Made in the High Country

[ ECRS ] [ Grandfather Winery ]

[ AEV ] [ GE Aviation ]

A special publication of

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Made in the High Country

September 26, 2013

American Emergency Vehicles custom designs and builds ambulances for national and international emergency medical services at its facility on Don Walters Road and currently employs 350 High Country residents, who will produce upwards of 20 percent of the machines built in the United States for the custom needs of the world’s lifesavers.

Our family looking out for yours American Emergency Vehicles is nation’s largest ambulance provider

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name in use in the United States,” Warmuth said. “That’s hat is today the nation’s largest provider of a long way to come in 23 years, but that goes back to the ambulances for domestic use, American Emercommitment we have to our customers, our shareholders gency Vehicles sits tucked into rolling farmland and our employees.” just east of Jefferson.

In 2010, AEV was acquired by Allied Specialty Vehicles, AEV custom designs and builds ambulances for national and international emergency medical services at its facility a provider of everything from ambulances and fire apparatus to school buses on Don Walters Road and recreational vehicles, and currently employs which Warmuth said has 350 High Country resisparked the companies’ dents, who will produce current lean manufacturupwards of 20 percent ing efforts. of the ambulances built “For years, we had in the United States for heard of lean manufacthe custom needs of the turing,” Warmuth said. world’s lifesavers.

“Certainly from others in During the next year, this community that have the company will progone lean, but we felt like duce as many as 1,200 that model didn’t really custom-built ambulancDuring the next year, American Emergency Vehicles will apply to us because of the es for the domestic and produce as many as 1,200 custom-built ambulances for the nature of the product.” international markets. domestic and international markets.

The core idea behind But it wasn’t always this the lean manufacturing way, according to Greg process, Warmuth said, is maximizing customer value, Warmuth, AEV vice president of finance. while minimizing waste.

“We trace our modern history to May of 1990,” WarIn February 2010, shortly after AEV was acquired, Warmuth said. “At that time, out of approximately 35 ammuth said a group of lean consultants visited the facility bulance manufacturers in the United States, we were and outlined steps the company needed to take during the probably No. 35.” next year.

Today, Warmuth said there are significantly fewer “Over the following 12 months, and after a cost of well ambulance manufacturers left in the industry, but that over $1 million, we transformed this operation into a lean AEV has emerged as the nation’s largest provider of ambumanufacturing operation,” he said. “Lean has helped us lances for domestic use. identify other areas where people need to put their efforts, “Those lines are a little blurred these days because our and we wound up with a better production flow and more parent company recently acquired two nameplates and consolidated those with one of our sister companies, but if productive employees.”

At the end of the day, it means the company focuses on you think in terms of brand names, we’re the largest brand

things that are of greater value to the customer, Warmuth said.

“We’ve certainly become believers in the lean philosophy,” he said. “The investment has been more than paid back since the transition.”

But it was the speed with which the transition was handled that Warmuth said he is most proud of.

“When the consultants left — because you’re never really done implementing ‘lean’ — we were recognized within the organization as the fastest, most effective lean transformation in the entire corporation,” he said. “I think that goes back to the relationship we have with our employees, the high degree of trust we all have.”

That trust, Warmuth said, carried the company through the difficult process, despite initial skepticism by company staff.

“There was definitely some skepticism and concern when we brought the idea of lean to the employees, but there was no lack of trust,” Warmuth said. “We’ve always tried to put our employees first and recognize that these are people. They have families and responsibilities, and they’re here because they’re trying to uphold those responsibilities, so we’re going to make a commitment to them.”

The company’s 350 employees have also been instrumental in earning AEV the coveted Carolina Star Award, which it first earned in 2008.

“The Star award ... is literally a partnership between North Carolina OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), employees and management that we’ve committed ourselves to providing and maintaining a safe working environment,” Warmuth said.

AEV is among 151 companies across the state that are Star-certified and one of 94 workplaces that are full Star members. This earns AEV a spot among the upper 1 percent of places to work in an economy that boasts roughly CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

September 26, 2013

Made in the High Country

GE Aviation

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GE Aviation is proud to be part of the High Country Industrial Community

We employee 160 skilled, hardworking team members who produce high pressure turbine disks and high pressure compressors spools used in commercial engines around the world. Every 2 seconds, an airplane powered

by GE technology is taking off somewhere in the world.

That means, at any given moment, more than 300,000 people are depending on our engines.

GE Aviation places a high value on our workforce. As a business, we can overcome a lot of different obstacles, but top notch talent is something that we cannot survive without.

Our competitive advantage is our people. We believe our success stems from a collaborative work environment. We refer to this as “teaming”―the notion that with an empowered workforce, teams become more efficient and more effective at a lower cost.

We are expanding! Our facility is poised for an 80,000-square-foot expansion which will come with an additional 105 jobs by 2017.

High Pressure Turbine

High Pressure Compressor

GE Aviation’s team in West Jefferson will begin the hiring process at the end of September. Candidates should have at least 1 year manufacturing experience in set-up and operations of any of the following machining processes: drilling, milling, grinding, turning, or broaching OR 1 year education in a relevant field such as machining and engineering. You can apply at the workforce development office (formerly the employment security commission). Applications will be available starting the last week of September.

GE Aviation

400 The Professional Dr, West Jefferson, NC 28694 | (336) 846-1445 | www.geaviation.com

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Our family looking out for yours CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

400,000 companies.

“As part of that program, we actually sponsored United Chemi-Con and helped them get Star,” Warmuth said. “It’s not just an internal thing, its an external thing, too. We’ve reached and tried to demonstrate that this is something of great value, so much so that we’ll set aside our time and resources to help others pursue it.”

