durham inc.
BIZBRIEFS Compiled by Caitlyn Yaede
marketing contributions in the last year and manages more than $2 billion for marketers.
ON THE MOVE
PHOTO COURTESY OF DUKE UNIVERSITY
Human development nonprofit FHI 360 named Dr. Tessie San Martin as its CEO in August. She officially started on Sept. 27. San Martin has more than 30 years experience in international development, including as CEO for Plan International USA, a role she had held since 2010. Her work is focused on gender equality and educational opportunities for women. Jerome Lynch will serve as dean of Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering beginning Jan. 1, 2022. Lynch is currently the chair of University of Michigan’s civil and environmental engineering department, a role he’s held since 2017. He specializes in civil infrastructure systems and smart technology that aims to solve city problems like urban development, pollution and noise.
NEW ON THE SCENE
Fifth Third Bank opened its first Durham location and its 11th in the Triangle at Hope Valley Commons in August. The bank, which has $205 billion in assets and 1,096 full-service bank centers across the country, anticipates more local branches will open by the end of the 106
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year. Fifth Third Bank has 1.3% of the deposit market share for Durham and Wake counties, according to the FDIC. Trellis Beauty opened at Boxyard RTP in September. The makeup and skin care supplier – run by founder Tracy Gori, pictured here – provides clean, sustainable products as well as facials, brow and body waxing, makeup touchups and steams.
AWARDS & HONORS Keen Decision Systems made the Inc. 5000 list for the third consecutive year, ranking No. 1,601 in its list of fastest-growing private companies in the nation, which was released in August. This accomplishment reflects a 291% three-year growth of the software-as-a-service marketing decisions company. The brand boasts a 41% improvement in
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AdTech agency Esquire Advertising made also made the Inc. 5000 list for the second year in a row. The company was ranked No. 462 on the list and showed a three-year revenue growth of 1,039%. Esquire CEO Eric Grindley (above) was also named in Home Furnishings Business magazine’s 40 Under 40 in July for his contributions to furniture retail marketing. Several other Durham companies were recognized on the Inc. 5000 list: CREO ranked No. 1,593; Sift Media ranked No. 1,655; BioAgilytix Labs ranked No. 1,939; RestorePro Reconstruction ranked No. 2,758; Adwerx ranked No. 3,421; OnPar Technologies ranked No. 3,552; Nuventra ranked No. 4,253; Triangle Insights Group ranked No. 4,704; and WorkSmart ranked No. 4,728. The Raleigh-Durham metro was ranked the No. 14 market for tech talent in the U.S. and Canada, according to a CBRE report released in August. The ranking was based on the quality of high-skilled tech talent, market
conditions, labor costs, workforce diversity and real estate costs. Our area saw a 20.2% increase in tech employment in the last five years, as well as 10.2% wage growth in tech industries for the same period. N.C. Central University was awarded $3.3 million from the National Science Foundation in September to support STEM research and expand diversity in materials science. As part of NSF’s Partnerships for Research and Educational Materials program, NCCU students and faculty will work alongside their counterparts at Pennsylvania State University to conduct the research. Affordable housing development firm Haven Ventures was named a 2021 Best for the World B Corporation, a business which creates inclusive and sustainable economic solutions for its community. Coastal Credit Union was named one of 2021’s Best Credit Unions to Work For, according to American Banker. This is the sixth time Coastal Credit Union has received this honor. In August, personal finance website WalletHub released its list of the best real estate markets; Durham placed No. 7 out of 300 cities, a ranking based on 18 indicators of