Helping Grow from Within

Mooresville Offers New Incentive Program for Small Businesses

Amid a lingering recession, Mooresville officials are taking steps to help small business grow – especially in the racing industry. To assist them, the town will now provide economic incentives to companies investing under $3 million.

Following a recommendation by the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation, Yates Precision Machining has become the first small company to receive the town’s help on its $1.7 million expansion.

The custom component manufacturer is planning to buy new equipment, upgrade its facility and hire four additional employees. Currently, the company employs five.

“In the past, we wouldn’t have messed with something this small,” said Town Manager Steve Husemann. “We are sending a message to small business, especially in the racing industry that we want to help things move forward.”

For Yates, a company supplying car components and accessories to Rusty Wallace, Inc., TRG Motorsports and Federal-Mogul, diversifying will be the key to succeeding in a tough economy.

“Most of our folks come from the motor sports industry and we want to see if we can take those skills these folks have developed over the years and apply those to different markets,” said Yates Operation Manager Todd English.

The company is now looking to branching out into the medical, aerospace and military industries. Yates has been in Mooresville for one year. Yates’ expansion could be an economic boost for other companies, too.

“Our local capital investment should provide that multiplier effect,” explained English, “when we invest in the local community that dollar could provide opportunities for other local businesses.”

While many small manufacturers might consider themselves eligible for an incentive, Rogerson said that the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation is trying to help businesses working to help themselves.

“They are here, they’re invested and we do our best to help them grow and prosper,” he said.

Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly E-Newsletter for current up to date information on this new development. For more information on the opportunities for your business in Mooresville please visit the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation’s website at www.edcmooresville.org.

Lincoln Economic Development Association Sponsors Lecture that Focuses on Community Transformation

In the near-distant future, manufacturing in Lincoln County and areas like it will look nothing like it does today.

Nanotech, biotech and molecular technologies will be catch words decades from now in local factories that have become even more cutting edge. Energy will be based on alternative fuels and water will become as valuable as oil is today.

And this is only a slice of the future as Rick Smyre sees it. The Gastonia-based futurist, president and founder of the Center for Communities of the Future, was the keynote speaker last week at Verdict Ridge Country Club during a luncheon hosted by the Lincoln Economic Development Association (LEDA).

The third in a series of lectures sponsored by LEDA, the Lincoln Leader Seminars gives local manufacturers and other business leaders access to special speakers, such as president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce and executive of the North Carolina Military Business Center.

Smyre, who has given his lecture on “community transformation,” before to several colleges and business groups in the region, said global climate change, a shift to alternative energy, growth and change in international demographics and the rapid improvement of technologies will mean challenges and changes worldwide and also in Lincoln County.

“I’m optimistic,” Smyre said. “I think we will be dealing with a lot of hardship and pain, but we have the opportunity to live in transformational times.”

The hardships of the future will be met by closer connections among people, Smyre predicted.

And the best way for communities to prepare for what’s coming next is to begin planning today, forming committees to set goals and visions of where a particular area may be headed considering the current and future trends.

“Given the current economic situation and challenges we face today, the topic and speaker were very pertinent and timely,” said County Commissioner George Arena, one of several community leaders who attended the event.

Barry Matherly, executive director for LEDA, said the lecture offered insight which could translate into new and different initiatives locally.

“Many of these issues and ideas including forming a committee in order to look at the city and counties economic future will be discussed at the next LEDA board meeting,” he said.

For more information about the informative sessions that the Lincoln Economic Development Association is offering to the community please visit their website at www.lincolneda.org.

Rowan County in the Running for 320 New Jobs

Two Possible Projects for the County Provide the County with a Positive Outlook

Rowan County is in the running for two projects that could bring in excess of 320 new jobs.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners voted on Monday April 20, 2009 to set a Monday May 4, 2009 public hearing on providing incentive grants for the two unnamed companies.

Robert VanGeons, executive director of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission, was cautious in talking to the Board, pointing out the county is still competing with areas in other states for the projects.

