Starter packet designed to make it easier for new businesses to launch in Whiteville

By: Allen Turner, The News Reporter

For those who will avail themselves of it, whether they be a veteran businessperson or a budding entrepreneur striking out on their own for the first time in the world of commerce, life has gotten significantly less complicated thanks to a “Business Starter Packet” recently unveiled by the City of Whiteville.

“This packet can be a one-stop shop for opening a business in Whiteville,” says city Economic Development Planner Sean Martin. It can keep potential business owners from re-inventing the wheel while making sure all necessary steps along the way toward opening a new business are taken, while at the same time steering the potential businessperson away from getting bogged down in unnecessary detail that doesn’t apply to them.

Opening a new business can be filled with surprises and unexpected turns, but the city wants to help potential owners know the typical steps before they start the process, whether they are thinking of opening a business from home, signing a lease for an established storefront, or even building a new facility to house their venture.

The packet was put together for Whiteville in cooperation with NCGrowth, an award-winning applied economic development university center with a goal of directly addressing inequality, poverty, underemployment and other factors that keep people and communities from reaching their greatest potential. NCGrowth’s team included expert staff from across the Carolinas, academic advisors from multiple universities and hundreds of local partners.

Calling the packet user friendly, Martin says, “It’s designed to hold your hand all the way through it if you want that. It’s also designed to be as interactive as you want to make it. It’s available in person, if you want paper copies. It’s also available for download on the web page (whitevillenc.gov). Included are interactive maps, table of use, code enforcement.

“All along the way,” Martin continues, “it looks at steps for opening a business. So, let’s say you know you need permits but you aren’t sure what permits you do need. There are three steps suggested before you even sign a lease and it very clearly outlines when to sign your lease so that you, as a potential business owner or consumer, have the opportunity to have needed discussions during your lease process. Or, it’s the same thing if you’re buying instead of leasing. You want to know what to look for, what questions to ask, before anything is official.”

Martin says the city wants to be as business-friendly as possible and promote people checking with them before they sign a lease or purchase a property so they don’t have to go in and spend more money to fix something that may or may not be in the city code. 

“We want people to be aware of the entire process from start to finish because, unfortunately, there are many examples of where we may not be contacted at all until there’s a ribbon-cutting or grand opening. Sometimes there are requirements that still have to be met in order to do that grand opening or ribbon-cutting”

For example, signage falls under the permitting process. “It’s so easy to overlook something like that,” Martin says. “But this guide will provide information needed on everything regulated by city in terms of inspections, fire marshal, emergency services and economic development.

An entire section of the guide explains available economic development incentives, incentives that are not utilized as much as they might be. Incentive programs include building improvement grants, utility rebates and a tax incentive program, all explained at great length in the packet with links to applications and explanations of program details. 

Martin calls the packet a “living document,” saying “We will update it and improve it as we get more programs or as information changes. Prior to the development of this packet, we had a packet that was limited to permit application forms and one page of information. This replaces that moving forward and offers step-by-step checklists for each stage along the way toward starting a new businesses.”

The packet tells prospective business owners that the first step is checking zoning and land use regulations (and maps showing those specifications are included in the packet). After that, steps for ensuring that their building is up to code are discussed, followed by discussions of obtaining necessary permits, steps to take when signing a lease or making a purchase, getting the building inspected and establishing utility accounts. 

Martin encourages people thinking of starting a new business to get a copy of the starter packet, either by picking up in person at City Hall or by downloading from the city web site. He also welcomes calls with questions or requests for more information at 640-1380, ext. 2005. 

“Business Starter Packet” recently unveiled by the City of Whiteville.

Construction expected this fall for first building in logistics park on Columbus-Brunswick line

By: Allen Turner, The News Reporter

Construction is expected to begin this fall on the first facility inside the International Logistics Park of North Carolina (ILP) on the Columbus-Brunswick county line.

The International Commerce Center will be an $8.5 million industrial “spec” building owned by Cameron Management Group of Wilmington. Developers hope that the building will be ready for occupancy in the near future and that an industrial tenant will be quickly identified. Jeff Earp of Cameron Management Group said Thursday that he is unable to discuss potential tenants. 

An artist’s rendering shows the first building planned for development at the International Logistics Park of North Carolina (Courtesy of Cameron Managment Group)

The 1,100-acre industrial park is a joint venture of the Columbus and Brunswick county governments. Columbus County commissioners agreed in February to fund the $250,000 extension of a 16-inch water main from the county line for a short distance inside the park to serve the new shell building. 

More than $2 million, mostly from state economic development grant funds, has already been spent for sewer infrastructure in the ILP. In addition to the 16-inch water line Columbus County has run to the site, Brunswick County has constructed an eight-inch sewer force main. A $2.15 million grant was received for construction of the sewer system. 

ILP, about 17 miles from Wilmington, is the first “at-port” distribution park in the state. The industrial park is fronted by U.S. 74-76. In addition to commitments from Columbus County for water service and Brunswick County for sewer service (also involving state grants for both counties), other partners developing the park include Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas for energy and ATMC and AT&T for fiber optic broadband services. 

Columbus and Brunswick counties have  also joined forces — along with Pender and New Hanover counties — in the Wilmington Micro-Region Marketing Initiative headed by North Carolina’s Southeast (NCSE), a public-private partnership focused on economic development.

The goal is to take advantage of assets like the Port of Wilmington and U.S. 74 that benefit the entire area.

“Successful economic development is based in large part on strong collaboration these days and leveraging resources,” Steve Yost, president of NCSE, said in a story last year about the marketing project. 

Logistics and distribution — the target of ILP —  is an industry ripe for growth in the Wilmington region, Yost said, pointing to the numerous distribution facilities that have sprung up within a 20-mile radius of the ports in Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C.

Gary Lanier, Columbus County’s economic development director, said Cameron Management Group agreed to construct the shell building after seeing local and state government invest in the project. 

“[They] said that if the two counties and the state are willing to spend almost $2.5 million to get water and sewer there, then they’re willing to step up and put in a shell building to get development going,” Lanier said after the commissioners’ action in February.

The entire park is eligible for Tier 1 incentives, which are generally reserved for the state’s most economically distressed communities. The site is also located in a designated qualified opportunity zone providing significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax incentives through the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Tax Cuts and Job Act. —Justin Smith contributed to this reporting

Streetscape master plan called ‘tremendous opportunity’ by Whiteville economic development planner Martin

By: Allen Turner, The News Reporter

“We will leave no stone unturned during this process. It’s a tremendous opportunity,” says City of Whiteville Economic Development Planner Sean Martin, obviously excited that city council last week approved an agreement with Cary-based WithersRavenel, Inc. for development of a downtown streetscape master plan that potentially could be the first step in a process that changes the appearance of downtown Whiteville.

Work on the master plan gets underway in earnest this month and the final plan is expected to be finished and adopted in February, barring possible unforeseen delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $44,200 plan is funded entirely by a grant from USDA Rural Development. “We haven’t had an opportunity like this in a long, long time,” says Martin, “and it’s being funded by a grant, which is like hitting a home run. It has been talked about through the years, but for one reason or another we haven’t had this opportunity until now.”

The plan will focus on Whiteville’s business district, defined as the area of Madison Street from Columbus Street south to the intersection with Franklin and Lee streets. Although the defined area includes Lee to Franklin, most of the emphasis will be placed on properties along Madison.

 “This is an opportunity to revitalize our downtown, specifically in terms of appearance,” explains Martin. “We’ll study how we want it to look, what we want it to have and how we want to draw people in, particularly beach traffic, to invite them to stop and spend time and money in our downtown. That’s our best way to describe it.”

The project goal is to assess existing conditions and needs, both current and future, and plan to guide improvements in a new downtown streetscape as well as pursuing future funding opportunities and implementation strategies. “We’re going to build a plan and then we’re going to pursue funding to achieve the plan,” says Martin. “This is not just a plan to put on the bookshelf and then come back in 10 years from now and take a look at it.”

Martin says that existing downtown merchants are enthusiastic about the concept. “They are ecstatic, and that might be an understatement.”

The scope of service for the plan starts with project management and administration, which will include a kickoff meeting, project coordination, development of a project schedule and listening to people – residents and merchants. City staff and WithersRavenel will seek public participation, as well as verifying project data, documents and maps.

The study will include looking at comparable downtowns. Martin has an advantage there because, as a participant in the NC MainStreet program, he has traveled much and has seen a lot of comparable downtowns. 

This is a first for Columbus County. Elizabethtown in Bladen County did a similar project in the early 2000s, and Clinton in Sampson County had a similar project around the same time. It will be a phased project because of the degree and scope of work. “You can’t just wave a magic wand and do it all in one swoop in terms of funding,” says Martin. “It will continually evolve. The opportunities are limited only by your imagination.”

Various possibilities, like opportunities, are unlimited. Changes can be made by expanding sidewalks by eliminating some parking on Madison St. “We have an opportunity to get sometimes twice as many parking spots by doing such things as angling some parking spaces and updating existing parking lots that might be in a deteriorating condition. That would also allow businesses to utilize the backs of their storefronts, and that creates a whole new dynamic to a downtown,” says Martin “Of course, you’re still going to have your access on the main street, but if you look at our downtown and a lot of other downtowns, this new concept – new in the last decade, anyway –  has been to revitalize the backs of storefronts and to encourage traffic through the backs of the buildings.”

Martin offers Brewton, Alabama as an example. That town converted its entire main street model and although the fronts of stores were still decorated as a traditional main street, all business now comes into those stores through the back.

Public involvement will be a big part of the local plan development. “We want public involvement,” says Martin, “and we want people to remember what used to be and what worked well with how it used to be. We want to hear from people that have traveled to other places. What did they like best about what that saw in other places?  What would they like to see in their hometown? What is something they feel like is an absolute must-have? We want to hear from people who are hear and have a vision. You don’t necessarily need to have traveled somewhere else to have a vision of what downtown should look like for you.  We want to hear from everybody. We want everybody to be a part of this because this streetscape is not just a city thing and it’s not just a business thing.  This is something we envision the entire county of Columbus being part of, being proud to associate with it, being proud to call it their own.” 

While the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism will be a big stakeholder, Martin hopes that any other Columbus County agency that wants to be involved will do so. He says it’s not just a City of Whiteville project. “Our doors are wide open and we want the public because Whiteville is a hub of Columbus County, says Martin. 

“A lot of our daytime traffic is our working community comes from outside the city. We want them to be involved as well because it is their downtown whether they live in the city limits of Whiteville or not.  And we certainly want to hear from people who live outside the city why them come to the city and what they want to see downtown and why they visit downtown because that may influence public gathering places, ideas for parking, or ideas for public parking lots in general. We welcome input from all, including people from outside of Whiteville. I can’t stress this enough: we want this to be a project that the entire area feels like is theirs.”.  

Tasks to be completed in development of the plan include project management and administration, site inventory and analysis, development of priority improvements and alternative concepts, public involvement and drafting of the final master plan.

Project initiation and site analysis is expected to be completed in September and October and priority improvement development ideas are expected to be formulated in October. Public involvement and input will be in October and November and, based on all that has gone before, ideas for alternative concept development will be discussed in November and December. Drafting the master plan will occur in November, December and January, and the final master plan will be presented to the Whiteville City Council for final approval and adoption in February.

ATMC launches construction on latest high-speed internet project in Columbus

By: The News Reporter

ATMC announced Monday that the company has begun construction on its ‘Faster Columbus’ USDA ReConnect Grant project which will make high speed internet access available to approximately 4,000 unserved households in rural Columbus County. The project will cover approximately 155 square miles, and include underserved communities near Tabor City, Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw, Bolton, and areas north of Whiteville. Construction has begun along N.C. 904 in areas east of Tabor City. As phases are completed, residents and businesses will have access to high speed internet speeds of up to 1 Gigabit as well as digital cable TV, home telephone, and home security and automation services.

The areas shown in blue will have access to high-speed internet service through ATMC’s latest construction project.

The ‘Faster Columbus’ project was made possible through a $7.9 million dollar grant ATMC received in late 2019 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ReConnect Broadband Program. ATMC will provide $7.9 million dollars in matching funds to bring the total project investment to $15.87 million. In addition to the residential addresses, the project will make service available to over 50 businesses, ten educational facilities, three critical community facilities, and 23 agricultural operations. While ATMC has up to five years to complete the project, the company’s aim is to finish within 24 months, dependent upon availability of materials and weather.

“With any project that receives funding from a government source, there is a lot of preparation and paperwork that must be completed before you can begin,” said Keith Holden, ATMC’s CEO. “But we are excited to now be moving forward and plan to build as fast as possible because the need for high speed internet in these communities is more critical now than ever.”

ATMC has served residents and businesses in Columbus County for over a decade. In 2010, ATMC received a $12 million grant through the USDA to bring high speed internet to over 2,000 residents and businesses in Nakina and Old Dock. Last month, the company announced the completion of a project made possible through a grant won in the 2019 NC G.R.E.A.T. Grant Program. This project made high speed internet available to 1,200 households in the Beaverdam community. And, in August, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that ATMC was a recipient of an additional grant through the 2020 NC G.R.E.A.T. Grant Program that will allow the company to provide internet services to an additional 1,200 households in Fair Bluff and Boardman. To support its growing Columbus County customer base, in March, ATMC opened a customer care center in Whiteville behind the Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation location on Highway 130.

“ATMC would like to again express our thanks to those that helped make this ReConnect grant a reality,” said Holden. “We are thankful to the USDA, Congressman David Rouzer, Representative Brenden Jones, Representative Carson Smith, Senator Danny Britt, the Columbus County Board of Commissioners, and the many community supporters, residents and businesses that sent in letters of support for this project. We look forward to bringing great internet service to more areas of Columbus County.”

More information about ATMC’s progress on its high-speed internet expansion projects is available at www.fastercolumbus.com or 910-754-4311.

Top Tobacco expands warehouse space in Lake Waccamaw

Crews are shown recently preparing a site for the construction of new facilities at Top Tobacco at Lake Waccamaw. The project includes the construction of two 40,000 s.f. warehouses, according to a permit application filed with the Town of Lake Waccamaw. Top Tobacco is among the largest private employers in Columbus County.

More businesses opening in downtown Whiteville

By: Diana Matthews, The News Reporter

COVID-19 has made entrepreneurs “learn a new set of rules,” said Sean Martin, Whiteville’s economic development director, but downtown business activity is “almost up to the level it was before.”

One business relocated from downtown to another spot, said Martin, and one owner with two businesses closed one to concentrate on the other. But there are more openings in progress than closings, he said. 

J.E. Thompson points out features of his apartments that are under construction on Madison Street in downtown Whiteville.

Martin was excited about the Unique Highly Favored Beauty Supply Store, which had its grand opening over the weekend. Located on West Main Street where Off Price Outlet used to be, the shop is owned by Artesa McLean. 

The new business is “the first Black-owned beauty supply store here in Whiteville,” McLean said Saturday. After selling online, she said, “I got an opportunity to get a brick-and mortar store.” She sells natural and synthetic hair and hair-care products and styling tools to professionals and the general public, as well as some apparel and accessories. McLean reported having a bigger crowd than expected for her opening Saturday. She said she has more items on the way, including men’s hair care products.

About a block away, April Malpass of Lee Lee’s Boutique was setting up displays last week in the former J.S. Mann’s store, where new awnings announce Madison & Main. 

Malpass is bringing her boutique downtown because the previous building on Oliver Street will be torn down due to the J.K. Powell expansion. She plans to carry clothing, gifts and accessories for men and women in the new store. 

Next door to Malpass, some investors with a Columbus County connection are preparing to open a soul food restaurant in the former Kramer’s men’s shop, Martin said. The restaurant owners “have a great vision for what they want to do,” based on a New York restaurant they fell in love with. “They want to recreate the same kind of thing here,” the economic development director said. “I think it will do really well.”

Martin said that N.C. Vocational Rehabilitation Services will be moving into a location owned by J.L. Powell and Company that used to be the Body Shapers 24-hour gym. The roof collapsed during Florence.

About 12 employees work in the office, John Fisher said. He is having “extensive renovations” done and hopes to have the office open in November. 

Fisher also has plans for restoring the Cinema to the appearance it had in the 1920s when his great-uncle opened it as the Columbus Theater, with a stage for live performances. He said he planned to install first-class lighting and sound equipment. 

“The rough idea,” Fisher said, “is to use it as an event center and rent it out through Air BnB by the night or the week.” He pictures the historic venue bringing people into the downtown district for meetings, dance recitals and live band concerts. He said he is also planning a major parking lot repaving project behind buildings that front Madison Street and the chamber of commerce and tourism. 

Jordy Brooks, William Mitchell and Dallas Chavis remove old woodwork in apartments that are under construction in downtown Whiteville.

At 816 S. Madison, J.E. Thompson has a comparable idea to update the practical amenities of a roughly century-old building, while preserving some of its vintage charm. 

Friday morning Thompson was having highly efficient foam insulation blown against the roof deck above six new upstairs apartments. He took down the decorative stamped metal ceilings for remodeling but plans to put them back up soon. “Look at the patina on that,” he said, lifting one of the ornate sections toward a street-side window. 

The building once housed McKenzie’s Mortuary downstairs and a furniture store upstairs.  Thompson has furniture pieces bought there by his grandmother, Clara Barefoot, with receipts taped onto the backs dating to 1928. 

Thompson plans to have the 680-square-foot units ready to rent in November, and he hopes businesses displaced by the N.C. Bypass 701 project will rent his street-level space. 

Artesa McLean helps Shalella Love with a purchase while Makayla and Megan Washington shop for jewelry Saturday afternoon at Unique Highly Favored Beauty Supply Store on West Main Street.

‘Puzzle’ pieces

Martin said he would present a “new business starter packet” to the Whiteville City Council at a future meeting. The packet, created with help from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, brings together permit information in an “all-inclusive” way that should be easy for non-contractors to understand, Martin said. 

“It should greatly increase Whiteville’s already good reputation of being business friendly.” He described the set-up tool as an important “piece of the puzzle” for downtown. 

Martin said that progress continues on the entrepreneurial and business development center that received $500,000 in Golden LEAF funding four months ago. Columbus County’s Economic Development Commission collaborated with Columbus Jobs Foundation on writing the grant request.

The center will offer classes, consultant support and low-cost shared workspace in order to  “encourage business development and retention,” Martin said. “We’re building a very strong network of speakers and business-related entities,” including the Small Business Center at Southeastern Community College, he said. 

Martin predicted that more news should come in the fall or winter. Although the center’s organizers haven’t yet chosen a location, “Things are looking really good,” he said. 

Wildcat rescue moving forward, despite setbacks related to COVID-19 and theft

By: The News Reporter

Despite setbacks such as fundraisers canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the theft of tens of thousands dollars worth of equipment from a Whiteville storage unit, Shizzy’s Wildcat Rescue is still making progress toward opening in Fair Bluff.

