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Q2 REPORT

Inside: A record-breaking number of members mark openings and milestones with Ribbon Cutting celebrations.

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MARK OWENS PRESIDENT & CEO

WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

This spring and summer have been filled with excitement and major local events like the team base camp for Team Germany in the World Cup. Their stay brought international attention to Winston-Salem, showcasing the assets that make our city such a compelling destination and reinforcing the strength of our quality of life, amenities, and hospitality. That same excitement is reflected across our business community. This quarter alone, Greater Winston-Salem Inc.

celebrated 21 ribbon cuttings - a record pace that highlights new businesses opening, existing businesses growing, and members marking meaningful milestones. For perspective, we celebrated 29 ribbon cuttings in all of 2024 and 47 in 2025.

Our members’ growth is a clear sign of confidence in Winston-Salem’s future.

As we lay the plans for what’s ahead, we are grateful for the wealth of community input helping shape the Imagine Winston-Salem plan. From

here, we will identify key themes and actionable steps, working together to create a shared path forward for economic growth, placemaking, and destination development.

Our momentum continues this summer with the State of the Economy event, presented by Allegacy Financial, featuring Lee Lilley, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce. We hope to see you there!

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

TAKING A LOOK BACK AT THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, CELEBRATIONS, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES, AND EVENTS OF Q2

NEW MEMBERS

4LM LLC

A-1 RENOVATION, INC.

AESTIM INC.

ALLIED ROOFING

APOTHECURLY SALON

ATKINS CDC

BLACK TIE TRANSPORTATION

BOBBITT CONSTRUCTION INC.

CANOPY RESTORATION

CREDIT UNION AUTO MARKETPLACE

DAVE’S PROPERTY SOLUTIONS

DOGWOOD BANK

DRS. WALTER & RINGMAN, PA

EB5 INVESTORS

EKG GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LLC

HAVET ENGRAVED

ITEM AMERICA LLC

J MEDIC AUTO REPAIR

JOSEPH K OPPERMANN- ARCHITECT, PA

KRISTIN JOHNSON SPEAKS

MACK DADDY DUMPSTERS

MCCALLS

NC SOLAR NOW

PIEDMONT PERFORMANCE PLUMBING, INC.

PRO ROOFING AND EXTERIORS

REAGENT CHEMICAL SERVICES

RECTANGLE HEALTH

SALEM AUTOMATION LLC

SERVICE AND ENERGY SOLUTIONS LLC

SERVPRO OF WEST FORSYTH LLC

SIXTY SIX GRILL & TAPHOUSE

STORR OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS

TE CONNECTIVITY

TENDED & TRUE

THE BLANCHARD INSTITUTE

THE M HOMES GROUP-WS

THE SOMM CLOSET

THE TATTED TRAVEL AGENT

TRIAD CLEANING CREW

TRINITY PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS

VERIZON WIRELESS

VIVA BARISTA CAFÉ

WESCO EXTERIORS INC.

WINSTON GIRLS CLUB

WRIGHT CHOICE PLUMBING

ZARIA WILSON

ZAXBY’S

LOOKING FOR MORE LOCAL BUSINESSES? Click here to browse our member directory and connect with businesses in Winston-Salem!

RIBBON CUTTINGS

ELEGANT

SIGMA

STUDIO NOVELLA

MODWASH

TASTE BUDS KITCHEN

BANK

CBX

DEBBIE’S

APOTHECA

ANCHOR VIVA

CANOPY

REAGENT

TALENT & WORKFORCE

STATE OF EDUCATION

WS/FCS Superintendent Dr. Don Phipps joined us for the State of Education, highlighting progress on reaching the district’s financial goals as well as student achievement: 7,000+ CTE credentials earned and over $100 million in scholarships earned within the 25-26 school year.

PRESENTING SPONSOR: BANK OF AMERICA

SPONSORS: WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY, WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY, TRULIANT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, HEGE FINANCIAL GROUP

SENIOR ACADEMY CELEBRATES FTCC ACCEPTANCE

The Senior Academy Behind the Scenes event introduced students to career pathways with employers Truliant Federal Credit Union, Texas Roadhouse, and JC Penney. Students celebrated automatic acceptance to Forsyth Tech upon graduation!

STUDENTS GAIN WORK-READY SKILLS

Students in ASPIRE aren’t letting summer slow down their learning. The summer cohort completed employability coursework and a full-day instructional session to become ASPIRE Work-Ready certified. Over 400 students to-date have been certified.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

FEATURED POST

Winston-Salem embraces the World Cup spirit as fans celebrate the arrival of the German team!

998 K

INSTAGRAM IMPRESSIONS Q2

DIGITAL REACH

274 K

LINKEDIN IMPRESSIONS Q2

93 K GOOGLE IMPRESSIONS Q2

GWSI RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNICATIONS

EXCELLENCE

Greater Winston-Salem Inc. has been awarded a Communications Excellence Award for our Greater WinstonSalem: Industry and Community Insights publication by the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE). CACCE recognizes outstanding communications efforts by chambers of commerce across North Carolina and South Carolina. Our annual guide highlights the region’s quality of life, thriving business environment, and welcoming community. It is produced in partnership with Livability Media.

COMMERCIAL RETAIL

12 MONTH SALES VOLUME

Winston-Salem remains an affordable metro area for investment in and operation of retail commercial properties, and sales have been particularly active within the past year. In that timeframe, 205 retail properties traded in Winston-Salem, accounting for 2.2 million SF of inventory turnover. Average annual inventory turnover in Winston-Salem is 420,000 SF over the past five years and 390,000 SF over the past 10 years. Retail sales volume in Winston-Salem has totaled $240 million over the past year. Average annual sales volume over the past five years is $194 million and $165 million over the past 10 years. Estimated retail market pricing in Winston-Salem is $163/ SF compared to the national average of $247/SF.