Ann Hardy’s grandmother farmed land in North Wilkesboro, a small town in western North Carolina.   “She always, even during the Depression, made sure that her neighbors were well fed and had food,” Hardy said.   The story serves as an example of the people in Hardy’s family who were involved in their communities and engaged in public s ...

When Wilmington residents learned in 2017 that GenX, an unregulated chemical discharged by The Chemours Co. in Fayetteville, was present in their drinking water, many sought a way to get clean water for their homes.   That included buying bottled water at stores, getting 5-gallon water deliveries and even installing reverse osmosis systems for their kitchen sinks. ...

When it comes to clean, Jayna Crittenden knows her stuff. But not just any stuff. Crittenden, founder and co-owner of Wilmington-based SQUEAK, describes her natural and organic cleaning products line as an alternative to traditional methods of cleaning homes and offices, even yoga mats.   Crittenden moved SQUEAK’s manufacturing operations from the small baseme ...

MegaCorp Logistics LLC ranked as one of the most successful entrepreneurial companies in America on an Entrepreneur Magazine list. MegaCorp placed as No. 16 in Entrepreneur 360, making it the third year in a row the Wilmington-based logistics firm has made the list. It ranked No. 25 in 2018 and No. 56 in 2017. This is the fifth year Entrepreneur Magazine has conducte ...

Edge-Works Manufacturing Co. 272 W. Stag Park Service Road, Burgaw No. of employees: 60    Year founded: 1997     Top local officials: Founder and CEO Scott Evans, senior vice president Jesse Lockhart and vice president David Pomeroy   Company description: Manufacturer of tactical equi ...

Two researchers at the University of North Carolina Wilmington have developed an instrument that measures the health of coral reefs, a tool that could be useful for universities, organizations and businesses looking to learn more about the underwater ecosystem.   After 10 years of developing the one-of-a-kind instrument, Alina Szmant, coral reef ecologist and adjunc ...

Girard Newkirk CEO & Founder, KWHCoin   With KWHCoin, Girard Newkirk merged cryptocurrency and renewable energy with the goal of providing affordable energy access. The startup also hopes to promote coding and blockchain in the region through classes at Cape Fear Community College.   Newspapers and magazines Newkirk regularly reads for work or pleasure ...

Holly Aiken Bags 7232 Wrightsville Ave., Wilmington No. of employees: 5 Year founded: 2008 Top local official: Holly Aiken, owner and designer Company description: Holly Aiken Bags is a designer and manufacturer of handbags and accessories. Bag and accessories are handmade in North Carolina (Wilmington ...

Each year, at least 8 million tons of plastic accumulate in the ocean – an amount that equates to a full garbage truck being dumped into global waters each minute. If that rate continues, the amount could increase to a corresponding two trucks per minute by 2030 and four by 2050. To escape this prediction, several local, eco-friendly business owners practice and prom ...

Wilmington-based SQUEAK, a business that makes natural and organic cleaning products, is moving into the Dutch Square Industrial Park. Founder and owner Jayna Crittenden plans to move the business from inside the basement of her home and scaling it into the company’s new 1,300-square-foot location at 6700 Netherlands Drive, Unit D, Crittenden said Tuesday. ...