T R E N D S VOL. 32, NO. 2, APRIL 2019 eBay invites Greensboro businesses to join Retail Revival elling to the the yearlong program line, eBay had received S world is about to receive coaching in more than 100 ap- get a little easier for online marketing and plications, said Chris certain businesses in ecommerce techniques Librie, who leads the Greensboro and the to make the most of Retail Revival program. surrounding area. selling through eBay. eBay’s CEO an- eBay has named Other cities in the nounced last year that Greensboro as the third program are Halifax, the 23-year-old compa- U.S. city to become Nova Scotia, Canada ny is making changes a partner in its Retail and Wolverhampton, to thrive in a “very Revival program. Retail a city in the West Mid- competitive environ- Revival is designed to lands of England. ment” by attracting help small and medi- The Retail Revival more young shoppers um-sized businesses program is 100 per- and women. CEO hook into the power of cent free to participat- Devin Wenig wants ecommerce and global ing businesses. Nor is to recruit 500 million trade. there any cost to the customers to eBay, up Lansing, Michigan city. Greensboro was from the current 175

and Akron, Ohio were selected, according to Perfecta Visuals photo million. Retail Revival the first two cities in an eBay press release, At the February launch were Michael Wilson, an owner of Greensboro-based Wilson appears to be part of the Retail Revival pro- after reviewing “the Brothers Jewelry on eBay; Brian Bieron, executive director, Global Public Policy, eBay; the strategy. gram. Businesses se- nature and potential of Lou Anne Flanders-Stec, executive vice president of entrepreneurship, Greensboro Greensboro Mayor Chamber of Commerce. lected to participate in (the) local retail com- Nancy Vaughan munity.” community. We were tive factors that help receive notification of noted that “small lo- In North also impressed by the provide “the perfect their acceptance status cal businesses are the Carolina, City of Greensboro’s backdrop for a new on March 13. The of- backbone of our local eBay said, commitment to small narrative about oppor- ficial launch of Retail economy” when the “Greensboro business and its vision tunity, inclusion and Revival Greensboro is Retail Revival program in particular for local economic prosperity.” set for March 27 with a was announced at the was appeal- growth.” The program was gathering of participat- International Civil ing because of eBay also noted the announced in early ing business owners at Rights Center & Mu- the strength, city’s “rich manufactur- February, and the Revolution Mill. seum. creativity and ing history and pivotal deadline to apply to With more than a Suzy Deering, eBay’s Akron’s Jim Meyers with the Merge diversity of its role in the Civil Rights participate was March week remaining before chief marketing offi- Cube, which he sells on eBay. small business movement” as posi- 8. Applicants were to the application dead- Continues on page 2

INSIDE T R E N D S City Transfer ...... 2 2019 Board ...... 3 Annual Dinner...... 5

Amanda Barron...... 6 An evening with Henry Winkler Workplace Workshops.....7 Henry Winkler – actor, producer, direc- disabilities – was guest speaker for GMA’s Place 225 Commerce

Greensboro, NC 27401 Greensboro, tor, fly-fisherman, best-selling author 113th Annual Dinner. Please see page 5 Trends is a publication of the Guilford Merchants Association. and advocate for those with learning for more Annual Dinner photos. An advertising supplement to The Business Journal Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

Retail Revival Continued from page 1

cer, said has ers and his wife, Grace, own more than 200,000 active a company that specializes sellers on eBay. She appeared in virtual and augmented on stage with Vaughan and reality products and ser- others at the announcement. vices. New Territory, LLC Participating businesses was invited to participate in in Akron have sold to shop- Retail Revival Akron. pers in nearly 70 nations “We sold a significantly outside the United States, large amount of product according to eBay. Experi- through the program,” enced sellers on eBay have he said. “We have been increased their year-over- able to sell our products year sales by a collective av- to the global marketplace, erage of 20 percent. as promised, and we got Akron resident Bill Mey- world-class support.”

Marker commemorates City Transfer’s historic role A new marker in downtown High Point recognizes the role of City Transfer & Storage, founded in 1908, in High Point’s growth and development. The company was started by I.M. Lassiter, and it is owned and operated by his descendents today. Present for the February 14 dedication were (from left) Scott Lassiter, Bart Lassiter, Guilford County Commissioner Carlvina Foster, High Point Mayor Jay Wagoner, Councilwoman Monica Peters, and Ron Lassiter. The company is the state’s oldest family- owned, continuously operating moving company. Bart Lassiter, City Transfer’s vice president and co-owner, served as chairman of GMA and FirstPoint in 2018.

