It took a lot of teamwork to realize a dream shared by Bevin Prince and her husband, Will Friend.

Recess, Prince's cycling studio in Wilmington, had a couple of different addresses before securing a lease at The Forum, 1119 Military Cutoff Road, for a brick-and-mortar location. The evolution of Recess, which suffered the loss of co-founder Will Friend when he was struck by lightning and killed in July 2022, was honored at an event Thursday. 

During its 6th Annual Awards of Excellence at the Wilmington Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, Cape Fear CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) bestowed its Dealmaker Award on Prince and the Realtors who helped Recess on its journey.

"It truly takes a team, and we had a team that has worked so diligently together on actually three leases," said Mike Prince of Impact Properties, Bevin Prince's father.

Recess was among multiple businesses, individuals and developments to earn real estate awards from Cape Fear CREW at an event that has grown steadily in the past six years.

The nCino Hunger Solution Center/Wilmington Branch of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina received the Economic & Community Enhancement Award in the over-$5 million category.

"The Wilmington Branch features a state-ofthe-art warehouse and distribution facility constructed to ensure the ability to maintain full operation and serve as an epicenter in the wake of a naturalo disaster," according to CREW's presentation. "This project will provide vital support to the Food Bank community partners and citizens while creating a positive aesthetic impact on the surrounding area." 

The center opened in May last year at 1000 Greenfield St. in Wilmington. 

Cloud banking software firm nCino, which donated $1 million to the hunger solution center, also featured in another award. The company's headquarters expansion off Military Cutoff Road in the Mayfaire area won the Best Development Award. The expansion to accommodate 600 new employees included a 90,000-square-foot office building, a 642-space parking deck, an outdoor employee amentity center and renovations to the landscaping and facade of nCino's existing building.

Provalus, an IT service provider in Columbus County, won the Economic & Community Enhancement Award in the under-$5 million category for occupying the former News Reporter building in Whiteville, where it will create up to 200 jobs over the next five years, according to CREW. 

Leland Brewing Co. won the Best Design Award. The 8,000-square-foot industrial-style building at 2115 Ale Ave. in Leland includes a taproom with more than 23 house-made beers and a 40-foot concrete bar resembling etched live oak wood. 

Denice Brandon, CFO of Monteith Construction, won CREW's Career Advancement for Women Award. According to the awards presentation, Brandon "has been an important role model for women seeking careers in the construction industry. Her work ethic has driven her career path since 1988 when she first joined Monteith Building Group in Canada as the sole accountant."

Brandon moved to the U.S. in 1999 to help start Monteith Construction Corp.

"She has perservered and succeeded in a male-dominated industry with hard work, unflappable leadership ande compassion," the presentation stated. "Denice paved a path for numerous women at Monteith while helping grow the business to a thriving annual volume of over $200 million."

Cape Fear CREW also honored previously announced individual achievement award winners – Impact Award Winner Wilmington Business Development and Cheryl Nabell, Beth Quinn Excellence Award Winner.