But VanGeons appeared optimistic that Rowan stands a good chance of getting the jobs. He briefly outlined the projects, providing only minimal details.

One dubbed “Project Waste” would bring more than 220 jobs and $10 million in new investment to China Grove. VanGeons stated that the project uses a patented process that creates a product with unique standing among its peers.

The second project, called “Project Stick”, would create more than 100 jobs paying an average wage exceeding $50,000 per year and invest approximately $20 million in buildings, equipment and site development to expand an existing Salisbury facility.

VanGeons noted that the project will retain 85 existing jobs that could potentially be lost if this expansion were to be located at another North American facility.

He cited assistance from the state, Duke Energy, the Employment Security Commission/JobLink Career Center, municipalities and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in working to bring the projects to Rowan County.

Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly E-Newsletter for current up to date information on these great new possibilities for the region.

Bringing West Coast to the East Coast

Charlotte Regional Partnership and the Stanly County Economic Development Commission Bring West Coast Interest to the Region

At the end of March, David Swenson, vice president of economic services for the Charlotte Regional Partnership (CRP) visited more than a dozen site location advisors, clients and companies in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area. As a result of those contacts, half of those companies have expressed a strong interest in the 16 county Charlotte region, which includes Stanly County.

Joining Swenson on the West Coast trip was Stanly County Economic Director Kevin Gullette, who saw the trip as a “top of the mind awareness” event for Stanly County.

“It pays for us to be out there to talk about the region and Stanly County,” Gullette said. “People are going to come to us because we’re near Charlotte and have lots to offer, including good air quality, three railroads and good infrastructure. Not everyone can say that.”

Gullette said that he is working with one project involving a small-to-mid-size, defense-related company that is considering an existing building in the county.

For many other prospective companies, Gullette said: “they need more than land and dirt. They need buildings and sites that are ready.”

On Thursday April 30, 2009, a planning retreat will be held by the Stanly County Economic Development Commission to review the current economic prospects and prioritize for the future.

Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly E-Newsletter for current up to date information on this new development.

Take a Look at this Successful Local Business in Stanly County!

For 15 years, Dick Storm managed a successful technical service group for Flame Refractors, a boiler maintenance company that induced him to move to Stanly County in 1977.

Later in 1992, when business went south for the Oakboro Company, Storm went out on his own as an independent consultant, and from that start, his business evolved into Storm Technologies – one of just a handful of companies serving coal power-generating plants worldwide.

“We’re dealing with coal, pulverized to the consistency of baby powder, and blowing it through pipes. It’s a solid dust storm of coal powder being fed to a series of burners,” Storm said.

“We’re constantly making changes with the process to make everything as consistent as possible while making them more efficient with less pollution.”

The fundamentals of Storm’s optimization process is its “13 essentials” which speak to the fineness of the coal particles, the balancing of airflows within the entire process, balancing of fuel lines to the burners and the consistency of operation throughout the process. In addition to the engineering and analysis of processes in the field, Storm Technologies also has a fabrication shop where parts are critical to obtaining process optimization.

From his humble beginning as an independent consultant, Storm grew his customer base to 100 by 1999 and today has more than 430. In 2008, they billed customers for more than 35,000 man hours of work and grossed just under $8.5 million in revenue. Today, Storm has on his team a 50-member staff of engineers and other professionals, including two of his sons.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to have a locally grown business in the region. The Board congratulations Storm Technologies and wishes the company continued success. Dick Storm is very active in his community, and participated in the focus groups that the Centralina Workforce Development Board held for its Lifelong Learning Campaign. For more information on Storm Technologies, please visit their website at www.stormeng.com.

Targeting Tourism to Help Local Businesses

Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau Announces Tourism Discount Program

The Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a program that offers discounts for visitors at local restaurants, stores and attractions. There is no charge for local businesses to participate in the program, dubbed GreenFlagCard.

