Thursday, July 24, 2008

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Sean & Tracey Knowles



Knowles Accounting, Willa’s Florist , The Butter Box Bakery & Catering, Butterflies & Frogs- plus working at The Holiday Inn- These are the things that have Sean and Tracey Knowles up at the crack of dawn, and going full force -sometimes till midnight.
Both have degrees from Campbell University, Tracey a BS and Sean an MBA, and though they could have chosen from several career paths in other markets, they chose Wallace. Wallace is home- Wallace is family- and these values are most important to them.
The Butter Box almost happened before Willa’s- Sean and Tracey had been looking for a business for Tracey- something she could do and loved- and baking is it! But the initial deal fell through, and then Willa’s came available. Sean had worked in retail for the Fox’s for eight years, and decided to go ahead with Willa’s. Sean had a vision for Willa’s - he would keep the florist business, but wanted to do more than just flowers and gifts. Almost two years ago, he added a clothing line in what had been the gift shop. The shop carries a total range of sizes, trendy casual and dressy looks- and reasonable prices for designer labels.
The Butter Box again became a viable option- and Sean and Tracy took it! Tracey and a cousin, Jean have made The Butter Box more than a bakery and sandwich shop- it is one of the area’s premier caterers- and their cakes are coveted by many! Tracey has also committed to being a vendor at the Farmers’ Market this year! Don’t be surprised to see a chain built on the success of the local store- Sean and Tracey continue to think BIG!
The newest thing for the Knowles- Sean’s sister Wendy has been operating “Butterflies & Frogs” Quality Children’s Clothing in Warsaw, and because of health issues, they are moving her business to the Willa’s location so they can be nearby. Butterflies & Frogs carries a full line of name brands in children’s clothing. It’s addition to Wallace will help fill the the void left with Babycakes leaving.
The biggest challenge Sean finds in doing business in Wallace is getting the word out. After 2 years, customers will still comment that they didn’t know they carried clothing. He does hope that in the future Wallace will implement proactive planning which could help the growth of business and establish strong retail corridors which will attract more shoppers. The best thing about doing business in Wallace is that we are a family oriented community’, Sean says, “ You know everybody and can talk to everybody. This includes the newer residents at River Landing who are patrons. They are a part of the contribution of the Murphy Family to Wallace. The Murphy’s have done a lot for this area.”

LOOK WHAT WE FOUND!



There was a treasure found recently- a case of about 50 copies of the 2002 “Coastline Cuisine” cookbook with recipes from Wallace collected by the Wallace Junior Women’s Club of 2002-2003. The book was originally done as a fundraiser for the restoration of the Wallace Depot. There are some great recipes, all submitted by folks you know. Sherry Coombs “Corn Pudding” recipe is here as are Dana Whitehead’s “Graham Cracker Cookies” and Doris Brooks’ “Apple Dapple Cake”. The books sell for $15 and are available at the Chamber of Commerce office. The money raised by the sale of these treasures will go towards the upkeep of the depot. The cover shows what an amazing job was done on the restoration!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

NEW CHAMBER MEMBER

Please welcome New Chamber Member
John Ripley of
Prudential
Burroughs & Chapin Realty Carolina Beach.
Phone: 910-458-9672
Website: http://www.prucarolina.com/
email :
jripley@prucarolina.com

AUGUST CHAMBER MEETING- SBA SEMINAR LUNCH & LEARN


The August meeting of the Wallace Chamber of Commerce will be a “Lunch & Learn” session conducted by the James Sprunt Community College Small Business Center and the North Carolina Small Business Administration (SBA). You will learn all about the loan options available from the SBA, and how to qualify and apply for these loan opportunities,
The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a number of financial assistance programs for small businesses including 7(a), 504 and disaster assistance loans. Within this section, we’ll review eligibility requirements, SBA’s loan programs, surety bonds and the role of SBA, equity capital topics, special purpose loans, SBA partner topics and 7(a) lender programs. Though the SBA does not provide grants to help you start a business, included is information on organizations and sites that can assist you in locating special purpose grants. For more information visit the SBA website section on loans at www.sba.gov/services/financialassistance/index.html
This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered! Come ready to take notes! Join us at our meeting at the Western Sizzlin on August 14 at 1:00 p.m.!

