ABERDEEN – Thermal Metal Treating, Inc. has expanded and diversified its manufacturing operations by purchasing Architectural Ironworks of Santa Fe, N.M., and moving that company’s operations, inventory and equipment to Aberdeen.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., today announced that it remains comfortable with its most recent financial performance guidance ranges for fiscal 2008 and expects third quarter earnings per share to exceed First Call consensus estimates.

ABERDEEN – Southeastern Tool & Die, Inc. is relocating its headquarters and operations from a smaller facility in Hoke County to the former Intek building in Aberdeen.

SEAGROVE – The 27th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival, which will be held in November, has been selected as one of Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events.

SANFORD - For the third year in a row, Sanford’s economic strength ranks among the Top 50 small cities across the United States, and its current 34th position continues a steady rise since 2005.

RALEIGH – The same global economic influences that have caused prices to rise dramatically at the gas pump have pushed up the cost of other fuels in recent months.

RALEIGH – North Carolina ranked 15th among all states – its highest ranking ever – in drawing overseas visitors for 2007. The state drew some 358,000 overseas visitors in 2007, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration and Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.

SAN DIEGO – The Research Triangle Region of North Carolina remains among the nation’s leaders in biotechnology industry jobs and salaries, according to a report issued today at the Biotechnology Industry Organization annual meeting.

RALEIGH – North Carolinians are divided about how growth is affecting the state’s infrastructure, according to results of a recent poll conducted by the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University.

SOUTHERN PINES – For the fourth year in a row, Southern Pines-Pinehurst area’s economic strength ranks among the Top 30 “micropolitans” in the United States.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries, Inc. (Pink Sheets: MRINA) has declared a dividend of 9 cents per share on the company’s Class A Common Stock payable on June 30 to shareholders of record on June 16.

ASHEBORO – FNB United Corp. (NASDAQ: FNBN), the holding company for CommunityONE Bank, N.A., announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share.

TROY – The Board of Directors of First Bancorp (NASDAQ: FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, has declared a cash dividend of 19 cents per share payable July 25 to shareholders of record as of June 30.

RALEIGH – Soaring fuel and energy costs rank second only to the cost of health care among the problems facing small business owners, according to one of several surveys by the National Federation of Independent Business.

DUNN – In a strategic move almost two years ago, Adams Products Company purchased 42 acres of land in Edgerton Industrial Park II. Having broken ground last May, the company is now well on its way toward completion of its new $22 million, state-of-the-art factory.

RALEIGH – Coastal Federal Credit Union announced today that as of May 31, it had surpassed $2 billion in assets, a milestone that places Coastal among the 45 largest credit unions in the country.

FAYETTEVILLE – Campbellton Landing, a 33-acre development along the Cape Fear River in downtown Fayetteville, is being sold to Kevin Summers, who has divested his interest in Rocky Top Hospitality to pursue the new venture.

WINSTON-SALEM – BB&T will host a free educational webinar Thursday on remote deposit capture, a service that allows commercial clients to make remote deposits by sending a scanned digital image of their check to the bank.

WINSTON-SALEM – BB&T has introduced a new deposit account package designed for nonprofits and public entities.

WINSTON-SALEM – The board of directors of BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) has declared an increase in the 2008 third quarter dividend to 47 cents per share, a 2.2 percent increase over the 46 cents paid in the third quarter of 2007.

RALEIGH – A net 6 percent of chief financial officers in the Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville area expect to add accounting and finance staff in the third quarter of 2008, according to the most recent Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index.