Wayne County Announces Advanced Manufacturing Center

County officials announced today that Wayne Community’s College’s Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence will soon be located in the former Cooper Bussmann building. The 78,715 square foot manufacturing facility, located on Dixie Trail in Goldsboro, was sold to the Development Alliance for $685,000.  Wayne County used a low-interest loan through the former Eastern Region to borrow $400,000 to go toward the project, while Impact Wayne, the private development funding arm of the Development Alliance, provided the remainder of the funds. The Eastern Region loan will be repaid by the County over a five year period.

The Wayne County Development Alliance will lease the facility to Wayne Community College for a nominal fee each year and the college will operate the program. The County is responsible for funding facilities at the college, so will pay for the maintenance and upkeep of the building. The move will not only free up 28,000 square feet of classroom space at the college, it will also save the county money because classroom space is far more expensive to build. County officials said that the purchase of the Cooper Bussmann property cost about $10 per square foot, versus $150 per square foot needed to buy classroom space.

“This facility will give Wayne County a distinct economic development recruiting tool and its’ uniqueness gives our county an advantage over other counties,” said Commissioner Bill Pate.

An Advanced Manufacturing Center will allow Wayne Community College to fully implement and highlight major manufacturing equipment purchased over the last three years. The facility will house the newly secured, valuable manufacturing equipment; and it will be the educational training site for WCC students, Wayne County Public School students, and incumbent workers alike. “Wayne Community College has been extremely fortunate in having the support of community partners who made the Wayne County Advanced Manufacturing Center a reality,” WCC President Dr. Kay Albertson said. “Two significant partners are the Wayne County Board of Commissioners and the Wayne County Economic Development Alliance who have contributed both fiscal and time resources to the project. And we also have the support of the Chamber of Commerce, Wayne County Public Schools, and our local business and industry sector. This is an amazing concept that has become a reality because the partners in this initiative are believers in the College’s mission of preparing a highly skilled workforce for Wayne County and the region.” Creating a hub for specialized training at this location will prepare individuals for employment in the advanced manufacturing sector and will benefit new and existing industry by creating a pipeline of well-trained workers for this sector. “The Advanced Manufacturing Center will set the standard for Workforce Development & Economic Development not only for Wayne County, but regionally,” said Wayne County Commissioner Ray Mayo. “I am pleased, as a small business owner & elected official, that Wayne County has taken the initiative to address the deficit of educated and trained labor.  This training center will provide a competitive advantage in attracting new business and diversifying our existing industries.”

The Advanced Manufacturing Center will

• Provide a place for Wayne County citizens to receive training leading to good jobs in new and existing businesses and to brighter futures
• Provide current business and industry with leading-edge customized training and a pipeline of highly skilled workers
• Show potential new businesses that Wayne County and its educational institutions are serious about world-class training and about our commitment to make their businesses more profitable
• Make an impression on executives regarding decisions about locating or expanding in Wayne County, and
• Bring more and better jobs to Wayne County and the region to boost the local economy 

County Manager George Wood said the facility couldn’t have been purchased without the help of Cooper Bussmann, Wayne County Development Alliance, and the members of Impact Wayne for supporting economic development. “I also am very appreciative for the efforts of Dr. Kay Albertson and Don Magoon for their help in making this a reality,” Wood said. “And I must single out Mike Haney for all his hard work. He was serving as Interim President of the Development Alliance during most of the negotiations.” Albertson echoed his comments, saying “I personally salute our county commissioners, the county manager, the economic development alliance board, advisory committee, and staff for their tireless efforts in support of this Center.”

WAYNE COUNTY INDUSTRY SHOWS HOW TO BE THE GOOD

GOLDSBORO, NC – Every year the United Way of Wayne County holds an annual fundraising campaign. These funds are used to impact lives of those in need throughout Wayne County. This year the United Way of Wayne County set out to raise $1.15 million dollars. This amount would allow the United Way of Wayne County to impact over 23,000 lives. By the end of the campaign the campaign chair had calculated this years pledges and found that the campaign had come up approximately $47,000 short of its goal.

 

While this seemed like a disappointing end, the story did not come to a close there. One of Wayne County’s existing industries stepped up and showed what it meant to “Be the Good” in Wayne County. Scott Keys, plant manager for Cooper Standard, came forward and stated that the employees at Cooper Standard had raised over $50,000 over the course of the year and the company’s foundation was going to match the donation. Steve par, Executive Director of United Way of Wayne County stated, Cooper Standard Automotive Foundation’s match of the pledges made by their local employees to United Way reflects their values of community engagement. It is clear they care about what matters to their employees and to the community their employees live in. Because of their collective efforts from both employees and the Foundation, Cooper Standard Automotive will impact an average of 2,000 lives in Wayne County.”

