Greater Charlotte Biz 2005.11

UNCC Belk College • LandAmerica • Ben Mynatt Dealerships • Hyatt Coin & Gun Shop

november 2005

PAYING itFORWARD Kannapolis Developer Precipitates A Multitude Of Impacts

David H. Murdock Dole Food Company, Inc. Castle & Cooke, Inc. North Carolina Research Campus

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Prices are subject to change without notice. Monthly dues and use fees will apply.

in this issue

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cover story

North Carolina Research Campus An estimated 4,300 mill jobs were lost when community godfather, Pillowtex, closed its doors.

Now business magnate and billionaire David Murdock has returned to Kannapolis to give its economy a much needed, much heralded, shot in the arm: plans and funding for the $1 billion, 350-acre, North Carolina Research Campus, a biotechnology research hub to replace the graveyards of empty mill sites.

14 LandAmerica

departments

Executives at LandAmerica made the decision to stir things up.They quickly filled several additional key positions and began working on rebuilding team dynamic and developing a new culture for superior customer service.The company’s goal is to double their market share by 2008, and they are working tirelessly.

22 Belk College of Business Dr. Claude C. Lilly III believes that listening to executives and selfless leadership build a successful business school. Starting his eighth year as dean, Lilly says experience bears out his assessment. As the Belk College of Business celebrates its 35th anniversary this fall, Lilly’s formula has it thriving.

42 Cyndie Mynatt Cyndie Mynatt likes to shake people up – just a little. She is an energetic brunette with a ready smile and contagious enthusiasm. About the last thing you might expect her to do for a living is sell cars. You would never guess that she runs two Ben Mynatt car dealerships and a used car lot.

50 Hyatt Coin and Gun Three generations of Hyatts have built this company into one of the largest gun stores in the southeast and one of the biggest in the country with 20,000 square feet packed with 4,000 guns and gunrelated items, 100 safes, and one of the area’s most extensive selections of rare and collectable coins.

2005

publisher’s post

4

employers biz

6

Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers

on top

8

executive homes

46

Luxury Homes above $500,000

biz resource guide

56

workforce biz

59

CPCC Offers New Programs to Meet New Challenges

on the cover: David H. Murdock, owner of Dole Food Company, Inc. and Castle & Cooke, Inc.; and developer of North Carolina Research Campus

Photography by Sean Busher.

UNCC Belk College • LandAmerica • Ben Mynatt Dealerships • Hyatt Coin & Gun Shop

november

PAYING itFORWARD Kannapolis Developer Precipitates A Multitude Of Impacts

David H. Murdock Dole Food Company, Inc. Castle & Cooke, Inc. North Carolina Research

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(Seated) Andrew Chambers, Mike Monk; (Standing) Lat Williams and Tar Reid of Scott Insurance

Scott Insurance: Over 140 Years of Results “By focusing on safety improvements, loss prevention and claims management, Scott actually lowered our dependence on insurance.” – Charlie Tew, Southern Pump & Tank “We’ve been with a large national broker. After being with Scott Insurance, we now realize we’re with the best. Their innovative and proactive services are the best we’ve ever come across.” – Sheila Williams, B&B Contracting “Scott Insurance has done a great job of further educating us on key issues, especially Workers’ Comp. Their comprehensive approach to our risk management is helping MGM Transport take control of the future and be a better company.”

– Ross Windsor, MGM Transport

Find out how you can benefit from the knowledge and service that have made Scott an exceptional Insurance firm since 1864.

Call Andrew Chambers, Mike Monk, Lat Williams or Tar Reid in Charlotte at (704) 556-1341.

INSURANCE, BENEFITS, BONDS AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE

CAPTIVE INSURANCE DOMICILES IN BERMUDA AND GRAND CAYMAN

scottins.com

[publisher’spost] Thankful for what we can give …

One of the most uniformly observed holidays in the United States is Thanksgiving. It might even be considered part of our “civic religion” to gather and give thanks for all that we enjoy as Americans. Many families celebrate in their homes or make a pilgrimage to their hometowns to be with family and friends for the festivities. What I like most about Thanksgiving is that it enables me to spend time with my family, to reflect upon my blessings in life, and to give thanks to those who have contributed to the richness of my life.

Growing up in Indiana, my family would travel by car to Chicago or Milwaukee or Madison and converge with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents to gorge ourselves with turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. The day itself was fully occupied with the preparation, eating and clean-up of the main meal, watching various football games over the course of the afternoon, and munching leftover turkey sandwiches with lots of mayonnaise into the evening.

November 2005 Volume 6 • Issue 11 Publisher John Paul Galles jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com

Associate Publisher/Editor Maryl A. Lane maryl.a.lane@greatercharlottebiz.com Creative Directors Sean Farrow Mary Ellen Frizzell

Business Development E.Ward Norris wnorris@greatercharlottebiz.com

Account Executives Gary Biernacki gbiernacki@greatercharlottebiz.com

Michelle Killi

All day long family members would tell stories about their most recent travels and activities, along with a little gossip or the latest jokes. The adults converged in the kitchen and around the fireplace and the television set; we children alternated “horsing around” inside and outdoors. By the end of the day, I don’t know how my father could drive us home, we were all so tired from the daylong experience. Nevertheless, we renewed it each and every year.

Mimi Zelman mzelman@greatercharlottebiz.com

Now, as an adult and living in Charlotte, I still appreciate and enjoy Thanksgiving. Here too, I give thanks for my family and the community that has so welcomed us. Having started this business six years ago, I am also immensely grateful for good stories, great advertisers, a wonderful staff, and a rapidly growing readership that now exceeds over 100,000 members of the business community. And so, at this time, I want to give public thanks to the many, many people who have helped us grow this business through some tough times.

Contributing Writers Ellison Clary Susanne Deitzel Heather Head Eloise D. Morano

Having published nearly 72 issues in six years, we have profiled over 360 successful entrepreneurs and their businesses in this community. We have presented those talented business leaders and their stories to help business people learn about each other and about the abundance of resources in this regional marketplace. We are extremely grateful to all of those individuals who have allowed us to tell their stories in our pages. Those profiles are continuously available on our Web site, www.greatercharlottebiz.com, for anyone who seeks to learn more about or do business in the greater Charlotte area.

In order to produce and mail our publication directly to the 20,000 members of the business community in the 16-county region, we rely solely upon companies who place advertisements – who buy anywhere from one-sixth page ads to multi-page ads. Over the years, our magazine has been supported by the nearly 2,800 individual advertisements, roughly a quarter of which are placed by different advertisers. We are immensely grateful to each and every one of our advertisers for their initial and continuing support. We enthusiastically encourage our readers to share their appreciation as well by patronizing those advertisers who make possible their business magazine.

If we can truly be judged by our friends, we’d like to think we keep some pretty good company in our wealth of profiled businesses and supportive advertisers, and are pleased to have the opportunity to inform others of our rich community with tremendous talent and expertise. We can learn from each other and improve our business operations at the same time – that is the point of this business-to-business magazine.

As you enjoy reading about the experiences of others and learning about the business community’s product and service offerings, you too are invited to contribute to this communications vehicle to advertise your products and services, brand your business, or expose an upcoming training program or seminar. And please remember that we welcome your suggestions for profiles as well.

Happy thanksgiving this year to you all! biz

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mkilli@greatercharlottebiz.com

Contributing Editor Susanne Deitzel

Contributing Photographers Sean Busher Wayne Morris Galles Communications Group, Inc. 5601 77 Center Drive • Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 28217-0736 704-676-5850 Phone • 704-676-5853 Fax www.greatercharlottebiz.com • 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 numbers above or visit our Web site: www.greatercharlottebiz.com. © Copyright 2005 by Galles Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved.The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

However, Galles Communications Group, Inc. makes no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this information.

Products named in these pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies.Views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Greater Charlotte Biz or Galles Communications Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. For reprints call 704-676-5850 x102.

Greater Charlotte Biz (ISSN 1554-6551) is published monthly by Galles Communications Group, Inc., 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250, Charlotte, NC 28217-0736.

Telephone: 704-676-5850. Fax: 704-676-5853. Subscription rate is $24 for one year. Periodicals postage pending at Charlotte, N.C., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Greater Charlotte Biz, 5601 77 Center Dr., Ste. 250, Charlotte, NC 28217-0736.

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[employersbiz]

Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers

Holiday Pay and Overtime ’Tis the season to wonder whether or not holiday hours count as hours worked when computing weekly overtime. Many employers will close their facilities on Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th and again on Friday, December 23rd. In addition to closing on December 23rd, employers who usually provide two paid holidays in December are closing their facilities on Monday, December 26th. As a result, many employees may have to work longer hours than usual to complete their assignments around the holidays.

The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires that overtime be paid on hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek. So if an employee worked three 12-hour days, then had two paid holidays, there were only 36 hours worked in the week. Thus, you would not be required to pay the employee overtime for that week. The 52 hours (36 worked plus 16 holiday) could be paid at straight time.

However, many employers choose to be more generous and include the holiday hours in computing weekly overtime.

According to The Employers Association 2004 Benefits Survey, approximately 50 percent of companies counted holiday hours toward computing of weekly overtime for nonexempt employees.

Confirm Employees’ Names and Social Security Numbers Online The Social Security Commission has recently made available a Web site to verify employee names and social security numbers online. All employers are eligible to check via the Internet whether their employees’ names and Social Security numbers match. Under the Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS), you can enter 10 names and SSNs and find out immediately if they don’t match. When there’s a mismatch, it will provide some explanation of why it doesn’t match. And SSNVS will let you know if the name or SSN are recorded as a person who is deceased. But SSNVS will not provide you with an alternate SSN when there is a mismatch. To be able to use SSNVS, you must register on SSA’s Business Services Online at www.socialsecurity.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm).

Capital Associated Industries

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2005-2006 Wage & Salary Budget Adjustment Survey Although the economy in Charlotte has shown improvement over the last year, wage and salary increases have held steady for the second year in a row. A total of 111 companies responded to The Employers Association’s 2005/2006 Wage & Salary Budget Adjustment Survey. The average pay increase for the period June 2004 through May 2005 was 3.5 percent, and it is estimated that pay increases for the period June 2005 through May 2006 will also be 3.5 percent. One positive note from the results of the survey shows that fewer companies are freezing pay. Last year 12 percent of respondents had frozen employee pay, while only 4 percent of this year’s respondents will not be providing wage or salary increases to all employee groups.

The local Charlotte area survey results are consistent with the findings of other published wage and salary adjustment surveys conducted by WorldatWork, Hewitt Associates and William M. Mercer, professional or consulting organizations specializing in compensation and benefits. Hewitt’s national survey found that companies are projecting the following increases for 2005: 3.5 percent for hourly nonunion employees; 3.6 percent for nonexempt clerical and technical employees; 3.6 percent for exempt technical and professional employees and management; 3.8 percent for executives.

WorldatWork reported slightly higher results for the Southern U.S. According to Hewitt’s national study, although base salary increases remain low, organizations are looking to variable pay programs and other work-life benefits to attract and retain top performing employees.

Employers need to stay current with pay increase trends in order to retain their most valuable employees.

The Employers Association’s annual Charlotte area Wage & Salary Budget Adjustment Survey serves as a resource for local companies to compare actual base pay increases for the previous year and projected increases for the upcoming year. Below is a partial summary of this year’s survey.

Please contact Lauren Merritt at The Employers Association at (704) 522-8011 for more information.

