NCGA Regulatory Reform Hearing coming to Hendersonville
The NC General Assembly’s Joint Select Committee on Regulatory Reform will be in Hendersonville on Friday, April 15th for their listening tour. The committee is composed of nine senators and nine representatives including Representative Chuck McGrady. They are holding hearings to learn more about state regulations that are viewed as ineffective or burdensome. You can ...read more
Save the Date: Field Trip to WCU’s Rapid Center
HCPED is organizing a field trip to Western Carolina University’s Center for Rapid Product Realization on Tuesday, May 24th. Henderson County manufacturers, members and allies will make the ½ day trip to visit with key faculty and staff at WCU. Dr. Bob McMahan, Dean of the Kimmel School of Engineering, and Dr. Phil Sanger, Director ...read more
Industry Profile: Carolina Paper Tubes
When Jerry Melton and his wife Penny established Carolina Paper Tubes (CPT) in 1978 they were no strangers to the paper core industry. Before CPT, Mr. Melton worked for a California-based operation which manufactured paper cores distributed throughout the west coast. “In the late 70’s my wife and I began exploring the opportunity to create ...read more
Industrial Executives Forum Recap
On March 24, 2011 the HCPED hosted the 4th Annual Industrial Executives Forum at Blue Ridge Community College’s Technology, Education and Development Center, bringing leadership from local industries to hear from a select group of speakers covering topics directly impacting the local business climate. HCPED President Andrew Tate kicked-off the event with a concise overview ...read more
Industry Profile: Wilsonart International
Since Wilsonart began producing laminate products in 1956, being a responsible member of the community has been woven into the company’s culture. In recent years, as the company’s manufacturing and distribution networks have expanded worldwide, the organization’s impact on the environment has become an increasingly important concern. According to plant manager Dennis Clark during a recent visit, “environmental stewardship is a part of Wilsonart’s culture, not just a one-time project. It is a business strategy which has reduced the company’s environmental impact while simultaneously improving the work environment for employees and reducing operational costs.” ...read more
NC Green Business Fund Grants Open
The North Carolina Green Business Fund and the North Carolina Office of Science and Technology, a division of the state Department of Commerce, are currently seeking proposals from small for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations for energy efficiency projects to reduce energy consumption, implement renewable energy measures and promote the use of building energy efficiency. Qualifying business must be based in North Carolina with fewer than 100 employees. This competitive funding opportunity will provide funding for projects that benefit NC-based small businesses by reducing their overall energy usage and implementing renewable energy measures. ...read more
EFCA, Still Breathing?
About a year ago we wrote about the crippling impact that Healthcare Reform, Cap & Trade and the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) were having on a business’ ability to interpret what costs they might encounter and plan for. The uncertainty led to little business movement outside of layoffs and consolidations. As companies position for incremental employment growth and capital investments in machinery and equipment, the threat of EFCA spoiling North Carolina’s recovering economy still looms. ...read more
2011 Industrial Executives Forum
The HCPED Industrial Executives Forum Planning Committee has lined up great speakers on three very different issues. Clark Gillespy, Vice President of Economic Development, Business Development & Territorial Strategies with Duke Energy will present the utility’s planned merger with Progress Energy and the impact this may have on Henderson County. Our second speaker will be ...read more
Industry Profile: API South Inc.
Autronic Plastics (API) was founded in Westbury, New York in 1953 as a small yet advanced plastic molding company. In the mid-90’s Michael Lax President & CEO began evaluating the need to expand the company’s footprint to better capture the organization’s growing customer base. In 1997-1998 API Solutions initiated a thorough site selection process designed ...read more
Looking Forward
In September of 2010, the HCPED asked 134 manufacturers five questions focused on developing a local perspective on what 2011 and 2012 might bring for our economy. Forty-one complete responses contributed to the data below. Click on thumbnails to zoom into the survey responses. ...read more