Manufacturing innovation is alive and well in Randolph County, and companies like Linear Solutions Inc. are a big part of that story.
Based in Randleman, Linear Solutions Inc. is helping manufacturers stay competitive through advanced automation and control system integration. Their approach is straightforward but powerful: deliver high-quality, turnkey solutions that improve efficiency, reduce costs, and drive measurable return on investment.
What stands out is their full-service capability—from machine design and tooling to robotics, prototyping, and installation—all tailored to the specific needs of each client. This kind of end-to-end support is exactly what modern manufacturers need as they navigate workforce challenges, supply chain disruptions, and increasing global competition.
Equally important is their commitment to continuous improvement. By investing in people, technology, and partnerships, Linear Solutions is not just solving today’s problems—they’re helping shape the future of manufacturing in our region.
Companies like this reinforce why our region continues to be a hub for advanced manufacturing. When innovation meets execution, the result is growth—not just for individual businesses, but for the entire community.
For more than 30 years, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have helped light up learning in K-12 classrooms statewide through the Bright Ideas education grant program. N.C. teachers with innovative ideas for creative learning projects can submit an online application April through September of each year.
Bright Ideas education grants are supporting local communities across the state. Watch the video to learn more about the impact Bright Ideas grants have on classrooms and students, as described by grant winners from Sanford-based Central Electric.
Marco Layedra is offering downtown Asheboro a ride on Cloud Wine.
A New Jersey native, Layedra has been in Asheboro for six or seven years with a furniture delivery business. Now he’s looking to do something different.
Cloud Wine, located at 103 N. Fayetteville St. (previous home of Bold Coffee and before that Mike’s Chicago Dog), opened April 10 and serves wine, craft beer and cocktails. The wine list will include brands from France and Italy as well as local wineries.
In addition, customers can get cold cuts, sandwiches and wraps. Soon, Layedra plans to have a full kitchen with a menu that will offer Italian, Caribbean and other dishes. He said he’ll change things up every so often.
Customers can sit at the bar, at tables or on stools at the front windows. There’s a comfortable lounge in the rear of the building as well as seats out front.
The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC) announced Malynda Shumaker will be joining the organization in a role as Administrative Director.
Shumaker brings more than two decades of leadership experience in operations, finance and human resources, further strengthening RCEDC’s ability to serve and support the county’s growing business community.
Shumaker most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Markham Metals, Inc., where she played a key role in overseeing financial management, human resources, compliance and day-to-day operations for a 30+ employee organization. Throughout her tenure, she demonstrated a strong ability to manage complex business functions, lead teams and implement systems that improve efficiency and organizational performance.
In her new role with RCEDC, Shumaker will support internal operations, financial processes and organizational initiatives that enhance service delivery to existing and prospective industries. Her expertise in budgeting, payroll, compliance and administrative leadership will help ensure the organization continues to operate at a high level while advancing its strategic economic development goals.
A company that operates tour buses broke ground Wednesday, March 25, on a new 50,000-square-foot building in northern Randolph County that will be used for tour bus maintenance as well as a new spinoff paint-and-body business.
Holiday Tours, a travel company that uses motorcoach buses, plans to spend $15 million for the construction of the building at 10538 U.S. 220 Business North, which is near Interstate 73 west of Level Cross. It is expected to open in early 2027.
The building will be split down the middle, with one half housing a new Holiday Tours business, Carolina Custom Paint and Body, and the other half a service center for Prevost, a subsidiary of Volvo that manufactures buses, said David Moody, president of Holiday Tours. Prevost will lease its space from Holiday Tours.
Sandra Lail's promotion from vice president of sales was announced by the company on Friday, April 24.
"Sandra has been an integral part of Sapona since its inception in 2004 fostering strong relationships with customers and suppliers alike," the announcement said. "Throughout her tenure, Sandra has demonstrated exceptional aptitude across various functions within the company. Her keen intelligence and outstanding communication skills empower her to make pragmatic and strategic business decisions."
Sapona CEO Dean Lail expressed confidence in Sandra Lail.
Local News and Announcements
Victory Junction Adds New Board Member:
Scott Love, regional president with Cellular Sales, has been appointed to the board of directors of Victory Junction.