The nonprofit organization, founded by Shazir Haque of Greensboro, installed about 500 linear feet of perimeter fencing Saturday on the 40-acre site that once was the home of Fair Bluff Motors. Fencing installed this weekend is 10 feet high and inside the perimeter fence will be two additional 12-foot fences designed to contain the big cats and keep the general public out of their habitats. 

“If COVID-19 had not happened we would have had enough funds and large volunteer events to be on track to open by the end of this year,” says Haque. He now projects opening sometime in 2021.

Shizzy’s Wildcat Rescue is still making progress toward opening in Fair Bluff.

Haque had a small staff funded through the N.C. Employment Security Commission, but those people have left because unemployment benefits secondary to COVID-19 were so high that they couldn’t afford to keep working and forgo the unemployment checks. “I can’t blame them at all,” Haque said. “I hope they will come back to us when COVID is finished.” 

“In March we canceled an event at The Comic Dimension in Greensboro that would have generated roughly $30,000 between online support, the pledged amounts, celebrities involved, and the attendance expected. In June we canceled a charity basketball game we planned that was projected to raise well over $40,000 for us as well. Many of our donors are hurting right now and we are expecting to go through a $150,000 loss during this year, which leaves less funds to fix the buildings and to finish habitats. With all of that being said, we have amazing supporters who will continue to help and I have such high confidence in my ability and our board of directors’ ability to navigate through this difficult time as we have shown that we can do,” Haque says.

Those “amazing supporters” include Canadian film and television actress Jessica Parker Kennedy, with whom Haque has become friends and who has not only visited the Fair Bluff site to provide volunteer labor but also has donated apparel and other autographed items from her 15 films and 24 TV series appearances for online auction with proceeds going to Shizzy’s Wildcat Rescue.

Volunteers, support 

Most of the work on the site, which was donated to the nonprofit in 2018 by Capital Investments of Fair Bluff and Fair Bluff Motors Inc., has been performed by volunteers from all over the state. This weekend, those volunteers included Kane Ma and Diavante Brown of Greensboro, Tay Grice of Charlotte, Davis Adams of Fayetteville and Roger Harvey of Pittsboro. Harvey is also site manager of Carolina Tigers Rescue and Haque describes his advice as invaluable. “Carolina Tiger Rescue’s help with construction really has helped to move our project along,” he says.

Haque also expresses appreciation to Columbus County Economic Development Director Gary Lanier and Les High of the Columbus Jobs Foundation, who is also publisher of The News Reporter. Lanier has been instrumental in providing advice and the Jobs Foundation has provided financial assistance, most recently after the theft of $18,000 in materials from a storage unit.

“We have more materials coming in for additional habitats in two weeks and we will begin construction on those immediately as soon as materials arrive,” Haque says. “Frank Horne and Kathy Ashley of Frank Horne Construction have been phenomenal allies to us and have helped us move our project along by donating their time and use of equipment to us to deliver the last two shipments of fence/posts/materials along with helping in other ways as well.”

He continues, “We have made such large strides towards the projects with hopes to continue to push through as much construction as we possibly can during the pandemic so that when things get back to normal we can continue our public fundraisers that were the biggest sources of income for our small organization. We have had some amazing amounts and help with fundraising contributed by Daniel Storie, Neil Hoover, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Alisha Brazeau, and other local businessmen and women who are located in Greensboro.”

BB&T facility rises

By: The News Reporter

Subcontractors for Barnhill Contracting Company position the first exterior wall for a $20 million BB&T facility on J.K. Powell Boulevard in Whiteville Tuesday afternoon. The 100,000 sq. ft. facility will combine the bank’s various Whiteville-area support functions under one roof and house approximately 500 employees.

The first exterior wall for the BB&T (Truist) facility on J.K. Powell Blvd in Whiteville goes up Tuesday afternoon.

ATMC completes NC GREAT grant project in Beaverdam

ATMC representatives and other officials participate in a groundbreaking ceremony in December for a new fiber optic network that will serve the Beaverdam area.

ATMC announced Monday that it has completed its ‘Faster Columbus’ NC GREAT Grant project. With the completion of this project, households and businesses in the Beaverdam community now have access to high speed internet with speeds of up to 1 Gigabit as well as digital cable TV, home telephone, and home security and automation services.

The ‘Faster Columbus’ project was made possible through a $1 million grant from the NC GREAT Grant program awarded to ATMC in May of 2019. The NC GREAT Grant program was established by Gov. Roy Cooper and the General Assembly and was administered by and the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT). ATMC was required to make a matching $550,000 investment for the grant and contributed an additional $1.5 million to expand the project to reach additional homes and businesses outside the grant area. The project has the potential to serve approximately 1,200 addresses in Beaverdam, with over 400 of those addresses being self-funded by the cooperative. More than 300 households have already been connected to the faster service.

“ATMC is excited to have completed this project to make fiber optic high speed internet service available to residents and businesses in the Beaverdam community,” said Keith Holden, ATMC’s CEO and general manager. “We are grateful to the NCDIT, the North Carolina General Assembly, Representative Brenden Jones, and Governor Roy Cooper’s office for making these grant funds available. We know having access to high speed internet will have an incredible impact on this community and we are looking to bringing better internet to even more communities in Columbus County in the coming weeks and months.”

Expansion to other areas

ATMC was also awarded a $7.9 million dollar USDA ReConnect grant to serve over 4,000 Columbus County homes in rural areas near Tabor City, Hallsboro, Bolton, Buckhead, Lake Waccamaw, and areas north of Whiteville. ATMC will match the USDA grant dollar-for-dollar for a total investment of $15.8 million dollars. Construction for the ReConnect project is expected to begin in August. In addition, ATMC applied for grant funds through the 2020 NC GREAT Grant

Program earlier this year. The cooperative expects to hear from the NCDIT about the grant in the coming weeks. If awarded, the grant will allow the cooperative to serve additional unserved areas in western Columbus County.

Though ATMC service is new to residents and businesses in Beaverdam, ATMC has served parts of Columbus County for nearly a decade. In 2010, ATMC received a $12 million-dollar grant through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to build a fiber optic network to over 2,000 residents and businesses in the Columbus County communities of Nakina and Old Dock. Earlier this year, ATMC built fiber optic services into the southern half of Whiteville and opened a customer experience store behind the Brunswick Electric location on Highway 130 to serve the cooperative’s growing customer base in Columbus County.

