Greater Fayetteville Business Journal - September 10, 2021 Issue

Small Business

WashRoom Laundry Service comes to Fayetteville Page 21

September 10 - September 23, 2021 Vol. 1, No. 8

$2.00

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WEB EXCLUSIVE Commercial Real Estate Crown Theatre and Feasability Study presentation Sept. 15 bizfayetteville.com

Developing

Greater Fayetteville Chamber prepares to launch new website and initiative Page 13

HOT MARKET

Health Care

Mental health providers see influx of patients amid shortage Page 10

Index

Technology ............................................. 3 Editor's Notes ........................................ 4 Achievers ............................................... 8 Health Care .........................................10 Commercial Real Estate .......................11 Banking and Finance ...........................12 Biz Leads .............................................16 Profile ..................................................23

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PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM H&H HOMES

Longtime builder and developer Ralph Huff says the housing market is the hottest that he’s seen in 45 years. The Highlands at Bedford, pictured above, is one popular and recent development in Raeford, North Carolina.

A

year and a half into the unpredictable COVID-19, one thing has remained surprisingly consistent — the ongoing redhot housing market. To gain some insight on the current environment for the building and selling of homes, the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal (GFBJ) sat down with longtime builder and developer Ralph Huff. Huff and his wife, Linda, grew Fayetteville-based H&H Homes into one of the largest private home building firms in the state before selling the company last year to Florida-based Dream Finders Homes. Huff remains involved with the company and also is co-owner of a large, private real estate firm.

Q&A:

Ralph Huff Builder & Developer

GFBJ: At the recent GFBJ Power

Breakfast, you said the nation has a shortage of 5 million homes. Could you talk a little bit about that and how that is impacting the current market?

HUFF: Well, the last year that we built 1.8 million new homes — the normal number in a year — was 2006. Then the great depression happened and it ran through 2012. During that time, So many people left the home-build-

>>

By Scott Nunn

ing industry. Even during this boom that we've had the last three or four years, there just aren't enough people to build the houses that the current demand requires. So even now, in the hottest market that I've seen in my 45 years in the business, we're still not building the million eight.

The cumulative effect of those shortages — along with the fact that the Gen Xers are now in their peak buying years — is just a tremendous demand. That demand trickles down to everything, including rentals. If you can't find the new house, then you go to an old house. If you can't find an old house, then you rent a house. If you can't find a house to rent, you go to an apartment. It's a critical trickle-down effect and there's just no end in sight.

See HOT MARKET, page 6

Page 2

September 10 - September 23, 2021

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

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September 10 - September 23, 2021

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By Keyuri Parab

Page 3

TECHNOLOGY

PHOTO PROVIDED BY AFCEA

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHRISTOPHER GRISSETT PHOTOGRAPHY

Attendees at AFCEA North Carolina’s TechNet Fort Bragg Symposium and Exposition can expect over 80 exhibitors, including tech giants like Booz Allen Hamilton, AT&T, and Dell, and demonstrations and a “Hack-a-Thon” for students among the event’s offerings.

TechNet Fort Bragg 2021 offers networking and educational opportunities

T

he 2021 TechNet Fort Bragg Symposium and Exposition is set for Sept. 16-17 at ETI Center located in Red Springs, N.C. The event, hosted by AFCEA North Carolina since 2012, is usually held annually at Fort Bragg but was moved to a different venue due to the pandemic.

“It’s focused on everything IT-related — intelligence analysis and things like that,” Marv Gordner, president of the AFCEA-NC chapter, said. “Our theme this year is ‘enabling mission command’ and we have subject matter areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, data management [and the] Cyber Security Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).”

The symposium will feature multiple small business breakout sessions, over 80 exhibitors, interactive demonstrations and a ‘Hack-a-Thon’ for students.

The venue, ETI Center, is a 90,000 ft space with on-site medical testing and plenty of room for social distancing and outdoor demonstrations, Gordner said.

TechNet Fort Bragg will offer networking and educational opportunities to those attending. The expo will allow attendees the opportunity to gain credits required for keeping up with their government certifications.

“We have leadership panels from Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and more,” Gordner

said. “There’s a whole lot of other panels focusing on AI, data management, ARVR, robotics, 5G, so you can go sit in these sessions and meet people that have an interest and expertise like you do.”

The event will feature many large companies like Booz Allen Hamilton, AT&T, Dell and smaller companies like SOFtact Solutions (STS), Solontek and, Technical Source.

“We are expecting about 450 or more people this year,” Gordner said.

“The question is will our government people and colleagues make the trip from Fort Bragg. In the past we’ve had about 700 to 800 people on base.”

“There will be all levels of expertise. There will be people who have been in this field for decades and young people, too. Everyone is welcome,” Gordner added. “We’ve got the right people here, the right information and right leaders. I mean, if nothing else they just give you a vision of what’s out there.”

The event will feature a keynote speaker each day, a leaders presentation panel and dozens of breakout sessions that attendees can pick and choose from based on their interests, he said.

Dr. Sambit Bhattacharya, Fayetteville State University professor of the Mathematics and Computer Science department will be a returning speaker this year and speak on “Emerging Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Deep Neural Networks.”

“In this talk, I will discuss the

beginnings of deep neural networks, how and why it is currently dominating the field of artificial intelligence, and what are its emerging applications,” Dr. Bhattacharya said.

“The community can look forward to understanding the current and future potential for artificial intelligence and deep neural networks in solving some challenges that the U.S. Defense community faces,” he added. “They can also expect to hear why there is a lot of hype around artificial intelligence and deep neural networks, how to separate the hype from what is currently possible and the potential problems and drawbacks of deploying this technology without thorough testing.”

Bhattacharya is excited to participate in this opportunity and to meet people outside the academic sphere and learn about the latest and best of what they are doing.

Dr. Bhattacharya’s talk is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 16. For a detailed itinerary and registration, visit www. technetfortbragg.com/Home.

Gordner said the goal of TechNet Fort Bragg is to facilitate networking and education opportunities and to raise money.

“It’s beneficial for local businesses and contractors so you can learn who’s doing what and [about] opportunities,” he said. “According to our N.C. Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall, the defense industry is the number two industry money-wise ... [for] what it brings in for the state of North Carolina.”

TechNet Fort Bragg is AFCEA NC’s biggest fundraising event of the year.

Before the symposium, the organizers will host a golf tournament on Wednesday, Sept. 15 to raise money for their different ventures and for attendees to build connections. For more information visit www.birdease.com/afceancgolf.

“We give at least $30,000 a year away to local young people going to college for scholarships, to people who are in college, the ROTC at Fayetteville State University, Campbell, N.C. State among others and to veteran students at FTCC,” Gordner said. “We also give at least 11 STEM grants to local teachers to pay for robotics and Legos and such.”

TechNet Fort Bragg is open to anyone interested in learning about the field including high school and college students.

“If I keep my notes clean and work hard, we live in a land of opportunity, there’s a ton of things you can do in this country,” Gorder said.

Registration for the event is open until the day of, and tickets are free for government, military and civil servants. Contractors and industry tickets will be sold online for different prices. TechNet Fort Bragg is offering small businesses and students the opportunity to volunteer and get access to the event for free.

For more information about the 2021 TechNet Fort Bragg Symposium and Exposition visit, www.technetfortbragg. com/Home.

Page 4

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

EDITOR'S NOTES

A community that does

PUBLISHER Marty Cayton martyc@bizfayetteville.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Futch Kathie Harris Jenna-Ley Jamison David Kennard Monica Kreber Jami McLaughlin Brian Miner Scott Nunn Keyuri Parab CONTRIBUTING WRITER MARKETING CONTENT Stacie Borrello CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Samantha Lowe samanthal@bizfayetteville.com ACCOUNTING Priscilla Nelson billing@bizfayetteville

The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal is published twice a month throughout Fayetteville and the Cumberland County region.

News related to the region’s business sector is posted daily at bizfayetteville.com.

CORRECTION In the Aug. 27 edition, the data on Office Spaces and Industrial Spaces was reversed. The corrected data will appear in the Economic Indicators section in the upcoming Sept. 24 edition.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Your free trial of Greater Fayetteville Business Journal is ending soon.

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ADVERTISING For advertising information, please email us at marketing@bizfayetteville.com or call 910-240-9697. © Copyright 2021 Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

By Jenna Shackelford

Fayetteville:

4424 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303 910-240-9697 bizfayetteville.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jenna Shackelford jennas@bizfayetteville.com

>>

BY JENNA SHACKELFORD

W

e become like the people we hang around, my mother has reminded me for a good portion of my life. A more popular phrasing of that idea normally is something to the effect of, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” I grew up in Fayetteville, moved for college and came back without hesitation; and having spent the majority of my years in the area and sitting at my desk as Greater Fayetteville Business Journal’s new associate editor points not to my own successes, but the importance of being involved in a community that supports, uplifts and encourages.

WHAT MAKES OUR REGION

SO GREAT?

WE ARE INNOVATIVE. A plethora of exciting businesses across a variety of industries have seen the area as fit for putting down roots, and leadership in local chambers and economic development positions have helped those companies continue to thrive and expand.

WE VALUE HIGHER EDUCATION. With excellent institutions such as Fayetteville Technical Community College, Methodist University, Fayetteville State University, UNC-Pembroke and Campbell University, students can enter the workforce feeling prepared as they are equipped with degrees and certifications as awards for their dedication to learning.

WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER. The support comes in an abundance of forms, whether that means listening to business pitches at a 1 Million Cups meeting, donating to a local nonprofit, helping businesses clean up after a storm rolls through, attending community events or even lending an ear to our neighbors.

As Fayetteville’s new city branding says, we are America’s Can-Do City, but we couldn’t be that without people who are willing to be Doers and not just watchers.

