Wendy’s of Henderson to Close: Remodel
Not to worry, the Wendy’s in Henderson will be back in the burger business in a few months.
Wendy’s will re-open its completely renovated restaurant at 1516 Dabney Drive in June if all goes well. The Henderson restaurant will be Tar Heel Capital Wendy’s, twentieth location to re-open with this new design in the Carolina’s.
This restaurant features an innovative interior and exterior design that is very different from what Wendy’s customers are familiar with. This restaurant design is part of a comprehensive brand transformation to reinvent the Wendy’s restaurant environment – from food innovations, to building design and even new packaging.
This contemporary building features large windows and an open, bright dining room with available seating at booths, tables, lounge style seating, and even a Wi-Fi bar. When you come into the restaurant you will see there is a new ordering process, Flat Screen TV’s, a fireplace, Coca-Cola Freestyle self-serve soda machine, which is very different from the basic seating and interior of the prior building.
One of Wendy’s core values, created 40 years ago by our founder Dave Thomas, is “Quality is our Recipe,” we feel that this core value is represented by our new restaurant design, and evidenced by the launch of several innovative items, such as the 4 for $4 meal deal and the recent Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken sandwich with Ghost Pepper Fries. These brand enhancements are exciting to us and we look forward to sharing these with our guests from the Henderson area.
About Wendy’s
The Wendy’s Company is the world’s third largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy’s system includes more than 6,500 franchise and company restaurants in the United States and 27 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. The Wendy’s in Henderson is owned and operated by Tar Heel Capital Corporation, a 72 unit Wendy’s Franchise with restaurants throughout the Carolina’s.
(This Press Release was used with Permission by Tar Heel Capital)
Farmers Market Opens April 16th
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market opens for the 2016 season on Saturday, April 16th, and new vendors are welcome, according to Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent for Vance and Warren Counties.
In a press release McKenzie wrote, “This first class facility, located at 210 Southpark Drive in Henderson, offers covered sales space, electricity and restrooms. A part-time Manager works to promote the market through various channels including traditional media, social media, signage, community events and more. Vendors are also provided with display tables for their products.”
The Market will be open on Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in April and will add Wednesday hours in May. The application fee is $30, with a daily setup fee of $10 per space.
McKenzie wrote, “Producers of fruits, vegetables, eggs, plants, meats and other farm products are especially encouraged to apply, although the market also allows the sale of baked goods, handmade crafts and certain other products.”
Complete Guidelines and an application form are available at https://go.ncsu.edu/VCRFM, or by calling Vance County Cooperative Extension at 252-438-8188. Applications may be submitted at any time, but must be received at least three business days in advance of a vendor’s first sale date.
(Information received in a press release written by Paul McKenzie.)
LimBionics Ribbon Cutting
A ribbon cutting was planned for today at 10 a.m. to celebrate LimBionics Prosthetics and Orthotics becoming a Chamber member and to showcase the business and all that it has to offer. LimBionics is located at 851 S. Beckford Drive, Suite B in Henderson.
Brittany Stresing is owner and lead practitioner and has been treating patients in Durham, Oxford, Henderson and surrounding areas for years. Now open in Henderson, LimBionics is proud to offer award winning Prosthetic and Orthotic care to the residents of the area.
Stresing is the only prosthetist in the area to have the elite title of Fellow of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists. She also won 2015 Female Entrepreneur of the Year as well as 2015 Healthcare Hero Rising Star awards.
LimBionics prides itself on patient-based and individualized care for those who have lost a limb and need a prosthetic limb, those dealing with diabetes, drop foot, stroke, arthritis, spina bifida, injury and much more.
For more information , call 252-430-6538 or email them at henderson@limbionics.com
(Information published for news purposes with information provided within a bio from The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.)
AT&T sponsors new VGCC Summer Bridge program
AT&T North Carolina has made a $10,000 contribution to Vance-Granville Community College to support a new student success initiative. For the first time, the college will offer a “Summer Bridge” program this year for incoming first-year students. With AT&T’s sponsorship, the program will be available at no cost to participating students.
“Thanks to the strong support of AT&T North Carolina, in a few months, our faculty and staff will be able to offer some extra help to students to prepare them to succeed as scholars at the college level,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC.
Robert Doreauk, AT&T’s regional director of external affairs, formally presented the donation in February at a luncheon honoring donors to the college, held at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.
