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Business
Karate center wins contest By Laura Keeter | Daily Times Staff Writer A Wilson business won first place in a Regional Business Plan Writing Competition. Tang Soo Do Karate Center, a family-oriented martial arts school at 1800-F Parkwood Blvd., was presented the award of $1,000 Thursday at a meeting of the Upper Coastal Plain Rural Entrepreneurial Network. The meeting was held at the Upper Coastal Plain Business Development Center on Nash Street. Master William Kehoe, a 4th degree black-belt, and his wife Karen Kehoe, a 2nd degree black-belt, instruct students in the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do. They offer year-round classes for both adults and children six days per week. Students learn various hand/kicking techniques and forms of self-defense, light contact sparring, and cardio exercises. William Kehoe has trained over 500 students, some achieving black-belt levels, and competed in numerous national and international competitions. He is also a licensed physical therapist assistant and brings that background in body mechanics and exercise applications to the training. Karen Kehoe is also operations/merchandising manager at Stein Mart in Rocky Mount. Winning second place was Nichols Automotive Specialist LLC, an auto repair and maintenance business located at 2011 Main St. in Tarboro. The business owner, Brandon Nichols, was awarded $500 as runner-up in the competition. "We are very pleased to recognize these two small businesses, not only for developing excellent business plans, but also for successfully using them in securing loans to start their businesses," said Olga Abrams, assistant executive director for the COG, and initiator of the Business Plan Competition. "Business plans are an essential first-step in starting any business. It serves as a vital road map to keep the entrepreneur on course and focused on the things that will enable the business to grow and thrive." The competition, which was launched in February, was conducted in cooperation with the Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, and Wilson Community College Small Business Centers as a component of their entrepreneurial development system initiative. "This is a perfect example of how regional collaboration encourages entrepreneurship and small business creation here in Eastern North Carolina," said Larry Lytle, executive director of the Business Development Center in Wilson. The Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments is one of seventeen multi-county planning and development regions in the state, serving Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton and Wilson counties. keeter@wilsontimes.com | 265-7817
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