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About Us

The Emerging Leaders began in early 2019 when the Burke County Chamber of Commerce and the Burke County United Way came together to create a steering committee. Both saw a need for the development and support of the young professionals in our county, and more opportunities for them to connect, network and give back to their community.

The mission of the Emerging Leaders program is to create opportunities for enriching professional development, networking and community engagement to young leaders in Burke County.

Through networking events, volunteering opportunities and leadership training, our members leverage the powers of other Burke Emerging Leaders to connect, serve, and grow both professionally and personally. Burke County Emerging Leaders is completely open to all young professionals aged 21-40. There are currently no yearly membership fees.

To stay on top of upcoming events and other updates, visit the Emerging Leaders Facebook Page.

For more information on joining the Burke County Emerging Leaders, fill out the contact form here!

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Business for Breakfast Dec. 4, 2015-Economic Forecast

Posted on November 25, 2015December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

Make Your Reservations Today

Minami to Present Annual Economic Forecast on December 4

Tom Minami, CFA, CFP

December’s Business for Breakfast features a perennial favorite among Chamber members: the Annual Economic Forecast for the year ahead. This year’s guest speaker will be Tom Minami, CFA, CFP, Senor Vice President for SunTrust Investor Services, Inc.,and Private Financial Advisor with SunTrust Private Wealth Management.

The program will be held on Friday, December 4, in the Community Room at Grace Ridge Retirement Community in Morganton and is free for all Burke Chamber members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Chamber at (828) 437-3021 or e-mailingcfreeman@burkecounty.org. The breakfast buffet will open at 7:30 am, and the program will begin at 8 am sharp.

Tom has more than 20 years of comprehensive wealth management experience. Prior to joining SunTrust in September of 2015,

he held leadership and advisory roles at Wells Fargo/Wachovia. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Duke University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and the Certified Financial Planner™ certification. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA North Carolina Society.

Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge to Transform Valdese Campus

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

Editor’s Note: Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge is Burke County’s largest private employer. As a leading corporate citizen, it is

an active member and supporter of the Burke Chamber, does business in our county and is involved with numerous community-based organizations. The system serves as the healthcare safety net for thousands of uninsured and under-insured citizens in Burke County, providing $63 million in care last year with partial or no payment. At the same time, our community healthcare system faces the financial challenges of the Affordable Care Act, federal mandates to purchase expensive information technology, reduced payments for services from the government, and a seismic shift from traditional inpatient care to outpatient care. Last week, the system’s Board of Directors announced a proactive plan designed to respond to these trends and challenges by concentrating outpatient care at the Valdese hospital and inpatient care at the Morganton facility. In the interest of transparency and to provide Chamber members with information that led to the Board’s decision, Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge shared the following information with your Chamber.

Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge’s Board of Directors voted [last] week to transition Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge – Valdese to an outpatient health center and transfer inpatient care to its Morganton campus. This decision was based on the current patient population’s needs and an overall commitment to ensure long-term access to high-quality healthcare for the community, according to information from the system.

“With this decision, the Board, leadership and teammates at Carolinas Healthcare System Blue Ridge are looking to the future,” said J. Michael Bridges, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “We envision Valdese as a healthcare center of the future – the first of its kind in our region. This is an investment in the care of the communities we serve.”

Valdese’s transformation will take place over a 2-1/2 year period. The transition will begin with increasing outpatient surgeries performed at Valdese and moving all inpatients from Valdese to Morganton. These two steps will be complete by the end of this year.

Emergency services, cancer care and other outpatient services will remain at Valdese. In fact, plans include renovating and expanding the Emergency Department and upgrading the Cancer Center. The planning and preparation process will begin this summer and construction should begin by first quarter 2015.

“There is a tradition of high quality care and service at Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge – Valdese. Transforming Valdese into an outpatient health center will allow us to provide the right kind of care for our patients at the right place, all while being more efficient and keeping Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge viable in the ever-changing healthcare environment,” said Kathy Bailey, President and CEO.

Today, more patients than ever are receiving care in settings other than an inpatient bed. New technology, more advanced treatment methods and healthcare reform have led to more care being provided outside the walls of a hospital. In 2013, almost 95 percent of patients cared for at Valdese were outpatients, so focusing on that model of care delivery will better match actual utilization of services.