Love, who has lived in Greensboro since 1998, oversees operations for Cellular Sales across North Carolina and South Carolina. He brings extensive leadership experience and a strong commitment to community engagement, also serving on the board of the North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Foundation.
“We are excited to welcome Scott to the Victory Junction Board of Directors,” Chad Coltrane, president and CEO of Victory Junction, said in a statement. “His leadership experience and dedication to serving others will help us continue to grow our impact and reach more children and families.”
Dr. Gainey Named Regional Superintendent of The Year:
Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Gainey has been named the 2026–2027 Regional Superintendent of the Year for the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium. He will now move forward as a finalist for the A. Craig Phillips State Superintendent of the Year Award, joining seven other regional leaders from across North Carolina.Leaders within the consortium say Dr. Gainey is widely respected for his commitment to public education and his collaborative approach. They say his leadership has helped strengthen both Randolph County Schools and partnerships across the region.
True to its legacy in the Triad, manufacturing remains a powerful component of the local economy. Among the Department of Labor’s 11 industry sectors, manufacturing is second only to health care and social assistance in the number of people it employs across the 12-county region with almost 90,000 workers, according to 2025 data from Chmura Economics & Analytics.
The number of manufacturing establishments across the 12-county Triad edged upward in the three years following the Covid-19 pandemic after a steady decline from 2016 through 2020. However, the number dropped in 2024, leaving it 29 shy of the number a decade earlier, according to Chimura. Debuting on the List this year is Toyota Battery Manufacturing. The EV battery maker for parent company Toyota began long-awaited production last November with half of the targeted 5,100 workers. Toyota aims for 70% electrified vehicle lineup by 2030. It already ranks as the region's fourth-largest manufacturer.
Artificial intelligence is moving out of the experimental phase and into the core of the economy. That was the message from industry leaders gathered at the University of North Carolina’s inaugural AI for Public Good Conference, where the conversation quickly turned from possibility to execution — and from theory to impact.
“We’re living in a moment,” said Ronnie Chatterji, chief economist at OpenAI, “when models are changing the way we work every day.”
For Chatterji, the key question is no longer whether AI will reshape the economy but how quickly businesses can translate that capability into measurable gains. So far, the labor market is holding.
“The unemployment rate right now in the United States is below 5%,” he said. “AI is changing work, but it hasn’t led to massive job loss yet.”
Randolph County’s unemployment rate jumped during January but remained in a range that usually indicates a healthy local job market.
The county’s rate was 4% in January, up from 3.3% in December and 3.7% in January the previous year, the N.C. Department of Commerce reported.
The jobless rate stayed below 5%, the level that historically has been the benchmark for healthy local job market.
Unemployment rates often rise in January because short-term jobs related to the Christmas season end.
In January, the county recorded a labor force of 66,849 with 2,676 listed as out of work.
Statewide, unemployment rates increased in all 100 counties and all 15 metropolitan areas from December to January, the N.C. Department of Commerce reported.
Randolph has seen an increase in the number of houses going up for sale, and they are taking longer to sell, but prices are holding up, according to the Greensboro Regional Realtors AssocIation.
Asheboro had 114 homes on the market in the first quarter of 2026, up 62.9% from 70 during the same time period in 2025, while Randolph County saw 312 homes for sale, a 43.1% increase from 218.
New listings also increased, with Asheboro adding 129 homes, a 7.5% rise from 120 during 2025’s first quarter, and Randolph County reporting 385 new listings, up 13.2% from 340.
Randolph County homes averaged 54 days on market, up 20% from 45 days during the same time period in 2025, and Asheboro homes averaged 61 days on market, up 52.5% from 40 days.
The U.S. government on Monday launched a tool for refunding more than $166 billion in revenue from tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and subsequently struck down by the Supreme Court.
The conservative-majority high court in February ruled against a swath of Trump's tariffs, marking a stinging rebuke of his key economic policy and opening the door to refunds.
On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it has activated the first phase of its processing tool, meaning that importers and customs brokers can start submitting documentation to recover their payments.
Recent Renewals
Thank you to the companies below which recently renewed their support of the EDC and the Randolph Rises campaign. Your contribution continues to make our service, reach, and impact felt across the county.
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