Major Manufacturer Announces $47 Million Expansion In Charlotte Region

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Global manufacturing giant WestRock has just announced plans to spend $47 million on a massive expansion in Catawba County, just north of Charlotte.

The company will be adding 285,000 square feet onto their manufacturing plant in Claremont, NC, which currently manufactures food, foodservice, and beverage packaging. The expansion will be adding 50 new jobs to the region with an average wage of $48,422 per year (higher than Catawba County’s average wage of $43,920).

“North Carolina has proven, yet again, to be the top choice for growing companies,” said Governor Cooper. “Global manufacturers count on a strong workforce to help them meet their growth projections, and we’re pleased with Westrock’s choice of North Carolina’s stable economy, resilient people and premier location.”

In total, the WestRock Company has over 50,000 employees and more than 300 locations worldwide.

Cabarrus Fair Partnering With Queen Charlotte Fair To Hold Massive Fall Festival

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The Cabarrus County Fair is back in a larger new location with a powerful new partner.

Cabarrus officials partnered with the Queen Charlotte Fair to plan a sprawling regional fall fair at the Route 29 Pavilion in Concord (5650 Sandusky Blvd., Concord, NC).

This year’s event will highlight local vendors for all aspects of the fair, including a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, carnival rides, live music, and all the fried fair food you can eat.

Gates will open Thursday, October 21 at 4pm. Ticket prices for this season’s event will be $8 online and $10 at the gate. Kids ages 6-12 will be $5 online and at the gate. Kids 5 and under are free.

You can find out more information or buy your tickets here.

Mooresville’s Aliño Named The Best Pizzeria in Our State

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Looking for your next great pizza obsession in North Carolina? You can find it at Aliño Pizzeria, according to a new story from Delish.com.

In “The Pizzeria Everyone is Obsessed with In Your State,” Delish names Aliño at Merino Mill in Mooresville, about 40 minutes from Charlotte, as North Carolina’s leading choice for your pizza needs.

The story highlights Foursquare’s top-rated pizzerias in each state.  One Foursquare user proclaimed Aliño “the most authentic pizza I’ve had in NC.”

Aliño Pizzeria has become a mainstay on Mooresville’s Main Street following its opening in 2015, known for Neapolitan pizzas made from the best ingredients. Aliño previously won Normy Awards for best pizza and best family restaurant.  Normy Awards honor Lake-Norman area businesses.

Pizzas at Aliño range from the Margherita, with fresh buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, garlic and basil, to the Personalizzare, resplendent with artichokes, cremini mushrooms, sweet peppers, spicy peppers, caramelized cipolline onions, cherry tomatoes, spicy salami, pepperoni, ham, and sausage.

Aliño’s sister restaurant, The Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden, recently received a national shout-out in MSN.com for the state’s best cheeseburger.

Michal Bay, who owns both restaurants, is known for serving the community.  Aliño previously three hosted Appreciation Days in 2020, giving away nearly 7,000 pizzas over the three days to healthcare workers, first responders and others who serve the community.

Bay also developed Merino Mill, a former mill complex now renovated and home to a variety of businesses, an antiques mall, a farmers’ market and more.

Aliño Pizzeria is located at 500 S. Main Street in Mooresville, with a second location at Concord Mills.

Finding the Best Church Chairs for Your New Church

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What’s one thing that’s common in almost every church in the world? Church chairs or pews offer comfortable seating options for all members of a congregation. Chairs for the church are in style, and over 80% of churches are starting to use chairs rather than pews.

Why?

Church chair prices are more affordable, but they’re also easier to replace than pews. Most pews are custom-made, so there’s a long wait time between ordering and receiving the final product.

Also, if a pew breaks, there’s no easy way to replace them. Modern church chairs are simple to swap out and replace. If a single pew breaks, multiple members of the congregation lose their seats.

However, if a single chair breaks, one seat is lost and is very easy to replace.

If your church has settled on purchasing church chairs, it’s time to learn how to actually choose chairs to purchase. There are numerous options available, so learn the types of chairs and what to look for when purchasing is a necessity.

