Lenoir County, NC – June 17, 2013 - Another community in Eastern NC has reason to celebrate the state of its workforce. Lenoir County has become a Certified WorkReady Community.
Largely funded by the NC Rural Economic Development Center, the initiative is under leadership and direction from North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER). NCER is an economic development organization which seeks to build a regional capacity to support economic growth and create opportunities which have and immediate and/or transformational impact upon the area economy. WorkReady Communities builds upon the highly acclaimed ASPIRE initiative in which NCER has given more than $1 million to support the growth of the Career Readiness Certificate across the region.
“We are very pleased to declare Lenoir County as a Certified WorkReady Community. NCER is committed to workforce development as a priority to attract and retain industry and strengthen the regional economy. Without a strong network of partners and funding from the NC Rural Center such an accomplishment would not be possible,” said Kathy Howard, Vice President for Workforce & Client Development, NCER.
Communities can earn the designation by achieving certain standards, displaying their commitment to workforce excellence. The partnership must receive a pledge from 10 of the top 20 largest employers to utilize the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) in employment practices with a minimum of 5% of the labor force possessing a CRC and increase the high school graduation rate by 1% with a minimum qualifying rate of 70%.
“When I approached Steve Mazingo Superintendent of the Lenoir County Schools and our local industry and community leaders about WorkReady Communities they were excited to be a part of the process. It’s a recognition that we believe will result in more jobs and more investment for Lenoir County. We are proud to be one of only four counties to reach this level,” remarked Bobby Merritt, Director of Industry Training, Lenoir Community College.
Through the WorkReady Communities initiative employers gain confidence that job seekers possess the foundational skills necessary to be trained, the potential of dramatically reducing turnover thereby boosting the bottom line and a common language is shared between employers and job seekers on the skills needed for specific jobs.
“The WorkReady Communities designation is an asset to our business and industries because it tells them that we are prepared with a job ready workforce as companies look to locate or expand in our Community. The training tools that have been put in place will assist our people that are looking for jobs or just looking to better prepare themselves for advancement within their existing jobs,” said Mark Pope, Executive Director, Lenoir County Economic Development.
As part of the WorkReady program, employers are able to take advantage of a free job portal which connects them to job seekers around the 13 county Eastern Region. Nearly 140 employers have access to the portal which serves any industry and any level of job seeker.
For more information on WorkReady Communities please visit www.ncworkready.org.
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is a regional economic development agency serving 13 counties from I-95 to the coast. For more information visit North Carolina’s Eastern Region’s website www.nceast.org.
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=185
The Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) annual conference was recently held at USMC Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC. Sixty individuals representing a variety of military, agriculture, forestry, conservation and environmental interests attended the event. In addition to attendees from Southeast states (AL, GA, FL, MS, NC & SC), representatives from as far away as California and Arizona participated to help strengthen the concepts and principles of SERPPAS through an East-West linkage.
The event showcased the close partnership between the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the military to work toward the common goal of preserving working lands. A luncheon, dinner and reception were featured which made use of locally grown products.
The SERPASS attendees were served lunch at the Wallace Creek Mess Hall where the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Subsistence (DLA) and Sodexo highlighted the local foods being served to all the Marines. More than one hundred people attended the dinner which featured all North Carolina products. Forty of the guests represented state agencies, local governments, non-governmental partners and community leaders in support of SERPPAS initiatives.
The 2 day event also presented the cutting edge "market based conservation" initiatives being undertaken in North Carolina though a Marine Corps Installations (MCI) EAST funded program known as Sentinel Landscapes. “Food & Fuel 4 the Forces” (FF4F) is the pilot program within Sentinel Landscapes, managed under North Carolina’s Eastern Region’s contract with NC State University by George Miller, and undertaken to maximize the economic interaction between the military and agribusiness.
FF4F is a regional partnership between the agricultural community, the military, local governments, economic developers and environmental interests in order to add value to the agricultural product and better integrate the military market for local food.
“The two pronged approach seeks to fully integrate local food products with the military food consumption while working to support the growth of a renewable fuels industry to add crop opportunities and additional markets for the farmers and foresters over whose land the military trains,” remarked George Miller, Program Manager, Food & Fuel 4 the Forces.
“We envision a future where North Carolina farmers will feed and fuel the North Carolina service-people,” said Miller.
There is a synergy that exists between the agricultural community and the military in eastern North Carolina in terms of their mutual need to preserve working lands. Buying local generates revenue for farmers and provides the added benefit of reducing the threat of encroachment around military training areas.
FF4F worked closely with the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, DLA, Sodexo, Sysco and Foster-Caviness to organize the food events,” said Miller. Last year, 2012, military food purchases from eastern North Carolina farmers increased by $19 million over the prior year.
For more information about “Food 4 the Forces,”
click here.
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Kinston, NC – May 22, 2013 - The North Carolina Global TransPark hosted an event on Wednesday, May 22nd which promoted the aerospace industry in Eastern NC. The Triangle-Eastern North Carolina British-American Business Council organized the gathering, in which more than 50 people with interests in the sector attended.
Participants heard from representatives with the Northeast, Eastern, and Southeast Regional Economic Development Commissions who collaborated to discuss the sector’s growth and how they are supporting the industry. While NC is home to more than 180 aerospace related manufactures, Eastern NC is becoming a hotbed of aerospace and aviation employers with more than 60 related companies. A representative from the Research Triangle Region provided remarks regarding the General Electric Engine operations in Durham.
NC Department of Commerce Secretary, Sharon Decker delivered the keynote address. Decker’s remarks concerned advanced manufacturing, which she referred to as a foundational element of our statewide economy. Decker noted that a Vice President for Manufacturing would be appointed by the Governor and will be responsible for supporting existing manufacturers through leveraging of state, regional and local assets.
One such aerospace manufacturer provided the backdrop for the afternoon’s events, Sprit AeroSystems. Don Blake, Director for Site Services, Business Management and Government Relations provided and overview of Spirit’s Kinston, NC facility that manufactures center fuselage and wing spars for Airbus. The company employs more than 400 (plus contract workers) and accommodates another 20+ full-time Airbus employees. Current plans anticipate 1,000 workers at the facility by 2016.
Attendees were treated to a tour of the Spirit AeroSystems Composite Center of Excellence, a state-of-the-art training center which houses specially equipped classrooms and labs to meet the unique employment needs of the company. In addition to touring the Center of Excellence, Mr. Blake and others provided a tour of Spirit’s manufacturing facility at the NC Global TransPark.
Alongside private industry, the military is a significant player in Eastern NC’s aerospace arena. Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East), a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility onboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point employs more than 3,000 people, 500 of which are full-time civilian engineers who work on base. As the largest industrial employer in Eastern NC, FRC East provides MRO support on the military’s vertical lift aircraft.
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is a regional economic development agency serving 13 counties from I-95 to the coast. For more information visit North Carolina’s Eastern Region’s website (www.nceast.org).
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=182
Pitt County, NC – May 22, 2013 - Another community in Eastern NC has reason to celebrate the state of its workforce. Pitt County, home to East Carolina University, has become the second Certified WorkReady Community in NC.Largely funded by the NC Rural Economic Development Center, the initiative is under leadership and direction from North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER). NCER is an economic development organization which seeks to build a regional capacity to support economic growth and create opportunities which have and immediate and/or transformational impact upon the area economy. WorkReady Communities builds upon the highly acclaimed ASPIRE initiative in which NCER has given more than $1 million to support the growth of the Career Readiness Certificate across the region.
“We are very pleased to declare Pitt County as a Certified WorkReady Community. NCER is committed to workforce development as a priority to attract and retain industry and strengthen the regional economy. Without a strong network of partners and funding from the NC Rural Center such an accomplishment would not be possible,” said Kathy Howard, Vice President for Workforce & Client Development, NCER.
Communities can earn the designation by achieving certain standards, displaying their commitment to workforce excellence. The partnership must receive a pledge from 10 of the top 20 largest employers to utilize the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) in employment practices with a minimum of 5% of the labor force possessing a CRC and increase the high school graduation rate by 1% with a minimum qualifying rate of 70%.
“One of the greatest benefits of the WorkReady Community Certification was that it brought many different partners to the table to explore solutions for Employers and Job Seekers for the near future. It also allowed us to skill up and certify our current workforce, allowing employers to get connected to the employees they need right now,” remarked Mary Paramore, Director of Business & Industry, Pitt Community College.
Not only does WorkReady Communities benefit the incumbent workforce and existing industry but it will play an important role in the ability to recruit new industry as well.
“WorkReady tells companies and site selectors that our community has the qualified labor force they need and expect. With WorkReady status, we can assure companies that they have access to an already prepared workforce as well as to customized training. That's a very powerful message. Both existing industries and new companies need a qualified workforce. WorkReady lets them know that our citizens are exactly what the designation says: ready to work,” said Wanda Yuhas, Executive Director, Pitt County Development Commission.
As part of the WorkReady program, employers are able to take advantage of a free job portal which connects them to job seekers around the 13 county Eastern Region. Nearly 140 employers have access to the portal which serves any industry and any level of job seeker.
For more information on WorkReady Communities please visit www.ncworkready.org.
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is a regional economic development agency serving 13 counties from I-95 to the coast. For more information visit North Carolina’s Eastern Region’s website (www.nceast.org).
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=181
GREENVILLE, NC (May 8, 2013) - Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced today that ASMO North America, a global supplier of advanced automotive technology, systems and components, will expand its manufacturing operations in Pitt County. The company plans to create 200 new jobs and invest at least $50 million at its Greenville facility by the end of 2016.
“ASMO has a great presence in North Carolina and we’re thrilled that they see the value in growing with us in Eastern North Carolina,” said Governor McCrory. “They are one of our strong automotive manufacturing partners and have succeeded due to product design and demand as well as our skilled workforce and strong business climate in the state.”
The local facility, known as ASMO Greenville of NC, opened in 1995 and currently employs more than 530 people. The company manufactures front wiper motor linkages, arm and blades and radiator fan motors for its North American customers. ASMO North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASMO, Co., LTD, headquartered in Kosai City, Japan. The company also operates facilities in Statesville, NC, Texas and Michigan.
“We very much appreciate the support from the state of North Carolina, Pitt County and the City of Greenville,” said Takashi Akai, president of ASMO Greenville of NC. “We are committed to remaining a market leader and continue to manufacture in Eastern North Carolina. Our expansion will require highly skilled associates and we look forward to strengthening our ties with Pitt Community College to provide the training needed for the future. We wish to thank everyone involved in this project.”
“We are committed to creating new jobs in North Carolina and know that we have the attributes that advanced manufacturing companies like ASMO need to succeed,” said Sharon Decker, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce. “We applaud the ASMO executives for their commitment to reinvest in Eastern North Carolina and expand their global footprint in Pitt County.”
ASMO Greenville is built on 37.4 acres and operates in 528,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The expansion will enable them to add more assembly lines and die cast machines to meet growth expectations. The company currently maintains the top market share for these parts and ships the products they manufacture directly to Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan and BMW. The average salaries for the new jobs will be $34,628.
“The expansion of ASMO in Indigreen Corporate Park represents ASMO’s commitment to the Pitt County-Greenville community,” said Pitt County manager, Scott Elliott. “This announcement is a clear indicator that our local economy is on the upswing in terms of ongoing economic recovery from the recession.”
The project was made possible in part by an award to ASMO from the state Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program, as voted by the state Economic Investment Committee. Receipt of the award is based on proof of job creation and other performance requirements. Over 12 years, the JDIG award could yield aggregate benefits to ASMO of up to $1,255,450.
