Greater Charlotte Biz 2001.12

You must have been very, very good this year.

The New Beetle. Drivers wanted~

Carolina Volkswagen (Nothing could be finer) 7800 E. Independence Blvd. at Krefeld Dr. Charlotte, NC 28227 704-537-2336 • 1-800-489-2336 www.carolinavw.net

1:>2001 Vt>ks-cgeo 1-800 DRM' VW "'VW.COM

rust Bank

You're Not Just Another Customer. We're Not Just Another Bank

As a business owner, your first priority is running your business. South Trust Bank's priority is helping you run your business well. So we are pleased to bring you this monthly business column designed to promote Excellence In Business.

Becoming A Star Performer

by Steven D. Huff Bob Uecker, the former major league catcher turned broadcaster, made periodic appearances on Johnny Carson 's "Tonight Show." During one interview he told Carson, "You know, I made a major contributi on to the St. Louis Cardinals' pennant drive in 1964." "What did you do?" asked Carson. Uecker replied, "I came down with hepatitis and had to be taken out of the lineup. " "How did you catch hepatitis?" inquired Carson. "The Cardinals trainer injected me with it. " Obviously, Uecker wasn't the Cardinals' top performer. It's been said, "Some people dream of performing greatly, while others stay awake and make it happen." Every company and worker can achieve extraordinary performance by learning and living the right work principles.

Let SouthTrust help you create a star performance!

Here are a few traits that describe star performers: •

Highly Motivated For Achievement Someone said, "Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion.

You must set yourself on fire." You won't find top performers standing still or settling for the status quo. They are on fire to reach new levels of success and achievement.

•

Prone To Take Action Henry Ford said, "You can 't build a reputation on what you're going to do." Under-performers are notorious for talking about all of the things they are going to do but few get around to action. There is a time for discussion but performance comes from getting it done.

•

A Solid Grasp On Reality Few things improve performance like having a good sense of reality. o one gets the job done through wishful thinking. Successful people have a clear understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses and they recognize tl1e opportunities and challenges facing them.

•

Healthy Self-Confidence Achievers are not simply hard workers, they also have healthy confidence in themselves. Dorothea Brande once noted, "All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail." Star performers have a healthy sense that they can master their chaUenges, achieve their goals and overcome their setbacks."

Mary B. Palmroos SouthTrust Business Banker Charlotte (704)571-7499 mary. palmroos@ southtrust.com Member FDIC ©2001 South Trust www.southtrust.com

~EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS --------

Newsletter

A Service To The Business Community Sponsored by:

Steven D. Huff is a business coach specializing in small business growth and development. He runs the Excellence In Business Training Center in Charlotte, NC and can be reached at (704) 841-1600 or at www_GoForExcellence.com . Steve also publishes the "Excellence In Business" Newsletter, a motivational newsletter distributed weekly by SouthTrust Bank at no cost to more than 4500 businesses. To receive a FREE subscription, please fax or email your Name , Company Name, Address and Fax Number or E-mail to: Fax: (704) 841-1693 or e-mail: steven .huff@GoForExcellence.com.

...

SoUthTnJSt

Banke

f

e

a

r

u

t

l6cover

e

s

story

Roaring Success Bob and Nita Emory, with support from their daughter Elisabeth, just or: ened the1r fifth Bla:klion store, a merchandising concept that has left shoppers clamoring for more. Their upscale home accents stores create an environment unlike any other for shoppers anc men:hants alike.

12 The Last Garment Spotter

departments

Claude Long's Dry Cleaning and Laundry

guest column

4

biz digest

6

for the pleasure of visiting with Long as

community biz

9

much as for the professional service.

The National Conference for Community and justice (NCCJ) plays an increasingly important role as Charlotte continues to expand into a widely diverse area.

has been keeping Charlotteans pressed for 36 years. Ask any of his regular customers why they frecuent Long's, and you'll hear rt:'s

•

22 Here's the Scoop!

When Phyllis Schultz's husband compla1ned to her that Charlotte had no good ice cream shops to meet his cravings. she saw a valuable

•

market in which to invest Fourteen years later.

real estate biz

26

A year in review: john Shell ::Jf McGuire Properties and Mike Rash of Prudential Carolinas give their perspectives on the past year in commercial and residential real estate in Charlotte and projections for next year.

she is the owner seven Ben & Jenry's ice cream shops and has an eighth on the way,

Joining Forces

30

When Richard Hill of SafeCall, Inc. and Bob Jones of Synetron collaborated on their first project they had no clue where it would eventually lead. But as

IS

the case more often

biz resource guide

35

on top

36

on the cover:

This month 's cover features Bob and Nita Emo1y, owners of Blacklion stores.

Photo by Wayne Morri s.

than not in business. their customers influenced their ultimate direction and lead them to create the joint venture of LanVergent.

•

cliaflotte ~ re .:. te r

c h a r lotte bi z

wv

IZ

d ece m ber 200 I 3

cliaflotte

[guestcolumn] WI

IZ

December 200 I

Commercial Insurance in the Aftermath

Volume 2 • Issue 12 Publisher Jo hn Paul G a lles jga ll es@greatercharlottebiz.com

Two months after the September 11th terror¡ ist attacks, the nation is coming to come to grips with the realization that life will go on, it

Associate Publisher/Editor Maryl A. Lane maryl .a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com

Creative Director/Asst. Editor Brand o n Jordan bjordan@greatercharlottebiz.com

Vice President/Director of Sales Talbert G ray tgray@greatercharlotte biz.com

Account Executive Kathryn Mose ley kmoseley@greaterc harlottebiz.com

Contributing Writers Nan Bauroth Karen Doyle

will just go on differently. This is as true for

Skip Knauff, Knauff Insurance Inc.

businesses as individuals, especially in light of the warnings from the Bush administration

the loss burden would fall entirely on the

that there will be more incidents of terrorism

commercial client.

in the future.

The insurance industry has responded

One important thing to remember about the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks

quickly and effectively to the attacks on the

is that far rnore than record-breaking property

World Trade Center, expediting claims and

and life insurance losses will be involved. The

working closely with brokers and their clients

attacks also will generate the largest business

to get businesses back up and running as

interruption loss in history, the largest work-

soon as possible. The industry has indicated

ers' compensation loss, the largest aviation

it can absorb the hit, which, at $50 billion or

loss, and large losses in other lines of special-

more, will be by far the most devastating

ty insurance as well. And it will probably take

insured loss in history.

years before the full extent of the losses can

But the question that has yet to be

be calculated.

Casey Jacobus

answered is how the insurance industry- and

Tara Lane

by extension the businesses that rely on insur-

ably be available for non-terrorist claims, the

John Rehkop Lynda A. Stadler

Contributing Photographer Wayne Mo r ris

Greater Charlotte Biz is published 12 times per year by: Galles Communications Group, Inc. 804 C lanton Road, Suit e B Charlotte, NC 28217- 1355 www.greatercharlottebiz.com 704.676.5850 Phone 704.676.5853 Fax Press releases and other news -related information, please fax to the attention of "Editor" or e-mail: editor@greatercharlottebiz.com Editorial or advertising inquiries, please call or fax at the numbers above or e-mail: info@greatercharlottebiz.com Subscription inquiries or change of address, please call or fax at the num bers above or visit our Web site: www.greatercharlottebiz.com All contents Š 200 I , Galles Communications Group, Inc . All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is

prohibited. Products named in these pages

Although reinsurance coverage will prob-

ance to protect them from a variety of poten-

cost of that protection is expected to increase

tial problems- will be affected by both

substantially as the reinsurers seek to raise

September 11th and the prospect of future

capital to offset their financial losses from

terrorist attacks. At issue is the availability of

September 11th. This is a major concern for

certain types of insurance and the price that

all businesses because roughly two-thirds of

will be paid.

reinsurance treaty policies are up for renewal

There has been a great deal of publicity in recent weeks about troubles with reinsur-

in December. That means primary insurers will be seeing significant increases in their own

ance, which is essentially insurance for insur-

premiums, wh ich in turn will be passed along

ers. Reinsurance allows the risk to be spread

to their commercial policyholders.

more widely to keep any one insurer from

Some insurers are reporting premium

being totally exposed in the event of a catas-

increases of 50 percent to 100 percent for

trophe. A large portion of the World Trade

policies covering shippers and la rge commer-

Center losses will be covered by reinsurance,

cial properties. Other increases may be even

and the industry is concerned that these

more dramatic. Financial analysts at Morgan

claims, when coupled with the prospect of

Stanley say commercial property rates could

more terrorist attacks down the road, will

go up by as much as 50 percent, the cost of

severely limit insurers' ability to secure rein-

general workers' compensation may rise 20

surance for many aspects of their business.

percent or more, and aviation premiums

In fact, all reinsurance treaties being negotiated at present are specifically excluding coverage for acts of terrorism. That is why

could be as much as 10 times higher than they are currently.

Insurers also will be tightening the terms

Congress is moving fast to enact legislation

of their coverage and the type of coverage

that will create some sort of government rein-

they provide.

In all probability, the days of "bundling,"

are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily

surance assistance for insurers faced with losses from future terrorism. Absent action,

or grouping a number of policies together in

those of Greater Charlotte Biz or Galles

insurers would be unlikely to include terror-

order to provide a commercial client with more

ism coverage in any policies, and that means

favorable rates, are gone. The policies are more

Communications Group, Inc.

4

d ece m ber 20 0 I

greater char lotte b iz

tighter underwriting standards that are com-

needs one now; if the disaster plan is outdat-

and if a major insurer finds that it is over-

ing into play. Insurers that once priced cover-

ed or not complete enough, it should be

exposed in a certain area- for example, too

age on property value alone will be looking at

reviewed and revised. Every business should

many workers' camp policies in a single loca-

other variables such as the number of people

have a current and complete list of employee

tion or too great a portion of business interrup-

working at a site, how public the property is

family contact information, as well as a clear

tion or property/casualty coverage in one

and where it is located. Some insurers may

chain of command to be implemented in

urban or subu路ban area- it may simply refuse

not be willing to cover large-scale properties

emergencies.

to write as many policies as it has in the past.

or will be limiting their overall exposure.

likely to be underwritten on a risk-by-risk basis,

Other possible changes include no more

Preparing now minimizes losses later. bi~

And remember that protecting a business

all-perils policies, with coverage written instead

also means protecting its employees. All

Prepared by The Council of Insurance Agents

on a named-perils basis; an end to blanket

employees should be aware of and clear on

and Brokers for use by its member firms.

limits and agreed amounts for businesses with

safety procedures. If a business does not

For more information, contact Knauff Insurance

multiple locations; and an end to any kind of

already have a disaster plan for its office, it

at 704-375-8000.

wink-and-nod forgiveness for claims that are not filed accurately or on a timely basis.

Even before the September 11th attacks, market conditions were changing, and premiums were heading up. Now, with the potential increases eve1 greater, it is particularly important for businesses to understand the

We Believe

Ill

changes in the marketplace and to prepare so they are adequately protected in the event of a major loss. It may be time to add some specialty lines of coverage and to increase certain coverage limits.

Business clients need to closely examine their insurance policies to determ ine what is covered and v1hat is not. If they do not have business interruption insurance, perhaps this is the time to consider it. Are the coverage limits and exclusions acceptable in this different and more dangerous world? Are their computer systems backed up, with the information stored at another location? Should their policies ::>e expanded to cover such pre-

At Robinson, Bradshaw & llin son, we develop innova ti ve

viously peripreral issues as debris removal

soluti ons for o ur cli ents' legal needs. \Ve understand th e

and hazardous material cleanup? Perhaps

chall enges facing both emergin g and establish ed companj es

this is a good time to find out more about

in today's compl ex busin ess environment. Our approach is

alternative finance mechanisms, self-insurance, deductibles and even captive programs.

tailored to each cli ent's uniqu e sinrati on so th at we provide

In times of crisis, businesses need to

the most effecti ve advice and the most effecti ve soluti ons to

look hard at their risk exposure and work with

meet our clients' goals.

experts to be sure they are as prepared as possible for whatever the future holds. This is

Ro binson, Bradshaw & Hin so n - a tradition of excellence.

precisely the reason it is important to work with a solid and trusted broker or agent. They can help, and they want to help. The earlier businesses begin dealing with experts, the better the chance they will make the right decisions. Don't wait until renewal time to contact your broker. The time to anti cipate

Robinson Bradshaw

& H inson

NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE

SOUTH CAROLINA OFFICE

10 1 North Tryon Street Sui te 1900 C harlotte, NC 282+6 70-t.377.2536

T he Gua rdian Building 223 East Main Street- Sui te 600 Post Office Drawer 12070 Rock l !ill, SC 2973 1 803.325.2900

problems is now.

On the other side of the equation, businesses should be prepared to answer more

www .rbh.com

questions about their risks because of the

greater charlotte biz

d ecember 200 I 5

{bizdiges:t]

;,tereningre\nand useful informat ion

First -:Jnion Launches Evergreen Connect k

bits lnternet·NOl'k Engi•eerhg, a: netwcrk int:gratico c.- :: consL.dting company, has selected A~ointE: to :o..tersee the company~ s?.ttd- fron of-: he- ~ hetf accountin~ ~c'cA<are t::> Mot\5 90.

MAS ?0. xcounti11g ;oft:ware desig ed for mid-sG:ed b_s nesses ::>;- ;age Softwa-e, has assist.:!d r:c:netw·xl: =:11gine:ring ir program in[t;niols arx:l m1rual proce5S2S by creatir g- erihaxed capabi ities and growth pcte· j:JI_ By purch01:ing r11-S 90. the Job O:JS rcxi.Jie a d ,Ac:! lnt=g<ttkn, lntzrnetwod:: EnEineering cr=ate.i c. vi r ual "traffic-cop" t:latties i1vertory, r:.urchas ng and job c:~t rg :nck to t1e nitia. S3les order. Tho:>) a·e a :so atle to t rad: labor 3nc warrantie: ,a-,;. CLStorr ize 1umer:.Ls reports a· d .x-m;.

AccL p::> r:= s hea.dqua ·tered in Monroe a· d:is r thetop:o-1e p:r:ertof Sage Soft:wa: resellers ofEring smal a.nd mid-sizec bL:in:: ses integr.lted accoJrting softWOlre .. .The Bar nbrid~ Crew, ContinL'e:i :::.; t•G!Je 8

6

dece r1 b ~r

?. OC I

lntern-=::-Bc.sed 40 (k) Pmdu:::t Avai lable to ::mall Businesses First Un e n ~ Eenefit )e..-... ices Gr::>up has launche : 1n in:ernet-b~~ed 40 I (k) product called " E\'~rgn= en Co1r~ ·:t k" thG.t is accessi ble at \\"1.-N.=:v=rgreenCoonectk.com .

Eve -.:re~'l Conne:cr I< is available to small businesse!!:, t)'pi::ally wrt:r h·e or more enployees, se:eiQ·_g to start a nev" 40 I (k) plan.

Wl-1-: Eve-green G:onnect k is an irternet-base: j 4 C I(-<) procuct, rt: also offers plan ~ponsor: and ptrticipc.n~ -rhe option of )er~onali;:e-: 1uma1 intenc: on. When registering for Ev= f!:~en Connect !:::: : •lan sponsors may e ect to ·II':X< with a f nc.n:ial prof-:ssional in ~ etting u: ,arr:::l 11aintaili•g :heir 401 (k) plan.

Plan spc~rs control tre amount of int-:raction the:, •e~ire from : h= 'inancial profes.s iona l by choo:ing ~rem nultip e service programs; ~ponsor: .,;v elect to V>-CY'k directly with their financial :rofu;:ional cr -nJy choo:;e to handle c.ll aspects of treir plan o · line. ":)ll - goa at F i r~t .J1ion is to meet the \'aryircg 11 ze::s :lf our pcrticipants and pjan ~pons ·x: • saic Joe Rea:!):. director of Rrst

Un ion'3 3enefit Services Group. "Evergreer Co r ne::t k meets a wide range of need~ ­ plan sr:o1sors may choose either to set: U) and arnnister their plan compjetel)' ·:.rlire: or t :> "Klrk with a financial pro~essiC>rlal that is £peci lcally assigned to their plan " pe,--, sponsors may choose from 4 r funds, rcl uding Evergreen Funds anc t h reiparty f_.-,ds, offered th rough I 0 other mut Ja[ ~und family alliances.

Fi -5: Union partnered with Denverbased Fa:;t40 I k to offer Evergreen Cor nect k. F3St.<e01 k is a leader in the onl ne 40 11k) industry. offering the first indepe1den: a"lrl unl:iase:d 40 I (k) plan on the Internet. By offerint: a. co11plete online 40 I (k) solut o n, Fast40 k provides online enrollment ·unctions a1:: participant-specific ser·tices a.; standard features to every client. This enable~ plan sponsors to concentrate on their br·nesses, and gives emplcyees the peace o" mind that comes from being frnc.ncial~· p-e.)ared for their retireme:nts.

greater

char lot ~ e

bi :;-:

GS Industries Sells ME International

Ha"Je- JVt6 next corporate event with us. Call (704) 372-626 1 x 362

2B lll::Q

Sale Completed to South American Firm

·r ~~~__ ...., rl::;.. r· ~....,

Mark G. Essig, chairman, president and chief executive officer of GS In dustries, Inc., announced that the company has successfu lly completed the sale of its ME International, Inc. unit to The Claro G roup of Santiago, Chile.

ME International supplies cast mill liners and other wear parts to mining operations around the world. Its main offices are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its production facilities are located in Duluth, Minnesota and Tempe, Arizona.

Headquartered in C harlotte, GS Industries is the largest producer of steel wire rod in the United States and is the largest global provider of grinding media for the worldwide mining industry. The company has been reorganizing under Chapter I I bankruptcy protection since February, 200 I .

Wake Forest Receives International Ranking MBA Program Included 1n Three Surveys Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management has been ranked in three national and international surveys recently. The school placed No.3 among MBA programs wid- total costs of less than $95,000

by Forbes magazine, No. 26 in the world and No. 22 among U.S. schools in a survey of executive MBA programs by Business Week Magazine and No. 39 in the world and No. 25 among U.S. schools in the first international survey of executive MBA programs conducted by the Financic/ Times of London.

The Financia/Times of London survey is based in part on surveys of alumni from the Class of 1998 and reflects information from Babcock's Winston-Salem executive and Charlotte evening programs. Ranking criteria include measures of career progression of graduates, diversity and international experience of the faculty and students, and faculty research.

Babcock's 1998 graduates of the Winston-Salem executive and Charlotte evening programs realized an average salary gain of 76% during the past three years. That places the school No. 25 in the world and No. 8 among U.S. schools in that category.

Babcock is ranked No. 23 in the world and No. 18 among U.S. schools in faculty research, a measurement that is based on the faculty's per capita production of research published by leading journals in the various academic disdplines.

greater char lotte biz

E ULTIMATE

s~I...

RE ...~ss

REDUCER

The Ultimate Experience fro Nonnan Russell Salon & Spa. This season, don't get caught in the cold searching store after store for something that nay have to be retl.IT1ed. Norman Russell Salon & Spa Gift Certificates are always appreciated. You

t

c an f:t..rchase ;or a singl3 servi :::e or an entire cay o~ relax3.ton and rej..Jvenatcn.

Just ;~i·.te us a ·::a I with )OJr credt card or stop b~ o..r fabubus new 3 p3 fac ilibas in ScuthEnd .

Norman Russell Gift Certificates • Great for rewards, recogr tbns, specia.l clients and professional friends!

Call us about corporate gifts 3.1 d pack3.g:JS.

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decerrber

~001

7

bits Continued from page 6 a local remodeling service, has been ranked No. 79 on Qualified Remodeler Magazine's 200 I Top 500. The 200 I ranking is up 14 spots from the firm 's 2000 ranking.

The annual list is published to recognize remodeling firms for outstanding success in terms of annual sales volume for the previous year, number of years in business and services provided.

The Bainbridge Crew relocated to Charlotte from Buffalo, N .Y. , in 1996. It recently opened an 8,000 square-foot showroom to highlight examples of its remodeling work and created Bainbridge Handyman Services to service smaller projects and repairs ... Sterrett Dymond Stewart received a gold award at the 18th annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, a national competition which recognizes superior healthcare advertising and marketing. The Health care Advertising competition is the largest healthcare awards competition in the country.

The winning entry recognized the "Bernie" print ad for Rowan Regional Medical Center. The "Bernie" campaign was developed to promote the cardiology services offered by Rowan Regional Medical Center.

More than 3,200 entries were received from more than I ,300 healthcare institutions across the Un ited States. Judges , who granted 197 gold awards in 24 categories, consisted of a national panel of healthcare marketers, advertising creative directors , marketing and advertising professionals, and the editorial board of the Healthca re Marketing Report ... One of the country's foremost insurance companies has selected Charlotte's Vialogix to evaluate its online offerings.

Vialogix will provide an Internet strategy assessment to Royal &

SunAIIiance USA. Designers, Manufa;;tur:m & Cor ..uHants WELCOMETO()(JR HOOSE ...

13935 South Point Blvd Charlotte, NC 28273

!ÂŁ.fire n-Jfcws td.tctn.

!'It

s-et MJ

Phone: 1-800-257-5880 Local: 704-588-2887 Fax: 704-588-2888

E-Mail: bdm @ehrenhaus.com ~

8

december 200 I

Royal & SunAIIiance USA is one of the 20 largest property and casualty insurers in the U.S. Vialogix provides a variety of commercial, personal and specialty insurance and operates offices throughout the country.

Royal & SunAIIiance USA is part of the international Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group P.L.C, one of the top I0 multi-line insurance companies in the world. The London-based Group does business in 130 countries and has more than 20 million customers worldwide .

g r eater ch a rl ott e b iz

biz]

by lynda a. stadler

Opening Minds NCCJ Works to Unite Community by Celebrating Differences Nyala Hunt, executive director of the

Mecklenburg County residents fell into

As One Walkathon fund raiser, a major

National Conference for Community and

other categories other than 'white,' and the

portion of NCC]'s work is done with local

justice (NCCJ) admits that she would like

Social Capital Community Benchmark

businesses, helping executives manage

nothing more than for her organization to

Survey of 40 U.S. cities cited Charlotte as

the issues facing their diverse workforce,

not exist at all. But she knows that, as

39th in the ranking of inter-racial trust. The

as well as giving them the tools to help

Charlotte continues to expand into a widely

Charlotte Mecklenburg region also has the

influence a cultural change.

diverse community, it is an important

fastest growing Latin American population

necessity. NCCJ

in the country.

