Friday, May 25, 2012

Hardee's Serves Up Big Opportunities for Charlotte Expansion

CKE Restaurants, Inc., has announced its intent to develop new
Hardee's® restaurants throughout the Charlotte, N.C. area. The company
is seeking to expand its Charlotte footprint over the next several
years and sees the potential to develop more than 35 new restaurants
in the market. Currently, Hardee's operates 51 locations within the
Charlotte metro-area.

Actively seeking new franchisees, Hardee's will host an Executive
Roundtable on June 7 in Charlotte from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. to
share information about the benefits of owning a Hardee's restaurant
and specific opportunities in Charlotte. To attend the Roundtable or
schedule an individual meeting, please visit www.ckefranchise.com/Success
to complete the registration form.

"Hardee's is ranked among the highest quality and best tasting brands
in the burger segment and is recognized for our consistent track
record of sales growth and solid unit economics," said Ned Lyerly,
CKE's Executive Vice President of Global Franchise Development. "We
are excited to expand in the Charlotte area, and we're now looking for
experienced multi-unit operators to join the brand."

Qualified candidates should possess a minimum net worth of $1 million
and a minimum liquidity of $300,000. Franchisees can expect an
initial investment of $1.1 million, including the franchise fee.
Additional franchise information is available at www.ckefranchise.com.

"Our commitment at Hardee's to serve premium-quality, great-tasting
food is rivaled only by our commitment to the success of our
franchisees." continued Lyerly. Started in North Carolina in 1960,
Hardee's has been a local favorite for more than 50 years. Although
most people know Hardee's for its Made from Scratch Biscuits™, all
that changed in 2003 with the launch of the 100% Black Angus Beef
Thickburger® line. The sit-down-restaurant-quality Thickburgers
established Hardee's as a leader in the quick service industry in
quality and taste. Today, Hardee's forges ahead with an attractive
franchise centric business model featuring a strong brand heritage,
iconic memorable ads, an innovative menu, solid unit economics and
dual branding options with Red Burrito ©

About Hardee's

Celebrating more than 50 years in the quick-service industry, Hardee's
Food Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. of
Carpinteria, Calif. At of the end of fiscal 2012, the Company, through
its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,243 franchised or company-operated
restaurants in 42 states and in 25 countries, including 1,313 Carl's
Jr.® restaurants and 1,912 Hardee's restaurants. For more information,
or to find a Hardee's near you, go to Document20www.hardees.com.
Hardee's social media sites includewww.facebook.com/hardees, www.twitter.com/hardees
, and www.youtube.com/hardees.

Hitachi America, Ltd. Relocates to Larger Facility in Charlotte, NC

Hitachi America, Ltd., Industrial Components and Equipment Division,
today announced that it is relocating its Charlotte, NC facility to a
larger facility. While remaining in Charlotte, the new facility is
38,400 sq. ft., increasing the company's working space by 42%. The
larger facility is needed to accommodate projected growth in sales.
The company anticipates that the relocation will be completed by the
end of June 2012.

'Our customer base in the Americas is spread out, spanning from Canada
down to Argentina," said Charlie Takeuchi, Senior Director, Industrial
Components and Equipment Division, Hitachi America, Ltd. "Over the
past 10 years, our division's business has experienced double digit
growth on a year over year basis, and we are anticipating further
growth in the US manufacturing industry as well as in Latin America.
We had a demonstrated need to increase our capability to support and
satisfy the needs of our customers. In addition to moving into a
larger facility and increasing the size of our staff, we are also
installing product assembly and modification capabilities, which will
enable us to quickly and efficiently respond to the needs of our
customers in the Americas. In today's industrial business environment,
customers are looking for partners who can deliver products and
services at faster speeds than ever before. Being able to meet this
need is of primary importance to Hitachi."

