In April, News 14 Carolina interviewed Roger Dinger, who owns Siler City’s Reinbarnation. Dinger salvages wood from old barns and creates new things. Last July Dinger was also featured in Our State magazine. Made in the Carolinas: Reinbarnation

Pittsboro’s Bella Donna restaurant was featured on NBC 17′s Taste of the Town segment. Watch the video on NBC 17.

Don’t forget to support Chatham’s small businesses by both buying and eating local!

UnWINEd

The festivities kicked off at 4:00 p.m. with the ribbon cutting, followed by food from Parlez Vous Crepe and music by the Rhonda Robicheaux Band. Owners Ray and Joni Pavlik served wines from the Heart of NC Wine Trail.

“It is our passion to introduce North Carolina wines to the community. Many people in Chatham believe in a sustainable community of shopping local and buying locally made products. UnWINEd does just that: sells only NC wines, cheeses, crackers, salami and chocolates,” owner Joni Pavlik said. “We enjoy meeting people from our community and communities nearby.”

UnWINEd opened in November 2011 in a restored 1920s general store. The shop exclusively serves North Carolina wines and meads not found in grocery stores. Local products such as cheese, bread, and cured meats can also be found at unWINEd.

UnWINEd
237 Center Grove Church Rd.
Moncure, NC 27559
www.unwinednc.com 

Click on the images to enlarge for more information, or view this flyer.

E3: Economy, Energy and Environment is a collaboration of resources including local, state and federal partners that work for the benefit of manufacturers in each of the state’s 7 economic development regions. For more information on E3, visit its website.

Chana Meeks opened Raleigh Street Gallery in October 2007 as a hybrid retail and studio space. The shop is home to paintings, photography, woodwork, beadwork, woven goods, ceramics, soaps and more. More than 45 artists from the region are represented.

“I was a [North Carolina] Arts Incubator artist for two years prior to opening Raleigh Street Gallery,” Meeks said. “Interest in my artwork at the Incubator gallery showed me that I could possibly expand my business independently.”

The upstairs loft that overlooks the retail space is home to several artists who rent space to use as a studio. Meeks says the studio space allows customers to enjoy the creative process while shopping for local handmade items.

“I love seeing a persona’s surprise when they come in for the first time and are blown away by the talents found in the little town,” she said.

Meeks, who is retiring this summer, will be handing Raleigh Street Gallery’s keys to another local Incubator artist, Christy Eubanks. The two worked out a transition plan for Eubanks to gradually take over day-to-day business operations. Eubanks plans to keep the gallery and studio space as it is, but hopes to add art supplies in the future.

As for Meeks’ favorite thing about owning Raleigh Street Gallery?

“I love the people I’ve met. So many interesting people come through Siler City. Every week someone stops in from somewhere new – often from out of town, but more often, from out of state,” Meeks said. “It’s incredible. There are so many great things that come from being a business owner here. I’m really going to miss it.”

Raleigh Street Gallery
120 West Raleigh St.
Siler City, NC 27344
919-663-6278

The forum will showcase out-of-state general contractors looking for North Carolina subcontractors and suppliers. Both out-of-state and in-state general contractors will be available for networking and to discuss teaming opportunities.

“This teaming forum will provide North Carolina general and specialty contractors, suppliers and designers an unprecedented opportunity to connect with prime contractors doing millions of dollars of federal construction work in our state,” said North Carolina Military Business Center executive director Scott Dorney.

Registration is required. Visit www.ncmbc.us/5_8ConsolidatedFEDCONTeamingForum.php to register and learn more about the free event. Check in and late registration begin at 8:30 a.m.

Dennis A. Wicker Center
1801 Nash Street
Sanford, NC 27330

Join us Tuesday, May 22 for a presentation about the U.S. Postal Service’s new Every Door Direct Mail program. The program makes direct mail marketing both affordable and effective for small businesses. Learn how a well-designed mailed marketing campaign can boost your business.

Networking and coffee with a light breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the presentation starting at 9:00 a.m.

Please RSVP with Mari Howe by Friday, April 18.

Bootstrap Chatham is a free monthly entrepreneur networking event – for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs – sponsored by the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation. Have an idea for a program or a topic you’d like covered? Let us know! Contact Mari Howe at mhowe@chathamedc.org or 919-542-8277.

Directions:
From Pittsboro – Take 64 West to Siler City.  Turn Left onto Progress Blvd (Just before Walmart).  Take the first left onto Campus Dr.  Take a right onto Medical Park Dr.  The Medical Office Building will be on the right.

From Siler City – Take 64 East toward Pittsboro.  Turn Right onto Progress Blvd (Just after Walmart).  Take the first left onto Campus Dr.  Take a right onto Medical Park Dr.  The Medical Office Building will be on the right.