In my moseying through business

JENNA SHACKELFORD/GREATER FAYETTEVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Faculty and baseball players from Fayetteville Technical Community College were among the crowd that helped assemble meals at United Way’s Campaign Kickoff.

community happenings, I’ve witnessed the Can-Do community at work. I’m a firm believer that our industries need the recognition they deserve, not just for their hard work in their sectors, but for the ways they constantly give back to the people here. Even in just the past few weeks, I’ve witnessed several acts of servitude firsthand.

On Aug. 20, I had the pleasure of attending a NetWorth meeting. The organization is made up of businesswomen from a variety of sectors and has existed for 40 years. The women involved are active professionals in the community who take time out of their schedules to contribute to scholarship funds for a female student recipient from FTCC, MU and FSU each year.

On Aug. 26, United Way hosted their 2021 Campaign Kickoff at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church.

Gloved and masked up, hundreds of business owners and employees from across the community gathered together to make a whopping 25,000 bags of chicken flavored rice to be distributed by Fayetteville Urban Ministries.

And, again, another opportunity will present itself on Sept. 11, the twentieth anniversary of 9/11.

Segra Stadium will host its third annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.

The event honors the 343 FDNY firefighters, 60 police officers and 20 EMS who sacrificed their lives on that day in 2001. Participants will climb the equivalent of 110 stories of the World Trade Center. Proceeds will go toward programs provided by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support families of local fallen firefighters and the FDNY Counseling Services Unit. Visit www. nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/FayettevilleNC for more information about the event.

If it’s really true that we become like the people we are around most, I would say that the Fayetteville region is in luck. Reminiscing on my childhood and comparing it to the present, I’m awestruck by Fayetteville’s continuous growth and compassion.

And, based on the current state of the area, our future looks pretty bright, too.

I’m excited to be a part of the journey. In celebrating our community, Greater Fayetteville Business Journal wants to hear and share your stories. We hope that you’ll reach out to us so we can advocate for you and recognize and commemorate your contributions.

Onward and upward!

Jenna Shackelford ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

By David Kennard

Page 5

FROM BIZFAYETTEVILLE.COM

Cumberland County seals deal with SkyREM

S

kyREM LLC has closed on the purchase of Cumberland County’s Cedar Creek Industrial Park, which includes about 360 acres in Fayetteville.

The $3,559,600 deal represents a major milestone for Cumberland County, with 100 percent of the park in private-sector hands, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation (FCDEC).

“When our county invested in this park, the goal was to attract private-sector investment and create jobs for our citizens,” said County Commission Chairman Charles Evans. “Considering the company’s aggressive construction timeline, our community is well-positioned to compete for and win transformative economic development projects.”

Tuesday’s sale was the “first of two proposed acquisitions by the company,” according to a prepared statement from FCDEC. Earlier this year, Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved the sale of a 159-acre tract in the Cumberland Industrial Center.

As a condition of the sale, SkyREM agreed to construct a new industrial product within three years of purchase, with the potential for upwards of 1.6 million square feet of Class A industrial space, adding much needed inventory.

With an industrial vacancy rate of 5.1 percent, the demand for available, quality industrial space is higher than it has been at any time in the last 15 years according to data from CoStar Analytics, 2021.

SkyREM, a privately funded real estate company with offices in Philadelphia and New York City, “is actively acquiring throughout the East Coast,” according to information made available to the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal.

The sale marks the “third significant investment” in Cumberland County, according to the FCDEC. Other acquisitions include property off 107 Tom Starling Road. (927,000 square feet) in 2018 and 880 Technology Drive (182,000 square feet) earlier this year.

“SkyREM is excited to invest further in the Cumberland County market,” said Alex Dembitzer,

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SkyREM founder. “We currently own and manage approximately 1.2 million square feet in Fayetteville and look forward to rapidly developing multiple state-of-the-art, best-in-class manufacturing, distribution and logistics facilities.”

Tuesday’s acquired property is located in the much desired land with easy access to Interstate 95, which, according to the company, puts 80 percent of the country’s population within one day or less.

Marketing to manufacturing and light industrial companies, SkyREM pointed to Cumberland County and Fayetteville as ideal locations.

Tuesday’s announcement included language touting benefits that included existing “road and utility infrastructure,” and the ability for “creating multiple ready-to-build sites within minutes of I-95.” Additionally, Tuesday’s statement pointed to a new Campbell’s Soup Distribution Center located within the Cedar Creek Industrial Park.

“We would like to thank Robert Van Geons, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, and the Fayetteville Cumberland County

Economic Development Corporation for giving SkyREM the opportunity to further invest in the Fayetteville market and look forward to working alongside the local government bringing new businesses, and more importantly, new jobs to the area,” Dembitzer said.

Likewise, Van Geons offered praise to Cumberland County officials.

“We would like to congratulate the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on the completion of this sale, which would not have been possible without the dedicated work of County Attorney Rick Moorefield and County Manager Amy Cannon,” Van Geons said. “We are grateful to the City of Fayetteville for supporting utility extensions and our marketing efforts, as well as the North Carolina Department of Transportation and South River Electric Membership Corporation who provided funding for road and electrical improvements.

This is an exciting project for Fayetteville and Cumberland County, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with SkyREM.”

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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

bizfayetteville.com

From HOT MARKET, page 1

GFBJ: What about the impact of re-

cent supply-chain interruptions, when builders can’t get materials?

HUFF: Everything is like that. The automobile dealers don't have any cars because they don't have chips.

It's the strangest time in America.

We're blessed with supply chains where we go to the grocery store and we just expect to find whatever we want. But now it's taking people — even somebody who's lucky enough to get a builder to start their house — 12 months instead of five months to build. It's just unprecedented. It's kind of a perfect storm of change.

If there was more supply, our loan officers, for example, have 20 people already qualified to buy a house. Historically, the person that had to work hard was the listing agent. They have to list it. They have to get it ready.

They have to market it. And now the problem is the agent working for a buyer. That agent might be making an offer on 10 houses before they're lucky enough to get one. So it's just a complete paradigm shift.

GFBJ: What about, specifically, the

Fayetteville market?

HUFF: Well, the Fayetteville market is always the steadiest because of Fort Bragg. It doesn't experience the highs nor the lows that, for example, Raleigh or Wilmington experience.

For example, when I started expanding, I went to Raleigh and Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, and all three of them were ghost towns. That was 2011; they were all ghosts. So I chose to expand to Jacksonville, because I understand that the military is the military, whether they are Army or Marines. And the base realignment added 10,000 people to Fort Bragg.

It actually saved the military markets.

We normally have 5,000 houses on the market in the Fayetteville area.

We were down to 500, so you can imagine the demand.

GFBJ: What are you seeing in the counties near Cumberland?

HUFF: Well, our market is Hoke County, Moore County, Harnett County and Cumberland County.

And those are the four counties that circle Fort Bragg. I've always said we

have Fort Bragg surrounded. And Fort Bragg people tend to live near the part of the base where they work.

If you work on the north side of post, you're not likely to live in Hoke County; you're more likely to live in Harnett County. The special ops guys — they're located in the northwest corner of Fort Bragg, right?

And about three miles from the edge of the post is Southern Pines, right?

So those guys, many, many, of those guys, are more apt to live in Moore County.

In fact, they don't like to hear this, but Moore County has become a military county. It’s not a retirement county, it's not a golf county. The majority of the buyers in Moore are now military.

GFBJ: So where is this all headed?

HUFF: I think more people will eventually live in multifamily homes. And the profit margin is good.

Two years ago, an apartment unit cost $90,000 for the land and to build. And when you sold it, you sold it for $125,000. Now it costs $150,000 to bail, but you sell them for

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And 30 percent of the people renting our apartments are over 50 years old. You've got a dynamic in which they don't want to fool with a house anymore. They don't want to mess with the yard anymore. They don't want to clean the gutters anymore. They're following their children because they have the grandkids. And then there's the young people that are being squeezed into the apartment because the cost of single family housing has gone up so drastically.

So it's a double edge. It's squeezing in both directions.

One thing that there's going to be is an increase in interest rates. The way money is being printed in Washington, D.C., they can't hold down the interest rates for so long. Right now, people are paying $20, $30, $40, $50,000 more than the asking price.

There's going to be an adjustment but not like it was the last time, because the people that are buying them can afford it. Last time it was funny money.

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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

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Page 7

Page 8

ACHIEVERS

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

Garland Apparel Group receives funds Sampson Economic Development Commission provided a revolving loan to Garland Apparel Group LLC of $75,000. The company purchased the old Brooks Brothers facility

What are you and your peers achieving? Have you reached a new goal? Have you acquired another business? Maybe your business has a new hire you would like to highlight.

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal wants to hear from you and your business to shine a spotlight on your accomplishments.

Aug. 26, they were officially sworn in by The Honorable Judge Gale M. Adams. Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, Gregory A. Pinnix, and Frederick Nelson Jr. are all graduates of FSU. Jeffries Leonard and Pinnix were appointed by the UNC Board of Governors.

Nelson was appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly.

To nominate someone for GFBJ’s Achievers section, email editor@bizfayetteville.com with the subject line “Achiever.”

Sampson County presents revolving loan to Garland Apparel Group.

located in Garner. Garland Apparel expects that they will hire over 200 employees in the next three years. The news of the loan came a few weeks after an Aug. 19 press release from the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced that the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority approved 21 grant requests, to include one for Garland Apparel Group for the reuse of their 78,000 square foot building. The grant totalled $250,000.

Robeson County awarded economic development grants Also among the grant recipients by the NC Rural Infrastructure Authority is Robeson County. The County was awarded two different kinds of grants — ­ two in the vacant building category and one in the existing business building category.