Cooper Standard Foundation makes a $50,000 gift in support of their employee’s contribution of $52,336 to United Way of Wayne County. Scott Keys, plant manager (L) makes the presentation to United Way Campaign Committee Chair Glenn Phillips.

 

It should be noted that Cooper Standard raised approximately $4,500 last year. Rick Benson, HR Manager for Cooper Standard stated, “I was very excited about our campaign this year and the engagement of our employees. This past year had been tough for the factory and we all joined together and worked very hard to turn things around. Then our employees went above and beyond to donate generously to support our community. When our corporate partners heard about what our employees had done the company decided that they wanted to show support for our employees and matched the employees contributions. Being new to the company and to Goldsboro it showed me that I work for a caring company that is filled with caring employees. My family and I are very happy to be a part of the Goldsboro community and I am very proud to work with a group of people like we have here at Cooper Standard.”

 

Cooper Standard was named Wayne County’s Industry of the Year in 2012. The Wayne County Development Alliance has tracked Cooper Standard for many years and has watched the company create jobs and make significant capital investments into its production facility on Wayne County. In addition to the job creation and investments, Cooper Standard has always been an outstanding corporate citizen. Mike Haney, Existing Industry Specialist for the Wayne County Development Alliance remarked, “We value our existing industries not only for what they do but for who they are. Seeing the employees of one of our existing industries make this kind of contribution and the corporate foundation matching the donation makes us extremely proud.”

 

Cooper Standard manufactures extruded auto seals for some of the largest automobile manufacturers in the industry. Visit http://www.cooperstandard.com/ to learn more about Cooper Standard.

Wayne County Development Alliance Announces New President

Crystal Gettys, President

The Wayne County Development Alliance, Inc. Board of Directors announced today that Crystal Gettys will join the organization in the capacity of president. Crystal Gettys comes with a wealth of experience in economic development, having spent the last seven years at the Lincoln Economic Development Association where she was instrumental in recruiting companies on both a national and international level. Mrs. Gettys’ efforts have resulted in over $128,680,000 in announcements for Lincoln County.

Mrs. Gettys joins the Wayne County Development Alliance, Inc. to continue the WDCA’s success in economic development efforts in Wayne County. Crystal will lead economic development initiatives by developing and executing a strategic plan aimed at attracting new businesses and supporting the growing Wayne County industrial community. Mrs. Gettys comments,

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to the growth and well being of Wayne County. With the accomplished staff that is in place, I have no doubt that we will have many successes as a team. During our visits, the people have been extremely friendly and inviting. We look forward to becoming a part of this community.”

Kevin Kornegay, Board Chairman stated, “Crystal’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge makes her a key addition to the Wayne County Development Alliance.” Neal Benton, WCDA board member, adds, “We view Mrs. Gettys’ appointment as a sign of our commitment to being a leading organization in our industry. It is very fortunate that we were able to find someone of Crystal’s caliber to fulfill this role.”

Crystal serves on the board as committee chair for Junior Achievement – Lincoln County. She has also served on the board for the  Downtown Development Association and  Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce. Mrs. Getty is scheduled to begin her position as President of the Wayne County Development Alliance on December 1^st.

Wayne County Industry Appreciation Week

In October, the weather begins to cool down, the leaves begin to change color and the Wayne County Development Alliance begins gearing up for its annual Wayne County Industry Celebration. This is an event that the Development Alliance does not take lightly. There are over 70 industries that operate throughout Wayne County.

In Wayne County we can always count on our existing industries. They create jobs, make capital investments, generate tax revenue, support our charitable organizations and provide our community with leaders and leadership. If that doesn’t get your attention maybe this will:

• The existing industries in Wayne County employ over 9,000 individuals
• The existing industries in Wayne  County makes tens of millions of dollars in capital investments
• A capital investment of 12 million dollars can generate over 600,000 dollars in taxes in Wayne County over 5 years

We are so grateful for our industries and are honored to designate the week of October 20th – 24th as Industry Appreciation Week. We will kick off the week with an invitational golf tournament, followed by a tour of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and capped off by an Industry Appreciation luncheon. We will be announcing the Industry of the Year at the luncheon as well as awarding an industry with the newly established “Why Wayne Works” award. Industry Appreciation Week is always a great time and we are excited to give Wayne County’s industries the recognition and appreciation they deserve. They are all the reason why Wayne works.

