Business
100-year-old manufacturer will bring 73 jobs to Catawba County
April 13. Gusmer Enterprises, a manufacturer of filtration and fermentation products, is investing $26.5 million in a new production facility, which will create 73 new jobs in Catawba County. The 135,000-square foot manufacturing facility in Hickory will be the family-owned company’s third plant. Gusmer was founded in 1918 to provide products to the brewing market. […]
Business leaders optimistic about economy; ‘great recession’ not on the horizon
April 12. By Dave Yochum. The statewide unemployment rate continues to improve, and local business leaders say the Lake Norman economy will improve even faster as more and more businesses reopen. Bill Russell, CEO of the Lake Norman Chamber, said he expects that all restrictions will be lifted by June 1. “While real estate has […]
Grow your business sustainably
BUSINESS ADVICE | By Cheryl Kane April 9. To be sustainable you generally need revenue generated from both returning customers and new customers. If revenue growth occurs primarily from new customers rather than from repeat customers, you may not be building a sustainable book of business for the future. To be clear: Churning customers (having […]
The Power to Make a Difference
GUEST COLUMN. April 8. By Bill Russell. Spring is in the air, the azaleas are in full bloom and business is back at the lake! While we must continue to be diligent and cautious as we return to our favorite activities, consumers are again taking to their favorite retail stores and restaurants are seeing a […]
Aquesta reports sharply higher 1st quarter
April 7. Cornelius-based Aquesta Financial reported sharply higher first quarter results. The parent company of Aquesta Bank had unaudited net income of $2.5 million (46 cents per share) compared to the first quarter of 2020 net income of $881,000 (16 cents per share). Earnings grew at the rate of 186.5 percent in the first quarter […]
NC Sen. Marcus introduces bill to improve pipeline safety
April 6. NC Sen. Natasha Marcus has filed filed Senate Bill 549, Improve Pipeline Safety, in the wake of the worst pipeline leak in North Carolina history. Since the leak was discovered in August of last year more than 1.2 million gallons of gasoline have leaked from the 40-year-old pipeline which spans several counties in […]
Motorsports company moving from NY to Stanly County
April 6. A leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of stainless-steel headers and exhaust system components will invest $4.37 million in a new manufacturing facility in Stanly County. American Racing Headers & Exhaust will create 63 new jobs with the move from Deer Park, NY to Stanfield. The new facility will combine both manufacturing and corporate […]
Fifth Third’s ‘next-gen’ branch will open in Cornelius in June
April 2. By Dave Yochum. A new Fifth Third branch on West Catawba in Cornelius will have an entirely different banking experience from the traditional Fifth Third branch that will remain open just a mile away. It will be a “next-generation” branch, which means open spaces and no teller windows. Fifth Third says it will […]
Federal agency responds to Huntersville gasoline spill
March 31. The federal agency that regulates the Colonial Pipeline has issued a “Notice of Proposed Safety Order” that requires a series of improvements to avoid future pipeline spills in Huntersville. Colonial Pipeline repeatedly revised the size of the gasoline spill, doubling it to roughly 1.2 million gallons. The spill in Huntersville this past August […]
Robinhood Markets announcement means $800 million for Charlotte economy over 12 years
March 30. Robinhood Markets, a financial services firm based in Silicon Valley, will invest $11.7 million to establish an office in Charlotte creating 400 new jobs. “With the second-largest financial center in the nation, North Carolina is one of the fastest growing tech hubs where companies like this know they can flourish,” Gov. Roy Cooper said […]
