The Bissell Companies' own Barry Fabyan, Senior Vice President and Manager of Office Leasing Services, will be one of the panelists at Green Lease Revolution, a discussion about how "green" spaces are changing the leasing industry. The discussion takes place at the Legends Room in uptown Charlotte on Thursday, September 16, 2010. To read more about the event and for registration information, click here.

Ballantyne Corporate Park Announces Calhoun Building

Bissell Development has begun construction of the Calhoun Building, a new speculative 140,000 square foot office building in Ballantyne Corporate Park and one of only a handful of speculative office projects in the country. Named in honor of community leader Andy C. Calhoun, the Class A building will be located on North Community House Road and complete the four building campus-like set overlooking the 12th hole of The Golf Club at Ballantyne. Set for completion in April 2011 and built to LEED Gold specifications, Calhoun will feature six-stories and free structured parking. Calhoun will be Bissell Development’s sixth LEED building and will bring the total office development to more than 3.5 million square feet in just 14 years.

The building is named for Andy C. Calhoun, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Charlotte YMCA. Andy has played a prominent role spearheading initiatives that have grown our Y and made our community great and its reputation national.

“The buildings in Ballantyne Corporate Park are named for individuals making differences in our lives, and Andy Calhoun has been a change agent since Day 1 when he began his Y association 38 years ago,” said Smoky Bissell.

The Topping Out Ceremony marks the completion of steel-frame construction at the Calhoun Building. This tradition involves a steel beam carrying a cedar tree to represent zero injuries and good luck as well as an American flag to symbolize that the building has been topped out.

The Calhoun Building was designed by LS3P Associates; the building is being built by Cox Schepp Construction.

Click Here for the Calhoun Topping Out Photo Gallery

Check out this Top 5% idea! Sandra Stilley of In Room Dining had the idea to create a board which would display the Franchise Player traits and winners. The board was constructed with the help of Tom Dogery and resides in the In Room dining area of the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge. The board serves as a great visual reminder to our hotel employees to live the 14 Franchise Player traits each day. Sandra is seen here with Mr. "Smoky" Bissell, who is giving the board his seal of approval.

All of the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge employees will benefit from Sandra's commitment to the Franchise Player program and the BFOC.

Thank you Sandra!

Sign up today for a healthier you! WeightWatchers @ Work is a great way to loose weight, feel better and meet fellow BFOC employees. The next session will kick-off with an open house on Thursday, September 9 where you will also be able to register. The "Savings for Success Plan" is a 17-week program that features 19 weeks of eTools for FREE! The cost to Bissell employees is only $93 (normally $186) with the company paying the remaining half of $93. To receive a company match on enrollment, employees must attend at least 12 of the 17 meetings.*

Members can take advantage of the split payment method on the first week in which three checks can be written upfront and then deposited on weeks 1, 5 and 10.

Meetings will be held once a week on Thursdays during the lunch hour (12:00pm - 1:00pm) at the Bissell Companies Training Room, located in Suite 300 of the Chandler Building (13860 Ballantyne Corporate Place). The first meeting for the session will be on September 16, and is mandatory for anyone interested in the program. Any questions, please contact Terry Young or Betsy Pink.

Visit the Bissell WeightWatchers @ Work Page!

*Attendence is met by completing a weigh-in for the week. 

The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge and The Golf Club at Ballantyne were included in this real estate segment on the Ballantyne area that aired today on WCNC’s Charlotte Tuesday, August 24, 2010. The segment also includes mentions of Ballantyne Corporate Park and Dana Rader Golf School.

See it here!

Tasty Buds
 
On Monday, August 9th, the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge Food & Beverage Department hosted a blind food tasting as part of its Connoisseurs training series. Attendees gained a better understanding of how taste buds work, the different types of tastes, and the importance of the visual component in tasting food. The class, hosted by Heather Tapper and Chris Johnson, was educational and a lot of fun. One attendee stated, “You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten jell-o out of a little cup with no utensils and a blindfold on!”  Beth Zinger, Gallery Bartender, was the winner of the competition, correctly identifying five out of the six items.
 
The items sampled and the tastes they represent were:
·      Seracha-coated Dried Green Peas (spicy)
·      Brie Cheese (fat)
·      Key Lime Jell-o (sour)
·      Capers (salty)
·      Lychee Fruit in Honey (sweet)
·      Black Truffle Mushroom Paste (earthy)
 
The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge Food & Beverage Department conducts the Connoisseurs classes and workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics. These sessions are designed for Food & Beverage employees, but employees throughout the company are invited to attend on a space-available basis. To inquire about classes or to register, please contact Heather Tapper at 704.248.4058 or htapper@theballantynehotel.com.

Click here to download the Tasty Buds course handout.
 
Upcoming Classes:
·      August 23-Rum
·      September 15-Ports
·      September 22-Cheese
·      September 29-Fall Wine Varietals