Upcoming Events - Burke County Chamber of Commerce

Excitement Building around Burke Chamber’s Fall Agenda

Posted on August 15, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

Led by the 19th Annual Chamber Golf Classic on September 25, the Burke Chamber is planning a fall agenda as exciting as the fall colors in Western NC. Here’s a preview and some reminders:

August 19, 330 pm – Applebee’s Restaurant Groundbreaking

August 21 – Ambassadors Prize Patrol

September 2 – Ribbon Cutting at Alray Tires

September 11, 430-630 pm – Business After Hours at Silver Fork Winery sponsored by CommunityOne Bank.

September 25 – Golf Classic at Silver Creek Presented by

Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge – It promises to be the best yet! Registration information will be released next week. For information about hole sponsorships ($175) or being a tournament sponsor with special benefits, call the Chamber at 437-3021.

September-November, Leadership Burke – It’s the right time to be thinking about up and coming members of your team who your company would like to send to this leadership development course. Look for details to be announced soon.

November 13, Business Showcase – Put your business in the spotlight before fellow businesses and hundreds of consumers at our second annual expo. Details coming soon.

Plus, look for news about upcoming Business for Breakfasts and other special member events over the coming months.

Models Needed! Looking for fun for your kids with the start of school just around the corner? Check out kid fest at Belk on Saturday, A ugust 9, from 12 noon-3 pm.

Posted on August 6, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

There’ll be fashion shows, games, refreshments and savingsof up to 50% in kids apparel. To register as a model and participate in the fashion show, see a Sales Associate or call (828) 437-3681 for details. Belk is located in the

Morganton Heights shopping center.

Congratulations to Lake James Cellars for being recognized by NC Green Travel as one of the state’s top 100 sustainable tourism-oriented businesses.

Posted on August 6, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

South Mountains State Park was also recognized – like Lake James

Cellars — based on points earned for environmentally-friendly practices. A family-owned winery in Glen Alpine, Lake James Cellars has an environmental team comprised of its owners and employees. Together, they are using solar energy for electricity and hot water, have switched to LED and fluorescent lighting, are landscaping with natural mulch and native plants, and actively recyclying throughout the business. If your business is interested in becoming part of NC Green Travel’s free program, visit their web site for more information and an application form.

Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge graduated its first class of physicians in its Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program on July 11.

Posted on August 6, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

The eight graduates of the three-year osteopathic residency program had previously completed four years of medical school and have now completed a residency program in family medicine, internal medicine, a rotating internship program or a gastroenterology fellowship. The GME program has transformed Burke County’s two hospitals into teaching institutions that are helping to meet the predicted future shortage of primary care physicians. Blue Ridge launched the program in 2011. In addition to the traditional studies in a school of medicine, osteopathic physicians train in manipulative medicine, a system of hands-on techniques to help relieve pain, restore motion and support the body’s functions.

Edward Jones to Host Open House

Posted on August 6, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

Chad Burel, a local financial advisor for the financial services firm Edward Jones, invites the public to attend an open house from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, at 353 Sanford Drive on the River Village Greenway in Morganton. Refreshments will be served. In addition, Burel is supporting the Burke County Schools by using his office as a drop-off location for a school supplies drive. Visitors to the open house may help those less fortunate in the community by bringing in items to the Edward Jones branch office. The Edward Jones interactive Web site is located at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting Web site is www.careers.edwardjones.com.

Biz Bites: Growing Business

Posted on August 6, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

Real Living Carolina Property was host to a grand opening and ribbon cutting at Old Oaks Estates on July 15, along with developer Matt Schulte, General Partner with KM Properties, LTD, and Jason Lowery from North Point Custom Builders, who constructed the model home. For nature lovers and families, Old Oaks Estates offers the exclusivity of living in a gated community in a beautiful rural area with spectacular views of Table Rock, Grandfather Mountain and other mountain landmarks, all within minutes of Morganton and Lenoir. Pisgah National Forest borders the property to the north and west to permanently preserve the mountain vistas. With offices in Morganton, Asheville, West Jefferson and at Lake James, Real Living Carolina Property has more than 20 years experience in real estate and is in the Top Ten of the Real Living National Network for Customer Service with a 97% satisfaction rating. To learn more about Old Oaks Estates, visit oldoaksestates.com or call Real Living Carolina Property 438-3660.

People Take Back Seat to Robots at Ribbon Cutting

Posted on July 3, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

To no one’s surprise, it was probably the closest to a flawless ribbon cutting ever held by a Chamber member. But when it’s a robot wielding the scissors, what would you expect? The June event was designed to highlight CyberKids Robotics, a non-profit organization specializing in robotics education programs for students in schools across North Carolina, as well as South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.

CyberKids Robotics has programs in several Burke County schools and is hoping to expand into others. As students learn robotics, they are also preparing to compete with other schools in contests that can lead all the way to the State

Robotics Championship in NC.

The CyberDroids program teaches students in grades four through twelve how to program a “humanoid” robot to do everyday human tasks.
The newest CyberKids Robotics program, CyberDrones!, introduces students in grades six through twelve to the world of “flying robots”. Students learn about navigation, GPS technology, common aerodynamic concepts and autopilot technology. At the end of the program, students will compete in a “drone robot” competition.
CyberKids Robotics is now also offering an Advanced FTC Robotics Program for middle and high school students. Students use CAD software to design a robot from “scratch”. Once their robot is designed, each robotics team will build and program the robot to solve a series of challenges against other robots.The company’s new theme for the 2014 – 2015 school year is “World Class Education.” Students will be researching how technology and robotics can help improve education all over the world. Now is the perfect time to get your robotics team created and working toward competing in next year’s State Robotics Championship. For more information, call Bill Kent at (828) 292-2393 or visit www.cyberkidsrobotics.com.

Legislature Approves Economic Development Partnership of NC

Posted on July 3, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina has received full approval from the General Assembly. Governor Pat McCrory signed the bill into law on Tuesday, June 24, at a special ceremony in the Old House Chambers of the State Capitol. The public-private partnership will start operations this month.

The Economic Development Partnership will operate as a private, non-profit corporation that will contract with the Department of Commerce to handle many of the state’s job recruitment and retention functions. The EDPNC will operate as the sales and marketing arm of the state responsible for business recruitment, existing industry and small business support, import and export assistance, marketing, tourism, film and sports development. All grant-making responsibilities will remain public within the Department of Commerce. The new partnership will allow North Carolina to work more quickly and be more flexible in recruiting new business and in retaining existing ones.

— Courtesy “Sync,” The Weekly Newsletter of the NC Department of Commerce