Hitachi America, Ltd. opened its first facility in Charlotte in 2007.
The facility served as a Distribution Center for Hitachi's line of
Frequency Drives (inverters), Industrial Air Compressors and
industrial ink jet printers as well as facility for conducting hands-
on training for its sales force and customers. With larger space,
Hitachi will now have larger, better equipped classrooms in which to
conduct product training as well as additional storage and office
space to accommodate growth anticipated over the next 10 years.

About Hitachi

Hitachi America, Ltd., headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, a
subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies offer a
broad range of electronics, power and industrial equipment and
services, automotive products and consumer electronics with operations
throughout the Americas. For more information, visit www.hitachi-america.us
. For information on other Hitachi Group companies in the United
States, please visit www.hitachi.us

Hitachi America, Ltd., Industrial Components and Equipment Division
supplies a broad range of sophisticated electrical and electronic
components for application in pharmaceutical plants, food and beverage
processing plants, chemical plants and other manufacturing facilities.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a
leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000
employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated
revenues totaled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi will
focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes
information and telecommunication systems, power systems,
environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and
urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices
that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the
company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Merinos Home Furnishings to Open 2 New Buildings and 4 Additional Acres of Furniture on Memorial Day

Mooresville - Michael Bay bought the long-abandoned Burlington Mills
property on Mooresville's main street with one vision in mind: to
create one of the largest, most spectacular furniture stores in the
world, a center for furniture tourism in North Carolina that will
appeal to buyers nationally and internationally.

Bay opened the first phase of his Merinos Home Furnishings in May
2011. Soon, he will bring to life even more of his ambitious plan.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, Bay will open Phase 2 of Merinos,
with two new buildings and four additional acres of furniture, rugs
and furnishings for sale. Combined with Phase 1, Merinos will now
offer a total of seven acres of home decor in a picturesque
refurbished mill setting at 500 South Main Street in Mooresville.

As part of Phase 2, Boyles Furniture will open a 30,000-square-foot,
loft-style warehouse space in the Merinos complex. Their new store is
called Boyles Furniture Direct. New shipments will fill the Boyles
showroom over the next 60 days. "The combination of Boyles and Merinos
complements each other," says Bay. "We see this as bringing in experts
to supplement our own expertise in fine furniture."

Shoppers strolling the new phase of Merinos will see:
* An array of top brands, including Thomasville, Broyhill, Klaussner,
and many more at factory-direct prices, with a focus on furniture made
in the United States;

* New sections featuring children's furniture, office furniture, patio
furniture, and more;
* A 60,000-square-foot rug display room which will house "the largest
collection of rugs on the planet," says Bay, "including exquisite
pieces from Europe and Asia."

All this is set against the striking brick architecture of the old
mill, whose architectural details have been carefully preserved and,
in many cases, restored.

"We don't do anything half way," Bay says. "We want Merinos to offer
the largest assortment of beautifully crafted furniture available
anywhere. We've created Merinos to be a fun destination that visitors
to our area will make a point of seeing, along with the city's racing
shops and other attractions." The expansion of Merinos has generated
an additional 40 jobs at the complex.

Coming to Merinos in September: a 120-seat pizzeria with four wood-
fired brick ovens from Italy. The pizzeria will be located in the
mill's power plant building which once housed the boilers and steam
engines that generated heat and electricity for the mill.

Over time, Bay will open a section of the 27-acre complex with
artisans on site producing custom and designer furniture, with
observation galleries for viewing. He also plans a European Design
Center at Merinos devoted to helping European clients select furniture
and other pieces for shipment back home.

To find out more, visit www.merinosfurniture.com or call 704-660-0445.

Chinese manufacturing firm relocates to Charlotte

MaxTronic Technologies LLC, a Chinese-owned electronics design and
manufacturing company, recently relocated to a 10,000 sq. ft.
manufacturing facility at 10915 Downs Road in southwest Charlotte. The
company expects to double its current employee base from six to 12 in
the next 24 months.