“Our overall focus continues to be on creating a patient and family-centered environment within Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge,” said Bailey. “We believe the transformation at Valdese will help us achieve that goal for this community.”

The Envelope, Please… Cornerstone Awards Presented to Five Chamber Members

Posted on May 30, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

The Community House in Morganton was filled with anticipation Wednesday evening as the Burke County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the winners and nominees of the 2014 Cornerstone Awards.

A panel of independent judges reviewed 16 nominees before choosing five of them to be recognized as Burke County’s business of the year in three awards categories: the Impact Award, Diversity Award and Foundation Awards.

The Tea Tree in Glen Alpine received the 2014 Impact Award as the Community Minded Business of the Year. Opened in 2001 as an extension of Nathan’s Hope, a non-profit organization that gives mothers an opportunity to sell their handcrafted and/or gently used home décor items on consignment. Over the past 13 years, the Tea Tree

Chamber Board Chairman Scott Mulwee with (L-R) Tammy Taylor, Gina Setterlind and Tammy Matney from the Tea Tree.

has evolved into much more than a business for Glen Alpine and surrounding areas. Besides selling items on consignment, the shop has become a gathering place where single moms, working moms, retired moms and moms facing special challenges can participate in the popular “Tea and Talks” with the staff and volunteers. The non-profit also offers homemaking classes for youth, where graduates are invited to a father-daughter date night and dance, conducted in conjunction with area churches. Past winners of the Impact Award include Fatz, Case Farms and Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon Amy Brooks, DDS, MD, PhD.

Opportunity Threads is winner of this year’s Diversity Award recognizing the Minority/Female Owned Business of the Year in Burke County. Opportunity Threads opened in 2008 with a staff composed of entirely of volunteers. Today it is a worker-owned company that employs 15 people and specializes in producing environmentally sustainable apparel for established, expanding and startup companies across the Carolinas and the United States. It is also active in the growing movement to help companies re-shore their work to the US. Its products have been featured in such national publications as Southern Living, People Magazine and People Style Watch. Past Diversity Award winners include Subway, Jake’s Hamburgers and The Kitchen Connection.

The winner of the 2014 Foundation Award for the Small Business of the Year is Morganton Feed & Seed. Originally opened in 1945, its name and ownership changed two times. In 2011, the business was on the verge of closing when Chad Earp purchased it. Over the past three years, the store has expanded to include greenhouse operations, an agricultural side and a Country Store. Chad stated that he operates his business on the principle that, by keeping iconic stores open, Burke County can stay true to its roots and enhance the community. Past winners of the Foundation Award as Small Business of the Year have included Mobile Services, Psalms Urgent Care and Farris Insurance.

The winner of the 2014 Foundation Award for the Mid-Sized Business of the Year is Bridgeway Solutions. The company is the Southeast’s largest provider of full-service identification management solutions for business, education, industry, emergency response agencies, healthcare, and state and local governments. The company uses best-of-class hardware, software and consumables to safeguard its clients’ employees, data and other v

aluable assets. Founded in 1976, the company relocated its headquarters to Morganton in 2003. In the ensuing years, company president J.Michael Bridges and his late wife, Deborah, transformed an old structure in downtown Morganton into an award-winning, state-of-the-art facility, that is frequently used by community organizations. The firm’s leaders and team members are active in a variety of community-based organizations. Among other honors, Mike is a recipient of the NC Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award and the SBA’s Small Businessman of the Year Award. Past winners have included DeFeet International, Burke Hospice & Palliative Care and James Tool Machine and Engineering.

Caterpillar, Inc. was selected by the judges as the winner of the Foundation Award – Large Business of the Year, following in the footsteps of Blue Ridge HealthCare and McDonald’s of Burke County.Caterpillar has been producing Precision Engine Components in Morganton since its plant opened in 1998. Reflecting a culture of innovation, the company invested $9 million in 2012 to add state-of-the-art digital manufacturing to build assemblies for track type tractors. It is an example of 21st century technology requiring new skills sets needed by line operators to interface with Programmable Logic Computers. The Caterpillar team in Morganton is consistently recognized for its excellent record of safety and quality. Through monetary support and the contribution of personal time and energy, Caterpillar’s 170 employees and leaders are highly visible in the Burke County community. Under the leadership of Plant Manager Doug Whiteley, the company is a partner with Western Piedmont Community College in Project Renew, a program designed to retrain unemployed or underemployed Burke County citizens with skills needed to be successful in today’s ever-changing manufacturing environment.

