Willard
Willard, NC · Business
columbuscountynews.com
Insurance for Christmas Removed from Agenda
In a three to one vote Tuesday, Chadbourn Town council voted to remove consideration of adding the Chadbourn Christmas festival to the town’s umbrella insurance. The item was part of the consent portion of the agenda, which is usually comprised of routine items that do not require additional discussion and are generally approved in a single motion.
WECT
Inside Amazon’s largest North Carolina fulfillment center, now open near Wilmington
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Amazon’s newest fulfillment center near Wilmington is now open, bringing about 1,100 employees and an operation that uses artificial intelligence-powered robots to move, sort and pack orders. The 650,000-square-foot facility sits on the New Hanover and Pender County line. It’s bigger than 11...
WilmingtonBiz
Center Point Begins Planning For Next Phase
As construction wraps up on the first phase of Center Point, the development’s next phase is taking shape. Residents began moving into The Sterling, the project’s 265-unit apartment complex, in mid-September, according to Morgan Bentivegna, development manager at The Beach Company. Nearby, four shell buildings that make up the more than 32,000 square feet of retail space in the project’s first phase will be completed and delivered to tenants for upfits this week.
WilmingtonBiz
In Burgaw, Counting On Downtown Momentum
The town of Burgaw has begun levying a municipal service district tax on its downtown properties to further revitalization. The 10-cent-per-$100 tax will collect about $7,800 this fiscal year, according to the town’s website. Pender County’s reappraised values, which take effect in fiscal 2027-28, would increase the district’s taxable value from $7.8 million to $16.2 million and generate an estimated $16,000 annually at the same tax rate.
WWAY NewsChannel 3
Feast Down East receives $150,000 multi-year grant from Camber Foundation
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Feast Down East has been selected as one of the Camber Foundation’s first multi-year community-based grant recipients, receiving a three-year commitment totaling $150,000. The grant will provide $50,000 annually in general operating support to the nonprofit, which connects local farmers with communities across Southeastern...
WilmingtonBiz
Residential Real Estate Firm To Build Office On Former Bank Site
A former PNC Bank building on Eastwood Road was demolished last week to make way for the Wilmington office of residential real estate firm Corcoran HM Properties. The Charlotte-headquartered company entered the Wilmington market in 2024 when it acquired The Property Shop International Realty. Today, the firm has around 20 local agents, said Valerie Mitchener, the company’s owner and broker-in-charge.
WECT
WECT
CFCC announces record expansion with 73 new positions, new workforce programs
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Cape Fear Community College is launching its largest workforce expansion in school history, adding 73 new faculty and staff positions in response to record enrollment growth. The new roles will expand instructional capacity and student support to meet local workforce demands. The college also converted 11...
WECT
WECT INVESTIGATES: American Distillation avoids $500K fine after dumping chemicals in Cape Fear River
NAVASSA, N.C. (WECT) - A Navassa company that pled guilty to illegally dumping pollutants into the Cape Fear River will avoid a $500,000 fine after a federal judge’s sentence. American Distillation Inc. (ADI) will serve five years of organizational probation and must submit a court-approved environmental compliance plan after...
WECT
multifamilybiz.com
BAM Capital Expands into Southeast Market with Acquisition of 334-Unit The Marling at Town Creek Apartment Community in North Carolina
LELAND, NC - BAM Capital, the private equity arm of The BAM Companies, announced the acquisition of The Marling at Town Creek, a 334-unit multifamily community completed in 2024 in Leland, North Carolina, just outside Wilmington. The purchase marks BAM Capital's entry into the Southeast and is the latest addition to BAM Multifamily Growth Fund V.
franchisechatter.com
Culture, Community, and Showing Up: School of Rock, i9 Sports, and SafeSplash Franchisees Honored by the IFA
Youth Enrichment Brands, the nation’s leading youth activities platform, closed out a milestone year with five franchise owners named 2026 IFA Franchisees of the Year by the International Franchise Association, representing three separate business units across the company’s portfolio. Dan Moore and Quinn Lukas of School of Rock Wexford and South Hills, Pennsylvania, Jay and Danielle Mechtly of i9 Sports in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Amy Albiero of SafeSplash + SwimLabs in Louisville, Kentucky, were honored at the IFA 2026 Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C.
Star News
New details revealed for proposed Hampstead Walmart
New details have emerged regarding the proposed Walmart location in Hampstead. A major site development plan recently submitted to Pender County revealed several new specifics about the superstore location -- including that it will be larger than the original estimate. The Hampstead Walmart, which has been rumored for well over a year now, would be the third location in Pender County . The brand currently has a superstore in Burgaw and a neighborhood market -- a smaller, grocery-oriented location -- in Surf City. Currently, the nearest Walmart Supercenter to the potential new location is at 8025 Market St. in New Hanover County -- around 7 miles from the site in Hampstead. Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust purchased property on U.S. 17 for around $15.5 million. More: This Hampstead grocery store could be expanding New features Plans originally showed the superstore at around 171,000 square feet, but that has risen to 181,000 square feet in the newest plans. According to Pender County Communications Director Brandi Cobb, the increase reflects Walmart’s need for additional space. One key feature confirmed in the new plans is a canopied drive-thru pharmacy, something not shared in every Wilmington-area Walmart. The plans also confirm that an outparcel
WilmingtonBiz
Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center, Delivery Station Now Open In Wilmington
On Monday, North Carolina’s largest and most advanced robotics fulfillment center marked its launch in the Wilmington region. The robotics fulfillment center, located on the New Hanover-Pender county line, has been ramping up its operations since opening in August, said general manager Josh Lingenfelser. The facility employs more than 1,000 full-time employees and encompasses more than 3 million square feet across four-and-a-half floors.
WilmingtonBiz
Big Projects Having Or Set To Have Major Local Impacts
Built alongside the runway at Wilmington International Airport, Frontier Scientific Solutions’ 530,000-square-foot North American headquarters building serves as a hub for the company’s pharmaceutical logistics operations. Frontier Scientific, which provides temperature-controlled storage and transportation for the life sciences sector, announced its plans for the new facility in November...
hoodline.com
Indianapolis Firm Buys Leland's 334-Unit Marling at Town Creek for $57.7M
A 334-unit apartment community just off Ocean Highway East in Leland has changed hands for approximately $57.7 million, according to public records, as an Indianapolis-based private equity firm makes its first move into the North Carolina coast. The buyer, BAM Capital, says the deal marks its entry into the Southeast real estate market after years of watching the region from afar.
WilmingtonBiz
Local Companies Solve Problems With Their Own Creations
Guitar players come to a Pender County-based business for solutions. Since 2000, Mojotone, a manufacturing firm headquartered at 137 Worth Beverage Drive in Burgaw, has supplied handcrafted amplifiers, cabinets, pickups and other guitar components to enthusiasts and celebrities worldwide. Led by CEO Michael McWhorter, the company moved into a nearly 50,000-square-foot facility on a 6.3-acre site in 2018 and has about 60 employees.