Tag Archive for: #hendersonvancechamberofcommerce

Chamber’s Business After Hours Tomorrow At VCS Center For Innovation

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Check out the Chamber’s Business After Hours event Thursday, Aug. 11 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Vance County Schools’ Center for Innovation.

Chamber members are invited to the site of the former Henderson High School and Henderson Middle School campus to enjoy some networking and refreshments. Parking is available just off N. William Street, behind the main building.

It’s a great time to talk with school leaders about how your business can support education and how schools can help to ensure they’re preparing students for the workforce.

Participants can tour the zSpace lab, SLICE lab, MakerSpace room and video production studio on campus and can learn how their business can utilize the resources available at the Center for Innovation.

There will be giveaways and door prizes.

To learn more, contact Sandra Wilkerson, the Chamber’s director of programs at Sandra@hendersonvance.org or 252.438.8414.

H-V Chamber Co-Sponsor Of July 28 Minority Business Information Exchange

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce’s Business Growth and Development Division invites minority business owners and managers to a Minority Business Information Exchange on July 28, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The event, co-sponsored by Rebuild Communities African-American Cultural Center, Benchmark Community Bank and the Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center, will be held at the Rebuild Communities African-American Cultural Center, 1513 Oxford Rd. in Henderson.

This event is open to all minority owned and managed small businesses in Vance County, including Chamber of Commerce members and non-member businesses (such as African American, Hispanic, Asian American, Vietnamese, Native Indian, women, military veterans, etc.).

This will be a great opportunity to meet and network with other small business owners, to share ideas and best practices, to discuss business needs and concerns and to identify local resources that aid and support small business growth.

To learn more, contact Chamber President Michele Burgess at 252.438.8414 or michele@hendersonvance.org

Chamber Leaders Share Concerns With City Council

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It was standing room only during at least a portion of Monday evening’s Henderson City Council meeting, thanks in large part to a contingent of local business owners present as Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Ronald Bennett presented council and city leaders a letter outlining concerns for the city and the negative impact that “tolerance of criminal and undesirable behavior” could pose for the future.

Bennett addressed the mayor, council members and other city staff Monday evening as he formally presented the letter, endorsed by 21 community business leaders named at the close of the document. In what he described as a “call to action,” Bennett said he hoped for an alignment between business and city leaders to address the issues of violence and crime that has been plaguing Henderson. He specifically mentioned the exchange of gunfire that occurred at an Andrews Avenue business over Memorial Day weekend.

“In the following weeks, many members of the business community began talking with each other on how the increase in local violence would impact our business growth, and how it would affect our already struggling recruitment of workforce personnel and the future growth of our Henderson and Vance County economic development efforts,” Bennett explained.

A group of about 20 business leaders formed a Business Roundtable and have met twice in recent weeks, resulting in identification of five focus areas:

  • Neighborhood and Business Code Enforcement
  • Drugs and Crime
  • City Messaging
  • Business Friendly
  • Promoting Churches, Goodwills and Non-Profits

In an email response to questions from WIZS News, City Manager Terrell Blackmon said Tuesday that overall, the letter was well received, but some members felt that more could’ve been done initially to meet with or at least include council members and staff in the dialogue before sending it.

“Conversations were very constructive after the meeting and the consensus by both sides is that we can better address these issues by working together,” Blackmon said.

“I firmly believe as city officials that we should be held accountable and that citizens have the right to ask questions of their government,” Blackmon continued.

“However, some feedback is difficult to digest when fingers are pointed and assertions made with no full understanding of some policies and how they are administered and/or enforced.  The requests made by the group were not totally unreasonable and the city has already addressed or has begun addressing many of their concerns,” he continued, adding that he and Mayor Eddie Ellington had shared some of the updates and issues of concern at the Chamber’s recent “State of the City” event.

“Many of the speakers admitted to being absent, but now see the need for more citizen involvement and accountability from government,” Blackmon said. “We need the community to not only bring us problems, but also help us identify solutions.  The city will respond by meeting with these business leaders and hopefully developing a task force that can assist the city with developing solutions to the issues mentioned in the Chamber letter,” he said.

