Novant Health employees pledge $1.21M to those in need

Over eight weeks, more than 3,000 Novant Health employees pledged $1.21 million to support patients, team members and local communities through the Novant Health team member giving campaign, “Giving. Serving. Together.”

The campaign provides an opportunity for employees across all Novant Health markets in a four-state area to give back to those in need.

“The ‘Giving. Serving. Together.’ campaign is a way for our team members to support each other, our patients and the communities we serve,” said Janet Smith-Hill, executive vice president and chief human resources officer of Novant Health. “Through this campaign, we will impact countless lives, improve the overall health of our communities and continue to make a difference where we work and live.”

This year marked a special season of giving because the Brunswick County area was hard hit by Hurricane Florence in September. Novant Health team members contributed more than $31,000 to American Red Cross disaster relief efforts, and more than $37,000 went to support Brunswick area employees affected by catastrophic flooding. More than 25 Novant Health employees affected by Hurricane Florence have received assistance.

Donations to regional Novant Health foundations and community agencies support employee assistance funds; services at free clinics; new technology and updated equipment; patient programming; facilities to better serve patients; assistance for people in need of shelter, food, clothing and personal care; and research.

David Dowdy to speak on customer service essentials Wednesday

David Dowdy, the owner of ActionCoach, will speak on “Customer Service Essentials for Small Business Owners” on Wednesday morning at Salisbury City Hall.

Dowdy, who has owned five businesses, has helped small to midsize businesses achieve their goals. He has expertise in sales, marketing, business development, growth strategies and customer service.

Downtown Salisbury Inc. and Rowan-Cabarrus Small Business Center will co-sponsor the program.

For more information, visit ncsbc.net or contact 704-637-7814 or cbrow@salisburync.gov.

The presentation will be from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Imperial Brown doubles West Coast manufacturing space

Imperial Brown, an international manufacturer of walk-in coolers and freezers, will more than double its factory size on the West Coast with a move to a facility in the Vista Logistics Park in Gresham, Oregon.

The park is the largest speculative industrial project ever developed in the Portland metropolitan area. The factory will grow from 55,000 square feet to more than 113,000 square feet.

Imperial Brown also operates an East Coast manufacturing facility in Salisbury.

The new Imperial Brown location is three miles from its current location in Portland, where the business has been located for 29 years.

Justin L. Sandall, president and CEO of Imperial Brown, said the move to the state-of-the-art facility will allow for expansion of the product line and growth in sales and production in new markets. It will showcase the company and its products in a highly competitive marketplace. It will also increase community awareness.

Since its merger with an East Coast company almost seven years ago, the company has seen unprecedented growth, as well as investing in and updating equipment and building a cohesive company from manufacturing to quoting.

In May 2012, Imperial Manufacturing of Portland merged with the 100-year-old W.A. Brown & Son of Salisbury.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport breaks passenger record

Charlotte Douglas International Airport served 46.4 million passengers in 2018, a 1 percent increase over 2017 and an all-time high. Compared to 2008, it’s a 34 percent jump.

“We would like to thank the millions of passengers who chose CLT as their first choice for air travel,” said Brent Cagle, aviation director and CEO. “Expansion of the hub, Charlotte region and the airport’s strong customer demand have placed us on a path of continued growth for the foreseeable future that we welcome.” 

Aircraft movements and cargo were also up in 2018. As the world’s seventh-busiest airport by aircraft movements, Charlotte Douglas oversaw 550,013 landings and departures, a 0.4 percent increase from 2017. Cargo activity rose 2 percent to 178,805 tons of goods, illustrating the continued popularity of e-commerce. 

Last year, the airport offered nonstop service to 175 destinations, including 36 international destinations and three U.S. territories.

Charlotte Douglas contributes $23 billion in annual economic output, $1.1 billion in state and local taxes, 132,330 jobs for N.C. residents and $5.7 billion in personal income according to a report conducted by the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation.

Franklin Barnes of Rowan County Transit System receives certificate

Franklin Barnes of the Rowan County Transit System has earned the Public Sector Manager of Environmental, Safety and Health Certificate. 

The MESH certificate is awarded to those who demonstrate achievement through education in occupational safety, health and the environment. MESH is sponsored by the Safety and Health Council of North Carolina, N.C. State University and the North Carolina Department of Labor.

 “We are tremendously happy to recognize Franklin … ,” said state Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry. “This program prepares managers for keeping their work sites safe and healthy, and that preparation improves employee protection and company productivity.”

The MESH program is designed to increase professionalism among environmental, safety and health managers of commercial, residential or governmental construction sites through continuing education.

Trinity Living Center’s ‘Taste of Abundance’ fundraiser to feature local fare

Trinity Living Center will host a “Taste of Abundance” fundraiser on form 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 18.

Participants will get to sample local fare, including soup, bread and sweet treats, as well as beer and wine.

A ticket including a handmade soup bowl by Cheryl Goins of Pottery 101 is $30. A ticket without the bowl is $20.

Trinity Living Center, a United Way agency and a ministry of Lutheran Services Carolinas, is at 1416 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. in Salisbury

Call 704-637-3940 to reserve a ticket.

The head chef sponsor is Cannon Pharmacy, the soup pot sponsor is F&M Bank, and ladle sponsors are Dale Yontz Realty, P&G Security and First Bank. 

Novant Health receives innovation award

Novant Health received an innovation award from Athenahealth Inc. for its leadership development program at the and annual conference and exhibition in Orlando, Florida.

Novant Health’s leadership development program, which focuses on physician resiliency and burnout, has had an impact on physician engagement and alignment since it began in 2013.

The program has been completed by more than 800 Novant Health physicians and has been recognized by the North Carolina Medical Board.

“It is an honor for Novant Health to receive this award and be recognized as a health care innovator,” said Dr. Tom Jenike, senior vice president and chief human experience officer at Novant Health. “At Novant Health, we are passionate about people. We recognized that in order to care for our patients, we first needed to care for our providers and address the ever growing trend of burnout.”

Jenike, who pioneered the program, accepted the award on behalf of Novant Health. The program consists of a multiday wellness retreat, one-on-one coaching and a mentoring program.