Louis Gottlieb

Industries for the Blind, serving the Winston-Salem community since 1936, the Asheville community since 1991, and the Mayaguez, Puerto Rico community since 2006, provides employment and services for people in the local blind communities. The company produces high quality, value priced products ranging from custom-made mattresses and military clothing to prescription eye glasses for consumers in the local community and across the nation as well as for military personnel and their families around the world. Industries for the Blind provides meaningful employment with competitive marketplace wages and benefits for a segment of the population that national statistics indicate might not otherwise be employed. The firm is widely known for their quality workmanship, teamwork and dedication. Its mission is to provide opportunities for persons who are blind or visually impaired in need of training, employment and services. The mission is accomplished through creating a state of the art work environment with work processes and training programs custom designed to meet special needs. The company's agency has been recognized locally, regionally and nationally as a provider of choice for jobs, products and services. Industries for the Blind has provided employment for thousands of visually impaired people since its inception. It is currently the largest employer of the blind in North Carolina with over 200 (and over 350 blind employees in total) blind employees and 80 million dollars in sales. Industries for the Blind is a self-supporting not-for-profit organization that has won many prestigious awards over the years, most recently received national recognition by the company’s industry for having the highest growth in blind jobs for an unprecedented three out of four years. Industries for the Blind is proud to be a strong builder of social, capital and an economic contributor in the Winston-Salem and Asheville communities.

Winston-Salem Business, Inc. is a local agency that conducts external economic development marketing. It focuses on bringing new companies and their latest technologies to the area. The annual marketing efforts include targeting industries and companies in specific sectors through various media including print advertising, direct mail, website, email newsletter, direct visits, events and trade shows. Winston-Salem Business was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC.

CornerCap Investment Counsel, Inc. (CornerCap) is an independent registered investment advisor and wealth management firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm was founded by Thomas Quinn and Gene Hoots in 1989. CornerCap provides guidance and tailored portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals, group retirement plans, foundations, endowments, and other types of clients. The firm is also investment adviser to The CornerCap Group of Funds and to CornerCap Fundamentrics® Large Cap ETF.

Avion Solutions, Inc. provides engineering, logistics, software engineering, and test and evaluation services. Its programs and products include B SAFE security suite, AIT and item unique identification (IUID) markings, inmate tracking and control technology and boat logbook. The firm ultrasonic shot peening, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), energy solutions, interactive multimedia instruction and training services for engineering, logistics, software engineering, test and evaluation, and vibration analysis sectors. The company was founded by Gary Donald in January 1992 and is headquartered in Hunstville, AL

Franklin Street Securities, Inc. provides investment management services. It provides independent, trusted and personalized advice, complementing in-house expertise with carefully selected external resources. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC.

Franklin Street Advisors, Inc. (FSA) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The firm was founded by Robert (Bob) Eubanks Jr. in 1991 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Acquisition Holdings LLC, ultimately held by Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB). FSA delivers high touch investment management services to high net worth individuals and institutional investors.

Infinity Learning Solutions, Inc. engages in the provision of online learning solutions. Its products include DigitalChalk, an online learning system which focuses on delivering multimedia training; and Quizums system, an online service that builds logical branching surveys for delivery online. The company was founded by Tony McCune, Troy Tolle, and Russ Stinehour in 2006 and is headquartered in Asheville, NC.

Flex-Pay Business Services, Inc. provides payroll processing services. Its services include payroll, time and attendance and optional services. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC.

YMCA of Winston-Salem is a non-profit company based in Winston-Salem, NC.

Allegacy Federal Credit Union has been helping its members, employees, and communities make smart financial choices for 54 years. The private company is based in Winston-Salem, NC, and has subsidiaries in the United States. With almost $2 billion in assets and nearly $1.60 billion in assets under management in its financial planning group, Allegacy is one of the largest credit unions serving over 166,000 members worldwide. The credit union has 16 locations and nine high school student-run credit unions, offering personal and business financial services to a broad membership base, including the employees, retirees, and families of over 1,800 companies throughout the country. Allegacy's goal is to help its members pursue wellness of mind, body, and wallet. The company was founded in 1967, and the CEO is Cathy Pace.

Shelco LLC provides commercial and heavy construction services. It offers pre-construction, scheduling, project administration, and related support services to clients in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. The company was founded by Charles M. Shelton and D. Edwin Rose in 1978 and is headquartered in Charlotte, NC.