CHINA GROVE — With the start of school just around the corner, two local entrepreneurs have found an opportunity to donate shorts, pants and other clothing to local missions and organizations.

Josh Jackson of High Point and Grayson Haff of China Grove founded Meripex Apparel as freshmen in college in 2015. Now Meripex Apparel has made donations to Baptist Children’s Home in Thomasville, Boys and Girls Club of Cabarrus County, West Rowan High School, Rowan Helping Ministries and Prevent Child Abuse Rowan.

“It has been super exciting to partner with many different community organizations in our back-to-school clothing donation,” Jackson said in a news release. “We are thrilled that this drive will help provide some essential clothing to kids as they start back up with school in the coming weeks. In 2018, we launched our Giving Back Campaign and have worked across North Carolina to provide new clothing to organizations and missions in need. It has become a very important part of our company mission and we look forward to continuing to partner with organizations throughout our hometowns and state to provide new clothing.”

Last week, the duo donated $75,000 in new clothing in their Back-to-School donation drive.

“It’s always important to remember where you come from and to help out your community,” said Haff.  “We’re blessed to have the opportunity to give back this season and hope it helps out.”

Mary Wilder, director of marketing & communications at Boys and Girls Club of Cabarrus County, said the organization is   appreciative of the generosity. More than 400 children in the club will be able to take advantage of the new clothes.

Onin Staffing, Teijin Automotive host job fair with 100 openings

CHINA GROVE — While many companies are laying off or slowing down,  Teijin Automotive is ramping up with career opportunities.

Previously been known as Magna or Continental Structural Plastics, Teijin Automotive and Onin Staffing of Salisbury have been working to help reach full capacity by filling more than 100 available positions.

Onin Staffing will be hosting a hiring event with Teijin from Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 625 U.S. 29 in China Grove. The company is also offering free resume building and can have most applicants processed with approval results for employment within 24 hours.

Available opportunities include:

• Multi-operators, assemblers and material handlers: first shift, $15 and hour; second shift, $16 an hour and third shift, $15.75 an hour. Weekends first shift (work 36 hours, are paid for 40 hours) get $15 an hour.

• Maintenance techs: second and third shifts, up to $21 an hour.

• Tech associates/quality: all shifts, $20 an hour.

Employees who refer someone else can receive $50 for each referral.

Rowan Chamber welcomes
Disney Institute in September

KANNAPOLIS — Disney Institute is bringing its professional development course, Disney’s Approach to Employee Engagement, on Sept. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Laureate Center, 401 Laureate Way in Kannapolis.

The Disney Institute is presented by the Rowan Chamber of Commerce with title sponsors Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and the City of Kannapolis.

“The Rowan Chamber hosted the Disney Institute program in May 2019, and we are pleased to bring them back for this workshop focused on helping our business community with the current labor shortage challenges,” said Jessica Vess, Rowan Chamber Disney Event chair, in a news release.

This one-day event will help area professionals begin to understand how to create an engaged workforce, the power of leadership values, discover how to create a thriving culture and foster staff engagement through the critical process of employee selection, training, communication and care. Participants gain an awareness of the systems and processes that help them ensure employee confidence, select the “right fit” talent, develop successful onboarding and empower employees.

Registration is $249 for Chamber members and $349 for non-members. The last day for early bird registration is August 15. Registration includes all course materials as well as lunch. For more information or to register, call 704-633-4221, email info@rowanchamber.com, or visit www.rowanchamber.com

Golden LEAF launches rural internship initiative

Golden LEAF is gathering information from entities who are interested in hosting an intern in the summer of 2023.

The internship program was launched to provide Golden LEAF Scholars attending a college or university in North Carolina with professional work experience related to their career field in a rural North Carolina community. Students are able to intern in a wide range of settings, including businesses, governmental entities and nonprofits.

The Golden LEAF Foundation was created to receive 50 percent of the annual payments made by cigarette manufacturers to North Carolina under the historic 1999 Master Settlement Agreement. It provides funding to pay interns $15 an hour. To fill out the interest form and learn more, visit scholars.goldenleaf.org/experience/rural-internship-initiative/siteinfo/