To aid in the reuse of a 27,432-square-foot building in Fairmont, a $200,000 grant will be used for a startup meat facility, Brianwood Custom Meats, LLC. The company projects that they will create 30 jobs.

The other vacant building grant of $140,000 will go toward the reuse of a 52,000-square-foot building in Lumberton. The site will be used by Air Production & Service, Inc., a service, parts and equipment group. The company plans to create 14 jobs.

The grant in the existing building business category totals $170,000.

The money will go toward a 20,000 square-foot expansion on Harger Lighting & Grounding, Inc.’s current facility. The project is expected to create 20 jobs.

Cumberland County

team wins Excellence in Innovation Award The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and Local Government Federal Credit Union presented ten awards at the 2021 LGFCU Excellence in Innovation Awards. The Excellence in Innovation program received fifty applications this year.

Among the winners was Cumberland County for their paternity testing schedule. James McQueen, Nicole Wright, Sharon White, Cynthia McKinley and Tonia Thomas made up the team. With the new process for paternity testing that they implemented, the group reduced the amount of time Cumberland County spends on paternity testing from approximately 20 hours per month to 3.5 hours per month. The testing laboratory confirmed that, because of the project, Cumberland County Child Support collected more DNA testing for paternity samples than any other North Carolina county from March 1 to May 17, 2021.

Change of Command for the Civil Air Patrol Sandhills Senior Squadron The Civil Air Patrol Sandhills Senior Squadron has a new commander.

Lt. Col. David Gilchrist, PhD, a professor at UNC Pembroke teaching economics, finance, business law, and international management, has an extensive background in aviation, leadership and military affairs. The Civil Air Patrol is the United States Air Force Auxiliary made up of volunteers who dedicate their time to emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education. There are 39 members of

the Sandhills squadron.

Gilchrist took a leadership position as deputy commander of the Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron and later as an Internal Aerospace Education Officer at the NC CAP Headquarters. After his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he transferred and assumed command from the outgoing commander of the Sandhills Senior Squadron. Gilchrist is a licensed pilot for private, commercial and sea planes. Among many of his accolades,in 1978, he was awarded Distinguished Graduate of Academy of Military Science and then commissioned as an officer for the National Guard. He holds Command Pilot Rating and also has served as an air operations branch manager.

He is the two-time recipient of the Commander’s Commendation Award and in 2018, he was approved for the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award.

Gilchrist has a rich educational background. He holds a LL.M. in Global Antitrust Law and Economics from Scalia Law School, George Mason University; a PhD Gilchrist in Economics from University of Oklahoma; an MBA business degree and Master of Arts in Managerial Economics, also from University of Oklahoma and a BS in Physics from Campbell University. He also has a real estate broker license as a trained mediator for alternative dispute resolutions.

Three people appointed to FSU Board of Trustees Earlier this year, three new members were tapped for Fayetteville State University’s Board of Trustees. On

L-R: Gregory A. Pinnix, Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard and Frederick Nelson Jr. were sworn in on Aug. 26 to serve on the Fayetteville State University Board of Trustees.

Jeffries Leonard, FSU class of 1986, currently serves as the national president of nonprofit The Links, Incorporated and The Links Foundation, Incorporated. Leonard has a Ph.D. in psychology from Howard University, a Master of Science in Psychology from North Carolina Central University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from FSU. She has 30-year background in applied health and behavioral medicine research, evaluation and training.

She specializes in health promotion and disease prevention. She has also served as a spokeswoman for both federal and state government initiatives and numerous public health organizations.

Pinnix, FSU class of 1995, has a Bachelor of Science in Economics.

He previously worked for Sageworks, advising 155 community bank clients with combined assets of over $80 billion on credit analysis, risk management needs and strategies related to their portfolios. Currently, he works as a manger of enterprise account development for Avalara. Pinnix has also worked for Intuit Health as a consultant and for Channel Advisor as a senior sales executive.

Nelson, FSU class of 1998, earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He is the town manager of Benson, North Carolina. He oversees a $12.4M budget and leads the economic development efforts of the town.

Prior to 2019, he worked as a lead administrator for RHA Health Services, Inc. In that role, he was responsible for property, assets and budgets for the mental health facilities of Johnston and Harnett Counties. Nelson is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

Page 9

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HEALTH CARE

A

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

>>

By Kathie Harris

Mental health providers see influx of patients amid shortage

ccording to a Mental Health Association report, North Carolina ranks 26th in the nation for mental health provider availability. There is only one provider per 410 persons needing service statewide. Meanwhile, the need for mental health services is high. Depression, anxiety and suicide rates were on the rise even before the pandemic hit.

In Fayetteville, mental health providers (psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and counselors) are booked solid and hiring more clinicians to try and meet the demand for care.

"We have great therapists, psychiatrists, a good community network of providers for both adults and children," says John Bigger, corporate director of behavioral health at Cape Fear Valley Health. "At the same time, a community needs assessment done four or five years ago showed we need 16 or more psychiatrists alone here. People who need help end up waiting to get seen, and that's across the board in the community."

There are resources available, but Fayetteville would benefit from an influx of mental health providers.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR Alliance Health is the managed care organization serving Cumberland, Durham, Johnston, and Wake counties. Their 2020/2021 Network Adequacy and Accessibility Analysis report published in July identified gaps for adults and children with mental health issues. While patients were satisfied with their treatments, teens in need of care struggled to get seen when they needed to be.

The area has a higher rate of insured residents than the state overall, 89 percent (county) compared to 87 percent (state). But the county also has a higher rate of Medicaid recipients than the state average who often engage more with the local non-profit mental health resources.

Those resources include the Behavioral Health Care Inpatient Unit at 3425 Melrose Road, the newly renovated Cumberland Recovery and Response Center at 1724 Roxie Avenue, and the Community Mental Health Centers for adults and children at 711 Executive Place.

Operated by Cape Fear Valley Health System, whose psychiatric services department is one of the largest non-profit providers in the community, these centers offer outpatient, residential and juvenile emergency

RAWPIXEL.COM/FREEPIK

Local providers are assessing the needs for mental health services in the area and modifying how they operate to accomodate the need as best they can.

services. They serve the insured and uninsured population.

Cape Fear Valley's mental health providers include 13 psychotherapists, eight psychiatrists and two psychologists. Six physician extenders cover several areas when there's a gap in service.

In the last fiscal year, the department provided 29,000 visits at its outpatient clinic and admitted 600 adults to the inpatient adult unit.

To help shrink the service gap for Fayetteville youth, the hospital is opening the Dorothea Dix Unit for adolescent inpatient mental health care. The $4 million facility opens in December and will offer parents the ability to be closer to their children when receiving inpatient services.

The hospital is also running a psychiatric residency program hoping that residents will stay and practice in the area when they graduate.

Bigger said he'd like to see more transitional programs for the homeless or those needing housing while receiving mental health care and inpatient geriatric services.

"Fayetteville is up and coming," says Bigger, touting Fayetteville's strengths for providers considering a move here. "It's been the 5th largest city in the state and it's being heavily marketed and seen as a good place to live. The diversity of the city is outstanding."

THE PRIVATE SECTOR With so much demand for mental health care in the area, it makes sense

that Fayetteville's private sector is strong. Even the pandemic's challenges to in-person visits didn't hamper those who chose to pivot to telehealth services.

One such example is Thrive Counseling and Consulting, founded in 2016 by two Army veterans. It focuses primarily on therapies for trauma, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

Co-owner Kelly Hart, a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor, is also a registered play therapist, one of only a few in the state who can assist children with trauma.

Before the pandemic, Thrive operated locations in Cary, Raleigh, Greensboro, Southern Pines and two in Fayetteville.

Thrive's owners closed all but one location on Owen Drive in Fayetteville when in-person visits dropped significantly. The company switched to telehealth, keeping its 20 practitioners and averaging nearly 900 sessions a month last year.

"We are all the time fully booked with patients," says co-owner Kelly Hart, M.A., LCMHCS, RPPS. "We’re happy where we’re at. We don’t want to grow too fast.”

Thrive’s business model takes insured patients and offers free services to uninsured or Medicaid/Medicare patients through Thrive’s student intern program. By training others, Thrive hopes to provide the area with more qualified clinicians.

“One of our goals is to have really

high-level professionals that can serve outlying communities with the best providers,” says Hart. “To have an agency that welcomes in anywhere from three to five students that are at masters level to provide services for individuals in the community pro bono, that’s amazing.”

Thrive has grown every year it has operated and Hart encourages providers to practice in the area.

“With the military here, there’s tons of opportunity,” says Hart.

“I think Fayetteville’s a wonderful place.”

Haymount Institute has been operating in Fayetteville since 2008 and provides a full range of mental health services. It also made the switch to telehealth during the pandemic, and it benefited the community as a whole by adding 20 providers.

“I believe, however, that there remains a substantial shortage of providers to treat certain conditions, specifically individuals with autism spectrum disorder,” says Director and certified clinical psychologist Chris Ketchman. “The need for providers with this area of specialization is higher than ever.”

Ketchman says Haymount Institute isn’t looking to expand right now, but they’re always looking to add more practitioners. Ketchman believes Fayetteville is the perfect location for mental health practice.

The demand is high and the area isn’t overly saturated with providers.

“To me, Fayetteville has everything I need, but I'm a simple man,” says Ketchman. “The biggest complaint I have heard from most professionals about Fayetteville is related to two factors: Less access to activities available in other cities/towns, and the aesthetics of the town in general.”

Ketchman says he’s seen increased isolation and disconnection due to the pandemic, so otherwise healthy individuals are struggling with mental health issues.

