Brunswick County Chamber Blog

TOP TWENTY TUESDAY- Week of August 30 - September 6, 2010

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:13:00 -0400

Another week, another interesting list. These are the TOP TWENTY (plus a couple due to ties) member page hits on the Chamber website for the Week of August 30 - September 6, 2010.

Blue Sky Photography

jf graphic studio

Seashore Pediatrics

Universal Health Care/Brunswick

Business Training Team

Norstar Ventures, LLC

Brunswick Beacon

Rest Easy Sleep Galleries

Aire Serv of Brunswick County

Bourbon Street Restaurant and Bar

Sunset Beach Gourmet Deli

Bagels & Sandwedges

TBS Blinds & Shutters

The Bridge Pizza & Grill

Beautiful Faces Day Spa

The Chandler Law Firm, P.A.

Carolina National Golf Club

Artist-Keith White

The Boundary House

Cavin's Business Solutions

Local Ad Link

Arbor Landing at Ocean Isle

Is your member page on our website as thorough as it could be? Click on this link

to see a short video showing how you can enhance it.

What's Going On? Chamber Events for the week of September 6 - September 12, 2010

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:57:00 -0400

What’s Going On? Chamber Events for the week of September 6 – September 12, 2010

Here’s hoping that everyone had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Holiday.

On to the events of the week for the Brunswick County Chamber:

Wednesday, September 8, 12 noon, Ambassadors Committee Meeting, Chamber board room.

If you would like to become and Ambassador, come and check it out. Lunch is provided, courtesy of ART Catering.

Friday, September 10, Consigning Chicks will have a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting.

Refreshments will be served, and they will be giving away DOOR PRIZES.

Consigning Chicks is located at 10140 SW Beach Drive, Calabash.

Then to top the week off, The Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce, along with The Brunswick County Arts Council, The Brunswick Beacon, Brunswick Community College, and Advanced Timber Manufacturing, is sponsoring the Brunswick County Intercultural Festival.

There will be lots and lots of food, music, arts & crafts, cultural exhibits, and much more.

Come celebrate the diversity that is in Brunswick County!

The festivities will kick off at 12 noon on Saturday, September 11, in front of Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College.

For more information, check the Intercultural Festival out on Facebook, or the Intercultural Festival blog.

And that is it, so far, this week. But, one thing that I have learned from working with the Chamber is that you never know what might happen, so keep your eyes and ears open. There may be more events added before the week is out. In the meantime, check back tomorrow for our TOP TWENTY member page hits for last week!

Feature Member of the Week: Jeffcoat Pottery

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:51:00 -0400

Talking About the Passion (of Pottery) - Jeffcoat Pottery

Joe and Tonda Jeffcoat are where they want to be, doing what they want to do. After Joe and Tonda retired from B B & T and as an Elementary school teacher, respectively, they moved from their hometown of Wilson, NC to their “beach of choice”, which is actually more like an “area of choice”- Brunswick County and Little River.

In 1973, Joe was collecting cacti from Mexico and other areas when he decided that he wanted to display them in something unique. So, he decided to attend Wilson Tech and learn how to make his own pots. Eventually, he and Tonda discovered that they enjoyed making the pots more than collecting the cacti, and donate all of the cacti to the NC Botanical Society, and went into pottery making. They did this part-time, on weekends and nights, for 30 years, making the move to full time 6 years ago, upon their retirement. Having done many many arts and crafts shows and festivals in the ensuing years, including the Oyster Festival, they decided that this area was where they wanted to settle.

Jeffcoat Pottery is a teaching and production studio. They teach classes on Thursdays, two time periods, one during the day and one at night. Joe is proud of the fact that many of his students over the years have actually become competitors. In addition to the classes, Jeffcoat Pottery produces pieces for purchase, and can be shipped anywhere. When you count the pieces that customers have purchased and taken back with them and the ones that have been shipped, Joe estimates that they have work in all 50 states.

