News and Updates

 The celebration begins at Saltwater Markets with Clint and Elizabeth Boyd (center), their children Caleb, Grace and Maddie, Clint's parents Kim and Brett Boyd, catering coordinator Jeanie Drummond and Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin. Holding the ribbon are Chamber Board members Brad Thomas (left) of Creative Solutions Special Events and Chris Kennedy of Kennedy Business Solutions.

Offering top quality seafood, meats and catering

Saltwater Markets celebrated its formal opening in Gaston County this morning with a dozens of Chamber members, family and friends and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Owners Clint and Elizabeth Boyd opened their first Saltwater Markets location in Clover, SC, two years ago.

They developed so many Gaston County customers they decided to locate a second site here at 3418 S. New Hope Road. Chef Rodney Roden is general manager of the Gaston County location along with Stacey Parker. Jeanie Drummond is catering coordinator and Justin Bishop also is a chef.  

Saltwater Markets specializes in overnight delivery of top quality seafood and meats. Catering for oyster roasts, low country boils and other types of events also is a big part of their business.

Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 - 6; Saturday, 10 - 5.  More information at 803.222.6057, or www.saltwatermarkets.com.

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Chamber members and Cherubs friends filled the cafe during the Grand Re-Opening celebration. Holy Angels staff members unveiled bright yellow shirts with an uplifting message: "Believe There Is Good In The World." 

Renovated Cherubs Café celebrates re-opening with Chamber 

Cherubs Cafe's famous chicken salad is back after a major renovation of the Holy Angels restaurant and downtown Belmont institution. A grand re-opening celebration and Chamber “Network After Work” reception drew a large crowd despite off and on rain that forced postponement of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A renovated dining room and kitchen greeted returning customers and newcomers. Expanded evening hours will keep the café open until 8 o’clock, and new menu items have been added, including a “Maria Melt” in tribute to the late Maria Morrow, who was the  first resident at Holy Angels in the mid-1950s and lived and worked there until her death on Aug. 24, 2010.

The event also signaled the official opening of Cherubs on the Green, a grassy lawn next to the cafe that has been leased and decorative fencing added so it can host birthday parties and other activities for children. The lot was owned by the late Harley B. Gaston, Jr. and Kitty Gaston of Belmont and is dedicated to their memory and that of their late son, Harley "Bo" Gaston, who was a Holy Angels resident.  

Cherubs Cafe and next-door neighbors Cherubs Cotton Candy Factory and Cherubs Candy Bouquets are vocational outreach programs of Holy Angels, providing job opportunities and community interaction for residents.  

Cherubs Café, at 23 N. Main Street in Belmont, offers a wide range of catering services and is open for breakfast and lunch and with a limited menu until 8 o'clock most evenings. For more information, call 704.825.0414, or visit www.holyangelsnc.org/cherubs.

Holy Angels staff members, wearing their new "Believe There Is Good In The World" shirts, pose in the Cherubs on the Green park, which is dedicated to the memories of the late Harley and Kitty Gaston and their son Beau, who was a resident at Holy Angels.    

CEO Tammy Legette cutting the ribbon at the dedication of Sandra's Closet & Boutique in memory of her mother Sandra Williams, who died a year, almost to the minute, from the time of the ceremony on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, in Mount Holly.  In the photo below, Tammy is telling the emotional story of her late mother's founding of Discovery Home Care in 2006. (Photos by John Jacob)

Grand Opening celebrated with Chamber ribbon-cutting

Sandra Williams died at 4:35 p.m. on August 4, 2016. Exactly one year later, almost to the very minute, her daughter Tammy Legette and other members of her family cut a ribbon at the grand opening of Sandra’s Closet & Boutique in Mount Holly, fulfilling Mrs. Williams’ dream to open a shop supporting a non-profit she founded to serve homeless, abused and neglected young people in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties. 

Proceeds from the sale of donated clothing and household items at Sandra’s Closet are used to operate two shelters for young people needing a temporary home.  Discovery Home Care is the name of the non-profit Mrs. Williams started in 2006 to operate the shelters.  

Tammy Legette told the emotional story of her mother’s dream and the shop named in her honor at the grand opening and Montcross Area Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017. 

Sandra’s Closet is at 606 S. Main Street in Mount Holly. The shop is open for shoppers and to accept donated items Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. For more information, call 704.820.8012, or visit www.discoveryhomecare.org.  