The 2014 Cornerstone Award Nominees

In alphabetical order…

American Roller Bearing

Barium Springs

Caterpillar, Inc.

Belk of Morganton

Bridgeway Solutions

Catawba Valley Staffing

JD’s Smokehouse

Kellex American Seating

Las Salsas

Morganton Feed and Seed

Myra’s

Opportunity Threads

Patterson’s Amish Furniture

The Tea Tree

Time Saver Storage

Wendy B’s Embroidery & Screen Printing

Judges praised the quality of all the companies nominated for this year’s awards. Catawba Valley Staffing’s team, along with other finalists, received a framed certificate to display at their business.

Chamber Board Chairman Scott Mulwee and Interim Chamber President Jerry Davis teamed up to present the awards. Davis called the 16 Cornerstone Award nominees “an interesting and diverse group, almost a cross section of business in Burke County.”

* The youngest company has been in business about one year. The most established company started business 85 years ago.

* The smallest company has two employees – the largest about 300 employees.

* They are spread all across Burke County – from Glen Alpine to Valdese.

* They smoke BBQ, sew clothing, keep you – your family -and your home in style, and manufacture machines that can move the earth.

* They hire workers and protect personal identity

* They make furniture, sell furniture and can even store it when your run out of room for it.

* They work to improve the lives of mothers, children and families in need.

“There is plenty to admire among this year’s 16 nominees,” he added.

The five winners each received a Cornerstone Award sculpture to display in their business. For the first time, nominees who did not receive one of the Cornerstone Awards will each receive a commemorative framed certificate.

Learn How to Create The Excellent Experience at May 9 Business for Breakfast

Posted on April 14, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

It’s a question that’s never far from our thoughts: “How can I build excellence in my business and in my personal life?”

On Friday, May 9, at the next Business for Breakfast, the Burke County Chamber of Commerce and Caterpillar, Inc. will proudly present Morganton native, consultant and writer C. David Crouch who will share his acclaimed guide for mapping a clear path toward leading yourself and others toward excellence. David is the author of the new book, The Excellent Experience – A Blueprint for Organizational, Team and Individual Success.

Steven M. R. Covey, one of the business world’s best-known advisors on trust, leadership, ethics, and high performance, has said, “Nobody understands the science of excellence like David Crouch.”

Following his presentation, David will participate in a panel of leaders from several Burke County businesses who will share some of their tactics for building excellence, dependable service, customer loyalty and high quality in their products and services. Copies of The Excellent Experience will be available for purchase and inscription by the author following the program

The event will be held from 8-930 am in the Ervin Community Room at Grace Ridge Retirement Community, the 2014 sponsor for the quarterly Business for Breakfasts. A large crowd is expected, so early reservations are encouraged. The event is free for Chamber members but reservations are required, so please e-mail djolly@burkecounty.org or call the Chamber at 437-3021.

The Excellent Experience provides a model for creating excellence that resembles building a house. There are four main sections – the raw materials, the foundation, the structure and the roof. The raw materials include effective leadership, the right people on the team and a strategy for execution. The foundation of the “house” includes a mission, a vision, principles and standards of behavior. The structure depicts five pillars of performance that guide strategic planning and provide balanced clarity of focus: quality, service, people, growth and finance. The roof represents three levels of performance that must be measured – individual, team and organization. When these elements are effectively assembled and deployed, the excellent experience emerges.

Originally from Morganton, NC, David currently works with Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, IL, as a senior consultant helping organizations around the world create environments of excellence.

Business For Breakfast

Posted on January 20, 2014December 25, 2018 by Tonia Stephenson

Business for Breakfast on February 7

President Jim Burnett and his leadership team will be our special guests for an exciting program on “Western Piedmont Community College: The Past, The Present, The Future” on Friday, February 7, at 8 am, in the Ervin Community Room at Grace Ridge Retirement Community. The event is free to Chamber members so to make your reservation please click here. In addition to perspectives on WPCC, the program will include a video recently produced and aired by NC Public Television about our community college. There will be another delicious breakfast prepared by the Grace Ridge culinary team, too. Special thanks to our 2014 Business for Breakfast sponsor, Grace Ridge Retirement Community.

Program Guide

An overview of the programs & events sponsored by the Burke Chamber.