The company has renewed its Star certification three times, according to Warmuth, and will likely earn its fourth in coming months.

“Its been a big commitment, but it’s all been done with a great deal of involvement and communication with our employees,” he said.

Despite the company’s growth in recent years, AEV vice president of operations Randy Hanson said he continues to stress the company’s core values to employees, including speed and workmanship.

“We’ve never been as big as we are right now,” Hanson told employees in a plant meeting Sept. 16. “And we’ve never built as many trucks as we are right now. We’ve got to continue to make sure that we’re all doing the right thing, staying safe and making the right decisions.”

Hanson continued that, despite the speed which customers require, AEV must focus on producing the industry’s highest quality product.

Made in the High Country

September 26, 2013

“Customers see the workmanship, and when you put our brand side by side with somebody else’s, it’s pretty obvious to the customer what they’re getting from AEV,” Hanson said. “We’ve got to place a lot of responsibility on ourselves to make sure we’re not messing up.”

And because the company’s system isn’t perfect, Hanson empowered employees to take responsibility for their work, because every single truck matters.

“As we’ve increased production, we’ve seen glitches in the system,” Hanson said. “If you spot something, don’t rely on somebody else to catch it. If you see something wrong, go to the person that made that mistake, because when that mistake gets out in the field and the customer sees it, we all lose credibility.”

Despite a backlog of 304 vehicles currently on order, AEV president and chief executive officer Mark Van Arnam reminded employees that it can take decades to win over a customer.

“Some of these customers on this list took 20 years to come buy from us,” Van Arnam told staff. “So, it takes years and years to get a customer, but it only takes a couple seconds to screw it up.”

“The bottom line,” Warmuth said, “is that we believe we have put our priorities where they matter most. In return, we have been rewarded by becoming the best ambulance manufacturer in the industry.”

American Emergency Vehicles employee Nathanael Johnson, right, buffs one of the company’s custompainted ambulances at the company’s Jefferson facility.

American Emergency Vehicles employees, from left, Josh McCoy, Greg Sizemore and Cody Blevins work on an ambulance interior assembly at AEV’s Jefferson facility.

Made in the High Country

September 26, 2013

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High Country publisher McFarland nears 35th anniversary and 6,000th book Did you know …

• That the Virginia Creeper train commemorated in artist Stephen Shoemaker’s paintings got its name from its leisurely pace — barely 5 mph in some places?

• That discarded refrigerators awaiting pick up in post-Katrina New Orleans became billboards bearing messages from the angry (“Bush you’re fired”) to the humorous (“Food by Chef Sal Manela” to the poignant (“Arthur Robertson where r you?”)?

• That in Japan, monks known as “Living Buddhas” practice self-mummification by starving themselves for a decade, burying themselves alive with a breathing tube and meditating until death comes?

• That the first African-American baseball player, Bud Fowler, began his professional playing career in 1878, some 69 years before Jackie Robinson stepped up to a major league plate? … or that an Ashe County publisher has produced books on all of these topics — and nearly 6,000 others?

McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers, has been devoted to turning out nonfiction books from its headquarters in Jefferson since 1979.

The company now publishes about 400 titles a year, covering a vast range of subjects — American and world history, especially military; performing arts (especially film: McFarland is a prominent player in this publishing field) and popular culture; sports (world’s

largest publisher of serious baseball books); transportation history; health; international studies; literature; chess; art; and many others.

Need to know how to care for a goat? Curious about Iranian literature? Wondering who starred in the Broadway musical, “Bells Are Ringing?” Pondering the philosophical depths of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer?”

McFarland has a book for you.

Founder and president Robert McFarland Franklin, a Yale graduate and Army veteran, was working for a publisher in New Jersey in the 1970s when he came to know Ashe County during summer stays with friends who had moved here.

Hooked, he determined to make Ashe County his home (his McFarland ancestors settled near here; Robert McFarland was an officer at Kings Mountain).

If starting a publishing company with international aspirations in Appalachia seemed audacious, that’s part of his nature — and the nature of the High Country is a big part of what McFarland has become. Here was a ready pool of talented people open to a new kind of career opportunity.

Now home to 55 highly skilled employees, all in Jefferson, McFarland has authors (and readers) all over the world, from Boone to Hungary to Thailand.

The business is ably managed by Rhonda Herman, Steve Wilson, Margie Turnmire, Karl-Heinz Roseman and their lieutenants.

In 2002, as digital printing equipment was begin-

28TH ANNUAL SALE STARTS OCT. 1

Founder Robert Franklin remains president and editor-in-chief today.

ning to revolutionize the industry, McFarland made the decision to start manufacturing most of its books in Ashe County — work it had previously farmed out — and installed a digital press, binder, trimmer, cover printer, laminator and other equipment in a newly constructed facility.

Now in direct control of the physical, as well as the editorial quality of its product, McFarland manufactures nearly all of its softcover books, which today dominate the line. The press is humming around the clock.

McFarland will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2014 during an all-day open house dedicated to thanking the High Country community that has nourished it.

Come Enjoy the Fall Leaves in the Vineyard Make sure to taste our Best of Show Winemakers Blend

Beautiful Handmade Furniture Unique Accessories Full Interior Design Service 11 miles from Boone Highway 105 South, Banner Elk

Owners Steve & Sally Tatum

OPEN ALL YEAR Monday through Saturday.

10 am - 5 pm

828-963-6466

225 Vineyard Lane Banner Elk, NC Located: just off Hwy 105 in Foscoe on Vineyard Lane.

828 963 2400 Hours: Closed Tuesdays | 12-6 Monday, Wednesday-Friday | 1-5 Sunday

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www.grandfathervineyard.com

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Made in the High Country

September 26, 2013

GE Aviation’s West Jefferson facility is located on The Professional Drive in West Jefferson.