MaxTronic specializes in commercial appliance controls and industrial
controls and sensors — particularly for applications involving
embedded microcontrollers and microprocessors. The company is involved
in all phases of product development, design, prototyping and
production. MaxTronic also specializes in membrane keypad and keyboard
manufacturing, cable and wiring harness and injection molding.

"Charlotte's excellent labor availability in engineering is one of the
main reasons I chose to relocate here," says Tak Chang, founder and
CEO of MaxTronic. "I can easily find talented people here. I also like
Charlotte's vibrant atmosphere. This is truly a great place to live
and work."

MaxTronic serves the needs of individual inventors and Fortune 500
firms. Customers include McDonald's, Yum! and many other brand name
fast food restaurants worldwide.

The Chamber assisted MaxTronic with its relocation to Charlotte,
including the identification of suitable buildings.

For more information on MaxTronic and job openings, please visit www.maxtronictech.com
.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Dale Ardizzone Promoted to Chief Operating Officer of The Inspiration Networks

Dale Ardizzone has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer – Networks
of The Inspiration Networks. The announcement was made today by David
Cerullo, CEO and Chairman. In his new position, Ardizzone will be
responsible for Worldwide Sales, Affiliate Distribution, Corporate
Communications & Research, Legal & Business Affairs, Risk Management,
Government Relations and Human Resources. He will also continue to
serve as Corporate Secretary to the Company's Board of Directors. He
previously served as EVP and General Counsel.

"Over the past eleven years, Dale has been an invaluable and trusted
member of our executive team," Cerullo explained. "As our General
Counsel, he has performed at an extraordinarily high level through
countless negotiations and business decisions. He has been integrally
involved in the development of our corporate strategies and possesses
a thorough grasp of today's evolving media environment. This promotion
is the recognition of his visionary leadership, unparalleled integrity
and outstanding business acumen."
Ardizzone joined the organization in 2001 as General Counsel and Vice
President of Business Affairs. In November 2002, he was promoted to
Executive Vice President. He also serves in other corporate
capacities, including as a Director for several of the Corporation's
wholly owned subsidiaries and as a liaison to the State and County
government offices.

Prior to joining Inspiration, Ardizzone spent eleven years
representing individuals and corporations in a variety of domestic and
international matters relating to litigation, mediation, regulatory
compliance, intellectual property/software licensing, contract
negotiations, and government affairs related matters.

Between 1997 and 2000 he held several positions in the legal
department of Glenayre Electronics, and before that was a litigator
with the Philadelphia law firm of Connor, Weber & Oberlies, where he
tried numerous cases to verdict at the State and Federal level

Ardizzone received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Sciences
degree from Radford University, and his law degree from Widener
University School of Law. He and his family reside in Charlotte, NC.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Community Blood Center of the Carolinas Expands to Hickory

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) today announced the
opening of its new donor center in Hickory, marking its fifth location
in the region. Located in the Valley Corners Shopping Center at 2217
Hwy 70 SE, the new Hickory Center is open three days per week –
Sundays through Tuesdays– with some evening appointments.

Hours of operation are: Sundays 7:30AM-5:00PM and Mondays
10:00AM-8:00PM. Tuesday hours will alternated weekly between an early
and late schedule on an ongoing basis: 7:30AM-5:00PM (5/15) and
10:00AM-8:00PM (5/22).

Donors can donate both whole blood and platelets at the Hickory
location, which will serve as the base for mobile blood collection and
the distribution point for the hospitals in the Hickory region. The
expanded mobile operations also enables area businesses, houses of
faith, organizations and schools to sponsor CBCC blood drives at their
respective location. To schedule an appointment to donate blood or
platelets at the Hickory Center or plan a blood drive, call
704-972-4700 or visit www.cbcc.us/donate.