Duplin County Partnership for Children & Smart Start Book Drive



Duplin County Partnership for Children - Smart Start is having a book drive. Please help us give our children a head start by donating new or gently used books to our cause. The books should be age appropriate for children birth through five years of age. You can also donate money for us to buy the books needed. The books acquired will be distributed among child care facilities within Duplin County that are in need of books. Encouraging your child to read at the earliest age possible is one of the greatest things that can be done to ensure your child is on the right path to education. If you would like to donate books, please see the drop off locations posted below. For more information or if you would like to make a monetary donation please call Duplin County Partnership for children at Melody Williams at (910) 296-2000 ext 211 or stop by our office at 149 Limestone Rd in Kenansville. Drop off locations in Wallace are: The Chamber of Commerce Office M-F 1-5, Thelma Bryant Dingus Library, Latinos Restaurant, Panaderia La Imperial, Piggly Wiggly, Wal-Mart, Wallace Troop 35 Boy Scouts.

FREE Concerts at the Wanoca Theater!





The Wallace-Rose Hill Friends of the Arts are presenting 2 FREE concerts in August 7 at the Wanoca Amphitheater at the Wallace Women’s Center. Contemporary Country Singer Jason Marks and his band will be appearing on August from 6:30-8:00 p.m. He recently released his 4th solo CD, "SLOW DOWN" .Part of the sales from the CD will be donated to The Singing Nurse Scholarship Fund created by Jason Marks for the Cape Fear College School of Nursing Jason has been performing in Wilmington and at The Mad Boar during July.
Contemporary Christian group The Kornegays will perform on Thursday, August 14, 2008 from 6:30 to 8:00 p. m. The Kornegay Family as they have been called is comprised of Jay, Terri and sons Jay Jr. and Tyler. While Jay and Terri have been performing together for over 25 years, the entire family has been performing for about 6 years in area churches and at various civic functions.
The Wallace - Rose Hill Friends of the Arts was created in 2004 to promote local cultural growth and awareness of the Arts. Their objective is to bring Fine Arts programs to the schools and the entire community, donating any surplus proceeds to the school system's Art and Music programs.

Wallace on WNCT



Wallace was featured on WNCT News July 18th in the “My Hometown “ Segment! There were 3 segments shown during the 5:00 & 6:00 news hour with Annette Newell, the News Anchor of the 6:00 and Nightside newscasts for WNCT & The CW. The segments included an interview with Mayor Charley Farrior, who discussed the history of Wallace and the importance to the town of the railroad in the past, and therefore the importance of the depot renovation project to the town. During one segment, Ms. Newell commented on the revitalization efforts of the downtown section, and the growth in Wallace as a whole with the building of River Landing and it’s cousin, The Vineyards.
During the 6:00 broadcast, with Thomas Edgerton running the trains, Ms. Newell interviewed Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lou Powell. Though she was a little nervous about that camera and mike, Lou did a wonderful job of explaining that though Wallace is progressive, it has small town charm and welcoming arms- and promoted the fact that we have great shopping and restaurants. Annette commented after the segment that she was very impressed with the pride and community involvement she found here! To see the segments go to http://www.wnct.com/ and click on the “Your Hometown” link

Christmas at Twilight

Sheila Young has volunteered to Co-Chair the Christmas at Twilight Committee again this year. Co-chairing with her is Frank Brinkley. The success of this event depends on the efforts of many volunteers. To volunteer this year, please contact Lou Powell, Executive Director, Wallace Chamber of Commerce office at 910-285-4044 or email Lou at lou@wallacechamber.com. You’ll be glad you did!

The 2008 Tax Free Holiday is August 1-3

Whether you’re selling or shopping, this is info you need. Certain items of tangible personal property sold between first Friday in August and the following Sunday are tax exempt. For 2008, the dates are Friday, August 1st through Sunday, August 3rd. Clothing, footwear, and school supplies of $100 or less per item; school instructional materials of $300 or less per item; sports and recreation equipment of $50 or less per item, computers of $3,500 or less per item; and computer supplies of $250 or less per item will be exempt.
Clothing accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, protective equipment, wallets, furniture, items used in a trade or business, and rentals are not covered by the exemption and will be subject to the applicable tax.
For a complete list of items included and answers to frequently asked questions , visit the Department of Revenue online site and click on the links. www.dor.state.nc.us/taxes/sales/salestax_holiday.html or call them at 1-877-252-3052