"Maymead is suing a consultant who infiltrated a neighborhood group opposing a new asphalt plant in North Carolina."
"Maymead, a company that plans to build a controversial asphalt plant south of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is suing a consulting firm and one of its former employees, alleging they committed fraud, civil conspiracy and deceptive trade practices in spearheading opposition to the project.
The former employee, Chris Hopkins of Tennessee, used an alias, Chris Sanderson, to infiltrate a neighborhood group in Clemmons near the proposed plant, Inside Climate News reported in early September.
Although Hopkins told neighbors he opposed the plant for environmental reasons, Maymead alleged in court documents filed in Forsyth County Superior Court that he and then-employer Land Use Strategies were working on behalf of an unnamed competitor to thwart Maymead’s project.
“There was no legitimate business purpose in defendants’ attempts to manipulate citizens and to use them as agents to manipulate the market for asphalt,” the legal complaint reads."
Lisa Sorg reports for Inside Climate News September 23, 2026.
