Longtime Triad CEO to retire next week

The one thing Eric Calhoun dreads most about retiring from his 20-year role at the helm of a prominent Greensboro real estate investment company is cleaning out his desk.

Calhoun, president and CEO of Richardson Properties, said he is “proud to turn over the reins to David Irvin, who has been here for a mere 27 years.” Calhoun’s retirement comes just shy of 40 years with the company, which is a spin-off of Richardson Corp. and is owned by the well-known Richardson family.

Irvin, a Greensboro native…

Top 10 real estate sales of February total $98.6M

The Top 10 real estate sales in the greater Dayton region in February totaled $98.6 million, heavily buoyed up by a $66 million office park sale in West Chester.

Most of the sales represented owner occupied deals, either business expansions or business mergers where the property was included in terms of the sale.

Mergers and acquisitions will likely continue to happen more frequently as the Baby Boomer population continues to hit retirement age, which could lead to more real estate sales activity.

The…

Charlotte drivers still catching a break on gas prices

Gasoline prices in the Charlotte region and across the nation have continued to decline over the past week, according to AAA.

A gallon of regular unleaded in the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill metro area costs an average of $2.29 today, down from $2.31 a week ago, AAA Carolinas says.

But the current price is up from $2.21 a month ago.

Still, local drivers are paying notably less at the pump than at this time a year ago, when a gallon of gas at Charlotte-area stations had an average price of $3.41.

Statewide,…

Cider house rules that Hawthorne will be a great spot for a taproom

With the ink dry on a new lease, the Portland Cider Company is just a couple weeks out from opening a new, 28-tap, cider-only taproom on Southeast Hawhthorne Boulevard.

Founded in 2012 by Jeff and Lynda Parrish, the Portland Cider Company signed a lease for 1,258 square feet of space at 3638 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. Jeff Parrish said the new taproom, which will be known as the Portland Cider House, is just about two weeks out from its grand opening.

The taproom will feature 28 taps, offering Portland…

Why 'rare earths' matter to the Pentagon, and why '60 Minutes' says that's a problem

Anyone that caught “60 Minutes” Sunday walked away with this message: The Pentagon relies on rare earth elements for a huge percentage of its weapons, including the F-35, and China has a near monopoly on them.

What are rare earths, anyway? Basically, unusual metals, which you can find listed on a separate line under the main portion of the periodic table. They’re found in small amounts all over the place, trapped in what looks like ordinary rock.

But a couple of key points from the “60 Minutes”…