Business roundup: New marketing, PR firm opens

Ashley Graham of Salisbury has opened Van Poole Marketing & Public Relations Solutions in August.

Van Poole Marketing & Public Relations Solutions provides quality marketing and public relations services that increase their client’s brand awareness and profitability. Van Poole focuses on working with each customer individually and developing strategies that are unique to the customer.

Van Poole offers marketing plans, strategies, PR campaigns, brochures, email marketing, press releases and social media.

Graham has a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a master of arts in management from Wake Forest University’s Babcock School of Management. She has several years experience in the printing industry, marketing, and public relations.

For more information, visit www.VanPooleMarketing. com, email info@VanPooleMarketing.com or call 336-770-5934.

Chamber president elected to state board

Bob Wright, president of the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, has been elected to a four-year term on the board of directors of the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE).

Wright also was elected treasurer of the two-state association at the annual management conference in Pinehurst on July 11. The term began Sept. 1.

CACCE is a professional development organization dedicated to improving the educational opportunities for chamber of commerce executives and staff members in North and South Carolina. The organization was formed in 1994 when the North and South Carolina state chamber associations merged. This is Wright’s third term on the CACCE board of directors.

Brady receives Thrivent honor

Eric Brady of Salisbury, a financial consultant with the Piedmont regional team of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, has earned membership in the elite 2011 Million Dollar Round Table Court of the Table.

He qualified based on his sales excellence, client service, ethical conduct and professional knowledge in 2010.

Brady is associated with Thrivent Financial’s Southeast Regional financial office. This is the first time he has achieved the honor. Less than 1 percent of life insurance and financial services professionals reach the honor.

Gentiva drive collects 1,000 pounds of food

Staff members from the Salisbury and Kannapolis/ Concord offices collected more than 1,000 pounds of food donations in August during the annual Gentiva Health Services Inc. food drive.

The local collection has been donated to Rowan Helping Ministries and Christian Cooperative Ministries.

A total of 325,867 pounds — or just under 163 tons — of food is being delivered to organizations nationwide. The total almost doubled Gentiva’s national record of more than 83 tons last year.

“As our friends at the food banks say, ‘Hunger doesn’t take a vacation during the summer,’ ” said Susan Wear, account executive. “We want to thank all of the many local health organizations and businesses — as well as our friends, neighbors and associates — who contributed.”

Lazy 5 Vets hires Sawyer as groomer

Hillary Sawyer has joined Lazy 5 Vets as a full-time groomer.

Sawyer, a licensed groomer, comes to Lazy 5 Vets from Animal Hospital of Kannapolis and Petco of Mooresville. She has three years of experience in grooming all types of dogs and cats. She will be teamed with long time groomer Lori Upright to offer grooming six days a week.

Grooming is available by appointment Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings during clinic hours. Sawyer and Upright replace the outgoing Pawsitive Purrfection Grooming Service that formerly occupied space at the old James Animal Hospital Building.

The Lazy 5 Vets location is 2916 S. Main St. Visit www.lazy5vets.com or call 704-636-1100 for an appointment.

Seniors andmedication safety seminar Oct. 18

Abundant Living Adult Day Services, in conjunction with Comfort Keepers In-Home Care, will be hosting a free seminar on Seniors and Medication Safety on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 5:30-7 p.m. at Abundant Living Adult Day Center, 1416 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.

Tim Williams, pharmacist for Rowan Regional Medical Center, will be the guest speaker. Information will be provided on medication interactions, proper storage, proper administration and dosing, technology and general medication safety.

Abundant Living will be providing free care services during the program for those who would like to attend but require assistance for their adult loved one. Advanced registration for care services is required no later than Friday by calling Abundant Living at 704-637-3940 Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

RSVP by calling Ann Measmer with Comfort Keepers at 704-630-0370. Comfort Keepers encourages all attendees to bring a non-perishable and/or canned food item to donate to their STOP Senior Hunger Initiative. Anyone donating non-perishable and/or canned food items at the seminar will be entered to win a door prize.

Golden Corral event for veterans set for Nov. 14

The 11th annual Golden Corral event for veterans will be Monday, Nov. 14, from 5-9 p.m.

Veterans can gather at the nearby Golden Corrals in Mooresville, Concord or Statesville for a complimentary meal.

Last year’s event raised more than $1 million in donations for local DAV Chapters to serve the needs of disabled veterans. Visit www.goldencorral.com for more information.

Submit information about new businesses, honors and management promotions to bizbriefs@salisburypost.com. Include a daytime phone number.