Tag Archive for: #hendersonvancechamberofcommerce

Chamber Member Spotlight: Sams Furniture And Mattress Center

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— Part of a paid ad by Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

Representatives of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce stopped in this week at Sams Furniture and Mattress Center for a Member Spotlight presentation. Britt Sams and staff offered a warm welcome to Chamber staff and board members.

Sams Furniture and Mattress Center is a family-owned and operated business owned by Britt Sams and it celebrates 24 years in business this year. Established right here in downtown Henderson in 2001, Sams Furniture and Mattress Center was voted the #1 furniture store and the #1 mattress store in 2024 – an honor it has received many years out of the last 20.

They deliver all throughout Henderson, Vance County and the surrounding counties, up into Virginia and all the way to the beach. They offer three floors packed with living room, bedroom, dining room furniture, lift chairs, home entertainment, home accents and mattresses and have six employees.

Located at 515 S. Garnett St., Britt has a passion to attract people downtown to shop local and is glad to be a part of downtown Henderson. They offer a personal touch in servicing all products that they sell. Sandra Wilkerson, President of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, and Kevin Wade, HV Chamber Board member, thanked them for their continued support of the Chamber and for the service that they provide to Henderson and surrounding areas.

Call Sams Furniture and Mattress Center at 252.762.0500.

Consider paying them a visit today and check out their beautiful showrooms. We are fortunate to have Sams Furniture in downtown Henderson and we wish them many more years of continued success!

 

 

Chamber Spotlight: Sunrock Industries, Inc.

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– This post sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

Representatives of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce visited Chamber Member Sunrock Industries, Inc. last week to recognize the company with a well-deserved Member Spotlight honor.

The company, with headquarters in Raleigh, recently celebrated 75 years in business and have been located in North Carolina for 40 years. This family-owned business is a leading supplier of construction materials.

As a vertically integrated company, they produce aggregates, hot mix asphalt, ready mixed concrete materials and provide a variety of contracting services.

For more information about the services and products they provide, call Sunrock at 919.747.6400.

During the recent visit by Chamber representatives, owner Bryan Pfohl offered a history on the company over the years and shared details about the many processes and applications for their products.

Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson, along with Board Chair Scott Burwell, board member Beth Townsend and Vanessa Jones, director of Programs, joined Pfohl and Sunrock President Mike Nolan, COO Zach Satterwhite and Hunter King, communications specialist for the special recognition.

H-V Chamber Seeks Nominations For Annual Awards; Deadline Feb. 28

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The Citizen of the Year and Small Business of the Year are annual awards presented by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce at the annual meeting and banquet. This year’s banquet will be held Thursday, April 3.

Nominations for both these awards are available now. The deadline to submit nomination forms is 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, according to H-V Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson.

Anonymous selection committees will review all nominations and will select one winner for each award.

Nominees for the Small Business of the Year must be located in Vance County and have been established for three or more years, is experiencing growth or has demonstrated stability over its business life, along with other criteria listed on the nomination form.

Submit nominations to show support for local businesses.

Both awards are sponsored by Duke Energy.

Nominations can be submitted by email to sandra@hendersonvance.org, dropped by the Chamber Office at 414 S. Garnett St., or mailed to P.O. Box 1302, Henderson, NC  27536.

N.C. Safety Awards Recognize Businesses For Workplace Safety

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The N.C. Department of Labor is taking applications now for 2024 Safety Awards which highlights businesses, local governments and other agencies for excellence in safety in the workplace.

Businesses and other organizations are encouraged to submit applications to be recognized for meeting safety requirements for employees.

The annual awards banquet, jointly sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, will take place in Granville County this year, according to H-V Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson.

In a written statement, N.C. Labor Commissioner Luke Farley said the department presented 2,058 safety awards last year – 1,737 gold and 321 silver. Gold award recipients achieved a rate of days away from work, job transfer or restriction that is at least 50 percent below the industry rate. The silver award criteria include lost workday cases but not restricted work activity and the applicant must attain a rate of cases with days away from work that is at least 50 percent below the industry rate.

Applications are due by Saturday, Feb. 15. The application can be found at

2024 Safety Award applications as well as  instructions for completing the application, according to NCDOL Safety Awards Coordinator Kiley Willard.

 

In addition to the gold and silver safety awards, Million-Hour Safety Awards are presented to companies that accumulate one million employee hours with no cases of injury or illness that involve days away from work. Million-Hour Awards are also presented during the local annual safety awards ceremony. Access the online application at million-hour safety awards.

 

For help completing the applications or to find out more, call 919.707.7855 or email safety.awards@labor.nc.gov.

Leadership Vance 2025 Application Period Open Now Through Jan. 24

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The 2025 class of Leadership Vance is forming now, and local Chamber of Commerce officials encourage individuals to consider applying for a spot now.

Applications will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 24, according to information from Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson. This will be the 34th class to participate in the program, which gives participants a chance to learn all about Vance County from A to Z.

Over seven months, the structured program is designed to create a corps of informed and dedicated emerging leaders, giving members an in-depth knowledge of the county in which they live and work.

