Over its more than 100 years, A.R. Perry, Inc. has provided vital services to the community and its residents. First established to repair Corbitt buggies and farm equipment, it went through a period that handled scrap metal and more before evolving into a glass repair and replacement service.
Of the many employees that have worked at Perry Glass (as many locals know it), owner Richard Davis said there have been 8 sets of brothers, 4 sets of sisters, 5 sets of fathers and sons, 3 sets of mothers and daughters, 3 sets of mothers and sons, and 2 sets of fathers, sons and daughters.
Gives new meaning to a family-operated business, doesn’t it?
But since Davis’s grandfather, A.R. Perry, first set up shop in Henderson, there have only been 2 married couples who have worked together. One of those couples is Richard and Mariana Davis.
They joined other Chamber of Commerce members and board representatives at a luncheon, during which A.R. Perry Inc. was named 2023 Small Business of the Year.
Chamber Board Chair Margier White introduced the winner, calling it a company that provides “top-notch glass products and installation,” as well as commercial oxygen for welding.
Perry and his brother-in-law were the only employees when they launched their business, but the company creates lasting personal relationships with its customers in the local area and beyond to keep the company vibrant.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Perry Glass installed countless plexiglass and glass protection barriers throughout the community – often free or at-cost. And it’s not unusual for Davis himself to answer “glass emergencies” nights and weekends.
The company volunteers throughout the community to provide their professional services to make repairs or to donate to local events. The Davises are very involved in various aspects of their church, The Church of the Holy Innocents and are instrumental in the upkeep and preservation of historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamsboro.
In remarks at the awards ceremony, Davis said it’s an “extreme honor” to be recognized as the Small Business of the Year.
It hasn’t always been easy, he said. In fact, it has taken lots of work to stay viable. “There are some tough days – years – in a business like this,” he said.
“I’m here because all of you are here,” Davis said. He recalled the heyday in Henderson – when like textile mills and Rose’s Stores kept smaller companies like Perry Glass busy. “They fed us business – from all over the state and all over the Southeast…that’s what Henderson people did – they took care of their own,” he said of those big corporations that called Henderson home.
Today, you’ll find A.R. Perry in the Mobile community of Henderson. But when it was in the scrap metal business, there also was some property on Ruin Creek Road, Davis said.
In those days, there were no fences to keep people out – or inventory in, he said. “People would come in and get pieces of iron, pieces of cars,” and then bring them back to Davis’s Uncle Vernon.
He knew where the scrap had come from, Davis said. But, “he’d always buy it back from them.”
A.R. Perry Inc. Named Chamber’s 2023 Small Business Of The Year
/by Laura GabelOver its more than 100 years, A.R. Perry, Inc. has provided vital services to the community and its residents. First established to repair Corbitt buggies and farm equipment, it went through a period that handled scrap metal and more before evolving into a glass repair and replacement service.
Of the many employees that have worked at Perry Glass (as many locals know it), owner Richard Davis said there have been 8 sets of brothers, 4 sets of sisters, 5 sets of fathers and sons, 3 sets of mothers and daughters, 3 sets of mothers and sons, and 2 sets of fathers, sons and daughters.
Gives new meaning to a family-operated business, doesn’t it?
But since Davis’s grandfather, A.R. Perry, first set up shop in Henderson, there have only been 2 married couples who have worked together. One of those couples is Richard and Mariana Davis.
They joined other Chamber of Commerce members and board representatives at a luncheon, during which A.R. Perry Inc. was named 2023 Small Business of the Year.
Chamber Board Chair Margier White introduced the winner, calling it a company that provides “top-notch glass products and installation,” as well as commercial oxygen for welding.
Perry and his brother-in-law were the only employees when they launched their business, but the company creates lasting personal relationships with its customers in the local area and beyond to keep the company vibrant.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Perry Glass installed countless plexiglass and glass protection barriers throughout the community – often free or at-cost. And it’s not unusual for Davis himself to answer “glass emergencies” nights and weekends.