Joe says of he and his family, (daughter Casey and son Cody also work with them,) that “pottery is our passion”. And it is evident when you talk to him as he tells you how they can take “an 18 pound ball of clay and make a kitchen sink out of it”. What makes Jeffcoat Pottery unique in our area, if not in their field, is that they us a gas kiln instead of an electric one to cure and bake their pieces. “We get glaze colors that you can’t get in an electric kiln.” he says, enthusiastically.

Often working as a team in creating the pottery- Joe throws while Tonda does a lot of the carving- the Jeffcoats manage to keep the passion for what they do going. “We enjoy it as much today as we did at the beginning.” He says.

If you are passionate about pottery, or want to learn how to be, contact Jeffcoat Pottery :

910.579.2400 284B Koolabrew Rd Calabash, NC 28467 info@jeffcoatpottery.com

Technical Difficulties- Please Stand By

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:40:00 -0400

Due to technical difficulties, I have posted the TOP TWENTY today. It is a very interesting list this week. Take a look at it.

The Feature Member of the Week will, if all goes as planned, be posted tomorrow.

The hope is that all will be back on schedule next week.

I am still looking for questions to pose to our experts for the "Tips From The Top" posts. It can be about anything. We will seek the answers from the large panel of experts that is our Chamber members.

Post your question in the comments section, or email me at rsmith@brunswickcountychamber.org.

Thank you all for taking time to check out this blog. Let me know how we're doing. Is there anything that you would like to see?

Let me know.

TOP TWENTY TUESDAY - Week of August 23 - August 29, 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:34:00 -0400

Rest Easy Sleep Galleries

Sunset Beach Gourmet Deli

Brunswick Beacon

Artist-Keith White

Norstar Ventures, LLC

Seashore Pediatrics

Coleman's Original Calabash

Beautiful Faces Day Spa

Continental Condominiums

Bagels & Sandwedges

Universal Health Care/Brunswick

Collins & Company Advertising/Design

The Islander Inn

Local Ad Link

Smith's Grocery, Hardware & Mobile Home Supply

Visionary Asset Management LLC

Time 2 Remember (Portrait Artist)

Carolina National Golf Club

The Saltwater Angler

The Boundary House

Diana's Income Tax Service

Centex Homes-Savanna Lakes

Aire Serv of Brunswick County

The Bridge Pizza & Grill

Bourbon Street Restaurant and Bar

Scrubz-N-Stuff

What's Going On? Chamber Events for the week of August 30 - September 5, 2010

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:30:00 -0400

What’s Going On? Chamber Events for the week of August 30 –September 5, 2010

Well, this is a light week, event-wise, with only two items taking place:

Wednesday, September 1, 10 am, we will host a Ribbon Cutting for Island Classic Interiors.

They are at 115 Causeway Drive on Ocean Isle Beach. I understand that Lynn has some nice refreshments planned, so do miss it.

Then, on Friday, September 3, Custom Creations & Redesign will have an Open House from 3 pm – 7pm.

Come see examples of Before and After rooms. The event is located at 140 Avian Way, Building 37, Unit 3705 Sea Trail Resort, Sunset Beach, NC 28468

Here's What Happened: Week of August 23 - August 29, 2010

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:13:00 -0400

Here’s What Happened: Week of August 23 – August 29, 2010

A bit late getting this post up, but I wanted to wait until after the Golf Tournament on Saturday.

Thursday, August 26, was our Business After Hours at Main Street Grill. It was hosted by Al Fulford Heating & Air Conditioning, LL. We would like to thank Al, Justin, Theresa and the rest of the crew from Al Fulford Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC for a GREAT Business After Hours!

They had a rep from Rheem (and I cannot remember his name, if anyone can refresh my memory on that), speak for a few minutes about what they can offer, then he basically took over as Master of Ceremonies, providing great on-going repartee throughout. Also, it gave Cathy’s voice a break, as she was still recovering from the effects of severe bronchitis. The Fulfords also made sure that, along with the other door prizes that were donated, EVERYONE that put their card in the bowl got a prize!

