Preparation pays: these Mid-Market Fast 40 companies found success by identifying and inspiring change within their businesses.

• Position: NORTH CAROLINA Mid-Market Fast 40

Scott Duda

managing partner, Richmond, Va.-based

Cherry Bekaert LLP

Darryl Kellough

principal, Charlotte-based

Southside Constructors Inc.

Bret Grieves

vice president and branch leader, Lynchburg, Va.-based

Scott Insurance's Greensboro office

Greg Marshall

chief financial officer. Pilot Mountain-based

Omega Construction Inc.

Jim Hall

chief technology officer, Wilmington-based

N2 Publishing

Jason Perillo

director of staffing operations, Charlotte-based CCS

Construction Staffing Inc.

Erik Horstmann

managing partner, Richmond, Va.-based

Cherry Bekaert LLP

Eric Teague

chief financial officer, Mebane-based

ARCA

IT'S ONE THING TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR MARKET AND THE ECONOMY IS CHANGING. It's something different to adapt and then successfully navigate them. These companies did both. They used different methods, ranging from encouraging their workers to finding new markets, but the results were the same. They are 2016 North Carolina Mid-Market Fast 40 companies, which made impressive workforce and revenue gains from 2013 to 2015. Here's how they did it.

Ben Kinney, Business North Carolina publisher, moderated the discussion, which High Point University hosted and Cherry Bekaert and Scott Insurance sponsored. The transcript was edited for brevity and clarity.

What does North Carolina's economy look like through the eyes of your company?

DUDA There are large amounts of growth in small regions such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, Greensboro and Asheville. Growth is lagging elsewhere. I see two different economies--urban and rural. They each have challenges, but urban communities are recovering faster from the Great Recession.

HORTSMANN North Carolina's economy is strong. Outside my window, more buildings are being built than probably at any point in Charlotte's history. But from a manufacturer's point of view, resources are lacking. Companies feel pressure not to build. They don't want to risk being oversupplied.

TEAGUE The economy is improving. Our business is most concerned with unemployment and interest rates. The unemployment environment is improving dramatically. It's becoming more difficult to find great talent, especially in smaller, more competitive markets. The uncertainty of when interest rates will rise, and by how much, is a concern.

HALL Our revenue is 100% advertising dollars. We watch the economy for many reasons. We're a recruiting company, so a struggling economy helps us. That's when we'll accept more than 1,000 applications on a good week. Applicants are looking for work and better opportunities. It's easier to sell advertising in a better economy.

GRIEVES It's nice living in the Southeast, where the tide is rising. Other parts of the country, such as the Midwest, are flat or down. I mostly work with mid-market companies--construction, manufacturing, hospitality. We have a captive company that's made up of 30 different companies. Its projection for October 2016 to October 2017 is to grow 5.2%. Most every client reports a talent vacuum, whether it's skilled labor or professionals.

MARSHALL We work in four markets: industrial, retail, hospitality and charter schools and churches. Retail is strong in North Carolina. It seems like every...