Percy Pair founded Pair Electronics in Greenville in 1969 and sold electronic supplies and equipment. As the years went by, Pair Electronics became the first business in the area to offer unique electronic products like home satellite systems, car audio, home audio and video and much more.

Jason Pair is now the third generation to lead the company. He helped his grandfather, father, and uncle with the family business while he was in school. At the same time, he had his own successful lawncare business and was able to sell that for a profit. "My family was heading in a different direction, and I was ready to go into the business," Jason says. "I bought my first van, got the copyright for the name of the company, and essentially started from scratch to rebirth the business. I was ready to move Pair Electronics into the future."

That was 25 years ago and today, Jason is focused on keeping Pair Electronics on the cutting edge of new technology. Pair Electronics has more than 20 employees and a wide variety of services and equipment. In 2020, they moved into a new office in Greenville on North Creek Drive, which gives them closer access to serve customers in a 120-mile radius around the Greenville area. Pair also has a new location in New Bern. "Our business is I-95 to the coast. That's our territory," Jason says.

Pair Electronics offers superior quality products and outstanding service to the homes and businesses of Greenville and Eastern North Carolina. Some of their services and products include:

• Home Theater — "A well-engineered home theater system can deliver the out-of-this-world immersive experience that people look forward to," Jason says. Pair Electronics designs and then installs the system in the customer's home.
• Home Automation — A home automation system gives the homeowner complete control over systems including lighting, HVAC, irrigation, sound and multimedia, and even kitchen appliances.
• Home Security — Pair Electronics has more than 30 years of professional security experience that gives them the ability to assess, design, install, and service home security solutions. They partner with Alarm.com to give customers full remote access and control of their system via their smartphones.
• Whole House Audio — "You can listen to smooth jazz in your home office while someone else is watching the big game in the living room," Jason says. "Pair Electronics has a solution, whether it's speakers you haven't been using for awhile or wireless speakers you can move wherever you want."
• Structured Wiring — A structured wiring panel is an organized, centrally located network and structured cable distribution location that gives a homeowner or business easier and more efficient management of the systems in their home or business.
• Conference Rooms — Pair Electronics provides their commercial customers services like high resolution television, laser projectors, and synced audio for conference rooms.

Jason works with TowneBank senior vice president Glenn Marsh who is the branch manager for the Greenville office on Charles Boulevard. "TowneBank was there for me when my other large institution was not," Jason says. "They gave me the opportunity to help manage our growth. The people at Towne give you that warm hometown feeling, and Glenn has been great to work with," Jason says.

"Jason has done a great job managing Pair Electronics, a multi-generational family business," Glenn says. "I am delighted that he chose TowneBank for all of his business banking needs."

If you are interested in more information about upgrading your home or business systems, visit PairElectronics.com.

For 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain has served as a diverse, inclusive place where kids can be themselves and have fun in a safe environment. From humble beginnings at a single location in Pitt County, the organization now serves over 2,000 youths from age six to 18 through their afterschool and summer programs.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain has 17 different locations representing Pitt, Lenoir, Beaufort, Greene, Martin, Carteret, and Craven counties. Each location provides a variety of programs that focus on three priority outcomes: academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. Through these tenants, the Clubs strive to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.

"We are committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure kids and teens succeed in school, at home, and in life," says Will Chriscoe, chief development officer. "At our Clubs, kids know they can be themselves, discover their passions, make new friends, and have fun every day in a safe place."

The Clubs are committed to ensuring that their members graduate from high school, pursue post-secondary education, and become lifelong learners. To do that, the organization offers programs that help students become proficient in basic educational disciplines. Power Hour, for example, is an interactive homework help and tutoring program that helps students develop healthy study habits and skills that promote overall academic success.

"In the 2021-2022 academic year, Power Hour created 62,549 unique hours of service to assist our students," says Will. "Almost 90% of our teens plan on completing post-secondary education, according to our National Youth Outcome Initiative survey. Programs like Power Hour help make that goal a reality."

Recently, the Towne family in Greenville volunteered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain as part of the United Way Day of Caring, an annual event that mobilizes volunteers across the country. Volunteers assisted elementary students during Power Hour at the Boys and Girls Club Jack Minges Unit in Winterville. Glenn Marsh, senior vice president and branch manager, spoke to a group of middle and high school students about the importance of financial literacy. At the Lucille W. Gorham facility on Ward Road, Towne volunteers participated in educational activities with elementary students.

Additional academic programs include Club Academy, an initiative that promotes proficient reading skills; Career Launch, which helps students assess their skills and interests; and STEM Computer Science training, for example. Through the Torch Club, members can learn about the importance of civic duty and community involvement. The Street Smart program offers lessons in bullying prevention with an emphasis on resiliency training.

"Thanks to the incredible generosity of individuals, businesses, community organizations, and grant partners, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain has a proud history of service to our great communities," says Will. "We continue to welcome new friends who are in search of a bright future."

To learn more about programs offered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain or to volunteer, visit BGCCP.com.

For over 40 years, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (Food Bank) has provided meals to those in need while building solutions to end hunger. An affiliate member of Feeding America, the organization partners with more than 800 agencies, like soup kitchens and shelters, to serve 34 counties across the eastern and central part of the state.

The Wilmington Branch of the Food Bank serves four counties in southeastern North Carolina: Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender. The largest hunger relief organization in the region, the location is a hub for food distribution, drop-off donations, volunteer groups, and the organization's nutrition education programs.

