Agenda - 09-27-2004-2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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i l :. ORANGE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Prepared by Dianne Reid September 22, 2002 Based upon the recommendation of a local committee of public and private sector leaders, the Orange County Economic Development Commission (EDC) was formed in the mid-1980s as a department of Orange County Government. The Commission is funded by investments from the towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, and from Orange County. As stated in its 2004 draft Strategic Plan, Investing in Innovation, the EDC mission is as follows: Our purpose is to make Orange County a smart, innovative place— a great place in which to live and work. We encourage public-private investments to provide jobs for county residents and to increase the non-residential tax base. Through these investments, we enhance the financial well-being and quality of life of county residents, and the ability of their local governments to provide high quality services. Program of Work: To achieve its mission, the EDC pursues a mix of business recruitment, business retention and expansion, and new business formation strategies.. EDC staff work in coordination with a variety of other organizations, and often function as facilitators as business owners work through issues at various stages of business development. Recruitment—Through partnerships with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, the EDC markets available land and buildings within the county to businesses inside the US and internationally, Examples of businesses that have moved to Orange County in the past five years include: • A Virginia-based manufacturer of windows and doors that purchased and renovated an existing building in the Buckhorn Economic Development District; • A textile manufacturers association which moved its headquarters to Chapel Hill from Atlanta; • A software developer that relocated to Chapel Hill from San Francisco; • An insulation company that relocated its headquarters to western Orange County from Pennsylvania; • A sporting goods chain that relocated its headquarters to California to Carrboro. Retention and Expansion —The EDC works with other business assistance providers such as the Small Business Technology and Development Center and the Durham Technical Community College Small Business Center and with both Chambers of Commerce to help existing businesses expand in the county, Examples include: • The expansion of a specialty food retailer into a larger warehouse facility in Hillsborough, and into a larger retail location in Chapel Hill; • The development of an ice cream making and retail operation to complement a dairy farm and milk bottling operation; • The expansion of a mattress manufacturer into a large vacant textile facility in the Orange County portion of Mebane; • The expansion of the insulation company mentioned above as it expanded its product line last year; • The expansion of a wholesale sports equipment and clothing distributor in Hillsborough. New Business Formation —Working in partnership with other groups, the EDC assists entrepreneurs as they assess their business ideas and develop business plans. Two of the EDC's most popular publications are directed to this group, a Business Start Up Guide and a Guide to Home Based Business Regulations. Recently formed new businesses include: