Bargain basements
HIGH POINT — Packrite will invest $8.9 million and add 100 jobs to the 78 at its local plant, where it makes products including cereal boxes and ice cream containers. The new jobs will pay an average annual wage of about $34,000, lower than Guilford County’s $43,642. The privately owned company, founded here in 2008, will receive up to $100,000 in state grants if it meets job-creation goals.
WINSTON-SALEM — Karen “Bobbi” Carbone stepped down as president and chief operating officer of Wake Forest Baptist Health, a division of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, after eight months in the position. Kevin High, chairman of the department of internal medicine, will become executive vice president of health systems affairs and will assume Carbone’s responsibilities. The medical center also named Chad Eckes chief financial officer. Eckes has served as chief information officer since he joined the medical center in March 2014. He replaces Mike Rutherford, who held the position on an interim basis for one year.
GREENSBORO — Greensboro Partnership named Brent Christensen president and CEO. Christensen, 45, served as executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority since 2012 and has worked in economic development for 20 years. He replaces Pat Danahy, who retired in December (Statewide, October).
DENTON — Councill Company will close its furniture-manufacturing plants and supporting operations here by July 31, and 121 workers will lose their jobs. Founded in 1973, the company was sold to Hickory-based Hancock & Moore in 2005. Hickory-based RHF Investments, parent of Century Furniture, is buying Hancock & Moore for an undisclosed amount and will make Councill-branded furniture at its Century plants.
WINSTON-SALEM — BB&T joined nine lenders to form the Regional Bank Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based group that opposes federal Dodd-Frank Act requirements for regional banks. The coalition says smaller banks don’t carry the same risk as larger ones and shouldn’t be subject to the same regulation.