VGCC and Dill Air Controls Products join forces with Apprenticeship program

/by

Vance-Granville Community College and Oxford-based Dill Air Controls Products, LLC, recently signed on to join the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), in an effort to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce.

NCTAP offers students a unique start to a professional career and develops them into future industry leaders. The program focuses on integrated basic training which develops technical, methodological and social skills. Typically starting in the 11th grade of high school, the four-year program leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer.

Students in the program will be employed full-time by the company after they graduate from high school, and their VGCC tuition and fees are paid by the employer. Including salary, benefits and college tuition, the value of the program to the student is approximately $150,000 over four years.

VGCC and Dill Air Controls Products are currently spreading the word to students in Vance County and Granville County about this opportunity. The company intends to select its first two apprentices in 2016. They would complete the program in 2020.

Dill Air Controls Products is a leading manufacturer and distributor of tire and tank valves, tire pressure gauges, tire pressure monitoring sensors and service tools for the aerospace, automotive and commercial products industries. Company officials said they were pleased to announce the new partnership with NCTAP and VGCC. “We look forward to participating in this program to grow our employee base with local students who are committed to contributing to the manufacturing industry in Granville County,” said Dill’s President, Brian Rigney.

“This new partnership will support student success while building upon Vance-Granville’s tradition of collaborating with local employers and our local school systems to lead the economic development of our region,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC.

For NCTAP, the college’s involvement represents an expansion into what the apprenticeship program calls its “northern region.” Additional companies will be invited to join the partnership with VGCC. The college will focus on apprenticeships related to the college’s Mechatronics Engineering, Electronics Engineering and Welding Technology programs at first, but other Applied Technologies programs could be involved in the future.

According to NCTAP vice chairman Kent Misegades, his organization is particularly excited to work with VGCC because the college offers the Mechatronics program, which is not currently offered by any community college in the Raleigh-Durham area. “Mechatronics is the way to go for a student in advanced manufacturing, because it trains you in a broad range of skills,” Misegades said.

Zachary Chaney of Roxboro, who works for CaptiveAire in Youngsville as an NCTAP apprentice, recently spoke to representatives of VGCC, Granville County Schools, Vance County Schools and Dill Air Controls. “NCTAP is a great opportunity to work and learn at the same time,” Chaney said. “I feel more confident now, knowing more about all aspects of manufacturing. It’s given me not only a paycheck, but also a sense of pride and accomplishment.”

Misegades said students entering the program must meet certain requirements but are not required to have a certain type of prior experience in the field. He said the program is looking for candidates with an interest in engineering or manufacturing. He plans to hold orientation for participants in March or April of 2016, followed by a pre-apprenticeship program in the summer. Then, students would officially start the apprenticeship in the fall. Misegades noted that NCTAP is registered with the N.C. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Labor.

For more information about the apprenticeship program, high school students and their parents should talk with their school guidance counselors or contact Ken Wilson at VGCC, at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3259.

VGCC Phi Beta Lambda chapter installs new leaders

/by

Vance-Granville Community College’s Chi Beta Chi chapter of Phi Beta Lambda, the business student organization, recently elected officers for the 2015-2016 year. New officers were installed and members were inducted at a ceremony on Nov. 5 on VGCC’s Main Campus.

The officers include president Angelica Bridges of Oxford, vice president Ambrianna Winston of Oxford, secretary Ashley Allen of Henderson, treasurer Tiffany Barnes of Henderson, and historian Shekinah Yancey of Oxford. Bridges and Yancey are students in the Business Administration program, while Winston, Allen and Barnes are majoring in Office Administration.

VGCC alumna Shelonda Finch of Oxford, a former Chi Beta Chi chapter president, was the special guest at the ceremony and performed the formal installation of officers and induction of members. Finch continues to be a “professional division” member of the chapter, as are other alumni as well as college faculty and staff members.

The chapter advisor is Business Administration instructor Derrick Cameron. In his closing remarks at the ceremony, Cameron addressed the newly installed officers, saying: “Going forward, think of yourselves as leaders, or ‘Vanguards.’ You have a great PBL tradition to emulate. Since being reactivated in 2008, this chapter has succeeded in receiving several state and national accolades, representing students and VGCC well.”

