SALISBURY — Halloween Fun Fest will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30 in the parking lot of City Hall at 217 S. Main St.

The annual event, sponsored by the Salisbury Parks and Recreation Department, includes a variety of games and activities for families, a haunted trolley tour, costume contest and more. The entire event goes from 3-6 p.m.

Downtown Salisbury hosts a trick or treat portion of the event that takes place from 4-5 p.m. The organization is encouraging downtown merchants to sign up to participate in the event. Candy will be provided, but merchants are encouraged to stock up on some extra, if they are able.

Interested business owners can sign up to participate in the event by visiting www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d4cadab2ba2fa7-halloween2. Registration closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8.

Registration deadline approaching for September Power in Partnership

SALISBURY — The Rowan County Chamber of Commerce will host its first Power in Partnership on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. as a Zoom webinar virtual event.

Dr. Tony Watlington, superintendent of Rowan-Salisbury Schools, will be the keynote speaker for this “Back to School” themed program. The new Leadership Rowan Class of 2021-22 will also be introduced.

The registration deadline for the event is Tuesday at noon. For those who are not Power Card holders, and therefore are not automatically registered, the cost is $15 for members of the chamber and $25 for non-members. 

Power Cards, which are a way for businesses or individuals to take advantage of the Power in Partnership frequent attendance program, are still available. The cost is $109 for members or $225 for non-members. The Power Card gives users access to all nine Power in Partnership events at a discounted rate.

Registration and more information about the Power in Partnership is available www.rowanchamber.com.

EGGER celebrates earnings increase, attributes success to Davidson County facility

EGGER, one of the world’s leading wood-based materials suppliers, announced last week that the company’s 2020-21 earnings were $3.64 billion, an 8.9% increase over the previous year.

The Austrian-based company posted strong earnings while also opening its first North American plant near Lexington. Despite minor setbacks in construction and travel restrictions due to the pandemic, EGGER officially opened the new production facility in September of last year.

“Looking back over the past 18 months, there’s no denying the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced – from both a business perspective, and a well-being perspective,” Carsten Ritterbach, Lexington plant manager, commercial services, said in a news release. “We would not be where we are today – operating at full capacity – if it weren’t for our dedicated employees and the continued support of the Davidson County community. We look forward to growing our investment in the region as we continue to build our presence in the North American market.”

Overall, EGGER reported high capacity utilization across all its plants and set new production records with 9.6 million m3 of wood-based materials and sawn timber produced this year. The latest Decorative Products Americas division, which includes market development activities in Lexington, increased revenues by more than 32% to $212.9 million. The company’s leadership contributes these increases to the high demand of materials associated with consumer investments in home renovations.  

Additionally, EGGER experienced a roughly 3% increase in workforce from the previous year – growing its employees to 10,400 across all 20 plants – primarily attributed to the startup of EGGER’s Lexington plant which now employs more than 400 employees with an additional 300 positions expected for consecutive phases of development over the next 10-15 years.

With the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, EGGER Lexington continues to prioritize the health and safety of its employees, customers and suppliers by adhering to local and state guidelines to ensure a safe working environment. Additionally, to support EGGER’s family-centric culture, the company has also prioritized giving back to the community by contributing to the United Way of Davidson County and recently held a vaccination clinic for employees and their families.

More information on the 2020/2021 financial year can be found in the annual financial report at www.EGGER.com/credit-relations.