Washington, The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) has become a partner state association of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). NCRLA is the leading advocate and resource for the state’s $13.5 billion hospitality industry, and represents the interests of more than 16,000 businesses throughout North Carolina. Combined, the foodservice and accommodations industries provide jobs for 10 percent of the state’s workforce.

“We are pleased to have a partner state association in North Carolina, and we look forward to developing a strong membership of hotel properties with them,” said AH&LA President/CEO Joseph A. McInerney, CHA. “This partnership will leverage our collective power not only in the state of North Carolina, but nationally as well.”

“In recent years the state’s lodging industry has lacked statewide representation. Given that, plus the fact that many of our issues are very similar, the inclusion of the lodging industry into NCRA’s membership was an easy decision to make,” said Sam Hobgood, NCRLA chairman and owner of Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant, Raleigh. “Since many restaurants operate in hotels, we already have instances of overlapping membership.”

More than 200 lodging facilities are expected to join NCRLA as members in 2007. Lodging industry leaders already sitting on NCRLA’s board of directors include incoming NCLRA Chairman, Tom Ruff, The Biltmore Company, Asheville, N.C.; Bart Ortiz, vice president of operations and vice president of flavor and consistency, Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants & Hotels, Greensboro, N.C.; and R. Doyle Parrish, president, Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd., Raleigh, N.C. Additional lodging industry executives and owners are expected to be elected to the board during the association’s annual member meeting on January 29, 2007 in Cary.

For questions or more information, contact Pam Inman, AH&LA executive vice president of member and industry relations, at (202) 289-3136 or [email protected], or Paul Stone, NCRLA president and CEO, at (919) 844-0098 or [email protected].

Serving the hospitality industry for nearly a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom-line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.

Enica R. Thompson
Manager of Media Relations
202-289-3153
AH&LA