WINSTON-SALEM - The Women's Center of Fayetteville was one of three groups selected today to receive a 2003 Nonprofit Sector Stewards Award from the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

CHARLOTTE – Wachovia Corp. (NYSE: WB), which has a strong presence in the Sandhills, reported record earnings of $1.11 billion, or 83 cents a share, for the third quarter, up from $913 million, or 66 cents a share, during the same period a year ago.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTRY), a leading convenience store retailer, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of 138 convenience stores operating under the Golden Gallon name from Ahold, USA, Inc.

FAYETTEVILLE – School Link Inc. and Advanced Internet Technologies, both of Fayetteville, have been named to the 2003 Technology Fast 500 list by Deloitte & Touche.

SANFORD — Static Control Components Inc. has lost the latest round of its ongoing legal dispute with computer printer maker Lexmark International Inc.

SANFORD – The U.S. Copyright Office has given a boost to Static Control Components Inc.’s fight against Lexmark International Inc. over remanufactured printer cartridges.

ROCKINGHAM – International Speedway Corp. (Nasdaq: ISCA), the owner of North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, reported third-quarter earnings of $36 million, or 68 cents per share, on $160.6 million in revenue, up from the $29.6 million, or 56 cents per share, earned on $136.4 million in revenue a year ago.

FAYETTEVILLE – Delta Apparel Inc. (AMEX: DLA) has completed its acquisition of all of the outstanding capital stock of M. J. Soffe Co. for $52 million in cash and the assumption of debt, as well as additional operating capital.

WASHINGTON – SCORE and content provider Easi Media, Inc. have announced an agreement to provide a free copy of Easi Media's electronic Small Business Technical Guide, iEdition, to small business owners and entrepreneurs who receive personal and email counseling from SCORE or attend a SCORE training workshop.

WASHINGTON – A new website to assist small businesses seeking to tap into international markets was launched today by the U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with the American International Group, Inc. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced publication of a final rule on contract unbundling, which will allow small businesses to better compete for federal contracts.

CHARLOTTE – The U.S. Small Business Administration made 968 loans in North Carolina in fiscal year 2003, a 30 percent increase over the 741 loans made in the previous year, the SBA announced today.

RALEIGH – Business, academic and economic development leaders from the Research Triangle region have agreed on eight technologies and a set of strategies to create jobs in both rural and urban areas.

ROCKINGHAM – A Wal-Mart Super Center will anchor a new $16.5 million commercial/retail development project that will provide 550 to 700 jobs when it is completely built out, officials announced today.

ASHEBORO – Randolph County is riding a roller coaster with the textile industry, as one manufacturer is hiring while another one plans to close.

RALEIGH – Despite the repair costs following Hurricane Isabel, Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN) reported third-quarter earnings of $319 million, or $1.34 a share, more than double the $151.9 million, or 70 cents per share, earned during the same period a year ago.

SOUTHERN PINES – Moore County Partners in Progress, the county's economic development organization, has hired retired textile industry executive Ray Ogden of Southern Pines as its executive director.

DUNN – New Century Bancorp (OTC: NCBC), the holding company for New Century Bank, reported third-quarter income of $290,000, up 46 percent from the $199,000 earned during the same period a year ago.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries Inc. (Amex: MRIA) has been awarded a new one-year federal contract to produce direct molded sole military combat boots, with options for two additional years.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries Inc. (Amex: MRIA) reported fiscal 2003 earnings of $2.5 million, or 89 cents per share, on $77 million in revenue, compared with $2.6 million in earnings, or 93 cents per share, on $74.5 million in revenue in 2002.

LAURINBURG – GOJO Industries of Akron, Ohio, has chosen the former Abbott Laboratories plant to manufacture Purell instant hand sanitizer, a $10 million investment that will eventually create 250 jobs, Gov. Mike Easley announced today.

ASHEBORO – FNB Corp. (Nasdaq: FNBN), the holding company for First National Bank and Trust Co., Rowan Bank and Dover Mortgage Co., reported a 33 percent drop in third-quarter income, to $1.5 million from $2.3 million a year ago.

RALEIGH – First Citizens BancShares Inc. (Nasdaq: FCNCA) reported a 14.7 percent decline in third-quarter earnings, to $20.3 million, or $1.94 per share, from $23.8 million, or $2.27 per share, during the same period of 2002.

TROY – First Bancorp (Nasdaq: FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, has completed the purchase of four RBC Centura branches located in Wallace, Kenansville, Fairmont and Harmony.

TROY – First Bancorp (Nasdaq: FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, reported record third-quarter income of $5.1 million, or 53 cents per share. During the same period a year ago, the bank earned $4.7 million, or 50 cents per share.

CARY — Crescent Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: CRFN), which in August completed its acquisition of Centennial Bank in Moore County, reported an 18 percent increase in third-quarter earnings over last year.

SANFORD - Coty's Vision 2002 Control Center, which opened last year, got the thumbs-up from architects across the state when the project received a design award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corp. (Nasdaq: CBKN) has named William C. Burkhardt as chief executive officer as part of the bank’s strategy for restructuring its executive management team.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corp. (Nasdaq: CBKN), which has four branches in the Sandhills, has announced that bad loans will result in a loss for the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, of $2 million to $2.3 million, or 30 to 33 cents per share.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corp. (Nasdaq: CBKN) reported a third-quarter loss of $2.1 million, or 32 cents per share after credit issues forced it to set aside more money for possible bad loans.

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America has retained its ranking as the leading Small Business Administration lender in North Carolina by issuing 252 SBA loans to entrepreneurs during the 2003 fiscal year, ended Sept. 30.

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) reported record earnings of $2.92 billion, or $1.92 per share, for the third quarter, a 31 percent increase from the $2.24 billion, or $1.45 per share, earned a year ago.

WINSTON-SALEM – Restructuring charges and a July merger led BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) to report a 65 percent drop in third-quarter income, from $328.2 million, or 69 cents per share, in 2002 to $115.9 million, or 21 cents per share.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Organizers of the 5th annual Southeastern BIO Investor Conference (SEBIO) today announced that Harris Barton, a former National Football League star and current general partner of Champion Ventures, will speak at an investor dinner during the region's premier life sciences investment event.