Looking toward the future, inspiring aviation tomorrow

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E Aviation arrived in Ashe County in 2007, when at a lower cost.” it acquired the facility that was originally owned by GE Aviation plans to invest nearly $200 million and add Smith’s Aerospace. more than 240 jobs across its North Carolina operations.

The majority of work done in West Jefferson by Smith’s Investment in the West Jefferson facility will allow for increased capacity, as it assumes additional machining work. was for GE Aviation, that was a customer of the aerospace The facility is poised for an company.

80,000-square-foot expanGE Aviation manufactures sion, which will come with an jet engines, components and additional 105 jobs by 2017. integrated systems for com“GE Aviation has been mercial and military aircraft. fortunate to have great partThe company has a global ners like Wilkes Community service network to support College, who have supported these offerings. our efforts in developing the At the West Jefferson right skills for our workforce,” facility, the company’s team Ensani said. “We’ll conmanufactures commercial tinue to need a highly skilled aircraft engine components, workforce, so these partnerincluding high pressure ships will only become more turbine disks and high presimportant as we continue to sure compressors disks and grow.” spools.

Employees at the local GE Aviation facility produce high GE Aviation’s team in West GE, the parent company pressure turbines and high pressure compressors for Jefferson will begin hiring of GE Aviation, is a unique commercial aircraft engines. at the end of this month. conglomerate, with a large Candidates should have at industrial portfolio paired least one year manufacturing with an asset-based financing experience in set up and operations of any of the following business, known as GE Capital.

The company is focused on growing its industrial revenues, machining processes: drilling, milling, grinding, turning or broaching or one year education in a relevant field, such as which includes GE Aviation, as well as GE Transportation, machining and engineering.

GE Power and Water, GE Oil and Gas, GE Energy ManageIndividuals can apply at the workforce development office, ment and GE Healthcare.

GE Aviation places a high value on its workforce. As a busi- formerly the Employment Security Commission. Applications will be available beginning the last week of September. ness, the company can overcome a lot of different obstacles, A skilled workforce is even more important in light of the but top-notch talent is something that it cannot survive number of people depending on products made by GE. without.

Every two seconds, an airplane powered by GE technol“Our competitive advantage is our people. We believe our ogy is taking off somewhere in the world. That means, at any success stems from a collaborative work environment,” said given moment, more than 300,000 people are depending on Jessica Ensani, plant leader at the local facility. “We refer GE’s engines. to this as teaming – the notion that with an empowered The installed base of commercial engines in service for GE workforce, teams become more efficient and more effective

and its venture companies, CFM and Alliance, will grow from today’s 30,000 to 45,000 by 2020.

With a record-level backlog and a growing installed base, the company has an environment that ensures long-term production, supporting engine production and long-term spares.

Worldwide, the company employs more than 40,000 team members.

The company’s commitment GE’s customers demand products and solutions with no room for error. Airlines, militaries and even ship builders depend on the company to find new ways to meet their expectations.

From the first U.S. jet engine to the latest advancements in aviation engineering and services, GE Aviation is dedicated to turning great ideas into reality.

Whether it is the world-class quality of its products, services and processes, widespread volunteerism or gifts to charitable causes, GE Aviation supports the communities it calls home. Every year, GE, the GE Foundation and GE Aviation employees and retirees worldwide contribute 250,000 volunteer hours and millions of dollars to hundreds of community and educational projects at GE Aviation sites. The primary focus areas for corporate giving are education for the underserved, health and human services, civic development and the environment.

From mentoring and tutoring students to building playgrounds in disadvantaged neighborhoods to assisting the elderly, GE volunteers make a difference year-round.

GE and its employees and the GE Foundation support dozens of organizations. The core of their philanthropic effort is the GE Foundation, which offers a number of programs, including matching gifts for schools, colleges and nonprofit agencies.

As the business has expanded the offering to include engines, systems and services, GE Aviation has become a leading supplier within the aviation industry. Notwithstanding past accomplishments, GE continues to look toward the future and is developing new technologies today that will inspire aviation tomorrow.

September 26, 2013

Made in the High Country

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ECRS' historic HQ building is nestled between the growing campus of Appalachian State University and the bustling, downtown area of Boone, NC. The unique building has seen many changes since its beginning as the Winkler Ford Dealership in 1942. It has been home to a popular bar and restaurant and an area-favorite, outdoor sporting goods store.

ECRS purchased the building on February 15, 2002 and completely renovated the space while keeping its historical character and original structural components.

The upstairs hardwood flooring still shows the oil stains left behind from parked cars when the space served as a showroom for Ford Motors.

OUR HEADQUARTERS

Step outside at any given time, and you will find yourself among groups of college students, hurrying to their next class or to the popular coffee shop housed next door in what used to be the tractor shop of the Ford dealership.

Simply look up and you will find yourself suddenly departed from the bustling activity of downtown to the tranquility of surrounding mountains. Fridays are made even better as you sit at your desk catching waves of music from the Friday evening Concert on the Lawn held at the nearby Jones House or local musicians who gather on the downtown streets.

We love our headquarters, its rich character, and beautiful Appalachian mountain setting. It's the perfect setting for developing world class, retail automation software.

transforming the retail experience. want to learn more? www.ecrs.com 277 HOWARD STREET, BOONE, NC 28607

800.211.1172

SOLUTIONS@ECRS.COM

Made in the High Country

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September 26, 2013

Goodnight Brothers A Southern leader in country ham

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f there’s a savory slice of ham in your breakfast biscuit, there’s a good chance you’re sinking your teeth into a cut of pork that was cured and aged here in the High Country.

