Earlier this year, Trackhouse Racing, an LLC whose mailing address is the same as Hendrick Automotive Group in Charlotte, agreed to acquire Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR operation in Concord for $10.2 million. Under the new building ownership, it will still operate the race shop starting after the 2021 season.

Durham’s Pappas Capital is eyeing innovation on the other side of the world for its $200 million Asia Innovation Fund. Pappas Capital’s founder Art Pappas said the fund is a way to tap into next generation life sciences innovation in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Mike Senackerib said Dewey’s hopes to triple the 8,000 or so retail outlets carrying its cookies in the next few years. The small bakery started in Winston-Salem 91 years ago and became renowned for its Moravian baked goods, especially its Moravian cookie thins. In 2017, Dewey’s began large-scale distribution to supermarkets nationwide.

West New Bern development encompasses more than 3,000 acres at full buildout. Phase I calls for up to 1,500 homes across 540 acres, which will help will help reshape Craven County and the surrounding area at the mouth of the Neuse River along the state’s coastline.

The company says the deals to acquire VitaLink Research and the National Research Institute make Velocity “the largest fully integrated site management organization.” Velocity was founded in 2017 and has maintained steady growth through earlier acquisitions. The company says it is hiring 11 roles in Durham.  

High Point University and Coca-Cola Consolidated have established the scholarship to honor local businessman and philanthropist Robert “Bob” Brown. Brown is CEO & Founder of B&C International, a global business management consulting firm headquartered in his native High Point. He has been a member of the HPU Board of Trustees for 19 years and chairman since 2019.

The Wilmington-based brewery’s new beer, TRU Light, will be available throughout the state starting next Wednesday. TRU Light will be available at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Food Lion, Whole Foods and more than 50 bars, restaurants and bottle shops around Wilmington

One & Two Fairview Center in Charlotte’s SouthPark were acquired by Boston-based Taurus Investment Holdings. Taurus said the buildings are 92% leased to 19 firms including Finance of America, Zapata architecture and engineering company, and MGC Insurance Defense.

Sonic Automotive of Charlotte is acquiring Plano, Texas-based RFJ Auto Partners for $700 million. RFK has annual revenue of about $3.2 billion. Sonic had annual revenue of $9.8 billion last year, while sales are sharply higher this year because of rising vehicle prices. Sonic’s shares closed at $55.01, near its record level.

Barings BDC, which is headquartered in uptown Charlotte, will buy Sierra Income in a cash-and-stock deal valued at nearly $624M. The transaction is set to close in the first quarter of 2022. Barings LLC will manage the combined operation, which is expected to have $2.18 billion of investments across 245 portfolio companies.

Raleigh-Durham Airport ranked as the third best large airport in North America in JD Power’s latest Airport Satisfaction Study. With an overall customer satisfaction score of 841, RDU trailed Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport at 844 and Tampa International Airport at 843. In the mega airport category, For mega airports, Charlotte Douglas International Airport ranked 11th, with a satisfaction score of 796, two points below the segment average of 798.

Officials said the universities made erroneous claims to receive grant money for five years by falsely approving and boosting volunteer hours for members of AmeriCorps, a federal agency for community service and volunteerism. To resolve the claims, UNC-CH agreed to pay $375,000 and ECU agreed to pay $140,000 to the U.S. government.

Pinehurst Resort announced a deal to buy The Magnolia Inn, further increasing the resort’s footprint in the village. The deal also includes the Magnolia’s restaurant, Villaggio Ristorante & Bar. The Magnolia opened in 1896 and is Pinehurst’s second-oldest hotel behind the Holly Inn. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition (TREBIC) has named Jon Lowder to serve as its new president. Lowder, the executive director of the Piedmont Triad Apartment Association for more than a decade, will succeed Marlene Sanford at TRIBEC. Sanford served 22 years in the role.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is furious after Apple tells Epic Games that it will not reinstate Epic’s access to the Apple App Store for its Fortnite game until all appeals in the lawsuits between the two companies are heard. “Apple lied,” Sweeney tweeted.

According to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, there are 74,900 jobs spread between 236 active recruitment and expansion projects. If the state were to win them all, it would mean $97.8 billion in potential new capital investment. The Triangle is among the most popular areas for new projects, particularly among the life sciences space. 