 

Committed Community

Over the last couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of filming interviews for a promotional film that focuses on the people and the community of Wayne County. Meeting the people of Wayne County and hearing their stories, their memories and their passion for their community has been a great experience. The one thing that has stood out to me during this process is how committed these people are to their community; the place they call home. That is something that has stood out to me since I started working in Wayne County. People here are so dedicated, so committed to making this place an amazing place to live, work and play. The collectivism that exists here in Wayne County is awe-inspiring. It gives you a feeling that together we can accomplish anything. And together, we have accomplished so much. For example, we lead the state in workforce development. The commitment from the community, Wayne Community College, public schools, local officials, local industries and the Wayne County Development Alliance has positioned us as innovators and trailblazers in the areas of testing, training, certifications, and employee placement.

 

We have been hearing and reading that site selectors, corporate executives, and industries are placing workforce as a top priority in considering a relocation or expansion. While other counties and communities scramble to play catch up, we enjoy our position a leaders in workforce development. Wayne County knows it has the workforce to support industry growth. In fact, 25% of our workforce is certified. Additionally, we were the first county in North Carolina to receive the honorable designation of Certified WorkReady Community. If it were not for the committed individuals and organizations, Wayne County would not be in the position it is today. Ironically, we did not set out to be trailblazers in workforce development. We simply saw a need locally and acted on it. We never thought that our workforce program would win awards or be used as a model for regional and statewide workforce development programs. Yet, here we are years later leading the pack and helping to shape workforce development in other communities.

 

As we look to the future you cannot help but be excited about what is in store for Wayne County and its committed community. They have done and will continue to do great things.

 

Trailblazing in Wayne County

trail·blaz·er

  noun \ˈtrāl-ˌblā-zər\

: a person who makes, does, or discovers something new and makes it acceptable or popular

 

Eight years ago, Wayne County introduced the Wayne Opportunity Keys for Success (WORKS) to focus on workforce development. Our program was so well received that it was adopted by the regional economic development organization for Eastern North Carolina. Soon after, it became the model for workforce development in the Eastern North Carolina.

 

In 2013, Wayne County was designated as the first ever Certified WorkReady Community in the state. This designation came as the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. We owe the success of the WORKS program to the partnerships that existed between the county, the school system and Wayne Community College. These partnerships paved a way to integrate Career Readiness Certification into the community college and public school system curriculum.

 

Currently, Wayne County has the highest amount of Careers Readiness Certificates awarded in the state. In fact, 24% of Wayne County’s workforce is career readiness certified – again, the highest in the state. Wayne County was the first county in North Carolina that was designated as a Certified WorkReady Community. Additionally, there are seven STEM labs in the middle schools throughout the county, giving middle-aged school kids exposure to possible career options in manufacturing at an early age.

 

Wayne County is proud to be a trailblazer in workforce development in North Carolina. Everyone in Wayne County understands that it is our job to grow our own and to ensure that our workforce is prepared to tackle the demands of the businesses and industries throughout the county.

Agents of Change

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said,

The only constant is change

In this day and age truer words could not be spoken. We have seen change at the national, state, regional, and local levels. I’m sure many of us have even seen change on a personal level. Change, like the seasons, is inevitable yet when we face change there is a reluctance to accept it, embrace it, and live it. Why is this the case? Is it the fear of the unknown that causes us to dig our heels in? Is it the fear of loosing some form of freedom, or a departure from the status quo? If you were to ask 10 people the answer would probably vary among them all. But at the core of it the fact that we are creatures of habit certainly plays a part in why we resist change so much.

If the only constant is change lets be agents of change! Lets charge forward into the unknown with confidence. Its those people, those businesses, those organizations that lead the charge for change that become innovators that many chose to follow. Change is not always easy. In fact, it can be very hard but it will happen whether we want it to or not. The sooner we understand that a change is going to come the sooner we can position ourselves to usher in the winds of change and the sooner the dust settles and the sooner we brace ourselves for the next change.