How to Find the Best Affordable Church Chairs

You want to purchase wholesale church chairs, but where do you even begin? That’s a question that a lot of churches have, and the answer isn’t easy. So, what we recommend is that you begin with a full understanding of the types of chairs available:

  •         Standard: Many churches have standard chairs that interlock to keep the chairs in place and provide a uniform look much like a church pew would offer. Padded and comfortable, these chairs are easy to replace and can be swapped out individually.
  •         Event: If a church offers baptisms, weddings or other planned events, these chairs are best. These chairs should stack and provide more durability than folding chairs. However, in recent years, there have been a lot of folding event chairs introduced that maintain a high level of comfort and quality.
  •         Meeting: Many churches hold meetings with local leaders or members of the church. Folding and stacking chairs also work well for meetings because they’re easy to bring into and out of rooms.
  •         Sunday school: Churches that hold Sunday school will want to purchase Sunday school chairs. These chairs are smaller, designed for children, so they’re a necessity for kids. However, many churches will opt for plastic chairs for Sunday school because they’re cheaper and more affordable.

If you know where to buy church chairs locally, you’ll want to inquire about all of their chair options. Keep the many types of chairs in mind when making your purchase because you’ll likely need a combination of all of them.

Plus, you may be able to snag a bulk discount if you consider all the chairs you need.

For example, let’s assume that you need 100 standard chairs. Bulk discounts may be available for just 100 chairs, but add in 50 event chairs, 10 meeting chairs and 40 Sunday school chairs, and you really need 200 chairs.

Sellers are more likely to offer discounts if you buy 200 chairs instead of 100.

What to Consider When Finding the Best Church Chairs

A few of the things to consider when choosing the best church chairs include:

  •         Type: We outlined the different types of chairs above, but genuinely sit down and write down the multiple chair options you may need.
  •         Frame: What type of frame would you like? Wood, metal or plastic? Metal and wood are long-lasting and will offer the best durability. Plastic frames have a higher risk of breakage.
  •         Bulk pricing: The pricing will be a major issue. If you choose to purchase all of your chairs at once, you’ll want to determine whether discounts are available. The worst-case scenario is that there isn’t a discount available, but most manufacturers will offer some type of discount for big purchases.
  •         Stackable and foldable: Chairs offer a wide variety of possibilities, and their ability to stack or fold will expand these possibilities. Consider both options based on your ability to store the chairs.

Once you find a good church chair supplier, you should discuss all of your concerns with the suppliers. The church supplier will be the most knowledgeable on the different types of chairs to choose from, and they can alert you to great chair options that you didn’t know about.

Photo: https://unsplash.com/photos/WNVnnHHcBeM  

How to Use Negative Reviews to Your Advantage

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If you decide to place reviews on your website, you should prepare to see not only positive reviews but negative reviews as well. Even if you work perfectly, there can be one unsatisfied client who will place a negative comment with great pleasure.

Though it is impossible to get only positive reviews, many companies are afraid of their brand reputation and awareness, therefore they simply delete negative reviews or do not implement reviews at all.

You may be surprised if we say that negative comments can be useful for your business. Let’s sort out what benefits it is possible to get from them.

Influence on Positive Comments

Negative reviews make positive reviews look more authentic. Bad reviews can be a positive light that is shed on positive reviews. If your brand will show your reviews both bad and good, you will confirm that there is nothing to hide. Let’s sort it out as an example. We can imagine you want to watch the rating of a particular essay writer of an online writing company. If you see this essay writer has both bad and good reviews, you will trust this info as this looks like the truth. Doubts can arise if this essay writer has only positive reviews. Therefore, we can conclude that customers tend to trust those companies that have negative and positive feedback.

Negative Reviews as a Way to Make Proper Purchase Decision

Bad comments can not just increase customer trust in your brand. They can provide a real picture of what these customers should expect from your products and services. Many clients leave bad reviews not because the product was bad. This product simply didn’t meet expectations.

For instance, you purchased a T-shirt from an online clothing store and later found out this T-shirt was small or big for you. The fault is not in your brand but the incorrect choice of clients. Future clients who view your negative comment will understand that they need to order this T-shirt of another size. After clients will read and understand the reason for negative reviews, they will make a proper purchase decision.

