Here is a synopsis of the top stories in the May 2008 issue of Sandhills Business Times.

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Biofuels grants pump up Sandhills firms

PITTSBORO – Lyle Estill believes the term “biofuels” is pejorative and needs to cut from the vocabulary at Piedmont Biofuels, the cooperative he co-founded in 2005 that now produces 100,000 gallons of biodiesel a month. “I’m not sure ‘Piedmont Sustainable Biodiesel’ has the same ring to it, but it is becoming clear that we need to immediately differentiate ourselves from the industry as a whole,” Estill, vice president of stuff, says in a recent Energy Blog posting on the cooperative’s website.

Randolph project building more ‘green’ into development

FRANKLINVILLE – Harvey Harman has spent the past decade focusing on small ecologically friendly land development projects in Chatham County that incorporate “green” building and energy-efficient homes, but he chose Randolph County for his most ambitious project. On a 124-acre tract that includes a buffer to protect natural areas along the Deep River and Sandy Creek, Harman has broken ground on a multi million-dollar mixed-use development that will include 80 to 90 housing units, five commercial lots and a conference center to further promote the project’s sustainable priorities.

Health plan could aid with care standards

RALEIGH – Health care providers in the Sandhills are cautiously optimistic about a plan announced last month by Gov. Mike Easley that would fundamentally restructure the delivery of health care in North Carolina by standardizing the level of care and insurance coverage for the five most chronic conditions. For more than a year, the state’s major health insurance providers, physicians and hospitals have been meeting to design a single set of “best practice guidelines” to more effectively treat diabetes, asthma, hypertension, congestive heart failure and heart attack.

Clean Burn presence fueling potential biodiesel plant

DUNDURRACH – As he surveys construction workers moving dirt prior to building the Clean Burn Fuels ethanol plant in the Hoke County industrial park, Don Porter breaks into a big grin. “Who would have ever thought you‘d see something like this in Hoke County?” says Porter, executive director of the Raeford/Hoke Economic Development Commission. “As a maintenance officer in the Army, there was nothing like the smell of diesel fuel. As an economic developer, there’s nothing like seeing dust fly. It’s amazing.”

Lee group cultivating growth effort

SANFORD – A group of private citizens in Lee County has raised about $45,000 to launch a marketing initiative aimed at positioning the county to take advantage of growth in the Triangle and the expected growth from the Base Realignment and Closure plan. “We want to find out how we can grow on a broad-based demographic scale, both on the residential and commercial side of the equation,” says Kirk Bradley, chairman, president and chief executive of Lee-Moore Capital Company in Sanford.

SANDHILLS PROFILE: New position at Randolph EDC opened right door to develop its future president

ASHEBORO – Bonnie Renfro had no background in economic development when she applied in 1995 for the newly created position of Existing Business and Industry Coordinator at the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation. “I think it is pretty passé to say you have an existing industry program now,” says Asheboro City Manager John Ogburn, who was assistant city manager in Archdale at the time. “But when we did it 13 years ago, nobody had it.” Even though it may sound preposterous today, matching an economic development neophyte with a new program back then wasn’t so far-fetched. Renfro, who had previous teaching and banking experience in Oklahoma and Arkansas, started the program in her house.

CAPITAL BEAT: Summit set to manufacture discussion on N.C. industry

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Chamber will host its second annual Manufacturing Summit on June 10 at The Grandover Resort and Conference Center in Greensboro. Over 400 business leaders, many of them in manufacturing, will gather in the Triad to discuss legislative, regulatory, and legal issues confronting what is still very much a vital economic sector in our state.

Sanford festival molded in tribute to Seagrove potter

SANFORD – The Sanford Pottery Festival will have extra meaning for founder Don Hudson this year because it will be the first without Richard Gillson, who died of a heart attack earlier this year just days after falling from a ladder. The festival will auction about 125 pieces of pottery and other arts/crafts items on May 3 at the end of the first day of the two-day event. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Museum of North Carolina Traditional Pottery in Seagrove.

SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE: Connoisseur pours herself into wine biz

SOUTHERN PINES – While filling out a patient questionnaire at a doctor’s office shortly after moving to Moore County in 1996, Robyn James gave little thought to writing down “wine” in the personal interests section of the form. “I had just gone through a divorce and had no job prospects at the time,” says James, who had sold wine in the Triad for almost two decades.

