THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, January 28, 1996               TAG: 9601280146
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   59 lines

MERCHANTS SAY OUTLOOK IS GOOD BUSINESS IS GROWING IN DARE AND CURRITUCK COUNTIES, OWNERS SAID IN A RECENT POLL. AND THE TREND - INCLUDING INCREASED CONSTRUCTION - IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE.

Everything should be coming up roses for Dare and Currituck county businesses this year, according to the latest economic survey.

A recent polling of more than 1,000 merchants showed that, in 1995, business in both counties was generally improved over 1994, and prospects for 1996 looked good, said John Bone, director of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.

``Most of the indicators are encouraging,'' he said, ``particularly the opinions that the growth pattern will continue.''

The survey was conducted without charge by the Hutchins Allen & Company accounting firm in Nags Head, Bone said.

``We're grateful to Frederick Hutchins and his staff for getting this analysis started, and we hope to make it an annual event,'' Bone said.

According to the poll results:

Eighty-nine percent of business officials questioned said they expected this year to be better than 1995. Fifty-six percent said 1995 was a better business year than 1994.

Fifty-one percent predicted the 1995-96 fall and winter seasons would be better than the comparable period in 1994-1995. Thirty-nine percent said the figures would be worse this year.

On the issues of work force and store expansion, the results were tilted toward caution:

Twenty-four percent said they expected to expand their facilities, while 73 percent said they would stay the same.

Thirty-one percent said they would increase their number of employees this year, while 63 percent said their payroll would be unchanged.

Currituck County showed a 33 percent increase in new construction values in 1995 over 1994, the report showed. With December 1995 still to be tabulated, Currituck's new building permits reflected a total building value of $52.8 million.

In Dare County, incomplete 1994-95 figures for building permits showed a 10 percent increase last year, the survey showed. Dare issued $87,871,580 worth of permits in 1994-95.

Dare's incomplete food and beverage receipts for 1994-95 amounted to $91,695,849, with a 4 percent increase in 1995 figures expected when the audit is completed.

Types of businesses surveyed in the two counties included retail, service, restaurant, hotel-motel, property sales and real estate management. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Willie Tillery, left, of Whitakers, and Rodney Silver of Enfield put

rafters on a new, enclosed mall in Nags Head off U.S. Route 158. The

mall, Croatan Centre, is to open in the spring.

by CNB