, a United

Way agency, has been part of the Charlotte community for more than 60 years, promot-

As a broadcaster, Mark Turner, general manager ofWCCB-1V Fox 18 feels he is acute-

"Executives and managers have a very strong influence on the people with whom they work. They are the ones who set the tone of their corporate cultures and their employees will follow their

ing inclusion, understanding and respect among all races,

lead," explains Hunt. Hunt

religions and cultures through

says she has noticed an

advocacy, conflict resolution

increasing number of larger

and educatio1 . The Charlotte

businesses recognizing that

regional office is one of 65

there are real diversity issues

NCCJ offices nationwide.

that need to be managed . In

"Our mission is to fight

fact, she believes, it is neces-

bias, bigotry and racism in our

sary for a business' contin -

community." says Hunt. "Our

ued growth and success.

organization focuses on provid-

"There are many areas, par-

ing programs that address

ticularly within the human

issues that affect our community

resources function, that need

by helping diverse groups of

to address diversity such as

people learn more about each

recruitment and selection

other and open their minds to each other's

ly aware of diversity issues as his station has

differences."

a responsibility to serve all citizens of the

modating different customs," she says.

community. Turner was invited to join NCCJ

"Open-minded ness needs to be ever-pres-

A major goal of the organization is to

procedures, communications, and accom-

make the issue of inclusion a community

as a board member after his television sta-

ent as a company's workforce expands to

objective, says Greg Norwood, NCCj chair-

tion teamed up with NCCJ as media sponsor

include people of different races, religion

man and a senior vice president for Bank of

of the 2001 Walk As One Walkathon in june.

and cultures."

America. "We want to focus on a coordinat-

"I think it is all about education and

NCCj facilitates on-site training pro-

ed, visible community movement that brings

awareness, " says Turner. "NCC]'s mission is

this issue into the forefront," he says. "There

a worthy cause that we should continue to

needs and manage specific issues.

are many organizations out there doing

pursue regardless of the size of our com-

Companies often call upon NCCj to help

great things t help address these issues,

munity- I don't think Charlotte is any more

handle immediate 'crises' , then realize the

but we need a more collaborative effort to

challenged in this area than any other city

need for further help in developing pro-

make it one of the Top 5 objectives of our

or community. This is something everyone

grams to manage on-going diversity issues.

grams that help employers meet specific

entire comm unity." NCCj works closely with

in our country should be concerned with.

the interfaith community, the Charlotte-

Promoting diversity and equality of all peo-

Industries, make diversity a core value

Mecklenburg Schools and other non-profit

ple is important and it's in our best interest

and consider NCCj an important resource

organizations that share its mission.

to support the effort."

that is key to their continuous training

"Accordhg to census statistics, it is important for our community to focus on and be proactive in addressing the chal-

Many organizations, such as Goodwill

and development.

Managing Diversity in the Workplace Aside from special community events

"Our organization's mission is to help all people in our community and to help our

lenges of diversity," says Norwood. The

such as a Thanksgiving Service, Annual

community move forward ," says Diane Hoff

2000 Census showed that nearly 43% of

Humanitarian Award Dinner, and Walk

Weekley, director of training and staff>

grea ter char lotte biz

december 200 I 9

development at Goodwill Industries. "It is very important to us to embrace diversity in a variety of ways and to promote understanding and acknowledgement of what

Manufacturer of powder processing ~quipment with 3E: t38rs e>:perience ir the p astics, toler, PVC anc powde~ coa:ir; industr es is S3eking tc expand i:s se r11ice SUJ= port organizatior

by par:ne ilg with an ex sti~ fac~ l ity in the Charlo:te, NC area. lntarestec Jarties rEed capc.J lities to prcrvide mechc:l ca l su ppcrt with c: ssemb y, equipment ~epcir and field servi:::.:! within Nol:l ~merica. bp芦Jrience w:tr.

Allen-BraoJe_; RS LDgic/ SLC 5='0 series :~r;d Sie,T.:J./s OP5/if-7 cortrol systE::-Js a plus, but rot necessary lnter3s:ed p:rti3s should collEct

704-59 3 -3242 or enail

everyone has to bring to the table." To that end, Goodwill Industries engages organizations such as NCCJ to conduct diversity training and workshops for managers and employees.

"I think all companies need outside resources who are subject matter experts

Council meeting last year. "It was very help路

in this area to help manage diversity

ful to us in getting to know each other, help-

issues," notes Weekley. "It's great to have

ing us to communicate with each other and

an organization like NCCJ in our community

recognizing that we are really more similar

whose vision and mission is to promote

than we are different," she explains.

and create an environment w here people have a mutua l and respectful understanding of each other. Every week I conduct new employee orientation sessions and I sit in

participate in NCCJ's Anytown programs,

mote conversation and open communica -

respect for all people and to encourage

tion between everyone who works with us."

young people to begin to act as agents of has to lead the change of the future," says

gro ups, notes Hunt. " It's im portant to man-

Norwood . "When children reach high school

age any racist attitudes an d biases that exist

age they have the capacity and the determi-

in order to maintain a productive work envi-

nation to make their own decisions. They

ronment," she said. NCCj's on-site training

participate in Anytown because they have a

sessions are designed to provide a non-

desire to know more about others and they

threatening environment that encourages

want to promote diversity and understand-

participants to address issues of diversity

ing in their communities and schools."

schools in the area to involve students in

realize the similarities that we all share as

the programs. Graduates of Anytown recruit

human beings. Then we wi ll be able to

students from their communities and

celebrate the differences and recognize that

schools to participate in the following year's week-long Anytown programs and has bud-

council and secretary for Bank of America

geted for four programs in the coming year.

~00

I

During the program, the students have

Diversity Business Council, one of several

an intensely intimate experience filled with

diversity councils with in the organ ization.

honest, open discussions that lead to

" We are a very diverse group of people

oecember

events. This past year NCCJ hosted two

Rachel Cummings, associate general

in t he legal department- geograp hically,

10

NCCJ works closely with Charlotte路 Mecklenburg Schools as well as private

to be t here," she says. " It's being able to

Corporation, leads her company's Legal

704-54. -7344

change. "We see the youth as the group that

people cannot segregate themselves into

being different is a good th ing."

Personai!Y Yours

Mecklenburg County high school students designed to promote understanding and

" People's differences are always going

83 11! Pine-lille-\tatthews Rtf. Sdte 272 - 2nd Floor Charfor.e, NC Z8226-4753

Every year, hundreds of Charlotte-

It's imperative that we know how to pro-

and discuss issues openly as a group.

Awilable at

Reaching the Next Generation of Leaders

a room with people from all over the world.

Indeed, the workplace is one area

k.s. mcnier@wortdnet.att.net

People" for her annual Diversity Business

learning about different people and how their attitudes can affect each other. They

racially, religiously- and it's important to

also learn the importance of taking a stand

our business that we address issues and

and speaking out against injustices they

serve as advocates for diversity and inclu-

see. Both Norwood and Hunt hope that this

sion. I think it engenders an atmosphere of

will enable them to foster new attitudes

respect within the company and that car-

about differences among the future genera-

ries over to serving our customers, as

tion. "These kids want to make a differ-

we ll," she explains.

Cumm ings called upon NCCJ to facilitate a discussion on "Bridging the Gap Between

ence. If they hear or see something they think is not right, they are willing to do something about it. They are the new voices

greater charlotte biz

that will shape the societal changes our country needs," says Norwood.

Dr. Charles LaBorde, principal of Northwest School of the Arts, recently joined the Board of Directors of NCCJ, and several students from his school attended Anytown programs last summer. Having teens face diversity head on during these

The I h ivu sity of N or! 1 Can• lina at Ct :..-1·

The Offi:.:e of Cor:.:inwng Ed ·catic·r:

programs, he says, can't help but improve our future society by having more understanding adults looking at the world from a broader global :>erspective. He has already observed students in his own school opening their perspectives and including students of all races and ethnic backgrounds

CERTIFICATE PROGRA-'1 IN e-BU:-INESS

A 36

I n~tr..Ictionll

Hour P:::-og:-am.

Deli-.-er:::d in ~-wo C:)m-enient ?o r:r:.:.ts W;,_ e~< JY or W :: ekeud C la >ses .f~';aiF:u' Program Begins

~pril

17 ,

2(1(11

in clubs and activities that were once predominantly attended by one segment of

Call 70"-- o87 - i452:• --or :11ore infi:· n naior or vis:t

:x~r

v.rebs_te at

v.~"WJJ.nCC-ol)du/c cl~du::: _

the population.

"I believe young people today really are concerned about the world they are about to move into and they care about justice and fairness. They see the benefits of learning to get along and understand each other better," he says. "It's been great for our students to have an opportunity to participate in NCCJ programs and I hope we will have more students get involved in the future."

In November, NCCJ hosted its first Peace Journey Conference for 45 Charlotte students in partnership with the Echo Foundation, Community Building Initiative, The Levine Museum of the New South, Johnson C. Smith University, CharlotteMecklenburg Schools and sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. The goal of the conference was for students to "arrive at concrete conclusions and suggestions for achieving positive change across ethnic, community and national boundaries," says Hunt, and was centered on the viewing and discussion ofTutu and Franklin: A Journey Towards Peace by the acclaimed journalist Renee Poussaint. The conference will serve as a model for similar conferences to be held around t he country.

"Programs like this will only help our growing community," says Hunt. "Giving the current events our country is experiencing, we are at an important crossroads, a crucial time to promote improved human relations and understanding."

Lynda A Stadler i:; a Charlotte-based freelance writer:

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704-483-5172

Charlotteans pa:Dnize long's Dry Cleaning and Lauldry 101 only (clr the prtkssional service -

but also fw a visit wi

tlaude long, the ltmb le founder and owner of l6 yean, and -r~â&#x20AC;˘,....c 1o pid; :a iet! of his homegrown tematles out badL

The Last Garment Spotter Claude Long's l)ry Cleaning and Laundry Keeps Charlotteans Pressea for Success Claude Long has never known a recession- not in 36 years of business. The only cycles he knows are the one in his SO-pound dry cleaning machines. "Long's Cleaning has neve:r had a recession, never a lack of work or anything," he asserts. "The only lack was trying to do it beuer."

Longs commitment to immaculate servic~ explains his ability to grow share of shins through good times and bad. Today, his facility on Morehead does a phenomenal 8,000 shirts a week. That's a lot of soap and water and starch, not to mention ironing.