"We are excited to bring the donors of this region the opportunity to
donate more consistently and also within their own community directly
supporting local hospitals and patients," said Martin Grable,
president and CEO of the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas.
"This is a state-of the-art of the facility and Hickory's first blood
distribution center that will play a major role in collecting blood
and saving local lives."

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas and the Catawba County
Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony and
grand opening celebration on Tuesday, June 19 at 10:30 a.m. The event
is open to the public and everyone is invited to come and visit CBCC's
new facility and learn how they can help save local lives.

As the primary blood supplier to 21 area hospitals, including Catawba
Valley Regional Medical Center, Frye Regional Medical Center,
Carolinas Medical Center-Lincoln, Grace Hospital and Valdese Hospital,
CBCC relies on local organizations and volunteer blood donors to help
provide the nearly 400 blood products needed each day to treat area
patients. CBCC operates four other donor centers regionally,
including: Charlotte (4447 South Blvd.); Concord (363 Church Street
North, Suite 170); Gastonia (2524 East Franklin Blvd, Suite E); and
Monroe (600 Hospital Drive in CMC-Union).

About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas
The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is a non-profit
community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to 21
regional hospitals, serving patients who live in 16 North Carolina and
three South Carolina counties. The mission of CBCC is to be the
steward of a community resource – life-saving blood and the vision is
to help build and strengthen the bonds of community. CBCC is strictly
a blood center, completely focused on gathering red blood cells,
platelets and plasma from volunteer donors to save local lives – every
drop of blood collected stays here to help people in the Carolinas.
The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas is a member of America's
Blood Centers, North America's largest network of community-based,
independent blood centers providing more than 50% of the nation's
blood supply.

Visit and bookmark CBCC's virtual press room today. Follow the
Community Blood center of the Carolinas on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BloodCenterand
on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBCCarolinas.

Alan Dexter named Charlotte Regional Partnership 2012-2013 chair

Alan G. Dexter, a partner in the Charlotte office of Parker Poe Adams
& Bernstein LLP, will chair the Partnership's board of directors;
first vice chair will be Russ Guerin, executive vice president -
business development & planning at Carolinas HealthCare System; Pete
Acker, president of Carolinas Medical Center-Lincoln will be second
vice chair; and Paul Snyder, president of customer service for
Goodrich, will serve as treasurer. As immediate past-chair, Brett
Carter, president of Duke Energy North Carolina, will remain a board
officer.

Ronnie Bryant, Charlotte Regional Partnership president & CEO, said he
looks forward to continuing to work with his leadership. "Their
personal backgrounds, coupled with years of Charlotte Regional
Partnership board and committee service, have given them a deep
understanding of the competitive environment in which we operate,"
Bryant said. "Each of our officers has demonstrated his commitment to
our region, and together they will provide the Partnership with
strong, capable direction, as we market the 16-county region as the
business location of choice."

A nonprofit, public/private economic development organization, the
Charlotte Regional Partnership leverages regional resources to market
the 16-county Charlotte region. The Partnership's business development
activities position Charlotte USA for sustained, long-term growth, job
creation and investment opportunities.

A nonprofit, public/private economic development organization, the
Charlotte Regional Partnership allocates and leverages regional
economic development resources to sustain and enhance the economic
growth, vitality and global competitiveness of the Charlotte region.
The 16-county region encompasses Alexander, Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba,
Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and
Union counties in North Carolina and Chester, Chesterfield, Lancaster
and York counties in South Carolina.
www.charlotteusa.com

McLaughlin Young Group's Moira LoCascio Selected to Serve on ELC Advisory Board

Moira LoCascio, CEO of McLaughlin Young Group (http://mygroup.com) has
been appointed to the Entrepreneurial Leadership Circle (ELC) Advisory
Board.

"I am very passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and look forward
to serving on this board," said LoCascio, who has been an active
member of the ELCsince 2010. "This is a great opportunity to help
continue the amazing work this organization is doing to foster
business leadership and impact Charlotte's entrepreneurial community."

