YOUNTVILLE, Calif. — Avatar Vintners announces the appointment of Daniel Benton to the position of chief operating officer and assistant winemaker.
Benton, a Salisbury native and Catawba College graduate, will report to Gary Wooton, company founder and president. In his new job, Benton will manage U.S. distribution and sales of both the Croze and Smith Wooton labels. He will be involved with all facets of wine production and logistics.
Benton will also serve as assistant winemaker of the Croze line of wines.
Benton joins Avatar after working in distribution, most recently with Carolina Craft Distributors based in Columbia, S.C., where he served as director of sales managing the sales forces in North Carolina and South Carolina.
In addition to experience in distribution, Benton has studied viticulture and enology at Surry Community College in Dobson, N.C., and holds the Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist of Wine Certificate.
“I am excited to join a company that shares the same passion for quality that I do,” Benton said. “The brands have a history of providing consumers with amazing quality fine wines, with a nod to balance and a classic style. I am excited about our position and the opportunity for growth.”
Avatar Vintners is a boutique, fine wine company based in the Napa Valley. The company produces the Croze and Smith Wooton brands of premium California wines. Avatar specializes in single vineyard wines produced in a classic style, relying on grapes sourced from the most prestigious grape growing regions in California.
“Daniel shares a kindred passion for our brands and our philosophy of winemaking,” Avatar Vintners founder and President Gary Wooton said. “His vision for the direction of the company will drive Avatar Vintners to future growth, while maintaining the level of quality our global customers have come to love.”
Avatar Vintners was started in 1997 and has grown from one wine to eight. To learn more about the company and wines, visit www. croze-cab.com.
Bachman Brown closes law firm
KANNAPOLIS — Bachman S. Brown Jr., the first mayor of Kannapolis, has announced his retirement and the closure of his law firm, the Law Offices of Alexander and Brown.
The offices will close Feb. 18. Client files can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 121 S. Main St. in Kannapolis.
Filess from legal work completed between 2005 and 2010 will be kept for six years from the date the work was completed. After Feb. 18, inquiries about these files can be made in writing to Sarah Brown Fishback at P.O. Box 1034, Kannapolis, NC, 28082 or by e-mail to alexanderandbrown@gmail.com.
Veterans home gets top rating from state
N.C. State Veterans Home, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility at 1601 Brenner Ave. in Building 10, has earned the highest rating from the N.C. Department of Public Health.
The state agency awarded the “deficiency-free” rating on Jan. 6 after finding the veterans home in full compliance with all regulations.
A deficiency-free rating is the highest rating a skilled nursing center can receive from the state.
The state survey process is mandated by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The survey process can occur over several days and consists of a thorough, unannounced investigation.
The administrator of the home is Sally Davis.
Counselor’s classification
Patti Lyerly, who founded Lyerly Counseling Services in 1998, has earned classification as a consultant in clinic hypnosis by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
Lyerly was originally certified in 1993 after demonstrating professional competency by examination in advanced clinical hypnosis, which refers to the use of hypnosis to assist someone in achieving therapeutic goals.
Hypnosis enables a client to tap inner resources more easily and fully. Learning new behaviors can be easier with hypnosis.
For more information about the use of clinical hypnosis, go to www.lyerlycounseling.com.
Open house at Brian Center
Brian Center Health & Rehabilitation Center of Salisbury will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to showcase the new rehabilitation gym and rehab hall with private rooms.
The open house also will celebrate the center’s five-star rating. Brian Center is located at 635 Statesville Blvd.
North Hills open house
The business community is invited to attend a special open house at North Hills Christian School from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 26.
Head of School Matt Mitchell will answer questions about the school and visitors may tour the campus.
North Hills is dually-accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and by the Association of Christian Schools International.
The school has a total enrollment of 320 students and serves students in preschool through high school. North Hills is located at 2970 W. Innes St.
Contact the school to make a reservation for the open house. Walk-ins are welcome as well. Call 704-636-3005 or e-mail neagle@northhillschristian.com.
Registered paraplanner
Leslie Dedmon Cathey recently obtained her Registered Paraplanner professional designation from the College for Financial Planning.
Her professional career spans 20 years of working with her current employer, Wealth Management and Financial Planning firm, C.F. Parks & Co., Inc. located on South Main Street in Salisbury, and her previous employer Greg Edds State Farm Insurance Agency. A native of Salisbury, Leslie is a cum laude graduate of Catawba College with a BA degree in Communications Arts. Leslie currently holds the following licenses: North Carolina Life and Health Agent, Property and Casualty Agent, Medicare Supplement and Long Term Care Agent, and NC Notary Public, and is a 2008 graduate of Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Rowan program.