The company volunteers throughout the community to provide their professional services to make repairs or to donate to local events. The Davises are very involved in various aspects of their church, The Church of the Holy Innocents and are instrumental in the upkeep and preservation of historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamsboro.
In remarks at the awards ceremony, Davis said it’s an “extreme honor” to be recognized as the Small Business of the Year.
It hasn’t always been easy, he said. In fact, it has taken lots of work to stay viable. “There are some tough days – years – in a business like this,” he said.
“I’m here because all of you are here,” Davis said. He recalled the heyday in Henderson – when like textile mills and Rose’s Stores kept smaller companies like Perry Glass busy. “They fed us business – from all over the state and all over the Southeast…that’s what Henderson people did – they took care of their own,” he said of those big corporations that called Henderson home.
Today, you’ll find A.R. Perry in the Mobile community of Henderson. But when it was in the scrap metal business, there also was some property on Ruin Creek Road, Davis said.
In those days, there were no fences to keep people out – or inventory in, he said. “People would come in and get pieces of iron, pieces of cars,” and then bring them back to Davis’s Uncle Vernon.
He knew where the scrap had come from, Davis said. But, “he’d always buy it back from them.”
SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Looking For Playoff Success
/by Bill HarrisHigh school teams from all across our area are now in the state playoffs, and Oxford Prep is no exception. The school’s athletic director, John Hammett, was on SportsTalk Thursday to discuss how his school is doing. “Our baseball team is young,” he said. Despite the youthfulness of the squad, Oxford Prep came from behind in the seventh inning to secure an 8-7 win over Clover Garden earlier this week to afford them the opportunity to go on the road to take on Pinetops. “Pinetops is an athletic school that does well in all sports,” Hammett said.
Meanwhile, the softball team is also on the road but with a much shorter trip as they will play Vance Charter at Oxford Park Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. Oxford Prep is coming off a convincing 16-0 win in three innings this week at Northwest Halifax. The Vance Charter game is a huge rivalry. “Everybody knows everybody. Vance Charter plays hard and hits the ball well,” Hammett said. Expect a huge turnout in Oxford for that game Friday afternoon.
TownTalk: Beard Discusses Rural Health Care
/by Laura GabelMaria Parham Health CEO Bert Beard said the state of health care in this area is in a pretty good spot these days. That doesn’t mean that rural hospitals like Maria Parham don’t continue to face challenges, but Beard said hospitals in other markets are facing some of the same things.
Beard was a guest on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss some of the trends that he’s seeing from his vantage point.
Medicaid expansion, he said, is allowing more uninsured or under-insured residents access to health care. The number of new enrollees is about half a million, approaching the prediction of about 600,000 in North Carolina.
“We’re lagging a bit in Vance County,” he said, but health care professionals at MPH as well as Granville Vance Public Health and others are always looking for new enrollees.
With rising costs and the constant demand to find qualified health care employees, Beard said the Medicaid expansion “has given us a lifeline that we desperately needed.”
Beard said he and his colleagues knew hospitals were headed down a path to a health care provider shortage, but the COVID-19 pandemic hastened that process. Without adequate staff, some small hospitals simply couldn’t afford to keep the doors open, which only brings more challenges to the rural areas they serve.
“Services are going away that are vital,” he said. One of those is maternal services. It’s critical that expectant moms be within, say, an hour of a hospital that provides those services, for the safety of the mom and the child.
When he spoke at the April 23 “state of health care” forum sponsored by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, Beard said top on people’s minds was the mental health crisis that is so often in the news.
He looks forward to the Emergency Department’s Safe Space project that has received funding and said it will transform how patients in crisis can be managed when they come through the Emergency Department.
Mental health issues are multi-dimensional and under-resourced, Beard said, noting that psychological issues are often entangled in social issues and substance abuse, which exacerbate the problem.