Other partners that provided support include the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Pitt Community College, Pitt County, Pitt County Development Commission, Pitt County Committee of 100 and Greenville Utilities Commission.
“The Development Commission is very grateful to our County Commissioners for their support. Without their commitment to fully support this investment and these 200 jobs, we could not have secured the project,” said Wanda Yuhas, executive director, Pitt County Development Commission. “We also wish to thank our other partners that made this project possible. They all recognized the importance of supporting the expansion of an existing industry with proven success and future growth potential.”
For more information about ASMO, including job opportunities, visit www.asmo-na.com
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N.C. Commissioner of Small Business, Scott Daugherty, to Headline Inaugural Transportation Impact Small Business Forum at Joslyn Hall
Emerald Isle, N.C. (April 30, 2013) – In recognition of “Small Business Week In Carteret County”, and in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Carteret Community College, Transportation Impact will host its inaugural Small Business Forum on Tuesday, May 21, from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. at Joslyn Hall on the campus of the college.
Themed “Strategies for Success”, the event will serve to help current and prospective local small business owners share ideas and solutions to make their businesses better.
North Carolina Commissioner for Small Business, Scott R. Daugherty, will be the keynote speaker for the event. His address, titled “Small Business – Energizing North Carolina’s Economy”, will be preceded by insights from Gene Garner, former owner of Coastal Carolina Heating and Air Conditioning, Mary Duane Hale, owner of Atlantic Beach Realty, Phil Collins, CEO of Sound Bank, and Keith Byrd and Travis Burt, co-founders of Transportation Impact.
During the event, CCC President, Dr. Kerry Youngblood, will also announce Transportation Impact as the college’s official 50th anniversary sponsor.
“Carteret Community College plays a valuable role in our community,” Byrd said. “We hope that our sponsorship of the school’s 50th anniversary will help it fund its important initiatives so that it may continue to positively impact the lives of the people in our community.
“We developed our inaugural business forum with the same goals in mind. We hope it will provide local businessmen and women with an opportunity to gain insight and share ideas, successes and failures, that they can then apply to their own businesses to be more successful.
“I know, from my own experience, the importance of networking with peers. There are great minds and great people in our community and I hope that this event will bring them all together for a greater good.”
The company expects to assume a larger role with the College through its sponsorship of events like an upcoming company-sponsored golf tournament, music festival and scholarships for CCC students.
Dr. Youngblood said the business forum further showcases the good work being coordinated for the sake of small businesses in Carteret and surrounding counties.
“Our small business center, and all the other partners in the Carteret County Small Business Resource Alliance, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Council, SCORE, the North Carolina Military Business Center, and the state’s employment offices, are all a classic example of how different groups working together can bring about a greater good in our community,” said Dr. Youngblood. “Each week, they are reaching out and helping one another with ideas that work. We thank Transportation Impact for hosting this small business forum. It will be an important part of our ongoing small business dialogue.”
Carteret County Chamber of Commerce President, Mike Wagoner, encourages chamber members to attend the event which is endorsed by the Chamber and other members of the Small Business Resource Alliance, including the College, the Carteret County Economic Development Council, the JobLink Career Center, the North Carolina Military Business Center and SCORE.
“When you think about small businesses in Carteret County, that’s almost all businesses in Carteret County,” said Chamber President Mike Wagoner.
“The role of the Chamber is to help small businesses succeed, flourish and prosper. That’s the very measure of our relevance. Sometimes, it’s a matter of recognition, helping them celebrate their success or observing a milestone anniversary, but what we do best is to provide networking opportunities for business people to come together to make business contacts and improve their visibility and gain exposure.”
On April 15, the Carteret County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the resolution designating May 19-24 as Small Business Appreciation Week in Carteret County.
“We are fortunate to be represented by a Board of Commissioners that understands and appreciates the impact of small businesses in our communities,” said Chamber Chair Elect and Treasurer, Bill Rogerson.
“In a true sense, they all have real-world, small business backgrounds and know what it’s like to be in the trenches.”
Admission to this event is free. Pre-registration for the event is preferred, but not required. Space is limited and those registered for the event will receive guaranteed admission. Morning refreshments will be provided.
To register, call (252) 222-6123, (252) 222-6200 or email your request to
wichtlk@email.carteret.edu.
You can also register online by visiting www.carteret.edu/ccedhome/sbc.
For more information on the forum, including speaker bios event agenda, please visit
www.transportationimpact.com/sbf.
About Commissioner Scott R. Daugherty
Scott Daugherty was appointed by Governor Beverly Perdue to serve as North Carolina’s first Small Business Commissioner. In this capacity he reports to the Secretary of Commerce and is a senior member of the Department of Commerce staff. Mr. Daugherty also serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Economic Development at North Carolina State University and directs the Small Business and Technology Development Center. The SBTDC is the business and technology extension service of The University of North Carolina system, administered by North Carolina State University. It operates in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Mr. Daugherty attended Wake Forest University, The University of Miami and The University of Florida. He has a law degree and has practiced as a corporate attorney in Florida, Mississippi and Washington, DC. He also has managed two large regional economic development organizations and organized and run a small business investment company. Just prior to joining The University of North Carolina system in 1984, Mr. Daugherty was a Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of a large quasi-public financing agency in Washington, DC.
Mr. Daugherty has had significant involvement with business, trade, technology development and capital formation issues throughout his professional career. He has served as a consultant to the OECD, the World Bank, the Ford Foundation and the U.S. Small Business Administration. He is a member of a number of boards of directors and government agency task forces, a past (three times) Chairman of the Board of Directors for the national Association of Small Business Development Centers, a member of the North Carolina District Export Council, an Advisor to the NC Economic Development Board, and to the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology.
About Carteret Community College
Carteret Community College is a comprehensive community college o_ering educational and job training opportunities from university transfer and job specific associate degrees to vocational, technical, basic skills, and life enrichment programs. The college’s Corporate and Community Education Division provides custom-tailored training for a wide-variety of businesses and industry sectors. During 2013, the college is celebrating 50 years of student and community success.
About Transportation Impact
Transportation Impact is a parcel spend-management firm headquartered in Emerald Isle, N.C. Founded in 2008, the company offers parcel audit and carrier contract negotiation solutions to companies with a minimum net spend of $200,000 on FedEx and/or UPS parcel shipping services. For more information, visit www.transportationimpact.com.
Media contact:
Brandon Staton
(252) 764-2885
bstaton@transportationimpact.com
8002 Emerald Drive
Ste. B
Emerald Isle, NC 28594
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Duke Energy Progress has chosen a 320-acre section of the Middlesex Corporate Centre in the western edge of Nash County, N.C., to participate in the utility’s 2013 Site Readiness Program to prepare the location for potential industrial development.
Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program is designed to help communities served by the utility compete for new companies and jobs.
“The Site Readiness Program offers our area an outstanding opportunity to assist in diversifying our economy and adding jobs,” said John Gessaman, president and CEO, Carolinas Gateway Partnership. “It strengthens our ongoing efforts to attract industry and investments.”
More than 35 counties submitted applications for Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program in North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Nash County site was one of 10 North Carolina sites chosen by the utility.
“Since our merger with Progress Energy, our Business Development Team has focused on our new service area in the eastern part of the state. We look forward to working with local communities to recruit jobs and industries in counties like Nash,” said Stu Heishman, Duke Energy’s vice president of economic development.
As part of the six-month assessment, Duke Energy has hired McCallum Sweeney, a nationally known consulting firm, to conduct a site study. McCallum Sweeney has been instrumental in many high-profile industrial locations and expansions.
Duke Energy will work with professional land-use planners to develop conceptual plans for the site. Duke, McCallum Sweeney and the planners will present recommendations in a final report to Nash County leaders.
After the site’s state of readiness has advanced, Duke’s Business Development Team will actively market the site nationwide to companies looking to expand or relocate their operations.
“There are many factors that influence manufacturing companies considering a site location. Low-cost electric service and access to transportation infrastructure are always at the top of that list,” said John Nelms, Duke Energy’s economic development manager for Nash County.
“Duke Energy provides reliable, affordable electricity and Middlesex provides strategic access to the Research Triangle with major interstate arteries I-95 and Highway 264 East. It is 30 minutes from Raleigh and an easy drive to the airport,” said Nelms.
Ideal properties for Duke Energy’s site readiness program are 75 acres or larger, served by the utility. A qualified site can be suited either for a single, large industrial facility, data center, or potential industrial park (multi-tenant site).
Duke Energy’s program has been recognized by Southern Business & Development Magazine as one of the South’s top site readiness programs. Duke Energy’s overall economic development program has also been consistently named by the Site Selection Magazine as one of the nation’s “Top 10 Utility Economic Development Programs.”
For more information about Duke Energy’s economic development programs, visit www.considerthecarolinas.com.
Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com.
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=180
Federal Grant Stimulates Manufacturing Growth in Eastern Region
Kinston, NC – March 8, 2013 - North Carolina’s Eastern Region Development Commission (NCER) will assist in strengthening aerospace and automotive manufacturing in six counties. NCER is partnering with the NC Rural Economic Development Center, NCSU Industrial Extension Service and the NC Small Business & Technology Development Center to offer specialized support to current and new businesses with the aid of a federal grant.
The Obama administration recently announced 12 projects awarded Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator grants for the purpose of spurring job creation, accelerating innovation and expanding economic growth. The Rural Center received a $715,000 grant on behalf of the North Carolina consortium to promote development of the automotive and aerospace industries in Eastern North Carolina.
“This project is a great opportunity to assist smaller to mid-size firms find new ways to enter the supply chains of these growing regional clusters. It is also important to assist entrepreneurs in the region. The Eastern Region will be an essential partner to this being a successful project,” remarked Jason Gray, Director for the Office of Research & Innovation, NC Rural Economic Development Center.
The Region was awarded a $125,000 Innovation Grant by the Rural Center to assist the three entities with a long-term project to further develop a comprehensive network of industry support services. The focus will be on enhancing the aerospace and automotive manufacturing supply chain in Edgecombe, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt, Wayne and Wilson counties. The specific counties were targeted based upon a review of several economic indicators by the consortium. These two industrial clusters/sectors have experience growth in the region during the past three years. The arrival of Spirit AeroSystems at the Global TransPark, combined with the presence of the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center East on board MCAS Cherry Point, serve as two key drivers of the region’s aerospace industry. The automotive sector contains major parts suppliers from the US, Japan, and Europe and are typically involved in exporting as well as serving the domestic market.
This team will identify assistance needs in the first 6 months of the project. During this phase, NCER will convene automotive and aerospace advisory groups for the purpose of gaining an understanding of industry-related issues and opportunities. NCER will also assist in a SWOT analysis and identification of companies within the respective clusters.
The 2nd phase of the project will be carried out over the next 12 months, following the needs assessment period and will implement recommendations and findings by each advisory group. The consortium will provide free advisory and technical services to companies to improve efficiency of their operations, improved logistics/supply chains, and potentially assist with expansion of export opportunities. One major focal area will include identification and linkage between workforce development leaders and programs related to Career Readiness Certification and STEM which directly meet the needs of target industries. NCER will also partner with strategic allies to develop an entrepreneurial network to highlight opportunities and provide support to would-be entrepreneurs and micro companies and assist communities with concepts on how to develop entrepreneurial support programs.
