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From Don Kirkman, President & CEO, Piedmont Triad Partnership
Taking the Piedmont Triad to the Next Level
The Piedmont Triad Partnership Board of Directors took a significant step on February 22nd to position the Piedmont Triad for economic recovery. The PTP Board approved a new board structure that effectively merged the PTP and the Piedmont Triad Leadership Group Executive Committee, creating a very powerful board to lead the Piedmont Triad’s regional economic development efforts.
The new Piedmont Triad Partnership Board of Directors was convened for the first time on March 1, and the new officers elected to the Board reflect the engagement of some of the region’s most influential business leaders. New officers are Kelly King, Chairman; Jim Morgan, Immediate Past Chairman; Bobby Long, 1st Vice Chairman; Nido Qubein, 2nd Vice Chairman; Allen Gant, 3rd Vice Chairman; and Stan Kelly, Secretary-Treasurer. King is Chairman, President, and CEO of BB&T; Morgan is Managing Partner of Morgan Herring Morgan Green & Rosenblutt; Long is Chairman of the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation/Wyndham Championship; Qubein is President of High Point University; Gant is President and CEO of Glen Raven Inc.; and Kelly is Regional President, Carolinas Community Banking, Wachovia-A Wells Fargo Co.
Facing an unprecedented economic development challenge that has impacted every city and county in the Piedmont Triad, the new 50-member board represents a powerful public-private partnership that unites influential elected and private sector regional leaders in a concerted and collaborative effort to reverse the region’s decade-long economic decline. This new board will galvanize new resources and will embrace a laser-like focus on creating new jobs and investment across the landscape of the 12-county region.
The Piedmont Triad Leadership Group, chaired by BB&T President King, was created as part of the Piedmont Triad Partnership’s strategy to engage regional leaders in initiatives to address the Piedmont Triad’s substantial economic challenges. The Piedmont Triad Partnership was one of five recipients of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation in Economic Development (WIRED) grants to prioritize regional leadership engagement as a key strategy in transforming the regional economy, and the Leadership Group has been meeting for three years to discuss what the region’s leaders can do collectively to leverage the region’s world-class economic assets for competitive advantage.
The Leadership Group quickly embraced the premise that the region was a single integrated market economy, and that the only way the economy could improve is through unprecedented cooperation across city and county boundaries and between the public and private sectors. The Leadership Group identified four industry clusters where the Piedmont Triad has or is developing world-class competencies—furnishings, logistics and distribution, nanotechnology, and regenerative medicine—and initiated a 5-year fundraising campaign to target new private sector resources to those clusters. Under the Leadership Group’s umbrella, King successfully raised approximately $1.4 million in the first year of the 5-year campaign. These resources will augment efforts in which the Piedmont Triad is already involved in its aggressive marketing and outreach efforts.
The creation of the new board is a critical first step in revitalizing the Piedmont Triad economy. Much work remains to be done, however. The competition for new jobs and investment is global, and new resources are needed to raise awareness of the Piedmont Triad as a great location for business. With the Piedmont Triad Partnership’s WIRED grant ending in June and with significant reductions in the state appropriation to the 7 regional economic development partnerships, we need additional financial support from private sector investors and local governments more than ever. The PTP needs your help to communicate with the Piedmont Triad Legislative Caucus about the critical importance of maintaining a strong regional economic development organization, and we will be aggressively soliciting additional financial support from local governments and the business community to make the Piedmont Triad more economically competitive. Please contact me at 336-369-2200, dkirkman@piedmonttriadnc.com if you would like to become a PTP investor.
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Food Processing Thrives in the Piedmont Triad
With almost 9,500 workers employed in more than 340 businesses that produce, package and distribute food products, food processing continues to impact the Piedmont Triad’s economy.
Specialty food company Nonni’s Foods announced in April 2009 that it would open a commercial bakery in Yadkinville, investing $27 million and adding 172 jobs.
“Nonni’s has greatly impacted the Yadkin County economy, not only by the capital investment and jobs it brings, but also by the business it has brought to local contractors and vendors involved with the facility up-fit, “ says Bobby Todd, Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce. “Those relationships continue as Nonni’s ramps up additional product lines.”
Nonni’s Foods’ Yadkinville facility makes biscotti, pita chips and bagel chips.
In September 2009, Minneapolis-based Malt-O-Meal announced the opening of a 350,000-square-foot production facility in Randolph County, adding 133 jobs and representing an investment of $140 million.
“Malt-O-Meal considered several locations for this production facility,” says Linda Fisher, Consumer Marketing Manager, Malt-O-Meal. “The Piedmont Triad provides the resources critical to our success -- workforce, logistics, and quality of life."
Malt-o Meal produces a variety of cereals at its plant in Asheboro.
Some of the Region’s largest food processing companies are:
- Miller Brewing Company - Eden
- Keystone Foods LLC – Reidsville
- Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling - Winston-Salem
- Flowers Bakery - Winston Salem and Jamestown
- Malt-O-Meal – Asheboro
- Alamance Foods – Burlington
- Dairy Fresh, Inc. – High Point and Winston-Salem
- Hunter Farms - High Point
- Randolph Packing Co. – Asheboro
- Nonni’s Foods - Yadkinville
The Piedmont Triad provides educational and research support for the food processing industry, including:
With an exceptional business climate, a mid-Atlantic location at the intersection of five major interstate highways, a sophisticated network of trucking and shipping suppliers and an exceptional climate, food processing companies find the Piedmont Triad a rich location in which to do business.
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Life-Long Learning Addresses Workforce Needs
The Partnership is committed to bringing high-wage, high-skill jobs to the Piedmont Triad’s 12 counties. In order to provide the workforce necessary to fill those jobs, the Partnership has responded with several initiatives, including the Life-Long Learning Project.
Life-Long Learning – made possible with funds from the WIRED grant – was developed to help residents obtain the education and develop skills needed by Piedmont Triad employers.
Programs include Pre-K, K-12, GED, English as a Second Language, Adult and Family literacy programs, as well as, numerous opportunities in career and technical education. Targeted audiences for this program include:
- Displaced adult workers
- Adolescents and young adults ages 13 to 24 who have dropped out or are considering dropping out of school
- Non-English speakers
- Adults who devalue education due to their experience in legacy industries
Key messages and objectives of the Life-long Learning Program include:
- Identify and understand audiences most vulnerable or at-risk of missing out on opportunities for employment in a 21 st Century economy.
- For identified targets, change attitudes and behaviors about potential for economic prosperity, the value of literacy and education, and the availability of educational support services.
- Bring together leaders to create a plan for overcoming barriers to the development of a literate, qualified and motivated workforce.
- Develop consistent themes, new messages and new messengers to reach at-risk individuals and their families.
- Develop a social change initiative using available low-cost/no-cost media and a paid advertising initiative to reach people with low literacy skills or educational achievement.
- Engage the Piedmont Triad region’s talent in journalism, public relations, marketing, communications and advertising.
- With investment from regional, state and national public and private sources, develop a strategy to sustain activities communicating the availability of life-long support.
With programs such as Life-Long Learning, the Partnership is making significant progress in addressing the workforce needs of Piedmont Triad employers. For more information, go to Triad Works Life Long Learning Website.
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PTP’s Research Capabilities Add Value to Regional Efforts
The Partnership offers extensive research capabilities to support local economic developers and to address inquiries from those interested in establishing a business presence in the Piedmont Triad. Research covers a broad range of topics, including:
- County, regional and statewide economic indicators; including: population and demographics, educational attainment, labor force estimates, wages by occupation, household and family incomes, cost of living, housing costs and poverty rates
- Information about business costs and regional assets; including: business incentives and taxes, the Piedmont Triad International Airport, education programs and quality of life indicators
- Business lists and data
- Industry-specific reports
As Research Manager at the Partnership, Libby Brown responds to requests for information. “I really don’t like to say, ‘I don’t know,’” says Brown about fielding requests. “At PTP we have a commitment to providing a high standard of customer service, so even if an answer to a research request is not readily available, I’ll work diligently to respond to all requests.”
For our region’s economic developers, the Partnership’s research capability adds value by enhancing local data and knowledge. Many requests from local economic developers relate to the development of their website or assistance in completing a Request for Information (RFI) – both of which can be critical to their marketing efforts.
Gail Bartunek, Manager, New Business Development and Expansion Services at the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance, uses PTP’s research services. “The PTP plays an integral role in helping us research labor statistics, employment data and quality of life information that we provide to clients looking to locate in Greensboro. With their help, we can respond quickly and efficiently to client requests.”
Alan Wood, Director of Economic Development at Stokes County, agrees. “The PTP has been very helpful, providing demographics information and relevant facts to assist with the development of our new website and other related matters. They’re knowledgeable, responsive and extremely valuable to our efforts.”
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Digital Marketing Boot Camp Gives Local Businesses a Competitive Edge
Digital marketing is here to stay. That was the premise behind a recent seven-week course on marketing across the digital landscape.
Funded by the Partnership with resources from the WIRED grant, the Digital Marketing Boot Camp – held October through December 2009 – started with an initial “Jumpstart” event, which provided an overview of digital marketing to 30 local business people. Over the next six weeks, presentations focused on specific digital marketing vehicles.
"This program offered knowledge I need for teaching and future research,” said Larry Garber, Associate Professor of Marketing, Elon University. “It defined the role of new media in marketing strategy, which will help me update my courses at Elon."
Freelance graphic designer Crystal Staley put her new knowledge to work immediately. "While I have Facebook and Twitter accounts,” said Crystal, “I didn't know how to use them until Boot Camp. Afterward, I went back to some of my previous work and used my new knowledge to update and improve several projects."
Ellen Geffen, President of Geffen Productions, sent a freelance writer with whom she works to the program. “Traditional marketing is giving way to new media, and we must successfully integrate it into the work we do,“ said Geffen. “New media must be considered at every step and as part of the whole brand.”
The digital marketing dialogue continues through several social marketing channels:--
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
The program took place at North Carolina A&T State University. Speakers were Brad Bennett of Wildfire Marketing and Bruce Carlisle, digital marketing guru and new media author.
The next Digital Marketing Boot Camp is scheduled for this spring. For details, go to www.digitalmarketingbootcamp.com/.
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North Carolina Ranked #1 Best Business Climate
For the eighth time in nine years, North Carolina has been ranked #1 for business climate by a national industry magazine. In its November 2009 issue, Site Selection Magazine gave the top spot to North Carolina based on several factors, specifically noting our “infrastructure of higher learning.”
Click on the image to read the article.
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Laboratory Corp. of America, a national provider of medical laboratory testing services, will open a new billing operations office in Guilford County. The company will create 346 jobs and invest $4 million during the next three years. LabCorp, headquartered in Burlington, provides testing services for medical lab specimens, drug testing, diagnostic support, cancer detection and other services to doctors, hospitals and other health-care providers. The company, which has labs and other facilities nationwide, plans to consolidate billing operations in Greensboro. The company will transfer approximately 50 positions from its Burlington billing operation to the new office in Greensboro. >>PRESS RELEASE
Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research for more than $300,000. The grant is designed to fund biomarker research for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Disease biomarkers are distinctive biological features that are consistently different in people with Parkinson's disease. Identifying disease biomarkers could allow researchers to diagnose earlier, track disease progression and identify appropriate subjects for clinical trials. >>PRESS RELEASE
Commonwealth Brands Inc., a national manufacturer of tobacco and tobacco products, will expand its operations in Rockingham County. The company will invest $6.7 million and create 35 jobs in 2010. The company plans to expand its Reidsville operations by adding a new product line for cigarette tubes. Commonwealth Brands Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Group in England, manufactures and distributes blended and fine cut tobaccos, cigarettes and cigarette tubes. Commonwealth, headquartered in Kentucky, owns and operates the former American Tobacco facility in Reidsville, where 224 people are employed. >>PRESS RELEASE
The International Civil Rights Center & Museum held its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on the 50th anniversary (February 1st) of the Greensboro sit-ins. Speakers included: Franklin McCain, one of the four students who launched the sit-in movement; NC Governor Bev Perdue and US Senator Kay Hagan. Located in the historic 1929 F.W. Woolworth building, the Museum includes 30,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Museum contains the original, fully-restored “whites-only” lunch counter and stools where the Greensboro Four began a six-month protest in 1960. >>PRESS RELEASE
The International Civil Rights Center and Museum sits on
February One Place in Downtown Greensboro.
The Piedmont Triad International Airport has opened a third runway. The new runway is 9,000 feet and runs parallel to the airport’s main 10,000-foot runway. The $150 million runway completes a long-term expansion project at PTI that began when FedEx announced its plans, in 1998, to build a mid-Atlantic package sorting air hub at the airport. FedEx required an additional parallel runway to handle the traffic it would create. The new runway will also benefit other business at the airport. The runway will allow planes to take off and land simultaneously on parallel runways and be an asset for attracting companies to the airport. The new runway will open up approximately 200 acres of land for future development. The project was paid for mostly with government grants, as well as about $30 million from the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority revenues.
Blow Molded Solutions LLC will start production this year on a line of 3-gallon to 25-gallon plastic nursery containers in Mayodan. The company will create 19 jobs and invest $1 million in building improvements and equipment by the end of 2010. Blow Molded Solutions will process high density polyethylene in both virgin and recycled resins. In addition to the nursery pots, the firm will also perform custom blow molding. >>MORE INFORMATION
FlightSafety International, the company contracted to train pilots to fly the new HondaJet corporate aircraft, manufactured in Greensboro, will place an advanced flight simulator at the Honda Aircraft Co. campus at Piedmont Triad International Airport. The simulator will begin training pilots in December 2011. All pilots, co-pilots and chief mechanics will have to be trained before they are allowed to operate one of the jets and will be required to return for annual retraining. FlightSafety will have 25 to 30 employees stationed at PTI to operate and maintain the simulator. FlightSafety is based in New York and operates 40 centers that train 75,000 people each year. >>MORE INFORMATION
Burlington Technologies, a leading manufacturer and distributor of fine upholstery fabrics, announced that its affiliate VitaFlex, LLC has launched manufacturing operations in Burlington for elastic non woven fabrics and products. VitaFlex plans to hire approximately 100 employees during 2010. The VitaFlex latex-free elastic non woven fabric can be a lower cost alternative for numerous elastic applications. The company will manufacture various finished products from this innovative fabric. The target industries will include medical, pharmaceutical, food processing, aerospace, clean room, paint & construction, bio-laboratory and numerous other major markets. >>PRESS RELEASE
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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PTP Marketing Calendar |
Mar. 22-26
Atlanta Consultant Calls
Mar. 25
Atlanta Consultant Event
Apr. 11-12
Friends of North Carolina Consultant Event - Charlotte
Apr. 11-14
SEUS Canada - Biloxi, MS
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL MARKETING CALENDAR
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This publication was partially funded through the Piedmont Triad Partnership’s U.S. Department of Labor WIRED Grant. The Piedmont Triad Partnership is an equal opportunity employer.
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