Phi Beta Lambda is the national organization for college students who are preparing for a variety of careers in business. The Greek letters stand for the English words “Future Business Leaders,” and PBL is affiliated with the Future Business Leaders of America, an organization for high school students. FBLA/PBL seeks to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. PBL members have opportunities to attend conferences and participate in a number of competitions. For more information, call Derrick Cameron at (252) 738-3447.

Granville Chamber Breakfast

/by

The Granville County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Thanksgiving Breakfast is being held Wednesday, November 25, at 7:30 am in the Family Life Center of Oxford Baptist Church, Main Street, Oxford.

District 2 House of Representatives member Larry Yarborough will be the guest speaker for the event.  Representative Yarborough represents Person and Granville Counties.  He is a native of Mississippi and has lived in Roxboro for 20+ years.  From 2004 to 2008, he served as a Person County Commissioner.  Yarborough labels himself as “a common sense person that looks at issues by applying common sense.”

Bridgestone’s continued sponsorship of this annual event spans 25+ years.  The November Thanksgiving breakfast began as an industry-sponsored breakfast, and Bridgestone has graciously remained the event supporter for all these years.

Attendees may expect the usual Southern buffet breakfast, prepared by volunteer men at Oxford Baptist.  No one will leave hungry as we depart to begin the Thanksgiving holiday celebration!

Although there is no charge to attend the breakfast, attendees are requested to bring non-perishable food donations (canned food) for Area Congregations In Ministry (ACIM).

The School of Graphic Arts/Masonic Home for Children is continuing its tradition of providing attendees with desk calendars for the new year.  Also, the Chamber will be officially kicking off its promotion for the National  SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY – SHOP LOCAL  by providing attendees with Shop Small tote bags filled with inserts – – “goodies”, gift certificates, etc.  from Granville County Small Businesses.

Reservations are REQUIRED with one of the Chamber’s offices by November 20th to Wanda, 919-693-6125 or Toni Anne, 919-528-4994; wanda@granville-chamber.com, tawheeler@granville-chamber.com.

H-V Chamber Membership Drive Update

/by

The Ambassador team secured eight businesses and the Board team secured two businesses.  Looks like the Board team is going to be wearing the aprons!

The following new businesses joined the team since we put the membership drive into action during the end of October.

Hoyle’s Tire and Axle on Highway 39 in Henderson.  They sell new and remanufactured mobile home and utility axles and tires.  They also sell parts to repair and mount axles to all types of trailers.  They are open from 7AM til 3:30 PM Monday through Friday.  For more information, please call them at 252-438-2818

Shelia’s Accufile and Business Services at 418 S Garnett Street in Henderson.  She offers bookkeeping, personal and business tax and payroll services.  Shelia is an IRS authorized Efile provider and offers affordable pricing.  Please 252-430-0226 call for more information.

Owners Lisa and Bennie Blackwell have opened Middleburg Steak and Seafood House at 7139 Broad Street in Middleburg.  They offer a wide variety of great food choices on their menu each day of the week along with a hot buffet on Sundays for those looking for a great meal on Sundays after Church.  For more information please contact them at 919-971-9963.

NC Coyotes is a professional ABA basketball team showcasing the best talents from the Triangle, Oxford, Warren, Franklin, Granville and Vance Counties.  The North Carolina Coyotes dream began when Founder Reynaldo Espinosa wanted to have an effective gateway for the men in the community to restore their skill-sets and showcase their talents. Through his organization, the Second Chance Basketball Foundation, the Coyotes were born. Restoring hope for a small community, the Coyotes finished out their 2014-2015 season as DIVISIONAL RUNNER UPS in just their second year out of 82 teams across the country.

Scottish Inns located at 1759 N Garnett Street in Henderson.  Contact information is 252-438-6172

Quality Inn located at 197 Parham Road in Henderson joined the Chamber under new management.  Contact number is 252-4320-6501.

Econo Lodge located at 112 Parham Road in Henderson.  They are open 24 hours/seven days a week.  For more information or to book a reservation contact Chris or Ashok Patel at 252-438-8511.

Access Counseling Services at 314 S Garnett Street in Henderson.  Owner Nekisha Williams offers outpatient therapy services for children and adolescents ages 5 to 21.  Others services are parent coaching, clinical assessments, academic testing and substance abuse assessments.  For more information, please call 252-915-8966.

