News and Updates

Belmont Historical Society President Stan Cromlish (center, back) with BHS Board members and members of the Artifacts & Collections Committee, who greeted guests and responded to questions at the Chamber event.  From left, are Chamber Board Chair Shannon Thomas of Creative Solutions Special Events, Ginger Feimster, Carol Tomlinson, Leigh Ford, Eva Ann Via, Laura Egeln, Stan Cromlish, Gearl Dean Page, Debi Goldsmith, Edna Walker, Martha Page, Claudina Ghianni Toole, Kathy Johnson and Elizabeth Atterberry. 

120-year-old Stowe family homeplace houses Belmont's history

Chamber members and friends of all ages came out Thursday when Belmont Historical Society hosted a Network After Work reception at the Cultural and Heritage Learning Center at 40 Catawba Street in Belmont.

BHS President Stan Cromlish welcomed the visitors to a 120-year-old house filled with thousands of historic treasures. Some of those featured were vintage garments, hats and jewelry from the 1920s made by Melva Gullick Neal, who later was principal at Belmont Central Elementary.

Tours were conducted of the restored and furnished 1920s mill village house. Historical Society volunteers were stationed in each room to answer questions. The arrowhead and artifacts collection donated by local historian Jack Page, who was on hand to talk about his finds, was popular with young and old alike.

Eager to learn new ways to find customers, more than 50 attended the Chamber Lunch & Learn presented by Elaine and Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency at Estia's Kouzina in Belmont.

Lyerly Agency, now headquartered in Belmont, has has been in business in the Charlotte region more than 40 years, providing public relations, advertising, marketing and branding services to small local businesses, major corporations, national organizations and government. Melia Lyerly is COO of the business and her sister Elaine Lyerly is CEO.

Thank you to Elias Rauch Media for contributing photos to this album.

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Holy Angels celebrated the opening of Spruced Goose Station in McAdenville with a Chamber ribbon cutting and Network After Work event on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.

The Spruced Goose Station, a partnership between Holy Angels and Pharr, opened for business on February 20, with the coffee, ice cream and restaurant section open 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, serving breakfast items, salads, sandwiches, specialty coffees and desserts and more. An upstairs gift shop and art studio will be open 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with shirts, cards, candles art items made by Holy Angels residents and more. Customers will be served by supported Holy Angels employees.

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Kennedy Business Solutions provides Visa/MC card processing services and many other programs and services.

Hear the audio of Chris Kennedy's presentation. 

Chamber officers (from left) Shannon Thomas, Melia Lyerly, Heath Jenkins, Paul Lowrance and Carey Roberts.

 More than 260 fill Grand Hall for the annual celebration

Shannon Thomas of Creative Solutions Special Events was elected to chair the Montcross Area Chamber Board of Directors during the 59th Annual Celebration and Membership Meeting on Feb. 5, 2019, in the Grand Hall of the Mount Holly Municipal Complex.

A sellout crowd of more than 260 Chamber members and friends attended the reception, silent auction, dinner and program. CaroMont Health was the presenting sponsor. 

Also elected to serve on the Executive Committee were Chair-Elect Heath Jenkins of the Town of Stanley, Secretary Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency, Treasurer Paul Lowrance of McKenney Business Management and Past-Chair Carey Roberts of Carey Roberts Design.

New members elected to the Board of Directors were Natasha Gilbert of Chick-fil-A of Belmont, Jonathan Yandle of BB&T - Mount Holly and Katy Windell of McLean Funeral Directors. 

PHOTOS BY: DODIE HUFFMAN of IMAGE SOURCE 

From left, Shannon Thomas, Heath Jenkins, Katy Windell, Paul Lowrance, Carey Roberts, Jonathan Yandle, Natasha Gilbert and Melia Lyerly.

From left, Peter Cassidy receiving Business of the Year Award from Janet Sarn; Timothy Roberts (left) presenting EPIC Award to Mark Cramer, Vincent Ginski and Chris Peek; and Don Doctor (right) receiving Public Service Award from Brad Thomas. In the photo below, right, Ted Hall is receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine presented by Melia Lyerly.

NC Long Leaf Pine honor goes to Chamber president

Three major awards were presented by the Montcross Area Chamber during the 59th Annual Celebration on Feb. 5, 2019. And in a surprise addition to the program Chamber President Ted Hall was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, an honor conferred by the Governor of North Carolina for distinguished community service.

Receiving the Chamber's Business of the Year Award was Carolinas Rehabilitation - Mount Holly. Presenting for award sponsor South State Bank was Market President Janet Sarn, and accepting was hospital Administrator and Atrium Health Vice President Peter Cassidy. CLICK HERE to read more about the award.

Greater Gaston Development Corporation (GGDC) was the recipient of the EPIC Award, which is presented by the Chamber to an individual, business or organization that is "Entrepreneurial, Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative." The award was sponsored by Cottage Keepers and presented by owner Timothy Roberts. Accepting were GGDC Executive Director Mark Cramer, Strategy and Operations Associate Vincent Ginski and Board Vice Chair Chris Peek. CLICK HERE for more on the award and the GGDC.

The Harley B. Gaston, Jr. Public Service Award was presented to Don Doctor of Cramerton in recognition of his service to the community and to the economy of Gaston County by conceiving the plan and leading the,campaign to restore Cramer Mountain Club after a long period in foreclosure.The award is named for a founder of the Chamber, who was a long time attorney, judge and public servant in Gaston County. CLICK HERE for more on the Public Service Award. 

At the conclusion of the celebration program, former Chamber Board Chair Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency, announced that N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper had conferred upon Chamber President Ted Hall the state's highest civilian honor the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in recognition of his commitment to community service throughout a 47-year career spanning journalism, self-employment in management recruiting and almost 14 years at the Chamber of Commerce.

N.C. Rep. John Torbett had planned to present the award but was unable to attend because the Legislature was in session in Raleigh. 

PHOTOS BY DODIE HUFFMAN - IMAGE SOURCE

 Hall was joined on stage by other recipients of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, from left, Brenda White of Belmont, Stanley Town Manager Heath Jenkins, CaroMont Health Board Chair Donnie Loftis, Gaston County Commissioner Ronnie Worley and Greater Gaston Development Corporation Executive Director Mark Cramer.