And of course, the food was outstanding! Corey and the staff of Main Street Grill outdid themselves to make sure that there was plenty and that it was all delicious. I heard more than one person rave about the ribs. The mahi-mahi was nothing to sneeze at, either.

Thank you all for making it one of the best Business After Hours of the year!

Friday, August 27, we were on hand as The Brunswick County Republican Party celebrated the re-opening of their headquarters in Bolivia. The North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce had representatives in attendance, and performed a ribbon cutting ceremony immediately following ours.

Some great food was provided, and many of the candidates from the upcoming election were there, as well.

Saturday, August 28, was our 22^nd Annual Golf Tournament, at the Thistle Golf Club. It was a great day, weather-wise, with the temperature only getting into the mid 80’s. We did have a slight shower towards the latter part of the day, but it didn’t last long enough to be an issue, and actually was a bit refreshing.

All-in-all it was a fun day. A full report, detailing the winners, and photos from the tournament, as well as all of the events from last week, will be coming soon, so stay tuned.

Wednesday TOP TWENTY - Week of August 16 - August 22, 2010

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:29:00 -0400

It’s Wednesday, which means that it’s time to unveil the TOP TWENTY for the week of August 16 – August 22, 2010. (When there are more than 20, it indicates a tie somewhere.)

This week sees a lot of restaurants in the TOP TWENTY, as well as several accommodations members. Then there is a school and a pediatrician in there, too. People planning to bring move with their family, perhaps?

Bourbon Street Restaurant and Bar

The Bridge Pizza & Grill

Coleman's Original Calabash

The Boundary House

Continental Condominiums

The Purple Onion Café

The Sunset Inn

The Giggling Mackerel Seafood Grille

The Islander Inn

Jack's Place

The Winds Resort Beach Club

The Isles Restaurant & Beach Club, Inc.

Bella's Pizza & Restaurant

The Evelyn Smith Wray Village School

Comfort Inn

Patronie's Pizza

Jerome's Steak & Seafood

Is your member page on our website as thorough as it could be? Click on this link to see a short video showing how you can enhance it.

Quick Note:

Next week, TOP TWENTY will move to Tuesday, with Wednesday showcasing the FEATURE MEMBER OF THE WEEK.

Feature Member of the Week: Bloomin'deal Consignment

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:49:00 -0400

Gail Roberson moved here from Newport News, Virginia, in 1992, when she married a North Carolina man. And even though he is no longer with us, she has never looked back. This is where she wants to be. Gail is the owner of Bloomin’deals Consignment in Calabash.

She’s had Bloomin’deals for 13 years, starting with a small shop in Sunset Beach, after working at a consignment shop in North Myrtle Beach for a year. She has since watched her business grow until she now has over 4,000 consigners, and has to limit the number that she takes in to 10 per day by appointment (and these consigners are limited to 25 clothing items and 25 other items). Gail estimates that they put out between 300 and 500 new items every day.

“If you don’t find something today, come back tomorrow. It’ll be a different store.” She says.

Bloomin’deals takes most everything, from furniture, home décor, and a variety of books, to, of course, lots of clothes. And these are not thrift shop clothes: Gail insists that every piece of clothing be clean, pressed, and be on a hanger. Plus, it must be no older than 5 years old.

The few items that Bloomin’deals doesn’t take in include: Children’s clothes, exercise equipment, TVs, and men’s dress clothes (casual only), which means you can find just about anything that you want on any given day.

Bloomin’deals has been voted the Best in Brunswick for the last 2 years by readers of the Brunswick Beacon. When asked why, Gail says that one reason is because she has never raised her prices in the 13 years that she’s been open, and never intends to. Gail knows what it’s like to have to make ends meet. “There was a time”, she says,” that I was a divorced mother of 3, and unable to buy nice things. I want every woman to be able to afford nice things.” And nice things you will find. Including Gail, herself.

