part of the purchase – Novant already owned the hospital – it is now part of Novant Coastal and closely linked with NHRMC. “We have two medical office buildings that we’re expanding,” Whalin said about upcoming projects in Brunswick. “One of them is on our campus, and we plan to have a groundbreaking sometime in February. That is going to be a 35,000-square-foot medical office building that is sort of parallel to the current medical office building we have, so it will be very accessible to the main campus.” Whalin also announced Novant is building a 30,000-square-foot medical office building in Shallotte that will serve as a multi-specialty-medical office building. -Scott Nunn
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Greater Wilmington Business Journal
| THE LIST |
SBA Lenders
Ranked by local loan amount RANK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
LENDER ADDRESS Live Oak Bank 1741 Tiburon Drive Wilmington, NC 28403 Citizens Bank 1 Citizens Plaza Providence, RI 02903 First Bank of the Lake 4558 Osage Beach Parkway, Suite 100 Osage Beach, MO 65065 Incredible Bank 327 N. 17th Ave. Wasau, WI 54401 Centerstone SBA Lending Inc. 700 Flower St. #850 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Dogwood State Bank 5401 Six Forks Road Raleigh, NC 27609 Self-Help Ventures Fund 301 W. Main St. Durham, NC 27701 Newtek Small Business Finance 4800 T-Rex Avenue Boca Raton, FL 33431 TD Bank 1701 Route 70 East Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Business Expansion Funding Corp. 5970 Fairview Road, Suite 218 Charlotte, NC 28210 HomeTrust Bank 10 Woodfin St. Asheville, NC 28801 Certified Development Corporation of South Carolina 111 Executive Center Drive, #225 Columbia, SC 29210 First National Bank of Pennsylvania 3015 Glimcher Blvd. Hermitage, PA 16148
List information is obtained from the Small Business Administration for fiscal year October 2020-September 2021.
TOTAL LOAN AMOUNT
NO. OF LOCAL LOANS
$23.9 million
21
$7.4 million
2
$6.2 million
2
$4.9 million
2
$4.4 million
1
$3.7 million
2
$3.3 million
3
$2.9 million
2
$2.9 million
4
$2.9 million
4
$1.9 million
1
$1.8 million
1
$1.7 million
3
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
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Page 9
| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |
A
Unlocking offshore wind’s potential
n offshore wind farm off the Southeastern North Carolina shoreline has the potential to materialize billions in economic development opportunities, according to stakeholder estimates. Forging the ambitious project into a reality will call for a coordinated and robust response from private and public stakeholders, necessitating a bulked-up stateside manufacJOHANNA F. turing scene to onshore a supply chain that’s mostly overseas today. Unlike other seemingly unlikely pie-inthe-sky projects (Cape Fear Crossing, for one), the Wilmington East Wind Energy Area has committed federal and state backing. In May, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) intends to auction 127,865 acres (about four times the size of the city of Wilmington) of oceanic continental shelf to be leased, carrying potential to power 1.5 gigawatts of carbon-free energy. The space begins 15 nautical miles off the coast of Bald Head Island – a starting point the village, Brunswick County, and other local governments have previously objected to, citing viewshed concerns. Permitting – the phase the Wilmington region finds itself in now – is relatively simple compared to what comes next: lining up an on-theground pipeline. Once leased, years of permitting precede installation; by then, supply chain networks must be in place ready to fulfill the mammoth undertaking. “The time to start is now,” John Hardin, director of the N.C. Office of Science, Technology & Innovation, told the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s policy committee in a Jan. 25 presentation. “People ask sometimes, ‘Well, are we too late to the game? Have we missed the opportunity?’ The answer is, ‘Absolutely no,’” he told the committee. Amid a void of a stateside offshore wind manufacturing pipeline, North Carolina is poised to fill the anticipated high-demand need, Hardin said. “The sooner we move on that, the greater the odds are that we will seize that opportunity.”
U.S. EAST COAST OFFSHORE WIND MARKET
Anticipated target for multiple states
STILL
SOURCE: BVG ASSOCIATES
Turbine targets: Several states have set offshore wind development goals, including North Carolina, which has a goal of 2.8 gigawatts by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2040.
Last month, the Southeastern Wind Coalition released a cost-benefit analysis it spent a year compiling, determining that a theoretical 2.8 gigawatt wind project would create between $3.7 billion and $4.5 billion in net economic impact for the state, with the high estimate assuming a 100% local supply chain of blades and offshore substations. During the construction phase, up to 31,000 full-time jobs could be created, and 900 full-time roles would be necessary for the ongoing lifetime of the project, according to the analysis. “The economic development opportunity is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for offshore wind,” said Katharine Kollins, president of Southeastern Wind Coalition. Offshore wind is still in its infancy in the U.S. Commercial development began in Europe 30 years ago and continues to advance rapidly in Asia. President Joe Biden instituted an offshore wind energy goal in March, calling for 30 gigawatts by 2030 and 110 gigawatts by 2050. Several East Coast states are self-imposing mounting offshore wind energy goals, targeting a combined 26.5 gigawatts between 2017 and 2020, according to a N.C. Department of Commerce report released last year. Gov. Roy Cooper in June set a goal of 2.8 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. Just two projects in the U.S. are already installed in the ocean floor, totaling a combined 42 megawatts (representing 0.1% of Biden’s 2030 goal). The first commercial and largest
offshore wind project, the Block Island Wind Farm, is located in state waters in Rhode Island, with five turbines about 3 nautical miles from the coast. The second, a two-turbine demonstration off the coast of Virginia (the only two active in federal waters), arose out of federal grants to prop up the pilot project. Close to home, BOEM leased the Kitty Hawk offshore wind farm to Avangrid Renewables for $9 million in 2017 – the first and furthest stage an offshore North Carolina project has reached so far. Kitty Hawk was first studied alongside two Wilmington-area offshore locations, East and West, which were both put aside in 2015. BOEM moved ahead with Kitty Hawk, which led to its leasing; Avangrid’s construction plans are still under federal review. On the heels of Biden’s nationwide goal, BOEM first announced in August its intention to revisit its initial 2015 plans for Wilmington East and issued a proposed sale notice in November. A final sale notice and auction is forthcoming. Leasing doesn’t involve the guaranteed go-ahead to construct turbines. Once a space on the continental shelf is leased, the company has the rights to conduct scoping activities on the site, including deploying meteorological buoys and studying the sediment, before submitting site assessment, construction and operations plans, which each must be approved by BOEM before any installation begins. From auction to installation could take up to eight years, according to BOEM estimates.
Once installed, the turbines have a lifespan of about 25 years; this necessitates a decommissioning phase. Each blade is about the length of a football field, which means the colossal structures must be assembled in areas close to shore. In the state-commissioned report, “Building North Carolina’s Offshore Wind Supply Chain,” consultants sought to ID land that might be useful for staging and assembly activities, including the N.C. State Ports Authority’s former 600-acre “megaport” property in Southport and the former Vertex property off River Road in Wilmington. There are thousands of smaller components inside the turbines. “All of those parts need to be made somewhere,” Hardin said. During the first wave of development, it’s likely parts would be shipped over, but after manufacturers build confidence in the supply of work and their products are proven to be reliable, opportunities abound, according to the DOC report. “If you look at all the states on the East Coast of the U.S., North Carolina is the strongest manufacturing state, of all those states,” Hardin said, with the fifth-largest share of GDP arising from manufacturing in the nation, the highest on the East Coast. The state’s physical characteristics are also a plus: North Carolina has the highest potential for favorable offshore wind energy market development compared to other East Coast states, thanks to the physical size of the continental shelf that falls within federal jurisdiction and ideal wind speeds, according to the DOC report. Proximity to the port, especially for the larger parts that logistically must be manufactured near the coast, will be a major draw for suppliers. Beyond manufacturing, there’s opportunity in the operations and maintenance sphere once the turbines are installed. Jennifer Mundt, whose role as assistant secretary for clean energy economic development for the state was created by Cooper’s executive order that also set the 2.8 gigawatt offshore wind goal, told the Wilmington chamber committee the economic opportunities aren’t bound just to manufacturing. “This,” she said, “is a whole ecosystem of occupational opportunity that can come with offshore wind.”
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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 EDITOR Vicky Janowski vjanowski@wilmingtonbiz.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Cece Nunn cnunn@wilmingtonbiz.com REPORTER Johanna Cano jcano@wilmingtonbiz.com Johanna F. Still jstill@wilmingtonbiz.com VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Carolyn Carver ccarver@wilmingtonbiz.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Maggi Apel mapel@wilmingtonbiz.com Craig Snow csnow@wilmingtonbiz.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Courtney Barden cbarden@wilmingtonbiz.com KEN Marian Welsh mwelsh@wilmingtonbiz.com Sydney Zomer szomer@wilmingtonbiz.com
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From FILM, page 1
national Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). “In the dark days of HB2 [the so-called Bathroom Bill] … many talented crew members began renting apartments and living weekly in the Atlanta market. They left their families in North Carolina; some have moved everyone over to the ‘State too Big to Fail’ in content creation. In Georgia, the studios enjoy the less-stringent job incentive monies they qualify for.” Despite what Georgia has done to lure projects, IATSE Local 491 has grown, and some key department heads have returned to North Carolina with beefed-up resumes from their time in the Atlanta market, McGlamery added. IATSE is working with the city of Wilmington and the state’s Film Partnership on the launch of a $400,000 workforce training program, paid for by the city’s American Rescue Plan funds. Training is scheduled to begin in several weeks with about 100 locals enrolled. The city and its film community are excited at the prospect of creating a pipeline of job-ready crew members, Hamilton said.
