Tag Archive for: #businessspotlight

Business Spotlight: AdVance Joint Regeneration

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Most anybody experiencing knee pain, brought on by injury, arthritis or something else, probably would choose any therapy or procedure over the more invasive option of surgery.

With surgery, there’s some expected post-op downtime, then perhaps rehab – weeks of recovery, even in the best of circumstances.

For some, however, AdVance Joint Regeneration offers an alternative: it’s called visco supplementation and Clinical Director Brad Johnson said the procedure often delays or prevents the need for surgery.

“To delay or prevent surgery is always a good thing,” Johnson said.

Their specialty is knee joint injections, and Johnson said it’s covered by most insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid. As the clinic’s director, it’s part of his job to answer patients’ questions, handle insurance and generally make sure the place runs smoothly, Johnson said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

An initial exam and x-rays, followed by an arthrogram – injecting a bit of dye into the joint – helps staff determine good candidates for the joint injection of hyaluronic acid.

Joints like knees are encapsulated, which keeps the body’s natural lubrication contained within the joint and doing its job. Johnson said his staff uses a fluoroscope during the arthrogram to make sure the dye stays within the encapsulated joint and that there is no damage that would cause it to leak out.

The hyaluronic acid is “very similar to what’s in your joints already,” Johnson explained. During the arthrogram, as the dye is injected, the examiner “can see it moving around and staying in place. As long as it doesn’t migrate, she can go ahead and do the treatment.” Physician Assistant Katheryn Lordy and Andrew Stock, M.D. staff the Henderson clinic.

In case the tests show some damage, there’s a way to “trick” the brain into cleaning up the damaged tissue to promote healing using the patient’s own blood platelets.

A platelet rich plasma is injected into the damaged joint, Johnson said, which triggers the brain to start repairing the tissue.

Patients receive five weekly injections, and go home with a knee brace to support and gently realign the knee and leg. Sometimes, they’ll need physical therapy or a home exercise device to help improve range of motion, but that’s about it as far as post-injection care goes.

“The downtime is basically none,” Johnson said. Patients “can basically go back and do what they want to do and what they’re comfortable doing.”

Contact AdVance Joint Regeneration at 252.572.2944 to make an appointment for a no-obligation consultation. Visit https://advancejointregeneration.com/ to learn about all the services offered.

 

This WIZS Business Spotlight is not a paid ad. However, the business featured is an advertising client of WIZS Radio.

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Business Spotlight – City Auto

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When he was 16, Tony Lamancusa bought a Dodge Charger, and the first thing he did was make it better by taking off the intake and putting in a bigger one. Everything went according to plan. Intake, check, Carburetor, check. Spark plugs, rewiring, check.

But when he turned the key, nothing happened.

“Nobody ever told me anything about firing order,” Lamancusa said, recalling how it took several weeks for him to find someone to help him diagnose the problem and share that all-important firing order – six numbers that Lamancusa still remembers: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

Details are so important when it comes to service and repair on vehicles, and that story is a reminder for Lamancusa as the owner of City Auto and Truck Stop on Andrews Avenue.

His engineering background, coupled with his passion for rebuilding muscle cars really comes in handy with the full-service center.

From the routine stuff like inspections, oil changes, brakes, tires and belts to engine and transmission work, Lamancusa said he and his employees can handle it. They also work on boat trailers, semi trailers, RV’s, go-carts and forklifts.

Lamancusa said he values customers’ time and he strives to take care of their vehicles while they wait. “We try to get people in and out as quickly as we can,” he said.

And, he’s hiring.  Apply in person.

Stop by the shop to talk with Lamancusa to find out about the wide array of services they offer. He said he’s got very competitive prices – if you’ve got the parts and simply need them installed, that’s fine, you’ll just be charged for labor. They specialize in most American made cars, he said, stressing that they’re not an import shop.

“We run a clean shop and we honor what we do,” he said.