Bloomin’deals Consignment is located at 10001 Beach Drive, Calabash

They are open 7 days a week from

10 am – 5 pm Monday –Saturday, and 12 pm – 4 pm on Sunday

The phone number is (910) 575-4949.

What's Going On? Chamber Events this week: August 23 - August 29, 2010

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:11:00 -0400

What’s Going on? Chamber Events this week: August 23 – August 29, 2010

The first of the week is pretty clear, event-wise. Just selling ads for the Guide, Selling ads for the Map, Selling New members, trying to get renewals, delivering certificates and decals, working on the Intercultural Festival, etc. . And that’s just ME! Cathy, Kelly, Debbie, Debbie, and Ted, all have their own agendas for the week! Not to mention, that we are all gearing up for Saturday! What’s happening on Saturday?

Read on:

Thursday, August 26, 5:30pm -7:00pm – Business After Hours – Hosted by Al Fulford Heating and Air AT the Main Street Grille, located at 3408 SW Holden Beach Road, Holden Beach.

Friday, August 27, 11:30 am – Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting of the Brunswick County Republican Party Headquarters, 971 Old Ocean Highway, Bolivia.

And then, Saturday, August 28- the 22^nd Annual Brunswick County Chamber Golf Tournament

At The Thistle Golf Club, 1815 Olde Thistle Club Drive, Sunset Beach, NC.

Captain’s Choice 4 Person Team Tournament

2 Flights, Ladies Flight (with minimum of 3 teams)

Tournament Package Cost is $400.00 per Team & Includes:

18 Holes of Golf and Cart, Breakfast, Free Beverages, Goody Bag & Lunch!

8:00 A.M. REGISTRATION • 9:00 A.M. SHOT GUN START

LUNCH, RAFFLE, AWARDS, CONTESTS & DOOR PRIZES FOLLOWING GOLF

To sign up, or for more information, contact Kelly at 910.754.6644 ext. 104 or email kmathews@brunswickcountychamber.org.

And, that’s all, so far, for this week. Keep checking for any updates. And come back tomorrow for our Feature Member of the Week!

Here's What Happened: Week of August 16 - August 20, 2010

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:44:00 -0400

It's Friday. Time to review what happened, Chamber-Wise, this week.

On Wednesday, we held our 3rd JumpStart Speed Networking event at Starz Grille. It was fairly successful. Everyone there seemed to enjoy it, and more important, make some good contacts. The food was great! Big thanks to Brian, Vince, and Bill from Planet Fun/ Starz Grille, for making it a great event. We'll be doing it again next month, on Wednesday, September 15.
Reserve your space today! It's FREE to Chamber members.

Also, on Wednesday, we unveiled the official 30th Annual NC Oyster Festival artwork at the Museum of Coastal Carolina at Ocean Isle Beach. Artist Keith White, along with members of the Oyster Festival Committee, Mayor Debbie Smith, Chamber staff, and more than a few members of the public, were on hand to see the new artwork. Signed prints were for sale, as well as the new T-Shirts, featuring a unique design, also by Keith White. Prints and T-Shirts can be purchased at the Chamber office, and will, of course be available at the 30th Annual NC Oyster Festival on October 16 and 17.
Photos are up at our photo gallery. All photos of the event were taken by Steffie’s Photography , the Chamber's Official Photographer of the month of August.

Video can be found at the following link: Official Oyster Festival Art Unveiling Video

Thursday, we held a Ribbon Cutting to celebrate Martha Lee Realty's new office in Ocean Isle Beach. It was a great turn-out, as many of Martha's co-workers and colleagues showed up to wish her luck. And of course, there was a wonderful lunch, which consisted of baked ham, pasta salad, and fresh fruit , just to name a few items on the menu. Photos from the Ribbon Cutting will be uploaded to our photo gallery early next week, thanks, again to Steffie’s Photography .