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 The crowd cheers as Brent Rivelle cuts the ribbon along with Chris Etherton. With them are Brent's wife Sarah holding daughter Ellie and Chris's wife Shana beside Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin. Among the group behind them are Sarah's mom Becky Lipka and Brent's brother Travis and parents Dale and Jane Rivelle.  Holding the ribbon are Chamber Board member Jennifer Church of the Chronicle Mill and Chamber member Kevin Randall of Northwestern Mutual Life. 

Big crowd welcomes new business to Chamber and to Belmont 

Co-owners Chris Etherton and Brent Rivelle invited fellow Chamber members along with customers, family and friends to help celebrate the grand opening of Gaston Printing and Signs at 7005 Wilkinson Blvd., Suite A in Belmont. Located in the shopping center next door to Dairy Queen, Gaston Printing and signs provides customers many years of printing experience and a wide variety of services, including yard signs, window clings, car wraps, flags, screen printing and more. More information at 704.461.8387, or online at www.gastonprintingandsigns.com.

 Chris Etherton (left) and Brent Rivelle (right) with Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin and Moses Nueman of NB Technology at grand opening.

Kris and Kennell Jackson cut the ribbon with help from family and Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin. Holding the ribbon are Chamber Board members Chris Kennedy of Kennedy Business Services and Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency.

Large staff enables Lashing Out to offer a wide range of services

Kris Jackson celebrated the first anniversary of her Lashing Out on Main salon in Belmont and recent renovations with customers, friends, Chamber members and family members, some of whom drove in all the way from Williamston in eastern North Carolina for the occasion. Pink was the signature color for the event, evident in pink balloons, flowers, cookies and even pink bow ties for the guys. Lashing Out, located at 117 South Main Street in downtown Belmont, offers a wide array of services for hair, lashes and nails, plus facials and waxing. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 - 8, and Saturday, 8 - 5. For more information, call 704.775.1307, or visit  www.lashingoutonmain.com. 

Kris and Kennell Jackson (left) with Kris's parents who drove from Williamston, NC.

1st-place in the Chamber Golf Tournament went to the team from American Vapes. From left are Wayne Kinley, Kevin Collier, Doug Cochran and Bryan Hough

A hundred golfers, 33 sponsors, more than a hundred prize and goody bag donors and at least three dozen volunteers all came together to make the 12th Annual Chamber Golf Tournament a tremendous success on Thursday, June 15, 2017, at Cramer Mountain Club. CaroMont Health was the presenting sponsor. The American Vapes team took the first-place trophies and prizes, with Chick-fil-A of Belmont coming in second and Sign Connection third. Proceeds from the tournament are crucial the the Chamber’s financial success each year. Many thanks to Joe Campbell and his staff at Cramer Mountain Club and to all of the players, sponsors, donors and volunteers who contributed to another great tournament.

2nd-place team - Chick-fil-A of Belmont. From left, Donnie Loftis and players Benny Bowles, Tony Gilbert, Lee Dorn and Tommy Belcher, Jr. 

3rd-place team - Sign Connection. From left, Donnie Loftis with players Matt Elkin, Eric Clay, Patrick Horneman and Clay Gibson.  

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The folks at Bisque Imports know how to “make business fun,” and here they're doing just that under the “Monty Belmont Lounge” sign during the Chamber’s “Network After Work” reception. That tall guy in the middle is CEO D.J. Toal, with members of his BI team (from left) Dee McDaniel, Tesha Palmer, Chris Denison (a.k.a. Monty), Kevin McCaskill and Rachael Pursell. In the photo below, you may notice a likeness between Chris Denison (minus hair and beard) and Monty.

BI team knows how to make business fun

Chamber members and friends got their evening walk in early during a “Network After Work” reception at Bisque Imports, when company CEO D.J. Toal led them on a tour of the 180,000-square-foot BI facility in Belmont. The company is located at 1 Belmont Avenue in the former Stowe Mills Spinning Plant, one of four former textile mills now owned by the companies of brothers D.J. and Scott Toal. Bisque Imports began about 17 years ago in the trunk of D.J. Toal’s car before taking over his barn and later moving into the former Majestic Mill on Catawba Street in Belmont. That building now is leased to the owners of Catawba River Antique Mall. Bisque Imports supplies unpainted bisque figurines to pottery and craft studios all over the United States and internationally, and is one of the largest regional customers of Federal Express. A large group of Chamber members and friends were eager to learn more about this unique and growing local company, make business connections and enjoy refreshments provided by H&M Catering. For more on Bisque Imports, visit www.bisqueimports.com.

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 Chamber members listen to presentation by D.J. Toal in the lounge at Bisque Imports.