That signature flavor comes courtesy of Goodnight Brothers Country Ham in Boone, a family business in operation for 65 years.

Years ago, the Goodnight family supplied seed, feed and fertilizer to area farmers, who commonly paid their balances with excess cabbage and other produce, which the Goodnights then sold to clients off the mountain. But then the Goodnights — recognizing a shift in the local economy — made a key decision to diversify their business.

“The area up here became less agricultural-oriented and more tourist-oriented, (and) we needed something for employees to do during the wintertime. So, we started curing hams,” manager Bill Goodnight said. “As time went on, the country ham kind of outgrew the produce.”

Today, Goodnight Brothers cures and ages more than 10 million pounds of ham for grocery stores, restaurants and food distributors across the Southeast. The company’s clients include such names as Hardee’s, Bojangles’, Ingles, Piggly Wiggly, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, MDI, US Foods and Sysco.

Fast food has been significant to Goodnight’s growth, noted president Jim Goodnight, Bill’s first cousin.

“When they started doing the ham biscuit thing, that sure was a big plus for country ham people,” Jim said.

Added Bill, “We figured in 2012, we sold enough country ham biscuits, if you lined them up, it would go from Wrightsville Beach to the other side of Vegas.”

Goodnight Brothers’ relationships with its customers have proven to be the fundamental ingredient to the company’s success, Bill said. An early example of this came a few decades ago, when Bill’s attempts to land a new buyer for Goodnight’s Watauga Country Ham — Winn-Dixie — had thus far been unsuccessful.

He considered rebranding the hams under the name Daniel Boone, but then he thought of a better idea — partnering with his top customer, the Dan’l Boone Inn restaurant in Boone.

In a cross-promotional venture, Goodnight Brothers began selling hams under the Dan’l Boone Inn label, complete with the restaurant’s signature logo.

“It sold and became the No. 1 ham at Winn-Dixie,” Bill said.

Goodnight Brothers’ hams are cured with salt and sugar via a precise process that mimics the changing seasons, with temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms for winter, spring, summer and fall. The hams are then deboned, sliced and packaged for distribution.

In 2008, Goodnight began an all-natural line of hams from pigs raised by Eastern North Carolina Natural Hog Growers Association farms. The pigs are raised on vegetarian diets with no antibiotics, and the hams undergo an extended curing and aging process (up to nine months) and are cured with celery powder instead of synthetic nitrites. All-natural customers include Whole Foods, Earth Fare, US Foods and Sysco.

Goodnight Brothers employs more than 70 people, with 25 employees who have been with the company more than 15 years and 15 employees who have been with Goodnight

Goodnight Brothers manager Bill Goodnight explains the country ham curing process at the company’s Boone-based facility.

more than a quarter century.

Goodnight Brothers leaders are active in the community and in their industry. The family contributed a generous gift in 2001 to aid the academic and outreach activities of the Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Department at Appalachian State University, the oldest sustainable development program in the country.

Goodnight Brothers will offer some opportunities for direct retail sales through its website, which is currently undergoing a redesign, but it cautions that its Boonebased plant in the Watauga County Industrial Park is a processing facility not set up for retail sales.

Visit www.goodnightbrothers.com for more information, including upcoming holiday sales.

Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation Energizing the lines since 1936

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o other High Country business can lay claim to touching as many lives for as much of the day as Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation.

With 74,000 members across seven counties, Blue Ridge Electric has served as the backbone for all individual and business growth in the region since the first lines were energized in 1936.

“The heart of our service is making life better for our members in our local communities,” Renée Whitener, public relations director, said.

The power distribution cooperative has its roots in the Rural Electrification Administration created in 1935, which helped rural areas become electrified. Numerous residents worked together to petition, educate and organize their neighbors to provide power to their homes, schools, churches, farms and businesses.

Blue Ridge Electric officially formed Sept. 19, 1936, when a small group of farmers met in the Caldwell County Courthouse to organize the Caldwell County Electric Membership Corporation. Watauga County joined a couple of years later, followed by Alleghany and Ashe counties.

The cooperative eventually re-chartered under the name Blue Ridge Electric.

Today, the corporation, headquartered in Lenoir, purchases power on the wholesale market from Duke Energy for distribution across 8,000 miles of lines in Caldwell,

Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany and parts of Wilkes, Alexander and Avery counties.

With the leadership of CEO Doug Johnson, the cooperative is governed by a board of directors elected from the membership by the members themselves.

Blue Ridge Electric does much more than simply keep the lights turned on.

It supplies jobs to 166 local residents and returns margins to members in the form of capital credits.

It provides grants to fund innovative teacher projects, student scholarships, safety programs and youth leadership opportunities.

Through the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation, Blue Ridge Electric helps residents experiencing shortterm heating crises receive assistance with their bills. The foundation, created in 2006, also provides local community grants and larger impact grants aimed at improving residents’ long-term quality of life.

The foundation’s work is funded through members who voluntarily contribute to Operation Round Up, which rounds their bills at an amount selected by the member and uses the contribution for community needs.

Blue Ridge Electric also works to keep electricity rates low through its two for-profit subsidiaries, Blue Ridge Energies and RidgeLink.

Blue Ridge Energies supplies propane, kerosene and CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Blue Ridge Electric line technician Ernie Moretz works on a transmission line in Blowing Rock.

September 26, 2013

Made in the High Country

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BREMCO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 heating fuels, as well as gas logs, hearths, heaters and grills.

The RidgeLink subsidiary allows Blue Ridge Electric to lease its fiber optic capacity to other businesses seeking broadband access, Whitener said.

“It’s improving access to cellular and Internet service, which is helping create an environment where companies can locate to our area,” she said.