“We understand that there is no better way to make a lasting difference in a community than by helping support the education of its young people,” Doreauk said. “Through our signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire, we support opportunities to foster skills that will meet the needs of the future workforce while helping all students make their biggest dreams a reality. We appreciate the opportunity to support the Summer Bridge program and are excited about the impact it will have on students’ lives and futures.”
VGCC Dean of Arts and Sciences Cynthia Young explained that Summer Bridge will be a comprehensive, two-week program with two overarching themes. “The first theme is providing targeted support, supplemental instruction and skill-building to help students accelerate their pathway from developmental education to regular curriculum courses,” Young said.
Most VGCC students take placement tests as part of the admissions process to evaluate their current skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Placement test scores are used for academic advising and correct course placement. Students may be placed in a developmental math course, for example, to build math skills before moving on to more challenging college courses that are required for diploma and degree programs.
“The second theme of the program is college readiness,” Young said. “Students will participate in orientation and meet with faculty from various curriculum programs so that they understand the opportunities that are available to them here at Vance-Granville. In addition, our coaches from the Student Success Center will help students in the program to create academic plans in line with their career goals.” Young said that the program will serve North Carolina residents who are high school or high school equivalency graduates, are entering VGCC for the first time, and have placed into developmental education.
“We are excited about introducing this program,” said Young. “It will give students more tools to be successful.”
The Summer Bridge initiative is being developed as Dr. Williams and other college leaders across the country are increasingly focused on bringing students up to speed quickly, so that they can start their college-level coursework earlier and graduate on schedule. According to a new report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement, 86 percent of students nationwide believe they are academically prepared to succeed in college, but 67 percent test into developmental coursework.
For more information on the Summer Bridge program, contact Cynthia Young at youngc@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3424.
Tobacco Trust Fund awards grant to VGCC
The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has awarded a $25,000 grant to Vance-Granville Community College to support students in a pair of training programs.
The grant, for a project entitled “Cultivating and Growing Agricultural Communities,” will help cover the cost of tuition and other fees for eligible students in the “NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship” and “Heavy Equipment Operator” courses offered by VGCC. Grant funding will also support instructional staff, marketing and supplies related to the programs.
VGCC has offered the Agricultural Entrepreneurship program at various locations, most recently at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market and the Granville County Expo & Convention Center. Heavy Equipment Operator training is held at VGCC’s Warren County Campus.
While this is the first grant of its kind awarded to VGCC, the college has previously received grants from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission as part of “Project Skill-UP.” As in those previous grants, the commission’s goal is to help individuals and communities adversely affected by the decline of tobacco-related employment in the region.
“We appreciate that the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission chose to support our agricultural efforts to help adults in our service area to gain new skills and in some cases, to start new careers or businesses,” said Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s coordinator of Human Resources Development.
The seven-week NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship course is designed specifically to help local farmers and budding entrepreneurs succeed in developing profitable, environmentally-sound small farms or agricultural businesses.
One of VGCC’s newest programs, Heavy Equipment Operator training takes approximately 13 weeks to complete. During the course, students gain a general understanding of the requirements necessary to operate equipment such as a motor grader, a four-wheel drive loader and backhoe, which are used both in construction and in agriculture.
Students receiving grant funding must meet certain eligibility requirements and must be residents of Vance, Granville, Franklin or Warren counties. Each student can receive up to $250.
For more information on receiving assistance and the opportunities available at VGCC, contact Kyle Burwell at hrd-wk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3276.
For more information on the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, visit www.tobaccotrustfund.org.
Nominations open for Small Business of the Year
From the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce
The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is now seeking nominations for the 2015 Small Business of the Year. This award honors a local small business, which provides a critical product or service, fills a void in the business community or has a unique approach to the delivery of goods and services.
To be considered for this award, the nominee must be a member of the Henderson-Vance Chamber, have a maximum of 50 employees and be located in Vance County. The nominee cannot be a governmental agency or municipality. Chamber members are encouraged to nominate businesses they feel are deserving of this recognition.
For nomination forms and a complete list of criteria, please contact the Chamber office at 252-438-8414. Nomination forms should be completed and submitted to the Chamber office by Friday, April 8th.
Upcoming H-V Chamber Ribbon Cutting
From Annette Roberson
The Henderson-Vance Chamber announces their continued growth in its membership, with Davis-Royster Funeral Service at 926 South Garnett Street in Henderson. This new member represents a business that is actively contributing to the success and economic activity of this region.