“Visitors today are value conscious. We want them to enjoy our destination fully in spite of the economy,” says DeSales Wagster, chief executive of the Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The GreenFlagCard makes vacationing in Cabarrus County more affordable. We hope it encourages visitors to come here, stay longer and do more while they are here.”

By presenting the GreenFlagCard to participating businesses, visitors are entitled discounted merchandise, dining, services and admission to attractions. GreenFlagCards, together with lists of current offers will be available to visitors at hotels and at conventions, meetings and youth sports events.

Want your business to be a part of this great program? You can submit your business’s discount online at www.GreenFlagCard.com. You can also see a list of the current discounts available.

April's Business Survey Prize Winner is…

Each month, the Centralina Workforce Development Board holds a drawing from Business Surveys that area businesses have completed and posted on our website.

Centralina is pleased to announce that the winner of this month’s drawing is the Institutional Tops Company in Oakboro, NC (Stanly County). Barbara Fox of Institutional Tops Company completed and submitted the survey. We thank Barbara for helping us with our continuous improvement feedback process! For more information about Institutional Tops Company, please visit their website.

If you haven't completed the survey, you can do so now by going to our website. It only takes a couple of minutes and by completing the survey, it will guarantee your entry into our next drawing.

For more information on the Centralina Workforce Development Employer Survey and the business services available through the Board and our local JobLink Career Centers, please contact Vail Carter at (704) 348-2710 or by email at vcarter@centralina.org.

2009 NC Youth Summit a Success!

The 2009 NC Youth Summit Planning Committee hosted the third annual Youth Summit on April 16th and 17th at the Embassy Suites in Greensboro, NC.

The main purpose of the summit is to convene youth across the state to share best practices, determine commonalities, identify critical youth issues, and to come together as “one” to evaluate how to address youth issues within local communities. Workshops conducted are geared toward youth ages 16-21.

The young adults will be able to share information from the summit with their peers, Youth Advisory Councils/Youth Councils, and Local Workforce Development Boards. Youth will leave the summit empowered to make a difference within their local communities and to act as “One Voice” to address the youth issues in their region.

The theme of this year’s summit was “Yes We Can” and workshop topics included: Building a Legacy, Moving Beyond the Block, Spoken Word, Self-Esteem and a special presentation by the Gang Taskforce. Over 200 youth from across the state attended the event.

Centralina region had 8 youth to attend and 2 youth who were on the program. Jamar Still of SRCAA, Inc was the emcee on Friday night and Jasmine Phillips of I-CARE, Inc introduced the speaker on Saturday afternoon.

Youth will be invited to address the NC General Assembly in early May to discuss issues and concerns that arose during the Youth Summit. For more information on the 2009 Youth Summit please contact Natasha Pender at (704) 348-2725 or by email at npender@centralina.org.

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Presentations Score BIG at Youth Council Meeting

"Don’t Foul Out!" Program Highlighted

Centralina WDB Youth Council members and guests heard two brilliant presentations at the last Youth Council meeting, held April 16th in Concord at the Boys & Girls Club. Reverend Franklin Lowery addressed the group and shared the details of his Don’t Foul Out Program. Rev. Lowery is Resident Coordinator with Lincolnton Housing Authority and he is very active in many civic and community organizations. Franklin Lowery is currently serving on the Lincoln County Communities in Schools Board, United Way of Lincoln County, and the YMCA Emphasis Committee.

Don’t Foul Out of school-sports-society academy is a nonprofit organization in Lincoln County. The purpose of the organization is to hold clinics, lectures and motivational sessions to help youth to make the right choices in life and put forth their best efforts in school, sports and society. Youth are expected to follow the two sides of the L.A.W. – Love for what they are doing, Attitude must be right and Work ethic. The flip side of that is to Learn, Apply Willfully.

The program was birthed from Reverend Lowery’s hands on experience in Juvenile Justice. While they mainly serve middle to high school age youth, school dropouts and others (both older and younger individuals) participate in activities with the program.

Following the LAW activities with the program, youth participants take part in WRAP sessions (Word, Reason, Attitude, and Purpose) motivational lectures, alcohol & drug abuse counseling, gang awareness, etiquette, community service, career awareness, time management and goal setting, and financial literacy sessions.