Lets take manufacturing as an example. Years ago we began to see manufacturing jobs sent overseas – change. We are now seeing some of those jobs being repatriated – change. Those repatriated jobs are being more and more automated lending themselves to lowers jobs created but higher capital investment – change. Yet we still measure economic development in job creation. While job creation is incredibly important and critical to the recovery of our national, statewide, regional and local economies, it seems that success in economic development as it is measure needs to undergo a change. As industries expand the job numbers seem to be less and less but the investment grows – almost exponentially in some cases. We have heard leadership at various levels speak to the need for change – a need that is paramount to the success of our growth and recovery. If this truly is the case then we have to change the way we measure success as well. Jobs will always be important – always; but maybe it is time to measure success more comprehensively.

Lets be agents of change, the innovators that others choose to follow.

Partners In Promotion

Yesterday our #WhyWayneWorksWednesday touched on the partnerships that exists in Wayne County. Let’s look at this topic in a little more depth. This community has deep roots and a resonating sense of pride in the history of this area and the progress Wayne County has seen over the years. One of the reasons this county has seen growth over the years is because there are a lot of people, businesses, and organizations that care deeply about this county. They partner together to promote Wayne County as a viable place to live, work, and grow.

It seems that this is second nature to the people of Wayne County. It is something deeply ingrained in their core; their work ethic; and the pride in their home. The support that we have for one another in this county is paramount to the success that this county has seen over the years. These partnerships have seen the growth of industry, retail business, revitalization, implementation of programs designed to assist the citizens of the county, reward, recognition, improved education, good financial standing in the face of recession, innovation, and above all growth.

We are proud to be a part of this county; to be a partner to so many driven and determined individuals. We are honored to serve this county. We are humbled by the support that we receive from so many people. We are ever ready to be your partner in promotion.

10,000 strong and growing

An available workforce is what we as economic developers call a critical component in attracting and retaining industries. One thing that we all learn as early economic developers is there are some things that we can control and have an active hand in bringing into existence. These include such things as infrastructure, incentives, real estate, etc… Unfortunately, workforce is NOT one of the things we can simply draw into existence. It takes a very proactive, hands-on approach to ensure that an area has the workforce to support growth. Such is the case in Wayne County.

This month Wayne County reached a HUGE milestone with its 10,000th Career Readiness Certificate awarded. Needless to say we are all very excited about this. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and commitment of everyone involved in Wayne County’s WORKS initiative that was started back in 2006. After 6 years, our lazer intense focus remains and pushes us all towards providing the qualified workforce needed to support the growth of our industries in Wayne County.

To put this into perspective:

• 18% of labor force in Wayne County is Career Readiness Certified!
• Wayne County holds 7% of all of the CRCs awarded in the state! 
• Wayne County holds 29% of all of the CRCs awarded in the Eastern Region!
• Our closest counterpart has 6,815 CRCs awarded!

 

Congratulations to everyone that has worked so hard to keep this program moving at a bullet train’s pace and thank you to all of the industries that have not only supported this initiative but adopted it as a criteria for qualifying new hires! Together, we didn’t just put the cart before the horse, we put the horse in the cart and pushed it uphill past all of our counterparts. It’s WHY WAYNE WORKS!

Capital Improvements in Wayne County, NC

The County of Wayne opened the floodgates to one of its oldest leading industries in Mount Olive, NC – Mt. Olive Pickle Company. The company found itself in a bit of a pickle; it needed improvements to the town’s water system to ensure that it could continue to produce its homegrown, quality product at the volume its customer base was demanding. 

On August 7^th, Wayne County appropriated $70,000 from its economic development reserve to assist the town of Mount Olive in its capital improvement. This will be added to the $100,000 that Mt. Olive Pickle has already given in assistance to improve the town’s water system. In addition to the $100,000, Mount Olive Pickle has agreed to make a $10 million investment over the next five years.

The President of Mt. Olive Pickle Company stated, “We think this is a good project for the county, for the town, for the company. We are pleased to collaborate with both parties in trying to bring this project to fruition.

As economic developers, we can’t help but be a little excited about this! This improvement project has a HUGE residual effect – not only does it improve water quality for one of our leading industries, it also improves quality and capacity for our neighboring industrial park; Mount Olive Industrial Park, thereby enhancing the marketability of the area. This is truly a win, win, win, win situation.

 Mt Olive Pickle Company by the numbers:

• $11 million invested in the last 2 years
• $22 million invested in the last 5 years
• $10 million invested over the next 5 years
• Increase in payroll from $7 million to about $30 million over the last 5 years

Waye Today | World Tomorrow

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www.waynealliance.org