The nation’s largest homebuilder, Texas-based D.R. Horton, purchased the “Glennview” townhome project in Kernersville for $4.46 million. The project, which was started by sellers Diamondback Investment Group, will involve 267 units. Construction has not begun. 

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Cary’s Epic Games, purchased 268 acres of land near Siler City for conservation. Sweeney has been buying large parcels of land for more than a decade to create what he calls conservation corridors. The latest purchase set him back $1.6 million, according to Chatham County records. 

A 20-story tower has been announced for Raleigh’s Waterhouse District, an estimated $121 million investment. Capital Square, a Richmond, Va.-area company, plans to raise $48 million in equity capital from investors in order to construct 297 residential units and 437 parking spaces. 

Boston-based King Street Properties purchased 74.8 acres in Morrisville last week for $9.46 million and unveiled plans which could include 1 million square feet of life science space when all is said and done. Site plans and a timeline are still being finalized for the project, which is located off McCrimmon Parkway. The property is part of a large district recently rezoned for residential and commercial uses. 

After unveiling its mandatory vaccination policy on July 22, Novant Health Inc. reported Tuesday 1.4% of its workforce, or 375 employees, face termination for noncompliance. The policy went into effect on Sept. 15 and required employees get the first dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The 375 employees are currently not working, according to the company, and all other nonexempt employees have until Oct. 15 to get their second shot.

A recent RE/MAX study found the Raleigh-Durham housing market ranked first in the nation for its decline in the average number of days a property is on the market before going under contract. As of August, properties spent an average of 16 days on the market, down 63.6% year-over-year. The report also found the area has among the fewest properties available for sale. 

Earlier this year Abzena Life Sciences, a life sciences group based in Britain but with a U.S. subsidiary in San Diego, chose Sanford for a $25 million project after months of negotiations, new documents from the North Carolina Department of Commerce show. The company also eyed Tulsa, Okla. and other larger cities for its manufacturing plant, but ultimately landed on North Carolina thanks to the availability of a perfect facility for their needs and area’s life science manufacturing community. 

The Spectrum Cos. said its Vantage South End project has new leases with Hayward Holdings, Winstead PC and NorthMarq for the project’s west tower. That 326,800-square-foot tower, which is one of two on the site, is now 93% leased. The $300 million Vantage South End project is being developed by Charlotte-based Spectrum and Invesco of Atlanta. Hayward is a public company moving its headquarters from Berkeley Heights, N.J.

Zander Guy, chair of the N.C. ABC Commission, resigned on Friday amid ongoing supply issues affecting liquor stores across the state. ABC Boards have complained about reduced weekly shipments following a new contract between the state and vendor LB&B Associates, which required a new electronic inventory and ordering system. The shortage has also been felt at bars and restaurants.

An unnamed software development firm in Wilmington is receiving $120,000 in incentives from New Hanover County to double its workforce after a vote by the county board Monday. The firm plans to create at least 104 jobs that have an average salary of $80,000. The company is remaining confidential “for reasons related to incentive agreements with the state,” according to Scott Satterfield, CEO of Wilmington Business Development. 

A new zoning compliance application has been submitted in Orange County for a 100-acre piece of land that was previously expected to house a Buc-ee’s travel center as part of Efland Station. Construction plans for the Buc-ee’s were submitted last year but were withdrawn after the move was met with community opposition and hesitancy by county commissioners. Now, an application submitted by Raleigh-based engineering firm Kimley-Horn is proposing a 900,000-square-foot industrial park. 

A whopping 129,000 businesses have been filed with the Secretary of State’s office so far this year, with four more months left. The record was previously 127,000 in 2020, a 27% increase over 2019. Of the businesses launched this year, only 12% reported the move was due to job losses throughout the pandemic. Instead, the majority of those surveyed said they were looking to capitalize on opportunity. 

An estimated 1,169 Afghan refugees will be settling in Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Durham, Greensboro and New Bern in the next several weeks following the country’s fall to the Taliban last month. The state is taking in the ninth-most number of refugees among the 46 states receiving people. The state has received more than 20,000 refugees over the past 10 years. 

The Morgan School, which has historically taught Black children in Charlotte’s Cherry neighborhood, might be for sale soon after the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board voted Tuesday to allow the district to sell the building. The Cherry community has long been fighting for rights to use the building, which has been vacant for 5 years. Previously, the school district had the option of leasing the building, but this latest vote gives the option for the sale of it. 

