Consulting – Croixstone

Say “Hello Pancreas” this November

We are partnering for your pancreas! Croixstone has joined forces with the Charlotte Pancreatic Cancer Alliance to create awareness on behalf of your hard-working digestive organ during November’s “Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.”

Who is the Charlotte Pancreatic Cancer Alliance? Charlotte Pancreatic Cancer Alliance is a nonprofit community group founded by three of Croixstone’s leaders (Patti Weber, Grace Lynch, and Mark Weber) to create awareness of pancreatic cancer on a local, regional, national and global level. The group was founded in 2020 and is a member of the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition. The group was founded in memory of Patti’s father (Jim Benson), Grace’s niece (Carmen Reyes), and Mark’s mother (Shirley Weber).

Say “Hello Pancreas”! The average person around the globe knows very little about one of their hardest working organs – – their pancreas. Leaning into this year’s global awareness campaign, Croixstone and the Charlotte Pancreatic Cancer Alliance invite you to say “Hello Pancreas” this November to get to know your pancreas buddy a bit better.

Two Ways to say “Hello Pancreas”! Here are two fast and easy ways to get to know your pancreas this month.

• We invite you to visit hellopancreas.com as the first step in getting to better know your pancreas.

• We encourage you to read the Charlotte Pancreatic Cancer Alliance’s November newsletter that features a variety of actions and events in which you can participate to build your friendship with your pancreas.

Croixstone is named to the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2023 “Fast 50” List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies

We did it again! For the second consecutive year, the Charlotte Business Journal named Croixstone as one of the Charlotte region’s 50 fastest-growing private companies. The publication announced its 2023 annual list of “Fast 50” companies on Tuesday, October 31.

What companies are eligible? Eligible companies must have completed three full years of operation by the end of 2022 and logged sales of at least $1 million that year. They are privately held corporations, proprietorships or partnerships – not subsidiaries or divisions – that are based in the greater Charlotte region.

How are companies evaluated? Eligible companies provided financial documentation that was evaluated by accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen, which ranked participants based on annual growth over three years.

What is Croixstone’s ranking? We don’t know yet! The Charlotte Business Journal will reveal the 2023 Fast 50 rankings during an awards event on November 30, with a special report to be published by the publication on December 1.

2023 has been a remarkable year. This latest news contributes to a milestone year of growth-related honors for Croixstone.

• In February, Inc. magazine revealed that Croixstone ranked No. 11 on the publication’s fourth annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list of the fastest-growing private companies in the region.

• In August, Inc. magazine revealed that Croixstone ranked nationally at No. 511 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

• Also in August, Inc. ranked Croixstone at No. 8 as the fastest-growing private company in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC metro area. Additionally, the magazine ranked Croixstone at No.16 in our home state of North Carolina, and at No. 56 in the Business Products & Services segment.

It takes a village. Founded in 2016, Croixstone’s remarkable 7th year has been achieved thanks to the amazing support and contributions of our employees, consultants, executive search candidates, clients, partners, friends and family.

Application Period for SEED20 2024 is Now Open

About Croixstone and SVP Charlotte: Croixstone is a proud Community Partner of Social Venture Partners Charlotte (SVP Charlotte). This unique nonprofit organization provides a way for passionate and committed individuals and companies to collectively invest their money, skills and time to nurture and support some of the most promising nonprofit organizations attacking social and economic inequality within the greater Charlotte region.

What is SEED20?: SEED20 is the nonprofit pitch contest hosted annually by SVP Charlotte. This high-profile program provides a terrific opportunity for innovative nonprofits to tap into professional development around messaging, gain access to high quality marketing assets, benefit from incredible community exposure, and build their social capital.

Spread the word: SVP Charlotte announced yesterday that the application period for the SEED20 Class of 2024 has officially launched. Please share the following link with your professional network and help us spread the word: https://tinyurl.com/applytoday4Seed20

Save the date: You don’t want to miss the SEED20 Class of 2024. Join us to watch them take the stage on Tuesday, March 26 at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte.

Croixstone has been recertified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)

We did it again: Croixstone is excited to share the news that our firm has been recertified as both a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC), a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Croixstone has received these certifications annually since 2020.