Employee Category Non-Exempt Hourly Production, Maintenance, Service - Nonunion Manufacturing Non-Manufacturing Total

Actual: 6/1/04 – 5/31/05 Companies who gave Wage/Salary Increases

Projected: 6/1/05 – 5/31/06 Companies who will give Wage/Salary Increases

Number of Responses 47 37 84

(%) Average Adjustment 2.9 3.9 3.4

Number of Responses 48 36 84

(%) Average Adjustment 3.3 3.6 3.4

Non-Exempt Hourly Production, Maintenance, Service - Union Manufacturing Non-Manufacturing Total

9 5 14

2.9 3.2 3.0

11 6 17

3.1 3.4 3.2

Non-Exempt Office & Technical Manufacturing Non-Manufacturing Total

47 47 94

3.1 3.7 3.4

48 48 96

3.4 3.7 3.5

Exempt Managerial & Professional Manufacturing Non-Manufacturing Total

49 49 98

3.1 4.2 3.6

51 49 100

3.4 3.9 3.6

Executive and Officer Manufacturing Non-Manufacturing Total

37 40 77

3.2 4.2 3.7

37 43 80

3.3 4.3 3.8

All Employees* Manufacturing Non-Manufacturing Total

3.0 4.0 3.5

3.3 3.8 3.5

*To facilitate reporting the overall results, a percentage “estimate” of the composition of each employee category was used.

A different “model” was used for each type of organization as follows: - Manufacturing model: Production (NU) 60%, Production (U) 10%, Office 10%, Managerial 15%, Executive 5%.

- Non-manufacturing model: Production (NU) 15%, Production (U) 5%, Office 25%, Managerial 45%, Executive 10%.

- Overall total model: Production (NU) 35%, Production (U) 5%, Office 20%, Managerial 35%, Executive 5%.

Source: The Employers Association 2005-2006 Wage & Salary Budget Adjustment Survey

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Workers’ Trust in Management Low A new survey conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting finds that workers have some serious doubts about the leaders of their companies. Only 40 percent of the workers trust top management “to always communicate honestly” while a mere 38 percent say leaders “do a good job explaining important business decisions.”

While Mercer found two of every three workers say they feel a strong sense of commitment to their organization, executives will take little comfort from other survey findings: • When asked whether “senior management does a good job of confronting issues before they become major problems,” only 39 percent of the workers said yes.

• Less than half (49%) of the workers said their organization as a whole is well managed.

• Only 49 percent of the workers agreed with the statement that “senior management communicates a clear vision of the future direction of my organization.”

• Just over half (52%) agreed with the statement that “senior management of my organization does a good job of establishing clear objectives.”

In addition, of the surveyed employees who don’t think senior management communicates a clear vision of the future direction of the organization, only 12 percent feel the organization is well managed and 63 percent believe it is not well managed. Of the employees who do not trust management to always communicate honestly, only 18 percent feel the organization is well managed and 56 percent believe it is not well managed. (Capital Associated Industries)

Potential Light Duty Problems Many companies have a practice of offering light duty assignments to employees who have suffered workers compensation injuries. It’s a great way to get an injured employee back into the workforce and it can potentially reduce your future workers compensation premiums.

However, there can be problems with a practice like this.

Suppose a company has a long-standing tradition of offering light duty jobs only to those employees who have suffered on-the-job injuries. These light duty jobs may be budgeted jobs that are currently vacant, or they may be “dreamed-up” work. Let’s say you put a male employee from the maintenance department in such a position for several weeks. At some later date, a female employee who is pregnant starts having complications. Her doctor says she cannot perform the duties of her job, but would be eligible for a light duty assignment. Your company policy does not permit this because you allow only workers compensation cases to have light duty. Your company could be open for a charge under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act because you have offered a tangible benefit to a male employee that you did not offer to a female employee.

Here is another scenario. Suppose an employee suffers a major injury on the job – it would rise to the level of being classified as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. You offer this employee a light duty assignment at some point in the future. At a later date, you have an employee who develops cancer or has a heart attack or some other major problem that would also be classified as a disability. If you offered light duty work to the first employee, you would need to offer light duty to the second employee. If not, you would have a potential violation of the ADA. Light duty assignments may be an essential part of your business. They are a great way to get injured sick people back to work, help reduce costs, and fill open positions with experienced employees. However, as you can see from the above examples, they could make your company vulnerable to charges of unintentional discrimination. You should seek professional advice before setting up a light duty program – especially if you limit the light duty assignments solely to workers compensation cases.

greater charlotte biz

Most Employers Passing on Offering FSA Grace Period About one-third of employers will allow flexible spending account participants to carry over unused health care and dependent care money, according to a recent survey by Deloitte Center for Health Solutions and the ERISA Industry Committee.

One-half of U.S. employers will allow health care FSA users to roll over their funds for 2 1/2 months into the new year, as allowed by new federal tax regulations, the study finds. Another 43 percent are waiting for more federal guidance on the issue.

Employers declining to offer the grace period cited concerns about the logistics of doing so: tracking two separate plans simultaneously, 67 percent; coordinating the grace period with “run-out periods,” 58 percent; and explaining the grace period to participants, 42 percent. Another two-thirds of employers say they’re concerned the grace period would cause tax problems for dependent care participants.

One-half of survey respondents say account forfeitures were not a significant problem for FSA participants. The results are based on a survey of 318 employers.

“Employers, policy makers and employees have been complaining for years that the use-itor-lose-it rule discourages employees from contributing to FSAs and encourages those who do contribute to make wasteful or frivolous expenditures at the end of the year,” says Martha Priddy Patterson, director of national employee benefits policy at Deloitte. “But many employers think the grace period may not be the answer.” www.benefitnews.com biz The Employers Association is a nonprofit Charlotte organization providing comprehensive human resources and training services. Founded in 1958, the Association maintains a broadbased membership of over 700 companies from all industries in the greater Charlotte region.

The above excerpts were taken from The Management Report, the Association’s monthly newsletter. For more information, please call Laura Hampton at 704-522-8011 or visit their Web site at www.employersassoc.com.

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[ontop] Advertising & Media Hickory marketing firm Gotham Images and the YMCA of Catawba Valley have received a first place award from the North American YMCA Development Organization in recognition of a multi-page brochure developed for the C.O. Miller Teen Center at the Hickory Foundation YMCA location, helping the YMCA raise $1.7 million in only eight months.

Walker Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations, Inc. has been honored by the Business Marketing Association of the Carolinas, receiving the organization’s prestigious ProAd Awards for six marketing and communications projects.

Jeff Rothe, principal of SELMARQ, a marketing consulting firm, has been named Carolinas’ Chapter president of the Business Marketing Association.

The Tercero line of conference room furniture designed by BOLT for The HON Company has won Design Journal’s annual ADEX Gold Design Award for 2005.

Moonlight Design Group Inc. has received a 2005 Clarion Award from the National Association for Women in Communications for its Catawba Lands Conservancy First 5000 Acres brochure.

Charlotte-based brand consulting and design firm carbonhouse, inc., has hired Taylor Nall as a new media designer.

Barnhardt, Day & Hines, a full-service advertising and marketing agency based in Concord, has hired Erin McCammon as an Erin McCammon account coordinator.

Carrie Mason, associate campaign manager with WebsiteBiz Inc., a Charlottebased search engine marketing company, has received certification as a Google Advertising Professional.

Business and Professional The national law firm of Alston & Bird LLP has announced that eight partners from the firm’s Charlotte office and two from its Research Triangle offices were selected to the newly released 2006 Best Lawyers in America list.

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[ontop] The professional service firm of LarsonAllen has promoted Jerry Blanchard, CPA from manager to partner.

Charlotte School of Law has added Beth Walker McCarthy as an admissions advisor and Sharon Shaw as a communications specialist.

Construction & Design Skanska USA Building Inc. has been recognized as the only construction management firm ranked in the top 100 businesses for outstanding accomplishments in wireless innovation by InformationWeek magazine’s 17th annual InformationWeek 500.

Architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design firm ClarkNexsen has announced that Patrick Rose, PE has been appointed to the head of the engineerPatrick Rose, PE ing department in the Charlotte branch office. The firm has also announced that Paul Patel, PE has passed the LEED Paul Patel, PE Certification exam.

LandDesign, an urban planning, civil engineering and landscape architecture company, has hired seven new engineers for its Charlotte office: Frank Amenya, Heath Bickford, Stephen Comer, Ed Dickson, Linette Matheny, Susan Okalebo and Matthew Roper.

Education/Staffing Congratulations to the Belk College of Business at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte commemorating its 35th anniversary, celebrating its more than 15,000 alumni, over half of whom live in the Charlotte region. The Belk College boasts many firsts among Charlotte business schools: the first MBA program; the first to receive accreditation from AACSB International; and the first to offer classes in uptown Charlotte. Prominent Belk College alumni include Gene Johnson, chairman and CEO of FairPoint Communications; David Hauser, chief financial officer of Duke Energy Corp., Manuel Zapata, president of Zapata

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[ontop] Engineering; and Robert Niblock, chairman, president and CEO of Lowe’s.

Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management has been ranked No. 7 among the nation’s top regional schools, according to The Wall Street Journal’s fifth annual survey of corporate recruiters, up from No. 17 last year, the most significant rise of any school in this rankings segment.

Charlotte business leaders Madelyn Caple, Linda Okowita, Joe Price and Robert Stolz have joined the Business Advisory Council of the Belk College of Business at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s board of trustees has welcomed eight new members: James G. Babb, Bahakel Communications; Graham W. Denton Jr., president, Bank of America - North Carolina; Joe Franco, president of the student body at UNC Charlotte; Robert F. Hull Jr., executive vice president and chief financial officer, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.; Eugene B. Johnson, chairman and chief financial officer, Fairpoint Communications; Bertram L. Scott, executive vice president, TIAA-CREF; Ruth G. Shaw, president and chief executive officer, Duke Power Company; and Michael C. Tarwater, president and chief executive officer, Carolinas Healthcare System.

William Gay, professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has been awarded the 2005 Bank of America William Gay Award for Teaching Excellence.

The Gaston College Life Skills Department has won the North Carolina Community College System’s Academy Award for Best Team Performance for its Race 4 Literacy campaign efforts.

Peggy Wilmoth, nursing professor within the College of Health and Human Services at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has been promoted to Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Reserve and is the first nurse to be board-selected to command a medical brigade Peggy Wilmoth in the history of the U.S. Army.

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[ontop] Gaston College has received a grant for $173,626 from the Duke Power Community College Grant Program to equip a state-of-the-art biotechnology laboratory.

Professors Ken Chilton and Peter Schwarz of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte have won a $200,000 Environmental Protection Ken Chilton Peter Schwarz Agency grant to take a new look at how communities redevelop urban industrial sites.

Financial & Insurance McNeary Risk Management Consulting has been selected by the readers of Business Insurance magazine, the premier periodical for insurance, risk management and related industries, as the Top Risk Management Consulting Firm in the industry.

Carpenter, Cammack & Associates, Inc. has announced that Elizabeth B. Carpenter has been promoted to senior vice president of the firm’s Charlotte office.

Wachovia Wealth Management has named Ernest N. Dawal Jr. as a managing executive of Wealth Management Ernest N. Dawal Jr. Investments.

Carol Yochem has joined First Citizens Bank as executive vice president and manager of Wealth Carol Yochem Management Services.

John Casper has joined Hinrichs Flanagan Financial, a MassMutual general agency in Charlotte, John Casper as Financial Services Professional and Long Term Care Specialist. Joseph C. Powell has joined the firm as Financial Services Joseph C. Powell Professional.

Vance Flouhouse & Garges, a certified public accounting firm, has welcomed Robert Acuff as the newest member of its tax and accounting team.

