HCPED 07-08 AnnRpt.indd - Henderson County Partnership for

2007–2008
Annual Report
facilitating a
transformational
economy
Henderson County
Partnership for Economic Development
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Board of Directors
Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development, 2007-2008
OF F ICE R S
Sandy Tallant, Chair
Duke Energy
Mark L. Stone, Treasurer
First Citizens Bank
Carl Shaw, Chamber Chair 2007
Carl E. Shaw, CPA, PLLC
Rob Cranford, Past Chair
Morrow Insurance Agency,
Inc.
Chip Gould, Product
Development Chair
Cason Companies, Inc.
Chris Burns, Chamber Chair 2008
Summit Marketing Group, LLC
Adam Shealy, Chair Elect
The Van Winkle Law Firm
Kelly Leonard, Marketing Chair
Forest Commercial Bank
Andrew T. Tate, President & CEO
Henderson County Partnership
for Economic Development
Lynn Johnson
Dixon Hughes, PLLC
Mayor Ray Shaw
Village of Flat Rock
Nathan Kennedy
BB&T
Mayor Roger Snyder
Town of Mills River
Dave Modaff
Friday Services, Inc.
LaVoy Spooner
AT&T
Mayor Bill Moore
Town of Fletcher
Mayor Bob Staton
Village of Flat Rock
Jim Hall
Investors Realty Group
Chairman Bill Moyer
Henderson County
Debbie Wilkinson
Wachovia
Don Hallingse
PSNC Energy
Mayor Greg Newman
City of Hendersonville
Mayor Henry Johnson
Town of Laurel Park
Dr. Molly Parkhill
Blue Ridge Community College
DI R E C TOR S
Ervin Bazzle
Henderson County Board of
Public Education
Gus Campano
Glade Holdings, Inc.
Tom Cooper
Cooper Construction
Company, Inc.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
2008
marks 14 years of active engagement
for the Henderson County Partnership
for Economic Development. Over the
years, the organization has had different names and organizational
structures but has remained constant in the goal of growing and
retaining quality jobs in Henderson County. We are fortunate to
have recognition of the importance of our work from the public
and private sectors who make a decision to invest in our efforts.
This year marks 10 years of private investment in our organization,
and we thank those founding members for their support and
vision. Approaching milestones like these is cause for reflection.
As a Board of Directors, we embraced organizational flexibility
that allowed us to mature over time and, most importantly, retain
relevance. Below are a few numbers that help measure that
relevance in addition to sparking our future.
• 17% of Henderson County’s workforce and 24% of its payroll
(over $270,000,000) comes from the manufacturing sector.
• Over the past five years, manufacturing wages were 56%
higher than non-manufacturing wages. The 2007 average
annual manufacturing wage was $44,594.89.
• The 2007 tax impact of manufacturing was valued at
$574,589,576, which includes 43% of all business personal
property valuations.
• A January 2008 Cost of Community Services Report noted
that industrial and commercial development contribute
$2.52 for every $1 of county services they utilize – industry
contributes more than industry consumes.
Despite these strong numbers, it is perception that we battle –
perception that industry is vacating the United States, perception
that manufacturing is not a viable and secure career path, and
perception that we are not agile enough to innovate through
workforce and technology. In addition to the numbers, the last
14 years taught us that none of these are true. What we learned is
that recruitment and retention efforts are global in nature and are
intensely competitive.
I am thankful for the opportunity to Chair the Partnership over the
previous year and, with confidence and optimism, look forward to
the year ahead with Adam Shealy as Chair of the Board. Thank you
for your continued engagement with the Partnership.
Sandy Tallant, Duke Energy
2007–2008 Chair of the Board
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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In 2008, Kimberly-Clark Berkeley Mills celebrated
85 years as a proud member of the community. They
marked the occasion by donating 59 acres on their
campus to the City of Hendersonville for permanent
recreation use. Mayor Greg Newman and Plant
Manager John Bruce illustrate a strong partnership
between the public and private sectors.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Our Mission
The Henderson County Partnership
for Economic Development, Inc. is the
professional economic development
entity for Henderson County. It works
to: attract and retain quality jobs; solicit
new business compatible with the
assets and values of Henderson County;
promote Henderson County’s business
image; assist expansion of existing
companies; and enhance Henderson
County’s overall quality of life.