Please join us in welcoming our newest Chamber members:

Sunset Beach Gourmet Deli, and the aforementioned, Artist- Keith White.

Sunset Beach Gourmet Deli is under new ownership. The new proprietor is Steve Cuozzo. Steve wants to invite everyone to come and enjoy the fresh sandwiches , salads,and coffee, while relaxing in the cozy and spacious dining area. He also has FREE Wi-Fi available. Come and help welcome Steve to the area, and to the Chamber on Wednesday, September 15, at 11:30, when we will celebrate the opening of Sunset Beach Gourmet Deli with a Ribbon Cutting celebration.
You can reach Sunset Beach Gourmet Deli at 910.575.6759, or check out their website, www.sunsetgourmet.com

Being a Brunswick County native comes in handy for Keith White, as is evident in the detail of his artwork. Keith captures the look and feel of the area in everything from pen and ink drawings to watercolor to his getting-pretty-close-to-trademark scratchboard drawings. 2010 marks the second year in a row that Keith has contributed the artwork for the Oyster Festival. And this year, in addition to creating the official print that was mentioned above, he also did a second, more whimsical piece to be displayed on the Official T-Shirts from the festival. His creation, Ozzy the Oyster, has become the mascot for the Oyster Festival, and will adorn all manner of material over the next couple of months. Look for Ozzy on posters throughout the county, and on ads in various publications.

Keith also contributes a weekly editorial cartoon to the Beacon Beacon weekly newspaper. In it he displays commentary, that while not always biting, is usually ,at least, nipping.

To reach Keith for illustration, pen and ink drawings, watercolor pieces, or design work, call 910.755.6490.

That's all for now. See you next week!

Tips from the Top : Thursday, August 19, 2010

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:18:00 -0400

Here is the First of our Tips from the Top: Advice from the TOP Professionals in Brunswick County

Today's tip is provided by Carrie Partello from East Coast Moving.

QUESTION: How can I find out what movers can and cannot do by law?

ANSWER: When moving across a state line a Licensed Mover is required by Federal law to provide you with a copy of the brochure, “Your Rights and Responsibilities.”

In this brochure, General Requirements; Service Options; Transportation and Delivery; Damage Claims; Charges, and the “110% Rule” are explained in depth.

EX: The 110% Rule states that under a non-bonding estimate, the mover cannot require you to pay more than the amount of the original estimate, plus 10 percent, at the time of delivery. You are obligated to pay any remaining charges over the 110 percent amount, within 30 days.

When moving within North Carolina, a Licensed Mover is obligated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission to provide you with a copy of the brochure , “Moving in North Carolina: Your Rights and Responsibilities.”

You will be required to sign your Bill of Lading (legal document reflecting charges) the day of your load stating you received either the Hourly/ Local, Intrastate or Interstate brochure. It’s not a fun read, but it is always important to know your rights.

Thanks to Carrie for our inaugural edition of Tips from the TOP: Advice from the TOP professionals in Brunswick County. You can reach Carrie at East Coast Moving at (866) 279-MOVE (6683) or at www.eastcoastmovingllc.com.

If you would like one of the TOP professionals in Brunswick County to answer one of your questions, please email me at rsmith@brunswickcountychamber.org or simply put your question in our comments section below.

TOP TWENTY Member page hits August 9 - August 15, 2010

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:00:00 -0400

Wednesday brings the TOP TWENTY member page hits from the Chamber website for the week of August 9 – August 15, 2010. ( When there are more than 20, it indicates a tie somewhere.)

The Winds Resort Beach Club

The Sunset Inn

Continental Condominiums

Bourbon Street Restaurant and Bar

Comfort Inn

The Islander Inn

Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center

Holiday Inn Express

Ocean Isle Inn

Coleman's Original Calabash

Marsh Harbour Villas

Almost New Consignments