LKQ Corporation invests in Charlotte

Chicago-based LKQ Corporation, the largest nationwide provider of
aftermarket and recycled collision replacement parts for automobiles
and trucks, has established a major distribution center in Charlotte.

LKQ recently leased the former FedEx facility at 1001 Carrier Drive
off I-85 in north Charlotte. The 156,000 sq. ft. complex consists of
shop, office and terminal buildings on 52 acres and will serve as the
company's base of operations for the Carolinas. Bill Mowry of Prime
Equities represented LKQ during lease negotiations. Lester Osborn of
Piedmont Properties represented the landlord.

LKQ's Charlotte operation continues the publicly traded company's
expansion throughout North and Central America. Including its
operations in the United Kingdom, LKQ operates over 440 facilities and
expects to hire locally in line with the Charlotte center's growth.

"We are very excited about our recent expansion in the Charlotte
market with the addition of our new warehouse," says Joe Boutross,
LKQ's Director of Investor Relations. "This new facility will allow us
to increase our product offerings to our customers in the Charlotte
metropolitan area while simultaneously expanding our team of employees
to support our growth strategy. It's a win-win for LKQ, Charlotte and
our customers."

The Charlotte Chamber worked with LKQ Corporation in the fall of 2011
as the company evaluated Charlotte.

For more information on LKQ Corporation, please visit www.lkqcorp.com.

FedEx Ground Honors Local Employee with Prestigious Recognition

Jeff Gates, service manager at FedEx Ground in Charlotte, N.C., was
recently honored by the company as a Purple Promise Award winner. Of
the more than 59,000 employees in the FedEx Ground and FedEx SmartPost
network, Jeff was among 21 recognized for far exceeding the
expectations of their job responsibilities to ensure an outstanding
customer experience.

"With admiration and respect, we're proud to recognize the outstanding
efforts and compassionate acts of our employees," said Dave Rebholz,
president & CEO, FedEx Ground. "Employees who understand the
importance of each and every customer experience not only ensure our
company's continued success but truly represent the foundation from
which it was built."

Mark Kramer Promoted to EVP at The Inspiration Networks

Mark Kramer has been promoted to the Executive Vice President, Media
Operations and Technology Services as announced today by David
Cerullo, CEO of The Inspiration Networks. In this position, Kramer
will continue to fulfill his role as President of MediaComm, with
expanded oversight of network operations.

"Mark has a proven track record of outstanding management,
particularly in all phases of media production," said Cerullo. "His
experience and insights have helped shape the overall operations for
our family of networks. His commitment to excellence has been
demonstrated through hundreds of projects for our organization, as
well as for clients served by our MediaComm subsidiary.
Before joining Inspiration/MediaComm, Kramer worked in Hollywood for
Castle Rock Entertainment coordinating various marketing activities
for "Seinfeld," "City Slickers," "When Harry Met Sally," "Misery" and
"A Few Good Men." Additionally, he worked with the "Tonight Show,"
"Oprah," the Academy Awards, "Entertainment Tonight" and the Emmys.

Kramer began his career in the broadcasting and entertainment industry
in Hollywood, where his first big break came in assisting Ralph
Edwards, the Executive Producer of "The People's Court," "This Is Your
Life," "Truth or Consequences" and "Name That Tune." His career
highlights include working with long-time idols Mel Brooks, Carl
Reiner and Carol Burnett.

Kramer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from
Appalachian State. He also attended the University of South Florida.
Kramer and his family will continue to reside in Charlotte, NC.

The Inspiration Networks family of networks includes INSP, Halogen TV,
LFC-La Familia Cosmovision, and INI-Inspiration Network
International. The Inspiration Networks also operate "Halogen On
Demand," for national television video on demand (VOD) delivery.

New “Green” Solvent for InChem Phenoxy Resin Invented by Belgian Chemical Company Galactic

Galactic, a leading "green" chemical company in Belgium, has announced
that its new natural-based solvent Galasolv NF has been proven
effective in dissolving phenoxy, a versatile resin manufactured
exclusively by InChem Corp. of Rock Hill, S.C.

