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
.

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.

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