Additionally, NCER will engage in business recruitment as well as expansion marketing to promote development of the automotive and aerospace clusters and companies. Involvement in domestic (and international) events and development of relevant promotional material that highlights the regional supply chain and assets will be the primary means of marketing.
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is a regional economic development agency serving 13 counties from I-95 to the coast. For information visit North Carolina’s Eastern Region website (www.nceast.org).
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By Michael Abramowitz
The Daily Reflector
Mayne Pharma Group Limited, a publicly held company based in Melbourne, Australia announced Thursday that it has agreed to a merger acquisition of Greenville-based Metrics Inc.
The local privately owned provider of contract development services to the pharmaceutical industry will be paid $105 million up front plus further earn-out payments of up to $15 million next year.
Metrics’ 56-year-old co-founder and chief executive Phil Hodges announced the merger to his 300 employees. He told them that their positions will remain secure after the merger and the company will continue the same day-to-day operations under the same brand. Metrics will continue to be led by its current senior management team and operate out of its existing Greenville facilities.
The only change to Metrics’ business will be new access to enhanced resources, operational best practices and intellectual capital, providing more opportunity for increased success for Metrics, Mayne Pharma and the customers the two companies serve, Hodges said.
“I’m committed to it,” he said. “I will be president of Metrics Inc., for the next 14 months and nothing really changes here except that we’ll now be an independently operated subsidiary of a public Australian company.
“Metrics has built a high quality operation over the past 18 years, with two different yet complementary faces: a contract services business and a niche generic product development business.” Hodges said. “Mayne Pharma offers a unique strategic fit for Metrics that will allow our combined companies to become a global specialty pharma and development services group.”
Mayne Pharma’s CEO Scott Richards agreed that Metrics is complementary to Mayne’s existing business in its products, services and the markets in which it operates.
“In addition to providing scale in the U.S. market, Metrics brings additional technical capabilities and cross-selling revenue opportunities,” Richards said. “We have known Metrics’ senior management team for some time and they have a solid track record of success in the U.S. generics industry.”
Closing of the acquisition remains subject to completion of financing arrangements by Mayne Pharma and approval of Metrics’ shareholders.
The acquisition was approved by Metrics’ board of directors on Monday. It will be finalized and take effect on Nov. 13, Hodges said.
Hodges stood next to Pitt County land developer Collice Moore Sr. after the announcement and credited him for much of the firm’s early success.
“Collice, Parker Overton and Harvey Lewis believed in me and what we were doing and helped us get this building up,” he said.
Moore said he noticed Hodges’ work ethic when the entrepreneur rented his first building from him.
“I didn’t think they would be there but three years and then be gone,” Moore said. “But I noticed they were already at work each day when I was on my way to work, and when I passed by on my way home, they were still there working. I’d go deer hunting and pass by at 6 a.m. on Saturday and they’d be here working. That aggravated me to see someone outworking me. So we invested our money in Metrics because we believed in the people here.”
Wanda Yuhas, director of the Pitt County Economic Development Commission, described Hodges as a visionary.
“He believed in the people of Pitt County and the possibilities for doing business here,” Yuhas said. “He could have taken this business to the (Research Triangle Park in Raleigh), but he believed he could make it successful right here.”
Hodges said the company had received offers from interested buyers in the past but he did not believe it was ready for sale until now.
“We were waiting for the right time and the right buyers,” he said. “Mayne was the right choice for us because there will be no duplication or overlap, just a synergy, a good fit.”
Hodges told his staff he will step aside from Metrics after his contract ends and relax more with his wife, but said he doesn’t plan to retire. As a self-described serial entrepreneur, he is involved with two startup medical device companies in RTP and a drug company.
The executive is a founder and board member of the new Bear Grass Charter School in Martin County and is chairman of the Bear Grass Educational Foundation.
Metrics was founded in 1994 as a contract analytical laboratory by Hodges, a former Burroughs-Wellcome scientist, and East Carolina University professor John Bray.
Mayne Pharma was founded in 1845 as F.H. Faulding & Co., with an intellectual property portfolio built around the optimization and delivery of oral dosage form drugs. It has launched and marketed numerous products through partnerships with licensees in various countries around the world.
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=173
Wayne County, NC – February 20, 2013 – North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER) is pleased to announce that Wayne County has become the first Certified WorkReady Community in North Carolina. Additional counties will be announced next month. The initiative, under leadership and direction from NCER was funded by the NC Rural Economic Development Center.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to declare Wayne County as a Certified WorkReady Community and we are eager to announce additional counties next month. NCER is committed to workforce development as a priority to attract and retain industry and strengthen the regional economy. Without a strong network of partners and funding from the NC Rural Center such an accomplishment would not be possible,” said Kathy Howard, Vice President for Workforce, North Carolina’s Eastern Region.
As a WorkReady Community, Wayne County has demonstrated a commitment to workforce excellence which is a testament to a comprehensive and collaborative approach to workforce development.
Communities are required to meet or exceed standards outlined at the start of the project. In addition to increasing the number of Career Readiness Certificates, a WorkReady Community increases its high school graduation rate, shows commitment from employers, and fosters collaboration between community representatives in business and education.
Such a designation will have real and immediate impact to the overall economy of Wayne County.
“The retention and recruitment of industry is extremely competitive, even more so today than in decades past. The communities that set themselves apart in the areas most important to the decision making process will win the day. Workforce is a huge deal in economic development and Wayne County gets that. To be formally recognized as a ‘Work Ready Community’ and the first in the state is going to keep Wayne County on the leading edge. It’s a recognition that we believe will result in more jobs and more investment for Wayne County,” remarked Joanna Helms, President, Wayne County Development Alliance.
Wayne County credits its success to its innovative WORKS (Wayne Occupational Readiness Keys for Success) program. Wayne WORKS is a collaborative initiative led by business training experts at Wayne Community College whose goal is to strengthen the region’s workforce through skills training and assessment.
For more information on Work Ready Communities please visit www.ncworkready.org.
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is a regional economic development agency serving 13 counties from I-95 to the coast. For information visit North Carolina’s Eastern Region’s website (www.nceast.org).
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=171
Kinston, NC – February 20, 2013 - North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER) is pleased to welcome NC Secretary of Commerce, Sharon Decker as the Keynote Speaker for the upcoming State of the Region. Appointed by Governor Pat McCrory in January 2013, Secretary Decker brings more than 30 years of experience in business and commerce to the position.
“We are pleased to have Secretary Decker join us for the NCER State of the Region. Her experience as a business and community leader will certainly enhance both the State and our region’s commitment to excellence in our economic development efforts. We are looking forward to her remarks and to developing a robust relationship in order to strengthen the economy of Eastern NC,” remarked Calvin Anderson, Chairman, NCER Board of Commissioners.
The 6th annual State of the Region will be held at the Greenville Hilton on March 14th from 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. As leaders in regional economic development, NCER takes this opportunity to report the past year’s growth, accolades, and challenges. Additionally, NCER highlights valuable initiatives which have seen significant growth or accomplishments in the previous year. This annual event hosts about 400 leaders in business, economic development, education, and elected officials from across the 13 county region.
In addition to Secretary Decker’s keynote, the event will welcome 2 panels. Leaders in the logistics industry will discuss current trends and opportunities and partners who have played a vital role in transforming education will discuss the role of business in education. The Region will also recognize counties that have achieved all the goals necessary to be recognized as ‘WorkReady Community.’
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is a regional economic development agency serving 13 counties from I-95 to the coast. For information visit North Carolina’s Eastern Region website (
www.nceast.org).
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=172
ContactKathy HowardVice President, Client Development - North Carolina's Eastern Region
howard@nceast.org
www.nceast.org
nbsp;
3802 NC 58 N
Kinston, NC 28504
General InformationAddress: 3886 US 258/ NC 24
Jacksonville, NC 28540
County: Onslow
Former Use: land
Type of Location: Stand-Alone
Industrial/Business Park: Onslow County N.A. Burton Industrial Park
Availability & PriceAvailable Acreage: 735.00
Sales Price: $20,000
AccessRailPotential for Rail: No
Distance to Rail: 3.26 mi
Highway258 - .55 miles
Interstate40- 29.6 miles
Closest International ServiceWilmington Intl - 49.55 mi
Closest Commercial or General Aviation
Albert J. Ellis - 11.93 mi
PortPort of Morehead City - 46.39 mi
Community College
Coastal Carolina CC - 5.89 mi
4-Year College or University
UNC Wilmington - 48.43 mi
UtilitiesElectricity
Service Provider: Progress Energy
Natural Gas
Service Provider: Piedmont Natural Gas Company
Telecommunications
Service Provider: CenturyLink
WaterService Provider: ONWASA
Waste WaterService Provider: City of Jacksonville
Contact
Kathy HowardVice President, Client Developement - North Carolina's Eastern Regionhoward@nceast.orgwww.nceast.orgKinston, NC 28504
Read Full Press Release
Burton Shell Building
Contact
Kathy Howard
Vice President, Client Developement - North Carolina's Eastern Region
howard@nceast.org
www.nceast.org
(800) 474-8499
(252) 522-2400
3802 NC 58 N
Kinston, NC 28504
General Information
Address: 485 W.C. Jarman Drive
Jacksonville, NC 28540
County: Onslow
Former Use: N/A
Type of Location: Industrial Park
Zoning: Heavy Industrial
Availability & PriceAvailable Square Feet: 50,000
Sales Price: $1,600,000
AccessRailPotential for Rail: No
Distance to Rail: 1.2 mi
Highway17 - .95 miles
Interstate40- 32.84 miles
Closest International ServiceWilmington Intl - 51.28 mi
Raleigh-Durham - 123.28 mi
Closest Commercial or General Aviation
Albert J. Ellis - 15.17 mi
PortPort of Morehead City - 44.68 mi
Port of Wilmington - 59.28 mi
Community College
Coastal Carolina CC - 3.72 mi
4-Year College or University
UNC Wilmington - 50.17 mi
East Carolina University - 72.14 mi
UtilitiesElectricity
Service Provider: Progress Energy
Natural Gas
Service Provider: Piedmont Natural Gas Company
Telecommunications
Service Provider: CenturyLink
WaterService Provider: ONWASA
Waste WaterService Provider: City of Jacksonville
Contact
Kathy HowardVice President, Client Developement - North Carolina's Eastern Regionhoward@nceast.orgwww.nceast.org(800) 474-8499(252) 522-24003802 NC 58 NKinston, NC 28504
http://nceast.org/modules/news/index.php
GOLDSBORO, NC – The Wayne County Development Alliance and Governor Bev Perdue announced today that Balfour Beatty Rail, Inc. is expanding its operations in Goldsboro, Wayne County, NC. This expansion will lead to the creation of 29 new jobs and a $1 million investment in Wayne County. Balfour Beatty Rail currently employs more than 50 people at its Goldsboro facility. Salaries will vary by job function, but the average salary for the new positions will be $43,000, plus benefits which exceeds the average annual wage of $31,512 in Wayne County. The expansion will be funded in part by a $60,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.The One North Carolina Fund grant does require a 100% local match by a unit of local government. The County of Wayne and the City of Goldsboro are each considering a $30,000 match to fulfill the requirement pending public hearings which will be scheduled by the County of Wayne and the City of Goldsboro.
