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.
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
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
8002 Emerald Drive
Ste. B
Emerald Isle, NC 28594