About Entrepreneurial Leadership Circle
The Entrepreneurial Leadership Circle (ELC) is a group of
entrepreneurs who support the McColl School of Business at Queens
University of Charlotte, its leadership, students and faculty. Started
more than 20 years ago by Hugh L. McColl Jr., former chairman and CEO
of Bank of America, the ELC has grown to be the recognized leader in
fostering and rewarding entrepreneurship. The ELC provides more than
$30,000 in student entrepreneur scholarships annually and members also
mentor, provide leadership coaching, lecture in class and participate
in case studies.

About McLaughlin Young Group
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., McLaughlin Young
Group specializes in working with individuals, management and
organizations to address the issues affecting the health and
productivity of the workforce. Its services include leadership
development, an employee assistance program (EAP), and change
management improvement. It is currently contracted by organizations
ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies that rely on
them to support and develop the people impacting their bottom line.
McLaughlin Young's network includes almost 30,000 clinicians and
consultants spanning 150 countries. For more information, visit http://mygroup.com
or call 704-529-1428.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Ninety Tons Of Metal From Abandoned Mill at ReVenture Park™ To Be Recycled, Reused

An ambitious recycling initiative is now underway at ReVenture Park in
Charlotte. Crews are pulling out 180,000 pounds of metal - including
stainless steel and copper - from this once abandoned textile dye
manufacturing facility. Instead of going to waste, these metals will
be put back to use in traditional and non-traditional ways - all of
which are detailed below.

The visionaries behind ReVenture Park plan to recover an estimated 1.5
million pounds of metal from 15 shuttered industrial buildings located
on the 667-acre site. "We are working diligently to ensure as much of
it is sold and put back to work as possible," says Tom McKittrick,
President and Founder of Forsite Development. "In the first building
alone, we estimate we salvaged over 7,000 linear feet of two inch
stainless steel piping that we will use on other projects."

Most of the buildings also have extensive piping, racking, tanks, and
other processing equipment that will be harvested and recycled. Once
those spaces are cleared, the developers will renovate them into low
cost space for all types of innovative clean energy technologies and
companies.

Not only will the metals be reused and recycled for new industry,
ReVenture Park developers are working with UNC-Charlotte art students
on an innovative new beautification project. These creative students
will be transforming some of the salvaged material into metal
sculptures that will ultimately be displayed throughout the site. "We
are both honored and excited to tackle a project of this scope. We
will be crafting an explicit, tangible and, yes, beautiful expression
of the metamorphosis about to begin at ReVenture Park." Michael Haag
and Joseph Bondi, UNC- Charlotte art students (in photo).

The Environmental Protection Agency is also spotlighting ReVenture
Park for being a development site that reuses existing materials
rather than building from new materials. You can download the full
report at: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/pdf/martinmarrieta-success.pdf

As the developers of ReVenture Park, Forsite Development Inc. has
retained NELCO Recycling and Aggregate of Mooresville, NC to manage
the interior demolition and recycling of metals.

About ReVenture Park™
ReVenture Park is an ambitious plan to transform a 667 acre former
Superfund Site along the Catawba River in Charlotte, NC into the
region's largest Eco-Industrial Park. This project will create one of
the most dynamic and multi-faceted renewable energy developments
currently being developed in the United States. Featuring multiple
clean-energy projects, ReVenture Park will advance the Charlotte, NC
region's environmental goals and economic growth by attracting a
myriad of renewable energy and alternative fuel projects. For more
information: http://www.reventurepark.com

CM Black Completes Upgrade for Ben Mynatt Buick in Concord

CM Black Construction has recently completed an upgrade for the Ben
Mynatt Buick GMC dealership in Concord.

The project involved an interior renovation, as well as an external
façade upgrade. Also included in the retrofit were new interior
finishes, custom aluminum composite wall panels, a new car canopy,
freestanding GM tower accenting the main entry, and several other
enhancements to the overall design.