Beaverdam residents and businesses can sign up for ATMC service by calling, 910-754-4311. For more information on ATMC FOCUS fiber optics, or to find out when service will be available in additional areas of Columbus County, please visit www.FasterColumbus.com. —Contributed story by ATMC

Local businesses qualify for millions in federal job-saving loans

By: The News Reporter

As many as 4,216 jobs could be saved in Columbus County as a result of federal forgivable loans to local businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to information released last week by the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

PPP  was designed to help employers keep workers on the payroll through the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBA will forgive the loans if businesses meet specific guidelines, including retaining their employees and using the funds for eligible expenses. 

Lenders approved 402 Columbus County businesses for loans ranging from $700 to more than $1 million, according to data the SBA released on July 6. The public records include the  amount range for each of the 4.9 million loans approved across the nation  as well as the zip code, name of lender and number of jobs supported. Business names were included for approved loans of at least $150,000 but withheld for smaller loans. 

PPP loans are made by lenders, such as banks, and then guaranteed by SBA. A small business or nonprofit listed in the publicly released data has been approved for a PPP loan by a lender, but it doesn’t mean that SBA has determined that the borrower is eligible. 

Lenders approved PPP loans for a variety of businesses in Columbus County, including medical offices, manufacturers, car dealerships, an accounting firm and a trucking business.  The News Reporter received a loan in the $150,000-$350,000 range to retain 35 jobs. 

Of the 402 loans made to Columbus County businesses and nonprofits, 358 were less than $150,000. Twenty-seven were between $150,000 and $350,000, and 15 were in the $350,000-$1 million range.

The two largest loans approved for Columbus County entities were for Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina at Lake Waccamaw and Interim Healthcare of the Eastern Carolinas, based in Whiteville. Both loans were listed in the SBA report as being in the $1-2 million range. 

Boys and Girls Homes

Gary Faircloth, president of Boys and Girls Homes, said that the pandemic threatened the long-term financial stability of the nonprofit that provides a variety of programs for abused, neglected and abandoned children. Fundraising events that traditionally raise nearly $500,000 had to be canceled. Meanwhile, not as many children were being referred to BGH for services. 

“Both of these factors would have both an immediate impact on our ability to operate and have long-term implications for maintaining full services for the organization,” Faircloth said in a statement. “This created an environment of economic uncertainty.

“As we go forward, we are continuing to see budget shortfalls but the cash infusion from PPP loan is helping us spread our revenue so we can maintain our staff and full level of services…” 

Faircloth said that without the PPP loan, “the only logical next step would be to lay off positions and cut programs.” But because of the loan, BGH was able to keep all its employees and maintain services for children. BGH is using 85 percent of its PPP funds on payroll, Faircloth said. The PPP loan is expected to retain 136 jobs, according to SBA. 

Faircloth explained that BGH has continued to take in children over the past four months, placing new admissions in a quarantine cottage prior to integrating them into campus. This new protocol created additional expense, he said. 

“Abuse and neglect do not stop for a pandemic; we have to continue to be here and watch over those in our care,” Faircloth said.

Interim Healthcare

Lou Byrd, owner of Interim Healthcare of the Eastern Carolinas, said that the pandemic highlighted the need for the home health care that her agency provides. 

“As local COVID-19 cases began to rise and hospitals experienced a surge in patients, the need for home care became more important than ever,” Byrd said. “The PPP loan has allowed us to ensure our team of home health aides, nurses and other staff members can continue to serve patients, safely with proper Personal Protective Equipment, in the comfort of their own homes.”

Byrd said Interim has used the PPP loan to continue paying its frontline employees “while also expanding our reach so home care can be a vital resource for more people in our community, including the seven offices we operate across southeastern North Carolina.”

The loan will help Interim keep 372 employees on the payroll, according to SBA. 

National view

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the average PPP loan size across the country is approximately $100,000, “demonstrating that the program is serving the smallest of businesses.

“The PPP is providing much-needed relief to millions of American small businesses, supporting more than 51 million jobs and over 80 percent of all small business employees, who are the drivers of economic growth in our country,” Mnuchin said. 

Following widespread frustration and disappointment  among small business owners when the first round of PPP funds were quickly exhausted, the program has become easier for business owners and lenders to navigate. 

“The PPP is an indisputable success for small businesses, especially to the communities in which these employers serve as the main job creators,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza.  “In three months, this Administration was able to act quickly to get funding into the hands of those who faced enormous obstacles as a result of the pandemic.”

Tourism campaign touts outdoor attractions

By: Grant Merritt, The News Reporter

Columbus County was ahead of the curve. Prior to the global pandemic, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism was already producing a video touting the area’s outdoor attractions, which have become particularly  appealing to visitors looking for plenty of space for social distancing. 

“I like to call it ‘Paradise Outdoors,’ which is Columbus County,” said Chamber President  Jennifer Holcomb. “We’re just going to do as much as we can to tell people about Columbus County.” 

The one minute and 40 second video, part of the “It’s In Our Nature” campaign, was produced by Inspire Creative Studios in Wilmington. Jonathan Medford of Whiteville is one of the company’s founders and owners.  Holcomb said she was happy to have local talent create the video that will be part of an advertising campaign and featured in an Our State email “blast” distribution. Link here to the video.

“A lot of times with being a rural community, a lot of people don’t recognize it as a destination,” Holcomb explained. “We have so much to do here, from Lake Waccamaw and the rivers, to Daddy Joe’s and Maze Craze. There is a lot to do here.”

The Chamber will spend money to advertise the video through  sponsored posts on Facebook, pre-roll ads on YouTube and 15, 30 and 60-second clips on all social media platforms. Holcomb wants the video to appear in as many news feeds as possible across social media. 

The outdoors are “what we have, and it’s already in place. It’s underutilized,” Holcomb said. “And so our other attractions that are indoors like the museum, but when you think about Columbus County and bringing people here for a long weekend, the outdoor recreation is paramount to that. That’s what we’re trying to focus on, and once they get here, then they find the restaurants, then they find the shops, then they find the museum and other things to do. That outdoor rec is our hook.”

“That’s what we do,” Holcomb said. “We present our community in the best light possible.”

Fearing the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the advertising campaign, Holcomb took a few days to realize that people in Columbus County are looking for things to do. With people working from home and kids being out of school since March, Holcomb said the timing was perfect to release the video. Concluding the filming portion of the video in December and planning for an April release, Holcomb said she wanted to be strategic about when to launch and where to put it under a limited budget.