Balfour Beatty Rail’s expansion addresses the growing demand for mass transit construction opportunities around the U.S. These include systems such as the Charlotte Light Rail System and the recently awarded Charlotte Street Car System. Balfour Beatty Rail will need additional resources in the form of project engineers, project managers, document control, CAD and manufacturing personnel to support this demand.The current expansion will support Balfour Beatty’s Traction Power Group which was acquired in 2010. Balfour Beatty Rail provides design, engineering, construction and maintenance services for public and private railroad markets. Headquartered in Atlanta, it is part of Balfour Beatty plc, a global engineering, construction, services and investment organization specializing in large infrastructure and building programs. Balfour Beatty Rail’s Traction Power Group manufactures electrical components for the public transit industry, including light rail and streetcars.
Mike Haney, VP/Existing Industry Specialist with the Wayne County Development Alliance, stated, “We have watched Balfour Beatty grow their operations in Goldsboro for some time now. Balfour Beatty’s commitment to Wayne County is a testament to the relationship that exists between their leadership, the Development Alliance, the City of Goldsboro, and the County of Wayne. We value them not only because of what they do but because of who they are.”
Chuck Allen, Board member of the Wayne County Development Alliance and Goldsboro City Council member stated, “Transportation and infrastructure are very important to the success of industry in Wayne County. To have an industry that provides support to the transportation sector like Balfour Beatty is a big deal for Wayne County. The City of Goldsboro welcomed the opportunity to partner in this project to help existing industry. And the new jobs created by this existing industry add to the Development Alliance’s strategic plan of overall job creation."
*Press release written by Wayne County Development Alliance. The original document can be found here.
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=158
GOLDSBORO, NC – The Wayne County Development Alliance, Inc. and Governor Bev Perdue announced today that ACX Pacific Northwest, Inc. will locate a new facility in Wayne County. The company plans to create 38 jobs and invest $4.7 million over the next three years in Goldsboro. ACX plans to renovate and lease the former 158,400 square foot Carolina Tobacco Warehouse located on Jeffreys Lane.
ACX Pacific Northwest, founded in 1978, is headquartered in Bakersfield, Calif. The company is a leading supplier of long-fiber forage and roughage products including alfalfa hay, timothy hay, Sudangrass, oat hay and grass hay. Its products are sold to the dairy, beef, horse, camel, goat and animal feed industries located in Asia and the Middle East. ACX plans to purchase hay products, such as Bermuda grass, directly from North Carolina farmers.
The project was made possible in part by a $60,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The One North Carolina Fund grant requires a 100% local match by a unit of local government. The County of Wayne is considering a $60,000 match to fulfill the requirement, pending the scheduling of a public hearing to address the issue Joanna Helms, President of the Wayne County Development Alliance stated, “This was a fast paced project and the company made a fairly quick, yet thoughtful decision. The consideration by the County of Wayne regarding the One NC grant and the cooperative efforts by the City of Goldsboro concerning the building renovations were the tipping points to get this project located here.”
Grey Morgan, Chairman of the Wayne County Development Alliance stated, “ACX is a sound addition to our industrial community. In addition to the 38 direct new jobs, there will be multiple indirect jobs created for bailing crews, farm laborers, trucking personnel and more. In this continued tough economy, the Development Alliance is grateful ACX chose Wayne County in which to locate their first East Coast operation.”
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=159
South Park Shell Building
Contact
Kathy HowardVice President, Client Development - North Carolina's Eastern Region
howard@nceast.org
www.nceast.org(800) 474-8499
(252) 522-2400
3802 NC 58 N
Kinston, NC 28504
Descrpition: 24,000 Clear Span, 24 ft clear on eaves, 29 fr clear on center, 33 ft clear on back side, interior-clear span, split-face
General Information
Address: 183 South Park Drive
Wallace, NC 28466
View South Park Shell Building in a larger map County: Duplin
In City Limits: Yes
Former Use: New
Shell/Spec: Yes
Building Type: Industrial
Type of Location: Business Park
Industrial/Business Park: South Park Business & Industrial Center
Zoning: Industrial
Expandable: Yes
Availability & Price
Available Sq Feet: 24,000
Sales Price: $650,000
Terms: Lease negotiable
Access
RailDistance to Rail: 2.32 miles
Highway 117 - 2.19 miles
Interstate
40 - .61 miles
Closest International Service
Wilmington International - 36.48 miles
Raleigh-Durham International - 101.58 miles
Closest Commercial or General Aviation Henderson Field - 4.16 miles
Duplin County - 19.65 miles
PortPort of Wilmington - 47.2 miles
Port of Morehead City - 86.52 miles
Community College
James Sprunt CC - 18.19 miles
Sampson CC -34.01 miles
4 Year College or UniversityMount Olive College - 36.6 miles
UNC-Wilmington - 39.26 miles
Building Features
Year Built: 2008
Center Ceiling Height: 28 feet
Doors: 2 - Dock High - 8 X 10 feet
Roof: Metal with R10 insullation
Exterior Wall Material: 4" masonry
Framing System: Metal studs with insulation
Utilities
ElectricityService Provider: Electric Cooperative
TelecommunicationsService Provider: CenturyLink
WaterService Provider: Duplin County
Waste WaterService Provider: Town of Wallace
Contact
Kathy HowardVice President, Client Development - North Carolina's Eastern Region
howard@nceast.org
www.nceast.org(800) 474-8499
(252) 522-2400
3802 NC 58 N
Kinston, NC 28504
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=156
Kingsboro-Rose Certified Mega Site
Contact
Kathy HowardVice President, Client Development - North Carolina's Eastern Region
howard@nceast.org
www.nceast.org(800) 474-8499
(252) 522-2400
3802 NC 58 N
Kinston, NC 28504
General Information
Address: Rocky Mount, NC
County: Edgecombe
Former Use: Agriculture
Type of Location: Stand-Alone
Zoning: M-3 (Industrial)
Availability & Price
Available Acerage: 1,307
Sales Price: $18,000
Terms: per acre
Access
RailService Provider: CSX Transportation, Inc.
Potential for Rail: Yes
Distance to Rail: 0.57 miles
Highway 64 - 0.53 miles
Interstate
95 - 13.69 miles
Closest International Service
Raleigh-Durham International - 73.92 miles
Closest Commercial or General Aviation Tarboro-Edgecombe County - 7.93 miles
Wilson Industrial Air Center - 26.44 miles
PortPort of Norfolk - 112.94 miles
Port of Morehead City - 113.56 miles
Community College
Edgecombe CC - 7.89 miles
Nash CC - 15.32 miles
4 Year College or UniversityNC Wesleyan College - 11.69 miles
East Carolina University - 29.28 miles
Utilities
ElectricityService Provider: Electric Cooperative
Distance to Transmission System: 0.5 miles
Distance to Closest Substation: 0.5 miles
Natural GasService Provider: Piedmont Natural Gas
TelecommunicationsService Provider: CenturyLink
WaterService Provider: Edgecombe County
Waste WaterService Provider: Edgecombe County
Contact
Kathy HowardVice President, Client Development - North Carolina's Eastern Region
howard@nceast.org
www.nceast.org(800) 474-8499
(252) 522-2400
3802 NC 58 N
Kinston, NC 28504
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=157
Rocky Mount - Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, on behalf of Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Draka Elevator Products, a manufacturer and reseller of products for the elevator market, will expand its operations in Nash County. The company plans to create 67 jobs and invest more than $3.1 million over the next three years. The project was made possible in part by a $100,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
"My first priority is creating jobs," said Gov. Perdue. "Our customized job training programs and skilled workforce have created a strong business climate that allows manufacturers to thrive in a global economy."
Draka Elevator Products, headquartered in Rocky Mount, manufactures, sells and services products to the elevator market with a market footprint in North America, Brazil, Europe and China. Draka Elevator is part of a group of companies operating under the Prysmian Group umbrella (an Italian based company). As a part of the expansion, the Rocky Mount facility will begin producing specialized cables for cellular communication towers. Draka Elevator currently employs more than 130 people in North Carolina.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $36,708, plus benefits. The Nash County average annual wage is $34,112.
"Draka is extremely appreciative in this investment in the growth of our business and we are proud to receive this grant enabling us to create additional jobs here in Rocky Mount." says Sterrett Lloyd, President Draka Elevator Products.
"It speaks volumes for the business environment in Nash County when companies like Draka commit to expand here. A project like this one is so important for our citizens and our local economy. We are pleased to be able to play a part in their decision to stay and grow right here in Nash County" stated Fred Belfield, Chairman of the Nash County Board of Commissioners.
"This confirms the wise investment of our partners in the Carolinas Gateway Partnership. This is further proof that the Partnership is working. The expansion of Draka, and their commitment to Nash County is very important to our local economy. We have to continue to assist our existing industries, it is their presence in the community that keeps us going " said Carolinas Gateway Partnership Chairman, Frank Harrison.
The Carolinas Gateway Partnership, Inc. is a coalition of over 100 public and private sector investors from Nash County, Edgecombe County, the City of Rocky Mount, the Town of Tarboro, and the Town of Nashville. For more information about the Partnership, call 252-442-0114, or email to cgp@econdev.org.
For more information, please contact:
John Gessaman, President and CEO or Krista Ikirt, VP Nash County of the Carolinas Gateway Partnership
(252) 442-0114
Or
Sterrett Lloyd Draka Elevator Products
252-972-6017http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=155
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CSX Corporation today announced that the Kingsboro Industrial Sites inEdgecombe County, North Carolina, are the first recipients in the state to receive CSX Select Site designation. CSX's Select Sites program reviews manufacturing and distribution development sites along the CSX network that can rapidly utilize freight rail service. This designation confirms that standard land use issues have been addressed and that the site is ready for development. "Through Select Sites, we can provide increased speed to market and lower up-front development risk for companies seeking industrial property for manufacturing operations," said Clark Robertson, assistant vice president, regional development, CSX. "This program helps communities identify sites that can compete effectively for new investments and job creation." "The Kingsboro Industrial Sites are a rare find," said Jonathan Gemmen, location consultant, The Austin Company. "With increasing demand for rail services, we were surprised to see this available group of large, rail-served industrial sites adjacent to an interstate quality highway. The sites are flat and cleared, and the utilities are adjacent to the property with ample capacity." CSX introduced the Select Sites program in January to better serve customers in their own backyards by adding rail transport access routes for some of the premier manufacturing properties in the eastern U.S. CSX partnered with The Austin Company, a nationally-known site selection and certification consulting firm, to screen candidate sites and assist communities with the application and certification process. To receive CSX Select Site designation, the location must meet a rigorous list of criteria. Once certified, the sites are also featured on a new user-friendly web portal featuring press releases, promotional materials and direct marketing to site selection professionals. CSX would like to thank the Carolina Gateway Partnership, Edgecombe County, Edgecombe-Martin Cooperative, Golden Leaf Foundation, and NC Eastern Region for their financial support to complete the Select Site work. In addition to the Kingsboro Industrial Sites, CSX has certified six other sites located in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and South Carolina. To learn more about CSX Select Sites online, visit: http://www.csx.com/index.cfm/customers/new-to-csx-or-rail/regional-development/site-search/csx-select-sites/. About CSX CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the nation's leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. CSX's network spans approximately 21,000 miles, with service to 23 eastern states, theDistrict of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. CSX's network connects more than 240 short line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us onFacebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX). SOURCE CSX Corporation Carla Groleau, +1-877-TELL-CSX |
http://investors.csx.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=92932&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1763927&highlight
Trenton, NC – November 1, 2012 – After deliberation between 26 sites in Eastern North Carolina (ENC), Beer Army is excited to call Trenton home to their new brewery. As a philanthropist organization, Beer Army believes the brewery will have a much larger economic and social impact in Trenton and Jones County as compared to other towns and large cities in ENC. The site will be in the Trenton industrial park located in Jones County which opened in 2002.
The building is located on Industrial Park Drive just outside Trenton and is a 10,500 square foot facility, including a laboratory area that will be used as a yeast lab which will be the first one of its kind for any brewery in the state. In addition, the brewery will create 18 to 24 jobs with Beer Army spending over $2.7 million over the next 5 years.
Within the brewery there will be a fully operational tap room with Beer Army Combat Brewery Beer being offered to drink onsite. Beer will also be available for purchase directly from the brewery for off-site consumption. There will be brewery tours on weekends so citizens will have a chance to come and see the brewing process first hand.
Beer Army will start in December thanks to over $300,000 worth of building renovations provided by the Jones County Economic Development Commission to get the building ready to brew beer. The Beer Army Combat Brewery plans to produce 1,200 barrels of beer in the first year and ramp up to 15,000 barrels of beer by the fifth year of operation.
Brewing Officer, Jeff Brungard, recently finished schooling at the Siebel Institute of Technology and World Brewing Academy in Chicago. Siebel is America’s oldest brewing school, educating for 140 years and is considered by many as the top brewing school in the world. He is currently studying at the world famous Doemens Academy, Germany’s most popular brewing school located in Munich and will be back in December to start work with the brewery. Jeff is an award winning home brewer that has brewed for almost two decades and recently retired from the Marine Corps this past summer with over 28 years of service.
Beer Army believes that the Trenton brewery site will broaden the company’s sphere of influence in ENC. Over the past three years, Beer Army has provided over $1.2 million of economic impact and donated nearly $80,000 to local charities and will continue to create synergy between Beer Army and the community around us.
Beer Army will continue to operate the Beer Army Outpost in James City/New Bern and plans are in place to open up two more Beer Army Outpost stores in Eastern North Carolina within the next two years.
Additional information about Beer Army can be located on their website at BeerArmy.com.
The Redesign of the 80 MY Offers a New Layout and Many New Standards
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NEW BERN, N.C. (Oct. 22, 2012) – Hatteras Yachts is pleased to present the redesigned
80 Motor Yacht (MY). The new 80 MY retains key elements that have made it one of Hatteras’ most successful motor yachts; offering a new and improved layout, and additional standards and options.
Exterior modifications to the 80 MY present those who observe a new look, and those on board a new feel. The relocation of the arch on the flybridge, gives the 80 MY a rakish and sporty profile. Large portlights, centered between two horizontal portlights on each side, offer a change in styling compared to the previously used vertical portlights. Also new to the exterior is a standard riding seat on the bow deck, offering additional comfort and relaxation.
From the salon and galley to the companionway and sleeping quarters, adjustments to its interior layout improve volume, functionality and comfort. Side-by-side berths are now standard in lieu of bunks in the starboard stateroom, and the crew area now features a new “lounge” layout, making the space a comfortable and welcoming retreat.
The new feel within the 80 MY goes beyond layout, featuring aesthetic changes as well as appliance and amenity upgrades. Stone showers with frameless shower doors provide a home-like impression, and now come standard in the master and guest heads. In addition to the stylish shape change of the master stateroom portlights, new portlights have been added to the bow and starboard guest staterooms; improving the allowance of natural light, supplementary to the standard LED lighting.
“There is no doubt that the general effect of the design change introduced aboard the 80 MY is greater than the sum of its parts,” says John Ward, senior vice president of global sales and marketing for Hatteras and CABO Yachts. “We are extremely excited to present the redesigned 80 Motor Yacht in both our current and developing markets.”
Hatteras is pleased to debut this exciting redesigned model at the upcoming Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show which begins on October 25th and runs through October 29th.
About Hatteras
Hatteras Yachts, a unit of Brunswick Corporation, is recognized as a world leader in the construction of convertible sportfishing and luxury motor yachts. Based in New Bern, N.C., Hatteras began production of its first model in 1959 and pioneered the production of large offshore fiberglass powerboats. Hatteras builds luxury motor yachts from 60 to 100 feet and sportfishing convertible yachts from 54 to 77 feet. For more information, visit www.HatterasYachts.com.
About Brunswick Corporation
Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., Brunswick Corporation endeavors to instill "Genuine Ingenuity"(TM) in all its leading consumer brands, including Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrives and inboard engines; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood marine parts and accessories; Land 'N' Sea, Kellogg Marine, and Diversified Marine parts and accessories distributors; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Brunswick Commercial and Government Products, Cabo Yachts, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris FloteBote, Hatteras, Lowe, Lund, Meridian, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Trophy, Uttern and Valiant boats; Life Fitness and Hammer Strength fitness equipment; Brunswick bowling centers, equipment and consumer products; Brunswick billiards tables and foosball tables. For more information, visit http://www.brunswick.com.
Contact:
Hatteras Yachts
Brent Barkley, Director of Marketing & Product Portfolio
110 N. Glenburnie Road
New Bern, North Carolina 28560
(252) 634-4856
www.HatterasYachts.com
Greenville, NC (October 18, 2012) – The Biggins Lacy Shapiro study, delivered today at 3:00, provides data concerning life sciences economic development in Pitt County. According to Pitt County Development Commission staff, not only will the recommendations of the report have immediate impact on their industry targets, they will provide direction for reviewing the Commission’s short and long term strategies and its program of work.
“The Development Commission tracks many studies and analyses, including the Eastern Region’s Young Professionals Study and Target Industry Clusters, NC Biotechnology Center’s ‘30 (billion in ag-bio) in 10 (years)’, and the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge project on community art,” says Executive Director Wanda Yuhas. “Those reports, along with this one, and events like the recent Entrepreneurial Summit and the Brody School of Medicine’s ‘Conversations for Creating the Future’ set the stage for our Board to refresh our mission and implement new programs and new ways of doing our work.”
The report outlining the results of a biotechnology competitive positioning analysis for Pitt County and North Carolina’s Eastern Region is the result of a seven month long study commissioned by the Pitt County Development Commission. The Commission received a $42,000 Regional Development Grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to launch a study to determine specific targets for which Pitt County has the best chance for successful development and recruitment within the scope of the life sciences industry.
“The NC Biotech Center and its staff have been very supportive as we continue our efforts to enhance the life sciences industry in the Eastern Region, and the Pitt County Development Commission extends sincere thanks for the grant that made this analysis possible,” says Kelly Andrews, Associate Director and project director for the grant.
The intensive effort to determine sector-relevant strategies for indigenous growth and business attraction efforts in the life sciences industry included roundtable meetings, interviews and site visits with various industrial, educational, healthcare and economic development partners. A comparison of several peer markets was also conducted. Much of the research is also applicable to other industry and business sectors and makes connections among many organizations.
“The life sciences cluster is an important and growing sector within our region, employing about 5,000 people at above average wages in development and manufacturing,” says John Chaffee, President, North Carolina’s Eastern Region. “Evaluating a community's relative regional and competitive position in a national context is critically important to guiding well-informed decisions on pathways to quality growth.”
Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company, headquartered in Princeton, NJ, performed the analysis. The firm has provided professional expertise in geographic economics and the development of successful location strategies for over 25 years. The effort was led by Andy Shapiro, the firm’s location economics advisor and Pat Larrabee, President, Facility Logix.
PITT COUNTY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
111 S. WASHINGTON STREET | P.O. BOX 837
GREENVILLE, NC 27835-0837 | 252-758-1989 | 800-548-4153
© 2012 PITT COUNTY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=151
Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in rebounding from an economic recession. In fact, tough economic times serve as a motivation for many to consider starting a new business. “We often find that challenging times spur entrepreneurship as people look for different ways to get out and make money or create a position for themselves in the business community when, for instance, companies merge and people get forced out,” said John Chaffee, President & CEO of North Carolina’s Eastern Region.
Eastern NC understands entrepreneurship is key to long term economic vitality. That’s why likeminded partners came together in Greenville this past Tuesday, October 2nd to present the Eastern NC Entrepreneurship Summit. ECU's Entrepreneurial Initiative with support from the Colleges of Business and Technology & Computer Science and North Carolina’s Eastern Region Economic Development Partnership hosted the event. Event sponsors included the Small Business Technology Development Center, the Eastern Office of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Greenville Utilities Commission, Pitt County Economic Development Commission, the City of Greenville, North Carolina’s Northeast Economic Development Partnership, Business Link North Carolina and McDonnel Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, LLP.
Over 100 attended the event which was highlighted by Dr. Randy Goldsmith. Dr. Goldsmith brought an extensive history of success in entrepreneurship. Most notably Dr. Goldsmith aided innovation-led and technology-based economic development, commercialization and capital formation efforts. He has directly assisted more than 1,000 entrepreneurs in their efforts to launch new companies. He has also participated in the creation and management of five investment funds totaling $20 million for startup ventures. His business principles are grounded in more than twenty years of corporate and small business experience as a founding entrepreneur and CEO in multiple settings. Entrepreneurial support organizations in the U.S. and throughout the world have adopted his venture coaching methods.
The event included tracks for both entrepreneurs and community and economic developers. Topics ranged from, “Accelerating Your Go to Market Strategy,” to “Money Saving Ideas and Lessons Learned.” Bill Whitley, the founder of three successful startups and author of “The Rainmaker” along with a panel of local entrepreneurs were among other speakers. The event, which received rave reviews from those in attendance, served the purpose of building a stronger local and regional economy by connecting resources to entrepreneurs and beginning what stakeholders hope will be a culture of excitement and optimism regarding local start-ups.
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 31, 2012 1:46 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- "Andy" is headed overseas.
Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes and Fries founder and owner Kenney Moore Monday afternoon announced that Al Rumaithy, an international company based in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, has committed to 15 restaurants in that country and has an option for another 70 restaurants in the Middle East.
The company also has options for restaurants in North Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
The restaurants are known for their iconic 1950s theme, wait staff running to open doors for customers and classic American fare of cheeseburgers and fries -- things, that along with the company's business philosophy, attracted Al Rumaithy, Moore said.
"They are actively seeking locations right now," Moore said. "In fact, they have two or three in mind that they are preparing to act on already. If all goes well, this is probably a four-to-six-month process and we will have a restaurant open in the Middle East."
The announcement comes just months after the company's name was changed from Andy's Burgers, Shakes and Fries to avoid a potential legal battle over the federal trademark for the name "Andy's" that arose as the company prepared to expand into other states.
The company will continue to operate out of its headquarters in the Mount Olive Industrial Park just north of town.
"I don't have any desire to go anywhere else," Moore said.
In February, Moore announced the company would add nearly 300 stores and 6,000 employees as it expanded into Virginia, South Carolina and Florida over the next six to seven years.
Moore opened his first restaurant in Berkeley Mall in Goldsboro in 1991, naming it after his son, who was 18 months old at the time. It had grown to 100 restaurants across North Carolina when the expansion was announced.
"We started our expansion over a year ago now moving outside the boundaries of North Carolina," Moore said. "We have been specifically interested in the Southeast. We have been blessed to sign up Florida, Virginia, western North Carolina and South Carolina. Recently we also added Ohio to that mix. We sold the rights to 50 locations in Ohio with the first one hoping to open in Cincinnati by year's end."
The new stores out of state are doing extremely well and the company has received numerous inquiries, he said.
"Well, we started getting these emails," Moore said. "We have received a bunch from international individuals and most, of course, we haven't responded to. But this company out of Abu Dhabi continued to not only email us, but call us.
