Asheville-based Blue Ridge Savings Bank, chaired by former Congressman Charles Taylor, is seeking to right its ship after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. recently ordered the institution to stop an array of “unsafe and unsound” banking practices. Bank blues: Federal and state bank regulators have ordered Blue Ridge Savings Bank to cease a series of […]
Author: Hal L. Millard
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Bellamy reviews “State of the Downtown’
Mayor Terry Bellamy told members and guests of the Asheville Downtown Association gathered for a “State of the Downtown” luncheon Jan. 8 that the city has made real strides to make downtown better, but that more needs to be done. Since she took office in 2005, Bellamy said, the city has increased efforts to keep […]
The Biz: “Anticipation … is keepin’ me waitin’”
Let’s face it: Asheville could use some good news. The economy’s in the crapper; jobs are being shed like a snake’s skin. And a whole lot of folks, whatever their profession, are sweating their financial future. So is Realserv the answer? For many anxious people in the real-estate business, it seemed that way a mere […]
The Biz: Task master
Katrina Bragg believes she’s hit upon a great idea. Companies of all stripes are constantly facing a variety of tasks they’re either ill-prepared or too busy to perform in-house. Bragg’s company, Task Mania, seeks to fill the breach. The one-stop shop handles assignments ranging from administrative to marketing to financial and beyond. Can-do spirit: Katrina […]
Local jobless rates spike
The local unemployment rate took a dramatic leap in November, based on the latest statistics from the N.C. Employment Security Commission.
Ho ho holy crap: State jobless rate nears 8 percent
This time a year ago, the state’s unemployment rate stood at 4.7 percent. What a difference a year makes.
Sharpen those resumes: Job Fair coming to town
Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, a shopping mall is probably the last place you would want to be just five days after Christmas. However, for those in need of a job, the Biltmore Square Mall is the place to be. The third annual Homecoming Job Fair will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 30, from […]
OnTrack: Bailed out
Staring a dire funding crisis in the face, the folks who run the nonprofit On Track Financial Education & Counseling are breathing easier these days. Recently, the agency was denied a $135,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant. But thanks to the state and some generous individuals and businesses, the shortfall will be […]
The Ellington looks to break ground next summer
If all goes according to plan, The Ellington hotel/condo project slated for Biltmore Avenue should break ground and commence construction sometime in mid-2009, says spokesperson Karen Tessier. High hopes: Developers of The Ellington, a high-rise planned for Biltmore Avenue, expect to break ground sometime next summer. “We’re still in process with The Ellington, we’re still […]
Victim of the downturn in newspapering
A laid-off staffer of the Asheville Citizen-Times speaks.
Bad times for the local news business
Whether it’s merely a reflection of the ailing economy, the rise of the Internet or the death knell of daily print journalism, newspapers nationwide are in a severe tailspin. Asheville’s local daily, the Asheville Citizen-Times, is among those feeling the heat. Paper losses: The Asheville Citizen-Times recently announced that it’s laying off 16 people as […]
The Biz: Risqué business
As downtown shops go, it’s a bit of an anomaly. But owner Lisa Ziemer sees her new Battery Park Avenue business, Va Va Vooom, filling an important need for Asheville women. Bringing sexy back: Lisa Ziemer and Brian Kirk want their new downtown intimate-apparel store, Va Va Vooom, to be a fun, sexy and comfortable […]
Biz: Nuts to you
For many of Sakshi Gantenbein‘s customers, the smell is what hooks them. The beguiling aroma—subtle yet savory, not to mention comforting—comes from roasted chestnuts, which Gantenbein cooks up in his portable roasting stand. In the winter months, he’s typically on hand at the entrance to Greenlife Grocery in Asheville, Wednesday through Sunday from noon to […]
Asheville City Manager to host development forum
Everybody, it seems, would like to build in Asheville. For developers, the city is here to help with its City Manager’s Development Forum. No, developers aren’t granted special access or favors at the forum, but they can glean information to help them plan and prepare for their projects, not to mention question city officials about […]
Biz: The pinch that stole Christmas?
If economists and retail analysts are to be believed, this holiday shopping season is setting up to be a grim one, thanks to a baleful economy and a precipitous drop in the Consumer Confidence Index, which hit an all-time low in October and is not expected to improve much, if at all, by Christmas. Still […]
State unemployment hits 7 percent
The holiday season may be approaching, but there are few glad tidings from the N.C. Employment Security Commission, which reported on Nov. 21 that the state’s unemployment rate hit 7 percent in October. That compares to a 6.5 percent rate nationally — the highest in 14 years.
Some sizzle for your steak?
The holiday season is approaching, but with the economy in the doldrums, experts predict a slump in shopping and entertaining as consumers scale back. While frugality may be good, even noble, the season is the bread and butter for retailers and a vital part of the year for restaurants as well. To that end, the […]
Biz: OnTrack crisis worsens
That was the word from Executive Director Celeste Collins on Nov. 11, after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development once again turned down OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling’s bid for a critical $135,000 grant (see “The Biz,” Nov. 12 Xpress). Eyes on the prize: Local “mompreneurs” Christen Ward and Kristin Keliher and their […]
Remembrance of things past
Remember AIDS? Though supplanted in the public eye by the latest disease du jour, there was a time in the ‘80s and ‘90s when you couldn’t turn around without seeing or hearing something about AIDS—which first targeted gay men yet quickly went global. Besides sparking the fear and loathing of whole classes of people, the […]
Leaf collection season in full swing
The city of Asheville’s leaf collection season has begun. Here’s all the info you need to rid your property of Mother Nature’s detritus — or boost your compost.
Biz: Derailed
Amid the current tough economic times, a lot of nonprofits are struggling to continue fulfilling their missions. But one local group, OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling, finds itself in a particularly tight spot after failing to secure a $135,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Executive Director Celeste Collins reports. The money […]