“Our market is a drive market anyway,” Holcomb explained. “Within reason, people who are staying at the beaches or Wilmington are looking for things to do.”

Holcomb said that visiting the Fair Bluff Riverwalk was a “phenomenal” way to get exercise, connect with nature and spend time with family outdoors while allowing for distancing to protect against COVID-19. With big attractions shutdown, she said that it was a big opportunity for the Chamber to let people know what Columbus County has to offer.

Holcomb encouraged community support online with tagging and sharing the video production on social media to have an already “organic” promotion outside the sponsored advertising space.

“In an environment where it’s easy to be negative,” Holcomb said. “Let’s all get behind something that’s positive. That’s our community. We want to invest in our community. We need to be the promotional arm of our community.”

Familiar face in local real estate opens his own office

By Britney Nguyen, Special to The News Reporter

After selling real estate in Whiteville for 13 years, Eric Hill decided to open his own company, Atlantic Blue Coast Realty, which held its ribbon cutting at 128 Jefferson St. on Thursday.

Hill started the business in April 2019, working out of his car for the first year. He said he is the only person working now, but he has contacts and relationships built over time from his previous work.

“When you start a business, you don’t want to start it to sit in one place,” Hill said. “I’m hoping to expand as time goes by.”

Hill said opening the office took longer than anticipated, and he has done some of the work on his own. 

Westyn Hill cuts the ribbon at Atlantic Blue Coast Realty Thursday as father Eric and mother Heather look on. Eric Hill opened the office earlier this year at 128 Jefferson St. Whiteville. Also pictured are County Commissioner Jerome McMillian, Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Jennifer Holcomb, Mayor Terry Mann, Whiteville Economic Development Director Sean Martin and chamber member Stephen Underwood.

“I had the opportunity to have my son come out and help with painting because he’s out of school so that’s been nice,” Hill said.

Hill said he has made print ads and signage for his company, and he mostly tries to stay involved with the community.

“It’s all about developing relationships,” Hill said. “In this line of business, it’s a lot of word of mouth. If you do a good job for someone, they recommend you to someone else.”

Atlantic Blue Coast Realty is based out of Whiteville, but Hill works throughout Columbus County and in Fayetteville and Wilmington. He said he promotes the area from I-95 to the coast.

Hill said Whiteville has the potential to capitalize on its proximity to the beach. 

“People from up north in New York and New Jersey get to retirement ages and want to get something close to the beach to retire to in a few years,” Hill said. “Columbus County is close enough to the ocean and shopping, but the cost of living is considerably cheaper than in a coastal county.”

Hill said he doesn’t want people to be afraid of conducting real estate business during the coronavirus.

Hill said he carries masks, gloves and sanitizer to his appointments so his clients can feel comfortable. He also does virtual tours where he answers questions and goes throughout a house to show clients each room if they do not feel comfortable touring in person.

Hill said one of the things he wanted to focus on when he started his own business was for his clients to know him personally and not just as a phone number.

“In real estate, we’re helping someone with an important stage of their life, selling a house they’ve been in for countless years or finding a house where they will grow their family,” Hill said.

‘Amazing gift’ — Panthers and Lenovo donate 300 Chromebooks to county schools

By: Diana Matthews, The News Reporter

Three hundred Columbus County Schools students will start the new school year with a Chromebook laptop donated by the Carolina Panthers and Lenovo.

High school students without access to a computer at home will have priority access to the devices.

Another 300 Chromebooks will be given to Richmond County Schools, according to a Tuesday morning online press conference featuring linebacker and Player Impact Committee leader Andre Smith, Lenovo representative John Bischof and state and local educators.

Carolina Panthers Linebacker Andre Smith is pictured during the online press conference Tuesday morning.

The NFL team and the computer manufacturer are teaming up to provide the devices. The Panthers Player Impact Committee studied “a lot of data” about the state’s neediest local school districts before selecting the recipients, Smith said.

Lenovo has already given more than $1 million worth of aid to N.C. schools, mostly in the counties closest to Raleigh, Bischof said, and the company was “thrilled to be involved” in the current outreach to more rural areas.

Deanne Meadows, superintendent of Columbus County Schools, thanked the Panthers, Lenovo and the Department of Public Instruction for “an amazing gift” that will “help overcome equity issues.”

The superintendent said that CCS is still working to recover from the October cyber incident that left many devices unusable. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the barriers many students in the county face, said Meadows. Many live in poverty and have no electronic devices at home other than perhaps a cell phone. “Fixing those barriers is a big priority for us,” she said. “You’re helping us meet a need and provide our students with a necessity.”

Meadows called education “the greatest gift” a society can give to individuals. “This will help us give a good educational experience to students as we move forward,” she said.

Jeff Maples of Richmond County Schools said that it was exciting to know that there are “people out there that care about our kids and our teachers.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson said that, as the pandemic forced schools to adapt rapidly to new learning methods, the Panthers asked him, “What can we do? How can we help?” They told him they wanted to support school districts that needed help the most.

“Quite frankly,” Johnson said, county-by-county surveys showed that “the gaps (in Columbus and Richmond counties) were so big, that that was where (the donation) could have the biggest impact.”

Smith said that the idea grew out of volunteer work that Panthers players and friends were already doing to address reading deficiencies. Rather than doing “the cutest things,” committee members “like to be more hands-on, more nitty-gritty, and really help those who need our help,” he said.

2,500 masks distributed to Columbus County businesses

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, with help from the Columbus Jobs Foundation and the City of Whiteville, paid for and distributed 2,500 masks on a first come, first serve basis to businesses in Columbus County. Health officials have found that wearing masks greatly reduces transmission of COVID-19.

Pictured from left are Jennifer Holcomb, chamber president; Les High, chairman of the Columbus Jobs Foundation; and Sean Martin, City of Whiteville economic director.

3 groups making face masks available to small businesses

By: The News Reporter

The Columbus Jobs Foundation, the City of Whiteville and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism have partnered to help small businesses throughout the county keep their staffs and customers safe by providing face masks.

Representatives of the three organizations are serving on a COVID-19 Recovery Task Force looking at ways to help the most vulnerable of the local business community. To receive a case of 50 masks, business owners should send an email to info@thecolumbuschamber.com.  The masks will be delivered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The masks were secured by Columbus County Economic Development Director Gary Lanier and Camron Shodia of Whiteville Fabrics.

