MONROE — Union County Chamber of Commerce President Pat Kahle. She recalls how businesses rebounded after the Great Recession, and construction resumed operations in Union County when she worked for Park Sterling Bank.

INDIAN TRAIL — Sean Nolan teaches his students the meaning of perseverance. When things are difficult for us; do we give up? What do we do? “We persevere,” he says.

National Small Business Week was celebrated this week, and according to N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, new business creation filings are a near-record levels in 2023.

MONROE — A trip to Nashville, Tenn., sparked an idea for Anthony Gogatz. It’s led to a business opportunity for Gogatz and his wife, Riley Gogatz.

MONROE — Kent and Melody Millsaps are community-minded; they are ambassadors of Alice Jules’ Coffee House (204 Lancaster Ave #1). They welcome dogs and law enforcement to their shop.

WAXHAW -- Mark Hernig, owner of Mule Barn Mercantile, held a sheep shearing last Saturday (April 24) and guests got to pet baby lambs. He had 27 sheep secured in a grassy area — 21 came from the Coan Family Farm, owned by Matt Coan, and Hernig brought six.

WAXHAW — Adriana Trigiani’s book tour titled “An Evening in Tuscany” started with a bang on Tuesday (April 18) at a ticketed event at Cedar Creek Ranch. It was also the first day that her latest book, “The Good Left Undone,” became available in paperback.

By MICHAEL WAYNE O’NEILL

By MICHAEL WAYNE O’NEILL

MONROE — Being a working mother and a hairstylist requires discipline and time management, but Jessie Griffin has it under control. She explored hairstyles and different ways to cut hair for five years, and her dream to open a salon has come to life.

MONROE — A cocktail party turned into an avenue of opportunity for Joyce Rentschler when her daughter, Andrea, gave her an idea about putting together an art gallery in Monroe. Together, the two brought the Monroe Art Walk back to life in October of 2007, and it attracted plenty of attention.

A winter day found its way to the second weekend of the 2023 Spring at Union County Farmer’s Market in Monroe. Temperatures that barely hit 40, the cold rain and wind made things feel more like January than Easter weekend.

MONROE — Oscar and Adriana Martinez worked in banks for more than 15 years in Bogota, Colombia before making coffee. They are established coffee lovers who make coffee in its original flavor.

MONROE — Leann Yandle remembers the transformation and expansions of the Monroe Aquatics and Fitness Center very well from being one of the original employees of the facility. When it opened in May of 1998, the facility was expected to accommodate 4,000 members. The following month, the memb…

MONROE — The Union County JobReady Partnership received a donation of $25,000 from Collins Aerospace to support Union County Public Schools’ Robotics Challenge and provide three scholarships for graduating seniors pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

MONROE — A trip to Universal Studios Orlando in 2020 gave Danielle Carlton an idea to bring hope to several Union County businesses that suffered greatly from the Coronavirus pandemic. She participated in a Christmas tree scavenger hunt at the park and was inspired by a passport she had with…

MONROE — J.B. Preslar is a man of fairness and integrity. He is also a husband, father, and grandfather with family values.

MONROE — The Union Market Pop-Up in Dowtown Monroe came close to being shut down by rain on Saturday (March 25) morning, but instead it was delayed a couple of hours; By early afternoon, a large crowd was walking in the sun, listening to music and checking out what the many vendors had to of…

STALLINGS — Nurses are in high demand. Teneika Funderburk recently opened Nursing Careers Institute, located at 621-F Stallings Rd., that will help provide a path for adult students interested in a career in healthcare.

MONROE — During open town planning sessions on Wednesday and Thursday at Monroe City the public was able to make suggestions, give feedback and see part of the process in making short-term, as well as 5-year and 10-year plans for the development of downtown.

MINERAL SPRINGS — Mike Stewart remembers enjoying fresh coffee made by his late father, Ron Stewart, when he got an idea of how he wanted to build his own coffee shop. After visiting many coffee shops through the years, he took his business concept to Union County Entrepreneurs and immediate…

FORT MILL, S.C. — Steth Monroe, affectionally known as “Coach Roe,” is a man of readiness and preparedness to conquer adversity. He says what keeps him going is his early faith ritual and workouts that starts at 4 a.m. He says the long days have been worth it to keep his fitness center, RoeP…

MONROE — A discussion on the local business outlook and a broader view of the U.S. economy was led by Chris Platé, Executive Director of Ecomomic Development for the City of Monroe and Union County on Thursday (Feb. 2). The 2023 Economic Summit was held at the Dowd Center Theatre.

The Downtown Monroe Master Plan Public Input sessions are schedule for Feb. 15-16, according to Downtown Director Matthew Black.

Tyson Foods, Inc. has announced new employee benefits on the heels of enhancing the compensation package for hourly employees with a combined $150 million in wage increases and bonuses. PepsiCo. is the only food and/or beverage company in the United States that is larger than Tyson Foods, ac…

An entrepreneur center is now under construction off Highway 74 near Tyson Foods in Monroe. It’s part of a 124-acre commercial construction project being developed by the Moser Group and it is an opportunity zone.

MONROE — After a horrendous car wreck and brain surgery, Mandi Seate Williams wasn’t sure what to do next.

WAXHAW — Always curious as a youngster, Kemp Heinbaugh became a handyman as he grew up in Waxhaw. He discovered a fascination with clocks. He loves to repair clocks and sometimes installs musical gadgets.

MONROE — The Carolina Green Industry Network presented an annual trade show and pesticide seminar at the Union County Agricultural Center on Tuesday (Jan. 24).

Costco is looking at coming to Indian Land, S.C, according to preliminary scoping documents filed with the S.C. Department of Transportation and Lancaster County.

CHARLOTTE — Construction of the medical school near Uptown Charlotte broke ground on Tuesday morning (Jan. 17). Charlotte is the nation’s largest city without a 4-year medical school, according to a report from Atrium Health. The non-profit health system employs more than 70,000 across 40 ho…

WINGATE

INDIAN TRAIL — With adversity comes an opportunity to grow as a human being.