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[ontop] First Trust Bank has announced the following additions to its staff: Aaron Smith as vice president and business development officer, Wendy Isaac as vice Aaron Smith Wendy Isaac president and branch administrator at the Queens Road Office, and Tim Anderson as vice president and commercial loan officer in Mooresville.

Government/Non-Profit The American Association for State and Local History has announced that Levine Museum of the New South is the recipient of an AASLH Merit Award, in recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Dumont Clarke has been appointed to a one-year term on the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners’ Board of Directors.

Tim Abare has joined The Inspiration Networks as senior vice president of Product Development and Strategic Relationships.

Tim Abare The National Association of Counties has presented twelve Achievement Awards to various Mecklenburg County programs including, fitness and health, effective teams, human resources, and ‘The Mecklenburgers’ TV show about county government.

Real Estate Commercial/Residential The VUE Charlotte, a 51-story luxury condo project, has hired Ashley Nordan as its marketing manager at its sales center at One Independence Center.

Retail/Sports/Entertainment James Downs, vice president of Crosland’s retail division, has been appointed state director of the International Council of James Downs Shopping Centers for 2005-06.

The Charlotte Regional Sports Commission has welcomed Steve Joyner, athletic director at Johnson C. Smith

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[ontop] University, to its board of directors.

Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte has received support grants from the North Carolina Arts Council totaling $22,700 to be used for the 2005-2006 season.

Frank Scibelli, owner of Mama Ricotta’s and Cantina 1511, has been named to the Dairy Management Inc.’s 2006 Cheese Advisory Panel.

Technology Verizon Wireless has made Working Mother magazine’s 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers list for the fifth consecutive year.

Charlotte-based call center and answering services provider Syntheny has been awarded Gold Star 24/7 Site Certification by the Association of TeleServices International.

Scalable Software has acquired META Security Group.

Exervio Management Consulting has added two new employees: Kaytee Barnes as operations coordinator and Katie Dupps as human resources coordinator.

Xodiax, a Peak 10 company and Louisville, Ky.-based provider of managed services, collocation, hosting and connectivity, announced it will adopt the name of its parent company, Peak 10.

Tourism & Travel Meetings South magazine has recognized the Hilton Charlotte Center City hotel as one of the Best in South meeting and conference centers and the only hotel in Charlotte to receive this recognition.

Low-fare airline Independence Air has been ranked number two for customer satisfaction among 16 domestic airlines in the nationallyrecognized Market Metrix Hospitality Index.

Discovery Place and the Charlotte Nature Museum have welcomed nine new members to its 2005-2006 board of trustees: Simon Bates, Jamie Burroughs, Pam Gibbes-Smith, Kelly Katterhagen, Frank Pope; Karen Schmaling; Renee Alexander Sherrod; Lloyd Wimberley; and Jo Ann C. Bell. biz To be considered for inclusion, please send your news releases and announcements in the body of an e-mail (only color photos attached) to editor@greatercharlottebiz.com, or fax them to 704-676-5853, or post them to our business address – at least 30 days prior to our publication date.

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X pictured (l to r): John H. McDermitt Jr. Vice President & Manager, Commercial Operations L. Hunter Meacham Jr., Esq. North Carolina State Manager and Vice President John T. McLean, Esq. North Carolina State Counsel and Vice President LandAmerica Commercial Services

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à{x Customer by susanne deitzel

[bizprofile]

Courting

X

New Leadership Targets Focused Expertise to Superior Customer Service Executives at LandAmerica made the

local attorney, as their North Carolina

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state counsel. They quickly filled several

increased market share aggressively across additional key positions and began

the country. In the Carolinas, they brought working on rebuilding team dynamic and in John McDermitt to Charlotte to head up developing a new culture for superior commercial operations. After recruiting

customer service. Together, this new

and hiring L. Hunter Meacham Jr., a past

leadership group implemented a structural

president of the North Carolina Land Title

reorganization, the addition of new services,

Association, as North Carolina state

and a revamped commitment to customer

manager, LandAmerica also brought on

service to expand the company’s

board John T. McLean, a well-respected

market share.

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LandAmerica

®

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES The success of LandAmerica continues to be fueled by our commitment to our Guiding Principles which include: PERSONAL VALUES • Integrity - The personal integrity of each employee and agent representing us speaks to the integrity of our entire organization.

• Respect for the Individual - We respect the dignity of each individual, whether a fellow employee, customer, agent, shareholder, or member of the general public.

DRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE •Customer Satisfaction - Customers are the fundamental driving force behind what we do.

•Continuous Improvement - There is no permanent best practice.There are always better practices. Excellence demands that we continue to find them.

•Pursuit of Ideas - We want ideas at all levels.

Brainstorming fuels organizational energy, and high organizational energy leads to significant competitive advantages, faster delivery times, improved scope of service, lower costs, and the ability to continuously transform.

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Just as market share is an important indicator of growth and success in other industries, title insurance is no exception.

Says McDermitt, “Fundamentally, we understand that we are in the service business. Insurance is a commodity, but if we can differentiate ourselves by delivering superior service, the result will be customer satisfaction and substantial growth.”

g

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES • Clear Goals and Objectives - We set goals, with a disciplined schedule.We measure results, track progress, and award achievements throughout the company.Attached to the responsibility for goal-driven results are clear and adequate authority levels, the corresponding autonomy, and appropriate measures of accountability.

• Frequent and Open Communication - We communicate on a regular basis.We want employees to understand company, business unit, and individual expectations and to receive timely, straightforward feedback on their performance. Feedback is a two-way street.We encourage input from every employee.

• Employee Development - LandAmerica is, above all else, its people. Excellence demands the ongoing training and development of each employee.

• Teamwork - Our responsibility is to satisfy competing demands with seamless integration of our efforts. Excellence requires cooperation!

•Responsible Corporate Citizenship - We seek to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work. We want our managers to be community-minded and we encourage our employees to be involved in their communities.

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America. LandAmerica customers include mortgage lenders, real estate developers and brokers, attorneys, and homebuyers.

Armed with all these title insurance products and such a rich history of providing those products across the country and for several decades in North Carolina as Lawyers Title, LandAmerica recognized that North Carolina and the Charlotte metrolina area were particularly attractive as a growth markets. With a commitment to grow and build upon those products and that tradition, LandAmerica implemented a growth strategy determined to expand it customer base and expand its market presence.

Superior customer service has become the focus for its entire staff.

Traditionally, title insurance companies offer two fairly standardized and overlapping products – title insurance for lenders and title insurance for owners/investors.

They are building on what they identify as a “threelegged stool” for superior customer service: focused expertise, a single point of contact for multiple real estate transaction services, and the technological platform to facilitate outstanding communication both within the company and with clients.

What it boils down to … is differentiating LandAmerica from the competition based on service.

MccDermitt believes that because title insurance is a highly regulated area and the products essentially standardized among companies, superior service is the primary means for setting themselves apart from their competition. Across the nation, LandAmerica has posted a strong performance, steady revenues, and entrance into the Fortune 500.

Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. has been completing and protecting the nation’s real estate investments for over 125 years.

Providing title insurance as well as a broad range of real estate transaction services, LandAmerica companies operate through more than 800 branch offices and a network of more than 10,000 active agents in the United States, Mexico, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, and Central and South

Both products involve insuring that the title transferred in a real estate deal is free of liens and other encumbrances. Lenders generally require insurance sufficient to cover only that portion of the title in which they have invested – i.e. the amount of their loan. Investors and homeowners may choose to purchase additional title insurance to insure the remainder of the value of their property.

Title insurance products are regulated by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Title insurance must be based on a title opinion produced by a licensed North Carolina attorney. This method of doing business creates a partnership between the title company and the certifying attorney in which each are constantly refining their operations in order to deliver superior service.

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But even more significantly for LandAmerica’s bottom line is the regulation of insurance rates. North Carolina has the second lowest rates in the country, which translates into lean profit margins for LandAmerica offices in the state.

Focused Expertise

The first leg for LandAmerica is providing customers with focused expertise. Its reorganization has substantially improved its ability to provide that focused expertise.

That expertise is now targeted into four

channels: commercial real estate, residential real estate, and agency and lender services.

Each channel can target focused expertise on the unique needs of each and every client within those channels.

All of the principals in the Charlotte office bring their respective expertise in these areas.

McDermitt has been in the title insurance business since 1976, handling examination, agency operations, and management.

Meacham has industry experience since 1979 and service as southeast regional counsel and branch manager for a national

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Y

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title insurance underwriter. And North Carolina native McLean has a diverse background on both the legal and title insurance sides of the real estate transaction and is integral to the future success of their operation.

One other important addition to the LandAmerica team was Carolyn McKinnis, formerly operations manager overseeing commercial and residential underwriters for the Charlotte office of another national title insurance underwriter. She serves as senior sales executive and brings 20 years’ experience in the industry. This combined wealth of expertise is now effectively channeled into focused service groups.

Single point of contact

For the second leg, LandAmerica has been seeking new services in support of their clients’ needs. While other title insurance companies have moved into insurance and legal services not related to the real estate industry, LandAmerica has been steadfast in its focus on the real estate industry and is providing additional real estate services in order to further the single point of contact for their clients.

“Fundamentally, we understand that we are in the service business. Insurance is a commodity, but if we can differentiate ourselves by delivering superior service, the result will be customer satisfaction and substantial growth.” – John McDermitt Jr.

In addition to providing the fundamental title insurance, the company added 1031 Exchange Services several years ago.

Since then, they’ve added a slew of ancillary services including escrow, engineering and environmental assessment, construction disbursement, commercial valuation, commercial and telecommunications search, UCC 9 insurance, environmental reports, flood services, zoning certification, survey coordination, tax abatement, tax services, and international services.

All of these services assist customers in real estate transactions, and eliminate the need “to call five people in the Rolodex,” explains McDermitt. “They can call John McDermitt, Hunter Meacham, John McLean

or Carolyn McKinnis, along with other commercial underwriters – who can link them directly with those individual services.”

As an example, an investor wanting to sell a gas station in Myrtle Beach and purchase one in Charlotte could use LandAmerica as a one-stop provider for most of the transactional services. First, they might seek LandAmerica to assist with their 1031 exchange, a tax break that would allow this investor to defer capital gains taxes on the sale of the property in Myrtle Beach provided a qualified intermediary – LandAmerica – was used to hold and then disburse the funds upon the purchase of a property of “like kind” – the Charlotte station.

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4701 Park Road

704. 521. 9116

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LandAmerica could provide a commercial valuation to the lender to ensure that the property is being valued appropriately, and hold money in escrow during the transaction. The list of services the company can provide such a client continues right up to and includes the title insurance for which LandAmerica is best known. Traditionally, each of these services might require a separate vendor, but LandAmerica can provide them all.

Technological platform

The third leg of superior customer service for LandAmerica is the technological

greater charlotte biz

platform that allows them to provide unparalleled customer service. In today’s fast-paced closing climate, clients need to be able to get answers and service very quickly.

“We return calls right away, we return emails right away, we all have Blackberries,” boasts McDermitt.

Adds McLean, “If I’m not available to take a phone call, they’ll call down the street to someone else who is available. The client doesn’t care where you are or what you’re doing, they don’t care that you’ll be back in five minutes. They need an answer right then and there because they’re at the closing table and they’ve got to get it resolved.”

To meet the need for quick and effective communication, the company has invested heavily in technology to enable clients’ immediate access to the expertise and resources of LandAmerica. For instance, research services such as discovering whether a property is in a floodplain are available through an automated system to all LandAmerica clients at the click of a mouse. They utilize Blackberry technology to ensure wireless access to all points of communication.

