Ply Gem in Cary Raises $332 Million in IPO

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Cary, NC – The IPO market is back in vogue on Wall Street, at least for Triangle companies. Last week, Cary-based Ply Gem raised $332 million in an IPO on May 23, 2013.

Ply Gem

Ply Gem is a leading maker of siding, stone, windows, trim, gutters and accessories. It is riding the recovery in the housing market. According to SeekingAlpha, the company sold 15.8 million shares, or about 22% of the  outstanding stock, for a total of $332 million.

The company, founded in 1943, has 5,000 employees. Ply Gem’s corporate headquarters are on Weston Parkway in Cary.

Other Triangle IPOs

Also last week, ChannelAdvisor in Morrisville raised about $80 million in their IPO last week. CEO Scot Wingo rang the opening bell at New York Stock Exchange.

ChannelAdvisor, founded in 2001, sells software-as-a-service (SaaS) that enables retailers and manufacturers to integrate, manage and optimize their merchandise sales across hundreds of online channels including Amazon, Google, Facebook and Bing. The company has about 400 employees worldwide.

Earlier in May, Quintiles raised nearly $1 billion in an IPO ($947.4 million, according to Bloomberg). Quintiles is the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services with a network of more than 27,000 employees conducting business in approximately 100 countries. The company was founded in 1982 by Dennis Gillings, then a professor at UNC Chapel Hill. In 2009, the company moved into their new world headquarters on Emporer Boulevard in Durham. You can see their iconic building from I-40.

Tech Events in the Triangle – June ’13 Edition

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Story by Ian Henshaw, Managing Partner of TechnologyTank.org. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – Here is a quick summary of Technology events coming up in in June and July. Read more

Lori Bush: Cary Technology, At a Crossroads

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Story from the blog of Lori Bush, At-Large member of Cary Town Council. Photo by Todd Klassy.

Cary, NC – I love technology.  I do.  That’s why I was so disappointed that none of the recommendations of the Technology Task Force were included in the 2014 Town of Cary Budget. Read more

Harold’s Blog: May 20, 2013

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From the blog of Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. Phot above (L->R) Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, Teach of the Year Denise LaPorta and Council member Jack Smith.

Cary, NC – This week was not as busy as anticipated due to two big cancellations. Read more

Last Moments of the Galaxy Theater

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Cary, NC – CaryCitizen reader David Gill shared with us his photographs of the last moments of the Galaxy Theater in Cary.

End of the Galaxy

The Galaxy Theater, at the corner of Cary Towne Boulevard and S.E. Maynard Road, showed art films and foreign films. But the Galaxy owed many months rent to York Properties and closed their doors in November. York plans to redevelop the site around a Harris Teeter supermarket.

And so, the Galaxy came crashing down in a cloud of dust just over a week ago.

Last Moments

David Gill captured the last moments of the Galaxy. Visit Flickr to see the complete slideshow.

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Cary Gets Code for America Brigade

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Cary, NC – Code for America (CfA) started in 2009. It’s a non-profit, non-partisan organization that brings together programmers, designers, data analysts and other web-industry professionals to work with municipalities to promote openness, participation and efficiency in local government. Now, Cary has it’s own Code for America Brigade. Read more

Editor’s Journal: A Weekend in Pictures

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Story and photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – This past weekend, I managed to get around to three interesting events in the greater Cary region: CenterStage on the front lawn of DPAC in Durham, Wheel on Academy in downtown Cary and Morrisville’s East Meets West festival.

CenterStage

Friday evening was perfect for CenterStage, a collaboration between WUNC’s Back Porch Music and the American Tobacco Historic District in Downtown Durham.

A large and enthusiastic crowd turned out for the first show of the summer. I ran into several friends from Cary and got to take a few shots from the rooftop of  Diamond View II, one large office buildings between DPAC and Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Find out about more free CenterStage concerts this summer.

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Wheels on Academy

Saturday morning, I swung by Wheels on Academy in Downtown Cary.

Last year’s inaugural event was a little soggy, but Saturday morning was crisp and clear in downtown Cary. More than 100 cars participated.

My favorites were Barney Fife’s vintage Ford police cruiser, a beautiful plum-colored Studebaker, an immaculate California woody and a low slung hot rod Don Frantz identified for me as a class of cars called a “Rat Ride.” All the cars were gorgeous.

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East Meets West

Finally, I wound up at Morrisville’s East Meets West Festival. Booths lined Town Hall Drive and two stages showcased Eastern and Western acts.

I was there to perform on the West stage with A Fifth of Blues, but I also had a chance to wander around a little.

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Thanks to Brooke Meyer for getting a shot of me in action with my bass guitar.

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It was an exciting weekend all around.

Don’s Blog: Not How I Imagine Cary

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From the blog of Don Frantz, member of Cary Town Council representing District B. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Imagine Cary – or imagine what Cary could become if we let the new-urbanists ruin it. That was my take from the Summit on the Future event held at Embassy Suites. Read more

Harold’s Blog: May 13, 2013

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From the blog of Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht.

Cary, NC – This week was another busy week for me. This is the toughest time of year for me with event upon event combined with preliminary budget meetings and regularly scheduled council meetings. Read more

Cary’s Summit on the Future

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Story and photos by Lindsey Chester.

Cary, NC – Nearly 700 people filled the Embassy Suites grand ballroom at Cary’s “Summit on the Future”  Thursday night (May 2)- the largest gathering of its kind ever to take place in Cary’s history. Read more