The Food Bank at Wilmington recently launched the Nourish, Build, Empower campaign to fund a new and expanded facility to serve the evolving needs of community. "We've been in our current space, which is about 12,000 square feet, for over 30 years," says Beth Gaglione, director of the Wilmington branch. "The new space is 30,000 square feet and will greatly increase our capacity and efficiency as we implement new solutions toward breaking the cycle of hunger."

The facility will have significantly more refrigeration and freezer space, allowing the Food Bank to offer nutritious items to help recipients sustain a healthy diet. "Think about going to the grocery store: the foods that are the best for you are in the refrigerated section — like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein," says Beth. "The expanded cooler and freezer space will allow us to offer more nutritionally dense items, like fresh foods and high-quality proteins." The space will also have a commercial kitchen that will support ongoing programming for children and seniors and will have the capability to produce 5,000 hot meals daily in the event of a natural disaster.

In addition, the new Wilmington location will have a market that will offer lower-cost, healthy food in a retail environment. "Some people have the means to purchase food, but live in a food desert," says Beth. "The new marketplace will ensure accessibility to fresh and nutritious options."

Recently, the Towne family in Wilmington gathered at the food bank as part of the United Way Day of Caring, an annual event that mobilizes volunteers across the country. The group helped clean, sort, and bag drinks through the organization's food recovery program. "We receive dented and damaged boxes from grocery stores and retail outlets like Wal-Mart," says Beth. "Volunteers help inspect the recovered items, like juice boxes, so they can be distributed to after school programs instead of thrown away."

Further west, the Greenville branch of the Food Bank serves five counties, including Edgecombe, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt, and Wilson. An estimated 59,850 people experience hunger in this footprint, with over 12 million meals distributed in 2021.

Both the Wilmington and Greenville locations are always in need of food donations and contributions, as well as volunteers who want to help ensure that nutritious foods reach their neighbors in need. To learn more about the Food Bank, visit FoodBankCENC.org.

Healthwise Pharmacy has served the Pitt County community since 1998. The independent retail pharmacy provides prescription management, compounding or the altering of medication ingredients to meet a patient's specific needs, home infusion, medication delivery, durable medical equipment, immunizations, and much more. They also administer flu vaccination clinics for the majority of Pitt County schools and many local businesses and organizations.

Healthwise received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. and became a Vital Care franchise in 2005. With these professional enhancements, Healthwise began providing full-service home infusion therapy as well as nutrition consultations and Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) management. In July 2015, Marcie Parker, PharmD, MBA, became the sole owner of the business after working as Pharmacist Manager since 2005.

As the sole owner, Marcie soon realized she could not do it alone, so she developed a team to help her manage the business. The team soon expanded into its own company, Proximity Management and Staffing Services, LLC, where Marcie serves as owner and president. When asked how she does it all Marcie says, "I love serving the community and making sure people have access to the medications they need."

In 2022, Healthwise expanded under the Vital Care trademark to provide patients with infusion related therapy in a spa-like environment. In February, they opened Vital Care of Rock Hill in South Carolina, and the newest location, Vital Care of Raleigh, held its grand opening in November. They also have two infusion clinics in Charlotte, one in Virginia Beach, and their expansion will continue throughout 2023 with new locations in Suffolk, VA, and Charleston, SC.

Healthwise has provided home infusion for 16 years, but the coronavirus pandemic revealed a greater need within the Greenville community and beyond. Prior to the pandemic, many patients were not aware that home infusion was available, instead assuming that the only options were in-patient therapy or an outpatient clinic associated with a hospital.

During the pandemic, many patients, especially those who were immunocompromised, wanted the option to receive treatment at home because hospitals and doctors' offices were at capacity and overwhelmed. Healthwise was already staffed with nurses to assist with the growing need. With the new Vital Care locations, home infusion will be more widely available. Patients will also be able to receive treatment in a spa-like suite, as many patients enjoy the social aspect of visiting a clinic for therapy.

When Marcie was ready to expand her business portfolio, she met with several banks. Her meeting with Allen Clayton, senior vice president at TowneBank of Greenville, set things in motion for success. Marcie says, "Mr. Clayton wasn't the first person I pitched my idea to, but he was the first to take a chance on us. He's been an invaluable resource and extremely supportive of what we've set out to achieve. As we continue to expand, all of my businesses will run through TowneBank."

To learn more about the services available, visit HealthwisePharmacy.com.

Construction is underway for the new TowneBank location in Greenville! Located at the corner of Red Banks Road and East Arlington Boulevard, the new two-story building will house banking, mortgage, and insurance services. Financial advisors from Towne Wealth Management in Raleigh also will be on site periodically to serve members. The new location will have a drive-thru window, night-time drop box, and an ATM.

"The location is perfect to serve both our personal and business banking members," says Greg Steele, president of TowneBank of Greenville. "It is a great mid-section between Winterville and Fire Tower Road, heading toward downtown and the hospital."

More than a bank, the new TowneBank Greenville location will have a community meeting room available for use by organizations and nonprofit partners. Hudson Brothers Construction and E.R. Lewis, both based in Greenville, serve as the contractor and site contractor, respectively. "If we are building a community asset, then we should support local businesses that are making a positive impact in Greenville and Pitt County," says Greg.

"We are continuing our investment in Greenville," says Greg. "We want to have a strong presence in this great market and continue to serve others and enrich lives of those who live and work in the community."

The building is expected to open toward the end of 2023.