The upholstered furniture manufacturer plans to add 17,500 square feet of additional manufacturing space. The addition will help add at least 37 new jobs to Lazar’s current labor force of 70.

“This expansion will help us adapt to where we are seeing growth happen now,” Lazar President Robert Luce said. “We are aggressively hiring skilled upholstery workers at this time.”

Lazar also has a California facility to service its western North America customers.

“We are firmly committed to servicing our West Coast customers from our Los Angeles facility,” Luce continued. “Costs in California continue to escalate, and we are taking advantage of an ample labor force, favorable business climate and competitive tax advantages offered by the state of North Carolina. Maintaining the two factories gives us total flexibility to grow our business nationally and to direct the production where needed.”

Lazar reports sales increases in the first two months of 2012 of 32 percent over the same period last year.

“I would like to thank all responsible parties of the state, County, and Siler City for providing support and encouragement to Lazar,” Siler City Mayor Charles Johnson said. “Let us remind others that business opportunities are alive, rebounding, and now thriving in Siler City.”

“We were happy to work with the town in preparing the grant application,” said Chatham Economic Development Corporation President Dianne Reid. “It’s great to see a company in one of North Carolina’s traditional manufacturing sectors rebounding.”

The Rural Center’s Building Reuse and Restoration Grants Program enhances commercial property in the state’s 85 rural counties by restoring vacant buildings and by expanding and renovating buildings currently occupied by certain types of businesses.

For more information, contact the Chatham Economic Development Corporation at 919-542-8274.

[PDF version]

We want to thank everyone who came out for making the discussion lively and informative. Join us next month when we’ll have a guest speaker tell us about a new (very affordable) direct mail service offered by the Postal Service. More info on that to follow.

Want to get on the Bootstrap Chatham mailing list? Give Mari Howe an email at mhowe@chathamedc.org or call 919-542-8277.

Here is yesterday’s presentation. It’s not entirely legible at the embedded size, so we recommend clicking the icon in the top right corner to open the presentation in a new, larger window. Note: The presentation viewer has been known to not work well with Internet Explorer, so try using Firefox or Chrome or go directly to this link.

Looking for the March Bootstrap recap about social media and small business? Head on over here.

Course Outline

Week 1 May 22, 2012: Essential Skills of Communicating
This session will provide supervisors with the tools needed to become effective communicators. The session will focus on: Creating a climate of open communication. Designing clear concise messages. Managing nonverbal communications effectively and Listening to communicate. Each attendee will leave the session a better communicator.

Week 2 June 5, 2012: Communicating Up
Most supervisors realize the importance of upward communications. However, few accept the responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of communicating with their own supervisor. Attendees will learn how to frame communications so that the desired results are achieved

Week 3 June 19, 2012: Managing Complaints
The supervisor is often the first to hear about a team member’s complaints. And although sometimes the complaint may seem unimportant, each complaint should be addressed and resolved quickly. Attendees will learn how to resolve complaints and identify the “hidden agendas” that often underlie the grievance in order to build a more productive team.

Week 4 July 3, 2012: Supporting Change
The supervisor is the key! The supervisor is the essential link between the team and the team’s support of change. Dealing with the comfort level of the team and involving the team in detailed discussions introduces change without inducing defensive reactions creating more buy-in and support for every change.

Cost: $260 (includes workbooks and all materials)
Location: CCCC Pittsboro Campus, 764 West Street, Pittsboro, NC  27312, Conference Room 2
Time: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Contact: Continuing Education 919-542-6495 ext. 8044

Last day to register is May 16, 2012 

The event will kick off with a ribbon cutting at 4:00 p.m. The Rhonda Robicheaux Band will perform from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., with local food truck Parlez Vous Crepes serving food.

“It is our passion to introduce North Carolina wines to the community. Many people in Chatham believe in a sustainable community of shopping local and buying locally made products. unWINEd does just that: sells only NC wines, cheeses, crackers, salami and chocolates,” owner Joni Pavlik said. “We enjoy meeting people from our community and communities nearby.”

The shop will be pouring by the glass wine from Silk Hope Winery, Horizon Cellars and the Vineyards at Southpoint, all local wineries part of the Heart of NC Wine Trail. For more information on the trail, contact Chatham County’s tourism director Neha Shah.

UnWINEd opened in November 2011 in a restored 1920s general store. The shop exclusively serves North Carolina wines and meads not found in grocery stores. Local products such as cheese, bread, and cured meats can also be found at unWINEd.

For more information about unWINEd and the grand opening, visit www.unwinednc.com or email unwined@embarqmail.com.