Business roundup: Optometrist joins Eye Care Center

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Dr. Jill M. Scullion joined The Eye Care Center at 2120 Statesville Blvd. in September. She joins Dr. Rick Bartlett, Dr. Robert Grigsby and Dr. Joe Sie at the practice.

Scullion split her undergraduate studies at Boston College and The Ohio State University. Scullion earned her Doctor of Optometry degree in 2009 from the OSU College of Optometry.

She served as president of OSU's Student Volunteers for Optometric Services to Humanity, an organization established to serve Third World countries with much needed vision care.

She is a member of the American Optometric Association and the N.C. State Optometric Society.

She and her husband, Daniel, a Rowan-Salisbury school teacher, live in Salisbury.

Appointments with Scullion can be scheduled by calling the office Monday through Friday at 704-636-0559. The office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., except Tuesdays when it is open until 6 p.m.

You can visit the Eye Care Center's Web site at www.eccsalisbury.com.

New owners of NAPA Auto Parts store

Brandon Kepley and Brett Benton will assume ownership of the NAPA Auto Parts store, formerly known as Benton Parts & Supply Co., at 1413 South Main St.

Kepley, who will serve as company president, was an employee of the company from 1995 to 2003 with service in sales and operations. Benton, vice president of inside sales, has 20 years of experience in automotive parts sales and is the son of former owners Jim and Barbara Benton, who established the company in 1972.

NAPA Auto Parts has an extensive inventory of automotive, light and heavy duty truck parts, along with automotive paint and body equipment and supplies, and a wide availability of tractor and farm parts.

Contact NAPA Auto Parts at 704-636-1510.

Dr. Trahey joins Mid Carolina Cardiology

Dr. Tom Trahey has joined Presbyterian Novant Medical Group and Mid Carolina Cardiology Cabarrus.

Trahey has cared for patients in the Cabarrus County area for more than 20 years. He is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease.

A Davidson College graduate, Trahey earned a medical degree at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem.

He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham.

Trahey helped found the cardiology group at Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast, formerly NorthEast Medical Center, and is a former chief of staff at that hospital. As a physician with Mid Carolina Cardiology Cabarrus, Trahey will focus on outpatient care.

The practice will initially be located in the Northgate Family Medicine office at 1028 Lee-Ann Drive in Concord, but will move into its permanent location in several months.

For more information about Mid Carolina Cardiology Cabarrus, call 704-316-5353.

Cabarrus Senior Link meeting March 9

The Cabarrus Senior Resource Link, professionals who work with seniors, will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 9, at 11:30 a.m.

New members are welcomed and lunch is provided. For details and reservations, contact Susan Wear at Gentiva Home Health, 704-933-1001.

Cleaning Authority franchise opens

Cathy Garrett has opened a franchise office of The Cleaning Authority in Salisbury at 512 Klumac Road No. 7.

"While traveling around the U.S. for the past 15 years, Monday through Friday, living on airplanes, working for a major IT company, I was never able to find a dependable, professional cleaning service to do the one thing I did not want to do on my only day off," Garrett said. "I wanted to offer the community a service that would give them back time to do the things they wanted to do, as well as provide employment to others in my area."

All homes are surprise inspected and all of her professional house cleaning teams are thoroughly trained, bonded and insured. Garrett has eight employees working for her.

"There is a level of trust that goes into allowing someone else to clean your home and it's important to me that I provide that security and confidence through my cleaners and attention to detail," Garrett said.

The Cleaning Authority uses Green Seal certified cleaning products, microfiber cloths and HEPA vacuums. Homes are cleaned with a rotation system the company uses in more than 5 million cleanings nationwide.

Garrett is a member of the Friends of St. Jude, Locks of Love, Cleaning for a Reason and the Rowan Country Chamber of Commerce. Her territory covers Davidson, Rowan and Cabarrus counties.

Call 704-603-4190 or visit http://Salisbury.TheCleaningAuthority.com for more information.

Donating cans of food can save $35 on tax preparation

The Jackson Hewitt Tax Service office is offering up to $35 off tax preparation services if you donate canned food items from March 1 through April 1. Taxpayers will receive $5 off per can donated.

Rowan Helping Ministries will get the canned food.