It occasionally comes as a surprise to some that Blue Ridge Electric is also actively involved in helping members reduce usage and control costs, Whitener said. Numerous free tools, including online energy monitoring and power usage audits, are available to help members rein in expenses.

Whitener said employees are keenly aware of their duty to serve their friends and neighbors.

“We get excited when there’s an opportunity to help members, and it’s very heartfelt when it starts with the CEO and is shared by every employee,” Whitener said.

Ernie Moretz is a line technician for Blue Ridge Electric, which employees 166 local workers.

Photos by Todd Bush | Courtesy of Blue Ridge Electric

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Made in the High Country

Over 20 varieties of original Ashe County Cheese Country Butter • Homemade Fudge • Fresh Cheese Curds Fine Cheeses • Local Wines • Gifts & Souvenirs • Snacks & Candies

See us make cheese! Show room open year round!

106 E. Main Street | West Jefferson, NC 800.445.1378 | 336.246.2501 | AsheCountyCheese.com

September 26, 2013

Boone Custom Forest Products

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hile the name Scott Nafe may be new to the High Country area, the business he has recently acquired has been a vibrant part of the local economy for nearly 30 years. Nestled in the scenic landscape off of Roby Greene Road, and first known as Boone Custom Forest Products Inc., the lumberyard was a realization of the vision of John Green

Energizing Local Communities We’re working to make life better for our members and communities. Keeping your lights on with the best member care is key.

So is partnering with you to improve the quality of life for our members ― now and for future generations.

BlueRidgeEMC.com

and Stephen Butler.

The lumberyard manufacturers log profiles, corner accents, exterior sidings, interior tongue and groove, and timbers for log, timber frame and post and beam construction within the High Country area and beyond. In fact, they have produced log home materials for customers CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Made in the High Country

September 26, 2013

Boone Custom Forest Products

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Dr. Pepper Bottling Company of West Jefferson Serving the High Country for over 75 years

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 as far away as Denmark, Poland, France and Japan.

Nafe purchased the business with the intentions of providing the employees the opportunity to continue BCFP’s reputation of producing dependable, sound quality white pine, cypress, western red cedar and Douglas fir materials. Years of detail-oriented management, dedicated, hardworking employees and unfailing confidence in the ability of the team at Boone Custom Forest Products have been the motivating factors that have prompted the growth and survival of the company during the years of challenging economic times. The success of the company has always been attributed to the contributions of the employees themselves. With decades of experience under their belts, the employees are the key to the operations.

The full impact of the company goes well beyond the customers it serves. Many of the products are produced with locally harvested white pine, oaks and cypress

raw materials. This practice of buying local and selling local helps to promote the wellbeing of the manufacturers’ neighbors, from the sawmills to the company, and to the builders and the homeowners. Thirty years of community involvement have made the company stronger.

New products introduced to the company by Nafe include western red cedar and Douglas fir. These products will enable the company to diversify and meet the evolving needs of the building industry and its customers.

Every order is a custom order at BCFP. Because the company literally produces well more than 50 different product options, orders are processed in a queue built daily by the diverse needs of the customers. Whether a single board or a truckload of logs, every order is appreciated and every customer is valuable.

Boone Custom Forest Products has been and will continue to be grateful to be a part of the local High Country economy.

Boone Custom Forest Products 467 Roby Greene Rd. Boone, NC 28607 (828) 264-6680

goodnightbrothers.com

We bottle and distribute glass longneck bottles.

We also have the Franchise rights to several soft drink brands such as Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, RC, Cheerwine, Snapple and others. We use pure cane sugar instead of corn syrup! The combination of pure cane sugar and glass bottles makes for the best tasting soft drinks on the market!

Coming Soon!

Distribution of Grapette in it's original formula.

Made in the High Country

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September 26, 2013

ECRS is located at 277 Howard St. in Boone.

ECR Software Corporation of Boone Company No. 1 across the nation for grocery retailers and customer service

W

hen you are at the checkout counter at a store, you may not give much thought to how clerks scan and ring up your purchases — but ECR Software Corporation of Boone plays a pivotal role in developing the software used at electronic cash registers across the country.

ECRS was founded in 1989 after entrepreneur and Appalachian State University alumni Peter Catoe realized a need for smaller retailers to have an affordable solution to obtaining sales data from an electronic cash register. That would help even the playing field with large competitors, said ECRS executive and vice president David Sprague.

“A couple years after starting in Charlotte, Catoe moved the company to Boone to continue to satisfy the market and to continue innovation,” Sprague said.

Today, ECRS has clients in every state, as well as customers in Canada and the Caribbean. It also plays an integral role in the Boone community — employing 60 local professionals and working closely with public institutions, including Appalachian State University.

Each year, the corporation works with ASU’s college of business and department of computer science. Even the English department has played a role in product testing.

“Working with the students of Appalachian State has provided us with great talent over the years, and they get course credits in return; it’s a win-win for everyone,” Sprague said.

The company focuses on its local customer base as much as on customers across the country. Local clients of ECR Software include Boone Drug, Footsloggers, Bare Essentials, Appalachian Ski Mountain and Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants.

ECR Software officials believe that innovation and

being the eyes — as well as the ears — for its retailsaturated customer base enables businesses to focus on what’s really important, which is serving the needs of their customers.

“We automate the science of retail, so retailers can focus on the art,” said Ashlee Weatherman, vice president of marketing. “Our systems provide them more time to focus on research of products, more interaction with customers and in-store marketing. We take care of the daily mundane tasks through technology.”

ECR Software takes a different approach when it comes to retail management, as compared to rival software developers.

“In the past, leading companies focused on one solution, like point of sale,” Weatherman said. “We want to focus on automating the entire enterprise. This helps manage data with less costs and maintenance.”

