News and Updates

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.

Lincoln Harris Senior Vice President Tracy Dodson (center) and, to her right, Gastonia native Elilzabeth Adams McMillan, Director of Development at Crescent Communities, spoke about The River District project at the Chamber's Business Buzz breakfast. With them, from left, are Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin, Chamber Board Chair-elect Carey Roberts of Carey Roberts Design and Gaston County Commissioner representing South Point Township Ronnie Worley. In map below, shaded area is The River District.

Charlotte's next wave of development spreading to the west

Close to a hundred Chamber members and friends attended a Business Buzz breakfast this morning to learn more about the River District project between the airport and the Catawba River in western Mecklenburg County. 

Gastonia native Elizabeth Adams McMillan represented Crescent Communities, and Tracy Dodson spoke for Lincoln Harris, the major River District developers.

The plan calls for 4,500 homes, 1,000 hotel rooms, 500,000 square feet of retail and restaurants and 8 million square feet of office space, when the project is fully developed, at least 25 years from now.

More than 11,000 construction jobs will be created and, throughout the region, more than 50,000 total jobs are predicted to stem from the project, which will boost the tax base by an estimated $2.7 billion.

The Chamber presents Business Buzz programs several times a year on topics of significant interest in the cities and towns of the Montcross area of eastern Gaston County. CaroMont Health is the sponsor. 

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Almost 100 attended the program at Gaston College Belmont campus. 

Cato Homes' first model is 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and can be purchased for under $50,000. 

"Why rent, when you could buy?"asks Cato Properties

If you think it's impossible to buy a new three-bedroom, two-bath home in Belmont for $50,000, you need to talk to Tammey Thomas. She's the owner of Cato Properties, which just entered the manufactured home sales market after four decades of renting lots in a community off Wilkinson Boulevard in Belmont. 

Cato Properties kicked off a three-day open house (May 19-21) with a Chamber ribbon-cutting and lunch at a new model home at 75 Wallace Ave., Belmont, NC 28012. Tammey's father Charles Cato founded Cato Rentals 40 years ago, and the company now has more than 270 mobile home lots available in the community, which features all occupant-owned homes. Owners in the community are not permitted to rent their homes.

One fully furnished and decorated model home is available now in the community and more are planned. "Why rent, when you could buy," is the slogan for the pet-friendly community, which has a mix of young, mature, single, married, widowed and retired residents.

The lot rentals and home sales office for Cato Properties is at 7101 Wilkinson Blvd., Belmont, NC 28012. Tammey Thomas is the contact for lot rentals, and Laura Ogle is the home sales manager. For more information, call 704.825.2946, or visit www.catohomes.com. 

Tammey Thomas cuts the ribbon with Laura Ogle and manufactured homes consultant Ken Corbin. Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin (second from left) attended the celebration and lunch along with dozens of Chamber members and friends, including members of the Belmont Police and Fire Departments. Holding the ribbon are Chamber Board member Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency and former Board Chair Timothy Roberts of Cottage Keepers. Holding the banner, provided by Cato Properties, are Neil Brennen (left) and Jeff Davenport (behind banner) of Davenport Printing.