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Top 22 of 2022

We are on the cusp of something great

The Piedmont Triad has the ingredients necessary to thrive. Each year, we see major corporations investing and expanding in our communities, more resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and quality-of-place investments that make the Piedmont Triad a desirable, competitive, and economically vibrant place to live. No wonder the area is garnering national attention with a growing list of awards and accolades. Thank you for making our favorite moments in 2022 and over the last decade. It has been a privilege to be part of the city’s most notable projects and growth throughout the Piedmont Triad. Here are our Top 22 of 2022.

1

Winston-Salem garnered national attention with twelve top awards

  1. Top Bridge in North America in 2021 by Roads & Bridges
    No. 2: Green Street Pedestrian Bridge in Winston-Salem
    • The Green Street Pedestrian Bridge received five national awards in 2022. The bridge crosses over the newly reconstructed Salem Parkway in downtown Winston-Salem, connecting the West Salem and downtown neighborhoods. The city’s newest icon inspires economic development and symbolizes Winston-Salem’s 21st-century aspirations.
  2. Top 10 Housing Markets for Millennials by Knock
    No. 8: Winston-Salem
    • According to Knock, Winston-Salem is the second most affordable metro for millennials.
  3. 2022 semifinalists for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast
    Peyton Smith, chef/owner of Mission Pizza Napoletana
    Stephanie Tyson, chef/co-owner of Sweet Potatoes
  4. The South’s Best College Towns by Southern Living
    No. 18: Winston-Salem
    • Southern Living named Winston-Salem one of The South’s Best Cities on the Rise in 2021, thanks mainly to the Innovation Quarter, Winston’s downtown research district that comprises 1.6 acres of green space, five academic institutions, 90 companies, and 20 miles of connected greenway.
  5. Best Medical Schools for Research by U.S. News & World Report
    No. 47: Wake Forest School of Medicine
  6. 20 Best U.S. Metros to Start a Business by 42Floors
    No. 16: Winston-Salem
  7. America’s 25 Cheapest Places to Live by Kiplinger
    No. 22: Winston-Salem
    • Kiplinger points out that not only do living costs run more than 14% below the national average, but North Carolina also doesn’t tax Social Security benefits. 
  8. Five U.S. metros with the most considerable flipping rates, ATTOM’s Third-Quarter 2022 U.S. Home Flipping Report
    No. 4: Winston-Salem
    • Flips comprised 12.7% of all home sales in Winston-Salem for the third-quarter of 2022.
  9. 5 Surprising Cities Set to Become Boomtowns in 2022 by GoBankingRates
  10. Best Places to Live by U.S. News & World Report
    No. 56: Winston-Salem
  11. Best Counties for Young Professionals in North Carolina by Niche
    No. 6: Forsyth County
  12. Best Large Cities to Start a Business by WalletHub
    No. 22: Winston-Salem  
2

Major corporations announce growing investments in the Carolina Core

adding more than 13,500 jobs by 2030

  1. The Toyota E.V. battery factory is under construction at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite. The company is doubling its planned investment in the electric-vehicle battery plant. It will add 20% more jobs than previously announced, bringing the total investment to $3.8 billion and the total number of jobs in the project’s first phase to around 2,100 jobs.
  2. Durham-based Wolfspeed plans a new semiconductor materials factory with 1,805 employees and a $5 billion investment by the end of 2030 at the Chatham Advanced Manufacturing site near Siler City.
  3. Boom Supersonic selected the Piedmont Triad International Airport for its super factory to build commercial supersonic passenger jets. The project has the potential to bring in over 1,750 jobs by 2030, expanding to a total of more than 2,400 jobs by 2032.
  4. Vietnamese carmaker VinFast announces plans to build an electric vehicle assembly plant at Chatham County’s Triangle Innovation Point, a 2,100-acre megasite also looked at by companies such as semiconductor manufacturer Micron. The production plant will create 7,500 jobs over five years and invest $4 billion by 2026.
  5. In addition to the megasite announcements, Volvo Group, Krispy Kreme, and Macy’s made expansion announcements. Volvo announced the expansion of its Greensboro headquarters with a $41 million investment and adding around 360 employees. Krispy Kreme announced its expansion in Winston-Salem, adding 180 jobs. Macy’s has decided to build its first automated fulfillment center in China Grove, creating 2,800 jobs.
3

Linville Team Partners grew with six new team members

Emily Niblock: Transaction Coordinator for the Retail Growth Team

Nick Andrew: Team Operations Specialist for Nick Gonzalez’s brokerage team

Nathan Gaylord: Broker on Nick Gonzalez’s brokerage team

Brody Watson: Acquisitions Manager for the Retail Growth Team

Clyde Hunter: Acquisitions Associate for the Retail Growth Team

Molly Hallman: Executive Assistant to Aubrey Linville

4

Linville Team Partners celebrated four internal promotions

Utang Enyenihi started in 2021 as Team Operations Specialist. Since then, she’s earned her NC real estate and notary licenses, and last year she was named Account Manager. 