CM Black was able to complete the project without hindering the use of
the majority of the existing facility. Justin Black, Project Manager
for CM Black, states, "The Mynatt team was amazing in conveying their
constraints and needs to us. They understand the importance of both
teams working together to meet the same goal".

Ben Mynatt Buick owner, Cyndie Mynatt, explains, "From an owner's
perspective, we couldn't have asked for a better experience than we
had with CM Black. Their attention to detail made me comfortable that
little things weren't being overlooked. Whenever decisions had to be
made, they always gave me great advice, so I knew I was making
informed, cost-effective choices".

Black adds, "Being that Mynatt is a family-owned company, I see many
familiarities in the ways we approach business. Providing the best
service to their customers is their top priority, and the upgraded
facility was designed to help ensure they continue to provide that
high quality service."

Ben Mynatt Buick GMC is located at 289 Concord Parkway South in Concord.

About CM Black Construction
Founded in 1950, CM Black is an independent, family-owned, LEED
accredited, general contractor for commercial, industrial, and
institutional projects in and around the Concord, N.C. region. CM
Black provides all of the services needed to complete any commercial
project, including pre-construction, general construction, negotiated
construction, design/build, and bidding construction. The company is
bonded and licensed as an unlimited contractor. For more information,
visit www.cmblack.com or call 704-788-4438.

Massage Envy Spa Receives 2012 Best of the Best (BOB) Award from Charlotte Magazine

Massage Envy Spa, a provider of professional, convenient and
affordable therapeutic massage and skin facials, has been recognized
byCharlotte magazine as the Best of the Best (BOB) for massage in the
Charlotte, NC area as voted by readers.

Since 1997, Charlotte magazine has dedicated its May issue to the Best
of the Best, or BOBs, as they recognize the city's finest in food and
drink, nightlife, entertainment, shopping, mind and body and more.
BOB Award winners will not only be highlighted in this month's
magazine, but also at their annual awards event at NC Music Factory on
Thursday, May 17th.

"We want everyone who walks through any of our spas to have a
fantastic experience and leave feeling better than when they arrived,"
said Jim Fitzsimmons, regional developer for Massage Envy. "To
receive the most votes in the category of massage is a great honor and
validation that Massage Envy provides exceptional therapeutic service,
which our customers love. We are extremely grateful to receive this
BOB Award and thank the community for all of their votes that earned
us this outstanding recognition."

With 14 Charlotte area locations, Massage Envy Spa offers the most
convenient massage options, including trigger point, Swedish, deep
tissue, sports, reflexology, cranial sacral, hot stone, chair,
prenatal and geriatric, in addition to several ways to customize the
massages even further through aromatherapy or deep heat relief muscle
therapy. The benefits of regular massage provide numerous health
benefits, such as stress relief, posture improvement, blood
circulation improvement, lower blood pressure, pain management and
muscle relaxation, to name a few.

All 14 locations also feature Murad Healthy Skin Facials using
products from the Murad skincare line, which are designed to repair
cell membranes while attracting water and nutrients to the cells.

For more information, please visit www.MassageEnvyCLT.com

Charlotte Inventor to Exhibit at INPEX Invention Trade Show

InventHelp's INPEX, America's Largest Invention Trade Show, announces
that Kristi Gregory from Charlotte has invented a three-piece set of
decorative bath product dispensers. This invention will be exhibited
at INPEX 2012, June 13-15, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The "Shower Niche Kit™ takes a shower or bath from cluttered to classy
with equal parts function and elegance. The bottles are produced in
heavy-grade, shatterproof plastic, yet giving the appearance of
glass. The shaving can sleeve has the added benefit of eliminating
rust.

The Shower Niche Kit™ is comprised of a three-piece set of decorative
bottles that hold 20 oz. of product. The kit is available in two
designs: Modern Greek or Elegant Vine. Elegant initials are embossed
on the bottles to reference shampoo or conditioner and a shaving cream
can snaps into place for secure fit. For more information, please
visit www.showernichekit.com.