"We are very pleased that for the first time there is a natural-based
non-toxic solvent for phenoxy," said Steve Crownshaw, President of
InChem. "Until now only strong petroleum-based chemicals could serve
as effective solvents. This new solution opens the door to many
applications such as safer forms of paints, coatings, inks and
varnishes that will be environmentally friendly."

"Galasolv NF is a new biosolvent blend that has been developed to
offer better safety, especially in term of storage and
transportation," said Guy Bauts, Market Development Manager – Industry
for Galactic. "All our products are derived from lactic acid, produced
by natural fermentation of sugar and corn glucose. 'NF' stands for non-
flammable. This enables our clients to reduce their storage and
handling costs significantly with no impact on high product
performance."

"Phenoxy resins are tough, clear and flexible thermoplastic chemicals
with high cohesive strength and good impact resistance," Crownshaw
explained. "Phenoxy resins are used to enhance the performance of
coatings, inks, adhesives, composites, tires, carbon fibers and many
other products. New uses are being discovered all the time, and the
Galasolv NF solvent is an excellent example."

As a solvent for phenoxy, Galasolv NF has four main benefits, Bauts
explained:

"(1) It is safe - totally safe for end-users and for workers.

"(2) It is green - made from renewable sources (corn and sugar) and
bio-degradable.

"(3) It is high performing - the performance of Galasolv NF is in line
or better than its alternatives.

"(4) It is cost effective - the costs of our solutions are in line
with the conventional crude-oil based alternatives. And when
considering total cost of usage (including recycling, storage and
handling), then it is even more cost-effective."

Example of solvents that can be easily replaced with Galasolv NF
include:

-Glycol ethers, glycol ether acetates

-Cresols

-Cyclohexanone

"Too many solvents today are hazardous and a threat to our
environments," Bauts said. "By using Galasolv NF, industries can
benefit from the latest innovations from the green chemicals research
field."

InChem Corporation is one of America's largest privately-owned
chemical companies, with annual sales over $150 million. It is the
sole authorized manufacturer of phenoxy resin. Its other custom and
standard chemical formulating and processing services are provided to
the world's largest chemical companies and other manufacturers. For
more information, visit www.inchemcorp.com or www.phenoxy.com.

Galactic is a leading producer of lactic acid and lactates serving the
food, feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and industrial markets. With
headquarters in Belgium and production facilities in Europe (Belgium),
Asia (China) and America (USA), Galactic is commercially active in
more than 65 countries. Galactic offers innovative solutions in a wide
range of applications, with a focus on natural food ingredients, green
chemistry and PLA through Futerro, a joint-venture with Total
Petrochemicals. For more information, visit www.lactic.com.

DR Congo Officials Join African Delegation for Charlotte Africa Business Week

It is not impossible to do business in DR Congo. It is only that firms
cannot see the "possible" paths to do so. The Democratic Republic of
Congo is expected to grow at 6% in 2012, far outpacing growth in
Western markets, according to the IMF. It is a country rich in
minerals, land, and water, as well as possessing a consumer market in
excess of 70 million. Charlotte Africa Business Week strives to
demystify this French-speaking country to attendees to promote
business opportunities benefitting both foreign firms and local DRC
firms.
"People are often surprised at the growth rate in DR Congo because of
the focus in the media on the conflict minerals and issues with
militias in a small region there," says Lauri Elliott, Director of
Afribiz Media, "If people looked at a map and appropriate scale of DR
Congo, they would begin to understand this accounts for a small
portion of the country."

DR Congo is a post-conflict country not unlike Sierra Leone, which has
made tremendous progress in the last five years. "The key to unlocking
business opportunities for firms is for them to understand the ways to
do business there," says Elliott. "It is not impossible to do business
in DR Congo. It is only that firms cannot see the 'possible' paths to
do so."