At the end of the day, ECR Software wants its customers to remain highly competitive — company officials know it is up to them to provide retailers with the latest technology.

“We place a lot of importance in making independent retailers strong in a highly competitive marketplace by giving them tools to sell against their competition,” Weatherman said.

Efficiency is also key to the corporation’s stellar track record, which includes consistent Top 10 finishes in the Retail Information Systems News Leader Board on an annual basis.

“Last year, we were No. 1 for grocery retailers and customer service,” Weatherman said. “We place great importance on customer service.”

Finding great talent to head up innovation and keep up with changes in the software industry is essential to the corporation’s success.

“We are the type of company that doesn’t require huge amounts of resources from the county, except when it comes to people,” Sprague said. “We try to do our part to be a ‘green’ company and generate little waste.”

As for the future of ECR Software, it is “unlimited,” Sprague said.

If it is to maintain its reputation in the technology community, the corporation must continue innovation.

“We have to continue to be our customers’ eyes and ears and find out what they need,” said Burt Aycock, director of product design. “With what we do, we generally think of ourselves as evolutionary rather than revolutionary.”

Part of that evolution included a recent demonstration of new 360-degree scanning that could change the retail industry, Weatherman said.

When developing that next piece of software that could forever change how transactions are made at retail locations across America, designers at ECR Software must keep abreast of national trends, as well as public policies, regulations concerning credit card companies and ensuring their customers are in compliance with certain security issues, Aycock said.

“We sit in an interesting spot,” he said. “Retailers make up roughly 28 percent of all jobs in the United States, so a lot comes to bear. We need to keep innovating for our customers and providing them with solutions, and those solutions change yearly.”

One of the challenges that come with any technology company located outside the urban market is the proximity to an international airport, but the allure of the Appalachian Mountains to potential customers has negated that disadvantage.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

September 26, 2013

Made in the High Country

Page 13

Your Great Escape...

For some a weekend and others a lifetime.

Log Homes of America is a local, family 336-982-8989

ECRS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 “People want to come here,” Aycock said. “We thought we would host (events) in airports, but people want to get out of the city. Those who come want to come back. We don’t have problems hosting user conferences.”

The unique challenge of operating in such a diverse climate isn’t a hindrance to operations, either.

“One of the things that is cool about being here is that the weather doesn’t shut us down,” Aycock said. “The nature of high tech is done in a distributed environment. We can keep going.”

In addition to providing a great prod-

uct for customers, employees at ECR Software say the Boone-based corporation is also a great place to work.

“There’s a lot of freedom for people to rise to their own potential,” Aycock said. “You know that right away when you step in here. Outside of your core job role, there is a lot of opportunity to do other tasks and develop your skill set and to develop professionally. We really do a great job of having that culture here.”

“It’s a great place to work, and we work hard to recruit a lot of great talent,” Weatherman said.

owned company manufacturing quality

www.loghomesofamerica.com

log and timber components supported

2999 Hwy 221 N Jefferson, NC 28640

with integrity for more than 25 years.

Made in the High Country

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September 26, 2013

Krista and Danny Schneider invite everyone to come out to visit High Country Stone on Old U.S. 421 in Deep Gap.

High Country Stone Check out the wide variety of unique slabs available at High Country Stone

N

othing personalizes a kitchen or bathroom quite like a countertop made from a unique slab of granite, marble or quartz.

High Country Stone in Deep Gap offers a wide variety of stone slabs to make the tabletop, countertop or sink of your dreams.

Whether it be a dark rich stone, something colorful and variegated or clean and white, HCS has exactly what you are looking for.

Owned by Danny and Krista Schneider, HCS is a family tradition and offers all natural stone, quartz, custom-cut, for indoor and outdoor surfaces, plus sinks faucets and tile.

The company has 12 employees and services contractors, homeowners, cabinetmakers and private businesses.

HCS is also a “green” factory that re-

cycles as much as 25,000 gallons of water per week in the fabrication process. Its CNC machine is state-of-the-art and creates precise, custom-cut and edged pieces for any possible use.

While some countertop sellers only offer small samples of the finished stone, at HCS, clients can view huge pieces of slabs on display next to the showroom and factory.

Custom countertops have proven to be a major factor in increasing the value of a home or business, and HCS makes some of the finest in the world, according to the company.

“At High Country Stone, we are dedicated to customer satisfaction,” a company spokesperson said. “Our goal is to complete the job right the first time, with our experienced staff, making the whole process a positive experience for our clients.”

A.B. Vannoy Hams owner Nancy Jordan visits the company’s curing facility in West Jefferson. Each year, the company cures 2,000 hams the old-fashioned way, using salt, brown sugar, fresh mountain air and time.

A.B. Vannoy Hams: A recipe for success

I

n the early 1900s, A.B. Vannoy began curing hams in West Jefferson.

His ingredients were simple: salt, brown sugar, fresh mountain air and time.

Throughout the years, Vannoy perfected his slow-curing process and passed the secret down to family members. It’s a recipe for success that current owners Byron and Nancy Jordan continue today.

Approximately 2,000 raw hams arrive at the ham plant each January, and each is hand-rubbed with a cure mixture of salt and brown sugar.

They are then stacked one on top of the other and refrigerated until March. During this time, the curing process begins, as each ham “takes the salt.”

In March, each ham is individually wrapped in brown paper, placed in stocking nets and hung on drying beams throughout spring and summer, with

cool mountain air breezing through the open windows. By September, the curing process has concluded, and the hams are released for sale.

In addition, Vannoy ham is cured without artificial preservatives. Unlike hundreds of mass-produced hams on the market, no chemical preservatives, including nitrites, are used — a practice that originated with Vannoy.

