Beaufort County EDC Talking Points | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publishers's Note: The Beaufort County Economic Development Commission will have a group of talking points, which we have listed here below, when they meet with the Beaufort County Commissioners in their Commissioner's Court tonight, Monday, March 19, 2012.

Press Release:

Talking Points: Economic Development

    • Beaufort County lost over 5,000 jobs between 1970 and 2007

    • In 2000, the EDC was formed and in 2001, the Committee of 100 was rejuvenated.


    • Between 2001 and 2011 a number of new industries were recruited or expanded with the direct help of the EDC and the Committee:

    Company                                                Jobs   (2011)

    Camfill Farr                                              Jobs       90
    Prettl (PAS)                                               Jobs     119
    XS Smith                                                    Jobs       14
    Impressions                                                Jobs     114
    Hackney SVC                                            Jobs     154
    Coeur                                                           Jobs     126
    Flanders Page Building expansion      Jobs     190
    Spinrite                                                       Jobs       60
    Brooks Boatworks                                     Jobs        10
    Carver Machine Works                           Jobs       60
    Egret                                                             Jobs       10

    Total                                                             Jobs    947

    • In addition to recruiting industry, the Committee and the EDC worked with the City and County governments to create two industrial parks. This took more than a year in each case, involved extensive engineering, permitting, and water and sewer extensions. Private development would have been impossible. The EDC ensured the legislation was passed that gave Beaufort County what were essentially 100% free grants of over $10,000,000.

    • Two speculative industrial buildings were constructed; the first sold in 14 months, and the second is the current target of three companies. The Committee of 100 acquired and leased buildings to three companies and has leased equipment to two companies to allow for job expansion or creation.

    • The EDC has been a leader in regulatory and insurance issues affecting the coast by creating and chairing another non-profit, NC 20, winning substantial victories in most cases. Most recently, the attempt by the State to increase flood zone elevations by 39" and mandate that in land use plans was soundly defeated. Abolishment of the transfer of variances on property in the Tar Pam (and Neuse) watersheds was not only defeated, but the State apologized for its overreaching.

    • The Committee of 100 constructed a training and incubation facility, the Beaufort County Skills Center, which has incubated two existing plants, trained hundreds of workers, and which serves the entire County as a meeting/conference venue.

    • Community development has been a major achievement of the EDC: Belhaven's waterfront includes a $10 million condominium unit where a crab house once stood; A beautification committee, the Miracle Mile Committee, cleared dozens of eyesores from overgrown weeds to oil storage tanks to, from abandoned industrial buildings to flooded fast food restaurants.