What Say You: Is more 'product' the answer to economic health?
When Mike Griffin talks about the evolution of local efforts to attract new businesses to the area, the chairman of the Lake Norman Regional Economic Development Corp. refers to it as a "good-to-great" process.
"We feel like we have a very good EDC at the moment," Griffin said in a conversation I had with him last month. It was just a few days before Ryan McDaniels' first official day on the job as LNREDC's new executive director — a leadership shift brought about by the retirement of Jerry Broadway. "But when you have these significant changes (in leadership), you want to find a way to make it better. ... Product development is the most important, and that's our Achilles heel."
Career in composites has 'merit'
About 30 Mecklenburg County Boy Scouts visited Huntersville-based SAERTEX USA last week, where they toured the SAERTEX facility, attended a training session on composite materials and heard from some of the company's leaders about what inspired them to become engineers in the growing field of composites. The visit was part of the Scouts' efforts toward earning their Composite Materials Merit Badge.
Newell Rubbermaid design jobs to relocate to Michigan
Nearly three dozen design positions at Newell Rubbermaid in Huntersville are slated to relocate to the company's new design facility in Michigan beginning later this year.
Earlier this week, company spokesperson David Doolittle confirmed recent reports that the marketer of popular consumer products such as Sharpie, Graco, Irwin and Paper Mate has made relocation offers to 35 design professionals in its Huntersville location.
Got an appetite for change? Diners are in luck this spring
LAKE NORMAN, N.C. -- There's definitely something in the air around here lately, and thankfully, it's far more appetizing than the pollen that's been pasted to our cars and packed into our airways the last month or so.
This time of year is a tough one for allergy sufferers, but if you can manage a clear breath or two between the incessant sniffles, sneezes and sore throat, you just might be rewarded with the subtle scent of change happening at a number of local eateries and watering holes.
NFIB yawns, shrugs at latest index data
The National Federation of Independent Business released the April figures for its monthly Index of Small Business Optimism this week.
The report shows a 2.6-point gain in confidence over March to 92.1, but that is just barely above the recovery average of 90.7, and the report's authors remain unmoved by that slight bump of the needle.
"Small-business confidence saw an uptick this last month, but it was a ho hum, yawn, at-least-it-didn't-go-down reading," said NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg.
Rolling up their sleeves for Solomon
Members of the Leadership Lake Norman Class XVI performed a variety of repair and refurbishing tasks on a recent sunny Saturday at The Solomon House in Huntersville, continuing the practice of each year's graduating class partnering with a community organization.
You swing like a girl!
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. -- The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce Foundation will host its 2nd Annual Chicks with Sticks Golf Invitational tournament at Northstone Country Club on Monday, June 17.
Cost is $75 per player or $280 for a foursome. Registration includes boxed lunch and beverage cart, goody bag, wine and cheese awards ceremony and a one-hour lesson with the club pro at 8:15 a.m. Shotgun start is at 9:30.
The mission of the Foundation is to advance the civic, cultural, economic and educational interests of our region. For more details or to register, contact the Chamber at 704-892-1922 or visit www.lakenormanchamber.org.
Mixing wine and water (colors)
Elizabeth Coleman, owner of Wine & Design Lake Norman in Cornelius, was joined recently by members of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce and friends for a ribbon cutting ceremony at her studio at 18059 West Catawba Ave. Wine & Design is a venue for painting events, where a group of "artists" reserve studio time and select a particular work of art to explore as a group. The studio provides professional art instruction, aprons, paint, canvases and brushes, and the partying artists need bring only their own beverage of choice and let the creative juices flow. Painting parties can be arranged for all ages, in group sizes from five to 30 people. Learn more at HYPERLINK "http://www.wineanddesignus.com" www.wineanddesignus.com.
He's not clowning around
CORNELIUS, N.C. -- Matt Glidden — dreamer, founder, brewer, recipe wizard, procurement officer, merchandising coordinator, keg cleaner and also a regular on the bartending and cleaning crew at Ass Clown Brewing Company in Cornelius — takes an order from customers during the brewery's two-year anniversary party last Saturday. Glidden started producing Ass Clown beers in the kitchenette of his Interesting Mortgages office in Kenton Place in the spring of 2011. Since, his custom-crafted ales, lagers and stouts — unique treats like Bacon Oyster Imperial, Raspberry Jalapeno, Buttered Apple Pie Amber, French Oak Tart IPA and dozens of other flavors — have attracted a loyal local following and earned praise at festivals and special events throughout the state. The four-person Ass Clown staff is now headquartered in the new brewery and tasting room, 10620 Bailey Road - Suites E-F, where production is non-stop and, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, beer adventurers with the taste for something completely different can sample the latest concoctions. For more information, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.assclownbrewery.com" www.assclownbrewery.com.
Business Briefs for May 9, 2013
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'Small Business Week' kicks off with expert panel
America's small business owners —responsible for the creation of nearly two of every three new jobs annually — have been recognized by presidential proclamation every year since 1963 during a designated Small Business Week.
The Charlotte region will celebrate 2013 Small Business Week May 13-17, and the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce will participate in that celebration by offering two events commemorating the contributions our local entrepreneurs and employers make to the region.
On Monday, May 13, in partnership with Wayne Bidelman and Joe Vagnone of Carolina Business Academy, the Chamber will offer a free program designed to help business owners grow and succeed.