Raleigh-based Kane Realty plans to ask the city of Raleigh for a rezoning to allow for buildings with 30 to 40 stories in the North Hills area, where it is a dominant developer. Greater density is needed because of Raleigh’s rapid population growth and demand for housing and retail in north Raleigh, according to Kane.

Detroit-based Ally bases many of its top execs in Charlotte. It has more than 350 open positions in the Queen City, many related to the company’s efforts to boost its software development as it improves it technology. Deposits at the online banking company totaled $142 billion in June.

In August, the state’s jobless rate reached another monthly low for the COVID-19 pandemic, dipping to 4.3%. The rate, which was at 4.4% in July, has gone down each month since peaking at 7.3% in September 2020. The biggest year-over-year gains were in leisure and hospitality.

The Preiss Company paid $61.8 million for the 264-unit Greens at Tryon apartments outside the Beltline south of downtown Raleigh, adjacent to the Raleigh Golf Association course. The seller, an affiliate of Maryland-based FCP, paid $27 million for the property four years ago.

The Raleigh-based state museum has expanded to Pitt County with new learning center aiming to boost interest in science. The museum is expected to spur economic activity in downtown Greenville as visitors are drawn to more than 40 exhibits.

Under Horton’s leadership, Industries for the Blind in Winston-Salem saw revenue more than double from $80 million to $200 million. Horton has been with the Winston-Salem nonprofit since 2001. He will retire at the end of 2022.

The recently passed North Carolina House Bill 890 enables municipalities to create outdoor “social districts” in which bar patrons can consume beverages outdoors. One may be established on the Riverwalk in Wilmington.

Lyttle Bridges Cabaniss, known by most as “Mama B,” is considered to be North Carolina’s first female barbecue entrepreneur. The owner of Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge in Shelby for 76 years was inducted posthumously into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Mo.

A class action lawsuit filed by six plaintiffs against Mission Health claims the hospital system is a monopoly that has been overcharging patients for years. Duke University law professor Barak Richman says Mission could be forced to follow different contract pricing practices, which could affect other hospital monopolies across the country.

The major California-based pharmaceutical firm considered Durham and Atlanta before picking Raleigh for a high-paying, 275-job service center that promises average wages of $142,000. The $24 billion company has made headlines since the onset of the pandemic for its COVID-19 treatment, Remdesivir.

The Texas-based healthcare company already runs Washington Regional Medical Center in Plymouth, as well as the Plymouth Primary Care Clinic. Affinity said it is committed to employee retention, increasing employment, facility investment and service expansion.

The Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners approved a 10-year, comprehensive plan for the county that includes the creation of a parks and recreation department. But their approval doesn’t mean the plan will come to fruition. A new department would likely require more revenue to cover the expenses, which could mean a tax increase.

A $125,000 study shows Cumberland County residents want a new performing arts center, according to a consulting firm. One may be coming after many years of discussion. Conventions, Sports and Leisure, which conducted the study, recommended Cumberland County build a $75 million, 89,000-square-foot multipurpose facility that could seat 2,075 people. 

Researchers at the two universities’ Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology will study phosphorus sustainability as a part of the National Science Foundation’s Science and Technology Center for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS). UNC-Greensboro and N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University have joined the new national effort with a $25 million NSF grant.

Cloud communications platform thinQ has acquired teli, a privately-held provider of text messaging APIs. According to CEO Aaron Leon, the two combined companies will rebrand as Commio, which will combine technologies to provide its clients with an integrated cloud communications platform as a service.

Raleigh REIT Highwoods Properties Inc. acquired a pair of Charlotte office properties, including Capitol Towers, as part of a $769 million portfolio deal. According to real estate records, Highwoods acquired 770,000 square feet of SouthPark office space for $322 million.

Bucking national trends, enrollment rose to a new high in the UNC System for the fourth straight year. It now serves about 244,500 students, an increase of 0.8% from last fall. The number of graduate students enrolled at North Carolina universities rose 5.4% since last year and 9.6% since fall 2019.

Private equity real estate firm Trion Properties is buying Fayetteville’s Crescent Commons, a multifamily community that includes 14 buildings with 288 units. The California and Florida-based group chose Fayetteville based on above-average recent and projected population growth.