“We have a solid [workforce] foundation – we did slip a bit from 2016 to 2020, but we understand where we are now and have to build on that foundation,” Hamilton said. “But that skilled workforce is not as diverse as it should be. There needs to be a conscious effort to diversify all aspects of that workforce. Wilmington has taken that big first step; now we’re in discussions with others across the state who are interested in doing what Wilmington has done.” MovieMaker’s just-announced list of top small cities to live and work in as a moviemaker in 2022 ranked Wilmington eighth nationally. Editor-in-chief Tim Molloy believes the area has many assets. “I think the future is very, very bright for Wilmington,” he said. “It’s a very livable, very affordable community. A lot of people are going to look for somewhere other than Los Angeles or New York to live in. They realize they don’t have to live in a big city at all as a filmmaker. They can live in a place that has a small-city quality of life.” Molloy said that, per capita, Wilmington probably has more film activity than many other film centers like Atlanta. But he, too, emphasized
the need to ensure a sustainable workforce. “Albuquerque and Santa Fe [both of which ranked high on MovieMaker’s list] have a program to train up locals. Georgia is doing it too,” Molloy said. “Communities investing in their own people are going to do better, and cities will see the benefits of this. There will be more jobs for local people, as opposed to outsiders coming in and taking advantage of these opportunities.” Hamilton pointed to the fact that California sets aside a small portion of its film incentive to support workforce training and development with an eye to diversity, equity and inclusion. The state of New York conducts workforce training, and the Georgia Film Academy has a sustained source of revenue for paid training. “We do anticipate creating the foundation for a sustainable program with the city of Wilmington, and we’re currently working with other partners in the private sector,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll have some announcements in the coming months from around the state. I do believe the legislature has settled into a better routine as it relates to film.”
Setting the scene SOUTHEAST PROPS
1901-D BLUE CLAY ROAD, WILMINGTON
Number of employees: 2 Year founded: 2010 Top local officials: Matthew Sullivan and Adam Cameron, co-owners What does the company do? Sullivan: “We provide props and set decorating materials for prop masters and set decorators for [feature] film and television projects. When Adam and I work together on a project, I am the set decorator; he is the lead man (or lead person). He runs our crew of set dressers and takes my direction. I work with the production designer. The designer designs the set, and I figure out what all the elements are going to be.” Where do you work? Sullivan: “We sometimes work on a sound stage, which is a more controlled environment and which we prefer, but we also shoot exteriors from the beach to downtown, and interiors in restaurants, residences, businesses. We’ve decorated anything from a network of underground tunnels to hospital settings.” What is your most memorable project? Sullivan: “The Hudsucker Proxy, a film made here by the Coen brothers in the early ’90s. I was the on-set dresser. It was the most well-organized project I’ve ever been part of, and the Coens are the most intelligent filmmakers I’ve ever worked with.” What was 2021 like for you? Sullivan: “We had our best year in 2021 because the state has finally figured out the incentives program and has reinstated it. There were more
films made this past year than in many years. Both Adam and I are members of Local 491 of IATSE [International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees]. Pretty much everyone here is in that union, and they have done a great job of keeping wages up and ensuring benefits, like health insurance.” Does SouthEast PROPS have any sidelines? Sullivan: “We are open to the public for parties or events, and we rent out props for special events. I’m thinking about doing home consulting as well because I get so many requests to consult on home décor for people who might like a cinematic take on their house.” Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a monthly series looking at the people and businesses that are local vendors to the film industry. To be considered for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s Film Focus feature, contact newsroom@wilmingtonbiz.com.
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CHAMPIONING A BALANCED AND THRIVING ECONOMY IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
Chamber Highlights CONNECTING
143
NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS IN 2021, UP 59%
ADVOCATING WORKING ON A FUNDING SOLUTION FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT IN OUR REGION
194%
INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP WILMINGTON IN 2021
GROWING HIRED JOSH HALLINGSE AS VICE PRESIDENT OF SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & RETENTION
CONNECTING EVENTS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS HOSTED IN 2021
LEADERSHIP
86
ADVOCATING
$1.2 Billion ENDOWMENT CREATED FROM NHRMC’S SALE TO NOVANT HEALTH, WHICH WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CHAMBER’S BOARD
ADVOCATING
$4.5 Million GRANT PROGRAM FOR SMALL, LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESSES
CREATING LEADERSHIP WILMINGTON ALUMNI COUNCIL CREATED IN 2021 WITH MORE THAN 50 MEMBERS
LEADERSHIP VP OF MARKETING MEGAN MULLINS NAMED 40 UNDER 40 NATIONALLY BY CHAMBER EXECUTIVE
CONNECT WITH US WILMINGTONCHAMBER.ORG (910) 762-2611 INFO@WILMINGTONCHAMBER.ORG
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| IN PROFILE | Meet Duke Energy’s new district manager BY JOHANNA F. STILL am Hardy has wanted this role for 20 years. It’s not often district manager positions open within Duke Energy; the people who take those roles tend to stick around for decades. So for the bulk of her career, Hardy took on positions and projects that would build her experience to prepare her for today. “One of the things I’m a firm believer on is preparing for opportunities,” she said. “And when I decided that I wanted to do this, and I knew an opportunity wouldn’t be opening up anytime soon, I tried to take roles that would get me prepared for it.” As the Wilmington region’s government and community relations manager, Hardy oversees Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender and Sampson counties. She joined the Wilmington team in October as a new face after spending 30 years in Raleigh. Along with her husband and two daughters, Hardy made the move to Wilmington in the fall and is settling into the new gig, making new connections along the way. She had visited Wilmington for annual family reunions for the past 10 or so years and is still getting to know all the area has to offer. Originally from Chicago, Hardy arrived in North Carolina in 1991 to attend Shaw University, where she studied mass communications. “I thrive when I’m interacting with people, and I naturally connect with them,” Hardy said. “My first goal is to figure out what I have in common with someone … What makes that person tick and how are we going to support each other?” Her first role in 1996 was as a customer service specialist – working the phones on the front end of handling complaints. During her time working in consumer affairs, she managed nearly 20,000 complaints, collaborating with networks of internal team leads to find solutions. “That role has been very foundational to all the other roles,” she said. “It’s taught me how to interface with people. It taught me how to communicate with external customers, how to problem-solve, embrace continuous learning and growth. So I always shout out our customer service specialists because they just hold a special part of my heart. That’s where I learned all the skills that have gotten
P
PHOTO BY JOHANNA F. STILL
Power moves: Pam Hardy started in October as Duke Energy’s district manager, in charge of government and community relations for Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender and Sampson counties.
me to where I am today.” Most recently, Hardy worked in corporate communications supporting Duke Energy’s customer services organization. She’s still familiarizing herself with the local political landscape, but eventually, she plans to know all top-ranking officials as part of her government relations duties. “If you hear names over and over, pick up on that,” she said. “It’s really just kind of been like campaigning.” Recently, while reaching out to someone, they asked her, “‘So what do you want?’” she said. “I said, ‘I just wanted to come talk to you, let you put eyes on me, see me, make sure you have my contact information, just in case.’ Because you never know what will happen in that town and you don’t want to reach out to them once it happens.” In January, the state faced three winter storms, causing tens of thousands of homes to lose power. For the most part, the Wilmington region was spared, though Duke Energy had manpower staged and ready to respond to widescale outages. “We focus on preparation the entire year,” Hardy said. “So I think these three storms were just preparation for what could possibly come.”
Hardy prioritizes getting the right information to public and emergency management partners to make sure their respective communities are best prepared for what’s ahead. “I really focus on the end game and that’s making sure that we’re prepared, that we’re ready to go, that we’re monitoring the storm systems or the weather systems and we’re ready to serve the customers so we’re prepared. We’re not going to stop until every single customer is back on.” As the state’s leading electric utility company, Duke Energy is in the midst of modernizing its grid and redirecting itself to meet new clean energy goals. Last year, Gov. Roy Cooper directed the N.C. Utilities Commission to act to reduce carbon emissions by 70% from 2005 levels by 2030. The shift involves major cooperation and coordination to divest from coal power plants and explore new clean energy alternatives, including wind. The company is interested in the Wilmington East Wind Area, set to be auctioned by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in May. Duke Energy has multiple rounds of formal stakeholder meetings that began Jan. 25 to consider alternative energy pathways ahead. “The input
our stakeholders provide will help guide decisions about future generation investments – including the potential for wind,” Hardy said. “We are considering all resources.” Affordability and reliability of service will be prioritized on Duke Energy’s mission to reduce carbon emissions, she said. Besides government officials, Hardy is also getting to know philanthropic and business leaders in the area as part of the Duke Energy Foundation’s grantmaking efforts. The grants are designed to support “building vibrant economies; client resiliency; and justice, equity and inclusion,” she said. Hardy has always been drawn to community relations and serves as co-chair on her sorority Sigma Gamma Rho’s community service committee. Crediting both internal and external mentors who helped guide her along the way, Hardy also provides guidance to women looking to advance their careers. “It’s just something I do. I love doing it,” she said. “I get an immense satisfaction out of helping other people, guiding other people, leading other people mentoring, especially girls and women on how to conquer your goals.”
