Business Roundup: Ceremony Tuesday for BB&T

 BB&T will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its first financial center Tuesday at 11 a.m.

The event will include local dignitaries, including Mayor Susan Kluttz and Tom Loeblein, chairman-elect of the Chamber of Commerce. BB&T also will offer a $25 deposit to anyone who opens a new checking or savings account, or refers a friend who opens an account.

The 3,900-square-foot financial center at 508 Jake Alexander Blvd. will offer a full array of services, including checking and savings accounts; business, personal and mortgage loans; safe deposit boxes, investment services; and insurance services. Brian Miller will serve as the Salisbury city executive, and Tony Shaw will be the financial center leader.

Miller has more than 10 years of financial services experience in the Salisbury market. He is a graduate of East Rowan High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a 2005 graduate of the North Carolina School of Banking. Miller is married to Amy McLain and they have three children.

Shaw has 22 years of service with BB&T. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Elon College and is a 1993 graduate of the North Carolina School of Banking at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Shaw also is a 1999 graduate of the Graduate School of Retail Banking Management at the University of Virginia. He is married to Rhonda Holshouser, a Rowan County native.

 “We are excited to enter the Salisbury and Rowan County market,” said Louis Moore, president of BB&T’s Charlotte Metro Region. “We feel that Salisbury is poised for growth now and when the economy rebounds. This will be a great opportunity for BB&T. It’s an important event for Salisbury too as BB&T is committed to the communities we serve and is one of the few banks with the financial strength to still be lending money.

“Brian and Tony should be a dynamic team of bankers that is second to none in the market. They both live in Salisbury and are already involved in the community. They are eager to introduce the BB&T brand and services to new clients in Salisbury and look forward to making banking a lot more convenient for our existing clients who live here.”

A grand opening ceremony is planned for April 24. The new financial center is now open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday. The financial center also has a drive-thru window and a drive-up ATM.

Winston-Salem-based BB&T Corp. had $165.8 billion in assets and operated more than 1,800 financial centers in 12 states and Washington, D.C., at the end of 2009. More information about the company is available at BBT.com.

Weight Watchers open house

Weight Watchers will host an open house on Saturday, Feb. 20, at its Salisbury Center, 704 Jake Alexander Blvd. (behind Burger King, in the old Winn-Dixie Shopping Center), from 1- 4 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Guests will receive a free gift bag and a chance to win a special door prize. Healthy refreshments will be served.

Guests will learn how to calculate their body mass index and get information on other tools for healthy living. The basics of the Weight Watchers program will be presented several times, along with tips and strategies for losing weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle.  

Weight Watchers memberships will be available during the open house for as little as $9.22 per week with no registration fee (a savings of $20).  New members will receive program materials and tools to begin their weight-loss journey. Staff and current members will   answer questions. For more information, contact 704-855-8353.

Computer repairs for emergency workers, law enforcement officers

Fix IT Computers and Repair, owned and operated by computer and network repairman Mark Carrick, is waiving all labor fees Feb. 15-20 for all law enforcement workers, firefighters and other emergency service men and women.

Fix IT is located at 117 W. Innes St. in Salisbury, and is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Carrick said that although all repairs may not be made within the week, anyone who drops off their computers between Feb. 15 and 20 will have labor fees waived. Carrick repairs desktops, laptops, networks and servers.

Carrick opened Fix IT Computers and Repair Feb. 11, and has another store in Kannapolis that has been open for less than a year. Carrick says he offers low prices on repairs, at-cost prices for parts, and offers “anything and everything you need.”

For more information, contact Carrick at Fix IT Computers and Repair at 704-633-9997, or, visit his Web site, http://fixit.selfip.com.

Home Helpers extends services   to Salisbury, central N.C.

Kathleen and Glenn Holden are ready to lend a hand and expand a local agency to meet the in-home care needs of Salisbury residents and those throughout central North Carolina.