The price and the perks

The new emphasis on outstanding customer service comes at a price. McLean tells the story of his recent vacation hike in the mountains at Table Rock. He reached the top of the mountain just in time to receive an urgent email, which he answered in his hiking boots and gazing across the valley from his perch. “With the Blackberry,” he says, “I can be in the middle of the wilderness and still communicate with work.”

But the office’s new thrust and management style come with perks as well. McLean is pleased at the opportunity to perform as state counsel for the company, and the opportunities for growth stretch all the way down the ladder to support staff. For instance, when the person working the reception desk expressed an interest in underwriting, management made sure she had an opportunity to learn. When a position came open, she was ready to step in.

Since then she has been retrained again into a position in bookkeeping.

McDermitt’s commitment to service extends beyond clients and employees into the greater Charlotte community as well.

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He is a member of the Charlotte Rotary Club and Providence United Methodist Church.

LandAmerica encourages employee involvement and contributions to United Way and Habitat for Humanity, and frequently supports charity events.

“We are encouraged by corporate to get involved in community service,” explains McDermitt. “But I would do it anyway, because it’s part of my personality.”

And doing what you enjoy is a big part of his commitment to LandAmerica. He finds the work personally fulfilling, being able to help investors and contribute to the economy by providing an essential service. And he encourages those around him to do what they enjoy. Married with two grown daughters, McDermitt is thoroughly enjoying Charlotte and the opportunities with LandAmerica.

Even when you may find McDermitt with his family, you will undoubtedly also find his Blackberry nearby. Winning back market share is a tireless endeavor, but the LandAmerica crew seems up to the task. biz

LandAmerica Commercial Services

LandAmerica®

201 S. College St., Ste. 1590 Charlotte, N.C. 28244 Phone: 704-377-0093 Principals: L. Hunter Meacham Jr., Esq., North Carolina State Manager and Vice President; John H. McDermitt Jr.,Vice President and Manager of Commercial Services and Operations in North Carolina; John T. McLean, Esq., North Carolina State Counsel and Vice President; Carolyn A. McKinnis, Senior Sales Executive and Assistant Vice President Charlotte Office: 12 Employees Headquarters and Other Offices: Richmond,Va.; 800 branch offices and a network of more than 10,000 active agents Revenues: $3.5 billion (2004) Business: Delivering real estate transactional services to investors, homeowners, and lenders www.landam.com

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D Dr. Claude C. Lilly III Dean Belk College of Business University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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D

by ellison clary

[bizprofile]

r. Claude C. Lilly III believes that listening to executives and selfless leadership build a successful business school. Starting his eighth year as dean of the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Lilly says experience bears out his assessment.

Belk College

BUSINESS BASE Lilly Leads Belk by Listening “You’re dealing with Charlotte business leaders who are very bright; they have a tremendous amount of experience and talent, and a dean can learn by listening to them,” Lilly says.“You need to find out how you can help them and support them.”

Complimenting that is a specific leadership style, Lilly adds.“I never confuse being dean of a college of business with who I am individually. I’m here to serve the chancellor, the citizens and the business community, and I strive to be a servant leader.” greater charlotte biz

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“

Our role is not to tell business how to do their jobs ...

”

they have executives who make those tough decisions.

But if we listen to what they need and how we can help them, we will be a successful business school.

As the Belk College of Business celebrates its 35th anniversary this fall, Lilly’s formula has it thriving. With 3,200 students enrolled, including 550 graduate students, the business school’s growth is steady. Its undergraduate population places it among the state’s largest.

In late October, the school celebrated its anniversary with a gala celebration, where Lilly unveiled a portrait of Belk Stores scion John Belk with his late brother Tom Belk.

The portrait now hangs in a conference room opposite a painting of their father, Belk founder William Henry Belk.

The Belk family long has supported UNC Charlotte, and the business college adopted the Belk name shortly after Chancellor

emeritus Jim Woodward started his tenure in 1989.

Another way in which the business college is celebrating its Jade anniversary is by expanding its program offerings. Approval of a business doctorate in finance is expected by year end; meanwhile, existing programs are expanding to other countries.

In 2006, the college plans to offer Mathematical Finance courses in Denmark.

The Math Finance master’s program teaches sophisticated mathematical models that help identify, measure and manage risk, Lilly says, but it does more.

“It illustrates the value of listening,” Lilly explains in his soft Georgia drawl.

“The banks came to us and said, ‘We need

FEELING LOST?

24

people with expertise in these models. We want you to develop Math and Finance studies for us.’ So we did that.”

“Our role is not to tell business how to do their jobs,” he adds. “They have executives who make those tough decisions. But if we listen to what they need and how we can help them, we will be a successful business school.”

David Hauser, who earned his MBA in three years of night classes at the Belk College of Business, is Duke Energy Corporation’s group vice president and chief financial officer. The chair of the college’s advisory council, Hauser calls Lilly’s performance in tying the school to the corporate community “excellent.”

“I’ve seen Claude routinely interacting with business leaders,” Hauser says. “He’s very good at pointing the business school where it needs to go based on their suggestions.”

Rising to the Occasion The 59-year-old Lilly smiles about coming here from Florida State University, where he was a professor of risk management and insurance and director of the Center for Risk

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Management and Insurance Research.

“People asked me why I would want to leave Florida State,” he says. “I could not think of a better place to lead a business school than Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s the country’s second largest financial center, it’s got a dynamic business community, it’s a great region to place your students and the whole town is supportive of the business environment. It’s also a city that welcomes newcomers who want to get involved.”

Aided by the guidance of Charlotte-based businesses with international concerns – Bank of America, Wachovia, Duke Energy, Belk and Lowe’s roll off the tongue – Lilly feels a strong commitment to preparing students for the worldwide marketplace. With a doctorate from Georgia State University in risk management and insurance, and a minor in international finance, a world view comes naturally for Lilly.

The Belk College of Business has developed programs in which Charlotte students work with scholars in other countries on joint projects. They communicate with each other in video conference rooms. Then, near semester end, the Charlotte students visit

the foreign universities to complete projects with their counterparts.

“This process teaches students to work with other cultures,” Lilly says. “It helps them understand how the rest of the world thinks. We think that is critically important.”

Concurrently, the business college has established international MBA programs such as one with Monterrey Tec, which Lilly calls the “Harvard Business School of Mexico.” An executive MBA program is operating in Taiwan, China.

Those programs allow UNC Charlotte professors to collaborate with faculty from foreign universities and observe how and what they are teaching, Lilly says, and to incorporate best practices when they return to the campus.

“It’s a mistake to assume that if we go somewhere else to teach, we share what we know and we don’t gain anything in return,” Lilly smiles. “I believe the reverse is true. I think we can learn what our counterparts are thinking and use this information to make our students more competitive.”

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ANNIVERSARY 35th

The Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte is commemorating its 35th anniversary, celebrating its strong relationship with the Charlotte business community and the Belk family.“The Belk College's success is reflective of the community's success,” says Dean Claude Lilly.“Our achievements are the result of the efforts of our dedicated faculty and staff, our committed students and alumni, and the visionary guidance of Charlotte's business leadership.”

The Belk College boasts many firsts among Charlotte business schools: • The first MBA program, established in 1970 as a Master of Management degree and converted to an MBA (1976); • The first to receive accreditation from AACSB International, the leading business-school accrediting agency (1984); • The first to offer classes in uptown Charlotte to meet the needs of working professionals (1995).

The college has more than 15,000 alumni, more than half of whom live in the Charlotte region.

Prominent Belk College alumni include Gene Johnson, chairman and CEO of FairPoint Communications; David Hauser, chief financial officer of Duke Energy Corp., Manuel Zapata, president of Zapata Engineering; and Robert Niblock, chairman, president and CEO of Lowe's.

In addition to the MBA, the Belk College offers master's degrees in accounting and economics, as well as numerous undergraduate majors. In partnership with other UNC Charlotte departments, the college also offers a master's in mathematical finance and a Ph.D. in information technology with a business administration emphasis.The University of North Carolina system is currently evaluating the Belk College's proposal to offer a Ph.D. in business administration with a major in finance. Lilly says he hopes to receive approval of the program later this month, with courses beginning in the fall of 2006.

“In all of our academic programs, we strive to meet the needs of the business community,” Lilly adds.“We want to provide local employers with the highly-skilled workforce they require to be competitive.” Lilly cites the MBA concentration in real estate and the mathematical finance degree as examples of programs created as a result of input from the business community.

The Belk College received its name in 1990, as a result of an endowment gift from the Belk Foundation. Members of the Belk family have been involved with UNC Charlotte since its earliest days as an educational-extension center.

The late Thomas M. Belk was the first chair of the Belk College's Business Advisory Council; his son, John R. (Johnny) Belk, held the same position from 1999-2003. In 2003, the Belk Foundation donated $1.5 million to the college for support of international business programs.

“We're grateful for all that the Belk family has done to support the college and the university,” Lilly says.“We feel incredibly proud to share their name and hope that they are proud of the affiliation.”

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The Belk College’s students themselves are increasingly female, particularly at the undergraduate level, where 60 percent are women. The gender balance is more even in the MBA program, where 80 percent of students are professionals with six or more years in the workforce who are returning to school to advance their careers. They blend nicely with the 20 percent who enter master’s studies straight out of undergraduate school.

The cost of an MBA at the Belk School of Business is about $8,500 per year, Lilly says.

Lilly points out, “That makes us an incredible value for an AACSB-accredited program.” A person with a business undergraduate degree can complete an MBA in two years.

But most MBA aspirants are not full-time students; they take a class or two a week, often at UNC Charlotte’s center city campus in the Mint Museum of Craft + Design. Since opening that presence a decade ago, demand has been tremendous. “Every class we offer in downtown fills up completely,” Lilly says.

At the Center of Business Currently the University has plans to build a stand-alone classroom building at the corner of East Ninth and North Brevard streets in uptown’s First Ward area. The primary focus of the four-floor, 100,000-square-foot structure will be graduate education. Lilly hopes to move his graduate business faculty to that edifice when it opens in about three years.

“If you were to draw a one-mile circle around the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets,” Lilly says of The Square, Charlotte’s epicenter, “you would include the offices of 80 percent of our student population in the business graduate programs.” The new classrooms will be within blocks of The Square.

Speaking of faculty brings Lilly to a challenge he and other business school deans see looming. There’s a shortage of business professors that is growing in severity.

Many universities, facing tight budgets, have eliminated doctoral programs, including those in business. Yet the business professors who entered the discipline when it was hot in the early 1970s are about to retire. Lilly hopes the proposed business doctoral program will alleviate the shortage and also meet demand in the private sector

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for business Ph.D.s.

Lilly attributes the Belk College’s success to the deft leadership of UNC Charlotte’s chancellors and administrators. He praises the recently retired Woodward for his hands-off management of the business school in his 16 years as chancellor.

Lilly goes back some years with new chancellor Phillip L. Dubois, who returned to UNC Charlotte this summer from the presidency of the University of Wyoming.

While he was provost, senior administrative officer, at UNC Charlotte, Dubois hired Lilly as an endowed professor.

Lilly chuckles about being asked at a fall orientation for MBA students what he thought of his friend Dubois. “I said I thought Phil was insightful, brilliant, talented and charming,” Lilly recalls. “The reason,” he added, “is that right before he left to go to Wyoming, he hired me.”

Dubois returned Lilly’s observation with equally dry humor by noting, “Let me point out that I hired him to fill an endowed chair, not to be dean.”

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“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

- Gandhi

Principal: Dr. Claude C. Lilly III, Dean Established: 1970, as School of Business Administration; 1989, became Belk College of Business Faculty: 89 full-time, 30 lecturers.

