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Mills River Business

Top Raumedic executive moving to Mills River

The top executive of Raumedic is moving from Germany to Mills River, where he will oversee a new marketing push in the medical technology market. Martin Bayer, until recently sole board member of Raumedic AG, was appointed chairman of the entire group in February. He moved his office to North America, where he will be serving as president and CEO of Raumedic Inc. in Mills River. After completing the construction of an administration and production building in North Carolina, the company with Bavarian roots now is looking to quickly establish itself on the world’s largest medical technology market, while pursuing a globally consistent market cultivation strategy. “I look forward to devoting myself to this task, and being on site will provide me with the best conditions,” Bayer, 56, said in a news release. Under Bayer’s leadership the medical technology company has more than doubled its sales the past 10 years, growing the number of employees from 360 to over 700 worldwide. Given this growth and his new office in the U.S., Bayer points out how crucial it is that collaboration with his colleagues in Germany continues to run smoothly. To ensure this, regular video conferences with the Helmbrechts headquarters have already been scheduled. Additionally, Martin Schenkel, a seasoned member of management, was newly appointed as member of the board of Raumedic AG. As chief operating officer, Schenkel is responsible for production at all Raumedic sites. In his new role, he is now also the man in charge of the company headquarters, reporting to Bayer. In the process of reorganization, the management team of Raumedic AG will be further expanded in the next months.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

Lightning wins eight awards at NCPA

RALEIGH — The Hendersonville Lightning received eight awards during the North Carolina Press Association’s annual Winter Institute, including recognition for its coverage of the murder of Thomas Bryson, the fight over Hendersonville High School, news obits of prominent community figures and editorials.   Read Story »

Flat Rock Business

Saint Paul winery opens Flat Rock tasting room

FLAT ROCK — Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards has opened a tasting room in Flat Rock Square that will offer wine-pairing dinners, pairing classes, tapas and small plates and events. The new venture has something that the popular tasting room and the new Appalachian Ridge Cidery on Chestnut Gap Road lack — a commercial kitchen. Saint Paul Flat Rock in Flat Rock Square (formerly the Singleton Centre) serves five white wines, six red wines and four dessert wines. Occupying the corner location with an upstairs deck, the tasting room has something that the home location lacks — a commercial kitchen. The Dragonfly restaurant previously occupied the space. “We wanted to do something a little different than the tasting room,” said Meredith Ward, the 25-year-old daughter of Saint Paul founder Alan Ward. The new venture is just getting started but has plans for events, cooking classes and pairing dinners. It serves locally roasted coffee from Hendersonville-based ShareWell Coffee Co. Wines include charconnay, the award-winning Laurel Hill Vidal Blanc (best in show in the biggest state wine contest), Chestnut Gap, Jasper and Petit Verdot, with prices ranging from $6 to $15 a glass. Wine is for sale by the bottle, too. “We hope to partner with some of the local Flat Rock businesses to do some events,” said Ward, a 2010 graduate of Hendersonville High School and graduate of N.C. State University in social work. An on-call social worker for the county DSS, she works seven days and seven off.   Read Story »

Henderson County Business

Marco's Pizza opens on Seventh Avenue

Marco’s Pizza, the newest competitor in the growing list of pizzerias in the area, has opened and is doing a strong business already for takeout, delivery and dine-in of its pies, wings, subs and salads.The first chain restaurant to open on Seventh Avenue in decades, Marco’s has been growing fast regionally, opening five locations in the Upstate South Carolina. The Hendersonville store at 310 Seventh Avenue East is its first in Western North Carolina and more are planned.The menu features build your own from 22 toppings plus eight specialty pizzas including All Meat, Hawaiian Chicken, White Cheezy, Chicken Fresco, Deluxe, Pepperoni Magnifico and barbecue chicken, from $6.99 to $19.99; six subs ($5.99); ($5.50 for 6, $10.99 for 14); antipasto, chicken Caesar, Greek and chef’s salads ($6.49) and baked cinnamon squares ($4.99) and double chocolate brownies ($5.99) for dessert. Marco’s does not serve beer and wine. It offers delivery a few miles from the store, for an $2.99 charge.Manager John Podhany said the new restaurant, which opened a month ago, has been drawing steady and sometimes big crowds. He’s still learning the rhythm of Hendersonville diners.“One day (on a Sunday) they were lined up the door” before noon, he said. “The next week they didn’t come until 12:30.”Located next door to the new Triskelion Brewing Co., Marco’s expects to do plenty of takeout orders from taproom customers. Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight on Friday and Saturday.     Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