The inventor thought of her idea after a remodeling project. "After a
bathroom remodel of my 20-year old bath, I had a beautiful glass
enclosed shower and I hated looking at the store-bought shampoo/
conditioner bottles and a shaving can," said Gregory. "I created this
bath accessory because I wanted something beautiful to take the place
of the store-bought containers."

Gregory is exhibiting at INPEX® with the hopes of finding a venture
capitalist, licensee, or marketer.

INPEX, The Invention Show, is a unique trade show that showcases new
products and innovations that are available to business and industry
to manufacture, license or distribute. As part of the trade show, The
Invention Show sponsors INPEX Inventors University™, a series of
seminars, presentations, and panel discussions to provide information
that inventors may find useful in pursuing their ideas. This year,
INPEX is proud to announce Kevin Harrington, of ABC's Hit Show, Shark
Tank, as the 2012 keynote speaker.

INPEX® is a service of InventHelp®, America's largest invention
submission company. For more information about this inventor or
INPEX®, call 888-54-INPEX or visit www.inpex.com.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

T.R. Lawing Realty Property Managers Earn Top National Real Estate Recognition

Three property managers at T.R. Lawing have earned the highest
designation available from the Institute of Real Estate Management
(IREM®). The Certified Property Manager (CPM®) title was conferred
upon Brenda Armstrong, Sallie Myrick and Kori Wing last month at a
local IREM meeting. (Photo shows Left to Right Brenda Anderson, Kori
Wing and Sallie Myrick)

The CPM is recognized as the highest level of coursework for real
estate managers, making its honorees experts on all aspects of
property management including industry trends and issues. They must
meet stringent standards in the areas of education, examination,
management plan, ethics and experience.
It is the only real estate management credential covering all asset
classes: residential, commercial, retail, and industrial.

"What makes the CPM coursework so demanding is that the students are
learning asset management, rather than just facilities management,"
explains Nellie Donovan, Marketing Analysis Manager, Institute of Real
Estate Management.

"It is extremely comprehensive on the financial side, and our
members are held to a code of ethics, so when a property manager earns
their CPM, their clients can be sure the property managers they are
working with are the very best in the business," she adds.

There are an estimated 350,000 property managers in the Unites States
according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of these a mere 2% or
7,500 have earned the CPM designation.

The CPM imparts the recipient with credibility, respect, and industry
recognition. Approximately 70% of those who earn the CPM designation
hold the highest management positions over those without the
designation.

T.R. Lawing's new CPMs are:
Brenda Armstrong, a Realtor®/Broker with more than 12 years of
experience in real estate sales and property management. She is the
Property Manager & Broker in Charge of the Birkdale/Lake Norman office
for T.R. Lawing Realty, Inc. Since joining the company in February
2005, she has been an active volunteer and has served in vital
leadership roles with the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and
the Housing Opportunity Foundation. Brenda is a graduate of the
Foundation's Workforce Housing Certificate Program and the
association's 2007 Leadership Development Program. She carries GRI
(Graduate Realtors Institute) and SFR (Short Sale and Foreclosure
Resource) designations.

Sallie Myrick has been a professional residential property manager
with T.R. Lawing Realty for six years and has managed single family,
multifamily complexes and condominium associations for more than ten
years in the Charlotte market. She currently holds North Carolina and
South Carolina Real Estate Broker licenses. Professional designations
include membership in local, state and the national Realtor
Associations and holder of the e-PRO designation awarded by the
National Association of Realtors.


Kori Wing started her real estate career as a sales agent specializing
in equestrian estates and land in the Charlotte Metro area. After two
years as a salesperson, Wing joined TR Lawing Realty, Inc. and has
been with the company for more than six years. Her current portfolio
consists of a variety of single family homes, condominiums, and office
condominium associations in the Charlotte area. Wing said the CPM
classes offered her the opportunity to speak with a number of property
manager from across the country. "I realized how fortunate we are in
Charlotte. We still have companies moving into and thriving in the
area, which makes our rental portfolio remain strong."

