Business Buzz: 7/31/20

July 31, 2020

The Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore is kicking off their 9th annual Restore ReUse contest starting  August 1st! This contest encourages Ashevilians to show off their creativity in repurposing or renovating, furniture transformation, homesteading, and more by using predominantly reused building materials in their creation. Guidelines, entry categories, and more can be found on their website. Happy crafting!

  • Radius Chiropractic celebrated their second birthday this week! Radius Chiropractic opened their doors to the greater Asheville area in 2018, and have quickly become a staple in the wellness community. As the celebrate, they would like to thank community members for their support and the opportunity to serve WNC through principled chiropractic care.
  • August marks LandrumHR’s 50th anniversary! The company was founded by H. Britt Landrum, Jr. in 1970 as a personnel placement company, which quickly became the largest provider of staffing services in Northwest Florida. Several years later, he expanded into employee leasing and the Professional Employer Organization space. The company has grown organically and through acquisition and is now a nationwide human capital service provider that serves more than 1,800 businesses in 49 states. Congrats, LandrumHR!

Community

  • Mars Hill University announced this week, in conjunction with the South Atlantic Conference, a delay in fall sports due to COVID-19. The SAC Presidents Council decided to delay all scheduled competition for the 2020 fall sports season until September 26th. This will affect the following Mars Hill Sports: men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball, which will only be allowed to compete against other SAC teams. Read more about the decision in the SAC news release.
  • As the state’s largest provider of licensed school-age childcare, the YMCA of Western North Carolina is enhancing its childcare programs to meet the needs of working parents as area schools reopen under Plan B and Plan C.  Starting Aug. 17, the Y will offer childcare options for the state’s Plan B (in-person and remote) and Plan C (fully remote). As always, the programs are affordable and accessible to all.
  • The Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont and Western NC is warning consumers about a series of scam phone calls that have been flooding the Western North Carolina region. According to a voicemail left for an Asheville resident, the message is coming from the Department of Social Security Administration (SSA). In the voicemail, the SSA imposter says that the consumer’s Social Security number has been suspended due to suspicious activity in a different state. Remember, the SSA will never call you asking for your Social Security number. They will never ask you to pay anything, nor will they threaten your benefits.

Education 

  • The College of Business at Western Carolina University is seeking business and organizational clients for their senior Business Capstone Course.  The course trains students to conduct business, industry, and market research to provide selected clients with research-based, strategic plans, and recommendations for improving the profitability or sustainability of their organization.   There is no cost to the client company! To apply for the Fall 2020 semester, click here.
  • Mars Hill University will begin the fall 2020 semester on August 17 with remote instruction before resuming in-person classes on September 8. The university already has altered the structure of the 2020-21 academic year, adjusting start and end dates for the fall and spring semesters, dividing the semesters into two blocks of learning to provide for smaller classes and better social distancing, and adding an online “J-term” in January before the later start of the spring semester.

Just For Fun 

  • For the ninth consecutive year, the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore is encouraging residents to show off their creativity and talent for a chance to win in the ReStore ReUse Contest. Home or work space renovation, furniture transformation, or a homesteading addition…if you recently took on a DIY project like this using predominantly reused building materials, the Habitat ReStore wants to know. Also included is a Youth Category for the young DIYers of Asheville. The contest runs August 1 to September 30, and entries must be submitted electronically. Guidelines and entry form are available on ashevillehabitat.org.

Opening 

  • Majik Studios is reopening for studio art classes starting August 1st! Class sizes and time frames will be limited to protect both students and teachers. They have also implemented a number of comprehensive safety procedures including offering masks and PPE (which will be mandatory), socially distanced tables, a new HEPA air purification system, and requiring their teachers to become certified in proper cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting procedures through Count On Me NC.

Opportunity 

  • Friday Staffing Services wants to match their clients to their perfect job. They have immediate openings for positions this week in Etowah, Arden, East Asheville, Weaverville, and more. No experience is necessary for many positions – just come with resume in hand. Remote interviews are also available. Visit their website to browse postings and apply.
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific in Asheville is growing! They are searching for Manufacturing Assemblers, Brazers, Product Handlers, Machine Operators & more on 2nd and 3rd Shifts. Register online to interview during their Virtual Job Career on Saturday, Aug 8th between 10:00AM-1:00PM
  • United Federal Credit Union is searching for their next Member Service Advisor position! United is a place where you can discover how to grow professionally and lead with positivity. They value working as a team that understands, supports and provides opportunities for every level of employment. Head to their Careers page to apply.

Press 

  • Congratulations to Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours founder Kaye Bentley for her feature in AARP! She was featured on their Encore Entrepreneur Corner; in her profile, she shares her journey to becoming a first-time entrepreneur, how she taught herself the business ropes by reading books and watching videos, and built Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours into the community experience it is today. Read the full feature here!