Special Report: Sandhills Recreation

RACK LOCATIONS

CHATHAM COUNTY

Chatham County United Chamber of Commerce, Pittsboro office: Chatham Business Park, 964 East St., Pittsboro

Wayne’s Cleaners: 350 East St., Pittsboro

Pittsboro Memorial Library: 158 West St., Pittsboro

Central Carolina Community College: 764 West St., Pittsboro

Elizabeth’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant: 160 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro

Chatham Marketplace: 480 Hillsboro St. (US. Highway 15-501), Pittsboro

Wren Memorial Library: 500 North 2nd Ave., Siler City

Best Food Cafeteria: 220 East 11th St., Siler City

N.C. Arts Incubator: Chatham Ave., Siler City

Chatham Hospital Patient Entrance: 300 N Ivey Ave, Siler City

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Fayetteville Area Chamber of Commerce: 201 Hay St., Fayetteville

Women’s Business Center: 230 Hay St., Fayetteville

Rude Awakening: 227 Hay St., Fayetteville

AIT Building: 421 Maiden Ln., Fayetteville

Holiday Inn Bordeaux: 1707 Owen Dr., Fayetteville

What's For Lunch: 1804 Owen Dr., Fayetteville

Village Coffee House: 3037 Boone Trail Ext., Fayetteville

Fayetteville Regional Airport: 400 Airport Rd., Fayetteville

Landmark Aviation at Fayetteville Regional Airport: Fayetteville

Coffee Scene: 253 Westwood Shopping Ctr., Fayetteville

Wingate Inn: 4182 Sycamore Dairy Rd., Fayetteville

Allegra Print & Imaging/Signs Now: 3724 Sycamore Dairy Rd. # 100, Fayetteville

Griffin’s Coffee House: 225 Fort Bragg Rd., Fayetteville

Fayetteville Technical Community College Center for Business & Industry: 2723 Fort Bragg Rd., Fayetteville

Cliffdale Cleaners: 5791 Cliffdale Rd., Fayetteville

Gold's Gym: 2485 Hope Mills Rd., Fayetteville

Gold's Gym: 3308 Bragg Blvd., Fayetteville

Mac's Breakfast Anytime: 7071 Raeford Rd.(Food Lion Shopping Center), Fayetteville

HARNETT COUNTY

Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce: 209 West Divine St., Dunn

Broad Street Deli & Market: 129 East Broad St., Dunn

Sherry’s Bakery: 122 North Wilson Ave., Dunn

The Dunn Hotel: 1011 E Cumberland St., Dunn

Sunny Cleaners: 205 Sunny Ave., Dunn

Triangle South Enterprise Center: 600 S Magnolia Ave., Dunn

Harnett County Economic Development: 907 S Main St, Lillington

Harnett County Library: 601 N Main St., Lillington

The Creek Restaurant: 320 East Cornelius Harnett Blvd. (U.S. 421), Lillington

HOKE COUNTY

Raeford/Hoke Co. Chamber of Commerce: 101 North Main St., Raeford

Edinborough Family Restaurant: 214 South Main St., Raeford

Chatterbox Café: 114C North Main St., Raeford

Five Points Pet Resort: 1495 Montrose Rd., Raeford

LEE COUNTY

Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce: 143 Charlotte Ave. #101, Sanford

Lee County Public Library: 411 Greenway Court, Sanford

The Family Doc Diagnostic & Wellness Center: 107 Hawkins Ave., Sanford

Central Carolina Community College: 1105 Kelly Dr., Sanford

Mac’s Breakfast Anytime: 2278 South Jefferson Davis Hwy., Sanford

Rick's Cafe, Steele Street Mall: Steele St., Sanford

Renalds Restaurant: 121 Chatham St., Sanford

Sanford-Lee County Regional Airport: 701 Rod Sullivan Rd., Sanford

Central Electric Membership Corp.: 128 Wilson Rd., Sanford

Holiday Inn Express: 2110 Dalrymple St., Sanford

La Dolce Vita Pizzeria: 143 Charlotte Ave, Sanford

Mr. Bean Coffee House: 2507 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Sanford