“I would say there is a great need for mental health services in this community, but if you want to be successful, you have to be genuinely interested in providing quality care,” says Ketchman. “We, as a community, often refer to each other whenever one practice is unable to meet the needs of the patient, and this level of mutual respect and dedication is the key to success and longevity.”

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>

By Jenna-Ley Jamison

I

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

Page 11

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Long-awaited coworking space opens in downtown Fayetteville

n the heart of downtown Fayetteville lies a state-of-the-art haven for businesses, old or new, to not only operate but truly thrive. The monotony of the typical, mundane office space has tired many in the workforce and dulled their creative drive.

The Hub seeks to transform that lackluster spirit into a world of business opportunities and success for amateurs and seasoned entrepreneurs alike. Whether a company is just starting out, looking to expand or simply interested in a change of scenery — securing a space around like-minded people with limitless potential — they should look no further than The Hub, according to its Community Manager Twila Matthews.

“The Hub does kind of reach out to a different demographic (in the business community),” she said, when considering the other similar workspace concepts that’ve been operating across the Fayetteville area.

That’s because The Hub is helping meet the needs of its business community in a new way.

The Hub is primarily tailored to startup businesses, freelancers and work-from-home business ventures. “[It’s] much more for business startups and people who want to develop their teams and network with other people with similar [ventures],” Matthews said. “You’re able to connect with people right across the hall from you.”

With two floors that offer a variety of options for setting up shop — a top floor of primarily open space work options; a ground level with larger, more private rooms — there’s hardly a business need The Hub can’t meet.

Matthews is particularly fond of the compassionate familial force behind The Hub: mother-son duo Kirby and Henry Tyson. Owners of Tyson Commercial Real Estate in Fayetteville and the surrounding communities, the co-founding pair share both genes and a vision for helping those similarly interested in the business world.

“The Hub is Fayetteville’s business and community connector,” Henry said. “As co-working business models continue to evolve, and we continue to work through modern challenges in commercial office

workspace, The Hub is Fayetteville’s professional answer to a flexible, low cost, technology-driven office setting with multiple floor plans and options to best suit your business and professional needs. More than just a workplace, The Hub creates a professional environment that will propel your business or organization into the future.”

“I love their heart behind how The Hub came to be,” Matthews said. “[The Tysons] are committed to the needs of the people in the community, so this was just another way for them to meet the needs [of people] they feel weren’t being met.”

The Tysons are especially focused on those who might be lacking certain critical resources for their business or the funding to secure those resources — a reality that’s true for many startup companies.

Those necessities might be as simple as a good cup of coffee for brain rejuvenation or supplies often taken for granted in the working world like a printer, copier, scanner or large conference space for meeting with professional clients.

“Anything you would normally get in an office that’s way too expensive for the majority of people,” Matthews said.

But if the appeal of this Cumberland County work concept sounds too good to be true, don’t expect any pressure to commit. The Hub is more focused on tenants finding

PHOTOS PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE HUB

The Hub, a coworking space in downtown Fayetteville, opened on Sept. 7.

their perfect fit when it comes to what type of workspace and hours fit their unique schedules and budgets. Available membership packages range from $100 month-to-month packages to $1,000 year-long commitments. The Hub also offers $25 day passes and $100 weekly passes.

Lack of membership also doesn’t prevent use of a conference room.

Book a space anytime there’s availability for just $50.

“The prices are very reasonable, but it is a very professional modern workspace; the facility is top-notch,” Matthews said.

The Hub officially opened on Sept. 7, with at least two tenants already verbally committed prior to that date.

One tenant works in information technology and the other is an independent business owner who creates vision boards. Matthews said The Hub’s owners are hoping to reach a total of about 50 tenants in the future.

However, The Hub is not just about providing a place for people to work hard and professional production to flourish. It’s about cultivating community. Matthews said the facility anticipates routinely putting on happy hour events, lunch ‘n learns and other happenings to meet tenant needs and facilitate advantageous networking opportunities.

“The goal is to bring people in [from the community] who can offer [tenants] what everyone needs like a banker, lawyer, [etc.],” she said.

The Hub plans to kickstart such initiatives with a launch event 7:30-9 a.m. on Sept. 14 to allow people to swing by for breakfast, view the facility and get to know the tenants.

Another evening launch event with a heavy hors d’oeuvres dinner is still in the works, Matthews said.

For more information, visit thehubfaye. com or check out The Hub Fayetteville on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Page 12

BANKING & FINANCE

A

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

>>

Hoke County bank finds unique niche among Lumbee people

unique bank in Hoke County has seen great success in a unique economic era.

Serving the Lumbee people since 1971, Lumbee Guaranty Bank serves it’s community with a variety of financial tools, including residential home loans other banks may be unable to write.

Lumbee Guaranty Bank, with 14 local locations and $350 million in assets, is in the business of helping the community navigate sometimes tricky financial needs.

As the first Native American owned bank in the United States, Lumbee Guaranty has a vested interest in providing “the most competitive financial products and best customer service around,” according to promotional material on the bank’s web page.

Serving a niche market in Hoke County has positioned the bank regionally in a smaller, community footprint. And, working with the American Indians has provided the bank with more tools, such as the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee.

The 184 Loan option was established by Congress in 1992 specifically designed for “American Indian and Alaska Native families, Alaska villages, tribes or tribally designated housing entities,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

good indication that a community is growing.

“We’ve never seen a market like this,” Gilbert said. “The school systems that are expanding; at Lumbee, we’ve found a niche with homebuilders and small development loans — developments of about 30 lots.”

THE MARKET

JENNA SHACKELFORD/GREATER FAYETTEVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Lumbee Guaranty Bank has been serving the Lumbee people since it was founded in the 1970s.

A Section 184 loan is federally insured by the Office of Loan Guarantee within HUD’s Office of Native American Programs. The lender’s (banks) investments are guaranteed to be repaid in full in the event of foreclosure.

According to HUD’s definition, “Congress established this program in 1992 to facilitate homeownership and increase access to capital in Native American Communities.”

HOME OWNERSHIP

Banks, realtors and others in the housing market agree that anyone looking to purchase a home is at a disadvantage in the current seller’s

market.

Hoke, Robeson, Cumberland and other counties in southeast North Carolina have seen tremendous economic growth thanks to a combination of low interest rates, reasonable state taxes and a qualified labor force. The region has seen the unemployment rate drop dramatically at the same time that the labor pool is increasing.

The consequence is that as families move to the area, they are faced with a housing industry struggling to keep up with the pace of growth.

Jay Gilbert, a mortgage loan officer at Lumbee’s Fayetteville location, said the demand for local schools is a

Gilbert said the 2009 real estate market meltdown had a big impact on home builders.

“We stuck with the builders,” he said. “We let them know we are here for them.”

The meltdown had homeowners wringing their hands as home values dropped.

“Now, we’re in a polar opposite situation,” Gilbert said.

Current home market statistics agree with that assessment.

In fact, during the last 10 years, North Carolina home values have seen dramatic increases. The state’s median price of a home in September 2011 was $153,000; today’s median price is $254,000.

Like other lenders in the region, Lumbee continues to work with borrowers in a profoundly different economic environment.

And, like other lenders, the bank encourages borrowers unhappy with their existing home loans to consider refinancing while rates are low.

bizfayetteville.com

U

By David Kennard

>>

Jobless rate improves

nemployment rates decreased in 99 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in July and remained unchanged in one.

All 15 of the state’s metro areas -including Fayetteville -- had rate decreases over the year. Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent.

Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 9.1 percent while Avery County had the lowest at 3.5 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.7 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill and Raleigh each had the lowest at 3.9 percent. The July not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.6

percent.

When compared to the same month last year, unemployment rates decreased in all 100 counties. All 15 of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year.

In the Fayetteville metro area, of the 147,000 people in the workforce, 137,00 were employed in July, making the jobless rate 6.6 percent, an improvement over June’s 6.9 percent.

The Raleigh metro area had the lowest unemployment level in the state, with a 3.9 percent jobless rate.

Drilling down on the local numbers, the Fayetteville metro area saw a 1.3 percent decrease in manufacturing and utility jobs and a 4.1 percent drop in employment by governments.

GABRIELLE HENDERSON/UNSPLASH

Recently released census data shows that unemployment rates in have gone down across the state.

The biggest gainer in jobs in the Fayetteville area was professional services, which saw a 4.6 percent increase.

The jobless rate was down in all Fayetteville-area counties: Cumber-

Staff report

land was 6.6 percent (the same as the metro area); Moore, 4.4 percent; Harnett, 5.2; Hoke, 6.2; Bladen. 5.4; and Robeson, 6.2.

The number of workers employed statewide increased in July by 26,529 to 4,817,155, while those unemployed decreased by 15,020 to 232,409. Since July 2020, the number of workers employed statewide has increased 300,560, while those unemployed decreased 228,345, according to the commerce department.

The next unemployment update is Sept. 17, when state employment rates for August will be released.

County and metro-area employment rates for August will be released on Sept. 9.

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>

By Keyuri Parab

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

Page 13

IN THE NEWS

Greater Fayetteville Chamber set to revamp their website and present a new look this fall

G

reater Fayetteville Chamber is set to revamp their website and present a new look this fall.“It is exciting. I don’t know the last time it was updated, but it doesn’t look too recent,” Shari Fiveash, president and CEO of the Chamber, said. “It’s looking like it will be mid-September, but hopefully in the next couple weeks we’ll have the website completely overhauled and looking great and impressive.”

The website revamp is among many of the new changes that have happened since Fiveash began her term at the Chamber in May. “I wanted to have a different look and feel and really represent the Chamber as more progressive and represent what is going on in our community and give it a little stronger voice,” Fiveash added.