True country ham connoisseurs agree that the slow-curing aging process and the lack of artificial preservatives make the Vannoy ham one of the highest quality country hams available on the market today. It’s the same authentic process and the same great flavor year after year, ham after ham.

A.B. Vannoy Hams is located at 205 Buck Mountain Road in West Jefferson.

For more information, call (336) 2463319 or visit www.abvannoyhams.com.

September 26, 2013

Made in the High Country

Ashe County Cheese

A

she County Cheese, located in West Jefferson, has become a well-known High Country brand throughout the years, and its manufacturing plant viewing room and country store have become popular tourist attractions.

Ashe County Cheese began as a cheddar cheese daisy wheel-making plant built by the Kraft Corporation in 1930. After going through a series of proprietors during the last 80-plus years, the company is now owned by Luke Everhart, Tom Torkelson and Josh Williams. The country store, which is across the street from the manufacturing plant at 106 E. Main St., is separately owned by Mike Everhart.

Ashe County Cheese employs 22 people and makes more than 20 different varieties of cheese. On the wholesale level, the authentic hoop cheddar cheese is the company’s biggest seller.

As for the customers who visit the adjacent country store, what usually sells the most are the cheese curds. Cheese curds are best when purchased and consumed within a day or so of when they are created.

All of the products offered by Ashe County Cheese are made naturally with quality milk and no preservatives.

Even though the location of the manufacturing plant presents some challenges concerning logistics, the setting of the country store in the High Country benefits greatly from the local tourism industry.

While the Ashe County Cheese company makes about 30,000 pounds of product a week, it is still considered a smaller business within the trade, and that allows for more attention to detail, according to company officials.

More information can be found at ashecountycheese.com.

All of the products offered by Ashe County Cheese are made naturally with quality milk and no preservatives.

Page 15

Made in the High Country

Page 16

September 26, 2013

Top Shelf Tatum Galleries and Interiors, Grandfather Vineyard and Winery offer affordable prices

S

teve and Sally Tatum know how to help make a house feel more like a home.

For 28 years, Tatum Galleries and Interiors, located at 5320 N.C. 105 South in Banner Elk, has assisted customers in the High Country with fine furniture, home décor items and interior design services.

Tatum’s unique selection of home furniture and its friendly staff have kept regular customers returning and new customers leaving satisfied.

“We have one-of-a-kind items — furniture, gifts and accessories for the home,” Sally Tatum said. “We’re also a family business with friendly employees. We’re the nicest store in the High Country.”

Tatum and its 11 employees are experts in helping homeowners find the perfect furnishing or interior design piece to accent a dwelling. Manager Summer Hays and interior designers Jesse Blalock and Susan Hartley are available six days a week to offer personal service to customers who want to decorate with high-quality pieces that will last a lifetime.

Originally from Charlotte, Sally attended Stratford College in Virginia, completing a degree in elementary education. Steve is from Burlington and honed his woodworking skills at LeesMcRae College and Appalachian State

University in the industrial arts departments at each school.

Steve graduated from ASU and took a job with French-Swiss Ski College, working on the snow in the winter and making furniture during the summer.

Sally also took a job out of college at French-Swiss and eventually met Steve.

After six years of working together, they married in 1978 and are the proud parents of two children, Jesse and Dylan.

Despite operating in a largely seasonal area, Tatum’s design business has grown during the past 10 years, sustaining the business during slower winter months and continuing to serve satisfied customers year round.

“We have so many customers that say Tatum Galleries is their favorite store, and their houses are furnished with everything from Tatum Galleries,” Sally said. “Others say their car automatically turns into our parking lot.”

Tatum Galleries and Interiors is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (828) 963-6466 or visit www.tatumgalleries.com.

Grandfather Vineyard and Winery carries on family tradition of service Like a fine wine, Grandfather Vineyard and Winery continues to improve with age.

Grandfather Vinyard and Winery has plenty of room for friends to enjoy some of the finest wines in the High Country.

Owned by the Tatums, Grandfather Vineyard and Winery, located at 225 Vineyard Lane in Banner Elk, has evolved in a short three years into one of the foremost vineyards and wine manufacturers in the High Country.

“Our products are local, and our quality is as good as any you can buy anywhere,” Steve said of the grapes and wine produced at the family business.

Speaking of family, Steve’s and Sally’s son, Dylan, who graduated from Surry Community College with an undergraduate degree in viticulture, serves as winemaker.

He and a staff of eight employees have helped prune and cultivate the business into a thriving and ripening enterprise.

“We saw a need (for a winery and vineyard) in a tourist economy,” Steve said. “From the first day, the business has done very well.”

Grandfather Vineyard and Winery has become a popular locale for customers to visit socially and enjoy a glass of wine by the adjacent flowing river.

Among the highlights of Grandfather Vineyard and Winery was the Tatums personally delivering several bottles of Grandfather’s Ice Wine to none other than American music icons The Beach Boys.

“We have groups of customers that make our winery an every Sunday afternoon gathering place for themselves and their friends,” Sally said. “Our customers become our extended family.”

Grandfather Vineyard and Winery is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday and is closed on Tuesday.

For more information, call (828) 9632400 or visit www.grandfathervineyard.com.

September 26, 2013

Made in the High Country

Page 17

Dr Pepper 75 years serving Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Watauga and Wilkes in NC and Grayson in VA

M

ichael Vannoy is a third-generation businessman in Ashe County and is the general manager of the Dr Pepper Bottling Company of West Jefferson.

Vannoy, 52, is the third of his family to run the business that was founded by his grandfather, H.R. Ross Vannoy, in 1937. Ross Vannoy handed down the business to his son, Kyle Vannoy, who is still working at the plant.

