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Each month we release the Creating Prosperity newsletter, in which we highlight some of the great things happening across the CREATE team, from the innovative interventions of NCGrowth and SmartUp, to the ground breaking research of the Create Prosperity Research Lab, to the stories of communities successfully improving their economies on Homegrown Tools. To sign up for our newsletter please subscribe below.
NCGrowth and Historic Princeville Work to Identify Market Opportunities for Newly Acquired 53-Acre Parcel
Established after the civil war, Princeville is the first town incorporated by African Americans in the United States. Located on a bend of the Tar River, Princeville has flooded nine times since 1800. More
Creating new partnerships in South Carolina – SCACED
The South Carolina Association of Community Economic Development (SCACED) is a dynamic coalition of more than 150 individuals and organizations that support the development of healthy and economically sustainable communities throughout South Carolina. More
Mount Olive Region Economic Development Project Wraps Up!
During the Fall of 2021, NCGrowth worked with UMO’s Regional Economic Development Taskforce to conduct a baseline assessment of economic and social conditions in the Mount Olive Region, and to identify potential economic development strategies to increase economic development and entrepreneurship in the Region. The final report will soon be available on our website! More
Business Client Highlight: SS Hamilton Farms – Green Pond, SC
The NCGrowth-SmartUp Team recently travelled to Green Pond, SC to visit new South Carolina client, Joe Hamilton, Founder and President of SS Hamilton Farms, a Certified Tree Farm. More
Kellye Whitaker Recognized as a Woodland Community Advocate by the Center for Heirs Property Preservation
Congratulations to Kellye Whitaker, NCGrowth-SmartUp South Carolina Program Manager, on her recent graduation from the Center for Heirs Property Preservation Woodland Community Advocate Institute. More
NCGrowth Awarded USDA Rural Business Development Funding in North Carolina for the third time
NCGrowth has been awarded a Rural Business Development grant from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development. This investment will support rural businesses and communities in rural Eastern North Carolina that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More
$2M grant to UNC-Chapel Hill program will rebuild, fortify local economies across and beyond the Carolinas
A $2 million grant from the Truist Foundation will fund the Anchor Institutions Create Economic Resilience program, or AICER, housed at CREATE, an economic development center at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. The AICER program works with anchor institutions – such as universities, tribal and local governments, and hospitals – to source their goods and services from minority-owned firms, rural businesses and local suppliers in COVID-impacted communities. More
The Glam Boutique Hosts Vendor Expo and Fashion Show
On September 11th, The Glam Boutique, owned and operated by NCGROWTH-SMARTUP’s Nicole Outlaw, hosted a Vendor Expo and Fashion Show. The event was held at Chief’s on the River in Windsor, NC (Bertie County). More
Hickory Nut Gorge
Outdoor Recreation is an important and fast-growing sector in the U.S. Economy. In North Carolina, over half of all residents participate in outdoor recreation each year. Access to outdoor recreation in a region contributes to quality-of-life for residents, and helps to attract families and employers. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, the Outdoor Recreation Economy in North Carolina generates $12.1 billion in total outdoor recreation value added, 152,000 direct jobs, $5.8 billion in wages in salaries, 2% of state GDP. More
Freedom Air HVAC to use Virtual Reality Technology in its Technician Certification Courses
NCGrowth-SmartUp South Carolina client Freedom Air HVAC, located in rural Hampton is a minority, veteran, family-owned company that specializes in traditional heating and air conditioning repair, installation, replacement, and services. The company uses state of the art technology and techniques to provide energy efficient solutions to its mostly residential customer base. More