Why it matters: Croixstone’s certification as a WBE and WOSB fuels our firm’s access to supplier diversity and procurement executives at hundreds of major U.S. corporations and federal, state, and local government entities that accept WBENC certification. Businesses with inclusive procurement strategies widen their pools of potential suppliers and promote competition in their supply base, which can improve quality and drive down costs. Inclusiveness can also make supply chains more resilient and agile. Additionally, supplier diversity programs offer selling points to businesses when hiring.

How we did it: WBENC certification is the gold standard for women-owned business certification in the USA. The WBENC standard of certification implemented by GWBC is a meticulous process, and included an in-depth review of Croixstone’s business planning, operations and a site visit.

Learn more: Read our Press Release here.

Learn About Exit Planning for Privately Held Companies

We are an Event Sponsor for PDA’s next in-person event: Along with GreerWalker LLP and Essex Richards, P.A., Croixstone is excited to serve as an Event Sponsor for the next in-person event hosted by the Charlotte Chapter of the Private Directors Association (PDA), a professional association with a purpose to enable and enhance the value, growth, and resilience of privately held companies through effective governance.

Event details: The event is taking place on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 from 5pm – 7:30pm at Croixstone’s offices located at 101 S. Tryon Street, Suite 2700 in Uptown Charlotte, NC.

Topic: The program will focus on “how to and why” privately held company owners should initiate an exit plan well before owners are ready to execute on such a strategy. From a private company governance perspective, the discussion provides for multiple alternatives in seeking the best outcome for shareholders while educating all involved on the process.

Subject matter experts from GreerWalker and Essex Richards will address the following topics:

• Exit strategies – when should a private company begin the planning process and what are the strategic options to consider?
• Who should be involved (owners, board members)?
• Independent board members role in the planning process
• Preparation and expectations – issues and potential pitfalls

Interested in attending? This is an in-person event with no virtual option to participate. Members of the PDA can register for $25 by logging into their member accounts here. Non-members interested in attending as a guest of Croixstone can do so by emailing Grace Lynch, Croixstone’s Director of Business Operations, at glynch@croixstone.consulting.

Croixstone Debuts on the 2023 Inc. 5000 List

“Our debut on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list is fueled by the incredible support that Croixstone receives from our talented consultants, employees, clients, partners and friends.”

– Patti Weber (CEO and Co-Founder, Croixstone Consulting)

We have big news to share today: Croixstone is excited to share the following news as announced this morning by Inc. Business Media.

• Croixstone is debuting at No. 511 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. This ranking puts our firm among the top 10% of the fastest-growing private companies in the USA.
• Croixstone is debuting at No. 8 as the fastest-growing private company in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC metro area.
• Croixstone is debuting at No.16 as the fastest-growing private company in our home state of North Carolina.
• Croixstone is debuting at No. 56 as the fastest-growing private Business Products & Services company in the USA.

Learn more about the Inc. 5000 List: The 2023 Inc. 5000 list ranks the top 5,000 privately held businesses in the U.S. by three-year revenue growth.

View the complete list here.

Read our press release: Click here.

Explore our digital library: Click here.

We are one week away from sharing big news.

“On the heels of celebrating our seventh business anniversary in June, I am thrilled to launch our countdown as we prepare to share big Croixstone news on Tuesday, August 15.”

– Patti Weber (CEO and Co-Founder, Croixstone Consulting)

The countdown begins today: The Croixstone Consulting leadership team is exceptionally excited to launch a 7-day countdown beginning today. The firm is preparing to share some big news with the general public on Tuesday, August 15.

Get social with us: We invite you to follow and engage with Croixstone on our social media platforms as we countdown to Tuesday, August 15. The sharing of big news that happens to be great news is always a happy occasion. Our social media presence is sure to reflect our excitement, and we welcome you to join in our enthusiasm.

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Threads
• Instagram
• Facebook

Learn our news on Tuesday, August 15: Join our mailing list if you aren’t already a subscriber. Read our blog. Follow our socials. We plan to be here, there, and everywhere on Tuesday, August 15.

Truist and Supplier Diversity

“Supplier diversity is not only the right thing to do, it’s a smart business strategy that helps us to bring our purpose to life for our clients, teammates and stakeholders.”

– William H. Rogers, CEO – Truist

Fast Fact: Croixstone Consulting was invited to attend this week’s Truist Tier2 Supplier Diversity Business Summit in Charlotte, NC. As a woman-owned professional services firm and a nationally-certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), Croixstone was excited to participate in this dynamic event. Croixstone was represented by the firm’s CEO, Patti Weber, and Ed Ritter who leads the firm’s Risk & Compliance practice.

