Tag Archive for: #economicdevelopment

TownTalk: Hester Discusses Shell Building And Development

It was just last fall when local government officials and others gathered at the Industrial Park outside Henderson to break ground on construction of a shell building.

Today, that building is ready to be upfitted to suit a potential buyer’s needs. County Commissioner Tommy Hester said the building is under contract to a manufacturing firm, but the company isn’t ready to make a public announcement just yet.

Hester, who chairs the Industrial Park Board, said construction went smoothly since that chilly November groundbreaking.

The idea was simple: Put up a building and have everything in place for a manufacturer or other commercial entity to come in and finish out the space to suit its particular needs.

As for this shell building, Hester said the new owner will probably still have to put in another $1 million or more to complete the building.

“You don’t want to finish it because you don’t know what upgrades they’ll want,” Hester said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “You try to hit all of the major things that you think they’ll need,” he added. The building has a layer of gravel and a vapor barrier, as well as cargo doors and it’s expandable to 97,000 square feet.

“You’ve just got to have flexibility,” Hester said, to accommodate a variety of prospective buyers.

Hester said he predicted this building would be sold before it could be completed, and that’s just what has happened.

“I think we can do it again,” he said.

The county purchased the land for the park for $1.6 million. Add the infrastructure – with grants and from the state and federal departments of Commerce to offset costs – and the park has roads and water and sewer services. The road should be completed in December, Hester said.

The county made an investment, and Hester said it’s paying off.

“Success builds on success,” he said. “If you don’t invest, you don’t get a return.” More manufacturing means more local jobs and more money flowing to county coffers in the form of taxes.

“We’re in the right location at the right time,” Hester said of Henderson and Vance County’s proximity to Wake and Durham counties.

35 or 40 jobs over 2 or 3 year period, where growth is burgeoning.

It’s not just growth in the commercial sector, either. Hester cited housing developments in the county that could add 1,000 more homes in the next three to five years.

“The more rooftops you get here in this community, the more retail, the more you can help with quality of lives of citizens,” Hester said.

“It’s all happening faster than I thought,” he acknowledged. “I think we’re getting ready to grow.”

 

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Christian Lockamy

TownTalk 03-08-21; New EDC director “impressed” with Vance

Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission Director Christian Lockamy has been on the job for less than two months, but he said in that short period of time he sees “a strong economic development program…with a tremendous amount of potential” for good things to come.

Since his Jan. 19, 2021 start date, Lockamy said he’s been “very impressed” with people he’s met and things he’s seen, adding that the focus is on the right areas to support economic development.” He spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk and said he looks forward to what the future holds for the area.

He noted that industries looking for areas to establish or relocate often are attracted by what’s already in place. “Industry reps are not pioneers,” he said. They don’t want to go and be, in a lot of cases, the first person in an industrial park,” he said. “They like to locate where other industrial companies” are already located.

With the addition of such businesses like Raleigh-based Mako Medical Laboratories, Lockamy said the Henderson area is poised to continue to attract more industry. “They’re looking for a place to go and conduct their business” and educational institutions nearby to fill out their workforce. “If we do what we’re supposed to be doing, for economic development and really go after sites and buildings…we’ll be able to land more companies,” he explained.

Lockamy worked for 2 ½ years in the Elizabeth City/Pasquotank Economic Development Commission before coming to Henderson, and he said he is proud of the work there to develop the Tanglewood  industrial site project by building upon proximity to rail and interstate infrastructure, as well as creating a public-private partnership to further the project.

“Shovel-ready” sites and buildings are the key to attracting new business and industry to an area, he said.  “Those are the types of things that change a community forever.”

During his time in Elizabeth City, he helped create a strategic plan, led efforts to launch a new economic development website and was instrumental in securing a large industrial site and certifying two industrial parks, according to information released when his hiring in Vance County was announced.

Experience using GIS (geographic information systems) comes in handy, too, Lockamy explained, when it comes to helping counties land new businesses and industry. The GIS provides data that can help identify sites for future economic development.

For complete details and audio click play.