Don’t Foul Out is hoping to expand to other counties and is willing to serve even more than the more than 200 youth who have already been touched by the organization. Reverend Lowery stated that he is thrilled to have learned of the Centralina Youth Council and hopes that affiliation with the group will help his organization to expand across the region.

Members and guests then heard from Eric Sutton of Risk Advisors International. Eric Sutton is CITRIMS (Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist) certified and he specializes in Group Benefit Identity Theft Protection; FACTA Red Flag Rules Compliance Programs; Gramm, Leach, Bliley Safeguard Rules; Personal Identity Theft Protection and 401-K Fiduciary Liability.

Youth Council members and guests were encouraged to take precautions for themselves and also on behalf of clients to protect their identity- not just for unauthorized credit card use, but also Drivers License; Social Security; medical; and criminal identity theft.

The Youth Council will meet again at the new Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont in Statesville on Thursday, May 28 at 10:00 am. If you are interested in attending the next Centralina Youth Council meeting please contact Natasha Pender at (704) 348-2725 or by e-mail at npender@centralina.org.

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The Boys and Girls Club of the Piedmont Opens its Doors!

Organization Welcomes its First Set of Students on Opening Day in Statesville

The doors of the Boys and Girls Club of the Piedmont were officially open for business on Thursday April 16, 2009.

Students from the Molly McKay and Summit Village sites were chosen to be the first to break-in the new club. After club members did their homework and received tutoring, it was time for a look around.

Chief Professional Officer Crystal Pratt led a tour of the new facility. As the eager and energetic students followed behind from room to room, they jumped up and down, looked around in amazement and touched everything they could out of curiosity.

Members got a glimpse of the soon-to-be computer lab, dining area, drama room and dance room. During “Power Hour,” they received tutoring, played board games, engaged in fitness activities and played bingo.

The fun wasn’t limited to students. There was an orientation for parents to meet Pratt, who was hired two months ago, and learn about the club’s offerings and extended hours.

There will be limited programming for the next few weeks as the club gets up and running. Signature club programs will gradually be infused into the afternoon activities.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board and the Centralina Youth Council are strong partners with the Boys and Girls Club of the Piedmont and is happy to see their dream of opening their location accomplished. The Board and the Council look forward to seeing the great things that this organization will continue to do in the community. For more information on the Boys and Girls Club of the Piedmont, please call (704) 978-2460.

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Motivation is the New Style

Partners in Union County Team Up to Offer Motivational Session for Local Youth

On Saturday May 9, 2009 from 3 PM to 6 PM Union County 4-H and the King’s Daughters Mentoring Program will present “Love the Skin You’re In,” featuring motivational keynote speaker Cheryl Littlejohn.

Littlejohn coaches educators, executives, parents, community leaders and children how to move forward despite adversity. She specializes in getting results in rebounding from setbacks in order to make a comeback.

Additionally, girls ages 11 to 18 are invited to participate in a fashion show. The fashion show is limited to the first 50 participants, who will receive a makeover, one guest pass and a goody bag. Registration fee for the fashion show participant is $15 and general admission is $5.

Tickets are available at connecting Futures in downtown Monroe, Indian Trail Pharmacy in Indian Trail and the Agricultural Services Center.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is a proud partner with both the Union County 4-H and King’s Daughters. Sharon Allen, executive director of King’s Daughters serves on the Centralina Youth Council. For more information on the upcoming seminar please contact Lisa at (704) 283-3801. For more information about the Centralina Youth Council please contact Natasha Pender at (704) 348-2725 or by email at npender@centralina.org.

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New Youth Center Coming to Stanly County

That Youth Thing, Inc. Founder Discusses Plans for 704 Student Center

A new youth center is on its way to Stanly County as Paul Jenkins, founder of That Youth Thing, Inc. is preparing to make his dream a reality.