“You know kind of the look and feel because the downtown has changed so much. It looks so much more contemporary and progressive, and I just felt like our website wasn’t a true reflection of who we were.”

The new website will show visitors an aerial, bird’s eye view of the city that will pan into the downtown area. It is being designed by 219 Group, located in downtown Fayetteville.

“It moves and it’s a little more exciting. We are having three videos done professionally by the same folks who do videos for the city,” she said. “We’re going to have a lot more interaction instead of just stagnant pages and pictures.”

The vision for the Chamber’s new website is to have an overall more progressive and interactive page with contemporary verbiage instead of only lists, Fiveash mentioned.

Among other changes coming up, the Greater Fayetteville Chamber will fully launch their Good Neighbor Initiative after the website is up and running.

“It was born out of one of the early things I heard from several people … [T]he ‘buy local, shop local’, just wasn’t being used enough,” Fiveash said. “I think people get

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE GREATER FAYETTEVILLE CHAMBER

Greater Fayetteville Chamber is preparing to launch their revamped website.

turned off to being preached to, but … if we can look at it from a different way and explain to them what buying local and shopping local does and how it is being a good neighbor and … if we could use that in many different ways.”

The initiative aims to explain and show the public how the money turns in the community by shopping local.

“If we could explain how, it helps our community, whether it helps keeping the lights on in numerous businesses, how it buys groceries, and more, we can explain to people how

buying here turns over seven times.

Then we can tell the story of how it just makes a difference in our community,” she said.

One of the examples of the Good Neighbor iInitiative Fiveash mentioned was a citizen in the Fayetteville community asking people to pick up one piece of trash a day.

“That’s being a good neighbor, and this initiative can be such a diverse thing and we are going to try using it in many ways, whether it be about picking up trash in our community or the fire and police departments,” she added.

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Page 14

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

>>

By Scott Nunn

Location, affordability driving Hoke economy

L

ike other places surrounding Fayetteville, Hoke County is coming into its own. With 52,000 residents, Hoke still is small when compared to the 335,000 people who live in Cumberland County.

But according to the 2020 census, while big neighbor Cumberland grew by five percent over the past decade, Hoke’s population increased by 11 percent, putting it right in the middle among North Carolina’s 100 counties.

The county’s growth does not surprise Ralph Huff. The veteran home builder and founder of H&H Homes and a Hoke native sees several big drivers for the county's recent growth spurt -- its location adjacent to Fort Bragg, housing affordability and leaders that have made it easier to build homes when compared to, for example, Cumberland County.

“People basically live near the closest exit to post from where they work,” Huff said. And although Fort Bragg is thought of as a Fayetteville

DAVID KENNARD

Although Hoke County is still small compared to some neighboring areas, recent census data shows that the area has had significant growth.

and Cumberland base, Hoke has more land fronting the post than Cumberland, Harnett and Moore, the three other Bragg counties.

The affordability of land is a strong selling point for Hoke, but Huff said the county’s developer-friendly leaders shave money off

the cost of actually building a house.

It’s a trend he’s seen since he started building homes in 2020.

“The land's been more affordable than Cumberland County, but it's also been more affordable to build in Hoke because the development standards are easier to meet, in other

words, what it costs to develop a lot,” Huff told the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal. “So it's the proximity and the affordability.”

While growth is spilling over from both Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, Huff said that growing up in the 60s he recalls the county as home to a Burlington Mills factory that was, at the time, the largest textile plant in the world. And, as it was in the 60s and 70s, Hoke remains primarily a rural county.

With young families now increasingly calling Hoke home, that means growth in another area -- schools.

“The commissioners over there are growth-conscious,” Huff said.

“They understand that nobody likes to add schools, but they understand that they have to have the rooftops first before they get the commercial, which gives them the higher tax base that everybody wants.”

“They've been very, very good to work with from a developmental standpoint right,” he said.

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>

By Scott Nunn

September 10 - September 23, 2021

Page 15

bizfayetteville.com

Area sees drop in age of residents T he Old North State, indeed.

Although North Carolina added nearly 1 million residents in the past decade, the state is showing its age — the 903,905 new Tar Heels are nearly all adults. The numbers are stark: Between 2010 and 2020, as North Carolina’s total population grew by nearly 10%, a mere 2,654 were under age 18 — a barely noticeable increase of 0.1%.

Two counties in the Fayetteville area are bucking that trend, however, and are among the Top 10 counties in the state for growth in the under 18 (U-18) age group. The 19,000 residents Harnett County has added since 2010 make it the 12th-fastest growing county in the state. And a good portion of that growth was on the younger side, with the county’s U-18 population increasing by nearly 3,700 residents. That 11.5% growth rate in that age group was eighth-largest in the state. And although the raw number was smaller, Moore County’s 2,366 (12.5%) increase in U-18s was fifth-highest.

Harnett County Assistant Manager Coley Price said he was surprised by the big increase in younger residents, especially the fact that it was one of the biggest in the state.

“That figure did kind of surprise me as far as what's happened over the past 10 years,” Price told the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal.

But the 2020 Census has offered up plenty of surprises for the county — the 19,000 residents it added in the past decade make it the state’s 11th fastest growing county. With 133,568 residents, it’s the 23rd largest county in the state despite the fact that its largest municipality, Dunn, has only about 10,000 residents.

Price said he continues to be amazed by the rapid growth in the county, which remains mostly rural.

“The overall growth that's coming here, especially over the past three to five years, has really surprised me.”

And the Harnett native thinks he knows what helped drive the increase in younger residents — affordable housing. It’s not just affordability, however. In a market with a shortage of homes available for sale, Harnett has plenty of room to grow.

Neighboring Wake, Johnston and Cumberland also are large counties landwise, but are far more built out than Harnett.

As North Carolina’s chief demographer, Dr. Mike Cline helps coun-

CHANGE IN UNDER 18 POPULATION

ties and municipalities track and project their populations. As part of his job in the N.C. Office of Budget and Management, Cline also studies how demographic changes play out in the business world.

According to Cline, the flat growth in younger residents was no surprise and the state was not alone. In fact, while the U-18 population held steady in North Carolina, nationally it shrank by 1.1 million (-1.4%). At the same time, the U.S. adult population grew by 23.8 million (+10.1%).

“These changes were not unexpected, due to long term trends in fertility for all groups, the impact of the Great Recession at the beginning of the decade and an aging population,” Cline told the Business Journal.

What does this mean for businesses?

“Workforce wise, the challenge is that the growth in those of working ages will be slower in the years to come than what we experienced in years past unless more working age folks migrate from other areas to North Carolina,” Cline said.

He continued, “We will continue to see many more people leaving the workforce through retirement and there will be fewer people on the other end of the working ages to replace them, leading to a tighter labor market.”

That makes the U-18 increase in

places such as Harnett and Moore that much more important, especially as they try to build a dynamic and resilient economic base. A shortage of qualified workers continues to challenge business recruiters. The shortage often is amplified in smaller and more-rural areas as the largest cities continue to account for much of the state’s economic growth and firepower.

“Economic development is our top priority as far as the board of commissioners looking at where we’re putting our resources,” Price said. “What we're trying to do is attract more job growth and job creation.”

Price and his colleagues know the county needs enough people to fill the jobs that come with growth, making the increase in the county’s younger population critical.

“Hopefully these millennials that are coming up will stay here and work and play here,” Price said.

Not only should business and government leaders prepare for an increasingly aging population, Cline said, they also should understand that the current younger generation is much more racially and ethnically diverse.

“Businesses should be adjusting to the reality of this changing population,” Cline said. “We are a much different state than we were 10, 20, 30 years ago.”

BLADEN COUNTY 2020 total population: 29,606 (-16%) 2020 under 18: 6,180 (-23.9%) CUMBERLAND COUNTY 2020 total population: 334,728 (+5%) 2020 under 18: 80,247 (-6.20%) HARNETT COUNTY 2020 total population: 133, 568 (16.5%) 2020 under 18: 35,499 (+11.50%) HOKE COUNTY 2020 total population: 52,082 (+11%) 2020 under 18: 14,610 (3%) MOORE COUNTY 2020 total population: 99,727 (+13%) 2020 under 18: 21,515 (+12.4%) ROBESON COUNTY 2020 total population: 116,530 (-13%) 2020 under 18: 28,075 (-21.9 %)

OVERALL CHANGE IN POPULATION CUMBERLAND COUNTY 2010: 319,431 2020: 334,728 Change: +15,297 Rate: +5 percent HARNETT COUNTY 2010: 114,678 2020: 133,568 Change: 18,890 Rate: 16.5 percent ROBESON COUNTY 2010: 134,168 2020: 116,530 Change: -17638 Rate: -13 percent

MOORE COUNTY 2010: 88,247 2020: 99,727 Change: 11480 Rate: 13 percent HOKE COUNTY 2010: 46,952 2020: 52,082 Change: 5,130 Rate: 11 percent BLADEN COUNTY 2010: 35,190 2020: 29,606 Change: -5584 Rate: -16 percent

Page 16

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

BIZ LEADS Reader’s Guide BizLeads is a collection of information gathered from greater Fayetteville courthouses, state government offices and information websites. The 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 from the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal region that were recently incorporated in the State of North Carolina.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY Judith's BNB LLC 6373 Rhemish Drive Fayetteville Agent: Mariel Hooks