Cali Rich started in September 2021 as Team Operations Specialist, and was promoted to her new Broker role last Spring. 

Meg Horvat started in 2016 as Broker Support Specialist. Since then, she’s worked multiple roles. In 2022, she was promoted from Director of Marketing/Administration to COO. 

Jason Bush joined the team in 2018 as Senior Account Manager and Broker. Last Summer, he became the newest Partner at the firm.

5

Thirteen Recognitions across Nine Individuals

CoStar Power Broker Awards

Greensboro/Winston-Salem Market

  1. Nick Gonzalez: 2021 Top Office Leasing Broker
  2. Tommy Adams: #4 Top Office Leasing Deal, Q1 2022
  3. Ben Bloodworth: #4 Top Office Leasing Deal, Q1 2022 
  4. Will Blackwell: #3 Top Office Leasing Deal, Q2 2022 
  5. Will Blackwell: #1 Top Retail Leasing Deal, Q3 2022

CoStar Power Broker Awards

Buffalo/Niagara Falls Market

  1. Ben Bloodworth: #3 Top Sales Deal, Q3 2022
  2. Aubrey Linville: #3 Top Sales Deal, Q3 202
  3. Jordan Cooper: #3 Top Sales Deal, Q3 2022

Individual Awards

  1. Tommy Adams: Triad Business Journal’s 2022 Class of 40 Under 40 
  2. Jordan Cooper: Winston Under Forty 
  3. Meg Horvat: Triad Business Journal’s 2022 Outstanding Women in Business
  4. Katie Mealka: Rising Star Award 
  5. Jason Bush: Deal Maker Award  
6

LTP received Costar’s Winning Award for Top Sales Firm

One of two firms in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem market to receive the award for 2021

7

Linville Team Partners named Best Place to Work

in the micro category by the Triad Business Journal

8

Linville Team Partners made the Fast 50 list of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Triad

for the fourth consecutive year

9

the Winston-Salem Dash minor league baseball team celebrated its biggest opening day

since 2010 with 7,086 fans in Truist Stadium

10

kicked off the Masters Tournament by reintroducing our annual Masters Party at the LTP office

the first time continuing the tradition in person since 2020

11

Nick Gonzalez earned his Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation

a recognition of his expertise and experience in the disciplines of commercial and investment real estate

12

Storr Office Environments of the Triad joined us at Bourbon Bowl for “Battle of the Brokerages” corn hole tournament

13

We crammed in one room for an impromptu viewing of everyone’s new video bio

The videos, created BY REDEMPTIVE DIGITAL, are on the LTP website under each team member’s profile and are a great way to learn what we are all about

14

The women of Linville Team Partners hosted the Triad’s first “Women in Commercial Real Estate” networking event

15

Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change opened its 100th location

Fast Facts:

  • Strickland Brothers, headquartered in Winston-Salem, is one of the fastest growing franchises in the nation.
  • Linville Team Partners is the brand’s exclusive real estate partner.
  • Strickland Brothers opened 55 stores in 2022. At the end of 2022, they had 138 stores across the U.S.
  • In 2022, Justin Strickland, CEO of Strickland Brothers, was recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast Award Winner.
16

Camino debuted its newly-renovated downtown store

17

A mural was added to downtown Winston-Salem tin honor of Linville Team Partner’s Tenth Anniversary

Local artist Christina Parrish was commissioned for this piece added to North Spruce Street, near its intersection with West Fourth Street, across from the new Link Apartments 4th Street

18

Winston-Salem and the surrounding area saw new businesses enter the scene and growing footprints for fan-favorite establishments

