Business

Biz Briefs

Upscale Dining Downtown

From the moment they first laid eyes on the historic two-story building at the corner of Center and Main streets‚ Maria and Jon Spencer knew it would be perfect for a restaurant full of character and charm.

Two years later‚ in 2006‚ the Spencers and their partners‚ chefs Alan Jackson and Michael Spencer‚ opened Soirée‚ a restaurant known for its upscale atmosphere‚ extensive wine list and gourmet dishes such as grilled North Carolina trout and rack of lamb.

“The combination of exquisite food‚ along with the ambiance and history of the surroundings‚ makes Soirée a truly unique dining experience for our customers‚” says Maria Spencer. “Everything is made in-house‚ even down to our ketchup and salad dressings. Our chefs are dedicated to using only the freshest ingredients.”

In addition to serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday and dinner on Saturday nights‚ Soirée is a popular destination for Sunday brunch. Spencer says the response has been so tremendous that the restaurant regularly attracts some of the top names in NASCAR and prominent visitors to the area.

“This side of downtown was really missing a restaurant like this‚ and the terrific response has helped us continue to grow the business‚” Spencer says. “At the same time‚ we have remained true to our goal of keeping prices very reasonable for our customers.”

With two dining rooms and more than 16‚000 square feet of space‚ Soiree offers banquet facilities for weddings and other events as well as on-site resources for corporate meetings. Spencer says the restaurant is also expanding its off-site catering business.

The Real (Estate) Deal

When James Jennings founded Lake Norman Realty in 1978‚ the region was primarily known as a retreat with summer cottages and vacation homes. The visionary entrepreneur predicted a boom in the local real estate market early on and‚ as a result‚ built one of the largest real estate firms in the Charlotte region. “He had a vision for what this area would become‚ and he was right. He was always a little ahead of his time‚” says Abigail Jennings‚ who became president of the family business a year before her father passed away in 1999.

Today‚ Lake Norman Realty has four locations across the area and is known for its residential and commercial services‚ as well as in-house products such as homeowner’s insurance‚ title insurance and mortgage services.

“The local real estate market has remained strong and active‚” Jennings says. “We have not seen depreciation in the Lake Norman region. In fact‚ we see plenty of people still moving into the area. We’re very fortunate to live in such a strong market.”

Family Jewel

For more than 90 years the Markarian family has been a source for comfort and beauty underfoot. In 2000‚ Steve Markarian opened the Mooresville location of Markarians Fine Rugs & Carpets‚ a company originally founded in upstate New York by his grandfather. Today‚ Markarian is grooming a fourth generation to continue expanding the family business in North Carolina.

“One thing that hasn’t changed since my grandpa’s era is respect for our customers and dedication to service‚” Markarian says. “We recognize that you can buy carpet and flooring anywhere‚ but what you can’t buy is customer service and the values of honesty we hold as a family business.”

Located on Charlotte Highway‚ near Interstate 77 at Exit 33‚ Markarians Fine Rugs & Carpets is hard to miss.

The 18‚000-square-foot facility has undergone a series of major expansions to house several new departments‚ including a rug loft and a home interiors division.

“We saw that flooring companies were catering to new home construction‚ but we also wanted to focus on individuals remodeling their homes‚” Markarian says. “Our success is a testament to our clients and the support of the local community.”

Making Waves

Mooresville business leader Bob Wilson received an honor when he was tapped by North Carolina’s governor to serve as a state commissioner-at-large as part of the Coastal Area Management Act.

The appointment came as somewhat of a surprise‚ since Wilson’s hometown of Mooresville is more than 200 miles from the beach.

However‚ his company‚ Row Boat Dock & Dredge‚ has had positive impact on the state’s effort to balance environmental protection with economic development along the coast – and so Wilson was‚ in fact‚ a natural choice for the position.

“The strength of our company is the quality of our people and the experience they bring to the business‚” Wilson says. “We have built an enviable reputation in the industry‚ thanks to our talented employees.”

Founded in Mooresville in 1976‚ Row Boat Dock & Dredge is a $10 million heavy marine construction business with 50 employees. The company designs and builds docks and marinas for waterfront developments. In addition to dredging for docks and marinas‚ the company also provides dredging services for golf courses and power and chemical companies.

With customers in the Lake Norman region and across waterfront areas throughout the southeast‚ Wilson says Row Boat Dock & Dredge will continue to expand its headquarters in the Mooresville area.

“Mooresville is not only a very strategic location with respect to transportation resources that reach our target markets‚ it’s also a community that has supported us over the years‚” Wilson says. “Mooresville has been very good to us.”

Still Going Strong

When L.B. Plastics came to North America in 1977‚ the company’s European founders were drawn to Mooresville for its hard-working population and proximity to the furniture manufacturing industry. Thirty years later‚ the Mooresville facility has grown to include more than 324‚000 square feet of manufacturing‚ operations and storage space three miles east of Interstate 77‚ Exit 36.

According to Harry Davis‚ president of L.B. Plastics‚ many of the company’s 125 employees have been on board for 25 to 30 years.

“As we continue to add production‚ we recognize that a good part of our success can be attributed to the dedication of our employees and the good working relationship we have with the local community‚” Davis says.

With several award-winning patented products‚ L.B. Plastics Inc. is recognized as an innovator and leader in the building products industry for its design and manufacturing of premium‚ low-maintenance vinyl railing‚ post clad‚ decking and related products.

Story by Valerie Pascoe
Photo by Ian Curcio

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