Chamber President Michele Burgess was present at Monday’s meeting and told WIZS News Tuesday said she thought things went “great.” During the recent “State of the City” event sponsored by the Chamber and the Henderson Rotary Club, the mayor and city manager had commented on the need for business involvement, Burgess said. “Last night, most of the speakers said that they would help, now we have to find out way we can all be involved,” she said.

Mayor Ellington, however, expressed disappointment during the meeting about the context behind the letter, according to City Clerk Esther McCrackin, who is responsible for taking minutes at the council meetings.

“He said it’s easy to criticize, condemn and complain but he hasn’t seen most of those in attendance ever present at a City Council meeting before,” McCrackin wrote in a statement Tuesday afternoon on Ellington’s behalf.

Council member Melissa Elliott’s perspective focused on the positives. In a written statement to WIZS, Elliott said she sees nothing but opportunities. She said those who spoke at the meeting, as well as the others who signed the letter, stated “they wanted to help so as I see it, it could be a phenomenal partnership between public and private sector to help our community, help our citizens have a better place to live, work and play. We can always be better and doing it together makes it much easier… no one entity can change this community alone,” Elliott said.

Brian Boyd was one of those who spoke during Monday evening’s meeting. He told WIZS News Tuesday afternoon that “Henderson is at a place in time where the decision has to be made to either defend the current state of things that are detrimental to our community, or defeat them. The challenges are real and can only be overcome with strength through unity identifying the real root of the problems, and no longer exhausting our resources on byproducts and symptoms caused by the main problem.”

He praised the council members for the way they “lead with heart, compassion and care” for the citizens they serve.

It isn’t enough to simply point out problems and expect others to fix them. “The next step was to show up and clearly state that this mission is not intended to be acted on alone, but with the engagement and cooperation of the citizens and businesses of the community,” Boyd said.

“Engagement from the community has now presented itself as a necessary ingredient to the recipe.  There is great hope here and it is because of the true love that we have for Henderson,” he added.

Newly sworn in council member Lamont Noel reserved comment on the letter, saying that he would like to have a chance to discuss with his fellow council members. Noel did tell WIZS that he was “glad to see others wanting to get involved.”

Council member Garry Daeke said Tuesday that he believed the individuals who submitted the letter “are sincere about the issues and say they want to support our efforts. It will take community to solve most issues, so this should be a great collaborative start.”

For Council member Sara Coffey, however, the contents of the letter sound familiar. “They basically are asking us for the same thing we’ve been asking them for years,” she told WIZS News Tuesday, especially with regard to code enforcement and substandard rental houses.

“We’re willing to work with the landlords, willing to work with any of the people who came before us last night,” Coffey said in a phone conversation Tuesday. “What they’re stating in the letter is a fact that we all know: that crime is bad, housing is bad. But we’ve been working on that for years.”

She said the letter is requesting action on issues that council members also have asked for. “They state the part (about) violence and the disrepair in the (city’s) homes,” Coffey said. “To me, that’s something that’s been obvious for years. And it’s also something the council has worked on for years. It’s been the same problems. We’ve worked and worked to try to eradicate guns, which we’re doing every day. But more are being brought in.”

Although she was somewhat critical of the group for being late coming to the council with the concerns, she said she was glad the group addressed council “because what they’re asking for is the same thing we’ve been asking for for years from them – the “them” being landlords.

“We want the houses where the people can live in them comfortably…we don’t want them put out of houses if they file a complaint. We just want them to fix up their houses. If they rent to tenants here in the city, then make the houses liveable,” Coffey continued.

During Monday’s meeting, Ellington noted that the city’s $1.5 million investment in two redevelopment areas, along with the upcoming Unified Development Ordinance are two positive steps in the right direction for the city. He encouraged all leaders and others present to participate and return to City Council meetings, board and committee meetings and concluded his remarks by challenging each and every one to do their part, reminding them that “tomorrow begins today.”