Now in its 36th year, Long's has become a Queen City institution renowned for laundry and dry cleaninยง; smarts. When topnotch clothiers like Taylor, Richards & Conser and Paul Simon fo r Women have a tough stain, Long is the mar they count on to make it disappear. His 500 house accounts :tre a ve1itable Whos Who of Charlotte's movers and shakers. ot bad for an old country boy from Unicm County who got his start during his army days by operating a part-time d1y cleaning delivery van. Duty to his country over, he landed a job as a route man in Charlotte for Sno-White Cleaners, which handled the work for Buddy Simon and his brother, then owners of imon5 Fonnal Wear.

Together, the three men shared many experiences dove hunting, and in 1965 the Simons signed a $100,000 bank note to back a dry cleaning partnership with Long. "When the l::usiness did well, we

greater charlotte biz

started buying and opening other plants around town," recalls Simon, now president of the Karat Patch jewelry store. "We ended up with l3 store in all."

Stonewashing Marathon Four years later, Long bought out the Simon brothers and launched a mega denim-washing operation for Troutman Industries, which Simon claims made Long "big, big money" But Long could fore ce that the denim craze would hurt the dry cleaning business, at least for a time, and shrewdly decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em Manufacturers thought denim was only a fad , so instead of investing in washing equipment, they would fatm the fading job out to commerciallaund1ies. These laundlies overloaded their machines, which caused streaking.

Long had the perfect solution. "When 1 was growing up , my mother would wash my overalls and tum them sky blue," he reports in a southern drawl as thick as molasses. "So l went to 1<-Man, bought seven pair of cheap denim pants, and asked my mother how she did it. She said she made her own Red Devi.llye soap."

Certain he was on to something big, he convened his store on Remount Road and West Boulevard into a denim washing operation.

In no time, Long's secret formula landed him some big contracts. "I just come up with the right combination of alkaline, chlorine bleach ~

december 200 I 13

Morehead, wh ich appears deceptively

z.t ·m ink that exploded en tan slacks. "l-Ie's i • a difficult business, but he docs a great JOb." There wa; the case of lhc wtn;:~ .-;; >- T ::· e !,Jarsha Stmon, presrdent of Paul S1mon trcusers t.hat attended J. pr.y ol'l} ~ ~<ve fx Nomen, also testifies to Long's ability to so'lleone spill red win:: 30 bC' t.h..m long-: pc rbrm rmracles. "We refer a lot of people to rm de it chsappear," rq:c-:s _f. -cot;. \ L•r~an.

Lon;s, and l personally usc them. The service co owner of T1ylor, RL.brcl~ ~ •:.,ngcr. i.- :Jh~olutely fabulous. No matter what prob"It; been our experiex-:. ·h:u :-.lr. _ong k 11 you might have with a fabric, Mr. Long t:t!:::s JC .rc.trc a-:-d his staff are so knowledgeable" of the cl •'1.5 then Simon says that on more than one occaa '1.)-0ilC cl "<' iL sion when she thought she couldn't save a C. arlotL • prnent for a customer, Long helped. "He Mo o,.tr tays p.:ll2d us through and made us look good J 15 l:l hm·e hm1 as a reso .uce is so great." if.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

Long also endeared him(_

·t,

I)

ll'I•CL \j

Lorg vo..,.> ·e con nc t ·etre 1nJ leave the· t.ni >" .-. 1 i:h sur:mrd, hi1" each day.

0 ic:~·~d L· Cc.rolr Bn,.,e, il<Y.l!>,. L: \/Git.o n~/ 1\:!ans ana :., 1g; Se-en R: Ronald .'.1:C·urey a"Jd ~0'1g.

self to Simon and her staff b} arriving unexpectedly one day bcanng a strawberry pie he'd made with fresh-picked berrres "'A'e 10\·e workmg with him," says Simon "He's got a great personaluy, he's so much fun, so thoughtful. \\'hen a customer found out about the pie, he made one for her teo. We JUSt adore him."

small from the storefront. Beyond the counter, though, lies a vast beehive of 20 employees, who imently labor all clay over machines.

Like other businesses, everyone here is a specialist. Vivian Clay, the sorter, is the first line of defense. She determines if anything needs special handling, sons things into lots, and sends them to the washers and dryers.

Once the cleaning is done, shins move Lo women who operate three "double buck" shin units, a contraption with pressing moums for cuffs, collar and sleeves.

The shin body is then hand-fined over a form that automaticall y shoots it in and out of a pressing machine. The presser can handle two shins at a time, creating a dosey-do effect as the shirts pass each other back and forth.

Next, a "buttoner" spot checks for an}' lost bunons or other mishaps, and if necessary, repairs iL. Shins to be folded go to one woman; those destined for hangers head to another, who ensures orders are complete . lf not, she goes on a search and

h2 xas wrung out- 18 hours a day, seven dJ)-S a week, for l3 months. "We did

2X•,OOO to 300,000 patr of pants a week."

Soon, every cleaner wanted in on the

reuieve mission.

Pams geL pressed on "hotheads," "leggers," "pant toppers" and "puff heads," all run by specialists. Dino for the enormous

sLeonewashing act, driving prices down-

120-inch Oatwork press operated by two

...,_aJd. First in, first out was Long's philoso-

women, who handle sheets, tablecloths

p!;. Although he could have retired, he

and even Oags, whic h have been appearing

"'anted to get into the fancy garment end

mo re frequemly Each sheet requires four

o · Lie business. So he headed for the

to five passes through the machine, which

lnLE.mational Fabricare Institute. "! went L·

Lnishing school," he quips.

the women must set up by hand each Lime, making for a labor-intensive process.

Another woman nms a unit that deals

[I·~ tilling Profit~

Once Long changed his focus to fancy

form that rises a queenly 12 feet off the

eve-ything but his Morehead, Sharon

ground. "The most expensive dress we've

f.:Joc. and Providence Square locations.

ever done was a $12,000 wedd ing gown,"

(The Providence Square location has since

notes Long. "But we do lots of $3,000 Lo

cbed). Six years ago, he opened a "pick-

$6,000 gowns. "

store, as he euphemistically terms

· e:r., at Lake

orman.

These outlets do approximately $3

This area is also LetTain of Nathaniel West, a TLC guru who fusses over garments that require extra-special auemion.

rril ion a year. "Our vobme has gone as l: gh as iL can go- can't produce no more,"

West , who has been >viLh Long for 14

l:e :c.ys bluntly "Been fdl for 15 years."

one-of-a-kind pieces like the Panthers' Sir

Today, all garment processing is done

a L-1e 7,500-square-foot facility on de c ember 2::J1

gowns the royal treatment on a tension

garnents and hand cleaning, he sold

L.'J''

14

only in silks. She also gives wedding

years, says, 'Tve seen it all. " He rejuvenates Purr outfit and Queen Charloues costume.

Long's other garment-handling wizard

greater charlotte biz

is Ronald McCrorey, who anived four years ago from the school system and is now a walking encyclopedia of fabric care. "Claude is the last of the garment spoiLers," he assens, maintai 1ing that even the Institute doesn't teach e\·erything he knows.

In McCrorq's experience, many new fabrics necessitate personal attention. "The toughest fabric today is spandex, a blend that has pockets within it. Too much heat will scar it. 5pc.ndex is real hard to handle, because it's easy to stretch out or draw up."

McCrorey maintains that most of their competitors use only solvent, which doesn't get all the dirt out and also causes fading.

"Soap carries the dirt," he argues, showing how he precisely monitors the one percent soap charge wi h a three percent rinse cycle on their dty Jeaning machines. lcCrorey also keeps close watch on a new Hoyt Petro-Miser that evaporates solvent fumes and distills them for recycling.

seven of the 20 employee5' a" the lvklrehead locatir•:-t have b~:t w~_-h him

The Secret of ::...ongevity

The lon5e·.rity of Long's clients and employees is amazing. Many customers have been coming in for 20 years, and

that long as welL Several employes are second generatioc, includ'Ilg Ccy- whcse mother worked there for :;_ l yeaLS Why such tc:alty7 On the lUStomer si:.e, perhc.ps it's l:ecause L:mg stil shows u::: every day to <)I!Crsee thngs. 'we get nc: complaints, just :;uggestio"15 LO ~u:~ighten u-:: ," he de::lares 'If customers :1rc just

tireless comr11iLtnent. "''ve ne;er seen an;one with mo-e perseverance dibgence and better work ~ethic."

Long is :;mnicularly prom that Longs was chosen LJ care for the costumes for "The Pattiot.- on Rick hand eel the job at his Long's Dty Cleaning in Reck Hill.

The dire:tor sent a leuer afterward promising to refer Rick Long to any mode company tha came to town "Handling

handing you mocey, you don't bav~ any relationship witl- them."

Some custo.r ers ship tl:eir clothes fDm Raleigh; se..,~ral drive from SalisbuiJ. A1 his Sharon Rc ad location, Lnng plants UO tomato plam:; each sp-ing ;::-d lets

ing, and mo::t. cleaners don't know what a deadline is " nods Long.

When it comes to the lo-;alty of his employees, Long calls them his family. "

customers pick;;_ :ew ripe ones '"'enever they come in. (This year, w:~s outraged V~-hen a th_cf abs_onded \\ith al:nJt 150 of

got good etT...::Jloyees. It starts from coun1er until you pick up. One in&ti.dual could know it all, but that doesn't do it- it's

his tomatoes, rur..g more br the !act that th~y were green 1han they were ?;•Jnet) Over :he yC;;~.:s, Long's has g \en C•Jupons for free Jry clear:r.g to , ·arious

gotta be a gnup thing." "l love L1is place," he

c 1arities. After Lhe bombi-g, Long donatee one day's revena:: s to the F:ed Crc ss for a total of $10,00C Simon attlib-l:es Lon;!'s succt:ss to his

them. " biz

dry cleaning is a hard thing because mo"'le people have o meet deadlints on shoot-

st~ss:s.

"[ will

never q·1it. ''-Nithout my fatTily, I would retire, a:td it consists of evet;> one of

Nan Bauroth -s a Charlotte-based freelance wner.

The A/1-Nev.,: 2002 Audi .-1.4

Compared -::o the new A4, everything else is just c ride . Th is ca r is -:: he ticket.

J\uci Of Charlotte 781}0 E. lnde ::lendence Blvd .

Charlotte, \J C 2822 7

704-537-2336 greater charlotte biz

december 200 I [5

by karen doyle

Blacklion's Merchandising Concept Has Shoppers Clamoring for More

T

elevision commentator Andy Rooney once bem::Janed what he dubbed the "Beneuon.zation of America," the growing phenomenon of retail homogeneity, in (dis)hcnor of the international clothing :etailer that rapidly opened stores in American mall after mall after mall. Go to any marketplace , Rooney sighed, and everything looks alike.

This trend suits one Charlotte business family, however, just file.

E.ob and 1ta Emory are the brains and heart behind E.lacklion, a retail concept that could be called the ".'\nti-Beneuonization of America." Business is booming, and shoppers are clamoring for more.

Waving hello to a half-dozen people as he strides :low:1 a shopping aisle, Bob Emory pauses to straighten a knick-knack on top of an antique table.

"Isn't this neat?" he murmurs, tiLing ar.d examining a handmade picture frame. In step 路.with him on the other side of the aisle, ita Emory smiles.

"1\路e got to come back here and shop," she says. "There's alwa)'S new merchandise every day I've got to come out here and look."

