Free Daily Headlines

Business

Set your text size: A A A

Business

Chamber honors broadcaster with top award

Hendersonville Business

Excursion train advocate envisions entertainment car

Larry Morton, the Johnny Appleseed of train travel between Hendersonville and Asheville, told Asheville transportation planners that he’s gotten nothing but enthusiastic responses for the idea of an excursion train.   Read Story »

Henderson County Business

First Bank appoints branch manager

First Bank announced the appointment of Brittany Marshall as branch manager overseeing its Hendersonville office. In her new role, Marshall will be responsible for the day to day management of the Hendersonville branch, focusing on serving the needs of current customers while also developing new relationships with businesses in the area. With an extensive banking background, she brings a wealth of financial knowledge as well as local market expertise to the bank. A resident of Hendersonville, Marshall has more than 13 years of banking experience including customer service and retail sales management in the Hendersonville market. “We are thrilled to have Brittany’s experience, talent and skills at First Bank,” said First Bank Regional Executive Joe Ward. “Brittany also shares our bank’s core values to serve customers with honesty, integrity and a focus on doing the right thing for both our customers and the community. All of these factors combined make Brittany a great addition to our team.” Marshall is also a passionate community advocate and spends much of her personal time volunteering to help others. She currently volunteers with the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce and the Hendersonville Rotary Club. “Prior to taking on this role, I was familiar with the bank’s reputation as a company that truly cares about the local community and about giving back,” Marshall said in a news release. “I look forward to making a positive impact on customers by providing sound financial advice and helping them realize their dreams, which in turn will help make Henderson County a stronger community and a better place to live.” On Oct. 1, First Bank completed its acquisition of Asheville Savings Bank, acquiring 13 branches in western North Carolina, including the Hendersonville location that Marshall will manage. These branches will complete their conversion to First Bank locations on March 16. Headquartered in Southern Pines, First Bancorp operates 104 First Bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and has total assets of approximately $5.4 billion.   Read Story »

Laurel Park Business

Laurel Park OKs development on U.S. 64

LAUREL PARK — The Laurel Park Town Council voted unanimously to approve the development application for the Cottages at Arcadia Views during a meeting Tuesday morning at First Congregational Church.   Read Story »

Flat Rock Business

Fairfield Inn opens Friday

The 84-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott at 836 Upward Road, scheduled to open Friday, offers amenities that include an indoor pool and free hot breakfast.   Read Story »

Henderson County Business

Developer back for third try for Horse Shoe Farm permit

HORSE SHOE — A Miami developer who has been turned back twice in applications for large-scale building plans has filed a revised master plan for 132 residential dwellings at Horse Shoe Farm.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

Planning Board recommends 67-home subdivision on Howard Gap Road

Turning aside neighbors’ concerns about traffic and flooding, the Hendersonville Planning Board on Monday recommended that the City Council OK a development of 67 homes on a 16.6-acre site near a Clear Creek floodplain.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

After sale of mill, City Council takes up development agreement

The city took a major step forward in the pursuit of a Grey Hosiery Mill development when it closed last week on the sale of the property to a Carrboro developer that plans a hotel and conference space. The city sold the 2.3-acre property and the historic hosiery mill for $1 million to Grey Mill Venture LLC, a subsidiary of Belmont Sayre, which the City Council selected for the project last summer. “As I told the council today we still have work to do but it is a very big step toward development of the Grey hotel,” City Manager John Connet said Friday a few hours after the sale closed. “We’ll take each step and we’ll keep working toward it. We think this is a positive sign.” The city has owned the property since 1990 and has been pursuing a development arrangement since that time. It’s as close as it’s been to a deal. The City Council on Thursday night will take up a proposed agreement that spells out the developer’s obligations to invest $11 million to $13½ million in an adaptive reuse that will transform the 102-year-old brick structure into a hotel with 57 rooms and 2,100 square feet of event space. Under the contract, the city commits to streetscape improvements on Fourth Avenue East from North Grove Street to North Main Street. The city has also received preliminary approval for a $500,000 community development block grant that will become a forgivable loan to Belmont Sayre if it meets job creation targets. “One of the things we’re working through is a development agreement,” Connet said. “He’s still getting his construction numbers in place. He did a very conservative estimate of $13½ million. We think the numbers will come in below that. We’ll have that finally worked out by Thursday night. I think there’s some final tweaks that will be made before we get there Thursday night.” The agreement requires the developer to start project development by June 30 of this year, start construction by Jan. 1, 2019, and “use commercially reasonable best efforts” to complete construction by Oct. 1, 2019. The developer also must display historical photos of the mill and text describing its history in a convenient and accessible place within the hotel. The city agrees to streetscape improvements for two blocks of Fourth Avenue East including pedestrian level lighting, enhanced crosswalks and improved sidewalks. Belmont Sayre’s proposal for a 57-room boutique hotel and an event space for 70 people hotel fell short of the City Council’s vision of a 130-room facility with event space for up to 300 people. But the Carrboro group’s proposal matched the council’s criteria better than those of other bidders. Built in 1915, the Grey Hosiery Mill added additions in 1919 and 1947 before closing in 1967. The city bought the mill building in 1990. It bought an adjoining lot in May 2007, the Williams property on Oct. 20, 2016, and the Pilgrim property on March 17, 2017, for a total of 2.28 acres. The Grey Mill development will benefit the public by integrating the historic mill property with Main Street and the Historic Seventh Avenue District, the city said in the proposed agreement.     Read Story »