See below a cut and paste of entire letter.

July 5, 2022

Henderson Mayor and City Council Members
City of Henderson
P.O. Box 1434
Henderson, North Carolina 27536

Dear Honorable Mayor Ellington and Members of the Henderson City Council:

Goodwill and order in a community is achieved through the fair and consistent administration of laws and ordinances by elected leaders and appointed officials. When unlawful activities, behaviors, and violations of city codes are tolerated without penalty, and these violations overwhelm our current systems, the community suffers.

Thrive becomes Survive
Affordable becomes Deplorable
Contribution becomes Consumption
Appealing become Appalling

If we, the community of local citizens and businesses, have remained silent for too long, please forgive our absence. We believe that Henderson has earned an undesirable and unhealthy reputation of being an unsafe place to live or visit. If we continue to appear that we have tolerance of criminal and undesirable behavior, our city’s future is somber. We can no longer afford to rely solely on the hope that things will just get better on their own. It is time for concerned citizens, business leaders, elected leaders, and appointed officials to align by acknowledging the following points:

1. Neighborhood and Business Code Enforcement – The lack of enforcement of our written codes has led to the significant decline in the appeal and safety of neighborhoods and the central business district. These unsightly areas are now growing to become main focal points around the city, with the safety and quality of structures being extremely compromised. The vegetation overgrowth, substandard living conditions, junk that is being allowed to remain, abandoned homes that remain in deplorable condition, have all created an environment of oppressed poverty and crime. We believe it sends the wrong message that our city is content with status quo and we do not care enough to make improvements.

2. Drugs and Crime – The continuing violence and crime creates a perception that Henderson is not a safe place to move to or locate a business. To some outsiders, Henderson is now considered to be a business friendly city, but unfortunately, to only one type business, and that type being the illegal drug dealer business. Many neighborhoods are at a level of severe poverty and blight and the local justice system has proven itself to offer slow-to-no enforcement of penalties, thus creating a perfect illegal drug business culture. If this continues, we fear businesses and jobs will flee, or just stay away. This type of community will only take and consume from the next generation that has to survive within it. We must work together to stop this downward spiral of rampant drug use and criminal behavior within our community.

3. City Messaging – It is important for city officials and law enforcement to take immediate action identifying the neighborhood streets with suspected drug houses, abandoned house hang-outs and gang activity, and then add a police presence to protect lawful citizens living there. Placing an immediate priority on, (1) holding the current property owners accountable for not meeting the housing codes and (2) taking immediate steps to condemning those houses where drug deals are being made, is the only fair and law-abiding action. Please research and use creative measures that allow you to take immediate action. Our community cannot tolerate a year-long wait to go through the long, red-tape processes of doing so, as it compromises accountability and promotes negligence. We encourage you to take a bold stance with a consistent message: “This activity will not be tolerated and those that act in this manner will face immediate consequences. Henderson will be a clean and safe community for all who live, work, visit and shop here!”

4. Business Friendly – In order to grow our local economy, we need an efficient system in place for developers beginning the process of starting a business, renovating an existing building, or finding an appealing location to purchase property. Attracting employers, services, and goods to Henderson are integral to creating a vibrant and strong community where citizens can thrive. There are several issues of code, process, and communication hindering progress in this area. Those who want to invest need to know the city departments, city-required processes, and needed permitting up front. Having clear and concise city regulations as a guide, rather than a guard, is the best way to make sure we have a community open for solid, quality-of-life contributing businesses. Also, having a streamlined system in place ensuring equal enforcement of code and compliance standards for existing businesses and structures, and for new start-ups is essential.

5. Promoting Healthy Churches, Civic Organizations, and Non-Profits – There are already many active organizations providing help and hope to Henderson citizens, above and beyond what government is doing. These organizations are local and made possible because of the generous, volunteer spirit of neighbors, caregivers, and people who love this city. These are resources that do not get put into a city budget because they are supported through the time and investments of their volunteers. This type of collective impact is a model of problem-solving which involves different entities (both governmental and non-governmental) working to address a specific social problem. Identifying and promoting these organizations are crucial to a healthy and growing community.