LOUNGE LLC 429 Person St, Suite 1 Fayetteville Agent: Tanisha Sylvia Adams

SS&D Logistics LLC 5012 Collins Street Fayetteville Agent: James Lewis McNeill

AmriCorp Investment LLC 1105 Stout St Fayetteville Agent: AB7 HOLDING LLC

Integrative Veterinary Medical Solutions PLLC 610 Rush Road Fayetteville Agent: Jennifer Godman RMKM Architecture P.C. 2028 Litho Place, Suite 300 Fayetteville Agent: Daniel Caruso Beck's Home Improvement LLC 3006 Wetherby Ct Fayetteville Agent: Henry Walter Beck Z.M Total Cleaning Services LLC 5723 Meharry Dr Fayetteville Agent: Zaida Mendoza Velasquez Lake Teresa Homeowners Association Inc. 2939 Breezewood Ave, Suite 100 Fayetteville Agent: Little and Young Inc. Nu Legacy Logistics LLC 4801 Twinleaf Ct Fayetteville Agent: LeChisha Bethea Pressure Applied Services LLC 213 D McKenzie Rd Spring Lake Agent: Tyler Black There It Goes LLC 6216 Milford Rd. Fayetteville Agent: Samuel Murdock T’ADORE BEAUTY

Dill Parrish LLC 4108 Pleasantburg Dr Fayetteville Agent: Wendy Parrish G M G Towing & Recovery LLC 1104 Cypress Lakes Rd Hope Mills Agent: Preston Paul Evans Jr Created For Purpose Community Development Corporation 1712 Bluffside Drive Fayetteville Agent: Kim Renee Rivera CGG Enterprises LLC 6834 Willow Ct Fayetteville Agent: Gary Jarrod Woods Malfa Transportation LLC 921 Shell Dr., Apt. 203 Spring Lake Agent: Thais M. Munoz Melanated Brothers LLC 2808 Eastover North Dr Eastover Agent: Edell Price Jr. 401 Private Equity Management LLC 350 Wagoner Dr Fayetteville Agent: Charles Blackwell Savaleta Hassan Logistics LLC 1125 Brenda Dr Fayetteville Agent: VanPatrick Torain Redfern Transport Inc LLC

5075 Morganton Rd, Ste 10C # 1103 Fayetteville Agent: Rickey Thomas Redfern Jr

Faith and Victoria LLC 705 Woodclift Drive Fayetteville Agent: Marsha Leah Pope Harrison

All In Hands Transport LLC 817 Issac Dock Drive Fayetteville Agent: Shorne Tyrone Heyward

Chynelles Custom Creations LLC 459 Waterbury Drive Fayetteville Agent: Rhonda Page

A!WARE MY CROWN! LLC 718 Platinum Street Fayetteville Agent: Alicea Ware Summit Rental Solutions L.L.C. 4311 Huntsfield Rd Fayetteville Agent: Tien Nguyen Q. Co Candle Company LLC 2801 Truewinds Drive Fayetteville Agent: Qiana Shantel Farmer Frankie & Carolyn Flea Market LLC 313 Oakland Dr Fayetteville Agent: Frankie McLaughlin Moshiko Luxe LLC 4813 Ellsworth Drive Fayetteville Agent: Ericka Marte Best Freight Forwarder.

LLC 5303 Ahoskie Dr Hope Mills Agent: Mikhail Hutchinson Way Family Logistics LLC 3008 Jimmy Ct Fayetteville Agent: Walter G. Way SNSM Networking LLC 211 Old Farm Rd Fayetteville Agent: Stephon Noah Shavez McCray RTB Solutions LLC 3221 Cragburn Pl Fayetteville Agent: Aaron Jeffrey Colclough Carson Collection LLC 5075 Morganton Rd, Ste 10C Fayetteville Agent: Nieka Carson Parker's Bazaar llc 4551 Parkwood Circle Fayetteville Agent: Dawn Michele Parker

Regener8essentials LLC 2526 Tucker Rd Eastover Agent: Antonia A Witten The SoJaDe Group LLC 2129 Yellowbrick Rd Fayetteville Agent: Sonya LaVonka Howell Barrow Moving 2 Mountains LLC 862 Van Dyke Pl Fayetteville Agent: Kendisha Hollingsworth Goodman & Sons Transport Services LLC 5807 Cold Harbor Ct Fayetteville Agent: Zacharish D. Goodman GGL Transport LLC. 2822 Marcus James Drive Fayetteville Agent: Eugenio Emilio Garcia Bonilla 7Moons LLC 2244 Cliff Swallow Dr Fayetteville Agent: Zakiyyah Star Lynn Moving Weight Trucking & Transport LLC 6453 Ginger Cir Fayetteville Agent: Shylinda Machelle Worthy Carter Farms Development LLC 5535 Trade St Hope Mills Agent: Gardner Law Firm PLLC Agency Plus Employment Inc. 6380 Shawcross Lane Fayetteville Agent: Jerrick Adams Akers Acres SC LLC 24 Pleasant Loop Dr Fayetteville Agent: Glenn C Akers Ley & Leigh Creations LLC 5419 Spreading Branch Rd

bizfayetteville.com

Hope Mills Agent: Fred-d Rivera

Fayetteville Agent: Nicholas Fincher

BABAG Investments LLC 2908 Westshore Ct Fayetteville Agent: Munawar Bhatti

Small Exchange Trucking LLC 111 Lamon St. Ste. 123 Fayetteville Agent: Books with EK Bookkeeping Services LLC

Sunset Ridge Development LLC 350 Wagoner Dr Fayetteville Agent: BLW Holdings LLC Daylilies Properties LLC 2596 Edmonton Rd Fayetteville Agent: Eman Hamed Be My Guest LLC 5075 Morganton Rd. Ste 10C Fayetteville Agent: Daveena Theresa Nixon Humility At It's Finest Marketing Firm LLC 2581 A Caledonia Circle Fayetteville Agent: Ja-Net V Moore AZ Trucking & Transportation LLC 3847 Gofforth Dr Hope Mills Agent: Rashaad Everett Mitchell Attention 2 Detail LLC 6566 Barley Hill Court Fayetteville Agent: Reginald Wendell Cheek Breakaway Destinations LLC 2724 Mosquera Dr Fayetteville Agent: Tainia Gina YJT Davila LLC 2024 Calista Circle Fayetteville Agent: Yuliza P Davila Ellimarr Realty Group LLC 106 Oakridge Avenue, Unit 53009 Fayetteville Agent: LaTonya Monique Rose Rami Freight LLC 2228 Courtland Drive Fayetteville Agent: Ezra Chinyere Nnani MalexCruz LLC 6411 Rannock Drive Fayetteville Agent: Lydia Morales Heritage Commercial Sales Inc. 2414 Southern Ave

C-Cam Holdings LLC 6380 Cliffdale Road #27244 Fayetteville Agent: NeSmith Law Firm PLLC Antdav Trucking Inc. 2676 El Dorado Rd Fayetteville Agent: Antonio Davila Lead The Way Construction LLC 1840 Morganton Rd Fayetteville Agent: Lional Andujar B&D Maintenance LLC 5818 Conservation Ct Fayetteville Agent: Brian James Rutkowski Above & Beyond Home Improvements LLC 6716 Brookshire Street Fayetteville Agent: Cassie Nichole Brunson

Fidelis Logistics LLC 973 Fillyaw Road Fayetteville Agent: Kewon Hikeem Ferrell Alnagem LLC 341 Waterdown Drive Apt. 12 Fayetteville Agent: Ash Moharam Alnagem 2 LLC 341 Waterdown Drive Apt. 12 Fayetteville Agent: Ash Moharam K & K Cleaning LLC 6231 Abbotts Park Road Apt. N Fayetteville Agent: Heather D Leach The Rock Legacy Foundation 6808 Hunters Den Rd Hope Mills Agent: Shana J. Goner EBCompany LLC 1155 Blankshire Road Fayetteville Agent: Eric Bradley Boundless Innovation Group 599 Hope Mills Rd Fayetteville Agent: Eliel Lee Lopez

Valor Equipment LLC 2741 Wade Stedman Rd Stedman Agent: Justin Bell

D.A.R.T Foundation 594 South Reilly Road, Ste. 120 Fayetteville Agent: Tonya LaFaye McNeill

Auto Best LLC 7502 Telfair Dr Fayetteville Agent: Mohamud Mohamed Hagi

Vine Community Church Inc. 4130 Linden Road Linden Agent: Earl Bullard

Kinetic Auto LLC 2812 Ramsey Street #9087 Fayetteville Agent: Onaje Sigh

Great Abundance Properties Inc. 2538 Vestal Ave Fayetteville Agent: Charlese Gibbs

Focused Vision Media LLC 5852 Horton Place Fayetteville Agent: Angeler Jean Fils

Yardsale Divas LLC 1198 Wrenwood Ct Fayetteville Agent: Alisha Trent

Rosemaris Gifts LLC 417 York Rd Fayetteville Agent: Desiree Rosemari Montgomery In The Masters' Hand 1 LLC 823 Azalea Dr. Fayetteville Agent: LaShaunia Morgan

Psychological Services PLLC 511 N. Reilly Road Fayetteville Agent: Yvonne Kim McKeithen Liven Legends LLC 603 German Street Suite a Fayetteville Agent: Shaquera Fields Madam Medusa's Line LLC 110 Marvin Dr Spring Lake Agent: Chan Traylle Ni' Kole De Lois Johnson FAITHRR LLC 4139 Bent Grass Dr Fayetteville Agent: Faith Rhyne Iraq's Island Logistics Services LLC 410 Vanguard St Hope Mills Agent: Ireece Silva Autumnfield Inc 575 Milden Road Fayetteville Agent: Asare Frederick Carolina Place Apartments LLC 1019 Hay Street Fayetteville Agent: Jackson Howard Vertex Properties LLC 2919 Breezewood Ave Ste. 200 Fayetteville Agent: Thomas L Bradford Ferncreek Capital LLC 2301 Robeson St Suite 204 Fayetteville Agent: Pavan D Patel K3M Robotics LLC 7743 Redwood Ave Fayetteville Agent: JMar Williams Vocal & Sounds Music Label LLC 1230 White Plains Dr Fayetteville Agent: Marcus Manley