His time working with GIS for the city of Greenville gave him the chance to help city planners and decision makers, understand and make necessary changes to ordinances – all based on objective data from GIS. “It became instrumental when I got into economic development,” he said of GIS, and he began using GIS and research skills to understand the economic development climate, he added. GIS data can be used to analyze the demographics within a certain radius of a prospective site where a business may be looking to locate.

Besides attracting new industry, Lockamy said he looks forward to working with a new downtown director – once that person is in place. “I believe we have a lot of potential downtown,” he said, adding that Garnett Street has many old buildings that can be brought back to life. He said his experience working in Greenville with various mixed-use development projects as an asset he can use to provide support for the downtown development director. “I can work with them and provide support for them, not only with expertise but also in-kind services as well,” Lockamy said.  “It’s great working together with those types of relationships,” he said. “Anything I can do to help I certainly will.”

H-V Industrial Park Phase III

Henderson-Vance Industrial Park Phase 3 Plans Continue to Move Forward

Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen said the county has received an offer to purchase a tract of land in the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park. If approved, Phase 3 of the industrial park could be one step closer to being implemented.

“The county has a competitive offer for purchasing land to continue the expansion of this industrial park,” McMillen said in a written statement to WIZS.

The offer of $275,000 is to purchase a two-acre tract which the county bought in 2018.

If the deal goes through, the potential buyer’s plans include construction of an office-type building that could be used for retail tenants or flex space.

The commissioners heard the offer to purchase at their February meeting and, providing no upset bids are received, the commissioners would consider approving the sale at the March 1 meeting, McMillen said.

The property is part of the industrial park, located at the corner of Bearpond Road and Commerce Drive.  The properties committee, which includes commissioners Dan Brummitt, Leo Kelly and Gordon Wilder was “directed to meet and review draft restrictive covenants for not only the 2 acre tract, but also for the 82.5 acre tract that the county owns as well,” McMillen said.

Phases 1 and 2 of the industrial park have restrictive covenants in place from 1995, he added, and said the plan is to put similar covenants in place for Phase 3.

The properties committee met this week.

Local News Audio

Local News Audio 8-24-20 Noon

Vance County Schools Meal Box Distribution Postponed Until Tuesday

Local Retail Sales Up, June Record Month

Granville County Teacher Arrested

Local Economic Development Grant Requests Approved

Click Play Below For Full Details…

 

Economic Development Update 07/11/18

Economic Development Update 06/20/18

Dennis Jarvis

Economic Development Partnership of NC Manufacturers Event

Shown in the cover photo is Dennis Jarvis, II.  He is the director of the Henderson-Vance County Economic Development Commission.

In an email to the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, which was subsequently forwarded to WIZS News, Jarvis explained that The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is hosting an event for NC manufacturers to learn how state resources can help their business grow.

“Topics include workforce development, customized training, business management, engineering-based improvement, export assistance, and sustainable business practices,” he wrote.

The event will take place Tuesday, June 19 at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center from 9 a.m. until noon.

To register, contact:
Joyce Spivey
919.447.7785
Joyce.Spivey@edpnc.com

For more information about the event, contact:

Harry Swendsen
Regional Industry Manager
919.703.5369
Harry.Swendsen@edpnc.com

Economic Development Update 05/09/18

Dennis Jarvis

Economic Development Director Speaks at West End Community Watch

Click here to listen to the 4-18-18 edition of TownTalk, which featured Dennis Jarvis, II, the Director of the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission. He began this position on November 6th, 2017.

In addition, the following was submitted by Claire Catherwood of the West End Community Watch, which met Tuesday, April 17th, at which Jarvis spoke.

Jarvis noted that our area is on the edge of the fastest growing area in the southeastern United States. Changes are coming. While there are stumbling blocks in the way of Vance County’s growth, we do have many great qualities to offer. Our problems are the same as those that exist everywhere, on a national level. Realistically, it is expected to take 10-12 years for many of the plans made now to take hold in our area.

Broadband is currently being tested. Within 2 years, it is predicted that residents will have choices besides the traditional providers now in place.

The sale of Carolina Country Snacks to Wise Foods does not mean we will lose the company. The family connection remains and the company is not moving the operation.