Cook Out on U.S. 64 East before end of the year

Those who thought Cook Out had pulled plans to open a restaurant in Hendersonville can breathe a sigh of relief.The cheeseburger, barbecue and milkshake drive-thru specialist, another fast-growing purveyor in the highway interchange market, has pulled a permit for its store at 2548 Chimney Rock Highway next door to the Golden Corral and across from drive-in competitor Sonic.The Lightning first reported the Cook Out lease of the property from Boyd L. “Bub” Hyder in December 2016. Fourteen months later, Mlb Construction Services is ready to start work. A car wash that occupied the property has already been cleared. The contractor plans a 4,000-square-foot building worth $1.4 million, according to a building permit.Started in Greensboro in 1989, Cookout has more than 200 locations in the Carolinas and eight other states in the South. The privately held company is known for its “never frozen” burgers, chicken sandwiches and hotdogs grilled “outdoors style” and a menu of 40 milkshake flavors, including chocolate cherry, mocha, peach cobbler, fresh watermelon (in the summer), egg nog (in December), walnut, peanut butter banana and candy bar flavors. Unlike many of its competitors, Cook Out ranges beyond grilled burgers and hot dogs to offer barbecue sandwiches, BLTs, hushpuppies and chili cheese fries.A Cook Out spokeswoman said it doesn’t take contractors long to put up the building. The Cook Out on U.S. 64 East will be open “definitely by the end of the year,” she said.     Read Story »

Henderson County Business

Ask Matt ... about banks changing hands

Q. I read where Asheville Savings Bank has merged with First Bank. Which local bank has kept their name the longest?   As far as I could figure, only one bank has kept the same name for more than 25 years — First Citizens Bank but it didn’t start that way. It was First Federal until 1991. For the record, State Employees Credit Union is the oldest credit union in town. BB&T, a relatively new arrival to the county, is one of the oldest banks in the state. Chartered in 1913 in Wilson, BB&T, formerly Branch Banking and Trust, got its name from co-founder Alpheus Branch. Here are some that had recent name changes. Wells Fargo was Wachovia Bank. Bank of America was NationsBank and before that NCNB. Entegra Bank was Macon Bank. SunTrust Bank was First Union Bank and before that Northwestern Bank. HomeTrust Bank was Clyde Savings and Loan. Finally, TD Bank (Toronto-Dominion) was Carolina First Bank, and before that MountainBank. I found five “newcomer” banks that have not changed names: Carolina Alliance Bank, PNC Bank, RBC Bank (Royal Bank of Canada), United Community Bank and Woodforest Bank. Nashville-based Pinnacle bank merged with Bank of North Carolina last June and they closed the branch here. They have a branch in Asheville but no plans to open another Henderson County bank. Asheville Savings Bank has been serving WNC customers for 82 years but that will all change on Monday, March 19, when the old signs come down and bold red and white First Bank signs are unveiled in front of 13 former Asheville Savings banks. Headquartered in Southern Pines, First Bank has been around since 1935 and counts 104 locations statewide. The time and temperature on Sixth and Main will now be courtesy of First Bank. * * * * * This footnote may be of interest to moviegoers. The Oscar-nominated movie “The Post” is based on the 1971 publication of the Pentagon Papers — a report that exposed the private views within five administrations that the war in Vietnam was unwinnable. One key player who escaped being mentioned in the movie was Assistant Secretary of Defense John T. McNaughton, who worked for Robert McNamara (played by Bruce Greenwood in the film). Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who photo-copied the top-secret documents in 1969, once worked for McNaughton. Lightning readers may recall that McNaughton died in the mid-air collision of Piedmont Flight 22 over Hendersonville in July of 1967, just a month after he was assigned to collect and review the Pentagon Papers. Because of his close friendship with McNamara, many perceived McNaughton to be a war hawk but some have since written that he began to be opposed the war in Vietnam. Because he had considerable influence with Pentagon decision-makers, some historians have wondered if McNaughton’s tragic and untimely death prolonged the war.     Read Story »

