With 45 percent of business owners in Buncombe County alone facing retirement in the next decade, local groups and service providers are encouraging them to start planning for their company’s next chapter, while simultaneously devising ways to turn an impending crisis into an opportunity for employees to shoulder new responsibilities.
Local farmers are still holding out hope that 2017 will be the year industrial hemp grows in WNC fields for the first time in decades. But the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration isn’t making it easy for growers to source seed or seedlings in time for planting, which may mean another year of waiting for eager prospective hemp growers.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newest section of the French Broad River Greenway was held Friday, April 21, at the foot of the New Belgium brewery as part of the city of Asheville’s Earth Week Celebration. Representatives from the many public and private partnerships that had a role in the development of this section, called […]
Asheville
Industry studies show consumers are growing tired of fast, disposable fashion. In addition to a greater awareness of where clothes come from and the impact of their production, a new interest in extending the life of clothing or reusing materials to create new garments is fueling a resurgence of sewing skills in this region and around the country.
Plans for expanding the Jewish Community Center in its long-time location at 236 Charlotte St. got the nod from Asheville City Council on March 28.
WNC’s digital future will be discussed by 120 professionals during a two-day conference, Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. Dubbed Unite WNC, conference participants will gather to brainstorm, discuss and plan the current and future information-technology landscape here in Western North Carolina. While each day will feature its own speaker, the core of the […]
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a documentary on Jon Stickley Trio, a fifth grade student’s fundraiser to get educational software for his classmates and a stripped down video game called Cheap Golf.
In Western North Carolina and across the country, labor unions seem to be a dying breed these days, and many local residents don’t seem overly concerned about it. Yet WNC’s complex history of unionization stretches back to the late 19th century. From high-profile labor disputes and the emergence of “right to work” laws to the […]
Asheville
Asheville
Asheville
After more than a year of public input and review, proposed development changes that would bring more downtown projects before Council for review will go to a vote on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The new rules also include a provision for Council to review all hotel projects with 21 rooms or more anywhere in the city.
The Council of Independent Business Owners returned to the topic of district elections for seats on Asheville City Council at its monthly Issues Meeting on Feb. 10. Unsurprisingly, opinions on the wisdom of making a change were mixed.
These days, geeking out is hot. Asheville is home to a vibrant community of people looking to express their nerdier side, and abundant businesses to serve them: From comic books to games to movies and more, this town has it all. Across the country, the cultural partitions surrounding geekdom are being torn down: What was […]
When you think of Asheville’s River Arts District, what comes to mind are probably things like painting, sculpture, pottery, glass blowing — you get the drift. But as the neighborhood continues to expand and evolve, new businesses are also popping up. In the last six months, a number of retail shops have opened in the […]
The Asheville-Area Chamber of Commerce has added its voice to the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission in opposing proposed zoning changes that are expected to be considered by Asheville City Council at its meeting on Feb. 14.
Asheville native Dema Badr learned her earliest business lessons locally, working for her family at Asheville Discount Pharmacy and later launching her own clothing store Zakya downtown. She draws on those experiences at her latest venture Scout Boutique.
Several front-of-house positions are open, but the deadline to apply is just around the corner.
Valentine’s Day gifts don’t have to stop with chocolates and flowers. Western North Carolina’s independently owned retail shops have some creative ideas for pleasing anyone’s beloved foodie.
Asheville’s Planning & Zoning Commission voted to approve a 61-room hotel at 68 Patton Ave. and to recommend that City Council reject proposed changes to zoning ordinances that would result in more Council oversight and review of downtown and hotel development.