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| REAL ESTATE | Tearing down to build back up BY CECE NUNN y the end of 2021, it was time for the motel at 306 S. College Road to check out for good. In December, crews demolished the 134-room Baymont by Wyndham Wilmington, which had been heavily damaged during Hurricane Florence in 2018 and gutted afterwards. The now-vacant property, situated between an Outback Steakhouse, a gas station and a Mercedes dealership, is a prime piece of real estate along one of the busiest corridors in the region. Tearing down aging commercial structures, particularly along high-traffic thoroughfares, will likely become more commonplace this year and in the future, real estate industry professionals say. For Devang Patel, president of the entity that owns 306 S. College Road, starting over at the site ended up making the most sense.
B
“Right now, it’s going to stay vacant for another year or so as we’re going to go through the planning process,” Patel said in late January. “We’re working with multiple hotel brands right now to see which brand would be suitable for that location. We want to represent the town and build a nice, indoor, high-end type of hotel that services from extended-stay to short-term guests.” Patel, whose partnership group operates two other motels in Wilmington, envisions the new five-story hotel potentially having an indoor pool, meeting space and a bistro. He used Wilmington-based 4 Seasons Demolition Inc. to do the demolition work. “It was a sound decision after two years of going back and forth to see if it was feasible to repair,” Patel said. “It made no sense to be in a premier location and have an older property. It needed a brand-new
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look. We want to bring freshness to the area.” Other properties in prominent areas in the Port City are on the chopping block. The demolition of the former On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina at Mayfaire Community Center is planned to make way for a Harris Teeter Fuel Center. The restaurant, at 1128 Military Cutoff Road at the front of the Harris Teeter-anchored shopping center, closed last year. In 2018, another restaurant in the Mayfaire area, this time on an outparcel at Mayfaire Town Center, was demolished and eventually replaced by a new building. Now instead of a Macaroni Grill, the space holds two tenants – First Watch, a breakfast and brunch restaurant that began serving up waffles and eggs in 2020, and Buff City Soap, which opened a year later. At 4195 Market St., a former
bank building could be going away. Plans call for demolishing the existing structure in favor of a new Cook Out fast-food restaurant. While some national chains will reuse a building, many prefer to create their own. “These corporate retail users who have their own prototypes, they will commonly tear the buildings down to build their unique store models,” said Cal Morgan, a commercial appraiser who owns Wilmington-based JC Morgan Co. “Demolition is all about highest and best use.” The planned demolition of the old Belk-Beery building in downtown Wilmington, a Belk-Beery department store in the 1950s before it was transformed into the main branch of the New Hanover County Public Library in 1981, has drawn some opposition. The change would help lead to a new, smaller main branch of the library as part of a major
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| REAL ESTATE |
Cape Fear CREW is Pleased to Announce the Category Finalists and Achievement Award Winners for the 2022 Awards of Excellence
February 24th 2022 • 11:00AM Wilmington Convention Center Dealmaker Award
Live Oak Bank Pavilion Paperfoam - Wilmington Trade Center three10 Restaurant
Economic & Community Enhancement Award Common Desk - Wilmington Riverfront Park TRUcolors Brewery
Best Design Award
Alice Lawson Salon + Spa at Magnolia Farms Oceanic Restaurant The Venue at Wilmington Brewing Company
PHOTO C/O DEVANG PATEL
No vacancy: Crews demolish the Baymont motel on South College Road to make way for a higher-end product in the future.
Career Advancement for Women Award mixed-use project in the works, currently referred to as Project Grace. Opponents, including the Historic Wilmington Foundation, say the Belk building, along with a former car dealership on the block, should be preserved, while those in favor say tearing down both buildings is the best way to move downtown forward. Under different circumstances, developers are able to reuse existing structures “like in the Soda Pop District,” Morgan said. “People are reusing some of those structures as opposed to tearing down and building new.” Developers Andy Hewitt and Sandy Thorpe of Parastream Development, which bought the former Coca-Cola bottling facility and other buildings in the vicinity for $8 million, are adding manufacturing, retail and residential uses to the Soda Pop District. Morgan said sometimes developers will reuse an existing building because of its historic nature. One example is the Gaylord Building in downtown Wilmington, which was turned into coworking space operated by Common Desk, soon to be a WeWork company. But history and character aren’t the only reasons to reuse older structures, Morgan said. In some cases, more current regulations prohibit the same amount of square feet to be built back if owners decide to tear a
building down. It also comes down to a simple equation. “If the value of the improved property is more than the land value plus demolition costs, you keep the building,” Morgan said. “If the value of an improved property is less than the land, plus demolition, then you tear the building down. And you can estimate the value of the improved property, usually by the rent that it generates or by comparison to similarly sold properties.” Hansen Matthews, commercial broker with Wilmington-based Maus, Warwick, Matthews & Co., said that 15 to 20 years ago, buyers could still find some vacant property in Wilmington. “Now when we are doing site selection, finding these sites where you don’t have to tear something down is just about impossible to do in the city,” Matthews said. The former industrial building at 349 Military Cutoff Road was demolished to help make way for The Avenue, a mixed-use project valued at more than $200 million which is expected to hold businesses and housing. Matthews said, “We’ve got to raze some of these older buildings that don’t have any true economic value if we’re going to build new developments that are in line with current demand.”
Sandy Spiers, Truist Honey Head Films NAWIC Cape Fear
Best Development Award 3902 Market Street Wilmington Trade Center Arboretum West
Impact Award Winner North Carolina’s Southeast
Beth Quinn Excellence Award Winner Jenny Mizelle , Retired Economic Developer
Thank you to our committed Partners for 2022! Presenting Partner
Live Oak Bank
Platinum Partners
Logan Homes Odyssey Mechanical
Award Partner
Salt Air, Inc.
Parking Partner
Wade Associates
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
AlphaGraphics Big Sky Design Capital Design Chambliss & Rabil Clancy & Theys Construction Company Clarendon Properties FCP First National Bank J. Long Custom Homes Maus, Warwick, Matthews & Company Patriot Roofing SERVPRO
Baker Roofing Copycat Print Shop Bronze Partner Corning Credit Union Carolina Specialties Greater Wilmington Business Journal Highland Roofing Company For more information KW Communications about partnerships or MoMentum Companies the event, please visit North Carolina’s Southeast www.CapeFearCREW.org Realtors Commercial Alliance The Braddock Group Theory And Practice Productions Wilmington Business Development
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PRESENTING SPONSORS:
NEW LEADERS + NEW DIRECTIONS
CORPORATE SPONSORS:
Our region has new leaders at several of our most important institutions, including the New Hanover Community Endowment, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Wilmington International Airport. At the March 3 Power Breakfast, we will get to know each of these leaders and learn about their organization’s goals, timelines and roles in the future of our community.
JEFF BOURK
WILLIAM BUSTER
SHELBOURN STEVENS
Director of Wilmington International Airport
CEO & President of the New Hanover Community Endowment
President of Novant Health NHRMC and the Coastal Market
WHEN:
Thursday, March 3 7:30 AM to 9:45 AM
WHERE: Wilmington Convention Center 515 Nutt Street Wilmington, NC 28401
Register now at WilmingtonPowerBreakfast.com
PARKING SPONSOR:
TECH SPONSOR:
To learn about becoming a Power Breakfast sponsor, contact us at 910-343-8600 x212.