A special focus session on doing business in DR Congo is scheduled for
Doing Business in Fast-Growing Africa: A Focus on Regional Markets and
Economic Hubs on Friday, April 27, 2012 in Charlotte, NC. The DR Congo
delegation is being led by Kabala Muselemu, Deputy Manager of the DR
Congo Ministry of Mines, and Ambassador Jules Mbungu, DRC ambassador
to Libya.
The business representation among the DR Congo delegation includes
Claude Ibalanky, CEO of Bantu Investments, who has successfully
franchised Nando's restaurants (a global brand from South Africa and
also franchised in the US) in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo.
Ibalanky will share how to transform the large informal, cash market
in DR Congo into a profitable retail market from his own experience.

For further information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.afribiz.info/content/doing-business-in-fast-growing-africa-a-focus-on-regional-markets-and-economic-hubs
.

For further information on Charlotte Africa Business Week, visit http://www.charlotteafrica.com
.

Asian advisory firm opens Charlotte office

Dezan Shira & Associates, one of the largest business advisory firms
in Asia, has established a U.S. presence by co-locating in Elliott
Davis, PLLC's Charlotte office on East Morehead Street.

Elliott Davis, one of the largest tax, assurance and consulting
services firms in the Southeast, and Dezan Shira are members of The
Leading Edge Alliance, a worldwide association of independently owned
accounting firms. It is this affiliation that drove Dezan Shira's
expansion in Charlotte where it currently has one representative,
Jessica Tou. The firm says additional hiring is possible.

Elliott Davis' International Practice will work closely with Dezan
Shira to bring both inbound investment to the Carolinas and outbound
investment to Asia. Dezan Shira, which assists foreign multinationals
entering into markets, selected Charlotte as its first American office
to tap into the city's financial and manufacturing sectors. The firm
also lauds the region for its trade accessibility with China and other
Asian countries.

Together, Dezan Shira and Elliott Davis will provide a unique service
solution to global clients providing exceptional due diligence in both
markets and working to bring American products to China, where a
growing middle class is demanding them.

"The U.S. just recorded its highest level of exports to China - $100
billion last year. This demonstrates that China is now becoming a
sustainable and increasing consumer market for U.S. products and
services. We hope to help American firms export more to Asia and
narrow the trade gap. Elliott Davis provides us a great platform from
which to reach out to the U.S. market and assist American firms in
getting to Asia," said Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Principal of Dezan Shira.

CPCC's Institute for Entrepreneurship Offers free Seminars in April

CPCC's Institute for Entrepreneurship to offer three, free seminars
the week of April 23. The Institute for Entrepreneurship at Central
Piedmont Community College announces three, free seminars for the week
of April 16:

Monday, April 23 (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.) at Charlotte, N.C.
Top Seven Reasons Why Businesses Fail SBX-8043-501
Statistics indicate that 30 percent of small business startups close
in their first year and 50 percent close within five years. Beat the
odds, and learn how to avoid repeating costly mistakes others have
made. Understand typical problems that result in failure so you can
devise and execute a plan for success.

Tuesday, April 24 (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.) at Charlotte, N.C.
Business in the Cloud SBX-8039-501
Are you a business owner seeking a quick and cost-effective solution
to meet your small business computing needs? Learn about the
capabilities of cloud computing and begin to rethink your current
technology strategy. Moving to the cloud offers many business
advantages - increased agility, interconnectivity and technology
savings potential.

Thursday, April 26 (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.) at Charlotte, N.C.
Entrepreneurship: A Female Perspective SBX-8042-501
Being an entrepreneur is often a juggling act, especially while
balancing work with family and social life. For women, these
challenges may be even greater. This workshop will explore issues
unique to women business owners, while helping you discover key
resources for helping you succeed. Takeaways from the session include
resource information, a renewed sense of empowerment and the
opportunity to meet other women in business.

To register, visit www.cpcc.edu/einstitute<http://www.cpcc.edu/einstitute
> and/or call 704.330.4223.