Enrollment: 3,200: 2,650 undergraduate students, 550 graduate students Degrees: Master of Business Administration, Master of Accountancy, Master of Science in Economics, Master of Science in Mathematical Finance, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Economics, Bachelor of Science in Accounting

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Left row, front to back: John Gandar, associate dean; Beth Fischer, director of development; Moutaz Khouja, chair, business information systems and operations management; Ron Veith, director of the MBA program; Rick Zuber, chair, economics.

Right row, front to back: Linda Swayne, chair, marketing; Sasha Trosch, director of communications and community affairs;Alan Shao, associate dean for international programs; HughleneBurton, chair, accounting; Casper Wiggins, associate dean for graduate programs and research; C.W. Sealey, chair, finance and business law and interim chair, management.

The Ambassador Makes His Rounds Remembering the exchange amuses Dubois, but he quickly sings Lilly’s praises as a well-known ambassador of the campus that enrolled more than 20,000 students this fall.

“I’ve been all over town, in a lot of settings, and one of the first names people bring up is Claude Lilly,” Dubois says. He makes sure he mentions Lilly’s efforts in fund-raising, and lauds him for effectively placing business school graduates in area

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companies.

Lilly happily clicks off Belk College of Business graduates who have made good, including Manuel Zapata, founder of Zapata Engineering, and Joe Price, executive vice president and risk management executive for Bank of America. Then there’s Lowe’s, the Mooresville-based home improvement retailer with three UNC Charlotte business alumni in top positions. They include chairman and chief executive Robert Niblock, chief financial officer Robert Hull and Bill McCanless, general counsel and secretary.

Lilly acknowledges that he’s out most evenings as an invited guest at community

events, often joined by his wife Frances, who is vice president of Human Resources at Central Piedmont Community College.

“She’s a real people person,” Lilly says of Frances. “We do go to a lot of functions.

She mixes well and people love her.”

The couple has four children, and their grandchildren soon will number seven.

Besides family, Lilly enjoys “chasing a golf ball,” and reading. He finds most new books on business shallow and prefers historical novels.

His business hero is Teddy Roosevelt.

“He had a love for business, but he also had a love for the environment and nature,” Lilly says of the 26th president. “He actually saw business, the environment and the country as a unit.”

But the most fun for Lilly is job related.

“I enjoy seeing our young faculty get involved in projects with the business community,” he says. “It’s nice when a business comes to us and says, “We need help developing a business plan. Do you have an MBA class that can work with us? Do you have a faculty member who can help us?”

The answer is yes, Lilly grins. biz

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Lynne Scott Safrit Project Manager North Carolina Research Campus

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C RESEARCH CAMPUS KANNAPOLIS,NC

by susanne deitzel

[bizprofile]

PAYING

it FORWARD

t

KANNAPOLIS DEVELOPER PRECIPITATES A MULTITUDE OF IMPACTS

wenty-four miles north of Charlotte, just off of Interstate 85, is a little town that was content being simply that: a family-oriented, sleepy little section of land steeped in the rich history of North Carolina textile manufacturing.

That is, up until two years ago when the town of Kannapolis was up-ended by equally historical layoff figures. An estimated 4,300 mill jobs were lost when community godfather, Pillowtex, closed its doors and filed bankruptcy.

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Despite years of foreboding, the plant closings came as shock to many. Perhaps most surprised were busy Charlotteans unaware of this quiet little landmark, or what the loud slam of its mill doors could mean to the local economy.

Fortunately, a specter from the past has arrived on the scene of this town of roughly 38,000 folks, and most are greeting him with open arms. Business magnate and billionaire David Murdock has returned to Kannapolis to give its economy a much

David H. Murdock, Owner according to the September issue of Forbes Magazine’s “Forbes 400” Status: #52 on Forbes Richest 400 Net Worth: In excess of $4.0 billion (described as “self made”) Age: 82 Marital Status: Widowed, 3 children, 3 divorces Hometown: Los Angeles, Cal. Education: High school; dropped out of ninth grade Career: Pumped gas until drafted by Army in 1943, where he was a machine gunner. Moved to Detroit after WWII, borrowed $1,800 to buy a diner, sold for a small profit. Began building homes in Arizona; succumbed to1964 real estate crash. Bought more property in California.

Then initiated leveraged buyouts: Castle & Cooke (Hawaiian real estate), Dole Food Company (bananas).Also holds stake in Pacific Holdings, conglomerate that owns the largest chassis maker in the U.S. Passions: Architecture and building. More recently, health and nutrition.A fish vegetarian with the occasional indulgence in a bite of chocolate. Largest stable of Arabian horses in the country. Orchid breeder who lined the gardens of his estate with over 300 boulders mined from Thailand's River Kwai. Real Estate tycoon with multitude of commercial and residential properties in Hawaii,Arizona, California and Florida. Most recently a passion for redeveloping 5.8-million-square-foot factory complex in Kannapolis, N.C., into a biotech research center.

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KANNAPOLIS, NC Comments Safrit, “This area where our families lived and worked was at one time a happy, unified community. So of course, this is much more than a job to me.” needed, much heralded, shot in the arm: plans and funding for the $1 billion, 350acre, North Carolina Research Campus, a biotechnology research hub to replace the graveyards of empty mill sites.

Mill Works to Good Works

The people of Kannapolis are familiar with Murdock. He purchased Cannon Mills in 1982 and sold it to Fieldcrest Mills in 1986. Some remember him as a raider, but others remember his considerable investments into the mills and Cannon Village as a saving grace, for a time.

Regardless of the past, Murdock is back to stay after having purchased Plant 1 of the mill at auction for $6.4 million.

He is now forging full-steam ahead to stoke the fires of the suffering town.

Lynne Scott Safrit, project development manager for what will become the North Carolina Research Campus, remembers the day Murdock repurchased the plant. “He went to the auction personally and made the winning bid.

He called me and said, ‘Well, I don’t know what we’re going to do with it, but it has to create a lot jobs for Kannapolis.

And, we’ve got to get working on this – fast.’”

Safrit is a diminutive blonde with the smarts and stamina that qualify her as a charming version of ‘Carolyn’ to Murdock’s ‘Trump.’ Safrit has worked with Murdock for the past 23 years and is a product of Cannon Mills, herself.

Now president of Murdock’s Castle & Cooke, Inc., she proudly shares that both

her mother and father worked for the mills, as did she on weekends, holidays and summers home from college.

Comments Safrit, “This area where our families lived and worked was at one time a happy, unified community. So of course, this is much more than a job to me.”

She adds, “And it is very important that people understand that it is also much more to Mr. Murdock. He sold Cannon because the handwriting was on the wall, and it made him very sad to have to do so.

To be able to help the people he once worked with is a huge motivating factor for him.”

Which is not to say that Murdock doesn’t acknowledge that there is a tremendous financial motivation as well. In addition to the 250-acre Cannon Mills Plant 1 site, Murdock owns 100 acres in downtown Kannapolis and 1,000 acres throughout Cabarrus and Gaston Counties.

Comments Safrit, “There is a practical side to this. What better way to protect your assets than to boost the economy with an infusion of jobs?”

A Good Match

What does one do with a huge, empty textile plant and a whole lot of people knocking down your door for employment?

David Murdock, who also owns food giant Dole Foods and real estate subsidiary Atlantic American Properties, initially sat down with Safrit to discuss a short list of twenty-odd applications to use the space.

Recalls Safrit, “When Pillowtex was for sale, we considered trying to make the plant a

NC RESEARCH CAMPUS w w w. g r e a t e r c h a r l o t t e b i z . c o m

viable operation again. But we, like everyone else, found that we simply couldn’t compete with foreign manufacturing. So after the auction, we began considering residential developments, medical facilities, and traditional office spaces. While there were a lot of ideas that could fill the space, none of these was self-sustaining.”

She continues, “The biotechnology concept was exactly the opposite. With Mr. Murdock’s passion for health and nutrition, compatibility with North Carolina agri-business, and natural partnerships with top- notch universities, the idea yielded, and continues to yield, more and more potential.”

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole speaking at the groundbreaking for the North Carolina Research Campus. She was joined by U.S. Senator Richard Burr and Congressman Robin Hayes.

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That potential appears somewhat daunting. Says Safrit, “Mr. Murdock’s goal is to take North Carolina a step further on the biotechnology playing field.” North Carolina’s Research Triangle is currently ranked third in the nation behind San Diego and Boston.

With the addition of the North Carolina Research Campus, Murdock hopes to raise the state to number two, and state and local leaders are rushing to lend their aid to make that objective a reality. The attendance roster for the campus announcement read like a ‘Who’s Who’ of North Carolina politicos: Governor Mike Easley, Senator Elizabeth Dole, Senator Richard Burr, Congressman Robin Hayes, President ProTem of the N.C. Senate Marc Basnight, N.C. Speaker of the House James Black, and N.C. Senator Fletcher Hartsell.

Despite having done business in 96 countries and every state in the union, Murdock appears completely bowled over

by North Carolina leadership’s reception to the campus. “This is undoubtedly the best experience of the public and private realms working together that I have ever had.” He adds, “The help that has come from the powers-that-be has far exceeded my expectations, and has also exemplified politicians executing the true purpose of their position – working for the good of the people.”

The Emerald City

Murdock’s vision includes a campus containing more than one million square 34

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feet of office and laboratory space housing state-of-the-art equipment, as well as 350,000 square feet of retail and commercial space including a movie theatre, hotel, convention area, sundry restaurants and specialty shopping.

At this point, many people’s eyes gloss over.

What can Murdock’s millions translated into biotech white coats, institutionally-gilded buildings and shopping do for the plight of those thousands having lost manufacturing jobs?

To this, University of North Carolina System President Molly Broad answers confidently, “I believe what we are doing with the North Carolina Research Campus will be looked to as a model for bringing early 20th century manufacturing economies into highly productive 21st century economies.”

Here is that model: recruiting intellectual capital; attracting biotech R&D; and expansion, applications and production.

The first component involves recruiting some of the state’s prestigious faculty and intellectual capital from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina State University and

potentially, Duke University, with a giant carrot: a brand new, state-of-the-art Core Laboratory and support facilities. The Core Lab will offer 60,000 square feet with a DNA sequencing facility, microarray facilities, mass micro-spectrometry facilities and tools to sustain them. In addition to the buildings and instrumentation, hopes are that the campus will encourage a closelyknit scientific community that will foster data sharing and cross-pollinization.

The schools are also creating their own specialized initiatives within the campus.

The North Carolina State University Institute for Advanced Fruit and Vegetable Science will be seeking ways to increase the Southeast’s agricultural options by applying basic and applied research.

Explains Safrit, “The applications are countless. We can seek to extend growing seasons, learn to grow without pesticides, increase the shelf life of produce, bolster

NORTH CAROLINA R w w w. g r e a t e r c h a r l o t t e b i z . c o m

“We can’t to go back and replace the old jobs.

But what we can do is create new jobs that are attainable through training, and ones that are attainable through higher education. We are giving our children the opportunity to do better, to work toward a solid future, and still grow up working in the community they were raised in.” food’s nutritional components, and find healthy and lucrative alternative crops for farmers like those who have been hard-hit by tobacco buy-outs. That is just to name a few.”

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is establishing The University of North Carolina Institute for Excellence in Nutrition, which seeks to examine the relationship between nutrition and the

brain, obesity and cancers. Broad says the task of creating a laboratory wish list is well underway: “We are determining our implementation at this point. Senior faculty leaders are in discussions to identify needs for staff, instrumentation and equipment, networking and computing, and also attempting to solidify the focus of our research.”