Jenkins began That Youth Thing, Inc., an organization providing local events for teens, in 2001, but he had a vision to expand the organization to include a youth center where students from across the county could hang out in a safe environment.

The center, which will be called the 704 Student Center, will be available for all students across the county though it will be housed in Albemarle due to the city’s central location as compared to the county.

Plans are for the center to include basketball courts, a rock climbing wall, a ramp park for BMX bikers, skateboarders and inline skaters, with the possibility of things such as a weight room and batting cages in the future.

Technological services like an Internet café with wireless Internet, as well as video games will also be offered. Food and drinks will be offered as snacks, and there will also be a coffee shop available, as well as merchandise.

For those students looking for a place to study, educational services will also be offered in the form of quiet rooms and lounge areas, and tutoring will be available through qualified educators.

Jenkins hopes to open the center by March 5, 2010, but is also asking for support from anyone willing to give. He said he believes the center would be able to open its doors with $250,000 in funds though he is hoping for $500,000.

“We currently have $110,000 from individual donations and haven’t even begun asking the public for support,” Jenkins said.

For more information about the youth center, including the center’s business plan please visit their website at www.the704.org. Please continue to look to the Youth Corner in the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly e-newsletter for updates on this developing story.

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New Program Offers High School Students College Credit

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Rolls out New Learn & Earn Online Classes

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College will offer Learn & Earn Online to area students this fall. Beginning in August, RCCC's Learn & Earn Online program will give high school students the ability to earn tuition-free college credits online.

High school guidance counselors are sharing information about the program with students choosing their fall courses, says Kathy McDuffie, director for secondary schools in the Rowan-Salisbury School System. Some students may be able to earn their first-two years of college credits by the time they graduate from high school.

Rowan-Cabarrus is making the program available to students in grades 9-12, but local school systems decide which grades they will allow to participate. RCCC's area includes Rowan-Salisbury, Kannapolis and Cabarrus school systems.

Here is a Q&A on the program from the Rowan-Salisbury Schools:

Q: What grade levels will be allowed to participate in Learn & Earn Online?
A: The Rowan-Salisbury School System has decided to limit LEO to 11th and 12th graders. It is believed that most 9th and 10th graders are not mature enough to successfully handle the expectations of an online college course. Both 9th and 10th graders have rigorous course expectations and requirements in addition to adjusting to high school. The additional requirements could have a significant negative impact on many 9th and 10th graders. Also, LEO course grades will become part of the student's permanent college transcript. Failure to successfully complete LEO courses could have a negative impact on the student's future college career.

Q: Will Learn & Earn Online courses be assigned to one of the four instructional blocks during the regular school day?
A: Yes. To help with monitoring students' successful completion of LEO courses, RSSS will require students to have a block in their regular schedule for the LEO courses.

You may wonder what some of the benefits of this program are, check out some of the amazing facts below:

— It's free. All courses are tuition-free with no academic fees of any kind.

— Students can earn two years of transferable college credits or a two-year associate degree while simultaneously earning a high school diploma.

— It's convenient. Learn & Earn students take their RCCC courses online and never have to travel to campus. They can complete their RCCC coursework wherever they have computer and Internet access.

— Students who earn two years of college credit can avoid taking the SAT and ACT exams. When Learn & Earn students transfer to a four-year college, they will enter those institutions as "advanced freshmen" and can quickly move to junior or second-semester sophomore status.

— Learn & Earn Online can improve a student's chances of attending the four-year college or university of his/her choice. Learn & Earn students are considered transfer students, meaning they do not compete with traditional students for freshman admission.

— The Learn & Earn Online program adds variety, rigor and an enhanced academic challenge for students. Learn & Earn students can gain up to five quality points for every online college course they complete. This will raise their high school grade-point average and class ranking.

— Learn & Earn Online makes college much more affordable for all students and families. Students can earn the first-two years of college credit tuition free, cutting the cost of a four-year degree in half. At the same time, students who do well in their Learn & Earn Online courses enhance their ability to secure scholarships for their third and fourth years of college.

For more information click here.