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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Michael Worley displays one of many uses for the
Speedflex Training System. The machine is supplemented
with innovative software that allows for customization
of performance measurements. The system is produced
by AlphaTech, Inc. This machine was delivered to the
residence of Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Existing Industry
Our Driving Organizational Priority
July 1, 2007, marked the launch of a formal Industrial Retention
and Expansion Program focused on three goals:
• Helping Henderson County industry become more
competitive
• Removing obstacles that prevent existing industry
from remaining in operation and/or growing in
Henderson County
• Demonstrating that the community appreciates industrial
investment in Henderson County
The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development
is committed to ensuring that local industry is poised to
advance in today’s competitive business environment. Our IR&E
Program is designed to be customizable and is tailored to the
needs of each client. HCPED staff partner and pool resources
with the NC Department of Commerce, AdvantageWest, Blue
Ridge Community College, utility providers, and local and state
governments. The result is a streamlined service focused on
cooperation and productivity with a single point of contact.
On May 12, 2008, Josh Hallingse was hired as the Partnership’s
Director of Industry Relations. His primary responsibility is
implementation of the IR&E Program in partnership with
appropriate allies and entities. Josh ensures that the Partnership
is responsive and timely in support of existing industry.
Since 1994, the Henderson County Partnership for Economic
Development has assisted clients, resulting in $458,650,000
of taxable investment and helping to create and retain
3,303 jobs. Existing industries that had a presence
in Henderson County account for 91% of that total
investment and 85% of all new and retained jobs.
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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Scott Clark, CEO of Appalachian Energy, oversees a
recent residential installation of solar thermal panels. The
company is the fastest growing clean energy developer in
North Carolina, producing more than 2 million kilowatthours of clean power since 2001. Clark and Appalachian
Energy are committed to energy production that is both
fiscally and environmentally responsible.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Existing Industry
Industrial Executives Forum
February 6, 2008, marked our first Industrial Executives Forum – planned
by a committee made up of John Bell (Excel Consulting Group), Barry Brown
(The Warm Company), John Bruce (Kimberly-Clark), Ken Burton (Blue Ridge
Metals Corporation), Brian Cavagnini (ArvinMeritor) and Sandy Tallant (Duke
Energy, HCPED Chair). The forum focused on Goal #2 of the IR&E Program,
specifically removing obstacles that prevent existing industry from remaining
in operation and/or growing in Henderson County. Strong participation from
37 industrial executives allowed us to identify and add clarity to identified
challenges, as well as brainstorm potential solutions.
Three of the action items identified at the Forum have been approached with
creative solutions detailed below:
1 In April of 2008, Blue Ridge Community College announced what we
think is innovation and flexibility in action – a revamped and retooled
Advanced Manufacturing Certification Program. The program was
designed for rapid entry into the manufacturing workforce with key
core skill sets including: OSHA safety practices, information flow,
critical thinking, applied math and measuring, and interpersonal
skill development. Taking it even a step further, the program includes
the NC Career Readiness Certificate through JobLink and arranges
interviews with local manufacturers for those that earn Silver or Gold
certificates. This program reduces the time required to be considered
for employment in the manufacturing sector, while ensuring that skills
obtained are relevant in today’s and tomorrow’s manufacturing markets.
2 Industrial Executives at the Forum expressed a need for homegrown
engineers through placement of an engineering program in the area.
Partnership staff, along with industry representatives from Appalachian
Energy, ArvinMeritor, Blue Ridge Metals Corporation, GE Lighting
Systems and Selee Corporation, joined a group of community and
business leaders to speak to the UNC Tomorrow Commission in Sylva.
