SALISBURY — The Home Instead Senior Care project Be a Santa to a Senior recruited more than 100 volunteers this holiday season to wrap 5,600 gifts for 1,400 local seniors.
Be a Santa to a Senior completed its seventh year in Rowan county. All orphaned seniors were adopted this season.
Home Instead Senior Care of Cabarrus and Rowan counties conducted the event. “For as small as this city is, it is very giving not just monetarily speaking, but even more so through personal time and energy allocated to projects like this,” said Maria Bassett, a local volunteer. “I’m glad to see a program designated to seniors. I kind of have a soft spot for them.”
Home Instead Senior Care will offer care grants again this year to allow seniors who otherwise could not afford care to receive a limited amount of home care services. Any donations received following this year’s Be a Santa to a Senior project will be designated for this cause.
For more information, visit www.homeinstead.com or call 704-636-2010.
 SALISBURY — From now until Jan. 29, Food Lion shoppers can earn up to $10 in free groceries every time they buy store brand products.
“Food Lion wants to put money back in customers’ pockets by rewarding our loyal customers,” said Todd Elledge, Food Lion’s marketing manager of Our Brands. “We know that our customers are using more store brand products, and this is one way we can thank them. We also want to provide additional incentive for customers who may not have tried our store brand products.”
Each time customers shop at Food Lion during the Store Brand Super Sale and purchase at least four store brand products using their Food Lion MVP card, they earn a money-saving coupon.
The coupons are redeemable on customers’ next grocery bill.
Entrepreneur Magazine’s Annual Franchise 500 rankings put Comfort Keepers as the No. 1 franchise within the senior care category and No. 59 among the top 500 franchises.
 Lori Eberly, owner of Comfort Keepers of Salisbury, said, “This kind of recognition among all franchises, nationally, is rare.  It’s something all of us at our office, as well as the 700+ locations around the world, can be proud of.”
According to Entrepreneur, the Franchise 500 shows that many of the most competitive companies are those that go after a specific demographic. Among the top growing demographic categories, nationally, is senior care. The continued growth of the senior population bodes well for organizations like Comfort Keepers. 
 For more information about Comfort Keepers visit www.comfortkeepers.com/office-185 or call 704-630-0370.
ASHEBORO — CommunityOne Bank has launched a new brand and enhanced products to better reflect the future of the company and its anticipated merger with Bank of Granite.
“As we continue to bring CommunityOne and Bank of Granite together, it’s important to define and present our company as a new and well capitalized organization,” said Bob Reid, president of CommunityOne. “Our strengths are the same as they’ve always been.
“We’re a bank that believes true customer service means learning about your customers’ needs and goals, and offering professional advice and services to help meet those needs and goals.”
The new CommunityOne brand will consist of conventional upgrades, such as a new logo and colors, but will also incorporate community wherever possible. Customers and employees who give their permission will be featured in bank ads and other marketing materials.
“We’re literally featuring our customers and employees as part of our new brand,” said Brian Simpson, CEO of CommunityOne. “It’s our way of showing the outside world we identify with people as human beings, not numbers.”
In conjunction with the new brand, the bank is enhancing many of its products for the first time in several years. For bank customers, changes to existing deposit accounts will take effect on Feb. 19, following the Presidents’ Day holiday. Deposit product changes will not affect customer accounts.
While the bank’s brand is officially changing on Feb. 19, signs and ATMs in select markets will begin reflecting the new logo and colors in early January. Certain items, such as checks and debit cards, will be updated gradually over time or at the point of reorder. 
“We think the bank’s new brand will be well received,” Reid said. “We’re proud to serve our customers and want them to feel equally proud about banking with CommunityOne. They’re our greatest focus and the reason we’re in business.”
GREENSBORO — Blue Giant Equipment Corp. has launched its U.S. operation by the opening a new manufacturing facility in Greensboro.
“The Greensboro location affords us the opportunity to manufacture in the U.S. while taking advantage of the abundant resources that North Carolina has to offer,” said Jeff Miller, Blue Giant president. “Demand for Blue Giant dock products is growing globally. Opening in Greensboro, which is within 650 miles of half the U.S. population and close to major logistics hubs, will let us effectively respond to increasing order volume and strengthen our overall position.”
Situated on Burnt Poplar Road in an industrial park in Greensboro, the new facility will provide Blue Giant with additional manufacturing space and favorable freight and lead times to customers in that market.
The immediate focus will be on the manufacturing and distribution of the company’s line of fabric dock seals and shelters, which includes retractable truck shelters and rain shrouds.
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