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte will leverage its College of Health and Human Services to assist its sister school in Chapel Hill with the food science initiative, and will be instrumental in devising a private school dedicated to 11th and 12th grade girls who excel in math and sciences.

The University of North Carolina Chancellor, Phil Dubois, says the university is also excited to be heading efforts to optimize its bioinformatics research on the North Carolina Research Campus.

According to Dr. Joan Lorden, vice chancellor and academic provost at The

RESEARCH CAMPUS greater charlotte biz

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, “Bioinformatics cuts across all of what Mr. Murdock seeks to accomplish on the campus. It involves using computational methods to extract information from a biological database.” She adds, “To have data is one thing. To have information is something else. That is where bioinformatics and where UNC Charlotte comes in.”

In addition to these initiatives, there is also a Contract Manufacturing Biogenic Fermentation facility technology companies can use for a fee. Murdock has also added a little honey to the pot here: a $100 million venture capital fund for prospective tenants who qualify.

This considerable wellspring of talent, intellectual capital, shiny new facilities and seed money is very attractive to rising biotech firms, hence satisfying the second component of the business model: luring new biotech research and development companies into the area.

“Our expectation,” says Safrit, “is that if you have 100 to 200 biotech companies in their early stages, many of them will reach commercial stages and begin to produce their products here as well. This way they can hire more employees for commercial applications.”

Third component: More employees.

Commercial applications. Production.

Sound familiar?

Well, maybe yes, maybe no.

Flexibility = Future

“We can’t to go back and replace the old jobs. But what we can do is create new jobs that are attainable through training, and ones that are attainable

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through higher education,” says Safrit. “We are giving our children the opportunity to do better, to work toward a solid future, and still grow up working in the community they were raised in.”

She adds, “One thing I feel confident in saying is that anybody willing to open themselves to new things and willing to help themselves, can succeed. Mr. Murdock is a prime example of this. He has a ninth grade education but has continually educated himself throughout his life experience.”

Another thing Safrit feels fairly confident saying is that people should not expect to make a decent living in tomorrow’s economy without a high school education. “What I hope people will take away right now is if they don’t have a high school diploma, they need to take advantage of the affordable G.E.D. programs at Central Piedmont or Rowan County Community College. It will be very hard to be involved in this campus without one.”

Both Safrit and Broad emphasize the

University of North Carolina system President Molly Broad speaking at the groundbreaking for the North Carolina Research Park,“I believe what we are doing will be looked to as a model for highly productive 21st century economics.”

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KANNAPOLIS, NC

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“The most important thing is that people realize that the jobs come downstream.

First comes research, then products, then companies, then company jobs, and then support jobs. But the days of scouting for the next giant manufacturing buffalo are gone – that species is sadly, but irretrievably, about extinct.” opportunity for a wealth of jobs – if the population wants them. Comments Broad, “This is a new kind of manufacturing. We won’t be manufacturing textiles or furniture, but perhaps we will be working with vats of molecules that will eventually be stored in someone’s medicine cabinet.”

Safrit adds, “While there is considerable science behind what is produced, the majority of people don’t need a Ph.D. in microbiology or genetic engineering to work on this campus. But, again, you do need a high school degree.”

To this end, the design of the North Carolina Research Campus also includes facilities for the North Carolina Community College System, heavily tailored to assist in retraining laid off textile workers.

Admittedly, it takes a paradigm shift to absorb all of this.

Explains Broad, “We need to be sure we are straining to get every ounce of potential out of this campus. We tend to look at job creation models through a manufacturing lens because we know that process; it is comfortable and familiar. We are still learning how to tell the story of a biotech research model.” greater charlotte biz

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She concludes, “The most important thing is that people realize that the jobs come downstream. First comes research, then products, then companies, then company jobs, and then support jobs. But the days of scouting for the next giant manufacturing buffalo are gone – that species is sadly, but irretrievably, about extinct.”

Weighing In

Reticence on the part of mill workers to head back to school is not the only grumbling to be heard about the North Carolina Research Campus. The project also has its share of cynics and naysayers who question everything from Murdock’s motives (“Is this a ploy to get taxpayers to fund Dole’s research?”) to whether the

Lynne Scott Safrit, Project Manager Title: President of Castle & Cooke’s Charlotte-area operations; president of Castle & Cooke real estate subsidiary Atlantic American Properties Local Holdings: Cannon Village shopping center, Kannapolis Country Club, Oak Avenue Mall, Pity’s Sake Lodge and approximately 175 former mill homes Age: 47 Marital Status: Husband; 2 children Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C. (native and resident) Education: Undergraduate: Catawba College (English major), 1980; Graduate: UNC Charlotte (psychology major), 1982 Career: Interestingly, Safrit’s parents worked about 40 years each in the Pillowtex mill’s yarn spinning room and Safrit herself spent summers working there filling in where needed. She first met Murdock when he bought Pillowtex predecessor Cannon Mills in 1982. She was working there in employee relations and pursuing a graduate degree. Murdock sold the mill four years later (keeping other assets) and Safrit joined him as vice president of marketing for his local real estate interests with Castle & Cooke, becoming president of that subsidiary a few years later.

Passions: Music; dogs

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Kids Don’t Want The Business? ‘build it and they will come’ mentality is an expensive crapshoot.

Still others take issue with the appropriation of the state’s coffers. University of North Carolina officials have reportedly stated their intent to request a one-time appropriation of $16 million for equipment and build out, and $25 million in annual operating grants. Kannapolis and Cabarrus County are said likely to issue more than one self-financing bond, the first of which will be $7 million dollars for a parking deck. One report also says Governor Easley has offered assurances that N.C. 3, the state road heading into the campus, will be widened.

Yet advocates contend that Murdock continues to prove his commitment in words and deeds. In 10 or 11 months he will have completed building a new vegetable processing plant in Gaston County that was initially targeted for Tennessee; he is presently in discussions to locate a frozen fruit facility here; and so far he has brought a lot of money and purpose to an area that is pretty desperate.

Former University of North Carolina at Charlotte Chancellor James Woodward shares his thoughts on the debate: “When I had the opportunity to discuss the campus with Mr. Murdock early on, a few things became very clear. First, was that this project is motivated by both Mr. Murdock’s business

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interests and personal passion. Secondly, he immediately recognized that it was a very positive opportunity for all parties involved.

Thirdly, he is devoting a considerable amount of his personal attention to it. So, I am sure, like all of his good ideas, this one will be followed through optimally.”

Auld Lang Syne For the time being, demolition continues in the large spaces between the railroad tracks and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. Safrit

admits a twinge of nostalgia as the bricks tumble down, but adds that that feeling is quickly replaced by an overwhelming feeling of a new beginning.

She recalls, “I think my friend, (Congressman) Robin Hayes, put it very well when he said he thinks his granddad is smiling down at what we are doing today.

‘It’s about the people,’ Robin said, ‘That’s what my granddad worked for and that’s what we are working for now.’”

Says Murdock, betraying a hint of his businessman’s cool and a certain pluckiness,

NC RESEARCH CAMPUS WHAT DO THESE BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE IN COMMON?

“I don’t have any compunction about tearing those old buildings down. They’re tired and empty and would have amounted to little more than six million square feet of rats’ nest that someone would eventually demand to have removed. Now we can take that space and build a beautiful, landscaped area with parks and playgrounds and everything you can imagine to provide a wonderful quality of life.”

The general consensus appears to be that Murdock’s vision, investment and commitment are providing the equivalent of a winning lottery ticket. But UNCC Vice Chancellor Lorden will go one better, “This is like a lottery that just keeps on paying out. The North Carolina Research Campus can continue seeding itself and deliver rewards for decades and decades to come.”

Concludes the perennially healthy and notoriously fit 82-year-old Murdock, “Well I hope to be around for decades and decades myself, because I couldn’t agree more…” One can’t help but think of the paying it forward similarities between this man’s good deed and the extent to which it is precipitating a multitude of positive impacts. biz

NORTH CAROLINA RESEARCH CAMPUS Biotechnology Research and Development Hub Kannapolis, Cabarrus County Owner: David Murdock, CEO, Castle & Cooke, Inc., Dole Food Company, Inc., Atlantic American Properties, Inc. Project Manager: Lynne Scott Safrit, President, Castle & Cooke, Inc. (Charlottearea operations) Physical Area: 350 acres, expected home to 100-200 biotech companies

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Cyndie Mynatt Owner and President Ben Mynatt Pontiac-Buick-GMC Truck, Inc.

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by eloise d. morano

[bizprofile]

Interacting with people turbo charges this high octane CEO

C

yndie Mynatt likes to shake people up – just a little. She is an energetic brunette with a ready smile and contagious enthusiasm. About the last thing you might expect her to do for a living is sell cars. You would never guess that she runs two Ben Mynatt car dealerships and a used car lot.

She says she loves to have a little fun with people’s prejudices, maybe even open their minds a little in the process. She says a cocktail party ice-breaker is her favorite. When the person she meets inevitably asks what she does, she ignores the new car part and makes sure everyone is listening when she says, “I’m a used car dealer.”

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“It’s so interesting to see people’s reactions to the used car dealer statement. You can tell right away what kind of stereotype they have by the way they react. You can see if they’re thinking ‘white shoes, white belt, plaid pants…’! I guess I’m out to break the stereotype.” She says it’s just one of the small ways she uses her position as a business leader to educate.

Hooked on high octane Cyndie Mynatt never imagined that she would follow her father into the car business, or that it would offer her the chance to educate people in ways that she never considered in college.

“Never, never, never,” she says. “But it turns out that I just love it. My degree is in Anthropology – Pre-Columbian Archaeology, actually. I worked at the Mint Museum in Charlotte; I started in 1979 as assistant curator of Education.

“My son was born in 1982, and I decided to stay home with him three years.

I was bored stiff!” she says, rolling her eyes. “I spent hours trying to think of what I could do next. Don’t get me wrong, the museum was wonderful. But I got to think-

Cyndie Mynatt never imagined that she would follow her father into the car business, or that it would offer her the chance to educate people in ways that she never considered in college.

Thus she continues the game she used to play when her father, the company founder, was alive, and they went to social events together. ‘Gentle Ben’ Mynatt, founder of the Ben Mynatt Megastore in Concord, was a much beloved member of the community.

A six foot tall, friendly man with white hair, he got a kick out of having his daughter in the business with him. His customers dubbed him ‘Gentle Ben,’ and the nickname stuck. It also led to the creation of the Ben Mynatt ‘bear’ logo.

Ben Mynatt used to relish the moment when people learned that the younger woman with him at any given event was his daughter, and in later days, that she was in charge of the business.

“They would ask him something and he would defer to me. He was always tickled to point out that I was in charge. He was never in charge of my stores. He let me run them from Day 1.”

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ing about the family business, and I wondered if it was an opportunity I should be pursuing. I asked my father if there was a future for women in the car business, and he didn’t see why not.

“In 1985, I started in charge of rental cars. I became a leasing specialist.

Pretty soon, I had seen enough of the business, and I was hooked,” she says. “What is so amazing is that we run several distinct businesses all at once: new, used, parts, service, and body shop.

They’re all

under one roof. Separate, yet coordinating with each other. It’s a huge and exciting challenge, like a big puzzle,” she says happily.

Jump start on the car business Mynatt attended a couple of schools to learn the business, one of them being the year-long Dealer Candidate Academy at General Motors, and another in McLean, Virginia, sponsored by the North American Dealers Association (NADA).

But her father was insistent that she learn the business on the job in what he felt would be a useful progression.

