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Economic Development Partner Spotlight: Wendy Walker-Fox

As Burlington continues to grow in population, in business, and in labor strength, the City’s connections to workforce development are integral to its continued success. Director of Workforce and Economic Development, Wendy Walker-Fox, shares some insight on the Piedmont Triad workforce scene, seeing as the NCWorks Commission voted in February to accept Alamance County into the Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Local Area.

Entrepreneur Highlight: Liz Joyner

If you haven’t heard of Rose & Rae’s already, you are in for a treat – literally! Burlington welcomes Rose & Rae’s Café, a Keto-Friendly, Sugar Free, Certified Gluten Free Kitchen that recently opened their first location in March. Owner and entrepreneur Liz Joyner shared her story and vision for the business, named after her two daughters, and how healthy lifestyles can be not only attained but also enjoyed through clean cooking.

Economic Development Partner Spotlight: Phydesia Lewis

Business support and workforce development are huge parts of economic development – so much so that without local partners like the Small Business Center at Alamance Community College, Burlington would not be seeing economic success like that of recent years. Phydesia Lewis, the Director of the ACC Small Business Center and this month’s Economic Development Partner Spotlight, seeks to continue the important work that ACC is doing to grow the local talent pool and provide local businesses the support they need to thrive.

The Importance of Existing Industries

As the new year begins and anticipation continues to build, many may wonder what will happen with all the megasites and big companies locating nearby. But a business community cannot just seek out the new announcements – some of its most dedicated, important, and influential members are businesses that have been here all along. Read more about how local existing businesses bring stability to a community's economy and social identity, fueling job creation and industry permanence.

Economic Development Partner Spotlight: Loren Hill

The NC Carolina Core – a 120+ mile stretch through the middle of the state encompassing major cities and metropolitan areas along the future Interstate 685 – is a focal point of the Piedmont Triad Partnership’s mission. Loren Hill, the Carolina Core Regional Economic Development Director for the Piedmont Triad Partnership, sheds light on the Core with passion and excitement as he describes his commitment to his work.

Highlighting Hispanic and Latino Entrepreneurship

In recognition of the achievements, contributions, and history of Hispanic-Americans and Latinos in the United States, September 15th through October 15th signifies National Hispanic Heritage Month. Burlington Economic Development wants to recognize Latino and Hispanic entrepreneurship throughout North Carolina, and how both foreign-born and US-born Hispanic populations hold an essential role within the business community today.

Introducing North Carolina's Electric Vehicle Industry

Since December 2021, North Carolina has announced two major projects in the electric vehicle industry. Firstly, Toyota will construct a battery manufacturing facility at the Greensboro-Randolph megasite. Secondly, VinFast will bring their first U.S. manufacturing plant to Moncure in Chatham County. Here we examine the economic impact of both projects in the state, as well as the significance for Burlington and the surrounding areas in the near future.

Healthcare System Expansion Benefits Economic Vitality

The Alamance Regional Medical Center is expanding to serve a greater number of patrons across the region. According to Cone Health, “the project will add 14,000 sq. ft. and renovate nearly 49,000 sq. ft. at the medical center. It will move and nearly double the size of the Norville Breast Care Center.” The 34.2-million-dollar project will take about two years to complete, but what does this mean for economic development?

Workplace Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Diversity refers to the coexistence of people from varying abilities, genders, ages, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and classes. However, the identities listed above merely scratch the surface of everything included under the scope of diversity. The pandemic has made way to increase the diversity of teams within companies, as employers hire remote workers across the globe. There are numerous benefits to prioritizing diversity in the workplace.

Business Spotlight 1 : All Pro Media - August 30, 2021

It is not every day that you find established business owners with over 30 years of experience willing to make time to speak with young professionals. Luckily for me, Alan Kirby of All Pro Media, Inc. enthusiastically volunteered to be my first interview in our new Burlington Business Spotlight series. With great excitement, I bring to you an exclusive look into a local business owners’ journey down the path of entrepreneurship, secrets to success, and a closer look at the splendor of All Pro Media!

Burlington Microenterprise Loan - November 24, 2020

In response to the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has notified the City of Burlington that it will receive an additional allocation of $344,077 to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 (CDBG-CV funds). The Microenterprise Loan Program was allocated a further $86,000 by the Burlington City Council to assist businesses in need through the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 NC County Tier Rankings - Decmber 16, 2019

The North Carolina Department of Commerce annually ranks the economic well-being of the State’s 100 counties, grouping like economies in tiers. This Tier system is incorporated into various state development and financing programs to encourage economic activity and leverage more dollars in less prosperous areas of the State. The 40 most distressed counties are designated as Tier 1, the next 40 as Tier 2 and the 20 least distressed as Tier 3.

Alamance County has improved it's standing heading into 2020.

Burlington Blog Series - December 16, 2019

Greetings from the City of Burlington Economic Development Department! We’ve started this blog series to better engage our residents, businesses and partners in how we are working collaboratively to support a bigger, better Burlington.

Our department is the City’s dedicated team committed to supporting businesses, entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders in their efforts to invest, innovate and create new jobs and wealth in the City. >

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