We are grateful to all city staff members for the quality work and service they provide daily. In order for a vibrant and thriving community to exist, we must rely on the City Manager and the City Department Heads to oversee the diligent enforcement of the established laws, codes, and ordinances, many at dangerous and critical levels. In this way, we are a contributing society rather than a consuming one.

We hope you receive this message with a renewed sense of purpose, urgency, and focus. We must address the violence along with the multitude of underlying factors to move from the mode of survive to thrive.

We want to work with you to transform our city into one that will effectively Thrive, Appeal, Afford, Contribute, and Educate. Together we can begin now with a renewed sense of action to address these challenges faced by our community. Please accept these requests willingly and with the knowledge that our community will respond with encouragement, support, and active participation.

Sincerely,

Concerned Business and Community Leaders in Henderson and Vance County

Gerson Morales Argueta
Ronald Bennett
Brandon Boyd
Brian Boyd
Charles Boyd
Mary Boyd
Michele Burgess
Greg Etheridge
Dicky Flye
Faye Guin
Heather Hodge
Stephanie Hoyle
Angie Jacobs
Amanda Pearson
Tommy Roberson
Cliff Rogers
Dr. Abidan Shah
Curtis White
Margier White
Sandra Wilkerson
Michelle Wood

Local Businesses Asked To Donate Items For New Teacher Welcome Bags

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is preparing 130 welcome bags for the new teachers preparing to come to work in the Vance County area.

But the Chamber needs your help! If your business would like to donate an item to help fill these bags, please contact us at 252.438.8414 or bring the items (in quantities of 130, please) to the Chamber office, 414 S. Garnett St., no later than Friday, July 8.

The schools include those in Vance County Public Schools as well as Henderson Collegiate, Crossroads Christian School, Kerr-Vance Academy and Vance Charter School.

Some suggestions for donations include: pens, pencils, pads, hand sanitizer, coupons /discount cards, key chains, etc.

The Chamber staff thanks you in advance for your kind donation.

Register For Chamber’s W.O.V.E.N. Meeting Aug. 3

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The August Lunch and Learn meeting of WOVEN (Women of Vance Empowered Networking) is scheduled for Aug. 3 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center.

The meeting begins at 12 noon. Cost is $20 per person and includes lunch. Staff from Maria Parham Health will discuss the importance of women’s health care in a program titled “Self Care Isn’t Selfish.”

As female business professionals, we all have put our health on the back burner from time to time. This hour-long networking opportunity will give you professional advice on the importance of taking care of yourself.

Registration is required by July 27 and payment is preferred prior to the event.

Register at https://business.hendersonvance.org/events/details/woven-self-care-isn-t-selfish-the-importance-of-women-s-health-care-1997 or email sandra@hendersonvance.org or hailey@hendersonvance.org.

Local Businesses Asked To Help Fill Welcome Bags For New Teachers

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More than 100 new teachers are expected to be in classrooms all across Vance County when August arrives, and the Education Committee of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce wants to welcome them with promotional items donated by local businesses.

In fact, 130 new teachers will receive Welcome Bags, which Chamber officials hope will be FILLED with items like pens and pencils, notepads, hand sanitizer, keychains, highlighters, discount coupons and more, courtesy of businesses in the county.

The deadline to bring items – in quantities of 130, if at all possible – to the Chamber office is Friday, July 8. Please contact the Chamber at 252. 438.8414 if items need to be picked up.

The Chamber is located at 411 S. Garnett St.

Country Snacks Mfg. Named Vance Co. Small Business Of The Year

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Country Snacks Manufacturing was named Vance County Small Business of the Year Wednesday by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

The business, founded in 2000 by Dwight Frazier and now run by daughter Angie Jacobs, makes a variety of snacks like pork rinds and pork skins in bags with the familiar Carolina Country Snack logo.

