Surry Business

For and about business in Surry County, N.C., including Dobson, Elkin, Lowgap, Pilot Mountain and Mount Airy

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White Sulphur Springs project earns recognition

February 8th, 2008 · No Comments

White Sulphur Springs in Surry County, a private residential community being developed north of Mount Airy, was named in Mountain Homes Southern Style magazine’s 2008 “Best of the Mountains” list and received the magazine’s “Best New Community Plan” award.

White Sulphur Springs has only 92 hillside home sites on 145 acres. The development will encourage a lifestyle that embraces family-oriented activities in a historic location, said real-estate broker and owner Burke Robertson, and will foster an environment where neighbors will be friends.

Located in North Carolina’s wine country, White Sulphur Springs is 40 minutes from Winston-Salem, 60 minutes from Greensboro and 90 minutes from Charlotte.

“We are just eight miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and three miles from Mount Airy. Yet every convenience is within 10 minutes — without the traffic, noise, intensity and stress of busy city life,” Robertson added.

White Sulphur Springs is centered on the property formerly occupied by a legendary turn-of-the-century hotel of the same name. The grand hotel enticed affluent travelers from the East Coast, Europe and South America to enjoy the lush mountain landscapes, rejuvenating spring waters and cool hillside breezes.

More than 2.5 miles of nature trails meander throughout the heavily wooded property and the Ararat River borders the 7.5-acre front lawn. The riverbanks will remain undeveloped for residents and guests to fish, canoe or kayak, wade in the cool, crystal water or just watch the river as it flows along. A new Spring House will be built at the site of the historic mineral spring (which still flows). A 3,500-square-foot covered outdoor Pavilion, on the site of the original dancing pavilion, will be a center for community activities and family gatherings.

Nearly six acres have been set aside for a planned 28-room Inn and 12 guest cottages. A dining room and restaurant will be available to guests and residents alike and concierge service will be available.

→ No CommentsTags: Construction · Real estate

Mountain Valley Hospice names CFO

February 8th, 2008 · No Comments

Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care of Mount Airy has announced that Ron Pardue is its new chief financial officer.

He will report directly to Executive Director Denise Watson.

Pardue comes to Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care with nearly 30 years of professional experience, 25 of them in financial management. Most recently, Pardue was employed by Ajilan Finance and served as a controller for Hanesbrands Export in a temporary assignment that included month-end close, financial reporting and analysis and planning. Between 1988 and 2004 at UnitedHealthcare in Greensboro he was controller, finance director and accounting manager. Prior to that he was a plant controller with Hon Industries Inc., an office-furniture manufacturer in Louisburg, N.C.

Pardue earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A native of Elkin, Pardue currently lives in Kernersville with his wife, Kathy.

Mountain Valley Hospice also has announced that Mary Beth Wood will be the coordinator of its new “Transitions” program.

The “Transitions” program serves people with life-limiting illnesses who may not be eligible for, or wish to enroll in, hospice, but who may benefit from volunteer support and community resources.

Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care is a nonprofit organization serving the terminally ill in Surry, Yadkin and 11 other counties. Through its team of trained specialists, health-care professionals and volunteers, Mountain Valley Hospice addresses the growing need for compassionate hospice care through offices in Yadkinville, Elkin, Mount Airy and Galax, Va.

In October 2007, Mountain Valley Hospice broke ground for the state-of-the-art Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home scheduled for completion this fall 2008.

→ No CommentsTags: Health care

Carolina Environmental Contracting wins award

February 8th, 2008 · No Comments

Carolina Environmental Contracting of Mount Airy has won a 2007 Pinnacle Award from the Carolinas Associated General Contractors (AGC).

Pinnacle Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the Carolinas’ commercial construction industry. The Pinnacle pays tribute to excellence in the industry, reinforces standards of construction excellence to the greater community and raises the profile of member firms.

Carolina Environmental Contracting won Pinnacle Award for “Best Subcontractor/Specialty Contractor.” The Surry County company, headquartered at 122 Pine Ridge Road, specializes in the installation of erosion and sediment control systems for the protection of waterways, woodlands, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas. The firm’s 68 employees have built its revenues to the $6-million-dollar range.

Joanne Cheatham is the company’s president.