 

The class will be capped at 18; Wilkerson asks that no payment be made until participants are notified of acceptance.

Contact the Chamber office for more information about the cost and time commitment. The initial orientation is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.

Call or drop by the Chamber office, 414 S. Garnett St., Henderson (252.438.8414) or email Wilkerson sandra@hendersonvance.org.

 

TownTalk: ‘Shop With A Cop And Friends’ Reception: Fun With A Purpose

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Wednesday’s celebratory reception for the Shop With a Cop and Friends program was sprinkled with laughter, music and levity, but the underlying message shone clearly in remarks by everybody from Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson on down to local law enforcement leaders – it’s all for the kids.

“This is what we do and what we get excited about,” Wilkerson said as she kicked off the official part of the program, thanking sponsors and providing details about the actual shopping day – Friday, Dec. 20.

Shopping Day is a special, special day, she said, adding that law enforcement officers and others will join “the other million people” taking care of last-minute shopping at the Henderson Walmart.

But Vance County Schools students don’t start their holiday break until lunchtime on that day, so Wilkerson said they’ll get going about 3 p.m.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to deliver you a check like we did last year,” Wilkerson said to Sheriff Curtis Brame, Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Fire Chief Tim Twisdale, referring to the $15,000 that the program got to share with children on their shopping spree.

Shop With a Cop is a memorable experience for the children, but it’s also something adults are sure to remember as well, Brame said, “to see the excitement in children’s eyes” as they stroll the aisles.

But it’s also a humbling experience, he said, to see kids who want to buy gifts for their parents and siblings instead of for themselves.

Chief Barrow recalled that the department started the program some years ago, a small-scale effort to give back to those in need. When the Chamber president approached the department with the idea of forming a partnership, it was a no-brainer. The first year of that partnership raised about $6,000, he said, and has ballooned to $15,000 under Wilkerson and her team.

“We’ve gotten so much support,” Barrow said. “It’s more than Shop With a Cop – it’s a partnership” that involves the Department of Social Services, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks, the City Council, city manager, county manager, among all the other community supporters.

A highlight of the event was finding out who won the cash prizes associated with the 180 raffle tickets that were sold – four cash prizes were awarded – $200, $500, $1,000 and the top prize of $2,000.

As each name was drawn, Wilkerson easily called them out:

Juanita Sommerville, Kendrick Vann, Hal Muetzel. (Congratulations, by the way!)

But the $2,000 winner had her puzzled, and she may have not wanted to admit it, but she said she didn’t recognize the name: Sam…Citgo?

After a few failed attempts from the gathering to claim the prize, however, the picture became clear. HPD’s Tony Mills spoke up from the crowd to say he stopped by the gas station, “and the rascal bought three tickets.”

Citgo wasn’t the person’s last name – it was his place of business. So, Sam from Citgo, the purchase of three tickets paid off.

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The Local Skinny! Morse Clinic Ribbon Cutting

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Vance Recovery’s new 7,000 square-foot facility on West Andrews Avenue was officially welcomed Monday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local business leaders and county and municipal officials. But for now, the clinic will continue to provide services at its 510 Dabney Drive location.

Clinic owner Dr. Eric Morse and Program Director John Mattocks look forward to being able to welcome patients to the more spacious clinic by mid- to late November.

Morse’s MOUD approach – Medications to treat Opioid Use Disorder – helps individuals overcome addictions to street drugs like heroin and Fentanyl.

Mattocks told WIZS back in September he would love for people plagued by addiction to be encouraged and celebrated for choosing the MOUD approach instead of coming to the clinic as a last resort.

Vance Recovery is one of nine – soon to be 11 – clinics owned and operated by Morse, a nationally acclaimed leader in the field of opioid treatment and recovery programs. He said at the ribbon-cutting that Vance Recovery was the second of the clinics to open – in 2013 – and will be the largest once it occupies its new space at 932 W. Andrews Ave.

“We’re really excited about being able to treat even more people,” he said. “The Fentanyl epidemic is killing a lot of people.” He said he appreciates the local partnerships that Vance Recovery enjoys, from the City of Henderson to Maria Parham Health, Granville Vance Public Health, Daymark and others.

Although Vance Recovery currently is fully staffed, there are plans to add staff and be able to serve more clients.  During a walking tour of the new clinic, Morse said, “Because we have more space, we’ll be able to have more counselors and grow. So that’s a really important thing.”

Vance Recovery staffs a medical provider, at least one, Monday through Friday.  Morse said, “We don’t like for anybody to have to wait to see the doctor. If you need to be seen that day, you should be seen that day. And if we need to increase our doctor time, we’ve got other doctors who can give more.”

Also, Morse said there are usually at least four nurses working.

Morse now owns the clinic’s physical space and will be leasing to providers who are like-minded so there will be co-location to help more people.  Morse said, “So any of our patients that need that higher level of care, they don’t have to go anywhere else, they’re going to be here anyway to dose but they can also get more intensive counseling.”

Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott said, “We already know the challenges we have in our community,” adding that patients who come to Vance Recovery also “get that hope and stay alive.”

