News

Second entrepreneurship workshop under way in Raleigh
The Rural Center is holding a second entrepreneurial development workshop in Raleigh Feb. 11-12, following up on a successful January workshop attended by more than 100 local leaders from across rural North Carolina who took home valuable tools to stimulate entrepreneurship in their communities. Interest in the first workshop was so high that several communities were unable to attend due to space limitations. The center opted to hold a second workshop, being held at N.C. State’s McKimmon Center in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Commerce, to give all communities a chance to participate. Workshop participants will learn about successful entrepreneurial development strategies and find out what it will take to create an environment that supports entrepreneurs in their communities. The workshop is being administered through the center’s Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship. For further details, visit the institute's web page at www.ncruralcenter.org/entrepreneurship, or contact Leslie Scott, director of the institute, at (919) 250-4314, lscott@ncruralcenter.org.

N.C. Commerce Department releases updated tier designations, changes affect 19 counties
Nineteen counties recently received word of a change in their tier designation, the ranking system used by state lawmakers and policy leaders to gauge a county’s level of economic distress. Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Cleveland, Harnett, Pender, Stokes, Surry and Yancey counties moved down one tier level to a more-distressed designation. Beaufort, Cumberland, Duplin, Lenoir, Martin, Onslow, Vance and Wilson counties all moved up one tier level to a less-distressed ranking. Hertford County moved up two tiers. All other counties remained at 2003 tier levels. The five economic distress tier levels – with 1 representing the most distressed counties and 5 the least – are determined through a statutory formula. To see the 2004 Tier Designation List and a detailed county map, visit the N.C Department of Commerce's website by clicking here.

Good news, bad news scenario continues on rural unemployment, economic outlook
The rural unemployment rate dropped slightly in December – from 6.8 percent the previous month down to 6.5 percent – amid evidence the state’s economic outlook has improved from one year ago. According to the N.C. Employment Security Commission, there were 57,000 more people working in North Carolina in December 2003 than in December 2002. The commission also received 21,000 fewer unemployment benefit claims during the year. Still, North Carolina’s statewide unemployment rate, at 6.1 percent, is higher than the national average of 5.7 percent, and the state dropped another 5,000 jobs last month, though overall manufacturing employment is actually up by 400 jobs – the first such increase in about nine months.

Bush Administration details 31-step plan to aid manufacturing
The Bush Administration last month released a report detailing its plan to jumpstart the nation’s ailing manufacturing sector, Manufacturing in America: A Comprehensive Strategy to Address the Challenges to U.S. Manufacturers. The report, delivered by U.S. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, contains a lengthy series of 31 recommendations, including a Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), formation of a President's Manufacturing Council and better coordination of $15 billion in existing economic development programs to help manufacturing-dependent communities rebound from plant closings and layoffs. To view the full report and the complete list of recommendations, click here.

Reports and Research

Rural educational attainment on the rise, but still below national average in the South
The USDA Economic Research Service’s Rural Education at a Glance report provides the latest information from the 2000 Census and other federal sources on the education characteristics of rural workers and counties. It documents the steady rise in rural adult educational attainment in the 1990s and the increasing importance of education to rural workers and places. The report also finds that racial educational differences remain large and that adult education levels remain far below the national average in many rural counties, particularly in the South. Counties with more educated populations appear to have performed better economically in the 1990s and have lower poverty rates. To view the full report, click here.

Global entrepreneurship study reveals 192 million new ventures started in 2003
The fifth annual Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a study of entrepreneurial activity around the world, was released last week by the Kauffman Foundation. The report draws from a survey of entrepreneurs in 40 countries worldwide, offering a unique perspective on the impact entrepreneurial companies have in their own country as well as on global economic markets. The GEM found that Americans were slightly more inclined to take on a startup business in 2003 than they were the previous year, with 11 million Americans reporting some level of engagement in entrepreneurial activity. Other interesting findings of the survey: The United States is ranked a ‘moderately’ active entrepreneurial country (Chile, Korea and Venezuela are among the most entrepreneurial countries in the world); men are twice as likely as women to start an entrepreneurial venture; and four out of five new businesses expect to create jobs in the future, while one in five expect to create more than 20 jobs. To view the full report, go to the foundation’s website by clicking here.

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Meetings and Events

NCCED’s Community Revitalization Summit to be held in Washington, D.C. March 8-9
The National Congress for Community Economic Development (NCCED), the trade association for organizations committed to community-based economic development, will hold its annual conference in Washington, D.C. March 8-9. The theme of this year’s event will be, “Fulfilling America’s Promise, Economic Opportunities for All.” The conference will include the latest information on community development and will feature discussions and breakout sessions on areas including rental housing and home ownership, assessing business capital and job creation, as well as strategies to engage federal lawmakers on a proposed Economic Opportunity Act for the 21st Century. This year, NCCED will highlight 40 successful community development initiatives from around the country. The summit will be held at the National Association of Home Builders Building, 1201 15th Street, NW. For questions, call Barbara Mitchell-Swain at (202) 289-9020. To register, visit the website at www.ncced.org.

N.C. Economic Developers Association to hold conference March 11-12 in Pinehurst
The North Carolina Economic Developers Association will hold its winter conference March 11-12 at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst. Session topics will include a look at what’s next for the manufacturing industry, local option project development financing, and the untapped potential of North Carolina’s military installations. The fee to register is $140 for NCEDA members, $300 for non-members. To register online, click here.

Faith Partnerships, Inc. to hold annual conference in Raleigh March 11-12
Faith-based groups from across the state are making plans to attend the third annual conference hosted by Faith Partnerships, Inc., a non-profit organization offering a range of services to help churches and other faith groups run their own socio-economic programs. More and more faith-based organizations are taking on such roles, especially in rural, distressed communities. Faith Partnerships' previous conferences have featured grant writing seminars, organizational assistance and networking opportunities. This year’s conference will be held at the Clarion Hotel in downtown Raleigh, with other sessions at the nearby Edenton Street Methodist Church. Call Diana Jones Wilson, president of Faith Partnerships, Inc. at (919) 834-8335 for information.

Sanford Institute of Public Policy accepting applications for civil society fellows program
Applications are now being accepted for the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy’s Fleishman Fellows program at Duke University. The program is an opportunity for those outside the academic field to take part in a four-week mini-sabbatical. While at Duke, fellows perform research and work with institute faculty and other Duke affiliates on issues related to the development of civil society. As part of the fellowship, housing and program expenses are covered. Fellows also receive a $6,000 stipend. Applicants are selected based on their proposed research project and other application materials. To find out more, or to apply, visit the institute online by clicking here.

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At the Rural Center

Rural Economic Development Institute gears up for class of 2004
The center’s Rural Economic Development Institute will accept applications for its 2004 leadership program through March 5. The institute is a valuable resource for helping rural leaders grow their leadership skills in order to meet the economic development challenges in their communities. There are 30 available slots for the next institute, which consists of nine days of classes over a three-month period. Tuition is $495, with a limited number of scholarships available. The meeting dates for the 2004 institute are March 24-26, April 21-23 and May 12-14. For more information contact Robin Pulver at (919) 250-4314 or rpulver@ncruralcenter.org.

Funding Sources

March 1 is deadline to apply for BellSouth educational grants
The BellSouth Foundation, an endowed trust of the BellSouth Corporation devoted to education in the southeastern United States, is accepting funding proposals through March 1, 2004. Grants will be awarded in the following areas: Technology & Learning – funds will support further exploration of incorporating "student voice" to build meaningful use of technology into student learning; No Child Left Behind – funds will be awarded to school districts trying to fulfill requirements of the national legislation; Business/Education Partnerships – funds will help strengthen existing partnerships between school districts and local businesses, and in helping to foster new partnerships that promise lasting results. Concept papers may be submitted online. For more information on these grants or to submit a proposal, click here.

From the N.C. Press

Eden Daily News: 200 jobs on the way
Gov. Mike Easley announced Monday that Israeli company A.F.G. Wipes officially will be moving to Reidsville, hiring about 200 employees and making a $25 million investment in its first U.S. location. The company plans to begin construction in the industrial park in February and start hiring in April. A.F.G. Wipes manufactures and distributes non-woven products such as baby wipes for the $1.2 billion wet wipe industry. The Reidsville employees, most of whom will work on the production line, will receive about $25,000 annually, with a 401 (k) retirement plan and health insurance.

Goldsboro News Argus: Census shows military towns lack big rich-poor gap
Bill Smart’s neighborhood in Havelock is an anomaly, like the town itself – in a nation where the gap between rich and poor is growing. The homes, in the $80,000 - $120,000 range, are populated by white and black neighbors who make about the same amount of money, thanks to the military employers who are the backbone of the local economy. Smart, like most of his immediate neighbors, is a retiree from one of the East Coast’s biggest Marine Corps aviation centers. The city of 22,400 is home to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, its collection of harrier attack jets and its 7,500 active-duty troops. Following the release of new data from the 2000 U.S. Census, Havelock had the lowest income disparity for blacks and whites of any North Carolina city, mostly because a bulk of the labor force depends on one large employer that pays uniform salaries.

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The mission of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.

N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
Michelle Taylor, UPDATE editor
Kelly Tucker Griffin, UPDATE production manager
Elaine Matthews, vice president for communications and development
4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
(919) 250-4314 Fax: (919) 250-4325
www.ncruralcenter.org