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Page 17
| 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 JAN. 4 - 27
112 BRIAR CREEK LANE LLC 406 Stonewall Jackson Dr Wilmington 28412 Agent: Nader Abdelhamid 114 CROWATAN ROAD LLC 5228 US 421 N Wilmington 28401 Agent: Chris Wilhoit 1360 BRIDGE BARRIER DEVELOPMENT LLC 717 Windemere Rd Wilmington 28405 Agent: Edward C Krawiecki III
Supply 28462 Agent: Melissa F Mixon 410 JACKSON LAND LLC 139 Cornel Lane Hampstead 28443 Agent: Muammer Aydemir 415 SOUTH FRONT CONDOS LLC 901 Martin Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Curt I Altarac 417 GREENVILLE AVENUE TOWNHOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC. 114 Jeb Stuart Drive Wilmington 28412 Agent: Jillian C. S. Blanchard
2904 Trailwood Dr Southport 28461 Agent: Stephanie M Grocott
1101 Goldsboro Rd Southport 28461 Agent: Asheton Biggerstaff
AL-B’S LANDSCAPE SERVICES LLC 3010 Robert Ruark Drive Southport 28461 Agent: Alex Thomas
BACK 2 SHUCKERS LLC 6220 E Oak Island Dr Oak Island 28465 Agent: Amanda Wright
ALASTAIR MC PLLC 1207 Moxie Way Wilmington 28412 Agent: Anne Verlangieri ALL DOLLED UP MUA LLC 6826 W Lindley Lane SW Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: Beth A Williams ALLURE BRIDAL BAR & SALON LLC 3910 River Front Place Wilmington 28412 Agent: Sean C Knowles AMBROSIA JOHNSON LLC 609 Piner Road Ste. A #583 Wilmington 28409 Agent: Ambrosia Johnson AMERICAN LAND MANAGEMENT LLC 565 Clarks Landing Loop Rd Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Justin Krause ANGEL STANG REAL ESTATE LLC 7205 Maple Leaf Dr Wilmington 28411 Agent: Angel Smith Stang
5025 CLEAR RUN LLC 6424 Amsterdam Way Wilmington 28405 Agent: William Wall
ANGEL TACOS LLC 102 Rouse Dr Willard 28478 Agent: Erik Romero Villeda
9440 ANDREW JACKSON LLC 6830 Carolina Beach Rd Wilmington 28412 Agent: Cahit Izci
1615 PINFISH TOWNHOMES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC. 1615 Pinfish Lane Unit 1 Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Steve Floyd
ANOINTED LOVE LINE MINISTRIES INC 4744 Tolson Circle NW Shallotte 28470 Agent: Chantee Johnson
A.B.I.D.E. MINISTRIES INC. 4485 NC Hwy. 53 W. Burgaw 28425 Agent: Cynthia A. Buck
ARGONAUTA BEACH GETAWAYS INC. 108 SE 29th Street Oak Island 28465 Agent: Scott Dickman
17 SOUTH BOUTIQUE LLC 1787 West Crested Hawk Court NE Bolivia 28422 Agent: Anna Leigh Keener
ABIGATOR PROPERTIES LLC 5609 Harvest Grove Lane Wilmington 28409 Agent: Peter Orth
1604 SNAPPER LANE TOWNHOMES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC. 1604 Snapper Lane Unit 1 Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Carolyn Dunn
2022 STREAMLINE LLC 310 N Front St Ste 4 PMB 281 Wilmington 28401 Agent: Daniel Friedman 3 DUPLEXES LLC 901 Martin St Ste B Wilmington 28401 Agent: Curt I Altarac 3 PROPERTIES LLC. 901 Martin Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Curt I Altarac 305HER LLC 2218 Shirley Rd Wilmington 28405 Agent: Takilla Johnson 320BNB LLC 140 Genoes Point Road SW
ARISING CREDIT SOLUTIONS LLC 609 Piner Road Suite A#602 Wilmington 28409 Agent: Travis McCracken
AC SQUARED DESIGNS LLC 18 Brierwood Rd SW Shallotte 28470 Agent: Alicia C Conrow
ARMTY LLC 2168 Villamar Dr. Leland 28451 Agent: Wei Ren
ACC & ASSOCIATES LLC 1710 Holly St SW Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: William Budke
ASHEVILLE RETAIL VENTURES LLC 107 Stokley Dr #100 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Kyle M. Bullard
ADABELLS LLC 3314 Dovecote Ave Wilmington 28409 Agent: Courtney Thomas ADAMS MEDICAL SERVICES LP 204 N. Rhett St. Southport 28461 Agent: August Adams AGENT AND ARTIST LLC
ASHLEY CLARKE PAVLICK PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 145 Presley Ln Wilmington 28411 Agent: Ashley Pavlick
BACK ROAD INVESTMENTS LLC 585 Carneys Branch Trl SE Bolivia 28422 Agent: Diane Lyn Hagler BALL ARCHITECTURE PLLC 3539 Aster Court Wilmington 28409 Agent: David Christopher Ball BARRIER SOLUTIONS LLC 631 Ripwood Rd. Wilmington 28405 Agent: Andrea Zendejas BASIK LANDSCAPE SERVICES L.L.C. 7224 Haven Way Wilmington 28411 Agent: Eric A Stensrud BAXTR LLC 200 Country Club Dr Ste A Oak Island 28465 Agent: Mark R Bachara BAYNES & ASSOCIATES LLC 322 South College Road #1049 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Allen Baynes BAYNES LEARNING SOLUTIONS LLC 102 Travelers Ct Wilmington 28412 Agent: Thomas E Baynes BAYSIDE COUNSELING AND WELLNESS PLLC 370 Batson Road Hampstead 28443 Agent: Amy Riecken BCTCB LLC 418 Hamlet Avenue Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Kathryn Elizabeth Cleaveland BEACHSIDE TRANSPORTS LLC 700 Island Creek Rd Rocky Point 28457 Agent: Jennifer Teachey Lenfestey BEACON CLEANING SERVICES LLC 631 Ripwood Rd Wilmington 28405 Agent: Andrea Kristian Zendejas BEACON INSURANCE AGENCY LLC 1904 Eastwood Rd. Ste 310A Wilmington 28403 Agent: The Humphries Law Firm P.C.
ATLAS STRONG LLC 218 North Fourth Avenue Kure Beach 28449 Agent: Andrew D. George
BEAUTY BAR LASH + BROW STUDIO LLC 5520 Eagles Nest Drive Wilmington 28409 Agent: Nathan Kolk
B&C UNLIMITED LLC
BEAUTY CREW MOBILE
LLC 3819 Park Avenue Wilmington 28403 Agent: GM Entity Services Inc.
CLEANING LLC 448 Lakeshore Drive Sunset Beach 28468 Agent: Brandy Vodek Weaver
BEAUTYCO MINKS LLC 2565 Longleaf Pine Circle Leland 28451 Agent: Sudona Patrice Andrews
BRICKHOUSE DEVELOPMENT LLC 1931 S Live Oak Parkway Wilmington 28403 Agent: James S Mahan III
BENJAMIN GRAY CONSULTING LLC 2812 Trailwood Drive SE Southport 28461 Agent: Benjamin Gray
BRIELLE’S ADVENTURES LLC 1153 Winding Way NW Supply 28462 Agent: Brandon A Hankins
BEYOND INNATE VITALITY LLC 3684 Battery Lane Southport 28461 Agent: Gina M. Carucci
BROOKE S. STILES DMD II PLLC 320 Ballast Point Road Hampstead 28443 Agent: Brooke S. Stiles
BEYOND TODAY WELLNESS INC 3901 Edgewood Road Wilmington 28403 Agent: Amanda Browne
BRUISER’S BITES LLC 1531 Harbor Place Dr Calabash 28467 Agent: Kristine L Desario
BLACK HAWK TRANSPORT LLC 106 Perwinkle Street Burgaw 28425 Agent: Roy Berry BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE INC 5024 Lampost Circle Wilmington 28403 Agent: Hilda McKoy BLOCKCHAIN INVESTMENT GROUP LLC 7205 Wrightsville Ave Apt 406 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Patrick Gerard Punzalan BLUE BYRD TRUCKING LLC 1213 Culbreth Dr Wilmington 28411 Agent: Delmarva Johnson BLUE CHAIR 2 LLC 1650 Military Cutoff Rd Suite 200 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Law Office of J Chris Huff PC BLUE RIDGE LAND GROUP LLC 611 Fourth Ave S Kure Beach 28449 Agent: Edmund C Kennedy BLUE WAVE MARKETING GROUP LLC 501 Cobblestone Dr Unit 304 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Zane Speegle BLUEWATER CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE LLC 124 Lees Cut Wrightsville Beach 28480 Agent: Byron Hugh Thigpen Jr BOWMANS DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR LLC 4685 Babson Rd NW Ash 28420 Agent: Timothy Ryan Bowman BRANDY WEAVER PHOTOGRAPHY &
BRUNSWICK COUNTY CONSULTING CORPORATION 1208 Longleaf Rd Southport 28461 Agent: Justin Miles Langley BRUNSWICK COUNTY HOLMES REAL ESTATE INC 4929 Bridgers Rd Shallotte 28470 Agent: Sarah Wendolyn Holmes BRUSHED UP PAINTING AND CARPENTRY LLC 3617 Saint Francis Drive Wilmington 28409 Agent: Karen Ruscetti BUILD A FACE LLC 1002 N Mulberry Rd NW Shallotte 28470 Agent: Vanessa Graham BULLDOG BILLING LLC 910 Robert E Lee Dr Wilmington 28412 Agent: Michelle Lucille Bozeman BW INVESTORS LLC 2512 Independence Blvd. Suite 200 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Adair McKoy Graham Jr C & L DIESEL REPAIR LLC 232 Copperhead Lane Burgaw 28425 Agent: Audrey L Croson C AND Z RENTALS LLC 2055 Zion Hill Rd SE Bolivia 28422 Agent: Zesta Wooten C.R. LAWN AND SHRUB LLC 4494 Frying Pan Road SE Southport 28461 Agent: Craig Stephen Reynolds C&C PROPS LLC 3650 Airport Rd Southport 28461 Agent: Meghan Casteen CAMASH PROPERTIES LLC
7213 Ogden Business Lane Suite 218 Wilmington 28411 Agent: Debra A Wright CAMERON-CANAPI #2 LLC 1201 Glen Meade Road Wilmington 28401 Agent: Raymond Hill Rogers CAPALL CREEK CATTLE COMPANY LLC 3414 Wrightsville Avenue Wilmington 28403 Agent: Robbie B. Parker CAPE FEAR COIN KING LLC 307 Green Meadows Dr Wilmington 28405 Agent: Norman Sharp CAPE FEAR COLLECTIVE IMPACT OPPORTUNITY 2 LLC 803 Dawson St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Collective Impact in New Hanover County Inc.