Henderson County Business

Local farmers tell Sen. Tillis of need for farm labor

DANA — Standing in a cold warehouse, their gloved hands working in a tub of cold water, immigrant workers at Danny McConnell’s farm are doing the tedious job of cleaning ginger root, a specialty crop McConnell grows.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

BUSINESS BRIEFS: Penny certified, nurses honored

Will Penny certified through Wharton School   Will Penny, president of Penny Insurance Agency in Hendersonville, North Carolina, has been awarded the Certified Advisor of Personal Insurance designation from the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Chubb Insurance. Will PennyPenny is among a group of only 38 agents this year to receive the certification after completing a one-year intensive educational program on understanding the lifestyle and risk management and insurance needs of successful individuals and families. Created by Wharton and Chubb in 2014, the CAPI program is the first of its kind to focus on a specific client segment in the personal insurance marketplace. A Henderson County native, Penny is the third generation president of Penny Insurance Agency. He is a graduate of Wofford College, and has been with Penny Insurance since 1994. Courses are taught by Wharton faculty, Chubb subject matter experts and other professionals. Agents received instruction on the Wharton campus at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and through virtual classes, webcasts, reading assignments and other online activities throughout 2017. Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. Chubb is the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, and the largest commercial insurer in the United States.   Austin named PeriAnesthesia Nurse of the Year Pardee UNC Health Care nurse Debbie Austin has been named PeriAnesthesia Nurse of the Year by the North Carolina Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. The award recognizes a nurse who demonstrates excellence in the practice, management and teaching of PeriAnesthesia nursing, and promotes high standards in the profession. Austin, an RN, is a charge nurse in the hospital’s post-anesthesia care unit, where she treats patients recovering from anesthesia. She also serves as a faculty instructor for advanced cardiovascular life support, pediatric advanced life support and basic cardiac life support certification training.             For more than a year, Austin has spearheaded a pilot program for the safe disposal of narcotic medications given to patients for post-operative pain. The program uses education regarding safe storage and disposal, as well as Deterra bags, which allow patients to safely dispose of unused narcotics at home after a surgical procedure. Not only did Austin obtain funding from the Pardee Hospital Foundation for the first 200 packs of Deterra, she also educated the Day Surgery nursing staff on the need for these bags and worked closely with Pardee administration, Hope Rx and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office to make the pilot program successful.             “Debbie has always had a heart for serving others and our community, whether she is feeding and clothing the homeless, sponsoring a food drive, or volunteering at church,” said nurse Jennifer White a colleague of Austin’s who nominated her for the award. “By confronting the drug epidemic head on and gaining hospital support, Debbie is making a lasting impact on the prescription narcotics problem in our community. She is most deserving of this award.”   Darlyne Jarrett honored as DAISY award winner Darlyne Jarrett has received the DAISY Award at Park Ridge Health. A part of the Home Health team, Jarrett, 82, was recognized for her outstanding character and work ethic. Darlyne Jarrett“She is always willing and works every day that we have visits for her to do. She will go to any area, and is always smiling and cheerful,” a nominating letter said. “Patients ask for her specifically. She consistently goes above and beyond for her patients and for her team. She takes call even though she is not obligated to do so as a PRN nurse, and is often helping others by switching out call so they can be with family or meet other personal obligations.” Jarrett also serves as a Spiritual Ambassador for the department, and is currently going to a particular patient’s home on Sunday afternoons for Bible study because the patient said she wished someone would talk with her about the Bible. She takes meals to patients in need and provides them with community resources on her own time. The DAISY Award was created by the family of J. Patrick Barnes to thank the nurses who cared for Patrick and for them as he battled an autoimmune disease. Patrick lost his battle, but his family realized the impact his nurses had on the final days of his life and wanted to create a lasting opportunity for all families who experience the benefits of the extraordinary care of nurses to show their appreciation.     Park Ridge Imaging Center is accredited Park Ridge Health’s Diagnostic Imaging Center, located at the main campus, has earned the American College of Radiology Accreditation for a new 128-slice CT Scanner, the hospital announced. Park Ridge Health installed the GE 128-slice imager earlier this year. At that point, Wendy Miller, one of Park Ridge Health’s Diagnostic Imaging Radiology Technologists, took the lead to begin the process of attaining the ACR accreditation.  “Wendy ensures patient safety and clinical quality are top priorities in our Computerized Tomography (CT) Suite,” said Todd Guffey, Park Ridge Health Director of Diagnostic Imaging. “Wendy not only made sure the Diagnostic Imaging team met all the ACR requirements, but she did so without interrupting the exceptional care each of our CT patients received. Achieving this accreditation shows this team’s passion for exceeding the expectations of providing high-quality care to our patients.” To learn more about the Park Ridge Health Imaging Center or to make an appointment, call 855.PRH.LIFE (855.774.5433) to speak with a member of the Park Ridge Health Patient Resource Team.   Read Story »

Business Archive