This marks the 16th year Business North Carolina magazine will choose a Small Business of the Year to honor the contributions small businesses make to the state’s economy.
The award, sponsored by BB&T, provides an opportunity for small businesses to gain statewide recognition.
Winners and finalists are honored at an awards luncheon and appear in the December issue of the magazine.
To be eligible, businesses must have fewer than 100 employees, be North Carolina-based, independently owned, in business at least five years, and have at least one owner active in the business. You may nominate as many companies as you like. You may also include your company if it fits the criteria.
To download a nomination form, go online to www.BusinessNC.com/smallbusiness.
A letter and an entry form will be sent to the nominees so they may provide detailed information on their business.
Walker Marketing adds digital strategist
CONCORD — Walker Marketing has hired Brad Thomas as multimedia designer/strategist, filling a key position in the agency’s digital department.
Thomas has more than 10 years of design and digital strategy development experience. He will help clients develop and implement strategies that allow emerging technologies to promote business growth.
He previously worked for Lending Tree, AAA of the Carolinas and the Charlotte Hornets.
“I’m excited to join the Walker team and get started with our clients,” Thomas said. “Walker has such a diverse group of clients and each client has its own specialized need. I look forward to working with them to optimize their results online and in other channels.”
Thomas joins Walker Marketing as the agency continues its growth. Walker Marketing recently added several clients, such as Delaware Hospice, Richmond County, and Cabarrus County Economic Development Corp.
“Brad joins us at a key point for our agency,” Walker Marketing President and CEO Gary Walker said. “We have several new clients and continue to grow our healthcare, government and economic development sectors. He’ll be a valuable asset as we move forward with our clients and position them in the coming months.”
Kinzey to produce book on nonprofits
SALISBURY — Ruth Kinzey, president of The Kinzey Company, has signed a contract with Routledge, Taylor and Francis to write a book aimed at assisting small to medium-size nonprofits with their strategic public relations initiatives. The book, titled “Promoting Nonprofit Organizations,” will also be helpful to students pursuing communication undergraduate degrees and master’s degrees in public affairs/nonprofit management, according to the publisher.
Contents of her upcoming book will include social media strategies, cause-related marketing programs, strategic public relations plan development, board of director ambassadorship, crisis communication and how corporate social responsibility interacts with a nonprofit entity.
As with her previous publication, templates and checklists will be included, making it easy to put the contents quickly into use. Case studies will also be included to aid in understanding exemplary social media and cause-related marketing models and principles. A glossary and comprehensive bibliography are other easy-to-use reference tools that will be included in the publication.
This will be Kinzey’s second book focused on reputational management and strategic PR for nonprofits. Her first book, “Using Public Relations Strategies to Promote Your Nonprofit Organization,” was published in 1999 by Haworth Press.
The Kinzey Company, headquartered in Salisbury, protects and enhances reputations through strategic planning and communications that are designed to address an organization’s multiple audiences. Communication services also include seminars, customized workshops, media training and executive speech coaching.
Cabarrus Senior Resource Link to meet
The Cabarrus Senior Resource Link, professionals who work with seniors, will hold its monthly meeting at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
For additional information and reservations, please call Susan Wear at Gentiva Home Health 704-933-1001.
Hot dog eating at Concord Mills
Competitive eaters from North Carolina and beyond will battle it out at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at the Concord Mills Mall on Saturday. At stake is the title of North Carolina Hot Dog Eating Champion and the chance to compete in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y.
The top-finishing male and the top-finishing female competitor in this qualifier will earn a chance to compete in the separate men’s and women’s finals in Coney Island.
Andrew Brake of Jamestown is a local favorite who has competed in the last three Charlotte qualifiers and is determined to advance to Coney Island this year. He’ll have to defeat competitive eating veteran Crazy Legs Conti of New York City, who is going for his 10th straight appearance in the finals. Going for his first Coney Island berth is Major League Eating’s “Steakbellie” Livingston of Drexel Hill, Penn., and Brian Szontagh of Raleigh.
Atlanta’s best-known female competitive eater, Grace Lee who weighs just 110 pounds, will headline the women’s division in Charlotte. Lee has eaten 30 slices of pizza, 60 chicken wings in long-form eating challenges and will make her speed-eating and Nathan’s Famous debut on June 18.
The Nathan’s Famous contest circuit will visit more than a dozen cities in 2011. The champions from each qualifier will compete in the ESPN televised finals at the original Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island on July 4.
Host cities of the 2011 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit include Las Vegas, Atlanta, Boston, Atlantic City, N.J., Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, Los Angeles, Thackerville, Okla., and Poughkeepsie, N.Y. This year, Nathan’s will also hold a qualifying event in Beijing, China.
