News

Center’s Economic Innovation Grants program accepting applications through Dec. 15
The Rural Center is set to award $1.67 million in grants to support innovative demonstration projects with the potential to create new jobs in rural North Carolina. The funding is the last major component of a $20 million initiative established by lawmakers last summer to help rural and low-wealth communities struggling with job losses to build the infrastructure needed to boost business development. The Rural Center has already invested the majority of the N.C. Economic Infrastructure Fund through three program areas that will improve water and sewer facilities, add new business and technology telecenters, and support the reuse and restoration of vacant buildings in small towns. Applications for the fourth and final component, the Economic Innovation Grants program, will be accepted through Dec. 15. Local governments, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions in the state’s 85 rural counties, as well as distressed urban counties, are eligible. Awards will be made under three project categories: Economic Stimulus Demonstration, awarded up to $150,000 for large-scale economic development projects; Shared-Use Agricultural Facilities Demonstration, awarded up to $100,000 to construct shared-use processing facilities for area farmers; and Community Innovations Fund, awarded up to $50,000 to jump-start or expand innovative development projects that show potential for diversification and sustainability. To find out more, visit the center’s website at www.ncruralcenter.org or call Darlene Deberry at (919) 250-4314.

General Assembly approves up to $225 million in incentives for computer maker Dell, deal to bring 1,500 jobs to Winston-Salem area within five years
Computer maker Dell has announced it will build its third U.S. factory in a yet-to-be-determined site near Winston-Salem, just days after the N.C. General Assembly met in a one-day special session to approve a slew of tax credits and grants that could be worth as much as $225 million over 20 years to the nation’s top producer of personal computers. State officials say the plant, which is slated to bring at least 1,500 new jobs within five years, will eventually grow to employ about 8,000 people – 2,000 at the factory itself and another 6,000 in related businesses that set up around the site. The deal is expected to have a $24.5 billion impact on the state's economy over the next 20 years and bring in an estimated $743 million in net revenue. The incentives package overwhelmingly approved by lawmakers includes the Computer Manufacturing Tax Credit and a Job Development Incentive Grant (JDIG). Gov. Easley said the benefits of bringing a high-tech company like Dell to North Carolina – in desperate need of good-paying, highly-skilled jobs – far outweigh the costs associated with the project.

N.C. receives $1 million in incentives to train biotech workers
The U.S. Dept. of Labor has awarded North Carolina $1 million in job training incentives for exceeding federal performance levels in three separate workforce programs – the N.C. Community College System, N.C. Department of Public Instruction and N.C. Department of Commerce's Division of Employment and Training. The grant will be used to train workers in North Carolina’s booming biotechnology industry. The biotechnology project funded by the grant will link the activities of the Community College System, Department of Public Instruction and Department of Commerce's Division of Employment and Training to provide awareness, education and training in the biotechnology field to high school students, dropouts, dislocated workers and other at-need adults.

Reports and Research

ARC, Kauffman Foundation release Learning by Doing, highlighting youth entrepreneurship
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation have released Learning by Doing, a new handbook that highlights six highly successful youth entrepreneurship programs in West Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Chicago, Kentucky and Mississippi. By highlighting these programs, the publication offers insights to building a culture of entrepreneurship among young people – skills that teach teambuilding, perseverance, creativity and critical thinking. For communities, supporting youth entrepreneurship makes good sense because these are the leaders and business owners of tomorrow, say report authors, who urge communities to “make sure that new entrepreneurial businesses start in the classroom, basements and garages of your town.” Printed copies of Learning by Doing can be obtained from ARC’s national office (202) 884-7750, or may be downloaded from their website.

Technology holds key to improving rural health care, according to new report
A new report from the Institute of Medicine highlights five recommendations to improve the health care available to rural Americans. The publication, Quality through Collaboration: The Future of Rural Health, recommends: adopting an integrated approach to addressing both personal and population health needs; establishing a stronger health care quality improvement support structure to assist rural health systems and professionals; enhancing the human resource capacity of health care professionals in rural communities and the preparedness of rural residents to actively engage in improving their health and health care; assuring that rural health care systems are financially stable; and investing in an information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, which has enormous potential to enhance health and health care over the coming decade. The full report can be purchased at their website by clicking here.

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Meetings and Events

2004 Southeast Wireless Symposium to be held Dec. 7-8 in Winston-Salem
The e-NC Authority is hosting the 2nd annual Southeast Wireless Symposium Dec. 7-8 at the M.C. Benton, Jr. Convention Center in Winston-Salem. The two-day event will present the latest developments in the wireless industry with a special focus on increasing broadband deployment in rural areas. The symposium, themed “Broadband for Everyone - The Role for Wireless and Deploying Wireless” is for anyone working in, affected by or just interested in wireless technology. Participants will include political and business leaders, Internet technology professionals, educators, and local economic officials. Speakers include Anthony Wilhelm, Director, Technology Opportunities Program, U.S. Department of Commerce; Tom Fisher, Vice President of Information Technology, Qualcomm; and George Stuart, Director, Global Wireless Services, Nortel Networks. Registration is $150 through Dec. 15 for both days, or $50 for the Dec. 7 workshop and dinner only. For more information, visit the e-NC Authority website, or call Donna Sullivan at (919) 250-4314.

2nd annual Social Innovation Forum to be held Nov. 30 in Boston
The mission of the Social Innovation Forum is to foster greater social and economic impact by promoting, connecting and supporting social entrepreneurs and social investors. Applying many of the same principles found in the private sector's venture capital community, the Social Innovation Forum strengthens nonprofit organizations by providing innovative leaders with direct access to the human and financial capital they need in order to grow and sustain their organizations. For more information or to register, visit the website at www.socialinnovationforum.org.

Sustainable agriculture conference to be held Jan. 21-23, 2005 in New Orleans
The 14th annual Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group conference, Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms, will be held Jan. 21-23 in New Orleans, La. The conference attracts more than 500 of the most innovative farmers, agribusiness experts and others working for sustainable food systems in the South. The conference will feature whole and half-day field trips along with nearly 50 sessions on sustainable production, direct marketing and community food systems. For more information or to register, visit the website.

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At the Rural Center

New Opportunities for Workers (NOW) program expanded to reach manufacturing workers in 45 counties
The center’s Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship and its statewide partners announced last month an expansion of the New Opportunities for Workers (NOW) program. The program – now in its second year – provides dislocated workers who lost jobs after January 2000 an opportunity to develop their own small business through specialized training and, for those who complete a viable business plan, access to a start-up loan. Workers who have gone back to work for less than three-quarters of their former salaries are also eligible. During its first-year pilot phase, the program was available to laid-off workers in 28 counties through 13 community colleges. On October 1, N.C. Community College System President Martin Lancaster announced an expansion of the program that will make it available to workers in 45 counties through the following 22 community colleges: Blue Ridge CC, Cape Fear CC, Cleveland CC, College of Albemarle, Davidson CC, Fayetteville CC, Halifax CC, Isothermal CC, James Sprunt CC, Johnston CC, Lenoir CC, Robeson CC, Rockingham CC, Cabarrus CC, Sandhills CC, South Piedmont CC, Stanly CC, Tri-County CC, Vance-Granville CC, Western Piedmont CC, Wilkes CC, and Wilson Technical CC. To find out more about the program, visit the institute’s website.

First-ever entrepreneurship and training directory now available on center’s website
The Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship has produced the state’s first 100-county directory of entrepreneurship education and training programs to help aspiring and established entrepreneurs learn how to get their ventures off the ground and improve their bottom line. The data for the directory was compiled by the national Center for Rural Entrepreneurship for the purpose of documenting and analyzing the education and training services available to entrepreneurs, and to help service providers more effectively refer business owners to valuable programs in their area. The programs included in the inventory are those with a comprehensive approach to entrepreneurship education and training; technical assistance-only programs were not included. The directory will reside on the Rural Center’s website under the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship.

From the N.C. Press

Daily Reflector: Bringing Bethel to life
“Bethel officials have an eye on the future with a new economic development plan, but they’re also looking to keep their small town atmosphere. Life often moves at a leisurely pace in Bethel, where traffic is light and most necessities are only a short drive or walk away. The laid-back attitude is apparent in the town’s latest plan; officials are in no major rush to develop because they want to make sure when growth comes, they can handle it. The Bethel Town Centre, located off N.C. 11 near the Peoples National Bank, is a new development anchored by the Dollar General Store. The store is part of a 10-acre plot that has more room for retail, commercial and mini-store facilities. The town held a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month in hopes that the new store is just the beginning. “This is great for Bethel,” said Ed Dennis, a town commissioner. “We want to bring the middle of town back to life, and this should be the start of that idea.” As Greenville continues to increase in population, many surrounding towns are beginning to see boosts in population. Bethel has been working the last couple of years to prepare for growth.”

Wilson Daily Times: Incentives popular
“If the city and county of Wilson agree to $2.5 million in tax incentives to lure a store here, they won’t be alone. Other locales are doing it. Wal-Mart alone has received $1 billion in incentives for 244 projects, according to a recent study done by Good Jobs First, a research group monitoring local job subsidies. The Wilson City Council will soon decide whether to grant $2.5 million in retail incentives for a proposed $30 million to $40 million shopping center with a Target anchor. The shopping center, named Heritage Crossing, would be located off U.S. 264 and Airport Boulevard. Incentives would pay for infrastructure such as roads and water and sewer lines. Some cities, such as Rocky Mount, have never given retail incentives. The closest thing Rocky Mount has given to retail incentives was an economic development package worth $1 million. Municipalities are beginning to have more say in the development process. Officials are becoming more vocal about how they want things built in their community. For instance, some cities may require a mixed use such as housing with the shopping center.”

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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