T.R. Lawing Realty is a full service property management company,
based in Charlotte, N.C., serving Mecklenburg and the surrounding
counties. A family-owned company, T.R. Lawing has specialized in
managing and leasing rental homes in Charlotte and beyond for more
than 50 years. The company serves individual owners and renters from
its Charlotte offices in Elizabeth, Birkdale/Lake Norman and
Providence/485. To learn more, go to: www.trlawing.com.

Charlotte Exec Hired by BeneTrac as Regional Sales Director

BeneTrac, a Paychex company and provider of powerful, web-based
electronic enrollment and employee benefits administration software,
has announced it has hired Heather Romero as regional sales director
for North and South Carolina and Aneta Babamov as regional sales
director for Florida.

Based in Charlotte, Romero draws on almost 15 years of experience in
the group insurance and employee benefits industry. Her broad
understanding comes from time spent on the brokerage side as well as
from working at medical and ancillary carriers. Some of her previous
employers include Aetna, Gallagher and Assurant Employee Benefits.
Most recently, she worked as an independent consultant to regional
brokers. Romero has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a
minor in chemistry from Radford University, as well as her North
Carolina Life and Health License. In addition to her involvement in
several industry-affiliated groups, she is also active in community
initiatives in Charlotte.

Based in Tampa, Babamov brings 14 years experience of working with
carriers, brokers, human resources professionals, and others at
SunLife, Aetna and UnitedHealthcare, where she was vice president of
small business specialty sales for the central region. She holds a
Florida Life, Health and Variable Annuities license. Babamov is a
member of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce as well as the Tampa Bay
Association of Health Underwriters. Aneta studied at the University of
Phoenix. Additionally, she is fluent inMacedonian.

"We are proud to welcome two such talented performers to BeneTrac.
Both Heather and Aneta draw on successful careers and bring extensive
benefits knowledge with them to their new positions. At BeneTrac, we
place a heavy emphasis on a sales force that understands our broker
marketplace and the complexity of benefitplan designs and offerings
overall. Evolving healthcare reform laws, a market focus on
streamlining internal return on investments and the growth of emerging
benefits options have prompted BeneTrac's recent rapid expansion.
Heather and Aneta will be valuable assets to their communities and
further the BeneTracbrand in local markets," said Summer Hamilton,
vice president of sales for the benefit management technology company.

Romero and Babamov will consult with brokers, carriers, human
resources professionals, and benefits administrators. They will help
new BeneTrac customers migrate from traditional paper-laden or other
less-automated systems to BeneTrac's robust employee benefits
management technology.

BeneTrac currently works with thousands of brokers and over 500
carriers and data partners to help organizations manage benefits for
close to a million members throughout the United States. Its software
helps HR professionals more efficiently manage benefits online with
automatic electronic transfers of employee benefit elections and
eligibility information via a single, customized portal.

About BeneTrac
BeneTrac, a Paychex company, is a provider of powerful, web-based
electronic enrollment and employee benefits administration software.
The company's online benefits management technology enables employers
and human resources professionals to eliminate paperwork and automate
management of their complete benefits packages through a single,
customized portal. BeneTrac's one-stop-shop platform for automatically
adding, updating and managing information, and exchanging data with
providers, capitalizes on relationships with more than 500 carriers
and data partners. The technology offers a robust, affordable, user-
friendly system that simplifies benefits administration. A pioneer in
online benefits management, BeneTrac was founded in 1999. It was
acquired in September 2007 by Paychex, Inc., a recognized leader in
the payroll and human resource services industry. Its customers range
in size from 50 to 12,500 employees.

For more information, please visit www.benetrac.com.