About Truist: Headquartered in Charlotte, Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE: TFC) is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $555 billion as of June 30, 2023.

Truist and Supplier Diversity: Truist recently reported that its engagement with small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses led to over $1.7 billion in contributions to the U.S. economy and sustained more than 11,978 jobs. Last year, Truist purchased $870 million in products and services from diverse business in the US. The company’s total spend with small and diverse suppliers increased by 38.7% from 2021 to 2022.

Benefits of Supplier Diversity: In addition to being the right thing to do, there are sound commercial reasons for companies to create supplier diversity programs. Harvard Business Review cited the following benefits in an August 2020 article:

• An inclusive procurement strategy widens the pool of potential suppliers and promotes competition in the supply base, which can improve product quality and drive down costs;

• By providing more sourcing options, inclusiveness can make supply chains more resilient and agile – an increasingly important advantage in these uncertain times;

• The “feel-good” factor associated with diversity programs can also burnish a brand.

Learn more:

• Read Truist’s 2022 Supplier Diversity Impact Report

• Read the Harvard Business Review article entitled “Why You Need a Supplier-Diversity Program”

• View Croixstone’s photos from the Truist Tier2 Supplier Diversity Business Summit held on July 26, 2023

The Incredible Power of the Arts to Drive Business Innovation

“We invite the greater Charlotte region to join us in supporting the nonprofit Legacy Theater & Music. Co. and the junior cast performing in the magical production of Into The Woods Jr.”

– Patti Weber, CEO – Croixstone Consulting

Art and innovation: Nesta, a UK-based innovation agency for social good, published research in 2016 that spotlights the economic benefits to companies of fusing both art and science skills into the workforce . Nesta’s research found that “fused” companies:

• Show higher sales growth
• Deliver higher employment growth
• Are more productive than the average firm
• Are more likely to bring radical innovations to market

Croixstone is a big believer in the theory that the broader set of skills a firm uses, the higher its level of innovative performance and growth.

The Arts and Croixstone: As an extension of our co-founders’ long-standing support for the arts, and their belief in the benefit of the arts to fuel business performance, Croixstone actively seeks opportunities to support the arts across the greater Charlotte, NC region.

About Legacy Theater and Music Co.: Based in Stallings, NC, this innovative nonprofit organization exists to provide opportunities in the performing arts for all by providing private lessons, classes and performance opportunities. Founder Jess Strzepek is the daughter of consultant Drew Strzepek who provides expertise in Croixstone’s Finance and Operational Excellence practices.

Into The Woods Jr.: Croixstone is thrilled to underwrite Legacy’s production of Into The Woods Jr., the musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. Legacy’s “junior cast” (18 years old and under) is performing this magical musical that intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests.

Join Us: Join the Croixstone team in supporting Legacy’s junior cast at the upcoming performances of Into The Woods Jr. at Stallings United Methodist Church located at 1115 Stallings Road in Stallings, NC 28104:

• Friday, July 21 @ 7pm ET
• Saturday, July 22 @ 2pm ET and 7pm ET

Get Social with Legacy Theater and Music Co.: Click on the following links to like, follow and engage with this special nonprofit.

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Get Social with Croixstone on Threads

“Threads – the Instagram “Twitter killer” that is the most rapidly downloaded app ever – has hit an astonishing 100 million users in just days.”

– Mike Allen, Axios

The buzz: Threads, the new social network from Meta which was launched on July 5, 2023 as a competitor to Twitter, has exploded in growth since its public debut last week. The Verge is reporting today that the new Threads app has already surpassed 100 million users, meaning it reached the milestone dramatically faster than even ChatGPT.

Threads 101: Meta shared the following insights last week when introducing its new app:

• Threads was built by the Instagram team for sharing text updates and joining public conversations.
• You log in using your Instagram account and posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
• Meta is working soon to make Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that it believes can shape the future of the internet.

Croixstone and social media: Like other progressive professional services firms, Croixstone embraces social media as an integral part of our firm’s digital marketing strategy. Yes, you will find us posting and engaging daily on LinkedIn. What you might not know is that you can also get social with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And as of last week, we invite you to follow us on Threads.

12 3 4 5