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News 14 finds reason for optimism in Surry County

February 8th, 2008 · No Comments

This week brought unwelcome news that another Mount Airy apparel company will lay off workers this spring, but News 14 Carolina today reports that Surry County’s business and economic-development leaders remain optimistic about the county’s future economic health.

They say the region is in transition.

Robin Rhyne, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, points out companies who have opened their doors in recent months.

“We have seen fabricated metal work coming here,” Rhyne said. “We’ve got a company that is starting up in the county that makes armored personnel carriers.”

Surry County also is wooing Fibrowatt, a company that generates electricity by burning chicken litter. And there’s been growth in the local health care, wine and tourism industries.

Rhyne says it’s too early to name names, but other companies are looking closely at Surry County — companies she refers to as “advanced manufacturers.”

“They’re highly automated and their processes are using new kinds of materials and they’re expecting their employees to be pretty educated,” she said.

News 14 Carolina’s web page includes a written summary of the story and a link to the actual video.

→ No CommentsTags: Economic development

Crossroads receives $300,000 grant

February 8th, 2008 · No Comments

Crossroads Behavioral Healthcare, which has offices in Elkin and Mount Airy, will receive a $300,000 grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust of Winston-Salem.

The grant will support Communities Caring for Families, the organization’s initiative to more than double services to children ages 10 to 16 in Surry and Yadkin counties.

Crossroads Behavioral Healthcare is the Local Management Entity for mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services in Iredell, Surry and Yadkin counties in northwest North Carolina. As the local public manager of services, Crossroads ensures that citizens have access to quality, appropriate services provided in a network of private organizations.

The Crossroads region covers 1,450 square miles with a population of just over 250,000, extending from the Virginia state line to the shores of Lake Norman.

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Pike Electric holds profits steady despite lower revenue

February 6th, 2008 · No Comments

Pike Electric Corp. (NYSE: PEC) of Mount Airy posted second-quarter gross profits of $24.5 million — identical to those in the second quarter that ended Dec. 31, 2006 — despite lower revenue.

Second-quarter 2008 revenues were $143.1 million, compared to $148.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2007. Core powerline revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 were $123.5 million, down $10.8 million from a year earlier. Storm restoration revenues totaled $19.6 million, an increase of $5.5 million from the second quarter of fiscal 2007 because winter storms slammed Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions in November and December.

Despite the lower revenue, Pike Electric said it increased powerline revenue per billable hour by 7.1 percent, year over year; eliminated some low-margin accounts; and improved operational efficiency. As a result, gross profit for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 was 17.1 percent of revenue, compared to 16.5 percent of revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2007. The company said it also reduced legal, accounting and interest expenses in the quarter. Pike Electric reduced total debt by $24 million during the first six months of fiscal 2008.

Net income for the fiscal 2008’s second quarter totaled $5.1 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, compared to net income of $5.2 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2007.

J. Eric Pike, chairman and CEO, said, “Our primary goal is to deliver consistent core powerline performance over the long term, while maintaining industry-leading profitability levels. While we expect growth in the near term to remain moderate in light of the difficult economic conditions, we remain focused on capturing profitable business and building the capacity and quality of our workforce. Solid industry fundamentals continue to support long-term demand for maintenance and upgrades to the distribution and transmission network. With the right people in place, we believe we will be well positioned to capitalize on our customers’ growth over the coming years.”

Through the first half of 2008, Pike Electric had gross profit totaling $47.7 million, compared to $44.3 million for the same period in fiscal 2007, and $10.4 million in net income, or $0.31 per diluted share, compared to $6.8 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, for the first six months of fiscal 2007.

Based on a challenging economic environment and current market conditions, the company now expects fiscal year 2008 core powerline revenues to range from $520 million to $530 million, down from its prior expectation of $550 million to $560 million. The company continues to expect total gross profit margins to be in the range of 16-17 percent.

Pike Electric hosted a conference call to discuss financial results for its fiscal second quarter. A replay can be accessed by dialing (888) 203- 1112. The passcode is 1944477. The replay will be available until Feb. 12.