CERVINI ENTERPRISES LLC 5131 Market Street Wilmington 28405 Agent: Alfred Cervini CG&C SOLUTIONS LLC 100 Weir Dr. Hampstead 28443 Agent: Melissa C Reaves CHATHAM GUITAR COMPANY LLC 1319 Military Cutoff Rd Ste CC 309 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Jon Christopher Cole CHOUFANI & BAILEY ROOFING AND RESTORATION LLC 301 Government Center Dr Suite 200 Wilmington 28403 Agent: James Bailey CHRISTIAN PARENTING TODAY LLC 1055 Lanterns Lane Leland 28451 Agent: Sylvia S McCrory
CAPE FEAR DECENTRAL LLC 6117 Chancellorsville Dr Wilmington 28409 Agent: Nicholas Andrew Shater
CITADEL OF HOPE MINISTRY INC 50 Oliver Lane Burgaw 28425 Agent: Michael Anthony Scott
CAPE FEAR FOOD AND SPIRITS LLC 901 Nutt St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Paul Christopher Lore
CKMCAPITAL LLC 8121 Masonboro Sound Rd Wilmington 28409 Agent: Christopher Kyle McCauley
CAPE FEARLESS DOG TRAINING LLC 1216 Cypress Dr Wilmington 28401 Agent: Maya DePasquale
CMA HOME INSPECTIONS LLC 638 Bayshore Drive SE Bolivia 28422 Agent: Chris Anselmo
CARDINAL POOLS LLC 8062 Market St. Wilmington 28411 Agent: Abraham Villa
COAST HOME NC LLC 169 Watersfield Rd. Leland 28451 Agent: Rhonda Kelly
CAROLINA BARN BUILDERS INC. 580 Thomasboro Rd Calabash 28467 Agent: James Everett Smith
COASTAL CAROLINA CAPITAL LLC 1827 S. Churchill Dr. Wilmington 28403 Agent: Ryal W. Tayloe Jr.
CAROLINA BEACH REAL ESTATE LLC 601 The Cape Blvd Wilmington 28412 Agent: Ajay Singh CASEY PHILEMON LLC 227 Sand Pebble Drive SE Leland 28451 Agent: Casey Philemon CASH AND CULTURE MEDIA LLC 415 Montego Ct Wilmington 28411 Agent: Rashad Gattison CASTRO CONCRETE SERVICES LLC 2500 Middle Sound Loop Road Wilmington 28411 Agent: Pedro M Velasco CBD LIFE OF RELIEF LLC 914 Tarpon Dr Wilmington 28409 Agent: Julia Olson Boseman
COASTAL CAROLINA CLEANING & LAUNDRY SERVICES LLC 429 Darlington Avenue Apt 302 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Daniel Daniel COASTAL CAROLINA RESTORATION SERVICES LLC 486 Andrews Rd Hampstead 28443 Agent: Daniel Kulp COASTAL CREATORS STUDIO LLC 4406 Rondo Pl Wilmington 28412 Agent: Brice Amos William Macy Jacobs IV COASTAL ELECTRIC SERVICE INC 80 Oyster Point Lane Hampstead 28443 Agent: Scott Randolph Moore COASTAL LIFESTYLE REALTY INC
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Greater Wilmington Business Journal
wilmingtonbiz.com
| BIZ LEADS | 611 Third St S Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: John Matoska COASTAL MAINTENANCE AND HOME REPAIR LLC 4461 Rounding Run Rd SW Shallotte 28470 Agent: Aaron David McManus COASTAL PINES ENTERPRISES INC. 3819 Park Avenue Wilmington 28403 Agent: GM Entity Services Inc. COASTAL QUATERS LLC 8824 Plantation Landing Dr. Wilmington 28411 Agent: Sammy Hodges COASTAL TIDE PRESSURE WORKS LLC 4520 Highsmith Rd Burgaw 28425 Agent: Michael Eric Miller COASTAL VACATION SERVICES LLC 122 Burke Court Apt. 101 Hampstead 28443 Agent: Eric S Teller CODE SURFERS ACADEMY LLC 136 Amaryllis Drive 107 Wilmington 28411 Agent: Bethany Allene Borden COLESTAL LLC 5410 Pond Drive Unit 47 Wilmington 28409 Agent: Nicholas Cole COMIC NATION LLC 3028 Yorkstone Ct Leland 28451 Agent: Christopher Everett Teeter COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES MONTANA LLC 1138 Shipyard Blvd Wilmington 28412 Agent: Matt Waatti CONNECT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT DIRECTORY LLC 6045 Caddy Circle Wilmington 28405 Agent: Judith A Budd COOLWORK LLC 30 Central Blvd Wilmington 28401 Agent: Cody Lee Frennea CORTEZ RENTAL PROPERTIES LLC 1117 Baldwin Park Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Norma Johana Cortez CP CUSTOMS LLC 222 Hanna Drive Wilmington 28412 Agent: Charlton Pringle CRAYZY LIFE LLC 1313 Lovingston Lane Wilmington 28409 Agent: Deanna G Ray CROWN CORAL LLC 7218 Farrington Farms Dr
Wilmington 28411 Agent: Russell D Crown Jr
Agent: Douglas Whitman Shank
CURATED CREATIONS LLC 101 Chuckanut Dr Hampstead 28443 Agent: Megan Baker Bender
DT INVESTORS LLC 2512 Independence Blvd. Suite 200 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Adair McKoy Graham Jr
D3 NETWORKS LLC 677 Saint Paul Dr SE Bolivia 28422 Agent: Douglas James Dowson
DUB CITY ATHLETICS LLC 3112 Kitty Hawk Rd Wilmington 28405 Agent: Christine M Ortega
DAVID RAMSEY TILE LLC 114 N. Cowan St. Burgaw 28425 Agent: David Dean Ramsey
DUNSMORE WOOD DESIGNS LLC 4220 Spirea Drive Wilmington 28403 Agent: Craig Dunsmore
DBRS INC. 3305 Kitty Hawk Rd Wilmington 28405 Agent: Marna Flynn Puckett
E MERCHANT SOLUTIONS LLC 710 Military Cutoff Suite 255 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Barrett Earney
DEAN J. HALTERMAN PGA LLC 19 Clubhouse Dr SW Supply 28462 Agent: Dean James Halterman
EAST OAK PROPERTIES LLC 507 Pinehurst Cir Hampstead 28443 Agent: Jedadiah Rudolph Zwifelhofer
DEGO NC LLC 7101 Fiddler Circle Wilmington 28405 Agent: Emmanuel Ibarra
ECHO PROP NC LLC 4608 Crawdad Ct Wilmington 28405 Agent: Christopher Paul Mauney
DENNISON CROSS & MOORE INVESTMENTS INC 215 Kenwood Avenue Wilmington 28405 Agent: Andrew Dennison
EDICUS TRADE LLC 546 Aquarius Dr Wilmington 28411 Agent: Bradley Achard Kelly
DETAILING DUDE LLC 9844 Sturgeon Dr NE Leland 28451 Agent: Brent Allen Dennison
EJ3 SERVICES & SUPPLIES LLC 505 Sheppard Rd. Wilmington 28411 Agent: Edward Johnson III
DMW LOGISTICS LLC 1505 Dorsey Lane Leland 28451 Agent: Derrick Williams
ELITE R TRANSPORTATION LLC 3960 Independence Blvd Apt 314 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Roy Abou Chakra
DOLCI DI GIOIA LLC 155 Amaryllis Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Mary Beth Gioia Zorio DOM DELEFAVE LLC 712 Village Rd S.W. Suite 202 Shallotte 28470 Agent: Dominick Delefave DOUGHBOY’S BAGELS LLC 925 Seaside Rd Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: Anne Walsh DOWNTOWN HOMES LLC 901 Martin Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Curt I Altarac DR. KEVIN J. REESE PLLC 148 Great Oak Drive Hampstead 28443 Agent: Kevin J. Reese
EMPATHY REAL ESTATE GROUP LLC 1417 Canal Dr Unit 2 Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Kevin T Dovel
Agent: Jacie Dykes EXPRESS MOVERS LLC 2411A Boulder Ln Wilmington 28403 Agent: Jared Michael Mazzola EYE DRAW THE LINE LLC 2042 Van Buren St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Holly Lynette Penland EYTHOR LLC 160 Brentwood Drive Wilmington 28401 Agent: Jody Robert Norris II FAMILY FIRST TATTOO INC 315 Castle St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Allen Fielder FANTASY FITNESS LLC 554 Washington Acres Rd Hampstead 28443 Agent: Dwaine Thomas McConnell FASHIONULUVLLC 313 Racine Drive Apt F Wilmington 28403 Agent: Tameka Deneice Coleman FAT CHICKEN FARM LLC 118 Azalea Drive Hampstead 28443 Agent: Brian M. Gongloff FEEBS LLC 4621 Runaway Bay Ln Wilmington 28405 Agent: Tyler Martin Stadler FINTECH PARTNERS #2 LLC 1201 Glen Meade Road Wilmington 28401 Agent: Raymond Hill Rogers FISHER COLLECTIVE INC 70 Crestwood Court Hampstead 28443 Agent: Morgan Perkerson FIVE STAR STAYS LLC 5515 Bavarian Lane Wilmington 28405 Agent: Duran Babatunde
END GAME EXTERMINATORS LLC 1109 Whispering Doe Dr Wilmington 28409 Agent: Joseph Barba
FIX4LESS LLC 409 Stonewall Jackson Drive Wilmington 28412 Agent: Patrick Friesland
EQUIP AND ENCOURAGE LLC 3416 Upton Court Wilmington 28409 Agent: Christopher Thomas Sasser
FOGO WOODWORKING LLC 2525 Canterbury Rd Wilmington 28403 Agent: Zelito L Medina
ERIN SOLOMON ART LLC 3200 Kirby Smith Dr Wilmington 28409 Agent: Erin H Solomon
DRAM TREE TAVERN LLC 1806 Washington St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Walter J Cartier
EVEREST TILE INSTALLATION LLC 710 Morningside Drive Wilmington 28401 Agent: Luis Marquez Diego
DSHANK LLC 1090 Chadsey Lake Drive Carolina Shores 28467
EVERGREEN REAL ESTATE LLC 363 Hoover Rd Hampstead 28443
FRANCIS FAMILY VENTURES LLC 7040 Trailhead Road Leland 28451 Agent: Robert Winfield Francis FRED AND MINA DESIGN CO LLC 811 N 6th St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Kathryn ClonigerKirk FRENCHIE LLC 609 Piner Rd Ste A 581 Wilmington 28409
