Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
11 <br />2013 UPDATE from Economic Development <br />There has been a noticeable increase in the number of business <br />investment inquiries received by the County, visits made by site <br />selection consultants to tour the Economic Development Districts' <br />properties, and multiple return visits made to the County by active <br />corporate investment prospects. Orange County has made strong <br />gains in now attracting real interest, and return visits by high caliber <br />prospects. <br />The County's Small Business Loan program has successfully <br />supported the attraction of several new small businesses, plus the <br />retention of existing firms, through the awarding of loans to select <br />applicants. There are eight current borrowers, and all loans are <br />current, with no defaults. <br />Ongoing updates are routinely made to the County's promotional <br />marketing materials, to include the list of sites and buildings that <br />area available to business prospects, illustrative site maps and <br />diagrams, and related collateral designed to appeal to potential <br />business investors. These marketing documents are generated in- <br />house, and distributed in printed form and via the web, to <br />prospective business investors and site selection consultants. <br />Ongoing company visits continue with existing firms in the County, <br />to include meeting with the larger employers. In early 2011, that <br />included County assistance to successfully retain the on -site facility <br />expansion (90 new jobs and $3 million in investment) for the local <br />industry AKG North America. <br />The County's efforts to nurture agricultural related economic <br />development, to include linking locally grown foods with local <br />consumers, led to the successful start -up of the Piedmont Food & <br />Agricultural Processing Center (PFAP) in Hillsborough. It is a joint <br />partnership between Orange, Alamance, Chatham and Durham <br />county governments. PFAP has now evolved into a non - profit, has <br />established an advisory board, and is close to becoming a stand- <br />alone organization. <br />Agricultural - Chemed economic development has also gained <br />momentum with the annual hosting of the Farm to Fork event, and <br />the County's Ag Summit. <br />The role of the Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) in tourism <br />is to help create the artistic product (concerts, exhibits, <br />performances, etc.) that locals and visitors alike visit Orange <br />