2112 Skibo Road LLC 3014 Braehead St Fayetteville Agent: Cecilia Valeria Ainolhayat

Memories By Me LLC 6751 Vaughn RD Fayetteville Agent: Regina Burnette

Out The Red Financial Services LLC 1237 Elliott Cir Fayetteville Agent: Markedah Mcneill

Mayjur Global LLC 6804 Willowbrook Dr. Apt 5 Fayetteville Agent: Shedrick Oneal Bland Jr

Solution Focused

Trippie and Sons LLC

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

BIZ LEADS

bizfayetteville.com 4624 Nix Road Fayetteville Agent: Charles Contraze Walters Colson'Nd'Smith LLC 5228 Delco Street Fayetteville Agent: Alicia Renee Smith Discerning Hearts LLC 6208 Birchbrook Dr Hope Mills Agent: Isabeth Santressa Culbertson Second Chances JDDLT LLC 6121 Santa Fe Dr Fayetteville Agent: Mahogany Cameron U S Piping Concepts LLP 310 Dick Street Fayetteville Agent: Yelena Clark That Old Barn LLC 3210 Hennardland Place Hope Mills Agent: Victoria Lynn Tew DaZelle LLC

428 Grayhawk Place Fayetteville Agent: Da-zha R. Jones

Dearron Construction Inc. 2035 Elliot Farm Road Fayetteville Agent: Dearron Myers

Fayetteville Agent: Brian Lee Carter

Thee Spice Is Right! LLC 8715 Tibs Run Drive Fayetteville Agent: Willie F Dixon

Ace Express Transportation & Relocation Inc 5310 Yadkin Road Fayetteville Agent: Elite Accounting Corporation

Crooms Travelling Allstarz LLC 604 Prestige Blvd Fayetteville Agent: Benikka Marie Elliott

September Beauty LLC 114 Anderson street Fayetteville Agent: Jessica Johnson

Pleasure Tours and Excursions Inc 126 Glenola Street Fayetteville Agent: Tawanna Robinson

Emuwnah LLC 2435 Graham Rd Fayetteville Agent: EMon Emerson Mitchell

Redman Rentals LLC 3230 Shamrock Drive Fayetteville Agent: Job Jordan Redman

Azure Investments LLC 6941 Saint Julian Way Fayetteville Agent: David Redmond

Dosman Brothers LLP. 4217 Pleasantburg Dr Fayetteville Agent: Frank F Dorrielan

The Hub of Fayetteville LLC 109 Hay St Ste 201 Fayetteville Agent: Henry C. Tyson

Fendary Properties LLC 5187 Lakewood Drive Fayetteville Agent: Warees Warees

D-Myers Construction LLC 2035 Elliot Farm Road Fayetteville Agent: Dearron Myers

Brian Carter Holdings LLC 1114 Longleaf Dr

210

LINDEN

24

690

Papa Towing Service LLC 126 Dysart Pl. Apt. H Fayetteville Agent: Joel Castro Olmedo

PhitNation LLC 5075 Morganton Road, Ste. C #1114 Fayetteville Agent: Phillip Nation

IDPCarpentry1 LLC 4021 William Bill Luther Dr Hope Mills Agent: Ira Pigford

Hudjac Services LLC 532 Glen Canyon Dr Fayetteville Agent: Darwyn C Hudson

JMN Pikin LLC 2608 Highpoint Court Fayetteville Agent: Jacqueline Kamseu Kemdem BoujeeBri Photography LLC 704 Festus Avenue Fayetteville Agent: Brionna McKiver

Pocket Sized Ninja Designs LLC 3404 Connection Dr Fayetteville Agent: Elizabeth Belle Johnson

Canes Child Care 800 Longview Drive Extension Fayetteville Agent: Audriaunna S Kitterman JW Remodeling and Home Improvement LLC 7490 Fairpoint Dr Fayetteville Agent: Jim Williams Appliances R Us LLC 5212 Miranda Dr Hope Mills Agent: LaDonna Turner

The Grey Group LLC 3162 Natal St Fayetteville Agent: Grey Burleson Love It Or Not Pride Store LLC 1944 James Hamner Way Apt. E Fayetteville Agent: Kiarra Desiree Brown Kendra's Fearless Kreationz LLC 24 Zapata Ln Fayetteville Agent: Kendra Simmons L&LGroup L.L.C. 256 Channing DR Fayetteville Agent: Davis Howell Lee C. Charlene LLC 6312 Marykirk Dr Fayetteville Agent: Channel Charlene Davis TSI Transportation LLC 1423 Old Town Dr Fayetteville Agent: Kevon E Williams Hollywood Designs LLC 606 River Front Lane

Lot 70 Fayetteville Agent: Alvin Purdie Jr Durant Properties LLC 701 Dana Way Fayetteville Agent: Kennard Issiah Durant Patriot Foods 2 LLC 7253 Mariners Landing Dr Fayetteville Agent: Christopher Robert McLean Zoe Noelle's Princess Spa LLC 245 Westlake Road Suite 101 Fayetteville Agent: Shenae Whitehead We Do It Lawn Care Service LLC 712 Harvey Dale Dr Fayetteville Agent: Edward Torrain Stokes Digital Echelon LLC 2808 Guildsmen Court Fayetteville Agent: Melissa Jo Johnson

Clean Kickz LLC 626 Mont Drive Spring Lake Agent: Joel Michael McLaurin II Utopia Cleaning Services L.L.C. 4279 Redmill Lane Hope Mills Agent: Cheron Janae Tinnell Road Runner Logistics LLC. 6777 Winchester St. Fayetteville Agent: Christina Marie Tillman DTE Electric LLC 4213 Oakmount Cir Fayetteville Agent: Dennis Bell To The T Esthetics LLC 6437 Hidden Lake Loop Apt 210 Fayetteville Agent: Tiara Thomas Ripley Eurosport Inc. 3604 Coupure Way Fayetteville Agent: Laura Ripley

82

GODWIN 401

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WADE 295

210

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95

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EASTOVER

24 401

STEDMAN 301

59

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RAEFORD

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for Home Builders in the Fayetteville Area

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Page 17

59

PARKTON

910-401-2727 | HHhomes.com

Page 18

September 10 - September 23, 2021

THE LIST

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

bizfayetteville.com

Credit Unions

Ranked by number of national members RANK

1 2 3

COMPANY ADDRESS

STATE EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION 119 N Salisbury St Raleigh, N.C. 27603

LATINO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION 100 W Morgan St Durham, N.C. 27701

MEMBERS CREDIT UNION

2098 Frontis Plaza Blvd Ste A WinstonSalem, N.C. 27103

PHONE WEBSITE

NO. OF NATIONAL MEMBERS

NATIONWIDE ASSETS

CEO/MANAGER YEAR CHARTERED

919-839-5000 http://www.ncsecu.org

2,604,542

$49,939,130,847

James Hayes 1937

919-688-9270 http://www.latinoccu.org

101,118

$662,911,691

Luis Pastor 2000

336-748-4800 http://www.memcu.com

52,608

$431,222,548

Robert Donley 1953

336-776-1700 http://www.pacu.com

38,945

$426,390,835

Dion Williams 1949

4

PIEDMONT ADVANTAGE CREDIT UNION

5

FORT BRAGG FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

910-487-8200 http://www.fortbraggfcu.org

38,082

$530,474,178

Todd Kenthack 1960

6

BRAGG MUTUAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

910-222-1500 http://www.braggmutualfcu.org/

9,593

$92,131,831

Stephen Foley 1952

7

VISION FINANCIAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

919-477-0696 http://www.vffcu.org

7,809

$58,606,180

Dawn Swaningson 1960

3530 Advantage Way WinstonSalem, N.C. 27103

4172 Hefner Dr Fort Bragg, N.C. 28310

2917 Village Dr Fayetteville, N.C. 28304

214 Pacific Ave Durham, N.C. 27704

Data, to include asset information, is from the National Credit Union Administration Data Summary. Included credit unions have local offices and North Carolina headquarters.

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Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

September 10 - September 23, 2021

Page 19

Page 20

September 10 - September 23, 2021

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE

Thomas School of Business 14 CLASSROOMS • CAREER SERVICES CENTER • 300-SEAT AUDITORIUM INTERACTIVE MARKET-STYLE TRADING ROOM • VIDEO CONFERENCE ROOM COMPUTER LAB • SMALL AND LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION AREAS FOOD COURT • MULTIMEDIA RESOURCE ROOM

“With access to leading technology and a collaborative learning environment, this building will be second to none. Our students are going to get the experience here that prepares them to enter the global business marketplace and be career-ready.”

Dr. Barry O’Brien - Dean, School of Business

Internationally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Positively impacting our region by creating business and economic growth. uncp.edu/business

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>

By Jenna Shackelford

September 10 - September 23, 2021

bizfayetteville.com

Page 21

IN THE NEWS

WashRoom Laundry Service expands to Fayetteville

I

n the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes necessary chores get pushed to the back burner. After all, with work, families and social lives, some of the small but important details can become low priority. The WashRoom Laundry Service, based out of Charlotte, is expanding to Fayetteville to help combat that issue.

Saichelle McNeill, the founder and owner of the company, was born and raised in Fayetteville and graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2000 with a Bachelors in biology. “At The WashRoom Laundry Service, we want our clients to do life, and we’ll do the laundry,” she said.