B ~ acklion 's Park Road location, situated on the township line between Charlotte and Pineville, is 68,000-plus square feet of gifts, accessories, artistry and entrepreneurship. One minute you might be look.ng at hand painted children's furniture, and in the :J.ext you might spy a dramatic wall hanging that would look perfect above your J ::sk.

The concept is near-genius in its simplicity: gather 300 or so merchants-too small to afford their own stores-under or_e roof, in order to create a one-stop-shopping destination featuring upscale home accents, furnishings , lawn <.nd garden items, and anwork. Charge the merchants one fee for rent and another for advetising, and allow them to control the display and sale of their merchandise. Pay the power and plumbing bills, w allow the merchants to focus on their individual cusinesses. Then, encourage and s路J?port their success, much like a business incubator space. '"From day one, Bob was interested in :ne as a person as well as a vendor," says jan Cool~y co-owner of Natures Impressions, one of Black! on's original merchants. An artist who once painted "on the side" of her day job, Cooley now wholesales her botanical ~

december 200 I 17

pi nt:; .md accss =- e:s to :1ea.t ly l ,000 stoLes acro=s the United ates. E er lin _ i..r:•. h: d~ 00 ite:r_o rang ns fro m lam?s, to wa ll ~-t ,

w r-' cture h·a :r e~--

her

J=Ii~~ s

t::J

kitc:.her ;ue:m o boards. he has licen sed

to a n.T · >n 3.l pee ing cud cc n pJny an:! Loa we ll-

l:nO\,TI Laq:et mnu!;:,cuer. \ES

exhibiting he artwork at

recalls. 'The C•LDP:u;' I 'lO _1ccmc.

~\·as

.1

own company, Bob Emory & Associates , and began represen tin g

work.n.s fer

teaching drafting and archi tecture at East Mec klen burg lligh

v1~ nt

School to h elp Bob ru n the business.

ou t •: :.business. I

~z s

(,er

&J i~

t - sell. " Bc·J Emo ry looked

h - work, ar d :JS>I.t:r::d he- th::t o-hc \\ c u l:.i be a :;·_=:ess. Cooley

agred to le1se a 0'

~:

6. sp; ce.. ;.,:, ~hcn: ing traf'i : at Black! ion

p eked .rp, and zs =r· o ·;· int -:)dJLed Cooey to sorne of his -,. hokscle g ft

fo r a nationwide gift line.

b i.?; decis.on for me," she

__ ''/:13 a big ::amble [or 'Le to take the sp ace,

-,.onc e:ilg fry r,ork lH

of the business , eventually becoming th e Southeast sales manager

nearly 100 gift bra nds to 2,000 retail accounts. Nita left h er j ob

art shJws.

' :Jp.:nin g ;:, s: 'I.C:- Jt liladdioL was lud

ita worked as an ind ustrial arts

By 1986 , Bob had cultivated eno ugh contacts to form his

5ix years <: go . -c .,e\E:r, - 1e ~ma l

furniture sales business, wh ile

teacher. Almost a decade later, Bob switched to the wholesale side

-er:

:;e:1ta ive-fricn:ls

somd. -::-od3.y th.:: CJJ.pzn y

Returnin g from his south eastern tra\'els, Bob woul d ta ke a sh ortcut th rough Pineville in order to avoid South Charlon e's growing traffi c. He kept eyeing the old Kmart buildin g on Park Road , which had been empty for two yea rs, after Km art expanded to a larger store alon g Highway 51.

;:,: .re' lmr·re::oions b los-

s.s mJTe t'1a1 a hal'-millio n dollars

i t atn\131 sc. le~ .

"There ought to be something we can do \vith th is bui ld ing," Emory thought.

The Blac klion con cept came together after he visited an

Eladdioo , 1cmwli e, ha:; ju>t Jpene:c it:; si..xth lo:ation-and Its plar:s for 120 rc·-e ocro2:- tl:.e c:oun .-y.

Atlanta shop that specialized in high-end antiqu es. By ga th ering a large n umber o f dea lers under one roof, the sh op ge nerated steady traffi c for all the dealers. About th at Lime, developers' plans

T

"le P rth _,f a ..)rca 11 3ol:: u d '-J-ta ~tre Char .:me natl•;es wh•J rr:et through one: c '-li.l.a's 2J ILge -c-::Jr:m1J! e3 In tho: E?Os, d uring he ea...-!y >Ears o! their :r.c.rr ag ~. Bob learned the retail

fo r Ballantyne we re announced , and a fri end who handl ed demographic ana lys is for a Charlon e bank remarked to Bob th at by

20 10, Charl ou e was p rojected to be the eleven th -largest city in the United States.

BLACKLION The striking Black! ion logo, inspi red by a town near the shores of Lower and Upper Lough MacNea n, was designed purposefull y by ita Emory, who is in charge of creati ve and adve rtising. The power of the blac k on wh ite, combined with its elegance and sophisti cati on in executi on and its simple and direct representation of the name, provide fo r a uniquely memorable image.

'The name is the same as the image. lL burns into your brai n," says Nita.

Oftentimes the retailer's most powerful campaigns are as simple as its logo. A seri es of billboards, for example, consisted of just a few words in white on black. An example: "Upscale, not uppity. " "The billboard co mpany thought we were crazy," Nita said . "They told us we would n't get any response. Well, we got so many calls!" And so did the bi llboard company, fro m local businesses waming to do the same thi ng.

The black lion feat ures prominently around Charloue. He's bigger th an life above th e doors at Blackli on stores, on shopping bags and even on the Blackli on limousine. The company's familiar tag line is, "Come prowl the aisles. " For high impact advertising, the lion someti mes wears a splash of color - a red bow at Christmas, a green one on St. Patric k's Day. "People ta lk about th e lion all over town ," said ita, who's sure his sim ple silhoueue will wi n the same recogniti on wherever Blacklion goes in its national expansion.

IS

c ;: cemb= - 2COI

greater charlotte biz

[n Cct::Jber of 1995, working on "fanh , a dream and a vision," Bob signed the deal for the empty builcing.

AILhough they had some merchants in mind to be their first tenants, t ita say~., they didn't have any under contract.

For two months, the Emorys compiled savir·gs and income from Bob Emory & Associates to hire an architect and builder LO upfit the building-an effort thJt would cost $450,000 when all was said and done.

tl- e·.' ce "sc.:. ry. ~) ·~·"'e' re

ceeply .~latef _\ for that ,' BJb ol)'S. "That a'bwcd ·1:; to open JLr dx•r:. in thE black, znJ ·;;e'.;e opere E.O.: ir. the black ever ::Lncc."

E:-tory dec' n~:; .o re.;::al do tzu-

B

ac 1 •)n'::, Pncc ~adlion's

scc..m.d l:xa1.o1, at

for the corpany'o 3<:\es. As e"~de:::-:ce of stronb grow·1, hcwe''er i~ p.nnts out a· tre company ro"" 11s _:o emplo-.ec- in si" sto1-::s i1 _-Jv

Llke onnan ca1:12 1bJut when the 3.JOj::ping :mt ~·s cn~ loper cz.lled, :;aying tl 1t c. tecnt lu;l .'ao:<Led about I ,2JC sqLare fee .. V/:nd t ·: Emor;-> be increS<ed in 2xpancin§ th I.ilrJ..lion concp_' Tl-ey 9id no.

The Je,relcpe r came ba k tt rcc vveel:s later \\':J:rning 1ha· ;r_ctrcr rctailtr

st:Jte:. "It's all J. n•~ of iroric," he ac-n _s -,~.ith ;.laugr. ··ou plc. n -Aas to n:,•::r, ~~ver have mor:: t 1an one ,.tore ..,

t >pe rna :<Cl i:1 the sp 1ce. they imz-ested' >-

\~Ul"l"':

\'vas p

~rning 01

c•pcnhg <:. 3l.Jc:klion·lo1,..r

"'ere

S

etbacks and Success

Construction began in January 1996 , and the Emorys quickly realized they would need more funding. Turned down by their bank of 15 ye:~rs because the stan-up was an unknown retail presence with no inventory Jr assets to collateralize .he requested loan , Bob approached several private im estors with offers of ownership of up to 50 percent. All dec lined to get im·c.Jved.

The money ran out by the end of February, and construction ground to a halt. Bob gathered the family-Nita and their daughter Elisabeth, now 15 -for a serious talk. "[ told them we were going down,"' he says, sl-aking his head. "We were go ing to lose our house, which was paid for. all our savings, e\·erything." lie then called the -+0 merchants who had committed to Blacklion, told L1em the project was on hold, and duly refunded their deposits.

After much soul-searching, Bob and ita agreed that their vision was still viable. They called their mortgage broker and applied for an equity loan, which provided enough funding tc finish construction and restart the business.

Bob cc.lled back the 40 merchants who originally committed to the project. All but three agreed to come back.

Blacklio'l opened on May 31, 1996, with 70 o[ the total 330 spaces leased.

Kmart a.~reed to renegotiate Blacklion 's lease, to abate the Emorys' rent payments for 1 few months. (The Emmys decline to reveal what their monthly rent paym : nts are, although Bob admits

grea ter charlotte biz

decerter 2)0 I 19

The Emorys said yes, and quickly se·::urcd merchants for the store. The Lake Jonnan Blacklion opened in August 1998, with its 53 spaces fully leased. ln less than a year, the developers of oncord Mills approached the Emorys, se::king "something new and different for t 1e mall," Bob remembers. Four times, t1: Emorys rejected the opportunity.

"Nita's reaction wasn't 'no,"' Bob grins, "It was 'Hell, nol" The B 1d lio1 ~ t::> re on P<.rk F.oad was the fi rst location and to be =. <mart.

i ~ tr.~.nsformE :I

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"lt was just too much for us to t.1ink about ," ita explains. ''We were running a huge rep organization, and msing Elisabeth." Additionally, the family had just paid off the equity loan , and was fee ling a bit of monetary s~ ·:urity.

Bob went up to the Concord Mill site as it was under construction, "~o get the vibes ... It was just overwhe lming." Impressed by the number or tenants already committed to the r:;roject, Bob thought "They must know sJmething."

I le signed a lease for 27,000 square feet, large enough for 125 merchant s-:nces. The store opened in October 1g99, with 90 percent of the spaces leased.

One month later, the spaces were full. oon the Mills de,·elopers again approached the Emorys to open a Blacklion at the proposed Opry Mill , in Nashville, this time to be an anchor tenant. They guaranteed a prime , 22 ,000square-foot spot, between Bass Pro Shops and Off 5th, the Saks 5th Avenue outlet.

The fourth Blacklion opened in May 2COO, its 129 spaces fulL The fifth Blacklion opened three

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The events of September ll have slowed leasing activity, Bob Emory says, but they have only "stretched out the timeframe ."

He expects the newest Blacklion to be fully-leased within months, and for the Blacklion concept to expand even furthe r nationwide . Al ready, he says, he is receiving phone calls from mall developers all

20

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greater charlotte biz

over the coumry.

"Every mall has its established anchor swres," he says, "and they're the same everywhere. The consumer is not seeing anythmg new or different from location lO location. That's what Blacklion provides. Each store is d ifferent, the merchams within each store arc different."