Agent: Raymond Bowen Jr. FRESH TECH GURUS LLC 1682 Gores Landing Rd SW Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: Michael Deladi FRIENDS OF PLEASURE ISLAND STATE PARKS INC. 1010 State Park Road Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Amy Taylor FROM VICTORY MINISTRIES OF WILMINGTON INC. 1402 Meares Street #5C Wilmington 28401 Agent: Dentral Holman Smith FULLY STAFFED LLC 108 N Kerr Ave Ste D5 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Timelisa Simpson G. RODRIGUEZ CONSTRUCTION LLC 131 Westover Drive Leland 28451 Agent: Genaro Diaz Rodriguez G.I. MOTORS LLC 454 Turner Way Hampstead 28443 Agent: Michael Suter GL CLEANING SERVICES LLC 1101 S Lake Park Blvd Apt 26C Carolina Beach 28428 Agent: Fatima Charlton GL2 LLC 818 Lumina Ave S Wrightsville Beach 28480 Agent: Thomas M Turner Jr. GOLF BY DAVIS LLC 1576 Sand Harbor Circle Ocean Isle Beach 28469 Agent: Davis Richards GOODROCK VENTURES LLC 1213 Culbreth Dr. Ste. 448 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Shane T Johnson GRAND VISIONS INVESTMENTS LLC 17117 Highway 17 North Hampstead 28443 Agent: Andrew G Smith GRASSY SOUND OUTDOORS LLC 115 Cove Side Lane Hampstead 28443 Agent: Lindsey Procida GREENHEAD HOLDINGS LLC 1427 Military Cutoff Road Wilmington 28403 Agent: Nash Tillotson GRESMI ENTERPRISES LLC 321 4th Ave South Kure Beach 28449 Agent: Gregory Lynn Smith GREY ACADEMY CORPORATION
602 N 11th Street Wilmington 28401 Agent: Sherri Waddell H & B PROPERTIES LLC 16747 U.S. Highway 17 Suite 128 Hampstead 28443 Agent: Heather Dolan Kaemmer H&B CORNER STORE LLC 211 S Dudley St Burgaw 28425 Agent: Fadi R Hamam HALO AND WINGS CREMATION LLC 5587 Waccamaw School Road NW Ash 28420 Agent: Alec Fornaciari HANDYWORKS HOME SOLUTIONS LLC 3819 Park Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: GM Entity Services Inc. HANGERONRS LLC 1066 Westport Drive Winnabow 28479 Agent: Laura K Speary HAVEN SALON STUDIOS LLC 49 Weir Dr Hampstead 28443 Agent: Courtney Kay Lambaria HAZEL BRANCH AT BRUNSWICK FOREST HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION INC. 131 Racine Drive Wilmington 28403 Agent: Leslie Banks HEATHER CUNNINGHAM CREATIVE LLC 623 Edgerton Dr Wilmington 28412 Agent: Heather Patricia Cunningham HELPING OTHERS PROSPER ECONOMICALLY 1403 Setter Court Wilmington 28411 Agent: Cynthia Pershia HOFF ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS LLC 31 Pickett Drive Wilmington 28412 Agent: Brianne Kay Hoff HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF HAMPSTEAD NC ENDOWMENT FUND INC 711 Captain Beam Blvd Hampstead 28443 Agent: Robert K Muller HOME BREAK LLC 118 NE 67th St. Oak Island 28465 Agent: Clayton Wayne Bolton HOME CRAFTERS DEVELOPING LLC 4594 Maple Hill Rd Shallotte 28470 Agent: Aubrey A Faatz HOOD CREEK LANDING LLC 204 Circle Dr Hampstead 28443 Agent: Michael Joseph
Parks HOPTOG LLC 2107 Middle Sound Loop Rd Wilmington 28411 Agent: Hunter Bailey Anderson HUE HAUS DESIGN LLC 1005 Shadow Moss Ct Wilmington 28412 Agent: Andrea Lynn Butler HUGGINS HOLDINGS LLC 4505 Tesla Park Drive Unit 302 Wilmington 28412 Agent: Jessica Ruth Huggins HUNT RIGGS CHARTER COMPANY LLC 4010 Alandale Drive Wilmington 28405 Agent: Jeffery Adam Riggsbee INNERWORKS HYPNOSIS CENTER LLC 4929 Grouse Woods Drive Wilmington 28411 Agent: Asami King Martin INNOVATE MORTGAGE HOLDINGS LLC 1001 Military Cutoff Rd Suite 101 Wilmington 28405 Agent: Ladd S Gasparovic INSPERIENCE INC. 10163 Creekside Dr SE Apt 2 Leland 28451 Agent: Marshall Garris INTRACOASTAL INSPECTION SERVICES LLC 136 Mitchell Ct Wilmington 28412 Agent: Peter Daniel Watson INTRACOASTAL OUTBOARD SERVICE LLC 4404 Southern Pine Drive SE Southport 28461 Agent: Brandon Stone INTRACOASTAL RENOVATIONS LLC 4647 Mintz Street Shallotte 28470 Agent: Nicholas Seefeld INTRIGUED BY LIGHT LLC 1309 Creek Bend Terrace Wilmington 28405 Agent: Tallison Brainard J & C TRANSPORTS LLC 1464 Creek Bend Terrace Wilmington 28405 Agent: Carmen L Padilla J.R. BEERS MARINE SERVICE LLC 567 Dan Owen Drive Hampstead 28443 Agent: Brad Beers J&J AUTO DETAILING ENTERPRISES LLC 2614 Sapling Circle Wilmington 28411 Agent: John D Bosmans J&L PROPERTIES II LLC 4320 Southport Supply
Rd SE Ste 300 Southport 28461 Agent: Joshua J Podczervinski JACK LLC 2592 St James Drive Southport 28461 Agent: Gary J Pearson JAIME DIAZ LANDSCAPING LLC 101 New Bern Ave Wilmington 28403 Agent: Jaime Diaz Cortes JCAN & B SERVICES LLC 229-B Transfer Station Rd Hampstead 28443 Agent: Jared Michael Chanowsky JDILIGENT LLC 103 Gazebo Way Hampstead 28443 Agent: Justin Douglas Dill JHD VENDING LLC 6963 Newbury Way Wilmington 28411 Agent: Joseph H Denmark JIMMYS BIKE DRIVE INC. 660 Caicos Ct Wilmington 28405 Agent: Hugh James Gilleece IV JOE SHERIDAN JR. & ASSOCIATES INC. 118 Sandybrook Road Wilmington 28411 Agent: Joan Sheridan JONATHAN C. WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 8813 Sedgley Dr Wilmington 28412 Agent: Jonathan Watson JORDAN97SH LLC 7121 Boykin Spaniel Way Wilmington 28411 Agent: Salem Hawatmeh JPAV PROPERTY LLC 133 Ravennaside Dr NW Calabash 28467 Agent: Jenette Pavlak JT MURPHY LLC 1345 Grandiflora Dr. Leland 28451 Agent: Joseph Murphy JUNKY MONKEY LLC 3041 N Kerr Ave Wilmington 28405 Agent: Richard T Jones JUST CALL MIKE LLC 422 Foxwood Ln Wilmington 28409 Agent: Michael Paul Orman JUSTIN BAYLESS MEDIA LLC 3523 Adirondack Way Apt 206 Wilmington 28403 Agent: Justin Bayless JWEST CAPITAL LLC 214 Walnut St Wilmington 28401 Agent: Ralph Scales II K & Z CONNECT AND TOWING LLC 602 W Hayes St Burgaw 28425 Agent: Lorenzo Lisane
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
wilmingtonbiz.com
February 4 - 17, 2022
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Greater Wilmington Business Journal
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February 4 - 17, 2022
| THE LIST |
Accounting Firms
Ranked by number of local CPAs RANK
FIRM ADDRESS
PHONE WEBSITE
NO. LOCAL CPAS
NO. LOCAL PROFESSIONAL STAFF/ NO. FULL-TIME STAFF
SERVICES OFFERED
YEAR LOCALLY FOUNDED
TOP LOCAL OFFICIAL
(910) 762-9671 www.rsmus.com
21
28 49
Audit, tax, consulting, family office advisory services, wealth management
1900
Charles Craft Rickey Godwin David Smith Rob Wagner Rick Lich, Partners
2
Earney & Company L.L.P. 710 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 250 Wilmington, NC 28405
(910) 256-9995 www.earneynet.com
11
31 36
Financial statement: audit, review and compilation; Tax: planning, preparation and consulting; personal and business strategic planning; nonprofit and HOA: tax and financial statement services
1982
Chuck Earney Managing Partner
3
McIntyre, Paradis, Wood & Co. CPAs PLLC 112 Cardinal Drive Ext, Suite 105 Wilmington, NC 28405
(910) 793-1181 www.mpwcpas.com
7
8 15
Business, individual and trust tax return preparation; accounting services; QuickBooks (Pro Advisor); business startup and entity consulting; business and individual financial planning and consulting
2002
Randy McIntyre M. Stan Paradis W. Steve Wood J. Will Whitley P. Ann StoeberEnos, Partners
3
Stroud & Company CPAs PLLC 3811 Peachtree Ave., Suites 100 & 200 Wilmington, NC 28403
1993
Tony Stroud, Managing Partner Missy Barton Marty Clyburn, Partners
5
Knott, Richartz & Co. CPAs 1430 Commonwealth Drive, Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403
6
Adam Shay CPA PLLC 1721 Allens Lane #210 Wilmington, NC 28403
6
DMJ & Co., PLLC 265 Racine Drive, Suite 203 Wilmington, NC 28403
1
RSM US LLP 300 N. Third St., Fifth Floor Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 793-5454 www.stroudcompanycpa.com
7
8 18
Accounting and tax preparation for businesses, individuals, estates and trusts; payroll services; QuickBooks setup, support and training; business startup services, succession planning, mergers and acquisitions; monthly bookkeeping; financial statements; estate planning; tax controversy representation; forensic accounting; and financial planning and wealth management services