The Board team secured LIMBionics.  They are in Durham and will be locating an office here in Henderson at 851 S. Beckford Drive.  Brittany Stresing, president of the company is in the process of getting the office setup for business.  She can be contacted at 919-908-8975 until the office is ready for clients.  Brittany Stresing, has earned the highest accolade in Prosthetics and Orthotics! She is officially one of the few Fellows of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists which is an accolade few achieve in their career. This title goes to those who prove dedication to the profession in academics, professionalism, and improving the profession and patient care. Brittany is one of less than 8 Fellows in the state and she is the only female!

They also secured Watkins Insurance Agency at 133 N Mecklenburg Ave. in South Hill, Va.  They can be contacted at 434-447-3544.

Many thanks to all that took part in making our membership drive a success.  The volunteer support we receive from our Board members and Chamber ambassadors is truly inspiring and shows me the passion and measure of commitment that they have for our Chamber.  Thank you; we could not do what we do throughout the year without you!

A tremendous thanks goes out to all of our new and renewing members for helping us make this a great event. Your support means so much to us.

The Membership Drive may be over, but its still not too late to join more than 300 plus business members.  Contact Annette Roberson at 252-438-8414 and become a member today!

Granville County Chamber of Commerce, Recognizes Granville County, NC Small Businesses by Celebrating Small Business Saturday®

/by

Today the Granville County Chamber of Commerce announced its participation in the sixth annual Small Business Saturday on November 28th to support independent businesses in Granville County, NC.  Founded by in American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday® is a day to celebrate the small businesses that help support your neighborhood and is held every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Now in its sixth year, Small Business Saturday has been embraced as part of the holiday shopping tradition as each year shoppers, businesses and public officials come together to Shop Small® and show their neighborhood pride.

Understanding the important contributions small businesses make to their communities, the Granville County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce our participation in Small Business Saturday and the Neighborhood Champion program.  On Saturday, November 28th the greater Granville County area is encouraged to take part in our Small Business Saturday Shop Granville First event across the county.  The event will feature special offers by local businesses and giveaways to consumers. The event will begin at both Chamber Office locations, where Shop Small® shopping bags and Passports, along with coupons, a list of participating businesses, and other materials will be provided to consumers.

How the Passport Promotion Works:

Consumers may pick up a Passport at either Chamber Office OR at a participating business on or before Saturday, November 28th.

Patrons of small businesses in Granville County may participate for one of the Grand Prizes by bringing their Passport to participating small businesses on November 28th, shopping and getting their passport stamped.

Passports may be turned into either Chamber Office by Friday December 4th. Grand Prize winners will be determined by the amount of different business stamps on a passport. Winners will be announced on Tuesday December 8th.

American Express created the Neighborhood Champions program to help rally communities around Small Business Saturday and is working alongside numerous business organizations to support local Small Business Saturday celebrations throughout the country. Participating organizations include the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), the International Downtown Association, the Latino Coalition, the National Main Street Center, the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Small business owners can learn more about taking part in Small Business Saturday and download free marketing materials on www.shopsmall.com. Consumers can also visit the site to find small merchants to shop at on Small Business Saturday.

About Small Business Saturday

November 28th marks the sixth annual Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: more customers.

CONTACT:

Ginnie Currin, 919.693.6125

H-V Chamber Membership Drive

/by

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual membership drive this week.  To make the event more fun, the Chamber Ambassadors are taking on the Chamber Board members to see which group can bring in the most new members.  The winning team will be treated to a free meal prepared by the losing team.H-V Chamber Kevin and Annette 11-3-15

WIZS Radio did a live broadcast from the Chamber Tuesday morning during TownTalk, and President John Barnes and Annette Roberson of the Chamber talked about the fun side of the event in finding new members.  Of course, everyone involved is on the same team, and that team is your team.

The membership drive is all about you and your business according to Barnes and Roberson.  They each talked about the various member benefits, everything from ribbon cuttings, newsletters, signage at events, listings on hendersonvance.org to the ability to generally network in our business community.