Call City Auto and Tire at 252.492.1195. Online at cityautoandtruckcenter.com

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Recently, City Auto and Truck became a Penske dealer, so customers can reserve and pay online and then come pick up the truck.

As a business owner, Lamancusa likens himself to an orchestra conductor: being at the front desk, he interacts with the public, handles the phones and now Penske customers. “I’m the conduit that everything flows through,” he said.

His background in electrical engineering is a perfect complement to the hands-on work that comes with running a shop like City Auto.

“Working with my hands, and my (engineering) knowledge, putting machines together – the two go well together,” he said.

 

TownTalk: Business Spotlight with Midnight Blue Martial Arts

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Midnight Blue Martial Arts takes center stage in the Business Spotlight on Tuesday’s TownTalk and owner Kimberly Harris invites the community to join her at the karate studio on Saturday afternoon for a Valentine’s Sip and Shop event.

This is the second year for the event, Harris said, which will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the studio, located at 101 N. Garnett St.

Midnight Blue, celebrating 25 years of providing classes in the area, has been in its downtown location since 2008, she said.

The karate studio will be filled with more than 25 vendors from across the area, featuring handcrafted items from jewelry to personalized Valentine’s Day cards for that special someone in your life.

During the pandemic, Harris said she turned to sewing to help keep her busy since she couldn’t get back into the studio to teach.

That pastime turned into something bigger and she took her new business on the road to some vendor fairs. She decided to host her own last year, and this year’s event features some return vendors, as well as new vendors who wanted to get in on the fun.

Bun on the Run will be parked out front and Sadie’s is bringing delicious hot chocolate.

Folks familiar with the karate studio will know that there’s a Black Belt Wall featuring each student who has achieved that level of proficiency.

“We take a picture (of them) in front of the American flag,” Harris said, which serves to motivate students to keep working hard toward their goal.

The students range in age from 2 to 68, but everyone learns a key element through the classes they take: being respectful.

Call 252.767.8398 to learn more about Midnight Blue Martial Arts Academy, LLC or visit https://hendersonkarate.com/

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TownTalk: Business Spotlight: Henderson Country Club

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Now through February, golfers can call the Henderson Country Club to book a tee time and get an up-close look at newly renovated greens and more, all for the low price of $40.

This is the second year the club has offered the special rates – which are in effect now through the end of February.

Golfers can take advantage of the nice, moderate weather and enjoy a round of golf as the club optimizes filling available tee times. Give the club a call at 252.433.7089 to book a tee time.

The HCC was Thursday’s Business Spotlight on TownTalk, and President Joseph Falkner and Membership Chairman Jeff Fleming talked about the many ways that the public can enjoy the grounds and facilities, not just the course, with its newly renovated greens.

Falkner said the new greenskeeper and his staff have done a great job to create championship greens. The weather cooperated when the greens were first installed, so they grew perfectly.

“This is the best the greens have ever rolled and the best the course has ever looked,” he added.

“Ultimately, it’s a community center for people,” Falkner said. “We’ve got a great kitchen staff…and can support hundreds of people at the time” for banquets, private parties and more.

There are plenty of opportunities for the public to enjoy what HCC has to offer, Falkner said, in addition to playing golf, the dining spaces can accommodate small or large groups. Recent upgrades to the banquet area include new chairs and fixtures.

“We are a full-service club,” Fleming reminded. “You have to think beyond golf.” Other amenities include tennis courts, swimming pool, workout area and the stately clubhouse.

Falkner said he sees HCC as a major attraction for families relocating to Henderson, making it a place the whole family can enjoy.

“Every successful and thriving small town has a club similar to ours,” Fleming said, adding that this facility can work as a hub to facilitate business.

The golf course is the location for numerous fundraiser tournaments, including Vance-Granville Community College and the local Chamber of Commerce. Then there’s the annual Invitational tournament and Member-Guest, just to name a few.

Expect to hear about additional tournaments next year, as the board continues to garner more attention for the club and its facilities.

“There are a lot of young business leaders on this board,” Fleming said. “We’ve come back strong.”