Margier White, a member of the H-V Chamber board, said Vance County is fortunate to have the clinic in the community, which provides support not only to the addicted individual, but also to family members. White said she has had family members who have died from addiction, so having a clinic like Vance Recovery in the local area is “near and dear to my heart.”

Dr. Shauna Guthrie, GVPH medical director and chief medical officer at Maria Parham Health, said, “Vance Recovery has been an excellent partner for the hospital, for the health department,” and other agencies who provide services to patients with addiction.

Guthrie said people with opioid use disorder “often feel forgotten, neglected, ignored.” Having a shiny new clinic shows them, she said, that they are NOT forgotten, neglected or ignored because they have “a really nice place to go for care.”

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State Of Transportation Topic Of Oct. 30 ‘Lunch And Learn’

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The “State of Transportation” Lunch and Learn session sponsored by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce will be held on Wednesday, Oct.  30 at 12 noon at the Henderson Country Club.

NCDOT Division 5 Engineer Brandon Jones is scheduled to be the featured speaker. Jones, a 28-year employee of NCDOT, oversees operations for the seven counties in Division 5 which includes project development, project delivery, maintenance of roads and bridges and traffic operations. Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin counties are included in Division 5, along with Person, Durham and Wake counties.

The cost per person is $30 or $240 for a table of eight and lunch is included. Please register by Oct. 25.

To register, contact the Chamber office at 252.438.8414 or email Chamber Director of Admin & Marketing Tanya Weary at tanya@hendersonvance.org.

The Local Skinny! Fire Prevention Lunch And Learn Oct. 3

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In observance of National Fire Prevention Month, the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, along with Abria’s Chase Foundation and the Henderson Fire Department, present a Lunch and Learn at Station #1 on Thursday, Oct. 3 beginning at 12 noon.

The deadline to sign up is Monday, Sept. 30, so please call the Chamber office at 252.438.8414 or email Tanya Wilson at tanya@hendersonvance.org to register.

Ayana Lewis of Abria’s Chase Foundation said their mission is to prevent others from experiencing the tragedy she and her family endured because of a house fire. Two of the couple’s children perished in a 2009 housefire.

Since 2010, the nonprofit helps provide smoke detectors, support groups and other resources to families who have found themselves in need.

Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale said he and his staff strive to engage the community about smoke alarms, including talking with residents who live in areas with a higher instance of fires In addition to making sure homes have working smoke alarms, Twisdale said he and fellow firefighters remind people about the proper use of drop cords and safe placement of supplemental heat sources like space heaters.

Fires that involve cooking account for half of all fires nationwide, he said, adding that “local numbers reflect that also. Never leave cooking appliances unattended,” he warned.

Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson commended the fire department for the excellent job its members do to educate schoolchildren and called on business leaders and others to come learn what the fire department offers as a way to further prevent fires.

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EnTech Mobile Lab Brings Technology To VCS Students

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Vance County Schools and community leaders were on hand Wednesday, Sept. 4 to officially roll out the EnTech Mobile Lab, a lab on wheels that will give students hands-on experiences with various forms of technology.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Vance County High School to launch the lab, during which time Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett thanked partner Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, the Vance County Public School Foundation and the team at the Center for Innovation for making the mobile lab a reality.

Dr. Destiney Ross-Putney, VCS chief officer of Instruction and Innovation, along with Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott, HV Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson and Chamber Board Chair Margier White shared the impact this initiative will have on students in the district.

“The EnTech Mobile Lab exemplifies the district’s commitment to igniting interest in diverse career fields and ensuring that VCS students have access to innovative, experiential learning opportunities,” said Dr. Ross-Putney. “We are excited to see our students engage with these career-aligned stations, developing the skills and knowledge essential for the workforce of the future.”

The mobile classroom can offer cutting-edge learning opportunities to students throughout the district, providing students with hands-on exposure to STEM careers in real-world contexts.

The mobile lab travels to schools, delivering interactive experiences such as drone piloting, robotics, and virtual reality, all designed to foster critical skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation. Each station provides students with valuable resources on the skills, coursework and education required for future careers, ensuring equitable access to career-focused learning experiences for all students.

The EnTech Mobile Lab provides tailored learning experiences that align with classroom needs, ensuring that the curriculum is enriched through experiential, hands-on activities. Through strong collaboration between the CFI team, school administrators, and teachers, the mobile lab will continue to deliver transformative educational experiences across the district.

The EnTech lab was established at the Center for Innovation in fall 2023 and Director Kristin Jeffreys, alongside Learning Specialists Stephen Jones and Patricia Burroughs, develop programs to enrich student learning.

Among the lab’s features are the Lu Interactive Playground, equipped with a laser projector, motion-sensing cameras and a robust sound system to foster immersive educational environments. Additional highlights include a dedicated drone cage, eSports capabilities and advanced robotics.

Following the ribbon-cutting, guests got a chance to explore the mobile lab’s interactive stations and see demonstrations that included the zSpace lab, a drone zone, a robotic dog and an emergency simulation.