LATEST MACON COUNTY BUSINESS NEWS

Macon and Yancey counties recognize and celebrate entrepreneurism as economic development strategy.

Date Posted: 3/3/2011

From the March 2011 AdvantageWest eNewsletter

Members of AdvantageWest’s board and staff, along with leaders of Macon Economic Development Commission, celebrated the county’s achievement as a Certified Entrepreneurial Community at the Annual Enterprise Banquet held recently in Franklin. The CEC designation is the result of a rigorous, multi-year process of working to ensure the community has policies and resources that encourage and support entrepreneurship while also improving the business climate for existing companies. The event included the presentation of CEC highway signage by AdvantageWest Board Chair Tommy Jenkins, with remarks by AdvantageWest Sr VP Entrepreneurial Development, Pam Lewis.

The celebration followed one earlier in the week in Burnsville that commemorated National Entrepreneurship Week, coordinated and led by AdvantageWest Director Wanda Proffitt on behalf of Yancey County’s CEC program. Participants in that event, attended by more than 70 entrepreneurs and small business owners, included NC Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll as well as Rep. Ray Rapp and Sen. Ralph Hise.

Learn more about the AdvantageWest CEC program HERE.

Read an article in Macon County News HERE.

Certified Entrepreneurial Community

As part of the economic development effort in Macon County, the Economic Development Commission (EDC) partnered with Advantage West's Certified Entrepreneur Community (CEC) initiative. Fundamental to the CEC program is establishing a broad based knowledge of the business environment in the county followed by development of a community strategy for continued business support. A key step is assessing and/or establishing community support for entrepreneurs thru community participation and governmental support. Macon County Commissioners and the EDC enthusiastically embraced the program and a group of citizens volunteered to lead the effort. At present Macon County is nearing completion of the rigorous five-step process to receive certification as a Certified Entrepreneurial Community.

EDC - Our Opinion

The Franklin Press

EDC positions county for successful future

Economic development has traditionally focused on the recruitment of large industries, particularly manufacturing plants. For many years the Macon County Economic Development Commission (EDC) followed this model with some success. But, changing economic times made the approach much more difficult and so, the EDC set out to reinvent itself.

A crucial step in this process involved hiring a consultant to serve as a guide for the EDC as it moves forward. The EDC had the good fortune to hire James McCoy, a Macon County native whose experience and qualifications uniquely fit him for this role. The work he has produced so far includes a community analysis that creates a clear economic roadmap for the county. Now the EDC has taken the next significant step, the hiring of a full-time coordinator to put the plan into effect. The search for the right person began in the fall of 2008 and culminated on June 1, when Trevor Dalton began work. Like McCoy, Dalton is a native of Macon County, with the education and business experience the job requires.

We would not have objected had the EDC reached outside the county to fill this important post, but the fact that the right person also has local roots and a deep love for the county is a tremendous plus.

His knowledge of the community will be an asset as he pursues the biggest part of his job - working with existing businesses.

The leadership shown throughout this process should inspire the public's and the business community's confidence.

With a good roadmap and steady hands on the wheel, the county seems headed toward a brighter economic future.