  1. ROAR brought the roaring 20s back to 633 N Liberty in downtown Winston-Salem with casual dining, a food hall, games, and entertainment.
  2. A new fine-dining restaurant came to Innovation Quarter with the opening of Six Hundred°.
  3. The Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden, a popular restaurant that’s won widespread praise in the Charlotte area, locked in its second location in Innovation Quarter’s Bailey South. The restaurant is scheduled to open this year. 
  4. Tucker’s Tap Yard opened last Summer in Industry Hill as Winston-Salem’s first combination dog park and bar. 
  5. Lash & Blade Cosmetic Tattooing and Lash Studio announced its new location in Winston Junction and gave its new space a serious makeover. 
  6. Fleet Feet Winston-Salem opened its second location in Clemmons. The Clemmons area is developing rapidly with the addition of several new retailers and entertainment spots.
  7. Rock Outdoors, a Lexington-based outdoor retail store, opened its second location at 577 S Stratford Rd, Winston-Salem.
  8. Melrose Coffee + Wine Lounge, a California-inspired coffee and wine bar in Winston-Salem, announced plans to open an additional location in Greensboro, which will be opening in 2023.
  9. The landmark Winston Tower building in downtown Winston-Salem exchanged hands with a new owner eager to enhance its presence as a lower-cost option for small-to-mid-size businesses and nonprofits. Linville Team Partners is marketing the space for the new property owner, who is passionate about working with local start-ups like those out of Winston Starts.
  10. Kaleideum hit a significant milestone in the construction of its new museum, coined the “Reimagined” Kaleideum, with a “Topping Out” Celebration on the construction site at the corner of Third Street and Town Run Lane in downtown Winston-Salem. “Topping out” is a tradition in construction and an opportunity for everyone to connect with the building — literally and symbolically. During the celebration, individuals had a chance to sign their names on the last beams that were placed, and you better believe LTP was there for the moment. Kaleideum broke ground on its new location in 2021 and plans to open the doors to the Reimagined Kaleideum in 2023. Frank L. Blum Construction Company is the general contractor for the project; Gensler and Stitch Design Shop are the architects. 
  11. Liberty Plaza at 102 W Third Street sold to a new owner with over 200,000 Rentable Square Feet (RSF).  
  12. Bitty & Beau’s, a coffee shop experience run by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, held its grand opening in December at its new Fourth Street location. The grand opening attracted hundreds, with a line of people that stretched around the block.
  13. U.S. Foods Chef’Store, a warehouse-style store designed to appeal to independent restaurateurs, food-truck operators, and caterers, opened its 86th location at 140 Stratford Commons Court near Hanes Mall. Like the ChefSmart store that previously operated in Winston-Salem from 2003 to 2018, CHEF’STORE bridges the gap between large-scale wholesalers and retail supermarkets, appealing to home cooks and food professionals.
19

a sizable portfolio of four U.S. industrial properties sold for a combined $28 million

Fast Facts:

  • Linville Team Partners brokered both sides of the transaction.
  • The sale included industrial properties located in: Welcome, North Carolina; Woodbine Georgia; Cheektowaga, New York; and Meridian, Mississippi.
  • The largest of the four sites was a 175,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Welcome, NC.
  • Each property is occupied by GREIF (NYSE: GEF) industrial packaging.
  • The Triad Business Journal and Winston-Salem Journal covered the news. 
20

A Novant Health-leased building was purchased for $21.5 million in one of the largest single medical real-estate sales in recent Forsyth County history

Fast Facts:

  • The 38,904 square-foot medical facility at 3155 Maplewood Avenue, Winston-Salem is occupied by Novant Imaging.
  • Ben Bloodworth of Linville Team Partners was the only broker involved.
  • The sale follows a trend of the past several years involving medical facility real estate investments in the Triad.
21

Construction commenced on Merschel Park

located at the junction of Fourth and Trade streets in downtown Winston-Salem

Fast Facts:

  • Merschel Park is named for former City Council member Wanda Merschel.
  • 16 wind sculptures by renowned sculptor Lyman Whitaker were installed to honor Wanda Merschel’s 16 years of service.
  • Linville Team Partners donated a special tree that will be planted in the park and used each December at Winston-Salem’s City Tree-Lighting Celebration.
  • Merschel Park will open to the public in 2023.
22

Linville Team Partners ended its tenth anniversary year with over $365 million sold and leased

The year was celebrated with a memorable anniversary bash at roar

Thank you for making LTP a leading commercial real estate brokerage firm

If you had asked me ten years ago what our company and community would look like today, I would have hoped for this. Winston-Salem has been on a meteoric rise, and we are proud to have played a small role in that. It has been an amazing journey, and we’re all looking forward to what comes next for both Linville Team Partners and the greater Winston-Salem community.

Aubrey Linville