Take a deep dive into networking with Abby Donnelly

reensboro’s Abby Don- Participants will: quired. G nelly, who literally • Learn how to build Donnelly’s book, “Net- wrote the book on how to strong professional relation- working Works! Building Perfecta Visuals photo make the most of network- ships and enhance their pro- Relationships. Building Busi- Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Suzy Deering, eBay’s chief marketing officer, cross South Elm Street. ing, in April will lead a new fessional network. ness,” is available on Ama- class in NetworkingWorks! • Gain fresh insights into zon. Donnelly, how to get more qualified Kelly Millington, direc- Boost your business with video a longtime referrals. tor of strategic partnerships ideo can be a pow- stitute. Kristen Daukas of GMA mem- Establish additional con- for Junior Achievement of V erful component Atlantic Webworks will ber, will per- tacts to help grow their busi- the Triad, calls Networking- of your marketing and lead the seminar from sonally lead ness. Works! “the most beneficial branding strategy – if you 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the class. • Create a plan to get to professional development know how to use it. GMA headquarters. It will Donnelly decision-makers they want course that I have ever par- “How to Start Making The seminar is free and meet at GMA headquarters to know. ticipated in.” Video for Your Business” open to all employees of from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Donnelly offers a reduced Donnelly is founder of is the subject of the March GMA member companies. Wednesdays in April. The fee of $299 for GMA mem- The Leadership and Legacy 20 Digital Marketing In- Register at mygma.org. first class is April 3. bers. Preregistration is re- Group, based in Greensboro.

T R E N D S

President & CEO G. Mark Prince Vice President of Operations Michelle Bolick Operations/Special Events Coordinator Holly Smith Operations/Special Events Coordinator Lisa Daas Operations/Special Events Coordinator Audrey Lambert Membership Development Sharon Smith

TRENDS is published for the members of the Guilford Merchants Association. Celebrating new members Publication Coordinator – Michelle Bolick New GMA members are always invited to an orientation to learn about the organization’s many Phone (336) 378-6350 Fax (336) 378-6272 services and benefits. Those attending the February orientation session included (seated, from left) 225 Commerce Place, Greensboro, N.C. 27401 Susan Weimer and Paulette Elway, Greensboro Senior Artists Guild; Vanessa O’Keeffe, The Village www.mygma.org Lofts; Julianne Rowe, Pink Spotlight; Grace Anderson, Aflac; Kristen Barnett, Vaco; Scotti Early, Pepper The Guilford Merchants Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1906. Moon Catering; Catena Bergevin, ArtsGreensboro. Standing (from left) are Deborah York, Primerica; The Association is a business membership organization focused on supporting member companies with educational programming, lead generation activities, Mark Prince, GMA/FirstPoint; Carol McGimpsey, Breakout Games; John Barker, Carter Bank and Trust; marketing opportunities, and overall enrichment while serving as a catalyst for Nicholas Luard, Realty Consultants Property Management; John Wing, PathGoal Employer Services; community growth and prosperity. Krish Parlikad, Allstate; Jonathan Autry, BB&T; Brian Sullivan, Vaco; Ira Ross, Spartan Planning; Trent Abel, Little Guys Movers; Jason Turner, Aflac. 2 Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association GMA Board of Directors / 2019 Board Officers

Chair Darlene Leonard Smith Leonard PLLC Immediate Past Chair Bart Lassiter City Transfer & Storage

Richard Beard D. Ford Bowers Tara Burgio- Abby Donnelly J. Nathan Duggins Past Chair Schulman & Beard BB&T Wheelihan The Leadership III Rhonda Joyce ATI Decorative & Legacy Group Tuggle Duggins P.A. American National Bank Laminates Vice Chair J. Nathan Duggins III Tuggle Duggins P.A. Treasurer D. Ford Bowers BB&T President/CEO Mark Prince Guilford Merchants Association & FirstPoint, Inc. Scott Johnson Rhonda Joyce Bart Lassiter Darlene Leonard Clarence McDonald Greensboro Coliseum American National City Transfer Smith Leonard PLLC Wells Fargo Complex Bank & Storage

Beryl McEwen Donald Moore Bobby Nugent Mark Prince Steve Swetoha John Thomas N.C. A&T State Greensboro Greensboro Fire Guilford Merchants Greensboro Swarm IDeACOM University Grasshoppers Department Association of Central N.C. & FirstPoint, Inc. Smith likes working with members, enjoys variety provided by GMA ike all GMA staff She’s the Network events and Teach UNC Chapel Hill. “There’s L members, Holly Smith staff connec- GMA STAFF Me Tuesday continuing edu- always something different juggles many responsi- tion for the cation programs also are part going on.” bilities as an operations and committee PROFILE of her purview. So are meet- Tammy Gamble of Touch special events coordinator. of volunteers ings of the Guilford County Point Staffing has known Smith, a native of Spindale, who develop event. Smith coordinates Hotel Association, which Smith for a decade. “Holly shepherds GMA’s BIZLinks Smith the Work- programs for Center City AM GMA manages. is always striving to make networking group every place Workshop programs Briefings, which take place “I like working at GMA,” GMA better,” she says.

