Tag Archive for: #ncdepartmentofcommerce

TownTalk: Welcome Center Celebrates National Travel And Tourism Week Thursday, May 23

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There are nine official Welcome Centers in North Carolina, all positioned along interstate corridors near the borders of neighboring states. But how many of us who live in North Carolina have made a stop as we make our way home from a roadtrip?

Brian Fletcher, manager of the I-85 North Welcome Center in Norlina, said anyone who stops by tomorrow – Thursday – between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is going to be in for a treat.

“We’re gonna have a party out there tomorrow,” Fletcher said, to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, observed May 19-25.

Travelers who take a break at the combination rest stop and welcome center can enjoy tasty treats like watermelon, courtesy of the Watermelon Association, and barbecue from Skipper’s. There also will be additional resources available, all to help those traveling to – and through – the state.

Fletcher said the NCDOT operates and maintains the state’s rest areas, but the Welcome Centers are under the N.C. Department of Commerce. And he said welcome center employees are the state’s ambassadors to the traveling public.

Apparently, the state is becoming more and more attractive to the traveling public. In fact, Gov. Roy Cooper said North Carolina is ranked fifth in the U.S. as a domestic travel destination. In 2023, the North Carolina tourism economy totaled $35.6 billion for trips to and within the state, topping the record set just a year earlier by more than $2 billion.

Fletcher said the welcome centers are staffed with certified travel counselors who provide information about nearby attractions and upcoming events.

Visitors spend more than $97 million per day in North Carolina, which, in turn, funnels $7.1 million per day to state and local tax revenues – about $3.7 million in state taxes and $3.4 million in local taxes.

Having a welcome center to provide services for visitors is just one way to encourage people to get off the interstate and enjoy small towns like Henderson – “to encourage tourism spending in the state,” Fletcher said.

From a big weekend extravaganza like Show, Shine, Shag and Dine to a quaint little antiques shop or a downtown boutique, Fletcher said there’s a wealth of information at the welcome center.

“We represent the whole state,” he added, so the travel counselors don’t recommend one restaurant over another, but give folks several options to choose from.

Fun facts about the I-85 North Welcome Center: it was the state’s first welcome center, built in 1968. And the “north” in the name comes from its geographical location: it’s actually located on I-85 South, designed to welcome folks traveling INTO the state.

Have a question? Call 1.800.VISITNC or search online at www.visitnc.com. And the direct number to Fletcher’s center is 252.456.3236.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Bridgestone Bandag Gets $450,000 Reuse Grant For Expansion Project

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Information courtesy of Terry Hobgood, Granville County public information officer

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has announced the award of a Building Reuse Grant in the Existing Building category to Bridgestone Bandag, LLC of Oxford. A $450,000 grant will support the renovation of a 225,000 square-foot building. Bridgestone Bandag will invest $1,623,990 into the project that will create 61 new jobs in Granville County.

“Granville County is excited to assist a longstanding industry like Bridgestone Bandag in receiving this Building Reuse Grant,” said Economic Development Director Harry Mills. “Granville’s Economic Development Office is ready and able to assist our existing industries with opportunities like this that help expand and solidify their presence in our community. Bridgestone Bandag is showing their commitment to Granville County with this major investment, and we are equally committed to helping them succeed.”

“Investments in rural North Carolina have a positive impact on our state’s overall success,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “This grant helps communities like Granville County create good jobs, improve the quality of life of their residents and boost the local economy.”

“I’m especially proud to see this latest spur of new businesses and job creation in North Carolina’s rural communities like Granville County,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Building Reuse grants help local governments revive buildings in their communities that allow them to take center stage in North Carolina’s economic development wins.”

The North Carolina Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to renovate and/or expand vacant buildings or buildings currently occupied by existing companies that will lead to the creation of new jobs in rural counties categorized as Tier 1 or Tier 2. Granville is a Tier 2 county.

Bridgestone Bandag is a manufacturer of tread rubber used for premium retreaded tires at their location on West Industry Dr. in Oxford. For more information, visit their website:  https://www.bandag.com/en-us/index

CertainTeed Secures State Grant Funding To Aid Expansion Project

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CertainTeed of Oxford has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Commerce to help pay for an expansion of their existing facility. The building reuse grant, combined with $837,500 of private funding, will be used to renovate an existing 326,000-square foot building, according to information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood.

CertainTeed makes exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, insulation, and  ceiling products. In April 2022, officials announced plans for the expansion, which will add 225,000 square feet of manufacturing space to the Oxford location and will include a total project investment of $118.8 million in Granville County, according to information from the Department of Commerce. The original announcement in April stipulated that the CertainTeed expansion would create 37 new jobs – at an average annual wage of $45,096  – which makes the manufacturer eligible for a One NC Grant of $125,000 to aid in the expansion project. Both grants require a 5 percent local match of funds.

“CertainTeed is growing with Granville,” said Economic Development Director Harry Mills. “We are thrilled that the N.C. Department of Commerce recognized the community impact that CertainTeed has in Granville County. Our Economic Development staff was able to assist CertainTeed by securing this additional funding to make their local expansion possible. CertainTeed is one of Granville’s core industry leaders and we could not be happier that they are here for the long haul.”

For more information about the N.C. Building Reuse Grant program, please visit the N.C. Department of Commerce  website: https://www.nccommerce.com/grants-incentives/building-or-site-funds/building-reuse.

TRAC in Granville County Region – WIZS Live Broadcast

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Thursday May 18th from 10 am to 2 pm, tourism-related businesses in Granville County and the surrounding region will have an opportunity to work with Visit North Carolina staff to learn about its research, development and marketing services, and discuss best practices in reaching travelers, the media and increasing tourism visitation and spending. Visit North Carolina’s Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC), a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses, will be held at Cedar Creek Gallery located on 1150 Fleming Road in Creedmoor.  The gallery offers for sale the work of over 200 of America’s most accomplished craftspeople in a unique, relaxing atmosphere.  For more information about the gallery, log onto www.cedarcreekgallery.com.  The event will also feature the Baton Rouge Cuisine Food Truck providing authentic, fresh Cajun & Soul food for sale.

Log onto https://www.brcuisine.com/ for menu.

There is no charge to attend TRAC, no reservation is required, and there are no PowerPoint presentations. This is a come-when-you-can/stay-as-long-as-you’d-like event opportunity for all tourism-related businesses to meet one-on-one with program managers to discuss better ways to promote their property or event. TRAC brings Visit North Carolina’s program managers to local communities to discuss the nuts and bolts of working with the organization. This invaluable program is designed to help tourism-related businesses engage more fully with programs offered by Visit North Carolina and its partners.

WIZS will broadcast live from the event from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. for interested citizens and business owners that may not have the opportunity to attend.

Representatives from the EDPNC’s BLNC, N.C. Dept. of Commerce, N.C. Dept. of Natural & Cultural Resources, GotToBe NC Agri-Tourism and NC GreenTravel will also be on hand to discuss services they can provide businesses, including strategic planning, assisting with identifying funding sources and serving as liaisons with other local, state and federal agencies. For additional information on this session or to learn more about scheduling a TRAC visit to your community, contact André Nabors at (919) 447-7771.

In addition, Angela Allen, Tourism Director for Granville County will also be in attendance to share with restaurants, retail stores, events and attractions on how she can help drive visitors to Granville and their businesses.  Please feel free to contact her at 919-693-6125 or log onto www.visitgranvillenc.com .