In presenting the award, Ronald Bennett, chairperson of the Henderson-Vance Chamber, told the group of about 40 that the company started out with a few employees and has grown to about 35. A partnership with Wise Foods has meant the crunchy snack foods have a much wider distribution now. “And it all started right here in Henderson,” Bennett said.

Upon accepting the award, Jacobs said she is proud to live in Henderson. “We love where we live,” she said. “We’re very thankful for this award and we appreciate it.”

Three other Chambers were represented at Wednesday’s event and announced their Small Business winners as well. The luncheon was held at Henderson Country Club.

Granville County Chamber Executive Director Lauren Roberson awarded Randall Huff of Huff Consulting LLC the Small Business of the Year for Granville County. In accepting the award, Huff said his business’s open house was in August 2021, and the reception from the community was a welcoming one.

“We’re in the right place to be able to help people in the right way,” he said. “We look forward to being a pillar in the community for a long time.”

In Franklin County, the Small Business of the Year went to Cook Shack Catering LLC and REMAX Premier Realty is the winner in Person County.

Representatives of the N.C. Rural Center were the guest speakers at the awards luncheon. Miles Kirksey and Tori Keeton shared updates about the role small businesses play in the economy and what that means for rural areas.

Kirksey said Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties have seen the most growth in new small businesses in 2020-21: Vance County has seen a 110 percent growth in new businesses, with Warren coming in at 91 percent, followed by Granville with 89 percent, Person with 86 percent and Franklin with 80 percent.

“I’m excited to see the growth of these five counties,” Kirksey said, adding that the more rural counties should be mindful of the benefits they can offer.

“Rural is not just a place,” Kirksey said. “It’s a way of life.”

Free Pop-Up Medical Clinic Coming To Henderson May 14-15

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Vance Charter School is going to be the site for an upcoming pop-up free medical clinic for residents in the Henderson and Vance County area.

The clinic is part of Remote Area Medical (RAM), an organization whose mission is to provide quality medical care by health professionals to those underserved and uninsured populations. The RAM chapter at Duke University has enlisted its members to organize and finalize plans for the weekend clinic.

Some of the procedures that will be done include general exams, women’s health exams, dental fillings, cleanings and extractions and eye exams – with eyeglasses made on site.

Doctors, nurses, dentists, optometrists and other health professionals will see patients on Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15, beginning at 5 a.m. each day.

Clinics have historically serviced between 200 and 2000 community members over a single weekend, according to Rishabh Jain, a Duke University senior who is one of the organizers for the local event.

Jain said RAM appreciates local collaborators Dr. Brian Mathis of Vance Charter School, Capt. Derrick Smith of the Henderson Salvation Army, and Dr. Lawrence Greenblatt of the Duke Department of Medicine to host a clinic to serve central North Carolina.

There will be extensive COVID-19 protections in place, including HEPA-filtered dental bays, hospital-grade disinfecting protocols and temperature screening and social distancing of waiting patients.

“Patients will never be asked any questions about insurance status—all are welcome,” SS said in an email to WIZS News. “We believe this will be a great initiative that brings diverse cohorts of the Henderson community together.”

Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Michele Burgess said business/professional sponsorship opportunities are available now.  “Your financial assistance is needed, and you will see a direct return on your investment to this special cause with marketing and promotional signage, social media ads, your business name on volunteer t-shirts, and in media news releases,” Burgess said in a statement to WIZS News.

The payments can be made to Vance Charter School, and funds will be used to help cover hotel rooms for four nights for more than 30 volunteers who come in early and stay late to set up the tents, medical equipment, tables/chairs, and clean to prepare for the two-day event.

“Our Chamber’s theme for 2022 is ‘A Year of Community’ and what better way to bring our community together to help provide needed medical care for our citizens,” Burgess said.

She said many local medical professionals will be assisting in the event, as well as other area non-profit groups.