ThursdayPTI_GMA_Runway_Run_v2_3.25x10.pdf morning. 1 2/18/2019and stuff 10:30:38 goody AM bags for each six times a year. Noontime says Smith, a graduate of

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3 Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association He preserves analog memories for the digital age olor home movies were first he uses his knowledge C high-tech in the late and equipment to make 1930s. GIs in Vietnam in images look like new and the 1960s recorded letters to make audio sound bet- to their loved ones back ter than ever. Home movies home us- look clean and ing portable NETWORKING bright, and the reel-to-reel rumble and hiss tape record- SUCCESS often heard in ers. Playback old audiotapes devices that were once high are gone forever. tech now are aging relics of It’s possible to send old bygone eras, and the media home movies and videotapes itself has become fragile to far-away companies and over time. get the material back in digi- How does one preserve tal format. Watkins, how- those treasured films and ever, stresses that he goes the recordings for the next extra mile. generation? Brian Watkins “There’s really nothing out knows how. there that services you the Watkins owns Digital way I try to,” he says. Restoration Services. He When he gets aging yel- takes old home movies, low boxes containing reels of audio recordings, and con- Kodak movie film, he makes Magnetic recording tape, film projectors, cameras, and media decorate Brian Watkins’ studio. sumer videotapes and trans- a photo of the box and in- fers the information to the cludes it in the finished digi- movie film and mailed to kins recalls. “He couldn’t Networking Gurus. latest media, such as CDs, tal file. Processed film often local stations to air. believe he was hearing his “I hadn’t tried network- DVDs and flash drives. But was mailed to the customer’s One customer brought mother’s voice. I had to pass ing before,” Watkins says, home. The box may crumble Watkins a reel-to-reel tape him the tissues. “and I realized what a mis- away, but the digital photo of his mother’s voice. She “That kind of thing,” take it was. lives on. had died when he was 4, Watkins says, “makes my “My business has multi- Decorating the walls of and he had no memory of job worth it.” plied in the last six months. his studio are 8-track cas- her voice. Watkins pro- Watkins looked into There’s no question that settes, strands of recording cessed the tape, transferred GMA on the suggestion the organization has helped tape, and even an episode the recording to new media, of member Tom Pullara of me.” of “MASH” in 16mm film. and played it for his cus- CruiseOne. The two had Watkins works with all sorts of Before videotape, episodes tomer. met at an unrelated event. Digital Restoration Services old recording media, film as of television shows in syn- “He was a big, burly guy, Now Watkins is active in digitalrestorationservices. well as audio. dication were duplicated on and he was bawling,” Wat- GMA and a member of the com GMA helps launch tournament season at Greensboro Coliseum ports boosters and busi- Greensboro has hosted Sness leaders with a the ACC Women’s Basketball shared passion for college Tournament for 19 of the basketball attended a lun- past 20 years. cheon on March GMA President 4 at the Greens- and CEO Mark boro Coliseum. Prince welcomed The ACC Tip-Off the crowd and Luncheon marks noted the im- the official start portance of the Mark Prince of GMA. Annemarie Treadway Dloniak. John Swofford of the ACC. of the college support of the basketball tour- business commu- nament season nity. in the Gate City. GMA spon- Other speakers included sored the luncheon. ACC Commisioner John The ACC Women’s Basket- Swofford and Greensboro ball Tournament was played native Annemarie Treadway March 6-10. Dloniak. Now with BB&T, It will be followed by the she played for N.C. State and NCAA Women’s Basketball is a member of the Guilford Regional March 30–April 1. County Sports Hall of Fame. Richard Beard of the Greensboro Sports Foundation speaks to the crowd in The Terrace at the coliseum. 4 Who wants a selfie with Henry Winkler? Just about everybody, and it seemed like just about everybody got one.

Cyndi Tew, RSVP Communications; Anita Bachmann, United HealthCare; George Bachmann, Bachmann Advisory Group; Judy Miller, RSVP Com- Michael Phillips, ASJ Wilson Construction; munications. Mark and Muktha Jost, N.C. A&T State University. Stephanie Rivers, Greensboro Chamber.

Michelle Shanks, Summit Credit Union; Natalie Nelson, Greensboro Swarm; Mary DeFriest and Mahogany Mohammed, Merrill Lynch; Lane Schiffman and Karolyn Todd Olson, . Fulp, Schiffman’s.

JJ Joubran, Joubran Commercial Properties; Kate Raftery; Kristin Gafford, Bart and Barbra Lassiter, City Transfer & Storage. James ‘Smitty’ Smith, McDonald’s; Betty Cone. Juice Plus; Eddie Gafford, Matthews Mobile Media.