Pike Electric is one of the largest providers of outsourced electric distribution and transmission services in the United States. From its headquarters in Surry County, N.C., Pike Electric services a contiguous 19-state region that stretches from Pennsylvania in the north to Florida in the southeast and Texas in the southwest.

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Scouting inspired John S. Clark Company’s CEO

February 1st, 2008 · No Comments

Decades ago, on his rise up the ranks of the Boy Scouts, young Richard Vaughn met a man who was to have a profound influence on his life: John S. Clark, his Eagle Scoutmaster. Vaughn was taken by Clark and his commitment to Scouting values of loyalty, trust and service to others.

Around 1958, Clark left a job at R.H. Pinnix Construction Co. in Mount Airy and formed his own company, John S. Clark Company. Vaughn joined him there as a project manager. When Clark died at the young age of 44, Vaughn bought the company, resolving to maintain the values that Clark had embraced in Scouting and in his company’s philosophy. In keeping with those values, Vaughn later gave 60 percent of the company to key employees who helped him grow the company into one of the most respected brand names in the construction industry.

Vaughn, now the company’s chief executive officer, today credits John S. Clark Company LLC’s 50th year of successful service to adhering to those fundamental Scouting traditions.

“Providing exceptional value by gaining the trust and loyalty of our customers is built right into our mission statement,” Vaughn said. “That basic premise has led to our strong financial position and allowed us to invest heavily in our communities and our employees.”

Over the years, John S. Clark Company LLC has grown into the largest general contractor in northwest North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region and one of the largest in the Southeast United States. It has consistently been ranked in Engineering News-Record’s Top 400 General Construction Firms in the U.S.. Two years ago, the magazine ranked John S. Clark Company as the nation’s 15th-largest contracting company for distribution and warehouse construction, with $56 million in projects completed in those sectors, and as the 21st largest retail construction general contractors after completing $151.6 million worth of projects. John C. Clark Company is among The Business Journal’s “Top 5 General Construction Firms” in North Carolina.

John S. Clark Company has completed projects in 24 states. The company’s work includes industrial, commercial, multi-family, retail, health sciences, technology and church construction. John S. Clark Company also handles tenant upfits and building improvement projects regardless of size.

Nearly 300 employees work from the company’s headquarters in Surry County and at offices in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Wilmington. With an annual payroll in excess of $18 million, payouts for goods and services of $250 million dollars and many charitable interests, John S. Clark Company continues to have a tremendous economic and social impact on the Triad.

Far from resting on its laurels, John S. Clark Company continues to grow and adjust to changing needs and opportunities, Last month it announced a new Triad Commercial Division in Greensboro to better serve the changing needs of the Triad’s commercial-construction marketplace. The Winston-Salem office, home to the Retail Division, is undergoing a major expansion and a $600,000 renovation to keep up with growth in the retail-market sector. The Building Improvement Division (formerly known as Special Projects) will be moving to new space in downtown Winston-Salem at 11 Brookstown Avenue as soon as renovations can be completed there. A part of Obayashi USA LLC since 2006, John S. Clark Company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and is committed to sustainable design and construction.

John S. Clark would be proud to witness the success story that his namesake company has become, Vaughn believes. He’d be equally proud that it has upheld those values that reflect the essence of Scouting: Doing the best job possible and gaining trust and loyalty in service to others.

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Johnson Granite wins industry advertising award

January 27th, 2008 · No Comments

Johnson Granite Inc. on Hiatt Road (also called Landfill Road) just outside Mount Airy won “The Rocky Advertising Award” for 2007 from the Marble Institute of America (MIA).

The Marble Institute recognizes the best advertising and promotional materials submitted by MIA members.

The award was presented to Vice President Brian Johnson for Johnson Granite’s brochure produced by OLA Design Works of Winston-Salem. The brochure shows off designs and installation of custom-crafted granite, marble and natural stone countertops.

Johnson Granite Inc. is a family-owned business. Its experienced employees hand-select high-quality stone slabs for fabrication into countertops for kitchens, bathrooms and other uses. Employing computer technology, the company does custom-design work, including edging, but workers still do the final hand-finishing. Johnson Granite then supervises installation right through cleanup. One of several cost-saving benefits for consumers is that Johnson Granite charges only for the stone it installs, rather than charging customers for an entire slab.