"So Guy Gutherie, who is the head off my franchise sales, came in the office and said, 'Kenney, what do you want me to do about this?' I said, 'Call them back and just see who they are and what they are interested in.' Long story short, they were very interested in our concept. They really, really loved the fact that we are an all-American concept -- burgers, shakes, fries. It is '50s-themed. It just captivated their idea of what America was all about in a sense."
Huseyin Sevket, a consultant for Al Rumaithy, traveled 27 hours to get to Mount Olive to meet with Moore and company officials, and to visit the Crabtree Valley Mall restaurant in Raleigh.
"He left here hopefully impressed with what he saw because within a day or two of getting back to Abu Dhabi, he sent us a memorandum of intent which basically said they wanted to do business with us," Moore said. "There have been more discussion since then and they have committed to 15 stores in the United Arab Emirates.
"They also have an option to be the master franchisee in the rest of the Middle East for an additional 70 locations that they have identified that they can do. It was kind of interesting when I asked them why they didn't want to commit to the full 85 upfront, he said, 'Well with what is going on in Egypt right now, for instance, we are not sure what direction that country is going to go whether it is going to continue to move forward in sort of a western sense or move backward.'"
The company is still addressing the issue of logistics and finding sources for products to use, he said.
The menu and taste will be the same, although Moore joked that he might have to share his burger seasoning recipe.
"It is not quite Col. Sanders, but I hold onto it," Moore said. "The only menu difficulty we have identified to this point other than logistically sourcing products over there, is obviously no pork -- no bacon, no ham and cheese in the Middle East but everything else translates."
There is even a sense of camaraderie from the business side, Moore added.
"As businessmen they are a lot like I am in the sense we shook hands. If they trust you, just like me, if I trust somebody, a handshake is really all I need. I don't need it wrapped up in a thousand pages of documents to do what I say I am going to do. They do the business very much the same way. It matters to them, character matters and being in business with people they trust matters as much as anything drawn up by the attorneys."
Moore said Sevket was hired by the company to develop Hwy 55 for the Middle East.
"He has done this before. It not his first American concept taken to the Middle East," Moore said. "It was very flattering that he said that after looking at our back-of-the-house stuff and our controls and stuff, he said that he had seen many concepts through the years that have pieces of what we have, but he had never seen one, especially one our size, to have all of the pieces in place.
"That is a real testament to my team here and the folks that I get to work with on a daily basis. They have done a wonderful job."
Opening a store in the Middle East is a long way from that first Andy's and there is a long way to go, too, Moore said.
"This could be a stepping stone into even more international type business as well," Moore said. "When I look back, I remember when we opened the Mount Olive store here in 1994. I didn't know how we would ever get to 20. Physically I thought I would collapse before we ever opened up our 20th restaurant.
"So, yeah, now the vision is a little different. I guess it is as big as your mind can conceive and believe you can do it and that is kind of where we are at. We want to figure this one out. We want to make sure that we can do it internationally and do it well and then the sky is the limit."
This publication copyright ©2012 Goldsboro News-Argus, all rights reserved.
http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2012/07/31/middle_east_getting_its_own_hwy_55_burgers/index.php
BY ANDREA WEIGL - AWEIGL@NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Dining options in Eastern North Carolina used to mean barbecue or Southern steam-table fare. Celebrating an anniversary meant venturing to a steakhouse.
Not anymore. A handful of bistros and upscale restaurants have sprouted from Wilson to Faison.
Now diners can choose from a 500-bottle wine list at On the Square in Tarboro. At Chef & The Farmer in Kinston, they can enjoy dishes prepared by a chef who was a semifinalist for best chef in the Southeast from the James Beard Foundation, the Oscars of the food world.
“These towns are really starting to bloom,” says Peter Edgar, who owns Quince in Wilson.
Edgar and others are changing the region’s culinary landscape, no easy feat in towns with double-digit unemployment and median household incomes around $35,000. They have succeeded by not only appealing to the locals but also attracting diners who’ll drive from the Triangle or stop on the way to the beach.
In these places, diners find menus that celebrate the seasons with locally grown asparagus and peaches, pork and chicken, line-caught fish and clams from Snead’s Ferry. They’re treated to staunchly Southern or eclectic menus at comparable prices to Triangle’s dining scene – a $7 lunch to a $25 entree. The only thing old-fashioned at these five restaurants is the warm Southern welcome offered by their chef-owners.
Chef & The Farmer
The rising star of this scene is Chef & The Farmer in Kinston, which recently reopened after suffering a fire that shut it down for four months. During that time, chef Vivian Howard was named a Beard award semifinalist.
When Howard was growing up, she couldn’t wait to leave Kinston. She went to boarding school as a teenager, graduated from N.C. State University and moved to New York to work in advertising. She soon grew bored writing copy about shampoo and quit. To make ends meet, she walked dogs and waited tables. Eventually she worked her way into the kitchen at Voyage under chef Scott Barton.
“You really saw her come into her own in the kitchen,” says Barton, who connected with Howard over a mutual interest in Southern food.
Howard, 34, earned a culinary degree and worked for such renowned chefs as Wylie Dufresne and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
At Voyage, Howard met her future husband, Ben Knight, 36, a waiter and artist. On their first trip to North Carolina to introduce him to her family, her dad, a commodity hog farmer, offered to help them open a restaurant anywhere in North Carolina.
They later realized that Howard’s dad had scoped out a location in downtown Kinston – the 100-year-old former mule stable their restaurant now occupies. They moved to Kinston in 2005 and opened their 75-seat restaurant in 2006.
Howard’s menu is Southern-focused. Her very popular blueberry barbecue chicken is a play on the Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce. (They plan to sell their bottled sauce soon.) She is also renowned for vegetable dishes, and her menu is stacked with updated Southern staples: creamed corn, squash casserole, watermelon and goat cheese salad.
Chef & The Farmer quickly garnered attention beyond Kinston. For the last three years, it earned a AAA Four Diamond Award. And the words that Greg Cox, The News & Observer’s restaurant critic, wrote in 2008 when he awarded them 4 1/2 of 5 stars still hold. He described Chef & The Farmer as “much more than just a stopover. It’s a worthy destination in its own right.”
The couple are continuing the culinary revitalization of this former tobacco town with plans to open an oyster bar with Mother Earth Brewing founder Stephen Hill next year.
On the Square
Inez Ribustello also was lured home by her father, a commercial real estate developer in Tarboro. In 2001, Ribustello and her husband, Stephen, were working at Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center. She was beverage director, and Stephen was a sommelier. After Sept. 11, the couple found new jobs in New York, but the restaurant business was struggling.
Her parents suggested the couple come to Tarboro for a break. While they were visiting, a woman asked if they’d like to buy her restaurant, On the Square. Inez, 36, and Stephen, 37, didn’t have the capital, but her father and a local doctor agreed to invest.
They opened in October 2002, with Inez working the front of the house and Stephen handling the kitchen.
Over the years, they have made the place their own. At first, they served breakfast and lunch, as their predecessor had done. Quickly, they ditched breakfast, and now they only serve lunch on weekdays. They started with a small plates menu on Thursday and Friday nights but eventually offered a full-service dinner menu.
Their menu is eclectic. “Stephen is half Greek, half Italian but he wishes he was Japanese,” Inez says. “That’s how we describe the menu.” That means diners can order panzanella, the Italian bread salad, and then a miso-glazed sea bass with fried rice. And just last month, the couple launched a sushi truck in downtown Tarboro.
“What the heck? We’re not in this for the money, so why not sushi?” she says.
So far, it’s been a hit. The first couple weeks, they sold out.
Quince
Peter Edgar graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, one of the nation’s best known chefs’ schools, in 1991. He worked in restaurants in the Northeast before traveling the world as a private chef on a yacht. He met his wife, Minshall Wainwright, in the Bahamas, and eventually she got him to move home to North Carolina.
Edgar, 48, worked at several restaurants in the Triangle, including Fearrington House, as his wife finished her MBA at Duke University. Eventually, the couple moved to Wainwright’s hometown of Wilson. After several years working in food service at East Carolina University, Edgar decided to launch a restaurant in Wilson; Quince opened in a former hardware store in 2008.
Edgar started as the restaurant’s chef, but now he runs the front of the house. The food ranges from comfort fare, such as pot roast manicotti, to Southern dishes, such as a pimento cheese plate and “squealin’ puppies,” spicy hushpuppies with sausage.
About the transformation of the region’s restaurant scene since he moved here in 1995, Edgar says, “I like the direction Eastern North Carolina dining is going.”
SoCo Farm and Food
Chef Jeremy Law and his wife, Kimberly Kulers, likely own North Carolina’s only farm-to-one-table restaurant. Last year, the couple converted an 1,800-square-foot garage on their 11-acre horse farm outside Wilson into a bed-and-breakfast that serves dinner four nights a week.
Law, 38, who most recently worked at Chef & the Farmer, offers a different dining experience. Except for one or two nights a month, guests can dine at SoCo Farm and Food only if they book a reservation for at least eight people. The first Friday of the month, guests can make a reservation to dine at the restaurant’s large communal table. Diners enjoy a four-course prix fixe meal of modern Southern food for $40. And since Law doesn’t have a liquor license, guests must bring their own wine if they wish to imbibe.
He aims for a modern take on Southern food with such dishes as a molasses-roasted tomato tart with a cheese straw crust or smoked natural beef short ribs with creamy herbed grits and a beer gravy.
Law is not only the chef but also the farmer. He grows cucumbers, melons, squash and tomatoes on a third of an acre. He harvests blueberries from about 50 bushes planted last year. And this year, he added several beehives, which Law says boosted the garden’s production.
“We’re starting to figure this gardening thing out,” Law says.
Southern Exposure
Sarah McColman and Joanie Babcock met in Charlotte; McColman, 64, was a schoolteacher, and Babcock, 55, was a chef. McColman, who grew up in Faison, never thought she’d move back to this one-stoplight town off Interstate 40, population: 979.
But Babcock, a Johnson & Wales graduate, had spent years working for others in the restaurant business and wanted to open her own place. “It would cost a lot of money to open a restaurant in Charlotte,” she says. And so, the couple looked at opening a restaurant in a former car dealership on Faison’s Main Street. They knew an upscale restaurant wouldn’t thrive without selling alcohol.
But Faison was a dry town. So the women got the issue on Faison’s ballot in November 2003. Voters would decide if restaurants could sell liquor by the drink. It passed, 84-63. McColman and Babcock opened Southern Exposure the next year.
Babcock’s menu aims to please a wide audience with rib-eye steaks, pork chops and fresh fish making regular appearances. There are hints of the South from buttermilk fried chicken salad to New Orleans barbecue shrimp but also a grilled Reuben sandwich and shrimp linguine.
Beyond lunch and dinner service, the restaurant hosts garden clubs and class reunions. On Sundays after church, the locals come. No one sits still at the table; everyone is up, chatting with everyone else in the room.
Babcock says, “This little restaurant is the civic center for Faison.”
Weigl: 919-829-4848
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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/28/2225080/eat-well-in-eastern-north-carolina.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/28/2225080/eat-well-in-eastern-north-carolina.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy
http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/28/2225080/eat-well-in-eastern-north-carolina.html#storylink=misearch
Farnborough, England – July 13, 2012 - Waking up at 5:30 a.m., out of the hotel by 7:00 a.m. and then a 2 hour 15 minute commute by subway, train and bus just to get to one of the world’s largest aerospace trade shows seems to be worth the effort and expense. A team representing North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER) spent the week at the Farnborough Air Show (FAS), outside London, meeting with officials from several companies and other regional organizations from the US and Europe. Joined by the NCER team were many other representatives from the state, including representatives from the Department of Commerce.