React on Bad Reviews

You have already made the correct decision by showing your negative reviews. But this is not enough. You should know how to react to them. You should not leave them without attention. By reacting to bad comments, you will show that you read them and make everything in order to fix the situation. This will help to raise the trust of your customers in your brand. 

Speaking about reacting to positive reviews, everything is simple here. You thank clients who order something, and you welcome them to purchase again. Regarding negative reviews, your reaction should depend on the situation and the reason for placing a negative comment.

For instance, the product was sent later than it was discussed. The problem was in logistics; for instance, the postal carrier had a delay. You can provide an explanation to the reviewer with apologies. You can promise that it was an isolated issue. Let’s consider another instance, and you sent a product of another color. Here again, you should provide apologies to the reviewer and offer to replace the product for free. Show your customers that even if you have gaps in work, you are ready to fix situations in favor of clients.

Bad Comments as Signs to Change Something

Negative reviews can assist in improving your business. You may wonder how it is possible. Everything is simple. You can get a one-off negative comment, but if you see the same regular bad feedback, this means it is time to change something. By analyzing your bad comments, you can understand what you are doing wrong.

For instance, many clients can complain that customer support managers process orders for long. The solution is simple, and you can speak with your managers and point out their mistakes or employ other managers. Or maybe many customers are not satisfied with the delivery terms. Here you can change the expected times of delivery or update the postal carrier.

Time for a Conclusion

The most important thing is not to ignore your negative reviews. It is impossible for a business to work on 5-star. The main rule is no panic, as negative comments are not that bad. They can assist you in governing your business. Publish your negative comments by showing your customers that you can accept criticism and want to improve your business. Make all efforts in order to resolve the issue with the customers. Next time, you will not make the same mistakes. One day the number of negative reviews will start to decrease while the number of positive reviews will increase.  

Source of featured image: Google Maps

Skate With Pride Coming To Charlotte This Weekend

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Charlotte is about to host it’s first 3-day-long Skate With Pride skate-a-thon. The events will be held at Red Clay Cider works with 2 sessions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

“With PRIDE celebrations being put on hold across the globe over the past year and half we are thrilled to be able to celebrate in a fun outdoor environment so let your PRIDE flag fly,” commented 3rd Rock Events owner Shawn Cosner.

Events rang from ‘Tutus & Glow Sticks’ to ‘Drag Yourself to The Rink’.

Tickets cost $35 without skate rental and $40 with skate rental, and each ticket includes 90 minutes of skating, two tickets for craft cider or beer and glow sticks.

You can find out more info or buy your ticket here – www.eventbrite.com/o/screamin-wheels-and-blades-32539612933.

These North Carolina Counties have the Most Purchasing Power

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Purchasing power is the amount of goods and services that can be purchased with a unit of currency. Given the disparity of income and cost of living across the U.S., the degree of purchasing power will vary depending on levels of income and living location.

Places with high living expenses will likely negatively impact disposable income, and places with lower living expenses can allow for more flexibility in budgeting and spending.

To find the places in North Carolina where residents have the most purchasing power, SmartAsset released a study measuring income and cost of living data in counties nationwide. The counties where median income most exceeded the cost of living were the ones that ranked the highest in our study.

Check out the top leaders by location in North Carolina below:

Rank County, State Cost of Living Median Income Purchasing Power Index
1 Wake, NC $46,205 $80,591 63.59
2 Union, NC $46,688 $80,033 61.66
3 Cabarrus, NC $40,999 $67,328 57.02
4 Orange, NC $43,784 $71,723 56.76
5 Chatham, NC $41,220 $67,031 55.99
6 Currituck, NC $43,047 $69,964 55.93
7 Davie, NC $37,325 $60,434 55.53
8 Mecklenburg, NC $41,401 $66,641 54.92
9 Moore, NC $38,699 $59,963 51.04
10 Iredell, NC $39,490 $60,955 50.66

 

The full study results, methodology and interactive map can be found here.

Charlotte Officially Joins American Conference Alongside East Carolina, Memphis, and Navy

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UNC Charlotte has just accepted an invitation for all of their varsity sports programs to officially join the American Athletic Conference (The American). Charlotte will now be officially competing against East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, and 10 other major universities around the country.