To provide operational economies of scale, the Emorys are in the process of installing $350,000 in computer networking and reponing systems to link all six stores together, to be able to transmit daily sales reports for all the merchants. A co rporate Web site, <www.blacklion.com> , provides com-

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pany information and limited online shopping, although they don't plan to concemrate on Internet sales.

"A lot of these things-lamps, mirrors, pictures- are things that people like to see and touch and feel," ita says.

"They come to the store to go 'treasure' huming, and get great decorating ideas."

Some of those treasures come from within the family. Elisabeth Emory opened her O\\·TI space, Ladybug Ladybug, in the Concord Mills Blacklion when she was Jnly 13 years old. Long time \'eteran of gift trade shows and Charloue's Blackhon showroom, she approached her parents with a business plan to sell accessories made from recycled boulecaps and license plates. Old hubcaps clot the walls, and used car bumpers serve as shelving. The location, near Lowe's Motor Speedway, made her space an instam hit with race fans.

Asked if she's making money, she smiles wide, revealing her braces. "Oh definitely. It's r..ot a lot for one really small space, but it's pretty good."

Elisabeth likely gets her humility-as well as her marketing savvy-from her parents, who C.isclose that their company-wide sales volume has quintupled from Blacklion's early days.

"We're not where we would love to be, but we're rot bad off either," Nita Emory says modestly. Then she bursts into a grin: "\\<e're not disappoin ted." biz

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How the ow er of CdrlotF's Ben fr Jerry's icP earn shops

dishes t go dbusin ss Nery day Fhytlis Sd:lUL: a:-d her ks::>zr:c, ~hl.t G-c·nl:i, b~~- f~ """rr sm1etl-ing gc•o::l o::lt cay bac:-< ir. rl-.e .3. '80s :r:: \1 ard's htanatinal.;.irpcrt. V'ih..le ---nTkit:g tr·.•ugh he t::rm·m .. till:; s orped f:.r some [.en{:;: }TI;'.> _ce cre::.rr. They 'ikec i~. =r fact thq .ike::! it a bt. 1.$ fu·m~- r_o,., SJ:h a simp..:: thirg L-.e 1--:E:l<.in~ a ~ tq: :or ce cr:.1m ._oulc b:: :k =es:r..ning of so m..t::h me~ l~ thi3 ·:aso:c, 11 rrarks the xgir:uing .:.· [a :1. ghl·r 3DC·.t:s ·ul tu~ircs :; story: This ~-lO-:- s:al:S a "'-O:r3."1 vi Co J,:x;:n't r.:.ve 3 us:r.es:; do:gtez. !Jter college .:.nd tho g::-J::lt::c.re 5cho.ol. F'l-.yTis ~cl-__ llz stsrted , ~ r o::3n:er as :J. Fr.::nch t~ch~ .r :he 'Jvasl· J.5tct, =,_c._ are<~. Aftcr no;ing L• . ew Ycrk '\O'i :, <=r ::-ruo;·A..,d ,:-~ge t o of te;Jc:<ing 5-NL:hed ~ec.G, ar:<i Lmd=j :l jo·::> :::.oin.; pubic rcl:n:cn3 for the ::tale Att::rne·; Genen.L's o lice. Luer, <i er b: lping :; u: let- h·_stard thrcugt mediad scl:o ·l . .ht ccfj:llc: Ir _oved teo B.:.•31:Cn. vl:cre ::Chultz c ::ci:kd tc plJt h =r>E.!- .:Uougt IC:\': ;;:hool. TI.is b~.:sy ti:me il the cc_pLs IJe: be:ar:t: e.ren C'JSi __ ·,vh~• th ~:' t=rld up and moore:C .o Chc:rl ::n:~ l: -"'<IS he::--e ·h : S::hul-~ t•:>oJJ..: th ~tete tat (X.l a:1.d wer.t •::- t::> beco::-te a1 10

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flf fi-;tYrars 3)- tTe rr:i c:· ~J :::r x-.i.<: "'laS t:f-e ]T'XJC new cwner of &r .;r _err;s ftacdug:_ ·v.r1 L= s:Juttng fx s:·::-re site:;, she set up l pu:h cc.u fLil cf ±.e gcxd ~£in Up:ov.':l ·o ,et ~ ..vord ow that Ben :;rj ::::::-y3 .ce ·:T?am v.ao r. t.:"ITl. -::-he:~ ' _<!.::Jril d '39 , chultz ::>fe ~ ::d l-er =-J st ~ere. a: -~ C -c:::nt Co::-r.-::- ::ommercial building x . Pre...- den:-:: !Cal ,\ :e-.v ID:c:l3 ah:r ·=t=crti· g cia:;, :ustomers ~r= ::ra•:tiC3ly <cckin~ cc··....r d-e d:()r t=• ge. in. H.~ store did V""ct')' ~ -~ until BL::-:i.::c:-Jt ~ c.m1e :hrc..1gh ate th;c Septerrber. l:{ugJ -c :l-ed cut X•v.e-Lc the: •: :uem C:~: f::-- seved days, v;hich 'P;l3 ULf••-u3te fc a t o::s::>--:::J.T.g bus-nes~ :.clultz remember~ it ~L • J.' llt co }Ot. cJ Nilb ar .•::::: cream ~op ..vith no freezer (:C•'P~::-'" ;he : id ' n ~ Jnl)' thln§ iOU •: O..lL CC. .. gi"C: it awayl· I'm'S. \_;__q v.bt s~ c.c_ ·-Jcis~l:: ()('3 cane Gol•· urd, sh= gave it a?Vay Thll: ~ boa · c; :;re : 3:1-.crtisi~ strz:=gy &fo-t long, the st e ·Jec:.rre nort: anc . cae crov;ded ~~ r:- c:B~- at:: be 'or= long reo:-·L= 3·aned as:,,g ::a,o> ic•r..::. T:-..::y ""'C::' lOO IU:Jrc: T'1C'!' Wa:-tted r:·..::·re [;cr SrJ-~rr/s.i.:.c: c:-ean. TLey wa·ned r::-..::ore c·f -:hat :h-:o-tooc Chca:ht~ Ch :J 1

It wa:. her 1: J3:anc's he-

::e::emt :r 200 I 2l

"'ll:reh vo·.rided what Schultz thought wo._ld b:: the perfect setting for another ~toe. nus, the site-seeing began, and in J\:.1} o · }991 , Schultz found herself setting

UJ= ' hq: a: store #2 at the Arboretum _,!J:JJptr..g Center. Lucky for her, the al\whi e ·Jtic complex at the comer of "Pi ville-Matthews and Providence Roads i3 -t•JW one of the largest, most visited ~h -· p n~ :enters in the Queen City Fr:>T1 .here, its on to a college town.

Af.:':l· al.l , college kids spend money, and it's oft 1 en f: od-from pizza, to greasy fast fncx_ a· t.>;:J in the morning, to yes, ice cre.:I11. Hence, store #3 at Davidson College in = avidsoo, North Carolina. From opening .:Ia:' in ovember of 1993, and to this day, chul::z calls it one of her best stores, witt g-ea: 3ales and great management.

M,rr:.e Beach in South Carolina is one of 1i:Je arg::st, most visited coastal cities on the ::ast Coast. Thousands Oock there cvo::ry ~e:~r. during every season. When 1.::mrist> go to the beach , they spend mar ey ThJts what Schultz saw when she 1o._gh Jf opening a store at the beach. o _1e ~ig1t-s~eing traveled southeast, and to

one of Myrtle Beachs' developing shopping centers called Broadway at the Beach.

Schultz saw its potential almost immediately "It made sense to open two stores there," she says. o in the Summer of '95, the first store went up, followed by a second one three summers later, in 1998.

It's now the late 1990s, and Phyllis Schultz is back home in Charlotte. With several stores under her belt, Schultz decided to build a store with a neighborhood-feel to it. The next Charlotte store would open in May of 1998 on Fairview Road, smack-dab in the middle of outh Charlotte, not far from SouthPark and its surrounding subdivisions.

But Schul tz had tourists on the mind again, which this time, took her to a place called Sevierville, Tennessee. It's not in the Carolinas, but it's a pretty good choice to set up shop. After all, it's only miles away from places like Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, which is almost like the mountain-equal to Myrtle Beach. Places like Dollywood, mountain resorts and chalets, and outlet malls keep them in business. Schultz opened the Sevierville

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Schultz began her career in the food industry with a push cart. Today, she owns and operates seven Ben & Jerry's, with another one on the way Not bad, consideiing there's only about 70 owners and about 260 stores nationwide.

But Phyllis Schultz isn't only the owner of a few highly successful ice cream scoop shops. Shes a wife and mother as well. Its easy to imagine how busy she is on a daily basis. But she has lots of help.

Schultz talks about how much she appreciates her husband Matts support. "Hes a radiologist, but hes very involved in the strategic and long-term planning of the business," she says. "And he loves the building part of it ... he's very engineering and business savvy " She talks about how he helps in the design of her stores. "lt's funny, " she chuckles. "Irs almost like a hobby to him. " Schultz runs her operation out of an office upstairs from the Fairview Road scoop shop. Thats where she works closely with her Office Manager, who helps her with the stacks of paperwork that pile up clay after day An Operations Manager helps her oversee the general operation of the stores. he has a manager at each store, who report to her frequently at their weekly meetings. More recently, Schultz has been working with local partners, who act as on-site owners of the stores located outside of the harlotte area.

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store just this past August, and its already off to a Oying start. By the way, its also the only Ben & Jerry's in the entire state of Tennessee.

Schultz continues to expand her franchise to the arolinas and beyond, with work abom to wrap up on her latest scoop shop, this one in Columbia, South Carolina. It's scheduled to open in December.

The Three-Part Mission Ben & jerry's Ice Cream started out as a local scoop shop in Burlington, Vermont, owned by Ben and jerry themselves. Since then , the company has been bought by a $56 billion dollar company called Unilever. Unilever owns such popular ice cream names as Good Humor,

greater charlotte biz

Klondike and Breyers. The Ben &: jerry's name has expa:1ded so enormously, that now only 10 % of the company's earnings come from scoop shop sales. The rest of it comes from those convenient little pints found at t;as stations and grocery stores all across the country.

However, from the very beginning, Ben &: j erry's has gone by what they call the Three-Pan Mission ... to make the best product, to make a prorit for shareholders, and to give back to the community which supports the bt.:siness.

While running her franchise, Phyllis Schultz fully in·10lves herself and her employees in ttose community events.

They work with the national Communities in the Schools program, where they do things like ofer ice cream rewards to kids with perfect attendance. One of the events they're most proud of is the WBT I Ben &: j erry's annual blood dri ve, held at the Charlotte Coliseum in August. The motto there is "Give a Pint, Get a Pint. " They award 1,000 donors pint coupons, in exchange for gi-ving a pint of blood.

Schultz's fran::hise does so well in the event, that she won a national award a few years ago presented by the American Association of Blood Banks.

"Anyone (an Do t" Schultz's hard work has paid off in many ways. Her community is proud of her... so much, that Wachovia and Queens College named her 1996 Businesswoman of the Year. And her franchisor is proud of her as well. Eer. &: jerry's recently named her operatior. Franchise of the Year. Today, Schultz is proud to unveil her plaque proclaiming her th~ latest recipient of The Big "0" Award ... for Outstanding Overall Operation.

