WilmingtonBiz Talk with Mayor Bill Saffo on Wilmington's growth

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

On today’s BizTalk, we check on the latest buzz from Wilmington’s restaurant scene.

Joining us are Terry Espy, president of MoMentum Companies who has worked with a number of restaurateurs to open locally, and Daniel Hlusak, corporate chef of Floriana.

They’ll talk about the latest addition to the restaurant scene, the continued recovery with pandemic for chefs and owners, updates on supply chain and employees and other areas the industry is watching.

Our guests:

Terry Espy, MoMentum Companies President
Daniel Hlusak, Floriana Corporate Chef

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to WilmingtonBiz Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and more.

Our region has new leaders at several of our most important institutions, including the New Hanover Community Endowment, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Wilmington International Airport. At this Power Breakfast, we get to know each of these leaders and learn about their organization’s goals, timelines and roles in the future of our community.

Panelists:
Jeff Bourk, Director of Wilmington International Airport

William Buster, CEO & President of the New Hanover Community Endowment

Shelbourn Stevens, President of Novant Health NHRMC and the Coastal Market

The Power Breakfast series is a quarterly gathering of the business community and other community leaders to talk about issues of interest to our region. Each breakfast features a panel discussion or individual speaker focusing on topics of interest to local companies.

Sports tourism brings thousands of visitors to the Wilmington area each year for races and tournaments that require hotel stays and more spending.

A big example: The 12th annual Novant Health Wilmington Marathon weekend, which takes place Feb. 24-26. The event will bring more than 3,500 runners and features a full marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, downtown 5K and a kid’s 1-mile run.

On today’s WilmingtonBiz Talk, two local voices who watch the sports tourism industry join us to discuss the marathon and the topic: Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Tom Clifford, event director for the marathon weekend.

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

Last month, the city of Wilmington joined New Hanover County in creating a position to look at equity efforts within their government operations and services to the community.

Joe Conway started Jan. 18 as the city’s first chief equity and inclusion officer, coming from NHRMC where he had served as the hospital’s director of health equity and human experience.

In August 2020, Linda Thompson became the county’s chief diversity and equity officer.

Both join today’s BizTalk to share updates on their programs and goals in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion for the local governments.

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

Monday, January 31 marked one year since Novant Health’s purchase of New Hanover Regional Medical Center officially closed.

The nearly $2 billion purchase – as well as additional commitments for future capital investments and an agreement with UNC’s medical program at NHRMC – set Novant, a Winston-Salem-based, not-for-profit health system, up to significantly expand its presence in Southeastern North Carolina.

On the heels of the one-year mark, two of the top local officials will be on Thursday’s weekly BizTalk to go over what’s changed in the past year, what hasn’t and what’s coming next.

The Panel:

Shelbourn Stevens, President of Novant Health's coastal region and Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center

Laurie Whalin, President & COO of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

On today’s BizTalk we’re in good spirits. We’re talking with Shane Faulkner, co-owner of End of Days Distillery, about the growth of their operation and the industry in the state.

End of Days, maker of gin, vodka and rum, is based in the Cargo District neighborhood and opened its Castle Street distillery in early 2020.

Shane Faulkner, Co-Owner, End of Days Distillery
Shane and Beth Faulkner founded End of Days Distillery in a 4,800-square-foot distillery with a cocktail bar, lounge, tasting room and event space is housed in a WWII-era Quonset hut on Castle Street. Its Port of Entry Series has been recognized in the SIP International Spirits Competition.

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

On today’s BizTalk we’ll have a special double discussion about the latest spike in COVID cases.

First up is an update from health officials. Infectious disease physician Paul Kamitsuka and county public health assistant director Carla Turner share the latest numbers locally, whether omicron is showing signs of peaking, testing supplies and other issues.

With the variant impacting school classrooms and child-care settings, we also have a special guest from WILMA, the Business Journal’s sister publication, to discuss the continued concerns – and possible coping tips – for working parents. Audrey Goodson Kingo, former editor in chief of WorkingMother.com, spearheaded the brand’s book, The Working Mother Ultimate Guide to Working from Home.

The Panel:
Dr. Paul Kamitsuka, Wilmington Health Infectious Disease Physician
Carla Turner, NHC Assistant Health Director
Audrey Goodson Kingo, Former Editor, WorkingMother.com

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to WilmingtonBiz Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and more.

Transformational projects led by New Hanover County are expected to make progress this year, including Project Grace, The Healing Place and the redevelopment of the county government complex.

Project Grace refers to the redevelopment of a county-owned downtown block to include a new main branch of the county’s public library and a new Cape Fear Museum. The mixed-use development, which is still in design phases, is a public-private partnership between the county and Wilmington-based Zimmer Development Co.

Construction for The Healing Place, a peer-led residential drug and alcohol recovery facility on Medical Center Drive, began in early 2021.

Another public-private partnership, the transformation of the county government complex to include new county facilities and private development, is also currently underway with GHK Cape Fear Development.

Joining WilmingtonBiz Talk are County Manager Chris Coudriet and Sara Warmuth, the county’s chief facilities officer, to discuss the status of the planned structures and those under construction.

The panel:

Chris Coudriet, New Hanover County Manager

Chris Coudriet serves as chief administrator of the county government and maintains responsibility for administering all departments under the general control of the five-member board of commissioners. He has been county manager since 2012.

Sara Warmuth, New Hanover County Chief Facilities Officer

Sara Warmuth is New Hanover County’s chief facilities officer and has served with the county since July 2018. She oversees the county’s fleet management, custodial work, maintenance of all county buildings and management of the county’s construction and renovation projects.

WilmingtonBiz Talk is a weekly interview program on Facebook Live, which is rebroadcast on YouTube and numerous podcasting platforms. The Business Journal newsroom selects guests based on current events so our community can hear directly from newsmakers.

In a special BizTalk hear from the New Hanover Community Endowment’s newly named president and CEO.

Endowment officials named William Buster as head of the more than $1.2 billion fund created from the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health.