According to archives, the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest has occurred each July 4 in Coney Island, since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. Major League Eating, the governing body of all stomach-centric sport, sanctions the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit and ensures the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.
Event details:
What: Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest Qualifier
Where: Concord Mills Mall (Food Court, 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord, NC 28027
When: Saturday, June 18
Time: 1 p.m.
Oncologist honored among best by Charlotte publication
MOORESVILLE — Lake Norman Regional Medical Center’s Dr. Richard Krumdieck has been named one of Charlotte’s Best Doctors of 2011 by the Charlotte Business Journal. The “Best Doctors” special report is a published resource in the Charlotte Business Journal recognizing local area physicians.
According to the Charlotte Business Journal, Charlotte area physicians are compiled by a national database through a biennial peer-review survey of the medical profession. Doctors are voted on by their peers on being “the best of the best.”
A member of Lake Norman Regional’s medical staff since 1997, Krumdieck is a past president of the North Carolina Oncology Association (NCOA) and has served on the board of the NCOA and on the steering committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He is also the founder of Lake Norman Oncology and is joined in practice by fellow oncologists Drs. David Eagle and Timothy Kuo.
To contact Lake Norman Oncology, call 704-799-3946.
New instructor Marvin King joins
Steppin’ Out Dance Company
Steppin’ Out Dance Company has added Marvin King as a dance instructor. The native of Birmingham, Ala., will teach hip hop and jazz. He began dancing at age 10 and attended Calhoun College in Decatur, where he majored in Theatre Arts.
King has worked with nonprofit community organizations teaching hip hop to children and was the assistant and artistic director of the Huntersville Masters Commission while he was in Alabama.
He lives in Concord and has appeared in Piedmont Players’ production of Hairspray and Theatre Charlotte’s production of Rent.
At Steppin Out, he will be teaching a new “all boys” hip hop class that begins on Tuesday. Call Steppin’ Out at 704-637-1222.
Robotic surgical technology in CMC-NorthEast, other hospitals
Five Carolinas Medical Center hospitals have installed the latest in daVinci robotic surgical technology that will help reduce the time a patient spends in surgery and will allow more complex procedures to be performed.
Previous-generation surgical robots produced camera views for the surgeon that did not include digital zoom capabilities and had surgical arms that offered a smaller range of motion. The new units produce high-definition, 3D images and arms with nearly twice the range of motion. Both advancements may expand the types of procedures eligible for robotic-assisted surgery, allowing more patients the option of surgeries that offer reduced incision sizes, blood loss and recovery times.
Hospitals with the new systems are: Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), CMC-Mercy, CMC-University, CMC-NorthEast and CMC-Pineville.
All hospitals are using the robots for urological and gynecological procedures. In addition, CMC-Mercy is applying the technology for highly specialized uro/gynecological procedures and will add bariatric surgeries at the end of June.
CMC also has a robotic system with a second console to permit a resident physician, fellow or collaborating surgical team to work together or train and is unique to academic medical centers. Two robotic simulators are also available to assist in training. CMC is a national center for the training of surgeons in robotic and minimally invasive techniques.
“Both regionally and nationally, urologists were the first surgical specialists to enthusiastically embrace robotic surgery as a way of offering their patients relatively painless, bloodless and precise surgery some seven to eight years ago,” Dr. Chris Teigland, of McKay Urology, said. “Now with CMC’s purchase of the latest generation of daVinci surgical robots, urologists in our area are going to have the best available technology to expand their use of minimally invasive surgery to nearly every type of procedure done in our field.”
Dr. Kevin J. E. Stepp, director of CMC-Advanced Surgical Specialties for Women, said: “The new systems offer enhanced 3D, high-definition visualization, ergonomics, and better control during delicate surgery. This means more patients may benefit from less invasive surgery. CMC already offered the highest resolution HD visualization systems. Now we are able to improve that to include real-time 3D with up to 10-times magnification. The detail I can see with the 3D, high-definition camera is unparalleled compared to any other type of surgery available today.”
The benefits for gynecological surgeries have been immediate. “More than simply being an extension of my hands, the device allows me to perform more precise maneuvers that are not possible with other laparoscopic equipment,” Dr. Ted Garcia, of Piedmont Gyn/Ob, said. “It will allow women to experience less pain and get back to their regular lives much quicker.”
Whether a patient is a good candidate for robotic-assisted surgery depends on the patient’s specific condition and overall state of health, and should be determined by consulting with his/her physician. If the robotic-assist option is chosen, the patient should determine the surgeon’s level of experience with the technique and success rate before proceeding.
Submit information about new businesses, honors and management promotions to bizbriefs@salisburypost.com. Include a daytime phone number.