This group advocated for Western Carolina University to consider
an increased presence in Henderson County, specifically through an
engineering program.
3 One request made by Forum participants included streamlining
government processes including permitting, planning, rezoning,
infrastructure extensions, inspections, etc. The participants suggested
that a flow chart with timelines and appropriate contacts be built and
maintained by Partnership staff. When we approached County Manager,
Steve Wyatt, about the idea he one-upped our request. He suggested
that Planning Director, Anthony Starr, serve as an industry ombudsman
to facilitate manufacturing support. This arrangement has since been
utilized and proves to be an excellent example of how Henderson
County values its industrial employers.
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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SylvanSport’s GO trailer/tent hybrid camper is racking
up design awards and enthused reviews from the
likes of the New York Times, National Geographic
Adventure, Business Week and the Industrial Designers
Society of America. The GO is engineered from offices
in the former Steelcase building in Fletcher, NC.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Marketing
Promoting a Strong Business Climate
with Collaborative Efforts
The Partnership actively markets and promotes Henderson
County as a prospective business location to attract quality jobs.
Our efforts are targeted, proactive and diversified in approach.
We rely on the strength of our assets (logistics, workforce,
product, business climate, cost of doing business) to attract
companies that are consistent with our community’s values
(strong wages and benefits, clean and safe processes, strong
corporate citizens). We regularly partner with other like-minded
organizations to market a larger region. This collaborative
approach brings strength to our offering while leveraging
limited resources.
The Partnership is an active member with CarolinaWest, a sixcounty regional economic development alliance. During the
2007-08 year, HCPED staff participated in call missions to site
location consultants in the Dallas, New York and New Jersey
areas. These missions resulted in face-to-face meetings with
representatives from 18 different site selection firms.
AdvantageWest is also a regular partner, and a marketing
umbrella, for the 23 most western counties in North Carolina.
HCPED staff participates in AdvantageWest’s Blue Ridge
Advanced Manufacturing Initiative and the Economic Developers
Advisory Council. In April of 2008, the Partnership worked with
AdvantageWest to bring 12 site location consultants from around
the nation to experience Western NC firsthand – including a
luncheon in downtown Hendersonville. In June of 2008, we again
partnered with AdvantageWest on a call mission to Greenville,
SC, and Atlanta, GA, that resulted in meetings with 12 site
selection firms.
The Partnership works closely with both the western region
office of Commerce and the Raleigh-based office on retention,
expansion and recruitment projects. Our organization is an
active member of the Friends of North Carolina, a private
marketing arm of Commerce that markets the State to targeted
sectors around the world. HCPED participated in the State’s first
Aerospace Executives Forum held in Asheville in January of 2008.
M E T R IC S
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11,807
Leads Generated/Identified that HCPED Responded To
Participation in Targeted Call Missions or Trade Shows
Projects: Site Visits to Henderson County by Active Clients
Unique Visitors to www.HCPED.org
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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The Ferncliff Industrial Park is a 221 acre multi-parcel site
adjacent to the Asheville Regional Airport. The park’s
design incorporates retention of natural features and 40+
acres of undisturbed common space. Vaughan Fitzpatrick,
Mayor Roger Snyder, Bill Lapsley and HCPED Product
Development Committee Chair Chip Gould review the
master plan of the park with the land in the background.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Product Development
Preserving the Future for Quality Job Creation
The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development
works on behalf of existing and future industry to ensure that they
have viable local options to relocate and expand manufacturing
facilities and operations. Securing and developing parcels of
land in close proximity to infrastructure, high capacity transit
routes, skilled workforce and other key assets is crucial to the
sustainability of industry within Henderson County.
The Partnership serves as an engaged resource for local
governments as communities continue to expand and wish
to preserve quality job opportunities in years ahead. In 2007,
the Partnership was instrumental in both preserving industrial
property and achieving appropriate zoning designations for
existing industry while Henderson County worked towards
passage of the Land Development Code (first county-wide zoning).
The Partnership is also an active participant in the update process
of the City of Hendersonville’s Comprehensive Plan.