“Since UNC Charlotte’s founding just 75 years ago, we have had many transformative milestones, and this is certainly one of those moments,” commented Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “This invitation by The American not only recognizes the accomplishments of our University and athletics program to date, but it also demonstrates belief in our rising trajectory. We are a university on the move, shaping what’s next for our city, our region and beyond.”

In addition to Charlotte, the American is also welcoming 5 other new additions to the conference, including The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Florida Atlantic University, The University of North Texas, Rice University, and The University of Texas at San Antonio.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome these six outstanding universities to the American Athletic Conference,” said American Athletic Conference Board of Directors and Commissioner Mike Aresco. “This is a strategic expansion that accomplishes a number of goals as we take the conference into its second decade. We are adding excellent institutions that are established in major cities and have invested in competing at the highest level. We have enhanced geographical concentration which will especially help the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball and Olympic sports teams. And we will continue to provide valuable inventory to our major media rights partner, ESPN, which will feature our members on the most prominent platforms in sports media. Additionally, we increase the value in live content options for CBS Sports, which features selected men’s basketball games from the conference.”

Charlotte currently has a total of 18 varsity sports, all of which will now be competing in The American conference.

Top 10 Things To Do Around Charlotte This Weekend – 10/22/21

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With the pandemic winding down, and fall weather ramping up, event organizers around the Queen City have kicking things into high gear.

This weekend, the Charlotte region will feature number of concerts, art events, and festivals.

Here are the top 10 that we know of happening over the next few days (as well as 4 extra honorable mentions):

#1 Cabarrus Fair

This year, the Cabarrus Fair has officially partnered with the Queen Charlotte Fair to hold a massive fall fair at the Route 29 Pavilion in Concord (5650 Sandusky Blvd., Concord, NC).

This year’s event will highlight local vendors for all aspects of the fair, including a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, carnival rides, live music, and all the fried fair food you can eat.

Gates will open Thursday, October 21 at 4pm. Ticket prices for this season’s event will be $8 online and $10 at the gate. Kids ages 6-12 will be $5 online and at the gate. Kids 5 and under are free.

You can find out more information or buy your tickets here.

#2 Michael Bublé

It’s hard to talk about love songs without talking about Michael Bublé, who has sold more than 60 million albums globally in that one genre alone. Bublé’s musical gift for igniting his audiences became apparent the moment he hit the stage, winning the British for FebruarColumbia Youth Talent Search at 17.
He’ll be performing live this coming Sunday night at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte staring at 8pm.

#3 Sunset Sessions at Anne Springs Close Greenway

Sunset Sessions returns to Fort Mill this weekend from 6pm-9pm. Enjoy our singer/songwriter format on Friday & Saturday nights at the Domtar Forest Porch as the sun dips over the horizon. The Gateway Canteen will serve their full menu along with a full line-up of craft beer and wine.

#4 Mint Hill Madness

Mint Hill Madness has been scheduled for Fall 2021. Mint Hill Madness is a festival to celebrate the founding of the Town. Mint Hill Madness has something for everyone in the family; delicious food; great music ranging from country to rock; a fantastic family carnival; and of course, a spectacular firework show. Mint Hill Events Inc. has been working hard to plan another great event.

Find out the full schedule and more info here.

#5 Charlotte Checkers vs Hershey Bears

This coming Friday Night, the Charlotte Checkers will be taking on the Hershey Bears live in the Bojangles Coliseum.

For more info or tickets click here.

#6 2021 BooFest

Join the City of Belmont for a hauntingly fun evening full of music, activity vendors, art & craft vendors, food vendors, costume contests, games, carnival rides, a spooky photo booth, plenty of candy for trick-o-treaters, and more.
Check out the BooFest event page for details, applications, and other information here – https://www.eventeny.com/events/boofest-1092/

#7 LANY

Rising Pop stars LANY (acronym for “Los Angeles New York”) will be performing live in Charlotte this weekend at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre.

They’ll be taking the stage this Saturday starting at 8pm.

Find out more information or get your tickets here.

#8 Dallas Lavender Lane Fall Festival

Join the City of Dallas’ Second Annual Fall Festival this weekend.

