Miriam Parker Keller has opened A Step Into Excellence Boutique specializing in dressy, mother-of-the-bride, business and casual attire and accessories.
The shop, in Suite 1, 1008 S. Main St., also carries Shea Butter body products. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. It can be reached at 704-638-5663 or stepn2excellence@aol.com.
Keller, a graduate of North Rowan High School, received an associate degree from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. She was a human people resource assistant in Frankfurt, Germany, for the Army-Air Force Exchange Service, assistant manager of College Bookstores of America at Livingstone College and administrative assistant and Realtor for Kennedy Realty Inc.
She is also founder of Women for Christ Outreach Ministry and pastor and founder of Remnant in Christ Outreach Worship Center Inc. on Newsome Road.
New consultant
Larry Cordts has joined Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, as a reverse mortgage consultant. He will work with seniors in the financing program that allows homeowners to use equity in their home to supplement retirement income.
Cordts, who will work from Wells Fargo’s High Point office, has more than 10 years of financial experience. He previously was branch manager at American General Financial.
He can be reached at 800-288-1161 or larrycordts@wellsfargo.com.
Customer satisfaction
STATESVILLE ó Energy-United, one of the largest providers of electricity in North Carolina, out-performed the industry average in customer satisfaction during the fourth quarter of 2007, according to a survey by a leading independent research group.
EnergyUnited scored 84 on the overall customer satisfaction index, compared to 72 for the electric industry average. That was higher than either of the other two large electric utilities in the state, Duke Energy and Progress Energy.
The scores from the American Customer Satisfac-tion Index provide a uniform measure of customer experience with 190 of the leading corporations in America.
The results for the industry average and investor-owned utilities were from a quarterly survey conducted by a partnership of the University of Michigan Business School, the American Society for Quality and the CFI Group, an international consulting firm. The ACSI includes an Energy Utilities Index that is an independent customer satisfaction measure of the U.S. top 30 investor-owned gas, electric or combination utilities.
EnergyUnited’s results were from a survey by TSE Services, another research organization that then submits its survey questions and results to the partnership for assessment and scoring.
Partnership ‘tipoff’
Food Lion officially “tipped off” its partnership with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) at a Customer Appreciation Day event Monday at its Jake Alexander Boulevard store.
CIAA Commissioner Leon Kerry arrived in the official CIAA/Food Lion truck. Assistant Commissioner Jeff McLeod also attended along with customers and alumni from CIAA schools, including Livingstone College, Johnson C. Smith and North Carolina Central University School of Law. The tournament begins Feb. 24 in Charlotte.
Food Lion has been an official corporate sponsor of the tournament for the past 15 years. Food Lion contributes more than $300,000 annually to the CIAA, with one-third of that amount going to scholarships.
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Linda Braswell compiles the Rowan Roundup of companies, organizations and individuals. Submit information about new businesses, honors and management promotions to her at the Salisbury Post, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145-4639; fax it to 704-639-0003; or e-mail lbraswell@ salisburypost.com. Please include a daytime phone number.