The Partnership’s Product Development Committee focused its
efforts on two properties over the past fiscal year. Approximately
15 acres of property remains adjacent to Elkamet at the former
WNC Fairgrounds site, owned by the Henderson County Public
School System. This parcel is served by industrial-quality
infrastructure, bordering industrial neighbors, in proximity of
four-lane Hwy 176 and Upward Road to I-26. In partnership with
the School System, the property was entered into the Brownfields
Program where it will continue assessment prior to development.
We are very appreciative of the Henderson County Public School
System in their proactive quest to ensure that locally grown jobs
are available to the students they educate.
On June 18, 2008, at a joint meeting of the Henderson County
Board of Commissioners and the Mills River Town Council,
a master plan for the Ferncliff Industrial Park was unveiled.
The 221-acre park includes accentuation of natural features as
advantages to the park and its future tenants. The year before
the unveiling included zoning the property as industrial with
passage of the Land Development Code, a voluntary annexation
into Mills River, rezoning to MR-LI (municipal industrial
zoning), and drafting and revising a master plan for the park’s
development. Ferncliff’s location, in close proximity to I-26 and
adjacent to the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), allows diversity
in transportation of persons and/or products. The Partnership is
now pursuing Site Certification through the NC Department of
Commerce for the park.
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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Whole Log Lumber is located on the Green River in
Zirconia. Since 1984, they have produced flooring
from old-growth heartpine, originally lumbered from
the virgin forest of centuries gone by. The business
specializes in reclamation of antique lumber from barns
and mills, no longer in use and being de-constructed,
and puts it back into use as high-quality flooring and
custom building products.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Cumulative Investment
Since 1994
INVESTMENT ($)
Prince Mfg. (American Coating)
Aegis Holdings
ArvinMeritor (1)
ArvinMeritor (2)
Atlas Bolt & Screw
Borg-Warner Cooling Systems
Continental Teves (1)
Continental Teves (2)
Continental Teves (3)
DuraLine Imaging
Elkamet
FedEx
First Citizens Bank
GE Lighting Systems (1)
GE Lighting Systems (2)
Henderson Produce
Kimberly-Clark
Kyocera
Manual Woodworkers & Weavers
MTI (Medical Cable Specialist)
Olympia Moto Sports
Parts Unlimited (Lemans Corp.)
Pepsi-Cola
Printpack
Printpack & Kyocera
Selee
Shorewood Packaging
Spearman Foods
UPM Raflatac (1)
UPM Raflatac (2)
UPM Raflatac (3)
The Warm Company
TOTAL
NEW JOBS
6,000,000
1,500,000
21,000,000
32,300,000
2,000,000
31,000,000
100,000,000
4,300,000
8,700,000
1,000,000
6,000,000
6,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
39,000,000
6,000,000
750,000
500,000
9,000,000
5,700,000
11,000,000
10,000,000
1,900,000
20,000,000
1,000,000
62,500,000
40,000,000
24,000,000
3,000,000
$458,650,000
SAVED JOBS
100
22
11
35
50
552
13
35
10
50
70
17
30
700
*
*
*
70
6
12
20
200
*
325
29
5
75
115
200
22
45
55
4
210
70
110
6
1,828
13
16
1,475
* Investments occururing in the 2007–2008 fiscal year.
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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ArvinMeritor’s senior management team and
AdvantageWest presented a Certificate of Special
Recognition to Henderson County, Fletcher and HCPED for
their work on the recent retention and expansion project.
ArvinMeritor Chairman, President & CEO Chip McClure,
HCPED Chair 08-09 Adam Shealy, HCPED Chair 0708 Sandy Tallant, ArvinMeritor Director of Operations/
Site Manager Brian Cavagnini and ArvinMeritor Senior
Director Jerry Rush celebrate the occasion.
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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Members & Investors
The Partnership is funded through public and private sources,
resulting in a budget that reflects equitable participation.
1998 marked the first year that private funds were
incorporated into the Partnership’s revenue sources.
