SANFORD – Business leaders can be generally optimistic about what’s to come over the next several years, with a growing economy and the business cycle suggesting expansion could last late into this decade.

CHARLOTTE – Wachovia announced today that it has launched a truly automated online account opening and funding tool for customers and potential customers.

CHARLOTTE – Wachovia Corporation’s (NYSE: WB) board of directors today approved an 11 percent increase in the company's regular quarterly cash dividend to 51 cents per common share, up from the current 46 cents per share.

CHARLOTTE – Wachovia Corporation announced today that it has been awarded $998,000 from the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.

RALEIGH – From the mountains to the ocean and all points in between, North Carolina has long been a popular tourist destination, and new detailed tourism figures for 2004 show strong growth across the state.

RALEIGH –A new survey by a leading business magazine provides further evidence of North Carolina’s attractiveness for new and expanding businesses, because three regions in the state ranked in the Top 20.in Expansion Management’s just released 7th Annual Top 40 Real Estate Markets rankings.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 13 convenience stores in Alabama from Chatham Oil Company, Inc., which has been operating the stores under the Speedmart Food Stores banner.

BERWYN, Pa. – SunCom Wireless, Inc., the primary operating subsidiary for SunCom Wireless Holdings, Inc., (NYSE: TPC) has announced that under the terms of a stock purchase agreement, it has exercised its termination right to cancel the planned purchase of Urban Comm-North Carolina, Inc. for $113 million.

RALEIGH – North Carolina bankers and small business owners joined the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center today to mark the 10th anniversary of a program that is helping start and expand small businesses across the state.

RALEIGH – Progress Energy has informed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the company is making plans that could lead to submitting a combined construction and operating license for a new nuclear power plant.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (Nasdaq:PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., announced today that it has completed the acquisition of 23 convenience stores in Virginia from Angus I. Hines, Inc., which has been operating the stores under the Sentry Food Mart banner.

SANFORD - The Pantry, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., has announced preliminary financial results for its third fiscal quarter and nine months ended June 30.

RALEIGH – A statewide survey commissioned by the North Carolina Economic Developers Association shows that a strong majority of voters support tax credits and other financial incentives to aid employers in locating or expanding their businesses in the state.

DUNN – New Century Bancorp (OTC Bulletin Board: NCBC), the holding company for New Century Bank and New Century Bank of Fayetteville, reported net income for the quarter ended June 30 of $987,000, compared to $435,000 for the same period in 2004.

SANFORD – This fall, many North Carolina high school students will have the option to add a new course to their block schedule – Marketing Technology and Media.

SANFORD – Kelly MarCom, an integrated marketing communications firm, has signed PB&G Partners LLC, a joint venture between Dealey Partners, Inc. and GMC Real Estate, Inc., based in Wilmington.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Health System and UNC Health Care System have had administrative discussions regarding expanding their clinical affiliations.

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley has authorized a provision to provide tax credits to companies that produce movies or television series in North Carolina.

FAYETTEVILLE – A new survey of businesses and property in downtown Fayetteville shows that the number of retail businesses has grown from 60 in 2003 to 100 this year, an increase of 67 percent.

RALEIGH – Crescent State Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CRFN), announced today that it has joined the Russell Microcap Index.

GREENSBORO – An associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says North Carolina consumers saved nearly $400 million in 2003 thanks to the presence of credit unions.

GREENSBORO – Recently, Scott and Kristen Faulkner of Winston-Salem made a surprise discovery – a collection agency contacted them saying Scott owed more than $7,000 in credit card debt.

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America Corporation has priced an offering of $500 million in capital securities to be issued by BAC Capital Trust VIII for sale in the United States.

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America Corporation has priced an offering of capital securities to be issued by BAC Capital Trust VII for sale primarily outside of the United States. A total of 17,000 capital securities will be issued, each with a liquidation amount of Pounds Sterling 50,000.

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America Corporation today priced an offering of $1.8 billion in 3-year floating-rate senior notes for sale in and outside of the United States.

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America was named best consumer Internet bank in the United States by Global Finance magazine as part of its “World’s Best Internet Banks” competition.

WINSTON-SALEM – The board of directors of BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) has declared the 2005 fourth quarter dividend of 38 cents per share, an 8.6 percent increase over the 35 cents per share paid in the fourth quarter of 2004.

RICHMOND, Va. – BB&T Capital Markets has added equity research coverage of the automotive aftermarket industry, led by Senior Research Analyst Tony Cristello.

PINEHURST – Pinehurst Resort has given back $300,000 to the community as a result of its 2005 U.S. Open Championship success.