Davis-Royster has not only joined the Chamber but expanded and will be having their Open House on Sunday, February 21, 2016.
They have joined many other business owners and managers working with the Chamber to move the economy forward and make Henderson and Vance County a better place to work, live and play. We’re excited to have them join us, please join the Chamber in welcoming this new member.
Please be advised that we will hold a ribbon cutting on Friday, February 19th at 9:00 a.m. for Davis-Royster Funeral Service located at 926 South Garnett Street in Henderson as requested by the business. Please, let’s make every effort that we possibly can to be there to help Davis-Royster Funeral Service to celebrate their their membership with the Chamber and for the expansion of their business.
Local Chick-fil-A owner starts new VGCC Scholarship
Josh Towne, the franchised restaurant owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A in Henderson, has established a new Vance-Granville Community College scholarship. When fully endowed, the “Chick-fil-A of Henderson Academic Achievement Scholarship” will be awarded to VGCC students meeting certain academic requirements.
A New Bern native, Towne has lived in Henderson since moving in 2005 to become the operator of the local Chick-fil-A restaurant. He has worked with the company for the past 20 years. He is also an alumnus of the North Carolina Community College System. After graduating from Cape Fear Community College with an associate degree, Towne completed a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with concentrations in marketing and management.
“I’m a big proponent of community colleges,” said Towne, who recently became a member of the VGCC Endowment Fund board of directors. He added that on the corporate level, Chick-fil-A also supports education through scholarships for its employees. He recommends employees for the scholarship and presents them each year. “I’ve been here a little more than ten years, and we’ve been awarding scholarships throughout that time,” Towne said. “Many of our employees receiving the scholarships are VGCC students. Some have already gone on to become nurses and to pursue other careers.” In 2015 alone, two VGCC students who work at the restaurant received $1,000 scholarships from the company. The franchise employs approximately 65 people, including both full-time and part-time staff.
Towne also supports education locally as a member of the Vance Charter School board of directors.
“We are fortunate and grateful to have the support and partnership of Josh Towne and Chick-fil-A of Henderson,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “As a community college graduate who has become a successful business leader, Josh inspires us all by demonstrating a commitment to helping the students of today and tomorrow.”
Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,000 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.
Chris Chung Delivers Chamber’s Keynote Address
Christopher Chung, the Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, was the keynote speaker of the 2016 Henderson-Vance Chamber on Commerce banquet held on Thursday, February 4th. Chung is a graduate of The Ohio State University, and previously served as the President and CEO of the Missouri Partnership from late 2007 until 2014.
Chung opened by saying, “The organization that we represent does a number of things that are important for any state when it comes to economic development. I have been in economic development for a number of years now, and by my count now, it’s almost two decades. I have dedicated my entire professional life to the field of economic development. First, in Ohio where I’m from, and then for seven years in Missouri, and as of January of last year, here in North Carolina.”
It was easy to tell that Chung has the experience to help the State of North Carolina grow in the coming years.
Chung went on to say that there are five items that the State of North Carolina has in action when it comes to bringing in outside money to push the economy forward. “The most high profile job that we do is business recruitment,” said Chung. Chung also went on to say, “We are trying to position North Carolina as the ideal location for a growing, expanding or relocating business decides to go next. It’s that straight forward.”
New business recruitment is vital, however, Chung and the rest of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina understand that they must also take care of current businesses in the state.
Chung addressed the subject, “These are the companies that have already chosen to create jobs here. These are the companies that have already chosen to make an investment in North Carolina.”
Chung went on to talk about international trade, small business counseling, and travel and tourism.
Chung ended his address with a call to action, and told the banquet attendees, “We can only do so much at the state level. The State of North Carolina, and the hundred counties that make it up, that’s the product that we’re out there marketing and selling on a daily basis, and we can get companies or tourists or customers from overseas markets interested in North Carolina as a place to do business or a place to visit, but we ultimately depend on strong partnerships with the local communities that we team up with. As interested as a company can get in North Carolina, ultimately if they’re going to come here they have to drill down to a specific county, they have to drill down to a specific community. So we absolutely rely on strong partnerships with those local communities that we work with everyday.”
If you would like to contact Christopher Chung you can call his office in Cary at 919-447-7788. You can also email him at christopher.chung@edpnc.com.