"We at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service want to help do our part in restocking the shelves of our local food banks," said Patrick Laughrey, Area Manager for Jackson Hewitt Tax. "In addition to helping this great cause, this is an opportunity for taxpayers to save on professional tax preparation services."

Jackson Hewitt has approximately 6,600 franchised and company-owned offices throughout the United States . For more information, log on to www.jacksonhewitt.com or call 1-800-234-1040.

Downum chosen as caregiver of month at Home Instead

Alisha Downum has been named Caregiver of the Month for February at Home Instead Senior Care, 625 W. Innes St.

Downum joined Home Instead in September. A Salisbury native, she lives with her family, and her mother also works for Home Instead.

Faithful Friends volunteers attend training seminar

Faithful Friends Animal Sanctuary volunteers Barbara Barnes, Anne Ingram, Shannon Moore, Todd and Mary Shinn and Sue Wortman attended a training seminar at Davidson County Community College on Feb. 24 on sheltering animals during a disaster.

Forty-five agencies were involved, including emergency management, animal control and law enforcement. On the agenda was the use of a Companion Animal Mobile Equipment Trailer, or CAMET. Twenty-seven North Carolina counties, including Davidson and Cabarrus, have a CAMET trailer. The cost of each is about $14,000.

Cheerwine partners with Pepsi Bottling Ventures

Cheerwine is increasing its distribution throughout North Carolina through a new partnership with Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC.

The deal follows Cheerwine's inaugural partnership with a dealership in the Delmarva area in late 2009, which marked the soft drink's first entry into the states of Delaware and Maryland.

Jim Leland, Cheerwine's vice president of sales, says the partnership will result in more visibility and accessibility for Raleigh residents.

To follow Cheerwine on Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/cheerwine.

March 'Our State' features Waterworks, Cheerwine

The March issue of "Our State" magazine features articles on the Waterworks Visual Arts Center and Cheerwine.

The article recounts the history of Waterworks in downtown Salisbury and its mission of showcasing local artists. It also highlights the center's efforts to bring the visual arts to school children in Rowan County through art classes and field trips.

The March issue also spotlights another Salisbury icon: Cheerwine. In its "carolina kitchen" section, the magazine even provides recipes for the Cheerwine ice cream served at The Table at Crestwood in Boone, ribs with tangy cheerwine glaze and Cheerwine baked beans.

It's the second consecutive month "Our State" has featured Rowan. The February issue included an article on Granite Quarry's Kluttz Piano Co.

Stitchin' Post to host Brighton 'Fun in the Sun'

Stitchin' Post Gifts in downtown Salisbury will host a "Fun in the Sun" day Saturday, March 6, from noon to 3 p.m.

The event will highlight Brighton jewelry and handbags, including new Brighton flip flops, and a drawing to win a free pair. A Brighton "charm bar" will showcase the newest charms and beads. Refreshments will be provided for parched shoppers.

Stitchin' Post Gifts is located at 104 S. Main St. For more information, call 704-636-4121.

Global Contact Services earns Self-Regulatory Certification

Global Contact Services has earned certification as a Self Regulatory Organization.

The certification process is conducted by the American Teleservices Organization. It requires all policies and procedures of a teleservices company must comply with federal and state telemarketing statutes and regulations, along with consumer protection rules. To achieve this level of compliance, every department at GCS must document that the requirements are being followed.

GCS is one of only five companies to earn the certification. It operates contact centers in Mt. Hope, Huntington, Summersville and Wheeling, W.Va.; Lancaster, Ohio; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Yuma, Ariz.; Pittsfield, Maine; Saltville and Pulaski, Va.; and Odessa and Kingsville, Texas, as well as the Philippines.

The certification establishes to clients and to the Federal Trade Commission that GCS is a self-regulated business following state and federal call center rules, said Connie Staunton, director of licensing and compliance with GCS-Mount Hope. To earn the certification, an independent certified auditor reviewed processes and monitored activity at GCS contact centers. "We have succeeded in demonstrating that our operations meet the most stringent measurement requirements available for compliant contact center operations," Staunton said.

The American Teleservices Association is a nonprofit trade organization dedicated to companies using contact centers. It represents more than 4,000 contact centers and 1.8 million professionals worldwide. ATA provides leadership in the professional and ethical use of the telephone for conducting business.

For more information, visit www.GCSagents.com.

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