Phyllis Schultz employs mainly teenagers who are eager LO start their rirst job. She says the biggest challenge in working with them is instilling the ambition that they can do anything, if only they put their mir.ds to it. "Young people think you're successful because you're lucky. I don't believe that," she says. "Because the harder you work, the luckier you get." biz Tara Lane is a Cf.Jarlotte-based

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I 25

Charlotte Real Esta e: A Year in Review john R. Shell, Jr. john Shell is a graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Masters Degree in Land Use Planning.

He began his commercial real estate career with Homart Development Company in Chicago , the real estate development subsidiary of Sears , serving first as director of mall development and later as director of office development. Wh ile at Homart, he directed the development of four regional malls and major office developments in Dallas and Atlanta .

Shell later served as vice president/Virginia part ner for Fai son Associates in Richmond , Virgi nia, overseeing the development of three hi gh-rise office towers and the Omni Richmond Hotel.

After serving as Carolina partner for Spectrum Properties in Charlotte, Shell joined Charter Properties in 1988 as vice president, directing the development, leasing and man agement of over 1.1 million square feet of office and industri al buildings. In 1995, he joined McGuire Properties as president. In 1998 the company joined TCN Worldwide Real Estate Services, an international network of over 6o prestigious real estate firms representing 140 markets worldwide.

Shell has developed and leased over 6.5 million square feet of office, industrial and retail projects . He is a member of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors , the Charlotte Business Properties Editorial Advisory Board and is currently pres ident of the Charlotte Region Commercial Board of Realtors .

Last spring john Shell belie-v-ee three things needed to happen tc keep Charlotte's commercial real est.lt<: -narket on track. He believed the U~ Ai:-1 United merger needed to o-:::ur; the.te needed to be an affirmative -.-o e ()(1 -te uptown bond referendum; <me tho:: Wachovia!First Union merÂŁ;er !ceded w go through.

"Fortunately, one of these :lid lu:.ppen," says Shell. "lf all three: hc.d gore bad, we would be in really bac du~.'

However, with two of these key events failing, along with a wor,cr1in8 national economy, the evenG o[ September ll hit with a wh<rm As a consequence, Shell says Chalo:te i.3 :King uncertain times now and a : I-.aJen§E that will last well into next year Vacancy rates are climting i:1 3.ll segments of the market. Ofice V3.CaLcies rates hit 9.5% in October, U? from 8.5% last April. Industrial ~ce is averaging 9.5%, up from 5.7% in .l'l.pril.

Flex space has gone from 14.2% vacancies in April to 16.9% in October.

Rental rates are also inching downwards as supply exceeds demand.

Except possibly for industrial space, Shel l says the market is overbuilt. He expects the coming year will see diminished cash Oow and much greater concessions to tenants, even those that lease industrial space.

Concessions could include breaks on rent rates, free rent, or more outfitting"all the ways the real estate market traditionally responds to increased volume due to a decrease in demand," Shell says.

Shell is particularly worried about the downtown area where 1500 new hotel rooms are currently available or under construction and 3,000 new multifamily units are being built. While city leaders have encouraged developers to invest in retail space in new office buildings, that space is standing Continued on page 28 top

by casey jacobus

2001 Despite the slowing down of the national economy, the residential real estate market in Charlotte was on pace through August to have an even better year than the previous one and 2000 was a record breaking year.

"We were having a great year," says Mike Rc.sh, president of the Charloue region for Prudential arolinas RealLy "We had good growth for a period of five to six months. " According to the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association , sales of existing homes in the Charlotte region were up 11.5% in August, compared with the same month a year ago. ales were closed on 2,202 homes in August , up from 1,974 in August 2000. Another 2,291 homes were placed under contract in August , a 9.4% increase from the same period last year.

Home prices were also up. The

average price of homes closed through August was $178 ,593 , an increase of 1.6% from the same period last year. ln August itself, the average price was $183,124, up nearly 1% from that month a year ago. Homes were also selling at about the same pace as the year before , with 36% closing within 60 days of com ing on the market.

Then came the tragic events of September llth and the real estate market came to a grinding halt.

"For the two weeks after 9/ll , it was like there was 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ground ," says Rash.

"Nothing was moving. " The market has not yet begun to recover and the ominous signs are growing. More houses are coming on the market. Layoffs from companies like Bank of America and United Airlines are taking potential buyers out of the market. Apartment vacancy rates have hit the highest point in a Continued on page 28 bottom

Michael L. Rash

A Charlotte native, Mike Rash graduated from Myers Park High School in 1965 an ::l was immediately drafted into the Army.

After a stint as a gunner on a helicopter in Vietnam , he contracted malaria and was discharged. Once he returned to civilia n life, he went to work for a medical compan>selling orthopedic implants, and travelin & a four-state area . Newly married in 1979 , he wanted to stay closer to home , so he turned his attention to selling houses .

His first year as a realtor in Raleigh , he posted $1 .8 million in sales .

Rash sold real estate for about six and one half years in Raleigh , then opened a Merrill Lynch realty office in nearby Cary ir 1985. In the next four years , he grew that office from six agents to 44路 In 1989 he we -to Lakeland , Fla. , to manage the Merrill Lyn:::h office there. After two years , he returned home to manage the South Park office for Prudenti al Carolinas Realty. (Prudential had bought out Merrill Lynch .) He grew the SouthPark office by more than a third and was promoted to president of the Charlotte region in 1998. Today he oversees nine offic~ :; and approximately 425 agents .

Rash has been active in the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association since 1994 w ehe became a member of the Professional Standards Committee. He later chaired th : committee and was elected to serve as association treasurer in 1998. A yea r latehe was elected president-elect. This year he is pres ident of the association .

2.5% six months ago.

"Developers have responded to what the city leaders want," says Shell. "Now the economy has stubbed its toe , we need some leadership and aggressive programs While Shell believes the people have clearly spoken against a new downtown basketball arena, he hopes city leaders will reexamine the other elements of the bond package. He believes a public works program that includes everything in the bond referendum except the arena would provide the necessary shot in the arm for continued growth downtown.

"We have a history in Charlotte of every $1 in public funds providing $4 to $8 in development benefits," says Shell. "The private sector has been carrying the water. Now is the time for the city to stimulate growth. " An investment downtown will

pay off in more ways than just increasing the tax base , according to Shell. It will help fill hotel rooms and sell condos throughout the Charlotte area.

"What happens downtown is symbolic for what happens in the region," he says. "It's the place with the most concentrated risk."

Despite the gloomy statistics, a recent poll of Charlotte area Commercial Realtors showed a remarkable amount of optimism about how they and their businesses will fare in 2002. More than half of the 261 realtors who responded to a mail survey said they were optimistic about next year and nearly a third do not see economic uncertainty as the No. 1 threat to their business.

Shell says such optimism is probably a reflection of what it takes to be a good salesman.

"Good salesmen keep an upbeat, optimistic attitude and believe they are going to going to be successful even in a down economy," he says.

"While second quarter performances are off in our company, there are some individuals who are having an extraordinary year."

rates low and prices going down , there are opportunities in the market for investors. And , while there's been a reduction in the number of new jobs created and an increase in layoffs, there is still positive growth in the Charlotte area. The Charlotte Chamber tallied 7,587 new job announcements through the third quarter of this year. Although that's far below the 13,931 reported in the same quarter a year ago, it's still on track to see 10,000 new job announcements this year.

"As long as we grow, at whatever rate, we'll grow ourselves out of the decline ," says Shell. "People haven't stopped moving to Charlotte. More people equals more demand.

Developers will stop building for awhile and that'll take care of the surplus. lt's a normal cycle in the real estate world. "

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december 200 I

rPsicJPntl _a l

decade, leaping from 6.6% a year ago to 9.7% in October.

I "We may have to hunker down for a while and position ourselves to come out of this ," says Rash. "lt's a process we have to go through. People are more realistic now about where the ! market is. We've been somewhat spoiled by such a good market for 7-8 years , we have to face that it may be flat or down some for awhile. " However, Rash is optimistic that the down turn won't last long. Like many economists, he believes recovery will come by the second quarter of next year.

"As each month goes on and our market is off," Rash says. "It creates a pent up demand. When that demand is realized, there will be a big push. l think it'll come by mid-March, April, or June of next year. l think we'll have a huge second quarter. " With interest rates coming down, >-

greater charlotte biz

Rash says there is already an increase in activity. And , he points to the new jobs that TIAA-CREFF and Lowe's are bringing intc the market.

Lowe's, the nation's second largest home impro';emem chain is building its satellite corporation headquarters on a 135-acre site near Mooresville that will eventually house 1,000 employees. TlAA-CREF, the world 's largest private pension firm , is building a 140-acre office campus at University Research Park. lls first building is slated to open this spring with about 800 employees expected by the end of 2002. The company plans to buLd at least two more buildings and could employ 9,000 in Charlotte within 10 years.

"TIAA is a huge opportunity," says Rash. "I: has the potential to be the largest employer in the state. " Meanwhile, Rash says the best realtors aren·t waiting around for the second quarter of next year to get here; they are working harder than ever and taking advantage of the opportunities present in the existing market.

"With lending rates low and builders offering a lot of incentives, there are unbelievable opportunities for people who want new homes," says Rash. '"Timing, timing, timing' is just as important as 'location, location , location,' and I haven't seen the timing this good for buying a home since I've been in the business. " Rash knows from experience that the real estate market can flip on a dime. He pomts out that in 1991 the market was over supplied by 750,000 homes - all of which were absorbed by 1992. He is optimistic that Charlotte's residential rr.arket will bounce back just as quickly from today's slow down.

"The real estate future is very bright," says Rash. "Traditionally, we lead the economy into a recession and lead it out. We're going to come out in an unbelievably strong way. " biz -

I

Cosey jacobus is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

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jecerrter 200 I 29

by john rehkop

JOJ

FORCES SY SAFECALL INC. FORM JOINT VENTURE TO OFFER CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

When Richard Hill and Bob Jones collaborated on their first project, they had no clue where it would eventually lead. But as is the case more often than not in business, their customers influenced their ultimate direction.

"We kept getting comments from our clients about telephone systems and how they integrated into network technology," said Jones, president of Charlotte-based systems integration company Synetron <www.synetron.com> .

As a company focused on building computer networking systems, the telephony issues were just outside the scope of business. "We had some consulting level expertise in the area of telecommunications, but didn't have any hands-on expertise.

We were looking to partner on a project basis with an expert in the telephony industry. One of my former sales reps introduced me LO Richard Hill and his company."

Hill headed up SafeCall, Inc. <www.safecall.com>, a telecommunications equipment provider serving the small to mid-sized business market. Ironically, SafeCall was located right across the street from Synetron at the time.

"After working together on a couple of projects we saw a natural fit in what we were doing, and we both undersLOod the opportunity to take advantage of a new industry concept called convergence, " recalls Jones.

greater charlotte biz

Convergence, defined in the business world as the merging of multiple techr_ologies such as telephony and data-based services, represents the pinnacle in synergistic approach - the ability of both systems LO take advantage of the best of each other's world.

