NEER Announces Dr. Chris Dengler 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Winner
Dengler grew up in upstate New York and knew from childhood that he wanted to be in medicine. After receiving his medical degree and completing his surgical residency, he was recruited by Dr. Stuart Todd and Dr. Fred Payne to come to Rocky Mount as part of the Boice-Willis team in 1988.
Dengler began his practice with Boice-Willis performing a variety of surgeries while becoming a specialist in laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of gastro-esophaegeal reflux disease or acid reflux disease as it is commonly known. By the late 1990's, Dengler was ready to try something new and founded Legato Medical Systems.
In 1997 he opened the nation's first Heartburn Treatment Center at Nash Health Care Systems in Rocky Mount. Shortly afterwards, Dengler realized that his program could be installed at other hospitals and he recognized that the ones most likely to be attracted to such a program would also be located in mid-size southeastern US communities like Rocky Mount. Since Legato Medical Systems was established, its growth has been outstanding and the company now has 21 client hospitals in 10 states under contract.
The other three entrepreneur of the year finalists were Sandy Roberson along with Debbie and Stan Figlewski, Community Health, Inc.; Ernest Bridgers, Signature Communities and E.G. Smithson, Smithson, Inc. All of this year's finalists were from Rocky Mount.
Beginning as Carrolton Home Care and Hospice in 1995, the company was started as a subsidiary of the Carrolton Company by E.C. Powell and Judy and Carroll Roberson. In 1996 Sandy Roberson and Stan and Debbie Figlewski took over operations of the company. In 1998 they sold the nursing home beds and the company began operating under a new name, Community Home Care & Hospice.
Today Community Home Care & Hospice has a staff of 500 operating in 17 offices in North Carolina. Each of the offices is staffed with a hospice trained registered nurse, medical director, case manager and a full time pastor who helps provide spiritual care for patients. Using a care plan developed by the patient's doctor, social worker, pastor and nurse, Community Healthcare & Hospice offers the terminally ill a service that lets them end their days enjoying life as free of pain as possible.
Ernest Bridgers was raised in Rocky Mount. He joined the U.S. Army in 1963 for a five year stint that included tours in Panama, Turkey and Viet Nam. After he completed his military obligation, Ernest completed his degree at UNC and joined Planters National Bank. Afterwards, Ernest was involved in a variety of real estate development projects in Rocky Mount and on the Outer Banks for a number of years.
In 1996 Bridgers established the Signature Companies, Inc. to develop lots and build affordable homes for first time buyers in the Rocky Mount area. His first project was Bishop's Row near Wesleyan College. In order to keep prices as low as possible for these first time Edgecombe and Nash County home buyers, Bridgers has developed systems that minimize waste and predict margins in advance. Along the way he has helped develop eight sub contractor companies.
The Signature Companies has built one third of the average 220 new homes built each year for the past 10 years in Rocky Mount making it one of the area's largest land development companies. His neighborhoods include the homes in Westry Crossing, The Village in Westry Crossing and Autumn Ridge Town Homes.
E.G. Smithson was born and raised in Columbus, MS. During the Korean War he enlisted in the Marines. Following his active duty at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Smithson returned home and earned a Civil Engineer at Mississippi State University. After graduation he joined Mitchell Engineering (now CECO Building Systems) in Columbus as a salesman engineer. In 1967 he arrived in Rocky Mount to head the new plant that Mitchell Engineering built here. In 1979 Smithson formed Smithson, Inc. as a general contractor and Mitchell Building's dealer.
Smithson has built thousands of structures since its founding in 1979 and the company once shipped building components in containers to Jamaica to build a cold storage facility there and the company has bid on projects in Germany, St. Petersburg Russia and Tanzania. Because he continues to build so many metal structures, Smithson serves on the CECO President's Advisory Council and last year Smithson, Inc. was recognized by CECO for having placed over $50 million in metal building sales in cumulative orders in the past 25 years.
"NEER's goal is to foster a strong spirit of entrepreneurism in our area of North Carolina," noted Boddie. "I think everyone will agree that our winner and our other finalists for 2005 exemplified the finest attributes of an entrepreneur."
During the banquet, it was also announced that NEER will be modifying its mission to allow for one-on-one meetings with entrepreneurs interested in reviewing their ideas and business plans with the Advisory Board of the NorthEastern Entrepreneur Roundtable. The first two such meetings for 2005 have already been arranged.
Those interested in meeting with the NEER Advisory Board can contact Sherry Johnson at the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce at 252-973-1212.