Senior Vice President, NCER Len Kulik organized meetings where preexisting relationships were already in place from previous shows and NCER joined with allies Nexson-Pruitt, ElectriCities and the Global TransPark in contracting with the Global Consulting Trust on an additional seven pre-scheduled meetings with UK companies interested in establishing a presence in the US.
“Some were follow-up meetings with CEOs that we met at Farnborough two years ago at the Le Bourget (Paris) Air Show last year, but we also had several first time meetings,” said John Chaffee, President & CEO of NCER. “Len did a great job coordinating with Russ to set up meetings at the show and we still ended up with a number of double bookings and had to split up.”
Several of the companies with pre-arranged appointments are actively engaged in a site search already. Expectations are that companies from Italy, Germany, Kansas and California will make a visit to the Region over the next 6 months. Visiting representatives will experience firsthand many of the unique attributes that makes the area an attractive location for aerospace companies and inspect local buildings and sites.
A key advantage to attending the show is a large audience of aerospace companies in a single location. One unplanned meeting happened with a company who is actively seeking a US presence, simply because an official walked up to the NCER trade show booth. Progress was also made on several existing relationships and endeavors from years past. The marketing reach into two vital aerospace clusters in Italy and Poland was strengthened which will make more prominent the assets of the region in these two locations. Additional interest was express by a Fortune 500 company headquartered in NC and a leading international site location consultant in NCER’s STEM East Initiative.
Even with attendance down slightly from two years ago, the Region is very pleased with the number of quality relationships and leads gained from their presence at the Air Show. Estimates place attendance just under 100,000. Attending on behalf of the Region were President & CEO, John Chaffee and Senior Vice President, Len Kulik.
The Work Ready program of North Carolina’s Eastern Region has reached its halfway point. All 13 counties are participating in a rigorous initiative aimed to align the region’s workforce with industry needs and to ensure that workers possess the appropriate skills to be successful employees. Several counties already have documented successes.
Kinston, NC – July 10, 2012 - North Carolina’s first Work Ready Communities program in the Eastern Region is midway through its demonstration phase. All thirteen counties in the region are working toward a Work Ready certification by increasing their high school graduation rate, Career Readiness Certificates (CRCs), and employer involvement. County leaders representing K-12 schools, community colleges, chambers of commerce, workforce development agencies, and various large and small businesses are driving this effort. County representatives last convened in Kinston in April to assess regional opportunities for employer engagement.
The Eastern Region’s Work Ready certification standards are the highest of states that have already adopted a Work Ready program. Georgia and Oklahoma established a statewide Work Ready program in 2006; at least four other states are also considering a similar program. Eastern Region counties are working toward a high school graduation goal of 80%, a Career Readiness Certificate goal of 25% of the labor force and to engage 10 of the county’s 20 largest employers in the CRC.
A couple of counties in the region are already close to earning a Work Ready certification by having met their high school graduation and Career Readiness Certificate requirements. All but five of the thirteen counties achieved their CRC requirement, and Lenoir, Pitt, and Wayne counties have more than ten employers committed to using the CRC. Wayne County leads the region in CRCs with almost one-third of the area’s total. Area businesses committed to the CRC are recognized on the program website www.ncworkready.org. The Eastern Region will announce eligible counties as early as the end of this year and at the end of the initiative in mid-2013. Soon companies committing to use CRC in hiring will have access to a job seekers portal for employees seeking jobs that possess a CRC.
The demonstration program is managed by the Eastern Region in partnership with the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board. Support for Work Ready Communities is provided by the North Carolina Rural Center. The Eastern Region provides grant funding to counties to support employer engagement events and to supplement CRC testing fees.
Steve Hill, Executive Director of NCER STEM East Initiative, will be a presenter at STEM Solutions, a national leadership summit. The three day summit, presented by U.S. News and STEM connector, will bring together business, education and government leaders who have long recognized the need to connect the dots between STEM education and careers. It will provide a forum for important conversation that will develop into action plans for our nation.
More than 50 key organizations representing industry and education have signed on as co-chairs to support STEM Solutions 2012 during this three-day summit, June 27-29, 2012, at the Dallas Sheraton Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Participants will explore solutions and define successes in science, technology, engineering and math education as a pathway to jobs.
Hill will join colleagues from across the nation during the 3 day event. He will give conference attendees a vantage point on how to bring together private industry, community partners and public education to create a cohesive network to strengthen STEM education.
“We are excited for the opportunity to share at a national level the successes of the STEM East network and the positive effects it has on STEM education and workforce development for North Carolina’s Eastern Region,” said Hill.
STEM East, a 2 year old partnership in Eastern North Carolina has taken a novel approach to STEM education and it has yielded strong results in several local middle schools. Partners include small business owners, major manufacturers, public education superintendents, pastors, economic developers government organizations, colleges, universities and community members.
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is an economic development agency representing 13 counties in Eastern North Carolina. For more information visit www.nceast.org or contact, Steven Pearce, Marketing & Communications Coordinator at pearce@nceast.org.
Contact: Dr. Ronald Hill, Managing Partner, MxBiodevices at RHill@mxbiodevices.com
Revolutionary Diabetic Ulcer Treatment Headed to Market
MxBiodevices, a Greenville, NC biotech company has received a $30,000 Company Inception Loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to aid in completing its business plan. MxBiodevices is on the fast track to the European marketplace and eventual commercialization in the US with a revolutionary new treatment for diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). By 2025 there is expected to be 330 million diabetics worldwide and every 30 seconds a lower extremity is amputated due to complications from a DFU.
MxBiodevices is pursuing its commercialization efforts in the fertile ground of Eastern North Carolina, an emerging hotbed of life science companies including: pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical product development and manufacturing. The technology behind MxBiodevices is a synthetic nanofiber scaffold that is injected under the ulcer bed which provides a healing environment for the patient’s own cells to initiate tissue regeneration. In contrast, current wound care products are topical applications that do not treat the underlying tissue. The technology has proven to be effective in a broad array of applications, including: tendon, bone and dermal wound repair, cosmetic surgery, and dental applications.
MxBiodevices’ cofounders, Dr. Ronald Hill, Dr. Francis Lamberti and Marilyn Thompson, who have combined nearly 60 years in biotechnology research and product development, were instrumental in the product development, manufacturing, clinical trials, regulatory approval, and successful commercialization for use in orthopedics and spine. Dr. Hill stated, “MxBiodevices will leverage this commercial success in orthopedics and spine to successfully commercialize the technology to treat DFUs. Greenville is the ideal location for us. There is significant investor support for life science start-ups; the Technology Center provides quality affordable space; and the Medical and Dental schools at East Carolina University (ECU) provide expertise and opportunity for collaboration.” Home to the Metabolics Institute at East Carolina, the University is renowned for its research into obesity and diabetes.
The next steps for MxBiodevices will be to gain approval to treat DFUs in the United States and Europe. Manufacturing capabilities are already in place and the technology has previously been approved for use for several applications in both the US and Europe. In place regulatory approvals, DFU clinical data and product manufacturing agreements will speed commercialization; current plans anticipate arrival in the European market in 2013 and in the US market within 3 years.
North Carolina’s Eastern Region is an economic development agency representing 13 counties in Eastern North Carolina. For more information visit www.nceast.org or contact, Steven Pearce, Marketing & Communications Coordinator at pearce@nceast.org.
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=144
Contact: Fred J. Taccolini, Chief Compliance Officer, Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc. at 906-225-5650 or fredtaccolini@pioneersurgical.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pioneer® Surgical Technology, Inc. Announces nanOss® Bioactive, Bone Void Filler Now
Available Internationally
nanOss Bioactive undergoes successful human implantation in Europe, opening doors to global
distribution.
Houten, The Netherlands – 29 May 2012 – Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc., a leader in
innovative medical devices, announces today the successful human implantation of nanOss
Bioactive in Europe. The nanOss Bioactive bone graft utilizes proprietary nanocrystalline
hydroxyapatite as well as a collagen-based biopolymer to promote bone growth in the posterolateral
spine.
This new product portfolio will be showcased during the 2012 Spine Week Conference in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on 28 May through 1 June.
Regarding Pioneer’s latest product introduction, Mr. Shane Ray, Executive Vice President-
Biologics for Pioneer stated, “Once again we are pleased to announce further geographic expansion
of our flagship product nanOss Bioactive. International expansion of our Biologics products is a
strategic activity for Pioneer Surgical and complements the Pioneer spine products that are already
available outside the United States.”
For more information regarding Pioneer’s Biologics product offerings, including nanOss
Bioactive, please visit the Pioneer Surgical website at www.pioneersurgical.com.
About Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc.
Pioneer Surgical, founded in 1992, is a dynamic, research-driven medical device company focused
on delivering highly differentiated spine, orthopedic, cardiovascular, and biologic products. Pioneer
is committed to the global advancement of innovative surgical technologies by designing products
that provide better patient outcomes, efficient procedures for surgeons and operating room staff, and
cost-effective solutions for the healthcare system.
Pioneer’s focus on innovation has resulted in over 130 U.S. and foreign patents, with numerous
patents pending and employs more than 270 people worldwide.
Pioneer’s European subsidiary was established in the Netherlands in 2006. Pioneer offers a full
range of spine products through several distributors throughout Europe.
For more information on Pioneer and its products, visit www.pioneersurgical.com.
U.S. Department of Education official Brenda Dann-Mesier was in the east Wednesday visiting a class in Craven County that has all the kids talking.
These 8th graders at Havelock Middle School have a new reason to be excited to come to class. In the hands-on interactive technology course, students focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. School officials say what they learn here, they'll take into the local workforce
"Hands on learning- it's rigorous and relevant and students are saying I like to work with my hands, its how I learn best," said Dann-Mesier.
The stem career investigation lab is offered in 4 counties, Craven, Jones, Lenoir, and Wayne.
For more information and to see a corresponding video visit: USDE Official Praises Havelock Middle Hands-On Technology Class
Senior U.S. Ed Official Visits North Carolina’s Eastern Region
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North Carolina’s Eastern Region hosted the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, Brenda Dann-Messier Wednesday, June 6th. Dann-Messier visited STEM Centers in Lenoir and Craven Counties and participated in roundtable discussions with students, teachers and public and private partners in both locations.
When discussing the purpose of her visit, the Assistant Secretary said, “The answers are not in Washington. The answers are on the ground with those who are doing it every day.” But even at the highest levels of government, leaders are recognizing the need to focus on Career and Technical Education (CTE). In his budget for 2013 President Obama has proposed 8 billion dollars for a college to career fund which would in part be used to develop partnerships between community colleges and business. An additional 1 billion dollars has been proposed to support career academics.
“We have to do a better job at preparing our students for STEM careers. We want to make sure business and industry is involved in this process,” said Dann-Messier. That is exactly what has taken place through STEM East the past few years. STEM East is partnering with private industries, government and community organizations, colleges and universities to promote the development of educational pathways and alignment of career opportunities.
Local business owner Tom Vermillion has played an integral role in the development of STEM East. “For the first time as an employer I was engaged in the education process,” said Vermillion.
Participating in the roundtable was Rick Davis of Spirit AeroSystems which recently opened a new facility at the GTP, near Kinston, has been a key industry ally. “When we decided to locate here, we knew that a skilled workforce would be a challenge in some areas,” said Davis. “Anyone who thought that the workforce issue couldn’t be overcome had not met the people,” Davis added.
Robust partnerships have been the key for STEM East. National attention and accolades are as routine as the demand for a sound workforce pipeline. Part of the success has been bringing employers to the table,” said John Chaffee, President & CEO of North Carolina’s Eastern Region. Chaffee went on to add that without funding from Golden LEAF and partners, the success of a regional approach would not be possible.
“We want processes you can incubate in one area and deploy it horizontally in all areas,” said Davis. Industry, community, education and government partners are all heavily invested in STEM East. “This is something that knits together economic development and educational development to make this a viable community,” said Julian Pridgen, local Pastor and STEM East board member.
STEM East is transforming how we think about education. “We do not want to work in silos anymore,” said Steve Hill, STEM East Executive Director. Without a regional approach which brings together all stakeholders, education reform remains segmented and disconnected from industry needs.
Lenoir County Superintendet, Steve Mazingo, is highly vested in the success of STEM East and praises accomplishments to date. “We have to get kids excited about what they are doing. We are right on the edge of something huge.”
Assistant Secretary Dann-Messier went on to add, “The partnerships you have are extraordinary. I plan to brag about all the good work you are doing here.”
http://www.nceast.org/modules/news/index.php?nid=141
| 04/01/2012 |
| STEM Education |  |
| Matt Frankenbery |
The desired long-term impact of STEM? Grow skills and boost the local economy
Business and industry leaders are getting onboard in hopes of having an impact
Science. Technology. Engineering. Mathematics.
Just hearing these words individually causes concern in many students. Bring the subjects together under the STEM umbrella, and student's ears begin to perk in curiosity. Implement an integrated, hands-on, relevant STEM program centered on career exploration, and hardly any student fails to hear the resounding message: "This is your future."
Engaging STEM activities take many shapes such as learning how the Pythagorean theorem applies in architecture and home design, exploring the relatively simple process of creating alternative energy by harnessing the wind, and testing a chemical formula in its proper everyday context.
At its best, that’s what STEM is – the integration and application of science, technology, engineering, and math in a relatable context that piques curiosity and builds a foundation for success at the next level, whether secondary education, skills training, college, or a career.
Hands-on, student-centered curriculum carried out through common equipment, materials, and software is a powerful means of capturing and keeping students’ attention. What student wouldn’t want to engineer a balsa bridge, construct and launch a water-propelled rocket, program a robot that they built, create physical models to simulate DNA and gene splicing, or calculate and compare densities of different substances? Even better, they can do all of these things in pairs, teams of four, or even groups of six to sharpen their cooperative learning skills.
Educators are in search of STEM curriculum solutions that engage students, are truly cross-curricular, and meet many of the Common Core State Standards. At the same time, they’re trying to implement programs that garner a stamp of approval from local business and industry leaders who have high hopes for their future workforce.
In the Eastern Region of North Carolina, education officials have done their homework by involving business and industry leaders in the selection of hands-on STEM and Algebra curriculum that eventually will benefit numerous school districts and cultivate 21st-century skills so desperately needed in the workplace.
Steve Hill, the executive director of STEM East (a branch of the economic development initiative known as the Eastern Region in North Carolina), is at the forefront of this innovative STEM push at the middle, high school, and postsecondary levels.
“Historically, education has worked in silos. What we’re trying to do is put all these people at the table, including universities, community colleges, and private business, and we’re trying to let the economy tell us what we need to be teaching,” Hill said. “We’re trying to adjust our track at the middle and high school arena and then align that with programs at the community colleges and universities.”
The anticipated end result is a homegrown workforce steeped in skills most needed in local factories, plants, offices, and construction sites. Local business leaders have been working closely with Hill, a former school administrator, to ensure that the proper STEM-based programs are set up in area middle and high schools. Tom Vermillion, Kinston, N.C. security systems business owner, heads up the STEM East board of directors and is quick to admit his personal interests also double as community concerns.
“If Lenoir County grows, that can help my business,” Vermillion said. “Individuals buy homes and need alarms. They have businesses that might need cameras and access control. Just the fact that we would not be a shrinking economy but a growing economy would help me.”
When comments like that are made in a room where career and technical education directors and other school administrators are present, the message does not fall on deaf ears. A recent addition to the industry lineup in Kinston is Spirit AeroSystems, an international aerospace leader. The company’s operations director, Rick Davis, quickly became a prominent figure in the education community, joining Vermillion and other business leaders in asking that students receive the skill exposure and training needed to hold engineering, assembly, design, and other positions in the company’s massive plant at the Global TransPark complex.
“We know that our future workforce right now is being educated within the school systems in Lenoir County, Green County, and Pitt County and will be attending the community colleges in the area and the colleges within the state,” Davis said. “We became very interested in any initiative to improve the technical skills within those school systems and university systems.”
As the acronym implies, STEM is cross-curricular and therefore requires buy-in from all spots in the academic lineup. With superintendents and principals fully supportive of the STEM East initiative, teachers are getting on board.
“I can tell you that from our math and science departments, this has been supported by everyone,” said Francis Altman, West Craven Middle School Principal. “There has not been a single teacher not excited and supportive about getting a STEM program into this school.”
The STEM program at West Craven and other middle schools in the region is composed of a select series of Pitsco Education topics through which students work in pairs to complete hands-on activities in topic areas such as electricity, biotechnology, forensic science, applied physics, alternative energy, robotics, and rocketry, among others. A Pitsco Algebra lab that takes a blended approach (concept and career focuses) also has been put in play at a regional middle school.
Strong student engagement is reflected in a lack of disciplinary issues and high rates of satisfaction from teachers and students alike. Says Haley, a seventh grader at Havelock Middle School: “It’s more fun; it’s more hands on than reading out of a book in science class. And it’s fun to work with somebody. It’s a lot easier than doing it by yourself.”
As the leader of the STEM East initiative, Hill says an overarching goal is to turn out students with strong 21st-century skills. “We want kids who have the ability to think through problems and do it on their own. This is what business leaders are asking. They’re not asking kids to come out knowing a different formula or to know these facts or to know what date this happened. They’re asking, ‘When you get a problem, can you evaluate the problem, work through it, and ask questions? Can you ask intelligent questions?’ They’re looking for these types of skills that kids in these labs have to develop to get through the modules and to work them out.”
The Tar Heel state, a first-round Race to the Top awardee, is not alone in seeking STEM excellence. Educators in neighboring South Carolina have been developing leading-edge programs for a few years, even seeding the fertile ground of elementary schools. Greenville Public Schools, the largest district in the state, opened community-based A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering two years ago. Curriculum Director Tom Roe was tasked with researching and implementing project- and inquiry-based engineering curriculum. Among his selections were LEGO® Education robotics and Pitsco crew-based Missions at which students work in crews of four.
“The LEGO units are building the foundation with knowledge and understanding of simple principles within science,” Roe said. “Then the kids in turn use that knowledge because they’re going to have to have it during the larger engineering units themselves. Everything actually builds, and it’s put in a particular sequence on purpose.”
As for the cooperative learning that is necessary when students work in teams of four, Roe noted, “Doing research and talking with engineering firms, that’s something they said they’re looking for. They’re looking for people who are team players and know how to collaborate, that have those skills.”
Regardless the level — elementary, middle, high school, or postsecondary — educators have the same endgame in mind when they implement a STEM solution: develop students’ skills and interests so they eventually feel confident in their ability to grow in a career that helps strengthen the local, regional, and state economies.
The all-important first step, though, is to establish and support a STEM program that engages students and helps them understand the relevance of their education.
Matt Frankenbery is the Director of Education for Pitsco Education, a leading provider of hands-on STEM curriculum, equipment, and materials. With more than 40 years of experience meeting the needs of educators across the U.S. and Canada, Pitsco serves about eight million students annually year through its catalog, curriculum, drafting, and LEGO Education solutions. Learn more at
www.pitsco.com.
Read more at http://seenmagazine.us/articles/article-detail/articleid/2023/the-desired-long-term-impact-of-stem-grow-skills-and-boost-the-local-economy.aspx
Senator Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the NC General Assembly was in Kinston at North Carolina’s Eastern Region on Tuesday, May 15th to discuss his education reform bill. The Excellent Public Schools Act strives to improve student literacy, raise graduation rates, increase accountability in the classroom, reward effective teachers and give parents the tools to make more informed decisions about their children’s education.
Berger spoke to a group of Chamber of Commerce Executives from across the 13 county territory of North Carolina’s Eastern Region. Also in attendance were Senators Harry Brown, Buck Newton and Bill Rabon. Introducing Senator Berger was Mr. Lewis Ebert, President & CEO of the North Carolina Chamber.
The Excellent Public Schools Act is expected to be a topic of discussion during the General Assembly’s short session, which began on Tuesday. Supporters of the Act are seeking to reform the public education system by improving literacy and ending social promotion, improving school performance and accountability, providing calendar flexibility, providing state employee literacy volunteer leave time and developing and retaining high-quality teachers.
“Where we are is not where we need to be,” said Berger, “Where we are is in a place that’s failing our kids.” The Act, which was first introduced to the Senate last month, has sparked much conversation in recent weeks. “What this bill is trying to get at, is making sure we’ve done everything we can to make sure a child is able to read by the time they finish third grade.” Even if the Act is not passed by the General Assembly, Senator Berger is confident it will serve as a spark to promote education transformation. Senator Berger went on to add, “We will have moved the needle more than the needle has been moved in North Carolina.”
It isn't every day that you can see how a component in your car is made. I had that opportunity yesterday at the kick-off for the 2012 Manufacturing Makes It Real Network at Keihin Carolina System Technology (KCST) in Tarboro, NC. KCST makes automotive fuel systems and engine control units for Honda. If you drive an Acura or a Honda, part of your car originated in Tarboro, NC.
KCST uses advanced robotics technologies and automated manufacturing processes to produce their parts, and their facility is impressive. Even more impressive than the facility were the continuous improvement processes the company has in place. I never fully understood the importance of organizational culture for successful continous improvement until I visited KCST. It was clear their organizational culture believes in and supports lean and other continuous improvement methodologies, and it was clear from the top of the organization all the way down to the production floor. The plant tour included numerous examples of employees empowered by a lean culture and how they were able to solve problems quickly, effectively and profitably.
KCST is also very committed to being a responsible member of the community, including environmental stewardship. In only a few years, they have implemented improvements that have not only dramatically reduced their environmental footprint (one accomplishment is achieving "zero landfill" status) but also generated substantial cost savings, proving that sustainability can improve your bottom line.
KCST and its wonderful facility were only part of the story yesterday, though. 100 people, many of them representing local manufacturers, gathered for the first Network event of 2012. After KCST provided an overview of their corporate vision, Steve Hill, the Excecutive Director of STEM East discussed the familiar workforce challenges faced by manufacturers and how STEM East is addressing them through innovative partnerships between schools and industry.
My favorite part of any Network event is always the presentations by attending manufacturers because they demonstrate the variety of products made in North Carolina. Fifteen manufacturers presented, including a fork lift manufacturer, a crane manufacturer, packaging producers, foam manufacturers, an elevator cable manufacturer, a faucet manufacturer and a key manufacturer.
Article written by KeAnne Hoeg, NC State University Industrial Extension Service
http://www.ies.ncsu.edu/news-center/blog/Impressive-KCST-Kicks-Off-2012-Manufacturing-Network
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Marine Biotechnology Center of Innovation Project Management Team Hires First CEO