“From leasing, Dad said I had to learn about financing. After I had done that awhile, then he said I had to learn the used car side. That way, in the future, if somehow there were no new car deliveries, or there were strikes or whatever, I would always have a resale business to fall back on,” says Mynatt. “I loved it all.”

Mynatt says what interests her most is not the technical side, not even the future of hybrid cars. She defers to her staff when it comes to questions about what goes on under the hood. What offers her endless variety and holds her interest is people.

They aren’t the people in anthropology texts, but the living, breathing kind that work for her, or that come in to buy cars.

She says she finds it far more stimulating, with new challenges all the time.

People the driving force Growing up and into the business, Mynatt’s father taught her the value of giving back to people in

When the person she meets inevitably asks what she does, she ignores the new car part and makes sure everyone is listening when she says, “I’m a used car dealer.” w w w. g r e a t e r c h a r l o t t e b i z . c o m

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7R RXU )DFXOW\ 6WDII DQG 6WXGHQWV 5ęĒğĜ ĪĠĦ ėĠģ ĪĠĦģ ĕĖĕĚĔĒĥĚĠğ Ēğĕ ĔĠĞĞĚĥĞĖğĥ ĥĠ ĥęĖ #ĖĝĜ $ĠĝĝĖĘĖ Ĥ ĞĚĤĤĚĠğ Ġė ĥĖĒĔęĚğĘ ģĖĤĖĒģĔę Ēğĕ ĠĦĥģĖĒĔę :ĠĦ ĒģĖ ĥęĖ ęĖĒģĥ Ġė ĥęĖ ĔĠĝĝĖĘĖ Ēğĕ ĥęĖ ħĒĝĦĖĕ ĜĖĪ ĥĠ Ēĝĝ ĨĖ ęĒħĖ ĒĔĔĠĞġĝĚĤęĖĕ

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2005

45

the community. It was something he believed in strongly, and his daughter has faithfully followed, believing that helping people is the most important part of the business. Her resume reveals that she heads or serves on no less than a dozen foundations, boards of directors and civic groups, from the United Way of Central Carolinas and the United Negro College Fund, to the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences.

“We have always believed in giving back. We’re real active in Cabarrus County, and have been since my Dad started the business in Concord in 1976. We’re still relatively new in Salisbury, but we are getting more and more involved in Rowan County, with the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and supporting the arts in any way we can. Salisbury has a lot going on. It has its own symphony and historical society. It really is its own trade center, not a bedroom community for Charlotte,” she says.

She also relishes leadership posts because she has learned that they offer the

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chance to effect change. Often that change needs to happen legislatively.

She says by far her biggest opportunity to do that is as Chairman of the North Carolina Auto Dealers Association

In addition, Mynatt says the NCADA is anxious to self-police in matters of finance and insurance, so that there never is a question about compliance with the law. This requires the most education of all.

“We have to educate dealers about procedures that must be in place to fully comply with all the laws. No one wants what happened in Mecklenburg County,

“We have to educate dealers about procedures that must be in place to fully comply with all the laws. “The truth is, the vast majority of dealers do it right, and we want to make sure they do it right,”

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Accelerating change She continues: “It involves going to Raleigh and talking to our legislators. Last week I was in Washington. We are active both in-state and on a national level. I attend town meetings to learn what issues matter to people. We are always trying to craft change that helps people.”

when computers were seized and there were accusations of car loan applications being ‘manufactured.’

“The truth is, the vast majority of dealers

Auto Show full speed ahead to raise money As if all this were not enough, the Greater Charlotte Automobile Dealers Association selected Mynatt as this year’s International Auto Show Chairman. “It’s the biggest auto show between Atlanta and D.C.,” she says. “It covers every square inch of the Convention Center for four days, and raises a great deal of money for charity: law enforcement projects, children’s issues, and basic human needs.” Mynatt gives more credit to all the people who work the show for

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(NCADA), a group composed of 700 franchise dealers around the state. She has been treasurer, secretary, and vice chair of the group, so her current chairmanship is the next logical step. She says it’s a chance to affect legislation and issues that matter to fellow dealers, and to customers.

“There’s lots of travel, I can tell that already. The NCADA is very active legislatively and educationally. We are trying to craft legislation in regard to manufacturer regulations, even state inspections. I can help if there is something we want to change. For example, how cars are taxed, licensing, the parts used in body shop repairs, workman’s comp. North Carolina is one of the most generous states for worker’s comp. You can get lifetime benefits, and other states are not that way. Of course it can be very expensive for business, but we were very active on that.”

do it right, and we want to make sure they do it right,” she says. “We have to make sure advertising is compliant, too.

There are certain things dealers must disclose in order to be compliant with the law. We even publish a book for all our dealers. And we have sell-out seminars, whether it’s on best practices, or how to run a more profitable used car lot,” says Mynatt.

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those four days.

The Charlotte Automobile Dealers Association is serious about the human needs of fellow dealers, and even before the Auto Show, raised money for hurricane victims.

“We’re very focused on our brother

because of what I call our ‘rising stars.’ I believe in hiring people who know what they’re doing, giving them top-notch tools and education, then letting them do their jobs. I am the head cheerleader,” she says with a smile.

And with that, she’s off to

R

“I’m as hands-on a dealer as anyone I know.

We’re a people business, it’s all about people.

We’ve been so successful because of what I call our ‘rising stars.’ I believe in hiring people who know what they’re doing, giving them top-notch tools and education, then letting them do their jobs. dealerships, particularly now, in the hurricane-affected areas. Each state has helped identify the dealer families in need.

Charlotte area dealers have sent a big contribution to NADA for the fund helping those families,” says Mynatt.

Revving up for the future Cyndie Mynatt says she does not have her eyes on a prize new location. She says she’s not adverse to expansion, but that isn’t anything she’s focusing on right now.

First, she needs to see to the renovation of her Salisbury location, which was gutted by fire in August. A fluorescent light smoldered and caught fire in the middle of the night, destroying all but the shell of the building. “The cars just had smoke damage, and we took care of that,” she says. For the time being, salesmen work from tables and chairs set up under the shade of the overhang. Mynatt is not daunted; she takes the inconvenience in stride. She proves again that for her, it is not the material things that matter most.

“I’m as hands-on a dealer as anyone I know. We’re a people business, it’s all about people. We’ve been so successful 48

november 2005

meet with one of her many charitable organizations. For her, it is life as it should be. biz

Ben Mynatt BEN MYNATT Pontiac-BuickGMC Truck, Inc. 289 Concord Parkway S Concord, N.C. 28027 Phone: 704-788-2121 Principals: Cynthia L. Mynatt, Owner and President; Richard Mynatt,Vice President; Grace Mynatt, Secretary-Treasurer Founded: 1976 (Ben Mynatt, father now deceased, founder) Operating Budget: $65-70 million Employees: 100 Locations: 2 dealerships (Concord and Salisbury), one pre-owned lot (Kannapolis) Business: A franchised auto dealer selling new cars and trucks, parts, service, and body work; also an independent used car dealer not affiliated with any particular franchise. www.benmynatt.com

w w w. g r e a t e r c h a r l o t t e b i z . c o m

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(l to r) Mitchell Hyatt Larry Hyatt, President Hyatt Coin & Gun Shop, Inc.

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by susanne deitzel

[bizprofile]

Family Firearms BUSINESS HITS

P

ull open the door

Hyatt Shoots from the Hip about His Sales Philosophy

of Hyatt Coin and Gun Shop, Inc. and you encounter a booth where you check your firearm.

You’ve entered a family business that has been a main-

stay of Charlotte’s Wilkinson Blvd. for 46 years. Initiated as a

Next you gawk at multiple showcases

one-person shop by Bill Hyatt in 1959, three

packed with pistols and revolvers. The

generations of Hyatts have built it into what

walls seem to groan with nearly endless

company President Larry Hyatt calls the

varieties of rifles and shotguns.

largest gun store in the southeast.

Aisles display ammunition, holsters and countless other firearmrelated paraphernalia. Knives gleam under glass counters. So do gold and silver rare coins. Make a turn and you’re startled by your vision of colorful safes lined up like refrigerators.

What once was a 500-square-foot coin dealership that sold a few firearms has grown into 20,000 square feet, one of the largest in the country, packed with about 4,000 guns and gun-related items, about 100 safes and one of the area’s most extensive selections of rare and collectable coins.

With Stamina, Niche Marketing greater charlotte biz

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It attracts customers from across the Carolinas and beyond and occasionally serves well-known sports and entertainment personalities. Its base is a cross section of customers from the Greater Charlotte region, from the wealthy to the poor, from sportsmen to women concerned with self-defense.

Larry Hyatt, 58, has worked in the store for almost as long as he can remember.

When Larry and his younger brother Terry were old enough to be responsible, they often joined their dad and their mother Irvene at the business.

“My father took advantage of child labor,” cracks Hyatt, a notorious jokester.

When Hyatt completed a two-year hitch in the U.S. Army, he majored in English and minored in Business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Shortly after his 1972 graduation, he joined his father full-time in the business at 3332 Wilkinson Boulevard.

By the late 1970s, he was running it. “My father was pretty smart,” he grins. “Pretty quick after I came in, he started going down to the farm in Anson County.” That’s the family cattle operation that brother Terry had taken over.

With dedication and energy, Hyatt expanded the firearms selection dramatically and sparked the steady growth that continues today. He incorporated in 1982. Now, firearms are 75 percent of sales and repairs are another 5 percent. Safes and coins split the other 20 percent.

Hyatt started selling safes by accident.

“We had a break-in,” he explains. “We couldn’t get any more insurance, so we bought safes for the store.” He purchased a few more than he needed. “Next thing I knew, I was selling them.”

Today’s safes come in designer colors and are meant to harmonize with a recreation room. They start at $300 and go up to $5,000 for the kind that rival refrigerators in size and weigh much more.

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Listening,Asking For The Sale Makes The Difference It’s not a stretch for Hyatt to deal in safes.

They are perfect repositories for firearms and Hyatt finds fun in all kinds of selling. He readily shares his sales philosophy.

“You need to listen to people,” he says.

“You can give them information and guide them to the right thing. Then you’ve got to close the sale; you’ve got to ask for it.”

uates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their father jokes that he wanted them at the same school to facilitate economical visits. Further, he could ìgive them the same lecture at the same time.”

Today, Michael Hyatt is an investment banker in New York City but Mitchell Hyatt, whose grandfather hooked him on coin collecting, is a certified numismatist and is dramatically growing the rare coins trade that had languished. For expert advice Mitchell can consult with his grandfather. Bill and Irvene Hyatt, at 82 and 77 respectively, come to work more often than not.

That makes three generations of Hyatts to lead the staff of 20, including 11 full-timers.

“It’s just a great family business,” says Richard Bray, a Charlotte financial planner. Bray says he’s always owned guns and enjoys target shooting.

“They know what they’re talking about there,” he says of Hyatt Coin and Gun Shop. “It’s not a high-pressure sell atmosphere. I go there just to visit. It’s like coming into an old-time family store.”

Just as Larry Hyatt won’t divulge the names of the rich and famous who sometimes frequent the store, he guards revenue figures. But he’s happy to explain how Hyatt Coin and Gun Shop survived the economic blight that overtook Charlotte’s Westside and, at one point, left his store as the only retail tenant of the Westerly Hills Shopping Center.

Hyatt’s Business Is A Survivor Hyatt professes a genuine liking for people. “I have a lot of fun,” he says. “In firearms, you engage people a little more than in some other types of businesses.

People need to trust you.” Early on, Hyatt married Sylvia, who was an elementary teacher in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. When sons Michael and Mitchell grew old enough to watch out for themselves, Sylvia joined the business and has long run the financial and administrative functions.