English named next president of SCC

By: The News Reporter

A community college graduate who rose through the education ranks from automotive instructor to senior administrator will serve as the next president of Southeastern Community College. The State Board of Community Colleges on Friday approved the appointment of Christopher English to the president’s position.

English has 20 years of experience in community colleges and currently serves as vice president of economic and workforce development/continuing education at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. Earlier in his career, English worked at the N.C. Community College System Office.

He will become SCC’s tenth president, succeeding Anthony Clarke who led the college for five years before becoming the president of Guilford Technical Community College on Nov. 1. William Aiken has been serving as interim president of SCC.

CHRISTOPHER ENGLISH PARTICIPATES IN A FORUM MAY 27 ON THE CAMPUS OF SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE. PHOTO TAKEN FROM VIDEO BY SCC EDU-CABLE.

“We are excited about this appointment,” said Henry Edmund, chair of the SCC Board of Trustees. “Dr. English brings a high level of expertise from his background within the North Carolina Community College System. We are confident that he is a dynamic leader for the future of SCC, and we look forward to introducing him to our community. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank the search committee for their outstanding effort and to the college community for your interest and support in the process to identify our next president.”

English earned a doctorate of education in educational leadership from Western Carolina University; a master of arts in educational administration from New Mexico State University; a bachelor of science in automotive technology management from Pennsylvania College of Technology; and an associate of applied science in industrial technology from Greenville Technical College.

During a public forum at SCC on May 27, English said that early in his career as an instructor, he realized the impact that education has on the lives of students.

“Education is a true equalizer. It is a way to bring people up out of desperation,” English said.

“I am honored to be selected as the next president of Southeastern Community College where I will have the opportunity to work with an innovative team of trustees, leadership, faculty, and staff that will lead the College into the future,” English said in a press release Friday. “I’ve been fortunate to experience the impact education and training can have on the lives of students and the community. I look forward to sharing those same experiences at Southeastern. My wife, Teresa, and I are excited to become actively involved in the community, and to know we have a wonderful new place to call home.”

The SCC Board of Trustees selected English to lead the college after “an extensive nationwide search that attracted a strong and diverse pool of applicants,” the college said in a press release. SCC said that English will take office no later than Aug 3.

The other finalists for the position were Brian Merritt, vice president of learning and workforce development at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, and Michael Ayers, SCC’s vice president of academic affairs.

R.J. Corman receives CSX award for growth on Carolina Lines

By: The News Reporter

R.J. Corman Carolina Lines has received the CSX Short Line Business Development Award “due to the extraordinary growth that is taking place on this short line,” R.J. Corman announced in a press release. 

The award is based on percentage carload growth year over year. R.J. Corman said the number of cars moved on its Carolina Lines more than doubled since 2018-2019.

The Carolina Lines, consisting of 103 miles of track, runs from Myrtle Beach, S.C. through Columbus County  and ends at  a CSX interchange in Mullins, S.C. 

The award was to be presented at the annual CSX Short Line Conference, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, CSX Director of Business Development Gary Gambill presented awards via video. Gambill congratulated Adam Boyles of R.J. Corman for competitive wins in several markets, including pulp boards, plastics and minerals. 

Short lines like the Carolina Lines deliver the “last mile” of services for rail freight, providing service, switching and handling of cars transferred to them by other carriers like CSX.  

“When R. J. Corman acquired the Carolina Lines in August of 2015, it was on the verge of being classified as abandoned and had not shipped a railcar in over four years. R.J. Corman made the necessary immediate repairs and restored operations within six months,” according to the R.J. Corman press release. “The company became partners with local economic development groups in North and South Carolina to bring traffic back and revitalize business on the line.”

Thirteen new customers are using the Carolina Lines, which is projected to ship 4,500 cars in 2020. By 2022, $45,108,000 will have been invested in revitalizations and expansions, the Kentucky-based company said. 

“R. J. Corman would also like to thank Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development and the Columbus County Economic Development Commission, both of which have played integral roles in facilitating economic growth in the South Carolina region,” R.J Corman said. “Finally, the company would also like to thank our customers for trusting our railroad company with their business. We are proud to offer our customers the highest quality service in the railroad industry and look forward to meeting the needs that arise into the future.”

Fair Bluff gets $4.8 million federal grant to replace flooded-ruined business district

By: The News Reporter

The Town of Fair Bluff will receive $4.8 million in federal Economic Development Administration funding to build a facility to help reopen small businesses hit hard by Hurricane Florence.  

Final approval was announced Wednesday in news releases from Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The new business district is expected to be constructed in a new Main Street location to replace the one destroyed by Hurricane Florence in 2018 and, before that, by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

The project is one of 252 opportunity zones created in North Carolina by the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017. 

“When I visited Fair Bluff following Hurricane Florence, I saw a tight-knit and resilient community that was determined to rebuild after being hit by two devastating storms,” said Tillis, who inspected flood damage in Fair Bluff in October 2018 along with Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and then-U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “This federal grant will play a key role in the rebuilding process, providing Fair Bluff with resources to support small business development and job creation.”

Gov. Roy Cooper also celebrated the announcement. 

“This small business center funding will mean businesses in and around Fair Bluff can get the help they need to build and grow jobs,” Cooper said Wednesday. “This is an investment in people who are driving the economy in rural North Carolina.”

The project will construct a 24,746 square foot small business center to enable businesses to relocate from damaged facilities in the floodplain. The project will also connect the center to water, wastewater, and electric utilities, install a new fire hydrant, and provide paved parking, sidewalks, curbs, gutters and landscaping. “Once completed, the project will catalyze redevelopment, promote resiliency, strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment, and create jobs in a designated Opportunity Zone,” stated the press release issued by Tillis’ office. 

Fair Bluff consultant/planner Al Leonard said the town was grateful to U.S. EDA for making the award.  

“A lot of hard work went into the application,” Leonard said. “We had received preliminary notice in January and today’s announcement makes it official. Fair Bluff has got a long road to go for recovery from the two hurricanes and one of the issues that Fair Bluff will face obviously is economic development. The fact that there’s going to be some commercial space developed in Fair Bluff for businessmen and businesswomen to locate in the future is very critical and very important to the town.”

Leonard described it as a long-term project. “We’ve probably got a year’s worth of paperwork in procuring property before we see much actually happening in the way of development. So we’re looking at more than a year away before buildings are torn down or buildings are built.”

The $6 million total project includes $4.8 million from the federal government and a $1.2 million local match, which Fair Bluff received in an appropriation from the N.C. General Assembly.