An expressive Henry Winkler delivers his monologue. Emcee and entertainer Jeff Civillico recruited Tim Vangel of the Greensboro Grasshoppers to juggle with him. 5 Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

Passing out stickers, generating smiles, brings people together

hen Amanda Bar- many responsibilities. W ron joined her sister “I do sales. Marketing. Peggy to launch Office I’m an administrative as- Evolution in Greensboro, sistant to about 50 busi- they knew one of their nesses,” she says. “I’m the primary challenges was to face and ambassador of the build name recognition for business, in addition to the innovative, full-service, Peggy. There’s never a dull coworking fa- moment.” cility. VOLUNTEER The sisters Member- regularly at- ship in GMA SPOTLIGHT tend GMA Amanda Barron, business manager, in a rare quiet moment at Office Evolution in Greensboro. turned out to networking so many more people and Triad. Amanda be a crucial channel to build events. Amanda, who finds that I put a smile on lots of sold her business brand awareness and spread it difficult to get away from people’s faces. and hasn’t looked the word about the benefits the office in mid-day, choos- “I walk around and look back. of the Office Evolution con- es to attend After Work Net- for matching stickers and Her GMA ac- cept. work functions, where she’s bring people together. That’s tivities include Several dozen businesses a frequent volunteer. a lot of what we do in this serving on the vol- have located in the spacious The flashing LEDs business, is bring small unteer panel that Office Evolution facility around her neck cause GMA businesses together.” plans the Digital on Green Valley Road in members to flock to her, Amanda Barron previ- Marketing Insti- Greensboro. where she passes out stick- ously owned a bakery in tute, an annual Barron places a sticker on Bill Entwhistle’s lapel at a recent After Work Network event. Peggy Barron’s franchise ers for the game that makes Knoxville. The business series of high-tech agreement authorizes two networking easy and fun. was successful, but she marketing semi- Office Evolution more locations in the Pied- “I love being a flasher at was considering making a nars. 806 Green Valley Road mont Triad. those events,” she says. “I’m change when her sister in- “I love the GMA family,” Greensboro As business center man- not a wallflower. vited her to join in launch- she says. “It’s truly a won- 336-660-6444 ager, Amanda Barron juggles “I feel like I get to talk to ing Office Evolution in the derful group of people.” officeevolution.com/greensboro

Centennial Station High Point February 12, 2019

Natalie Mitchell, 1st Aide Restoration; Carmen Falcone, Remarkable Millie Herring and Tori Baker, Allegacy Federal Credit Union. – A Speaker’s Bureau; Teddy Burriss, Burriss Consulting.

Whitley Shannon and Darius Christian, ACC Championships.

Chuck and Lisa Windham, Corporate Cleaning Group; Tamara Vander Lugt, Protégé Mechanical Labor Solutions; Thomas Jones, Print Logic. 6 Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

May 8

Name: Seth Burleson Workplace Workshop Age: 26 Hometown: Clayton, N.C. Residence: Greensboro Education: B.A., Music Business: Metro Public Adjustment Inc. Role: Senior Claims Representative ‘Technology Master Class: Services: On Risers: Boost Efficiency & Sales’ with When somebody has damage to JC Arroyo reached out to me and said, Crystal Washington their home or business property, we ‘You should be involved with Risers.’ represent them to their insurance It wasn’t really a question of ‘Will this Wednesday, May 8 company to make sure they are be good for my business?’ It was very Sheraton Greensboro Hotel actually paid properly. In North clear from my first encounter. Getting 7:30 a.m. refreshments Carolina, we get an average of about involved with contractors has been 8–10 a.m. seminar 400 percent more money for people excellent. over what the insurance company (proposes to pay on a claim). In Florida, On GMA: Free for all employees of GMA member there was a study that showed that Someone invited me to a Noontime companies! people who didn’t use a public adjuster Networking event, and I think I got an average of about $1,000 on their collected 50 business cards. It was a Registration claim. People who did use a public huge boost to my business. That told deadline: May 6 adjuster got about $9,000. We can me, this is what I need to be doing. Call 378-6350 step in at any point in the process. We or register online at charge a fee for that service, because Personal: www.mygma.org it’s a business. But if we are getting you 400 percent more, everybody comes I have a wife and two dogs that I like Please let us know if you need additional services out on top. spending time with. I’m also an avid for employees with disabilities. gamer.

Steve Gilliland offered tips on how to navigate life’s journey with enthusiasm at the January Workplace Workshop, the first held at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel. Merikay Hunt, of Coach MKay Companies, won a door prize. GMA members filled the hall for the speaker.

7 Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

P R E S E N T S

Feeding C munity DINNER APRIL 23 5PM - 7:30PM | LUNCH APRIL 24 11AM - 2PM TICKETS AT EMPTYBOWLSNC.ORG Tickets $35 in Advance | $40 at Door Includes Soup, Salad, Dessert & Handcrafted Bowl Benton Convention Center | Live Entertainment

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