(910) 509-3806 www.onscpa.com
6
7 9
Tax and investment planning
2015
Paul Knott Managing Member
(910) 256-3456 www.adamshaycpa.com
5
15 13
Business and individual tax planning and preparation, business/entrepreneurship advisory services and Virtual CFO, fraud and forensic accounting and litigation support
2010
Adam Shay Managing Partner
(910) 452-5260 www.dmj.com
5
7 7
Accounting, audit, tax planning, compliance and preparation for corporate and individual clients
8
Williford Houston & Co. CPAs PLLC 3408 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300 Wilmington, NC 28403
(910) 452-4040 www.whccpas.com
4
8 10
Accounting services, tax services, payroll services, audit services
1988
Carl Williford Jr., Managing Member Andrew Houston, Partner
9
Hamilton & Co. CPAs PA 2602 Iron Gate Drive, Suite 201 Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 392-6900 www.portcitycpas.com
3
3 6
Tax returns, accounting services, payroll services, tax and business planning
2004
David Hamilton President
9
Thomas, Judy & Tucker 4010 Oleander Drive, Suite 1 Wilmington, NC 28403
(910) 635-0835 www.tjtpa.com
3
1 1
Business, individual and trust tax planning; federal and multi-state tax compliance; gift, estate and succession planning; audit, review and compilation services; business consulting; feasibility studies; transaction services
2021
Maggie Ashburn Shareholder
11
Accounting Solutions Inc. 6620 Gordon Road, Suite H Wilmington, NC 28411
(910) 821-1515 www.AccountingSolutionsInc.net
2
5 4
Bookkeeping, full-service payroll and tax
2011
Carolynn Rose DeLong Owner
11
Hansberry CPA & Consulting Inc. 5710 Oleander Drive, Suite 210 Wilmington, NC 28403
(910) 509-1990 www.hansberrycpa.com
2
6 4
Multistate and multinational income tax preparation, accounting and bookkeeping, consulting, planning, IRS and state audit support, QuickBooks support
1990
Scott Hansberry President
13
David A. Kingman CPA, PC 210 Avondale Ave., Suite 1 Wilmington, NC 28403
(910) 350-3683 www.dakcpa.com
1
— 3
Review and compilation services, federal/state tax planning and preparation for individual and business tax returns, gift and estate/succession planning, business consulting and business valuations
1994
David Kingman President
List is based on voluntary responses to a Business Journal survey.
Gregory Miller Partner
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
wilmingtonbiz.com
February 4 - 17, 2022
Page 21
| ACHIEVERS | Send information about company hires, promotions or awards to editor@wilmingtonbiz.com
Thalian Association taps new arts center director Thalian Association Community Theatre chose STACIE SMITH to become the new director of the Hannah Block Historic USO/ Community Arts Center, according to a recent announcement. Smith Smith has extensive experience in youth education as a teacher and after school program coordinator at First Baptist Preschool, Saint Andrews Covenant Preschool and New Horizons Elementary School, according to the release. She has been assistant director of creative arts camp at the Community Arts Center since 2017 and affiliated with Thalian Youth Theatre as a director and stage manager for more than a decade. Smith said in the release, “The Community Arts Center has been an important part of my life for the last 15 years. While the people have changed over the years, that same wonderful feeling you get when you walk into the building is always there. I look forward to continuing building traditions and welcoming new faces to this unique facility.”
MarineMax names McCarley service manager MarineMax Wrightsville Beach recently announced the arrival of JAMES “JIM” MCCARLEY as its new service manager. McCarley is a Wilmington native who brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for the boating lifestyle to his role, according to a news release. He first entered the boating industry McCarley in 1994 with Hatteras Yachts in New Bern. He had the opportunity to work with Scout Boats as the director of manufacturing, later followed by a project manager position with Jarret Bay Boatworks in Beaufort. MarineMax Wrightsville Beach is located at 130 Short St. in Wrightsville Beach.
Airport’s facilities manager named to 40 Under 40 list KEAGHON STARK, facilities manager at Wilmington International Airport, was named a winner in Airport Business magazine’s 2021 Top 40 Under 40 program. The list “showcases the top talent and leading thinkStark ers in the aviation industry who are driving success and innovations for the future,” according to a news release. Candidates for the 2021 list were vetted on innovation, outstanding attributes and commitment and involvement in the industry, the release stated. Winners were selected by members of the Airport Business staff. Stark is responsible “for all the airfield, airport facilities and management of the maintenance employees,” according to an AviationPros. com article. The article also stated, “During ILM’s $60 million terminal expansion project, Stark monitored critical equipment installation and power cut overs scheduled while the facility was vacant. He ensured all problems were resolved before morning fleet launch.”
Real estate firm chooses corporate vice president Margaret Rudd & Associates Inc. announced the election of KAREN RUDD BRAKE to corporate vice president in a recent release. In addition to her new role, Brake will continue to serve as property management director for the corporation’s property management division, overseeing its more than 260 short-term rental properties and more than 55 long-term rental properties. Margaret Rudd Bishop, the corporation’s president and founder, said in the release, “Karen’s deep understanding of innovative technology solutions and corporate best practices has set her apart throughout her career. Over her 20+ years in management with us, she has been instrumental in the Corporation’s growth and extremely well regarded in the industry. We are fortunate to have her among our leadership team.” Brake graduated from East Carolina University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality
management and a minor in business. After working in food service management, she began her career in real estate in 2001 as a reservationist while learning the intricacies of the industry, specifically in property management, under her late father, S. R. “Buddy” Rudd Jr., who served as the corporation’s vice president until he died in June 2021. Brake has served in numerous capacities within the industry and in
the community. From 2008 to 2011, she served on the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She was a member of the former Oak Island Business and Tourism Commission and she currently serves as a member of the Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority Board of Directors, North Carolina Realtors and the Brunswick County Association of Realtors.
Over 40 Years iN the WelCOmiNg BusiNess!
Put your business in front of newcomers and new businesses! Welcome Service LLC personally welcomes newcomers and new businesses to New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties.
Call Nancy Wilcox at 910-470-0286 nkwilcox58@gmail.com www.welcomeservicesllc.com
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NMLS # 659039 beckhardt@firsthorizon.com 910-262-4042
© 2022 First Horizon Bank, NMLS# 472329. All loans subject to approval, including credit approval. Some restrictions may apply. Other programs are available. Program not available in all areas, and conditions subject to change without notice. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
Page 22
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
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February 4 - 17, 2022
LPN-RN PROGRAM Application Period: February 15 - April 28, 2022
RESTAURANT ROUNDUP
BUSINESS OF LIFE
This is a sampling of stories from the Business Journal’s weekly Restaurant Roundup email. Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com.
