Rural Economic Development Grants Transform Vacant Buildings into New Jobs

9/16/08

Rural Economic Development Grants
Transform Vacant Buildings into New Jobs



(LENOIR, NC) -- When Alan Wood sees an empty storefront or shuttered factory in Caldwell County, NC, he sees the promise of a thriving business that can bring new jobs to his rural county.  As senior development manager of the Caldwell Economic Development Commission, Wood helps employers take advantage of state grants from the Building Reuse and Restoration Program to convert abandoned, stand-alone buildings into new facilities that bring more jobs to Caldwell County.

Since 2006, Caldwell County NC has received four building re-use grants totaling $525,000 to help prepare vacant buildings for new businesses. The program's NC relocation incentives and business relocation services have encouraged four businesses to expand or relocate their operations and have brought 165 new jobs to the North Carolina employment rolls. Today new employees are hard at work building furniture frames, circuit boards and electronic products, wood beams for home building, and machined parts for cabinets in previously abandoned buildings.  A biopharmaceutical company will soon be the fifth company to join the group.

"The Building Re-use and Restoration Program is one of the best programs I've encountered," Wood emphasized. "I wish there were other programs that are as attuned to the needs of rural communities as this one is."

For additional information on economic development grants in Caldwell County NC, contact Alan Wood, or visit Caldwell County’s Economic Development Commission at www.caldwelledc.org.

About Caldwell County Economic Development Commission:

Caldwell County Economic Development Commission facilitates the marketing of Caldwell County to encourage job creation, retention, and investment.  The commission's goal is to establish the county as a desirable destination for business, industry, retirement, and tourism.

Contact:
Alan Wood, Senior Development Manager
Caldwell County Economic Development Commission
1909 Hickory Blvd.
P O Box 2888
Lenoir, NC 28645
Phone: 828-728-0768
Fax: 828-726-8926
Website:  www.caldwelledc.org
Email: awood@caldwelledc.org

 

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The workforce in Caldwell County is not as transient as other counties or larger cities and there is a heritage of a strong manufacturing base. We have a workforce that is dedicated and committed to their perspective employers. As a result of this our businesses will continue to prosper and we will be able to provide the quality of life that people have become accustom to for many generations.
Jim Chapman
Bemis SE