The names highlighted below mark those founding members
who, 10 years later, continue to invest both time and funds in
our efforts.
2006-07 Board Chair, Rob Cranford, led a membership
campaign effort in the 07-08 year resulting in an increase in
private investment of more than 11%.
We are very appreciative of these investments and we are
driven to ensure that they result in job retention and creation
returns for the community.
PR E S I DE NT I A L
Cason Companies, Inc.
City of Hendersonville
Cooper Construction Co., Inc.
Dixon Hughes, PLLC
Duke Energy
First Citizens Bank
Glade Holdings, Inc.
Henderson County
HomeTrust Bank
Kimberly-Clark Corporation,
Berkeley Mills
Moore & Son Site Contractors
Morrow Insurance Agency, Inc.
Mountain 1st Bank & Trust
PSNC Energy
Selee Corporation
Southern Concrete Materials
SunTrust
The Times-News
Town of Fletcher
Town of Mills River
UPM Raflatac, Inc.
Wachovia Bank
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. #1242
Western Carolina University
Hunter Chevrolet Volvo Subaru
Hyundai Co., Inc.
Investors Realty Group
McCarroll Construction
McNutt Service Group, Inc.
Miller Brothers
Progress Energy
RBC Centura
Reaben Oil Company
Southern Alarm & Security
Thos. Shepherd & Son, Inc.
Toland Hansley & Company, PA
The Van Winkle Law Firm
The Waverly Inn
William G. Lapsley & Assoc., PA
EXECUTIVE
AT&T
BB&T
Carolina Specialties
Construction, Inc.
Egolf Motors
Elkamet
Fletcher Business Park
Friday Services, Inc.
Henderson Oil Company
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HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
GENERAL
A & A Bonding
Advanced Business Equipment
Advanced Technical Welding, Inc.
Alljuice Food & Beverage, LLC
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
APAC Carolina, Inc.
ArvinMeritor, Inc.
Atlas Bolt & Screw, Inc.
Bazzle & Carr, PA
Beverly-Hanks & Associates
Blue Ridge Community College
Blue Ridge Internet
Blue Ridge Metals Corporation
Blue Star Camps, Inc.
Brown & Bigelow
Carl E. Shaw, CPA, PLLC
Carolina First
Community Foundation of
Henderson County
CoveStar Investment Realty Advisors
Earle Insurance
Excel Consulting Group, LLC
Fischer Publications, Inc.
Flat Rock Playhouse/Vagabond
School of Drama, Inc.
Forest Commercial Bank
Henderson County Chamber
of Commerce
Henderson County Public Schools
Henderson County Travel
& Tourism
Hendersonville Board of Realtors, Inc.
Hendersonville Country Club, Inc.
Hendersonville Home Builders
Association
Hendersonville Printing Company
Highland Lake Inn
Holiday Inn Express
IMOCO, Inc.
IPM Corporation
JCPenney
Kanuga Conferences, Inc.
Keen Impressions, Inc.
Kelso Advertising & Design
Kenmure Properties, Ltd.
Kenneth R. Youngblood
King Street Professional Center
Lewis Real Estate
Macon Bank
Mahle Motorsports
Margaret R. Pardee
Memorial Hospital
McDonald’s - Edwards Group
Miller’s Laundry & Cleaners, Inc.
Morosani & Associates
Nappier & Turner Construction
Company, Inc.
National Technical Honor Society
Norm’s Minit Marts
Oates Realty ERA
Park Ridge Hospital
Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company
S&ME
Standard Tytape Company
Stuart Stepp, AIA, Architect
Successful Financial Strategies
Summersweet, Inc.
Summit Marketing Group
Town of Laurel Park
United Community Bank
United Way of Henderson County
Village of Flat Rock
Vocational Solutions of
Henderson County
Wachovia Securities
2007–2008 ANNUAL REPORT
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114 East Caswell Street
Hendersonville, NC 28792
828-692-6373 ■ fax 828-692-6658
www.HCPED.org