Senior group will meet
The Cabarrus Senior Resource Link group — professionals who work with seniors — will hold their monthly meeting at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Lunch is provided for free. Contact Susan Wear at Gentiva Home Health 704-933-1001 for reservations.
Lawyers select state’s best
CHARLOTTE — Lawyers across the state made their selections again this year for Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, published in the magazine’s January edition.
Statewide, 598 lawyers — less than 3 percent of the total — were picked by their peers in 14 mostly business-related categories. Notices were sent to more than 20,000 active members of the North Carolina State Bar living in the state, directing them to the ballot on the magazine’s Web site, www.BusinessNC.com. Voters could not pick themselves, and they could select partners and associates only if they also select lawyers outside the firm in the same categories.
Greensboro-based Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP had the most lawyers on the list with 23. Charlotte-based Moore & Van Allen PLLC was second with 21.
This year’s top vote-getters, by specialty, are:
• Antitrust: Catharine Biggs Arrowood, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Raleigh
• Bankruptcy: Gerald A. “Jeb” Jeutter Jr., Gerald A. “Jeb” Jeutter Jr., Attorney at Law PA, Raleigh
• Business: Stephen M. Lynch, Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte
• Construction: Peter J. Marino, Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan LLP, Raleigh
• Corporate counsel: Meredith B. Stone, NACCO Materials Holding Group Inc., Greenville
• Criminal: David S. Rudolf, Rudolf, Widenhouse & Fialko, Charlotte,
• Employment: Lisa Grafstein, Law Office of Lisa Grafstein PLLC., Raleigh
• Environmental: Ramona Cunningham O’Bryant, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Greensboro
• Family: Michael F. Schilawski, Wake Family Law Group, Raleigh
• Intellectual property: William J. Mason, MacCord Mason PLLC, Wilmington
• Litigation: James H. Kelly Jr., Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Winston-Salem
• Real estate: Frank M. Bell Jr., Bell, Davis & Pitt PA, Winston-Salem
• Tax/estate planning: Maria M. Lynch, Lynch & Eatman LLP, Raleigh
• Best under 40: Neill G. “Mac” McBryde Jr., Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte
Business North Carolina is a Charlotte-based monthly magazine that focuses on the people, events and trends that shape business in the state. Since it began in 1981, it has won nearly 100 national awards for writing, reporting and design.
Zumba at Curves of Rockwell
ROCKWELL — Curves of Rockwell is allowing customers to try the Curves Circuit with Zumba Fitness free for a week.
“Curves Circuit with Zumba Fitness is an amazing workout that will really help people stick to their New Year’s resolutions,” according to an e-mail from Curves of Rockwell. “It combines Curves’ proven strength-training program — where you can burn up to 500 calories in just 30 minutes — with the Latin and international inspired music and exhilarating, simple dance moves that have made Zumba so popular. We want you to experience it for yourself to see what an incredible workout it is, so we’re inviting Rockwell residents to try it free for one week.”
For more information, call 704-279-4936.
Carolina Farm Credit gifts
STATESVILLE — More than $4,500 was collected by the employees and Board members of Carolina Farm Credit who participated in a charity contribution throughout 2010. Each of the Carolina Farm Credit 37 service centers submitted a local charity choice and four charities were selected through a random drawing to divide the donations.
The following groups will receive donations of $1,135 from Carolina Farm Credit:
• Family Violence Coalition of Yancey County, Burnsville
• March of Dimes, Roxboro
• Christian Crisis Center, Taylorsville
• Ebenezer Garden Christian Children’s Home, Wilkesboro
Michael R. Morton, CEO of Carolina Farm Credit said, “The employees of Carolina Farm credit are thankful we can positively impact the lives of many in need through our local charity donations. This is a project our employees look forward to participating in each year.”
Carolina Farm Credit is a stockholder-owned cooperative providing financing to full- and part-time farmers and agricultural-related businesses and also provides financing for the construction and purchase of homes.
The association’s territory covers the western half of North Carolina, including service centers in Albemarle, Concord, Lexington, Mocksville, Salisbury and Statesville.
Directors include L. Kim Starnes of Salisbury.
IronStone joins First Citizens
RALEIGH — First Citizens BancShares Chairman Frank B. Holding Jr. announced the merger of its two banking subsidiaries, First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. and IronStone Bank.
IronStone Bank, which had operated under a federal savings association charter, will become a division of First Citizens Bank. IronStone branches will continue to operate under the IronStone name. Hope Holding Connell will continue to lead the IronStone division as its president.
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