Visit https://www.hendersoncc.net/  to learn more.

 

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Chick-fil-A Henderson

Business Spotlight: Chick-fil-A of Henderson

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Sometimes there is more to a restaurant than its signature item, and sometimes that means the restaurant spills out into the community in a unique way.

For Chick-fil-A of Henderson or anywhere else that could mean seeing the beloved Chick-fil-A cow at a ballgame or even the restaurant handing out cards for free signature items to the first 250 appearing at a game, such as Friday night, Sept. 15, 2023 in Henderson for the Vance County High School Vipers vs. Southern Durham.

And while great restaurants normally receive their guests in a manner that promotes that greatness, isn’t it likely true that the greatness of the restaurant may be produced by the restaurant’s employees because of how the owner/operator/corporation receives those valuable employee team members?

For one possible answer to the question above, as it pertains to Chick-fil-A of Henderson anyway, enjoy the audio link below as Josh Towne, local owner/operator, describes incentives for employment at Chick-fil-A of Henderson including food, opportunities to attend college and more.

(Chick-fil-A of Henderson advertises on WIZS.  This text and audio is not a paid ad.)

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The Local Skinny! Business Spotlight Shines On Autobrite Car Wash

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AutoBrite Car Washes Inc.’s location on North Cooper Drive features touchless washes, but Manager Patrick “Bubba” Glosson said there are a few extra features that make the business special.

Glosson spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Business Spotlight segment of The Local Skinny! and discussed how things are going so far.

They’ve been open for about four months, and patrons who bring their vehicles choose from four different wash packages – $10, $15, $20 and $25 – and then there’s the $40/month “Wash Club,” which allows customers to come every day if they choose.

All the selections include free use of the vacuums, Glosson said. “Anything you left under the seat, it will grab,” he said, adding that the vacuums are self-serve. There also are cloths and window cleaner available at the vacuum stations for patrons to use.

The only hands-on part of the whole process, he said, occurs before the actual wash. “We prep every car,” he said, “to remove mud, bugs – stuff like that. We try to get it off before it enters the wash.”

Glosson said he enjoys working with customers and he and staff are ready to help folks choose the type of wash that best suits their needs. And customers? “They see it’s a simple process and they love it,” he said.

“Prepping the cars is pretty fun,” he said, and admitted that he gets special satisfaction from helping to clean up vehicles that really muddy or that have been left sitting under trees for a while.

Once the pre-wash prep is complete, customers drive into the wash bay area, slip the vehicle into neutral, and the automated process takes care of the rest.

“The brushes are really soft…like a neoprene fabric, (and) hold no water, hold no dirt,” Glosson said, which helps to protect paint finishes on new cars and on older ones, too.

Glosson said he’s seen brand-new Corvettes pull in for a wash, and he’s also seen 60’s model Chevrolet trucks come in, too.

“Older or newer, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

AutoBrite Car Washes, Inc. is owned by Thomas Howell; Melanie Hutson is vice president.

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The Local Skinny! Business Spotlight: Satterwhite Pt. Marina

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The season is heating up on Kerr Lake as warmer weather brings out boaters and campers, and that’s just fine for Scott and Catherine Hughes, owners of Satterwhite Point Marina and Rudd’s Creek Marina near Boydton, VA.

The Hughes family is celebrating 30 years at Satterwhite Point Marina, and Catherine told John C. Rose Thursday during the business spotlight feature of The Local Skinny! segment that they work hard to provide good service to folks visiting the lake and they strive to be good community partners.

“It’s hard to believe that Rudd’s Creek has been open for eight years,” she said, adding that husband Scott basically duplicated at Rudd’s Creek what he’d built at Satterwhite.

The marinas have boat storage options in wet slips and she said the hope is to have Drystack storage at the Virginia marina in the next year or so. Right now, that option is only at Satterwhite Point.

Both marinas have lakeside stores with discount marine supplies, lake gifts, signs, snacks and more.

