September 2018
Reflecting our mission as a statewide business publication, we looked for leaders making important strides outside the three metropolitan areas. While we found impactful leaders in smaller regions, power is increasingly concentrated in bigger cities as banking, retailing, utilities and many other industries consolidate.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
SylvanSport puts camping in everyone’s reach
Tom Dempsey’s lightweight campers are selling fast, propelling SylvanSport to double employment as more people explore the outdoors.
How about them N.C. apples
North Carolina was the ninth-largest apple-producing state in 2017, led by Henderson County.
Bobby Purcell motivates the Wolfpack
N.C. State University’s key athletic fundraiser has kept the Wolfpack motivated for nearly three decades.
Pendo makes software user-friendly
Making software easier to use spurs big investment and high hopes at a 5-year-old Raleigh tech company.
Bill O’Brien sees opportunity in veterans-turned-farmers network
Egging on battle-weary Veterans to learn farming skills is a passion of Pender County’s Bill O’Brien.
Acme scores Wilmington’s biggest fish story
Acme Smoked Fish is adding 40 employees to its current staff of 165 as it adds a sixth packaging line and a second shift at the company’s largest U.S. smoked-fish manufacturing plant in Wilmington.
Durham biotech Brii raises $260 million for Chinese effort
Zhi Hong, president and co-founder of Brii Biosciences, will bring pharmaceutical and technological advances to China.
Owner of famed furniture brands files for bankruptcy protection
Looking down the barrel of $280 million of debt, High Point furniture manufacturer Heritage Home Group filed for bankruptcy protection in late July.
Cleveland, Lincoln counties eyeballed for new lithium mine
Keith Phillips is leading development of a $450 million plan to mine and refine lithium on 1,260 acres that is owned or under option by Piedmont Lithium in Cleveland and Lincoln counties.
Chinese pact gives Boone startup Pneuma Respiratory breathing room
Pneuma Respiratory, a Boone-based business that was started by Cree co-founder Eric Hunter, has raised more than $18 million for the development of a digital inhaler that uses breath-activated technology.
Spirits are moving in Little Washington
Beaufort County’s Washington builds on its classic riverfront appeal.
Commentary: VF headquarters shift sparks memories of RJR’s split
VF’s surprising headquarters shift raises concerns over the competitiveness of cities that aren't on the 'It list.'
Commentary: the Triangle is an economic powerhouse
Vision, science and technology — with a dash of baseball — have turned the Triangle into an economic powerhouse.
Continuing Education programs evolve to fit new types of students
MBA programs around the state evolve to fit new types of students and their needs.
Revitalization in Fayetteville drives growth in Cumberland County
A new baseball stadium and revitalization in Fayetteville aren’t the only things driving growth in Cumberland County.
2018 Law Journal
Business North Carolina has gathered some of North Carolina’s top lawyers to offer advice on some timely issues.