Johnson Granite offers granite in at least 85 colors including Mount Airy White, the unique, highly prized granite quarried in Surry County. The company also fabricates countertops from marble, travertine and limestone, soapstone and cambria and silestone, two quartz products.

Founded in 2000, Johnson Granite employs about 30 people in its plant at 589 Hiatt Road in Surry County. Larry Johnson is the company’s president.

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‘Green Advantage’ building seminar Feb. 5

January 25th, 2008 · No Comments

David Johnston, an expert on environmentally responsible construction projects, will present an all-day Green Advantage® workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Mount Airy Elks Lodge off U.S. 52.

Johnston is an author and president of What’s Working Inc., a Boulder, Colo.-based sustainable building consultancy. (See more about Johnston below).

The seminar will cover improving indoor air quality, resource conservation and efficient building techniques.

The $45 price covers the seminar, refreshments and a full buffet lunch. Space is limited and will be filled on a first come-first served basis. You can make reservations by contacting Greg Smith of Surry Community College in Dobson at smithg@surry.edu or by calling (336) 386-3398. Seminar participants will be eligible for continuing education credits from Surry Community College.

This seminar is sponsored by “Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska,” NCFI Polyurethanes, Ace Hardware/Riverside Building Supply, United Plastics, Brite Engineering and Surry Community College.

About David Johnston:

David Johnston established the first private-sector sustainable building program in Denver through the local Home Builders’ Association, which evolved into the largest program of its kind in the private sector. His company was part of the team that launched the LEED certification program for the U.S. Green Building Council.

Johnston designed the Denver Metro Home Builders Association’s Built Green Program and the Boulder Green Points Program, which encourages the use of cost-effective and sustainable building practices. Johnston is also the founding designer and consultant to the Alameda County Waste Management Authority’s program that stimulated market transformation programs throughout California and is at work to implement similar programs nationwide.

Johnston has represented the United States at International Energy Efficiency meetings to develop international research agreements in the area of sustainable construction. Johnston was named “Builder of the Year” by the Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and has been inducted into the Remodeling Magazine Hall of Fame.

He received the 2007 International Sustainability Pioneer Award presented at the International Sustainable Leadership Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. He is contributing editor of “Natural Home” magazine and author of “Green Remodeling, Changing the World One Room at a Time” and “Building Green in a Black and White World.” (The books will be available for purchase at the event.)

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Number of jobless workers highest since 2005

January 25th, 2008 · No Comments

Joblessness in Surry County last month hit the highest level since the spring of 2005, the N.C. Employment Security Commission reported today.

More than 2,100 people — 6.1 percent of the county’s labor force — were unemployed and seeking work in December. The unemployment rate was 0.2 percent higher than in November. Twelve months previously, in December 2006, 1,732 were unemployed and the jobless rate was 4.9 percent.

The number of Surry County people with jobs also fell sharply from 2006 to 2007. About 33,550 people had work in December 2006 compared to 32,823 in December 2007. Though 730 fewer people have work, that number is well below the job losses when at least four textile and apparel companies ceased manufacturing operations in Mount Airy last year.

Increases in service-related jobs (especially health care), retailing and government employment in Surry County have absorbed some of the displaced workers, as we’ve previously reported in SurryBusiness.com.

However, the loss of employment opportunities may be shrinking the local labor pool, which previously held up fairly well despite severe job losses (primarily in textiles and apparel) dating to 2001-02.

In 2007, according to a preliminary calculation based on NCESC’s monthly labor reports, the size of Surry County’s available labor force slipped below 35,000. That reverses the upwards movement since 2005. If the calculations hold up, the 2007 local labor force of less than 34,900 would be the smallest in Surry County in 15 years.

One year’s change in the labor force’s size does not establish a trend. Various factors can account for changes from one year to the next. Although some workers move away in search of other opportunities, people also drop out of the labor force but remain in the county while they return to school for retraining or additional education, when they cease seeking work until new job opportunities emerge and when they shift into non-payroll employment as housekeeping, unlicensed child care and general labor.

Retirement also will have a large impact on labor force numbers now and in the next 20 years. The first Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) turn 62 this year and become eligible for Social Security.

→ No CommentsTags: Workforce