“We always try to support the communities in Henderson and in Mecklenburg County, VA as well,” Hughes said, “ and we appreciate the support we get as well.” She said great employees, great customers and a great place to work make for a winning combination.

“We think we’re lucky to be able to be able to work right on the lake,” she said. “Sometimes it can be demanding or stressful, but the majority of the time, it’s just beautiful.”

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The Local Skinny! Nothing Bugs Mark Harrison

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It wasn’t a lifelong fascination with bugs or a high school biology insect collection project that catapulted Mark Harrison into the pest control business, but here it is, more than four decades later, and Harrison remains the chief Whitco “Bug Warrior.”

Harrison visited with Bill Harris as part of the Business Spotlight of The Local Skinny! Harrison and his son run Whitco Termite and Pest Control, based in Henderson.

“I would like to say it was always my life plan to be in the pest control business,” he told Harris Thursday. “But I kinda fell into it.”

He needed a job back in 1976, and answered an ad for a termite technician. And the rest, as they say, is history. He obtained his pest control license and in 1987 formed a business partnership with Aaron Whitley of Rocky Mount. They rented a small space in Henderson and then five years later purchased their current location, 123 E. Belle St.

Eighteen years ago, he bought out his business partner and now he and his son run the business.

The Whitco Bug Warriors team conducts quarterly pest control appointments with clients as well as termite control. They also can perform work in crawlspaces to eliminate humidity problems, he said.

One employee – a termite expert – has worked with Harrison for 25 years.

“I would match him up against any termite man in the state of North Carolina,” he said, (and) his customers would agree with me.”

Fire ants are becoming more of a problem in the area, and they get calls to treat athletic fields.

“We do a lot of football fields,” he said. The last thing a football player wants is to get tackled and land on a fire ant hill.

Harrison said ants in general are probably the most worrisome pest that this area deals with, but they don’t generate as big an “eww” factor as another pest that Harrison and his crews tackle: Bedbugs.

There is one team member whose sole job is working to eradicate bedbugs, he said.

“It’s the most difficult problem that people face – I would say it’s impossible to get rid of them yourself,” he said of a bedbug infestation. “Oh yeah, it’s big time.”

Secondly, the treatment isn’t cheap, so not everyone can afford to call a professional.

That means everywhere they go, they’re taking bedbugs with them – ‘cause they’re great hitchhikers.

Peak time for bedbug calls are after holidays, when people have either traveled or have had people come stay with them.

To learn more about the services they offer, contact Whitco at 252.492.2818 or visit their website www.whitcobugwarriors.com.

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The Local Skinny! Business Spotlight: Wedding Bells And More At Hudson Manor

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Spring is in the air and many plan weddings this time of year. However, according to Melissa Cogliati, owner and operator of Hudson Manor in the Moulton Community in Franklin County, anytime of the year seems to be good for the sound of wedding bells.

Hudson Manor is a rather imposing house built around 1911 by Charlie Thomas Hudson, but by 2004 it had begun showing signs of decline. Cogliati and her husband were looking to get out of Raleigh for something more rural where he could concentrate on catering and cooking and she could start a wedding venue when they found the home. The house needed some work. A rear section that was added in the 1970’s was removed and the front porch was rebuilt to the original specifications. The Cogliati’s later added to the rear portion of the house so they could live there. Along with them came children and parents. “It’s a family compound,” Cogliati said on the Business Spotlight segment of The Local Skinny!

Improvements have continued with the addition of a wedding chapel which allows Hudson Manor to host weddings no matter what the weather. “We had a wedding in the snow,” Cogliati said. This would have been a few weeks back on one of those wintery weekends. She described that wedding as particularly beautiful. She has had couples from Vance, Warren, Granville, Franklin and other surrounding counties to book the venue for weddings, but Hudson Manor does more than just get people hitched. Last year Hudson Manor hosted a bluegrass festival, and they are available for fundraising events. Hudson Manor is open all year round.

If you have a wedding or fundraising event you can find out more information at www.thehudsonmanor.com.

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