Michael Vannoy’s son, Nicholas, 26, also works at the plant.

The bottling plant is just one of three buildings involved in the company. There is also a distribution plant on N.C. 163 and a warehouse just down the road from the distribution plant that employs 58.

Michael Vannoy said what makes his bottling plant unique from other bottling plants is that it uses pure cane sugar in its drinks instead of corn syrup. Because of this, his company receives orders from all over the country.

It also uses glass bottles and, along with the pure cane sugar used, the end result is a better-tasting product, according to Vannoy.

The company bottles more than just Dr Pepper. It also produces products, such as A&W Root Beer, 7-Up, Big Red, Cheerwine, Orange Crush and R.C. Cola.

Since the company is one of the few independentlyowned bottling companies in the U.S., it also has the right to distribute Mountain Dew, which is a Pepsi

The Dr Pepper family receives its 75-year anniversary plaque.

product.

The company also specializes in 12-ounce glass bottles.

Although the company imports the bottles from a company in Chattanooga, Tenn., it can fill orders for retailers who would rather have nostalgic glass bottles instead of plastic.

The company distributes its products in a six-county

Granite · Quartz · Marble

The Dr Pepper Bottling Company is shown during its early years.

area that includes Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Watauga and Wilkes counties in North Carolina and Grayson County in Virginia.

Vannoy said one of the challenges he faces is not only the heavy competition associated with the soft drink industry, but that most of the “mom and pop” stores have gone out of business. Instead, grocery stores and convenience stores have taken over.

rvice • Onsite Showroom & ustomer Se Slab Y Excellent C ard

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Made in the High Country

Page 18

September 26, 2013

Flat Top Brewing Company owner and brewer Nathan Paris, left, and head brewer Aaron Maas, right, are taking their mutual love of home-brewing to a new level, as they embark on a quest to create a quality craft brewery in the Banner Elk area. Soon, Paris and Maas will begin brewing, using a new 20-barrel system, with which they’ll craft four year-round beers, four seasonal beers and multiple small-batch experimentations.

Flat Top Brewing Company is ‘refreshingly elevated’

W

hen Flat Top Brewing Company opens its doors this fall, the High Country can claim its very own brand of brew.

“I saw the need for a really good craft brewery in the Banner Elk area,” owner Nathan Paris said. “I met my head brewer and good friend, Aaron Maas, through a mutual acquaintance, and we decided that we had a shared vision as to what a good craft brewery should and could be.”

The brewery will host daily tastings and tours, of-

fering four year-round beers — IPA, pale ale, brown ale and amber — four seasonal beers and multiple small-batch experimentations.

Flat Top Brewery is named for its water source.

“Our beer starts with fresh mountain spring water from our source on Flat Top Mountain that we haul in each brew day. Great water produces great beer,” Paris said.

“One of our goals is to be an educational brewery, not just a place to enjoy good beer. This is why tours

and teaming up with local farmers are integral parts of our business plan.”

The brewery is already winning awards. Flat Top IPA placed second overall Best in Show out of 43 craft brews at the 2013 SugarBrew Beer Competition. “We are providing a high-quality local product that the area can be proud of and call its own,” Paris said.

For more information, visit www.flattopbrewing. com or the Flat Top Brewing Company at 567 E. Main St. in Banner Elk.

Made in the High Country

September 26, 2013

Page 19

L

eviton is the smart choice, providing the most comprehensive range of solutions to meet the needs of today’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

Leveraging more than a century of experience, Leviton helps customers create sustainable, intelligent environments through its electrical wiring devices network and data center connectivity solutions, lighting energy management systems, and security and automation applications.

From switches and receptacles and daylight harvesting controls to networking systems, intelligent safety controls and equipment for charging electric vehicles, Leviton solutions help customers achieve savings in energy, time and cost, all while enhancing safety.

Through investment in research and development, manufacturing, distribution, human capital and training, Leviton is well positioned to respond to the needs of a changing marketplace.

Leviton’s heritage provides a strong foundation for meeting and exceeding market expectations by bringing continuous innovation to its industry.

Leviton at a Glance • Nine out of 10 homes in North American use products made by Leviton.

• Builders, electrical contractors and other industry professionals rank Leviton wiring devices No. 1 in brand preference • Portfolio of more than 25,000 products and 600 patents • Employs more than 6,500 people • Sales in 80 countries

Log Homes of America ships its log home packages to 38 independent dealers nationwide.

Log Homes of America

L

og Homes of America is a company based in Jefferson that focuses on providing custom home design plans and the quality-milled wood used to make those log homes.

Log Homes of America is owned by the husband and wife team of Nicole and Joel Robinson.

Nicole, vice president of marketing and sales, grew up in the timber and log home industry, learning under her father, Charles A. Maney, who founded Log Homes of America in 1989.

Joel, president, came into the business when he married Nicole after

retiring from the United States Air Force.

Log Homes of America is a wholesale company, shipping its log home packages to 38 independent dealers nationwide.

While Log Homes of America sends its products around the country, the advantage of being a Western North Carolina business is it’s in an area where log homes are popular. And, with most of the log homes being made out of white pine, the majority of the wood procured by the company is grown in the region.

What sets apart Log Homes of America from similar businesses is it uses kiln-dried logs, as opposed to air-dried or green logs. Logs that are kiln-dried shrink less and settle faster. All of the structural timber is made out of western Douglas fir that grows along the West Coast.

Quality of the product and superior customer service is the hallmark of Log Homes of America. While it has a large set of house plans available, the company specializes in being able to change those plans to provide custom designs for their clients.

Est. 1888

Manufacturing Locally Since 1888

Boone Custom Forest Products Fore ts

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Made in the High Country

September 26, 2013