Celebrate Wilmington! Inc. dedicated a star on the city's Walk of Fame to legendary stage and screen actor Pat Hingle. The dedication ceremony was on November 1, 2008 at 11:00AM in downtown Wilmington at the Walk of Fame Plaza on Water Street at the Cotton Exchange.
Pat Hingle died in January 2009. He will be missed!
Click here for the full news release for this event.
Click here for the program for this event.
Celebrate Wilmington Honored PPD
July 28, 2009
Celebrate Wilmington! to Honor PPD
Founder Fred Eshelman
with Star on Walk of Fame
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Celebrate Wilmington!
Inc. will dedicate a star on the city’s Walk of Fame to Fred
Eshelman, founder and executive chairman of PPD, Inc., a leading
global contract research organization based in Wilmington, N.C.
The dedication ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m., Sept. 24, at the Cotton Exchange in downtown Wilmington. The Walk of Fame is a prestigious permanent record of notables who have lived, worked and/or enriched the Cape Fear Coast community.
Under Dr. Eshelman’s leadership, PPD has grown from a one-person consulting firm into a global organization with offices in 38 countries and more than 10,000 professionals. PPD provides discovery, development and post-approval services, as well as compound partnering programs, to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. Dr. Eshelman moved the company to Wilmington in 1986, a year after he founded PPD.
“I came to Wilmington 23 years ago to put down roots, raise a family and grow a business,” said Dr. Eshelman. “I quickly discovered this is a wonderful community with a rich history and talented people, and I am truly honored to be recognized alongside others who have given their time and resources to make this a great place to live and work.”
Karen Whipple, president of Celebrate Wilmington! Inc. added, “Dr. Eshelman’s tremendous success supporting the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, the impact PPD has had on Wilmington, its global influence, and his commitment to community involvement make him an outstanding choice for the Walk of Fame. On behalf of the Celebrate Wilmington committee, we are truly pleased to present Dr. Eshelman with this recognition.”
Walk of Fame inductees are selected by Celebrate Wilmington’s volunteer board. Previous recipients recognized by the non-profit organization include journalist David Brinkley, filmmaker Frank Capra Jr., musicians Charlie Daniels and Percy Heath, business executive Jim Goodnight, and athletes such as Althea Gibson, Roman Gabriel, Sonny Jurgensen and Meadowlark Lemon.
Recipients must have been born in the Cape Fear region or have spent their formative or creative years in the community. They must be nationally recognized within their fields for their accomplishments.
PPD is recognized globally for developing drug therapies to save, extend and improve lives. The company is an economic and community outreach leader in Wilmington and other locations around the world where its offices are located. In 2008, PPD’s net revenue grew 11 percent to $1.6 billion, and it was again selected by Forbes for its Platinum 400 list of the best big companies in America and as the best managed company in health care equipment and services. PPD was also added to the prestigious Nasdaq-100 Index last year. Dr. Eshelman, PPD and its employees are active volunteers and contributors to a variety of civic and educational programs in the Wilmington area. The PPD headquarters on the Cape Fear River stands out as one of the city’s most distinctive new landmarks.