Henderson County Business

Windy Knoll Acres would add 30 homes on N. Allen Road

A developer won tentative approval from Henderson County building officials to build 30 homes on North Allen Road north of the Classic Oaks subdivision. Smith Gilchrist Properties has submitted a development plan for Windy Knoll Acres, which would be served by the city of Hendersonville water system and individual septic tanks. The subdivision on 18 acres would have lot sizes of about a half-acre each and 1½ acres of common space, according to plans submitted to the Henderson County planning department. The number of units is below the standard density of four units per acre and does not require a change from the current R-1 residential zoning. The developer has designed a loop road serving the property to NCDOT standards, meaning it would be conveyed to the state for upkeep once the project is done. The county Technical Review Committee last week OK’d the development under the county’s land-use code for major subdivisions, provided the developer receives NCDOT approval for a driveway cut, said Zoning Enforcement Officer Toby Linville. The application goes to the county Planning Board on March 15.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

Planners recommend quarter-acre lots at Sylvan Terrace project

Neighbors are concerned that a rezoning to allow up to six single-family homes would add traffic to the winding and narrow Sylvan Boulevard.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

City OKs 67-home subdivision on Howard Gap

The Hendersonville City Council approved a rezoning on Tuesday that will allow a developer to build 67 homes on Howard Gap Road east of Nix Road.The 3-2 council vote came over the objections of neighbors who said the development would create traffic problems and make flooding worse on Clear Creek, which runs south of the development through what is now a farm field.The property owner, Mountain Bean Growers Inc., asked for the rezoning and annexation into the city so it can provide sewer for the project, called the Cottages at Cypress Run.Mike Anderson, the engineer for the developer, told the council that the builder would have to prove to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the subdivision would not cause worse flood conditions that exist today.“We are not allowed to have any negative impact through the local regulation and through our permit process with FEMA,” Anderson said. Council member Jerry Smith wasn’t buying it.“I just can’t help but agree, regardless of what FEMA says, it just looks like this development goes too far into the floodplain and it’s going to push water somewhere else,” he said. “Unlike Publix, which used existing square footage, we are now adding square footage.”Councilman Jeff Miller said if the city would not accept FEMA’s regulations, it would have trouble approving many developments.“If we’re not going to accept FEMA’s standards, where do we go with that? If we are now saying that we’re not going to accept what FEMA says in certain areas, what do we do, where do we go?” he said. “I can’t as a member of the elected council just blow off FEMA. I have a hard time with that.”Yet Miller joined Smith in voting no on the rezoning application.Mayor Barbara Volk and mayor pro tem Ron Stephens said as much as they’d like to preserve farmland, affordable housing close to the city was also a priority. The developer plans to build craftsman-style cottages of 1,400 to 1,800 square feet that would sell "in the $275,000 range." “There’s a huge demand for that,” Stephens said. “While we want to protect farmland, there’s an amazing amount of demand for housing in this place. We’ve got to balance those interests, too.”Volk pointed out that the property, now in the county’s jurisdiction, is currently zoned residential, not agricultural.“I think I would have more problems with it if it was not already zoned residential,” she said. “It’s also fairly close to the city and I’d rather see it there than even further away so people would have to commute. No matter what happens there’s going to be more traffic on roads.”The developer has one more stop before stop before the requests are approved. Because the council voted 3-2 for the annexation, the council must vote a second time on that application. A second reading would require only a 3-2 vote to make the approval final.   Read Story »

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