News and Updates

At left, representing the sponsors are Gaston Arts Council Executive Director Kim George, Chamber Board Chair Carey Roberts of Carey Roberts Design and Holy Angels CEO Regina Moody. At right are members of the Tenya Colemon Trio -- Vince Rivers, Tenya Colemon and Greg Cagle. 

Santa and Mrs. Clause were the special guests

Santa and Mrs. Claus were special guests when Holy Angels and Gaston Arts Council teamed up to host Chamber members and friends for Network After Work on Thursday evening in the tented and heated Push Place Pavilion. The grounds of the Holy Angels campus were ablaze with holiday decorations and dozens of beautifully lighted angels.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary Gaston Arts Council sponsored live entertainment by the Tenya Colemon Trio. Refreshments were provided by Cherubs Cafe. 

Lowell City Council members with Sonic Automotive CEO David Smith and Chief Deputy Secretary for the NC Department of Commerce Elizabeth Crabill (center). Lowell leaders, from left, are City Council members Ken Ervin and Candy Funderburk, Mayor Sandy Railey, Mayor Pro-Tem Thomas Gillespie and Council members DeWayne Chitwood and Phil Bonham. In the photo below, Lowell Mayor Sandy Railey is welcoming Sonic Automotive at the announcement ceremony.

Christmas came early for the City of Lowell  

The City of Lowell unwrapped an early Christmas present last week valued at more than $11 million, when Sonic Automotive announced it will bring 500 jobs over the next five years to a new building on Main Street in Lowell at I-85 exit 22. 

Sonic Automotive is a Fortune 500 company and is among the largest automotive retailers in the United States. The Lowell offices will house marketing and advanced customer care operations for the company. 

CEO David Bruton Smith made the announcement in a press conference coordinated by the Gaston County Economic Development Commission, which played a major role in bringing the jobs to Gaston County. Smith said the hiring process will begin in January 2019. The jobs are expected to pay an average of $53,000, which is $15,000 higher than the average annual wage in Gaston County. 

Lowell Mayor Sandy Railey welcomed Sonic Automotive. “This is truly a historic day for Lowell,” she said. “This will provide a tremendous boost for our local economy.” City of Lowell officials have worked hard in recent years to develop the exit 22 property. “We are excited you are here, and we greatly appreciate you choosing Lowell for your newest office facility,” Mayor Railey said. 

Gaston County Economic Development Commission Board Chairman Robert Browne welcomed Sonic Automotive, and Commissioners Ronnie Worley and Tracy Philbeck spoke on behalf of Gaston County. The state was represented by Chief Deputy Secretary of the N.C. Department of Commerce Elizabeth Crabill.

Rendering of the Sonic Automotive Lowell facility.

McAdenville Mayor Jim Robinette cuts the ribbon at the new Town Hall with Town Council members, from left, Reid Washam, Jay McCosh, Carrie Bailey, Joe Rankin and Greg Richardson, along with Town Clerk Lesley Dellinger and staff member Angie Bradshaw. Holding the ribbon are, at left, Chamber Board Chair Carey Roberts of Carey Roberts Design and Board Secretary and former Chair Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency.

McAdenville celebrates with open house and ribbon cutting 

In most town hall council chambers, the mayor and other elected leaders sit in front of large round replicas of the town’s official municipal seal. 

Fortunately, the Town of McAdenville, also known as Christmas Town USA, is not like most towns. Blessed with a unique opportunity when the town renovated a former church building to become its Town Hall, officials chose to retain a large stained-glass window and make it the focal point of the council chamber. 

Mayor Jim Robinette and members of the Town Council invited McAdenville residents, Montcross Area Chamber members and the public to see the new Town Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, during a ribbon cutting and reception from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m., just before a meeting of the Council. 

The new Town Hall at 163 Main Street formerly was home to McAdenville United Methodist Church, which started at a nearby location in 1890, and built on the present site in 1961. The town bought the 4,800-square-foot building last year and began work to make it the new Town Hall, freeing up former town offices in the business district for additional retail space. Chamber member BowerTraust Construction is the contractor for the project. 

In addition to the stained-glass window, visitors to the new Town Hall will see from the former church the original floors, many of the 1960s light fixtures and some of the pews. A large 1892 bell from the original church is on permanent display in front of the Town Hall.

McAdenville Town Council members and Mayor Robinette take their places for a meeting that followed the ribbon cutting. 

105-year-old Gaston Christian School founder Dr. M.O. Owens Jr. cut a ribbon Thursday officially opening a new Worship and Fine Arts Center named in his honor. The 26,000-square-foot arts center includes a 520-seat auditorium and a 2,000-square-foot stage for student assemblies, theatrical and musical performances. A bronze statue of Dr. Owens was unveiled in front of the Fine Ares Center. 

Band, chorus and other fine arts classrooms will serve the 1,000 GCS students, and the center also includes dressing rooms, space for set design and a large lobby reception area. The $4 million brick and stucco Fine Arts Center sits at the entrance to the 56-acre campus between the two elementary and middle and high school buildings. 

Gaston Christian School Board Chair Timothy Roberts spoke at the dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting along with Head of School Dr. Marc Stout. Dr. Owens daughters, Celia Alexander, Mary Lancaster and Linda Russ, accompanied him to the dedication.  

Past and present administrators, faculty and students of the Gaston College Textile Technology Center gathered on Nov. 8, 2018, at the Belmont campus to celebrate the center's 75th anniversary. College President Dr. Patricia Skinner welcomed more than a hundred who came to celebrate the occasion, and College Board Chair Dr. Jim Watson also spoke. 

Among those speaking about the advanced testing and research on fibers and fabrics being conducted at the center today were: Parkdale Mills President and CEO Andy Warlick, Pharr Yarns Vice President of Manufacturing and Textile Technology Center Advisory Board Chair Don Hager, and Dupont Protection Thermal Apparel Technical Marketing Leader Dr. Paul Schiffelbein.

Mayor Charlie Martin welcomed the group to Belmont, and Textile Technology Center Director since 2012 Sam Buff talked about the center's past, present and future before conducting tours.

Dr. Thierfelder and Carey Roberts are in the center with Belmont Abbey students (from left) Taylor McEachern, Jillian Culbertson, Jimmy Hartley, Theresa Wilson, Brette Linkenhoker, Olivia Young, Landon Issacs and Jamie Mayberry.

Belmont Abbey College administrators, faculty and students hosted a large group of Chamber members and friends for Network After Work in the Haid Building Ballroom on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Creative Solutions Special Events was the co-sponsor. 

College President Dr. William Thierfelder welcomed the group to the campus, and Chamber Board Chair Carey Roberts of Carey Roberts Design reminded everyone of the Chamber's Fall Membership Campaign now under way. 

Network After Work is one of the Chamber's most popular and well attended events, taking place at least once each month at the location of a host member.