Regional Roundup

Business News from Around Western North Carolina

Avery County Town Hall and Visitor Center Expansion Commences

BEECH MOUNTAIN - The Beech Mountain Town Hall and Visitor Center buildings will soon be linked by a twostory addition and expanded for more public space and staff offices. The $1.9 million dollar project officially kicked off on Monday, May 1 when VPC Builders began the process of removing the patio between the two buildings. The project includes new space for the Building and Inspections Department, Police Department, Administration, Visitor Center and Community and Economic Development. During the construction, between twenty and thirty employees will be moving temporarily to other buildings or to one of two trailers. Construction will be completed within a year.

Source: Town of Beech Mountain

Buncombe County NC Board of Nursing Approves New Asheville Program

ASHEVILLE - South College Asheville has earned initial approval for its Certificate in Licensed Practical Nursing program by the North Carolina Board of Nursing, allowing launch of the program in June 2023. The board cited the 100% pass rate of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates on the National Council Licensure Examination in 2022 in its approval of the LPN certificate program. The North Carolina Board of Nursing, whose intent is to protect the public by regulating the practice of nursing, currently oversees the licensure of 22,764 licensed practical nurses in North Carolina. The North Carolina Board of Nursing will continue to monitor the quality of education that LPN students receive at South College Asheville by annually reviewing the program, completing routine site visits, and guiding program compliance and board regulations changes.

Source: Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Buncombe County Mission Hospital Filed Application for New Freestanding Emergency Department

ASHEVILLE - Mission Hospital LLLP has filed a certificate of need application with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to develop a freestanding emergency department in Asheville. The proposed emergency department would offer emergency, laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services. The project is expected to cost $29 million and would be completed in July 2025.

Source: NC Department of Health and Human Services

Buncombe County New Partnership Expands Sales for Asheville Brewery

ASHEVILLE - Ginger’s Revenge Craft Brewery, North Carolina’s first and only brewery specializing in the production of alcoholic ginger beer, announced plans to expand distribution into Ohio with a new partnership with Premium Beverage Supply. The Asheville-based alcoholic ginger beer company serves over 700 locations throughout North and South Carolina that sell their naturally gluten-free product. Over the coming months, their beer can also be found throughout Ohio, with distribution across the entire state.

Source: Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Burke County Small Business Loans Add Up to Big Business

MORGANTON - City Manager Sally Sandy said since beginning Small Business Loans in 2005, the City of Morganton has awarded $905,000 in loans, supported 30 new or expanded businesses, created 148 jobs, and offered 30 loans altogether with only one that has not met obligations.

Source: City of Morganton

Caldwell County County Approved for Digital Learning Grant

LENOIR - Caldwell County is among 21 school districts chosen by the state to receive funding aimed at enhancing digital-age learning and teaching. The State Board of Education recently approved 18 proposals through a competitive grant-program under the state’s Digital Learning Initiative. The statefunded grants support the development and dissemination of local innovative digital learning models. The goal of the grant program is to have effective digital learning practices spread across all North

Carolina K-12 public schools.

Source: Caldwell County Economic Development

Cleveland County Grant Supports Building Reuse, New Jobs

KINGS MOUNTAIN - The NC Rural Infrastructure Authority approved a $75,000 grant that will support the reuse of a 237,000-square-foot building in Kings Mountain. The building will be occupied by ACTEGA North America, a manufacturer of specialty coatings and chemicals for the printing and packaging industries. This project is expected to create 12 jobs, with an investment of $8,524,014 by the company.

Source: NC Department of Commerce

Haywood County Looking Forward Following Mill Closure

CANTON - A quorum of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners attended an informational public meeting at Pisgah High School in June. The purpose of the meeting is a public forum called “Canton Strong-Looking Forward,” hosted by Congressman Chuck Edwards to discuss the future of the Town of Canton with Mayor Zeb Smathers of Canton and Mayor Darrell Hinnant of Kannapolis following the closing of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill.

Edwards released the following statement ahead of the meeting: “I look forward to working with our local leaders to figure out new opportunities for the town and residents of Canton. We must come together to envision a future for Canton without the mill and learn from good ideas that have worked elsewhere. I look forward to hearing from Mayor Hinnant and seeing if we can apply some of Kannapolis’ lessons learned to Canton.”

Source: Haywood County Chamber of Commerce continued on next page

Recognition in Global Publication

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina has received Business Facilities magazine’s inaugural 2023 Economic Development Organization award in the State Economic Development Organization category. North Carolina is one of four state groups receiving the distinction, which honors organizations for their hard work and dedication in securing record-breaking economic development projects and creating new economic development growth for communities across their states. The Arizona Commerce Authority, Empire State DevelopmentNew York, and the Mississippi Development Authority were the other organizations receiving the award.

Since its inception, the EDPNC has worked with state, local, and private partners to welcome some of North Carolina’s biggest economic development projects. In 2022 alone, North Carolina welcomed 151 new projects totaling 27,144 new jobs for residents and $15.58 billion in capital investment from companies across many different industries. This includes VinFast’s announcement of its first North American electric vehicle assembly and battery manufacturing plant, for a $1 billion investment in Chatham County bringing in 7,500 jobs; and Wolfspeed, which announced its newest semiconductor manufacturing plant in Siler City, for a $5 billion investment creating 1,800 jobs. Boom Supersonic also announced its supersonic airliner manufacturing and assembly plant in Greensboro, for an investment of $500 million creating 1,750 jobs; and Eli Lilly and Company announced its new manufacturing site in Concord, for an investment of $1 billion and creating 600 jobs.

Source: Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

New Initiatives Aim to Position NC for Federal Tech Investments

In June, the North Carolina Department of Commerce launched two new initiatives and web pages aimed at strategically positioning North Carolina consortia and companies for potential federal designation as Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hub), and for other federal investments enacted as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

In a competitive process, the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is seeking applications for the selection of 20 federally designated regional Tech Hubs across the country, with $500 million in appropriated funding support available in 2023 to help these hubs drive U.S.based technology, innovation and job growth. Commerce.nc.gov/ TechHubsforNC will serve as a point of entry for interested consortia to coordinate with the State and other partners on these applications.

Source: North Carolina Department of Commerce