Whether part of the workforce or not, anyone could benefit from the service because everyone has laundry, McNeill said. “Why not bring a laundry service to Fayetteville with the military men and women coming and going and moving?

The families there are so busy,” she explained.

“They’re at dance class. They’re at soccer. They’re at football …

They’re at cheerleading camps and practice. Laundry really becomes an afterthought. We want to free these families to have time to focus on things that are important, whether it’s school work or cooking and having a meal together … For the business, we want them to be able to focus on their client and not have to worry about doing laundry.”

McNeill says her business prides itself in expediency. “Our turnaround time is 48 hours, but we strive to turn that around for you the next day.

Our goal is to become more efficient in Fayetteville and have a 24 hour turnaround,” she said.

In the five years that The WashRoom Laundry Service has been in operation, McNeill says the company has established contracts with business offices, barber shops and beauty salons, massage therapists, nail technicians, and catering companies; they also clean towels and mopheads for cleaning services. AirBnb hosts have found the services helpful for an effi-

DAN GOLD/UNSPLASH

Saichelle McNeill says her service can be helpful to anyone who has laundry, and hopes that her company will be helpful to the workforce locally like it is in Charlotte.

cient turnaround by outsourcing the laundry to The WashRoom Laundry Service. The hotel industry is moving away from in-house laundry, McNeill says, and with staffing issues at play, her company has been able to step in where housekeeping is lacking.

In Charlotte, McNeill’s business has worked with Amazon to clean their community garments, such as vests, for instance, so they can continue to be COVID-safe in their facilities. She hopes that when Amazon arrives in Cumberland County, she can work with them as well, and her business is poised for that opportunity should it arise.

To make customer service a top priority, clients can schedule a laundry pickup or inquire about the service with ease online. “When you go to our website, there are several opportunities to communicate with us,” McNeill said.

One of the ways is through a chat bot — but unlike many websites, a live person is on the other end of the communication. “The person has

firsthand knowledge of our business,” McNeill said. She points out that the company does not contract that role out to a third party; instead, someone on their team can answer the questions. Clients can also text the number on the website to efficiently communicate with the team or schedule a pickup directly from the website.

The only things that McNeill suggests should not be included to be washed are items with a “dry clean only” care label. “What that means is anything that the client has that they’d put into the washing machine, they can put in a WashRoom Laundry bag, schedule a pickup, place it outside of their door and receive it back, nicely washed and neatly folded, ready to put away, at their home in 48 hours,” McNeill said. Clothes, intimates, bedding, towels, pillows, aprons, tablecloths and shower curtains are among some of the many items that the service deals with.

Clients using the service can also enter preferences into the Wash-

Room Laundry Service system. “If you have skin sensitivities, you can put hypoallergenic detergent, for instance,” McNeill said. She also noted that clothing for babies can be washed separately with a hypoallergenic detergent for sensitive skin.

Last year, McNeill had a storefront. But with COVID, the laundry service industry took a hit, and she was forced to close up shop, so she transitioned to a fully mobile, contactless service.

“We have fully contactless pickup and delivery,” McNeill said. “We don’t have to come into your home.

All you do is leave it outside on your porch, or if you’re at work, you just take it to work with you, or if you have a garage, you just leave it in your garage and provide us with the code for the garage.”

To learn more about The WashRoom Laundry Service, visit www.washroomlaundry.com.

Page 22

September 10 - September 23, 2021

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal

Helping Fayetteville Businesses Weather the Storm As Fayetteville’s utility provider, PWC provides special support for our business and industrial customers: • During storms, extended outages or other emergencies, we keep in contact with you to address your specific needs. Be sure to provide, or update, your contact information (before a storm hits) through the Storm Central/Business Continuity link at faypwc.com.

• You can also sign up for Electric Outage Notifications through PWC’s Online Account Manager to receive notifications 24/7 my.faypwc.com. We’ll let you know when there’s an outage that affects your business location (especially helpful when it occurs after hours).

Customer Focused.

Community Strong.

17212

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>

By Jami McLaughlin

September 10 - September 23, 2021

ennis Baxley, a native of Hoke County, has been the city manager for the City of Raeford since 2014. His career in the public sector began as the facilities director for Hoke County; he was public works director for Hoke County for eight years before transitioning to city manager.

GFBJ: How would you describe Raeford?

BAXLEY: Raeford is a great little city.

We have low crime. It's quiet for the most part, schools are good — a Mayberry if you will. I've found that several parents of military personnel stationed at Bragg have remembered Raeford from their visits and have come back to retire. It's a diverse and friendly community where everyone gets along and works together for the most part.

GFBJ: What is the city’s vision for

downtown Raeford? How does the city support that vision

BAXLEY: Our elected officials and

committees have worked tirelessly in recent years to revitalize our downtown. In the mid-2000s, a streetscape project transformed the appearance of downtown with underground utilities, new street design and facade improvements.

The downtown business district as defined by zoning is 4 blocks and part is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. A group of local business owners formed the Downtown Raeford Business Association (DRBA) and in partnership with the City of Raeford will be hosting various events throughout the year.

The first event is a concert with food vendors and other activities on Main Street scheduled for Oct. 1 from 6-10 p.m. We currently anticipate that the Hoke County government will build a new courthouse and administrative building downtown. As research has shown, government facilities play a vital role in the prosperity of a downtown area.

GFBJ: What are the top needs for Raeford?

BAXLEY: As with most communities,

aging infrastructure is a primary concern for our city; however, it may

PROFILE

bizfayetteville.com

Baxley pushes big changes in a small town D be the least prominent because it's often out of sight and out of mind.

We completed an Asset Management Plan/CIP in 2017 and wasted no time implementing it. Our first priority was the build-out of automated meter infrastructure which was completed in 2018.

Next in the priority list are wastewater treatment plant renovations which are approximately 50 percent complete. This is a $6.3 million project funded through the State Revolving Fund. We have leveraged Building Reuse grants to make additional improvements to the WWTP and water system to support local businesses and industry. We have also received a $900,000 grant from Golden Leaf to address flooding in the South Main Street area.

GFBJ: What initiatives or programs are you focusing the City’s efforts on?

BAXLEY: The recent negative por-

trayal of law enforcement and the “defund the police” crowd has created its own challenges. We not only refuse the notion, but we gave a 17.5 percent increase across the board for all sworn law enforcement officers.

It is my hope that attitudes change and our youth take an interest in pursuing law enforcement careers.

I also can't leave out our volunteer firefighters. We have an awesome dedicated group that works alongside three staff members. Police and fire recently hosted a training event with a unit from Fort Bragg and it was a great opportunity to network with our neighbors to the north. We also have retired and active military members of police and fire so it was good to get them together to share their experiences.

GFBJ: What do you consider to be

your strengths as city manager? How did your experience facilitate a career in public service?

BAXLEY: I was selected as manager

because of my background in infrastructure and managing multi-million-dollar projects for Hoke County.

The first couple of years in public service were rocky, and I questioned my decision to be part of it, but as time went by, trust and friendships were established with my superiors

Page 23

Q&A: Dennis Baxley City Manager, City of Raeford

and co-workers, and I never looked back. I find it rewarding to be in a position to help people even if it's nothing more than listening to them vent. Sometimes that's all they need. It has definitely been an interesting journey.

GFBJ: What advice do you have for

someone aspiring to be a city manager?

BAXLEY: My advice for someone

aspiring to be in local government management would be to take the short cut and get a degree. I got my foot in the door and then worked hard. It was a 25-year journey, a good one, but still 25 years to get here. Also, prepare for staff at the UNC School of Government to tell you "it depends" when you ask a question.

GFBJ: In your time in Raeford, what achievement have you been the proudest of as city manager?

BAXLEY: Of all the projects we're

working on or have completed, I'm most proud of the McLauchlin Park redevelopment. In conjunction with LKC Engineers in 2017, we developed a Parks Master Plan. The first priority from the plan was the complete redevelopment of McLaughlin Park located adjacent to Main Street.

This was a tangible accomplishment that our citizens can see and use and has served them well with restrooms, new playground equipment, picnic areas, walking trails and green space.

GFBJ: What’s on the horizon for Raeford?

BAXLEY: Raeford has had a cyclical

history of prosperity and decline, as most small towns do. Our attorney, William Fields, and I often discuss where we will be in five years if we do not continue to push for continued redevelopment and find creative ways to draw our citizens, new and old, to Raeford. Fortunately, we are in a prosperity cycle and have a strong and energetic group from DRBA that share our concerns and goals. We've been working closely with Grace Lawrence from the N.C. Department of Commerce, Katherine Parker with the Governor's

Age: 52 Family: Married to Melissa, an RN at Womack Army Medical Center. Baxley has two children: Rebecca, an RN at First Health, and Joshua, a recent graduate of UNC Charlotte. He also has two grandsons, Ryder and JT. Education: Hoke High School (1987), Fayetteville Technical Community College Previous Experience: 25 years in various capacities including facilities director and public works director for Hoke County Government Hobbies: Being on the water, specifically beach trips and family time on their boat

Office Commerce, Main Street and downtown staff. They have continually provided resources to help our community succeed. We will also be closing out our Community Economic Recovery and Resiliency Initiative this month that developed a strategic plan and set goals for moving forward. I see Raeford continuing on this path. We have very few vacant buildings and several are under renovation to house retail and restaurants. Businesses have needed to create a destination place in lieu of a pass-through for traffic.

Neighborhood revitalization is another item we're working on. We have been awarded a CDBG-NR grant for rehabilitation of homes in one of our more distressed areas and hope to start that project in the next month or so.

For more information on the City of Raeford projects and initiatives, visit www. raefordcity.org.

Page 24

September 10 - September 23, 2021

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal