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Latest News

HCPED is collaborating with the Asheville Chamber to host the 5^th Annual  Homecoming Job Fair scheduled for Tuesday, December 28 from 10am – 3pm at the Biltmore Square Mall.  The job fair targets former residents of WNC returning home for Christmas, and also attracts existing residents looking for work.  Last year 56 participating companies gained access to 2,000 jobseekers.  Our sponsorship of the event waives the registration fee for Henderson County manufacturers.

On Friday, December 3^rd at Business NC’s 15^th Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon, Advanced Technical Welding of Etowah was named the NC Small Business of the Year.  Doug Salkewicz’s company was selected as the 2010 winner by Steve Forrest (Brushy Mountain Bee Farm – 2009 Award Winner) and Scott Daugherty (North Carolina’s Small Business Commissioner).  The profile of ATW in the upcoming December 2010 issue of Business NC provides excellent insight into why Doug is different – having made and delivered on a promise to never lay anyone off.

Brittany K. Jones started with the Partnership as Marketing and Communications Coordinator on November 29^th.  Jones’ focus within the organization will include continued implementation of the Lockwood Greene Marketing Plan, coordinating Henderson County’s external image to location consultants and business decision makers, and developing client response packages.  Hiring Jones in this position ensures that the Partnership has a sustained and daily focus on targeted lead generation, effectively elevating Henderson County as a prospective business location for active projects.

Blue Ridge Community College continues to play an integral role in the success of Henderson County’s business community by connecting students and employers.  The Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program is an educational program which combines classroom instruction with practical work experience.  BRCC facilitates about 60 Co-op work rotations each year with area employers.  HCPED will be participating in the program by working with a student in the virtual office program this year. 

On October 13^th, HCPED hosted over 170 manufacturing executives, elected officials and business leaders for the 2010 Industrial Appreciation Banquet.  The event was sponsored by Duke Energy, PSNC Energy, AT&T, First Citizens Bank, Friday Staffing Services and IMOCO.  Speakers for the event included Congressman Shuler and Jeff Miller.  Mayor Bill Moore (Fletcher) and Mayor Roger Snyder (Mills River) recognized Chairman Bill Moyer as the HCPED Partner of the Year.

The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development's 2009-10 Annual Report can be viewed and/or downloaded here.

HCPED is no longer accepting applications for the position.  Interviews will be scheduled during the first two weeks of November.

The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development is hiring a Marketing & Communications Coordinator.  Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to andrew@hcped.org.  We are looking for someone with excellent written and verbal communication skills, the ability to produce well-designed, professional proposals for clients, and sector-specific presentations for consultants and call missions.  The applicant shoud be comfortable delivering presentations, and communicating directly with clients.  Experience with data and research tools to develop targets for marketing efforts is a plus.  A full job description for the position can be found here.

Wingate University President Dr. Jerry McGee and Pharmacy School Dean Dr. Robert Supernaw visited Henderson County this week to connect with key leaders and scout possible locations for the satellite campus.  Plans continue to move forward to field a first pharmacy school class in August 2011, followed by a Physician Assistant program in 2012 and a Masters in Business Administration program once a cohort of 18-20 students is formed.

The first Clean Energy Now conference will take place on October 8^th at Blue Ridge Community College.  The intensive 1-day seminar is focused on helping manufacturers, local governments, and clean energy businesses realize the financial benefits of adopting clean energy and waste reduction practices. Keynote speakers for the event will include Jennifer Bumgarner the Assistant Secretary for Energy at the NC Department of Commerce and Bernhardt Furniture executive Eddie Pitts.

HCPED Members & Investors and Manufacturing Representatives are invited to attend the 2010 Industrial Appreciation Banquet on Wednesday, October 13th.  The event will be held at the Virginia Boone Heritage Center at the WNC Fairgrounds.  Congressman Heath Shuler and Jeff Miller will be co-speakers for the event, providing their economic development vision for western NC to attendees.  Presenting sponsors Duke Energy & PSNC Energy and supporting sponsors AT&T, First Citizens Bank, Friday Staffing Services and IMOCO have made this event possible.

22,138 Henderson County residents live and work in Henderson County.  15,020 Henderson County residents commute out of Henderson County for work and 15,505 persons that live outside of Henderson County commute to Henderson County to work.  The most equitable commuting relationship by volume continues to grow between Henderson and Buncombe Counties.  Over the last 10 years, we have seen commuting patterns in western NC changing, indicating that Henderson County is developing into an employment destination for the region.

North Carolina is home to over 10,000 manufacturing operations. These businesses account for more than 510,000 jobs, 15% of the state's workforce, and produce nearly 20% of the state's Gross Domestic Product.  NC State’s Industrial Extension Service is hosting the Manufacturing “Makes it Real” tour from Sept. 27 – Oct. 1with 10 tour stops statewide, including a stop at ArvinMeritor in Fletcher on Tuesday, Sept. 28^th at 8:15 am.  All are invited to help celebrate manufacturing in western NC, and local manufacturers are encouraged to donate a product sample to the tour.

Above is a link to the embedded presentation provided by David C. Smith at the Health Care Reform Seminar on Tuesday, August 3rd, or you can access the document for download at this link.  Thanks to BB&T and Morrow Insurance for sponsoring this event!

On Tuesday, August 3^rd, HCPED is hosting a seminar to help Henderson County employers understand the implications, costs and deadlines associated with Health Care Reform.  David Smith, former policy advisor to Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker and Past President of the NC Association of Health Underwriters will guide attendees through the employer implementation timelines, grandfathered plans, the small business tax credit, and many other critical components to this legislation.  The seminar is ideal for small business owners as well as HR personnel at large employers.  Thanks to BB&T and Morrow Insurance for their sponsorship of this seminar!

On July 8^th, a delegation of manufacturing executives from Henderson County took a short trip down I-26 to tour Clemson’s ICAR.  ICAR is an advanced-technology research campus where academia, industry and government collaborate to support the automotive industry.  Our intent was to establish an economic development relationship, and also to acquaint our local companies with their engineering and research services.  ICAR Director, Bob Geolas, expressed his interest in partnering with our organization and business community.