Business
NC State Pension Funds report gains
Aug. 19. The NC State Pension Fund had gains of 6.38% for the 2nd quarter. Pension fund assets were valued at $103.9 billion on June 30, an increase of $5.6 billion from $98.3 billion at the end of the 1st quarter of 2020. Additionally, fund levels as of Aug. 14, are $107.3 billion, exceeding the […]
Gold’s Gym opens in 3 locations
Aug. 16. Gold’s Gym Harrisburg, Concord and Lake Norman re-opened for business at 5 am Monday. The state requires all patrons wear a face covering inside the establishment, unless actively engaged in physical activity or the customer states that an exemption applies. No temperature checks will be done on customers or staff unless the person […]
Residential market is hot, much lower inventory than last year
Aug. 14. By Dave Yochum. As we enter the sixth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world continues to feel upside down. For one thing, the spring housing market transitioned to the summer, and Realtors say it’s been hot. “June and July closed home sales exceeded the same months in 2019, despite COVID,” said Allen […]
Monday webinar for NC job retention grants
Aug. 14. Businesses and nonprofits that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic can receive up to $250,000 from the NC. Dept. of Commerce Job Retention Grant Program. The program, which aims to help employers keep employees on the payroll, has a strict application deadline of Sept. 1. Among the requirements: —Applicants cannot have already […]
Decision-making in a pandemic
Plan. Implement. Modify. Pause. Pivot. Regroup. Re-train. Whew! Aug. 5. Cheryl Kane. With its tumultuous impact on our environments, how do you successfully manage a business in Covid-19 times? With purposeful care and courage. Yes, the unsettling nature of turbulence slamming into our lives in so many ways sometimes makes it easy to get caught […]
Aquesta 2Q net up 19.4%
July 29. Aquesta Bank net income rose 19.4 percent to $1.42 million during the second quarter ended June 30, up from $1.19 million during the same period last year. Jim Engel, CEO of Aquesta, said there was solid loan and deposit growth during the period. “We continue to perform well despite the continuing negative effects […]
Wake Forest Bancshares net falls
July 21. Wake Forest Bancshares, parent company of Wake Forest Federal Savings and Loan Association, announced today that the Company reported earnings of $254,566 or $0.23 per share for its quarter ended June 30, 2020. The Company reported earnings of $410,405 or $0.37 per share for the same quarter a year earlier. Earnings for the […]
IT job openings inched back in June
If the number of IT job openings are a gauge of the economy, things are looking up in North Carolina. The NC Technology Association says the number of tech job openings statewide climbed from 22,729 in May to 23,715 in June. That’s still down considerably from the pre-pandemic highs of 30,000 to 31,000-plus between January […]
Small Business Advice: Times change, so must you
By Cheryl Kane. Business professionals need quality information—and creativity—to adapt to changing times. Quality information is necessary to accurately define problems creating a barrier to achieving your goals. Creativity is critical for the innovation needed for strategic planning and executing tactical plans. As times change, plans may need to change. Today disrupted circumstances may startle […]
Ponzi artist gets 17 years
July 10. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell has sentenced Hal H. Brown Jr. to 210 months in prison and three years of supervised release for orchestrating a $22 million Ponzi scheme. Bell also ordered Brown to pay more than $17 million in restitution. according to Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of […]
