MONCURE – Forest products giant Weyerhaeuser Co. (NYSE: WY) says it intends to sell a hardwood plywood mill in southeast Chatham County along with mills in South Carolina and Georgia because they don’t fit the company’s future plans.

FORT BRAGG – After participating in four days of military training at Fort Bragg next month, professional golfer Tiger Woods will host the Tiger Woods Foundation’s 30th Junior Golf Clinic at the base.

ARCHDALE – Freightliner LLC and the United Auto Workers (UAW) have announced that hourly-paid employees at the Thomas Built Buses school bus plant, which sits on the Randolph-Guilford county line, have chosen the UAW as their collective bargaining representative.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States, today announced that it has closed on $415 million in new senior secured credit facilities, the final step in a comprehensive refinancing initiative launched last month.

SANFORD – Static Control Components Inc. has fired yet another shot in its ongoing battle with computer printer maker Lexmark International Inc., developing technology to get around Lexmark’s complaints of copyright infringement.

TRINITY – Sealy Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer of bedding products, has signed a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of New York-based buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

TRINITY – Sealy Mattress Co. has commenced cash tender offers for all $300 million outstanding of its 9.875 percent senior subordinated debt and for all $128 million outstanding of its 10.875 percent senior subordinated debt, both due Dec. 15, 2007.

TRINITY – Sealy Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer of bedding products, reported income of $18.3 million on record sales of $1.19 billion during fiscal 2003, ended Nov. 30. Those results are up from earnings of $16.9 million on $1.19 billion in sales in 2002.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration is proposing new rules that will simplify the standards by which the SBA determines the size of a business. Under the proposed rules, size will be determined by number of employees in almost all cases and the number of different size categories will be reduced from 37 to just 10.

WASHINGTON – SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto praised the House of Representatives today for approving legislation that will increase the SBA 7(a) loan program’s lending authority by more than $3 billion, lift the current $750,000 cap on 7(a) loans, and ensure continuing operations for other key SBA programs.

WASHINGTON – Hector V. Barreto, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced yesterday that the federal government, for the first time ever, awarded more than a quarter of its prime contracting dollars to small businesses in fiscal year 2003.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Small Business Administrator Hector V. Barreto today praised action taken to extend reauthorization for one of the SBA’s most important job creation programs, the 504 Loan Program. The House and Senate passed the legislation late last week, and President George W. Bush signed it into law today.

RALEIGH – Regional business and academic leaders have launched a five-year, $5 million strategy to generate 100,000 new jobs and increase employment in the Research Triangle region, including Chatham, Harnett, Lee and Moore counties.

ROBBINS – The Moore County Board of Commissioners has agreed to sell a vacant building near Robbins to a floor and carpet company.

ASHEBORO – Randolph County should focus its business recruitment efforts on five primary industries that best fit with the assets of the area, economic development officials said Wednesday.

SANFORD - PolySi Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of greases and lubricants for industrial use, will relocate its corporate headquarters and manufacturing from a Cleveland suburb to the Lee County Industrial Park.

SANFORD – Patriot Performance Materials has relocated its armor manufacturing operations from Lillington to a shuttered plastics plant in Sanford and is looking to add scores of employees.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (Nasdaq:PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States, today announced that it completed the redemption of all of its outstanding 10 1/4 percent Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007.

DUNN – New Century Bancorp (OTC: NCBC), the holding company for New Century Bank and New Century Bank of Fayetteville, reported 2003 earnings of $906,000, or 42 cents per share, compared with $858,000, or 50 cents per share, in 2002.

TAYLORTOWN – Blarney Stoneworks, a fabricator of natural stone products, is investing $180,000 and hiring up to five employees to locate its business on Main Street, one block off N.C. Hwy. 211 in Moore County.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries Inc. (Amex: MRIA) reported a second-quarter loss of $14,000, or less than 1 cent per share, on $19.4 million in revenue. That compares with $372,000 in earnings, or 14 cents per share, on $17.6 million in revenue for the same period a year ago.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries Inc. (Amex: MRIA), which manufactures boots, develops data collection technologies and distributes office equipment, has declared a dividend of 6 cents per share, payable March 26 to shareholders of record March 12.

ASHEBORO – Workers at the local Goodyear Tire & Rubber plant have voted to join the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) union, becoming the first Randolph County plant in more than a decade to accept union representation.

ERWIN – A judge has thrown out the lawsuit by Good Hope Hospital and Triad Hospitals Inc. that sought an injunction forcing the state to approve a planned $33.5 million hospital in Lillington.

LAURINBURG – Have you heard the latest hot tip for shaving up to four strokes off your golf game? Well, if not, get a grip. No, really, GET A GRIP. It’s a best-kept secret among golf pros that changing your grip at least once a year may improve your game.

ASHEBORO – FNB Corp. (NASDAQ: FNBN) has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 15 cents per share, which is the same rate as paid in the prior quarter. The dividend will be paid on April 20 to shareholders of record as of March 30.

FAYETTEVILLE – The United States Chamber of Commerce has awarded the Fayetteville Area Chamber of Commerce with 3-Star Accreditation for its effective organizational procedures and contribution to positive change in the community.

FAYETTEVILLE – The Downtown Development Corp., on behalf of the City of Fayetteville, announced yesterday that they are seeking qualified proposals from companies/teams with experience in the development of urban mixed-use projects.

SANFORD – Central Carolina Community College’s Small Business Centers have received top honors from the North Carolina Community College System for the second time in three years, capturing the Central Region and State Excellent Small Business Center honors.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corp. (Nasdaq: CBKN) has approved a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 5 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on April 26 to shareholders of record as of April 12.

BUIES CREEK - Campbell University has appointed Ben Hawkins as the new dean for the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, effective in June.

WINSTON-SALEM – BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) has revised its forecast for its 2004 earnings to reflect the impact of fluctuations in interest rates and the resulting reduced profitability of its mortgage banking operations.

BARBECUE TOWNSHIP – Voters in southwestern Harnett County have overwhelmingly approved the sale of beer and wine at local stores and restaurants, which supporters say will boost economic activity.

FAYETTEVILLE – Time Warner Telecom, a leading provider of managed voice and data networking solutions for businesses in North Carolina and 21 other states, has installed integrated services to deliver voice and data for Advanced Internet Technologies Inc. (AIT) of Fayetteville, a web-hosting and e-commerce firm.

FAYETTEVILLE – AIT has formed a partnership with North Carolina State University’s Computer Training Unit (CTU) to bring specialized computer network training programs to the Cape Fear region.