Simply put, convergence allows businesses LO run data and voice systems simultaneously over a single line or cable wire.

Recognizing the unlimited potential and umapped local market for providing this technology, the two executives were e路;emually compelled LO converge their companies and create a third. "As we continued LO work on projects wgether, we couldn't overlook the obvious synergies in what we were doing, 'A-hich led to our decision LO form another company," noted j ones. ln Decem.Jer of 2000 , the pair joined forces in a 50/50 joim vemure agreement creating the company LanVergent, LLC <www.lanvergent.com> . The name derived from the foundation of their product line- "Lan ," the acronym for local area network, and "Vergem" for the convergence of technologies.

SJeamlining the Communication Process Capitalizing on the synergistic marriage of the technologies was only part of the plan for LanVergent. They also envisioned the creation o~ a one-stop shop for technology solutions. "The >

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focus of the company was based on a single point-of- ontact for technology, not just for data or telecommunications services," said jones.

The business model created a unique parallel, reflective of the overall technology model, between the services they offered and the process of merging the two companies. "We had the ability to provide the underlying technologies to the business community, but in order to form this business, we had to combine our own interconnect capabilities utilizing our own technology," explained jones, the more left-brained, technicallydriven of the two.

"We had to merge our technologies together prior to offering those services to our customers. Each company (Synetron and SafeCall) had its own e-mail and phone systems with different capabilities, so we had to blend those together. That's exactly what convergence is and what we are trying to accomplish with LanVergent- a blending of these technologies."

Often, the initial step in adopting convergent technology is to add telephony services to an existing data-oriented local or \vide area network (WAN).

For example, a company with remote offices in various geographic areas likely has an existing WAN to transmit data back and forth between local offices and from the headquarters to each remote office. But voice communication is carried out over separate, traditional phone and fax lines. Transporting the voice services onto the data network eliminates the toll charges associated v.'ith each phone call or fax, and the inherent costs of the voice cable network. ln addition to the reduction in outof-pocket costs, the level of efficiency is increased through the seamless access to consolidated voice and data messages. "lf you're a busy salesperson who receives many different types of communication - retrieving faxes at the fax machine, calling in for voice mail and accessing your computer for e-mail- you're spending time inefficiently trying to track down messages. Convergence of data and voice networks consolidates all of those messages in one place and offers options greater charlotte biz

in terms of retrieval and response.

Everything- voice, fax and e-mail, can be viewed at your desktop computer or accessed by dialing in from a remote site," illustrates Hill.

While business spending on technology solutions, such as convergence, has become much more judicious recently, jones and Hill maintain that the return on investment is measurable and depending on the operation, can be realized within six months or less.

"None of the technologies arc free," Jones admits with a sly smile. "But they are economical and justified if you look at all the factors. Convenience is a huge factor if you consider the salaries of some of these executives and salespeople. The flow of information is money."

Hill, who focuses on the sales and marketing aspect of LanVergent, believes their level of expertise and ability to offer an end-to-end convergence solution is unparalleled in Charloue. "Nobody in the area can do what LanVergent does. There are companies that claim they can handle voice and data convergence, but no one has both network and telecom experts under one roof."

These sentiments are echoed by Gary Barnes, Administator at Randolph Family Practice, who needed to converge systems after the restructuring of the old Nalle Clinic, "I was looking for one group that could handle everything. ln the past, I've worked with multiple vendors for wiring, telephone and data needs and the coordination has been a nightmare. Working with LanVergent reduced the time spent in planning and implementation meetings.

They were able to provide solutions that saved us money - solutions that vendors focused on just one aspect would not have considered."

Maintaining an Identity

Both principals agreed on the importance of maintaining the brand and identity each built with his own company, prior to inking the LanVergem deal. The decision to form a joint venture, as opposed to a traditional merger, afforded them the opportunity to continue to manage SafeCall

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and Synetron individually and separately "We both wanted access to the expertise each side offered. But neither of us was ready to give up the identity of our individual companies and merge, so the joint venture was the best solution. lt provided a way to ease into a new endeavor with commitment, but without completely changing our business structure," said Hill.

More challenging than preserving the equity of each brand was learning the inuicacies of each business. "How a telephony vendor services its customers is different than a network provider in terms of the urgency factor. When you market yourself as a single entity, but service customers under two maintenance contracts due to the nature of each operation-how do you set the expectations in the mind of the customer7 We had to learn each other's businesses better than we thought we would," recalled jones.

They both contend that any cultural differences created by the assimilation of employees is outweighed by the crosstraining opportunities that now exist.

According to Hill, ''As the traditional telecom business continues to fade away, the technicians have a chance to expand their skills imo the data culture. l think our technicians are aware of this and are taking advantage of the opportunity to build their skills."

Shedding Some Light

The wide spread uncertainty and tarnished image in the minds o[ some within the telecom market has inspired jones and Hill to demystify the industry. "CLECs, long distance carriers and Internet providers arc popping up everywhere and then going out of business, creating confusion among consumers and businesses. Many of them coin a lot o[ phrases and make promises that they can't stand behind.

We want to be a steady source of the truth in our industry," Hill candidly stated.

He added, "many of our customers look to us for the whole picture. They want us to make recommendations abom which companies to usc, and want us to deal with telecom can路iers on their behalf. We >-

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Positioned for the Future

Much as we viewed the information superhighway years ago, jones believes the concept of convergence is still in an embryonic state. "Ten years from now we'll see a full y mature , 'everybody does it' kind of market. " "ln our industry, the knowledge base changes nearly 100 percent in 18 months. What l knew 18 months ago, l don't need to know today. What l need to know 18 months from now, there is no way I will know today.

So, the re is huge learning curve that takes place. " Right now, growing a new product in the beleaguered technology/telecommunications market is an arduous ta k to say the least. Hill acknowledged he has seen a recent slowdown in business . "In the last year or so, companies are not spending as much money on new telecommunications projects.

Anything you do sell has to be costjustified, which is beneficial to us [with the convergence of technologies and cost reductions]. While we're seeing substantial interest in convergence, we're not selling a lot of large convergence projects."

Despite the lackluster economy, optimism about the concept of convergence and acceptance from the marketplace still reigns. "We believe we're in a good position now because we have steady revenue from the existing Safecall and Synetron customer base, and when the economy turns around next year we will really be in a position to take off." biz

John Rehkop is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

34

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D r. Pamela S. Lewis, Dean of the McColl School of Business at Queens

Regis Paper Company and Carolina Pad &

College, has been named Q ueens C ollege president-elect by a vote of the Board

Paper Company where he was president.

Jack Bowman has joined Colliers

of Trustees. The trustees voted their unanimous support for Lewis, who will succeed long-time president Billy 0 . Wireman after he retires on June 30, 2002.

Pinkard, a full service commercial real

Lewis' professional specialization is in the field of strategic planning, with a

estate firm , as vice president of Corporate

particular emphasis on competitive and marketing strategy. As dean of the McColl

Services.

School of Business, Lewis recently introduced the McColl School leadership initia-

Bowman brings over 25 years of expe-

tive, a new strategic plan that presents leadership as the central value of the school

rience in corporate real estate to Colliers

and focal point of its entire curriculum in all its programs.

As president, Lewis plans to introduce a broad-based and participative process around creating the vision for the next decade for Queens College.

Lewis came to Queens in April 2000 from Drexel University in Philadelphia, where

Bowman was the senior real estate execu-

tive at Xerox Corporation (now Global Crossing) in Rochester, NY. Bowman's primary focus will be to strengthen and add to the Colliers Pinkard clients relationships in the Carolinas, as well as provide consultative suppcrt to other selected accounts on a nationwide basis.

St. Lawrence Homes, a regional residential builder, recently named Tracey

she was a professor of management and

Bridges as division manager of its Charlotte South office. As division manager,

Dean of the Bennett S. Le Bow College of

Bridges manages the southern markets of Charlotte as well as South Carolina.

Business. She is the lead author of the book, Dr. Pamela S. Lew is

Pinkard . During the majority of his career, Jack Bowm an

Management: Challenges for the 21st

Prior to joining St. Lawrence, Bridges served as vice president of construction for D.R. Horton/Torrey Homes in Charlotte. He has also worked as a land

Century, which is currently in its third edition. Lewis holds a Ph.D. in strategic

developer in the Raleigh market. Bridges is a licensed general contractor and a

planning and international business from the University of Tennessee, a master's

licens"d real estate broker.

Cricket Communications, Inc. has

degree in business administration from Southwest Missouri State University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Florida.

named Todd Elliott general manager for

Profiled in GCBiz November 2000 issue.

the Charlotte and Hickory markets.

Bruce I. M aynes is the new vice presidentldirector of sales for McNeary

Elliott is responsible for developing and directing operations, sales and marketing for

Insurance Consulting, Inc .. based in Charlotte. In addition to directing sales operations for McNeary. Maynes also will serve as a Senior Risk Management consult-

the two markets. He brings over a decade

ant for both Property/Casualty and Employee Benefits.

of telecommunication management experience to Cricket, having spent 14 years with

Maynes previously was manager with Arthur Andersen's Property Casualty

Verizon Wireless, AirTouch Cellular and US

Consulting Group.

He is a graduate of California State University and has been in the insurance industry since 1973. As a Fortune 500 insurance consultant and broker, Maynes

T<>dd Elliott

West Cellular in Arizona and New Mexico.

Most recently, Elliott served as Verizon 's director of sales for the state of

specializes in identifying, analyzing and prioritizing risks during insurance program

Arizona. In that capacity, he was responsible for all phases of sales management

reviews for his clientele.

and operations for the entire state of Arizona, including direct and indirect sales.

Skip Edwards has joined the Art Institute of C harlotte as director of

human resources. Edwards was formerly human resources manager for lnChem Corporation in Rock Hill, SC. He received his B.A. in Sociology from Morehead

John E. Johnson , a 35-year veteran of senior management with leading

national manufacturing companies, has joined N o relli & Com pany, a Charlottebased strategic management-consulting firm, as an executive consultant.

Johnson will provide Norelli &

Trinity Co nsultants, a nationwide firm that assists clients with regulatory compliance and environmental management issues, has promoted Keith Long, P. E. to director of its East Coast Region operations. Long w ill preside over Trinit/s Atlanta, Charlotte, New Jersey, and Maryland offices and will work from

development expertise in the areas of tran-

the Charlotte location.

operations.

Prior to joining Norelli & Company,

december 200 I

practice. He is a resident in Poyner & Spruill's Charlotte office and is a member of their management committee .

Company clients with a high level of strategic

sition management, sales and marketing and

36

Parnell is a former federal prosecutor whose practice centers on professional malpractice defense, federal white collar defense, and federal appellate

State University in Morehead, Kentucky.

John E. John so n

E. Fitzger al d Parnell Ill of Poyner & Spruill LLP has become president

of the North Carolina State Bar.

-ong has 14 years of environmental consulting experience, specializing in developing compliance strategies and communicating with regulatory agencies on behalf of clients. He most recently served as manager of consulting services for Trinity's Kansas

Johnson served for 20 years in various senior

C ty office. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University and

management positions with Union Camp, St.

ar M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University.

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