The George restaurant is under new ownership George Coffin and Cathy Whatley have sold The George on the Riverwalk, 128 Water St., to restaurant veterans Edson Munekta and Freddy Lee. “He’s had a great run,” said Terry Espy, a good friend of George Coffin and owner of Momentum Companies, which represented both parties in the $2.5 million deal. Munekta owns a small chain of Brazilian steakhouses and recently moved to Ocean Isle Beach. Lee is an acclaimed chef and owner of Bernardin’s, upscale restaurants in Charlotte and Winston-Salem. As for any changes, the new owners are keeping the name but plan to take The George to the next level, Espy said, with the new menu more in line with the fine-dining dishes – duck breast and curried black bass – on offer at Bernardin’s. (The new menu can be viewed on the restaurant’s Facebook page.)
LPNs, get your RN in two semesters with CFCC’s accelerated, hybrid option. Clinical is completed through a preceptorship at New Hanover/Novant Hospital in Wilmington. Get information regarding the application process, prerequisites, and more at cfcc.edu/LPN-RN or contact the Health Science Enrollment Center at healthsciences@cfcc.edu.
JANE MARR & ASSOCIATE
30 + YEARS
PROVIDING A BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCE WITH WILMINGTON’S MOST TRUSTED FIRM
Jane Marr
Broker/REALTOR® (910) 231-3343
Grace Taylor
Broker/REALTOR® (704) 726-3225
JMARR.INTRACOASTALREALTY.COM @JANEMARRHOMES
Joe Loves Lobster Rolls closes Brunswick spot A popular Boiling Spring Lakes restaurant has closed its doors for good, but a new eatery plans to open in early February. According to the restaurant’s website, Joe Loves Lobster Rolls, 3148 George II Highway, decided to close after the main ingredient on the menu became too costly. “It comes with a heavy heart, but it is the cost of lobster that has made the decision for me to discontinue service,” the website states. Owner Tony Herndon got in the lobster roll business in 2013 in Savannah, Georgia, and landed in Boiling Spring Lakes in 2017. Herndon said the new owners are opening a sub shop and will serve his rolls at least one day a week. Brice Horton, owner of the new eatery, said he expects Mimi’s Sandwich Shack to be open in early February. “We have been working on our menu, but basically we will have a build-a-sandwich system,” he said. “Breakfast will be bacon, sausage, eggs and burritos. Lunch will focus on the sub basics – ham, turkey and roast beef.”
‘Seabird at home’ starts fine dining takeout One of Wilmington’s top chefs, James Beard Foundation semifinalist Dean Neff, has launched Seabird at Home, a three-course menu for two created to be enjoyed at home. With the Front Street restaurant regularly closed Tuesday-Wednesday, Neff and his wife, Lydia Clopton, wanted to ensure diners could still enjoy a great meal in the middle of the week. The deadline to order is 3 p.m. Wednesdays, and the meals can be picked up 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. Each three-course meal for two changes weekly, and although there are no substitutions, add-ons such as focaccia (a classic Italian bread) and soup will be available to purchase when picking up on a first-come, first-served basis. Suggested wines also can be purchased at pick-up. The menu for Jan. 26 included spinach Caesar salad with roasted shiitake mushrooms, croutons and green tomato slaw; smoked yellowfin tuna lasagna Bolognese with ricotta cheese and herbs; and Jim’s Olive Oil Cake with citrus and mascarpone for dessert. The price for the meal-fortwo is $47, tax included.
The Big Nosh to highlight Jewish cuisine The Temple of Israel’s Big Nosh fundraising event takes place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 24. The Big Nosh event is not just your “annual sandwich-selling fundraiser,” event organizer Kurt said. Selections will include corned beef and pastrami (by the half-pound or sandwiches), smoked whitefish salad and chopped herring and Israeli salad. Homemade noodle kugel and potato knish will also be offered and round out a meal with a loaf of rye bread from Breadsmith. For something sweet, there’s babka or rugalach, and Green’s chocolate or cinnamon babka and rugelach are available to order. Pick up will be at the temple’s Reibman Center, 922 Market St. Items must be preordered by Feb. 11. The proceeds will benefit the ongoing work of the temple and religious activities, education and community relations. Orders can be placed online at templefundraising. online or with a mail-in order form, which can be downloaded and printed from the website.
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
wilmingtonbiz.com
February 4 - 17, 2022
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| BUSINESS OF LIFE | Fishing around for new hobbies BY SCOTT NUNN opperband butterflyfish. Splendid pintail fairy wrasse. Polyp stony corals. The displays at Port City Aquastudio are mesmerizing, even somewhat mysterious. The shop, which opened in October in the South Front District, is a bountiful resource for aquarium hobbyists. Port City Aquastudio’s most valuable resources, however, are not found in an aquarium, but in the mind of owner T.J. Lysiak. With 20 years of experience in the business and a marine biology degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Lysiak is passionate about aquariums and the creatures that inhabit them. The fact that he’s earning a living at it is a bonus. And business is good, not only for Lysiak but for the aquarium trade in general. Along with so many things, the COVID-19 pandemic has touched the aquarium business. Chris Clevers is president of Hikari Sales USA, which specializes in premium aquatic food. “From all indications, COVID-19 has people who were on the fence about an aquarium diving in and those already in the hobby spending time upgrading their tanks and spending lots of time tending to their fish as a welcomed diversion from the stress of being locked down,” he told Pet Product News. The lack of places to spend money along with stimulus checks has created a perfect storm for the aquarium industry, Clevers said. “We see a big increase in consumer questions via our website, phone and email customer service areas, which means folks are engaged and eager to connect and talk about fish,” he said. Like most people in the aquarium business, it’s been a lifetime hobby for Lysiak. “As a child, I received my first aquarium at age 6, and I’ve never been without one since. Aquariums and fish just simply fascinated me, even as a child,” Lysiak said. “I was the kid that would ask for National Geographic documentaries and David Attenborough documentaries for Christmas rather than a video game. My family always knew that it was a true passion for me.” Although Lysiak chose marine biology and ultimately earned his degree, neither teaching nor research had much appeal. Research work, he
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PHOTO BY TERAH HOOBLER
In the fish tank: T.J. Lysiak opened Port City Aquastudio after a lifelong passion for aquariums and aquatic life.
said, is too tied to grants – money that eventually runs out. And time in a classroom would be time away from where his passion lay – directly in the world of fish, corals and other sea life. “This is not work for me,” Lysiak said, standing amid the marine-life treasures he knows like the back of his hand. “Every once in a while I stop and I look around and I’m like, am I just goofing off ? Is this even real? It’s almost surreal to me. And so it’s more than just an interest. It is a passion.” And that passion and knowledge, Lysiak said, are the most valuable things he can offer customers. For example, since Lysiak propagates most of his fish and corals, he knows exactly what kind of water and environment they need to be in and understands the importance of other factors, such as temperature and light acclimation. Since Lysiak propagates fish and corals, it means fewer fish are taken out of the wild. That is part of his conservation credo, which underlies his commitment to donate 10% of his gross
revenue to groups that help marine life. It also satisfies one of his career goals, which is to make the biggest impact possible on his life’s passion. Blanton Hamrick also is in the aquarium business. He and his wife, Ebby, opened Big Fish, 1616 Shipyard Blvd., about four months ago. As with Lysiak, Blanton Hamrick has been an aquarium enthusiast most of his life. Before the Tar Heel native moved back to North Carolina a decade ago, he owned a pet store in Kentucky for eight years before selling it to a competitor, something he still regrets. “We opened a bowling alley right across the street, and that’s where all my time and money went,” Blanton Hamrick said. “Honestly, I was really sad to let the store go.” But he didn’t leave the fish world behind, even at the bowling alley. “I’ve always done it. I’ve always had aquariums and reptiles and everything at my house,” he said. “Even at the bowling alley, I had a little section of fish tanks and reptiles and stuff like that. It was pretty neat.” Shops such as Big Fish and Port
City Aquastudio help fill the hole left by the commercial chains that trade in the lower end of the business. Today’s aquarium hobbyists are more demanding, looking for unique – and sometimes rare – species. “A lot of people are into little nano fish and the oddballs, the rarities that you can’t find at Petco or PetSmart,” Blanton Hamrick said. At the same time, he said, his shop has something for everyone. “A kid can get a starter aquarium, something easy. We have like beta fish, different little cheap fish that they can start off with and go from there,” he said. Even for those not into the hobby – or maybe just a little curious – specialty aquarium shops such as Port City Aquastudio and Big Fish are fun to visit. “We really like them to come in and get the aquarium spirit,” Blanton Hamrick said. “Maybe they’ll get it in their blood and start new tanks or revive old ones. People come in and see this and they’re like, ‘Oh, you know, I’m gonna get back into the hobby.’”
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February 4 - 17, 2022
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Greater Wilmington Business Journal