“We’ve got to be more deliberate in how we invest in that,” he said. Public-private partnerships like MPH behavioral health services in Louisburg is something that Beard said he is quite proud of.
Whether through collaboration or providing quality health care by Duke physicians and others, Maria Parham is poised to keep patients across the region it serves top of mind when it comes to community care.
It must be a mutually supportive relationship, however, Beard said. When you seek care, seek local care first.
“It’s more important than ever,” he said, that “when people have good available local health care, that they choose it – the alternative is that health care goes away if it’s not supported locally.”
“We’re working every day to get better every day. That comes with a mutually supportive relationship with our community.”
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The Local Skinny! Hotel 121 Residents Update
/by WIZS StaffCLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 05-09-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Biting, Pt. 3
/by Bill HarrisListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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SportsTalk: Crossroads Baseball, Soccer And Golf In State Playoffs
/by Bill HarrisSoccer, baseball and golf are all representing Crossroads Christian in the state playoffs, keeping Athletic Director Scottie Richardson a busy man, but he found a few minutes to talk about his teams on Wednesday’s SportsTalk. “Our baseball team has won its first playoff game in school history and its first trip to the elite eight,” Richardson said. “We have a young team and the sky is the limit,” added Richardson. Next up is the top seeded Lawrence Academy. “The pressure is on them,” Richardson said of Lawrenceville.
In soccer, Crossroads has also advanced to the elite eight by defeating Oakwood. They play again on Friday at Crossroads with game time at 4 p.m., weather permitting of course. The rain has been difficult this week. “We spent five hours to get the field ready,” Richardson said.
Richardson also is keeping his eye on the golf course where Crossroads’ Merritt Cogdill will represent the school in the state tournament Monday and Tuesday of next week in Greensboro.
SportsTalk: KVA Looking To Advance In Playoffs
/by Bill HarrisKerr-Vance Academy’s baseball and soccer teams have begun the playoffs. Mike Joyner, KVA athletic director, was on Wednesday’s SportsTalk and said both teams got off to a great start in the first round with the soccer team defeating North Hills Tuesday 1-0 and the baseball team winning 10-0 in six innings, also against North Hills. “The kids step it up a notch in the playoffs,” Joyner said. The season has been a challenge for KVA. “The schools we play against are significantly bigger,” Joyner added.
The KVA soccer team will play Pungo this (Wednesday) afternoon, weather permitting and the baseball team will have to wait on the winner of the Halifax vs. Ridgecroft matchup to know when they will play next.
Home And Garden Show
/by Bill HarrisOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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Larry Ferebee Named Principal At J.F. Webb In Oxford
/by WIZS Staff-information courtesy of Granville County Public Schools
Larry Ferebee has been named principal at J.F. Webb High School.
The announcement was made Monday at the regular scheduled meeting of the Granville County Board of Education, according to information from GCPS Public Information Officer Courtney Currin.
Ferebee retired from the U.S. Army after more than 20 years before entering the field of education. After retirement, he taught for 11 years in a Title I high school in Virginia and then served as principal or assistant principal at high schools in Wake, Northampton and Franklin counties.
While in the Army, Ferebee was an instructor, drill sergeant and First Sergeant and served in Germany, Korea, Egypt and Iraq.
In addition to a variety of instructional and leadership experiences, Ferebee brings a commitment to the success of all students, a passion for the development of excellence in teaching and learning, and a promise to do his best for and with the staff and students of J. F. Webb High School every day.
According to the press statement, Ferebee wants everyone who enters J.F. Webb High School feels welcome, safe and excited to be there. His goal is that all students know how much he and the staff love and care for them. Through relationships, he will strive to provide instructional opportunities that lead to students graduating career and college ready.
“I am very grateful for the staff and community members from J. F. Webb who assisted in the search process for their new leader,” said GCPS Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne. “I believe Mr. Ferebee will lead the school forward and help Webb continue its upward trajectory.”