Both Michael and Mitchell Hyatt are grad-

A survivor is what he calls himself and the business. “In the era of big chain stores, we carry a lot of the products that don’t sell quite as fast but that a lot of people want,” he says. “We use our inventory as advertising.

We keep a huge amount of product.”

Then he mentions that no one in the family suffered a serious illness or any other fate that might have hurt the business. So they kept grinding out long retail hours, keeping the store open six days a week and often wrestling with paperwork on Sunday.

The schedule is especially hectic in fall

w w w. g r e a t e r c h a r l o t t e b i z . c o m

HYATT GUN SHOP “One of America’s Largest Gun Stores”

Serving the Shooting Enthusiasts since 1959!

Handguns Rifles Sporting Clay / Skeet / Trap Shotguns Hunting Shotguns Black Powder Pistols & Rifles Antiques & Collectables New, Used & Consignment Ammunition (including unusual & obsolete calibers!)

Knives Safes from the table-top to 50x72x28 Holsters Tactical Equipment Police and Security Equipment Cleaning Supplies Huge Reloading Section The largest selection of firearm and business safes in the Carolinas. Over 100 Safes to choose from in a variety of colors and sizes from small single pistol table top models to the huge 60in x 72in x 28in that holds 60 long guns.

Gunsmiths on staff and newly expanded Gunsmith shop can handle almost any project: • Accuracy Enhancement • Bluing, Parkerizing & Custom Finishes • Cleaning & Storage Preparation • Fire Damage Restoration • Recoil Pad Installation • Repairs • Restoration • Scope Installation • Stock & Length of Pull Adjustment •Trigger & Action Jobs

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and winter. “The hunting seasons and Christmas peak virtually at the same time,” Hyatt says. “We are really busy. It’s overwhelming. When we hire people, if they have a compassion to hunt or they need to take a week off to see grandma at Christmas, this is not the place to work.”

For those who accept the holiday hours, Hyatt promises time off during slower June and July.

“Stamina and good luck were our best assets,” he says. “Although we’re smarter than anybody else,” he adds with a snicker.

“We looked for the niche markets that weren’t being taken care of,” he explains.

“Take self-protection. It was shunned by big chain stores because of extra paperwork and liability.” He mentions some chains from the past as well as Bass Pro Shops and Dick’s Sporting Goods. “What they do, they do well, but we do the things they don’t do.”

Although the customer base is 85 percent male, many women clients are interested in self-protection, Hyatt says. Weapons of choice generally are .38 revolvers and .9 millimeter semi-automatic pistols in the $300 to $500 range. Free training comes with the purchase, he adds.

Hunters favor the .12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun, Hyatt says, with the most popular running about $1,000. But an entrylevel, single-barrel shotgun starts at $100 and a pump can be had for $200.

A new visitor is sometimes taken aback to see Hyatt and his staff wearing side arms, but that doesn’t bother 10-year-customer Eric Rogers. The Charlotte lawyer likes to hunt “anything that flies” and he’s often interested in a premium shotgun or rifle.

“It’s not disconcerting to me,” Rogers adds of the armed wait staff. “The reality is you are not always dealing with the nicest segment of the population.”

Hyatt gives a matter-of-fact explanation.

“We have a store full of guns,” he says. “The criminals would really love to steal them. All our people have gone through extensive training. They’re legally qualified and permitted to carry a firearm. Knock on wood, we’ve never been robbed.”

Gun Laws, Both Good And Bad That brings Hyatt to the subject of gun regulations and laws. He says he’s seen both good and bad. There was a law that restricted

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firearm magazines to 10 rounds; it was repealed earlier this year. “It did not stop crime,” he says, “but it ruined a lot of expensive guns.”

But a recent law that allows an instant, instore background check on a potential customer of a rifle or shotgun is one Hyatt likes. “We can make sure they don’t have a criminal record, domestic violence or military criminal record. We can stop a gun sale to an unqualified person.”

Still, when a firearm leaves the store, there is no control over it, Hyatt reminds. “It can be stolen or resold, or someone can die and leave it in an estate. Overall, laws have failed to keep firearms from the people who should least have them, just as the drug laws have failed to keep drugs out of people’s hands.”

Though he doesn’t give exact figures, Hyatt says much of his firearm business is in used guns, which is only natural. “Guns last a long time. The gun purchased by your grandfather in 1918 could still be functional,” he explains, and adds that it might even be collectable.

Hyatt’s business itself has persevered long enough to see its neighborhood begin to

“Who needs light rail? Why not just build more roads?”

JOHN AGRESTI // CHARLOTTE

Good question, John. The fact is, rapid transit provides a more efficient alternative to congestion. Consider this: A light rail line can carry as many people as an eight-lane freeway, using one-tenth of the land.* While we’ll always need to widen roads and build new ones, we can't pave our way out of congestion with roads alone.

More questions? Visit charlottefuture.com.

* Source: Response to criticisms or questions about investing in public transit, CATS, 2004.

greater charlotte biz

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55

redevelop. A Wal-Mart is opening next door and the shopping center where Hyatt Coin and Gun Shop operates has refilled with

Hyatt Coin Hyatt Gun Shop & Gun Shop, Inc. 3332 Wilkinson Boulevard Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Phone: 704-394-0387 Principals: Larry Hyatt, President; Sylvia Hyatt, Secretary Established: 1959; incorporated in 1982 Employees: 20; Family-run involved business (Bill and Irvene Hyatt, Larry and Sylvia Hyatt, Mitchell Hyatt) Merchandise: Firearms of all types, firearm-related items, knives, safes and rare and collectable coins. www.hyattguns.com

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businesses such as a Family Dollar and a Habitat Re-store. Hyatt’s store sports a new faÁade.

Hyatt recalls years ago asking a consultant if he should move from the Wilkinson Boulevard corridor that was deteriorating.

The consultant told Hyatt, whose business already had been there for 20 years, he might lose customers who couldn’t find him.

He pointed out that parking is good, there’d been no robberies and business was growing.

“That’s what everybody wants,” Hyatt remembers the consultant exclaiming. “Why do you want to move?”

Glad he kept the business where it is, Hyatt hopes son Mitchell, 24, will someday take over. “Mitchell can run the business and he’s interested in it,” Hyatt says.

But Hyatt quickly adds that he doesn’t want to leave the business any time soon.

“I really enjoy what I do,” Hyatt says. A lot of times, I can’t wait to get up in the morning and come to work. As long as I feel that way, I’d like to work. Like everyone else, I’d like to take some time off and do some things. But overall, I don’t see me stopping.” biz

Emily Grant

Emily’s 01 Accord

Emily’s color choice

Emily Grant, we’d like to buy back your ’01 Accord and put you in that blue ‘05 Pilot you test-drove last Tuesday.

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The car Emily test drove

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Workforce Training and Development

[workforcebiz]

CPCC Offers New Programs to Meet New Challenges

T

he accelerating pace of change in the world around us requires Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) to continually develop and offer new courses and programs. From training in forensic science to programs in simulation and game development, CPCC is responding to local, regional and global trends. CPCC faces a never-ending demand for curriculum innovation.

So how do new programs take shape at CPCC? It takes a lot of hard work and the expertise of experienced educators and practicing professionals. CPCC meets regularly with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte Center City Partners, business and industry advisory committees, and individual business leaders. In addition, college administrators conduct ongoing research to stay in touch with the needs of the business community.

7

Seven new curriculum programs have been implemented or are being scheduled at CPCC.The following is a brief summary of these exciting new programs:

Associate in Applied Science Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts – Students began enrolling in this program in the fall of 2005. The culinary arts program has grown over the past 30 years, with more than 350 students currently enrolled.

With this new degree, graduates will be prepared for jobs related to the production, management, and marketing of bakery operations. The program gives students the skills to create upscale signature desserts through courses such as chocolate artistry, European cakes and tortes, petit fours and pastries.

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Associate in Applied Science Degree in Simulation and Game Development – This program is not only new to Central Piedmont Community College, but also unique in the state of North Carolina. The game development industry is an $11 billion per year industry, with trained developers and animation experts in high demand. The program will be offered to students in the spring of 2006 and will include a broad background in simulation and game development with practical applications in visual arts, audio/video technology, and more. Graduates will find employment in the entertainment industry, engineering, healthcare, forensics, education, and government agencies.

Associate in Applied Science Degree in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) – Slated to be offered to students in the fall of 2007, this program focuses on test methods used to examine an object, material, or system without impairing its future usefulness. This degree will qualify graduates as NDT technicians in nuclear or fossil power plants, petrochemical industries, and aviation. It is predicted that there will be a shortage of 50 percent of the inspection staff needed within five years in the United States, which proves the value of this new program.

Associate in Applied Science Degree in Construction Management – General contractors usually promote individuals working in the field to the position of construction manager. However, many lack the planning, estimating, and people skills required of the position. This new program, scheduled to be offered in the fall of 2006, will prepare graduates for jobs as construction managers who plan, estimate, schedule, and coordinate the completion of construction projects on time and on budget. This program will complement the CPCC Construction Institute by enabling the college to offer co-op internships in construction management.

Associate in Applied Science in Information Systems Security – According to the FBI and the Computer Security Institute, losses from viruses, direct information theft, and loss of computer use account for more than $58 billion annually.

This program is initially being offered to students this semester and consists primarily of information security courses with an emphasis on network infrastructure.

Associate in Applied Science in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Technology – This program responds to the national demand for highly trained GIS technicians ready to enter the rapidly expanding field of geospatial technologies.

Initial offerings began this fall with a grant covering the start-up costs and sustaining the program for two years. (continued on page 60)

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Workforce Training and Development

CPCC’s New Halton Theater Brings the Community to the Community College

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CPCC’s new 1,000 seat Halton Theater

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s the new Halton Theater on Central Piedmont Community College’s Central Campus opens this month, community members will have an opportunity to join with students and staff to experience arts events in a state-of-the-art performance venue. Located in the new Academic and Performing Arts Center at the corner of Kings Drive and Elizabeth Avenue, this 1,000+ seat facility will become home to the college’s nationally recognized arts and theatre program.

The theater has been named after Dale F. Halton, recently retired president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Charlotte.

Halton, a strong supporter of CPCC, has provided generous financial support to the institution over the years.

The theater will open its doors with a performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, the first show ever performed by CPCC’s Summer Theatre in 1973.

In the first year, the Arts and Communication Division will produce Carmen, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Madame Butterfly in the

Academic and Performing Arts Center

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new Halton Theater.

The Academic and Performing Arts Center, which was funded by 1999 local bonds, also houses classrooms for the arts and communications programs, a 145-seat recital hall, visual arts gallery, and conference facilities with teleconferencing. The 130,000-square-foot facility is also home to the college’s Student Life Area.

For information on The Sound of Music performance in Halton Theater on November 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20, 2005, call 704-330-6534 or visit www.cpcc.edu/theatre.

Certificate in Integrated Systems Technology – a Regional Center of Excellence – CPCC was selected as one of four colleges nationwide to offer the Integrated Systems Technology (IST) program. The program focuses on training in electronic/electrical/mechanical areas developed by industry in conjunction with Illinois State University. The program includes displaced worker training, incumbent worker training, and apprenticeship training. Graduates are prepared for jobs including maintenance technicians, manufacturing technicians, manufacturing/ maintenance supervisors, industrial electricians, and much more. biz This section is intended to highlight workforce training and development programs and initiatives delivered by community colleges within the Charlotte region. Community colleges are invited to submit substantive content ideas to editor@greatercharlottebiz.com.

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