“The way the system works is that Fair Bluff has to ‘up front’ the money and wait to be paid back by the federal government,” Leonard said. “The only fallback position we’ve got is upfronting the legislative money that was given to us, and we’ll be doing that throughout the life of the grant and Uncle Sam will be slowly paying us back. When all is said and done, at the end of the project, $4.8 million will be expended by the federal government, $1.2 million by the state, and zero by the Town of Fair Bluff.”

The $6 million total project includes $4.8 million from the federal government and a $1.2 million local match, which Fair Bluff received in an appropriation from the N.C. General Assembly.

Interchange at Hallsboro Rd and Hwy 74-76 opening by the end of May

Road construction crews continue work on the new interchange at Hallsboro Road and U.S. 74-76. The $9.4 million project, which began in the summer of 2018, includes a bridge that carries Hallsboro Road traffic over the highway, as well as ramps allowing traffic to enter the highway without stopping. The interchange is intended to improve safety by decreasing the chance of crashes. The N.C. Department of Transportation says the project may be open by the end of May.

Road construction crews work on the new interchange at Hallsboro Road and U.S.74-76 Wednesday.

Golden LEAF grants $1 million for nursing simulator, business incubator in downtown Whiteville

By Diana Matthews, The News Reporter

Area nursing students and entrepreneurs will benefit from grants totaling $1 million announced Thursday by the Golden LEAF Foundation. Southeastern Community College received $500,000 to buy equipment and supplies to create a simulated hospital environment for nursing and health sciences students. The other $500,000 recipient is an Entrepreneurial and Business Development Center to be established in downtown Whiteville. 

The Town of Bolton received $56,816.77 to support repair of stormwater infrastructure damaged as a result of Hurricane Florence.

The Golden LEAF Foundation administers a portion of North Carolina’s funding received from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. 

Nursing benefits

Gail Auten, nursing instructor and simulation lab coordinator at SCC, wrote the proposal requesting $500,000 to enhance the current simulation lab, providing students with experiences that parallel the clinical setting. 

Nursing and EMS/Paramedic students will network with Columbus Regional Healthcare System personnel carrying out realistic patient scenarios, gaining experience that is not always available in their real-life clinical rotations. 

SCC Director of Nursing Kim Fine explained that the expanded lab will benefit students in all of the college’s nursing-related programs, including associate degree nursing, practical nursing and nursing assistant and EMS training. 

Stephanie Kriner, the director of fire and EMS programs at SCC, said that, with the expanded lab, “EMS students will have the opportunity to experience realistic training use of high-fidelity equipment that will better prepare them to be competent providers in the field.” 

“It is hard to spend $500,000, but I look forward to the challenge,” Auten said. SCC hopes to have the new equipment operational as early as 2021. 

Growing local businesses

When it comes to launching a small business, “A lot of people have ideas but no place to start,” said Gary Lanier, director of Columbus County’s Economic Development Commission. Some sink $5,000-6,000 into office space, furniture and computers before they see their first customers. “They need guidance from people who know how to run a business and know how not to make mistakes that cost money, effort and customers.”

Lanier’s department collaborated with the Columbus Jobs Foundation on the grant request for the proposed Columbus County Entrepreneurial and Business Development Center (CCEBDC).

Funds will be used to renovate an existing downtown Whiteville building, in which local business start-ups can share low-cost office space, but services will go far beyond a place for people to work. Training and expert guidance at the CCEBDC will “provide an environment to help people be successful starting businesses,” Lanier said. 

“An entrepreneurial center has been one of the Columbus Jobs Foundation board’s primary goals for a couple of years,” said CJF Chair Les High. “Our team has toured several centers across the state and the success stories are evident.”

He envisions the center bringing under one roof the county economic development commission and planning department, Whiteville’s economic development office, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and SCC’s Small Business Center, that’s a decision each entity has to make on its own, High said. “Having multiple resources working together would reduce costs for everyone, provide expertise to entrepreneurs and impress the business and industrial prospects we’re recruiting.”

High said that “family-owned, mom-and-pop operations that will stay in Columbus County and create jobs” will be the focus of the center.

CJF board member Jonathan Medford said that, “locally grown businesses tend to stick with us through the toughest economic times. I look at the success of businesses like Black’s Tire, Council Tool, Atlantic Packaging and Pridgen Woodwork. We know there are entrepreneurs in this county who are ready to grow the next big business in Columbus County. Hopefully, this center will help make it happen.”

The grant means that, “It’s time to move forward with our plan now,” said Medford, including securing the site. “We do have some buildings in mind, but we’re not quite ready to say which ones yet.” If the coronavirus pandemic or other circumstances do not delay the process, Medford hopes to have the center up and running in the summer of 2021.

Medford headed the committee that pursued the grant. After being “impressed by what the UNCP-affiliated Thomas Family Center for Entrepreneurship was able to accomplish in downtown Pembroke,” CJF leaders “felt like we could implement something similar here.”

Medford called the grant “a win for everyone in Columbus County.” Anyone with a new business or looking to start one can benefit from the classes and consultations provided at the center. “They do not have to be a tenant.”

The grant applicants did extensive research to determine local needs. “I am very appreciative of the work that Gary Lanier and Madison Ward put into this grant application on behalf of the county and the Columbus Jobs Foundation,” Medford said.   

Other partners in the project include SCC, UNC-Pembroke, the Brian Hamilton Foundation, and Fayetteville State University. Lanier said that Truist Bank, formerly BB&T, had always been supportive of business startups in the area as well.

The grant application predicted that at least 21 businesses over a three-year period will be served by the CCEBDC, resulting in the creation of at least 200 new jobs in that time. Those figures were based on the experience of UNCP’s Thomas Center. 

The Golden LEAF Foundation “has always been a great partner” on job-creation projects, for example, Tabor City’s Radix Bay facility, Lanier said. 

Regional benefits

In all, $12.2 million in Golden LEAF funding will go to colleges, hospitals and economic development groups throughout the Sandhills Prosperity Zone, including Bladen, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland counties. 

Much of the money will enhance training for truck drivers, health professionals and construction specialists. Other grants will extend sewer and hospital infrastructure.

The North Carolina Community College System was awarded $1.5 million to support scholarships for rural students from tobacco-dependent or economically distressed counties. Up to $500,000 of that total is to be used immediately for eligible students in need as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with the other scholarships to be awarded during the 2020-2021 school year.