Vance Charter: https://portal.icheckgateway.com/VanceCharterSchool/

There is a drop-down box that indicates whether you want to pay by check or credit card, and then just click on Henderson RAM.  If you prefer to drop off your corporate/personal check, you can do so at Vance Charter School on Ross Mill Road in Henderson.  Please indicate that it is for the Free RAM clinic.

Learn more about RAM at https://www.ramusa.org/

2022 Leadership Vance Class Forming Now – Apply By Jan. 21

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The 2022 class of Leadership Vance is forming now. Applications will be taken until Jan. 21.

The program is designed to create a corps of informed and dedicated emerging leaders in the community as it educates and challenges participants to become more involved in their county.

The class is limited to 20 people, and participants will be informed of their selection by Tuesday, Feb. 1, according to information from the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

Orientation will take place on Feb. 15, 2022. Sessions in March include a business/economic development on Mar. 1 and leading a healthy & caring community on Mar. 15.

A typical program day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends by 5 p.m. on two Tuesdays each month through July.

In addition to monthly sessions, class members are required to attend several public body sessions and a graduation ceremony. Each session is planned by a steering committee member. The sessions provide participants with a sense of issues relevant to the day’s theme.

Participants are introduced to the key leaders in each environment,  conducted through a series of discussions, lectures, group discussions  and tours. Leadership skills are challenged in a variety of simulation exercises.

Tuition is $500 for Chamber members and $750 for non-Chamber members and includes all training materials, meals, travel, graduation and diploma.

Contact the Chamber office 252.438.8414 to learn more or to request an application.

The Local Skinny! Chamber Of Commerce Looks To 2022

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce continues to work to bind the business community and the community at large together through human resource efforts, economic development efforts and through its own participation.

When an entity like a chamber can boast that only a handful of its board members ever miss meetings, it provides evidence to others outside, who are looking in, that the organization believes in itself.

Upcoming, the H-V Chamber will present its membership meeting and banquet, in person, at Vance-Granville Community College. The latest edition of “Envision Vance” will soon be published. And opportunities continue for businesses and individuals to involve themselves with an evolving, growing and relevant chamber of commerce.

Board Chairman Ronald Bennett told The Local Skinny! broadcast Tuesday at 11 a.m. on WIZS that the theme for the chamber this year is “A Year of Community.” He said, “A community made up of businesses, which is our main focus, but also made up of local city, county government, our educational partners, our healthcare partners, nonprofit organizations, our churches, law enforcement, fire, rescue, EMT, first responders and everyone that makes up our community.”

The priority, he said, is to be relevant to members and to “add value to them to help grow their businesses and organizations and connect with our partners.” The goal is to grow the entire community. He said, “Grow, Connect, Prosper. Three words found in the new Chamber logo that we feel are so important as we move forward.”

Chamber President Michele Burgess praised the board of directors and said she was really proud of the “inclusion and diversity that we share on our Chamber board.” She said, “When our nominating committee gets together, we’re very cognizant of that need, and we want it to reflect our community and our business community … and I am just excited about the degree of leadership that we have.”

Burgess explained how the chamber was growing, especially over the last five years. She said, “We have really built up our chamber, our influence, our leadership, and just our involvement from the board.”

The Chamber will celebrate and have its meeting and banquet at VGCC on January 27. Invitations are out to member businesses by email at this time. The deadline to nominate a citizen for the Citizen of the Year Award has been extended to this Friday, Jan. 7. Call 252.438.8414 or email michele@hendersonvance.org to get a nomination form.

The Chamber will soon celebrate having the latest edition of “Envision Vance” as well. Burgess said, “Our Envision Vance magazine is a tool for recruitment of industry, new business, small business, doctors, lawyers, new teachers.” It also features a business directory and is a great resource.

Bennett pointed out a new feature of the Chamber that Burgess added in 2021 – the human resource council. Bennett said it works with all local businesses. “Everyone has an opportunity to be a part of that and come to the table and talk about what we do to improve our workforce, what we can do through Vance Granville and through our schools to prepare our workforce more as we go into 2022 and beyond. So, you know, the HR council is just a great way to get involved,” Bennett said.

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