MacDuff’s Cleaners: 217 South Gulf St., Sanford

MacDuff’s Cleaners: 119 North Main St., Broadway

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Montgomery Co. Chamber of Commerce: 444 North Main St., Troy

Zeno’s Italian Restaurant: 908 Albemarle Rd., Troy

Montgomery Community College: 1011 Page St., Troy

Hamilton’s Barbecue & Fried Chicken Restaurant: 945 N.C. Hwy. 24 27 East, Biscoe

Blake's Restaurant: 127 Hillview St, Candor

MOORE COUNTY

Moore Co. Chamber of Commerce: 10677 U.S. Hwy. 15 501, Southern Pines

Sweet Basil Cafe: 134 NW Broad St., Southern Pines

Sandhills Executive Center: 235 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines

Crescent State Bank: 195 Morganton Rd., Southern Pines

Gold's Gym: 185 West Morganton Rd., Southern Pines

U.S. Post Office: SW Broad Street, Southern Pines

Valet Cleaners: 600 S Bennett St., Southern Pines

Broad Street Bakery & Cafe: 130 SW Broad Street, Southern Pines

Mac’s Breakfast Anytime: 313 SE Broad St., Southern Pines

Mac’s Breakfast Anytime: 1406 N. Sandhills Blvd., Aberdeen

American Cleaners: 1906 N. Poplar St., Aberdeen

Mac’s Breakfast Anytime: 4088 US Highway 15 501, Carthage

D.A.K.’s: , Hwy. 15-501, Carthage

Moore Coffee Company: 201 McNeil St., Carthage

Mr. B's Subs & Salads: 105 Monroe St, Carthage

Mac’s Breakfast Anytime: 5461A N.C. Highway 211, West End

Mac’s Breakfast Anytime: 2237 Pinehurst Plaza, Pinehurst

Moore County Airport: Airport Rd. & N.C. Hwy. 22, Pinehurst

Pinehurst Cafe: McCaskill Rd., Pinehurst

Pinehurst Theatre Building: 100 W Village Green, Village of Pinehurst

RANDOLPH COUNTY

Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce: 317 East Dixie Dr., Asheboro

Randolph Community College Small Business Center: 629 Industrial Park Ave., Asheboro

The Coffee Exchange: 108 Sunset Ave., Asheboro

The Coffee Exchange: 191 N.C. Hwy. 42 North, Asheboro

Downtown Soda Shop: 128 Sunset Ave., Asheboro

2.50 Cleaners: Parkway Plaza Shopping Center, 1528 Zoo Pkwy., Asheboro

Dixie III Restaurant: 715 E Dixie Dr., Asheboro

Holiday Inn Express: 1113 East Dixie Dr., Asheboro

Pack & Ship Plus: 1305 S Cox St., Asheboro, Asheboro

C.W.’s Grill: 191-L N.C. Highway 42 North, Asheboro

Asheboro Inn: 825 West Dixie Dr., Asheboro

Hops Bar-B-Que: 240 Sunset Ave., Asheboro

RICHMOND COUNTY

Richmond County Chamber of Commerce: 505 Rockingham Rd., Rockingham

Holiday Inn Express: 400 W Broad St., Rockingham

Sandhills Office Systems: 504 E Broad St., Rockingham

Bella Italy: 107 W Broad Ave., Rockingham

American Cleaners: 1125 Rockingham Rd., Rockingham

Quick Copy Shop: 617 E Broad Ave., Rockingham

Marshall Office Supply: 314 S. Lawrence St., Rockingham

Ellerbe Springs Inn & Restaurant: 2537 N US Highway 220, Ellerbe

SCOTLAND COUNTY

Laurinburg/Scotland County Chamber of Commerce: 606 Atkinson St., Laurinburg

The Daily Grind: 221 South Main St., Laurinburg

Woody’s Printing & Copy Shop: 114 South Main St., Laurinburg

Mac's Breakfast Anytime: South Main St., Laurinburg

Captain Larry’s Seafood Restaurant: 1695 S Main St., Laurinburg

Medicine Shoppe: 801 S Main St., Laurinburg

Holiday Inn Express: 400 Plaza Dr., Laurinburg

The Pointe at Deercroft: 30141 Aberdeen Rd. (US Highway 15-501), Wagram

Cypress Bend Vineyards: 21904 Riverton Rd, Wagram