Get out into the great fall fresh air for this two day event and enjoy music, games and activities for the kids and tons of craft, art and amazing food vendors on Saturday and Sunday.

Find out more information or get your tickets here.

#9 Gilberto Santa Rosa

Six time Grammy Award winner Gilberto Santa Rosa will be performing live this weekend in Charlotte.

He will be taking the stage this Saturday at the Ovens Auditorium.

Find out more information or buy your tickets here.

#10 Live Under The Oaks – Birkdale Village

Start your weekends unwinding with live musical performances in The Grove every Friday starting at 6pm from April to October! No tickets or reservations are required.

Check out more information here.

Honorable mentions for other events happening this weekend include: 

If you think other events should be on this list or future lists, let us know – Scott@CharlotteStories.com

How young investors can benefit from stock market crashes

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The stock market, also known as the share or equity market, is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks or shares of businesses. Individual investors, institutional investors, and publicly traded corporations can invest in the share market through electronic trading platforms or stock brokerage firms. The stock market is considered the primary indicator of a country’s economic development.

The stock market is highly volatile by design. As such, people tend to invest in stocks after careful consideration. Here, we take a look at how stock market crashes can help investors and those who have just started out. 

What is a stock market crash?

When there is a dramatic decline in stock prices and results in a significant loss of paper wealth, it is known as a stock market crash. It is driven by underlying economic factors and panic selling. Stock market crashes offer an opportunity for wealth creation if you can get in and stay invested for a long time. 

How can stock market crashes help young investors?

Young investors stand a chance to benefit from a stock market crash because of the following reasons:

  • They have age on their side – While old investors hesitate to invest in the market fearing another crash, first-time investors or those who have age on their side can opt to participate in the market again. Stock prices usually see huge rallies following a crash. Be it the Nasdaq dip or the Wall street collapse or fall recorded in Bombay Stock Exchange SENSEX, markets tend to rebound after a crash. Given this fact, the money invested can grow over a period of time and result in huge wealth creation.
  • They have lesser short term requirements – Compared to old investors, those who are young can keep their funds invested as they don’t need to worry about short term requirements like children’s education, marriage etc. Staying invested can help them in earning good profits, if the markets recover, which seems to be the case if past instances are considered. 

Who benefits from stock market crashes?

As and when the stock market crashes, there are certain sectors that benefit. These are – utilities, consumer staples and the healthcare sectors. This is because all three sectors are necessary to run our daily lives. Irrespective of how the economy is performing, the shares of utilities, consumer staples and healthcare will continue to buoy the returns. So, it is beneficial to invest in these sectors as it can cut down the losses if any as well as make sure that the invested money continues to grow. 

What goes up when the stock market crashes?

When the stock market collapses, traditionally the price of bullions like gold, silver and bonds increase or remain stable. As gold and silver hold their value over a period of time, the volatility in the market makes them attractive. The increase in demand pushes the rates up. The same is the case with fixed income instruments like bonds as it comes to a stable return irrespective of the existing market condition. 

There is no denying that investing in the equity market is tricky given its volatile nature. But if investing is done after evaluating the pros and cons, the returns can be quite rewarding. Starting to invest from a young age and staying in it for the long run can go a long way in ensuring that the investments turn fruitful. 

What Existing Investors can do

Now that we know about what window of opportunity young investors have during a stock market crash, let’s throw some light on the impact on existing and long term investors and what they should do.

First and foremost, start buying more stocks if you can

  • Any stock market crash brings in a perfect opportunity to buy more stocks. If you have enough savings and have other investments that generate income for you, this is the right time to buy more stocks. The reason is, whenever there is a stock market crash, it clearly signifies that the prices are down and this is the perfect opportunity to buy shares at low prices and sell high.
  • The thumb rule of the stock market is to buy low and sell high. In a stock market crash, more short-term and long-term stocks can be bought. When the market is up and running again, these stocks will definitely book profits.

 

Final Words

A stock market crash can open a door of opportunities not only for young investors to start their investment journey but experienced investors can also discover something new which can bring in profit even in that volatile condition. Always remember to do due diligence before investing in stocks.