If you are interested in becoming a Chamber member, it’s as easy as calling 252-438-8414 or stopping by 414 South Garnett Street.  Basic memberships are available for as little as $20 per month.  If you join now, November and December of 2015 are at no additional charge, and you will receive a full membership for all of 2016.

NCDMV

/by

NCDMV Issues Hundreds of Driver Licenses, ID Cards at State Fair

Raleigh, N.C. – With the help of two new compact mobile units and two kiosks, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) issued more than 450 driver licenses and identification cards during the 11-day run of the 2015 North Carolina State Fair, helping continue Governor Pat McCrory’s Driving Change initiative at NCDMV.

“The State Fair was the perfect setting to show people how much easier it is to get a driver’s license or ID card, particularly in remote areas,” Governor McCrory said.

Beginning October 15, fairgoers took advantage of the DMV booth at the fair to apply for their driver licenses and ID cards. NCDMV’s new mobile units issued fairgoers 337 licenses and ID cards; its new kiosks issued 132 licenses and cards, making a total 469 issuances.

The new mobile units are the first of their kind in the nation and contain all the equipment necessary for customers to apply for a driver license or ID card. They will be tested beginning in mid-November in three areas of the state before being rolled out to serve customers in remote areas all across the state.

The new units are compact, fitting side-by-side in an SUV. They will eventually replace the five RV-style units NCDMV had used in the past. The units are expected to increase the number of stops made by the units, allowing service to more than 36,000 customers across the state.

The new mobile units are among several initiatives at NCDMV, including online driver license renewals statewide that will decrease the number of customers who must visit a DMV office, the introduction of a more durable and secure driver license, and a new MyDMV portal that brings personal DMV services to customers.

VGCC to hold Business Technologies Fair

/by

Vance-Granville Community College will hold its second annual “Business Technologies Fair” on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County.

Attendees will learn about VGCC’s programs that provide training for careers in fields related to business and information technology, including Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Technology Integration, Entrepreneurship, Global Logistics & Distribution Management, Medical Office Administration, Office Administration, Paralegal Technology and Simulation & Game Development.

At the same time, visitors to the fair will have the opportunity to talk about career pathways with representatives of employers who frequently hire graduates from these programs.

For more information, contact Carl Hann at (252) 738-3295 or hannc@vgcc.edu.

Team Spirit is High as the Henderson-Vance Chamber Gets Geared Up for Membership Drive

/by

The Henderson-Vance Chamber is gearing up for a membership drive.  The drive, “Catch The Fever…Join The Chamber Team” will be held November 2 – November 6. The drive has a football theme and promises to be a week of competition between the Chamber Ambassadors and the Chamber Board members, fun, networking and prizes.

The goal of the membership drive is to promote a positive business climate in Vance County and strengthen the Chamber of Commerce.

This year is shaping up to be a great membership drive. “We have passionate, motivated and two dedicated teams to move us toward the goal of business success,” said Annette Roberson, Membership Director and Referee. “We are ready to kick-off the game, play four quarters to the Championship and name a Heisman winner!”

There will be lots of action to the final score as team members compete for recognition, prizes and giveaways. The top producer will be awarded a TBD.

Roberson said, “Membership in the Chamber of Commerce is both an investment in, and a commitment to the outstanding community we have.  A larger and stronger member base is one way to facilitate our county’s efforts to attract new businesses and visitors, educate and train our workforce, and build a stronger community.”

Listen to WIZS on November 2nd from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. for live updates of the membership drive.

Be Careful with Wi-Fi

/by

It should come as no shock to you that internet, computer and Wi-Fi scams are on the increase.  Your favorite coffee house or the lobby of a hotel/motel or the local public library, where ever you find yourself using the internet in “public,” this may be a train wreck waiting to happen.

Some people (scam artists) are out to get into your computer in order to steal your personal information by setting up their own Internet or Wi-Fi  networks in those locations.  When you log in you get the scam network rather than the trusted network of the library/coffee house/hotel/etc that you intended.

Once you are connected, the scam artist has access to your data and the scam is on.  They can get into your bank, stock account and can see your password data and clean you out, including your bank and stock account, run up big bills on your credit cards and if they want, cancel your insurance.

Make sure that the internet network is legit and that it is protected by the facility, usually with a password.  When in doubt, ASK.