The Holdens opened the new Home Helpers branch in December. They are part of the nation’s leading franchise specializing in non-medical and personal in-home and companion care for seniors, new mothers and individuals needing recuperative and continuing care.

They provide personal and companion services,  in-home electronic monitoring known as Direct Link, transportation, meal preparation, housekeeping, dressing assistance, personal grooming/bathing and medication management.  

Home Helpers offers free in-home consultations with their on-staff nurse.    

The Holdens’ new location is the 11th Home Helpers to open in North Carolina.

The Holdens  volunteer at Misty Meadows Mitey Riders, which is a therapeutic horseback riding organization for children with special needs. Glenn has served as a Boy Scout troop leader for 12 years and he provides free consulting to veterans in obtaining medical benefits earned through   military service.

For more information, contact Kathleen and Glenn Holden at 704-909-7958 or visit www.HomeHelpers.CC/lkn58445.

Oak Park Retirement to host     fall prevention presentations

Oak Park Retirement will host a Vestibular, Balance and Fall Prevention Presentation, two-part series program on Wednesday and Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.

Dave Pfeufer and Laura Sabatino, physical therapists with Gentiva Home Health, will present the program to the community. The presentation will focus on balance retraining, fall prevention and the treatment of vertigo.

Contact Oak Park Retirement at 704-636-4500 to make your reservation.

First Bancorp earnings down        5 cents a share for quarter

First Bancorp, parent company of First Bank, said fourth quarter net income available to common shareholders was $4.3 million, down from $5 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Earnings per diluted common share were  25 cents in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to 30 cents in the fourth quarter of 2008.

For the year ending on Dec. 31, 2009, the company reported net income of $56.3 million compared to $22 million reported for 2008. Earnings per diluted common share were $3.37 for the year compared to $1.37 per share for 2008.

In the second quarter of 2009, the company realized a $67.9 million gain related to the acquisition of Cooperative Bank in Wilmington. The after-tax impact of this gain was $41.1 million, or $2.46 per diluted common share.

The company’s provision for loan losses amounted to $6.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to $3.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. The higher provision was necessary due to higher loan losses that the company has experienced in the difficult economic environment.

 Total assets  amounted to $3.5 billion, 28.9 percent higher than a year earlier. Total loans were $2.7 billion, a 20 percent increase from a year earlier. Total deposits were $2.9 billion, a 41.4 percent increase from a year earlier.

Loans declined approximately 4 percent in 2009. Deposits grew approximately 7 percent.

First Bank Insurance Services   acquires The Insurance Center

 First Bancorp’s insurance subsidiary, First Bank Insurance Services Inc., has completed the acquisition of The Insurance Center Inc., a Montgomery County-based property and casualty insurance agency with more than 500 customers. The acquisition was effective on Feb. 11.

Kim Birckhead, president of The Insurance Center, will serve in a temporary role to ensure a smooth transition of customers to First Bank Insurance Services. Birckhead said, “I am pursuing a new career, but it was important to me to make sure I moved your account to a local company that I could trust to take good care of you. You are in good hands with Jeff Morris and First Bank Insurance Services.”

Morris is vice president of First Bank Insurance Services.

Morris said, “We have already put in a lot of work to ensure a seamless transition. …  We look forward to serving you and earning your continued business.”

Bill Plemmons RV World to be featured at camping show

The North Carolina RV & Camping Show will be held  at the Charlotte Convention Center Feb. 19-21 and will feature Salisbury RV retailer Steve Plemmons of Bill Plemmons RV World.

Plemmons will introduce the K-Z RV Sportsmen Classic, a retro-design 14-foot long travel trailer retailing for $5,995.  

Steve Plemmons is president and CEO of Bill Plemmons RV World.

The North Carolina RV & Camping Show started in 1990 to bring out the best in RVs, from motorhomes, mini-homes, travel trailers, folding campers to fifth wheels.

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